The nutrient composition of feed plays a crucial role in regulating gene expression in animals, thereby affecting growth, metabolism, and immune functions. In poultry, the optimized use of feed additives such as crude protein and phytase can enhance nutrient absorption, improve feed efficiency, and reduce environmental waste. In this study, we investigated the transcriptomic changes in the blood of forty-eight one-week-old broiler chickens fed diets differing in crude protein and phytase content. Using RNA sequencing and bioinformatic analysis, a total of 44 differentially expressed genes were identified in response to dietary variation. These genes were primarily involved in immune response, regulation of cell morphology, glycolytic process, and glycerolipid metabolism. Functional enrichment analysis revealed significant associations with cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction pathways, which regulate lipid metabolism, cellular proliferation, differentiation, and inflammatory responses. Moreover, decreased levels of crude protein and phytase were linked to alterations in protein autophosphorylation, amino acid biosynthesis, and energy metabolism pathways. These findings indicate that dietary modulation of crude protein and phytase levels can significantly influence metabolic and immune regulatory mechanisms in early-stage broilers. The appropriate feeding of feed additives (such as crude protein and phytase) not only improves nutritional deficiencies and feed efficiency issues in livestock, but also contributes to sustainable meat production, including the reduction of nitrogen and ammonia emissions, thereby supporting environmentally responsible poultry production.

With advancements in high-resolution scanners and high-performance computers, the use of whole slide imaging (WSI) in digital pathology has increased. WSI scans glass slides and stores them in digital format, making them immune to damage or discoloration, and enabling remote pathology review and peer review. Additionally, with the development of artificial intelligence, research using deep learning models in pathology has become more widespread. In this study, the You Only Look Once (YOLO)v8 model was used to train artificial intelligence to detect apoptotic bodies commonly observed in rodent livers. A total of 1,558 rat liver images containing apoptotic bodies were collected and followed by labeling and data augmentation using flipping and rotation techniques to expand the dataset to 3,738 images. The dataset was then divided into training, validation, and test sets to develop and evaluate a model for object recognition. The training was conducted with an epoch set to 300. The YOLOv8 model detected apoptotic bodies with a mean average precision at 50% value of 0.882. Although the model’s accuracy for detecting individual apoptotic bodies may not seem extremely high, it is important to note that the size of apoptotic bodies is very small compared to hepatocytes, making them harder to detect. However, the model’s overall performance is expected to improves significantly with a larger dataset. The YOLOv8 model successfully detected apoptotic bodies with high accuracy. This can help reduce the workload of toxicologic pathologists and decrease the time and cost involved in pathology review. Furthermore, with an increased dataset, even higher accuracy can be expected in the future.

Medial patellar luxation is a common orthopedic disorder in dogs, and advanced cases with severe skeletal deformities or femoropatellar osteoarthritis are often unresponsive to conventional techniques. Patellar groove replacement (PGR) has been proposed as an alternative surgical option; however, systematic comparisons of coating technologies for veterinary PGR implants remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate the physicochemical properties, biological compatibility, and functional performance of a newly developed titanium nitride (TiN)–coated PGR system compared with a clinically available amorphous diamond-like carbon (ADLC)–coated device. TiN-coated prototypes were fabricated using Ti-6Al-4V alloy by injection molding combined with arc ion plating, which requires simpler equipment and lower production costs than the vacuum plasma deposition used for ADLC. Physicochemical evaluations, including corrosion resistance, hardness, surface roughness, and coating thickness, were conducted following International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Korean Industrial Standards (KS) guidelines. In vitro biocompatibility was assessed using MTT and cell adhesion assays with L-929 fibroblasts, while inflammatory cytokine profiling (interleukin [IL]-1β and IL-6) in a rat subcutaneous model was used to evaluate local tissue responses. Functional feasibility was examined in a canine femoral model bilaterally implanted with TiNor ADLC-coated PGR systems and monitored for one year through clinical, radiographic, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging , and micro-CT assessments. Both coatings demonstrated excellent corrosion resistance and absence of cytotoxicity. TiN-coated implants showed slightly greater hardness and coating thickness, with comparable surface roughness and biocompatibility. All implants maintained stable fixation, proper patellar tracking, and satisfactory bone–implant integration. These findings indicate that TiN-coated PGR implants achieve biological and mechanical performance equivalent to ADLC devices while offering advantages in manufacturing simplicity, scalability, and cost-efficiency, supporting their clinical applicability in veterinary orthopedics.

High-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) is a conserved nuclear protein that stabilizes the nucleosome and regulates gene transcription. Recent studies have reported that glycyrrhizic acid (GA), a HMGB1 inhibitor, blocks extracellular HMGB1 cytokine activity and has a protective effect in various diseases. This study was performed to investigate the effect of GA on in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo culture of pig oocytes. HMGB1 was detected by immunofluorescence in the boar sperm post-acrosomal sheath and sperm tail mid-piece, as well as in the nucleus of immature, germinal vesicle stage porcine oocytes, the cytoplasm of mature metaphase II oocytes, and in the embryonic nuclei. A related protein, HMGB2, was also observed in spermatozoa and oocytes, co-localizing with HMGB1. Both HMGB1 and HMGB2 were detected in the protein extracts of spermatozoa and oocytes by Western blotting. Total fertilization rates (mono and polyspermic) increased, and more spermatozoa were bound to the zona pellucida of the oocytes when the IVF medium was supplemented with 20 μM GA compared to the control (p<0.05). In the presence of 20 μM GA, there was a significant increase in the percentage of cleaved embryos, blastocyst formation, and the mean cell numbers per blastocyst (p<0.05). GA treatment increased porcine fertilization rates and improved embryo development in vitro, possibly by blocking the cell-survival-limiting activities of HMGB proteins. Thus, GA could be a suitable therapeutic candidate in assisted reproductive technologies.

Occupational respiratory diseases induced by industrial chemicals are well documented. Among these diseases, asthma induced by low‑molecular‑weight agents such as isocyanates and acid anhydrides commonly used in manufacturing is characterized by dyspnea, chest tightness, and wheezing. We evaluated the effect of low‑molecular‑weight agents epidemiologically well‑established as associated with occupational asthma on normal or pathological states of the human airway epithelium using validated 3D-airway epithelial cell models. Treatment of MucilAir™, SmallAir™, and SmallAir-asthma™ models with methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), toluene diisocyanate (TDI), and trimellitic anhydride for 24 hours induced increased lactate dehydrogenase release and elicited morphologic alteration in the respiratory epithelium with characteristic cellular injury such as changes in the height of the epithelial cells, focal epithelial loss, and disorganization of the epithelium. Furthermore, histological modifications included epithelial hyperplasia, cyst formation and increased mucus secretion. We also examined reactive oxygen species as indicator of oxidative injury and profiled the cytokines, chemokines, and other markers of airway remodeling related to asthma pathogenesis. However, chemical exposure did not appear to induce concentration-dependent changes in reactive oxygen species, whereas MDI and TDI elicited alterations in interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, and IL-8 in SmallAir™ or SmallAir-asthma™ models. Although no meaningful alterations were observed in the parameters of oxidative damage or factors related with asthmatic mechanisms, likely due to methodological limitations, further investigation of 3D-cell airway models would support an advanced understanding of respiratory diseases, including asthma.

Plant-derived natural products, recognized for their bioactive properties and minimal side effects, have been widely explored for their potential in obesity management. Identifying plant-based agents that can modulate adipocyte function with low cytotoxicity is essential for developing safe and effective anti-obesity interventions. In this study, Philadelphus schrenkii (Korean mock orange) was identified as a promising candidate following an initial screening for agents that exhibit minimal cytotoxicity and reduced adipocyte differentiation, as assessed by Oil Red O staining. The anti-obesity effects of P. schrenkii methanol extract (PSE) were evaluated by using in vitro and in vivo models. PSE treatment significantly reduced C3H10T1/2 preadipocyte differentiation and upregulated thermogenic markers, including Ucp1 and Dio2, in differentiated cells. Although PSE did not induce weight loss, alter food intake, or improve the serum metabolic profiles in a diet-induced obesity mouse model, it notably enhanced the thermogenic Ucp1 expression in inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT) and brown adipose tissue. It also mitigated high-fat diet-induced adiposity in iWAT, accompanied by Protein Kinase A signaling activation. These findings suggest that PSE modulates adipose tissue function by suppressing adipogenesis and promoting thermogenic gene expression without weight reduction or metabolic improvement. Based on these effects, PSE may contribute as a supportive agent to plant-based therapeutic strategies against obesity

Extensive soft tissue defects involving loss of skin, fat, and muscle often result from trauma or tumor resection. Current treatments, including autografts and flaps, are limited by donor-site morbidity and scarce tissue availability. Animal models, particularly in rodents, are essential for research but are limited by their primary healing mechanism—contraction via the panniculus carnosus—which does not accurately reflect human healing. Furthermore, standardized models for complex skin–muscle defects are lacking. Therefore, this study aims to create a clinically relevant composite soft tissue defect model in mice using a three-dimensional (3D) polylactic acid (PLA) chimney splint to inhibit contraction and better mimic human wound healing mechanisms (re-epithelialization and granulation tissue formation). A composite defect was created on the dorsum of 8-week-old BALB/c nude mice. The biocompatibility of the 3D-printed PLA chimney was assessed via MTT assay. In vivo, fixation methods—tissue adhesive (TA), simple interrupted sutures (SI), and purse-string suture (PS)—were compared. Wound healing was evaluated over 4 weeks via gross and histological analyses. PLA material showed excellent biocompatibility in vitro, with cell viability consistently above 85%, indicating noncytotoxicity. In vivo, the TA and SI groups showed severe inflammation, tissue necrosis, and splint detachment. In contrast, the PS group remained stable for 4 weeks with no complications. Histologically, the PS group effectively suppressed contraction. Re-epithelialization from the wound edge, well-organized granulation tissue with active angiogenesis, abundant fibroblasts, and collagen deposition, and spindle-shaped cells were clearly observed. In conclusion, this study establishes a reproducible and stable murine composite soft tissue defect model by combining a 3D-printed chimney splint with a PS technique. This model overcomes a key limitation of rodent wound models by controlling contraction, offering a robust preclinical platform to study composite tissue healing and evaluate next-generation regenerative medicine therapies.