Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is one of the causative pathogens of hand-foot-and-mouth disease and effective antiviral agents and vaccines against this virus have, to date, not been available. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a recently discovered class of RNAs with the function of post-transcriptional gene expression regulation. It has been demonstrated that miRNAs play important roles in the complicated interaction network between virus and host, while few studies have explored the role of miRNAs in EV71 infection. A recent study showed that hsa-miR-23b was downregulated significantly in cell-infected viruses. To address this issue, biological software miRanda was first used to predict possible target sites of miR-23b at EV71 gene sequence, then to confirm it by luciferase assay. miR-23b mimics were transfected to verify its effects on infection of EV71. These results suggest that miR-23b and upregulation of miR-23b inhibited the replication of EV71 by targeting at EV71 3′UTR conserved sequence. Taken together, miR-23b could inhibit EV71 replication through downregulation of EV71 VPl protein. These results may enhance our understanding on the prevention and treatment of hand-foot-and-mouth disease caused by EV71 infection.

Premature ovarian failure (POF) is one of the principal causes of female infertility, and although its causes are complex and diverse, autoimmune deficiency may be involved. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs) can be used for tissue regeneration and repair. Therefore, the present study was designed to determine the role of UCMSCs in immune factor-induced POF in rats. In this study, different concentrations of UCMSCs were injected into induced POF rats. Ovarian functions were examined by evaluating the estrus cycle, follicular morphology, hormonal secretion, and the proliferation and apoptosis of granulosa cells. Our results showed that the estrus cycle of rats returned to normal and follicular development was significantly improved after transplantation of UCMSCs. In addition, serum concentrations of 17-estradiol (E2), progesterone (P4), and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) increased significantly with treatment. Transplantation of UCMSCs also reduced the apoptosis of granulosa cells and promoted the proliferation of granulosa cells. All of these improvements were dose dependent. Furthermore, the results of related gene expression showed that transplanted human UCMSCs upregulated the expression of Bcl-2, AMH, and FSHR in the ovary of POF rats and downregulated the expression of caspase-3. These results further validated the potential mechanisms of promoting the release of cell growth factors and enhancing tissue regeneration and provide a theoretical basis for the clinical application of stem cells in the treatment of premature ovarian failure.

Hawthorn-leaves flavonoids ( HF ), extracted from hawthorn leaves, were reported to exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and hypolipidemic properties. The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of dietary HF on the reproduction performance and liver lipid metabolism of aged breeder hens. A total of 270 aged Qiling breeder hens (60-wk-old) were randomly divided into 3 treatments: 1) basic corn-soybean diet ( CON ); 2) basic corn-soybean diet supplemented with 30 mg/kg HF ( LHF ); 3) basic corn-soybean diet supplemented with 60 mg/kg HF ( HHF ). The results showed that supplemented HF significantly improved the egg-laying rate and hatching rate of aged breeder hens ( P < 0.05). HF treatment reduced the serum TG, T-CHO and L-LDL levels ( P < 0.05), and upregulated the mRNA expressions of ESR1, ESR2, VTGⅡ, ApoB , and ApoVI in the liver ( P < 0.05). Serum estrogen levels in HF treated groups were elevated compared with the CON group ( P < 0.05). In the HHF group, the number of the primordial follicles was higher in comparison with the CON group ( P < 0.05). Furthermore, dietary supplementation with HF improved the activity of antioxidant enzymes (T-AOC, GSH-Pχ) ( P < 0.05), following with the reversed ovarian apoptosis and morphological damage. In addition, 60 mg/kg dietary HF upregulated the protein expression of PCNA and Nrf2 in the ovary ( P < 0.05). In summary, dietary supplementation with HF could improve the reproduction performance through regulating liver lipid metabolism and improving ovarian function in aged breeder hens.

Breeder hens in the late egg-laying period have lower reproductive performance, manifesting as degraded egg-laying rate, quality and hatching performance. The production performance of laying hens is influenced by breeder hens (Gong et al., 2019; Lang et al., 2019). The Qiling hen, used in the present study, is a Chinese native chicken. It is worth mentioning that, the reproductive performance of these local hens decreases rapidly in the late egg-laying period. Therefore, it is of great significance to find a solution to this problem from the perspective of nutritional regulation. In poultry, many factors are in connection with fertility.

Mulberry‐leaf flavonoids (MF), extracted from mulberry leaves, exert antioxidant and hypolipidemic effects. The purpose of this experimental study was to investigate the effects of dietary MF on the ovarian function and liver lipid metabolism of aged breeder hens. We used 270 (60‐weeks‐old) Qiling breeder hens randomly assigned in 3 treatments with supplemental dietary MF doses (0, 30, 60 mg/kg). The results showed that dietary MF significantly improved the egg‐laying rate, followed by the reduced feed conversion rate (FCR) (p < 0.05). However, there is no obvious difference in hatchability and fertilised eggs hatchability among the three groups (p > 0.05). The level of T‐CHO, LDL‐C and AKP in serum was reduced, and the HDL‐C concentrations were increased by dietary MF (p < 0.05). MF treatment also improved the antioxidant capacity and reduced the apoptotic index of the ovary (p < 0.05). Additionally, dietary MF significantly increased the serum estradiol (E2) levels (p < 0.05) and the transcription level of CYP19A1 and LHR in the ovary (p < 0.05). Dietary MF enhanced fatty acid β‐oxidation in the liver via up‐regulating the mRNA expressions of PPARα and CPT‐I (p < 0.05). Moreover, the HMF group significantly decreased mRNA expressions of SREBP‐1c (p < 0.05) and increased mRNA expressions of ERα, VTG‐Ⅱ and ApoB in the liver (p < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary MF could improve the reproduction performance of aged breeder hens through improving ovary function and hepatic lipid metabolism.