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Frontiers in Pharmacology 2024As a representative classical prescription, Sijunzi decoction has powerful therapeutic effects on spleen-stomach qi insufficiency. Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic,...
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE
As a representative classical prescription, Sijunzi decoction has powerful therapeutic effects on spleen-stomach qi insufficiency. Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic, diffuse, and non-specifically inflammatory disorder, the etiology of which still remains unclear. In the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) perspective, splenic asthenia is the primary cause of UC. Based on this, Sijunzi decoction has been extensively used in TCM clinical practice to alleviate UC in recent years. However, the pharmacological mechanism of Sijunzi decoction in modern medicine is still not completely clear, which limits its clinical application.
AIM OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study was to investigate the Sijunzi decoction's curative effect on acute UC mice and probe into its potential pharmacological mechanism.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The UC mouse model was set up by freely ingesting a 3% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) solution. The relieving role of Sijunzi decoction on UC in mice was analyzed by evaluating the changes in clinical parameters, colon morphology, histopathology, inflammatory factor content, intestinal epithelial barrier protein expression level, and gut microbiota balance state. Finally, multivariate statistical analysis was conducted to elucidate the relationship between inflammatory factors, intestinal epithelial barrier proteins, and gut microbiota.
RESULTS
First, the research findings revealed that Sijunzi decoction could visibly ease the clinical manifestation of UC, lower the DAI score, and attenuate colonic damage. Moreover, Sijunzi decoction could also significantly inhibit IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α while increasing occludin and ZO-1 expression levels. Subsequently, further studies showed that Sijunzi decoction could remodel gut microbiota homeostasis. Sijunzi decoction was beneficial in regulating the levels of Alistipes, Akkermansia, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, and other bacteria. Finally, multivariate statistical analysis demonstrated that key gut microbes were closely associated with inflammatory factors and intestinal epithelial barrier proteins.
CONCLUSION
Sijunzi decoction can significantly prevent and treat UC. Its mechanism is strongly associated with the improvement of inflammation and intestinal epithelial barrier damage by regulating the gut microbiota.
PubMed: 38650625
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1360972 -
Research Square Apr 2024Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is common in people living with HIV (PLHIV) in high TB burden settings. Active TB is associated with specific stool taxa; however,...
BACKGROUND
Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is common in people living with HIV (PLHIV) in high TB burden settings. Active TB is associated with specific stool taxa; however, little is known about the stool microbiota and LTBI, including in PLHIV.
METHOD
Within a parent study that recruited adult females with HIV from Cape Town, South Africa into predefined age categories (18-25, 35-60 years), we characterised the stool microbiota of those with [interferon-γ release assay (IGRA)- and tuberculin skin test (TST)-positive] or without (IGRA- and TST- negative) LTBI (n=25 per group). 16S rRNA DNA sequences were analysed using QIIME2, Dirichlet Multinomial Mixtures, DESeq2 and PICRUSt2.
RESULTS
No α- or β-diversity differences occurred by LTBI status; however, LTBI-positives were depleted. Inferred metagenome data showed LTBI-negative-enriched pathways included several involved in methylglyoxal degradation, L-arginine, putrescine, 4-aminobutanoate degradation and L-arginine and ornithine degradation. Stool from LTBI-positives demonstrated differential taxa abundance based on a quantitative response to antigen stimulation (depletion associated with higher IGRA or TST responses, respectively). In LTBI-positives, older people had different β-diversities than younger people whereas, in LTBI-negatives, no differences occurred across age groups.
CONCLUSION
Amongst female PLHIV, those with LTBI had, vs. those without LTBI, Gemmiger-enriched, which are producers of short chain fatty acids. Taxonomic differences amongst people with LTBI occurred according to quantitative response to antigen stimulation and age. These data enhance our understanding of the microbiome's potential role in LTBI.
PubMed: 38645218
DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4182285/v1 -
BMC Pulmonary Medicine Apr 2024Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) exhibit a distinct gut microbiota profile; however, the causal association between gut microbiota, associated...
BACKGROUND
Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) exhibit a distinct gut microbiota profile; however, the causal association between gut microbiota, associated metabolites, and PAH remains elusive. We aimed to investigate this causal association and to explore whether dietary patterns play a role in its regulation.
METHODS
Summary statistics of gut microbiota, associated metabolites, diet, and PAH were obtained from genome-wide association studies. The inverse variance weighted method was primarily used to measure the causal effect, with sensitivity analyses using the weighted median, weighted mode, simple mode, MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO), and MR-Egger methods. A reverse Mendelian randomisation analysis was also performed.
RESULTS
Alistipes (odds ratio [OR] = 2.269, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.100-4.679, P = 0.027) and Victivallis (OR = 1.558, 95% CI 1.019-2.380, P = 0.040) were associated with an increased risk of PAH, while Coprobacter (OR = 0.585, 95% CI 0.358-0.956, P = 0.032), Erysipelotrichaceae (UCG003) (OR = 0.494, 95% CI 0.245-0.996, P = 0.049), Lachnospiraceae (UCG008) (OR = 0.596, 95% CI 0.367-0.968, P = 0.036), and Ruminococcaceae (UCG005) (OR = 0.472, 95% CI 0.231-0.962, P = 0.039) protected against PAH. No associations were observed between PAH and gut microbiota-derived metabolites (trimethylamine N-oxide [TMAO] and its precursors betaine, carnitine, and choline), short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), or diet. Although inverse variance-weighted analysis demonstrated that elevated choline levels were correlated with an increased risk of PAH, the results were not consistent with the sensitivity analysis. Therefore, the association was considered insignificant. Reverse Mendelian randomisation analysis demonstrated that PAH had no causal impact on gut microbiota-derived metabolites but could contribute to increased the levels of Butyricicoccus and Holdemania, while decreasing the levels of Clostridium innocuum, Defluviitaleaceae UCG011, Eisenbergiella, and Ruminiclostridium 5.
CONCLUSIONS
Gut microbiota were discovered suggestive evidence of the impacts of genetically predicted abundancy of certain microbial genera on PAH. Results of our study point that the production of SCFAs or TMAO does not mediate this association, which remains to be explained mechanistically.
Topics: Humans; Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Genome-Wide Association Study; Mendelian Randomization Analysis; Familial Primary Pulmonary Hypertension; Choline; Methylamines
PubMed: 38632547
DOI: 10.1186/s12890-024-03008-7 -
Frontiers in Pharmacology 2024Essential oils are potential alternatives to antibiotics for preventing albicans (C. albicans) infection which is responsible for economic losses in the pigeon...
Essential oils are potential alternatives to antibiotics for preventing albicans (C. albicans) infection which is responsible for economic losses in the pigeon industry. essential oil (EO) can inhibit pathogens, particularly fungal pathogens but its potential beneficial effects on -infected pigeons remain unclear. Therefore, we investigated the impact of . EO on antioxidant activity, immune response, intestinal barrier function, and intestinal microbiota in -infected pigeons. The pigeons were divided into four groups as follows: (1) NC group: uninfected/. EO untreated group; (2) PC group: infected/. EO untreated group; (3) LPA group: infected/1% . EO treated group; and (4) HPA group: infected/2% . EO treated group. The pigeons were infected with from day of age 35 to 41 and treated with . EO from day of age 42 to 44, with samples collected on day of age 45 for analysis. The results demonstrated that . EO prevented the reduction in the antioxidant enzymes SOD and GSH-Px causes by challenge in pigeons. Furthermore, . EO could decrease the relative expression of , , and in the ileum, as well as and in the crop, while increasing the relative expression of in the ileum and the crop and in the ileum in infected pigeons. Although the gut microbiota composition was not significantly affected by . EO, 2% . EO increased the abundance of and . In conclusion, the application of 2% . EO not only enhanced the level of antioxidant activity and the expression of genes related to intestinal barrier function but also inhibited inflammatory genes in -infected pigeons and increased the abundance of gut bacteria that are resistant to .
PubMed: 38628645
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1380277 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Mar 2024Excessive liver fat causes non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in laying hens, reducing egg production. Addressing NAFLD via bile-acid metabolism is gaining...
Excessive liver fat causes non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in laying hens, reducing egg production. Addressing NAFLD via bile-acid metabolism is gaining attention. We induced NAFLD in 7-week-old ISA female chickens with a high-cholesterol, low-choline diet (CLC) for 6 weeks. LC/MS was used to analyze serum and cecal bile acids, while cecal digesta DNA underwent 16S rRNA sequencing. The distribution of bile acid varied in healthy (CON) and CLC-fed chickens. CLC increased secondary bile acids (TLCA, TUDCA, THDCA, TDCA) in serum and primary bile acids (CDCA, TCDCA, isoDCA) in serum, as well as glycochenodeoxycholic acid (GCDCA) in cecal contents. CLC upregulated bile-acid synthesis enzymes (CYP7A1, CYP8B1) in the liver. Bile-acid receptor gene expression (HNF4A, FXR, LXR) was similar between groups. Microbiota abundance was richer in CON (alpha-diversity), with distinct separation (beta-diversity) between CON and CLC. The Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio slightly decreased in CLC. Taxonomic analysis revealed higher , , in CLC but lower . CLC had more Mucispirillum, Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group, Shuttleworthia, and Olsenella, while CON had more Enterococcus, Ruminococcaceae_UCG_014, and Faecalibacterium. This study unveils bile-acid and microflora changes in a chicken NAFLD model, enhancing our understanding of fatty liver disease metabolism and aiding targeted interventions.
PubMed: 38612231
DOI: 10.3390/ani14070992 -
International Journal of General... 2024The fecal microbiota was studied in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and the characteristics of gut microbiota were compared among patients with different...
OBJECTIVE
The fecal microbiota was studied in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and the characteristics of gut microbiota were compared among patients with different subtypes and stages of IBD, aiming to identify the gut microbiota associated with IBD.
METHODS
Fecal samples were collected from 41 IBD patients (18 patients with ulcerative colitis [UC] and 23 patients with Crohn's disease [CD]) in the Department of Gastroenterology of East China Hospital, Fudan University between January 2021 and January 2022. In addition, fecal samples were collected from 20 healthy volunteers. The fecal microbiota was subjected to 16S rRNA gene sequencing, followed by bioinformatics analysis.
RESULTS
There was significant difference in the fecal microbiota between IBD patients and controls. The abundance and diversity of fecal microbiota in the IBD patients were significantly lower than in controls. The relative abundance of and was reduced markedly in the IBD patients. As compared to controls, the relative abundance of increased dramatically in the UC patients. The relative abundance of and significantly increased in the CD patients. As compared to CD patients, the relative abundance of was reduced markedly in the UC patients; the relative abundance of and was reduced dramatically in the CD patients. In addition, significant difference was also noted in the fecal microflora between patients with active IBD and those with IBD in remission period. In active IBD patients, the relative abundance of and was reduced significantly.
CONCLUSION
There is intestinal microbiota imbalance in IBD patients, and the abundance of and is reduced significantly in the active period of IBD, which may be related to the active IBD.
PubMed: 38601196
DOI: 10.2147/IJGM.S448359 -
Journal of Diabetes Apr 2024Depression is the most common psychological disorder in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, the characteristics of microbiota and metabolites in these patients...
BACKGROUND
Depression is the most common psychological disorder in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, the characteristics of microbiota and metabolites in these patients remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate microbial and metabolomic profiles and identify novel biomarkers for T1D with depression.
METHODS
A case-control study was conducted in a total of 37 T1D patients with depression (TD+), 35 T1D patients without depression (TD-), and 29 healthy controls (HCs). 16S rRNA gene sequencing and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) metabolomics analysis were conducted to investigate the characteristics of microbiota and metabolites. The association between altered microbiota and metabolites was explored by Spearman's rank correlation and visualized by a heatmap. The microbial signatures to discriminate TD+ from TD- were identified by a random forest (RF) classifying model.
RESULTS
In microbiota, 15 genera enriched in TD- and 2 genera enriched in TD+, and in metabolites, 14 differential metabolites (11 upregulated and 3 downregulated) in TD+ versus TD- were identified. Additionally, 5 genera (including Phascolarctobacterium, Butyricimonas, and Alistipes from altered microbiota) demonstrated good diagnostic power (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.73; 95% CI, 0.58-0.87). In the correlation analysis, Butyricimonas was negatively correlated with glutaric acid (r = -0.28, p = 0.015) and malondialdehyde (r = -0.30, p = 0.012). Both Phascolarctobacterium (r = 0.27, p = 0.022) and Alistipes (r = 0.31, p = 0.009) were positively correlated with allopregnanolone.
CONCLUSIONS
T1D patients with depression were characterized by unique profiles of gut microbiota and serum metabolites. Phascolarctobacterium, Butyricimonas, and Alistipes could predict the risk of T1D with depression. These findings provide further evidence that the microbiota-gut-brain axis is involved in T1D with depression.
Topics: Humans; Case-Control Studies; Depression; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Gastrointestinal Microbiome
PubMed: 38599848
DOI: 10.1111/1753-0407.13542 -
Poultry Science Jun 2024Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharide (PSP) has demonstrated diverse medicinal properties, extensively researched for human applications. Nonetheless, there is a lack of...
The impact of dietary supplementation of polysaccharide derived from Polygonatum sibiricum on growth, antioxidant capacity, meat quality, digestive physiology, and gut microbiota in broiler chickens.
Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharide (PSP) has demonstrated diverse medicinal properties, extensively researched for human applications. Nonetheless, there is a lack of studies investigating the potential advantages of PSP in poultry farming. The present study investigated the impact of incorporating PSP into broiler diets on their growth performance, meat quality, blood metabolites, antioxidative status, and ileal histomorphology. Two hundred and forty-one-day-old male Ross-308 broiler chicks (44.98 ± 0.79 g) were randomly assigned to 3 experimental groups, with 8 replicates of 10 birds each. The birds were fed diets supplemented with PSP at 0, 400, and 800 mg/kg (control, PSP400, and PSP800, respectively). The results revealed a linear (P > 0.05) improvement in body weight gain, European production efficiency index, and feed conversion ratio during the grower (22-35 d) and overall periods (1-35 d). The pH levels in the ingluvies, ileum, and cecum exhibited a linear reduction (P > 0.05) in the PSP800 group at d 21 and d 35, respectively. Villus height and crypt depth were increased in the PSP400 and PSP800 groups compared to the control group. PSP400 and PSP800 groups exhibited decreased hydrogen peroxide (HO) levels and increased total antioxidant capacity (TAC) at 21 d, while at 35 d, TAC and sulfhydryl concentrations were elevated, and HO was reduced only in the PSP800 group compared to the untreated one. No significant variations between the groups at the phylum and genus levels were observed, with Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes being the dominant phyla. However, PSP supplementation notably augmented Firmicutes and Verrucomicrobiota while reducing Euryarchaeota and Proteobacteria. At the genus level, there was an increase in Akkermansia, Alistipes, CHKCI001, Erysipelatoclostridium, and a decrease in Methanobrevibacter. Conclusively, incorporating PSP into broiler diets, particularly at a dosage of 800 mg/kg, improved growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal architecture and resulted in alterations in cecal microbiota without discernible impacts on digestive function and meat quality criteria.
Topics: Animals; Chickens; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Animal Feed; Diet; Polysaccharides; Antioxidants; Male; Dietary Supplements; Polygonatum; Meat; Random Allocation; Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Digestion; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
PubMed: 38593546
DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2024.103675 -
Scientific Reports Apr 2024The gut microbiota is known to play an important role in energy harvest and is likely to affect feed efficiency. In this study, we used 16S metabarcoding sequencing to...
The gut microbiota is known to play an important role in energy harvest and is likely to affect feed efficiency. In this study, we used 16S metabarcoding sequencing to analyse the caecal microbiota of laying hens from feed-efficient and non-efficient lines obtained by divergent selection for residual feed intake. The two lines were fed either a commercial wheat-soybean based diet (CTR) or a low-energy, high-fibre corn-sunflower diet (LE). The analysis revealed a significant line x diet interaction, highlighting distinct differences in microbial community composition between the two lines when hens were fed the CTR diet, and more muted differences when hens were fed the LE diet. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that a richer and more diverse microbiota may play a role in enhancing feed efficiency, albeit in a diet-dependent manner. The taxonomic differences observed in the microbial composition seem to correlate with alterations in starch and fibre digestion as well as in the production of short-chain fatty acids. As a result, we hypothesise that efficient hens are able to optimise nutrient absorption through the activity of fibrolytic bacteria such as Alistipes or Anaerosporobacter, which, via their production of propionate, influence various aspects of host metabolism.
Topics: Animals; Female; Chickens; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Animal Feed; Diet; Eating; Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
PubMed: 38589474
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58374-3 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2024Children have regional dynamics in the gut microbiota development trajectory. Hitherto, the features and influencing factors of the gut microbiota and fecal and plasma...
INTRODUCTION
Children have regional dynamics in the gut microbiota development trajectory. Hitherto, the features and influencing factors of the gut microbiota and fecal and plasma metabolites in children from Northwest China remain unclear.
METHODS
Shotgun metagenomic sequencing and untargeted metabolomics were performed on 100 healthy volunteers aged 2-12 years.
RESULTS
Age, body mass index (BMI), regular physical exercise (RPE), and delivery mode (DM) significantly affect gut microbiota and metabolites. , , , , and predicted pathway propanoate production were significantly increased with age while , , and carbohydrate degradation were decreased. Fecal metabolome revealed that the metabolism of caffeine, amino acids, and lipid significantly increased with age while galactose metabolism decreased. Noticeably, BMI was positively associated with pathogens including , , , and amino acid metabolism but negatively associated with beneficial , , , and caffeine metabolism. RPE has increased probiotic and , acetate and lactate production, and major nutrient metabolism in gut and plasma, but decreased pathobiont , taurine degradation, and pentose phosphate pathway. Interestingly, DM affects the gut microbiota and metabolites throughout the whole childhood. , , , primary bile acid, and neomycin biosynthesis were enriched in eutocia, while anti-inflammatory , , , and pathogenic , , and amino acid metabolism were enriched in Cesarean section children.
DISCUSSION
Our results provided theoretical and data foundation for the gut microbiota and metabolites in preadolescent children's growth and development in Northwest China.
Topics: Pregnancy; Child; Humans; Female; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Caffeine; Cesarean Section; Urban Population; Metabolome; Amino Acids
PubMed: 38585649
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1374544