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Nutrients Jun 2021Glucosamine (GLU) is a natural compound found in cartilage, and supplementation with glucosamine has been shown to improve joint heath and has been linked to reduced... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Glucosamine (GLU) is a natural compound found in cartilage, and supplementation with glucosamine has been shown to improve joint heath and has been linked to reduced mortality rates. GLU is poorly absorbed and may exhibit functional properties in the gut. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of glucosamine on gastrointestinal function as well as changes in fecal microbiota and metabolome. Healthy males ( = 6) and females ( = 5) (33.4 ± 7.7 years, 174.1 ± 12.0 cm, 76.5 ± 12.9 kg, 25.2 ± 3.1 kg/m, = 11) completed two supplementation protocols that each spanned three weeks separated by a washout period that lasted two weeks. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover fashion, participants ingested a daily dose of GLU hydrochloride (3000 mg GlucosaGreen, TSI Group Ltd., Missoula, MT, USA) or maltodextrin placebo. Study participants completed bowel habit and gastrointestinal symptoms questionnaires in addition to providing a stool sample that was analyzed for fecal microbiota and metabolome at baseline and after the completion of each supplementation period. GLU significantly reduced stomach bloating and showed a trend towards reducing constipation and hard stools. Phylogenetic diversity (Faith's PD) and proportions of , , and were significantly reduced following GLU consumption. GLU supplementation significantly reduced individual, total branched-chain, and total amino acid excretion, with no glucosamine being detected in any of the fecal samples. GLU had no effect on fecal short-chain fatty acids levels. GLU supplementation provided functional gut health benefits and induced fecal microbiota and metabolome changes.
Topics: Adult; Cross-Over Studies; Defecation; Dietary Supplements; Double-Blind Method; Feces; Female; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Gastrointestinal Tract; Glucosamine; Healthy Volunteers; Humans; Male; Phylogeny; Pilot Projects; Polysaccharides
PubMed: 34202877
DOI: 10.3390/nu13072180 -
Genes Feb 2022Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a very common endocrine condition in women in India. Gut microbiome alterations were shown to be involved in PCOS, yet it is...
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a very common endocrine condition in women in India. Gut microbiome alterations were shown to be involved in PCOS, yet it is remarkably understudied in Indian women who have a higher incidence of PCOS as compared to other ethnic populations. During the regional PCOS screening program among young women, we recruited 19 drug naive women with PCOS and 20 control women at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Kashmir, North India. We profiled the gut microbiome in faecal samples by 16S rRNA sequencing and included 40/58 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) detected in at least 1/3 of the subjects with relative abundance (RA) ≥ 0.1%. We compared the RAs at a family/genus level in PCOS/non-PCOS groups and their correlation with 33 metabolic and hormonal factors, and corrected for multiple testing, while taking the variation in day of menstrual cycle at sample collection, age and BMI into account. Five genera were significantly enriched in PCOS cases: , , and previously reported for PCOS , and confirmed by different statistical models. At the family level, the relative abundance of was enriched, whereas was decreased among cases. We observed increased relative abundance of and with higher fasting blood glucose levels, and and with larger hip, waist circumference, weight, and with lower prolactin levels. We also detected a novel association between and follicle-stimulating hormone levels and between and alkaline phosphatase, independently of the BMI of the participants. Our report supports that there is a relationship between gut microbiome composition and PCOS with links to specific reproductive health metabolic and hormonal predictors in Indian women.
Topics: Bacteroidetes; Bifidobacterium; Feces; Female; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humans; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
PubMed: 35205422
DOI: 10.3390/genes13020379 -
World Journal of Hepatology Jun 2022Gut dysbiosis and changes in body composition (, a decrease in the proportion of muscle mass and an increase in extracellular fluid) are common in cirrhosis.
BACKGROUND
Gut dysbiosis and changes in body composition (, a decrease in the proportion of muscle mass and an increase in extracellular fluid) are common in cirrhosis.
AIM
To study the relationship between the gut microbiota and body composition in cirrhosis.
METHODS
This observational study included 46 patients with cirrhosis. Stool microbiome was assessed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis was performed to assess body composition in these patients.
RESULTS
An increase in fat mass and a decrease in body cell mass were noted in 23/46 (50.0%) and 15/46 (32.6%) patients, respectively. Changes in the gut microbiome were not independently associated with the fat mass percentage in cirrhosis. The abundance of ( = 0.041) and ( = 0.001) increased, whereas that of ( = 0.006), ( = 0.021), ( = 0.033), ( = 0.043), ( = 0.028), and ( = 0.015) decreased in the gut microbiome of patients with body cell mass deficiency. The amount of extracellular fluid increased in 22/46 (47.6%) patients. Proteobacteria abundance ( < 0.001) increased, whereas Firmicutes ( = 0.023), Actinobacteria ( = 0.026), Bacilli ( = 0.008), ( = 0.027), ( = 0.038), ( = 0.047), ( = 0.015), ( = 0.003), ( = 0.024), ( = 0.002), ( = 0.030), ( = 0.040), ( = 0.023), ( = 0.008), and ( = 0.024) abundance decreased in these patients. Patients with clinically significant ascites ( = 9) had a higher abundance of Proteobacteria ( = 0.031) and a lower abundance of Actinobacteria ( = 0.019) and Bacteroidetes ( = 0.046) than patients without clinically significant ascites ( = 37).
CONCLUSION
Changes in the amount of body cell mass and extracellular fluid are associated with changes in the gut microbiome in cirrhosis patients.
PubMed: 35978666
DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v14.i6.1210 -
Journal of Orthopaedic Translation Jul 2022Sarcopenia is an age-related skeletal muscle dysfunction syndrome that is lacking validated treatments. Maximizing muscle strength in young adulthood may be a promising...
BACKGROUND
Sarcopenia is an age-related skeletal muscle dysfunction syndrome that is lacking validated treatments. Maximizing muscle strength in young adulthood may be a promising way to prevent sarcopenia in the elderly. The phytomolecule puerarin has been extensively used in clinical practice and reported to increase energy metabolism in skeletal muscle by directly targeting the skeletal muscle fiber. However, the bioavailability of puerarin is very poor, and almost 93% of puerarin stays in the intestine until excretion. Therefore, we hypothesize that puerarin may regulate gut microbiota to improve skeletal muscle strength and/or mass in adults.
METHODS
Twenty three-month old male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into two groups according to average weights, puerarin group (puerarin dissolved in 0.5% CMC-Na, 150 mg/kg/day, N = 10), and control group (equal volume 0.5% CMC-Na, N = 10). The treatment lasted for 8 weeks. Muscle weight, muscle fiber types and cross-sectional area (CSA), muscle contraction test and grip strength were measured. 16S rDNA sequencing was employed to evaluate the gut microbiota composition in the sample of cecal content. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in cecal and serum were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentration in skeletal muscle was also detected. Pearson's correlation was used to analyze the relations between SCFAs, ATP concentration and muscle function.
RESULTS
After puerarin treatment, grip strength, the specific twitch force, and the tetanic forces in the soleus (SOL) and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle were significantly higher than those of the control group. The percentage and CSA of type II muscle fiber in EDL was higher in the puerarin group than those in the control group. Puerarin treatment significantly changed the gut microbial constitutes. Two SCFAs-productive microbiota, the families Peptococcaceae and Closteridiales, were significantly higher in the puerarin group than those in the control group, while the ratio of Prevotellaceae/Bacteroidaceae (P/B), a muscle atrophy indicator, was lower in the puerarin group. As expected, there were significant linear correlations between the concentrations of SCFAs, including cecal total SCFAs, serum -butyric acid and total SCFAs, and skeletal muscle strength and function, including the twitch force and tetanic force of SOL and EDL, as well as the forelimb grip strength.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, puerarin improved the forelimb grip strength and muscle contraction function in young adult rats. The underlying mechanism may include that puerarin increased SCFAs production by regulating gut microbiota, augmented ATP synthesis and skeletal muscle strength. : Our study finds that a clinical used phytomolecule puerarin has the potential of improving skeletal muscle strength in young adult rats. As puerarin has long-term clinical experience and shows good safety, it might be a potential candidate for developing muscle strengthening agents.
PubMed: 36196075
DOI: 10.1016/j.jot.2022.08.009 -
The ISME Journal Jun 2021Dichloromethane (DCM; CHCl) is a toxic groundwater pollutant that also has a detrimental effect on atmospheric ozone levels. As a dense non-aqueous phase liquid, DCM...
Dichloromethane (DCM; CHCl) is a toxic groundwater pollutant that also has a detrimental effect on atmospheric ozone levels. As a dense non-aqueous phase liquid, DCM migrates vertically through groundwater to low redox zones, yet information on anaerobic microbial DCM transformation remains scarce due to a lack of cultured organisms. We report here the characterisation of DCMF, the dominant organism in an anaerobic enrichment culture (DFE) capable of fermenting DCM to the environmentally benign product acetate. Stable carbon isotope experiments demonstrated that the organism assimilated carbon from DCM and bicarbonate via the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway. DCMF is the first anaerobic DCM-degrading population also shown to metabolise non-chlorinated substrates. It appears to be a methylotroph utilising the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway for metabolism of methyl groups from methanol, choline, and glycine betaine. The flux of these substrates from subsurface environments may either directly (DCM, methanol) or indirectly (choline, glycine betaine) affect the climate. Community profiling and cultivation of cohabiting taxa in culture DFE without DCMF suggest that DCMF is the sole organism in this culture responsible for substrate metabolism, while the cohabitants persist via necromass recycling. Genomic and physiological evidence support placement of DCMF in a novel genus within the Peptococcaceae family, 'Candidatus Formimonas warabiya'.
Topics: Biodegradation, Environmental; Carbon; Carbon Isotopes; Methylene Chloride; Peptococcaceae
PubMed: 33452483
DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-00881-y -
Frontiers in Immunology 2023Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease observed to have connections with gut microbiome. We aimed to systematically assess the causal relationships between gut...
BACKGROUND
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease observed to have connections with gut microbiome. We aimed to systematically assess the causal relationships between gut microbiome, gut microbiome-derived metabolites, and MG using Mendelian randomization (MR) approach.
METHODS
Summary-level genetic datasets from large-scale genome-wide association studies regarding 196 gut microbial taxa from the MiBioGen consortium (n=18,340), 72 derived metabolites from the TwinsUK and KORA studies (n=7,824), and antiacetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody-positive MG (case=1,873, control=36,370) were employed for MR causal estimates. The inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method was utilized as the main analysis with MR-Egger, maximum likelihood, simple mode, and weighted median as complements. The tests of Cochran's Q, MR-Egger intercept, Steiger, MR-PRESSO and leave-one-out were implemented for sensitivity analyses.
RESULTS
The forward MR estimates of IVW revealed significant causal associations of the abundance of phylum Actinobacteria, class Gammaproteobacteria, family Defluviitaleac, family Family XIII, and family Peptococcaceae with a reduced risk of MG. Conversely, the abundance of phylum Lentisphaerae, order Mollicutes RF9, order Victivallales, and genus Faecalibacterium was causally associated with an increased risk of MG. The reversed MR analysis proved negative causal correlations between the MG and the abundance of family Peptostreptococcaceae, genus Romboutsia, and genus Subdoligranulum. Regarding the derived metabolites, the IVW estimates revealed that elevated levels of beta-hydroxyisovalerate and methionine were causally associated with a decreased risk of MG, while increased levels of choline and kynurenine were linked to an increased risk of MG. Furthermore, genetically predicted MG was associated with a decreased level of cholesterol. The results obtained from complementary MR methods were similar. These findings remained robust in all sensitivity analyses.
CONCLUSION
Our MR findings support the causal effects of specific gut microbiome taxa and derived metabolites on AChR antibody-positive MG, and vice versa, yielding novel insights into prevention and therapy targets of MG. Future studies may be warranted for validation and pursuing the precise mechanisms.
Topics: Humans; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Genome-Wide Association Study; Mendelian Randomization Analysis; Myasthenia Gravis; Autoantibodies
PubMed: 38179043
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1279845 -
British Medical Journal Jul 1979Fifty-two patients with axillary abscesses were seen during two years. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from 34, anaerobic bacteria from 12, and skin flora from five;...
Fifty-two patients with axillary abscesses were seen during two years. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from 34, anaerobic bacteria from 12, and skin flora from five; in one case the pus was sterile. Seven patients with hidradenitis suppurativa had recurrent infection with abscess formation, which was bilateral in three. Anaerobes were isolated in five of these cases and skin flora alone in two. Anaerobes are secondary invaders in this condition, and histological examination shows that the primary abnormality is obstruction of pilosebaceous follicles and apocrine glands, associated with keratin plugging of the follicles. Chemotherapy offers little hope of cure, although metronidazole removes the offensive smell of the discharge. Radical surgery is usually indicated.
Topics: Abscess; Adult; Anaerobiosis; Axilla; Bacteroides; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Peptococcus; Skin; Skin Diseases; Staphylococcus aureus; Sweat Glands
PubMed: 466270
DOI: 10.1136/bmj.2.6181.5 -
BMC Neurology Jan 2024Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease that affects neuromuscular junction. The literature suggests the involvement of circulating cytokines (CK), gut...
BACKGROUND
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease that affects neuromuscular junction. The literature suggests the involvement of circulating cytokines (CK), gut microbiota (GM), and serum metabolites (SM) with MG. However, this research is limited to observational trials, and comprehensive causal relationship studies have not been conducted. Based on published datasets, this investigation employed Mendelian Randomization (MR) to analyze the known and suspected risk factors and biomarkers causal association of MG and its subtypes.
METHODS
This research used two-sample MR and linkage disequilibrium score (LDSC) regression of multiple datasets to aggregate datasets acquired from the genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to assess the association of MG with 41-CK, 221-GM, and 486-SM. For sensitivity analysis and to validate the robustness of the acquired data, six methods were utilized, including MR-Egger regression, inverse variance weighting (IVW), weighted median, and MR-PRESSO.
RESULTS
The MR method identified 20 factors significantly associated with MG, including 2 CKs, 6 GMs, and 9 SMs. Further analysis of the factors related to the two MG subtypes, early-onset MG (EOMG) and late-onset MG (LOMG), showed that EOMG had a high overlap with MG in the intestinal flora, while LOMG had a greater similarity in CKs and SMs. Furthermore, LDSC regression analysis indicated that Peptococcaceae, oxidized biliverdin, and Kynurenine had significant genetic correlations with general MG, whereas EOMG was highly correlated with Intestinibacter, while LOMG had significant genetic associations with Kynurenine and Glucose.
CONCLUSION
This research furnishes evidence for the potential causal associations of various risk factors with MG and indicates a heterogeneous relationship between CKs, GMs, and SMs with MG subtypes.
Topics: Humans; Genome-Wide Association Study; Kynurenine; Mendelian Randomization Analysis; Myasthenia Gravis; Risk Factors; Biomarkers; Cytokines
PubMed: 38238684
DOI: 10.1186/s12883-024-03529-y -
Heliyon Feb 2024Autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT), also known as Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) or chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, is a prevalent autoimmune disorder. Despite its high...
BACKGROUND
Autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT), also known as Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) or chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, is a prevalent autoimmune disorder. Despite its high prevalence, the pathogenesis of AIT remains unclear. Previous studies have suggested a potential association between gut microbiota and AIT. However, whether this relationship is causal or coincidental remains uncertain. To address this gap in knowledge, our study aimed to investigate the potential causal association between gut microbiota and AIT using the two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) method.
METHODS
Summary-level gut microbiota data comprising 211 taxa (131 genera, 35 families, 20 orders, 16 classes, and 9 phyla) were obtained from the comprehensive MiBioGen study. Genetic associations with 22 gastrointestinal diseases were extracted from the UK Biobank, FinnGen study, and various extensive GWAS studies. A meticulous MR analysis was conducted to evaluate the causal relationship between genetically predicted gut microbiota and these gastrointestinal diseases. Sensitivity analyses and tests for heterogeneity were systematically performed to validate the reliability of our findings.
RESULTS
Six gut microbiota species showed significant associations with AIT according to the IVW method. Among them, the following exhibited negative associations with AIT: family Alcaligenaceae, family Pasteurellaceae (ID: 3689), family Peptococcaceae, genus Lachnospira, genus Victivallis, and order Pasteurellales (ID: 3688). No evidence of pleiotropy or heterogeneity was detected.
CONCLUSION
The MR analysis uncovered a causal relationship at the genetic prediction level between specific gut microbiota and AIT. These findings offer novel insights into the mechanisms governing the development of AIT mediated by gut microbiota. This knowledge could inform the design of future interventions, potentially involving microbiome-related strategies, to address the mechanisms associated with AIT development.
PubMed: 38356548
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25652 -
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal... Apr 2013In this report, a complete description of Desulfitobacterium hafniense strain PCP-1 is presented. The D. hafniense strain PCP-1 was isolated from a methanogenic... (Review)
Review
In this report, a complete description of Desulfitobacterium hafniense strain PCP-1 is presented. The D. hafniense strain PCP-1 was isolated from a methanogenic consortium for its capacity to dehalogenate pentachlorophenol (PCP) into 3-chlorophenol. This strain is also capable of dehalogenating several other chloroaromatic compounds and tetrachloroethene into trichloroethene. Four gene loci encoding putative chlorophenol-reductive dehalogenases (CprA2 to CprA5) were detected, and the products of two of these loci have been demonstrated to dechlorinate different chlorinated phenols. Strain PCP-1 was used in laboratory-scale bioprocesses to degrade PCP present in contaminated environments. Desulfitobacterium hafniense PCP-1 is an excellent candidate for the development of efficient bioprocesses to degrade organohalide compounds.
Topics: Biodegradation, Environmental; Chlorophenols; Desulfitobacterium; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Gene Transfer, Horizontal; Genes, Bacterial; Genetic Loci; Halogenation; Pentachlorophenol; Phylogeny; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Species Specificity; Transcription, Genetic
PubMed: 23479749
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2012.0319