Auto-brewery syndrome A diagnostic challenge

Auto-brewery syndrome is defined as intestinal distillation syndrome and is probably caused by an overgrowth of microorganisms which metabolize carbohydrates to ethanol. In this report, we describe the case of a patient with classical symptoms of auto-brewery syndrome, with no prior alcohol ingestion and clinical improvement after medical treatment was instituted. It is a very rare case and, due to its inadequate description in the medical literature, we attempt to describe the essentials of the disease and the diagnostic challenge it represents. (Acta Med Colomb 2022; 48. DOI:https://doi.org/10.36104/amc.2023.2565).

Effect of early intervention with electroacupuncture on behavior and gut microbiota in mice with post-traumatic stress disorder / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of early intervention with electroacupuncture (EA) on the gut microbiota in a mouse model of post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD).Methods:Totally 32 C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to the following 4 groups ( n=8 for each group): Control group, EA group, PTSD group and PTSD+ EA group.After 7 days acclimation, mice in the PTSD group and PTSD+ EA group were subjected to modified single prolonged stress (mSPS). Mice in the EA group and PTSD+ EA group received EA (2/15 Hz, 1 mA, dilatational wave, 30 min/d) on "Baihui" for 7 days. Mice in the Control group and PTSD group received false stimulation (stimulated the same acupiont without electricity) for 7 days. Seven days after the last stimulation, elevated plus maze test and fear conditioning test were conducted to observe the effect of EA on PTSD-like behavior of mice. At the same time, feces of the mice were collected for gut microbiota detection by 16S rRNA sequencing.SPSS 19.0 was used for statistical analysis.One-way ANOVA was used for multiple group comparison and Bonferrani test was done for further pairwise comparision. Results:(1) There were statistically differences in the open arm activity time of the elevated plus maze test and the immobility time in contextual and cued fear conditioning test among the four groups ( F=6.93, 5.26, 14.51, all P<0.01). In the elevated plus maze test, mice in PTSD group ((60.17±15.52) s) showed significant less time in the open arms than mice in Control group((96.37±14.62) s) and PTSD+ EA group ((86.89±15.02) s) (both P<0.05). In the fear conditioning test, mice in PTSD group ((121.99±29.67) s, (130.82±29.11) s) showed significant increased immobility time both in contextual and cued fear conditioning tests than mice in Control group((74.50±26.65) s, (39.50±23.52) s) and PTSD+ EA group ((76.77±22.60) s, (102.17±3.39) s)(both P<0.05). (2) There were no significant differences among the four groups in the alpha diversity of gut microbiota ( F=0.79-2.45, all P>0.05). (3)Correlation analysis showed that 13 gut microbiotas were negatively correlated with the immobility time in contextual fear conditioning test, 2 gut microbiotas were positively correlated with it; 7 gut microbiotas were negatively correlated with the immobility time in cued fear conditioning test, 1 gut microbiota was positively correlated with it; 3 gut microbiotas were positively correlated with time spent in open arms of elevated plus maze test. Conclusion:Early intervention with EA can improve anxiety-fear like behaviors and gut microflora disorder in PTSD model mice.

Effect of Yupingfeng Granules （玉屏风颗粒） on Metabonomics of Alveolar Lavage Fluid and Gut Microflora in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Model Rats / 中医杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the possible mechanism of Yupingfeng Granules （玉屏风散） in preventing and treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） from the perspective of “lung-gut axis”. MethodsThirty-two male Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal group，model group， roxithromycin group and Yupingfeng Granules group， with 8 rats in each group. Except for the normal group， the rat model of COPD was prepared by intratracheal instillation of lipopolysaccharide （LPS） combined with smoking for 12 weeks. Since the fifth week of modeling，the roxithromycin group and the Yupingfeng Granules group were given 31.5 mg/（kg·d） and 1.575 g/（kg·d） of corresponding drugs respectively by gavage，and normal group and model group were given 10 ml/（kg·d） physiolo-gical saline. Sample was collected 24 hours after the last administration. The pathological changes of lung tissue were observed using HE staining； Ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry （UHPLC-QTOFMS） was used to detect the differential metabolites in alveolar lavage fluid （BALF） in all groups but roxithromycin group；16S rDNA sequencing technology was used to detect the changes of intestinal flora， and the association analysis was conducted between the differential metabolites and the differential flora. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed an increase in goblet cells in the small bronchial wall， disappearance of the smooth muscle layer of the bronchial wall， and infiltration of inflammatory cells； compared with the model group， roxithromycin group showed slight alveolar interstital edema， and obviously reduced inflammatory cell， while no obvious alveolar interstital edema was observed in the Yupingfeng Granules group， showing a small amout of inflammatory cell infiltration. The results of the BALF differential metabolite screening showed that compared with the normal group， 12 substances were upregulated and 19 substances were downregulated in the model group； compared with the model group， 37 substances in the Yupingfeng Granules group were upregulated and 43 substances were downregulated KEGG analysis yielded a total of 2 metabolic pathways， glycerophospholipid metabolism， and unsaturated fatty acid biosynthetic metabolism； compared with the model group， choline， acetylcholine， glycerol-3-phosphate， glycerophosphate choline， palmitic acid， and arachidonic acid showed an upward trend， while stearic acid and docosahexaenoic acid showed a downward trend in Yupingfeng Granules group （P＜0.05）. The results of the intestinal flora showed that， there are 80 different species between the normal group and the model group， and 65 different species between the model group and Yupingfeng Granules group. Among the top 5 species with relative abundance levels，compared with the model group， the level of Prevotella_9，Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005，Ruminiclostridium_6 increase，and Lactobacillus，Bacteroides decrease（P＜0.05）.The results of the correlation analysis showed that， in the normal and model groups， arachidonic acid was negatively correlated with Oribacterium（r=-0.753，P＜0.01）； in the Yupingfeng Granules group and model group， stearic acid and Bacteroides（r=0.788）， Mycobacterium（r=0.826），［Eubacterium］_Ruminantium_Group（r=0.770） was positively correlated（P＜0.01）， Arachidic acid was negatively correlated with Roseiarcus（r=-0.779）， glycerol-3-phosphate was negatively correlated with Desulfovibrio（r=-0.758）， Arachidonic acid was negatively correlated with Oribacterium（r=-0.753）， and Palmitic acid was negatively correlated with Pseudolabs（r=-0.750，P＜0.01）. ConclusionYupingfeng Granules can affect the metabolism of BALF and the flora structure of intestinal microorganisms， and regulating the balance of “lung-gut axis” may be one of the mechanisms of Yupingfeng Granules in treatment of COPD.

Significance of fermented rice beverage on management of antibiotic associated diarrhea (AAD) on Wistar rats

Antibiotic associated diarrhoea (AAD) is caused mostly by disruption of the physiological gut microflora. One potential strategy to prevent this is the concurrent use of probiotic bacteria or yeast. Tribal populations of West Garo Hill region of Meghalaya use locally available unique microflora to prepare fermented food products whichserve as a potential source of novel probiotic organisms and bioactive compounds. In this context, here, we have evaluated the potentiality of laboratory made functional fermented rice beverage in mitigating AAD on animal models viz. Wistar rats. The animal models were administered with fermented rice beverage (test group A1), combination of indigenous Lactobacillus isolates (test group A2), a yeast isolate (test group A3), loperamide (test group STD), normal control (test group NC) and disease control (test group DC). Furthermore, various diarrhea assessment parameters were checked from each group followed by analysis of fecal microbiome, haematological parameters, histopathology of colon, liver and cecal short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) determination. NC and A1 was least affected by AAD induction with a faecal consistency score of 1 on the final day of the study. After day 10, a significant reduction (P <0.05) in the faecal water content was observed in A1, A2 and STD till day 15. Compared to the NC, a slight decrease in body weight was found in the rest of five test groups at day 5, 10 and 15. Except NC, the remaining five test groups showed a significant decrease of lactobacilli and yeast counts in faecal microbiota at 5th day. An increase in the enterococci and coliform counts indicated severe diarrheal condition but A1 reported with significant increase (P <0.05) in the population of Lactobacillus at day 15. An increase in red blood corpuscles, haemoglobin, packed cell volume, mean cell haemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration was observed. During the histopathology analysis of colon and liver, normal layers of mucosa, submucosa, muscularis and serous with absence of any abnormal changes or lesions was seen in A1. The cecal concentrations of lactate, acetate and propionate were significantly higher in A1 as compared to the other test groups. Therefore, fermented rice beverage possesses potential to be used in inhibition of antibiotic associated diarrhea with further clinical investigations.

Comparative Effectiveness of Herbal and Conventional Toothpaste on Prevention of Dental Caries: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Dental caries is a global oral health problem caused due to localized demineralization of the enamel. Chemical plaque control is used as an adjuvant to mechanical plaque control in removing biofilm, thereby preventing dental caries. In recent times, there has been a renewed interest in nature?based products. This systematic review aimed to analyse the existing literature to compare the effectiveness of herbal and conventional dentifrices on prevention of dental caries. A search was done in the databases of PubMed and Google Scholar in July 2020 for the related topic. A hand search was done from the references of primary studies and other clinical trial registry sites. Randomized control trials, comparative clinical trials, and in vitro studies in which the effectiveness of herbal and conventional dentifrices on prevention of dental caries were included after review by the reviewers. The systematic search revealed a total of thirty?two publications from which ten publications were included. Five studies were clinical studies and five were in vitro studies. All the studies used microbiological analysis for the determination of cariogenic microorganisms in plaque and saliva, whereas one study used pH of plaque and saliva. Among the included studies, all studies had a high risk of bias with level 2 evidence. With the evidence available, it can be concluded that herbal dentifrices and fluoride dentifrices have similar antimicrobial activity against cariogenic microorganisms.

Progress on the composition of intestinal mucosal barrier and its relationship with liver injury / 国际儿科学杂志

The complete mucosal barrier of the healthy intestine is the line of defense to prevent the translocation of substances.Many animal models and human pathological studies have proved that the changes of intestinal mucosal barrier function are closely related to the occurrence and treatment of liver disease.This review summarizes the composition of intestinal mucosal barrier, its interaction with liver injury and potential therapeutic targets.

A comprehensive update: gastrointestinal microflora, gastric cancer and gastric premalignant condition, and intervention by traditional Chinese medicine / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

With the recent upsurge of studies in the field of microbiology, we have learned more about the complexity of the gastrointestinal microecosystem. More than 30 genera and 1000 species of gastrointestinal microflora have been found. The structure of the normal microflora is relatively stable, and is in an interdependent and restricted dynamic equilibrium with the body. In recent years, studies have shown that there is a potential relationship between gastrointestinal microflora imbalance and gastric cancer (GC) and precancerous lesions. So, restoring the balance of gastrointestinal microflora is of great significance. Moreover, intervention in gastric premalignant condition (GPC), also known as precancerous lesion of gastric cancer (PLGC), has been the focus of current clinical studies. The holistic view of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is consistent with the microecology concept, and oral TCM can play a two-way regulatory role directly with the microflora in the digestive tract, restoring the homeostasis of gastrointestinal microflora to prevent canceration. However, large gaps in knowledge remain to be addressed. This review aims to provide new ideas and a reference for clinical practice.

Research progress of prebiotics in drug delivery system / 药学学报

With the in-depth study on the gut microflora, the impact of intestinal bacteria on human health has attracted more and more attention. It has become a research hotspot in life science and medicine, and is considered as an important target of disease control. Prebiotics can regulate the composition and function of intestinal flora and then improve host health. Carbohydrate is the most basic prebiotic. Its unique physiochemical characteristics and gut microbiota-regulating ability make it a promising ingredient for achieving drug target delivery and intestinal health promotion. In this paper, different kinds of prebiotics and their regulation mechanism of intestinal bacteria were illuminated. Moreover, the research progress of carbohydrate prebiotics in drug delivery system was elucidated, and its application prospect is prospected, so as to provide reference for related research.

Hyperlipidemia and intestinal microflora distributions among flying personnel / 预防医学

Objective@#To investigate the characteristics of intestinal microflora among flying personnel with hyperlipidemia, so as to provide insights into prevention of hyperlipidemia among flying personnel. @*Methods @#Flying personnel diagnosed with hyperlipidemia in a sanatiorium from October 2020 to February 2021 were included in the hyperlipidemia group, while flying personnel with normal blood lipids during the same period served as controls. Subjects' age, family history, physical examinations and blood testing results were collected from both groups. Fecal samples were collected, and intestinal microflora was sequenced followed by bioinformatics analysis. The diversity and abundance of intestinal microflora were compared, and the key bacteria were screened using LEfSe analysis.@*Results@#There were 29 subjects in the hyperlipidemia group with a median age (interquartile range) of 34 (12) years and 25 subjects in the control group with a median age (interquartile range) of 30 (12) years, and all subjects were men. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of age, flight duration, smoking, family history of metabolic diseases and waist circumference (P>0.05). The Shannon diversity index of intestinal microflora was lower in the hyperlipidemia group than in the control group (Z=4.370, P=0.026), and there was a significant difference in the overall structure of intestinal flora between the two groups, which were clustered into two groups. LEfSe analysis identified Herbaspirillum, Atopobium and Eggerthella as key microorganisms in the hyperlipidemia group, and Agathobacter, Dialister, norank_Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group, Alloprevotella and unclassified Bacteroidales as key microorganisms in the control group.@*Conclusions@#The species diversity and relative abundance of intestinal microflora are lower in flying personnel with hyperlipidemia than in those with normal blood lipids. Herbaspirillum, Atopobium and Eggerthella may be the key bacteria contributing to hyperlipidemia among flying personnel.

Regulatory Effect of Quyu Huatan Tongmai Prescription on Intestinal Microflora in Golden Hamster with Hyperlipidemia / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the regulatory effect of Quyu Huatan Tongmai prescription on intestinal mircoflora of hyperlipidemia golden hamster and scientific evidence for the compatibility. MethodSyrian golden hamsters were randomized into normal， model， prescription， stasis-dispelling （Quyu）， phlegm-dissolving （Huatan）， and detoxification （Jiedu） groups， with 8 in each group. Hyperlipidemia in golden hamsters was induced by high-fat diet （4 weeks）. Then hamsters in the Quyu group （1.11 g·kg-1）， Huatan group （0.39 g·kg-1）， Jiedu group （0.07 g·kg-1）， and prescription group （1.42 g·kg-1） were given （ig） corresponding drugs and those in the normal group and the model group received （ig） distilled water of equivalent volume， once a day for 6 weeks. Serum lipids were determined， and hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe the pathological morphology of the liver. Feces were collected for 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing of intestinal flora. ResultCompared with normal group， the model group demonstrated increase in body weight （P<0.05， P<0.01） and blood lipids （P<0.01）， decrease in intestinal flora diversity （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and variation of the relative abundance of intestinal flora at phylum， family， and genus levels （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， Quyu Huatan Tongmai prescription controlled the body weight change， reduced the serum triglyceride （TG）， total cholesterol （TC）， and low density lipoprotein cholesterol/high density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio （LDL-C/HDL-C） （P<0.05， P<0.01）， improved the structure of intestinal flora， decreased the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroides （P<0.01）， raised the abundance of Bacteroidaceae， Porphyromonadaceae， Rikenellaceae， and Pasteurella （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and lowered the relative abundance of Coriobacterium （P<0.05） in hyperlipidemia golden hamsters. All the split prescriptions improved blood lipids and intestinal flora of the hamsters and particularly， the lipids-lowering effect of the Jiedu group and the regulation of flora in the Huatan group were closer to those of the prescription group. ConclusionQuyu Huatan Tongmai prescription and the split prescriptions all alleviated the hyperlipidemia of golden hamsters to different degrees possibly by regulating intestinal flora structure and improving intestinal microecology. The effect of the prescription group was most significant， and coming in second was the Huatan group. This study also provides scientific evidence for the effect of Quyu Huatan Tongmai prescription.

Comparison of Effect of Chijian and Gastrodiae Rhizoma on Regulating Immune Function and Intestinal Microflora / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To compare the contents of adenosine， gastrodin， <italic>p</italic>-hydroxybenzyl alcohol， <italic>p</italic>-hydroxybenzaldehyde， parisinin B and parisinin A in Chijian （the aerial part of <italic>Gastrodia elata</italic>） and Gastrodiae Rhizoma， and compare their effects on immune function and intestinal microflora， evaluating whether it is necessary to study and develop Chijian. Method:The contents of these six constituents were determined by ultra performance liquid chromatography （UPLC）， the mobile phase was 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution （A）-acetonitrile （B） for gradient elution （0-4 min， 0.5%B； 4-5 min， 0.5%-2%B； 5-10 min， 2%-15%B； 10-12 min， 15%-20%B； 12-15 min， 20%-95%B； 15-17 min， 95%B； 17-17.5 min， 95%-0.5%B； 17.5-20 min， 0.5%B）， the flow rate was 0.5 mL·min^-1， the detection wavelength was 270 nm. The difference of pharmacological activity of water extracts of Chijian and Gastrodiae Rhizoma was compared， the clearance index， corrected clearance index and peripheral blood were measured in mice model with low immune function induced by cyclophosphamide， B lymphocyte proliferation was determined by lymphocyte transformation test <italic>in vitro</italic>， intestinal microflora was analyzed by 16S rDNA technology and bioinformatics was conducted. Result:The total contents of these six components in powder and ethanol extract of Chijian were higher than that of Gastrodiae Rhizoma， but the total contents of these six components in their water extract were similar， and the total contents of gastrodin and <italic>p</italic>-hydroxybenzyl alcohol met the requirements of the 2020 edition of <italic>Chinese Pharmacopoeia</italic>. Compared with the blank group， the clearance index of immunocompromised mice was significantly increased in the middle-dose （10 g·kg^-1） group of Chijian water extract， middle- and low-dose （10， 5 g·kg^-1） groups of Gastrodiae Rhizoma water extract （<italic>P</italic><0.05）， the levels of erythrocyte and hematocrit in peripheral blood were significantly increased in the high-dose （20 g·kg^-1） groups of water extracts of Chijian and Gastrodiae Rhizoma （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）， water extract of Gastrodiae Rhizoma with concentration of 400 g·L^-1 and the water extract of Chijian with the concentration of 100 g·L^-1 could promote the proliferation of B lymphocytes induced by lipopolysaccharide. Studies on intestinal microflora showed that compared with the blank group， at the phylum level， the water extracts of Chijian and Gastrodiae Rhizoma increased the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and decreased the relative abundance of Firmicutes， at the genus level， they increased the relative abundance of <italic>Prevotellaceae</italic>_UCG-001 and <italic>Ruminococcaceae</italic>_UCG-005， and decreased the relative abundance of <italic>Anaerotruncus</italic>， unclassified_<italic>f</italic>_<italic>Erysipelotrichaceae</italic> and<italic> Candidatus</italic>_<italic>Stoquefichus</italic>.<italic> </italic>These intestinal bacteria were related to the immune system， cell proliferation， and metabolism regulation. Conclusion:The total contents of 6 components in the powder， the ethanol and the water extracts of Chijian are higher than or close to those of the corresponding samples of Gastrodiae Rhizoma， the pharmacological activity of Chijian water extract is similar to that of Gastrodiae Rhizoma water extract， indicating that Chijian is worthy of further research and development.

Effect of liver transplantation on intestinal microflora in children with biliary atresia / 器官移植

Objective To evaluate the effect of liver transplantation on intestinal microflora in children with biliary atresia. Methods The fecal samples and liver function indexes of 16 children with biliary atresia before and 6 months after liver transplantation were collected, and 10 healthy children were selected as the healthy controls. DNA extraction and metagenome sequencing were carried out in the fecal samples. Statistical analysis was performed by software packages, such as R language. The changes of species structure and functional composition of intestinal microflora after liver transplantation were analyzed. The recovery of intestinal microflora in children with biliary atresia after liver transplantation was assessed. The relationship between intestinal microflora and liver function indexes was investigated. Results Following liver transplantation, the number of species of intestinal microflora in children with biliary atresia was increased. The opportunistic pathogens were the dominant species of intestinal microflora in children with biliary atresia before liver transplantation. The abundance of opportunistic pathogens was decreased and the abundance of short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria was increased after liver transplantation (all P < 0.05). Following liver transplantation, lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, energy metabolism, metabolism of cofactors and vitamins were enhanced, whereas infectious diseases of bacterial, immune diseases and drug resistance were weakened. Compared with the healthy control group, there were no statistically significant differences in the diversity and structure of intestinal microflora in the post-liver transplant group, but different species were observed between two groups. The liver function indexes of children with biliary atresia after liver transplantation tended to decline (all P < 0.000 1). The abundance of beneficial intestinal microflora was negatively correlated with liver function indexes, whereas the abundance of opportunistic pathogens was positively correlated with liver function indexes (all P < 0.05). Conclusions Liver transplantation may significantly improve the structure and functional composition of intestinal microflora in children with biliary atresia.

Results of normal microflora of the skin of the population covered by the study of immunosuppression and risk factors for injectable infectious diseases / Монголын Анагаах Ухаан

Introduction@#Researchers have found that people living in polluted areas have a lower ability to resist skin bacteria and increase the number of skin microflora. Decreased immune function increases the risk of sore throat, influenza, respiratory infections, pneumonia and gastrointestinal diseases. One of the main indicators of the human immune system is the normal microflora.@*Goal@#To study the relationship between normal human microflora and specific immunity.@*Material and Methods@#This study was conducted within the framework of the project “Effects of non-specific immune factors on injectable infectious disease immune system”. The survey sampled 10 households from Dornod aimag, 8th khoroo of Chingeltei district, Ulaanbaatar city, and 3rd khoroo of Baganuur district. A total of 176 people aged 6 months to 50 years were involved. A total of 528 swab samples and 31 blood samples were collected from the throat, tonsils, skin and mucous membranes to study the relationship between normal human microflora and specific immunity.</br> The research methodology was discussed at the meeting of the Academic Council of the Ministry of Social Welfare and the Medical Ethics Review Committee under the Ministry of Health (January 5, 2018, Resolution 646) and the research was approved.@*Results@#The total number of normal microorganisms in the skin and mucous membranes of the study participants changed, and the number of hemolytic strains and fungi increased. 58%-67% of the participants had normal and long-term immunity against diphtheria and tetanus, while 5% -14% were not. This result was as high as in urban and rural areas.@*Conclusion@#This result was as high as in urban and rural areas. As the age group increases, the level of the body’s specific immunity decreases, the structure of the normal microflora changes, and the number of fungi and hemolytic bacteria increases. Furthermore, it is necessary to study specific and nonspecific immunity in detail in relation to environmental pollution indicators.

Regulatory effect of total phenolic acid from the stems and leaves of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. on intestinal microflora and short-chain fatty acids in type 2 diabetic nephropathy mice / 药学学报

To study the regulating effect of total phenolic acids from the stems and leaves of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. on the intestinal flora and short-chain fatty acids in spontaneous type 2 diabetic nephropathy mice, db/db mice were taken as the research object, and were treated with the total phenolic acid of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. Animal welfare and experimental procedures followed the regulations of the Animal Ethics Committee of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Drug Safety Evaluation Research Center. Fresh feces and cecal contents of mice were collected for analysis of intestinal flora composition and differential flora. Gas chromatography was used to detect short-chain fatty acids in fresh feces and cecal content. Then the correlation analysis of the two results was made. Compared with the normal group, the most significant decreased differential flora in the model group were g_Rikenellaceae_ RC9_gut_group and g_Bacteroidales_S24-7_group, while the most significant increased were g_unclassified_f__ Coriobacteriaceae and g_unclassified_p__Firmicutes. Compared with the blank group, the contents of isovaleric acid and valeric acid in fresh feces and the contents of 6 short-chain fatty acids in the cecal contents of the model group were significantly reduced (P < 0.01). After drug intervention, the intestinal flora disorder and the reduction of short-chain fatty acids were improved to varying degrees, and the effect of the total phenolic acids from the stems and leaves of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. was slightly better than that from the roots in regulating some flora and short-chain fatty acids. The results of correlation analysis showed that g_Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group was moderately positively correlated with acetic acid and isobutyric acid in the cecal contents (r > 0.4). It is suggested that the total phenolic acid from the stems and leaves of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. can improve the intestinal flora disorder of mice with type 2 diabetic nephropathy, and can regulate the content of short-chain fatty acids in the intestine via adjusting the content of some short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria, thereby helping to restore normal.

Effect of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma on diversity of intestinal flora in diabetic nephropathy rats / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to explore the effect of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, its stems and leaves on the diversity of intestinal microflora in rats with diabetic kidney injury. Diabetic rats model was established by feeding high glucose and high fat diet and 5% glucose solution with intraperitoneal injection of 30 mg·kg~(-1) streptozocin(STZ). The rats were randomly divided into normal group, model group, irbesartan control group, Huangkui Capsules control group, as well as low, middle and high dose groups of Sal-viae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, its stems and leaves. After administration for 2 weeks, 16 S rRNA technique was used to analyze the diversity of intestinal microflora in the feces of each group. The results showed rats in the model group developed renal tubular epithelial vacuole degeneration and a large amount of inflammatory cell infiltration in the renal interstitium. A small amount of inflammatory cell infiltration was seen in each administration group. The kidney structure of rats in irbesartan group, Huangkui Capsules group, high-dose group of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and its stem water extract, as well as high dose group of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and its stem ethnol extract group was close to the normal group. The diversity and structure of intestinal flora in the model group were significantly different from those in the normal group. Each administration group improved the fecal flora diversity in rats with diabetic kidney injury to a certain extent, especially the high dose of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and its stems water extract. Different flora were found in feces of diabetic nephropathy model rats on class, order, family and genus levels. On families and genera levels, the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium, Turicibacter, Peptostreptococcaceae, Desulfovibrio, and SMB53 showed an upward trend in model group, but that of Lactobacillus, Clostridium, Rikenella, Rumen fungi showed a downward trend. The administration groups can improve the relative abundance of the above intestinal flora in the model rats to a normal-like level. The results of this study provide a reference for resource utilization and further development of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma.

Study on interaction effects between intestinal microflora features and serum inflammatory factors and insulin resistance index in patients with first-episode untreated schizophrenia / 中国医师杂志

Objective:To study the interaction effects between intestinal microflora features with serum inflammatory factors and homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in patients with first-episode untreated schizophrenia (SCZ).Methods:A total of 79 SCZ patients admitted to Suining Central Hospital from August 2016 to August 2019 were selected as observation group, and 60 healthy examiners were set as control group. The intestinal microflora, serum inflammatory factors and glucose metabolism indexes of the two groups were detected and compared. The correlation between intestinal microflora and inflammatory factors and HOMA-IR was analyzed.Results:The content of bifidobacteria in the observation group was lower than that in the control group while the content of bacteroides was higher than that in control group; the levels of serum inflammatory factors [tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-6] and in the observation group were higher than those in the control group ( P<0.05); the level of HOMA-IR in the observation group was higher than that in control group ( P<0.05). The TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and HOMA-IR in SCZ patients were significantly negatively correlated with intestinal bifidobacteria content ( P<0.05), and were obviously positively correlated with bacteroides content ( P<0.05). Conclusions:In first-episode untreated SCZ, the content of bifidobacteria decreased and the content of bacteroides increased, and there was a significant correlation with inflammatory factors and HOMA-IR, which may lead to the disorder of glucose and lipid metabolism and induce the occurrence of metabolic diseases such as diabetes.

Effect of Novel Watermelon Mouthwash on Oral Micro Flora in Patients Undergoing Orthodontic Treatment

Patients undergoing orthodontic treatment undergo various changes in their oral microbiological profile, which are attributed to the accumulation of plaque and calculus around various orthodontic attachments. Plaque and calculus are primarily composed of various salivary mineral particles and bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Streptococcus mutans. These changes in the oral cavity will result in the formation of white spot lesions around the bracket surface. The aim of this research was to study the antibacterial effect of watermelon mouthwash on Lactobacillus and Streptococcus mutans. MethodsThis is an in-vitro study to determine the antibacterial activity of watermelon mouth wash against Lactobacillus and Streptococcus mutans. Fresh cut watermelon is used to prepare the watermelon mouth wash. The extract of watermelon is concentrated by boiling and mixed with various additives to prepare the mouthwash. The antibiotic sensitivity is studied using well diffusion methods in culture plates under three different concentrations [50%, 100% and 150%]. After an incubation period of 24 hours, antibiotic sensitivity is studied by measuring the area of inhibition. ResultsArea of inhibition was seen in all three different concentrations against both Lactobacillus [50 % - 20 mm, 100 % - 23 mm and 150 % - 29 mm] and Streptococcus mutans [50 % - 10 mm, 100 % - 15 mm and 150 % - 18 mm]. ConclusionsThe antibacterial effect of the novel watermelon mouthwash showed that there was significant activity of the mouthwash against Lactobacillus and Streptococcus mutans. The antibacterial activity was more significant against Lactobacillus than Streptococcus mutans. To support the in vitro results, planned clinical trials will be conducted to study the effect of the watermelon mouth wash against oral microflora in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment.

A prospective observational study to study and correlate the clinical and microbiological profile of bile cultures in patients with symptomatic cholelithiasis

Background: Biliary infection has been reported in a significant proportion of patients developing gallstones. Many studies have found biliary microflora in 20% to 46% patients with a post-operative infection rate of 7% to 20% in those who undergo cholecystectomy for symptomatic gallstone disease. Various antibiotics are also used empirically as prophylaxis against post-operative infection. The study was conducted in order to determine the bacteriology and to test its sensitivity to commonly used antibiotics of aspirated bile samples taken during laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and to correlate it with the clinical profile recorded in patients with symptomatic cholelithiasis.Methods: A total of 266 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy were included in the study over a two year period. Intra operatively, bile was aspirated from gall bladder and sent for culture and antibiotic sensitivity testing.Results: 14.66% (39 out of 266) patients had positive growth with Escherichia coli most commonly isolated in 9.77% (26/266) patients, followed by the Klebsiella species in 4.89% (13 out of 266) patients. All the cultures were sensitive to amikacin and meropenem, 97.44% to imipenem, and only 43.39% were sensitive to ampicillin. A statistically significant correlation was observed between a positive bile culture with the duration of symptoms (p=0.01874) and gall bladder thickness (p<0.0001). No correlation was seen between bile culture and history of acute cholecystitis, number or size of calculi.Conclusions: The results of this study can help develop local guidelines and recommendations based on Indian data to ensure the rational use of prophylactic antibiotics in patients with symptomatic cholelithiasis.

Probiotics-A complete oral healthcare package / 中西医结合学报

Probiotics are living bacterial cells that have significant therapeutic potential for treating human infectious diseases. There is a huge market for probiotics in the pharmaceutical sector. They have been frequently used to treat the gastrointestinal diseases and improve gut immunity. In this review, the strains currently in use for manufacturing oral probiotic formulations are discussed. The review further recommends the use of probiotics for the control of various oral health disorders, like dental caries, periodontitis, gingivitis, halitosis, burning mouth syndrome, and oral cancer. Finally, this review also explores the use of various commercial probiotic products in maintaining oral health, their market values, and government acts and regulations that are relevant to the production and marketing of probiotics. Probiotics have tremendous therapeutic potential and more in-depth research must be done on these beneficial bacteria to make them one of the leading drugs in treating oral disorders.

Population density of Trichoderma fungi in natural environments and agrosystems of a Cerrado area / Densidade populacional de fungos do gênero Trichoderma em ambientais naturais e agrossistemas de uma área de Cerrado

Abstract: Soil microorganisms present a great diversity, involving taxonomically distinct groups that play a role in the decomposition of organic matter, nutrient cycling, soil aggregation, among others. In this diversity, the fungi of the genus Trichoderma have been successful plant pathogen biocontrol agents, as plant growth promoters and as inducers of plant resistance to diseases. In addition, they are important in the sustainability of natural ecosystems. Aiming to verify the population density of Trichoderma fungi in natural environments and agroecosystems, in Cerrado area, samples of soils and roots from native vegetation and agroecological production system were collected in the Federal District, Brazil. The collection points were randomly selected, and each soil or root sample was individually wrapped. The soil adhered to the roots was removed for evaluations. Serial sample dilutions and number of Colony Forming Units (CFUs) of Trichoderma isolates were performed. The results showed that the number of CFU varied depending on the plant and location evaluated. The replacement of native vegetation by organic farming systems did not result in a significant reduction in this number.

Resumo: Os microrganismos de solo apresentam uma grande diversidade, envolvendo grupos taxonomicamente distintos que desempenham papel na decomposição da matéria orgânica, ciclagem de nutrientes, agregação dos solos, dentre outros. Nesta diversidade, os fungos do gênero Trichoderma tem apresentado sucesso como agentes de biocontrole de fitopatógenos, como promotores de crescimento de plantas e, ainda, como indutores de resistência de plantas a doenças. Além disso, são importantes na sustentabilidade dos ecossistemas naturais. Com o objetivo de verificar a densidade populacional de fungos do gênero Trichoderma em ambientes naturais e agroecossistemas, em área de Cerrado, amostras de solos e raízes oriundas de vegetação nativa e de sistema de produção agroecológica foram coletadas na região do Distrito Federal, Brasil. Os pontos de coleta foram selecionados aleatoriamente, e cada amostra de solo ou raiz foi acondicionada individualmente. O solo aderido às raízes foi removido para as avaliações. Foram realizadas diluições seriadas das amostras e contagem do número de Unidades Formadoras de Colônias (UFCs) de isolados de Trichoderma. Os resultados mostraram que o número de UFC variou dependendo da planta e da localidade avaliada. A substituição da vegetação nativa por sistemas de cultivo orgânicos não resultou em importante redução neste número.