Effects of the Administration of Probiotics on Fecal Microbiota Diversity and Composition in Healthy Individuals

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Probiotics are expected to modify the composition of gut microbiota. We aimed to investigate the changes in the composition and diversity of gut microbiota by the administration of probiotics in healthy individuals. METHODS: Twelve healthy volunteers with age range of 30–42 years provided baseline fecal samples. Subsequently, they took commercially available probiotic capsules (a mixture for Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Enterococcus) for 4 weeks. Fecal samples were collected at 4 weeks of administration and 2 weeks after the stop of administration. Fecal microbiota was analyzed via 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. RESULTS: The mean Shannon index was not significantly altered by the 4-week administration of probiotics (4.365 vs 4.556, P > 0.05). The proportion of Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria was not significantly changed by the 4-week administration of probiotics. At the genus level, the proportions of Lactobacillus (2.138% vs 2.773%, P = 0.028) and Enterococcus (0.022% vs 2.758%, P = 0.004) significantly increased 4 weeks after the administration of probiotics, but reduced 2 weeks after the stop of administration (2.773% vs 3.292%, P = 0.064 and 2.758% vs 0.001%, P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The diversity of fecal microbiota is not significantly affected by 4 weeks of probiotics administration. The proportion of fecal microbiota at the genus level is significantly altered by the administration of probiotics. However, this effect does not seem to last long, probably because of homeostasis or dietary influence.

Detection of Allergen Specific Antibodies From Nasal Secretion of Allergic Rhinitis Patients

PURPOSE: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common and increasing disease in which Dermatophagoides (D.) farinae is one of the most common causative allergens. The aims of this study were to confirm the presence of locally produced antibodies to D. farinae in nasal secretions between nasal provocation test (NPT)-positive and -negative groups of AR patients, to evaluate their relationships with the levels of inflammatory mediators, and to determine adaptive and innate immune responses in nasal mucosa. METHODS: Sixty AR patients sensitive to house dust mites confirmed by skin prick test or serum specific IgE to D. farinae underwent NPT for D. farinae. Nasal packs were placed in both nasal cavities of the patients for 5 minutes to obtain nasal secretions after NPT. The levels of total IgE, specific IgE to D. farinae, eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), and tryptase in nasal secretions were detected by using ImmunoCAP. The levels of specific IgE, IgA, and secretory IgA antibodies to D. farinae in nasal secretions were measured by using ELISA. The levels of IL-8, VEGF, IL-25, and IL-33 were also measured by using ELISA. RESULTS: High levels of total IgE, specific IgE, specific IgA, and secretory IgA to D. farinae, as well as inflammatory mediators, such as ECP, IL-8, VEGF and tryptase, were detected in nasal secretions, although the differences were not statistically significant between the NPT-positive and NPT-negative groups. Levels of all immunoglobulins measured in this study significantly correlated with ECP, IL-8, and VEGF (P0.05). IL-33 and IL-25 were also detected, and IL-25 level significantly correlated with IL-8 (r=0.625, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These findings confirmed the presence of locally produced specific antibodies, including D. farinae-specific IgE and IgA, in nasal secretions collected from D. farinae-sensitive AR patients in both the NPT-positive and NPT-negative groups, and close correlations were noted between antibodies and nasal inflammatory mediators, including such as ECP, IL-8 and VEGF, indicating that locally produced antibodies may be involved in the nasal inflammation of AR.

A Case of Pituitary Macroadenoma Concurrently Diagnosed in a Patient Undergoing Antipsychotic Treatment / 대한내과학회지

Antipsychotics are the drug of choice for patients with schizophrenia, but they can induce hyperprolactinemia and growth of pituitary adenomas by blocking dopamine 2 receptors in the pituitary gland. In contrast, the medical treatment for a prolactinoma is a dopamine agonist. Therefore, managing a patient concurrently diagnosed with a prolactinoma and psychosis is challenging. We describe a patient with schizophrenia who was diagnosed with a prolactinoma. We changed his neuroleptic to quetiapine and prescribed bromocriptine for the prolactinoma. As a result, the patient was successfully treated with a dopamine agonist and antipsychotic without psychotic exacerbation. Our case suggests that dopamine agonists can be administrated to patients with schizophrenia and a prolactinoma without adversely affecting their psychopathological status.

Testosterone Deficiency Associated with Poor Glycemic Control in Korean Male Diabetics

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have shown that men with diabetes have lower testosterone levels than healthy men. However, studies on the correlation between testosterone and diabetes are rare in Korea. We examined the relationship between testosterone deficiency and markers related to diabetes in adult Korean men. METHODS: A total 464 men with diabetes who visited an outpatient clinic at Ajou University Hospital and had serum total testosterone and serum insulin levels measured between January 2000 and September 2013 were selected. Blood samples were collected after the subjects had fasted overnight. We divided the participants into testosterone deficient and normal groups. Testosterone deficiency was defined as having a serum total testosterone level <3.5 ng/mL. RESULTS: Of 464 subjects, 34.9% had a testosterone deficiency. The mean levels of fasting plasma glucose (P=0.007) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c; P=0.038) were significantly higher in the testosterone deficiency group than in the normal group. To clarify the relationship between serum total testosterone level and fasting plasma glucose or HbA1c values, Pearson's correlation test was performed. Fasting plasma glucose levels (r=-0.142, P=0.002) and HbA1c values (r=-0.097, P=0.040) showed a significant negative correlation with serum testosterone levels in men with diabetes. CONCLUSION: Major markers of diabetes that are associated with testosterone deficiency are fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c values. Poor glycemic control appears to be associated with testosterone deficiency in Korean men with diabetes.

Sleep Duration and Glycemic Control in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2010

Short sleep duration has been reported to increase the risk of diabetes. However, the influence of sleep duration on glycemic control in diabetic patients has not been clarified. In this study we evaluated the association between sleep duration and glycemic control in diabetic patients. We analyzed the data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2007-2010. Sleep duration was classified into five groups: or =9 h/day. Fasting blood glucose and HbA1c showed a U-shaped trend according to sleep duration. Sleep duration of 7 h/day had the lowest HbA1c (7.26%) among the subjects (P=0.026). In the older age group (> or =65 yr), a sleep duration of 6 h/day was associated with the lowest HbA1c (7.26%). The adjusted odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of worse glycemic control (HbA1c > or =7.0%) in group of sleep duration of > or =9 h/day was 1.48 (1.04-2.13) compared with the group of 7 h/day. This relationship disappeared after adjusting duration of diabetes (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 0.93-2.03). Our results suggest that sleep duration and glycemic control in diabetic patients has U-shaped relationship which was mainly affected by duration of diabetes.

Differential effects of local anesthetics on rate of rotational mobility between hydrocarbon interior and surface region of model membrane outer monolayer

Using fluorescence polarization of 12-(9-anthroyloxy)stearic acid (12-AS) and 2-(9-anthroyloxy)stearic acid (2-AS), we evaluated the differential effects of local anesthetics on differential rotational rate between the surface (in carbon number 2 and its surroundings including the head group) and the hydrocarbon interior (in carbon number 12 and its surroundings) of the outer monolayer of the total lipid fraction liposome extracted from synaptosomal plasma membrane vesicles. The anisotropy (r) values for the hydrocarbon interior and the surface region of the liposome outer monolayer were 0.078+/-0.001 and 0.114+/-0.001, respectively. This means that the rate of rotational mobility in the hydrocarbon interior is faster than that of the surface region. In a dose-dependent manner, the local anesthetics decreased the anisotropy of 12-AS in the hydrocarbon interior of the liposome outer monolayer but increased the anisotropy of 2-AS in the surface region of the monolayer. These results indicate that local anesthetics have significant disordering effects on the hydrocarbon interior but have significant ordering effects on the surface region of the liposome outer monolayer.

A morphometric study of the Korean vertebrae / 대한정형외과학회잡지

No abstract available.

Histochemical study on the distribution of the carbohydrate in tracheal mucosa of the rat during pre- and postnatal development / 대한이비인후과학회지

No abstract available.