Alterations of the intestinal microbiome and metabolome in women with rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is more common in women, and many reports of sex differences have been reported in various aspects of RA. However, there has been a lack of specific research on women's gut flora. To assess the association between the gut flora and RA patients, this study combined the microbiome with metabolomics. Fecal samples from RA patients and healthy controls were collected for 16S rRNA sequencing. Nontargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to detect metabolites in fecal samples. We comprehensively used various analytical methods to reveal changes in intestinal flora and metabolites in female patients. The gut flora of RA patients was significantly different from that of healthy women. The abundance of Bacteroides, Megamonas and Oscillospira was higher in RA patients, while the abundance of Prevotella, Gemmiger and Roseburia was lower than that of healthy women. Gemmiger, Bilophila and Odoribacter represented large differences in microflora between RA and healthy women and could be used as potential microorganisms in the diagnosis. Fatty acid biosynthesis was significantly different between RA patients and healthy women in terms of metabolic pathways. There were different degrees of correlation between the gut flora and metabolites. Lys-Phe-Lys and heptadecasphin-4-enine can be used as potential markers for RA diagnosis. There was an extremely significant positive correlation between Megamonas, Dialister and rheumatoid factors, which was found for the first time. These findings indicated that alterations of these gut microbiome and metabolome may contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of RA patients.

New tocopherol and acylphloroglucinol derivatives from Dryopteris crassirhizoma and their antimicrobial activities.

Nine previously undescribed compounds including six tocopherol derivatives (1-6) and three acylphloroglucinol derivatives (7-9) were isolated and characterized from the plants of Dryopteris crassirhizoma. Their structures with absolute configurations were determined by extensive spectroscopic analyses, including IR, HRESIMS, NMR, and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD). Compounds 1 and 2 are the first tocopheroid derivatives possessing unique 2,5-dimethylcyclopent-4-ene-1,3-dione carbon skeleton, and compounds 3-6 were new 5a-norcyclopentenones having a spirofused bicyclic carbon skeleton. The biosynthetic pathway of compounds 1-6 was postulated. When combined with fluconazole (FLC), compound 3 showed significant antifungal activity against standard Candida albicans with MIC50 value of 1.19 µg/mL (FLC: 3.41 µg/mL). Furthermore, the anti-plant pathogenic fungi and bacterial activities have been evaluated in vitro, compounds 5 and 8 showed anti-Verticillium dahlia and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum with MIC value of 50 µg/mL, respectively. Compounds 1 and 5 exhibited moderate antibacterial activities against Micrococcus luteus with MIC value of 50 µg/mL, respectively.

Bio-cement-modified construction materials and their performances.

The microbial induced mineral precipitation can be used to modify and improve the performance of construction materials and can partially replace ordinary Portland cement. Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) mainly uses the urease secreted during the growth of urease-producing bacteria (UPB) to hydrolyze urea produce CO32- and reacts with Ca2+ to form CaCO3. Microbially induced struvite precipitation (MISP) mainly uses the urease to decompose urea to produce NH4+. In the presence of hydrogen phosphate and magnesium ions, the struvite can be precipitated. The elemental composition and chemical composition of the precipitates produced by the MICP and MISP processes are analyzed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and powder X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The morphology of the precipitates can be observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Compared with the initial porosity, the MICP method can reduce the initial porosity of the sand column by 2.98% within 90 min. However, the MISP is only 1.45%. The permeability coefficient of the sand column can be effectively reduced in the MICP process. The total content of cementitious materials is 27.71g and 13.16g in MICP- and MISP-cemented sand columns, respectively. The MICP technology can improve the strength of alkali-activated mortars under different pH values of the UPB solution.

Nano-Montmorillonite Regulated Crystallization of Hierarchical Strontium Carbonate in a Microbial Mineralization System.

In this paper, nano-montmorillonite (nano-MMT) was introduced into the microbial mineralization system of strontium carbonate (SrCO3). By changing the nano-MMT concentration and the mineralization time, the mechanism of mineralization was studied. SrCO3 superstructures with complex forms were acquired in the presence of nano-MMT as a crystal growth regulator. At low concentrations of nano-MMT, a cross-shaped SrCO3 superstructure was obtained. As the concentration increased, flower-like SrCO3 crystals formed via the dissolution and recrystallization processes. An emerging self-assembly process and crystal polymerization mechanism have been proposed by forming complex flower-like SrCO3 superstructures in high concentrations of nano-MMT. The above research indicated that unique bionic synthesis strategies in microbial systems could not only provide a useful route for the production of inorganic or inorganic/organic composites with a novel morphology and unique structure but also provide new ideas for the treatment of radionuclides.

Cigarette Smoke-Induced Hypermethylation of the GCLC Gene Is Associated With COPD.

BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking is a major environmental contributor to COPD, but understanding its epigenetic regulation of oxidative genes involved in the pathogenesis of COPD remains elusive. METHODS: We analyzed DNA methylation on glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC), glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1), glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1), and superoxide dismutase 3 (SOD3) promoters in clinical samples from patients with COPD (current-smoker [CS-COPD]; ex-smoker [ES-COPD]) and subjects with normal pulmonary function (current-smoker [CS-NS]; ex-smoker [ES-NS]; never-smoker [NC]). Expression of GCLC messenger RNA (mRNA) and glutathione (GSH) synthesis in these clinical samples and human bronchial epithelial (BEAS-2B) cells stimulated by cigarette-smoke extract (CSE) was evaluated. GCLC mRNA and protein levels were measured to determine effects of demethylation and deacetylation agents on CSE-treated BEAS-2B cells. RESULTS: The DNA methylation level of the GCLC promoter was significantly increased in CS-COPD, CS-NS, and ES-COPD groups compared with ES-NS and NC groups. However, there were no significant differences in DNA methylation values of GSTM1, GSTP1, and SOD3 promoters among these groups. Expression of GCLC mRNA was downregulated in the lungs, and GSH levels decreased in plasma as a consequence of hypermethylation of the GCLC promoter. Similarly, CSE-treated BEAS-2B cells had hypermethylation of the GCLC gene, mRNA downregulation, and a decreased intracellular GSH level. GCLC expression in CSE-treated BEAS-2B cells was restored by the methylation inhibitor, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine, but not by the deacetylation agent, trichostatin A. CONCLUSIONS: Cigarette smoke-induced hypermethylation of the GCLC promoter is related to the initiation and progression of COPD. Our finding may provide a new strategy for COPD intervention by developing demethylation agents targeting GCLC hypermethylation.