Inhibiting the CB1 receptor in CIH-induced animal model alleviates colon injury.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can lead to intestinal injury, endotoxemia, and disturbance of intestinal flora. Additionally, as a crucial component of the endocannabinoid system, some studies have demonstrated that cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptors are closely linked to the multiple organ dysfunction triggered by OSA. However, the role of the CB1 receptor in alleviating OSA-induced colon injury remains unclear. Here, through the construction of the OSA classic model, we found that the colon tissue of chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH)-induced mice exhibited an overexpression of the CB1 receptor. The results of hematoxylin-eosin staining and transmission electron microscopy revealed that inhibition of the CB1 receptor could decrease the gap between the mucosa and muscularis mucosae, alleviate mitochondrial swelling, reduce microvilli shedding, and promote the recovery of tight junctions of CIH-induced mice. Furthermore, CB1 receptor inhibition reduced the levels of metabolic endotoxemia and inflammatory responses, exhibiting significant protective effects on the colon injury caused by CIH. At the molecular level, through western blotting and real-time polymerase chain reaction techniques, we found that inhibiting the CB1 receptor can significantly increase the expression of ZO-1 and Occludin proteins, which are closely related to the maintenance of intestinal mucosal barrier function. Through 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) determination, we found that inhibition of the CB1 receptor increased the diversity of the microbial flora and controlled the makeup of intestinal flora. Moreover, butyric acid concentration and the amount of SCFA-producing bacteria, such as Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae, were both markedly elevated by CB1 receptor inhibition. The results of the spearman correlation study indicated that Lachnospiraceae showed a positive association with both ZO-1 and Occludin but was negatively correlated with the colon CB1 receptor, IL-1ß, and TNF-α. According to this study, we found that inhibiting CB1 receptor can improve CIH-induced colon injury by regulating gut microbiota, reducing mucosal damage and promoting tight junction recovery. KEY POINTS: •CIH leads to overexpression of CB1 receptor in colon tissue. •CIH causes intestinal flora disorder, intestinal mucosal damage, and disruption of tight junctions. •Inhibition of CB1 receptor can alleviate the colon injury caused by CIH through regulating the gut microbiota, reducing mucosal injury, and promoting tight junction recovery.

Identification of diagnostic markers related to fecal and plasma metabolism in primary Sjögren's syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Accurate diagnostic techniques for patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) are needed. This study aimed to investigate new biomarkers related to fecal and plasma metabolism from pSS patients. METHODS: The feces and plasma of 21 pSS patients and 18 controls admitted to the Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University were collected for analysis. Metabolites in feces and plasma were quantified using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The metabolic pathway alterations caused by pSS were studied and the expression of metabolites in the intersecting pathway was analyzed in the feces and plasma of pSS patients. Metabolites that showed the same alterations in feces and plasma in pSS patients were considered as diagnostic markers and receiver operating characteristic curves were generated to analyze the sensitivity of these markers in diagnosing pSS. RESULTS: There were 114 and 92 upregulated metabolites and 54 and 125 downregulated metabolites in the feces and plasma of pSS patients, respectively. These metabolites were enriched in 8 pathways for feces and 12 pathways for plasma. Arginine biosynthesis, Linoleic acid metabolism, Tyrosine metabolism, Taurine and hypotaurine metabolism were pathways enriched by metabolites in both samples. Twelves metabolites were enriched in the above four pathways, while only 9,10-12,13-Diepoxyoctadecanoate, Tyramine, 9-OxoODE and 2-Hydroxyethanesulfonate showed the same trend. The candidate diagnostic markers were all predictive, with better diagnostic sensitivity in plasma samples. CONCLUSIONS: 9,10-12,13-Diepoxyoctadecanoate, Tyramine, 9-OxoODE, 2-Hydroxyethanesulfonate were metabolism-related diagnostic markers for pSS feces and plasma.

[Therapeutic effects of oral appliance combined with uvulopalatopharyngoplasty on obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the long-term effects of the uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) combined with oral appliance (OA) in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). METHODS: Thirty patients with severe OSAHS confirmed by polysomnography (PSG) according to their apnea hypopnea index (AHI) and lowest SaO2 during sleep were selected using random permutation table and divided into only UPPP group(U group, n = 15) and UPPP with OA group (UA group, n = 15). The follow-up period was 2 years. PSG was performed in 0.5 year and 2 years after operation. AHI, lowest SaO2 and Tmax were tested and evaluated. RESULTS: The effectiveness of two groups was the same after 0.5 year. Two years after operation, the values [AHI: (18.06 ± 2.24) times/h; lowest SaO2: (88.64 ± 10.37)% and Tmax: (20.5 ± 17.6) s] in UA group were better than that [AHI: (49.73 ± 3.35) times/h; lowest SaO2: (79.56 ± 4.87)% and Tmax: (41.3 ± 19.7) s] in U group. The number of effectiveness was 9 and the number of ineffectiveness was 6 in U group, while in UA group, the number of effectiveness was 14 and the number of ineffectiveness was 1(P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term result of combined treatment was better than that of UPPP only.

[Transnasal endoscopic marsupialization for treatment of maxillary cysts].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and usefulness of transnasal endoscopic surgery for the treatment of maxillary cysts. METHOD: Transnasal endoscopic surgery was performed in 13 patients with maxillary cysts that extended to the maxillary sinus or the nasal bottom. Five patients had a radicular cyst, three patients had a dentigerous cyst, three patients had a nasolabial cyst and two patients had a median cyst. After the resection of anterior edge of the inferior turbinate or the nasal bottom, the lateral wall of the inferior nasal meatus was opened. Then, the cyst wall of the maxillary sinus was partially or completely removed under the endoscope. RESULT: The cyst walls were completely or partial removed in 13 patients with maxillary cysts. There were no complications, and postoperative courses were uneventful. The follow-up period ranged from 6 to 36 months, and no recurrence were noted in any of the cases. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic transnasal surgery for the maxillary cyst is less invasive than conventional dental approach, and most of the affected teeth can be preserved. This technique appears to be a simple and highly effective surgical treatment for the treatment of patients with maxillary cysts that extend to the maxillary sinus or the nasal bottom.