Bacillus coagulans 13002 and fructo-oligosaccharides improve the immunity of mice with immunosuppression induced by cyclophosphamide through modulating intestinal-derived and fecal microbiota.

This study aims to evaluate the effects of probiotic Bacillus coagulans 13,002 (BCS) and prebiotic fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) on mice treated with the alkylating agent cyclophosphamide (CTX). We found that both BCS and FOS, especially BCS, significantly alleviated CTX-induced injury by modulating intestinal-derived and fecal microbiota. BCS and BCS + FOS increased serum immunoglobulin levels, which were reduced by CTX. In addition, BCS and BCS + FOS upregulated IFN-γ and IL-4, which protect mucosal barriers and the balance of Th1/Th2. BCS promoted the growth of some beneficial bacteria, such as Bacteroides, Coprococcus, Enterococcus, Oscillospira, and Ruminococcus in mouse gut. In addition, BCS + FOS inhibited the growth of several harmful bacteria, including Acinetobacter, Arthrobacter, Brachybacterium, Corynebacterium, Jeotgalicoccus, Sporosarcina, and Staphylococcus. Furthermore, BCS potentially improved the growth of Anaerotruncus bacteria, which can promote the production of butyrate acids. In summary, according our results suggest that BCS and FOS improved the immunity of mice with immunosuppression induced by CTX through modulating intestinal-derived and fecal microbiota.

Bioinformatics Analysis of Up-regulated Differential Genes in Rats post Spinal Cord Injury / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To investigate the differential expression and gene functions of up-regulated genes in rats with spinal cord injury. Methods:Female Sprague-Dawley rats' model of spinal cord injury was established with the modified Allen's method. Gene chip technology was used to detect the variation of differentially expressed genes in the spinal cord after spinal cord injury in rats. The differences in genes, functional localization and pathways were analyzed with gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway database. Results:The results of total RNA quality in spinal cord segment were qualified. Gene chip results showed that there were 1874 differentially up-regulated genes and 2348 differentially down-regulated genes. Bioinformatics was used to analyze differentially up-regulated genes in terms of biological processes, cellular components, and molecular functions. The differentially up-regulated genes were involving apoptosis, immune response, inflammation, etc., pathway analysis mainly showed the differentially up-regulated genes involved phosphoinositide 3-kinase protein kinase B signaling pathway and Toll-like receptor signaling pathways. Conclusion:Differentially up-regulated genes may be involved in secondary reactions following spinal cord injury, such as inflammation, immune response and hypoxia, and then further affect motor function and sensory function.