Organoids in modelling infectious diseases

Approaches based on animal and two-dimensional (2D) cell culture models cannot ensure reliable results in modeling novel pathogens or in drug testing in the short term; therefore, there is rising interest in platforms such as organoids. To develop a toolbox that can be used successfully to overcome current issues in modeling various infections, it is essential to provide a framework of recent achievements in applying organoids. Organoids have been used to study viruses, bacteria, and protists that cause, for example, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and liver diseases. Their future as models of infection will be associated with improvements in system complexity, including abilities to model tissue structure, a dynamic microenvironment, and coinfection.Teaser.Organoids are a flexible tool for modelling viral, bacterial and protist infections. They can provide fast and reliable information on the biology of pathogens and in drug screening, and thus have become essential in combatting emerging infectious diseases.     

Maternal consumption of ɷ3 attenuates metabolic disruption elicited by saturated fatty acids-enriched diet in offspring rats

Background and aimsHigh-fat diet (HFD) intake during gestation and lactation has been associated with an increased risk of developing cardiometabolic disorders in adult offspring. We investigated whether metabolic alterations resulting from the maternal consumption of HFD are prevented by the addition of omega-3 (?3) in the diet.Methods and resultsWistar rat dams were fed a control (C: 19% of lipids and ?6:?3 = 12), HF (HF: 33% lipids and ?6:?3 = 21), or HF enriched with ?3 (HFω3: 33% lipids and ?6:?3 = 9) diet during gestation and lactation, and their offspring food consumption, murinometric measurements, serum levels of metabolic markers, insulin and pyruvate sensitivity tests were evaluated. The maternal HFD increased body weight at birth, dyslipidemia, and elevated fasting glucose levels in the HF group. The enrichment of ?3 in the maternal HFD led to lower birth weight and improved lipid, glycemic, and transaminase biochemical profile of the HFω3 group until the beginning of adulthood. However, at later adulthood of the offspring, there was no improvement in these biochemical parameters.ConclusionOur findings show the maternal consumption of high-fat ?3-rich diet is able to attenuate or prevent metabolic disruption elicited by HFD in offspring until 90 days old, but not in the long term, as observed at 300 days old of the offspring.     

清代名医陈念祖“重视气血”治疗月经病用药规律及特点研究

[目的] 探讨研究陈念祖治疗月经病的用药规律及特点。[方法] 收集陈氏《女科要旨》《南雅堂医案》《医学从众录》中治疗月经病的处方81首，构建处方数据库。运用Excel 2010与SPSS Statistics 26.0软件对高频药物进行频数和聚类分析，并结合理论分析，提炼出陈氏治疗月经病的用药规律及特点。[结果] 收集的81首处方中，涉及药物共121味。≥6次的高频药物共32味，使用频数排前3位的是当归、白芍、茯苓。高频药物种类以补血药、补气药为主；四气以温性为首；五味以甘、苦、辛为主；归经以脾经为首，肝经次之，心经再次。聚类分析得出5组核心药组，涉及归脾汤、六君子汤、越鞠丸等方剂。用药特点:使气血化生而调和脾胃，畅气血运行而疏理心肝，守气血循经而调理冲任。[结论] 陈氏治疗月经病以气血为核心，调和脾胃气血、调畅心肝气机、调理冲任气血，多运用补血药、补气药、理气药。