Correlation analysis of intestinal flora and pathological process of type 2 diabetes mellitus

ObjectiveTo observe the relationship between the different stages of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and the intestinal flora and verify its underlying mechanism.MethodsT2DM rats were generated by high-fat diet (HFD) combined with intraperitoneal streptozotocin (STZ) injection. The rats were divided into four groups: the control group (fed with normal feed for 1 month), the HFD group (fed with HFD for 1 month), the T2DM group (HFD combined with STZ and blood glucose ≥11.1 mM), and the unformed T2DM model (Un-mod) group (HFD combined with STZ and blood glucose <11.1 mM). Feces were collected, and bacterial communities in the fecal samples were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in feces was measured by gas chromatography. Western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction were used to detect the expression of G protein-coupled receptor 41 (GPR41) and GPR43.ResultsAt different stages of T2DM, the intestinal flora and SCFAs content of rats were significantly decreased (all P < .05). Our results indicated that g__Prevotella had a significant negative correlation, and g__Ruminococcus_torques_group and g__lachnoclastic had a significant positive correlation with blood glucose. The content of SCFAs, in particular acetate and butyrate, in rat feces of different stages of T2DM were significantly reduced, as well as GPR41 and GPR43 expression. The results in the Un-mod group were similar to the T2DM group, and the expression of GPR41 and GPR43 proteins were significantly higher than those in the T2DM group (both P < .001).ConclusionThe intestinal flora–SCFAs–GPR41/GPR43 network may be important in the development of T2DM. Decreasing blood glucose levels by regulating the intestinal flora may become a new therapeutic strategy for T2DM, which has very important clinical and social values.     

淄博市放射工作人员外周血淋巴细胞微核率分析

[摘要]?目的?探讨GeneXpert MTB/RIF检测技术在肺结核诊断中的应用价值。方法?以2020年7月—2021年6月在天门市第一人民医院治疗的疑似肺结核患者107例作为研究对象，所有患者均留取痰标本，进行痰涂片、痰培养、GeneXpert MTB/RIF检测、比例法药敏试验。以培养法和比例法药敏结果为金标准，计算GeneXpert MTB/RIF检测结核分枝杆菌（Mycobacterium tuberculosis，MTB）及其对于利福平耐药性检测的灵敏度、特异度、与金标准的的一致率。结果?107例疑似肺结核患者中，痰涂片阳性39例（36.45%），涂片阴性68例（63.55%）。以痰培养结果为金标准，GeneXpert MTB/RIF检测TBM的灵敏度为85.42%（41/48），特异度为88.14%（52/59）。GeneXpert MTB/RIF与痰培养诊断一致率为86.92%（93/107）；进一步分析，GeneXpert MTB/RIF检测痰涂片阳性患者MTB的灵敏度为97.22%（35/36），特异度为33.33%（1/3），检测涂片阴性患者MTB的灵敏度为50.00%（6/12），特异度为91.07%（51/56）。以比例法药敏结果为金标准，确认痰培养阳性36例患者中利福平耐药有4例（11.11%），敏感的有32例（88.89%）；GeneXpert MTB/RIF检测痰培养阳性患者利福平耐药的灵敏度为75.00%（3/4），特异度为93.75%（30/32）。GeneXpert MTB/RIF与比例法药敏试验一致率为91.67%。结论?GeneXpert MTB/RIF检测技术对于肺结核诊断以及利福平的耐药分析具有重要实用价值，可以作为金标准。     

乙肝相关性肝癌临床病理学特征与高敏C反应蛋白和溶血磷脂酸表达的相关性

目的探讨乙肝相关性肝癌临床病理学特征与溶血磷脂酸(LPA)和高敏C反应蛋白(hs-CRP)表达的相关性。方法选取2019年1月至2020年1月间河南省驻马店市中心医院收治的198例乙肝相关性肝癌患者作为乙肝组,198例酒精相关性肝癌患者作为酒精组。两组患者都进行血清hs-CRP和LPA表达检测,调查患者的病理学特征并进行相关性分析。结果乙肝组患者血清hs-CRP和LPA含量均高于酒精组,差异均有统计学意义(均P <0.05)。两组患者血清ALP、AFP、ALT、AST和GGT含量比较,差异均无统计学意义(P> 0.05)。乙肝组不同临床分期和组织学分化患者的血清hs-CRP和LPA含量比较,差异均有统计学意义(均P <0.05)。乙肝组患者的临床分期和组织学分化与血清hs-CRP和LPA表达均存在相关性,差异均有统计学意义(均P <0.05)。患者的临床分期和组织学分化均为影响hs-CRP和LPA表达的重要因素,差异均有统计学意义(均P <0.05)。结论相对于酒精相关性肝癌,乙肝相关性肝癌的血清hs-CRP和LPA呈现高表达,与患者的临床病理学特征存在相关性。     

Diagnosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma by Raman spectroscopy provides high efficiency: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:We aim to evaluate the efficiency of Raman spectroscopy (RS) in diagnosing suspected patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), manifested by diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy.Methods:We will research widely the articles concerning the use of RS in ICC through authenticated database including PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, Ovid, Web of Knowledge, Cochrane Library, and CNKI between January 2012 and November 2020, retrieving at least 1500 spectra with strict criteria. This study will be carried out in accordance to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. We are going to summarize the test performance using random effects models.Results:Based on the pooled sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy, we intend to provide the relative diagnostic efficiency in ICC through RS.Conclusion:Through this systematic review and meta-analysis, we intend to provide the pooled sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of RS in the diagnosis of suspected ICC. Other parameters like positive likelihood ratios (LR), negative LR, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and area under curve (AUC) of the summary receiver operating characteristics (SROC) curve will also be calculated and related figures will be drawn to help illustrate the efficacy of RS in the diagnosis of ICC.     

Predicting COVID-19-related anxiety: The role of obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions,anxiety sensitivity,and body vigilance

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), first detected in December of 2019 and declared a global pandemic in March of 2020, continues to pose a serious threat to public health and safety worldwide. Many individuals report anxiety in response to this threat, and at high levels, such anxiety can result in adverse mental health outcomes and maladaptive behavioral responses that have consequences for the health of communities more broadly. Predictors of excessive anxiety in response to COVID-19 are understudied. Accordingly, the present study examined psychological factors that predict more intense COVID-19-related anxiety. 438 community members completed measures assessing COVID-19-related anxiety as well as psychological variables hypothesized to predict anxious responding to the threat of COVID-19. As expected, obsessive-compulsive symptoms related to contamination, the fear of arousal-related body sensations (i.e., anxiety sensitivity), and body vigilance each predicted more severe anxiety related to the pandemic. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms related to responsibility for causing harm also emerged as a predictor. Study limitations and implications are discussed.     

Laser‐based radiocarbon detection in the laboratory: How soon?

Research over the past 25 years and the use of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) have demonstrated benefits of single‐atom counting of ¹⁴C compared with scintillation monitoring of ¹⁴C radioactive decay for a multitude of applications in drug development studies. These include pharmacokinetics and metabolism studies, microdosing studies, and quantification of DNA adducts. In the last decade, the possibility of single‐atom counting using lasers has been demonstrated, providing the possibility of simplified laboratory‐based systems, which can equal or excel AMS sensitivity and provide scintillation system convenience without high levels of radioactivity. To achieve the required sensitivity, optical storage cavities have been used to enhance the laser interaction of the low densities of radiocarbon present. Two types of laser technologies have been used‐cavity ring‐down spectroscopy (CRDS) and intracavity opto‐galvanic spectroscopy (ICOGS). Problems to be overcome to achieve routine use have included separation of the ¹⁴C signal from backgrounds, achievement of acceptable precision and accuracy, reduction of measurement times for small samples, and improvement in the ease of use for the operator. Both technologies have achieved impressive results to date using samples of order 1 mg with CRDS and 10 μg with ICOGS. Commercial development is the next step.     

Peat smoke inhalation alters blood pressure,baroreflex sensitivity,and cardiac arrhythmia risk in rats

ABSTRACT

Wildland fires (WF) are linked to adverse health impacts related to poor air quality. The cardiovascular impacts of emissions from specific biomass sources are however unknown. The purpose of this study was to assess the cardiovascular impacts of a single exposure to peat smoke, a key regional WF air pollution source, and relate these to baroreceptor sensitivity and inflammation. Three-month-old male Wistar-Kyoto rats, implanted with radiotelemeters for continuous monitoring of heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), and spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity (BRS), were exposed once, for 1-hr, to filtered air or low (0.38 mg/m³ PM) or high (4.04 mg/m³) concentrations of peat smoke. Systemic markers of inflammation and sensitivity to aconitine-induced cardiac arrhythmias, a measure of latent myocardial vulnerability, were assessed in separate cohorts of rats 24 hr after exposure. PM size (low peat = 0.4–0.5 microns vs. high peat = 0.8–1.2 microns) and proportion of organic carbon (low peat = 77% vs. high peat = 65%) varied with exposure level. Exposure to high peat and to a lesser extent low peat increased systolic and diastolic BP relative to filtered air. In contrast, only exposure to low peat elevated BRS and aconitine-induced arrhythmogenesis relative to filtered air and increased circulating levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, complement components C3 and C4, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), and white blood cells. Taken together, exposure to peat smoke produced overt and latent cardiovascular consequences that were likely influenced by physicochemical characteristics of the smoke and associated adaptive homeostatic mechanisms.     

The jejunum is the key factor in insulin resistance

BackgroundBiliopancreatic diversion (BPD) is more effective than Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) on both insulin resistance and diabetes.ObjectivesBecause the major difference between the 2 procedures resides in the length of jejunal bypass, we investigated the role of the jejunum in insulin resistance.SettingUniversity hospital in Italy.MethodsInsulin sensitivity (IS) and secretion were measured before and 4 weeks after RYGB or BPD in 16 patients. A translational study was also conducted in 6 pigs, by isolating a jejunal loop with its vascular and nerve supply (Thiry-Vella loop [TVL]). TVL was doubly stomatized and bowel continuity restored by a side-to-side jejuno-jejunostomy. At baseline and 4 weeks postoperatively a glucose bolus was injected either in the stomach or in the TVL. Whole-body IS and jejunal heat shock proteins (HSPs) were measured. Primary porcine hepatocyte cultures were incubated with plasma or individual HSPs.ResultsWhole-body IS increased from 353.5 ± 26.7 to 442.0 ± 37.4 (P < .05) after RYGB and from 312.4 ± 14.9 to 441.2 ± 15.9 mL/m⁻²/min⁻¹ (P < .001) after BPD. Hepatic IS was unchanged after RYGB, while it increased from .3 ± .01 to .4 ± .1 (μM/pM) – 1 (P < .01) after BPD. Total insulin secretion rate remained unchanged after RYGB but decreased (from 58.3 ± 23.6 to 33.1 ± 7.8 nmol/m⁻², P < .05) after BPD. Jejunectomy in pigs enhanced IS (.3 ± .01 versus .2 ± .01 mM/pM, P < .001), while injection of glucose into TVL reduced it (.1 ± .01 versus .3 ± .01 mM/pM, P < .0001). The jejunum secreted HSPs, Hsp70, and GRP78, which impaired insulin signaling in hepatocyte cultures.ConclusionsThis study shows that jejunal bypass in both humans and pigs improves IS. Injection of glucose into the TVL in pigs determines insulin resistance. In response to glucose, the jejunum secretes HSPs that impair insulin signaling.