Assessment of oral ciprofloxacin impaired gut barrier integrity on gut bacteria in mice

Gut bacteria and gut barrier plays important roles in body homeostasis. Ciprofloxacin (CPFX) is widely used to treat bacterial infections. However, whether high dosage of CPFX has side effects on gut barrier integrity is still unclear. Our results indicated that the High CPFX treatment (1 mg/ml) caused weight loss, nervousness, anorexia, and increased apoptosis cells in gut, but less influence was observed in the Low CPFX group (0.2 mg/ml). Meanwhile, the High CPFX treatment impaired tight junction molecules Ocln/ZO-1 level and down-regulated antibacterial genes expression (reg3γ, pla2g2α and defb1). Further, the High CPFX treatment increased pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β in intestinal tract, decreased IL-17A of duodenum but increased IL-17A of colon at day 37. In addition, the gut bacterial diversity and richness behaved significantly loss regarding CPFX treatment, especially in the High CPFX group during the experiment. Indole exhibited sharply decline in both Low and High CPFX groups at day 7, and the High CPFX mice needed longer time on restoring indole level. Meanwhile, CPFX treatment strongly decreased the concentrations of butyric acid and valeric acid at day 1. Correlation analysis indicated that the linked patterns between the key bacteria (families Bacteroidales_S247, Ruminococcaceae and Desulfovibrionaceae) and metabolites (indole and butyric acid) were disturbed via the CPFX treatment. In conclusion, the High CPFX treatment impaired the gut barrier with the evidence of reduced expression of tight junction proteins, increased apoptosis cells and inflammatory cells, decreased the bacterial diversity and composition, which suggesting a proper antibiotic-dosage use should be carefully considered in disease treatment.     

Dietary fish oil,and to a lesser extent the fat-1 transgene,increases astrocyte activation in response to intracerebroventricular amyloid-β 1–40 in mice

Objectives: Increases in astrocytes and one of their markers, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) have been reported in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) modulate neuroinflammation in animal models; however, their effect on astrocytes is unclear.

Methods: Fat-1 mice and their wildtype littermates were fed either a fish oil diet or a safflower oil diet deprived of n-3 PUFA. At 12 weeks, mice underwent intracerebroventricular infusion of amyloid-β 1-40. Astrocyte phenotype in the hippocampus was assessed at baseline and 10 days post-surgery using immunohistochemistry with various microscopy and image analysis techniques.

Results: GFAP increased in all groups in response to amyloid-β, with a greater increase in fish oil-fed mice than either fat-1 or wildtype safflower oil-fed mice. Astrocytes in this group were also more hypertrophic, suggesting increased activation. Both fat-1- and fish oil-fed mice had greater increases in branch number and length in response to amyloid-β infusion than wildtype safflower animals.

Conclusion: Fish oil feeding, and to a lesser extent the fat-1 transgene, enhances the astrocyte activation phenotype in response to amyloid-β 1-40. Astrocytes in mice fed fish oil were more activated in response to amyloid-β than in fat-1 mice despite similar levels of hippocampal n-3 PUFA, which suggests that other fatty acids or dietary factors contribute to this effect.     

A review on gentisic acid as a plant derived phenolic acid and metabolite of aspirin: Comprehensive pharmacology,toxicology, and some pharmaceutical aspects

Beneficial therapeutic effects of phenolic acids have been proven in various research projects including in vivo and in vitro studies. Gentisic acid (GA) is a phenolic acid that has been associated with useful effects on human health, such as antiinflammatory, antigenotoxic, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antimicrobial, and especially antioxidant activities. It is an important metabolite of aspirin and also widely distributed in plants as a secondary plant product such as Gentiana spp., Citrus spp., Vitis vinifera, Pterocarpus santalinus, Helianthus tuberosus, Hibiscus rosa‐sinensis, Olea europaea, and Sesamum indicum and in fruits such as avocados, batoko plum, kiwi fruits, apple, bitter melon, black berries, pears, and some mushrooms. This study was undertaken to review the pharmacological effects, pharmacokinetic properties as well as toxicity and pharmaceutical applications of GA.     

丹参干燥前后游离型和结合型酚酸的比较研究

丹参干燥前后,新鲜和干燥丹参中酚酸成分含量有显著性差异,即在干燥过程中随脱水增加,丹参酚酸含量显著增加。为探究丹参干燥前后游离型和结合型酚酸含量的差异及转化,该实验对丹参酚酸水解方法、水解产物、水解规律等进行研究,采用UPLC测定丹参结合型酚酸4种主要水解产物丹参素、咖啡酸二聚体(SMND-309)、咖啡酸、甘西鼠尾草酸甲(原紫草酸)以及丹参中3种主要游离酚酸成分(迷迭香酸、紫草酸和丹酚酸B)的含量。结果显示,丹参酚酸的碱水解效果显著优于酸水解,优选的碱水解条件为用含有1%抗坏血酸的2 mol·L-1氢氧化钠溶液于70℃水解4 h;游离酚酸和结合酚酸的水解产物相同;新鲜丹参中游离酚酸含量较低,结合酚酸含量较高,而干燥丹参却相反。提示丹参生长过程中已积累储存了大量的结合型酚酸,主要以酯键与细胞壁多糖结合形成了不溶性酚酸,常规方法不易检出,在干燥脱水过程中,结合型酚酸或在相关酶的作用下转化生成大量的游离酚酸。     

中药复方灌肠治疗溃疡性结肠炎临床疗效Meta分析

[目的] 系统评价中药复方灌肠治疗溃疡性结肠炎（UC）随机对照试验（RCT）的临床疗效及安全性。[方法] 两位研究者独立系统检索中药复方灌肠治疗UC的全部临床RCT中英文文献。数据库包括：中国生物医学文献数据库（CBM）、中国知网知识发现网络平台（CNKI）、重庆维普科技数据库（VIP）和万方数据知识数据库（Wanfang Database）、Pubmed、Embase、Cochrane电子期刊全文数据库，检索时间均从建库至2019年2月9日。两位研究者独立提取资料，如遇分歧，请求第三方协助解决。同时使用Review Manager 5.3及Stata15.0软件进行本研究的数据处理。[结果] 最终共纳入17篇文献，共计1 597例UC患者。中药复方灌肠治疗UC的临床总有效率优于对照组[I²=0%，RR=1.31，95%CI（1.25，1.37），P<0.000 01]，亚组分析显示，中药复方灌肠较氨基水杨酸类溶液灌肠[I²=0%，RR=1.31，95%CI（1.24，1.38），P<0.000 01]或栓剂纳肛[I²=16%，RR=1.32，95%CI（1.16，1.51），P<0.000 1]或柳氮磺胺吡啶（SASP）灌肠[I²=0%，RR=1.29，95%CI（1.23，1.36），P<0.000 01]或美沙拉嗪灌肠[I²=4%，RR=1.37，95%CI（1.22，1.54），P<0.000 01]都有较好的疗效；中药复方灌肠改善中医症状积分优于对照组[I²=23%，MD=-1.42，95%CI（-2.38，-0.46），P=0.004]；中药复方灌肠改善肠黏膜积分优于对照组[I²=0%，MD=-0.29，95%CI（-0.50，-0.07），P=0.01]；中药复方灌肠改善Mayo积分优于对照组[I²=89%，MD=-2.50，95%CI（-4.25，-0.75），P=0.005]；中药复方灌肠的不良反应发生率较对照组无明显差异[I²=59%，RR=0.41，95%CI=（0.05，3.29），P=0.40]。亚组分析显示，中药复方灌肠不良反应发生率较美沙拉嗪栓纳肛[I²=0%，RR=0.14，95%CI（0.02，1.11），P=0.06]或SASP灌肠[I²=82%，RR=1.20，95%CI（0.02，77.88），P=0.93]皆无明显差异；中药复方灌肠治疗UC的复发率较对照组更低[I²=0%，RR=0.34，95%CI（0.16，0.72），P=0.005]。[结论] 中药复方灌肠治疗UC较氨基水杨酸类药物的临床疗效更佳且安全性更高。     

Serum dietary fatty acids and coronary heart disease risk – A nested case-control-study within the CARLA cohort

Background and Aims

Diet is known to play a decisive role in the development of coronary heart disease (CHD). One factor believed to decrease lifetime risk of CHD is the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids. Yet, conclusive evidence regarding the potential cardioprotective effects of fatty acids is far from being reached. The present study aimed to provide further evidence on the association of serum fatty acid profiles with CHD risk.

Dietary fat intake and metabolic syndrome in adults: A systematic review

Background and aimsThe metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of coexisting cardiovascular risk factors. The role of specific dietary fats was reemphasized by dietary recommendations. This systematic review aims to assess evidence for the effect of dietary fat intake on MetS occurrence and reversion in adults.Methods and ResultsThe MEDLINE database was used to search the existing literature. We included observational studies that analyzed dietary fat intake in adults with MetS and clinical trials that compared the effects of different dietary fat diets on MetS and/or its components. Thirty articles were selected (14 observational and 16 clinical trials), and we included information of dietary fat and fatty acids as well as MetS, body mass index, cholesterol, hypertension, and diabetes in adults. SFA intake was found to be positively associated with MetS components. Most of the observational reviewed studies found beneficial associations between MUFA and PUFA (including n-3 and n-6 subtypes) intake and MetS components. Clinical trials also supported the benefits of MUFA- or PUFA-enriched diets (including low-fat diets) in reducing MetS.ConclusionsThe effects of dietary SFAs on MetS will be influenced by other specific nutrients. Replacement of SFA by MUFA and PUFA has been associated with a decrease in MetS. Dietary recommendations should emphasize on different qualities of fat intake, not only to reduce total fat intake, to obtain health benefits in adults.     

Nutraceuticals use and type 2 diabetes mellitus

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a complicated metabolic disease and has become one of the significant medical problems worldwide. Researchers aim to provide fine-tuned treatment for T2DM with minimal exposed side effects. Nutraceuticals are compounds or materials and emerging evidence suggests that the use of nutraceuticals has recently been recognized as a promising option for the prevention and management of T2DM, such as probiotics and prebiotics, Vitamin D, n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, and Plant-derived nutraceuticals. This review attempts to show the most popular nutraceuticals and review their effects and possible mechanisms in the prevention or glycemic control of T2DM.