Dietary milk fat globule membrane supplementation during late gestation increased the growth of neonatal piglets by improving their plasma parameters,intestinal barriers,and fecal microbiota

Milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), mainly comprising protein and fat, has been reported to have multiple biological functions for relieving intestinal inflammation and enhancing growth performance. We hypothesized that MFGM supplementation into sows'' diet during late gestation can have a positive impact on the intestinal microecology of sows and their piglets, as well as on the growth of neonates. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate such effects and their potential mechanisms. Twenty-two pregnant sows were selected and randomly divided into the CON group (basal diet) and MFGM group (basal diet supplemented with 9.9 g per day MFGM). The feeding period began from d 85 of gestation and until farrowing. The concentrations of albumin (ALB), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) in plasma and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in feces of sows from the MFGM group were determined. The concentrations of growth hormone (GH), immunoglobulin A (IgA), glucose (GLU), and NEFA in the umbilical cord blood in the MFGM group were significantly higher than those in the CON group. Piglets from the MFGM group showed improved growth performance, increased villus height in the jejunum, decreased crypt depth in the duodenum and jejunum, upregulated mRNA expressions of tight junctions (namely, Occludin; Claudin-1, Claudin-2, and Claudin-4; zonulin-1 (ZO-1)); mucins such as Mucin 2, Mucin 4, Mucin 13, and Mucin 20; and immune-related genes, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interferon-γ (INF-γ), interleukin-22 (IL-22), toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). In addition, the abundance of Prevotella in the feces of sows at farrowing and the abundance of Christensenellaceae_R-7_group in the feces of 21 day-old piglets from the MFGM group were significantly higher. Further correlation analysis revealed that the Christensenellaceae_R-7_group was positively correlated with the relative mRNA expressions of Occludin, Claudin-1, Claudin-2, Claudin-4, Mucin 13, TLR2, and TLR4. In conclusion, MFGM supplementation during late gestation improved the physiological status of sows by improving their plasma parameters and intestinal microecology. The improved provision of nutrients through the umbilical cord blood and optimized microbiota colonization in neonatal piglets were beneficial to the intestinal morphological structure and barrier functions, consequently improving the growth performance of neonates during lactation. These findings provide insights into the future applications of MFGM with regard to maternal–fetal nutrition and a new option for nutritional intervention of neonates through maternal dietary manipulation.

Maternal supplementation of MFGM transgenerationally improves the intestinal microecology and growth performance of their neonatal piglets.     

Eradication of chronic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection in cystic fibrosis patients. An observational prospective cohort study of 11 patients

BackgroundChronic airway infection with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) is an increasing clinical problem, and therapeutic options are limited. Because chronic infection with MRSA can be associated with accelerated decline in lung function, eradication of MRSA is attempted in most CF centres today. The aim of this observational prospective cohort study was to determine whether it is possible to eradicate MRSA from airways of CF patients using prolonged oral antibiotic combination therapy together with topical decolonization measures.ResultsEleven CF patients, (median age: 9 years (range 1–43); median FEV₁: 91%pred (95%CI 74%–100%pred)) who were chronically infected with MRSA, were treated daily for six months with rifampicin and fusidic acid orally. This study did not include a patient control group. Two patients had to switch to an alternative schedule, using rifampicin and clindamycin, due to the resistance pattern of MRSA. Topical decolonization measures were applied to all patients and included mupirocin-containing nasal ointment in both nostrils three times daily for five days and chlorhexidine hair and body wash once daily for five days. Microbiological eradication was achieved in all patients at the end of the six-month eradication protocol, even when significant time (range 18 months to 9 years) had elapsed since initial isolation. In only one patient MRSA reappeared in the six-month follow-up period after the initial study period. Side-effects, like nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea were seen in five out of eleven patients, but did not lead to therapy cessation.ConclusionChronic MRSA infection can be eradicated from respiratory tract samples using a six month dual antibiotic regimen and topical MRSA decolonization measures.     

Correspondence: Cox inhibitors and bone healing

No Abstract available     

Incorporation of vancomycin-supplemented bone allograftsRadiographical,histopathological and immunohistochemical study in pigs

We compared the incorporation of bone allografts with or without vancomycin in tibial defects of 18 pigs. High-quality radiographs, histological examination, immunological expression of metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) and transforming growth factor-beta 2 (TGFß2) indicated that there was no significant difference in bone allograft incorporation between up to 220 times the MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) in bone allografts with 1 g of vancomycin in each 300 g of allograft or without this supplement.     

螺旋断层固定野和旋转调强放疗技术在全身照射中的应用对比研究

目的 探究使用螺旋断层固定野调强（TD）和螺旋断层旋转调强（HT）放射治疗技术在全身照射（TBI）中的应用对比,并评估TD治疗技术下计划的质量和执行效率,指导临床选择最佳的计划设计方案。方法 对郑州大学第一附属医院收治的8例身高在120 cm左右的已行TBI的急性白血病患者进行回顾性研究,分别选择TD和HT治疗技术进行计划设计,其中TD分别设计2~12内奇数个均分射野的计划,且起始角度分别从180°和0°开始,其余计划参数都保持一致。最后对设计好的计划剂量分布进行统计,比较TD与HT治疗技术下的计划在靶区的平均剂量（PTV_Dmean）、均匀性指数（HI）和危及器官（OARs）受量,以评估计划质量,并比较治疗出束时间以评估治疗效率。结果 9野的TD计划相对于HT计划在PTV_Dmean和靶区HI能达到一致效果,差异无统计学意义。但TD<9野的计划相对于HT计划在PTV_Dmean（t=-3.12、-5.41、-20.33、-4.56、-7.22、-11.27,P<0.05）和靶区HI（t=-2.94、-5.18、-15.66、-4.31、-5.51、-9.13,P<0.05）无剂量学优势,差异有统计学意义。同时TD计划中起始角度对PTV_Dmean和靶区HI没有影响。在危及器官方面,≥ 7野TD计划与HT计划在左肺平均剂量与右肺平均剂量差异无统计学意义;左眼晶状体计划危及体积（PRV）的最大剂量（2.14±0.60）Gy与右眼晶状体PRV最大剂量（3.05±0.10）Gy在3野TD计划与HT计划差异有统计学意义（t=0.77、0.63,P<0.05）,眼晶状体PRV在最大剂量方面具有一定优势。治疗出束时间差异无统计学意义。TD计划中起始角度对左右眼晶状体PRV最大剂量、左肺平均剂量及治疗出束时间没有影响。结论 对于≥ 9野的TD调强计划相对于HT计划在靶区、危及器官及治疗出束时间方面能达到一致的结果,但在眼晶状体PRV最大剂量方面具有一定优势。     

Neuroprotective potential of ceftriaxone in in vitro models of stroke

Astrocytic glutamate transporters are considered an important target for neuroprotective therapies as the function of these transporters is abnormal in stroke and other neurological disorders associated with excitotoxicity. Recently, Rothstein et al., [Rothstein JD, Patel S, Regan MR, Haenggeli C, Huang YH, Bergles DE, Jin L, Dykes Hoberg M, Vidensky S, Chung DS, Toan SV, Bruijn LI, Su ZZ, Gupta P, Fisher PB (2005) Beta-lactam antibiotics offer neuroprotection by increasing glutamate transporter expression. Nature 433:73-77] reported that beta-lactam antibiotics (including ceftriaxone, which easily crosses the blood-brain barrier) increase glutamate transporter 1 (GLT-1) expression and reduce cell death resulting from oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) in dissociated embryonic cortical cultures. To determine whether a similar neuroprotective mechanism operates in more mature neurons, which show a different pattern of response to ischemia than primary cultures, we exposed acute hippocampal slices obtained from rats treated with ceftriaxone for 5 days (200 mg/kg; i.p.) to OGD. Whole-cell patch clamp recording of glutamate-induced N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) currents from CA1 pyramidal neurons showed a larger potentiation of these currents after application of 15 microM dl-threo-beta-benzyloxyaspartic acid (TBOA; a potent blocker of glutamate transporters) in ceftriaxone-injected animals than in untreated animals, indicating increased glutamate transporter activity. Western blot analysis did not reveal GLT-1 upregulation in the hippocampus. Delay to OGD-induced hypoxic spreading depression (HSD) recorded in slices obtained from ceftriaxone-treated rats was longer (6.3+/-0.2 vs. 5.2+/-0.2 min; P<0.001) than that in the control group, demonstrating a neuroprotective action of the antibiotic in this model. The effect of ceftriaxone was also tested in organotypic hippocampal slices obtained from P7-9 rats (>14 days in vitro). OGD or glutamate (3.5-5.0 mM) damaged CA1 pyramidal neurons as assessed by propidium iodide (PI) fluorescence. Similar damage was observed after pre-treatment with ceftriaxone (10-200 microM; 5 days) and ceftriaxone exposure did not result in GLT-1 upregulation as assayed by Western blot. Treatment of slice cultures with dibutyryl cAMP (100-250 microM; 5 days) increased GLT-1 expression but did not reduce cell damage induced by OGD or glutamate. Thus we confirm the neuroprotective effect of antibiotic exposure on OGD-induced injury, but suggest that this action is related to independent modulation of transporter activity rather than to the level of GLT-1 protein expression. In addition, our results indicate that the protective effects of beta-lactam antibiotics are highly dependent on the experimental model.     

Circadian chronophysiology of the scalp

Biological rhythms are numerous and vary according to periodicity and amplitude. Variations over the course of a day, particularly circadian rhythms have been reported in the skin of the face and forearms. However, little information is available about daily biorhythms of the scalp. The aim of the present study was to explore the chronophysiology of the scalp. We report a series of diurnal rhythms in 8 Caucasian men using the plexogram method at 4-h intervals over a 5-day period. Statistically significant biorhythms were found for the colour, hydration, barrier function and pH of the skin, and for the sebum excretion as well. The early afternoon was the time of maximum increase in redness, hydration, pH and sebum output, combined with decreased skin barrier function. The amplitude of some of these biorhythms was so discrete that their clinical relevance remained uncertain even when they appeared statistically significant. In view of the apparent synchronization between them, it is likely that a central oscillator exerts a major influence. However, only rare subjects exhibited biorhythms for all the considered physiological parameters. Hence, peripheral reactivity and/or environmental synchronizers also play an important role to define the good and bad respondors to the potential biorhythms of each individual parameter.     

Activity in vitro of twelve antibiotics against clinical isolates of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing Escherichia coli

Twelve beta-lactam and non-beta-lactam antibiotics were evaluated against 115 clinical isolates of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing (ESBLs) Escherichia coli using a broth microdilution test in accordance with the CLSI guidelines. Susceptibility was 100% with imipenem, ertapenem and amikacin, 95.7% with piperacillin-tazobactam, 91.3% with cefoxitin, 87% with tobramycin, 81.7% with amoxicillin-clavulanate, 80% with cefepime, 67.8% with ceftazidime, 27.8% with ciprofloxacin, 27% with levofloxacin and 13% with ceftriaxone. Ertapenem was the antibiotic with the lowest minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for all isolates. There were no clinically relevant differences in the activity of the antibiotics in the presence of CTX-M-9 or SHV enzymes.