Dietary cholesterol lowers plasma and cecal equol concentrations in mice

This study examined the effects of cholesterol on mouse intestinal microflora and on isoflavonoids in the cecum and plasma. Dietary cholesterol affects bile acid metabolism and bile acids can influence the intestinal microorganisms. Intestinal microflora appear to play an important role in isoflavone metabolism. We hypothesized that dietary cholesterol changes the metabolism of isoflavonoids and intestinal microorganisms in mice. Male mice were randomly divided into two groups, which were fed a cholesterol-daidzein (CDA) or daidzein (DA) diet (control diet) for 60d. Plasma equol and cecal equol concentrations were significantly higher in the DA group (control group) than in the CDA group. However, plasma cholesterol concentrations were significantly higher in the CDA group compared to the DA group. The composition of cecal microorganisms differed between the two dietary groups. The occupation ratios of Clostridium cluster XI, Clostridium subcluster XIVa, and Lactobacillales were significantly higher in the CDA group. The occupation ratio of Bifidobacterium was significantly lower in the CDA group. This study suggests that dietary cholesterol has the potential to affect the metabolism of equol from daidzein by altering the metabolic activity of the intestinal microorganisms and gut physiological function.     

不同级别小鼠来源的骨髓细胞对制备优势DC2的影响

目的探索不同级别小鼠来源的骨髓细胞对体外制备优势DC2细胞的影响。方法取SPF级和健康普通级C57BL／6小鼠股、胫骨骨髓细胞及脾细胞,设细胞因子诱导的实验组、低浓度GM—CSF对照组、无外源细胞因子对照组及脾细胞组。骨髓细胞采用GM—CSF,IL-4,Fh3L和SCF的不同细胞因子浓度和组合体外培养诱导。脾细胞培养2d去除大部分淋巴细胞,第3天采用流式细胞术4色荧光标记法分析细胞表型,骨髓细胞诱导的各组同样于第3天采用流式细胞术分析细胞表型,比较不同级别小鼠骨髓细胞所诱导的DC2细胞的表型和比例。结果SPF来源的小鼠骨髓细胞诱导的各组第3d在CD11c^＋的DC细胞群中CD8α^＋DC2所占比例及不成熟DC2的比例均高于普通级小鼠,显示普通鼠来源的骨髓细胞更倾向于产生成熟的DC,不易诱导产生高比例的不成熟的DC2。对两种动物脾细胞DC2的分析结果表明,普通鼠脾脏中CD8α^-～MHCⅡ^＋的成熟DC1比例为75．58％,远远超过SPF鼠的30．60％。结论小鼠的微生物级别可影响耐受性DC的诱导效果,采用SPF级小鼠来源的骨髓细胞体外制备优势DC2细胞效果优于普通级鼠,原因可能与普通鼠接触微生物较多,免疫系统更易于产生免疫应答而非免疫耐受有关。     

Rodent models to study the relationships between mammals and their bacterial inhabitants

Laboratory rodents have been instrumental in helping researchers to unravel the complex interactions that mammals have with their microbial commensals. Progress in defining these interactions has also been possible thanks to the development of culture-independent methods for describing the microbiota associated to body surfaces. Understanding the mechanisms that govern this relationship at the molecular, cellular, and ecological levels is central to both health and disease. The present review of rodent models commonly used to investigate microbial-host “conversations” is focused on those complex bacterial communities residing in the lower gut. Although many types of pathology have been studied using gnotobiotic animals, only the models relevant to commensal bacteria will be described.     

Feasibility study on construction of humanized mice with antibiotics combined with fecal bacteria transplantation

Objective: To select a common method of humanized mice and verify its feasibility with the aim to provide atheoretical basis for subsequent fecal bacteria transplantation research. Methods: 1. Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) mice were fed with antibiotics mixed with sterilized drinking water for 3 weeks, during which the general situation of mice was recorded. After 3 weeks, the number of microbes in mice's feces was evaluated by Gram staining. 2. After antibiotic treatment, mice were transplanted fecal bacteria by gavage for a week. Then, the contents of fecal bacteria in the donor and recipient feces was determined by RT-PCR, to evaluate the colonization effect of fecal bacteria. Results:(1)Antibiotic treatment had an effect on weight, feed and drinking water consumption of mice, and the fecal bacteria in mice decreased obviously.(2)After fecal bacteria transplantation, the Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes/ Bacteroidetes of the mice receiving Donor1 fecal bacteria accounted for 15.4％, 112％ and 13.7％ of the mice receiving Donor2 fecal bacteria, respectively. The Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes of Donor1 fecal bacteria accounted for 33.7％, 104％ and 32％ of Donor2, respectively. The recipient's gut microbes had the same trend as human donors. Conclusions: These results indicate that antibiotic treatment combined with fecal bacterial transplantation is feasible and safe for humanizing SPF mice.     

BB creams and their photoprotective effect

BB creams appeared on the market quite recently. These creams, which give a perfect complexion by covering up the skin’s blemishes, have a photoprotective effect in the majority of cases. An SPF value ranging from 10 to 45 concerning the products we tested is displayed on the packaging. The 21 commercially-available BB creams were tested to assess their efficacy (determination of the SPF) and their photostability (determination of their efficacy after UV irradiation). It was shown that 70% of the products tested have an SPF determined in vitro by us which matches the SPF displayed on the product. For the remaining 30%, it can be seen that products have SPF values of between 2 and 10 times lower than those indicated on the products. It can also be noted that there is a large disparity in terms of photostability since, under the same experimental conditions, however, some products only lose 5% of their photoprotective efficacy, whereas others lose 60%.     

旁氏无暇透白日霜改善黄褐斑及其皮肤屏障功能的疗效观察

目的观察旁氏无暇透白日霜(SPF 15 PA++)改善黄褐斑临床症状及皮肤屏障功能的疗效。方法采用随机双盲、自身对照的临床研究方法。选取30例面部皮损较对称的黄褐斑患者,受试者每天用温水清洁面部,半脸使用约0.5g测试产品,另外半脸使用等量对照产品,早晚各1次,2次/d。分别于首诊、治疗后第28天、56天评估皮损情况。结果①主观比较:实验组基本治愈0例,显效4例,好转10例,无效16例,总有效率46.6%。对照组基本治愈0例,显效1例,好转5例,无效24例,总有效率20.0%。治疗组与对照组疗效经卡方检验差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。②TEWL值:试验组与对照组随时间延长TEWL值均值均有所降低,治疗组与对照组相比0、28、56天P值均0.05,差异无统计学意义。③皮肤角质层含水量:试验组与对照组随时间延长皮肤角质层含水量均值均有所升高,治疗组与对照组相比0、28天P值均0.05,差异无统计学意义,第56天时,试验组角质层含水量(41.14±5.94)与对照组角质层含水量(41.90±5.81)比较,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。④LAB值检测:随时间延长实验组与对照组LabL值均值均有所升高、LabA值均值无明显变化、LabB值均值均有所下降。实验组与对照组相比,LabL值0、28天P值均0.05,差异无统计学意义;56天时,实验组LabL值(58.92±3.52)与对照组LabL值(56.86±3.11)相比,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。LabA值0、28、56天P值均0.05,差异无统计学意义。LabB值0、28天P值均0.05,差异无统计学意义;56天时,实验组LabB值(15.21±1.90)与对照组LabB值(16.16±1.52)相比,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论受试品"旁氏无暇透白日霜"和对照品市售"凡士林保湿露"均具有良好的美白、保湿、恢复皮肤屏障的效果,并且"旁氏无暇透白日霜"美白效果显著优于对照品市售"凡士林保湿露"。     

Reduction of high pathogenicity avian influenza virus in eggs from chickens once or twice vaccinated with an oil-emulsified inactivated H5 avian influenza vaccine

The negative impact of high pathogenicity avian influenza virus (HPAIV) infection on egg production and deposition of virus in eggs, as well as any protective effect of vaccination, is unknown. Individually housed non-vaccinated, sham-vaccinated and inactivated H5N9 vaccinated Once or Twice adult White leghorn hens were challenged intranasally/intratracheally 3-weeks post-vaccination with H5N2 HPAIV. The non-/sham-vaccinated layers experienced 100% mortality (0% survivability) within 3-4 days post-challenge (DPC), and major changes to reproductive parameters including precipitous drops in egg production (79-0% in <5 days), production of soft and thin-shelled eggs, and deposition of virus in albumin and yolk, and on the egg shell surface of 53% of eggs. By comparison, the three H5-vaccinated groups had 83%, 100% and 100% survivability after challenge; the two H5-vaccinated Once hens that died had low pre-challenge HI titers (GMT=16). H5-vaccinated Once or Twice groups maintained egg production after challenge (63%), but there was a mild and significant reduction in egg production as compared to pre-challenge egg production (79%). H5-vaccinated groups had reduced number of virus contaminated eggs (28%), and in most groups, reduced quantity of virus in contaminated eggs compared to non-/sham-vaccinated groups. No HPAIV-positive eggs were laid on or after 5 DPC. In conclusion, HPAIV infection had major negative impact on egg production and other reproductive parameters. H5-vaccination Once or Twice prevented declines in egg production after HPAIV challenge, reduced number of virus-infected eggs, and typically reduced the titer of virus in internal contents and on eggshell surface.     

Safety and vaccine efficacy of a glycoprotein G deficient strain of infectious laryngotracheitis virus delivered in ovo

Infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV), an alphaherpesvirus, causes respiratory disease in chickens and is commonly controlled by vaccination with conventionally attenuated vaccines. Glycoprotein G (gG) is a virulence factor in ILTV and a gG deficient strain of ILTV (ΔgG-ILTV) has shown potential for use as a vaccine. In the poultry industry vaccination via drinking water is common, but technology is now available to allow quicker and more accurate in ovo vaccination of embryos at 18 days of incubation. In this study ΔgG-ILTV was delivered to chicken embryos at three different doses (10², 10³ and 10⁴ plaque forming units per egg) using manual in ovo vaccination. At 20 days after hatching, birds were challenged intra-tracheally with wild type ILTV and protection was measured. In ovo vaccination was shown to be safe, as there were no developmental differences between birds from hatching up to 20 days of age, as measured by weight gain. The highest dose of vaccine was the most efficacious, resulting in a weight gain not significantly different from unvaccinated/unchallenged birds seven days after challenge. In contrast, birds vaccinated with the lowest dose showed weight gains not significantly different from unvaccinated/challenged birds. Gross pathology and histopathology of the trachea reflected these observations, with birds vaccinated with the highest dose having less severe lesions. However, qPCR results suggested the vaccine did not prevent the challenge virus replicating in the trachea. This study is the first to assess in ovo delivery of a live attenuated ILTV vaccine and shows that in ovo vaccination with ΔgG-ILTV can be both safe and efficacious.     

Association between human papillomavirus infection and laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma using two methods: PCR‐DNA enzyme immunoassay (PCR/DEIA) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) for detection of HPV in specimens of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and to correlate the presence of HPV with the epidemiological and clinicopathological features of recurrence and survival. HPV DNA was amplified from 93 paraffin‐embedded laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma tissue specimens by the short PCR fragment (SPF 10) primer set using PCR/DNA method. HPV detection using monoclonal anti‐human papilloma virus antibodies Clone K1H8 for IHC reaction was performed on 130 specimens. HPV was identified in 35.5% of patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma using PCR/DEIA and 27.7% using IHC. There was no statistically significant association between the presence of HPV and the epidemiological and clinicopathological features and recurrence. There was no statistically significant association between the presence of HPV and overall survival nor disease specific survival. Statistically significant correlation between HPV detection using PCR/DEIA technique and IHC technique was found. The presence of HPV infection in 27.7% and 38.9% of the patients suggests a possible role in the etiology of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. The SPF₁₀ PCR/DEIA technique is the most accurate method for detection of HPV in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. J. Med. Virol. 82:1017–1023, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.