Sodium Houttuyfonate and Sodium New Houttuyfonate Affect the Composition of Gut Microbiota and Production of Inflammatory Factors in Mice

Houttuynia drugs, including sodium houttuyfonate (SH) and sodium new houttuyfonate (SNH), are derivatives of the active ingredient of Houttuynia cordata, which can be used as both a vegetable and medicine in China. We aimed to explore the regulation effects of SH and SNH on the gut microbiota and production of inflammatory factors in mice. Here, we found that SH and SNH led to an increase in the production of interferon gamma and nuclear factor κ, and decreased the production of lipocalin-2 in the mice. The alpha diversity results of gut microbiota of the mice showed that the gut microbiota of the SH, SNH, and azithromycin treatment groups were significantly different from the control group, but the effects of reduced abundance and diversity of the SH and SNH groups were relatively lower than that of the azithromycin group. The beta diversity results indicated that the samples of each group were significantly grouped, and distribution of SH and SNH groups was more similar to the control group than the azithromycin group. Furthermore, SH and SNH groups had significant differences in the abundance of specific bacteria such as Escherichia–Shigella and Odoribacter, which might be associated with the increase of inflammatory factors. Therefore, our results suggested that SH and SNH may significantly affect the gut microbiota and production of inflammatory factors in the mice.

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The change of gut microbiota in MDD patients under SSRIs treatment

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-94481-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yang Shen ◽

Xiao Yang ◽

Gaofei Li ◽

Jiayu Gao ◽

Ying Liang

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Maximum Dose ◽

Antidepressant Treatment ◽

Intestinal Flora ◽

Alpha Diversity ◽

The Other ◽

Control Group ◽

Depressed Patients ◽

Metabolic Functions

AbstractThe alterations in the gut microbiota have been reported to be correlated with the development of depression. The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes of intestinal microbiota in depressed patients after antidepressant treatment. We recruited 30 MDD patients (MDD group) and 30 healthy controls (control group). The MDD group received individualized treatment with escitalopram at a maximum dose of 20 mg/day. After depressive symptoms improved to a HAMD scale score > 50%, a fecal sample was collected again and used as the follow-up group. The differences of gut microbiota between patients and controls, the characteristics of gut microbiota under treatment and the potential differences in metabolic functions were thus investigated. The Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio was significantly different within three groups, and the ratio of follow-up group was significantly lower than those of the other two groups. Alpha diversity was significantly higher in MDD group than those of the other groups, and the alpha diversity was not significantly different between control and follow-up groups. The beta diversity of some patients resembled participants in the control group. The metabolic function of gut microbiota after treatment was still different from that of the control group. This study suggests that the intestinal flora of depressed patients has a tendency to return to normal under escitalopram treatment.

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Dietary purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) promotes the growth performance of broilers by modulation of gut microbiota

AMB Express ◽

10.1186/s13568-021-01190-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Cong Wang ◽

Qing Liu ◽

Fengchun Ye ◽

Hongbo Tang ◽

Yanpeng Xiong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Growth Performance ◽

Basal Diet ◽

Scientific Basis ◽

Control Group ◽

Good Growth ◽

Feed Conversion ◽

Illumina Hiseq ◽

Treatment Groups ◽

Dietary Treatments

AbstractPurslane is a widespread wild vegetable with both medicinal and edible properties. It is highly appreciated for its high nutritional value and is also considered as a high-quality feed resource for livestock and poultry. In this study, Sanhuang broilers were used to investigate the effect of feeding purslane diets on the growth performance in broilers and their gut microbiota. A total of 48 birds with good growth and uniform weight were selected and randomly allocated to four treatment groups A (control), B, C and D. Dietary treatments were fed with basal diet without purslane and diets containing 1%, 2% and 3% purslane. The 16S rDNA was amplified by PCR and sequenced using the Illumina HiSeq platform to analyze the composition and diversity of gut microbiota in the four sets of samples. The results showed that dietary inclusion of 2% and 3% purslane could significantly improve the growth performance and reduce the feed conversion ratio. Microbial diversity analysis indicated that the composition of gut microbiota of Sanhuang broilers mainly included Gallibacterium, Bacteroides and Escherichia-Shigella, etc. As the content of purslane was increased, the abundance of Lactobacillus increased significantly, and Escherichia-Shigella decreased. LEfSe analysis revealed that Bacteroides_caecigallinarum, Lachnospiraceae, Lactobacillales and Firmicutes had significant differences compared with the control group. PICRUSt analysis revealed bacteria mainly enriched in carbohydrate metabolism pathway due to the additon of purslane in the diet. These results suggest that the addition of purslane to feed could increase the abundance of Lactobacillus in intestine, modulate the environment of gut microbiota and promote the metabolism of carbohydrates to improve its growth performance. This study indicates that the effect of purslane on the growth-promoting performance of broilers might depend on its modulation on gut microbiota, so as to provide a certain scientific basis for the application of purslane in the feed industry.

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Intrauterine Hypoxia Changed the Colonization of the Gut Microbiota in Newborn Rats

Frontiers in Pediatrics ◽

10.3389/fped.2021.675022 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Yan Sun ◽

Lei Li ◽

Jiayu Song ◽

Wei Mao ◽

Kaihao Xiao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Biological Information ◽

Control Group ◽

Neonatal Rats ◽

Newborn Rats ◽

Β Diversity ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Intrauterine Hypoxia ◽

Abundance And Diversity

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests a connection between the gut microbiota and neonatal diseases. Hypoxia may play an important role in the intestinal lesions in neonates.Objective: This study aims to determine whether the gut microbiota differs between intrauterine hypoxic rats and healthy controls and to identify the factors that influence the changes in the gut microbiota.Methods: We constructed an intrauterine hypoxia model in rats and collected the intestinal contents of intrauterine hypoxic newborn rats and normal newborn rats within 4 h and on the seventh day after birth. They were divided them into the intrauterine hypoxia first-day group (INH1), intrauterine hypoxia seventh-day group (INH7), normal first-day group (NOR1), and normal seventh-day group (NOR7). The contents of the intestines were sequenced with 16S rRNA sequencing, the sequencing results were analyzed for biological information, and the differences in the diversity, richness, and individual taxa among the groups were analyzed.Results: The abundance of the gut microbiota of neonatal rats with intrauterine hypoxia was higher than that of the control group rats. Intrauterine hypoxia altered the structural composition of the gut microbiota in neonatal rats. The INH1 group showed increased species richness, phylogenetic diversity, and β-diversity, and altered relative abundance in several taxa compared to those in the control group. The differences in the microbiota among the four groups were significantly higher than those within the group, and the differences in the abundance and diversity of the INH7 and NOR7 groups decreased after 7 days of suckling. Functional analysis based on the Cluster of Orthologous Groups (COG) suggested that 23 functional COG categories. There was no significant difference in the functional categories between the hypoxia group and the normal group.Conclusion: Intrauterine hypoxia changed the initial colonization of the gut microbiota in neonatal rats. It could increase the species richness and β-diversity of the gut microbiota, and altered relative abundances of several taxa.

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Environmental Influences on the Human Gut Microbiota: A Longitudinal Pilot Study

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzab054_006 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 1151-1151

Author(s):

Marina Brown ◽

Ginger Reeser ◽

Leila Shinn ◽

Matthew Browning ◽

Andiara Schwingel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Pilot Trial ◽

Alpha Diversity ◽

Total Sample ◽

Fecal Microbiota ◽

Healthy Eating Index ◽

Garden Soil ◽

Control Group ◽

Soil Dna

Abstract Objectives Urbanization has reduced environmental microorganism exposure, with most Americans spending over 90% of their time indoors. However, gardening remains a viable means of exposure to soil microorganisms and harvesting of edible produce. Accordingly, we aimed to determine relations between gardening, dietary habits, and gut microbiota. Methods Gardening families (N = 10) and non-gardening (control) families (N = 9) were enrolled in a longitudinal pilot trial. Families included two adults and a child (5–18 years) for a total sample size of 54 participants. Fecal samples were collected prior to and at the end of the gardening season. Garden soil samples (n = 9) were collected prior to and at the end of the season. Diet history questionnaires were collected at the beginning and end of the study to measure Healthy Eating Index (HEI) scores. Fecal and soil DNA were extracted, sequenced (V4 region of 16S rDNA gene), and analyzed using DADA2 and QIIME2. Alpha diversity measures were assessed, including Faith's phylogenetic diversity (PD) and observed operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Results Gardening families had significantly more fecal OTUs compared to control families (172.3 ± 44.2 vs. 157.0 ± 44.2, respectively; P = 0.03). Gardening families had greater (P = 0.02) Faith's PD scores and tended (P = 0.08) to have more fecal OTUs than the control group at peak gardening season. In the gardening families, fecal OTUs and Faith's PD were numerically but not statistically greater at the end of the season compared to baseline (all p’s > 0.05). Prior to the gardening season, gardening adults had greater HEI scores compared to control families (57 ± 9.1 vs. 49 ± 8.8, P = 0.03). HEI scores were not different between groups at the end of the study. Conclusions This study revealed that the fecal microbiota of families that garden differs from non-gardening families, and there are detectable changes in the fecal microbial community of gardeners and their family members over the course of the gardening season. Further research is needed to understand the role of diet in these changes and if microbes within the soil move between the soil and gastrointestinal environments. Funding Sources This research was funded by the Christopher Family Foundation Food and Family Grant Program.

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A Randomized Control Trial Study to Determine the Effect of Melatonin on Serum Levels of IL-1β and TNF-α in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Iranian Journal of Allergy Asthma and Immunology ◽

10.18502/ijaai.v18i6.2177 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Masoomeh Yosefifard ◽

Gholamhassan Vaezi ◽

Ali Akbar Malekirad ◽

Fardin Faraji ◽

Vida Hojati

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Interleukin 1 ◽

Serum Levels ◽

Inflammatory Factors ◽

Control Group ◽

Necrosis Factor Alpha ◽

Treatment Groups ◽

Tnf Α ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Central Nervous System

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common neurological disease that happens at a young age. MS is an inflammatory disease; associated with the demyelination of the central nervous system. Therefore, some inflammatory factors are effective in the mechanism and progression of the disease. Melatonin, as a multi-effect substance including anti-inflammatory effects, can reduce symptoms of MS in patients with a change in their inflammatory factors level. In this study, 50 MS patients who were referred to the MS Society of Markazi Province were randomly selected. All patients were treated with routine MS treatment (interferon) and were divided into control (25 placebo recipients) and treatment (25 recipients of 3 mg melatonin per day for 24 weeks) groups. Anthropometric data of patients including height, weight, and age were determined. Blood samples were collected after fasting in order to determine serum levels of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). Then, samples were immediately centrifuged for serum separation and sera were transferred to a freezer at -80°C and serum levels of these factors were determined; using ELISA kit. The results of this study showed that there was no significant difference between the control and treatment groups in terms of serum levels of TNF-α. However, the level of IL-1β was significantly reduced in the treatment group compared to the control group, indicating that melatonin decreases this inflammatory substance. Our findings suggest a valuable strategy in the treatment of patients who suffer from MS

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Response and Dynamic Change of Microbial Community during Bioremediation of Uranium Tailings by Bacillus sp.

Minerals ◽

10.3390/min11090967 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 967

Author(s):

Chuiyun Tang ◽

Juan Zhong ◽

Ying Lv ◽

Xingyu Liu ◽

Yongbin Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Microbial Community ◽

Treatment Group ◽

High Throughput Sequencing ◽

Dynamic Change ◽

Alpha Diversity ◽

Control Group ◽

Bacillus Sp ◽

Remediation Strategies ◽

Abundance And Diversity ◽

Uranium Tailings

Bacillus sp. is widely used in the remediation of uranium-contaminated sites. However, little is known about the competitive process of microbial community in the environment during bioremediation. The bioremediation of uranium tailings using Bacillus sp. was explored, and the bacterial community was analyzed by high-throughput sequencing at different stages of remediation. Bacillus sp. reduced the leaching of uranium from uranium tailings. The lowest uranium concentration was 17.25 μg/L. Alpha diversity revealed that the abundance and diversity of microorganisms increased with the extension of the culture time. The microbial abundance and diversity were higher in the treatment group than in the control group. The dominant species at the phyla level were Firmicutes and Proteobacteria in the uranium tailings environment, whereas the phylum of Proteobacteria was significantly increased in the treatment group. Based on the genus level, the proportions of Arthrobacter, Rhodococcus and Paenarthrobacter decreased significantly, whereas those of Clostridium sp., Bacillus and Pseudomonas increased dramatically. Hence, the remediation of uranium contamination in the environment was due to the functional microorganisms, which gradually became the dominant strain in the treatment, such as Desulfotomaculum, Desulfosporporosinus, Anaerocolumna, Ruminiclostridium and Burkholderia. These findings provided a promising outlook of the potential for remediation strategies of soil contaminated by uranium. The dynamic characteristics of the microbial community are likely to provide a foundation for the bioremediation process in practice.

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The Effect of Lactobacillus plantarum BW2013 on The Gut Microbiota in Mice Analyzed by 16S rRNA Amplicon Sequencing

Polish Journal of Microbiology ◽

10.33073/pjm-2021-022 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 70 (2) ◽

pp. 235-243

Author(s):

TONG TONG ◽

XIAOHUI NIU ◽

QIAN LI ◽

YUXI LING ◽

ZUMING LI ◽

...

Keyword(s):

16S Rrna ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Dose Group ◽

Low Dose ◽

Amplicon Sequencing ◽

Control Group ◽

High Dose ◽

Treatment Groups ◽

16S Rrna Amplicon Sequencing ◽

Medium Dose

Lactobacillus plantarum BW2013 was isolated from the fermented Chinese cabbage. This study aimed to test the effect of this strain on the gut microbiota in BALB/c mice by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The mice were randomly allocated to the control group and three treatment groups of L. plantarum BW2013 (a low-dose group of 108 CFU/ml, a medium-dose group of 109 CFU/ml, and a high-dose group of 1010 CFU/ml). The weight of mice was recorded once a week, and the fecal samples were collected for 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing after 28 days of continuous treatment. Compared with the control group, the body weight gain in the treatment groups was not significant. The 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing analysis showed that both the Chao1 and ACE indexes increased slightly in the medium-dose group compared to the control group, but the difference was not significant. Based on PCoA results, there was no significant difference in β diversity between the treatment groups. Compared to the control group, the abundance of Bacteroidetes increased in the low-dose group. The abundance of Firmicutes increased in the medium-dose group. At the genus level, the abundance of Alloprevotella increased in the low-dose group compared to the control group. The increased abundance of Ruminococcaceae and decreased abundance of Candidatus_Saccharimonas was observed in the medium-dose group. Additionally, the abundance of Bacteroides increased, and Alistipes and Candidatus_Saccharimonas decreased in the high-dose group. These results indicated that L. plantarum BW2013 could ameliorate gut microbiota composition, but its effects vary with the dose.

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Effect of a Nutritional Intervention on the Intestinal Microbiota of Vertically HIV-Infected Children: The Pediabiota Study

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu12072112 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (7) ◽

pp. 2112

Author(s):

Talía Sainz ◽

María José Gosalbes ◽

Alba Talavera ◽

Nuria Jimenez-Hernandez ◽

Luis Prieto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Alpha Diversity ◽

Nutritional Intervention ◽

Fecal Microbiota ◽

Controlled Study ◽

Control Group ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Double Blind ◽

Human Virus ◽

Intestinal Dysbiosis

Aims: The gut microbiota exerts a critical influence in the immune system. The gut microbiota of human virus immunodeficiency (HIV)-infected children remains barely explored. We aimed to characterize the fecal microbiota in vertically HIV-infected children and to explore the effects of its modulation with a symbiotic nutritional intervention. Methods: a pilot, double blind, randomized placebo-controlled study including HIV-infected children who were randomized to receive a nutritional supplementation including prebiotics and probiotics or placebo for four weeks. HIV-uninfected siblings were recruited as controls. The V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced in fecal samples. Results: 22 HIV-infected children on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and with viral load (VL) <50/mL completed the follow-up period. Mean age was 11.4 ± 3.4 years, eight (32%) were male. Their microbiota showed reduced alpha diversity compared to controls and distinct beta diversity at the genus level (Adonis p = 0.042). Patients showed decreased abundance of commensals Faecalibacterium and an increase in Prevotella, Akkermansia and Escherichia. The nutritional intervention shaped the microbiota towards the control group, without a clear directionality. Conclusions: Vertical HIV infection is characterized by changes in gut microbiota structure, distinct at the compositional level from the findings reported in adults. A short nutritional intervention attenuated bacterial dysbiosis, without clear changes at the community level. Summary: In a group of 24 vertically HIV-infected children, in comparison to 11 uninfected controls, intestinal dysbiosis was observed despite effective ART. Although not fully effective to restore the microbiota, a short intervention with pre/probiotics attenuated bacterial dysbiosis.

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Lacticaseibacillus paracasei PS23 Effectively Modulates Gut Microbiota Composition and Improves Gastrointestinal Function in Aged SAMP8 Mice

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13041116 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 1116

Author(s):

Li-Han Chen ◽

Ming-Fu Wang ◽

Chun-Chao Chang ◽

Shih-Yi Huang ◽

Chun-Hsu Pan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Inflammatory Factors ◽

Saline Control ◽

Control Group ◽

High Dose ◽

Aged Mice ◽

Intestine Length ◽

Group A ◽

Samp8 Mice ◽

Group 1

Probiotics are reported to improve gastrointestinal (GI) function via regulating gut microbiota (GM). However, exactly how probiotics influence GM and GI function in elders is poorly characterized. Therefore, in this study, we assessed the effect of the probiotic Lacticaseibacillus paracasei PS23 (LPPS23) on the GM and GI function of aged mice. There were four groups of senescence-accelerated mouse prone-8 (SAMP8) mice (n = 4): a non-treated control group, a saline control group, a low dose LPPS23 group (1 × 108 colony-forming unit (CFU)/mouse/day), and a high dose LPPS23 group (1 × 109 CFU/mouse/day). Non-treated mice were euthanized at 16 weeks old, and others were euthanized at 28 weeks old. The next-generation sequencing results revealed that LPPS23 enriched Lactobacillus and Candidatus_Saccharimonas, while the abundance of Lachnospiraceae_UCG_001 decreased in aged mice given LPPS23. The abundance of Lactobacillus negatively correlated with the abundance of Erysipelotrichaceae. Moreover, LPPS23 improved the GI function of aged mice due to the longer intestine length, lower intestinal permeability, and higher phagocytosis in LPPS23-treated mice. The ELISA results showed that LPPS23 attenuated the alterations of pro-inflammatory factors and immunoglobulins. The abundance of LPPS23-enriched Lactobacillus was positively correlated with healthy GI function, while Lachnospiraceae_UCG_001, which was repressed by LPPS23, was negatively correlated with a healthy GI function in the aged mice according to Spearman’s correlation analysis. Taken together, LPPS23 can effectively modulate GM composition and improve GI function in aged SAMP8 mice.

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Changes in the gut microbiota diversity of brown frogs (Rana dybowskii) after an antibiotic bath

BMC Veterinary Research ◽

10.1186/s12917-021-03044-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Qing Tong ◽

Li-Yong Cui ◽

Jia Bie ◽

Xiao-Yun Han ◽

Zong-Fu Hu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Pathogenic Bacteria ◽

High Throughput Sequencing ◽

Alpha Diversity ◽

Positive Association ◽

Diversity Indices ◽

Control Group ◽

Functional Composition ◽

Significant Positive Association ◽

Collateral Effect

Abstract Background Captive amphibians frequently receive antibiotic baths to control bacterial diseases. The potential collateral effect of these antibiotics on the microbiota of frogs is largely unknown. To date, studies have mainly relied on oral administration to examine the effects of antibiotics on the gut microbiota; in contrast, little is known regarding the effects of bath-applied antibiotics on the gut microbiota. The gut microbiota compositions of the gentamicin, recovery, and control groups were compared by Illumina high-throughput sequencing, and the functional profiles were analysed using Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt). Furthermore, the relationship between the structure and predicted functional composition of the gut microbiota was determined. Results The alpha diversity indices were significantly reduced by the gentamicin bath, illustrating that this treatment significantly changed the composition of the gut microbiota. After 7 days, the gut microbiota of the recovery group was not significantly different from that of the gentamicin group. Forty-four indicator taxa were selected at the genus level, comprising 42 indicators representing the control group and 2 indicators representing the gentamicin and recovery groups. Potential pathogenic bacteria of the genera Aeromonas, Citrobacter, and Chryseobacterium were significantly depleted after the gentamicin bath. There was no significant positive association between the community composition and functional composition of the gut microbiota in the gentamicin or control frogs, indicating that the functional redundancy of the gut bacterial community was high. Conclusions Gentamicin significantly changed the structure of the gut microbiota of R. dybowskii, and the gut microbiota exhibited weak resilience. However, the gentamicin bath did not change the functional composition of the gut microbiota of R. dybowskii, and there was no significant correlation between the structural composition and the functional composition of the gut microbiota.

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