Key regulators of intestinal stem cells:diet,microbiota,and microbial metabolites

Interactions between diet and the intestinal microbiome play an important role in human health and disease development.It is well known that such interactions,whether direct or indirect,trigger a series of metabolic reactions in the body.Evidence suggests that intestinal stem cells(ISCs),which are phenotypic precursors of various intestinal epithelial cells,play a significant role in the regulation of intestinal barrier function and homeostasis.The advent and evolution of intestinal organoid culture techniques have presented a key opportunity to study the association between the intestinal microenvironment and ISCs.As a result,the effects exerted by dietary factors,intestinal microbiomes,and their metabolites on the metabolic regulation of ISCs and the potential mechanisms underlying such effects are being gradually revealed.This review summarises the effects of different dietary patterns on the behaviour and functioning of ISCs and focuses on the crosstalk between intestinal microbiota,related metabolites,and ISCs,with the aim of fully understanding the relationship between these three factors and providing further insights into the complex mechanisms associated with ISCs in the human body.Gaining an understanding of these mechanisms may lead to the development of novel dietary interventions or drugs conducive to intestinal health.

Practice and principle of traditional Chinese medicine for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has played an important role in the prevention and treatment of Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)epidemic in China.The integration of Chinese and Western medicine is an important feature of Chinese COVID-19 prevention and treatment.According to a series of evidence-based studies,TCM can reduce the infection rate of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in high-risk groups.For patients with mild and moderate forms of COVID-19,TCM can relieve the related signs and symptoms,shorten the period of nucleic-acid negative conversion,and reduce conversion rate to the severe form of the disease.For COVID-19 patients with severe and critical illnesses,TCM can improve inflammatory indicators and blood oxygen saturation,shorten the hospital stay,and reduce the mortality rate.During recovery,TCM can improve patients’symptoms,promote organ function recovery,boost the quality of patients’life,and reduce the nucleic-acid repositive conversion rate.A series of mechanism research studies revealed that capability of TCM to treat COVID-19 through antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects,immune regulation,and protection of organ function via a multicomponent,multitarget,and multipathway approach.