The protective effects of Levilactobacillus brevis FZU0713 on lipid metabolism and intestinal microbiota in hyperlipidemic rats

Levilactobacillus brevis FZU0713, a potential probiotic previously isolated from the traditional brewing process of Hongqu rice wine, may have the beneficial effects on improving lipid metabolism. This study aimed to evaluate the in vivo protective effects and possible mechanism of L. brevis FZU0713 on the disturbance of lipid metabolism in hyperlipidemic rats fed a high-fat diet(HFD). Results showed that oral administration of L. brevis FZU0713 could significantly inhibit obesity, ameliorate the lipid metabolism disorder, including serum/liver biochemical parameters and hepatic oxidative stress in HFD-fed rats. Histopathological result also indicated that dietary intervention of L. brevis FZU0713 could reduce the accumulation of lipid droplets in liver induced by 8 weeks HFD feeding. Furthermore, L. brevis FZU0713 intervention significantly increased the fecal levels of short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs, including acetate, propionate, butyrate, isobutyrate, valerate and isovalerate)in HFD-fed rats, which may be closely related to the changes of intestinal microbial composition and metabolic function. Intestinal microbiota profiling by 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that L. brevis FZU0713 intervention significantly altered the relative abundance of Coprococcus, Butyricicoccus, Intestinimonas, Lachnospiraceae FCS020 group, Ruminococcaceae_NK4A214 group, Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005 and UCG-014 at genus levels. Based on Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, serum and liver lipid metabolism related biochemical parameters were positively correlated with genera Ruminococcus, Pediococcus and Lachnospiraceae, but negatively correlated with genera Pseudoflavonifractor, Butyricicoccus and Intestinimonas. Furthermore, liver metabolomics analysis demonstrated that L. brevis FZU0713 had a significant regulatory effect on the composition of liver metabolites in hyperlipidemic rats, especially the levels of some important biomarkers involved in the metabolic pathways of arachidonic acid metabolism, primary bile acid biosynthesis, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acid, fructose and mannose metabolism, tyrosine metabolism, etc. Additionally, oral administration of L. brevis FZU0713 significantly regulated the mR NA levels of liver genes(including Acat2, Acox1, Hmgcr, Cd36, Srebp-1c and Cyp7a1)involved in lipid metabolism and bile acid homeostasis. In conclusion, our findings provide the evidence that L. brevis FZU0713 has the potential to improve disturbance of lipid metabolism by regulating intestinal microflora and liver metabonomic profile. Therefore, L. brevis FZU0713 may be used as a potential probiotic strain to produce functional food to prevent hyperlipidemia.

Nutritional properties of Europen eel(Anguilla anguilla)bone peptide-calcium and its apoptosis effect on Caco-2 cells

The present study aimed at making a rational usage for European eel bone by-products by preparing Europen eel bone peptide chelated calcium(EBPC-Ca).Nutritional properties and bioactivity of EBPC-Ca were evaluated.Results showed that nutritional properties of calcium ions will cause intra-and inter-molecular folding and aggregation of peptide to uniformly form EBPC-Ca chelate.The chelated compound of EBPC and calcium ion triggered a strong apoptosis in heterogeneous human epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma(Caco-2)in concentration-and time-dependent manners.Western blot analysis revealed that the EBPC-Ca induced apoptosis may be the result of a blocked autophagy flux through mitochondrial-dependent pathway.Additionally,the increase in FGF-23 protein expression inhibited the absorption of calcium ions and alleviated cell apoptosis.It was also found that the cell apoptosis occurs with significant increases in the levels of reactive oxygen species(ROS)and Ca^(2+)in the cells,indicating the anti-tumor potential of EBPC-Ca may involve multiple channels.

连花清瘟颗粒联合帕拉米韦对儿童病毒性急性上呼吸道感染的疗效及免疫功能影响

目的探究对儿童病毒性急性上呼吸道感染(ARI)采取连花清瘟颗粒联合帕拉米韦治疗的疗效及对患儿免疫功能的影响。方法选取2019年1月至2022年1月于合肥市第二人民医院儿科就诊的126例病毒性ARI患儿为研究对象。采用简单随机抽样法,将其分别纳入研究组、对照组及空白对照组,均为42例。对研究组患儿采取帕拉米韦联合连花清瘟颗粒治疗,对照组采取帕拉米韦治疗,空白对照组仅进行常规对症治疗。对3组患儿均在治疗第5天时,进行临床症状缓解时间、疗效与血清CD4^(+)、CD8^(+)水平及CD4^(+)/CD8^(+)值,血清免疫球蛋白(Ig)M、IgG与IgA水平,以及治疗相关不良反应进行统计学分析。3组患儿性别及年龄构成比、病毒性ARI病程及严重程度等临床资料比较,差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05)。本研究遵循的程序符合2013年修订的《世界医学协会赫尔辛基宣言》。监护人对患儿的诊治方案等均知情同意,并签署临床研究知情同意书。结果①研究组患儿体温开始下降时间、体温恢复至正常所需时间、咽喉肿痛及肺啰音消失时间,均显著短于对照组及空白对照组患儿,并且差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。②治疗第5天时,3组组内比较,患儿的血清CD4^(+)水平与CD4^(+)/CD8^(+)值,以及血清IgM、IgG以及IgA水平,均较治疗前显著升高,但是血清CD8^(+)水平较治疗前显著降低,并且差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。③治疗第5天时,3组组间比较,研究组患儿血清CD4^(+)水平与CD4^(+)/CD8^(+)值,以及血清IgM、IgG、IgA水平,均显著高于对照组及空白对照组、而血清CD8^(+)水平,则显著低于对照组及空白对照组患儿,并且差异亦均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。④3组患儿治疗相关不良反应发生率均较低,3组总体比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论连花清瘟颗粒与帕拉米韦联合治疗儿童病毒性ARI,有助于提高临床疗效,可以显著改善患儿的发热等症状,有效改善免疫功能,并且安全性良好。

Spatial variations of river water quality in Pearl River Delta, China

In Pearl River Delta （PRD）, river water quality has deteriorated gradually due to population increase and ongoing industrialization and urbanization. In this study, multivariate statistic methods were used to assess water quality spatial pattern and to identify characteristics of water quality variation in the PRD. Water quality monitoring of the PRD during the year 2005 and 2008 was conducted at 25 different stations. Seventeen water quality parameters were analyzed for further studying. Results of one-way analysis of variance （ANOVA） indicated that all the parameters except air temperature, water temperature and zinc showed significant difference among monitoring stations in both dry and wet season. Monitoring stations in the PRD were separately classified into three statistically significant clusters at （Olink/Omax） （ 2 in dry and wet season, respectively. The three clusters indicated the similarity and dissimilarity of river water quality among 25 monitoring stations, corresponding to heavy pollution, moderate pollution and slight pollution. Thus, the results of this study are useful to evaluate water quality and manage water resources in the PRD.

Built in electric field boosted photocatalytic performance in a ferroelectric layered material SrBi_(2)Ta_(2)O_(9)with oriented facets:Charge separation and mechanism insights

Antibiotics have received increasing attention due to their potential adverse effects on aquatic life and human health.How to efficiently degrade them into harmless substances is a challenging subject.Ferroelectric materials with a built-in electric field can offer a strong separation ability for the photoinducedcharge pairs and are now found to be used as photocatalysts.Herein,a series of different morphologies of SrBi_(2)Ta_(2)O_(9)ferroelectric photocatalysts with high antibiotic degradation efficiency have been successfully synthesized through a molten salt method.With the addition of KCl,SrBi_(2)Ta_(2)O_(9)(SBTO 3)with exposed(001)facets shows the most excellent photocatalytic activity for decomposing tetracycline(TC)and ciprofloxacin(CIP)under visible light illumination(λ>420 nm).The rate constants of SBTO 3 for TC and CIP degradation are 1.38×10^(–1)and 4.54×10^(–2)min^(–1),which are 18 and 138 times that of the unmodified sample,respectively.The enhancement of photocatalytic performance is mainly attributed to the spontaneous polarization electric field along the[001]direction which provides a strong driven force for the separation of photoinduced charges.The KPFM results also confirm that the superior photocatalytic activity is consistent with the big large surface potential changes before and after light irradiation.The possible degradation pathways and intermediates of TC and CIP were well analyzed by DFT calculation and LC-MS.The results highlight that morphology control of the ferroelectric materials exhibits enhanced photocatalytic performance for the degradation of the antibiotic.