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Recent research has underscored the efficacy of Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) in managing obesity among healthy adults. This meta-analysis reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from major databases up to May 2024, focusing on the effects of L. plantarum on body weight, body mass index (BMI), and metabolic parameters. This study has been registered in PROSPERO (number: CRD 42024531611). The analysis of nine studies revealed significant weight reduction and BMI decreases with L. plantarum supplementation compared to a placebo. Notably, using more than two strains together enhanced these effects. Improvements were also observed in abdominal fat and inflammatory markers such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). This meta-analysis synthesizes evidence from nine RCTs to test the hypothesis that L. plantarum supplementation effectively reduces body weight and BMI in healthy adults compared to a placebo. However, variations in study designs, probiotic strains, and intervention durations call for more robust trials to confirm these benefits.
Assuntos
Inflamação , Lactobacillus plantarum , Obesidade , Probióticos , Lactobacillus plantarum/fisiologia , Humanos , Obesidade/microbiologia , Obesidade/terapia , Probióticos/uso terapêutico , Índice de Massa Corporal , Ensaios Clínicos Controlados Aleatórios como Assunto , Proteína C-Reativa/metabolismo , Proteína C-Reativa/análiseRESUMO
Background: Okra contains a viscous substance rich in water-soluble material, including fibers, pectin, proteoglycans, gum, and polysaccharides. This study explored the use of okra polysaccharides by microorganisms and their potential to improve microbiota. Methods: The regulation of microcapsules prepared from okra polysaccharides with or without L. plantarum encapsulation on intestinal microbiota was assessed through 16S metagenomic analysis and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in AppNL-G-F/NL-G-F mice (Alzheimer's disease; AD model). Results: We found that Lactobacillaceae and Lactobacillus were majorly regulated by microcapsules prepared from okra polysaccharides in AD mice. Similarly, microcapsules prepared from okra polysaccharides with L. plantarum encapsulation markedly elevated the abundance of Lactobacillaceae and Lactobacillus and increased SCFAs in AD mice. Conclusion: Our results suggest that microcapsules prepared from okra polysaccharides with or without L. plantarum encapsulation may improve intestinal microbiota by elevating Lactobacillus levels in AD mice.
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This paper presents an innovative method of producing a low-density, high-strength, thin cement sheet. A seaweed powder was mixed with Portland cement, a foaming agent, calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA), and a quantity of water to create an A4-sized thin sheet with a thickness of 7 mm, which can withstand 1.5 kg in weight. This sheet was then covered with ethylene vinyl acetate and a backsheet to create a sandwiched cement sheet. The advantages of this sandwiched cement sheet are two-fold. First, it can support up to 13 kg in a static mechanical loading test, without bending, for over eight hours. Second, it can be quickly recovered at the end of its life cycle. This was a preliminary experiment to produce a large cement sheet that could satisfy the loading requirements for a solar panel. The purpose of the large, thin cement sheet is to replace the glass in a conventional solar panel and create a lightweight solar panel of less than 10 kg, which would mean that the installation of solar panels would become a one-person operation rather than a two-person operation. It would also increase the efficiency of the solar panel installation process.
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Interface-specific hydrogen (H)-bonding network of water directly controls the energy transfer and chemical reaction pathway at many charged aqueous interfaces, yet to characterize these bonded water layer structures remains a challenge. We now develop a sum-frequency spectroscopic scheme with varying photon momenta as an all-optic solution for retrieving the vibrational spectra of the bonded water layer and the ion diffuse layer and, hence, microscopic structural and charging information about an interface. Application of the method to a model surfactant-water interface reveals a hidden weakly donor H-bonded water species, suggesting an asymmetric hydration-shell structure of fully solvated surfactant headgroups. In another application to a zwitterionic phosphatidylcholine lipid monolayer-water interface, we find a highly polarized bonded water layer structure associating to the phosphatidylcholine headgroup, while the diffuse layer contribution is experimentally proven to be negligible. Our all-optic method offers an in situ microscopic probe of electrochemical and biological interfaces and the route toward future imaging and ultrafast dynamics studies.
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The aim of the present study was to investigate the epidemiology of Legionnaires' disease (LD) caused by Legionella longbeachae in Taiwan during 2006-2010. A total of six cases were identified prospectively, accounting for 1.6% of all laboratory-confirmed LD cases and 4.4% of culture-positive LD cases. All six cases occurred between April and August. The male to female ratio was 0.5. These six LD patients had a higher median age than those with LD due to Legionella pneumophila. Four of the six patients presented with pleural effusion and five survived the infection episode. Only two patients had a potential soil contact history prior to LD onset. The patients resided in divergent geographical areas without a common exposure history. The individual genomic DNA banding patterns of the six L. longbeachae isolates analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were unique, supporting the hypothesis that the L. longbeachae infections occurred sporadically.
Assuntos
Legionella longbeachae/isolamento & purificação , Legionelose/epidemiologia , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , DNA Bacteriano/genética , Eletroforese em Gel de Campo Pulsado , Feminino , Humanos , Legionella longbeachae/genética , Legionelose/microbiologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Derrame Pleural , Estudos Prospectivos , Taiwan/epidemiologiaRESUMO
The optimal conditions for the separation and detection of a mixture of 18 phenethylamine/tryptamine derivatives were determined, using liquid chromatography/UV-absorption (LC/UV) and liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC/ESI MS) methods, respectively. Complete separation could be achieved within approximately 25 min using gradient elution (A, 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution/pH 2.5; B, acetonitrile). The limit of detection (LOD at S/N = 3) obtained by LC/UV-absorption (absorption wavelength, 280 nm) was in the range from 0.3 to 3 microg/mL. In contrast, when the LC/ESI MS method was used, the LODs for primary, secondary and tertiary amines were in the ranges 0.1-3.0, 0.1-0.2, and 0.05-1.8 microg/mL, respectively. The lower LOD obtained for a tertiary amine can be attributed to the fact that its ionization efficiency (during the ESI process) is better than the others. In order to improve the LOD of a primary/secondary amine, a derivatization procedure was used in which the chemical structure was altered to a secondary/tertiary amine, via a reaction with acetic anhydride. As a result, the LODs for primary/secondary amines could be significantly improved. The characteristic mass fragmentations of the 18 phenethylamine/tryptamine derivatives, as well as the products of the reaction with acetic anhydride, were investigated, and the data were reported. A urine sample was obtained by spiking urine from a volunteer with the 18 derivatives, and after liquid-liquid extraction the sample was examined by LC/UV and LC/ESI MS, respectively. The extraction procedures used for the urine sample and the experimental conditions for the separation and detection were optimized.
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Cromatografia Líquida/métodos , Fenetilaminas/urina , Espectrometria de Massas por Ionização por Electrospray/métodos , Espectrofotometria Ultravioleta/métodos , Triptaminas/urina , Cromatografia Líquida/instrumentação , Humanos , Fenetilaminas/metabolismo , Valores de Referência , Sensibilidade e Especificidade , Espectrometria de Massas por Ionização por Electrospray/instrumentação , Espectrofotometria Ultravioleta/instrumentação , Triptaminas/metabolismoRESUMO
BACKGROUND AND AIM: Tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) is one of the major components in the matrix proteolytic network whose role in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis remains unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of tPA in carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced liver fibrosis. METHODS: Wild-type and tPA knockout mice (8 mice per group) were injected interperitoneumly with 25% CCl(4) 2 ml/kg twice per week as CCl(4) administration groups and olive oil 2 ml/kg as controls. After 4 weeks, the livers of mice were removed under deep anesthesia and prepared for further studies such as histology, immunostaining, hydroxyproline assay, zymography and western blot analysis. RESULTS: Mice lacking tPA developed more severe morphological injury and displayed an increased deposition of collagen in the liver after CCl(4) administration compared with wild-type counterparts. Deficiency of tPA increased alpha-smooth muscle actin expression in the mice livers. On the other hand, the decrease of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activities, metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) expression and a marked increase of tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) expression were found in the liver of CCl(4) administrated tPA(-/-) mice compared with wild-type counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: Deficiency of tPA aggravated liver fibrosis through promoting hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation and inhibiting ECM degradation by decreasing MMP-2, MMP-9 activities and disrupting the balance between MMP-13 and TIMP-1.
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Cirrose Hepática/metabolismo , Fígado/metabolismo , Ativador de Plasminogênio Tecidual/metabolismo , Actinas/metabolismo , Animais , Tetracloreto de Carbono , Colágeno/metabolismo , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Fígado/enzimologia , Fígado/patologia , Cirrose Hepática/induzido quimicamente , Cirrose Hepática/genética , Cirrose Hepática/patologia , Masculino , Metaloproteinase 13 da Matriz/metabolismo , Metaloproteinase 2 da Matriz/metabolismo , Metaloproteinase 9 da Matriz/metabolismo , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Knockout , Índice de Gravidade de Doença , Fatores de Tempo , Inibidor Tecidual de Metaloproteinase-1/metabolismo , Ativador de Plasminogênio Tecidual/deficiência , Ativador de Plasminogênio Tecidual/genéticaRESUMO
Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is an essential component of the proteolytic cascade that lyses blood clots. Various studies also suggest that tPA plays important roles in peripheral nerve regeneration. Here we show that disruption of tPA gene reduces macrophage migration after sciatic nerve injury in mice. Moreover, lack of tPA activity attenuates migrating ability of macrophages and affects MMP-9 expression and activity in macrophages in vitro. Addition of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), which inhibits MMPs, abolished the differences of migration ability of macrophages between tPA(+/+) and tPA(-/-) mice. Axonal regeneration is correlated with the increase of macrophage migration, suggesting that tPA may help create a beneficial environment for axonal regeneration through promoting macrophage infiltration. This study shows that tPA may play a role in nerve regeneration through regulating the migration ability of macrophages. This function of tPA may depend on, at least in part, upregulating MMP-9 expression and activity in macrophages.
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Movimento Celular , Macrófagos/citologia , Macrófagos/metabolismo , Ativador de Plasminogênio Tecidual/metabolismo , Animais , Movimento Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Regulação para Baixo , Leucócitos/citologia , Leucócitos/efeitos dos fármacos , Macrófagos/efeitos dos fármacos , Masculino , Metaloproteinase 9 da Matriz/genética , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Knockout , Bainha de Mielina/metabolismo , Degeneração Neural/genética , Degeneração Neural/metabolismo , Degeneração Neural/patologia , Neurônios/citologia , Neurônios/metabolismo , Ativador de Plasminogênio Tecidual/deficiência , Ativador de Plasminogênio Tecidual/genética , Ativador de Plasminogênio Tecidual/farmacologiaRESUMO
We describe a case of empyema thoracis caused by Rhizopus oryzae diagnosed in an allogenic bone marrow transplant patient with acute lymphocytic leukemia. The isolate of R. oryzae was recovered from three pleural effusion specimens, which were black in color. It was identified on the basis of characteristic colonial appearance and microscopic findings, as well as the partial sequencing of rRNA genes. The patient died of uncontrolled R. oryzae empyema thoracis and concomitant nosocomial infection.