The Effect of Lactobacillus casei Consumption in Improvement of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: an Animal Study.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an important neuropsychiatric disorder worldwide. Common treatments of OCD include serotonergic antidepressants, which can cause potentially serious side effects. We assessed the effects of Lactobacillus casei (L. casei) Shirota consumption in an animal model of OCD. OCD-like symptoms were induced in rats by the chronic injection of the D2/D3 dopamine agonist quinpirole hydrochloride. Rats were classified into five groups of 6 rats. Four groups were injected chronically with quinpirole (0.5 mg/kg, twice weekly for 5 weeks). They were fed with L. casei Shirota (109 CF/g, daily for 4 weeks) (group 1), fluoxetine (10 mg/kg, daily for 4 weeks) (group 2), combination of L. casei Shirota and fluoxetine (group 3), and normal saline (positive control group). The last group did not receive dopamine agonist and was only injected with saline (negative control group). Expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf), solute carrier family 6 member 4 (Slc6a4), and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor type 2A (Htr2a) were assessed in orbitofrontal cortex tissues of all rats. Behavioral tests showed improvement of OCD signs in rats treated with L. casei Shirota, fluoxetine, and a combination of drugs. Quantitative PCR analysis showed a remarkable decrease in the expression of Bdnf and an increase in the expression of Htr2a in quinpirole-treated rats. After treatment with L. casei Shirota and fluoxetine, the expression level of Bdnf was increased remarkably, whereas Htr2a expression was decreased. The current study showed the effectiveness of L. casei Shirota in the treatment of OCD in a rat model. The beneficial effects of this probiotic are possibly exerted through the modulation of serotonin-related genes expression.

Komagataeibacter xylinus as a novel probiotic candidate with high glucose conversion rate properties.

Promoting general health in terms of obesity and diabetes prevention is recommended by health care systems. The objectives of this study were to isolate an efficient glucose-converting Komagataeibacter xylinus to cellulose and to evaluate the safety of the selected strain as a new generation of probiotics in the fight against obesity. Of the 97 samples, 43 K xylinus strains were isolated and evaluated for their glucose conversion rate and 5 strains were examined for probiotic activities by in vitro assays. A strain with significant performance was fed to rats in order to determine its safety status in vivo. The results revealed that the strain K.X.1 had high level of glucose conversion rate and significant survival rate in acidic pH and bile salt. No adverse clinical signs and bacterial translocation to rats' organs were observed. The results showed that the strain of K. xylinus K.X.1 has suitable probiotic properties.

Isolation and identification of Komagataeibacter xylinus from Iranian traditional vinegars and molecular analyses.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Acetic acid bacteria (AAB) are one of the major interests of researchers. Traditional vinegars are suitable sources of AAB because they are not undergone industrial process like filtering and adding preservatives. Komagataeibacter xylinus as a member of AAB is known as the main cellulose producer among other bacteria. The purpose of the current study was to isolate the bacteria from traditional vinegars and its molecular analyses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Vinegar samples were collected. Well-organized bacteriological tests were carried out to differentiate isolated bacteria from other cellulose producers and to identify K. xylinus. NaOH treatment and Calcofluor white staining were used for detecting cellulose. Chromosomal DNA of each strain was extracted via three methods of boiling, phenol-chloroform and sonication. Molecular analyses were performed on the basis of 16S rRNA sequences and cellulose synthase catalytic subunit gene (bcsA) for further confirmation. Phylogenetic tree was constructed for more characterization. Two housekeeping genes were studied including phenylalanyl-tRNA synthase alpha subunit (pheS) and RNA polymerase alpha subunit (rpoA). RESULTS: Of the 97 samples, 43 K. xylinus strains were isolated. They were identified via bacteriological and molecular techniques. 16S rDNA sequence showed 99% similarity with registered sequences of the bacteria. Biodiversity of the genome confirmed by analyzing bcsA, pheS and rpoA genes. CONCLUSION: K. xylinus can be isolated from traditional vinegars. Screening tests ought to include the classical methods and molecular techniques. Different molecular techniques and more genomic research should be developed to expand our knowledge for distinguishing isolated bacteria especially in the fields of AAB.

Evaluation of an Iranian Home-made Helicobacter pylori Stool Antigen ELISA Kit.

BACKGROUND: Current diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection by biopsy-based tests requires invasive sampling. Non-invasive methods such as the H. pylori stool-antigen (HpSA) test may be the best alternative for diagnosis of active infection. However, due to the presence of antigenic-diversity among the strains, various commercial tests have shown some discrepancies in different geographical-areas. OBJECTIVES: This study evaluates a homemade HpSA kit developed by using the H. pylori antigens from Iranian-isolates for detection of H. pylori in the stool of infected patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Based on the endoscopic features and/or a rapid-urease test (RUT), 30 child and 50 adult patients, were recruited. From these candidates, three biopsies for RUT, culture and histology, and a stool-sample, were obtained. Patients were considered as H. pylori-positive if culture alone or RUT plus histology were found to be positive. Presence of H. pylori antigens in their stools was detected by the homemade HpSA test and an imported HpSA kit (Immundiagnostik, Germany). RESULTS: Using the biopsy-based tests with RUT, histology and culture, 53% (16/30) of children were diagnosed as H. pylori-positive while using the imported kit 57% and the homemade kit 50% of the candidates showed positive results. Also by the biopsy-based tests, 54% of the adults were diagnosed as H. pylori-positive while by the homemade kit 56% showed positive results. Considering the biopsy-based tests as the gold standard, sensitivity and specificity for the imported kit was 94% and 86%, respectively, while the mean sensitivity and specificity for the homemade kit was 96% and 98%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The homemade kit, compared with the imported kit and biopsy-proven tests may be a valid and reliable method for determining the presence of H. pylori infection in Iran.