Mechanism of organic phosphorus transformation and its impact on the primary production in a deep oligotrophic plateau lake during stratification.

Global warming is leading to extended stratification in deep lakes, which may exacerbate phosphorus (P) limitation in the upper waters. Conversion of labile dissolved organic P (DOP) is a possible adaptive strategy to maintain primary production. To test this, the spatiotemporal distributions of various soluble P fractions and phosphomonesterase (PME)/phosphodiesterase (PDE) activities were investigated in Lake Fuxian during the stratification period and the transition capacity of organic P and its impact on primary productivity were evaluated. The results indicated that the DOP concentration (mean 0.20 ± 0.05 µmol L-1) was significantly higher than that of dissolved inorganic P (DIP) (mean 0.08 ± 0.03 µmol L-1) in the epilimnion and metalimnion, which were predominantly composed of orthophosphate monoester (monoester-P) and orthophosphate diesters (diester-P). The low ratio of diester-P / monoester-P and high activities of PME and PDE indicate DOP mineralization in the epilimnion and metalimnion. We detected a DIP threshold of approximately 0.19 µmol L-1, corresponding to the highest total PME activity in the lake. Meta-analysis further demonstrated that DIP thresholds of PME activities were prevalent in oligotrophic (0.19 µmol L-1) and mesotrophic (0.74 µmol L-1) inland waters. In contrast to the phosphate-sensitive phosphatase PME, dissolved PDE was expressed independent of phosphate availability and its activity invariably correlated with chlorophyll a, suggesting the involvement of phytoplankton in DOP utilization. This study provides important field evidence for the DOP transformation processes and the strategy for maintaining primary productivity in P-deficient scenarios, which contributes to the understanding of P cycles and the mechanisms of system adaptation to future long-term P limitations in stratified waters.

Microcystis blooms caused the decreasing richness of and interactions between free-living microbial functional genes in Lake Taihu, China.

Microcystis blooms have a marked effect on microbial taxonomical diversity in eutrophic lakes, but their influence on the composition of microbial functional genes is still unclear. In this study, the free-living microbial functional genes (FMFG) composition was investigated in the period before Microcystis blooms (March) and during Microcystis blooms (July) using a comprehensive functional gene array (GeoChip 5.0). The composition and richness of FMFG in the water column was significantly different between these two periods. The FMFG in March was enriched in the functional categories of nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus cycling, whereas the FMFG in July was enriched in carbon cycling, organic remediation, and metal homeostasis. Molecular ecological network analysis further demonstrated fewer functional gene interactions and reduced complexity in July than in March. Module hubs of the March network were mediated by functional genes associated with carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus, whereas those in July by a metal homeostasis functional gene. We also observed stronger deterministic processes in the FMFG assembly in July than in March. Collectively, this study demonstrated that Microcystis blooms induced significant changes in FMFG composition and metabolic potential, and abundance-information, which can support the understanding and management of biogeochemical cycling in eutrophic lake ecosystems.

Sex-Dependent Efficacy of Dietary Fiber in Pediatric Functional Abdominal Pain.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPDs) are more prevalent in female patients. Dietary fiber may alleviate FAPD symptoms; however, whether this effect is sex dependent remains unclear. We investigated the sex dependency of dietary fiber benefit on abdominal pain in children with FAPDs and explored the potential involvement of the gut microbiome. METHODS: In 2 cross-sectional cohorts of children with FAPDs (n = 209) and healthy control individuals (n = 105), we correlated dietary fiber intake with abdominal pain symptoms after stratifying by sex. We also performed sex-stratified and sex-interaction analyses on data from a double-blind trial in children with irritable bowel syndrome randomized to psyllium fiber (n = 39) or placebo (n = 49) for 6 weeks. Shotgun metagenomics was used to investigate gut microbiome community changes potentially linking dietary fiber intake with abdominal pain. RESULTS: In the cross-sectional cohorts, fiber intake inversely correlated with pain symptoms in boys (pain episodes: r = -0.24, P = .005; pain days: r = -0.24, P = 0.004) but not in girls. Similarly, in the randomized trial, psyllium fiber reduced the number of pain episodes in boys (P = .012) but not in girls. Generalized linear regression models confirmed that boys treated with psyllium fiber had greater reduction in pain episodes than girls (P = .007 for fiber × sex × time interaction). Age, sexual development, irritable bowel syndrome subtype, stool form, and microbiome composition were not significant determinants in the dietary fiber effects on pain reduction. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary fiber preferentially reduces abdominal pain frequency in boys, highlighting the importance of considering sex in future dietary intervention studies for FAPDs. (ClincialTrials.gov, Number NCT00526903).

Therapeutic implications of functional tea ingredients for ameliorating inflammatory bowel disease: a focused review.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic gastro-intestinal disorders of unknown etiology. There are several drugs approved for treating IBD patients with active disease, including first-line use of aminosalicylates, and secondary choices of immunomodulators and other therapies. These medications might manage disease symptoms, but have also shown significant side-effects in IBD patients. Tea is the second largest beverage in the world and its main active ingredients including tea polyphenols, polysaccharides and tea pigments have been shown promising anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. In this review, we summarize the influence of different tea varieties including green tea, black tea and dark tea as potential nutritional therapy for preventing and treating IBD, and discuss the mechanisms of tea ingredients involved in the regulation of oxidative stress, inflammation, signaling pathways, and gut microbiota that could benefit for IBD disease management. Our observation directs further basic and clinical investigations on tea polyphenols and their derivatives as novel IBD therapeutic agents.

Ripened Pu-erh Tea Extract Promotes Gut Microbiota Resilience against Dextran Sulfate Sodium Induced Colitis.

Ripened Pu-erh tea (RPT) has been shown to be an effective natural ingredient to defend against experimentally induced colitis. We hypothesized that RPT would alleviate dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) induced colitis via modulating intestinal microbiota. The effect of RPT on mice gut microbiota was evaluated using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, broad-spectrum antibiotic (ABX) treatment, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). Pretreatment with RPT enhanced intestinal barrier function, reduced colonic and serum proinflammatory cytokine and macrophage infiltration, and preserved the resilience of gut microbiota in mice during a DSS challenge. Administration of either RPT-regulated or healthy control-derived gut microbiota showed similar protection against colitis, and such protection could not be recapitulated with fecal microbiota from ABX-treated mice, suggesting a key role of protective consortium in the disease protection. Mechanistically, cecal contents of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and colonic peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) expression in colitis mice increased significantly by RPT intervention. Collectively, RPT treatment improved DSS-induced colitis by partially reversing the dysbiosis state of gut microbiota, which might be associated with an increase in SCFA level and PPAR-γ expression.

Battlefield Acupuncture for Adult Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Pain is a major public health problem, causing heavy social and economic burdens to patients and society while consuming tremendous medical resources at the same time. Thus, there is a critical need to find low-cost, efficacious, and therapeutic approaches to help manage pain. While acupuncture is increasingly recognized as a promising pain-relieving method, less is known about a specific form of auricular acupuncture known as Battlefield Acupuncture (BFA). The BFA technique involves the sequential placement of semi-permanent, single-use, French ASP[Formula: see text] golden needles to five specific acupoints in one or both ears, where they are left in place for 3-4 days or longer [Niemtzow, R.C., Battlefield acupuncture. Med. Acupunct. 19: 225-228, 2007]. The BFA needles (more accurately described as tiny conical darts) pierce the ear in designated locations in a particular order [Levy, C.E., N. Casler and D.B. FitzGerald. Battlefield acupuncture: an emerging method for easing pain. Am. J. Phys. Med. Rehabil. 97: e18-e19, 2018.]. (Figs. 4 and 5) It was developed by Dr. Richard C. Niemtzow in 2001, as a subgroup form of an auricular acupuncture technique based on the somatotopic arrangement of an inverted fetus pattern on the external ear [Romoli, M. Ear acupuncture: historical abstract-differences of ear cartography between the east and the west. Dtsch. Z. Akupunkt. 53: 24-33, 2010.]. Currently, BFA is widely used in the US military, but to our knowledge, there is no review which comprehensively synthesizes the current publications surrounding pain management. This review aims to investigate the effects and safety of BFA in adults with pain. Electronic databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in English evaluating efficacy and safety of BFA in adults with pain, from database inception to September 6, 2019. The primary outcome was pain intensity change, and the secondary outcome was safety. Nine RCTs were included in this review, and five trials involving 344 participants were analyzed quantitatively. Compared with no intervention, usual care, sham BFA, and delayed BFA interventions, BFA had no significant improvement in the pain intensity felt by adults suffering from pain. Few adverse effects (AEs) were reported with BFA therapy, but they were mild and transitory. BFA is a safe, rapid, and easily learned acupuncture technique, mainly used in acute pain management, but no significant efficacy was found in adult individuals with pain, compared with the control groups. Given the poor methodological quality of the included studies, high-quality RCTs with rigorous evaluation methods are needed in the future.

The Safety of Laser Acupuncture: A Systematic Review.

Objective: Laser acupuncture has become increasingly attractive in clinical practice, especially for patients with needle phobias well as elderly people and children. However, literature concerning the safety of laser acupuncture has been limited. This systematic review synthesizes the current available literature on the safety of laser acupuncture. Methods: Ovid MEDLINE,® Epub Ahead of Print, In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations Daily, Ovid Embase, Scopus, and EBM Reviews-Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched for available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on laser acupuncture. Safety data were extracted from the included studies. Adverse events (AEs) data were extracted and assessed in terms of severity and causality. Results: Of 737 articles, 21 RCTs were included. The majority of these RCTs reported that laser acupuncture was safe, without AEs; 6 trials reported AEs (including tingling, pain flare-ups, and transient fatigue). All AEs were mild and resolved spontaneously within 24 hours. The causal relationship between AEs and laser acupuncture was felt to be "certain" in 4 studies, "probable" in 1 study, and "possible" in 1 study. AEs were collected and monitored by evaluation methods in 7 trials: 5 with AE questionnaires, 1 with a checklist, and 1 with oral reports. Conclusions: Laser acupuncture appears to be a safe therapy associated with few mild and transient AEs. However, given the heterogeneity of current studies, large, well-designed placebo-controlled RCTs with rigorous evaluation methods are needed to assess the safety of laser acupuncture more completely.

Impact of herbs and dietary supplements in patients with fibromyalgia: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a common chronic pain condition that seriously affects the quality of patient lives. Its etiology, pathogenesis, and treatment still remain uncertain. Dietary supplements have been widely trialed for symptom relief for FM. The review aims to synthesize the previous literature publications to assess the impact of herbs and dietary supplements on FM patients. METHODS: We will conduct a literature search in the following databases PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Global Health from database inception to December 2019. Clinical studies published in the English language that used human participants and address the efficacy, safety, and acceptability of herbs and dietary supplements on individuals with FM will be included. The risk of bias and quality assessment of each trial will be evaluated. If trials are enough, a meta-analysis will be conducted using software RevMan5.3, Cochrane Collaboration. RESULT: Our review will be the first attempt to facilitate evidence-based management using herbs and dietary supplements to treat patients with FM. CONCLUSION: The findings may provide a framework for future research and clinic practice in FM management. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020149941.

Hot-water extract of ripened Pu-erh tea attenuates DSS-induced colitis through modulation of the NF-κB and HIF-1α signaling pathways in mice.

Tea consumption has been found to be associated with low incidence of inflammatory bowel disease in Asian countries. However, there is very limited knowledge of such potential protection and its underlying mechanism. Ripened Pu-erh tea (RPT) belongs to the variety of microbial fermented tea, but its function regarding anti-inflammation remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the effects of RPT on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. The results demonstrated that RPT significantly relieved the loss of body weight, disease severity and shortening of colon length, and remarkably inhibited the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines by lessening the infiltration of inflammatory cells. Furthermore, we found that RPT suppressed the activation of the NF-κB pathway and down-regulated the expression of HIF-1α. Thus, it was concluded that RPT attenuated the progress of colitis via suppressing the HIF-1α/NF-κB signaling pathways thus reducing inflammation. This suggests that RPT may be a potential anti-inflammatory nutraceutical for the prevention and treatment of colonic colitis.

Electroacupuncture improves cognitive deficits and insulin resistance in an OLETF rat model of Al/D-gal induced aging model via the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

To investigate the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on cognitive function and insulin resistance (IR) in an Al/D-gal-induced aging model for Alzheimer's disease (AD) using Ostuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats. The Al/D-gal-OLETF rats for AD were randomly divided into the EA and non-EA groups. Cognitive function was assessed using the Morris water maze (MWM). The morphology of the hippocampal neurons was observed using hematoxylin & eosin (H&E) staining. Aß and total Tau in the hippocampus and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were detected using western blotting (WB) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Fasting blood glucose (FPG) was determined using the glucose oxidase method. Plasma fasting insulin (FINS), serum C-peptide (C-P), and CSF insulin were detected using ELISA. The expression of the genes and proteins in the PI3K signaling pathway was detected using quantitative real-time PCR and WB. After EA intervention, the hippocampal Aß and total Tau protein levels, body weight, FPG, FINS, and C-P were significantly decreased. The MWM showed that the percentage of time in the target quadrant of the EA group was elevated in the probe test. The protein levels of p-IRS1, p-IRS2, IDE, and p-GSK3ß were significantly increased, while p-PI3K-p85α and p-Akt were decreased. In conclusion, EA improves cognitive function and insulin resistance in rat models of AD. The PI3K/Akt signaling pathway is involved in those changes.

Microbes participated in macrophyte leaf litters decomposition in freshwater habitat.

Knowledge of aquatic microbes involved in macrophyte leaf litter decomposition is still scarce in freshwater lakes. In situ experiments (150 days) were conducted to study the decomposition processes of macrophyte leaf litters: Zizania latifolia (Zl), Hydrilla verticillata (Hv) and Nymphoides peltata (Np). The decomposition of Np leaf litter was fastest, whereas Zl was slowest. The alpha diversity of both bacterial and fungal communities significantly increased, and their community structures showed significant variations over time. For bacteria, the relative abundance of Gammaproteobacteria decreased, whereas that of Firmicutes, Betaproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria increased. The dominant fungal phylum Cryptomycota increased significantly in all of the three macrophytes. Both bacteria and fungi were significantly correlated with the dynamics of total phosphorous in the water and the carbon content of the leaf litters. The dynamics of nitrogen content, phosphorous content and N/P ratio of the leaf litters have more influences on fungal communities than on bacteria. In addition, cellulase and xylanase activities were significantly correlated with bacterial and fungal communities, respectively, thereby reflecting the niches differentiation and cooperation between bacteria and fungi on litter decomposition. This work contributes to the understanding of microbially involved carbon and nutrient cycling in macrophyte-dominated freshwater ecosystems.

[Effects of Optimized Fish Farming on the Sediment Nutrients of Eastern Lake Taihu].

The farming of lake fisheries is an important part of the freshwater fishery industry in China. However, farming patterns of traditional fisheries maintain serious negative effects on the ecosystem of Eastern Lake Taihu. In recent years, the enclosure culture model of this lake has been optimized. In order to investigate the effects of aquaculture on the sediment properties, samples were collected from different areas of the lake (i.e. within the culture areas, outside the culture areas; from the crab-plant co-culture areas, mixed culture areas, ecological restoration areas, and control areas), in different months (January, March, April, August, and November), and at different depths (0-1 cm and 9-10 cm). The results of this sampling indicates that ① the concentrations of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) in the sediments samples collected within the culture areas are slightly higher than samples collected outside the culture areas; ② compared to the crab-plant co-culture areas, lower concentrations of TN and TP are found in the samples collected from the mixed culture areas; ③ in the ecological restoration areas, aquatic plants exhibit certain positive effects with decreasing concentrations of TN and TP in the sediment. The lowest concentrations of TN and TP are detected in the sediment during the growing season of aquatic plants.

Neuroprotective effects of electroacupuncture on hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in newborn rats are associated with increased expression of GDNF-RET and protein kinase B.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the neuroprotective effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and to further investigate the role of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family receptor member RET (rearranged during transfection) and its key downstream phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI-3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathway in the process. METHODS: A total of 220 seven-day-old SD rats (of either sex, from 22 broods) were randomly divided into two groups, one (30 rats) for sham-surgery group and the other (190 rats) for HIE model group. The HIE model was established using the left common carotid artery ligation method in combination with hypoxic treatment. The successfully established rats were randomly divided into five groups, including control model group, EA group, sham-EA group, antagonist group and antagonist plus electroacupuncture group, with 35 rats in each group. Baihui (GV 20), Dazhui (GV 14), Quchi (LI 11) and Yongquan (KI 1) acupoints were chosen for acupuncture. EA was performed at Baihui and Quchi for 10 min once a day for continuous 1, 3, 7 and 21 days, respectively. The rats were then killed after the operation and injured cerebral cortex was taken for the measurement of neurologic damage by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and the degenerative changes of cortical ultrastructure by transmission electron microscopy. RET mRNA level and Akt protein level were detected by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot analysis, respectively. RESULTS: EA could ameliorate neurologic damage of the first somatic sensory area (S1Tr) and alleviate the degenerative changes of ultrastructure of cortical neurons in rats subjected to HIE. And the longer acupuncture treatment lasted, the better its therapeutic effect would be. This was accompanied by gradually increased expression of GDNF family receptor RET at the mRNA level and its downstream signaling Akt at the protein level in the ischemic cortex. CONCLUSION: EA has neuroprotective effects on HIE and could be a potential therapeutic strategy for HIE in the neonate. Activation of RET/Akt signaling pathway might be involved in this process.

Fermentation of Allium chinense Bulbs With Lactobacillus plantarum ZDY 2013 Shows Enhanced Biofunctionalities, and Nutritional and Chemical Properties.

In this study, fermentation of Allium chinense bulbs was carried out with Lactobacillus plantarum ZDY 2013. A decrease in pH from 6.8 to 3.5 and a stable lactic acid bacteria population were observed during 7-d fermentation. The total phenolic content increased by 2.7-fold in the aqueous and ethanol extracts of A. chinense bulbs after fermentation. Antioxidant capacity including 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical-scavenging effect and reducing power of both extracts was significantly (P < 0.05) improved after fermentation. Antagonistic test against 6 pathogens showed that fermentation significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced the antimicrobial activity in both extracts of fermented bulbs, especially in the ethanol extracts of fermented bulbs against L. monocytogenes. Analysis of the free amino acid (FAA) profile by ion-exchange chromatography revealed that fermentation significantly (P < 0.05) increased total FAA content. In addition, among 27 kinds of volatile components analyzed by headspace-solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, sulfur-containing compounds accounted for 65.23%, but decreased to 43.65% after fermentation. Our results suggested that fermentation of A. chinense bulbs with L. plantarum could improve their biofunctionalities, and nutritional and chemical properties.

Gas release-based prescreening combined with reversed-phase HPLC quantitation for efficient selection of high-γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-producing lactic acid bacteria.

High γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-producing lactobacilli are promising for the manufacture of GABA-rich foods and to synthesize GRAS (generally recognized as safe)-grade GABA. However, common chromatography-based screening is time-consuming and inefficient. In the present study, Korean kimchi was used as a model of lactic acid-based fermented foods, and a gas release-based prescreening of potential GABA producers was developed. The ability to produce GABA by potential GABA producers in de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe medium supplemented with or without monosodium glutamate was further determined by HPLC. Based on the results, 9 isolates were regarded as high GABA producers, and were further genetically identified as Lactobacillus brevis based on the sequences of 16S rRNA gene. Gas release-based prescreening combined with reversed-phase HPLC confirmation was an efficient and cost-effective method to identify high-GABA-producing LAB, which could be good candidates for probiotics. The GABA that is naturally produced by these high-GABA-producing LAB could be used as a food additive.

Bacterioplankton communities turn unstable and become small under increased temperature and nutrient-enriched conditions.

The stability of microbial community composition under different environmental conditions is an important part of microbial ecology, but has not been investigated in such depth before. In this study, we investigated the composition of the bacterioplankton community composition (BCC) and its stability under different temperatures (15, 25 and 35 °C, respectively) and nutrient conditions (control vs. nitrogen- and phosphorus-enriched) in aquatic microcosms. The BCC was analysed using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene, followed by cloning and sequence analysis. BCC in the microcosms significantly changed under different temperature and nutrient conditions. Based on the results from clone libraries, ecological diversification were observed within two ubiquitous and dominant genera, Methylophilus and Polynucleobacter, under different temperature and nutrient conditions. Putative ultramicrobacteria, which included Actinobacteria, Polynucleobacter sp., LD12 and LD28 clusters and bacteria affiliated with subcluster I of Methylophilus, were found to dominate in bacterioplankton communities at higher temperatures (25 and 35 °C), regardless of nutrient conditions. We also observed that the rate of BCC change increased at higher temperatures and this increase was more pronounced in nutrient-enriched microcosms. These results indicated that bacterioplankton communities become unstable and decrease in size with increased temperature and in nutrient-enriched conditions.