Maternal exposure to 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide during pregnancy leads to disorder of gut microbiota and bile acid metabolism in offspring.

Our previous study reveals that maternal exposure to 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD) during pregnancy causes insufficient ovarian follicle reserve and decreased fertility in offspring. The present study aims to further explore the reasons for the significant decline of fecundity in mice caused by VCD, and to clarify the changes of gut microbiota and microbial metabolites in F1 mice. The ovarian metabolomics, gut microbiota and microbial metabolites were analyzed. The results of ovarian metabolomics analysis showed that maternal VCD exposure during pregnancy significantly reduced the concentration of carnitine in the ovaries of F1 mice, while supplementation with carnitine (isovalerylcarnitine and valerylcarnitine) significantly increased the number of ovulation. The results of 16 S rDNA-seq and microbial metabolites analysis showed that maternal VCD exposure during pregnancy caused disordered gut microbiota, increased abundance of Parabacteroides and Flexispira bacteria that are involved in secondary bile acid synthesis. The concentrations of NorDCA, LCA-3S, DCA and other secondary bile acids increased significantly. Our results indicate that maternal exposure to VCD during pregnancy leads to disorder in gut microbiota and bile acid metabolism in F1 mice, accompanying with decreased ovarian function, providing further evidence that maternal exposure to VCD during pregnancy has intergenerational deleterious effects on offspring.

Dihydroartemisinin improves hypercholesterolemia in ovariectomized mice via enhancing vectorial transport of cholesterol and bile acids from blood to bile.

The increase of concentrations of total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in the serum of postmenopausal women is the important risk factor of the high morbidity of cardiovascular diseases of old women worldwide. To test the anti-hypercholesterolemia function of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) in postmenopausal women, ovariectomized (OVX) mice were generated, and DHA were administrated to OVX mice for 4 weeks. The blood and liver tissues were collected for biochemical and histological tests respectively. The mRNA and protein expression levels of genes related to metabolism and transport of cholesterol, bile acid and fatty acid in the liver or ileum were checked through qPCR and western blot. DHA could significantly reduce the high concentrations of TC and LDL-C in the serum and the lipid accumulation in the liver of ovariectomized mice. The expression of ABCG5/8 was reduced in liver of OVX mice, and DHA could up-regulate the expression of them. Genes of transport proteins for bile salt transport from blood to bile, including Slc10a1, Slco1b2 and Abcb11, were also significantly up-regulated by DHA. DHA also down-regulated the expression of Slc10a2 in the ileum of OVX mice to reduce the absorption of bile salts. Genes required for fatty acid synthesis and uptake, such as Fasn and CD36, were reduced in the liver of OVX mice, and DHA administration could significantly up-regulate the expression of them. These results demonstrated that DHA could improve hypercholesterolemia in OVX mice through enhancing the vectorial transport of cholesterol and bile acid from blood to bile.

Deep learning based one-shot optically-sectioned structured illumination microscopy for surface measurement.

Optically-sectioned structured illumination microscopy (OS-SIM) is broadly used for biological imaging and engineering surface measurement owing to its simple, low-cost, scanning-free experimental setup and excellent optical sectioning capability. However, the efficiency of current optically-sectioned methods in OS-SIM is yet limited for surface measurement because a set of wide-field images under uniform or structured illumination are needed to derive an optical section at each scanning height. In this paper, a deep-learning-based one-shot optically-sectioned method, called Deep-OS-SIM, is proposed to improve the efficiency of OS-SIM for surface measurement. Specifically, we develop a convolutional neural network (CNN) to learn the statistical invariance of optical sectioning across structured illumination images. By taking full advantage of the high entropy properties of structured illumination images to train the CNN, fast convergence and low training error are achieved in our method even for low-textured surfaces. The well-trained CNN is then applied to a plane mirror for testing, demonstrating the ability of the method to reconstruct high-quality optical sectioning from only one instead of two or three raw structured illumination frames. Further measurement experiments on a standard step and milled surface show that the proposed method has similar accuracy to OS-SIM techniques but with higher imaging speed.

Berberine improves liver injury induced glucose and lipid metabolic disorders via alleviating ER stress of hepatocytes and modulating gut microbiota in mice.

Liver injury mediated by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress can cause many kinds of liver diseases including hepatic glucose and lipid metabolic disorders, and long term liver injury would lead to cirrhosis and hepatic cancer. Therefore, effective drugs for treating liver injury are urgent in need. Berberine is a multifunctional drug of traditional Chinese medicine, and it can improve various liver diseases. To study the effects of berberine on ER stress-induced liver injury, tunicamycin was administrated to C57BL/6 mice with or without berberine pre-treatment. H&E staining was used to check the morphology and histology of liver tissues. The serum and liver tissues were harvested to test biochemical indexes and the expression levels of genes related with glucose and lipid metabolism, ER stress and unfold protein response (UPR). 16S rDNA sequence technology was conducted to check the fecal microbiota. Pre-administration with berberine could alleviate the excess accumulation of triglyceride (TG) in the liver of mice treated with tunicamycin. Tunicamycin administration caused significant increase of the expression level of genes related to ER stress and UPR, such as CHOP, Grp78 and ATF6, but the berberine pre-treatment could significantly downregulate the expression level of these genes. Tunicamycin administration resulted in increased ratio of Prevotellaceae to Erysipelotrichaceae at the family level of the fecal microbiota in mice, and this trend was reversed by the pre-treatment of berberine. These results demonstrated that berberine could improve liver injury induced hepatic metabolic disorders through relieving ER stress in hepatocytes and regulating gut microbiota in mice.

Activation of Wnt/ß-catenin pathway causes insulin resistance and increases lipogenesis in HepG2 cells via regulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress.

BACKGROUND: Wnt/ß-catenin signaling is involved in glucose and lipid metabolism, but the mechanism is not clear yet. AIM: The objective is to study mechanisms of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling on regulating hepatocytes metabolism. METHODS: Real-time qPCR, Western blot, and Oil-red O staining methods were used. RESULTS: The Wnt/ß-catenin signaling was activated in hepatocytes by CP21R7, and the level of phosphorylated IRS-1 (Ser307) and TRB3 were significantly increased, while the levels of phosphorylated IRS-1 (Tyr612) and phosphorylated Akt were decreased. Moreover, the expression of FGF21, FAS, SCD1, PPARγ and ADRP was significantly increased. The expression of ATF4, ATF5, eIF2α, GRP78, CHOP and phosphorylated level of PERK were also increased. The expression of FGF21 and TRB3 was significantly down-regulated, and the lipid droplets were notably reduced after the ER stress was inhibited by TUDCA. The expression of FGF21 was significantly decreased when the IRE1 pathway of the UPR was inhibited by STF-083010. CONCLUSIONS: Activation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway could cause insulin resistance and lipogenesis in hepatocytes via regulation of the IRE1 pathway of the ER stress and UPR, providing new targets for the treatment of metabolic disorders.

Dihydroartemisinin ameliorates dextran sulfate sodium induced inflammatory bowel diseases in mice.

In the present study, the effects of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) on inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) mice model induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) were determined. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to assess the intestines of mice treated with DSS and DHA. The expression of inflammatory factors and cell junction-associated genes was measured using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and Western blot. The effects of DSS and DHA on the gut microbiome were measured using 16S recombinant (r) DNA gene analysis. DHA could improve the diarrhea and bloody stool induced by DSS, and decrease the serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1ß and IL-23 of the DSS group. DHA could notably reduce the infiltration of the inflammatory cells and significantly decrease the expression of TNF-α and IL-1ß in the intestines of the DSS treated mice. The expression of cell junction-associated genes such as EpCAM and Claudins, were down-regulated in the DSS group, and DHA could recover the expression of these cell junction-associated genes. The 16S rDNA gene analysis demonstrated that Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia decreased, while Firmicutes and Proteobacteria increased in the DSS group, and DHA could recover the abundance of these gut bacteria altered by DSS. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis revealed that DHA could partly recover the pathways altered by DSS. DHA could obviously ameliorate the symptoms of IBD induced by DSS by regulation of the expression of inflammation and cell junction-associated genes and gut microbiota, suggesting its potential for the treatment of IBD.

Unambiguous measurement range and error tolerance in dual-wavelength interferometry.

In dual or multiwavelength interferometry, the traditional equivalent wavelength method is widely used for phase recovery to enlarge the unambiguous measurement range (UMR). In fact, however, this method ignores information of size and sign (positive or negative) of single wavelength wrapped phases, and the extension of the UMR is not sufficient. For the reflective measurement, the largest UMR of the dual or multiwavelength interferometry is half of the least-common multiple (LCM) of single wavelengths, called the LCM effective wavelength, which is often several times the equivalent wavelength. But why do we often use the equivalent wavelength and seldom use the larger UMR in practice? Existing research reveals that the actual UMR is related to the measurement error of single-wavelength-wrapped phases, and half of the LCM effective wavelength is only the theoretical value. But how do errors affect the UMR? We think the quantitative analysis and description are lacking. In this paper, we continue to study this problem, analyze it in a graphical method, and give quantitative descriptions. The simulation experiments are carried out and verify our analysis.

Characterization of the displacement response in chromatic confocal microscopy with a hybrid radial basis function network.

Characterization of the displacement response is critical for accurate chromatic confocal measurement. Current characterization methods usually provide a linear or polynomial relationship between the extracted peak wavelengths of the spectral signal and displacement. However, these methods are susceptible to errors in the peak extraction algorithms and errors in the selected model. In this paper, we propose a hybrid radial basis function network method to characterise the displacement response. With this method, the peak wavelength of the spectral signal is firstly extracted with a state-of-art peak extraction algorithm, following which, a higher-accuracy chromatic dispersion model is applied to determine the displacement-wavelength relationship. Lastly, a radial basis function network is optimized to provide a mapping between the spectral signals and the residual fitting errors of the chromatic dispersion model. Using experimental tests, we show that the hybrid radial basis function network method significantly improves the measurement accuracy, when compared to the existing characterizing methods.

A rapid measurement method for structured surface in white light interferometry.

White light interferometry (WLI) is an effective and widely-used technique for structured surface measurement. However, it requires multiframe interferograms with vertical scanning to realise large-scale measurement, which is time consuming and computationally intensive. This paper proposes a rapid surface measurement method to realise surface recovery with a single interferogram by white light interferometry. First, the feasibility to solve the wrapped phase of a single white-light interferogram by Hilbert transform is certified. Then, unwrapped phases against zero optical path difference position (OPD) are achieved by a zero optical path difference detection algorithm applied to unwrapping process, which provides efficient surface recovery. To ensure the accuracy of phase solution in the proposed method, the necessary number and width of the interference fringes in the interferogram are analysed and determined based on Hilbert transform and sampling analysis. Finally, measurement results of a standard step sample and a standard reticle template are presented, which prove the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method. LAY DESCRIPTION: As an effective and widely-used technique for structured surface measurement, white light interferometry (WLI) has the major advantage to measure noncontinuous surfaces using the short coherence length of a wide bandwidth source. However, frequently vertical scanning is required to get series of white light interferograms at different axial positions for surface recovery by recovered algorithms. The vertical scanning process is complicated and time consuming. This paper proposes a fast and efficient method to realise rapid surface measurement using only a single-frame interferogram based on WLI. First, the feasibility of using only one single white light interferogram to solve wrapped phases by Hilbert transform (HT) is discussed. Next, unwrapping process and zero optical path difference（OPD） detection algorithms are combined to unwrap phases against zero OPD position, which makes the structured surface recovery much easier. After that, the feasible number and width of interference fringes are determined based on sampling analysis and HT to guarantee the reliability and accuracy of phase solution in the proposed method. Finally, the accuracy and efficiency of this method is verified by measurement experiments of a standard step sample and a standard reticle template.

Correction of errors due to uneven intensity distribution and inaccurate phase shifts in prism-based simultaneous phase-shifting interferometry.

Simultaneous phase-shifting interferometry (SPSI) is a suitable technique for dynamic surface measurement due to its rapid measurement capability. Based on whether there are obvious multiple phase-shifting channels in the setup, it can be divided into the multi-channel type and the pixelated phase-mask type. For the former type, two important error sources are the uneven intensity distribution among different phase-shifting channels and inaccurate phase shifts in each phase-shifting channel. In order to diminish the influence of these two error sources, several methods have been proposed. However, in some of these methods, only one error source of the two was considered and corrected. In the methods where the two error sources were both considered, some assumptions such as the uniform background intensity and fringe contrast are needed, so a complete and universal suppression method for both error sources is still needed in actual applications. In this paper, for a prism-based SPSI, we proposed such an error-correction method that mainly contains the following contributions. First, the intrinsic parameters of the system, including intensity distribution coefficients and relative phase shifts among phase-shifting channels, are calibrated in advance. We also checked the uniformity of phase shifts in each phase-shifting channel. Second, based on the obtained parameters, a corrected four-step phase-shifting algorithm is deduced to recover the more accurate measured phase. Results of both simulation and experiment verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.

EpCAM contributes to formation of functional tight junction in the intestinal epithelium by recruiting claudin proteins.

Tight junctions (TJs) connect epithelial cells and form a semipermeable barrier that only allows selective passage of ions and solutes across epithelia. Here we show that mice lacking EpCAM, a putative cell adhesion protein frequently overexpressed in human cancers, manifest intestinal barrier defects and die shortly after birth as a result of intestinal erosion. EpCAM was found to be highly expressed in the developing intestinal epithelium of wild-type mice and to localize to cell-cell junctions including TJs. Claudin-7 colocalized with EpCAM at cell-cell junctions, and the two proteins were found to associate with each other. Claudins 2, 3, 7, and 15 were down-regulated in the intestine of EpCAM mutant mice, with claudin-7 being reduced to undetectable levels. TJs in the mutant intestinal epithelium were morphologically abnormal with the network of TJ strands scattered and dispersed. Finally, the barrier function of the intestinal epithelium was impaired in the mutant animals. These results suggest that EpCAM contributes to formation of intestinal barrier by recruiting claudins to cell-cell junctions.

Gut microbiota-bile acid-vitamin D axis plays an important role in determining oocyte quality and embryonic development.

OBJECTIVE: To reveal whether gut microbiota and their metabolites are correlated with oocyte quality decline caused by circadian rhythm disruption, and to search possible approaches for improving oocyte quality. DESIGN: A mouse model exposed to continuous light was established. The oocyte quality, embryonic development, microbial metabolites and gut microbiota were analyzed. Intragastric administration of microbial metabolites was conducted to confirm the relationship between gut microbiota and oocyte quality and embryonic development. RESULTS: Firstly, we found that oocyte quality and embryonic development decreased in mice exposed to continuous light. Through metabolomics profiling and 16S rDNA-seq, we found that the intestinal absorption capacity of vitamin D was decreased due to significant decrease of bile acids such as lithocholic acid (LCA), which was significantly associated with increased abundance of Turicibacter. Subsequently, the concentrations of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) hormone in blood and melatonin in follicular fluid were reduced, which is the main reason for the decline of oocyte quality and early embryonic development, and this was rescued by injection of vitamin D3 (VD3). Secondly, melatonin rescued oocyte quality and embryonic development by increasing the concentration of lithocholic acid and reducing the concentration of oxidative stress metabolites in the intestine. Thirdly, we found six metabolites that could rescue oocyte quality and early embryonic development, among which LCA of 30 mg/kg and NorDCA of 15 mg/kg had the best rescue effect. CONCLUSION: These findings confirm the link between ovarian function and gut microbiota regulation by microbial metabolites and have potential value for improving ovary function.

The effects of H22 tumor on the quality of oocytes and the development of early embryos from host mice: A single-cell RNA sequencing approach.

The association between cancer and female reproduction remains largely unknown. Here we investigated the quality of oocytes and the developmental potential of zygotes using H22 tumor-bearing mice model. The results showed that the number of oocytes was decreased in tumor-bearing mice compared with the control mice, and accompanied scattered chromosomes was observed. Further study revealed an abnormal epigenetic reprogramming occurred in the zygotes from the H22 tumor-bearing mice, as exemplified by the aberrant 5hmC/5mC modifications in the pronuclei. Finally, single-cell RNA sequencing was performed on the oocytes collected from the H22 tumor-bearing mice. Our data showed that 45 of the 202 differentially expressed genes in tumor-bearing group were closely associated with oocyte quality. Protein interaction analysis indicated that the potential interaction among these 45 genes. Collectively, our study uncovered that the quality of oocytes and early embryonic development were affected by H22 tumor bearing via the altered expression patterns of genes related with reproduction, providing new insights into the reproductive capability of female cancer patients.

Loperamide induces excessive accumulation of bile acids in the liver of mice with different diets.

Loperamide is a non-prescription medicine normally used for the treatment of diarrhea. The abuse and misuse of loperamide have been demonstrated to have toxic effects on heart. It is still unclear whether the abuse of loperamide can cause hepatic toxicity. The C57BL/6 mice fed with high fat diet (HFD) or normal food diet (NFD) were administrated with loperamide (5 mg/kg/day) intragastrically once a day for two weeks, after that, the feces, blood, hepatic tissues and intestines were harvested for biochemical and histological detection, and the expression of genes related with lipid metabolism was further checked by qRT-PCR (quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction) and Western blot. The administration of loperamide caused the constipation in mice fed with NFD or HFD. The content of bile acids was significantly reduced in the feces of mice treated with loperamide, but the content of bile acids was significantly increased in the liver of these mice. The results of H&E staining showed that loperamide administration caused the damage of hepatic tissues, especially for mice fed with HFD. The expression of genes related with the biosynthesis of cholesterol and bile acids, including Hmgcr, Lss, Sqle, Fdps, Idi1, Mvk, Cyp7a1 and Ch25h, was all upregulated in the liver of mice treated with loperamide. Conversely, the expression of Abcg5, Abcb11 and Abcc2, which encode genes for transporting cholesterols and bile acids from hepatocytes to bile respectively, was downregulated in the liver of mice treated with loperamide. At the same time, the expression of Fabp6 and Slc51a, which transport bile acids from intestinal lumen into the blood, was all upregulated in the ileum of mice treated with loperamide. The expression of SHP, which inhibits the transcription of Cyp7a1 in hepatocytes, was significantly downregulated in the hepatic tissues of mice treated with loperamide. These results demonstrated that administration of loperamide caused excessive accumulation of bile acids in the liver of mice via upregulating genes for biosynthesis of cholesterol and bile acid and downregulating genes for discharging cholesterol and bile acids in hepatocytes of mice, moreover, the downregulation of SHP in hepatic tissues might be one of the mechanisms of it, especially for mice fed with HFD.

EpCAM Is Essential to Maintaining the Immune Homeostasis of Intestines via Keeping the Expression of pIgR in the Intestinal Epithelium of Mice.

EpCAM deficiency causes congenital tufting enteropathy (CTE) which is considered as one kinds of very early onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, functions of EpCAM on regulating the immunity of intestines are still unclear. To study the mechanism of EpCAM on maintaining the intestinal immune homeostasis, the intestines of WT and EpCAM-/- mice at E18.5, P0 and P3 stages were collected for morphological, histological and gene expression tests. Serious inflammation was detected in the small intestines of P3 EpCAM-/- mice. Compared to WT mice, genes related to inflammatory factors and immunity cells, including TNFα, IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8rb, MIP2, MCP1, Ly6d and Ly6g, were all significantly upregulated and the expression of intestinal abundance matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) was also significantly increased in the intestines of EpCAM-/- mice at E18.5, P0 and P3 stages. Signals of p38, ERK1/2 and JNK were hyper-activated in the intestines of EpCAM-/- mice. The expression of pIgR was significantly decreased and the expression and activation of transcriptional factors which promote the expression of pIgR were also reduced in the intestines of EpCAM-/- mice compared to WT controls. In conclusion, EpCAM could maintain the immune homeostasis of intestines via keeping the expression of pIgR in the intestinal epithelium.

Ginsenoside Rb1 improves intestinal aging via regulating the expression of sirtuins in the intestinal epithelium and modulating the gut microbiota of mice.

Intestinal aging seriously affects the absorption of nutrients of the aged people. Ginsenoside Rb1 (GRb1) which has multiple functions on treating gastrointestinal disorders is one of the important ingredients from Ginseng, the famous herb in tradition Chinese medicine. However, it is still unclear if GRb1 could improve intestinal aging. To investigate the function and mechanism of GRb1 on improving intestinal aging, GRb1 was administrated to 104-week-old C57BL/6 mice for 6 weeks. The jejunum, colon and feces were collected for morphology, histology, gene expression and gut microbiota tests using H&E staining, X-gal staining, qPCR, Western blot, immunofluorescence staining, and 16S rDNA sequencing technologies. The numbers of cells reduced and the accumulation of senescent cells increased in the intestinal crypts of old mice, and administration of GRb1 could reverse them. The protein levels of CLDN 2, 3, 7, and 15 were all decreased in the jejunum of old mice, and administration of GRb1 could significantly increase them. The expression levels of Tert, Lgr5, mKi67, and c-Myc were all significantly reduced in the small intestines of old mice, and GRb1 significantly increased them at transcriptional or posttranscriptional levels. The protein levels of SIRT1, SIRT3, and SIRT6 were all reduced in the jejunum of old mice, and GRb1 could increase the protein levels of them. The 16S rDNA sequencing results demonstrated the dysbiosis of the gut microbiota of old mice, and GRb1 changed the composition and functions of the gut microbiota in the old mice. In conclusion, GRb1 could improve the intestinal aging via regulating the expression of Sirtuins family and modulating the gut microbiota in the aged mice.

EpCAM is essential for maintenance of the small intestinal epithelium architecture via regulation of the expression and localization of proteins that compose adherens junctions.

Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is highly expressed in mammalian intestines, and is essential for maintaining the homeostasis of the intestinal epithelium. EpCAM protein is localized at tight junctions and the basolateral membrane of the intestinal epithelium, where it interacts with many cell adhesion molecules. To explore the molecular functions of EpCAM in regulating adherens junctions in the intestinal epithelium, EpCAM knockout embryos and newborn pups were analyzed. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to assess the histology of the duodenum, jejunum, ileum and colon from wild-type and EpCAM­/­ mice at E18.5, P0 and P3. The expression and localization of adherens junction­associated genes and genes that encode the proteins that participate in the assembly of adherens junctions were measured at the mRNA and protein levels using qPCR, western blot analysis and immunofluorescence staining. The results showed that although there was no significant damage to the intestines of EpCAM­/­ mice at E18.5 and P0, they were significantly damaged at P3 in mutant mice. The expression of adherens junction­associated genes in EpCAM mutant mice was normal at the mRNA level from E18.5 to P3, but their protein levels were gradually reduced and mislocalized from E18.5 to P3. The expression of nectin 1, which can regulate the assembly and adhesion activity of E­cadherin, was also gradually reduced at both the mRNA and protein levels in the intestinal epithelium of EpCAM mutant mice from E18.5 to P3. In summary, the loss of EpCAM may cause the reduction and mislocalization of proteins that compose adherens junctions partly via the downregulation of nectin 1 in the intestines.

High dose lithium chloride causes colitis through activating F4/80 positive macrophages and inhibiting expression of Pigr and Claudin-15 in the colon of mice.

OBJECTIVE: Lithium chloride (LiCl) was a mood stabilizer for bipolar affective disorders and it could activate Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway both in vivo and in vitro. Colon is one of a very susceptible tissues to Wnt signaling pathway, and so it would be very essential to explore the toxic effect of a high dose of LiCl on colon. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were injected intraperitoneally with 200 mg/kg LiCl one dose a day for 5 days to activate Wnt signal pathway in intestines. H&E staining was used to assess the colonic tissues of mice treated with high dose of LiCl. The expression of inflammation-associated genes and tight junction-associated genes in colons was measured using qPCR, Western blot and immunostaining methods. The gut microbiome was tested through 16S rDNA gene analysis. RESULTS: The differentiation of enteroendocrine cells in colon was inhibited by treatment of 200 mg/kg LiCl. The F4/80 positive macrophages in colon were activated by high dose of LiCl, and migrated from the submucosa to the lamina propria. The expression of pro-inflammatory genes TNFα and IL-1ß was increased in the colon of high dose of LiCl treated mice. Clostridium_sp_k4410MGS_306 and Prevotellaceae_UCG_001 were specific and predominant for the high dose of LiCl treated mice. The expression of IgA coding genes, Pigr and Claudin-15 was significantly decreased in the colon tissues of the high dose of LiCl treated mice. CONCLUSION: 200 mg/kg LiCl might cause the inflammation in colon of mice through activating F4/80 positive macrophages and inhibiting the expression of IgA coding genes in plasma cells and the expression of Pigr and Claudin-15 in colonic epithelial cells, providing evidences for the toxic effects of high dose of LiCl on colon.

Cigarette smoking exposure breaks the homeostasis of cholesterol and bile acid metabolism and induces gut microbiota dysbiosis in mice with different diets.

Exposure of humans to second-hand smoking (SHS) increases glucose and lipid metabolic disorders. The link of hepatic metabolic dysfunction to environmental cigarette smoking has been noticed, but the related mechanism is still unclear. C57BL/6 mice with normal food diet (NFD) or high fat diet (HFD) were exposed to 15 min cigarette smoking twice a day in a 0.038 m3 box for 4 weeks, and the concentration of nicotine in the air of the box was 21.05 mg/m3 during the smoke exposure. Liver tissues and serum were collected for gene expression and biochemistry test. The fecal microbiota was also checked through 16S rDNA sequences. Cigarette smoking exposure increased the accumulation of total cholesterol (TC) in liver, and the expression of cholesterol synthesis-related genes was upregulated. The expression of CYP8B1 protein was significantly down-regulated, and the ratio of cholic acid (CA) to chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) was significantly reduced in the liver of mice exposed to cigarette smoking especially for HFD group. Cigarette smoking exposure caused insulin resistance in the liver of mice with HFD. The composition of the gut microbiota was altered with the exposure of cigarette smoking, and the change of the distribution of primary bile acids might be one of the reasons. It was concluded that cigarette smoking would break the homeostasis of cholesterol and bile acids metabolism and changed the composition of gut microbiota. Our discoveries confirmed that smoking bans are important for the public health.

Ovariectomy Impaired Hepatic Glucose and Lipid Homeostasis and Altered the Gut Microbiota in Mice With Different Diets.

The lower incidence of metabolic diseases of women than men and the increasing morbidity of metabolic disorders of menopausal women indicated that hormones produced by ovaries may affect homeostasis of glucose and lipid metabolism, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. To explore the functions of ovaries on regulating glucose and lipid metabolism in females, 8 weeks old C57BL/6 mice were preformed ovariectomy and administrated with normal food diet (NFD) or high fat diet (HFD). Six weeks after ovariectomy, blood biochemical indexes were tested and the morphology and histology of livers were checked. The expression levels of genes related to glucose and lipid metabolism in liver were detected through transcriptome analysis, qPCR and western blot assays. 16S rDNA sequence was conducted to analyze the gut microbiota of mice with ovariectomy and different diets. The serum total cholesterol (TC) was significantly increased in ovariectomized (OVX) mice fed with NFD (OVXN), and serum low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) was significantly increased in both OVXN mice and OVX mice fed with HFD (OVXH). The excessive glycogen storage was found in livers of 37.5% mice from OVXN group, and lipid accumulation was detected in livers of the other 62.5% OVXN mice. The OVXN group was further divided into OVXN-Gly and OVXN-TG subgroups depending on histological results of the liver. Lipid drops in livers of OVXH mice were more and larger than other groups. The expression level of genes related with lipogenesis was significantly increased and the expression level of genes related with ß-oxidation was significantly downregulated in the liver of OVXN mice. Ovariectomy also caused the dysbiosis of intestinal flora of OVXN and OVXH mice. These results demonstrated that hormones generated by ovaries played important roles in regulating hepatic glucose and lipid metabolism and communicating with the gut microbiota in females.