Exploring the correlation of metabolites changes and microbial succession in solid-state fermentation of Sichuan Sun-dried vinegar.

BACKGROUND: The traditional Sichuan Sun-dried vinegar (SSV) with unique flavor and taste is believed to be generated by the solid-state fermentation craft. However, how microorganisms and their metabolites change along with fermentation has not yet been explored. RESULTS: In this study, our results demonstrated that the middle and late stages of SSV fermentation were the periods showing the largest accumulation of organic acids and amino acids. Furthermore, in the bacterial community, the highest average relative abundance was Lactobacillus (ranging from 37.55 to 92.50%) in all fermentation stages, while Acetobacters ranked second position (ranging from 20.15 to 0.55%). The number of culturable lactic acid bacteria is also increased during fermentation process (ranging from 3.93 to 8.31 CFU/g). In fungal community, Alternaria (29.42%), Issatchenkia (37.56%) and Zygosaccharomyces (69.24%) were most abundant in different fermentation stages, respectively. Interestingly, Zygosaccharomyces, Schwanniomyces and Issatchenkia were first noticed as the dominant yeast genera in vinegar fermentation process. Additionally, spearman correlation coefficients exhibited that Lactobacillus, Zygosaccharomyces and Schwanniomyces were significant correlation with most metabolites during the fermentation, implying that these microorganisms might make a significant contribution to the flavor formation of SSV. CONCLUSION: The unique flavor of SSV is mainly produced by the core microorganisms (Lactobacillus, Zygosaccharomyces and Schwanniomyces) during fermentation. This study will provide detailed information related to the structure of microorganism and correlation between changes in metabolites and microbial succession in SSV. And it will be very helpful for proposing a potential approach to monitor the traditional fermentation process.

Dietary Patterns and Gallstone Risks in Chinese Adults: A Cross-sectional Analysis of the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the association between a plant-based diet and the risk of gallstone disease (GD), especially in developing counties. We tested the hypothesis that shifting dietary patterns would be related to the risk of GD, and that the Mediterranean diet (MED) adjusted for China would be beneficial for lowering risk of GD. METHODS: Data were extracted from the baseline survey of the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort study. An alternative Mediterranean diet (aMED) score was assessed based on a food frequency questionnaire, and three posteriori dietary patterns (the modern dietary pattern, the coarse grain dietary pattern, and the rice dietary pattern) were identified using factor analysis. Multivariable logistic regression models were developed to evaluate the association between dietary patterns and GD risks. RESULTS: A total of 89,544 participants were included. The prevalence of GD was 7.5%. Comparing the highest with lowest quintiles, aMED was associated with an increased risk of GD (OR 1.13; 95% CI, 1.04-1.24; Ptrend = 0.003), whereas the rice dietary pattern was inversely related to GD risk (OR 0.79; 95% CI, 0.71-0.87; Ptrend < 0.001). In stratified analysis, the rice dietary pattern had a stronger inverse association in the subgroups of females, older, urban, and overweight participants, and those with diabetes-factors associated with higher rates of GD in previous studies. CONCLUSION: Higher adherence to the rice dietary pattern was associated with a lower risk of GD. For high-risk populations, making some shift to a traditional agricultural diet might help with primary prevention of GD.

Diverse associations between adiposity and blood pressure among 80,000 multi-ethnic Chinese adults.

BACKGROUND: Adiposity is widely recognized as one of the risk factors for high blood pressure (BP) and increasing adiposity is associated with elevated BP. However, which measures of adiposity could be most strongly associated with BP in multi-ethnic population remains uncertain, giving rise to implications that population-based adiposity measures could be necessary. METHODS: 80,000 multi-ethnic adults recruited from 5 provinces across Southwest China during 2018 ~ 2019 were studied. Multiple linear regression was applied to investigate the associations of systolic blood pressure (SBP) with: (1) two measures of general adiposity, body mass index (BMI) and height-adjusted weight; and (2) three measures of central adiposity, waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC) and waist hip ratio (WHR). RESULTS: Two distinct population-specific patterns were identified, as "BMI to SBP" and "WC to SBP". 90% of the participants fall into "BMI to SBP" pattern, in which the associations of SBP with BMI were independent of WC, and SBP-WC associations were considerably decreased by adjustment for BMI. And in this pattern, 10 kg/m2 greater BMI was associated with 11.9 mm Hg higher SBP on average. As for the rest population (Han males in Yunnan and Tibetans in Lhasa), they are suited for "WC to SBP" pattern, 10 cm wider WC was associated with 3.4 mm Hg higher SBP. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that when selecting proper predictors for BP, population-specific adiposity measures are needed, considering ethnicity, sex and residing regions. A better understanding of adiposity and BP may better contribute to the potential clinical practices and developing precision application strategies.

Chemical Constituents from the Leaves of Ligustrum robustum and Their Bioactivities.

The leaves of Ligustrum robustum have been consumed as Ku-Ding-Cha for clearing heat and removing toxins, and they have been used as a folk medicine for curing hypertension, diabetes, and obesity in China. The phytochemical research on the leaves of L. robustum led to the isolation and identification of two new hexenol glycosides, two new butenol glycosides, and five new sugar esters, named ligurobustosides X (1a), X1 (1b), Y (2a), and Y1 (2b) and ligurobustates A (3a), B (3b), C (4b), D (5a), and E (5b), along with seven known compounds (4a and 6-10). Compounds 1-10 were tested for their inhibitory effects on fatty acid synthase (FAS), α-glucosidase, and α-amylase, as well as their antioxidant activities. Compound 2 showed strong FAS inhibitory activity (IC50 4.10 ± 0.12 µM) close to that of the positive control orlistat (IC50 4.46 ± 0.13 µM); compounds 7 and 9 revealed moderate α-glucosidase inhibitory activities; compounds 1-10 showed moderate α-amylase inhibitory activities; and compounds 1 and 10 displayed stronger 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) ammonium salt (ABTS) radical scavenging effects (IC50 3.41 ± 0.08~5.65 ± 0.19 µM) than the positive control l-(+)-ascorbic acid (IC50 10.06 ± 0.19 µM). This study provides a theoretical foundation for the leaves of L. robustum as a functional tea to prevent diabetes and its complications.

Monoterpenoid Glycosides from the Leaves of Ligustrum robustum and Their Bioactivities (II).

Ligustrum robustum has been not only used as a heat-clearing and detoxicating functional tea (Ku-Ding-Cha) but also consumed as a hypotensive, anti-diabetic, and weight-reducing folk medicine. From the leaves of L. robustum, ten new monoterpenoid glycosides named ligurobustosides T10 (1a), T11 (1b), T12 (2a), T13 (2b), T14 (3a), T15 (3b), F1 (4b), T16 (5a), T17 (5b), and E1 (6b), together with five known ones (4a, 6a, 7, 8a, 8b), were separated and identified using the spectroscopic method and chemical method in this research. The results of biological tests exhibited that the fatty acid synthase (FAS) inhibitory action of compound 5 (IC50: 4.38 ± 0.11 µM) was as strong as orlistat (IC50: 4.46 ± 0.13 µM), a positive control; the α-glucosidase inhibitory actions of compounds 1-4 and 7-8, and the α-amylase inhibitory actions of compounds 1-8 were medium; the ABTS radical scavenging capacities of compounds 1-3 and 5-8 (IC50: 6.27 ± 0.23 ~ 8.59 ± 0.09 µM) were stronger than l-(+)-ascorbic acid (IC50: 10.06 ± 0.19 µM) served as a positive control. This research offered a theoretical foundation for the leaves of L. robustum to prevent diabetes and its complications.

[Epidemiological Characteristics and Drug Resistance of Microbial Pathogens of Patients With Silicosis Combined With Pulmonary Infection].

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of patients with silicosis combined with pulmonary infection in recent years, to study the distribution and the drug susceptibility of fungal and bacterial pathogens in their sputum samples, and to provide references for the prevention and treatment of silicosis and the appropriate drug use. Methods: The clinical data and drug sensitivity test results of patients with silicosis combined with pulmonary infection diagnosed at the Department of Occupational Diseases, West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University were retrospectively analyzed. Results: A total of 318 patients with silicosis combined with pulmonary infection who received treatment between January 2017 and December 2020 were enrolled. All the patients had positive microorganism test results. All participants were male. Their median age at the time of onset was 51.00 years and the median time of exposure to silica dust at work was 12.40 years. They worked mostly in construction, non-ferrous metal mining, and coal mining. The main types of work they did were pneumatic drilling, coal digging, and mining. The positive detection rates for the first, second and third phases of silicosis were 27.54%, 28.32%, and 32.97%, respectively. A total of 341 strains of fungal and bacterial pathogens were isolated, of which, 54.1% were fungi, including 114 strains (35.8%) of Candida albicans, and 53.1% were bacteria, including 168 strains (52.8%) of gram-negative bacteria, most of which being Klebsiella pneumoniae (30.2%). There was only 1 strain (0.3%) of gram-positive bacteria, namely Staphylococcus hemolyticus. Gram-negative bacilli were most resistant to ampicillin and highly sensitive to penicillin G and ofloxacin. Conclusion: Among patients with silicosis combined with pulmonary infection, the incidence of pulmonary infection increases along with the progress of silicosis. Microorganism analysis reveals high detection rates for fungi and the bacteria detected are predominantly gram-negative bacteria. The overall prospect for drug resistance rate was not optimistic.

Oral mycobiota and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Early detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is essential for survival. Preliminary research demonstrated significant associations between structural alternation of mycobiota and PDAC. In this study, we investigated the associations between oral mycobiota and PDAC. We further explored mycobiota biomarkers for PDAC detection. We enrolled 34 PDAC patients and 35 matched healthy controls from West China hospital in Southwest China. Demographic data, clinical information, and salivary samples were collected. Mycobiota characteristics were defined using Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) ribosomal RNA sequencing. We found that the PDAC patients had significant increase in fungal abundance (P < 0.001) and significant decrease in fungal diversity (P < 0.001) in comparison to the healthy controls. A higher abundance of Basidiomycota and Unclassifed_p_Ascomycota was associated with an increased risk of PDAC. With each increase of abundance of g__unclassified_k__Fungi and g__unclassified_p__Ascomycota in PDAC patients, the risk of pancreatic cancer increased by 1.359 odds and 1.260 odds, respectively. Aspergillus (AUC = 0.983, 95% CI 0.951-1.000) and Cladosporium (AUC = 0.969, 95% CI 0.921-1.000) achieved high classification powers to distinguish PDAC patients from the healthy controls. The rapid, inexpensive tests of ITS1 sequencing of mycobiota and PCR detection of potential fungal biomarkers make it promising for the clinical practice to use oral microbes for PDAC early detection and prevention. Results of our study provide evidence that salivary mycobiota may provide insights into cancer risk, prevention, and detection.

Drug resistance characteristics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates obtained between 2018 and 2020 in Sichuan, China.

We investigated the drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from patients with tuberculosis (TB) and HIV, and those diagnosed with only TB in Sichuan, China. TB isolates were obtained from January 2018 to December 2020 and subjected to drug susceptibility testing (DST) to 11 anti-TB drugs and to GeneXpert MTB/RIF testing. The overall proportion of drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) isolates was 32.1% (n = 10 946). HIV testing was not universally available for outpatient TB cases, only 29.5% (3227/10 946) cases had HIV testing results. The observed proportion of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) isolates was almost double than that of the national level, with approximately 1.5% and 0.1% of the isolates being extensively drug resistant and universally drug resistant, respectively. The proportions of resistant isolates were generally higher in 2018 and 2019 than in 2020. Furthermore, the sensitivities of GeneXpert during 2018-2020 demonstrated a downward trend (80.9, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 76.8-85.0; 80.2, 95% CI 76.4-84.1 and 75.4, 95% CI 70.7-80.2, respectively). Approximately 69.0% (7557/10 946) of the TB cases with DST results were subjected to GeneXpert detection. Overall, the DR-TB status and the use of GeneXpert in Sichuan have improved, but DR-TB challenges remain. HIV testing for all TB cases is recommended.

High-altitude exposure decreases bone mineral density and its relationship with gut microbiota: Results from the China multi-ethnic cohort (CMEC) study.

BACKGROUND: Geographic altitude is a potent environmental factor for human microbiota and bone mineral density. However, little evidence exists in population-based studies with altitude diversity ranges across more than 3000 m. This study assessed the associations between a wide range of altitudes and bone mineral density, as well as the potential mediating role of microbiota in this relationship. METHODS: A total of 99,556 participants from the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort (CMEC) study were enrolled. The altitude of each participant was extracted from global Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) 4 data. Bone mineral density was measured by calcaneus quantitative ultrasound index (QUI). Stool samples were collected for 16S rRNA gene sequencing (n = 1384). The metabolites of gut microbiota, seven kinds of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), were detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS, n = 128). After screening, 73,974 participants were selected for the "altitude-QUI" analysis and they were placed into the low-altitude (LA) and high-altitude (HA) groups. Additionally, a subgroup (n = 1384) was further selected for the "altitude-microbiota-QUI" analysis. Multivariate linear regression models and mediation analyses were conducted among participants. RESULTS: A significant negative association between high-altitude and QUI was obtained (mean difference = -0.373 standard deviation [SD], 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.389, -0.358, n = 73,974). The same negative association was also observed in the population with microbiota data (mean difference = -0.185 SD, 95%CI: -0.360, -0.010, n = 1384), and a significant mediating effect of Catenibacteriumon on the association between altitude and QUI (proportion mediated = 25.2%, P = 0.038) was also noticed. Additionally, the acetic acid, butyric acid, and total amount of seven SCFAs of the low-altitude group were significantly higher than that of the high-altitude group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: High-altitude exposure may decrease bone mineral density in adults, thus increasing the risk of osteoporosis. The modulation of gut microbiota may be a potential strategy for alleviating the decrease of bone mineral density.

Association of Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet and Mediterranean diet with blood pressure in less-developed ethnic minority regions.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the association of Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)-style diet and Mediterranean-style diet with blood pressure in less-developed ethnic minority regions (LMERs). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Dietary intakes were assessed by a validated food frequency questionnaire. Dietary quality was assessed by the DASH-style diet score and the alternative Mediterranean-style diet (aMED) score. The association between dietary quality and blood pressure was evaluated using multivariate linear regression model. We further examined those associations in subgroups of blood pressure level. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 81433 adults from the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort (CMEC) study were included in this study. RESULTS: In the overall population, compared with the lowest quintile, the highest quintile of DASH-style diet score was negatively associated with systolic BP (coefficient: -2.78, 95% CI: -3.15 to -2.41; P-trend<0.001), while the highest quintile of aMED score had a weaker negative association with systolic BP (coefficient: -1.43, 95% CI: -1.81 to -1.05; P-trend<0.001). Both dietary indices also showed a weaker effect on diastolic BP (coefficient for DASH-style diet: -1.06, 95% CI: -1.30 to -0.82; coefficient for aMED: -0.43, 95% CI: -0.68 to -0.19). In the subgroup analysis, both dietary indices showed a stronger beneficial effect on systolic BP in the hypertension group than in either of the other subgroups. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that the healthy diet originating from Western developed countries can also have beneficial effects on blood pressure in LEMRs. DASH-style diet may be a more appropriate recommendation than aMED as part of a dietary strategy to control blood pressure, especially in hypertensive patients.

Monoterpenoid Glycosides from the Leaves of Ligustrum robustum and Their Bioactivities.

The leaves of Ligustrum robustum have been applied as Ku-Ding-Cha, a functional tea to clear heat, remove toxins, and treat obesity and diabetes, in Southwest China. The phytochemical research on the leaves of L. robustum led to the isolation and identification of eight new monoterpenoid glycosides (1-8) and three known monoterpenoid glycosides (9-11). Compounds 1-11 were tested for the inhibitory activities on fatty acid synthase (FAS), α-glucosidase, α-amylase, and the antioxidant effects. Compound 2 showed stronger FAS inhibitory activity (IC50: 2.36 ± 0.10 µM) than the positive control orlistat (IC50: 4.46 ± 0.13 µM), while compounds 1, 2, 5 and 11 displayed more potent ABTS radical scavenging activity (IC50: 6.91 ± 0.10~9.41 ± 0.22 µM) than the positive control L-(+)-ascorbic acid (IC50: 10.06 ± 0.19 µM). This study provided a theoretical basis for the leaves of L. robustum as a functional tea to treat obesity.

Phenylethanoid and Phenylmethanoid Glycosides from the Leaves of Ligustrum robustum and Their Bioactivities.

The phytochemical study on the leaves of Ligustrum robustum, which have been used as Ku-Ding-Cha, led to the isolation and identification of three new phenylethanoid glycosides and three new phenylmethanoid glycosides, named ligurobustosides R1 (1b), R2-3 (2), R4 (3), S1 (4b), S2 (5), and S3 (6), and five reported phenylethanoid glycosides (7-11). In the bioactivity test, (Z)-osmanthuside B6 (11) displayed strong fatty acid synthase (FAS) inhibitory activity (IC50: 4.55 ± 0.35 µM) as the positive control orlistat (IC50: 4.46 ± 0.13 µM), while ligurobustosides R4 (3) and S2 (5), ligupurpuroside B (7), cis-ligupurpuroside B (8), ligurobustoside N (9), osmanthuside D (10), and (Z)-osmanthuside B6 (11) showed stronger ABTS radical scavenging activity (IC50: 2.68 ± 0.05~4.86 ± 0.06 µM) than the positive control L-(+)-ascorbic acid (IC50: 10.06 ± 0.19 µM). This research provided a theoretical basis for the leaves of L. robustum as a tea with function in treating obesity and diabetes.

Comparative Study of Oral Bacteria and Fungi Microbiota in Tibetan and Chinese Han Living at Different Altitude.

Knowledge about the impact of altitude and ethnicity on human oral microbiota is currently limited. To obtain the baseline of normal salivary microbiota, we analyzed the bacteria and fungi composition in Tibetan (HY group) and Han population (CD group) living at different altitudes by using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology combined with PICRUSt and FUNGuild analyses. There were significant differences in oral microbiota composition between the two groups at phylum and genus levels. At the phylum level, the HY group had higher relative abundances of Firmicutes and Ascomycota, whereas the Bacteroidetes and Basidiomycota in the CD group were richer. These changes at the phylum level reflected different dominant genus compositions. Compared with the Han population, Candida, Fusarium, Zopfiella, Streptococcus, Veillonella and Rothia in Tibetan were higher. Surprisingly, the Zopfiella was found almost exclusively in the Tibetan. The PICRUSt and FUNGuild analysis also indicated that the function of the bacterial and fungal communities was altered between the two groups. In conclusion, our results suggest that there are significant differences in oral microbial structure and metabolic characteristics and trophic modes among Tibetan and Han population living at different altitudes. We first established the oral microbiota framework and represented a critical step for determining the diversity of oral microbiota in the Tibetan and Han population.

[Identification of the Strain Which Highly Produces Protease and ß-D-glucosidase Isolated from Shuidouchi Produced in Sichuan and Evaluating Its Ability of Producing Protease].

OBJECTIVE: To select and identify the bacterium which highly produces protease and ß-D-glucosidase from 72 strains of Shuidouchi from Sichuan, and to provide evidence for further research on its nutritional value and fermentation strain exploiting. METHODS: Casein degradation test and pNPG chemical test were applied respectively to detect the capacity to produce protease and ß-D-glucosidase of each strain. Characteristics of morphology, biochemistry, 16S rRNA and MALDI-TOF-MS were used to identify the fermentation strain, which genetic stability, curves of growth and enzyme producing were also obtained. RESULTS: The strain with the highest enzyme activity of ß-D-glucosidase (0.084 U/L) among the top 10 strains for producing protease was selected as the fermentation strain and was identified as Bacillus subtilis, which curves of growth and enzyme producing conformed as well. The result of genetic stability showed that capacity of enzyme producing was stable until the 10th generation. CONCLUSIONS: The fermentation strain which highly produced protease and ß-D-glucosidase was selected from 72 strains of shuidouchi from Sichuan and was identified as Bacillus subtilis.

The drug tolerant persisters of Riemerella anatipestifer can be eradicated by a combination of two or three antibiotics.

BACKGROUND: Riemerella anatipestifer (RA), the causative agent of duck infectious serositis, leads to high mortality in duck flocks and great economic losses in duck industry. Previous studies on RA are largely focused on its detection, virulence factors, serology, epidemiology as well as antibiotic resistance. Neither drug tolerant persisters nor the persister level under the treatment of antibiotics has been revealed. The persisters are non-growing or dormant cells within an isogenic bacterial population; they play important roles in recurrent infection and formation of drug resistant mutants. The aim of this study is to detect the drug tolerant persisters from the exponentially grown population of RA reference strain (RA 11845) or RA clinical isolate (RA TQ3), and address whether a single antibiotic or a combination of two or three antimicrobials can eradicate the persisters at respective maximum serum/plasma concentration (Cmax). RESULT: With the concentration of a test antibiotic increased, a small fraction of cells in the exponentially grown culture of RA reference strain (RA 11845) or RA clinical isolate (RA TQ3) always survived, irrespective of treatment time, indicating the presence of drug tolerant presisters. A single antibiotic cannot eradicate the persisters of both RA strains at respective Cmax, except that the Cmax of ceftiofur wiped out the population of the reference strain (RA 11845). Besides, the clinical isolate RA TQ3 presented a higher tolerance to ceftiofur in comparison to that of the reference strain (RA 11845). Combination of any two or three antimicrobials eliminated the drug tolerant persisters of RA TQ3 completely at respective Cmax. CONCLUSION: A sub-community of drug tolerant persisters was present in RA population. Persisters of RA TQ3 are single drug tolerant and not multidrug tolerant persisters.

Ethanol promotes apoptosis in rat ovarian granulosa cells via the Bcl-2 family dependent intrinsic apoptotic pathway.

Excessive and indulgent alcohol consumption causes tremendous public health issues worldwide. Not only is ethanol associated with a broad spectrum of critical chronic diseases, ethanol is also demonstrated to exert striking reproductive toxicity for both males and females. Epidemiological investigations suggested that ethanol is closely related to fertility decrease in women. Animal studies showed that ethanol intake obstructed ovulation and reduced ovarian weight during gestation. However, cellular mechanism for this inhibitory effect of ethanol on female fertility is yet to be explored. This study recruited rat ovarian granulosa cells, the primary effector of ovary, to investigate the effects of ethanol on cell apoptosis and explore potential mechanism. Ovarian granulosa cells treated with ethanol for three hours manifested observable reduction in cell viability and apparent apoptosis. In the presence of 200 and 300 mmol/l of ethanol, the percentages of apoptotic cells increased to 33% and 36%, respectively. In addition, apoptosis related caspase-3 activity was elevated with increasing concentrations of ethanol, suggesting a dose dependent effect. Furthermore, high concentrations of ethanol significantly disturbed the transcriptional and translational regulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and pro-apoptotic Bax, which are the two key members of Bcl-2 family tightly involved in intrinsic apoptotic pathway. These results indicated that ethanol promotes apoptosis in rat ovarian granulosa cells, possibly via the intrinsic apoptotic pathway.

The antiosteoporosis effect of icariin in ovariectomized rats: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Herba Epimedii (Yinyanghuo or Horny Goat Weed) is a traditional Chinese medicine widely used in treating osteoporosis. As the major active component, icariin is intensively investigated in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats. However, misleading conclusions can be generated in animal studies with various experimental designs. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the efficacy of icariin against osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats. PubMed, EMBASE and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure databases were searched to identify studies of icariin in ovariectomized rats. Two independent authors selected and reviewed the publications. Data were pooled using a DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model. The results demonstrated that ovariectomized rats treated with icariin had significantly higher bone mineral density (femur and lumbar spine) and lower bone turnover markers (serum alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin) compared with the ovariectomized control group. For bone histomorphometric parameters, the percentages of trabecular area and trabecular thickness were significantly higher while the trabecular separation was significantly lower in the ovariectomized rats treated with icariin. Based on these results, the presnet study suggested that icariin might possess substantial antiosteoporosis effect in ovariectomized rats. Safety studies and large randomized clinical trials are needed to further support possible clinical applications of icariin in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

Antimicrobial resistance and genomic investigation of Salmonella isolated from retail foods in Guizhou, China.

Introduction: Salmonella is a major foodborne pathogen worldwide that causes severe morbidity and mortality. It is mainly caused by consuming contaminated food, with retail food considered the primary source. Methods: In Guizhou, China, 102 Salmonella strains isolated from 2016 to 2021 underwent phenotypic antimicrobial resistance testing and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to understand Salmonella diversity, including serotypes, sequencing types (STs), antimicrobial genes, virulence genes, plasmid types, multi-locus sequence types (MLST), and core genome MLST (cgMLST). Results and discussion: S.Typhimurium was the dominant serotype, and O:4(B) was the leading serogroup. The most prevalent genotype was ST40. Phenotypic antimicrobial resistance identified 66.7% of the sampled isolates as multi-drug resistant (MDR). S.Enteritidis (n = 7), S.Typhimurium (n = 1), S.Indiana (n = 1), S.Kentucky (n = 1), S.Uganda (n = 1), all of which were MDR, were resistant to Colistin. Resistance rates varied significantly across different strains and food types, particularly meat products exhibiting higher resistance. Notably, significant increases in resistance were observed from 2016 to 2021 for the following: ≥ 1 resistant (P = 0.001), MDR (P = 0.001), ampicillin (P = 0.001), tetracycline (P < 0.001), chloramphenicol (P = 0.030), and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (P = 0.003). The marked escalation in drug resistance over the recent years, coupled with the varying resistance rates among food sources, underscores the growing public health concern. Our findings highlight the need for a coordinated approach to effectively monitor and respond to Salmonella infections in Guizhou, China.

Association of long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 and its constituents with gut microbiota: Evidence from a China cohort.

Accumulating animal experiments and epidemiological studies have found that exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is associated with altered gut microbiota (GM). However, it is unclear what kind of role the PM2.5 constituents play in the PM2.5-GM association. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association of long-term exposure to PM2.5 and its constituents (PMcons) with GM. This study included 1583 participants from a cohort in Southwest China. Satellite remote sensing and chemical transport modelling were used to determine the yearly average concentrations of PMcons. GM data were derived from 16 s sequencing based on stool samples. Generalized propensity score weighting regression and Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) were used to estimate the individual and joint association of exposure to PMcons with the Shannon index. The weighted correlation analysis was used to estimate the association of PMcons with the composition of GM. The result showed that an interquartile range increase of 3-year average black carbon (BC), ammonium, nitrate, organic matter (OM), sulfate, and soil particles (SOIL) were negatively associated with Shannon index with mean difference (95 % confidence interval) being -0.144 (-0.208, -0.080), -0.141 (-0.205, -0.078), -0.126 (-0.184, -0.068), -0.117 (-0.172, -0.062), -0.153 (-0.221, -0.085), and - 0.153 (-0.222, -0.085). BKMR indicated joint exposure to PMcons was associated with decreased Shannon index, and BC had the largest posterior inclusion probability (0.578). Weighted correlation analyses indicated PMcons were associated with decreased Bacteroidetes (r = -0.204, P < 0.001 for PM2.5) and increased Proteobacteria (r = 0.273, P < 0.001 for PM2.5). These results revealed that long-term exposure to PMcons was associated with GM. BC was the most important constituent in the association, indicating that the source of BC should be controlled to mitigate the negative effects of PM2.5 on GM.

Microbiota and mycobiota in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of silicosis patients.

BACKGROUND: The contribution of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) microbiota and mycobiota to silicosis has recently been noticed. However, many confounding factors can influence the accuracy of BALF microbiota and mycobiota studies, resulting in inconsistencies in the published results. In this cross-sectional study, we systematically investigated the effects of "sampling in different rounds of BALF" on its microbiota and mycobiota. We further explored the relationship between silicosis fatigue and the microbiota and mycobiota. METHODS: After obtaining approval from the ethics board, we collected 100 BALF samples from 10 patients with silicosis. Demographic data, clinical information, and blood test results were also collected from each patient. The characteristics of the microbiota and mycobiota were defined using next-generation sequencing. However, no non-silicosis referent group was examined, which was a major limitation of this study. RESULTS: Our analysis indicated that subsampling from different rounds of BALF did not affect the alpha- and beta-diversities of microbial and fungal communities when the centrifuged BALF sediment was sufficient for DNA extraction. In contrast, fatigue status significantly influenced the beta-diversity of microbes and fungi (Principal Coordinates Analysis, P = 0.001; P = 0.002). The abundance of Vibrio alone could distinguish silicosis patients with fatigue from those without fatigue (area under the curve = 0.938, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.870-1.000). Significant correlations were found between Vibrio and haemoglobin levels (P < 0.001, ρ = -0.64). CONCLUSIONS: Sampling in different rounds of BALF showed minimal effect on BALF microbial and fungal diversities; the first round of BALF collection was recommended for microbial and fungal analyses for convenience. In addition, Vibrio may be a potential biomarker for silicosis fatigue screening.