Diverse functional genes harboured in extracellular vesicles from environmental and human microbiota.

Exchange of mobile functional genes within microbiota benefits the microbial community. However, the status of the mobile gene pool in environment is still largely unclear, impeding the understanding on the process of gene transfer in natural microbial communities. The release of extracellular vesicles (EVs) by diverse organisms has been proposed to be a vital way in the complex networks of interactions between microbes and their habitats. In this study, we hypothesized that microbial EVs encapsulating functional DNA are widely distributed in the environmental matrix. The prevalence, source and DNA cargoes of EVs in three types of typical microbial habitats were studied. High abundance of EVs comparable to the bacterial concentration was found in human faeces, wastewater and soil. Metagenomic analysis showed the diverse and differential taxonomy of EVs-associated DNA compared to source microbiome. An array of efficient EVs producing species was identified. A wide variety of mobile genes including glycoside hydrolase family 25 were enriched. Antibiotic resistance genes co-localizing with mobile genetic elements were abundant in the EVs. This study provides novel insights into the prevalent EVs as a reservoir for the mobile functional genes in the natural environment.

Correlation between lung cancer markers and air pollutants in western China population.

The relationship between serum lung cancer markers and the air pollution remains unclear. To further reveal the correlation between air pollutants and lung cancer, a retrospective analysis of 446,032 asymptomatic healthy people and symptomatic healthy people from the Health Management Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from 2014 to 2019 was performed. The distribution characteristics of serum lung cancer markers, cancer embryo antigens (CEA), cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA211), squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC), and nerve-specific enolase (NSE) was analyzed in these population. Two independent sample man-Whitney U test was used to analyze the correlation of lung cancer markers and age, and a Chi-square test was used to analyze the relationship between lung cancer markers and gender. The daily change trend was profiled for six main air quality indicators PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, CO, O3 during the same period. The correlation between lung markers and air pollutants was investigated by Spearman and multiple linear regression. The results showed that CYFRA211 had the highest excess rate in the screening population. There were differences in the number of cases with concentrated expression of lung cancer markers in the different age groups. Among them, the people with NSE exceeding the standard were the youngest, and most of them were 40-55 years old. Besides SCC, the expression levels of other markers increased with age, and the expression levels of the four markers in males were significantly higher than those in females. Although the levels of PM10 and PM2.5 exceeded the WHO standard (World Health Organization. 2011), they were not correlated with lung cancer markers. Multiple comparisons showed that the air pollutants SO2 and CYFRA211, as well as NO2 and NSE were closely related, but there was no significant linear relationship between CEA, SCC, and air pollutants. In conclusion, among the four lung cancer markers, CYFRA211 had the highest abnormal excess rate in total screening population, and the expression levels of these markers varied by gender and age, with males showing significantly higher expression levels than females, and they increased significantly with age except for SCC. The differential expression of these lung cancer markers may provide more strategies for lung cancer screening in the corresponding population. Lung cancer markers, CYFRA211 and NSE, can be used as sensitive biomarkers for exposure to certain air pollutants and provide references for the prevention and management of air pollution.

Dataset-based assessment of heavy metal contamination in freshwater fishes and their health risks.

The ecological risks and health hazards of heavy metals pollution in Taihu Lake have received widespread concern. This study has developed a species-pollution dataset which includes a large amount of data on heavy metal pollution in Taihu fish. The heavy metal contamination poses a significant threat to human consumption, but no studies have been conducted to assess the risk of exposure to consumption of these fish and to make recommendations for their consumption. In this study, we systematically integrated the relevant data in the dataset, analyzed its contamination level using PI (single pollution index) and MPI (metal pollution index) models, and assessed health hazards of fish consumption using THQ (target hazard quotient) and ILCR (incremental lifetime cancer risk) models. Results showed that the contamination levels of heavy metals in fish varied in a feeding habit and living habit dependent manner. The risk of non-cancer health is the highest from consuming omnivorous fish, then from carnivorous and herbivorous fish. The ILCR model predicted that the long-term Taihu consumption of omnivorous fish may pose a potential carcinogenic risk, especially for children. In all, our study provided a comprehensive understanding on the risk of heavy metals in Taihu. Accordingly, it is recommended that children should try to choose herbivorous fish when consuming fish from Taihu Lake while avoiding long-term consumption of omnivorous fish.

Role of Medicinal Plants for Liver-Qi Regulation Adjuvant Therapy in Post-stroke Depression: A Systematic Review of Literature.

Current evidence demonstrated certain beneficial effects of medicinal herbs as an adjuvant therapy for post-stroke depression (PSD) in China; Chai-hu (Chinese Thorowax Root, Radix Bupleuri) is an example of a medicinal plant for Liver-Qi regulation (MPLR) in the treatment of PSD. Despite several narrative reports on the antidepressant properties of MPLR, it appears that there are no systematic reviews to summarize its outcome effects. Therefore, the aim of this review was to assess the effectiveness and safety of MPLR adjuvant therapy in patients with PSD. Seven databases were extensively searched from January 2000 until July 2016. Randomized control trials (RCTs) involving patients with PSD that compared treatment with and without MPLR were taken into account. The pooled effect estimates were calculated based on Cochrane Collaboration's software RevMan 5.3. Finally, 42 eligible studies with 3612 participants were included. Overall, MPLR adjuvant therapy showed a significantly higher effective rate (RR = 1.23; 95% CI = 1.19, 1.27; p < 0.00001) compared to those without. Moreover, the administration of MPLR was superior to abstainers regarding Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) score changes after 3 weeks (WMD = -4.83; 95% CI = -6.82, -2.83; p < 0.00001), 4 weeks (WMD = -3.25; 95% CI = -4.10, -2.40; p < 0.00001), 6 weeks (WMD = -4.04; 95% CI = -5.24, -2.84; p < 0.00001), 8 weeks (WMD = -4.72; 95% CI = -5.57, -3.87; p < 0.00001), and 12 weeks (WMD = -3.07; 95% CI = -4.05, -2.09; p < 0.00001). In addition, there were additive benefits in terms of response changes for the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and other self-rating scores. No frequently occurring or serious adverse events were reported. We concluded that there is supporting evidence that adjuvant therapy with MPLR is effective in reducing the depressive symptoms and enhancing quality of life for patients with PSD. More well-designed RCTs are necessary to explore the role of MPLR in the treatment of PSD. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[Effect of electroacupuncture intervention on expression of corticotropin-releasing factor protein in hypothalamus and hippocampus of traumatized rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe changes of anesthesia analepsia time and hypothalamic and hippocampal corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) protein expression after electroacupuncture (EA) intervention in acute traumatic rats, in order to explore its mechanism underlying relief of post-operative stress. METHODS: Twenty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal control group, model group, sham EA group and EA group (5 rats/group). Acute traumatic model was established by left lobectomy. For rats of the sham EA group, two filiform needles were inserted into the right "Zusanli" (ST 36) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) respectively, without needle-twirling and without electrical stimulation. For rats of the EA group, the right ST 36 and SP 6 were electrically stimulated at 2 Hz/100 Hz and 2 mA for 30 minutes after needle insertion. Anesthesia analepsia time was recorded and righting reflex was tested for the acute traumatized rats. The expression of CRF protein in the hypothalamus and hippocampus was analyzed with Western blot. RESULTS: The anesthesia analepsia time and righting reflex recovery time were significantly shorter in the EA group than in the model group and sham EA group (P < 0.01). There was a close correlation between the anesthesia analepsia time and righting reflex recovery time (P < 0.05). In comparison with the normal group, the expression level of hippocampal CRF protein was significantly decreased whereas that of hypothalamic CRF protein evidently increased in the model group (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, hippocampal CRF protein expression was considerably upregulated and hypothalamic CRF protein remarkably down-regulated in the EA group (P < 0.05). A markedly negative correlation was found between hypothalamic CRF and hippocampal CRF protein expression, and between hippocampal CRF expression and the stimulating mode (P < 0.001), and a positive correlation was found between hypothalamic CRF expression and righting reflex, and between hippocampal CRF expression and EA intervention (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: EA intervention can shorten anesthesia analepsia time and righting reflex recovery time in liver-traumatized rats, which is closely associated with its effects in upregulating hippocampal CRF protein expression and down-regulating hypothalamic CRF expression. It suggests that CRF mediated hippocampus-hypothalamus-pituitary-axis is involved in EA induced reduction of post-surgical stress.