The effect of an acute aspirin challenge on intestinal permeability in healthy adults with and without prophylactic probiotic consumption: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Healthy individuals may experience increases in intestinal permeability after chronic or acute use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which may be attenuated by probiotics. This study investigates the effects of an acute aspirin challenge on gastroduodenal barrier function with or without prophylactic probiotic consumption. METHODS: Twenty-nine generally healthy participants (26 ± 6 years) completed a 14-week randomized, double-blind, crossover trial. A probiotic containing 2 Lactobacilli strains or placebo was administered for 3 weeks, with a 4-week washout period between crossover phases. Daily and weekly questionnaires assessing gastrointestinal function were completed for 2 weeks before until 2 weeks after each intervention to assess gastrointestinal function. Gastroduodenal permeability was assessed by urinary excretion of orally administered sucrose after 1, 2, and 3 weeks of each intervention with a 1950 mg-aspirin challenge after 2 weeks of supplementation. Stool samples were collected weekly during supplementation for detection of species of interest. RESULTS: Gastroduodenal permeability increased with aspirin challenge (Week 1: 3.4 ± 0.6 µmol vs Week 2: 9.9 ± 1.0 µmol urinary sucrose; p < 0.05). There were no differences in the change in permeability after the aspirin challenge or gastrointestinal function between interventions. CONCLUSION: The acute aspirin challenge significantly increased intestinal permeability similarly in both groups, and prophylactic probiotic consumption was unable to prevent the loss in this particular model.

Total Transit Time and Probiotic Persistence in Healthy Adults: A Pilot Study.

Background/Aims: Motility, stool characteristics, and microbiota composition are expected to modulate probiotics' passage through the gut but their effects on persistence after intake cessation remain uncharacterized. This pilot, open-label study aims at characterizing probiotic fecal detection parameters (onset, persistence, and duration) and their relationship with whole gut transit time (WGTT). Correlations with fecal microbiota composition are also explored. Methods: Thirty healthy adults (30.4 ± 13.3 years) received a probiotic (30 × 109 CFU/capsule/day, 2 weeks; containing Lactobacillus helveticus R0052, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei HA-108, Bifidobacterium breve HA-129, Bifidobacterium longum R0175, and Streptococcus thermophilus HA-110). Probiotic intake was flanked by 4-week washout periods, with 18 stool collections throughout the study. WGTT was measured using 80% recovery of radio-opaque markers. Results: Tested strains were detected in feces ~1-2 days after first intake and persistence after intake cessation was not significantly different for R0052, HA-108, and HA-129 (~3-6 days). We identified 3 WGTT subgroups within this population (named Fast, Intermediate, and Slow), which could be classified by machine learning with high accuracy based on differentially abundant taxa. On average, R0175 persisted significantly longer in the intermediate WGTT subgroup (~8.5 days), which was mainly due to 6 of the 13 Intermediate participants for whom R0175 persisted ≥ 15 days. Machine learning classified these 13 participants according to their WGTT cluster (≥ 15 days or < 5 days) with high accuracy, highlighting differentially abundant taxa potentially associated with R0175 persistence. Conclusion: These results support the notion that host-specific parameters such as WGTT and microbiota composition should be considered when designing studies involving probiotics, especially for the optimization of washout duration in crossover studies but also for the definition of enrollment criteria or supplementation regimen in specific populations.

A horizon scan exercise for aquatic invasive alien species in Iberian inland waters.

As the number of introduced species keeps increasing unabatedly, identifying and prioritising current and potential Invasive Alien Species (IAS) has become essential to manage them. Horizon Scanning (HS), defined as an exploration of potential threats, is considered a fundamental component of IAS management. By combining scientific knowledge on taxa with expert opinion, we identified the most relevant aquatic IAS in the Iberian Peninsula, i.e., those with the greatest geographic extent (or probability of introduction), severe ecological, economic and human health impacts, greatest difficulty and acceptability of management. We highlighted the 126 most relevant IAS already present in Iberian inland waters (i.e., Concern list) and 89 with a high probability of being introduced in the near future (i.e., Alert list), of which 24 and 10 IAS, respectively, were considered as a management priority after receiving the highest scores in the expert assessment (i.e., top-ranked IAS). In both lists, aquatic IAS belonging to the four thematic groups (plants, freshwater invertebrates, estuarine invertebrates, and vertebrates) were identified as having been introduced through various pathways from different regions of the world and classified according to their main functional feeding groups. Also, the latest update of the list of IAS of Union concern pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 includes only 12 top-ranked IAS identified for the Iberian Peninsula, while the national lists incorporate the vast majority of them. This fact underlines the great importance of taxa prioritisation exercises at biogeographical scales as a step prior to risk analyses and their inclusion in national lists. This HS provides a robust assessment and a cost-effective strategy for decision-makers and stakeholders to prioritise the use of limited resources for IAS prevention and management. Although applied at a transnational level in a European biodiversity hotspot, this approach is designed for potential application at any geographical or administrative scale, including the continental one.