Metabolomics reveals the reasons for the occurrence of Pendulous-comb related to egg production performance.

The chicken comb is an essential secondary sexual characteristic to measure sexual maturity and is closely related to reproductive performance. Pendulous comb (PC) and upright comb (UC) are 2 common comb phenotypes in hens, which have been highly associated with egg production performance. However, the reasons for the formation of PC remain undetermined. In this study, we first characterized the PC and UC chicken at start (at 175 d age), peak (at 217 d age), and postlaying (at 300 d age) and found that PC and UC could transform for each other. Furthermore, we suggested that PC chicken demonstrated better egg production performance than UC chicken, especially characterizing comb type in the start-laying period. Moreover, we performed histological evaluation of PC and UC tissue, which suggested that the low density of collagen fibers and acid mucopolysaccharides might lead to the formation of PC. To further explore the possible reasons for PC formation, we performed an untargeted metabolomic analysis of serum between PC and UC chicken in the start, peak, and postlaying periods. The enrichment analysis of period-unique differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) between PC and UC showed that the different metabolic pathways and nutritional levels might contribute to the formation of PC in the different laying periods. Our research provided critical insights into the phenotypic diversity of chicken comb, establishing a foundation for early selection of chicken egg production performance.

MeRIP sequencing reveals the regulation of N6-methyladenosine in muscle development between hypertrophic and leaner broilers.

Meat production performance is the most important economic trait in broilers, and skeletal muscle, as the largest organ in animals, is directly related to meat production during embryonic and postnatal growth and development. N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) is a chemical modification occurs on RNA adenosine that has been reported to participate in a variety of biological processes in all species. However, there are still few reports on the regulatory role of muscle growth and development in poultry after birth. This study aims to reveal the distribution of m6A modification sites in chicken pectoralis major muscle after birth and find out the regulatory relationship between m6A and muscle development. As representatives of leaner (Xinghua chicken [XH]) and hypertrophic (White Recessive Rock chicken [WRR]) broilers, there are significant differences in body weight, muscle fiber diameter, and muscle fiber cross-sectional area between XH and WRR chickens. RNA sequencing detected a total of 397 differentially expressed genes (DEG) in the pectoralis major muscle of XH and WRR chicken, and these DEGs were mainly enriched in catalytic activity and metabolic pathways. MeRIP sequencing results showed that among all 6,476 differentially modified m6A peaks, about 90% peaks (5,823) were differentially down regulated in XH chickens. The joint analysis of the mRNA and MeRIP sequencing data found 145 DEGs with differential m6A peak, ALKBH5 as a m6A demethylase, was also included. The highly expression of ALKBH5 in the muscle tissue of poultry and differential expression between XH and WRR chickens suggest that ALKBH5 may play a crucial role in regulating muscle development. Our results revealed that there were significant differences in growth rate, body weight, muscle fiber diameter, and fiber cross-section area between WRR and XH chicken, as well as significant differences in m6A methylation level and muscle metabolism level.

The potential molecular mechanism underlying gypenoside amelioration of atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- mice: A multi-omics investigation.

Gypenosides (Gyp) are bioactive components of Gynostemma pentaphyllum that have a variety of pharmacological properties. Extracts of G. pentaphyllum have been found to be effective in the reduction of blood sugar and lipids and prevention of atherosclerosis. Here, the functions of Gyp and the mechanisms underlying their effects on atherosclerosis were investigated. Mice were allocated to three groups, namely, the control (C57BL/6), atherosclerosis model (ApoE-/- mice with high-fat diet), and Gyp-treated groups. Differentially expressed mRNAs, miRNAs, circRNA, and differential metabolites among the groups were analyzed. The results showed that "Fatty acid metabolism", "Fatty acid elongation", "Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction", and "PI3K-Akt signaling pathway", amongst others, were involved in treatment process. Differentially expressed genes, including Fabp1, Apoe, FADS1, ADH1, SYNPO2, and Lmod1were also identified. Mmu-miR-30a and mmu-miR-30e showed reduced expression in atherosclerosis models but were increased following Gyp treatment, suggesting involvement in the effects of Gyp. In addition, chr5:150604177-150608440 were found to interact with mmu-miR-30a and mmu-miR-30e to regulate their abundance. In terms of metabolomics, Gyp may regulate biological processes involving PGD2 and PGJ2, potentially alleviating atherosclerosis. In conclusion, Gyp appeared to have complex effects on atherosclerosis, most of which were positive. These results support the use of Gyp in the treatment of atherosclerosis.

Can Media Literacy Intervention Improve Fake News Credibility Assessment? A Meta-Analysis.

Fake news impacts individuals' behavior and decision-making while also disrupting political processes, perceptions of medical advice, and societal trends. Improving individuals' ability to accurately assess fake news can reduce its harmful effects. However, previous research on media literacy interventions designed for improving fake news credibility assessments has yielded inconsistent results. We systematically collected 33 independent studies and performed a meta-analysis to examine the effects of media literacy interventions on assessing fake news credibility (n = 36,256). The results showed that media literacy interventions significantly improved fake news credibility assessments (Hedges' g = 0.53, 95% confidence interval [0.29-0.78], p < 0.001). Gaming interventions were the most effective intervention form. Conversely, the intervention channel, outcome measurement, and subject characteristics (age, gender, and country development level) did not influence the intervention effects.

Discovering Cathodic Biocompatibility for Aqueous Zn-MnO2 Battery: An Integrating Biomass Carbon Strategy.

Developing high-performance aqueous Zn-ion batteries from sustainable biomass becomes increasingly vital for large-scale energy storage in the foreseeable future. Therefore, γ-MnO2 uniformly loaded on N-doped carbon derived from grapefruit peel is successfully fabricated in this work, and particularly the composite cathode with carbon carrier quality percentage of 20 wt% delivers the specific capacity of 391.2 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1, outstanding cyclic stability of 92.17% after 3000 cycles at 5 A g-1, and remarkable energy density of 553.12 Wh kg-1 together with superior coulombic efficiency of ~ 100%. Additionally, the cathodic biosafety is further explored specifically through in vitro cell toxicity experiments, which verifies its tremendous potential in the application of clinical medicine. Besides, Zinc ion energy storage mechanism of the cathode is mainly discussed from the aspects of Jahn-Teller effect and Mn domains distribution combined with theoretical analysis and experimental data. Thus, a novel perspective of the conversion from biomass waste to biocompatible Mn-based cathode is successfully developed.

Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals the mechanism of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway activation in lung adenocarcinoma by KRAS mutation.

BACKGROUND: Aberrant activation of the phosphatidlinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway has been shown to play an important role in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). The effect of KRAS mutations, one of the important signatures of LUAD, on the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in LUAD remains unclear. METHODS: The Seurat package and principal component analysis were used for cell categorization of single-cell RNA sequencing data of LUAD. The AUCell score was used to assess the activity of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Meanwhile, using the gene expression profiles and mutation profiles in the The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset, LUAD patients were categorized into KRAS-mutant (KRAS-MT) and KRAS-wild-types (KRAS-WT), and the corresponding enrichment scores were calculated using gene set enrichment analysis analysis. Finally, the subpopulation of cells with the highest pathway activity was identified, the copy number variation profile of this subpopulation was inscribed using the inferCNV package and the CMap database was utilized to make predictions for drugs targeting this subpopulation. RESULTS: There is higher PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway activity in LUAD epithelial cells with KRAS mutations, and high expression of KRAS, PIK3CA, AKT1 and PDPK1. In particular, we found significantly higher levels of pathway activity and associated gene expression in KRAS-MT than in KRAS-WT. We identified the highest pathway activity on a subpopulation of GRB2+ epithelial cells and the presence of amplified genes within its pathway. Finally, drugs were able to target GRB2+ epithelial cell subpopulations, such as wortmannin, palbociclib and angiogenesis inhibitor. CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides a basic theory for the activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway as a result of KRAS mutations.

The Potential Association of TFR1/SLC11A2/GPX4 with Ferroptosis in Mediating Lipid Metabolism Disorders in Atherosclerosis.

PURPOSE: Atherosclerosis is the most common and significant form of arterial disease, characterized primarily by lipid accumulation and inflammatory cell infiltration as its main pathological basis. This study aims to investigate the molecular mechanisms and associated pathways by which iron accumulation may be involved in lipid metabolism abnormalities in atherosclerotic mice. METHODS: Relying on ApoE-/- mouse body position observation, blood biochemical analysis, oxidative stress test and aortic tissue sectioning techniques, the effects of ferroptosis on lipid metabolism in atherosclerotic mice were analyzed. Use RT-PCR analysis and transcriptomics tests to understand the specific molecular mechanism. RESULTS: Our analysis reveals a correlation between Ferroptosis and elevated levels of TC, TG, ALT, AST, IL-1ß, and TNF-α in the blood of atherosclerotic model mice. At the same time, it exacerbates the pathological changes of mouse aorta tissue. Our results suggest a potential link between ferroptosis and the dysregulation of TFR1/SLC11A2/GPX4 expression, along with the presence of oxidative stress, in the progression of AS. Transcriptomics results indicate that ferroptosis- mediated deterioration of atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- mice is potentially associated with cell phagocytosis, apoptosis involving TNF-α, and the expression of atherosclerotic and other process-related genes. CONCLUSION: Ferroptosis exacerbated the lipid metabolism disorder in atherosclerotic mice. The core mechanism of its effect is that ferroptosis activates the TFR1/SLC11A2/GPX4 signaling pathway, which leads to the up-regulation of oxidative stress in ApoE-/- mice, and ultimately aggravates the abnormal lipid metabolism in ApoE-/- mice.

Effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine Five-Element Music Therapy Combined with Mirtazapine on Depression and Limb Function Recovery After Ischemic Stroke.

Objective: To observe the effects of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) five-element music therapy combined with mirtazapine on depression and limb function recovery after ischemic stroke. Methods: A total of 110 patients treated in the Departments of Geriatrics, Cardiology, and Psychology of three hospitals in Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province, China from October 2022 to August 2023 were selected. Based on the scores of 24-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-24), Barthel (BL) index, and National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) before enrollment, the patients were randomly divided into control group (n = 58) and experimental group (n = 52). The patients in control group were treated with limb rehabilitation, while those in experimental group underwent limb rehabilitation combined with five-element music therapy and mirtazapine. Results: After 12 weeks of treatment and observation, 11 patients in control group and 9 patients in experimental group withdrew from this trail. As for the proportions of score changes, experimental group had higher decline proportions of HAMD-24 score and NIHSS score as well as an increased proportion of BL index score than control group, which were 43.97%, 69.32%, and 44.12%, respectively. Conclusion: TCM five-element music therapy combined with mirtazapine significantly improves depression and limb function recovery after ischemic stroke.

DNA methylation in poultry: a review.

As an important epigenetic modification, DNA methylation is involved in many biological processes such as animal cell differentiation, embryonic development, genomic imprinting and sex chromosome inactivation. As DNA methylation sequencing becomes more sophisticated, it becomes possible to use it to solve more zoological problems. This paper reviews the characteristics of DNA methylation, with emphasis on the research and application of DNA methylation in poultry.

A meta-analysis of gray matter volume abnormalities in HIV patients.

HIV infection is known to have significant effects on central nervous system. This study conducted a meta-analysis of whole voxel-based morphometry (VBM) in HIV patients (N = 435) and HIV-uninfected controls (N = 397). This study observed a reduction of limbic lobe, cingulate gyrus, frontal lobe, middle frontal gyrus, sub-lobar, insula, inferior frontal gyrus and superior frontal gyrus volume in HIV patients. These morphological differences may be responsible for cognitive decline in HIV patients, as these brain regions are closely related to motor and memory functions. These results contribute to a better understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying brain injury in HIV patients and could help develop targeted brain targets, provide more personalized treatment and predict neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Psychological Inoculation for Credibility Assessment, Sharing Intention, and Discernment of Misinformation: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of misinformation poses a substantial threat to individuals' daily lives, necessitating the deployment of effective remedial approaches. One promising strategy is psychological inoculation, which pre-emptively immunizes individuals against misinformation attacks. However, uncertainties remain regarding the extent to which psychological inoculation effectively enhances the capacity to differentiate between misinformation and real information. OBJECTIVE: To reduce the potential risk of misinformation about digital health, this study aims to examine the effectiveness of psychological inoculation in countering misinformation with a focus on several factors, including misinformation credibility assessment, real information credibility assessment, credibility discernment, misinformation sharing intention, real information sharing intention, and sharing discernment. METHODS: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, we conducted a meta-analysis by searching 4 databases (Web of Science, APA PsycINFO, Proquest, and PubMed) for empirical studies based on inoculation theory and outcome measure-related misinformation published in the English language. Moderator analyses were used to examine the differences in intervention strategy, intervention type, theme, measurement time, team, and intervention design. RESULTS: Based on 42 independent studies with 42,530 subjects, we found that psychological inoculation effectively reduces misinformation credibility assessment (d=-0.36, 95% CI -0.50 to -0.23; P<.001) and improves real information credibility assessment (d=0.20, 95% CI 0.06-0.33; P=.005) and real information sharing intention (d=0.09, 95% CI 0.03-0.16; P=.003). However, psychological inoculation does not significantly influence misinformation sharing intention (d=-0.35, 95% CI -0.79 to 0.09; P=.12). Additionally, we find that psychological inoculation effectively enhances credibility discernment (d=0.20, 95% CI 0.13-0.28; P<.001) and sharing discernment (d=0.18, 95% CI 0.12-0.24; P<.001). Regarding health misinformation, psychological inoculation effectively decreases misinformation credibility assessment and misinformation sharing intention. The results of the moderator analyses showed that content-based, passive inoculation was more effective in increasing credibility and sharing intention. The theme of climate change demonstrates a stronger effect on real information credibility. Comparing intervention types showed that pre-post interventions are more effective for misinformation credibility assessment, while post-only interventions are better for credibility discernment. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated that psychological inoculation enhanced individuals' ability to discern real information from misinformation and share real information. Incorporating psychological inoculation to cultivate an informed public is crucial for societal resilience against misinformation threats in an age of information proliferation. As a scalable and cost-effective intervention strategy, institutions can apply psychological inoculation to mitigate potential misinformation crises.

Game-based inoculation versus graphic-based inoculation to combat misinformation: a randomized controlled trial.

Misinformation affects various aspects of people's lives, such as politics, entertainment, and social interactions. However, effective intervention measures to combat misinformation are lacking. The inoculation theory has become a prevalent measure of misinformation. This study employed inoculation theory and developed an interactive game to help the public counter misinformation. In this game, players take on the role of the misinformation spreader, intending to add more followers to their virtual accounts using different strategies. A total of 180 Chinese participants were randomly assigned to game-based inoculation, graphic-based inoculation, and control groups. The results indicated that both types of inoculation interventions significantly decreased the perceived credibility and sharing intention of misinformation. Game-based inoculation was more effective than graphic-based inoculation in terms of misinformation perceived credibility, and the intervention effects were stable after 2 weeks. The graphic-based inoculation contained the sleeper effect, which interventions required a period of time to take effect. Neither inoculation produced countereffects on perceived credibility and nor sharing intention of accurate information.

Abnormal Brain Structure Is Associated with Social and Communication Deficits in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Voxel-Based Morphometry Analysis.

Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) studies have shown abnormalities in the brain structure of ASD patients, but the relationship between structural changes and social communication problems is still unclear. This study aims to explore the structural mechanisms of clinical dysfunction in the brain of ASD children through voxel-based morphometry (VBM). After screening T1 structural images from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) database, 98 children aged 8-12 years old with ASD were matched with 105 children aged 8-12 years old with typical development (TD). Firstly, this study compared the differences in gray matter volume (GMV) between the two groups. Then, this study evaluated the relationship between GMV and the subtotal score of communications and social interaction on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) in ASD children. Research has found that abnormal brain structures in ASD include the midbrain, pontine, bilateral hippocampus, left parahippocampal gyrus, left superior temporal gyrus, left temporal pole, left middle temporal gyrus and left superior occipital gyrus. In addition, in ASD children, the subtotal score of communications and social interaction on the ADOS were only significantly positively correlated with GMV in the left hippocampus, left superior temporal gyrus and left middle temporal gyrus. In summary, the gray matter structure of ASD children is abnormal, and different clinical dysfunction in ASD children is related to structural abnormalities in specific regions.

TAT gene polymorphism and its relationship with production traits in Muscovy ducks (Cairina Moschata).

In a previous study, the laying pattern of Muscovy duck was explored by macro-fitting the laying curve of Muscovy duck, and transcriptome sequencing technique of the ovarian tissues was used to screen the egg-related gene "TAT." Moreover, recent results have shown that TAT is expressed in organs such as oviduct, ovary, and testis. The objective of this study is to examine the effect of TAT gene on egg production traits of Muscovy ducks. First, the expression levels of TAT gene in highest producing (HP) and lowest producing (LP) in 3 tissues related to reproduction were examined, and the results indicated that the expression of TAT gene in hypothalamus was significantly different between HP and LP groups. Then, 6 SNP loci (g. 120G>T, g, 122G>A, g, 254G> A, g. 270C >T, g, 312G>A, and g. 341C>A) were detected in TAT gene. Further, association analysis between the six SNP loci of TAT gene and egg production traits of 652 individual Muscovy ducks was done. The results showed that g. 254G>A and g. 270C>T were significantly correlated (P < 0.05 or 0.001) with the egg production traits of Muscovy ducks. This study elucidated the molecular mechanism that TAT gene might be regulating the egg production traits of Muscovy ducks.

Integration of transcriptome sequencing and whole genome resequencing reveal candidate genes in egg production of upright and pendulous-comb chickens.

Egg production performance plays an important role in the poultry industry across the world. Previous studies have shown a great difference in egg production performance between pendulous-comb (PC) and upright-comb (UC) chickens. However, there are no reports to identify potential candidate genes for egg production in PC and UC chickens. In the present study, 1,606 laying chickens were raised, and the egg laid by individual chicken was collected for 100 d. Moreover, the expression level of estrogen and progesterone hormones was measured at the start-laying and peak-laying periods of hens. Besides, 4 PC and 4 UC chickens were selected at 217 d of age to perform transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) and whole genome resequencing (WGS) to screen the potential candidate genes of egg production. The results showed that PC chicken demonstrated better egg production performance (P < 0.05) and higher estrogen and progesterone hormone expression levels than UC chicken (P < 0.05). RNA-seq analysis showed that 341 upregulated and 1,036 downregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the ovary tissues of PC and UC chickens. These DEGs were mainly enriched in protein-related, lipid-related, and nucleic acids-related biological processes including ribosome, peptide biosynthetic process, lipid transport terms, and catalytic activity acting on RNA which can significantly affect egg production in chicken. The enrichment results of WGS analysis were consistent with RNA-seq. Further, joint analysis of WGS and RNA-seq data was utilized to screen 30 genes and CAMK1D, CLSTN2, MAST2, PIK3C2G, TBC1D1, STK3, ADGRB3, and PPARGC1A were identified as potential candidate genes for egg production in PC and UC chickens. In summary, our study provides a wealth of information for a better understanding of the genetic and molecular mechanism for the future breeding of PC and UC chickens for egg production.

Maternal blood inflammatory marker levels increased in fetuses with ventriculomegaly.

Background: Fetal ventriculomegaly (VM) is one of the most common abnormalities of the central nervous system (CNS), which can be significantly identified by brain anomalies prenatally by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Aberrant white blood cells (WBCs) levels indicate that the maternal is suffering from the infection. Previous studies have confirmed that prenatal infection can affect fetal brain structure, but there is no research revealed the association between maternal blood parameters with fetal VM until now. Methods: We measured the width of the lateral ventricle of 142 fetuses, which were divided into the fetal VM group (n = 70) and the normal lateral ventricle group (n = 72). We compared maternal blood cell levels between the two groups and investigate potential biomarkers of fetal VM. Result: High levels of maternal WBC and neutrophil (NE#) levels were observed in fetuses with VM (p < 0.001), while lymphocyte percentage, monocytes (MO#), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet were also increased in the fetal VM group (p = 0.033, 0.027, 0.034, and 0.025, respectively). receiver-operator curve (ROC) analysis suggested that WBC and NE# counts might be useful to distinguish fetuses with enlarged lateral ventricles (AUC = 0.688, 0.678, respectively). Conclusion: The current study emphasizes the importance of maternal infection for fetal brain growth, which could provide important information for prenatal diagnosis of CNS anomalies. Future research needs longitudinal analysis and exploration of the influence of maternal blood inflammatory marker levels on fetal brain development.

Transcriptome analysis of the inhibitory effect of cycloleucine on myogenesis.

N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) has been reported to involve and play an important role in various biological activities but seldom in poultry myogenesis. Cycloleucine usually functions as a nucleic acid methylation inhibitor, the inhibition efficiency of cycloleucine at the m6A level and corresponding dynamic changes of poultry muscle cells remain unknown. In this study, we aim to find out the effect of cycloleucine on the total N6-Methyladenosine level and its molecular mechanism for regulating myogenesis. A total of 745 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained by 10 mM, 20 mM, and 30 mM of cycloleucine treatment compared with 0 mM treatment. DEGs in 10 mM cycloleucine were significantly enriched in the biological process of skeletal muscle and satellite cell proliferation and differentiation, DEGs in 20 and 30 mM cycloleucine were enriched in some metabolic and biosynthetic processes. The trend analysis showed that 85% of all DEGs were significantly clustered into 4 files, among them 59% DEGs were dose-dependent and 26% were dose-independent, 52% DEGs were in downtrend and 33% DEGs were in uptrend. Also, the cycloleucine treatment could trigger cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase and depress myoblast cell proliferation and inhibit myotube formation. In conclusion, cycloleucine could continuously reduce the m6A level of myoblast cells, depress myoblast cell proliferation and inhibit myotube formation.

RNA Sequencing Reveals the Regulation of Betaine on Chicken Myogenesis.

Betaine is trimethylglycine and a universal methyl donor which could provide methyl and glycine for cells and animals. As a new star in epigenetics, N6-Methyladenosine has been reported to regulate multiple biological activities, but the regulatory mechanism of betaine on N6-Methyladenosine as well as myogenesis was little studied. In this study, we treated chicken primary myoblast cells with different concentrations of betaine (0, 10, 25, and 50 mmol/L) and found that myoblast cell proliferation was inhibited, although the cell cycle was promoted in the S phase by betaine, where the myotube area was increased as well as the differentiation marker genes MyoD, MyoG, MyHC, Myomarker, and Ckm. RNA sequencing obtained a total of 61 differentially expressed genes (DEGs); DEGs caused by 50 mmol/L betaine were mainly enriched in the regulation of skeletal muscle tissue regeneration and some amino acid metabolic processes. The gene expression pattern trends of all DEGs were mainly clustered into 2 profiles, with the increase in betaine concentration, the gene expression pattern either increased or decreased continuously. Overall, a low concentration betaine can increase the N6-Methyladenosine modification level and myotube area but depresses myoblast cell proliferation in vitro.

Overall Rebalancing of Gut Microbiota Is Key to Autism Intervention.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with unclear etiology, and due to the lack of effective treatment, ASD patients bring enormous economic and psychological burden to families and society. In recent years, many studies have found that children with ASD are associated with gastrointestinal diseases, and the composition of intestinal microbiota (GM) is different from that of typical developing children. Thus, many researchers believe that the gut-brain axis may play an important role in the occurrence and development of ASD. Indeed, some clinical trials and animal studies have reported changes in neurological function, behavior, and comorbid symptoms of autistic children after rebalancing the composition of the GM through the use of antibiotics, prebiotics, and probiotics or microbiota transfer therapy (MMT). In view of the emergence of new therapies based on the modulation of GM, characterizing the individual gut bacterial profile evaluating the effectiveness of intervention therapies could help provide a better quality of life for subjects with ASD. This article reviews current studies on interventions to rebalance the GM in children with ASD. The results showed that Lactobacillus plantarum may be an effective strain for the probiotic treatment of ASD. However, the greater effectiveness of MMT treatment suggests that it may be more important to pay attention to the overall balance of the patient's GM. Based on these findings, a more thorough assessment of the GM is expected to contribute to personalized microbial intervention, which can be used as a supplementary treatment for ASD.

The method of Yiqi Yangyin Tongluo can attenuate the pyroptosis of rheumatoid arthritis chondrocytes through the ASIC1a/NLRP3 signaling pathway.

Background: Based on the ASIC1a/NLRP3 signaling pathway, we explored the specific molecular mechanism of the pyroptosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) chondrocytes by the method of nourishing qi, nourishing yin, and dredging collaterals to provide new ideas for the treatment of this disease. Methods: A total of 50 rats were divided into a normal group, model group, methotrexate group, Yiqi Yangyin Tongluo group, and combined group. Except for the normal control group, the other groups used Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA) to make RA rat model. The arthritis index and ankle joint swelling of rats in each group were recorded. HE staining and ELISA were used to assess the pathology of the ankle joint of each group of rats and the content of IL-1ß and IL-18 in rat serum. Furthermore, immunofluorescence and qPCR methods were used to detect the protein and mRNA expression levels of NLRP3, caspase 1, ACS, and ASIC1a in the cartilage tissue of each group of rats. Results: Compared with the normal group, the right hind foot joint of the model group was significantly swollen, the levels of IL-18 and IL-1ß in the serum of rats increased significantly, and the mRNA and protein levels of NLRP3, caspase 1, ACS, and ASIC1a in the chondrocytes also increased significantly. Compared with the model group, the degree of ankle joint swelling and IL-18 and IL-1ß content in rat serum in each medication group was significantly reduced, and the combined group showed the greatest reduction compared with the other groups. After 8 weeks of treatment, compared with the model group, the mRNA and protein levels of NLRP3, caspase 1, ACS, and ASIC1a in the chondrocytes of each medication group were down-regulated. HE staining found that there were large numbers of infiltrating inflammatory cells and pannus in the joint tissue of the model group, while only a small amount of inflammatory cell infiltration and pannus was seen in the joint tissue of the rats in each treatment group. Conclusions: The method of Yiqi Yangyin Tongluo can attenuate the pyroptosis of RA chondrocytes through the ASIC1a/NLRP3 signaling pathway.