Lactobacillus plantarum GUANKE modulate anti-viral function of dendritic cells in mice.

GUANKE is a Lactobacillus plantarum isolated from the feces of healthy volunteer. We have previously shown that GUANKE enhances the efficacy of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and prolongs the duration of vaccine protection by upregulating the IFN pathway and T and B lymphocyte functions of the host. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the protective effects and mechanism of oral administration of Lactobacillus plantarum GUANKE in the influenza (A virus A/Puerto Rico/8/34) infection mouse model. In our experiment, oral administration of GUANKE significantly decreased viral load and increased tight junction proteins expression in lung tissues of influenza-infected mice. After GUANKE was co-cultured with mBMDCs in vitro, mBMDCs' maturity and antiviral ability were enhanced, and matured mBMDCs induced polarization of naïve CD4+ T cells into T helper (Th) 1 cells. Adoptive transfer of GUANKE-treated mBMDCs could protect mice from influenza infections. This study suggests that oral administration of Lactobacillus plantarum GUANKE could provide protection against influenza infection in mice, and this protective effect may be mediated, at least in part, by dendritic cells.

Lactococcus cremoris D2022 alleviates hyperuricemia and suppresses renal inflammation via potential gut-kidney axis.

Hyperuricemia (HUA) is a widespread metabolic disorder. Probiotics have drawn increasing attention as an adjunctive treatment with fewer side effects. However, thus far the effective strains are limited and the mechanisms for their serum uric acid (SUA)-lowering effect are not well understood. Along this line, we conducted the current study using a hyperuricemia mouse model induced by potassium oxonate and adenine. A novel strain of Lactococcus cremoris named D2022 was identified to have significant SUA-lowering capability. Lactococcus cremoris D2022 significantly reduced SUA levels by inhibiting uric acid synthesis and regulating uric acid transportation. It was also found that Lactococcus cremoris D2022 alleviated HUA-induced renal inflammatory injury involving multiple signaling pathways. By focusing on the expression of NLRP3-related inflammatory genes, we found correlations between the expression levels of these genes and free fatty acid receptors (FFARs). In addition, oral administration of Lactococcus cremoris D2022 increased short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in cecal samples, which may be one of the mechanisms by which oral probiotics alleviate renal inflammation. Serum untargeted metabolomics showed changes in a variety of serum metabolites associated with purine metabolism and inflammation after oral administration of Lactococcus cremoris D2022, further confirming its systemic bioactivity. Finally, it was proved that Lactococcus cremoris D2022 improved intestinal barrier function. In conclusion, Lactococcus cremoris D2022 can alleviate HUA and HUA-induced nephropathy by increasing the production of SCFAs in the gut and systemic metabolism.

Physical exercise frequency and cognition: a multicenter cross-sectional cohort study.

Background and aims: Dementia imposes a heavy burden on society and families, therefore, effective drug treatments, exploring and preventing factors associated with dementia, are paramount. To provide reference points for the best frequency of physical exercise (physical exercise), we investigated the association between frequency of PE and cognition in Chinese old adults. Methods: 16,181 Chinese participants aged 65 years or older were included in this study. Associations between PE and cognition were estimated multivariate logistic and linear regression analyses. Associations were further investigated across dementia subtypes (Alzheimer dementia, vascular dementia, and other types of dementia). Subgroup analyses were performed in different age groups, in populations with and without stroke, and those with and without hypertension. Results: PE associated with dementia after adjusting for full covariates (OR: 0.5414, 95% CI: 0.4536-0.6491, p < 0.001). Exercise performed at ≥3 times/week associated with lower risk of dementia (OR: 0.4794-0.6619, all p value <0.001). PE was associated with improved cognition (ß: 12851, p < 0.001), and any PE frequency contributed to cognitive improvement (p values for exercise performed ≥1 time/week were <0.001). Similar conclusions were identified when we repeated analyses in different dementia subtypes and age groups. Subgroup analyses suggested that the cognition of individuals without hypertension also benefitted from exercising 1-2 times/week (OR: 0.6168, 95% CI: 0.4379-0.8668, p = 0.005). Conclusion: The best exercise frequency is exercising ≥3 times/week for individuals from different dementia subtypes and age groups. While for those without hypertension, PE at 1-2 times /week is also beneficial.

Interplay among attention, appraisal, and memory bias in provisional posttraumatic stress disorder: Exploring the combined cognitive biases hypothesis.

OBJECTIVE: Both theoretical and empirical studies suggest that negative cognitive biases significantly influence the onset and persistence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. However, the interplay among these cognitive biases and their conjoint contribution to the long-term trajectory of posttraumatic stress symptoms remains underexplored. This study delves into the interplay among attention, appraisal, and memory biases within a provisional PTSD population and evaluates the predictive effects of two integrative models (weakest link, additive approach) on posttraumatic stress symptoms reported 2 months later. METHOD: Sixty Chinese participants (Mage = 20.17, SDage = 2.11) with provisional PTSD undertook the scrambled sentences test (appraisal bias) with their eye movements recorded (attention bias) and then the free recall task (memory bias). Posttraumatic stress symptom was assessed at baseline and 2-month follow-up. RESULTS: Selective attention bias toward negative words was positively associated with the negative appraisal of scrambled sentences, which subsequently showed a strong association with negative memory bias. Regarding the progression of posttraumatic stress symptoms, the additive approach was found to be a more reliable predictor of self-reported posttraumatic stress symptoms at 2 months than the weak link approach. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides initial evidence supporting the combined cognitive biases hypothesis in provisional PTSD. It also underscores potential avenues to enhance cognitive bias modification techniques. Replication of these findings in broader clinical samples is essential. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Pediococcus pentosaceus MIANGUAN Enhances the Immune Response to Vaccination in Mice.

Increasing evidence shows that some probiotics can improve vaccine responses as adjuvants. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Pediococcus pentosaceus MIANGUAN (PPM) on SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-elicited immune response in mice. Six-week-old female ICR mice were primed and boosted with SARS-CoV-2 vaccine intramuscularly at weeks 0 and 4, respectively. Mice were gavaged with PPM (5 × 109 CFU/mouse) or PBS (control) for 3 days immediately after boosting vaccination. Compared to the control, oral PPM administration resulted in significantly higher levels of RBD-specific IgG binding antibodies (> 2.3-fold) and RBD-specific IgG1 binding antibodies (> 4-fold) in the serum. Additionally, PPM-treated mice had higher titers of RBD-specific IgG binding antibodies (> 2.29-fold) and neutralization antibodies (> 1.6-fold) in the lung compared to the control mice. The transcriptional analyses showed that the B cell receptor (BCR) signaling pathway was upregulated in both splenocytes and BAL cells in the PPM group vs. the control group. In addition, the number of IFN-γ-producing splenocytes (mainly in CD4 + T cells as determined by flow cytometry) in response to restimulation of RBD peptides was significantly increased in the PPM group. RNA sequencing showed that the genes associated with T cell activation and maturation and MHC class II pathway (CD4, H2-DMa, H2-DMb1, H2-Oa, Ctss) were upregulated, suggesting that oral administration of PPM may enhance CD4 + T cell responses through MHC class II pathway. Furthermore, PPM administration could downregulate the expression level of proinflammatory genes. To conclude, oral administration of PPM could boost SARS-CoV-2 vaccine efficacy through enhancing the specific humoral and cellular immunity response and decrease the expression of inflammation pathways.

Pulsatillae radix extract alleviates DSS-induced colitis via modulating gut microbiota and inflammatory signaling pathway in mice.

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic relapsing intestinal disease with complex pathogenesis. The increasing morbidity and mortality of UC become a global public health threat. Baitouweng decoction (BD), a formulated prescription of Traditional Chinese Medicine, has been applied to cure UC for many centuries. However, the therapeutic efficacy and working mechanisms of this medicine are not well studied. Aim of study: In this study we determined whether Pulsatillae radix, one of four ingredients in BD, had a therapeutic effect on colitis. And explore the underlying mechanism of Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel radix in the improvement of DSS-induced colitis in mice model. Methods: The active compounds of Pulsatilla chinensis was identified by UPLC. The composition of the mice's cecum microbiota was determined by 16S rRNA sequencing. And gene expression profile of colon was detected by transcriptome. Results: The results showed that Pulsatillae radix significantly improved the clinical symptom, prevented the shorten of colon length, and decreased the diseased activity index (DAI) in an 3 % DSS-induced ulcerative colitis mouse model. We found that Pulsatillae radix reversed the dysbiosis of gut microbiota as evidenced by increase in the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes, Deferribacteres, and Proteobacteria phyla and decrease in Firmicutes, as well as by decrease in the genera levels of Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, Prevotella, Mucispirillum, Coprococcus, Oscillospira, and Escherichia. The results of transcriptome showed Pulsatillae radix administration led to 128 genes up-regulation, and 122 genes down-regulation, up-regulate NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, down-regulate Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, and TNF and IL-17 signaling pathways. Conclusion: in this study, we demonstrate Pulsatillae radix alleviates DSS-induced colitis probably via modulating gut microbiota and inflammatory signaling pathway in DSS-induced colitis mouse model.

Efficacy and acceptability of mobile application-delivered acceptance and commitment therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder in China: A randomized controlled trial.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its extensive effects, the incidence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms is rapidly increasing in China. This research aimed to assess the efficacy and acceptability of a mobile application delivering Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in reducing PTSD symptoms. 221 Chinese individuals with elevated PTSD symptoms were randomly assigned to app-delivered ACT (ACT condition), app-delivered mindfulness (MI condition), or a waitlist (WL condition). Assessments were performed pre- and post-intervention. The results showed that participants in both the ACT and MI groups had significantly greater improvements across mental health outcomes compared to the WL group. No significant differences were observed between the ACT and MI groups except for psychological flexibility, which improved more in ACT than MI (d = -0.37). Compared to WL, the ACT group showed a greater improvement in PTSD symptoms (d = -0.79), anxiety (d = -0.62), depression (d = -0.51), posttraumatic growth (d = 0.46), and psychological flexibility (d = 0.76). The drop-out rates in the ACT and MI were 25.76% and 39.71%, respectively. Participants in the ACT condition reported medium program satisfaction. The study suggests app-delivered ACT is efficacious in reducing PTSD symptoms and improving overall mental health among Chinese adults.

Effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum GUANKE on Diphenoxylate-Induced Slow Transit Constipation and Gut Microbiota in Mice.

Slow transit constipation (STC) is a prevalent gastrointestinal condition with slow transit, and some probiotics can effectively relieve constipation, but the exact mechanisms have not been fully understood. In this study, we evaluate the impact of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum GUANKE (GUANKE) on diphenoxylate-induced slow transit constipation and speculate on the underlying mechanisms in a mouse model. Administration of L. plantarum GUANKE alleviated constipation indexes, including defecation time, fecal output and water content, and gastrointestinal transit ratio. In addition, GUANKE restored the protein expression of constipation-related intestinal factors (aquaporins (AQPs) and interstitial Cajal cells (ICCs)) in colon tissues measured using immunofluorescence staining; regulated the neurotransmitters and hormones, such as increased levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine, substance P, and motilin; and decreased levels of vasoactive intestinal peptide and nitric oxide in serum, as measured by an ELISA. 16S rRNA and correlation analysis of feces indicated that GUANKE administration effectively reduced constipation-induced Prevotella enrichment and suggested a potential contribution of Prevotella to diphenoxylate-induced STC in mice. GUANKE had no effect on short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in cecum content. This study revealed that GUANKE may alleviate constipation in mice through regulating intestinal neurotransmitter and hormone release and altering specific bacterial taxa, rather than by affecting SCFAs and the diversity of microbiota in the gut. Further research is needed to confirm if the findings observed in this study will be consistent in other animal studies or clinical trials.

Outcome expectations and working alliance may be more important for patients from rural areas during the transition to college life: An exploratory within-patient analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Research has given limited attention to the distinction between patients from rural and urban areas, especially concerning the frequent overlap between rural living and low socio-economic status (SES). To shed more light on this, we explored the differential treatment processes between patients from rural and urban areas. METHOD: Seven hundred and fourteen patients recruited from a university counseling center in China filled out the questionnaires for Outcome Expectation (OE), Session Alliance Inventory (SAI) and Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation-Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) each session. Data was analyzed using the disaggregated cross-lagged panel model and the asymmetric fixed-effect model. RESULTS: The findings indicated a reciprocal within-patient relation between OE and SAI for the whole sample. SAI mediated the effect of OE on next-session CORE-OM for patients from rural areas, with a significantly greater indirect effect than for patients from the urban areas. Asymmetric effects were found for OE among patients from urban areas, for whom drops in OE predicted worse next-session CORE-OM more strongly than improvements in OE predicted improved CORE-OM. CONCLUSION: This study provided preliminary evidence for differential OE-alliance-outcome predictions between patients with different SES and affirmed a reciprocal OE-alliance relation in a Chinese sample during the transition period of college.

Serum protein coating enhances the antisepsis efficacy of silver nanoparticles against multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli infections in mice.

Antimicrobial resistance poses a significant threat to public health and social development worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in treating multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. Eco-friendly spherical AgNPs were synthesized using rutin at room temperature. The biocompatibility of both polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and mouse serum (MS)-stabilized AgNPs was evaluated at 20 µg/mL and showed a similar distribution in mice. However, only MS-AgNPs significantly protected mice from sepsis caused by the multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli) CQ10 strain (p = 0.039). The data revealed that MS-AgNPs facilitated the elimination of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in the blood and the spleen, and the mice experienced only a mild inflammatory response, as interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, chemokine KC, and C-reactive protein levels were significantly lower than those in the control group. The results suggest that the plasma protein corona strengthens the antibacterial effect of AgNPs in vivo and may be a potential strategy for combating antimicrobial resistance.

Effects of digital psychological interventions on physical symptoms in cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: This meta-analysis was to assess the efficacy of digital psychological interventions to improve physical symptoms (i.e., fatigue, pain, disturbed sleep, and physical well-being) among cancer patients, as well as to evaluate the variables that possibly moderate intervention effects. METHODS: Nine databases were searched for the literature up to February 2023. Two reviewers independently conducted a quality assessment. Effect sizes were reported as the standardized mean difference (Hedge's g) and estimated using a random-effects model. RESULTS: The meta-analysis included 44 randomized clinical trials comprising 7200 adults with cancer. Digital psychological interventions were associated with significant improvements in short-term fatigue (g = -0.33; 95% CI, -0.58 to -0.07) and disturbed sleep (g = -0.36; 95% CI, -0.57 to -0.15), but with non-significant changes in pain (g = -0.23; 95% CI, -0.68 to 0.21) and physical well-being (g = 0.31; 95% CI, -0.18 to 0.80). Additionally, no alleviation in long-term physical symptoms was observed. In subgroup analysis, results suggest that the country significantly moderated the effectiveness of digital psychological interventions in alleviating fatigue. CONCLUSIONS: Digital psychological interventions can be effective for improving short-term fatigue and disturbed sleep in patients with cancer. Clinicians could consider digital psychological interventions as a possible and efficient addition to better manage some of the physical symptoms during and after cancer treatment.

Inhibiting virus replication and excessive inflammatory response: Mechanism of combined prescription of Ma-Xing-Shi-Gan decoction and Xiao-Chai-Hu decoction against influenza virus.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The combined prescription of two classical decoctions (Ma-Xing-Shi-Gan decoction with Xiao-Chai-Hu decoction), named as San-Yang-He-Zhi (SYHZ) decoction, has been widely used for the treatment of influenza virus (IFV) infections for decades. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to evaluate the anti-influenza effect of SYHZ decoction and explore the underlying mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The ingredients of SYHZ decoction were analyzed by mass spectrometry. An animal model of IFV infection was established by challenging C57BL/6J mice with PR8 virus. Three groups of mice were infected with lethal or non-lethal doses of IFV, then followed by oral administration of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), or SYHZ, or oseltamir; blank control mice (without IFV infection) were treated with PBS. Survival rate, Lung index, colon length, body weight loss and IFV viral load were measured 7 days post infection; histology and electron-microscopy examinations of lung tissue were performed; cytokine and chemokine levels in lung and serum were measured; and the intestinal metagenome, the cecum metabolome, and the lung transcriptome were analyzed. RESULTS: SYHZ treatment significantly improved survival rate compared with PBS (40% vs 0%); improved lung index, colon length, and body weight loss; and alleviated lung histological damage and viral load. SYHZ-treated mice had significantly lower levels of IL-1ß, TNF-α, IL-6, CCL2, CXCL10 in lung and serum, and increased levels of multiple bioactive components in cecum. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, Toll- and NOD-like receptors, pro-apoptosis molecules, and lung-injury-related proteins were downregulated in SYHZ mice, whereas surfactant protein and mucin were upregulated. The NOD-like receptor pathway, Toll-like receptor pathway, and NF-κB pathway were downregulated by SYHZ treatment. CONCLUSIONS: SYHZ decoction alleviated IFV infection in a mouse model. Multiple bioactive ingredients of SYHZ may inhibit replication of IFV and suppress excessive immune response.

The efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy for chronic pain: A three-level meta-analysis and a trial sequential analysis of randomized controlled trials.

The current study included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the benefits of Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for chronic pain. Searches were conducted in Web of Science, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Embase from inception until September 30, 2022. Thirty-three RCTs, including 2293 participants, were included. Small to medium effect sizes for pain intensity/physical function favoring ACT were found both at post-treatment (pain intensity: g = 0.44; physical function: g = 0.59) and follow-up (pain intensity: g = 0.34; physical function: g = 0.56). The effect sizes on psychological outcomes were significant at post-treatment (depression: g = 0.43; anxiety: g = 0.43; quality of life: g = 0.45) and follow-up (depression: g = 0.43; anxiety: g = 0.35; quality of life: g = 0.43). The results of the trial sequential analyses indicated that pooled estimates were unlikely to be incidental findings, as effects of multiple testing were controlled and power was adequate. Face-to-face ACT yielded significantly larger effects on physical outcomes than internet-delivered ACT. Participants with chronic headache and fibromyalgia showed greater benefit from ACT compared to those with non-specific pain or mixed pain. In addition, the longer the follow-up duration, the smaller the effect sizes for pain intensity/physical function at follow-up. The present meta-analysis suggests sufficient evidence for the significant benefits of ACT for people with chronic pain.

Lactiplantibacillus pentosus P2020 protects the hyperuricemia and renal inflammation in mice.

Introduction: Hyperuricemia (HUA) is a common metabolic disease, and its prevalence has been increasing worldwide. Pharmaceutical drugs have been used for controlling HUA but they all have certain side effects, which thus calls for discovering alternative options including using treatment of probiotics to prevent the development of HUA. Methods: We established HUA mice model induced by potassium oxonate and adenine and performed in vivo experiments to verify the ability to lower serum uric acid of Lactiplantibacillus pentosus P2020 (LPP), a probiotics stain extracted from Chinese pickle. We also tried to discussed the underlying mechanisms. Results: Oral administration with LPP significantly decreased serum uric acid and reduced renal inflammatory response by downregulating multiple inflammation pathways including NK-kB, MAPK, and TNFα. We also found that LPP administration significantly promoted uric acid excretion by regulating expression of transporters in the kidney and ileum. In addition, LPP intake improved intestinal barrier function and modulated the composition of gut microbiota. Discussion: These results suggest that probiotics LPP may have a promising potential to protect against development of HUA and HUA-related renal damage, and its working mechanisms involve regulation of inflammation pathways and expression of transporters in the kidney and ileum.

The Effect of Social Support on Depression among Economically Disadvantaged College Students: The Mediating Role of Psychological Resilience and the Moderating Role of Geography.

The study examined the influence of social support on depression, including the mediating role of psychological resilience and the moderating role of geography. Questionnaires were completed by 424 economically disadvantaged college students in two provinces, X, a coastal province, and Y, an inland province. The results indicated that (1) the social support of economically disadvantaged college students was positively correlated to psychological resilience (ß = 0.62, t = 11.22, p < 0.001); (2) the psychological resilience of economically disadvantaged college students was negatively correlated with depression (ß = -0.24, t = -10.3, p < 0.001); (3) the social support of economically disadvantaged college students was negatively correlated with depression (ß = -0.08, t = -2.85, p < 0.001); (4) the psychological resilience of economically disadvantaged college students played a partial mediating role between social support and depression; and (5) geography played a moderating role in the effect of social support on depression.

A comparison of the role of aggression in the association between hostile interpretation bias and antisocial personality features between young offenders and university students.

BACKGROUND: Antisocial personality features in adolescents are frequently associated with delinquency and constitute the problem that most concerns the criminal justice system and the public. Hostile interpretation bias has been identified as a candidate for explaining emergent adolescent antisocial personality problems and aggression, but it is unclear whether offenders and non-offenders show differences in the relationships between hostile interpretation bias, aggression and antisocial personality features. AIMS: To compare relationships between hostile interpretation bias and a personality measure between incarcerated teenagers and first year university students and to explore aggression and criminal history as mediating or moderating variables. METHODS: Fifty-three 16-18-year-old incarcerated male offenders and 69 17-20-year-old male university students were recruited, the former through institutional staff and the latter by online advert only. Individuals in both groups self-rated, in private, on the Word and Sentence Association Paradigm-hostile (WSAP), The Ambiguous Intentions Hostility Questionnaire (AIHQ), Hostility Interpretation Bias Task (HIBT) as tests for hostile interpretation bias, and on the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire and on Hyler's Personality Disorder Questionnaire (PDQ-4). Among the students, criminal history was assessed by a self-reported binary question. LASSO regressions were used to test inter-relationships between hostile interpretation bias and aggression or antisocial personality traits. Mediation and moderation were tested using MPLUS 7.4. RESULTS: The WSAP and AIHQ, as measures of self-reported hostility bias, had relationships with self-reported aggression (Pearson r 0.24-0.58, p < 0.001) and with antisocial personality features (r 0.36-0.50, p < 0.001), the HIBT did not. Aggression scores mediated the relationship between hostile interpretation bias and antisocial personality features. Furthermore, the relationship between hostile interpretation bias and aggression was stronger among the young offenders (estimates 0.43-0.75) than among the university students without criminal history (estimates 0.13-0.36). CONCLUSIONS: Hostile interpretation bias appears to promote antisocial personality features by increasing an individual's aggression, regardless of social status, although the effect was much stronger among the young offenders. To reduce young people's antisocial personality features, future studies should perhaps focus on evaluating strategies to reduce hostile bias or prevent it from being expressed in aggressive behaviours.

Bacteroides vulgatus Ameliorates Lipid Metabolic Disorders and Modulates Gut Microbial Composition in Hyperlipidemic Rats.

Hyperlipidemia is a risk factor and key indicator for cardiovascular diseases, and the gut microbiota is highly associated with hyperlipidemia. Bacteroides vulgatus is a prevalent mutualist across human populations and confers multiple health benefits such as immunoregulation, antiobesity, and coronary artery disease intervention. However, its role in antihyperlipidemia has not been systematically characterized. This study sought to identify the effect of B. vulgatus Bv46 on hyperlipidemia. Hyperlipidemic rats were modeled by feeding them a high-fat diet for 6 weeks. The effect of B. vulgatus Bv46 supplementation was evaluated by measuring anthropometric parameters, lipid and inflammation markers, and the liver pathology. Multi-omics was used to explore the underlying mechanisms. The ability of B. vulgatus Bv46 to produce bile salt hydrolase was confirmed by gene annotation and in vitro experiments. Oral administration of B. vulgatus Bv46 in hyperlipidemic rats significantly reduced the body weight gain, food efficiency, and liver index, improved the serum lipid profile, lowered the levels of serum inflammatory cytokines, promoted the loss of fecal bile acids (BAs), and extended the fecal pool of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), especially propionate and butyrate. B. vulgatus Bv46 induced compositional shifts of the gut microbial community of hyperlipidemic rats, characterized by a lower ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes with an increase of genera Bacteroides and Parabacteroides. After intervention, serum metabolite profiling exhibited an adaptation in amino acids and glycerophospholipid metabolism. Transcriptomics further detected altered biological processes, including primary bile acid biosynthesis and fatty acid metabolic process. Taken together, the findings suggest that B. vulgatus Bv46 could be a promising candidate for interventions against hyperlipidemia. IMPORTANCE As a core microbe of the human gut ecosystem, Bacteroides vulgatus has been linked to multiple aspects of metabolic disorders in a collection of associative studies, which, while indicative, warrants more direct experimental evidence to verify. In this study, we experimentally demonstrated that oral administration of B. vulgatus Bv46 ameliorated the serum lipid profile and systemic inflammation of high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemic rats in a microbiome-regulated manner, which appears to be associated with changes of bile acid metabolism, short-chain fatty acid biosynthesis, and serum metabolomic profile. This finding supports the causal contribution of B. vulgatus in host metabolism and helps to form the basis of novel therapies for the treatment of hyperlipidemia.

Mental health concerns and network structures of psychological helpline help-seekers during the COVID-19 pandemic in China: Pandemic stage differences.

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to investigate the pandemic stage differences of mental health helpline help-seekers emotional responses, psychiatric symptoms, and related network structures during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. METHODS: The data was collected by a large-scale psychological helpline in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China. Counselor-reported information about the help-seekers pandemic-related emotional responses and psychiatric symptoms were recorded. A total of 26,870 callers' data from February 28, 2020, to April 23, 2021, were collected in the present study. A linear probability model and network analysis were conducted to determine the differences in help-seekers mental health concerns and network structures between the pandemic (stage I, from February 28, 2020, to April 28, 2020, N = 9821) and the regular prevention and control period (stage II, from April 29, 2020, to April 23, 2021, N = 17,049). RESULTS: Results revealed that anger, sadness, and obsession symptoms increased in stage II while symptoms of anxiety, somatization, and feelings of fear and stress were relieved. The network analysis results demonstrated both stage I and II networks centered on anxiety firmly. In stage II, the connection between anxiety and hypochondria and fear's strength centrality descended significantly. LIMITATIONS: The mental health outcomes of callers only included the counselor-reported data. CONCLUSIONS: The mental health concerns of helpline callers showed pandemic-related stage differences.

Interpretation bias in health anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Interpretation bias (i.e. the selective negative interpretation of ambiguous stimuli) may contribute to the development and maintenance of health anxiety. However, the strength of the empirical evidence for this association remains a topic of debate. This study aimed to estimate the association between health anxiety and interpretation bias and to identify potential moderators of this association. Chinese-language databases (CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang), English-language databases (Web of Science, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus), and German-language databases (Psyndex and PubPsych) were searched for relevant studies. There were 36 articles (39 studies) identified by this search (N = 8984), of which 32 articles (34 studies) were included in the meta-analysis (N = 8602). Results revealed a medium overall effect size (g = 0.67). Statistically equivalent effect sizes were observed for patients diagnosed with clinical health anxiety (g = 0.58) and subclinical health anxiety (g = 0.72). The effect sizes for threat stimuli that were health related (g = 0.68) and not health related (g = 0.63) did not differ significantly. The effect size for studies using an offline paradigm (g = 0.75) was significantly higher than that for studies using an online paradigm (g = 0.50). It is concluded that health anxiety is significantly and robustly associated with interpretation bias. These findings are of central importance for the advancement of models and treatment of health anxiety.