Lacticaseibacillus jixiensis sp. nov., Isolated from Traditional Chinese Pickle.

A novel lactic acid bacterial strain (designated N163-3-2T), isolated from traditional Chinese pickle ('Suan cai'), was characterized using a polyphasic approach. Strain N163-3-2T was most closely related to the type strains of Lacticaseibacillus baoqingensis, Lacticaseibacillus manihotivorans, and Lacticaseibacillus porcinae, having 97.9-98.4% 16S rRNA gene, 82.0-85.1% pheS, 87.5-87.8% rpoA, and 85.8-86.7% concatenated pheS and rpoA sequence similarities. Strain N163-3-2T had 74.4-81.7% ANI, 22.6-23.9% dDDH, and 74.0-75.1% AAI values with L. baoqingensis 47-3T, L. manihotivorans DSM 13343T and L. porcinae JCM 19617T, less than the threshold for species demarcation (95-96%, 70% and 95-96%, respectively), indicating that strain N163-3-2T represented a novel species of the genus Lacticaseibacillus. Based upon the data obtained in the present study, a novel species, Lacticaseibacillus jixiensis sp. nov., is proposed, and the type strain is N163-3-2T (= CCTCC AB 2024125T = JCM 36999T).

Feishu Acupuncture Inhibits Acetylcholine Synthesis and Restores Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor M2 Expression in the Lung When Treating Allergic Asthma.

Acupuncture was proven beneficial in treating allergic inflammation. We aimed to explore the regulation underlying the effects of acupuncture on Feishu, an acupoint most commonly used in the acupuncture therapy for respiratory diseases, with respect to the system of sympathetic nerve neurotransmitter acetylcholine (Ach). Male Wistar rats were randomly grouping. No treatment was taken in the normal group. Allergic asthma was induced using ovalbumin on the model, Feishu acupuncture, and sham acupuncture groups; then control or acupuncture treatment lasting for 3 weeks was performed. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from the four groups was examined. And pulmonary tissues were subjected to histological analysis with H&E staining; besides, immunofluorescent staining, quantitative PCR, and western blot were used to detect synthetase (ChAT) and Ach hydrolase (AchE), and its muscarinic receptors (mAchRs) M1-M3. There was inflammatory infiltration in the lung upon allergic asthma, which was alleviated by the Feishu acupuncture. The eosinophilic granulocytes, neutrophils, and lymphocytes in BALF from the Feishu acupuncture group were all significantly decreased compared with those of the model and sham acupuncture groups. The specific acupuncture on Feishu upon allergic asthma put down the pulmonary expression of ChAT, repaired at the level of gene expression the pulmonary expression of mAchR M1, and restored the pulmonary expression of mAchR M2 (especially in the bronchiolar epithelium) which has a role in inhibiting Ach release; while sham acupuncture had no effect. These results confirmed the therapeutic effects of Feishu acupuncture on allergic asthma, suggesting that the mechanisms may involve suppression of the Ach signal both from its synthesis and during its release.

[Methods for Accurately Locating "Feishu" (BL 13) in Rats].

"Feishu" (BL 13) is a commonly used acupoint in experimental study,'but its definite position has not been described in current books about acupoints. In the'present paper, the authors introduced three methods for determining the anatomical location of "Feishu" (BL 13) acupoint in rats. The Wistar rats (200 ± 20) g were anesthetized with 10% chloral hydrate first, and then, fixed at the prone position. The highest point of the spinous process of the second thoracic vertebra was used as the marker for positioning the spinal vertebra. The point, 7 mm lateral to the site below the spinous process of the 3rd thoracic vertebra is just the "Feishu" (BL 13). In order to determine the 3rd thoracic vertebra, three methods are recommended to be adopted: 1) finding the 5th thoracic vertebra process parallel to the inferior angle of the scapula first, then going upwards to find the 3rd thoracic vertebra , 2) finding the 1st thoracic vertebra along the 1st rib, then going downward to find the 3rd thoracic vertebra, and 3) taking the 6th lumbar vertebra (parallel to the hip-joint) as the bone-marker and going upward to find the 3rd thoracic vertebra. When "Feishu" (BL 13) punctured, a filiform needle was straight inserted into the skin, then downward to the subcutaneous tissue, muscular layer (including the trunk cutaneous muscle, trapezius muscle, broadest muscle of back, serratus muscle of back, atalanto-longest muscle, longest muscle of neck, longest muscle of thorax, lumbar longest muscle, the medial part of the longest muscle, cervico-spinal muscle of back-, semispinal muscle of neck, biventer cervicis, and multifidus muscles) about 6 mm in depth.