Soil, Plant, and Microorganism Interactions Drive Secondary Succession in Alpine Grassland Restoration.

Plant secondary succession has been explored extensively in restoring degraded grasslands in semiarid or dry environments. However, the dynamics of soil microbial communities and their interactions with plant succession following restoration efforts remain understudied, particularly in alpine ecosystems. This study investigates the interplay between soil properties, plant communities, and microbial populations across a chronosequence of grassland restoration on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China. We examined five succession stages representing artificial grasslands of varying recovery durations from 0 to 19. We characterized soil microbial compositions using high-throughput sequencing, enzymatic activity assessments, and biomass analyses. Our findings reveal distinct plant and microbial secondary succession patterns, marked by increased soil organic carbon, total phosphorus, and NH4+-N contents. Soil microbial biomass, enzymatic activities, and microbial community diversity increased as recovery time progressed, attributed to increased plant aboveground biomass, cover, and diversity. The observed patterns in biomass and diversity dynamics of plant, bacterial, and fungal communities suggest parallel plant and fungal succession occurrences. Indicators of bacterial and fungal communities, including biomass, enzymatic activities, and community composition, exhibited sensitivity to variations in plant biomass and diversity. Fungal succession, in particular, exhibited susceptibility to changes in the soil C: N ratio. Our results underscore the significant roles of plant biomass, cover, and diversity in shaping microbial community composition attributed to vegetation-induced alterations in soil nutrients and soil microclimates. This study contributes valuable insights into the intricate relationships driving secondary succession in alpine grassland restoration.

PENCIL imaging: A novel approach for neuromelanin sensitive MRI in Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with the loss of neuromelanin (NM) and increased iron in the substantia nigra (SN). Magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) is widely used for NM visualization but has limitations in brain coverage and scan time. This study aimed to develop a new approach called Proton-density Enhanced Neuromelanin Contrast in Low flip angle gradient echo (PENCIL) imaging to visualize NM in the SN. METHODS: This study included 30 PD subjects and 50 healthy controls (HCs) scanned at 3T. PENCIL and MTC images were acquired. NM volume in the SN pars compacta (SNpc), normalized image contrast (Cnorm), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were calculated. The change of NM volume in the SNpc with age was analyzed using the HC data. A group analysis compared differences between PD subjects and HCs. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and area under the curve (AUC) calculations were used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of NM volume and CNR in the SNpc. RESULTS: PENCIL provided similar visualization and structural information of NM compared to MTC. In HCs, PENCIL showed higher NM volume in the SNpc than MTC, but this difference was not observed in PD subjects. PENCIL had higher CNR, while MTC had higher Cnorm. Both methods revealed a similar pattern of NM volume in SNpc changes with age. There were no significant differences in AUCs between NM volume in SNpc measured by PENCIL and MTC. Both methods exhibited comparable diagnostic performance in this regard. CONCLUSIONS: PENCIL imaging provided improved CNR compared to MTC and showed similar diagnostic performance for differentiating PD subjects from HCs. The major advantage is PENCIL has rapid whole-brain coverage and, when using STAGE imaging, offers a one-stop quantitative assessment of tissue properties.

Case Report: Type 2 Leprosy Reaction Mimicking Sweet Syndrome: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Type 2 leprosy reaction is a type of acute inflammation that predominantly affects borderline lepromatous leprosy and lepromatous leprosy patients and occurs before, during, or after therapy. The atypical variant, which resembles Sweet syndrome, could easily lead to misdiagnosis. Here, we report a case of a 52-year-old man who presented with type 2 leprosy reaction that mimicked Sweet syndrome. In addition, we review published cases and summarize their features to raise awareness of this atypical variant to enable improved diagnosis and management.

Short Chain Fatty Acids: Essential Weapons of Traditional Medicine in Treating Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic and recurrent intestinal inflammatory disease, mainly including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). In recent years, the incidence and prevalence of IBD have been on the rise worldwide and have become a significant concern of health and a huge economic burden on patients. The occurrence and development of IBD involve a variety of pathogenic factors. The changes in short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are considered to be an important pathogenic mechanism of this disease. SCFAs are important metabolites in the intestinal microbial environment, which are closely involved in regulating immune, anti-tumor, and anti-inflammatory activities. Changes in metabolite levels can reflect the homeostasis of the intestinal microflora. Recent studies have shown that SCFAs provide energy for host cells and intestinal microflora, shape the intestinal environment, and regulate the immune system, thereby regulating intestinal physiology. SCFAs can effectively reduce the incidence of enteritis, cardiovascular disease, colon cancer, obesity, and diabetes, and also play an important role in maintaining the balance of energy metabolism (mainly glucose metabolism) and improving insulin tolerance. In recent years, many studies have shown that numerous decoctions and natural compounds of traditional Chinese medicine have shown promising therapeutic activities in multiple animal models of colitis and thus attracted increasing attention from scientists in the study of IBD treatment. Some of these traditional Chinese medicines or compounds can effectively alleviate colonic inflammation and clinical symptoms by regulating the generation of SCFAs. This study reviews the effects of various traditional Chinese medicines or bioactive substances on the production of SCFAs and their potential impacts on the severity of colonic inflammation. On this basis, we discussed the mechanism of SCFAs in regulating IBD-associated inflammation, as well as the related regulatory factors and signaling pathways. In addition, we provide our understanding of the limitations of current research and the prospects for future studies on the development of new IBD therapies by targeting SCFAs. This review may widen our understanding of the effect of traditional medicine from the view of SCFAs and their role in alleviating IBD animal models, thus contributing to the studies of IBD researchers.

Strategically Acquired Gradient Echo (STAGE) Imaging, part IV: Constrained Reconstruction of White Noise (CROWN) Processing as a Means to Improve Signal-to-Noise in STAGE Imaging at 3 Tesla.

Increasing the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) has always been of critical importance for magnetic resonance imaging. Although increasing field strength provides a linear increase in SNR, it is more and more costly as field strength increases. Therefore, there is a major effort today to use signal processing methods to improve SNR since it is more efficient and economical. There are a variety of methods to improve SNR such as averaging the data at the expense of imaging time, or collecting the data with a lower resolution, all of these methods, including imaging processing methods, usually come at the expense of loss of image detail or image blurring. Therefore, we developed a new mathematical approach called CROWN (Constrained Reconstruction of White Noise) to enhance SNR without loss of structural detail and without affecting scanning time. In this study, we introduced and tested the concept behind CROWN specifically for STAGE (strategically acquired gradient echo) imaging. The concept itself is presented first, followed by simulations to demonstrate its theoretical effectiveness. Then the SNR improvement on proton spin density (PSD) and R2⁎ maps was investigated using brain STAGE data acquired from 10 healthy controls (HCs) and 10 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). For the PSD and R2* maps, the SNR and CNR between white matter and gray matter were improved by a factor of 1.87 ± 0.50 and 1.72 ± 0.88, respectively. The white matter hyperintensity lesions in PD patients were more clearly defined after CROWN processing. Using these improved maps, simulated images for any repeat time, echo time or flip angle can be created with improved SNR. The potential applications of this technology are to trade off the increased SNR for higher resolution images and/or faster imaging.

Photoacoustic imaging for cutaneous melanoma assessment: a comprehensive review.

Significance: Cutaneous melanoma (CM) has a high morbidity and mortality rate, but it can be cured if the primary lesion is detected and treated at an early stage. Imaging techniques such as photoacoustic (PA) imaging (PAI) have been studied and implemented to aid in the detection and diagnosis of CM. Aim: Provide an overview of different PAI systems and applications for the study of CM, including the determination of tumor depth/thickness, cancer-related angiogenesis, metastases to lymph nodes, circulating tumor cells (CTCs), virtual histology, and studies using exogenous contrast agents. Approach: A systematic review and classification of different PAI configurations was conducted based on their specific applications for melanoma detection. This review encompasses animal and preclinical studies, offering insights into the future potential of PAI in melanoma diagnosis in the clinic. Results: PAI holds great clinical potential as a noninvasive technique for melanoma detection and disease management. PA microscopy has predominantly been used to image and study angiogenesis surrounding tumors and provide information on tumor characteristics. Additionally, PA tomography, with its increased penetration depth, has demonstrated its ability to assess melanoma thickness. Both modalities have shown promise in detecting metastases to lymph nodes and CTCs, and an all-optical implementation has been developed to perform virtual histology analyses. Animal and human studies have successfully shown the capability of PAI to detect, visualize, classify, and stage CM. Conclusions: PAI is a promising technique for assessing the status of the skin without a surgical procedure. The capability of the modality to image microvasculature, visualize tumor boundaries, detect metastases in lymph nodes, perform fast and label-free histology, and identify CTCs could aid in the early diagnosis and classification of CM, including determination of metastatic status. In addition, it could be useful for monitoring treatment efficacy noninvasively.

Effect of Epidermoid Cysts on the Efficacy of Intralesional Corticosteroid Therapy for Hypertrophic Scars and Keloids: A Prospective Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with hypertrophic scars (HSs) or keloids occasionally have epidermoid cysts (ECs), and the effect of ECs on the effectiveness of intralesional corticosteroids (ILCs) treatment in these patients has not been reported. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the influence of ECs on the outcomes of ILCs treatment in patients with HSs or keloids. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective study included 572 patients with keloids ( n = 461) or HSs ( n = 111). Patients received intralesional triamcinolone acetonide injection (0.05 mL/injection) at a concentration of 40 mg/mL and every 28 days for 4 sessions, with a 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: A higher incidence of ECs was observed in keloid patients (16.92%) compared with HSs patients (7.21%). Keloid patients with ECs were older ( p = .008) and had a longer disease duration ( p = .0148), higher Vancouver scar scale (VSS) scores ( p = .04), and greater thickness ( p = .006). Keloid patients with ECs showed less improvement in VSS scores ( p < .0001) and thickness ( p < .0001) after ILCs treatment, with a higher recurrence rate ( p < .0001). The overall complication rate in keloid patients with ECs after ILCs treatment was 49.51%. CONCLUSION: Epidermoid cysts under keloids were associated with a poor response to ILCs therapy. Therefore, it is recommended to incorporate ultrasonography as a routine examination for keloid patients to aid in better decision making in clinical practice.

Predicting Prognosis and Immunotherapy Response in Multiple Cancers Based on the Association of PANoptosis-Related Genes with Tumor Heterogeneity.

PANoptosis is a newly recognized inflammatory pathway for programmed cell death (PCD). It participates in regulating the internal environment, homeostasis, and disease process in various complex ways and plays a crucial role in tumor development, but its mechanism of action is still unclear. In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the expression of 14 PANoptosis-related genes (PANRGs) in 28 types of tumors. Most PANRGs are upregulated in tumors, including Z-DNA binding protein 1 (ZBP1), nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3), caspase (CASP) 1, CASP6, CASP8, PYCARD, FADD, MAP3K7, RNF31, and RBCK1. PANRGs are highly expressed in GBM, LGG, and PAAD, while their levels in ACC are much lower than those in normal tissues. We found that both the CNV and SNV gene sets in BLCA are closely related to survival performance. Subsequently, we conducted clustering and LASSO analysis on each tumor and found that the inhibitory and the stimulating immune checkpoints positively correlate with ZBP1, NLRP3, CASP1, CASP8, and TNFAIP3. The immune infiltration results indicated that KIRC is associated with most infiltrating immune cells. According to the six tumor dryness indicators, PANRGs in LGG show the strongest tumor dryness but have a negative correlation with RNAss. In KIRC, LIHC, and TGCT, most PANRGs play an important role in tumor heterogeneity. Additionally, we analyzed the linear relationship between PANRGs and miRNA and found that MAP3K7 correlates to many miRNAs in most cancers. Finally, we predicted the possible drugs for targeted therapy of the cancers. These data greatly enhance our understanding of the components of cancer and may lead to the discovery of new biomarkers for predicting immunotherapy response and improving the prognosis of cancer patients.

Application and Comparison of Dermoscopy and Reflectance Confocal Microscopy in the Target Treatment of Genital Lichen Sclerosus: A Single-Arm Prospective Study.

INTRODUCTION: The treatment of genital lichen sclerosus (GLS) remains challenging. Baricitinib has been introduced in the treatment of GLS, but there's no imaging evaluation for GLS patients treated with it. No comparison of dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) assessments in GLS has been conducted. We performed this study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of baricitinib for GLS and to compare the value of dermoscopy and RCM assessments in GLS. METHODS: Participants were treated with baricitinib for 6 months and assessed at week 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and every 4 weeks for the next 16 weeks. All patients were evaluated for clinical, dermoscopic, and RCM variables, with numeric scores assigned to each parameter. RESULTS: Twenty-six GLS patients were included in this study. All patients achieved Investigator's Global Assessment score ≤ 1 (with ≥ 2-grade improvement) at week 20. The scores of pruritus and pain decreased since week 2 (both P < 0.05). The DLQI and VQLI scores significantly decreased since week 4 (both P < 0.0001). White structureless areas improved at week 2 and white shiny streaks and follicular plugs improved at week 4 under dermoscopic examination. Vessels (P < 0.001) and brown structureless areas (P = 0.003) increased at week 8. In RCM, inflammatory cells count significantly decreased at week 2 (100.03 ± 33.24, P < 0.0001), with substantial regression at week 8 (16.98 ± 5.54, P < 0.0001). Epidermal thickness increased at week 12 (157.44 ± 37.87 µm versus 134.13 ± 36.60 µm, P = 0.0284). Irregular papillae, spongiosis, and fiber structures improved at week 20, week 4, and week 6 (all P < 0.01). Transient hypercholesterolemia (11.54%), thrombocytosis (7.69%), and elevated alanine aminotransferase (7.69%) occurred during treatment. CONCLUSION: Both dermoscopy and RCM can be useful and non-invasive adjuvant tools for the evaluation and therapeutic monitoring of GLS. We recommended white structureless areas under dermoscopy and inflammatory cells count under RCM as variables for dermatologic imaging evaluation for GLS. Baricitinib is effective and safe for GLS, while randomized controlled trials are warranted.

Methyl Canthin-6-one-2-carboxylate Restrains the Migration/Invasion Properties of Fibroblast-like Synoviocytes by Suppressing the Hippo/YAP Signaling Pathway.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory condition that causes severe cartilage degradation and synovial damage in the joints with multiple systemic implications. Previous studies have revealed that fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of RA. The appropriate regulation of FLS function is an efficient approach for the treatment of this disease. In the present study, we explored the effects of methyl canthin-6-one-2-carboxylate (Cant), a novel canthin-6-one alkaloid, on the function of FLSs. Our data showed that exposure to Cant significantly suppressed RA-FLS migration and invasion properties in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, pre-treatment with Cant also had an inhibitory effect on the release of several pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6 and IL-1ß, as well as the production of MMP1 and MMP3, which are important mediators of FLS invasion. In further mechanistic studies, we found that Cant had an inhibitory effect on the Hippo/YAP signaling pathway. Treatment with Cant suppressed YAP expression and phosphorylation on serine 127 and serine 397 while enhancing LATS1 and MST1 levels, both being important upstream regulators of YAP. Moreover, YAP-specific siRNA or YAP inhibition significantly inhibited wound healing as well as the migration and invasion rate of FLS cells, an impact similar to Cant treatment. Meanwhile, the over-expression of YAP significantly reversed the Cant-induced decline in RA-FLS cell migration and invasion, indicating that YAP was required in the inhibitory effect of Cant on the migration and invasion of RA-FLS cells. Additionally, supplementation of MMP1, but not MMP3, in culture supernatants significantly reversed the inhibitory effect of Cant on RA-FLS cell invasion. Our data collectively demonstrated that Cant may suppress RA-FLS migration and invasion by inhibiting the production of MMP1 via inhibiting the YAP signaling pathway, suggesting a potential of Cant for the further development of anti-RA drugs.

The mechanism of traditional medicine in alleviating ulcerative colitis: regulating intestinal barrier function.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an idiopathic inflammatory disease mainly affects the large bowel and the rectum. The pathogenesis of this disease has not been fully elucidated, while the disruption of the intestinal barrier function triggered by various stimulating factors related to the host genetics, immunity, gut microbiota, and environment has been considered to be major mechanisms that affect the development of UC. Given the limited effective therapies, the treatment of this disease is not ideal and its incidence and prevalence are increasing. Therefore, developing new therapies with high efficiency and efficacy is important for treating UC. Many recent studies disclosed that numerous herbal decoctions and natural compounds derived from traditional herbal medicine showed promising therapeutic activities in animal models of colitis and have gained increasing attention from scientists in the study of UC. Some of these decoctions and compounds can effectively alleviate colonic inflammation and relieve clinical symptoms in animal models of colitis via regulating intestinal barrier function. While no study is available to review the underlying mechanisms of these potential therapies in regulating the integrity and function of the intestinal barrier. This review aims to summarize the effects of various herbal decoctions or bioactive compounds on the severity of colonic inflammation via various mechanisms, mainly including regulating the production of tight junction proteins, mucins, the composition of gut microbiota and microbial-associated metabolites, the infiltration of inflammatory cells and mediators, and the oxidative stress in the gut. On this basis, we discussed the related regulators and the affected signaling pathways of the mentioned traditional medicine in modulating the disruption or restoration of the intestinal barrier, such as NF-κB/MAPK, PI3K, and HIF-1α signaling pathways. In addition, the possible limitations of current studies and a prospect for future investigation and development of new UC therapies are provided based on our knowledge and current understanding. This review may improve our understanding of the current progression in studies of traditional medicine-derived therapies in protecting the intestinal barrier function and their roles in alleviating animal models of UC. It may be beneficial to the work of researchers in both basic and translational studies of UC.

Topsoil selenium (Se) under Se-rich farming in China: Current status, cropping impacts and ecological risk assessment.

Selenium (Se), as an essential microelement, can be supplied through Se-biofortified food from Se-rich soils and associated farming practices for human health, while it can also cause eco-risks if overapplied. In this study, a multi-scale spatiotemporal meta-analysis was conducted to guide sustainable Se-rich farming in China by combining a long-term survey with a reviewed database. The weighted mean concentration, spatial distribution of soil Se, nationwide topsoil Se variation from cropping impacts and its bioavailability-based ecological risks were assessed and quantified. The results showed that the weighted mean content (0.3 mg kg-1) of China was slightly higher than that of previous nationwide topsoil Se surveys, as more Se-rich areas were found in recent high-density sampling surveys. Cropping has overall reduced Se content by 9.5% from farmland across China and deprived more with the increase in farming rotation driven by geo-climatic conditions. Long-term cropping removed Se from Se-rich areas but accumulated it in Se-deficient areas. Additionally, the bioavailable Se content of topsoil in China ranged from 0 to 332 µg kg-1, and the bioavailability-based eco-risks indicated that high eco-risks only existed in overfertilized and extremely high-Se soils, such as in Enshi, Ziyang and some coalfield areas. This work provides evidence for the development of sustainable Se-rich farming with proper utilization of soil Se resources, simultaneously protecting the soil eco-environment.

A prospective ecological risk assessment method based on exposure and ecological scenarios (ERA-EES) to determine soil ecological risks around metal mining areas.

Soil heavy metal (HM) contamination around metal mining areas (MMAs) is a global concern that requires a cost-effective ecological risk assessment (ERA) method for preventive management. Traditional ERAs, comparing environmental HM concentrations with benchmarks, are labor- and cost-intensive in field investigations and chemical analyses, which challenge the management demands of numerous MMAs. In this study, a prospective ecological risk assessment method based on exposure and ecological scenario (ERA-EES) was developed to predict the eco-risk levels (low/medium/high) around MMAs prior to field sampling. Five exposure scenario indicators related to soil HM exposure and three ecological scenario indicators reflecting the soil bioreceptor response were selected and combined with the analytic hierarchy process and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation methods for ERA-EES development. Case application and performance evaluation with 67 MMAs in China demonstrated that the ERA-EES method had an overall effective and conservative performance when referring to potential ecological risk index (PERI) levels, with an accuracy of 0.87, kappa coefficient of 0.7, and low or medium eco-risk levels in PERI classified to high levels in ERA-EES. Overall, the selected scenario indicators could efficiently reflect the risk levels of soil HM pollution from mining activities. Besides, more regulatory efforts should be paid to the MMAs of nonferrous metals, underground and long-term mining and those located in southern China. This work provided a convenient and cost-effective prospective ERA method under the trend of ERA being tiered and refined, facilitating the risk management of various MMAs.

High Expression of CDCA7 in the Prognosis of Glioma and Its Relationship with Ferroptosis and Immunity.

CDCA7 is a copy number amplification gene that promotes tumorigenesis. However, the clinical relevance and potential mechanisms of CDCA7 in glioma are unclear. CDCA7 expression level data were obtained from the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases, and the enriched genes and related signaling pathways were explored. Data on genes in CDCA7-related signaling pathways and nine marker genes of ferroptosis were retrieved and a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis was performed. The correlation of CDCA7 to ferroptosis and tumor infiltration of 22 kinds of human immune cells and the association between CDCA7 and immune checkpoint molecules were analyzed. CDCA7 was significantly increased in gliomas in comparison to healthy tissues. Gene Ontology (GO) and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed the impact of CDCA7 expression on multiple biological processes and signaling pathways. CDCA7 may affect ferroptosis by interacting with genes in the cell cycle pathway and P53 pathway. The increase in CDCA7 was positively correlated with multiple ferroptosis suppressor genes and genes involved in tumor-infiltrating immune cells and immune checkpoint molecules in glioma. CDCA7 can be a new prognostic factor for glioma, which is closely related to ferroptosis, tumor immune cell infiltration, and immune checkpoint.

Thioredoxin domain-containing protein 9 protects cells against UV-B-provoked apoptosis via NF-κB/p65 activation in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), a type of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), is the most common malignancy worldwide. Thioredoxin (TXN) domain-containing protein 9 (TXNDC9) is a member of the TXN family that is important in cell differentiation. However, the biological function of this protein in cancer, particularly cSCC, is still unknown. In the present study, our experiments revealed the protective effects of TXNDC9 on UV-B-irritated cSCC cells. The initial findings showed that TXNDC9 is significantly upregulated in cSCC tissue and cells compared to normal skin tissue and keratinocytes. UV-B radiation robustly induces the expression of TXNDC9, and UV-B-induced cSCC cell death is boosted by TXNDC9 deficiency. Moreover, cSCC cells lacking TXNDC9 displayed attenuated activation of the NF-κB pathway. Additional studies by inhibiting TXNDC9 confirmed this finding, as TXNDC9 deficiency attenuated UV-B radiation-induced translocation of NF-κB p65 from the cytoplasm to the nucleus of cSCC. In conclusion, our work demonstrates the biological roles of TXNDC9 in cSCC progression and may provide a novel therapeutic target to treat cSCC in the future.

Ciprofloxacin enhances cadmium toxicity to earthworm Eisenia fetida by altering the gut microorganism composition.

The concurrent existence of cadmium (Cd) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) in agricultural soils is very common, but presents a challenge to soil organisms. As more attention has been paid to the effect of toxic metals on the migration of antibiotic resistance genes, the critical role of the gut microbiota in CIP-modifying Cd toxicity in earthworms remains unclear. In this study, Eisenia fetida was exposed to Cd and CIP alone or in combination at environmentally relevant concentrations. Cd and CIP accumulation in earthworm increased as their respective spiked concentrations increased. In fact, Cd accumulation increased by 39.7% when 1 mg/kg CIP was added; however, the addition of Cd did not affect CIP uptake. Compared with exposure to Cd alone, a greater ingestion of Cd following combined exposure to Cd and 1 mg/kg CIP resulted in greater oxidative stress and energy metabolism disturbances in earthworms. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) contents and apoptosis rate of coelomocytes were more sensitive to Cd than these biochemical indicators. In fact, 1 mg/kg Cd induced the derivation of ROS. Similarly, the toxicity of Cd (5 mg/kg) to coelomocytes was promoted by CIP (1 mg/kg), ROS content in coelomocytes and the apoptosis rate increased by 29.2% and 113.1%, respectively, due to increased Cd accumulation. Further investigation of the gut microorganisms revealed that the decreased abundance of Streptomyces strains (known as Cd accumulation taxa) could be a critical factor for enhanced Cd accumulation and greater Cd toxicity to earthworms following exposure to both Cd and CIP; this was because this microorganism group was eliminated by the simultaneous ingestion of CIP. This study stressed the role of gut microorganisms in altering the toxicity of Cd and CIP combined contamination in soil organisms. More attention should be paid to the ecological risks of such combined contamination in soils.

Metabolic variation and oxidative stress response of blue mussels (Mytilus sp.) perturbed by norfloxacin exposure.

Antibiotics are currently widely applied in agricultural cultivation, animal husbandry, and medical treatment, but the effects and ecological risks of antibiotics need to be further investigated. Norfloxacin is one of the most widely applied fluoroquinolone antibiotics and is commonly detected in aquatic ecosystems. In this study, the activities of catalase (CAT) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) in blue mussels (Mytilus sp.) exposed to norfloxacin (from 25 to 200 mg/L) for 2 d of acute exposure and 7 d of subacute exposure were measured. 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR)-based metabolomics was applied to identify the metabolites and to investigate the physiological metabolism of blue mussels (Mytilus sp.) under different concentrations of norfloxacin. The activity of the CAT enzyme was induced in acute exposure, while the activity of GST was inhibited in subacute exposure when the concentration of norfloxacin reached 200 mg/L. Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) revealed that the increased concentrations of norfloxacin might cause greater metabolic differences between the treatment and control groups and cause greater metabolic variation within the same treatment group. The contents of taurine in the 150 mg/L acute exposure group were 5.17 times higher than those in the control group. The pathway analysis indicated that exposure to high concentrations of norfloxacin disturbed different pathways involved in energy metabolism, amino acid metabolism, neuroregulation, and the regulation of osmotic pressure. These results may provide a molecular and metabolic view of the effects of norfloxacin and the regulatory mechanism of blue mussels when exposed to extremely high doses of antibiotics.