Dysbiotic salivary microbiota in dry mouth and primary Sjögren's syndrome patients.

OBJECTIVES: Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by reduced lacrimal and salivary secretion. Sicca symptoms together with fatigue and musculoskeletal pain can significantly reduce the patients' quality of life. Furthermore, low salivary secretion may disrupt the oral microbial homeostasis. The aim of this study was to compare the salivary microbiota from pSS patients with patients with sicca symptoms not fulfilling the classification criteria for pSS (non-SS), and with healthy controls without sicca complaints. METHODS: Pellets from centrifuged chewing-stimulated whole saliva from pSS patients (n = 15), non-SS sicca patients (n = 15) and healthy controls (n = 15) were prepared. DNA was extracted and analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The acquired sequencing data were performed using the human oral microbiome database (HOMD). RESULTS: We detected 42, 45, and 34 bacterial genera in saliva samples from pSS patients, non-SS sicca patients, and healthy controls, respectively. The most abundant genera in all samples were Prevotella, Veillonella, Streptococcus, and Haemophilus. At species level Streptococcus intermedius, Prevotella intermedia, Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. vincentii, Porphyromonas endodontalis, Prevotella nancensis, Tannerella spp., and Treponema spp. were detected in the samples from pSS and non-SS only, while Porphyromonas pasteri was mostly found among the healthy controls. CONCLUSION: Our study indicated dysbiosis in the salivary microbiota from pSS and non-SS patients compared to healthy controls. Additionally, the results showed that the salivary microbiome in the pSS group differed significantly from the non-SS group.

Effect of radiologic contrast media on cell volume regulation in rabbit proximal renal tubules.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Most radiographic contrast media are hyperosmotic and able to shrink cells with which they are in contact. The authors studied cell volume control in rabbit proximal renal tubules after incubation with three contrast media: iohexol, ioxaglate, and iodixanol. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Proximal renal tubules were isolated from rabbit kidneys. The tubules were exposed to Ringer solutions containing 5% vol/vol iohexol (final osmolality, 330 mOsm), ioxaglate (323 mOsm), iodixanol (305 mOsm), or mannitol (control solutions with identical osmolalities), and tubule volumes were monitored. After 2 hours of incubation, the tubules were stimulated with a hyposmotic Ringer solution (165 mOsm). Three groups of 10 experiments were performed. RESULTS: All solutions induced cell shrinkage (8.3%+/-3.8 [standard error] to 15.4%+/-0.5), which was completely or partly reversible in most experiments (volume increase, 44.8%+/-14.7 to 149.9%+/-107.3) but not those with iohexol and iodixanol. With exposure to the hyposmotic solution, the cells swelled by 11.0%+/-1.8 to 39.7%+/-4.8. In general, the tubules that had been exposed to the most hyperosmotic solution swelled the most. Those exposed to contrast media showed less swelling than the mannitol-exposed controls. In all control experiments, the cells exhibited a gradual shrinkage (43.6%+/-28.5 to 87.0%+/-13). This regulatory response was partly inhibited in tubules exposed to iohexol (39.9%+/-15.8 shrinkage) or iodixanol (8.9%+/-15.8) and completely inhibited in those exposed to ioxaglate. Iohexol and ioxaglate exposure also led to a decrease in water permeability. CONCLUSION: Exposure to hyperosmotic contrast medium tends to induce prolonged cell shrinkage, decrease the water permeability of the cellular plasma membranes, and compromise the ability to regulate cellular volume. These changes seem to reflect both the hyperosmolality of the solutions and their inherent chemical properties.

Effect of radiologic contrast material on cell volume regulation in proximal renal tubules from trout (Salmo trutta).

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Most radiographic contrast media (CM) are hyperosmotic and pose an osmotic threat to cells they are in contact with. To study these effects at the cellular level, cell volume regulatory mechanisms were observed in proximal renal tubules following exposure to the CM iohexol, ioxaglate, and iodixanol. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Isolated renal tubules from trout (Salmo trutta) were exposed to 5% vol/vol iohexol (326 mOsm), ioxaglate (314 mOsm), or iodixanol (300 mOsm) or mannitol (to achieve the same osmolalities), and cell volume changes were observed videometrically. RESULTS: Iohexol and ioxaglate solutions induced a rapid shrinkage (12%-13%) not followed by cell volume regulation. Without CM (same osmolality), the cells shrank 11% but then showed a 77%-88% volume recovery. This reswelling was inhibited by 55% with the Na+, K+, Cl- symporter inhibitor bumetanide (50 micromol/L). Iodixanol did not significantly affect cell volume. Tubules preincubated with CM or mannitol were then stimulated with a hypoosmotic Ringer solution (160 mOsm) resulting in a 26%-36% cellular volume increase. Compared with results of experiments without mannitol and CM, preexposure to iohexol or ioxaglate almost completely inhibited the expected regulatory shrinkage phase, while previous exposure to hyperosmotic solutions with mannitol reduced the shrinkage response by 40%-53%. CONCLUSION: In this system, the hyperosmotic iohexol and ioxaglate cause cell shrinkage followed by an impaired cell volume regulatory response. Exposure to these two CM also inhibits cell volume regulation on hypoosmotic stimulation. The isosmotic iodixanol has no such effects. These changes appear to some extent to be a result of the CM's degree of hyperosmolality, but this property alone does not explain these findings.