Correlation between changes of oral bacterial flora and radiation-induced oral mucositis during radiotherapy for head and neck / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To investigate the correlation between the changes of oral bacterial flora during head and neck radiotherapy and radiation-induced oral mucositis (ROM).Methods:The oral bacterial samples of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma and accompanying family members were obtained before and at the end of radiotherapy and subjected to high-throughput sequencing. C57BL/6 mice were used to establish the ROM models. On the 9 th day after radiotherapy, oral bacterial samples were collected in the radiotherapy group and the negative control group. On the 3 rd, 5 th, 7 th, and 9 th days post-radiotherapy, the tongue tissues were obtained from another batch of mice in the negative control and radiotherapy groups. Inflammatory factors were detected with PCR and HE staining was performed. Results:The oral bacterial diversity of patients after radiotherapy significantly differed from that of patients before radiotherapy and their accompanying family members before and after radiotherapy in Observed species, Chao1, Simpson index (all P<0.05). There was a significant difference in Shannon index between the severe and mild ROM patients ( P=0.036). LEfSe analysis showed that patients with severe ROM had higher levels of g_ Streptococcus and f_ Streptococcus, and lower levels of f_ Familyxl, g_ Gemini and o_ Bacillus. The Simpson index and PCoA results in the oral bacterial samples significantly differed between the negative control and radiotherapy groups (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Radiotherapy can disrupt the balance of bacterial flora. The dysregulated oral bacterial flora is closely associated with the aggravation of ROM.

Analysis of interventional treatment for neonatal critical pulmonary stenosis / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness of interventional treatment for neonatal critical pulmonary stenosis(NCPS).Methods:Clinical data of 12 neonates with NCPS who received percutaneous balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty (PBPV) from January 2016 to December 2019 in Department of Cardiology, Shenzhen Children′s Hospital were summarized and analyzed.The collected data included transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), percutaneous oxygen saturation (SPO 2), relevant data on interventional surgery, and follow-up results. Results:All 12 neonates with NCPS received PBPV successfully.The postoperative pressure difference between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery ranged from 8 to 35 mmHg[(20±7) mmHg, 1 mmHg=0.133 kPa]. The postoperative SPO 2 ranged from 74%-100%[(93.0±5.9)%]. Three neonates with NCPS received Blalock-Taussig (B-T) shunt.One neonate with NCPS developed supraventricular tachycardia during the operation.There was no death for these 12 neonates with NCPS. Conclusions:Interventional treatment of neonates with NCPS could achieve a better effect and be employed as the first treatment option.Some neonates with NCPS would require cardiac B-T shunt or patent ductus arteriosus stent implantation.

Correction: Saccharomyces Boulardii and Bacillus Subtilis B10 modulate TLRs and cytokines expression patterns in jejunum and ileum of broilers.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173917.].

Saccharomyces boulardii and Bacillus subtilis B10 modulate TLRs and cytokines expression patterns in jejunum and ileum of broilers.

The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of Saccharomyces boulardii (Sb) and Bacillus subtilis B10 (Bs) on intestinal epithelial Toll like receptors (TLR), and Cytokine expression response to understand the intestinal epithelial innate immune mechanism in broilers. A total of 300 birds (Sanhuang broilers) were allotted into three groups (n = 100) and each divided into five replications (n = 20). Control group (Ctr) birds were fed basal diet, broilers in experimental groups received (1×108cfu/kg feed) Sb and Bs respectively in addition to basal diet for 72 days. The result showed significant increase in mRNA expression level of TLR2, TLR4 and TLR15. Down streaming MyD88, TRAF6, TAB2 and NF-κB mRNA level noted higher, in the jejunum and ileum as compared to control group. Meanwhile, IL-6, TNFα, IL-10, TGF-ß expression levels showed high expression in the jejunum of Sb and Bs groups. IL-10 expression level increased in the ileum and IL-6, TNFα, IL-10 and TGF-ß expression levels increased in the jejunum of Sb group. Levels of IL-1 ß, IL-17, and IL-4, increased merely in Sb group. Ileal cytokines IL-1ß, IL-17 and IL-4concentration were noted higher in Sb group, and IL-1ß, and IL-4 levels were up-regulated in Bs group. The results indicated that the INF-γ and IL-8 level decreased in Sb and BS groups. Serum IgA and sIgA level increased in both treatment groups. Our findings illustrated that S. boulardii and B. subtilis B10 may have a role to induce mucosal immunity by activating the TLRs and cytokines expressions in broilers.

Effects of Bacillus preparations on immunity and antioxidant activities in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus).

This experiment was conducted to study the effects of Bacillus preparations on immunity and antioxidant activities in grass carp. A total of 315 grass carp, with similar initial weight (average weight of fish 45 g), were randomly divided into three groups with three replicates. The control group was fed the basal diet without Bacillus; treatment group 1 was added Bacillus preparation no. 1 with 1 × 10(8) cfu/m(3) per 7 days in culture water and also fed the basal diet; treatment group 2 was fed the basal diet mixed with 0.5 % Bacillus preparation no. 2, and the culture water was added 1 × 10(8) cfu/m(3) Bacillus preparation no. 1 per 7 days. After 4 weeks of culture, 12 grass carp from each replicate were taken randomly for the determination of immune response and oxidization resistance indices. The results showed that compared with control, the level of globulin and IgM of treatment group 2 was significantly increased (P < 0.05), which was also significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that of group 1. For the non-specific immunity index, compared with control, the lysozyme activity and complement (C3) content of treatment group 1 significantly increased (P < 0.05), and the level of myeloperoxidase and C3 of treatment group 2 was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that of control, which was also significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that of group 1. In the serum, compared with the control, the level of total antioxidant activity (T-AOC), antisuperoxide anion free radical (ASAFR) and glutathione (GSH) of two treatment groups was significantly increased (P < 0.05); GSH content of treatment group 2 was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of treatment group 1 and control. There was no significant difference between T-AOC and ASAFR among the two treatment groups; no significant effect was found on glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and maleic dialdehyde (MDA) among the three groups. In the liver, T-AOC, SOD, ASAFR, GSH-Px and GSH from two treatment groups were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than those of control; T-AOC, SOD and catalase from treatment group 2 were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than those of treatment group 1; and MDA of two treatment groups was significantly decreased (P < 0.05) as compared with the control. The results indicate that Bacillus preparations added into water can increase serum immunoglobulin levels and most of non-specific immune parameters content and enhance the antioxidant ability of grass carp, while adding Bacillus preparation into the water and feed is much better.

Quantitative color Doppler sonography assessment of the blood flow in renal cortex in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus / 中国介入影像与治疗学

Objective To assess the value of quantitative color Doppler sonography in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods The right renal in 21 patients with SLE and 22 normal subjects were examined with Philips IU22 ultrasonic diagnostic device. Resistence index (RI) of interlobar artery and interlobular artery were measured with color Doppler sonography, vascularity index (VI), flow index (FI) and vascularization flow index (VFI) which reflecting the renal cortical blood flow were calculated with quantitated analysis software. All the parameters between two groups were compared and analyzed. Results The color signals of renal cortical blood flow in patients with SLE were inferior to those of the normal group, especially in the area near the edge of renal. No statistical difference of RI was found between the two groups (P>0.05), while VI, FI and VFI in SLE group were significantly lower than those of the normal group (VI, VFI, P<0.01, FI, P=0.01). Conclusion Color Doppler sonography combined with blood flow quantitative technique provide a helpful, sensitive and convenient tool to detecte the renal changes in SLE patients.

Acute toxicity of nitrite on tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) at different external chloride concentrations.

Tilapias (Oreochromis niloticus) juveniles (total length 4.9 +/- 0.2 cm and weight 1.8 +/- 0.2 g) were exposed to several nitrite concentrations (0, 10, 18, 32, 56 and 100 mg l(-1)) for 96 h, using a semi-static renewal method at chloride levels of 35.0 and 70.0 mg l(-1). At the end of the 96-h period, the median lethal concentration (LC(50)) of nitrite was 28.18 mg l(-1) in water with low chloride content (35.0 mg l(-1)) and 44.67 mg l(-1) with high chloride content (70.0 mg l(-1), respectively). It indicated that high concentrations of chloride ions could reduce the toxicity of nitrite. During the toxicity experiments, the behaviour and clinical signs of tilapias were also observed. Furthermore, the test of toxic mechanism was designed taking five test concentrations, viz., 5, 10, 15 and 20 mg l(-1) and a nitrite-free control. Nitrite exposure produced high levels of methaemoglobin (MHb) but did not seem to cause mortality, as surviving tilapias showed high levels (85.37 +/- 2.23 and 53.82 +/- 3.44 at 35.0 and 70.0 mg l(-1) chloride, respectively). The percentage of MHb exposed to nitrite was significantly higher (P<0.05) than the control (0 mg l(-1) nitrite) and increased with the increasing nitrite concentration. However, the percentage of MHb decreased with the increasing chloride concentration.