Gut microbial signatures of patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome and their healthy relatives.

AIMS: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a prevalent gastrointestinal disorder, encompassing diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D). Here, we utilized 16S rDNA gene sequencing to identify potential microbial drivers of IBS-D. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 30 healthy relatives and 27 patients with IBS-D were recruited. Clinical data and fecal samples were collected from patients and controls. 16S rDNA gene sequencing was performed to obtain fecal bacterial data. Differences in community composition were evaluated utilizing analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) using Bray-Curtis dissimilarity. The Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare differences in taxa and functional pathways. Finally, the key gut microbiota was identified using the random forest algorithm. Gut microbiota diversity, estimated through the Observe, Chao1, and abundance-based coverage estimator (ACE) indices, was significantly lower in the IBS-D patients than in the healthy relatives. ANOSIM analysis further confirmed significant differences in the composition of the gut microbiota between IBS-D patients and healthy relatives, with an R value of 0.106 and a P-value of 0.005. Notably, the IBS-D patients exhibited a significant enrichment of specific bacterial genera, including Fusicatenibacter, Streptococcus, and Klebsiella, which may possess potential pathogenic properties. In particular, the bacterial genus Klebsiella demonstrated a positive correlation with irritable bowel syndrome severity scoring system scores. Conversely, healthy subjects showed enrichment of bacterial genera such as Alistipes, Akkermansia, and Dialister, which may be beneficial bacteria in IBS-D. Utilizing the random forest model, we developed a discriminative model for IBS-D based on differential bacterial genera. This model exhibited impressive performance, with an area under the curve value of 0.90. Additionally, our analysis did not reveal any gender-specific differences in the microbiota community composition among IBS-D patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings offer preliminary insights into the potential relationship between intestinal microbiota and IBS-D. The identification model for IBS-D, grounded in gut microbiota, holds promising prospects for improving early diagnosis of IBS-D.

Identification of Darunavir Derivatives for Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro.

The effective antiviral agents that treat severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are urgently needed around the world. The 3C-like protease (3CLpro) of SARS-CoV-2 plays a pivotal role in virus replication; it also has become an important therapeutic target for the infection of SARS-CoV-2. In this work, we have identified Darunavir derivatives that inhibit the 3CLpro through a high-throughput screening method based on a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assay in vitro. We found that the compounds 29# and 50# containing polyphenol and caffeine derivatives as the P2 ligand, respectively, exhibited favorable anti-3CLpro potency with EC50 values of 6.3 µM and 3.5 µM and were shown to bind to SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro in vitro. Moreover, we analyzed the binding mode of the DRV in the 3CLpro through molecular docking. Importantly, 29# and 50# exhibited a similar activity against the protease in Omicron variants. The inhibitory effect of compounds 29# and 50# on the SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro warrants that they are worth being the template to design functionally improved inhibitors for the treatment of COVID-19.

Plantamajoside inhibits high glucose-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and extracellular matrix accumulation in rat glomerular mesangial cells through the inactivation of Akt/NF-κB pathway.

Plantamajoside (PMS) is a phenylpropanoid glycoside that possesses anti-diabetic activity. However, the effect of PMS on diabetic nephropathy (DN) has not been investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the role of PMS in DN and the potential mechanism. The rat glomerular mesangial cells ((MCs) (HBZY-1 cells) were cultured under high glucose (HG) condition or normal condition with or without the treatment of PMS. The results showed that PMS ameliorated the cell injury that was induced by HG in HBZY-1 cells. The HG-caused increases in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) production and decrease in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were prevented by PMS. The qRT-PCR and ELISA assays demonstrated an anti-inflammatory activity of PMS, as evidenced by decreased levels of TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 in HG-induced HBZY-1 cells. Moreover, the increased levels of fibronectin (FN) and collagen type IV (Col IV) in HBZY-1 cells caused by HG were also reduced by PMS treatment. Furthermore, PMS significantly suppressed HG-induced activation of Akt/NF-κB signaling in HBZY-1 cells. Taken together, these findings indicated that PMS alleviated HG-induced injury in HBZY-1 cells through suppressing oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation via the inactivating Akt/NF-κB pathway. Thus, PMS might possess potential capacity for the treatment of DN.

miR-639 Expression Is Silenced by DNMT3A-Mediated Hypermethylation and Functions as a Tumor Suppressor in Liver Cancer Cells.

Emerging evidence has indicated that abnormal methylation of DNA contributes to hepatocarcinogenesis. However, the regulatory mechanisms are not well known. Here, we revealed that microRNA-639 (miR-639) expression is downregulated in liver cancer tissues and cells. The repression of miR-639 expression was attributed to hypermethylation in its promoter region, and DNA methyltransferase (DNMT3A) was found to mediate this hypermethylation. Repression of miR-639 expression promoted cell growth and migration/invasion in vitro and the growth of tumors in xenograft mouse models. Furthermore, miR-639 bound to the 3' UTR of both MYST2 and ZEB1 and suppressed their expression. MYST2 promoted the growth of liver cancer cells and ZEB1 facilitated the migration/invasion of liver cancer cells. Ectopic expression of MYST2 and ZEB1 counteracted the repression of malignancy induced by miR-639, which coincided with the reciprocal correlation between miR-639 and MYST2 and ZEB1 expression in clinical hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues. Thus, DNMT3A-mediated hypermethylation suppressed miR-639 expression, derepressing the expression of MSYT2 and ZEB1, which promoted tumorigenesis of liver cancer. These findings may shed light on the mechanism of abnormal expression of miRNAs involved in the malignancy of liver cancer and provide new biomarkers for liver cancer.

Cold-adapted Bacilli isolated from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau are able to promote plant growth in extreme environments.

Nearly 1400 Bacillus strains growing in the plant rhizosphere were sampled from different sites on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Forty-five of the isolates, selected due to their biocontrol activity, were genome-sequenced and their taxonomic identification revealed that they were representatives of the Bacillus subtilis species complex (20) and the Bacillus cereus group (9). Majority of the remaining strains were found closely related to Bacillus pumilus, but their average nucleotide identity based on BLAST and electronic DNA/DNA hybridization values excluded closer taxonomic identification. A total of 45 different gene clusters involved in synthesis of secondary metabolites were detected by mining the genomes of the 45 selected strains. Except eight mesophilic strains, the 37 remaining strains were found either cold-adapted or psychrophilic, able to propagate at 10°C and below (Bacillus wiedmannii NMSL88 and Bacillus sp. RJGP41). Pot experiments performed at 10°C with winter wheat seedlings revealed that cold-adapted representatives of B. pumilus, B. safensis and B. atrophaeus promoted growth of the seedlings under cold conditions, suggesting that these bacilli isolated from a cold environment are promising candidates for developing of bioformulations useful for application in sustainable agriculture under environmental conditions unfavourable for the mesophilic bacteria presently in use.

An integrative genomic analysis of transcriptional profiles identifies characteristic genes and patterns in HIV-infected long-term non-progressors and elite controllers.

BACKGROUND: Despite that most HIV-infected individuals experience progressive CD4+ T cell loss and develop AIDS, a minority of HIV-infected individuals remain asymptomatic and maintain high level CD4+ T cell counts several years after seroconversion. Efforts have been made to understand the determinants of the nonprogressive status, exemplified by the clinical course of elite controllers (ECs) who maintain an undetectable viremia and viremic nonprogressors (VNPs) who have a normal CD4+ count in spite of circulating viral load. However, the intrinsic mechanism underlying nonprogression remained elusive. In this study, we performed an integrative analysis of transcriptional profiles to pinpoint the underlying mechanism for a naturally occurring viral control. METHODS: Three microarray datasets, reporting mRNA expression of the LTNPs or ECs in HIV-infected patients, were retrieved from Gene Expression Ominbus (GEO) or Arrayexpress databases. These datasets, profiled on the same type of microarray chip, were selected and merged by a bioinformatic approach to build a meta-analysis derived transcriptome (MADNT). In addition, we investigated the different transcriptional pathways and potential biomarkers in CD4+ and CD8+ cells in ECs and whole blood in VNPs compared to HIV progressors. The combined transcriptome and each subgroup was subject to gene set enrichment analysis and weighted co-expression network analysis to search potential transcription patterns related to the non-progressive status. RESULTS: 30 up-regulated genes and 83 down-regulated genes were identified in lymphocytes from integrative meta-analysis of expression data. The interferon response and innate immune activation was reduced in both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from ECs. Several characteristic genes including CMPK1, CBX7, EIF3L, EIF4A and ZNF395 were indicated to be highly correlated with viremic control. Besides that, we indicated that the reduction of ribosome components and blockade of translation facilitated AIDS disease progression. Most interestingly, among VNPs who have a relatively high viral load, we detected a two gene-interaction networks which showed a strong correlation to immune control even with a rigorous statistical threshold (p value = 2-e4 and p value = 0.004, respectively) by WGCNA. CONCLUSIONS: We have identified differentially expressed genes and transcriptional patterns in ECs and VNPs compared to normal chronic HIV-infected individuals. Our study provides new insights into the pathogenesis of HIV and AIDS and clues for the therapeutic strategies for anti-retroviral administration.

Safety and efficacy of ertugliflozin in Asian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus inadequately controlled with metformin monotherapy: VERTIS Asia.

AIM: Phase III, randomized, double-blind study evaluating the efficacy and safety of ertugliflozin in Asian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) inadequately controlled on metformin, including evaluation in the China subpopulation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 26-week, double-blind study of 506 Asian patients (80.2% from mainland China), randomized 1:1:1 to placebo, ertugliflozin 5- or 15 mg, was performed. Primary endpoint was change from baseline in HbA1c at week 26. Secondary endpoints were change from baseline at week 26 in fasting plasma glucose (FPG), body weight (BW), systolic/diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP), and proportion of patients with HbA1c <7.0%. Hypotheses for the primary endpoint and FPG and BW secondary endpoints were tested in the China subpopulation. RESULTS: At week 26, least squares mean (95% CI) change from baseline HbA1c was significantly greater with ertugliflozin 5- and 15 mg versus placebo: -1.0% (-1.1, -0.9), -0.9% (-1.0, -0.8), -0.2% (-0.3, -0.1), respectively. Ertugliflozin significantly reduced FPG, BW and SBP. Reductions in DBP with ertugliflozin were not significant. At week 26, 16.2%, 38.2% and 40.8% of patients had HbA1c <7.0% with placebo, ertugliflozin 5- and 15 mg, respectively. 59.3%, 56.5% and 53.3% of patients experienced adverse events with placebo, ertugliflozin 5- and 15 mg, respectively. Incidence of symptomatic hypoglycaemia was higher for ertugliflozin 15 mg vs placebo. Results in the China subpopulation were consistent. CONCLUSIONS: Ertugliflozin significantly improved glycaemic control and reduced BW and SBP in Asian patients with T2DM. Ertugliflozin was generally well-tolerated. Results in the China subpopulation were consistent with the overall population. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02630706.

Antidiabetic and Hypolipidemic Effects of 5,7-Dimethoxyflavone in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats.

BACKGROUND The flavones are considered as competent antidiabetic molecules due to their strong antioxidant activities and higher in vivo stability. The present study evaluated the antidiabetic and hypolipidemic effects of 5,7-dimethoxyflavone in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat models. MATERIAL AND METHODS The antidiabetic potential of 5,7-dimethoxyflavone was evaluated in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The serum levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were measured using the Randox assay kit. Histopathological examination was carried out by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. RESULTS Oral administration of 5,7-dimethoxyflavone significantly reduced STZ-induced enhancement in blood sugar and glycosylated hemoglobin, as well as significant increases in C-peptide, insulin, hemoglobin, and total protein content (p<0.05). Additionally, treatment with 5,7-dimethoxyflavone resulted in a remarkable increase in non-enzymic antioxidants. Administration of 5,7-dimethoxyflavone had a hypolipidemic effect by significantly reducing levels of serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoproteins. The histopathological examination of rat pancreases revealed the beneficial effect of 5,7-dimethoxyflavone and protection of ß cell integrity in STZ-induced diabetic rats. CONCLUSIONS These findings reflect the antidiabetic and hypolipidemic effects of 5,7-dimethoxyflavone, suggesting that 5,7-dimethoxyflavone may be a promising compound for use in development of new antidiabetic drugs.

Volatile organic compounds produced by a soil-isolate, Bacillus subtilis FA26 induce adverse ultra-structural changes to the cells of Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. sepedonicus, the causal agent of bacterial ring rot of potato.

Rhizobacterial volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play an important role in the suppression of soil-borne phytopathogens. In this study, the VOCs produced by a soil-isolate, Bacillus subtilis FA26, were evaluated in vitro for their antibacterial activity against Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. sepedonicus (Cms), the causal agent of bacterial ring rot of potato. The VOCs emitted by FA26 inhibited the growth of Cms significantly compared with the control. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy analyses revealed distorted colony morphology and a wide range of abnormalities in Cms cells exposed to the VOCs of FA26. Varying the inoculation strategy and inoculum size showed that the production and activity of the antibacterial VOCs of FA26 were dependent on the culture conditions. Headspace solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses revealed that FA26 produced 11 VOCs. Four VOCs (benzaldehyde, nonanal, benzothiazole and acetophenone) were associated with the antibacterial activity against Cms. The results suggested that the VOCs produced by FA26 could control the causal agent of bacterial ring rot of potato. This information will increase our understanding of the microbial interactions mediated by VOCs in nature and aid the development of safer strategies for controlling plant disease.

Ebselen ameliorates ß-amyloid pathology, tau pathology, and cognitive impairment in triple-transgenic Alzheimer's disease mice.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease which is clinically characterized by memory loss and cognitive decline caused by protein misfolding and aggregation. Imbalance between free radicals and the antioxidant system is a prominent and early feature in the neuropathology of AD. Selenium (Se), a vital trace element with excellent antioxidant potential, is preferentially retained in the brain in Se-limited conditions and has been reported to provide neuroprotection through resisting oxidative damage. In this paper, we studied for the first time the potential of Ebselen, a lipid-soluble selenium compound with GPx-like activity, in the treatment of cognitive dysfunction and neuropathology of triple-transgenic AD (3 × Tg-AD) mice, AD model cell, and primary culture. We demonstrated that Ebselen inhibited oxidative stress in both AD model cells and mouse brains with increasing GPx and SOD activities and meanwhile reduced p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases activities. By decreasing the expression of amyloid precursor protein and ß-secretase, Ebselen reduced the levels of Aß in AD neurons and mouse brains, especially the most toxic oligomeric form. Besides, mislocation of phosphorylated tau in neurons and phosphorylation levels of tau protein at Thr231, Ser396, and Ser404 residues were also inhibited by Ebselen, probably by its regulatory roles in glycogen synthase kinase 3ß and protein phosphatase 2A activity. In addition, Ebselen mitigated the decrease of synaptic proteins including synaptophysin and postsynaptic density protein 95 in AD model cells and neurons. Consequently, the spatial learning and memory of 3 × Tg-AD mice were significantly improved upon Ebselen treatment. This study provides a potential novel therapeutic approach for the prevention of AD.

Transcriptome profiling of Bacillus subtilis OKB105 in response to rice seedlings.

BACKGROUND: Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are soil beneficial microorganisms that colonize plant roots for nutritional purposes and accordingly benefit plants by increasing plant growth or reducing disease. However, the mechanisms and pathways involved in the interactions between PGPR and plants remain unclear. In order to better understand these complex plant-PGPR interactions, changes in the transcriptome of the typical PGPR Bacillus subtilis in response to rice seedlings were analyzed. RESULTS: Microarray technology was used to study the global transcriptionl response of B. subtilis OKB105 to rice seedlings after an interaction period of 2 h. A total of 176 genes representing 3.8% of the B. subtilis strain OKB105 transcriptome showed significantly altered expression levels in response to rice seedlings. Among these, 52 were upregulated, the majority of which are involved in metabolism and transport of nutrients, and stress responses, including araA, ywkA, yfls, mtlA, ydgG et al. The 124 genes that were downregulated included cheV, fliL, spmA and tua, and these are involved in chemotaxis, motility, sporulation and teichuronic acid biosynthesis, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We present a transcriptome analysis of the bacteria Bacillus subtilis OKB105 in response to rice seedings. Many of the 176 differentially expressed genes are likely to be involved in the interaction between Gram-positive bacteria and plants.

Clinical characteristics associated with recurrent viral RNA positivity in patients within two weeks after recovering from the first SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Many studies have shown that recovered coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients frequently exhibit recurrent viral RNA positivity (RP) for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Our study aimed to summarize the clinical characteristics of these patients and explore potential reasons for RP occurrence. We divided 439 participants into four groups based on the severity of illness prior to the COVID-19 recovery and age: mild-child group, moderate-child group, mild-adult group, and moderate-adult group. Laboratory data were collected and statistical analyzed using the SPSS software, version 24.0. Significant differences were observed in age, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) levels between the mild-adult group and the moderate-adult group (P < 0.05). Additionally, AST levels differed significantly between the mild-child group and the moderate-child group (P < 0.05). The proportion of RP patients within the four groups varied from 7.95% to 26.13% within a 2-week period. Logistic regression analysis revealed that younger age and moderate symptoms were risk factors for RP in children, while the presence of comorbidities (such as chronic heart, lung, liver, and kidney diseases), elevated IL-6 levels, and NLR were risk factors for RP in adults. We constructed two predictive models containing these relevant parameters, and the results of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves indicated strong predictive utility. Our findings suggest that younger children with more severe symptoms, as well as adult patients with elevated levels of IL-6 and NLR and underlying diseases, are at higher risk of RP occurrence.

The Effect of Two Siderophore-Producing Bacillus Strains on the Growth Promotion of Perennial Ryegrass under Cadmium Stress.

Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic and cumulative environmental pollutant. Siderophores are heavy metal chelators with high affinity to heavy metals, such as Cd. Ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) has a potential remediation capacity for soils contaminated by heavy metals. Consequently, using ryegrass alongside beneficial soil microorganisms that produce siderophores may be an effective means to remediate soils contaminated with Cd. In this study, the Bacillus strains WL1210 and CD303, which were previously isolated from the rhizospheres of Nitraria tangutorum in Wulan and Peganum harmala L. in Dachaidan, Qinghai, China, respectively, both arid and sandy environments, were evaluated for heavy metal pollution mitigation. Our quantitative analyses have discerned that the two bacterial strains possess commendable attributes of phosphorus (P) solubilization and potassium (K) dissolution, coupled with the capacity to produce phytohormones. To assess the heavy metal stress resilience of these strains, they were subjected to a cadmium concentration gradient, revealing their incremental growth despite cadmium presence, indicative of a pronounced tolerance threshold. The subsequent phylogenetic analysis, bolstered by robust genomic data from conserved housekeeping genes, including 16S rDNA, gyr B gene sequencing, as well as dnaK and recA, delineated a species-level phylogenetic tree, thereby confirming the strains as Bacillus atrophaeus. Additionally, we identified the types of iron-carrier-producing strains as catechol (WL1210) and carboxylic acid ferrophilin (CD303). A genomic analysis uncovered functional genes in strain CD303 associated with plant growth and iron carrier biosynthesis, such as fnr and iscA. Ryegrass seed germination assays, alongside morphological and physiological evaluations under diverse heavy metal stress, underscored the strains' potential to enhance ryegrass growth under high cadmium stress when treated with bacterial suspensions. This insight probes the strains' utility in leveraging alpine microbial resources and promoting ryegrass proliferation.

A novel hydrophobic tag leads to the efficient degradation of programmed death-ligand 1.

The interaction of PD-L1 and PD-1 transmits the inhibitory signal to reduce the proliferation of antigen-specific T-cells in lymph nodes. The expression of PD-L1 confers a potential escaping mechanism of tumors from the host immune system. Blocking the interaction of PD-1 and PD-L1 enables tumor-reactive T cells to overcome regulatory mechanisms and induce an effective antitumor response. The hydrophobic tag tethering degrader (HyTTD) contains a hydrophobic moiety, binding to the protein of interest (POI) to mimic the misfolding state of the POI, thereby inducing the degradation of POI. In this work, using the HyTTD strategy, we selected the diphenylmethyl derivatives as the PD-L1 binding motif for PD-L1 to develop the degraders for PD-L1, and multiple hydrophobic tags were attached. As a result, two HyTTDs Z2d and Z3d efficiently decreased the protein level of PD-L1 in both NCI-H460 and HT-1080 cells with low cytotoxicity. Meanwhile, the reduction of PD-L1 protein levels by Z2d/Z3d was counteracted by MG132, which indicated that Z2d/Z3d degraded PD-L1 through the proteasome pathway. Moreover, the molecular modeling results indicated that the HyT group of Z2d or Z3d extended the surface of the protein to mimic the misfold. Importantly, our work also identified a novel HyT, which could be applied to develop the HyTTD for other target proteins.

Transcriptomic analysis of the response of Avena sativa to Bacillus amyloliquefaciens DGL1.

Introduction: Bacillus amyloliquefaciens DGL1, isolated from the arid sandy areas in Dagler, Qinghai Province, China, promotes the growth of Avena sativa variety "Qing Yan 1". Methods: To elucidate the transcriptomic changes in the oat root system following interaction with DGL1 and to reveal the molecular mechanism by which DGL1 promotes oat growth, treatment and control groups of oat roots at 2, 4, 8, and 12 h after inoculation with a suspension of strain DGL1 were analyzed using Illumina high-throughput transcriptome sequencing technology. The differentially expressed genes were determined through Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses, and the metabolic pathways and key genes were analyzed. Results: The results showed that 7874, 13,392, 13,169, and 19,026 differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched in the glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathway, amino acid metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, plant hormone signal transduction, and other related metabolic pathways in the oat roots at 2, 4, 8, and 12 h after inoculation with a DGL1 suspension. The GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that the genes encoding plasma membrane ATPase, phosphoglycerate kinase gene PGK, ammonium transporter protein gene AMT, cellulose synthase gene CSLF6, and growth hormone response family gene IAA18 were significantly upregulated. Discussion: It is hypothesized that the pro-growth mechanism of strain DGL1 in oats is the result of the coordination of multiple pathways through the promotion of oat energy metabolism, phytohormone signaling, secondary metabolite synthesis, and amino acid metabolism.

The clinical characteristics analysis of serum markers for the cardiovascular system in early-stage COVID-19 patients.

Background: This study aimed to investigate alterations in serum markers [creatine kinase-MB (CKMB), cardiac troponin T (cTnT), myoglobin (Myo), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), D-dimer (DD), procalcitonin (PCT) and interleukin-6 (IL6)] in early Omicron variant infection and analyzed their correlation with clinical parameters. Methods: Retrospective analysis of 1,138 mild/asymptomatic cases at Tianjin First Central Hospital, including age, gender, serum markers and nucleic acid test results. Statistical analysis used SPSS software, version 24.0. Results: Elevated cTnT, BNP (125-400), and DD (0.55-1.10) levels were prevalent at 12.92%, 15.64%, and 14.50%, respectively. Females had significantly higher proportions with slightly elevated BNP (19.34%) and DD (19.69%) levels. Patients over 35 had a higher proportion of slight elevation in BNP (20.00%). Abnormal levels of serum markers were significantly associated with older age, increased PCT and IL6 levels, as well as delayed nucleic acid clearance. Additionally, levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG) were notably reduced in these cases. Patients with prolonged nucleic acid clearance (>14 days) had higher BNP and DD levels upon admission. Logistic regression identified PCT (OR = 237.95) as the most significant risk factor for abnormal serum markers for cardiovascular system injury. Conclusion: Early Omicron infection might do subclinical damage to the cardiovascular system. Elevated cTnT, BNP and DD levels were correlated with age, gender, inflammatory factors, and IgG. Notably, high PCT level emerged as the most robust predictor of abnormal serum biomarkers.

Altered Liver Enzyme Markers in Patients with Asymptomatic, and Mild Omicron Infection: A Retrospective Study.

Purpose: The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant has posed a significant global public health challenge. Elucidating the laboratory profiles of individuals infected with this variant is crucial for assessing organ damage. This study aimed to investigate the variations in liver function tests and their correlation with demographic characteristics and inflammatory markers in patients with early Omicron variant infections. Patients and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 1133 mild or asymptomatic COVID-19 cases at Tianjin First Central Hospital. Data on age, gender, body mass index (BMI), and serum markers were collected and analyzed. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software, version 24.0. Results: Abnormal liver function parameters, including aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and total bilirubin (TBIL), were observed in 314 (27.71%) patients. "Hepatocellular type" was identified in 56 (4.94%) patients, "cholestatic type" in 185 (16.33%) patients, and "mixed type" in 73 (6.44%) patients. In the mixed group, we observed a pronounced elevation in the levels of ALT, AST, and GGT. Moreover, the hepatocellular group exhibited a statistically significant increase in AST and ALT concentrations relative to both the normal and cholestatic groups. Notably, the cholestatic group demonstrated a substantial increment in ALP levels. Males had a significantly higher prevalence of "abnormal liver enzyme markers" compared to females. Patients with "abnormal liver enzyme markers" exhibited significantly decreased immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels and elevated levels of inflammatory markers, including procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin-6 (IL6), as well as C-reactive protein (CRP) compared to normal group. Logistic regression analysis revealed that male gender and PCT levels were significantly associated with the risk of abnormal liver enzyme markers. Patients in hepatocellular group were likely accompanied with high CRP levels, whereas those in the cholestatic type were associated with high IL6 levels. Conclusion: Early Omicron infection might cause liver stress response. Elevated liver enzyme marker levels were correlated with age, gender, inflammatory factors, and IgG.

Kobresia humilis via root-released flavonoids recruit Bacillus for promoted growth.

Alpine meadows, which are critical for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are increasingly degrading, necessitating effective restoration strategies. This study explored the mechanism by which Kobresia humilis, an alpine meadow-constructive species, modulates the rhizosphere microbiome via root exudates to enhance growth. Field investigations revealed that the plant height of K. humilis in a severely degraded (SD) alpine meadow was significantly higher than that in other K. humilis populations. Consequently, we analysed the differences between this plot and other K. humilis samples with different degrees of degradation to explore the reasons underlying the phenotypic differences in K. humilis. 16 S rRNA amplicon sequencing results showed that the SD plots were significantly enriched with more Bacillus, altering the composition of the rhizosphere microbial community of K. humilis. The collection and analysis of root exudates from various K. humilis locations revealed distinct differences. Procrustes analysis indicated a strong correlation between the root exudates and the rhizosphere microbiome composition of K. humilis. Model-based integration of metabolite observations, species abundance 2 (MIMOSA2), and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient analysis were used to identify the root exudates potentially related to the enrichment and recruitment of Bacillus. Bacillus from SD samples was isolated and screened, and the representative strain D334 was found to be differentially enriched compared to other samples. A series of in vitro experiments with the screened root exudates and strain D334 demonstrated that K. humilis could recruit Bacillus and promote its colonisation by releasing flavonoids, particularly baicalin. Additionally, K. humilis can release sucrose and riboflavin, which promote strain growth. Finally, soil microbiome transplantation experiments confirmed that different K. humilis phenotypes were closely related to the functions of the rhizosphere microbiome, especially in root morphological shaping. Moreover, the effects of Bacillus inoculation and the microbiome on the plant phenotypes were consistent. In summary, this study revealed a new mechanism by which K. humilis recruits rhizosphere growth-promoting bacteria and enhances soil nutrient utilisation, thereby promoting plant growth. These findings provide a theoretical basis for ecological restoration using soil microbial communities and clarify the relationship between plant metabolites and microbial community assembly.

Drought stress tolerance and metabolomics of Medicago sativa induced by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens DGL1.

Introduction: This study used Bacillus amyloliquefaciens DGL1 isolated from the arid sandy land of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau as the research strain and investigated the effects of DGL1 on the biomass, physiology, and metabolites of Medicago sativa under different intensities of drought stress to provide a high-quality bacterial source and a theoretical basis for the research and development of biological fertilizer suitable for arid areas. Methods: The exopolysaccharides (EPS), 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase (ACC), and phosphorus solubilizing capacity of DGL1 were determined. The effects of a DGL1 suspension on alfalfa biomass, physiological indexes, degree of peroxidation of cell membranes, and activity of antioxidant enzymes were determined after irrigating roots under drought stress. The effects on soil physicochemical properties were also evaluated, and metabolomics analysis was performed to explore the effect of DGL1 on the metabolites of alfalfa under drought stress. Results: Strain DGL1 produced extracellular polysaccharide EPS and ACC deaminase and was capable of phosphorus solubilization. Treatment with DGL1 increased the biomass of alfalfa under different degrees of drought stress, significantly increased the activities of alfalfa antioxidant enzymes Super Oxide Dismutase (SOD), Peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT), reduced the content of MDA and H2O2, and increased the content of quick-acting phosphorus, quick-acting potassium, ammonium nitrogen, and nitrate nitrogen in the soil, thus improving soil fertility. Through metabolomics analysis, DGL1 was shown to affect amino acid metabolic pathways, such as arginine, leucine, glutamate, and tyrosine, as well as the levels of energy-providing polysaccharides and lipids, in alfalfa under 15% PEG-6000 drought stress, enhancing alfalfa's capacity to resist drought stress. Discussion: Strain DGL1 enhances the drought suitability of alfalfa and has the potential for dryland development as a biological agent.