Intestinal barrier function in the naked mole-rat: an emergent model for gastrointestinal insights.

The intestinal barrier plays a crucial role in homeostasis by both facilitating the absorption of nutrients and fluids and providing a tight shield to prevent the invasion by either pathogen or commensal microorganisms. Intestinal barrier malfunction is associated with systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, and decreased insulin sensitivity, which may lead to the dysregulation of other tissues. Therefore, a deeper understanding of physiological aspects related to an enhanced barrier function is of significant scientific and clinical relevance. The naked mole-rat has many unusual biological features, including attenuated colonic neuron sensitivity to acid and bradykinin and resistance to chemical-induced intestinal damage. However, insight into their intestinal barrier physiology is scarce. Here, we observed notable macroscopic and microscopic differences in intestinal tissue structure between naked mole-rats and mice. Moreover, naked mole-rats showed increased number of larger goblet cells and elevated mucus content. In measuring gut permeability, naked mole-rats showed reduced permeability compared with mice, measured as transepithelial electrical resistance, especially in ileum. Furthermore, intestinal ion secretion induced by serotonin, bradykinin, histamine, and capsaicin was significantly reduced in naked mole-rats compared with mice, despite the expression of receptors for all these agonists. In addition, naked mole-rats exhibited reduced prosecretory responses to the nonselective adenylate cyclase activator forskolin. Collectively, these findings indicate that naked mole-rats possess a robust and hard-to-penetrate gastrointestinal barrier that is resistant to environmental and endogenous irritants. Naked mole-rats may therefore provide valuable insights into the physiology of the intestinal barrier and set the stage for the development of innovative and effective therapies.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first study to characterize the intestinal function of naked mole-rats. We found that these animals show a robust gut tissue structure, displaying thicker intestinal layers, longer villi, and larger crypts. Naked mole-rats showed more and larger goblet cells, with increased mucus content. Intestinal permeability, especially in the ileum, was substantially lower than that of mice. Finally, naked mole-rats showed reduced intestinal anion secretion in response to serotonin, bradykinin, histamine, capsaicin, and forskolin.

Eucommia ulmoides Leaves Alleviate Cognitive Dysfunction in Dextran Sulfate Sodium (DSS)-Induced Colitis Mice through Regulating JNK/TLR4 Signaling Pathway.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is one of the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) that is characterized by systemic immune system activation. This study was performed to assess the alleviative effect of administering an aqueous extract of Eucommia ulmoides leaves (AEEL) on cognitive dysfunction in mice with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. The major bioactive compounds of AEEL were identified as a quinic acid derivative, caffeic acid-O-hexoside, and 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid using UPLC Q-TOF/MSE. AEEL administration alleviated colitis symptoms, which are bodyweight change and colon shortening. Moreover, AEEL administration protected intestinal barrier integrity by increasing the tight junction protein expression levels in colon tissues. Likewise, AEEL improved behavioral dysfunction in the Y-maze, passive avoidance, and Morris water maze tests. Additionally, AEEL improved short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) content in the feces of DSS-induced mice. In addition, AEEL improved damaged cholinergic systems in brain tissue and damaged mitochondrial and antioxidant functions in colon and brain tissues caused by DSS. Also, AEEL protected against DSS-induced cytotoxicity and inflammation in colon and brain tissues by c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathway. Therefore, these results suggest that AEEL is a natural material that alleviates DSS-induced cognitive dysfunction with the modulation of gut-brain interaction.

Comparison between two minimally invasive techniques for Hirschsprung disease: transanal endorectal pull-through (TERPT) versus laparoscopic-TERPT.

INTRODUCTION: Surgical treatment for Hirschsprung disease (HD) has recently evolved into different minimally invasive techniques. The aim of the present study is to compare results from two different minimal invasive approaches, transanal endorectal pull-through (TERPT) and laparoscopic-assisted endorectal pull-through (LA-TERPT). METHODS: Patients have been divided into two groups according to surgical technique. Data of HD patients treated by TERPT and those treated by LA-TERPT, respectively, performed at two different centers from January 2007 to December 2017, were retrospectively collected. Patients with aganglionosis confined to the recto-sigmoid colon with a minimum follow-up period of 4 years have been included. Demographic, clinical, surgical and functional outcome data were reviewed for each group using Chi-square and Fisher tests (statistical differences were considered for p < 0.05). RESULTS: Among patients treated for HD in the two centers during the study period, 65 met the inclusion criteria (37 TERPT group and 28 LA-TERPT group). No differences regarding demographic and clinical data were observed between the two groups. Operative time was longer in the LA-TERPT group (p < 0.001). Time to start oral feeding was faster in the TERPT group while hospital stay was similar between the two groups. Three patients of the TERPT group required an additional abdominal approach. The rate of early complications was higher in the TERPT group. Long-term bowel function was assessed in 31 patients for the TERPT group and 24 patients for the LA-TERPT group. Outcomes showed that the bowel functional outcome was good (BFS ≥ 17) in 55% (n = 17) of TERPT group and 54% of LA-TERPT group (p = 0.97), moderate (BFS 12 to 16) in 16% (n = 5) and 33% (n = 8), respectively (p = 0.24), and poor in 29% (n = 9) and 13% (n = 3), respectively (p = 0.23). CONCLUSIONS: Both TERPT and LA-TERPT techniques should be considered safe and feasible for the treatment of HD patients. TERPT patients present faster time to return to normal bowel function while LA-TERPT patients have slightly lower incidence of postoperative complications. Long-term functional outcomes are similar between the two groups. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Interactions between dietary carbohydrate and thiamine: implications on the growth performance and intestinal mitochondrial biogenesis and function of Megalobrama amblycephala.

A12-week experiment was conducted to evaluate the influences of thiamine ongrowth performance, and intestinal mitochondrial biogenesis and function of Megalobramaamblycephala fed a high-carbohydrate (HC) diet. Fish (24·73 (sem 0·45) g) were randomly assigned to one of four diets: two carbohydrate (CHO) levels (30 and 45 %) and two thiamine levels (0 and 1·5 mg/kg). HC diets significantly decreased DGC, GRMBW, FIMBW, intestinal activities of amylase, lipase, Na+, K+-ATPase, CK, complexes I, III and IV, intestinal ML, number of mitochondrial per field, ΔΨm, the P-AMPK: T-AMPK ratio, PGC-1ß protein expression as well as the transcriptions of AMPKα1, AMPKα2, PGC-1ß, mitochondrial transcription factor A, Opa-1, ND-1 and COX-1 and 2, while the opposite was true for ATP, AMP and reactive oxygen species, and the transcriptions of dynamin-related protein-1, fission-1 and mitochondrial fission factor. Dietarythiamine concentrations significantly increased DGC, GRMBW, intestinal activities of amylase, Na+, K+-ATPase, CK, complexes I and IV, intestinal ML, number of mitochondrial per field, ΔΨm, the P-AMPK:T-AMPK ratio, PGC-1ß protein expression as well as the transcriptions of AMPKα1, AMPKα2, PGC-1ß, Opa-1, ND-1, COX-1 and 2, SGLT-1 and GLUT-2. Furthermore, a significant interaction between dietary CHO and thiamine was observed in DGC, GRMBW, intestinal activities of amylase, CK, complexes I and IV, ΔΨm, the AMP:ATP ratio, the P-AMPK:T-AMPK ratio, PGC-1ß protein expression as well as the transcriptions of AMPKα1, AMPKα2, PGC-1ß, Opa-1, COX-1 and 2, SGLT-1 and GLUT-2. Overall, thiamine supplementation improved growth performance, and intestinal mitochondrial biogenesis and function of M. amblycephala fed HC diets.

Methionine played a positive role in improving the intestinal digestion capacity, anti-inflammatory reaction and oxidation resistance of grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella, fry.

A study was carried out to appraisal the function of methionine on intestinal digestion and the health of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) fry (initial weight 0.36 ± 0.01 g). The fry were fed graded dietary methionine levels (0.33%-1.20% dry matter) in 18 recirculatory tanks (180 L). After an 8-week breeding experiment, the results revealed that 0.71%-1.20% dietary methionine levels markedly upregulated the mRNA levels of intestinal digestion including trypsin, amylase, chymotrypsin and AKP, and 0.71%-0.87% dietary methionine level significantly increased intestinal trypsin activities compared with the 0.33% dietary methionine level. For inflammation, 0.71%-1.20% dietary methionine levels downregulated the mRNA levels of NF-κBp65, IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, IL-15 and IL-17D, whereas upregulated the mRNA levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-4/13B, IL-10 and IL-11. In terms of antioxidants, although dietary methionine levels had no significant effect on the expression of most core genes of the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway, such as Nrf2, Keap 1, GPx4, CAT, Cu/Zn-SOD. Furthermore, dietary methionine levels had no significant effect on the expression of p38MAPK, IL-12p35, TGF-ß2 and IL-4/13A. 0.71%-1.20% dietary methionine levels still increased the mRNA levels of GPx1α, GSTR and GSTP1. Furthermore, higher intestinal catalase activity and glutathione contents were also observed in fry fed 0.71%-1.20% diets. In summary, 0.71%-1.20% dietary methionine levels played a positive role in improving the intestinal digestion capacity of digestion, anti-inflammatory reaction and oxidation resistance of grass carp fry. This study provided a theoretical basis for improving the survival rate and growth of grass carp fry.

Dietary supplementation with sodium gluconate improves the growth performance and intestinal function in weaned pigs challenged with a recombinant Escherichia coli strain.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this research is to determine the effects of sodium gluconate (SG) on the growth performance and intestinal function in weaned pigs challenged with a recombinant Escherichia coli strain expressing heat-stable type I toxin (STa). RESULTS: Pigs (n = 24, 21 days of age) were randomly allocated to three treatments: Control group (pigs were fed basal diet), STa group (pigs were fed basal diet and challenged with a recombinant E. coli strain expressing STa), and SG group (pigs were fed basal diet supplemented with 2500 mg/kg sodium gluconate and challenged with a recombinant E. coli strain expressing STa). The trial period lasted for 15 days. On days 12 and 13, pigs in the STa and SG groups were orally administered with the recombinant Escherichia coli strain, while those in the control group were orally administered with normal saline at the same volume. On day 15, blood, intestinal tissues and colonic contents were collected for further analysis. Results showed that dietary SG supplementation had a tendency to increase average daily gain, and reduced (P < 0.05) feed to gain ratio, plasma glucose concentration, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration as compared with control group on days 0-10 of trial. Additionally, dietary SG supplementation attenuated(P < 0.05) the morphological abnormalities of small intestinal and the increase of the number of eosinophils in blood of pigs challenged with the recombinant Escherichia coli strain on day 15 of trial. Compared with control group, diarrhea rate and the number of eosinophils in blood and the concentrations of malondialdehyde in the jejunum were increased (P < 0.05). The height, width and surface area of the villi of the duodenum, the width and surface area of villi of jejunum and the height and width of villi of ileum were decreased (P < 0.05) in pigs challenged with the recombinant Escherichia coli strain in the STa group compared with those in control group on day 15 of trial. However, these adverse effects were ameliorated (P < 0.05) by SG supplementation in the SG group on day 15 of trial. Furthermore, dietary SG supplementation could reduce (P < 0.05) the total bacterial abundance in the colon, but SG did not restore the recombinant Escherichia coli-induced microbiota imbalance in colon. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, dietary supplementation with SG could improve piglet growth performance and alleviate the recombinant Escherichia coli-induced intestinal injury, suggesting that SG may be a promising feed additive for swine.

Chewing Gum After Radical Cystectomy With Urinary Diversion for Recovery of Intestinal Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of chewing in the recovery of intestinal function after radical cystectomy. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: Following the PRISMA statement, PubMed, CINAHL, Google Scholar, Cochrane Review Database, EMBASE, Scopus, and grey literature were searched for evidence. FINDINGS: The analysis included 2 trials with 100 patients. Compared to placebo, chewing gum resulted in faster recovery of bowel function (mean difference [MD], -16.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], -18.67 to -13.32; P < .00001). In addition, chewing gum decreased the time to flatus (MD, -14.81; 95% CI, -22.14 to -7.47; P < .0001), but did not reduced the length of stay (MD, 0.97; 95% CI, -1.23 to 3.18; P = .39) and the incidence of postoperative ileus (risk ratio, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.20-2.23; P = .51). The quality of evidence is low due to imprecision and suspected publication bias. CONCLUSIONS: Chewing gum appears to be an inexpensive intervention to improve the return of bowel function in patients undergoing radical cystectomy.

Fucoidans and Bowel Health.

Fucoidans are cell wall polysaccharides found in various species of brown seaweeds. They are fucose-containing sulfated polysaccharides (FCSPs) and comprise 5-20% of the algal dry weight. Fucoidans possess multiple bioactivities, including antioxidant, anticoagulant, antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anti-lipidemic, anti-metastatic, anti-diabetic and anti-cancer effects. Dietary fucoidans provide small but constant amounts of FCSPs to the intestinal tract, which can reorganize the composition of commensal microbiota altered by FCSPs, and consequently control inflammation symptoms in the intestine. Although the bioactivities of fucoidans have been well described, there is limited evidence to implicate their effect on gut microbiota and bowel health. In this review, we summarize the recent studies that introduce the fundamental characteristics of various kinds of fucoidans and discuss their potential in altering commensal microorganisms and influencing intestinal diseases.

Machine learning algorithm of ultrasound-mediated intestinal function recovery and nursing efficacy analysis of lower gastrointestinal malignant tumor after surgery.

OBJECTIVES: In this paper, machine learning algorithms was used to explore the application value of ultrasound contrast in the early evaluation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with gastrointestinal malignant liver metastases, and analyzes the effect of sports nursing methods on intestinal function recovery. METHODS: Forty-seven patients with gastrointestinal malignancies were divided into 25 patients (combined chemotherapy group) and 22 cases (chemotherapy group) from April 2018 to April 2019. Two groups of patients were treated with CEUS. The effective lesion patients and invalid quantitative parameters were compared between the two groups before and after treatment, and the postoperative routine nursing was implemented. RESULTS: Chemotherapy group effective in 18 cases, accounting for 81.82%; 4 cases, 18.18%. Combination chemotherapy patients 21 cases, accounting for 84.00%; 4 cases, accounting for 16.00%. CONCLUSION: Based on early is important to assess the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with liver metastases peak intensity ultrasound contrast parameters of the machine learning algorithms malignant tumors in the gastrointestinal tract, post-operative care movement helps to restore bowel function.

Changes in bowel sounds of inpatients undergoing general anesthesia.

BACKGROUND: General anesthesia can affect intestinal function, but there is no objective, practical and effective indicator to evaluate the inhibition and recovery of intestinal function. The main objectives of this study were to assess whether bowel sounds (BSs) changed before, immediately after and 3 h after general anesthesia, and whether these changes in BSs are an effective indicator of intestinal function and an accurate guide for postoperative feeding. METHODS: We randomly selected 26 inpatients and collected three sets of 5-min continuous BS data before the operation (Pre-op), immediately after the operation (Pro-op) and 3 h after the operation (3 h-Pro-op) for each patient. Then, the linear and nonlinear characteristic values (CVs) of each effective bowel sound were extracted and paired t tests and rank-sum tests were used to evaluate the changes in the BSs. RESULTS: The differences in CVs, between Pre-op and Pro-op, as well as between Pro-op and 3 h-Pro-op, were statistically significant (p < 0.05). However, there are no statistically significant differences between all the CVs between Pre-op and 3 h-Pro-op (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: BSs change before and after general anesthesia. Furthermore, the BSs are weakened due to general anesthesia and recover to the pre-op state 3 h later. Therefore, the BSs can be an indicator of intestinal function under general anesthesia, so as to provide guidance for postoperative feeding, which is of considerable clinical significance.

Early-life lactoferrin intervention modulates the colonic microbiota, colonic microbial metabolites and intestinal function in suckling piglets.

This study reports the effects of early-life lactoferrin (LF) intervention on the colonic microbiota, intestinal function and mucosal immunity in suckling piglets. A total of 60 Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire suckling piglets from six sows were assigned to the control (CON) and LF groups in litters. The LF group piglets were fed 0.5 g/kg body weight of LF solution per day, and the CON group piglets were fed the same dose of physiological saline for a week. Six piglets from the two groups were randomly chosen and euthanised on days 8 and 21. The LF group piglets had higher ACE and Chao1 indices of colonic microbiota than the CON group piglets (P < 0.05). In addition, the LF group piglets had a higher abundance of Roseburia (P < 0.05) and a lower abundance of Escherichia-Shigella (P < 0.05) in the colonic digesta. The LF group piglets also had a higher concentration of butyrate (P < 0.05) in the colonic digesta. Moreover, the LF group piglets had a higher gene expression of occludin (P < 0.05) in the colonic mucosa. In addition, the gene expression of MUC4 was upregulated in the LF group piglets compared with that in the CON group on day 21 (P < 0.05), and the lower gene expression of TLR-4 was found in the LF group compared with the CON group on day 8 (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the concentration of IL-10 was increased in the LF group on day 8 (P < 0.05), while the LF group piglets had a higher concentration of sIgA and lower concentrations of IL-1α and IL-1ß (P < 0.05) in the colonic mucosa. These results suggest that early-life LF intervention can modulate the composition of colonic microbiota and improve the intestinal function in suckling piglets.Key Points• Early-life LF intervention significantly modulated colon microbiota.• Early-life LF intervention can improve the colon health.• The colon microbiota plays an important role in host health.

Probiotic fermented feed improved the production, health and nutrient utilisation of yellow-feathered broilers reared in high altitude in Tibet.

1. Probiotic fermented feed (PFF) has been widely used in poultry production. The current study was designed to investigate whether PPF could alleviate the negative effects of hypoxia on yellow-feathered broilers reared at high altitude on the Tibet Plateau. 2. A total of 480, one-day-old male Lingnan yellow-feathered broilers were divided into four treatment groups with six replicates, each containing 20 broiler chickens. Broilers in the four groups were offered either a basal diet (without antibiotics) or test diets containing 5, 10 and 15% of PFF respectively. The experiment lasted for eight weeks. 3. Birds fed the 10% PFF diet exhibited increased (P < 0.05) average daily gain (ADG) on d 28 and 56, body weight (BW) on d 56, total tract apparent digestibility (TTAD) of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP) and gross energy (GE). Feeding diets supplemented with 10% PFF increased (P < 0.05) digestive activity and gut development in duodenum and jejunum. Supplementation with 10% or 15% PFF significantly increased (P < 0.05) the caecal populations of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria spp. and decreased (P < 0.05) caecal E. coli and Salmonella spp. on d 28 and 56. 4. The ADG and BW on d 56, protease activity in duodenum on d 56 and jejunum on d 28 and 56, villus height and villi absorptive area in duodenum and jejunum and caecal Bifidobacteria spp. showed a quadratic (P < 0.05) dose response as supplemental PFF level increased. The TTAD of DM and CP and caecal Lactobacilli spp. increased linearly with PFF level. The caecal populations of E. coli and Salmonella spp. decreased linearly with PFF level. 5. In conclusion, addition of PFF in broiler diets had the potential to improve production performance, nutrient utilisation, intestinal digestive function and caecal microflora in yellow broiler chickens raised at high altitude.

Effects of methionine partially replaced by methionyl-methionine dipeptide on intestinal function in methionine-deficient pregnant mice.

This study was to compare the effects of parenteral supplementation of methionyl-methionine (Met-Met) or Met on intestinal barrier function in Met-deficient pregnant mice. Pregnant mice were randomly divided into three groups. The Control group was provided a diet containing Met and received i.p. injection of saline. The Met group was fed the same diet but without Met and received daily i.p. injection of 35% of the Met contained in the control diet. The Met-Met group was treated the same as the Met group, except that 25% of the Met injected was replaced with Met-Met. Met-Met promoted villus surface area in ileum compared with Met alone. In addition, the mRNA abundance of amino acid and glucose transporters in the small intestine was altered with Met-Met. Moreover, Met-Met increased tight junction protein and decreased apoptosis-related proteins expression in the jejunum and ileum. These results suggest that Met-Met can promote intestinal function over Met alone in Met-deficient mice.

Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis in jejunum of Sus scrofa with intrauterine growth restriction.

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) may elicit a series of postnatal body developmental and metabolic diseases due to their impaired growth and development in the mammalian embryo/fetus during pregnancy. In the present study, we hypothesized that IUGR may lead to abnormally regulated DNA methylation in the intestine, causing intestinal dysfunctions. We applied reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) technology to study the jejunum tissues from four newborn IUGR piglets and their normal body weight (NBW) littermates. The results revealed extensively regional DNA methylation changes between IUGR/NBW pairs from different gilts, affecting dozens of genes. Hiseq-based bisulfite sequencing PCR (Hiseq-BSP) was used for validations of 19 genes with epigenetic abnormality, confirming three genes (AIFM1, MTMR1, and TWIST2) in extra samples. Furthermore, integrated analysis of these 19 genes with proteome data indicated that there were three main genes (BCAP31, IRAK1, and AIFM1) interacting with important immunity- or metabolism-related proteins, which could explain the potential intestinal dysfunctions of IUGR piglets. We conclude that IUGR can lead to disparate DNA methylation in the intestine and these changes may affect several important biological processes such as cell apoptosis, cell differentiation, and immunity, which provides more clues linking IUGR and its long-term complications.

Dietary supplementation with an amino acid blend enhances intestinal function in piglets.

The traditionally classified nutritionally non-essential amino acids are now known to be insufficiently synthesized for maximal growth and optimal health in piglets. This study determined the effects of dietary supplementation with an amino acid blend (AAB; glutamate:glutamine:glycine:arginine:N-acetylcysteine = 5:2:2:1:0.5) on piglet growth performance and intestinal functions. Sixteen piglets (24-day-old) were randomly assigned to a corn and soybean meal-based diet supplemented with 0.99% alanine (isonitrogenous control) or 1% AAB. On day 20 of the trial, blood and intestinal tissue samples were obtained from piglets. Compared with the control, AAB supplementation reduced (P < 0.05) diarrhoea incidence; plasma alanine aminotransferase and diamine oxidase activities; intestinal concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde, and heat shock protein-70, and intestinal mRNA levels for interleukin-1ß, interferon-γ, and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand-9; and the numbers of Enterobacterium family, Enterococcus genus and Clostridium coccoides in the colon digesta. Furthermore, AAB supplementation enhanced (P < 0.05): the plasma concentrations of serine, aspartate, glutamate, cysteine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, lysine, arginine, citrulline, ornithine, taurine, and γ-aminobutyric acid; intestinal villus height and surface area, villus height/crypt depth ratio, antioxidative enzyme activities, and mRNA levels for porcine ß-defensin-1, sodium-independent amino acid transporters (b0,+AT and y+LAT1), aquaporin (AQP) 3, AQP8, AQP10, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and glutathione S-transferase omega-2, and protein abundances of AQP3, AQP4, claudin-1, occludin and myxovirus resistance 1; and the numbers of Bifidobacterium genus and Lactobacillus genus in the colon digesta. Collectively, these comprehensive results indicate that dietary AAB supplementation plays an important role in improving piglet growth and intestinal function.

Postoperative symbiotic in patients with head and neck cancer: a double-blind randomised trial.

Studies on the 'gut origin of sepsis' have suggested that stressful insults, such as surgery, can affect intestinal permeability, leading to bacterial translocation. Symbiotics have been reported to be able to improve gut permeability and modulate the immunologic system, thereby decreasing postoperative complications. Therefore we aimed to evaluate the postoperative use of symbiotics in head and neck cancer surgical patients for intestinal function and permeability, as well as the postoperative outcomes. Patients were double-blind randomised into the symbiotic (n 18) or the control group (n 18). Samples were administered twice a day by nasoenteric tube, starting on the 1st postoperative day until the 5th to 7th day, and comprised 109 colony-forming units/ml each of Lactobacillus paracasei, L. rhamnosus, L. acidophilus, and Bifidobacterium lactis plus 6 g of fructo-oligosaccharides, or a placebo (6 g of maltodextrin). Intestinal function (day of first evacuation, total stool episodes, stool consistency, gastrointestinal tract symptoms and gut permeability by diamine oxidase (DAO) enzyme) and postoperative complications (infectious and non-infectious) were assessed. Results of comparison of the pre- and postoperative periods showed that the groups were similar for all outcome variables. In all, twelve patients had complications in the symbiotic group v. nine in the control group (P>0·05), and the preoperative-postoperative DAO activity ranged from 28·5 (sd 15·4) to 32·7 (sd 11·0) ng/ml in the symbiotic group and 35·2 (sd 17·7) to 34·1 (sd 12·0) ng/ml in the control group (P>0·05). In conclusion, postoperative symbiotics did not impact on intestinal function and postoperative outcomes of head and neck surgical patients.

Dietary Supplementation with Oleum Cinnamomi Improves Intestinal Functions in Piglets.

The present study was to determine the efficacy of dietary supplementation with oleum cinnamomi (OCM) on growth performance and intestinal functions in piglets. Sixteen piglets (24-day-old) were randomly assigned to the control or OCM groups. Piglets in the control group were fed a basal diet, whereas piglets in the OCM group were fed the basal diet supplemented with 50 mg/kg OCM. On day 20 of the trial, blood samples and intestinal tissues were obtained from piglets. Compared with the control group, dietary OCM supplementation increased (p < 0.05) average daily feed intake, plasma insulin levels, villus width and villous surface area in the duodenum and jejunum, DNA levels and RNA/DNA ratios in the ileum, the abundance of Enterococcus genus and Lactobacillus genus in caecum digesta, mRNA levels for epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR), Ras, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (Erk1/2), b-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-xL), villin, junctional adhesion molecule A (JAM-A), myxovirus resistance (MX) 1, MX2 and regenerating islet-derived protein 3 gamma (REG3G), and protein abundances of Ras and claudin-1, but decreased (p < 0.05) diarrhoea incidence; the abundances of Enterobacteriaceae family, Enterococcus genus, Lactobacillus genus, Bifidobacterium genus, and Clostrium coccoides in the colon digesta, and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) mRNA levels and caspase-3 protein abundance in the jejunal mucosa of piglets. Taken together, these data indicate that dietary OCM supplementation modulates intestinal microbiota and improves intestinal function in weanling pigs. OCM is an effective feed additive and alternative to feed antibiotics for improving intestinal health in swine.

Beneficial Impact and Molecular Mechanism of Bacillus coagulans on Piglets' Intestine.

The aim of this research was to investigate the beneficial impact and molecular mechanism of B. coagulans on piglets' intestine. Twenty-four 21 days old weaned piglets were allotted to three treatments: Control group (basal diet), B6 group (basal diet + 2 × 106 CFU/g B. coagulans), and the B7 group (basal diet + 2 × 107 CFU/g B. coagulans). The results showed that, compared with the control group, the B7 group had a reduced cholesterol content and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) in plasma (p < 0.05); the B6 and B7 groups had a significantly decreased diarrhea rate and diamine oxidase (DAO) activity in plasma (p < 0.05), increased villus height in ileum and decreased crypt depth in the jejunum (p < 0.05); increased activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), and decreased the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and H2O2 in the intestine (p < 0.05). These data suggested that supplementing B. coagulans had beneficial impacts on promoting nutrients' metabolism, maintaining intestinal integrity, and alleviating oxidative stress and diarrhea. Further research of molecular mechanisms showed changing expression levels of related proteins and genes, suggesting that these could be involved in the regulation of the impact. The community composition of the gut microbiota was also found to be altered in several operational taxonomic units within the genus, Prevotella (order Bacteroidales), and the order, Clostridiales.

N-Acetylcysteine improves intestinal function in lipopolysaccharides-challenged piglets through multiple signaling pathways.

This study determined whether N-acetylcysteine (NAC) could improve intestinal function through phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR), toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and type I interferon (IFN) signaling pathways in a piglet model of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) challenge. Thirty-two piglets (24-day-old) were randomly allocated to one of four treatments, with eight replicates per treatment and one piglet per replicate. The experiment consisted of four treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with two diets (supplemented with 0 or 500 mg NAC/kg diet) and saline or LPS administration. On day 20 of the trial, piglets in the LPS and LPS + NAC groups were intraperitoneally injected with 0 (saline) or 100 µg LPS/kg BW. Blood samples were obtained at 3 h and intestinal mucosae were collected at 6 h post LPS or saline injection. The growth performance was not affected by dietary NAC. LPS induced intestinal dysfunction, as indicated by: (1) reductions in the small-intestinal glutathione concentrations and plasma D-xylose levels; (2) elevations in plasma diamine oxidase activity, mucosal MMP3 mRNA levels and caspase-3 protein abundance; (3) reduced the activities of the small-intestinal mucosal maltase, sucrase and lactase. The adverse effects of LPS on porcine intestinal function and redox status were mitigated by NAC supplementation through the activation of multiple signaling pathways involving PI3K/Akt/mTOR, EGFR, TLR4/NF-κB, AMPK, and type I IFN. Our findings provide novel mechanisms for beneficial effects of NAC in protecting the intestine from inflammation in animals.

Chewing gum for intestinal function recovery after caesarean section: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Gum chewing has been reported to enhance the intestinal function recovery after caesarean section, current perspectives and practice guidelines vary widely on the use of gum chewing, more studies on the role of gum chewing after caesarean section are needed. METHODS: We performed a comprehensive, systematic meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the efficacy of gum chewing after caesarean section. Studies were identified by searching EMBASE et al database (until June 30, 2016). Summary odd ratios or weighted mean differences with 95% confidence intervals were calculated for each outcome with fixed- or random-effects model. RESULTS: Ten RCTs with a total of 1659 women were included in our meta-analysis. Gum chewing provided significant benefits in reducing the time to first passage of flatus, first defecation, first bowel sound, first bowel movement and the length of hospital stay, but not in the time to first feeling of hunger. CONCLUSIONS: Gun chewing hastens the intestinal function recovery after caesarean section and offers a safe and inexpensive option. High-quality and larger-scale RCTs are still warranted to clarify the role of gum chewing in intestinal function recovery after caesarean section.