Effect of fermented milk containing Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota on constipation-related symptoms and haemorrhoids in women during puerperium

Constipation and haemorrhoids are common complaints after childbirth. The objective of this pilot study was to evaluate impact of fermented milk containing Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota (LcS) on stool consistency and frequency, constipation-related symptoms and quality of life, and incidence of haemorrhoids in women during puerperium. Forty women who had natural childbirth were randomised to group consuming either one bottle/day of fermented milk containing at least 6.5×109 cfu of LcS, or placebo, for 6 weeks after childbirth. Subjects filled in a diary on their bowel habits including number of bowel movement, stool consistency and incidence of haemorrhoids, and answered questionnaires on constipation-related symptoms (PAC-SYM) and quality of life (PAC-QOL) during the study period. The probiotic group showed the better scores on overall PAC-SYM (P=0.013), PAC-SYM subscales of abdominal symptoms (P=0.043) and rectal symptoms (P=0.031), and PAC-QOL satisfaction subscale (P=0.037) in comparison with the placebo group. In the probiotic group, two to four subjects experienced haemorrhoids during the first 3 weeks of treatment. The number decreased in week 4 and no one had haemorrhoids on most days in week 5-6. In the placebo group, on average four subjects had haemorrhoids from the beginning, and no obvious change was observed until week 6. No statistically significant effect was observed on stool consistency and frequency. The study products did not cause any adverse event in the subjects. Results of this study indicate that continuous consumption of fermented milk containing LcS might alleviate constipation-related symptoms, provide satisfactory bowel habit and result in earlier recovery from haemorrhoids in women during puerperium. Nonetheless, there are several limitations in interpretation of the results attributed to the study design, including lack of baseline data. Further study is required in order to confirm the efficacy.

Successful control of an outbreak of GES-5 extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a long-term care facility in Japan

BACKGROUND

Little is known about multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDRP) outbreaks in long-term care facilities (LTCFs).

AIM

To describe an MDRP outbreak in an LTCF and to clarify risk factors for MDRP acquisition.

METHODS

Patients who were positive for MDRP at an LTCF from January 2013 to January 2014 were analysed. A descriptive analysis, a case-control study, and a microbiological analysis were performed.

FINDINGS

A total of 23 MDRP cases were identified, 16 of which were confirmed in sputum samples. Healthcare workers were observed violating hand hygiene procedures when performing oral, wound, and genital care. Nasogastric tube and oxygen mask use was associated with MDRP acquisition in the respiratory tract, which might have been confounded by poor hand hygiene. Sharing unhygienic devices, such as portable oral suction devices for oral care, and washing bottles and ointments for wound and genital care with inadequate disinfection could explain the transmission of MDRP in some cases. Isolates from 11 patients were found to be indistinguishable or closely related by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and harbouring the blaGES-5 gene. Subsequent enhanced infection control measures were supported by nearby hospitals and a local public health centre. No additional cases were identified for a year after the last case occurred in January 2014.

CONCLUSION

An outbreak of MDRP with an antimicrobial resistance gene, blaGES-5, occurred in a Japanese LTCF. It was successfully controlled by enhanced infection control measures, which neighbouring hospitals and a local public health centre supported.

Multilocus sequence typing of bifidobacterial strains from infant’s faeces and human milk: are bifidobacteria being sustainably shared during breastfeeding?

Bifidobacteria are considered to be one of the most important beneficial intestinal bacteria for infants, contributing to the priming of the mucosal immune system. These microbes can also be detected in mother’s milk, suggesting a potential role of human milk in the colonisation of infant’s gut. However, little is known about the timing of bacteria appearance in human milk, and whether human milk is the first source of inoculation. Here, we investigated whether specific strains are shared sustainably between maternal milk and infant’s gut. Faecal samples and human milk were collected from 102 healthy mother-infant pairs (infant’s faeces: meconium, 7, 30 days of age; mother’s milk: once before delivery, colostrum, 7, 30 days after delivery). Bifidobacterial strains were isolated from these samples, and were discriminated by means of multilocus sequencing typing. No bifidobacteria were detected from human milk collected before delivery, or colostrum. Strains were isolated only from human milk samples obtained 7 days after birth or later. On the other hand, bifidobacterial strains were obtained from infant’s faeces throughout the study period, sometimes as early as the first day of life (meconium). We have found that bifidobacterial species belonging to Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium breve, and Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum could be identified as monophyletic between infant’s faeces and their mother’s milk. These strains were confirmed to be sustainably shared between maternal milk and infant’s gut. Moreover, monophyletic strains were isolated at the same time point or earlier from infant’s faeces than from human milk, and none were isolated earlier from human milk than from infant’s faeces. Although it remains unclear whether human milk is the first source of microbes for infants, our results confirm that human milk is a reservoir of bifidobacteria, and specific strains are shared between infant’s intestine and human milk during breastfeeding.

Effects of lactic acid bacteria on low-density lipoprotein susceptibility to oxidation and aortic fatty lesion formation in hyperlipidemic hamsters

We investigated the effects of Streptococcus thermophilus YIT 2001, a strain of lactic acid bacteria, on the susceptibility of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) to oxidation and the formation of aortic fatty lesions in hyperlipidemic hamsters. S. thermophilus YIT 2001 had the highest in vitro antioxidative activity against LDL oxidation among the 79 strains of lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria tested, which was about twice that of S. thermophilus YIT 2084. The lag time of LDL oxidation in the YIT 2001 feeding group was significantly longer than in controls, but was unchanged in the YIT 2084 group. After the feeding of YIT 2001, lag times were prolonged and areas of aortic fatty lesions were dose-dependently attenuated, although there were no effects on plasma lipid levels. These results suggest that YIT 2001 has the potential to prevent the formation of aortic fatty lesions by inhibiting LDL oxidation.

Macro- and microstructural changes in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 6: assessment of phylogenetic subdivisions of the cerebellum and the brain stem

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Site-specific degeneration patterns of the infratentorial brain in relation to phylogenetic origins may relate to symptoms in patients with spinocerebellar degeneration, but the patterns are still unclear. We investigated macro- and microstructural changes of the infratentorial brain based on phylogenetic origins and their correlation with symptoms in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 6.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

MR images of 9 patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 and 9 age- and sex-matched controls were obtained. We divided the infratentorial brain on the basis of phylogenetic origins and performed an atlas-based analysis. Comparisons of the 2 groups and a correlation analysis assessed with the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale excluding age effects were performed.

RESULTS

A significant decrease of fractional volume and an increase of mean diffusivity were seen in all subdivisions of the cerebellum and in all the cerebellar peduncles except mean diffusivity in the inferior cerebellar peduncle in patients compared with controls (P < .0001 to <.05). The bilateral anterior lobes showed the strongest atrophy. Fractional volume decreased mainly in old regions, whereas mean diffusivity increased mainly in new regions of the cerebellum. Reflecting this tendency, the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale total score showed strong correlations in fractional volume in the right flocculonodular lobe and the bilateral deep structures and in mean diffusivity in the bilateral posterior lobes (r = 0.73 to ±0.87).

CONCLUSIONS

We found characteristic macro- and microstructural changes, depending on phylogenetic regions of the infratentorial brain, that strongly correlated with clinical symptoms in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 6.

Alcohol consumption promotes the intestinal translocation of Streptococcus suis infections

Streptococcus suis is an emerging zoonotic agent. This study aimed to investigate whether S. suis is likely to translocate across the intestines of human hosts who have liver disease and/or consume alcohol. Both the alcoholism and cirrhosis models exhibited high mRNA expression of TGF and collagen1, but only the cirrhosis model had fibrosis in the liver. After both models were infected with S. suis, significantly different concentrations of S. suis were detected in the blood and brains of the alcoholism model (Blood: 36.4%; Brain: 31.8%) and the cirrhosis model (Blood: 62.5%; Brain: 62.5%) compared to the concentrations in the healthy mice (Blood: 15.4%; Brain: 0%). Trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TER) was used to examine the Caco-2 cells in the in vitro that had an S. suis infection combined with 1% ethanol. Although the ethanol did not influence the Caco-2 cells' barriers, it did rapidly decrease the barriers' TER value and then their E-cadherin compared to the infected Caco-2 cells without the ethanol treatment. Immunofluorescence also indicated that the barriers of the Caco-2 cells treated with ethanol were disrupted and that S. suis translocated from the apical to the basolateral side. This study demonstrated that alcohol consumption helped S. suis to translocate.

Development of an (e,2e) electron momentum spectroscopy apparatus using an ultrashort pulsed electron gun

An (e,2e) apparatus for electron momentum spectroscopy (EMS) has been developed, which employs an ultrashort-pulsed incident electron beam with a repetition rate of 5 kHz and a pulse duration in the order of a picosecond. Its instrumental design and technical details are reported, involving demonstration of a new method for finding time-zero. Furthermore, EMS data for the neutral Ne atom in the ground state measured by using the pulsed electron beam are presented to illustrate the potential abilities of the apparatus for ultrafast molecular dynamics, such as by combining EMS with the pump-and-probe technique.

Some plasma component is essential for IL-6 secretion by Neutrophils

Recently, the neutrophil has been shown to have the capacity to produce a number of cytokines. Among these cytokines, interleukin-1 (IL-1), tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF- α ) and IL-6 are typical examples of multifunctional cytokines involved in regulation of the immune response and inflammation. However, there are conflicting reports in the literature concerning the issue of whether IL-6 expression can be modulated in human neutrophils.In this study, we showed the spontaneous secretion of IL-1 β , TNF- α and IL-6 by neutrophils. IL-6 secretion of neutrophils was effectively induced by IL-1 β . However, spontaneous or IL-1 β induced secretion of IL-6 was observed only when the cells were cultured in autologous plasma. Then we examined the spontaneous secretion of cytokines by co-cultured leukocytes (neutrophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes). Surprisingly, IL-6 was dramatically secreted by the leukocytes only when the cells were cultured in autologous plasma, although IL-1 β and TNF- α were secreted by the cells either in RPMI 1640 or in plasma. These observations suggest that the regulation of IL-6 production is qualitatively different from the production of IL-1 β or TNF- α by leukocytes.

Development and application of a crossbreeding simulation model for goat production systems in tropical regions

A deterministic simulation model was developed to estimate biological production efficiency and to evaluate goat crossbreeding systems under tropical conditions. The model involves 5 production systems: pure indigenous, first filial generations (F1), backcross (BC), composite breeds of F1 (CMP(F1)), and BC (CMP(BC)). The model first simulates growth, reproduction, lactation, and energy intakes of a doe and a kid on a 1-d time step at the individual level and thereafter the outputs are integrated into the herd dynamics program. The ability of the model to simulate individual performances was tested under a base situation. The simulation results represented daily BW changes, ME requirements, and milk yield and the estimates were within the range of published data. Two conventional goat production scenarios (an intensive milk production scenario and an integrated goat and oil palm production scenario) in Malaysia were examined. The simulation results of the intensive milk production scenario showed the greater production efficiency of the CMP(BC) and CMP(F1) systems and decreased production efficiency of the F1 and BC systems. The results of the integrated goat and oil palm production scenario showed that the production efficiency and stocking rate were greater for the indigenous goats than for the crossbreeding systems.

Unexpected dermatologic toxicities from anticancer therapies: Survivors’ perspectives

e20673

Background: As oncologic therapies have shown improved survival, there is a growing attention to other aspects of the cancer experience from the survivors’ perspectives. Gastrointestinal, constitutional, and dermatologic toxicities are frequently experienced and further study of their impact is important to prevent inconsistent antineoplastic drug administration. This study is aimed to evaluate survivors’ perceptions of unexpected toxicities. Methods: CancerCare, a national nonprofit organization, mailed 1,369 surveys to cancer survivors completing their treatment. The survey divided into two sections asked patients to rate their concern about dermatologic, gastrointestinal, and constitutional toxicities prior to and after therapy completion. Toxicities were also rated on a 1 to 10 scale based on their negative impact. Results: 379 survivors responded to the survey, yielding a 28% response. Of those 379, 250 (66%) were diagnosed with breast cancer. The remaining 127 (33%) had ovarian, lung, colorectal, prostate, bladder, kidney, or other malignancy. Prior treatments included: chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, targeted therapies, or any combination of the preceding. The most frequently unanticipated events carrying a negative impact were dermatologic: dry skin and skin irritation. Following were constitutional (insomnia and fatigue) and gastrointestinal toxicities (diarrhea and constipation). Before undergoing treatment, skin irritation was concerning to 40%. After treatment, 80% reported concern and 47% were negatively impacted. Dry skin prior to treatment was concerning to 34%, and 79% were concerned after having undergone therapy. In retrospect, 44% reported that having dry skin caused a negative impact. Gastrointestinal and constitutional toxicities were also examined, and overall, respondents’ level of concern remained largely unchanged pre and post treatment. Conclusions: Dermatologic toxicities are least anticipated by the cancer patients prior to their treatments, when compared to gastrointestinal and constitutional events. Since dermatologic toxicities have a negative impact on survivors’ lives, pre-therapy counseling and effective interventions are crucial, in order to maximize quality of life.

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Effect of parental genotypes and paternal heterosis on litter traits in crossbred goats

The effect of parental genotype and paternal heterosis on litter size (LS), total litter birth weight (TLW) and average litter birth weight (ALW) was analysed utilizing data from a crossbreeding programme involving the exotic German Fawn goats and local Katjang goats in Malaysia. In this study, these traits were regarded as traits of the litter to consider the effect of service sire genotype. The results revealed that LS was significantly influenced by the genotype of sire. The genotypes of sire and dam had significant effects on TLW and ALW. Estimates of crossbreeding parameter showed significant and negative influence of paternal heterosis on TLW and ALW while there was no significant effect of paternal heterosis on LS. The results of this study stress the need to reconsider the use of local males in the tropics.

In vitro development of gut-like tissue demonstrating rhythmic contractions from embryonic mouse intestinal cells

The rhythmic motility of the intestine is regulated by the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) and the enteric nervous system. Rhythmic motility is considered to occur after the differentiation of mesenchymal progenitor cells into ICC during the late embryonic period. In this study, we successfully reconstructed a gut-like tissue demonstrating rhythmic contractions by culturing dispersed cells enzymatically isolated from the mouse intestine during the mid-embryonic period. These intestinal cells were reconstituted into a collagen gel at high density, made to proliferate considerably, and grew into a gut-like tissue after 1 week of culturing. The reconstituted tissue showed rhythmic contractions and stained positive for the specific marker proteins of neurones and ICC, PGP9.5 and c-Kit. The tissue also demonstrated network formation by developing nerve cells and ICC. Moreover, in the presence of nifedipine, c-Kit-immunopositive cells showed spontaneous Ca(2+) oscillation, which is considered to be coupled to the electrical activity that corresponds to slow waves. Therefore, this culture system may be of use in elucidating the developmental mechanisms of gastrointestinal motility.