Species diversity and relative abundance of lactic acid bacteria in the milk of rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta)

BACKGROUND

Mother's milk is a source of bacteria that influences the development of the infant commensal gut microbiota. To date, the species diversity and relative abundance of lactic acid bacteria in the milk of non-human primates have not been described.

METHODS

Milk samples were aseptically obtained from 54 female rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) at peak lactation. Following GM17 and MRS agar plating, single bacterial colonies were isolated based on difference in morphotypes, then grouped based on whole-cell protein profiles on SDS-PAGE. Bacterial DNA was isolated and the sequence the 16S rRNA gene was analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 106 strains of 19 distinct bacterial species, belonging to five genera, Bacillus, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, and Streptococcus, were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal gut and oral commensal bacteria may be translocated to the mammary gland during lactation and present in milk. This pathway can be an important source of commensal bacteria to the infant gut and oral cavity.

Microstructure and photoluminescence studies of Sb-doped SnO2 zigzag nanobelts

SnO2 zigzag nanobelts were successfully Sb-doped by a simple vapor deposition method. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize these Sb-doped nanobelts. The Sb doping in SnO2 nanobelts was confirmed by Energy Dispersive X-ray spectrum (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It is found that there is no apparent lattice distance difference between the pure SnO2 and the 0.705 at% Sb doped SnO2 nanobelts. A slight blue-shift in the photoluminescence (PL) spectra was shown with the increase of Sb doping concentration and a reasonable explanation was given.

Combined photodynamic and low-level laser therapies as an adjunct to nonsurgical treatment of chronic periodontitis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the use of dental lasers for treatment of periodontal diseases. The purpose of this short-term clinical trial was to evaluate the effects of a combination of photodynamic therapy with low-level laser therapy as an adjunct to nonsurgical treatment of chronic periodontitis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Twenty-four nonsmoking adults with untreated chronic periodontitis were randomly assigned in a split-mouth design to receive scaling and root debridement with or without one course of adjunctive photodynamic therapy and low-level laser therapy within 5 d. Plaque, bleeding on probing, probing depth and gingival recession were recorded at baseline, 1 and 3 mo after the treatment. Gingival crevicular fluid was collected for assay of interleukin-1β levels at baseline, 1 wk and 1 mo.

RESULTS

The test teeth achieved greater reductions in the percentage of sites with bleeding on probing and in mean probing depth at 1 mo compared with the control teeth (p < 0.05). A significant decrease in gingival crevicular fluid volume was observed in both groups at 1 wk (p < 0.001), with a further decrease at 1 mo in the test sites (p < 0.05). The test sites showed a greater reduction of interleukin-1β levels in gingival crevicular fluid at 1 wk than the control sites (p < 0.05). No significant differences in periodontal parameters were found between the test and control teeth at 3 mo.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study suggests that a combined course of photodynamic therapy with low-level laser therapy could be a beneficial adjunct to nonsurgical treatment of chronic periodontitis on a short-term basis. Further studies are required to assess the long-term effectiveness of the combination of photodynamic therapy with low-level laser therapy as an adjunct in nonsurgical treatment of periodontitis.

Identification and consequences of galectin-3 expression in pituitary tumors

Although the mechanisms regulating pituitary tumor development and progression are still unclear, new information on the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of human pituitary tumors have accumulated. Recent evidence suggests that galectin-3 plays an important role in pituitary tumorigenesis and in tumor progression. Galectin-3 is expressed in a variety of tumors and the intensity of expression and localization depend on tumor progression, invasiveness and metastatic potential. Galectin-3 expression has been used as a potential diagnostic and/or prognostic marker in a variety of neoplasms. This review summarizes existing information regarding the structural and functional properties of galectin-3 protein as well as the LGALS3 gene in pituitary tumorigenesis. Given its role in pituitary tumor cell proliferation and in apoptosis, galectin-3 may be a target for the treatment of aggressive pituitary tumors.

Synthesis of novel galactose containing chemicals by beta-galactosidase from Enterobacter cloacae B5

The beta-galactosidase from Enterobacter cloacae B5 was employed to synthesize novel galactose containing chemicals (GCCs) using mannitol, sorbose, and salicin as acceptors in the presence of o-nitrophenyl-beta-d-galactopyranoside (oNPGal) as donor. The influences of the process parameters on GCC synthesis using mannitol as an acceptor, including effects of variations in initial substrate concentration, reaction time, and temperature, were studied in detail. The mannitol derivative reached a yield of 14.6% when the enzyme was used in the presence of 30 mM oNPGal and 60mM mannitol at 50 degrees C for 10 min. The sorbose and salicin derivatives reached yields of 19.4% and 25.2%, respectively, under the same conditions except for acceptor concentrations. Through analysis of ESI-MS and NMR spectroscopy, the three derivatives were identified to be beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->1')-D-mannitol, beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->1')-l-sorbose, and 2-(hydroxymethyl) phenyl beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->6')-beta-D-glucopyranoside.

Lack of promoter IV-driven BDNF transcription results in depression-like behavior

Transcription of Bdnf is controlled by multiple promoters, in which promoter IV contributes significantly to activity-dependent Bdnf transcription. We have generated promoter IV mutant mice [brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-KIV] in which promoter IV-driven expression of BDNF is selectively disrupted by inserting a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-STOP cassette within the Bdnf exon IV locus. BDNF-KIV animals exhibited depression-like behavior as shown by the tail suspension test (TST), sucrose preference test (SPT) and learned helplessness test (LHT). In addition, BDNF-KIV mice showed reduced activity in the open field test (OFT) and reduced food intake in the novelty-suppressed feeding test (NSFT). The mutant mice did not display anxiety-like behavior in the light and dark box test and elevated plus maze tests. Interestingly, the mutant mice showed defective response inhibition in the passive avoidance test (PAT) even though their learning ability was intact when measured with the active avoidance test (AAT). These results suggest that promoter IV-dependent BDNF expression plays a critical role in the control of mood-related behaviors. This is the first study that directly addressed the effects of endogenous promoter-driven expression of BDNF in depression-like behavior.

Species specific thyroid signal transduction: conserved physiology, divergent mechanisms

In the literature, data obtained in signal transduction from various species thyroids and cells lines are often integrated in a common model. We investigate qualitatively and systematically, using the same protocol, the control by TSH of the two main functions of the thyrocytes, the synthesis and the secretion of thyroid hormones. In all species investigated, the TSH receptor activates both. In some species, including humans, rats and mice, the TSH receptor activates both the cAMP and phospholipase C-PIP2 cascades, in others (e.g. dog) it only stimulates the first. The cAMP pathway activates the limiting step in thyroid hormones synthesis, the generation of H(2)O(2), in dog, rat and mice but not in human, pig, horse and beef. Thus although the physiological result of TSH action is the same in all species, the signaling pathways used are different. Other distinctions in signaling are observed such as the relative effects of one cascade on the other.

Strongly anisotropic elastic moduli of nematic elastomers: analytical expressions and nonlinear temperature dependence

Exact formulae for the elastic moduli of the nematic elastomers are obtained by the implicit function method based on somewhat general energy functions. The formulae indicate that both the moduli parallel and perpendicular to the director of the nematic elastomers are smaller than the modulus of the classical elastomers because of the mechanical-nematic coupling. Moreover, the moduli are generally anisotropic due to the biaxiality induced by stretching the nematic elastomers perpendicular to the director. Then we get the explicit analytical expressions of the parallel and perpendicular moduli by making use of the Landau-de Gennes free energy and the neo-classical elastic energy. Very different from the classical elastomers, they are both strongly nonlinear functions of the temperature in the nematic phase. Furthermore, their ratio, the degree of anisotropy, changes with the temperature as well. The results agree qualitatively with some experiments. Better quantitative agreement is obtained by some modifications of the constitutive relation of the elastic energy.

Peri-operative blood transfusion increases length of hospital stay and number of postoperative complications in non-cardiac surgical patients

OBJECTIVES

To test the hypothesis that blood transfusion alone was a significant risk factor for in-hospital morbidity in non-cardiac patients.

DESIGN

Propensity analysis.

SETTING

University teaching hospital, Hong Kong.

PATIENTS

Consecutive non-cardiac patients seen in our department from 2006 to early 2009 who underwent a major procedure under general or spinal anaesthesia were included. Propensity analysis was performed to neutralise the confounding effects of preoperative variables and identify the true effects of transfusions on surgical outcomes.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Receipt of intra-operative and postoperative blood transfusion was established and the difference in proportions between patients who did and did not receive donor blood tested for mortality, overall morbidity, individual complications, and number of adverse events.

RESULTS

Transfused patients were significantly older and sicker, more likely to be male, to have lower haemoglobin values and undergo longer and more emergency surgical procedures than those not receiving a transfusion. Blood transfusion was predictive of length of postoperative hospital stay and number of complications before discharge. The amount of transfused blood was predictive of in-hospital mortality, with an odds ratio of 1.4 for each unit of blood received. The risk of a surgical wound infection was almost doubled when the patient had received a blood transfusion.

CONCLUSION

After controlling for the factors associated with an increased likelihood for receiving a blood transfusion, the actual transfusion was predictive of a slower and more eventful postoperative recovery with associated costs to both the patient and health services.

Association of LPR5 polymorphism with bone mass density and cholesterol level in population of Chinese Han

Recently, two single nucleotide polymorphisms, rs4355801 near the osteoprotegerin (OPG) gene and rs3736228 in the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 (LRP5) gene, were found to be associated with osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures in Caucasians in a genome wide association study. In the present study, we investigated the association between these two SNPs (rs4355801 and rs3736228) and bone mass density (BMD), whole body T score and metabolic phenotypes (e. g., body mass index, glucose, triglyceride, and total cholesterol) in 425 Chinese Han subjects. We observed a significant association between rs3736228 in LRP5 and hip BMD, total BMD, and T score. The level of hip BMD, total BMD, and T score was significantly reduced with the number of at risk T alleles (p=0.006, p=0.003, and p=0.006, respectively). This finding was still significant after accounting for gender and age. We also observed a significant association between rs3736228 and total cholesterol (CHO) levels in our sample. The CHO levels of the CC, CT, and TT genotypes were 4.71, 4.76, and 5.24, respectively (p=0.031). For OPG rs4355801, the level of hip BMD, spine BMD, and total BMD was consistently reduced in persons with the copy of A allele, but none of these findings were statistically significant. We also did not observe a significant association between the above two polymorphisms and body mass index, glucose, and triglyceride levels in Chinese Han subjects. Thus, our observations support the association between rs3736228 and BMD in Han subjects. We also provide first evidence that the T allele of rs3736228 increases the total cholesterol level in a general Han population.