Larch Arabinogalactan Attenuates Myocardial Injury by Inhibiting Apoptotic Cascades in a Rat Model of Ischemia–Reperfusion

Unraveling the Microbiome-Human Body Axis: A Comprehensive Examination of Therapeutic Strategies, Interactions and Implications

This review scrutinizes the intricate interplay between the microbiome and the human body, exploring its multifaceted dimensions and far-reaching implications. The human microbiome, comprising diverse microbial communities inhabiting various anatomical niches, is increasingly recognized as a critical determinant of human health and disease. Through an extensive examination of current research, this review elucidates the dynamic interactions between the microbiome and host physiology across multiple organ systems. Key topics include the establishment and maintenance of microbiota diversity, the influence of host factors on microbial composition, and the bidirectional communication pathways between microbiota and host cells. Furthermore, we delve into the functional implications of microbiome dysbiosis in disease states, emphasizing its role in shaping immune responses, metabolic processes, and neurological functions. Additionally, this review discusses emerging therapeutic strategies aimed at modulating the microbiome to restore host-microbe homeostasis and promote health. Microbiota fecal transplantation represents a groundbreaking therapeutic approach in the management of dysbiosis-related diseases, offering a promising avenue for restoring microbial balance within the gut ecosystem. This innovative therapy involves the transfer of fecal microbiota from a healthy donor to an individual suffering from dysbiosis, aiming to replenish beneficial microbial populations and mitigate pathological imbalances. By synthesizing findings from diverse fields, this review offers valuable insights into the complex relationship between the microbiome and the human body, highlighting avenues for future research and clinical interventions.

The Gut-Heart Axis: Updated Review for The Roles of Microbiome in Cardiovascular Health

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), including coronary artery disease, stroke, heart failure, and hypertension, are the global leading causes of death, accounting for more than 30% of deaths worldwide. Although the risk factors of CVDs have been well understood and various treatment and preventive measures have been established, the mortality rate and the financial burden of CVDs are expected to grow exponentially over time due to the changes in lifestyles and increasing life expectancies of the present generation. Recent advancements in metagenomics and metabolomics analysis have identified gut microbiome and its associated metabolites as potential risk factors for CVDs, suggesting the possibility of developing more effective novel therapeutic strategies against CVD. In addition, increasing evidence has demonstrated the alterations in the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes and the imbalance of microbial-dependent metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids and trimethylamine N-oxide, play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of CVD. However, the exact mechanism of action remains undefined to this day. In this review, we focus on the compositional changes in the gut microbiome and its related metabolites in various CVDs. Moreover, the potential treatment and preventive strategies targeting the gut microbiome and its metabolites are discussed.

Influences of wheat bran fiber on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and intestinal epithelium functions in Xiangcun pigs

Dietary fiber (DF) has long been looked as an essential "nutrients" both for animals and humans as it can promote the intestinal tract development and modulate the intestinal epithelium functions and the gut microbiota. This study was conducted to investigate the influences of wheat bran fiber (WBF) on growth performance and intestinal epithelium functions in Xiangcun pigs. Twenty Xiangcun pigs with 60 days of age were divided to two groups and exposed to a basal diet (BD) or BD containing 4.3% wheat bran fiber (WFD). WFD improved the average daily gain (ADG) and feed-to-gain ratio (F:G) (p < 0.01). Moreover, WFD lowered the serum triglyceride (TC), d-lactate, and malonicdialdehyde (MDA) concentrations, but significantly improved the glutathione (GSH) activity and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) (p < 0.05). Interestingly, WFD observably improved the villus height (VH) and the villus height to crypt depth ratio (V/C) in the small intestine (p < 0.05). The jejunal sucrase and ileal maltase activities were higher in the WFD group (p < 0.05). WFD markedly elevated the tight junction protein ZO-1 and claudin-1 expression levels in the jejunum and ileum (p < 0.05). The sodium/glucose co-transporter 1 (SGLT1), glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2), and fatty acid transport proteins 4 (FATP-4) expression levels in jejunum and ileum were also elevated under WFD (p < 0.05). WFD decreased the IL-6 impression level in the duodenum and ileum, but significantly increased the IL-10 expression levels in jejunum and ileum (p < 0.05). Moreover, WFD reduced the abundance of E. coli, but elevated the abundances of beneficial microorganisms (e.g. Lactobacillus and Bacillus) and the production microbial metabolites (e.g. propionic acid and butyrate acid) in the cecum (p < 0.05).

Gut microbiota and cardiac arrhythmia

One of the most prevalent cardiac diseases is cardiac arrhythmia, however the underlying causes are not entirely understood. There is a lot of proof that gut microbiota (GM) and its metabolites have a significant impact on cardiovascular health. In recent decades, intricate impacts of GM on cardiac arrythmia have been identified as prospective approaches for its prevention, development, treatment, and prognosis. In this review, we discuss about how GM and its metabolites might impact cardiac arrhythmia through a variety of mechanisms. We proposed to explore the relationship between the metabolites produced by GM dysbiosis including short-chain fatty acids(SCFA), Indoxyl sulfate(IS), trimethylamine N-oxide(TMAO), lipopolysaccharides(LPS), phenylacetylglutamine(PAGln), bile acids(BA), and the currently recognized mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias including structural remodeling, electrophysiological remodeling, abnormal nervous system regulation and other disease associated with cardiac arrythmia, detailing the processes involving immune regulation, inflammation, and different types of programmed cell death etc., which presents a key aspect of the microbial-host cross-talk. In addition, how GM and its metabolites differ and change in atrial arrhythmias and ventricular arrhythmias populations compared with healthy people are also summarized. Then we introduced potential therapeutic strategies including probiotics and prebiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and immunomodulator etc. In conclusion, the GM has a significant impact on cardiac arrhythmia through a variety of mechanisms, offering a wide range of possible treatment options. The discovery of therapeutic interventions that reduce the risk of cardiac arrhythmia by altering GM and metabolites is a real challenge that lies ahead.

Clinical Evidence on the Potential Beneficial Effects of Probiotics and Prebiotics in Cardiovascular Disease

The 'gut microbiome'-the hundreds of trillions of bacteria in the human gastrointestinal tract-serves several functions. The gut microbiome includes all the microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi in the gastrointestinal tract and their genetic material. It helps digest indigestible foods and produces nutrients. Through the metabolism of sugars and proteins, it helps the intestinal barrier, the immune system, and metabolism. Some bacteria, such as those in the gut microbiome, cause disease, but others are essential to our health. These "good" microbes protect us from pathogens. Numerous studies have linked an unhealthy gut microbiome to obesity, insulin resistance, depression, and cardiometabolic risk factors. To maximize probiotic benefits in each case, knowledge of probiotic bacterial strains and how to consume them should be increased. This study aims to examine the benefits of probiotic and prebiotic organisms on cardiovascular health, specifically on heart disease, coronary heart disease, stroke, and hypertension. To complete the research, a literature review was conducted by gathering clinical studies and data. The clinical evidence demonstrates the beneficial effect of probiotics and prebiotic microorganisms on the gut microbiome, which has multiple benefits for overall health and especially for cardiovascular diseases.

Cardiovascular Protective Effects of Plant Polysaccharides: A Review

Cardiovascular disease is a kind of heart, brain, and blood vessel injury disease by the interaction of various pathological factors. The pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease is complex with various risk factors, including abnormally elevated blood pressure, glucose, and lipid metabolism disorders, atherosclerosis, thrombosis, etc. Plant polysaccharides are a special class of natural products derived from plant resources, which have the characteristics of wide sources, diverse biological activities, and low toxicity or side effects. Many studies have shown that plant polysaccharides improve cardiovascular diseases through various mechanisms such as anti-oxidative stress, restoring the metabolism of biological macromolecules, regulating the apoptosis cascade to reduce cell apoptosis, and inhibiting inflammatory signal pathways to alleviate inflammation. This article reviews the pharmacological effects and protective mechanisms of some plant polysaccharides in modulating the cardiovascular system, which is beneficial for developing more effective drugs with low side effects for management of cardiovascular diseases.

Potential Benefits of Probiotics and Prebiotics for Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke

Among cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, coronary heart disease and stroke are the most well-known and extensively studied. The onset and progression of CVD is associated with multiple risk factors, among which, gut microbiota has received much attention in the past two decades. Gut microbiota, the microbial community colonizing in the gut, plays a prominent role in human health. In particular, gut dysbiosis is directly related to many acute or chronic dysfunctions of the cardiovascular system (CVS) in the host. Earlier studies have demonstrated that the pathogenesis of CVD is strongly linked to intestinal microbiota imbalance and inflammatory responses. Probiotics and prebiotics conferring various health benefits on the host are emerging as promising therapeutic interventions for many diseases. These two types of food supplements have the potential to alleviate the risks of CVD through improving the levels of several cardiovascular markers, such as total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and certain cytokines involved in the inflammatory response. In this review, we focus mainly on the preventive effects of probiotics and prebiotics on CVD via rebalancing the structural and functional changes in gut microbiota and maintaining immune homeostasis.

Apple Pectin as a New Component for Cryopreservation of Nucleated Cells

This study explored the ability of apple pectin AU-701 to change the freezing point of water in cryoprotectant solutions with different penetrating abilities using glycerol, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PD), dimethyl acetamide (DMAC), hydroxyethyl starch (HES), hexamethylenebistetraoxyethylurea (or substance A-378), and in biological fluid (human venous blood). An effective interaction was used to protect human blood leukocytes at ultrafreezer temperature (-80°C). Apple pectin affects the freezing temperature of water in different ways and it depends on the medium in which it is dissolved, as it either slows down the freezing process (in glycerol) or accelerates it (venous blood). The addition of apple pectin to the cryosolution increases the activity of the base cryoprotector (glycerol) even at low concentrations. Therefore, the combination of these substances can be effective in freezing biological substances, which is proved by indicators of safety of leukocytes during the freezing process at low temperature (-80°C) for 14 days.

Supplementation with psyllium seed husk reduces myocardial damage in a rat model of ischemia/reperfusion

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Myocardial infarction (MI) is caused by extensive myocardial damage attributed to the occlusion of coronary arteries. Our previous study in a rat model of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) demonstrated that administration of arabinoxylan (AX), comprising arabinose and xylose, protects against myocardial injury. In this study, we undertook to investigate whether psyllium seed husk (PSH), a safe dietary fiber containing a high level of AX (> 50%), also imparts protection against myocardial injury in the same rat model.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Rats were fed diets supplemented with PSH (1, 10, or 100 mg/kg/d) for 3 d. The rats were then subjected to 30 min ischemia through ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery, followed by 3 h reperfusion through release of the ligation. The hearts were harvested and cut into four slices. To assess infarct size (IS), an index representing heart damage, the slices were stained with 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC). To elucidate underlying mechanisms, Western blotting was performed for the slices.

RESULTS

Supplementation with 10 or 100 mg/kg/d of PSH significantly reduces the IS. PSH supplementation (100 mg/kg/d) tends to reduce caspase-3 generation and increase BCL-2/BAX ratio. PSH supplementation also upregulates the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), and its target genes including antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione S-transferase mu 2 (GSTM2) and superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2). PSH supplementation upregulates some sirtuins (NAD⁺-dependent deacetylases) including SIRT5 (a mitochondrial sirtuin) and SIRT6 and SIRT7 (nuclear sirtuins). Finally, PSH supplementation upregulates the expression of protein kinase A (PKA), and increases phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) (pCREB), a target protein of PKA.

CONCLUSIONS

The results from this study indicate that PSH consumption reduces myocardial I/R injury in rats by inhibiting the apoptotic cascades through modulation of gene expression of several genes located upstream of apoptosis. Therefore, we believe that PSH can be developed as a functional food that would be beneficial in the prevention of MI.

Protective Effects of Arabinogalactan-Peptide Isolated from Wheat Flour against Myocardial Injury in an Ischemia/Reperfusion Rat Model

We have previously shown that supplementation of wheat with hot-water extract reduces myocardial injury by inhibiting apoptosis in a rat model of myocardial infarction (MI). Arabinogalactan-peptide (AGP), a cell wall polysaccharide of wheat, was also responsible for the protection. However, the underlying mechanisms were not elucidated. In this study, we investigated the underlying mechanisms for how AGP supplementation reduces myocardial injury. First, we isolated highly pure AGP from all-purpose wheat flour. We supplemented rats with AGP at a dose of 100 mg/kg/d for 3 days, and subjected the rats to ischemia (30 min) through ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery followed by reperfusion (3 h) through a release of the ligation. Supplementation with AGP significantly reduced the infarct size in the heart. In addition, AGP intake inhibited the apoptotic cascade, determined through decreased mitogen-activated protein kinases (p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase) phosphorylation, decreased Bcl-2-associated X protein/B-cell lymphoma ratios, and decreased generation of nicked DNA, which was confirmed through western blotting and terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling staining. These findings indicate that AGP intake can protect against myocardial injury. Traditionally, consumption of dietary fiber such as AGP has been shown to reduce MI risk by inhibiting preocclusion steps through reducing risk factors. Our findings suggest that AGP intake can also reduce MI risk by inhibiting postocclusion steps. This study describes a better dietary recommendation and new prevention strategy for reducing MI risk through regular consumption of wheat rich in AGP.

Pectin Oligosaccharides Ameliorate Colon Cancer by Regulating Oxidative Stress- and Inflammation-Activated Signaling Pathways

Colon cancer (CC) is the third common neoplasm worldwide, and it is still a big challenge for exploring new effective medicine for treating CC. Natural product promoting human health has become a hot topic and attracted many researchers recently. Pectin, a complex polysaccharide in plant cell wall, mainly consists of four major types of polysaccharides: homogalacturonan, xylogalacturonan, rhamnogalacturonan I and II, all of which can be degraded into various pectin oligosaccharides (POS) and may provide abundant resource for exploring potential anticancer drugs. POS have been regarded as a novel class of potential functional food with multiple health-promoting properties. POS have antibacterial activities against some aggressive and recurrent bacterial infection and exert beneficial immunomodulation for controlling CC risk. However, the molecular functional role of POS in the prevention of CC risk and progression remains doubtful. The review focuses on antioxidant and anti-inflammatory roles of POS for promoting human health by regulating some potential oxidative and inflammation-activated pathways, such as ATP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor-2 (Nrf2), and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathways. The activation of these signaling pathways increases the antioxidant and antiinflammatory activities, which will result in the apoptosis of CC cells or in the prevention of CC risk and progression. Thus, POS may inhibit CC development by affecting antioxidant and antiinflammatory signaling pathways AMPK, Nrf2, and NF-κB. However, POS also can activate signal transduction and transcriptional activator 1 and 3 signaling pathway, which will reduce antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and promote CC progression. Specific structural and structurally modified POS may be associated with their functions and should be deeply explored in the future. The present review paper lacks the important information for the linkage between the specific structure of POS and its function. To further explore the effects of prebiotic potential of POS and their derivatives on human immunomodulation in the prevention of CC, the specific POS with a certain degree of polymerization or purified polymers are highly demanded to be performed in clinical practice.