Association between alcohol consumption and oesophageal microbiota in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Synergistic analysis of lignin degrading bacterial consortium and its application in rice straw fiber film

Fiber film have received widespread attention due to its green friendliness. We can use microorganisms to degrade lignin in straw to obtain cellulose and make fiber films. Herein, a group of high-temperature (50 °C) lignin degrading bacterial consortium (LDH) was enriched and culture conditions for lignin degradation were optimized. Combined with high-throughput sequencing technology, the synergistic effect of LDH-composited bacteria was analyzed. Then LDH was used to treat rice straw for the bio-pulping experiment. The results showed that the lignin of rice straw was degraded 32.4 % by LDH at 50 °C for 10 d, and after the optimization of culture conditions, lignin degradation rate increased by 9.05 % (P < 0.001). The bacteria that compose in LDH can synergistically degrade lignin. Paenibacillus can encode all lignin-degrading enzymes present in the LDH. Preliminary tests of LDH in the pulping industry have been completed. This study is the first to use high temperature lignin degrading bacteria to fabricate fiber film.

Unraveling the connections between gut microbiota, stress, and quality of life for holistic care in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients

There is little research about the stress, quality of life (QOL) and gut microbiota in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. In this study addressing the dearth of research on stress, quality of life (QOL), and gut microbiota in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, 82 individuals were prospectively observed. Utilizing the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACT)-Breast questionnaire to assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and the Distress Thermometer (DT) to gauge distress levels, the findings revealed a mean FACT-B score of 104.5, underscoring HRQOL's varied impact. Significantly, 53.7% reported moderate to severe distress, with a mean DT score of 4.43. Further exploration uncovered compelling links between distress levels, FACT-B domains, and microbial composition. Notably, Alcaligenaceae and Sutterella were more abundant in individuals with higher DT scores at the family and genus levels (p = 0.017), while Streptococcaceae at the family level and Streptococcus at the genus level were prevalent in those with lower DT scores (p = 0.028 and p = 0.023, respectively). This study illuminates the intricate interplay of stress, QOL, and gut microbiota in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, offering valuable insights for potential interventions of biomarker or probiotics aimed at alleviating stress and enhancing QOL in this patient cohort.

The role of microbiota in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: A review of the literature

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) exhibits high incidence with poor prognosis. Alcohol drinking, cigarette smoking, and betel nut chewing are well-known risk factors. Dysbiosis, an imbalance of the microbiota residing in a local environment, is known to be associated with human diseases, especially cancer. This article reviews the current evidence of esophageal microbiota in ESCC carcinogenesis, including initiation, progression, and drug resistance. Articles involving the esophageal microbiota, diagnosis, treatment, and the progression of esophageal cancer were acquired using a comprehensive literature search in PubMed in recent 10 years. Based on 16S rRNA sequencing of human samples, cell, and animal studies, current evidence suggests dysbiosis of the esophagus promotes ESCC progression and chemotherapy resistance, leading to a poor prognosis. Smoking and drinking are associated with esophageal dysbiosis. Specific bacteria have been reported to promote carcinogenesis, involving either progression or drug resistance in ESCC, for example Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum. These bacteria promote ESCC cell proliferation and migration via the TLR4/NF-κB and IL-6/STAT3 pathways. F. nucleatum induces cisplatin resistance via the enrichment of immunosuppressive myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Correcting the dysbiosis and reducing the abundance of specific esophageal pathogens may help in suppressing cancer progression. In conclusion, esophageal dysbiosis is associated with ESCC progression and chemoresistance. Screening the oral and esophageal microbiota is a potential diagnostic tool for predicting ESCC development or drug-resistance. Repairing esophageal dysbiosis is a novel treatment for ESCC. Clinical trials with probiotics in addition to current chemotherapy are warranted to study the therapeutic effects.

The Role of the Microbiota in Esophageal Cancer

Esophageal cancer is a major health problem, being the seventh most incidence cancer worldwide. Due to the often-late diagnosis and lack of efficient treatments, the overall 5-year survival is as low as 10%. Therefore, understanding the etiology and the mechanisms that drive the development of this type of cancer could improve the management of patients, increasing the chance of achieving a better clinical outcome. Recently, the microbiome has been studied as a putative etiological factor for esophageal cancer. Nevertheless, the number of studies tackling this issue is low, and the heterogeneity in the study design and data analysis has hindered consistent findings. In this work, we reviewed the current literature on the evaluation of the role of microbiota in the development of esophageal cancer. We analyzed the composition of the normal microbiota and the alterations found in precursor lesions, namely Barrett's esophagus and dysplasia, as well as in esophageal cancer. Additionally, we explored how other environmental factors can modify microbiota and contribute to the development of this neoplasia. Finally, we identify critical aspects to be improved in future studies, with the aim of refining the interpretation of the relationship between the microbiome and esophageal cancer.

Citrus Honey Ameliorates Liver Disease and Restores Gut Microbiota in Alcohol-Feeding Mice

Citrus honey (CH) is rich in nutrients that have a wide variety of biological functions, such as antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities, and which demonstrate therapeutic properties, such as anti-cancer and wound-healing abilities. However, the effects of CH on alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) and the intestinal microbiota remain unknown. This study aimed to determine the alleviating effects of CH on ALD and its regulatory effects on the gut microbiota in mice. In total, 26 metabolites were identified and quantified in CH, and the results suggested that the primary metabolites were abscisic acid, 3,4-dimethoxycinnamic acid, rutin, and two markers of CH, hesperetin and hesperidin. CH lowered the levels of aspartate aminotransferase, glutamate aminotransferase, and alcohol-induced hepatic edema. CH could promote the proliferation of Bacteroidetes while reducing the abundance of Firmicutes. Additionally, CH also showed some inhibitory effects on the growth of Campylobacterota and Turicibacter. CH enhanced the secretion of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such as acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, and valeric acid. Given its alleviating functions in liver tissue damage and its regulatory effects on the gut microbiota and SCFAs, CH could be a promising candidate for the therapeutic treatment of ALD.

Hsa_circ_0021727 (circ-CD44) promotes ESCC progression by targeting miR-23b-5p to activate the TAB1/NFκB pathway

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is characterized by high morbidity and mortality. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play an important role in tumor progression. We discovered an aberrantly expressed circRNA (hsa_circ_0021727) in patients with ESCC. However, the mechanism of action of hsa_circ_0021727 in tumors is unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the biological role of hsa_circ_0021727 and its mechanism in ESCC progression. We screened for the expression of hsa_circ_0021727 in ESCC patients. Patients with ESCC with high expression of hsa_circ_0021727 had shorter survival than those with low expression. Hsa_circ_0021727 promoted the proliferation, invasion, and migration of ESCC cells. However, miR-23b-5p inhibited this ability of hsa_circ_0021727. MiR-23b-5p acts by targeting TAK1-binding protein 1 (TAB1). Upregulation of TAB1 can activate the nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) pathway. Hsa_circ_0021727 promoted ESCC progression by activating TAB1/NFκB pathway by sponging miR-23b-5p. In addition, in vivo experiments also confirmed that hsa_circ_0021727 could promote the proliferation, invasion, and migration of ESCC cells. In short, hsa_circ_0021727 promotes ESCC progression by targeting miR-23b-5p to activate the TAB1/NFκB pathway. These findings might provide potential targets to treat ESCC.

Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases in Alcohol Use Disorders: Involving Gut Microbiota

Alcohol abuse is 1 of the most significant public health problems in the world. Chronic, excessive alcohol consumption not only causes alcohol use disorder (AUD) but also changes the gut and lung microbiota, including bacterial and nonbacterial types. Both types of microbiota can release toxins, further damaging the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts; causing inflammation; and impairing the functions of the liver, lung, and brain, which in turn deteriorate AUD. Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are critical in the control of intracellular cyclic nucleotides, including cyclic adenosine monophosphate and cyclic guanosine monophosphate. Inhibition of certain host PDEs reduces alcohol consumption and attenuates alcohol-related impairment. These PDEs are also expressed in the microbiota and may play a role in controlling microbiota-associated inflammation. Here, we summarize the influences of alcohol on gut/lung bacterial and nonbacterial microbiota as well as on the gut-liver/brain/lung axis. We then discuss the relationship between gut and lung microbiota-mediated PDE signaling and AUD consequences in addition to highlighting PDEs as potential targets for treatment of AUD.

Changes in intestinal microbiota of HBV-associated liver cirrhosis with/without hepatic encephalopathy

The compositional balance of intestinal microbiota plays an important role in maintaining homeostasis. This study aimed to investigate the intestinal flora of hepatitis B virus-associated liver cirrhosis (HBV-LC) with or without hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and how it relates to the disease. A total of 20 patients with HBV-LC were enrolled in this study, along with 10 healthy adults. The participants were divided into HE group, non-HE group, and control group. Fecal samples were collected under the condition of patients' daily diet, and the 16S rRNA test was performed for each fecal sample. The relative abundance of Bacteroidia, Streptococcaceae, Streptococcus, Veillonella, Bacteroidales, Lactobacillales, Pasteurellales, and Veillonella parvula increased in the HBV-LC group. Meanwhile, the relative weights of Pasteurellales, Pasteurellaceae, Haemophilus, and Selenomonas significantly increased in the HE group. Furthermore, in the non-HE group, the relative abundance of Veillonella increased. Intestinal microbiota was significantly different from controls with respect to a lack of potentially beneficial autochthonous bacteria and overgrowth of potentially pathogenic genera in patients with HBV-LC. Moreover, there was a greater change in the relative abundance of intestinal flora when complicated with HE.

Characteristics and interplay of esophageal microbiota in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Background

Esophageal microbiota may influence esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) pathobiology. Therefore, we investigated the characteristics and interplay of the esophageal microbiota in ESCC.

Methods

We performed 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing on paired esophageal tumor and tumor-adjacent samples obtained from 120 primarily ESCC patients. Analyses were performed using quantitative insights into microbial 2 (QIIME2) and phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states 2 (PICRUSt2). Species found to be associated with ESCC were validated using quantitative PCR.

Results

The microbial diversity and composition of ESCC tumor tissues significantly differed from tumor-adjacent tissues; this variation between subjects beta diversity is mainly explained by regions and sampling seasons. A total of 56 taxa were detected with differential abundance between the two groups, such as R. mucilaginosa, P. endodontalis, N. subflava, H. Pylori, A. Parahaemolyticus, and A. Rhizosphaerae. Quantitative PCR confirmed the enrichment of the species P. endodontalis and the reduction of H. Pylori in tumor-adjacent tissues. Compared with tumor tissue, a denser and more complex association network was formed in tumor-adjacent tissue. The above differential taxa, such as H. Pylori, an unclassified species in the genera Sphingomonas, Haemophilus, Phyllobacterium, and Campylobacter, also participated in both co-occurrence networks but played quite different roles. Most of the differentially abundant taxa in tumor-adjacent tissues were negatively associated with the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2 (ERBB2), erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 4 (ERBB4), and fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) signaling pathways, and positively associated with the MET proto-oncogene, receptor tyrosine kinase (MET) and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) signaling pathways in tumors.

Conclusion

Alterations in the microbial co-occurrence network and functional pathways in ESCC tissues may be involved in carcinogenesis and the maintenance of the local microenvironment for ESCC.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-022-09771-2.