Bacillus coagulans alleviates intestinal barrier injury induced by Klebsiella pneumoniae in rabbits by regulating the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signalling pathway.

Probiotics effectively alleviate host diarrhoea, but the specific mechanism is not clear. Therefore, we explored the protective mechanism of Bacillus coagulans (BC) on intestinal barrier injury induced by Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) in rabbits by HE, immunofluorescence and 16S rRNA.

Hepatic Stellate Cell- and Liver Microbiome-Specific Delivery System for Dihydrotanshinone I to Ameliorate Liver Fibrosis.

Liver fibrosis is a major contributor to the morbidity and mortality associated with liver diseases, yet effective treatment options remain limited. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are a promising target for hepatic fibrogenesis due to their pivotal role in disease progression. Our previous research has demonstrated the potential of Dihydrotanshinone I (DHI), a lipophilic component derived from the natural herb Bunge, in treating liver fibrosis by inhibiting the YAP/TEAD2 interaction in HSCs.

The relationship between openness and social anxiety: the chain mediating roles of social networking site use and self-evaluation.

Background: As social networking sites (SNSs) with diverse functions gradually become an important social place for modern people, openness, as a personality trait that represents the willingness to consider diverse things, will be more likely to affect people's cognitive and emotional experience (e.g., social anxiety) in social interactions.

Role of Guanxi (interpersonal relationship) in bribe-taking behaviors: evidence from China.

Bribery, an illegal conspiracy between two transactional parties, has a wide range of destructive effects on society. From an interpersonal interaction perspective, we explored how Guanxi (interpersonal relationships, including direct and indirect ones) influences individuals, especially government officials' bribe-taking probability, using behavioral experiments and questionnaires. The findings suggested that direct Guanxi promoted individuals' acceptance of bribes (Study 1a), and indirect Guanxi had the same role and effect sizes (Study 1b).

Neural correlates of bribe-taking decision dilemma: An fNIRS study.

Bribe-taking decision is a social dilemma for individuals: the pursuit of economic self-interest vs. compliance with social norms. Despite the well-known existence of the conflict in deciding whether to accept bribes, little is known about its neural responses.

New IMB16-4 Nanoparticles Improved Oral Bioavailability and Enhanced Anti-Hepatic Fibrosis on Rats.

Liver fibrosis is challenging to treat because of the lack of effective agents worldwide. Recently, we have developed a novel compound, N-(3,4,5-trichlorophenyl)-2(3-nitrobenzenesulfonamido) benzamide referred to as IMB16-4. However, its poor aqueous solubility and poor oral bioavailability obstruct the drug discovery programs.

Costunolide Loaded in pH-Responsive Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for Increased Stability and an Enhanced Anti-Fibrotic Effect.

Liver fibrosis remains a significant public health problem. However, few drugs have yet been validated. Costunolide (COS), as a monomeric component of the traditional Chinese medicinal herb , has shown excellent anti-fibrotic efficacy.

Gene expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells exposed to fine particulate matter: RNA sequencing analysis.

Exposure to airborne particulate matter (PM2.5) is associated with cardiovascular diseases. In order to investigate the molecular mechanisms of air pollution-induced CVDs toxicity, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were exposed to PM2.

Faecal bile acids and colonic bile acid membrane receptor correlate with symptom severity of diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome: A pilot study.

Aims: To compare both the faecal bile acids (BAs) and the levels of two bile acid receptors, Takeda G protein-coupled receptor 5 (TGR5) and vitamin D receptor (VDR), in the colonic mucosa between patients with irritable bowel syndrome with predominant diarrhea (IBS-D) and healthy controls, and explore the correlations among clinical characteristics, bile acid receptors expression, and BAs.

Methods: The severity of abdominal pain and diarrhoea was assessed in IBS-D patients using validated questionnaires, faecal BAs were measured by ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry, and rectosigmoid biopsies were taken for the analyses of TGR5 and VDR expression using immunohistochemistry.

Results: The level of TGR5 immunoreactivity in rectosigmoid mucosal biopsies was significantly higher in IBS-D patients than in controls, while the VDR immunoreactivity displayed no significant difference between patients and controls.

Novel IMB16-4 Compound Loaded into Silica Nanoparticles Exhibits Enhanced Oral Bioavailability and Increased Anti-Liver Fibrosis In Vitro.

Background: Liver fibrosis, as a common and refractory disease, is challenging to treat due to the lack of effective agents worldwide. Recently, we have developed a novel compound, N-(3,4,5-trichlorophenyl)-2(3-nitrobenzenesulfonamide) benzamide (IMB16-4), which is expected to have good potential effects against liver fibrosis. However, IMB16-4 is water-insoluble and has very low bioavailability.

Altered metabolism of bile acids correlates with clinical parameters and the gut microbiota in patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.

Background: Bile acids (BAs) have attracted attention in the research of irritable bowel syndrome with predominant diarrhea (IBS-D) due to their ability to modulate bowel function and their tight connection with the gut microbiota. The composition of the fecal BA pool in IBS-D patients is reportedly different from that in healthy populations. We hypothesized that BAs may participate in the pathogenesis of IBS-D and the altered BA profile may be correlated with the gut microbiome.

Effects of DNA Damage and Oxidative Stress in Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells Exposed to PM from Beijing, China, in Winter.

Epidemiological studies have corroborated that respiratory diseases, including lung cancer, are related to fine particulate matter (<2.5 μm) (PM) exposure. The toxic responses of PM are greatly influenced by the source of PM.

Mitochondrial dysfunction in endothelial cells induced by airborne fine particulate matter (<2.5 μm).

Exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (<2.5 μm; PM ) increases the risk of the physiopathology of vascular diseases. However, the underlying mechanism, particularly the mitochondrial damage mechanism, of PM -induced vascular dysfunction is still unclear.