The microbiota programs DNA methylation to control intestinal homeostasis and inflammation.

Although much research has been done on the diversity of the gut microbiome, little is known about how it influences intestinal homeostasis under normal and pathogenic conditions. Epigenetic mechanisms have recently been suggested to operate at the interface between the microbiota and the intestinal epithelium. We performed whole-genome bisulfite sequencing on conventionally raised and germ-free mice, and discovered that exposure to commensal microbiota induced localized DNA methylation changes at regulatory elements, which are TET2/3-dependent.

Chronic inflammation induces a novel epigenetic program that is conserved in intestinal adenomas and in colorectal cancer.

Chronic inflammation represents a major risk factor for tumor formation, but the underlying mechanisms have remained largely unknown. Epigenetic mechanisms can record the effects of environmental challenges on the genome level and could therefore play an important role in the pathogenesis of inflammation-associated tumors. Using single-base methylation maps and transcriptome analyses of a colitis-induced mouse colon cancer model, we identified a novel epigenetic program that is characterized by hypermethylation of DNA methylation valleys that are characterized by low CpG density and active chromatin marks.

Benchmarking benzodiazepines and antipsychotics in the last 24 hours of life.

Aims: To document benzodiazepines and antipsychotics (BDZ/APS) given to patients in the last 24 hours of life to establish normal prescribing patterns in hospices across New Zealand (NZ).

Methods: A cross-sectional benchmarking design with retrospective chart review was carried out across 14 NZ hospices. Data (n=351) on medication use and dosages was analysed for inter-hospice variability.