Evolution of the gut microbiota and the influence of diet.

Diet is a major force that shapes the composition and activity of the gut microbiota. This is evident from alterations in gut microbiota composition after weaning or drastic dietary changes. Owing to the complexity of the microbiota, interactions of intestinal bacteria with the host are difficult to study.

Cytochrome P450 subfamily 2J polypeptide 2 expression and circulating epoxyeicosatrienoic metabolites in preeclampsia.

Background: Preeclampsia is a multisystem disorder of pregnancy, originating in the placenta. Cytochrome P450 (CYP)-dependent eicosanoids regulate vascular function, inflammation, and angiogenesis, which are mechanistically important in preeclampsia.

Methods And Results: We performed microarray screening of placenta and decidua (maternal placenta) from 25 preeclamptic women and 23 control subjects.

Peer review versus editorial review and their role in innovative science.

Peer review is a widely accepted instrument for raising the quality of science. Peer review limits the enormous unstructured influx of information and the sheer amount of dubious data, which in its absence would plunge science into chaos. In particular, peer review offers the benefit of eliminating papers that suffer from poor craftsmanship or methodological shortcomings, especially in the experimental sciences.

Ethical considerations when prescribing biologics in dermatology.

There are no formal publications describing and discussing the various ethical dilemmas encountered when treating dermatologic disease with biologic therapy. Multiple issues such as safety, efficacy, drug accessibility, and cost need to be considered when prescribing biologics. This contribution uses a case-based approach to evaluate the ethical principles involved with biologic therapy.

Ethyl glucuronide concentrations in beard hair after a single alcohol dose: evidence for incorporation in hair root.

Background: Despite the growing importance of ethyl glucuronide (EtG) in hair for detection of chronic excessive alcohol consumption, the mechanism of incorporation is not yet clear. Deposition from sweat is believed to be the main route. In order to get more information, EtG was determined in daily shaved beard hair after single higher alcohol doses.

Impact of nutritional factors on the proteome of intestinal Escherichia coli: induction of OxyR-dependent proteins AhpF and Dps by a lactose-rich diet.

To study the impact of nutritional factors on protein expression of intestinal bacteria, gnotobiotic mice monoassociated with Escherichia coli K-12 were fed three different diets: a diet rich in starch, a diet rich in nondigestible lactose, and a diet rich in casein. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and electrospray-tandem mass spectrometry were used to identify differentially expressed proteins of bacteria recovered from small intestine and cecum. Oxidative stress response proteins such as AhpF, Dps, and Fur, all of which belong to the oxyR regulon, were upregulated in E.

A bovine model of respiratory Chlamydia psittaci infection: challenge dose titration.

This study aimed to establish and evaluate a bovine respiratory model of experimentally induced acute C. psittaci infection. Calves are natural hosts and pathogenesis may resemble the situation in humans.

Workplace alcohol testing program by combined use of ethyl glucuronide and fatty acid ethyl esters in hair.

Aims: The applicability of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) and ethyl glucuronide (EtG) in hair in a workplace alcohol testing program was investigated.

Methods: A total of 78 hair samples from employees in jobs with a high endangering potential were tested for EtG and FAEEs. In most cases excessive drinking was suspected.

Cutaneous simulants of infectious disease.

Many cutaneous conditions can mimic infection. If these lesions are not accurately recognized, they may be treated with antimicrobial agents, which adds cost, potential risk, and inconvenience to the patient and the healthcare system. The presenting signs and symptoms of many ulcerating, pustular, morbilliform, bullous, neoplastic, granulomatous, autoimmune, and neutrophilic conditions, as well as clinical vasculitis, cellulitis, folliculitis, and panniculitis, have been mistaken for infection.

Practical experiences in application of hair fatty acid ethyl esters and ethyl glucuronide for detection of chronic alcohol abuse in forensic cases.

This article presents results from 1872 hair samples, which were analyzed for fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) and ethyl glucuronide (EtG). The results were evaluated in the context of self-reported drinking behavior, the use of hair cosmetics, the gender of the sample donors and hair sample length. For comparison, CDT and GGT in serum were available in 477 and 454 cases, respectively.

Epidermal growth factor improves lentivirus vector gene transfer into primary mouse hepatocytes.

Partial resistance of primary mouse hepatocytes to lentiviral (LV) vector transduction poses a challenge for ex vivo gene therapy protocols in models of monogenetic liver disease. We thus sought to optimize ex vivo LV gene transfer while preserving the hepatocyte integrity for subsequent transplantation into recipient animals. We found that culture media supplemented with epidermal growth factor (EGF) and, to a lesser extent, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) markedly improved transduction efficacy at various multiplicities of infection.

Coordination of high gamma activity in anterior cingulate and lateral prefrontal cortical areas during adaptation.

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) process complementary information for planning and evaluating behavior. This suggests at least that processes in these two areas are coordinated during behavioral adaptation. We analyzed local field potentials recorded in both regions in two monkeys performing a problem-solving task that alternated exploration and repetitive behaviors with the specific prediction that neural activity should reveal interareal coordination mainly during exploration.

17(R),18(S)-epoxyeicosatetraenoic acid, a potent eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) derived regulator of cardiomyocyte contraction: structure-activity relationships and stable analogues.

17(R),18(S)-epoxyeicosatetraenoic acid [17(R),18(S)-EETeTr], a cytochrome P450 epoxygenase metabolite of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), exerts negative chronotropic effects and protects neonatal rat cardiomyocytes against Ca(2+)-overload with EC(50) ≈ 1-2 nM. Structure-activity studies revealed that a cis-Δ(11,12)- or Δ(14,15)-olefin and a 17(R),18(S)-epoxide are minimal structural elements for antiarrhythmic activity whereas antagonist activity was often associated with the combination of a Δ(14,15)-olefin and a 17(S),18(R)-epoxide. Compared with natural material, the agonist and antagonist analogues are chemically and metabolically more robust and several show promise as templates for future development of clinical candidates.

Induction of a mature hepatocyte phenotype in adult liver derived progenitor cells by ectopic expression of transcription factors.

Background/aims: By ectopic expression of a distinct combination of transcription factors we aimed to induce a mature hepatocyte phenotype in an adult liver derived progenitor cell population (ALDPC).

Methods: The open reading frames encoding murine Foxa2, Hnf4α and C/ebpα were cloned into lentivirus vectors and sequentially expressed in target cells. After seven days of culture, cells were analysed for expression of liver specific genes, and functional assays were performed.

Suppressed liver tumorigenesis in fat-1 mice with elevated omega-3 fatty acids is associated with increased omega-3 derived lipid mediators and reduced TNF-α.

Liver tumors, particularly hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The development of HCC is mostly associated with chronic inflammatory liver disease of various etiologies. Previous studies have shown that omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) dampen inflammation in the liver and decrease formation of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α.

δ18O anchoring to VPDB: calcite digestion with 18O-adjusted ortho-phosphoric acid.

For anchoring CO(2) isotopic measurements on the δ(18)O(VPD-CO2) scale, the primary reference material (NBS 19 calcite) needs to be digested using concentrated ortho-phosphoric acid. During this procedure, great care must be taken to ensure that the isotopic composition of the liberated gas is accurate. Apart from controlling the reaction temperature to ±0.

Eicosanoid formation by a cytochrome P450 isoform expressed in the pharynx of Caenorhabditis elegans.

Caenorhabditis elegans harbours several CYP (cytochrome P450) genes that are homologous with mammalian CYP isoforms important to the production of physiologically active AA (arachidonic acid) metabolites. We tested the hypothesis that mammals and C. elegans may share similar basic mechanisms of CYP-dependent eicosanoid formation and action.

Analysis of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid-derived lipid metabolite formation in human and mouse blood samples.

Mass spectrometry techniques have enabled the identification of different lipid metabolites and mediators derived from omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-6 and n-3 PUFA) that are implicated in various biological processes. However, the broad-spectrum assessment of physiologically formed lipid metabolites and mediators in blood samples has not been presented so far. Here lipid mediators and metabolites of the n-6 PUFA arachidonic acid as well as the long-chain n-3 PUFA eicosapentaenoic acids (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were measured in human blood samples as well as in mouse blood.

Nutrition and bullous skin diseases.

Autoimmune and nonautoimmune bullous diseases can both be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Although our understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms of these diseases has increased tremendously, there is still much to learn about the various factors affecting their onset, course, and therapy. In recent years, increasing information has been published about the effect of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients on bullous skin diseases.

Nutrition and psoriasis.

Nutritional supplementation may provide a viable treatment alternative in patients with psoriasis. Randomized, controlled trials have shown the effectiveness of topical vitamin A and D derivatives, intravenous ω-3 fatty acids, oral inositol, and various combined therapies. Dual therapies of ultraviolet B phototherapy and fish oil, retinoids and thiazolidinediones, and cyclosporine and a low-calorie diet were effective in the treatment of psoriasis in randomized, controlled trials.

Arachidonic acid-metabolizing cytochrome P450 enzymes are targets of {omega}-3 fatty acids.

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) protect against cardiovascular disease by largely unknown mechanisms. We tested the hypothesis that EPA and DHA may compete with arachidonic acid (AA) for the conversion by cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, resulting in the formation of alternative, physiologically active, metabolites. Renal and hepatic microsomes, as well as various CYP isoforms, displayed equal or elevated activities when metabolizing EPA or DHA instead of AA.

PavB is a surface-exposed adhesin of Streptococcus pneumoniae contributing to nasopharyngeal colonization and airways infections.

The genomic analysis of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains identified the Pneumococcal adherence and virulence factor B (PavB), whose repetitive sequences, designated Streptococcal Surface REpeats (SSURE), interact with human fibronectin. Here, we showed the gene in all tested pneumococci and identified that the observed differences in the molecular mass of PavB rely on the number of repeats, ranging from five to nine SSURE. PavB interacted with fibronectin and plasminogen in a dose-dependent manner as shown by using various SSURE peptides.

Quantification of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) and ethyl glucuronide (EtG) in meconium from newborns for detection of alcohol abuse in a maternal health evaluation study.

Fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) and ethyl glucuronide (EtG) were determined in 602 meconium samples in a maternal health evaluation study for detection of gestational alcohol consumption. A validated headspace solid phase microextraction method in combination with GC-MS was used for FAEE and the cumulative concentration of ethyl palmitate, ethyl linoleate, ethyl oleate, and ethyl stearate with a cut-off of 500 ng/g was applied for interpretation. A new and simple method was developed and validated for quantification of EtG from 10-20 mg meconium with D(5)-EtG as internal standard consisting of 30 min.