Defined microbial communities and their soluble products protect mice from Clostridioides difficile infection.

Clostridioides difficile is the leading cause of antibiotic-associated infectious diarrhea. The development of C.difficile infection is tied to perturbations of the bacterial community in the gastrointestinal tract, called the gastrointestinal microbiota.

A Rapid and Accurate Detection Approach for Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Based on PCR-ELISA Microplate Hybridization Assay.

Rapid and accurate diagnosis of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is important for timely and appropriate therapy. In this study, a rapid and easy-to-perform molecular test that integrated polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and a specific 96-well microplate hybridization assay, called PCR-ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), were developed for detection of mutations in rpoB, katG, and inhA genes responsible for rifampin (RIF) and isoniazid (INH) resistance and prediction of drug susceptibility in Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates. We evaluated the utility of this method by using 32 multidrug-resistent (MDR) isolates and 22 susceptible isolates; subsequently, we compared the results with data obtained by conventional drug susceptibility testing and DNA sequencing.

A human gut ecosystem protects against C. difficile disease by targeting TcdA.

Background: A defined Microbial Ecosystem Therapeutic (MET-1, or "RePOOPulate") derived from the feces of a healthy volunteer can cure recurrent C. difficile infection (rCDI) in humans. The mechanisms of action whereby healthy microbiota protect against rCDI remain unclear.

Rebooting the microbiome.

Using a murine Salmonella model of colitis, we recently reported that mice receiving a community of defined gut microbiota (MET-1) lost less weight, had reduced systemic inflammation and splenic S. typhimurium infection, and decreased neutrophil infiltration in the cecum, compared to vehicle controls. In addition, animals receiving MET-1 exhibited preserved tight junction protein expression (Zonula occludens-1, claudin-1), suggesting important effects on barrier function.

Administration of defined microbiota is protective in a murine Salmonella infection model.

Salmonella typhimurium is a major cause of diarrhea and causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide, and perturbations of the gut microbiota are known to increase susceptibility to enteric infections. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a Microbial Ecosystem Therapeutic (MET-1) consisting of 33 bacterial strains, isolated from human stool and previously used to cure patients with recurrent Clostridium difficile infection, could also protect against S. typhimurium disease.

Determination of the upper cut-off values of serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase in Chinese.

Aim: To determine the upper cut-off values of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in a Northern Chinese population.

Methods: A total of 3769 subjects in Jilin Province Northeast China were stratified to determine the potential factors affecting serum ALT and AST levels. The upper cut-off values of serum ALT and AST in these subjects were determined using receiver operating characteristic analysis and their sensitivity and specificity were evaluated.

Differential expression of 26S proteasome subunits and functional activity during neonatal development.

Proteasomes regulate many essential cellular processes by degrading intracellular proteins. While aging is known to be associated with dysfunction of the proteasome, there are few reports detailing activity and function of proteasomes in the early stages of life. To elucidate the function and development of mammalian proteasomes, 26S proteasomes were affinity-purified from rat intestine, spleen and liver.

Molecular spectrum of lanthanide complexes with 2,3-dichlorobenzoic acid and 2,2-bipyridine.

With 2,3-dichlorobenzoic acid as the first ligands and 2,2'-bipyridine as the second ligands, the lanthanide complexes [Ln(2,3-DClBA)3bipy]2 [Ln=Nd(a), Sm(b), Eu(c), Tb(d), Dy(e), Ho(f)] have been synthesized. By using Infrared (IR) and Raman (R) spectra, the characteristics of the groups can be identified. The bands of lanthanide complexes have been analyzed and attributed, and clearly demonstrated with the use of the complementarity of IR and R.

Synergistic protection of combined probiotic conditioned media against neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis-like intestinal injury.

Balance among the complex interactions of the gut microbial community is important for intestinal health. Probiotic bacteria can improve bacterial balance and have been used to treat gastrointestinal diseases. Neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a life-threatening inflammatory bowel disorder primarily affecting premature infants.

Etiology and prevalence of abnormal serum alanine aminotransferase levels in a general population in Northeast China.

Background: Chronic liver diseases are a major burden in China. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) can be used as an indicator of hepatocyte damage. In this study, we determined the prevalence and etiologies of elevated ALT in an adult population in Jilin, China.

Structure and mechanism of PhnP, a phosphodiesterase of the carbon-phosphorus lyase pathway.

PhnP is a phosphodiesterase that plays an important role within the bacterial carbon-phosphorus lyase (CP-lyase) pathway by recycling a "dead-end" intermediate, 5-phospho-α-d-ribosyl 1,2-cyclic phosphate, that is formed during organophosphonate catabolism. As a member of the metallo-β-lactamase superfamily, PhnP is most homologous in sequence and structure to tRNase Z phosphodiesterases. X-ray structural analysis of PhnP complexed with orthovanadate to 1.

Prevalence and etiology of abnormal liver tests in an adult population in Jilin, China.

Background: Serum biochemical liver tests (LTs) (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and gamma glutamyltransferase) and platelet counts are often used to screen for chronic liver disease. We determined the prevalence and etiologies of abnormal LTs in an adult population in Jilin, China.

Methods: A total of 3791 individuals between the ages of 18 and 79 years were interviewed and then underwent ultrasonography and blood tests.

Characterization of covalently bonded proteins on poly(methyl methacrylate) by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has been used to characterize a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) surface with covalently attached proteins. The PMMA surfaces were first aminated using hexamethyldiamine; the resulting -NH(2) sites were reacted with the hetero-bifunctional cross-linker Sulfo-EMCS to form a maleimide-terminated surface. The N-hydroxysuccinimide ester terminal and maleimide terminal groups of Sulfo-EMCS reacts with amine and sulfhydryl groups, respectively, exposed on the surface of the proteins.

A fluorescent substrate for carbon-phosphorus lyase: towards the pathway for organophosphonate metabolism in bacteria.

Many species of bacteria can use naturally occurring organophosphonates as a source of metabolic phosphate by cleaving the carbon-phosphorus bond with a multi-enzyme pathway collectively called carbon-phosphorus lyase (CP-lyase). Very little is known about the fate of organophosphonates entering this pathway. In order to detect metabolic intermediates we have synthesized a fluorescently labelled organophosphonate and show that this is a viable substrate for the CP-lyase pathway in Escherichia coli and that the expected product of CP-bond cleavage is formed.

Bacteria-free solution derived from Lactobacillus plantarum inhibits multiple NF-kappaB pathways and inhibits proteasome function.

Background: Bacteria play a role in inflammatory bowel disease and other forms of intestinal inflammation. Although much attention has focused on the search for a pathogen or inciting inflammatory bacteria, another possibility is a lack of beneficial bacteria that normally confer anti-inflammatory properties in the gut. The purpose of this study was to determine whether normal commensal bacteria could inhibit inflammatory pathways important in intestinal inflammation.

Structure of PhnP, a phosphodiesterase of the carbon-phosphorus lyase pathway for phosphonate degradation.

Carbon-phosphorus lyase is a multienzyme system encoded by the phn operon that enables bacteria to metabolize organophosphonates when the preferred nutrient, inorganic phosphate, is scarce. One of the enzymes encoded by this operon, PhnP, is predicted by sequence homology to be a metal-dependent hydrolase of the beta-lactamase superfamily. Screening with a wide array of hydrolytically sensitive substrates indicated that PhnP is an enzyme with phosphodiesterase activity, having the greatest specificity toward bis(p-nitrophenyl)phosphate and 2',3'-cyclic nucleotides.

Crystal structure of PhnH: an essential component of carbon-phosphorus lyase in Escherichia coli.

Organophosphonates are reduced forms of phosphorous that are characterized by the presence of a stable carbon-phosphorus (C-P) bond, which resists chemical hydrolysis, thermal decomposition, and photolysis. The chemically inert nature of the C-P bond has raised environmental concerns as toxic phosphonates accumulate in a number of ecosystems. Carbon-phosphorous lyase (CP lyase) is a multienzyme pathway encoded by the phn operon in gram-negative bacteria.

[FTIR studies of chlorobenly-5-fluorouracil porphyrin].

In this paper new kind of porphyrin compounds was prepared, which combined well the affinity of prophyrin to malignant tumour with anticancer of 5-fluorouracil porphyrin. The IR spectra of m- and p-chlorophenyl-5-fluorouracil prophyrin were obtained and analyzed. The IR absorption peaks were investigated and concluded in detail.