Prebiotic Potential of Goji Berry () in Improving Intestinal Integrity and Inflammatory Profiles via Modification of the Gut Microbiota in High-Fat Diet-Fed Rats.

Imbalances in gut microbiota and subsequent destabilization of intestinal barrier equilibrium have been related to the evolution of metabolic disorders. Goji berries (Lycium barbarum; GB) and their fermented counterpart (FGB) have been identified for their prebiotic capacity in managing intestinal barrier functions and inflammatory profiles Consequently, this research was designed to investigate the effects of supplementing GB and FGB on intestinal integrity, inflammation, and changes in the composition of gut microbiota in high-fat (HF)-fed rats. Thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats (6 weeks old, 8 per group) were divided into four categories based on their weight and provided with either respective diets over a 6-week period: low-fat (LF; 10% of calories from fat), HF (45% of calories from fat), and HF diets supplemented with either GB or FGB at a 2% (w/w).

Identification and characterization of early human photoreceptor states and cell-state-specific retinoblastoma-related features.

Human cone photoreceptors differ from rods and serve as the retinoblastoma cell-of-origin, yet the developmental basis for their distinct behaviors is poorly understood. Here, we used deep full-length single-cell RNA-sequencing to distinguish post-mitotic cone and rod developmental states and identify cone-specific features that contribute to retinoblastomagenesis. The analyses revealed early post-mitotic cone- and rod-directed populations characterized by higher THRB or NRL regulon activities, an immature photoreceptor precursor population with concurrent cone and rod gene and regulon expression, and distinct early and late cone and rod maturation states distinguished by maturation-associated declines in RAX regulon activity.

Stimulation of Toll-Like Receptor 3 Diminishes Intracellular Growth of Typhimurium by Enhancing Autophagy in Murine Macrophages.

The serovar Typhimurium ( Typhimurium) is a facultative Gram-negative bacterium that causes acute gastroenteritis and food poisoning. . Typhimurium can survive within macrophages that are able to initiate the innate immune response after recognizing bacteria via various pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs), such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs).

Human milk oligosaccharide 2'-fucosyllactose supplementation improves gut barrier function and signaling in the vagal afferent pathway in mice.

2'-Fucosyllactose (2'-FL) is one of the predominant oligosaccharides found in human milk and has several well-established beneficial effects in the host. It has previously been shown that 2'-FL can improve the metabolic phenotype in high-fat (HF)-fed mice. Here we investigated whether dietary supplementation with 2'-FL was associated with improved intestinal barrier integrity, signaling in the vagal afferent pathway and cognitive function.

Immuno-genomic classification of colorectal cancer organoids reveals cancer cells with intrinsic immunogenic properties associated with patient survival.

Background: The intrinsic immuno-ge7nomic characteristics of colorectal cancer cells that affect tumor biology and shape the tumor immune microenvironment (TIM) are unclear.

Methods: We developed a patient-derived colorectal cancer organoid (CCO) model and performed pairwise analysis of 87 CCOs and their matched primary tumors. The TIM type of the primary tumor was classified as immuno-active, immuno-exhausted, or immuno-desert.

Titanium dioxide particles modulate epithelial barrier protein, Claudin 7 in asthma.

Epithelial barrier dysfunction is involved in allergic inflammation and asthma, due to increased exposure of sub-epithelial tissues to inhaled allergens and air pollutants. The tight junction proteins claudins (CLDNs) are important regulators of paracellular permeability. CLDN7 is expressed in the alveolar epithelium; however, its contribution to airway barrier function remains unclear.

Metabolic Responses to Butyrate Supplementation in LF- and HF-Fed Mice Are Cohort-Dependent and Associated with Changes in Composition and Function of the Gut Microbiota.

The gut microbiota and associated metabolites have emerged as potential modulators of pathophysiological changes in obesity and related metabolic disorders. Butyrate, a product of bacterial fermentation, has been shown to have beneficial effects in obesity and rodent models of diet-induced obesity. Here, we aimed to determine the beneficial effects of butyrate (as glycerol ester of butyrate monobutyrin, MB) supplementation on metabolic phenotype, intestinal permeability and inflammation, feeding behavior, and the gut microbiota in low-fat (LF)- and high-fat (HF)-fed mice.

Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden as a Predictive Factor for In-hospital Mortality in Older Patients in Korea.

Background: With the increasing prevalence of chronic disease due to aging, many older adults experience multimorbidity and polypharmacy. Medications with anticholinergic properties are particularly associated with adverse cognitive outcomes, including functional decline and mortality. We assessed the clinical impact of anticholinergic cognitive burden (ACB) on clinical outcomes of older patients acutely admitted to a single, hospitalist-operated medical unit of a tertiary hospital in Korea.

Clinical implications of thoracic duct dilatation in patients with chronic liver disease.

This study aimed to investigate the association between the degree of thoracic duct dilatation and the progression of chronic liver disease.In this cross-sectional and retrospective study, 179 patients (mean age, 60.9 years; 114 men) with chronic liver disease who underwent chest CT were enrolled.

Comparisons of Clinical Outcomes between Weekday-Only and Full-Time, 24-Hour/7-Day Coverage Hospitalist Systems.

Background: Since the launch of pilot programs in 2016, varying ranges of hospitalist coverage exist in Korea. We evaluated the effects of differing depths of hospitalist coverage on clinical outcomes.

Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed the records of 513 patients admitted to a medical hospitalist unit through emergency department at Seoul National University Hospital.

2'-fucosyllactose Supplementation Improves Gut-Brain Signaling and Diet-Induced Obese Phenotype and Changes the Gut Microbiota in High Fat-Fed Mice.

Obesity is characterized by fat accumulation, chronic inflammation and impaired satiety signaling, which may be due in part to gut microbial dysbiosis. Manipulations of the gut microbiota and its metabolites are attractive targets for obesity treatment. The predominant oligosaccharide found in human milk, acts as a prebiotic with beneficial effects on the host.

Improved third-generation lentiviral packaging with pLKO.1C vectors.

A widely used third-generation lentiviral packaging system produces virus with enhanced biosafety by eliminating HIV accessory genes and separating packaging elements into three different plasmids. However, for certain vectors such as pLKO.1, third-generation safety features reduce lentiviral titers due to the lack of the accessory gene .

Taxotere Induces Dephosphorylation of MET in Patient-derived Tumor Models.

Background/aim: Although molecular targeting therapy is an attractive treatment for cancer, resistance eventually develops in most cases. Here, we evaluated chemotherapeutic efficacy on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with acquired resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors mechanistically.

Materials And Methods: Antitumor effects of taxotere were evaluated using multiple models, including xenograft, and patient-derived models developed from adenocarcinoma cancer patients.

Effects of nanoparticles on neuroinflammation in a mouse model of asthma.

The interaction between chronic inflammation and neural dysfunction points to a link between the nervous and immune systems in the airways. In particular, environmental exposure to nanoparticles (NPs), defined as particulate matter having one dimension <100 nm, is associated with an enhanced risk of childhood and adult asthma. However, the impact of NPs on the neural response in asthma remains to be determined.

Beneficial Effects of Non-Encapsulated or Encapsulated Probiotic Supplementation on Microbiota Composition, Intestinal Barrier Functions, Inflammatory Profiles, and Glucose Tolerance in High Fat Fed Rats.

Development of obesity-associated comorbidities is related to chronic inflammation, which has been linked to gut microbiota dysbiosis. Thus, modulating gut microbiota composition could have positive effects for metabolic disorders, supporting the use of probiotics as potential therapeutics in vivo, which may be enhanced by a microencapsulation technique. Here we investigated the effects of non-encapsulated or pectin-encapsulated probiotic supplementation ( L.

Rapid histologic diagnosis using quick fluorescence staining and tissue confocal microscopy.

With the development of advanced and minimally invasive surgical techniques, and in view of the functional and cosmetic aspects, the need for rapid and accurate diagnosis during surgery is increasing. This study was conducted to develop a tissue diagnosis method using confocal microscopy after simple tissue staining that does not require freezing and slicing. At present, fluorescence staining with confocal microscopy is not generalized for real-time diagnosis during surgery.

Claudins, VEGF, Nrf2, Keap1, and Nonspecific Airway Hyper-Reactivity Are Increased in Mice Co-Exposed to Allergen and Acrolein.

Acrolein, an α/β-unsaturated aldehyde, is volatile at room temperature. It is a respiratory irritant found in environmental tobacco smoke, which can be generated during cooking or endogenously at sites of injury. An acute high concentration of uncontrolled irritant exposure can lead to an asthma-like syndrome known as reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS).

Rapid tissue histology using multichannel confocal fluorescence microscopy with focus tracking.

Background: Simplified hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining followed by cryo-sectioning enables rapid identification of cancerous tissue within the procedure room during Mohs micrographic surgery. Yet, a faster evaluation method is desirable as the staining protocol requires physically sectioning of the tissue after freezing, which leads to prolonged sectioning time along with the frozen artifacts that may occur in frozen sectioning.

Methods: We present a multichannel confocal microscopy system to rapidly evaluate cancerous tissue.

Cannabinoid receptor type-1 partially mediates metabolic endotoxemia-induced inflammation and insulin resistance.

Circulating levels of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or endotoxin are chronically elevated in obesity (metabolic endotoxemia), resulting in low-grade inflammation. Metabolic endotoxemia has been identified as a triggering factor for obesity-associated metabolic complications such as insulin resistance. Furthermore, LPS has been shown to modulate endocannabinoid synthesis and notably to induce cannabinoid receptor type-1 (CB1) ligand synthesis.

TMEM9 promotes intestinal tumorigenesis through vacuolar-ATPase-activated Wnt/β-catenin signalling.

Vesicular acidification and trafficking are associated with various cellular processes. However, their pathologic relevance to cancer remains elusive. We identified transmembrane protein 9 (TMEM9) as a vesicular acidification regulator.

Developmental stage-specific proliferation and retinoblastoma genesis in RB-deficient human but not mouse cone precursors.

Most retinoblastomas initiate in response to the inactivation of the gene and loss of functional RB protein. The tumors may form with few additional genomic changes and develop after a premalignant retinoma phase. Despite this seemingly straightforward etiology, mouse models have not recapitulated the genetic, cellular, and stage-specific features of human retinoblastoma genesis.

Annexin A5 Protein as a Potential Biomarker for the Diagnosis of Asthma.

Purpose: Annexin A5 (ANXA5) has a potential role in cellular signal transduction, inflammation, and fibrosis. However, the exact role of ANXA5 in asthma remains to be clarified. The aims of the present study were to investigate ANXA5 protein expression in a mouse model of asthma and pollutant exposure and to elucidate the relationships between clinical variables and plasma ANXA5 levels in patients with asthma.

Spindle epithelial tumor with thymus-like differentiation of the thyroid in a 70-year-old man.

Spindle epithelial tumor with thymus-like differentiation (SETTLE) is a very rare tumor of the thyroid gland mostly occurring in young patients. The imaging findings of SETTLE tumors are yet to be defined. However, they are usually described as well-defined heterogeneously enhanced masses on CT scan.

Impact of ozone on claudins and tight junctions in the lungs.

Claudins (CLDNs) are a major transmembrane protein component of tight junctions (TJs) in endothelia and epithelia. CLDNs are not only essential for sustaining the role of TJs in cell permeability but are also vital for cell signaling through protein-protein interactions. Ozone induces oxidative stress and lung inflammation in humans and experimental models, but the impact of ozone on claudins remains poorly understood.

Blueberry Supplementation Influences the Gut Microbiota, Inflammation, and Insulin Resistance in High-Fat-Diet-Fed Rats.

Background: Gut microbiota dysbiosis has been linked to obesity-associated chronic inflammation. Microbiota manipulation may therefore affect obesity-related comorbidities. Blueberries are rich in anthocyanins, which have anti-inflammatory properties and may alter the gut microbiota.