To nap or not? Evidence from a meta-analysis of cohort studies of habitual daytime napping and health outcomes.

Habitual daytime napping is a common behavioral and lifestyle practice in particular countries and is often considered part of a normal daily routine. However, recent evidence suggests that the health effects of habitual daytime napping are controversial. We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases from inception to March 9, 2024, to synthesize cohort studies of napping and health outcome risk.

The association between oral and gut microbiota in male patients with alcohol dependence.

Introduction: The relationship between oral and gut microbiota in alcohol dependence (AD) is not well understood, particularly the effects of oral microbiota on the intestinal microbiota. The current study aimed to explore the association between oral and gut microbiota in AD to clarify whether oral microbiota could ectopically colonize into the gut.

Methods: 16S rRNA sequence libraries were used to compare oral and gut microbial profiles in persons with AD and healthy controls (HC).

Gut-derived bacterial LPS attenuates incubation of methamphetamine craving via modulating microglia.

Background: The microbiota-gut-brain axis plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders, and the compositions of gut microbiota are altered by addictive drugs. However, the role of gut microbiota in the incubation of methamphetamine (METH) craving remains poorly understood.

Methods: 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed to assess the richness and diversity of gut microbiota in METH self-administration model.

Disrupted diurnal oscillations of the gut microbiota in patients with alcohol dependence.

Background: Patients with alcohol dependence (AD) can exhibit gut dysbacteria. Dysbacteria may co-occur with disruptions of circadian rhythmicity of the gut flora, which can aggravate AD. Herein, this study aimed to investigate diurnal oscillations of the gut microbiota in AD patients.

Diurnal changes of the oral microbiome in patients with alcohol dependence.

Background: Saliva secretion and oral microbiota change in rhythm with our biological clock. Dysbiosis of the oral microbiome and alcohol consumption have a two-way interactive impact, but little is known about whether the oral microbiome undergoes diurnal changes in composition and function during the daytime in patients with alcohol dependence (AD).

Methods: The impact of alcohol consumption on the diurnal salivary microbiome was examined in a case-control study of 32 AD patients and 21 healthy control (HC) subjects.

Neurocan regulates vulnerability to stress and the anti-depressant effect of ketamine in adolescent rats.

Depression is more prevalent among adolescents than adults, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Using a subthreshold chronic stress model, here we show that developmentally regulated expressions of the perineuronal nets (PNNs), and one of the components, Neurocan in the prelimbic cortex (PrL) are important for the vulnerability to stress and depressive-like behaviors in both adolescent and adult rats. Reduction of PNNs or Neurocan with pharmacological or viral methods to mimic the expression of PNNs in the PrL during adolescence compromised resilience to stress in adult rats, while virally mediated overexpression of Neurocan reversed vulnerability to stress in adolescent rats.

Decreased Density of Perineuronal Net in Prelimbic Cortex Is Linked to Depressive-Like Behavior in Young-Aged Rats.

Perineuronal nets (PNNs) are condensed extracellular matrix (ECM) structures regulating developmental plasticity and protecting neurons against oxidative stress. PNN abnormalities have been observed in various psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, but the relationship between PNN density and depression still remains unclear. In the present study, we examined the density and components of PNNs including aggrecan, neurocan and Tenascin-R in the prelimbic cortex (PrL) after chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS).

Bumetanide treatment during early development rescues maternal separation-induced susceptibility to stress.

Stress is a major risk factor for psychiatric disorders, such as depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia. Early life stress, such as maternal separation, can have long-term effects on the development of the central nervous system and pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders. In the present study, we found that maternal separation increased the susceptibility to stress in adolescent rats, increased the expression of Na/K/2Cl cotransporter 1 (NKCC1) on postnatal day 14, and increased the expression of K/2Cl cotransporter 2 (KCC2) and γ-aminobutyric acid A (GABA) receptor subunits on postnatal day 40 in the hippocampus.

A Genome-Wide mRNA Expression Profile in Caenorhabditis elegans under Prolonged Exposure to 1750MHz Radiofrequency Fields.

Objective: C. elegans has been used as a biomonitor for microwave-induced stress. However, the RF (radiofrequency) fields that have been used in previous studies were weak (≤1.