Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are commonly used to lessen symptoms in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, the effects of PPI therapy on the gastrointestinal microbiota in GERD patients remain unclear. We examined the association between the PPI usage and the microbiota present in gastric mucosal and fecal samples from GERD patients and healthy controls (HCs) using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. GERD patients taking PPIs were further divided into short-term and long-term PPI user groups. We showed that PPI administration lowered the relative bacterial diversity of the gastric microbiota in GERD patients. Compared to the non-PPI-user and HC groups, higher abundances of Planococcaceae, Oxalobacteraceae, and Sphingomonadaceae were found in the gastric microbiota from the PPI-user group. In addition, the Methylophilus genus was more highly abundant in the long-term PPI user group than in the short-term PPI-user group. Despite the absence of differences in alpha diversity, there were significant differences in the fecal bacterial composition of between GERD patients taking PPIs and those not taking PPIs. There was a higher abundance of Streptococcaceae, Veillonellaceae, Acidaminococcaceae, Micrococcaceae, and Flavobacteriaceae present in the fecal microbiota from the PPI-user group than those from the non-PPI-user and HC groups. Additionally, a significantly higher abundance of Ruminococcus was found in GERD patients on long-term PPI medication than that on short-term PPI medication. Our study indicates that PPI administration in patients with GERD has a significant effect on the abundance and structure of the gastric mucosal microbiota but only on the composition of the fecal microbiota.
Adult ; Aged ; Bacteria ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Feces ; microbiology ; Female ; Gastric Mucosa ; microbiology ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; drug effects ; Humans ; Male ; Microbiota ; Middle Aged ; Proton Pump Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; genetics

Despite the documented antibiotic-induced disruption of the gut microbiota, the impact of antibiotic intake on strain-level dynamics, evolution of resistance genes, and factors influencing resistance dissemination potential remains poorly understood. To address this gap we analyzed public metagenomic datasets from 24 antibiotic treated subjects and controls, combined with an in-depth prospective functional study with two subjects investigating the bacterial community dynamics based on cultivation-dependent and independent methods. We observed that short-term antibiotic treatment shifted and diversified the resistome composition, increased the average copy number of antibiotic resistance genes, and altered the dominant strain genotypes in an individual-specific manner. More than 30% of the resistance genes underwent strong differentiation at the single nucleotide level during antibiotic treatment. We found that the increased potential for horizontal gene transfer, due to antibiotic administration, was ∼3-fold stronger in the differentiated resistance genes than the non-differentiated ones. This study highlights how antibiotic treatment has individualized impacts on the resistome and strain level composition, and drives the adaptive evolution of the gut microbiota.
Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; Bacteria ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; genetics ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; drug effects ; Humans ; Metagenomics ; Prospective Studies

Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum is one of the world's top ten plant pathogens, mainly infecting cruciferous economic crops and ornamental flowers. In this study, an antibacterial gene cpxP (Gene ID: 29704421) was cloned from the genome of Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum, and constructed on the prokaryotic expression plasmid pET-15b, and the recombinant plasmid was transformed into Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3), then stability and bacteriostatic experiments of the purified CpxP protein were performed. The final concentration of IPTG was 1 mmol/L, obtaining high-efficiency exogenous expression of the CpxP protein. There was no other protein after purification, and the destined protein exhibited good thermal stability and pH stability. The antibacterial test results showed that the inhibition rate of the CpxP protein on carrot slice was 44.89% while the inhibition rate on potato slice was 59.41%. To further explain its antibacterial mechanism, studying the spatial structure of this protein can provide new ideas for the control of soft rot and new protein pesticide targets.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; Bacteria ; drug effects ; Bacterial Proteins ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; Membrane Proteins ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Pectobacterium carotovorum ; genetics ; metabolism ; Plasmids ; genetics

Metabolic syndrome characterized by obesity, hyperglycemia and liver steatosis is becoming prevalent all over the world. Herein, a water insoluble polysaccharide (WIP) was isolated and identified from the sclerotium of Poria cocos, a widely used Traditional Chinese Medicine. WIP was confirmed to be a (1-3)-β-D-glucan with an average Mw of 4.486 × 10 Da by NMR and SEC-RI-MALLS analyses. Furthermore, oral treatment with WIP from P. cocos significantly improved glucose and lipid metabolism and alleviated hepatic steatosis in ob/ob mice. 16S DNA sequencing analysis of cecum content from WIP-treated mice indicated the increase of butyrate-producing bacteria Lachnospiracea, Clostridium. It was also observed that WIP treatment elevated the level of butyrate in gut, improved the gut mucosal integrity and activated the intestinal PPAR-γ pathway. Fecal transplantation experiments definitely confirmed the causative role of gut microbiota in mediating the benefits of WIP. It is the first report that the water insoluble polysaccharide from the sclerotium of P. cocos modulates gut microbiota to improve hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia. Thereby, WIP from P. cocos, as a prebiotic, has the potential for the prevention or cure of metabolic diseases and may elucidate new mechanism for the efficacies of this traditional herbal medicine on the regulation of lipid and glucose metabolism.
Animals ; Bacteria ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Butyrates ; metabolism ; Fatty Liver ; drug therapy ; Fungal Polysaccharides ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; drug effects ; genetics ; Hyperglycemia ; drug therapy ; Hyperlipidemias ; drug therapy ; Intestines ; drug effects ; microbiology ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome ; drug therapy ; Mice ; Mice, Obese ; Prebiotics ; Wolfiporia ; chemistry

Human intestinal bacteria play an important role in the metabolism of herbal medicines, leading to the variations in their pharmacological profile. The present study aimed to investigate the metabolism of Xiao-Cheng-Qi decoction (XCQD) by human intestinal bacteria and to discover active component combination (ACC) contributing to the anti-inflammatory activity of XCQD. The water extract of XCQD was anaerobically incubated with human intestinal bacteria suspensions for 48 h at 37 °C. A liquid chromatography-hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF/MS) method was performed for identification of the metabolites. In addition, the anti-inflammatory effects of XCQD and biotransformed XCQD (XCQD-BT) were evaluated in vitro with cytokines in RAW264.7 cells induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). A total of 51 compounds were identified in XCQD and XCQD-BT. Among them, 20 metabolites were proven to be transformed by human intestinal bacteria. Significantly, a combination of 14 compounds was identified as ACC from XCQD-BT, which was as effective as XCQD in cell models of inflammation. In conclusion, this study provided an applicable method, based on intestinal bacterial metabolism, for identifying combinatory compounds responsible for a certain pharmacological activity of herbal medicines.
Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Bacteria ; metabolism ; Biotransformation ; Cytokines ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Feces ; microbiology ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; drug effects ; Humans ; Inflammation ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Lipopolysaccharides ; pharmacology ; Macrophages ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Mice ; Models, Biological ; Molecular Structure ; RAW 264.7 Cells

In the present investigation, we carried a phytochemical study of an ethanol-soluble extract from the root barks of Aspidistra typica Baill., a traditional food and herb medicine, leading to the isolation of four different kinds of compounds, including one benzene substituted coumarin, two organic phosphonic compounds, and one xanthone. The novel benzene substituted coumarin typicacoumarin A (1) was a new type of coumarin, and the two new organic phosphonic compounds, typicalphosphine A (2) and typicalphosphine B (3) were isolated for the first time, and their structures were elucidated by spectral techniques, viz.1D, 2D NMR spectra and HR-ESI-MS. The xanthone compound typicaxanthone A (4) was discovered from nature for the first time. The two new organic phosphonic chlorides (2, 3) showed stronger antibacterial activities, which were comparable to berberine hydrochloride. And typicaxanthone A (4) showed much stronger antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli ATCC-25922 bacterial strain, while typicacoumarin A (1) showed moderate antibacterial activities, weaker than berberine hydrochloride.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Bacteria ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Liliaceae ; chemistry ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Molecular Structure ; Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

OBJECTIVETo investigate the distribution of pathogens and bacterial resistance in children with severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

METHODSA total of 522 children with severe CAP who were hospitalized in 2016 were enrolled as study subjects. According to their age, they were divided into infant group (402 infants aged 28 days to 1 year), young children group (73 children aged 1 to 3 years), preschool children group (35 children aged 3 to 6 years), and school-aged children group (12 children aged ≥6 years). According to the onset season, all children were divided into spring group (March to May, 120 children), summer group (June to August, 93 children), autumn group (September to November, 105 children), and winter group (December to February, 204 children). Sputum specimens from the deep airway were collected from all patients. The phoenix-100 automatic bacterial identification system was used for bacterial identification and drug sensitivity test. The direct immunofluorescence assay was used to detect seven common respiratory viruses. The quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) and Chlamydia trachomatis (CT).

RESULTSOf all the 522 children with severe CAP, 419 (80.3%) were found to have pathogens, among whom 190 (45.3%) had mixed infection. A total of 681 strains of pathogens were identified, including 371 bacterial strains (54.5%), 259 viral strains (38.0%), 12 fungal strains (1.8%), 15 MP strains (2.2%), and 24 CT strains (3.5%). There were significant differences in the distribution of bacterial, viral, MP, and fungal infections between different age groups (P<0.05). There were significant differences in the incidence rate of viral infection between different season groups (P<0.05), with the highest incidence rate in winter. The drug-resistance rates of Streptococcus pneumoniae to erythromycin, tetracycline, and clindamycin reached above 85%, and the drug-resistance rates of Staphylococcus aureus to penicillin, erythromycin, and clindamycin were above 50%; they were all sensitive to vancomycin and linezolid. The drug-resistance rates of Haemophilus influenzae to cefaclor and cefuroxime were above 60%, but it was sensitive to cefotaxime. The drug-resistance rates of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae to ampicillin, cefotaxime, and ceftriaxone were above 60%, but they were sensitive to carbapenems and compound preparation of enzyme inhibitors.

CONCLUSIONSBacteria are the main pathogens in children with severe CAP and mixed infection is prevalent. The drug-resistance rates of these pathogenic bacteria are high.

Adolescent ; Bacteria ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Community-Acquired Infections ; microbiology ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Female ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Pneumonia ; microbiology

OBJECTIVETo study the pathogen distribution and risk factors of nosocomial infection in very preterm infants, as well as the risk of adverse outcomes.

METHODSA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 111 very preterm infants who were born between January and December, 2016 and had a gestational age of <32 weeks and a birth weight of <1 500 g. According to the presence or absence of nosocomial infection after 72 hours of hospitalization, the infants were divided into infection group and non-infection group. The infection group was analyzed in terms of pathogenic bacteria which caused infection and their drug sensitivity. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the potential risk factors and risk of adverse outcomes of nosocomial infection in very preterm infants.

RESULTSGram-negative bacteria were the main pathogens for nosocomial infection in very preterm infants and accounted for 54%, among which Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most common one; the following pathogens were fungi (41%), among which Candida albicans was the most common one. The drug sensitivity test showed that Gram-negative bacteria were highly resistant to β-lactam and carbapenems and highly sensitive to quinolones, while fungi had low sensitivity to itraconazole and high sensitivity to 5-fluorocytosine and amphotericin B. Early-onset sepsis, duration of peripherally inserted central catheter, steroid exposure, and duration of parenteral nutrition were risk factors for nosocomial infection in very preterm infants (P<0.05). Compared with the non-infection group, the infection group had significantly higher risks of pulmonary complications (P<0.05), as well as a significantly longer length of hospital stay and a significantly higher hospital cost (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONSNosocomial infection in very preterm infants is affected by various factors and may increase the risk of adverse outcomes. In clinical practice, reasonable preventive and treatment measures should be taken with reference to drug sensitivity, in order to improve the prognosis of very premature infants.

Cross Infection ; epidemiology ; etiology ; microbiology ; Female ; Gram-Negative Bacteria ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Health Care Costs ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Length of Stay ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

No abstract available.
Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Cefotaxime/analogs & derivatives/therapeutic use ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Gallstones/surgery ; Gram-Negative Anaerobic Bacteria/drug effects/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections/*diagnosis/drug therapy/microbiology ; Humans ; Male ; Metronidazole/therapeutic use ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/chemistry/genetics/metabolism ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/*pharmacology ; Azabicyclo Compounds/*pharmacology ; Bacterial Proteins/genetics ; Ceftazidime/*pharmacology ; Cephalosporins/*pharmacology ; DNA, Bacterial/genetics/metabolism ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial/*drug effects ; Gram-Negative Bacteria/drug effects/*isolation & purification ; Humans ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Penicillanic Acid/*analogs & derivatives/pharmacology ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa/drug effects/isolation & purification ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction