OBJECTIVES: To investigate the distribution characteristics and correlation of intestinal and pharyngeal microbiota in early neonates. METHODS: Full-term healthy neonates who were born in Shanghai Pudong New Area Maternal and Child Health Hospital from September 2021 to January 2022 and were given mixed feeding were enrolled. The 16S rRNA sequencing technique was used to analyze the stool and pharyngeal swab samples collected on the day of birth and days 5-7 after birth, and the composition and function of intestinal and pharyngeal microbiota were analyzed and compared. RESULTS: The diversity analysis showed that the diversity of pharyngeal microbiota was higher than that of intestinal microbiota in early neonates, but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). On the day of birth, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria in the intestine was significantly higher than that in the pharynx (P<0.05). On days 5-7 after birth, the relative abundance of Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria in the intestine was significantly higher than that in the pharynx (P<0.05), and the relative abundance of Firmicutes in the intestine was significantly lower than that in the pharynx (P<0.05). At the genus level, there was no significant difference in the composition of dominant bacteria between the intestine and the pharynx on the day of birth (P>0.05), while on days 5-7 after birth, there were significant differences in the symbiotic bacteria of Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Rothia, Bifidobacterium, and Escherichia-Shigella between the intestine and the pharynx (P<0.05). The analysis based on the database of Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins showed that pharyngeal microbiota was more concentrated on chromatin structure and dynamics and cytoskeleton, while intestinal microbiota was more abundant in RNA processing and modification, energy production and conversion, amino acid transport and metabolism, carbohydrate transport and metabolism, coenzyme transport and metabolism, and others (P<0.05). The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis showed that compared with pharyngeal microbiota, intestinal microbiota was more predictive of cell motility, cellular processes and signal transduction, endocrine system, excretory system, immune system, metabolic diseases, nervous system, and transcription parameters (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The composition and diversity of intestinal and pharyngeal microbiota of neonates are not significantly different at birth. The microbiota of these two ecological niches begin to differentiate and gradually exhibit distinct functions over time.
Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Bacteria ; China ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Intestines ; Microbiota ; Pharynx/microbiology* ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics*

To explore the composition and diversity of the intestinal microflora of Leopoldamys edwardsi in Hainan Island. In November 2019, DNA was extracted from fecal samples of 25 adult Leopoldamys edwardsi (14 males and 11 females) in Hainan Island at the Joint Laboratory of tropical infectious diseases of Hainan Medical College and Hong Kong University. Based on the IonS5TMXL sequencing platform, single-end sequencing (Single-End) was used to construct a small fragment library for single-end sequencing. Based on Reads shear filtration and OTUs clustering. The species annotation and abundance analysis of OTUs were carried out by using mothur method and SSUrRNA database, and further conducted α diversity and β diversity analysis. A total of 1481842 high quality sequences, belonging to 14 Phyla, 85 families and 186 Genera, were obtained from 25 intestinal excrement samples of Leopoldamys edwardsi. At the level of phyla classification, the main core biota of the Leopoldamys edwardsi contained Firmicutes (46.04%),Bacteroidetes (25.34%), Proteobacteria (17.09%), Tenericutes (7.38%) and Actinobacteria (1.67%), these five phyla account for 97.52% of all phyla. The ratio of Helicobacter which occupied the largest proportion at the genus level was 12.44%, followed by Lactobacillus (11.39%), Clostridium (6.19%),Mycoplasma (4.23%) and Flavonifractor (3.52%). High throughput sequencing analysis showed that the intestinal flora of Leopoldamys edwardsi in Hainan Island was complex and diverse, which had the significance of further research.
Adult ; Animals ; Bacteria/genetics* ; Feces/microbiology* ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/genetics* ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Humans ; Intestines ; Male ; Murinae/genetics*

As a large micro-ecosystem in the human body,the intestinal microbiota is closely associated with the occurrence of many diseases.The clinical investigations and animal experiments have showed that traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) could maintain the balance of the intestinal micro-ecological system.This review summarized the research methods and literatures on the regulation effects of TCM,including different effective ingredients,extracts and Chinese herbal formulae,on intestinal microflora in recent five years,in order to provide a reference for the further research and development of TCM.
Animals ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; drug effects ; Humans ; Intestines ; microbiology ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Research ; trends

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

Poliumoside is representative of phenylethanoid glycosides, which are widely found in many plants. Poliumoside is also regarded as the main active component of Callicarpa kwangtungensis Chun (CK), though its oral bioavailability in rat is extremely low (0.69%) and its in vivo and in vitro metabolism has not yet been systematically investigated. In the present study, an ultra performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF-MS) method was employed to identify the metabolites and investigate the metabolic pathways of poliumoside in rat after oral administration 1.5 g·kg of poliumoside. As a result, a total of 34 metabolites (30 from urine, 17 from plasma, and 4 from bile) and 9 possible metabolic pathways (rearrangment, reduction, hydration, hydrolyzation, dehydration, methylation, hydroxylation, acetylation, and sulfation) were proposed in vivo. The main metabolite, acteoside, was quantified after incubated with rat intestinal bacteria in vitro. In conclusion, the present study systematically explored the metabolites of poliumoside in vivo and in vitro, proposing metabolic pathways that may be significant for further metabolic studies of poliumoside.
Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Bacteria ; metabolism ; Bile ; chemistry ; Caffeic Acids ; administration & dosage ; blood ; chemistry ; urine ; Callicarpa ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Glycosides ; administration & dosage ; blood ; chemistry ; urine ; Intestines ; microbiology ; Male ; Mass Spectrometry ; methods ; Molecular Structure ; Plasma ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Urine ; chemistry

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common metabolic diseases currently in the context of obesity worldwide, which contains a spectrum of chronic liver diseases, including hepatic steatosis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and hepatic carcinoma. In addition to the classical "Two-hit" theory, NAFLD has been recognized as a typical gut microbiota-related disease because of the intricate role of gut microbiota in maintaining human health and disease formation. Moreover, gut microbiota is even regarded as a "metabolic organ" that play complementary roles to that of liver in many aspects. The mechanisms underlying gut microbiota-mediated development of NAFLD include modulation of host energy metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and bile acid and choline metabolism. As a result, gut microbiota have been emerging as a novel therapeutic target for NAFLD by manipulating it in various ways, including probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, antibiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, and herbal components. In this review, we summarized the most recent advances in gut microbiota-mediated mechanisms, as well as gut microbiota-targeted therapies on NAFLD.
Animals ; Bile Acids and Salts ; metabolism ; Choline ; metabolism ; Dietary Supplements ; Energy Metabolism ; Fecal Microbiota Transplantation ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Humans ; Insulin Resistance ; Intestines ; microbiology ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ; microbiology ; therapy

BackgroundIncreasing evidence has supported the link of intestinal Fusobacterium nucleatum infection to colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the value of F. nucleatum as a biomarker in CRC detection has not been fully defined. In order to reduce the random error and bias of individual research, this meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of intestinal F. nucleatum in CRC patients and provide evidence-based data to clinical practice.

MethodsAn article search was performed from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases up to December 2017, using the following key words: "Fusobacterium nucleatum", "Fusobacterium spp.", "Fn", "colorectal cancer(s)", "colorectal carcinoma(s)", "colorectal neoplasm(s)", and "colorectal tumor(s)". Articles on relationships between F. nucleatum and CRC were selected according to the preestablished inclusion and exclusion criteria. This meta-analysis was performed using STATA 12.0 software, which included mapping of forest plots, heterogeneity tests, meta-regression, subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias. The sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (LR), negative LR, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and their corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) of each eligible study were summarized.

ResultsFinally, data for 1198 participants (629 CRC and 569 healthy controls) in 10 controlled studies from seven articles were included. The summary receiver operator characteristic curve was mapped. The diagnostic performance of intestinal F. nucleatum infection on CRC was as follows: the area under the curve: 0.86 (95% CI: 0.83-0.89), the pooled sensitivity: 0.81 (95% CI: 0.64-0.91), specificity: 0.77 (95% CI: 0.59-0.89), and DOR: 14.00 (95% CI: 9.00-22.00).

ConclusionIntestinal F. nucleatum is a valuable marker for CRC diagnosis.

Colonic Neoplasms ; microbiology ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; microbiology ; Fusobacterium nucleatum ; physiology ; Humans ; Intestines ; microbiology ; pathology

The intestinal microbiota is a complex ecosystem consisting of various microorganisms that expands human genetic repertoire and therefore affects human health and disease. The metabolic processes and signal transduction pathways of the host and intestinal microorganisms are intimately linked, and abnormal progression of each process leads to changes in the intestinal environment. Alterations in microbial communities lead to changes in functional structures based on the metabolites produced in the gut, and these environmental changes result in various bacterial infections and chronic enteric inflammatory diseases. Here, we illustrate how antibiotics are associated with an increased risk of antibiotic-associated diseases by driving intestinal environment changes that favor the proliferation and virulence of pathogens. Understanding the pathogenesis caused by antibiotics would be a crucial key to the treatment of antibiotic-associated diseases by mitigating changes in the intestinal environment and restoring it to its original state.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; Bacteria/drug effects ; Bacteria/growth & development ; Dysbiosis/microbiology ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects ; Humans ; Intestines/drug effects ; Intestines/microbiology ; Symbiosis/drug effects

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver dysfunction and a significant global health problem with substantial rise in prevalence over the last decades. It is becoming increasingly clear that NALFD is not only predominantly a hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome, but also involves extra-hepatic organs and regulatory pathways. Therapeutic options are limited for the treatment of NAFLD. Accordingly, a better understanding of the pathogenesis of NAFLD is critical for gaining new insight into the regulatory network of NAFLD and for identifying new targets for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD. In this review, we emphasize on the current understanding of the inter-organ crosstalk between the liver and peripheral organs that contributing to the pathogenesis of NAFLD.
Adipose Tissue ; pathology ; Animals ; Extracellular Vesicles ; metabolism ; Humans ; Hypothalamus ; metabolism ; Intestines ; microbiology ; pathology ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ; etiology ; metabolism ; microbiology ; pathology

OBJECTIVES: To initially explore the sequential changes in the intestinal flora of corpse for the estimation of postmortem interval （PMI）. METHODS: Rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation, and samples were taken from their intestines using cotton swab to extract the DNA of intestinal flora. The 16S rRNA V3 universal primers were selected for PCR, and the PCR products were used for denatured gradient gel electrophoresis. The diversity and similarity analysis of intestinal flora were analyzed between groups, and the bands were cut from denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. After purification, PCR and sequencing, the percentage of major bacteria in each group was obtained. RESULTS: The flora diversity showed a reduced tendency from 1st to 30th day after death （ P<0.05）, while the intra-group similarity showed a downward trend （ P<0.05）. The number of bands and intra-group similarity coefficient （Cs） on the first day was higher than that of other groups （ P<0.05）. The intra-group Cs of the 25th and 30th day had a significant difference compared with the 5th day （ P<0.05）. At the genus level, the intestinal flora was mainly composed of Enterococcus sp. on the 1th and 5th day after death, Bacillus thuringienssis was the dominant species on the 10th, 15th and 20th day, and Enterococcus faecalis became the dominant species on the 25th and 30th day. CONCLUSIONS The composition and structure of intestinal flora change significantly in rats with the time after death, which indicates that the succession of intestinal flora is related to the postmortem interval.
Animals ; Bacteria ; DNA, Bacterial ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Intestines/microbiology* ; Postmortem Changes ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley