Emerging evidence has revealed the presence in animals of a bidirectional regulatory “lung-gut axis” that provides resistance to respiratory infections. Clues to the existence of this system stem from observations that respiratory infections are often accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms, whereby intestinal microbiota appear to play pivotal roles in combating pathogenic infections. Importantly, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced by the gut microbiota appear to serve as the biological link between host immune defenses and gut flora. Streptococcus pneumoniae (S.pn), the main cause of lower respiratory tract infections, is involved in more than 1.189 million deaths per year. QingFei Yin (QFY) is known for its excellent therapeutic efficacy in combating bacterial lung infections. In this study, effects of S.pn infection on gut homeostasis were assessed using 16S RNA-based microbiota community profiling analysis. In addition, potential mechanisms underlying QFY recipe beneficial therapeutic effects against bacterial pneumonia were explored using S.pn-infected gut microbiota-depleted mice. Results of data analysis indicated that QFY treatment alleviated lung infection-associated pathogenic processes, while also promoting repair of disordered gut flora and counteracting S.pn infection-associated decreases in levels of SCFAs, particularly of acetate and butyrate. Mechanistically, QFY treatment suppressed inflammatory lung injury through inhibition of the host NF-κB-NLRP3 pathway. These results inspired us to identify precise QFY targets and mechanisms underlying QFY anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, we conducted an in-depth evaluation of QFY as a potential treatment for bacterial pneumonia.

No abstract

An aptamer (Apt) functionalized magnetic material was prepared by covalently link Apt to Fe3O4/graphene oxide (Fe3O4/GO) composite by 1‐ethyl‐3‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride and N‐hydroxysuccinimide, and then characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and vibration sample magnetometry. The obtained composite of Fe3O4/GO/Apt was employed as magnetic solid‐phase extraction adsorbent for the selective preconcentration of sulfadimethoxine prior to analysis by high‐performance liquid chromatography. Under the optimal conditions (sample pH of 4.0, sorbent dosage of 20 mg, extraction time of 3 h, and methanol‐5% acetic acid solution as eluent), a good linear relationship was obtained between the peak area and concentration of sulfadimethoxine in the range of 5.0 to 1500.0 µg/L with correlation coefficient of 0.9997. The limit of detection (S/N = 3) was 3.3 µg/L. The developed method was successfully applied to the analysis of sulfadimethoxine in milk with recoveries in the range of 75.9‐92.3% and relative standard deviations less than 8.1%. The adsorption mechanism of Fe3O4/GO/Apt toward sulfadimethoxine was studied through the adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherms, and the results show that the adsorption process fits well with the pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model and the adsorbate on Fe3O4/GO/Apt is multilayer and heterogeneous.

An aptamer-functionalized Fe 3 O 4 /graphene oxide was synthesized by chemical co-precipitation method and then employed in the magnetic solid-phase extraction for selective enrichment of chloramphenicol before HPLC. The aptamer was covalently bonded to the Fe 3 O 4 /graphene oxide complex by 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride and N-hydroxysuccinimide. Parameters affecting extraction efficiency including solution pH, extraction time and temperature, types and volume of elution solvent, and elution time were investigated in detail. Under the optimal conditions, good linearity was obtained between the peak area and analyte concentration in the range of 7.0 to 1.0 × 10 3 µg/L with the correlation coefficient of 0.9994. The limit of detection and quantitation were 0.24 µg/L and 0.79 µg/L, respectively. The developed method was employed to the analysis of chloramphenicol in honey and milk samples. The recoveries ranged from 80.5% to 105.0% with relative standard deviations less than 8.9%.Practical Application: An aptamer-functionalized Fe 3 O 4 /graphene oxide was synthesized and employed in magnetic solid phase extraction for the enrichment of chloramphenicol before HPLC. The presented assay was employed for the determination of chloramphenicol in honey and milk with satisfactory results.

Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) is an opportunistic pathogen that causes pneumonia, meningitis and bacteremia in humans and animals. Pneumolysin (PLY), a major pore-forming toxin that is important for S. pneumoniae pathogenicity, is a promising target for the development of anti-infective agents. Ephedra sinica granules (ESG) is one of the oldest medical preparation with multiple biological activities (such as a divergent wind and cold effect); however, the detailed mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we found that ESG treatment significantly inhibited the oligomerization of PLY and then reduced the activity of PLY without affecting S. pneumoniae growth and PLY production. In a PLY and A549 cell coincubation system, the addition of ESG resulted in significant protection against PLY-mediated cell injury. Furthermore, S. pneumoniae-infected mice showed decreased mortality, and alleviated tissue damage and inflammatory reactions following treatment with ESG. Our results indicate that ESG is a potential candidate treatment for S. pneumoniae infection that targets PLY. This finding partially elucidates the mechanism of the Chinese herbal formula ESG in the treatment of pneumococcal disease.