Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) results from alterations in intestinal flora and the immune system. Sulfasalazine (SASP) is a sulfa antimicrobial used to treat IBD in clinic for years. However, how SASP affects gut microbes and its potential functions remains unclear. To investigate the relationships of SASP, IBD, and gut microbiome, we used 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) to induce experimental colitis in rats, and analyzed the microbiota in the fecal samples, which come from the control group (treated with ethanol + saline), the model group (treated with TNBS-ethanol + saline) and the SASP group (treated with TNBS-ethanol + SASP), with 16S gene sequencing and followed up a subset sample using shotgun sequencing. The study found that SASP treatment could not only restore the TNBS-induced gut dysbiosis, which was proved by the increasing amount of SCFAs-producing bacteria and lactic acid-producing bacteria as well as the decreasing amount of Proteobacteria, but also modulate the dysregulated function of the TNBS-induced colitis to resemble that of the control group, including an increased capacity for basic metabolism (carbohydrate metabolism, citrate cycle) and a decrease in the oxidative stress (riboflavin, sulfur, cysteine) as well as bacterial pathogenesis (cell motility and secretion, bacterial motility proteins, flagellar assembly). Moreover, a higher proportion of Mycoplasma was observed in the SASP group, which may associate with infertility. In all, the study provides insight into specific microbial clades and pathways linked with SASP treatment to elaborate the mechanism for treatment of IBD.

Background: Huang-Lian-Jie-Du-Decoction (HLJDD), a prescription of traditional Chinese medicine, has been clinically used to treat diabetes for thousands of years and its mechanism was reported to be related to gut microbiota. However, no study has explored the effect of HLJDD on the gut microbiota in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) yet. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the modulation of gut microbiota induced by HLJDD treatment in T2DM in order to unveil the underlying mechanism.Methods: A combination of high-fat diet (HFD) and streptozotocin (STZ) was used to induce T2DM in rats. Bacterial communities in the fecal samples from the control group, the T2DM model group, and the HLJDD-treated T2DM group were analyzed by 16S gene sequencing, followed with a subset sample analyzed by shotgun sequencing.Results: The HLJDD treatment significantly ameliorated hyperglycemia and inflammation in T2DM rats. Additionally, our results indicated that HLJDD treatment could not only restore the gut dysbiosis in T2DM rats, which was proved by an increasing amount of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-producing and anti-inflammatory bacteria such as Parabacteroides, Blautia, and Akkermansia as well as a decreasing amount of conditioned pathogenic bacteria (e.g., Aerococcus, Staphylococcus, and Corynebacterium), but also modulate the dysregulated function of gut microbiome in T2DM rats, including an up-regulation in bile acid biosynthesis as well as a reduction in glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and nucleotide metabolism.Conclusion: HLJDD treatment could ameliorate hyperglycemia and restore the dysregulated microbiota structure and function to a normal condition mainly by increasing SCFAs-producing bacteria and reducing conditioned pathogenic bacteria in T2DM rats, which provides insights into the mechanism of HLJDD treatment for T2DM from the view of gut microbiota.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

BackgroundPolysaccharides can alleviate obesity in mammals; however, studies on mechanism of this alleviation are limited. A few studies have indicated that polysaccharides improve obesity by regulating the metabolism of the body. Therefore, a metabolomics approach, consisting of high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and a multivariate statistical technique, was applied to explore the mechanism of the protective effects of lentinan and Flos Lonicera polysaccharides (LF) on high-fat diet (HFD) induced obesity.MethodsIn this study, rats were randomly divided into three groups: control diet (CD), HFD, and HFD supplemented with a mixture of lentinan and Flos Lonicera polysaccharide. Histopathological and clinical biochemical assessments were also conducted. A combination of a NMR metabolomics study and a multivariable statistical analysis method to distinguish urinary and fecal metabolites was applied.ResultsSignificant obesity symptoms appeared in HFD rats (for example, significant weight gain, epididymal adipose accumulation and lipid deposition in hepatocytes), which was attenuated in the LF group. Additionally, the HFD induced a reduction of choline, citrate, pyruvate and glycerol and increased the levels of trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) and taurine. Of note, these metabolic disorders were reversed by LF intervention mainly through pathways of energy metabolism, choline metabolism and gut microbiota metabolism.ConclusionsLF supplementation had a re-balancing effect on the disturbed metabolic pathways in the obese body. The results of this study validate the therapeutic effect of the compound polysaccharide--LF in obesity and described the biochemical and metabolic mechanisms involved.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12986-018-0246-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Alisol B 23-Acetate (AB23A) is a naturally occurring triterpenoid, which can be indicated in the rhizome of medicinal and dietary plants from Alisma species. Previous studies have demonstrated that AB23A could inhibit intestinal permeability by regulating tight junction (TJ)-related proteins. Even so, the AB23A protective mechanism against intestinal barrier dysfunction remains poorly understood. This investigation seeks to evaluate the AB23A protective effects on intestinal barrier dysfunction and determine the mechanisms for restoring intestinal barrier dysfunction in LPS-stimulated Caco-2 monolayers. According to our findings, AB23A attenuated the inflammation by reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines production like IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, and prevented the paracellular permeability by inhibiting the disruption of TJ in LPS-induced Caco-2 monolayers after treated with LPS. AB23A also inhibited LPS-induced TLR4, NOX1 overexpression and subsequent ROS generation in Caco-2 monolayers. Transfected with NOX1-specific shRNA diminished the up-regulating AB23A effect on ZO-1 and occludin expression. Moreover, transfected with shRNA of TLR4 not only enhanced ZO-1 and occludin expression but attenuated NOX1 expression and ROS generation. Therefore, AB23A ameliorates LPS-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction by inhibiting TLR4-NOX1/ROS signaling pathway in Caco-2 monolayers, suggesting that AB23A may have positive impact on maintaining the intestinal barrier’s integrity.

An effective and comprehensive method was developed for the simultaneous analysis of compounds in the powder of Aloe arborescens Mill by liquid chromatography with ion trap time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry and high‐performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. Qualitative analysis of all the compounds presented in Aloe arborescens Mill was performed by liquid chromatography with ion trap time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. A total of 28 components from Aloe arborescens Mill were identified, including chromones, phenyl pyrones, anthrones and anthraquinones. The quantitative analysis of multi‐components by a single‐marker method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of aloenin, 2′‐α‐rhamnopyranosylisovitexin, aloinA, and aloinB in Aloe arborescens Mill leaves using high‐performance liquid chromatography. We can than calculate the contents of the other constituents with the relative correction factors correspondingly. In comparison with the results obtained using the external standard method, the quantitative analysis of multi‐components by the single‐marker method demonstrates no significant difference. This is the first simultaneous characterization and quantitative determination of multiple compounds in Aloe arborescens Mill. It can be applied to standardize the quality of Aloe arborescens Mill as well as the future design of nutraceutical and cosmetic preparations.