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Copyright of International Journal of Human Capital in Urban Management is the property of International Journal of Human Capital in Urban Management and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Guilan province in the north of Iran has witnessed a rapid industrial development in recent years causing pollution of water resources in rivers, wetlands and the Caspian Sea coastal areas. We studied the acute toxicity of Copper and Lead in kutum fingerlings through acute toxicity and M.A.C value determination in summer and autumn 2006. A total of 21 aquariums with a capacity of 30 liters each stocked with 10 fingerlings were used in our experiments with the two metals. Six aquaria and six concentrations of Cu and Pb composed the 18 treatments while 3 other aquaria were used as control. For each treatment, three replications were conducted. The relevant physical and chemical parameters of water during the experiments were measured including pH which was in the range 7-7.5, DH=200-250mg/l (CaCO sub(3)), DO= 80% and temperature which was recorded as 24 plus or minus 1C. Fish investigations were conducted in 24 hour intervals. The results indicated that the lethal concentration (LC s.....

The Possible effects of dry years 1998-2000 on benthic organisms of Amirkalayeh Wetland was studied in the year 2001. Six sampling stations were defined where we seasonally collected benthic organisms using a grab sampler. We identified nine benthic organisms belonging to class Hirudina and orders Odonata and Ephemeroptera and also six families Chironomidae, Chaoborina, Ammaridae, Tubificidae, Xanthidae and Culicedae. Families Xanthidae and Culinidae had not been reported before for the wetland while orders Coleoptera and Trichoptera and families Planorbidae, Lymnaeidae, Coleoptera which were present before the drought, were not detected in the samples. We observed a significant decrease in frequency of benthic organisms changing from 1372 organisms per square meter in 1997 to 165 in 2001. Also, tests showed considerable change in benthic diversity, species richness and distribution in different sampling seasons and stations over the year 2001. These changes may be attributed to the decrease in water depth, dissolved oxygen, available food and increase in water temperature and predation.

The potential of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG to reduce aflatoxin [B.sub.1] (AF[B.sub.1]) availability in vitro in Caco-2 cells was investigated. Results suggested that (AF[B.sub.1]) transport can be reduced by GG binding in the Caco-2 model, while these Caco-2 cells can be used to estimate the intestinal metabolism and toxicity of (AF[B.sub.1]) by use of TER measurements.

The modulation of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) uptake in rats by administration of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG is demonstrated. Fecal AFB1 excretion in GG-treated rats is increased through bacterial AFB1 binding.

Studies done to determine whether AFB1 and intestinal mucus influence each otherEs binding by surface structures of two probiotic preparations are reported. The results reveal that probiotics adhering to the intestinal wall are less likely to bind and consequently accumulate AFB1 in the host and on the other hand probiotics with AFB1 bound to their surfaces are less likely to adhere to the intestinal wall and prolong expose to dietary AFB1. It is concluded that specific probiotics may be potent and safe means to reduce absorption and increase excretion of dietary AFB1 from the body.

Aims To investigate the in vivo effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG ( LGG) on intestinal polyp development and the interaction between this single-organism probiotic and the gut microbiota therein. Methods and Results The ApcMin/+ mouse model was used to study the potential preventive effect of LGG on intestinal polyposis, while shotgun metagenomic sequencing was employed to characterize both taxonomic and functional changes within the gut microbial community. We found that the progression of intestinal polyps in the control group altered the community functional profile remarkably despite small variation in the taxonomic diversity. In comparison, the consumption of LGG helped maintain the overall functional potential and taxonomic profile in the resident microbes, thereby leading to a 25% decrease of total polyp counts. Furthermore, we found that LGG enriched those microbes or microbial activities related to short-chain fatty acid production (e.g. Roseburia and Coprococcus), as well as suppressed the ones that can lead to inflammation (e.g. Bilophila wadsworthia). Conclusions Our study using shotgun metagenomics highlights how single probiotic LGG may exert its beneficial effects and decrease polyp formation in mice by maintaining gut microbial functionality. Significance and Impact of the Study This probiotic intervention targeting microbiota may be used in conjugation with other dietary supplements or drugs as part of prevention strategies for early-stage colon cancer, after further clinical validations in human. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probiotics are live microorganisms, which when administered in food confer numerous health benefits. In previous studies about beneficial effects of probiotic bacteria to health, particularly in the fields of intestinal mucosa defense responses, specific probiotics, in a strain-dependent manner, show certain degree of potential to reinforce the integrity of intestinal epithelium and/or regulate some immune components. The mechanism of probiotic action is an area of interest. Among all possible routes of modulation by probiotics of intestinal epithelial cell-mediated defense responses, modulations of intestinal barrier function, innate, and adaptive mucosal immune responses, as well as signaling pathways are considered to play important role in the intestinal defense responses against pathogenic bacteria. This review summarizes the beneficial effects of probiotic bacteria to intestinal health together with the mechanisms affected by probiotic bacteria: barrier function, innate, and adaptive defense responses such as secretion of mucins, defensins, trefoil factors, immunoglobulin A (IgA), Toll-like receptors (TLRs), cytokines, gut associated lymphoid tissues, and signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a well-known carcinogen and reducing its bioavailability is of great interest for human and animal health. Several probiotic bacteria are able to bind AFB1 in vitro, including Lactobacillus rhamnosus LC-705 and Propionibacterium freudenreichii subsp. shermanii JS. A mixture of these two probiotics is used by the food and feed industry as biopreservative (Bioprofit), making it a promising candidate for future applications. Consequently, this study aims to investigate the in vitro and ex vivo ability of this probiotic mixture to bind AFB1. For in vitro experiments, probiotic mixture was suspended in an AFB1 solution (5 µM), incubated for 1 to 30 mm, centrifuged, and AFB1 residues were quantitated in supernatant and pellet. For ex vivo experiments, duodenal loops of chicks were ligated and injected with either AFB1 solution alone or probiotic mixture suspension and AFB1 solution. Lumen content was centrifuged and AFB1 was quantitated in supernatant and pellet. Additionally, AFB1 was extracted from duodenal tissue to calculate tissue uptake. In vitro, 57 to 66% of AFB1 was removed from the solution by the probiotic mixture, but only 38 to 47% could be extracted from the bacterial surface. In ex vivo experiments, only up to 25% of AFB1 was bound by bacteria, and tissue uptake of AFB1 was significantly reduced when probiotic bacteria were present in the duodenal loop. Furthermore, the effect of intestinal mucus on the bacterial binding ability was investigated in vitro and was found to significantly reduce AFB1 binding by the probiotic mixture. However, probiotic mixture could only retard but not prevent AFB1 absorption in duodenal loops. Further work needs to assess the potential of probiotics in different experimental setups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the kinetics and desorption of aflatoxin B by viable and nonviable bacteria. Bacterial surface hydrophobicity; Strain-dependent desorption constants.

In this study, the modulation of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) uptake in rats by administration of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG was demonstrated. Fecal AFB1 excretion in GG-treated rats was increased via bacterial AFB1 binding. Furthermore, AFB1-associated growth faltering and liver injury were alleviated with GG treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several probiotics are known to bind aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) to their surfaces and to adhere to intestinal mucus. In this study, preincubation of two probiotic preparations with either AFB1 or mucus reduced the subsequent surface binding of mucus and AFB1, respectively, in a strain-dependent manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High-fat diet (HFD) is associated with visceral obesity due to disruption in the lipid metabolism and gut dysbiosis. These symptoms may contribute to hepatic steatosis and the formation of oxidized polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Alpha-aminobutyric acid (ABA) is an amino-acid derived metabolite, and its concentration has been correlated with several metabolic conditions and gut microbiome diversity while its direct effects on visceral obesity, lipid metabolism and the gut microbiota are not well understood. This study was designed to investigate the effect of physiological dose of ABA on diet-induced visceral obesity and lipid metabolism dysregulation by examining the fatty acids and oxidized PUFAs profile in the liver as well as the gut microbiota., Results: ABA administration reduced visceral obesity by 28 % and lessened adipocyte hypertrophy. The expression of liver Cd36 was lowered by more than 50 % as well as the saturated and monounsaturated FA concentration. Notably, the desaturation index for C16 and C18 FAs that are correlated with adiposity were reduced. The concentration of several DHA-derived oxidized PUFAs were also enhanced. Faecal metagenomics sequencing revealed enriched abundance of Leptogranulimonas caecicola and Bacteroides sp. ZJ-18 and were positively correlated with several DHA- and ALA-derived oxidized PUFAs in ABA group., Conclusion: Our study revealed the modulatory effect of physiological dose of ABA on attenuating visceral obesity, reducing hepatic steatosis, and promoting the production of anti-inflammatory oxidized PUFAs that were potentially mediated by the gut microbiota., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Alpha-aminobutyric acid (ABA) is a non-proteinogenic amino acid, a metabolite which could be generated from the metabolism of methionine, threonine, serine and glycine or as a gut-microbiome-derived metabolite. Changes in ABA levels have been embroiled in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) intervention studies, but their relation to MASLD pathogenesis remains unclear. Hence, this present study aimed to investigate the effect of oral ABA supplementation on the progression of a high fat/high cholesterol diet (HFD) induced MASLD mice model. ABA was found to remodel the gut microbiome composition and ameliorate MASLD parameters in HFD-fed mice. ABA mitigated HFD-induced gain in liver weight, hepatic steatosis, insulin resistance, serum and hepatic triglyceride levels, and liver cholesterol levels. Modulation of lipid metabolism was observed in the liver, in which expression of proteins and/or genes involved in de novo lipogenesis were suppressed, while those involved in fatty acid oxidation and autophagy were upregulated together with cellular antioxidant capacity, in addition to the enhancement of the AMPK/SIRT1 pathway. ABA reshaped the gut composition by enriching nine bacterial species, including Helicobacter hepaticus, Desulfovibrio sp. G11, Parabacteroides distasonis, and Bacteroides fragilis, while diminishing the abundance of 16 species, which included four Helicobacter species. KEGG pathway analysis of microbial functions found that ABA impeded secondary bile acid biosynthesis - which was reflected in the faecal BA composition analysis. Notably, ABA also inhibited ileal FXR-Fgf15 signalling, allowing for increased hepatic Cyp7a1 expression to eliminate cholesterol buildup in the liver. Overall, our findings indicate that ABA could be used as a promising therapeutic approach for the intervention of MASLD., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2025. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a common mycotoxin in crops that could induce intestinal inflammation, affecting the susceptibility of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) to pathogen infection. This study aimed to investigate DON's effects on mucin and cytokine production as part of the local immune system and how it affected intestinal susceptibility to pathogen infection. Caco-2 cells were exposed to DON followed by acute enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (EIEC) infection. An increase in EIEC attachment to DON-exposed cells was observed, probably in part, mediated by secretory MUC5AC mucins and membrane-bound MUC4 and MUC17 mucins. Additionally, DON with EIEC posttreatment led to significant changes in the gene expression of several proinflammatory cytokines (IL1α, IL1β, IL6, IL8, TNFα, and MCP-1), which may be in part, mediated by NK-κB and/or MAPK signaling pathways. These data suggested DON may exert immunomodulatory effects on IECs, altering the IEC susceptibility to bacterial infection. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The results suggested that DON might modulate immune responses by affecting mucus and cytokine production, which may affect the susceptibility of intestinal epithelial cells to pathogen infection., (© 2025 The Author(s). Journal of Food Science published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Institute of Food Technologists.)

The Secretin receptor (SCTR) presents a promising path for hypertension management, with KSD179019 as identified as a Positive Allosteric Modulator (PAM) of SCTR, demonstrating anti-hypertensive effects in animal models. Our objective was to comprehensively evaluate the potential toxicity of KSD179019 through in vitro and in vivo investigations. Initial in vitro studies showed minimal toxicity in liver and kidney cells and non-mutagenicity in bacterial assays. A 14-day acute toxicity test indicated an LD50 over 5000 mg/kg body weight, suggesting a safe profile, yet necessitating further in vivo analysis before progressing to human trials. Following OECD protocols, we conducted sub-chronic (90 days) and chronic (180 days) toxicity studies in male and female C57 mice at various dosages. These included comprehensive hematological, biochemical, macroscopic, urinalysis, and histopathological examinations. The sub-chronic study reported minimal toxicity except at the highest doses (700 and 1000 mg/kg), while the chronic study suggested a no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) at 250 mg/kg with limitations. QSAR analysis supported the non-mutagenic nature of KSD179019. KSD179019 demonstrated a favorable general toxicity profile at a dose of 250 mg/kg in a 180-day chronic testing study. However, further preclinical investigations, including assessments of in vivo mutagenicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity, and carcinogenicity, are required to comprehensively establish its safety profile., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Billy KC Chow has patent #International application no. PCT/CN2020/084,879. Licensed to patent licensed to WO/2020/211,772. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)