Search

Background/aims: Utilization of low-volume preparation agents is crucial to improve patient willingness to undergo repeat colonoscopies. However, gastric safety data on preparation agents are limited. This study evaluated the acute gastropathy associated with bowel preparation agents., Methods: This retrospective study enrolled healthy subjects who underwent both esophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy screening. Baseline patient characteristics, bowel preparation success, acute gastropathy, and polyp and adenoma detection rates were evaluated for 1 L polyethylene glycol with ascorbic acid (1 L PEG/Asc) and oral sulfate tablet (OST) groups., Results: Comparison of the OST group (n=2,463) with the 1 L PEG/Asc group (n=2,060) revealed that the rates of successful cleansing and high-quality cleansing were similar between the two groups. Polyp and adenoma detection rates were significantly higher in the OST group than in the 1 L PEG/Asc group ( p <0.001 and p =0.013), while the incidence of acute gastric mucosal lesion-like blood stain/clot, erosions at greater curvature side of antrum/body, multiple erosions, and overlying mucosal erythema or edema were all significantly higher in the OST group than in the 1 L PEG/Asc group (all p <0.001). Additionally, high and indeterminate probability scores of preparation agent-induced gastropathy ( p =0.001) and mean Lanza scores were significantly higher in the OST group than in the 1 L PEG/Asc group (1.3 vs. 0.4, p <0.001)., Conclusions: Compared with 1 L PEG/Asc, OSTs were significantly associated with acute gastropathy during bowel preparation, thus requiring careful consideration from physicians for the simultaneous screening of EGD and colonoscopy.

Introduction: Dietary fiber and flavonoids are promising drugs reported in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, it is unclear the interaction between dietary fiber and flavonoids in gut health., Objective: The therapeutic effect of celery, kale, and red chicory powders on colitis mice using non-group feeding cages was investigated. Further, the efficacy of whole celery, celery soluble dietary fiber (CSDF), celery insoluble dietary fiber (CIDF), celery flavonoids (CF), CSDF + CF and CIDF + CF in IBD mice model was assessed to dissect protective effect to attribute to which component(s) in such complex matrix., Methods: 3% Dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS) was used to induce mice colitis model. Multiple molecular biological methods were employed to evaluate the severity of mice colitis and the gut microbial composition of mice., Results: Administration of kale and red chicory significantly restored body weight, DAI score, and colon length in colonic mice, and celery showed the weakest effects. Administration of either CSDF or CF markedly improved the histological damage, increased colonic mucus expression, and reduced colonic MPO/iNOS activities, and IL-6/IL-1β levels. However, CSDF + CF showed weaker improvement than CF or SDF in most physical and biochemical signs. Furthermore, CSDF and CF decreased intestinal g&#95;Escherichia-Shihella and g&#95;Clostridium&#95;sensu&#95;stricto&#95;1 induced by DSS administration. Interestingly, celery flavonoid promoted g&#95;Akkermansia proliferation both in vivo and in vitro, and which can be inhibited by CSDF., Conclusions: This study revealed for the first time that CSDF can suppress the protective effect of CF on intestinal health by inhibiting g&#95;Akkermansia, and clarified that the decreased efficacy of celery whole food on colitis was mediated by an antagonism between CSDF and CF. Moreover, this study presents for the first time that interaction between soluble dietary fiber and flavonoids in vivo can ameliorate the efficacy of dietary fiber or flavonoids when administered alone suggestive for an antagonistic effect., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors 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 © 2023. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.)

Introduction: A new bowel preparation for colonoscopy has been developed containing poorly absorbed sulfate salts and polyethylene glycol 3350, which retain water within the intestinal lumen resulting in copious diarrhea, thereby cleansing the bowel. The product was formulated to be safe and effective with a sports drink-like flavor. This study evaluated the new flavored polyethylene glycol and sulfate solution (FPSS) compared with a Food and Drug Administration-approved bowel preparation containing sulfate salts only [oral sulfate solution (OSS)]., Methods: Five hundred adults were enrolled in this multicenter, noninferiority study. Subjects were assigned FPSS or OSS administered in split-dose regimens (PM/AM). FPSS subjects took 2 L of the flavored osmotic solution (1 L at night and 1 L in the morning). OSS was taken according to its approved labeling. Colonoscopies were graded globally and segmentally by blinded local investigators using a 4-point scale (excellent, good, fair, and poor), with "good" and "excellent" considered successful. Safety was assessed by adverse events (AEs) and laboratory testing., Results: A high rate of cleansing success was seen with FPSS (94%), which was noninferior to OSS (94%). This conclusion was confirmed by blinded central readers. Segmental success rates were >90% for both preparations, including the right colon. Questionnaire ratings indicated the FPSS experience was preferred over OSS with 87% of FPSS subjects noting their preparation was "tolerable" to "very easy" to consume versus 74% for OSS. The majority of FPSS subjects agreed their preparation tasted like a sports drink. Gastrointestinal symptoms were the most common AEs. There was no difference between preparations for any AE and no clinically significant differences in laboratory parameters., Conclusions: The new sports drink-like flavored preparation achieved a high level of cleansing in the study, demonstrating noninferiority to OSS. FPSS was well-tolerated with low rates of expected gastrointestinal symptoms. The optimized flavor of FPSS resulted in significantly better acceptance ratings., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Toxic leukoencephalopathy (TLE) is a rare pathology caused by various substances including opioids (notably heroin), immunosuppressants, chemotherapy agents, cocaine, alcohol and carbon monoxide. However, although heroin is metabolised by the body into morphine, there is a striking paucity in cases of primary oral morphine-induced TLE, especially in the adult population. We present the case of a man in his 40s admitted to hospital in respiratory depression with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 6 after taking an overdose of oral morphine sulphate. Following a complete recovery to baseline, he was then readmitted with an acute deterioration in his neurobehavioural condition. Initial investigations returned normal but MRI showed changes characteristic for TLE.In cases of opioid toxicity such as ours, TLE is difficult to differentiate from delayed post-hypoxic leukoencephalopathy, due to their similar clinical presentation, disease progression and radiological manifestation. We explore how clinicians can approach this diagnostic uncertainty., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

There is an urgent need for therapies that target the multicellular pathology of central nervous system (CNS) disease. Modified, nonanticoagulant heparins mimic the heparan sulfate glycan family and are known regulators of multiple cellular processes. In vitro studies have demonstrated that low sulfated modified heparin mimetics (LS-mHeps) drive repair after CNS demyelination. Herein, we test LS-mHep7 (an in vitro lead compound) in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and cuprizone-induced demyelination. In EAE, LS-mHep7 treatment resulted in faster recovery and rapidly reduced inflammation which was accompanied by restoration of animal weight. LS-mHep7 treatment had no effect on remyelination or on OLIG2 positive oligodendrocyte numbers within the corpus callosum in the cuprizone model. Further in vitro investigation confirmed that LS-mHep7 likely mediates its pro-repair effect in the EAE model by sequestering inflammatory cytokines, such as CCL5 which are upregulated during immune-mediated inflammatory attacks. These data support the future clinical translation of this next generation modified heparin as a treatment for CNS diseases with active immune system involvement., (© 2023 The Authors. GLIA published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Triclosan, an antimicrobial agent in personal care products, could be absorbed into the human body through the digestive tract. This animal experiment aimed to clarify the effects of triclosan exposure on the microbiome and intestinal immune functions in healthy and ulcerative colitis models., Methods: Balb/c mice were maintained on an AIN-93G diet containing 80ppm triclosan dissolved in polyethylene as vehicle or vehicle alone for 1 week or 4 weeks. In the end, the mice were sacrificed, blood samples and colon tissues were collected for analysis of inflammation, and fecal samples were collected for 16 S rRNA sequencing of gut microbiota. To establish ulcerative colitis mice model, at the beginning of the 4th week, mice maintained on the diet with or without triclosan were treated with 2% Dextran sulfate sodium(DSS) in drinking water for 1 week. Then mice were sacrificed for analysis of colitis and gut microbiota., Results: Triclosan exposure to common mice enhanced the levels of p-NF-κb and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and decreased the Occludin in the colon. Triclosan exposure to DSS-induced mice increased the level of inflammatory cytokines, reduced the levels of Occludin, and exacerbated the degree of damage to intestinal mucosa and crypt, infiltration of inflammatory cells and atypia of glandular cells. Low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia appeared. Both in common and DSS-induced mice, triclosan exposure changed the diversity and composition of gut microbiota. Fecal samples showed higher enrichment of sulfate-reducing bacteria and Bacteroides, and less butyrate-producing bacteria., Conclusion: Triclosan exposure induced disturbance of gut microbiota and exaggerated experimental colitis in mice. And changes in the composition of gut microbiota were characterized by the increase of harmful bacteria, including sulfate-reducing bacteria and Bacteroides, and the reduction of protective probiotics, butyrate-producing bacteria., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background and Aim: The efficacy and safety of the recently introduced low-volume purgatives in elderly people are not well known. Therefore, in this trial, we aimed to evaluate and compare the efficacy of two low-volume agents, oral sulfate solution (OSS) and 2-L polyethylene glycol with ascorbic acid (PEG-Asc), in elderly people., Methods: A prospective, randomized, single-blinded, multicenter, non-inferiority trial was performed at three university-affiliated hospitals in South Korea. Outpatients aged 65-80 years, who underwent elective colonoscopy, were enrolled. The primary outcome was the rate of adequate bowel preparation assessed using the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale., Results: A total of 199 subjects were randomized into the OSS (n = 99) or the 2-L PEG-Asc (n = 100) group. Of them, 189 subjects were included in the analysis of the primary outcome (OSS group 95 vs PEG-Asc group 94). The proportion of adequate bowel preparation was 89.5% (85/95) in the OSS group and 93.6% (88/94) in the 2-L PEG-Asc group. OSS was not inferior to 2-L PEG-Asc according to the prespecified non-inferiority margin of -15% (95% confidence interval for the difference, -12.1 to 3.8). Vomiting (11.6% vs 2.1%) and thirst (24.2% vs 11.7%) were more common in the OSS group than in the 2-L PEG-Asc group., Conclusions: OSS is an effective low-volume purgative that is non-inferior to 2-L PEG-Asc in elderly people. Both the low-volume agents were identified to be well tolerated and safe in the healthy elderly population., (© 2021 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a type of immune-mediated chronic and relapsing inflammatory gastrointestinal symptoms. IBD cannot be completely cured because of the complex pathogenesis. Glycerol monolaurate (GML), naturally found in breast milk and coconut oil, has excellent antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and immunoregulatory functions. Here, the protective effect of GML on dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced mouse colitis and the underlying gut microbiota-dependent mechanism were assessed in C57BL/6 mice pretreated or cotreated with GML and in antibiotic-treated mice transplanted with GML-modulated microbiota. Results showed that GML pretreatment has an advantage over GML cotreatment in alleviating weight loss and reducing disease activity index (DAI), colonic histological scores, and proinflammatory responses. Moreover, the amounts of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium and fecal propionic acid and butyric acid were elevated only in mice pretreated with GML upon DSS induction. Of note, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from GML-pretreated mice achieved faster and more significant remission of DSS-induced colitis, manifested as reduced DAI, longer colon, decreased histological scores, and enhanced colonic Foxp3 + regulatory T cells (Tregs) and ratio of serum anti-inflammatory/proinflammatory cytokines, as well as the reconstruction of microbial communities, including elevated Helicobacter ganmani and decreased pathogenic microbes. In conclusion, GML-mediated enhancement of Bifidobacterium and fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) could be responsible for the anticolitis effect. FMT assay confirmed that gut microbiota modulated by GML was more resistant to DSS-induced colitis via elevating beneficial H. ganmani and establishing Treg tolerant phenotype. Importantly, colitis remission induced by GML is associated with novel gut microbiota patterns, even though different microbial contexts were involved. IMPORTANCE The gut microbiota, which can be highly and dynamically affected by dietary components, is closely related to IBD pathogenesis. Here, we demonstrated that food-grade glycerol monolaurate (GML)-mediated enhancement of Bifidobacterium and fecal SCFAs could be responsible for the anticolitis effect. FMT assay confirmed that gut microbiota modulated by GML was more resistant to DSS-induced colitis via elevating beneficial H. ganmani and establishing Treg tolerant phenotype. Collectively, colitis remission induced by GML is associated with novel gut microbiota patterns, even though different microbial contexts were involved, which further provided a perspective to identify specific microbial members and those responsible for the anticolitis effect, such as Bifidobacterium and Helicobacter .

Correlations between gut microbiota activities and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treatment are gaining research interest. In our previous study, Lactobacillus acidophilus KLDS 1.0901, Lactobacillus helveticus KLDS 1.8701, and Lactobacillus plantarum KLDS 1.0318 showed antibacterial, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory activities. In the current study, we evaluated the effects of three tested strains and their mixture on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in C57BL/6J mice. The three tested strains and their mixture significantly decreased the disease activity index (DAI), colon shortening, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. Additionally, the three tested strains and their mixture improved the histological damage, increased the colonic mucous layer integrity, and exhibited lower levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6), while up-regulating colonic anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 levels, tight junction proteins (E-cadherin, zonulae occludens (ZO)-1, occludin and claudin-1) and mucin (MUC1 and MUC2) mRNA expressions to some extent. In addition, mixed lactobacilli showed better anti-inflammatory effects than single-strain treatment. Our study further revealed that mixed lactobacilli increased bacterial diversity and improved gut microbiota composition, increasing short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production. These results indicated that mixed lactobacilli supplementation could attenuate DSS-induced colitis by modulating the gut microbiota and repairing the intestinal barrier, which provided a scientific basis for its clinical application in the future.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic intestinal disorder threatening human health. Di-peptide alanyl-glutamine (Ala-Gln) has various beneficial effects on gut health. However, its role and functional mechanism in treating IBD are still not clear. Therefore, the protective effects of Ala-Gln and glutamine (Gln) on dextran sulfate sodium- (DSS-) induced colitic mice were investigated in this study. The results showed that oral supplementation of Ala-Gln or Gln significantly attenuated the colitis symptoms in mice, including body weight loss, colon length, disease activity index, histological scores, and tissue apoptosis. The concentrations of interleukin- (IL-) 1 β , IL-6, tumor necrosis factor- α , and myeloperoxidase were significantly decreased, while the concentrations of immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, and IgM) and superoxide dismutase were significantly increased by Ala-Gln or Gln supplementation. The expression of occludin and peptide transporter 1 (PepT1) was significantly increased by Ala-Gln or Gln. Interestingly, Ala-Gln had better beneficial effects than Gln in alleviating colitis. In addition, 16S rDNA sequencing showed that the DSS-induced shifts of the microbiome (community diversity, evenness, richness, and composition) in the mouse colon were restored by Gln and Ala-Gln, including Lactobacillus , Bacteroides&#95;acidifaciens , Bacteroidales , Firmicutes , Clostridia , Helicobacter , and Bacteroides . Correspondingly, the functions of the microflora metabolism pathways were also rescued by Ala-Gln, including fatty acid metabolism, membrane transporters, infectious diseases, and immune system. In conclusion, the results revealed that Ala-Gln can prevent colitis through PepT1, enhancing the intestinal barrier and modulating gut microbiota and microflora metabolites., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Qingbiao Xu et al.)

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid for the human body, whose intake is through the diet. Several studies support the theory that microbiota-derived tryptophan metabolite played a crucial role in maintaining the balance between gut microbiota and the mucosal immune system. Previously, we selected the Lactobacillus plantarum KLDS 1.0386 strain with high tryptophan-metabolic activity after the screening of 16 Lactobacillus strains. The current study aimed to assess the effects of L. plantarum KLDS 1.0386 combination with tryptophan in improving ulcerative colitis (UC) induced by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) and the potential mechanisms involved. Our results showed that L. plantarum KLDS 1.0386 combined with tryptophan (LAB + Trp) decreased DAI score, MPO level, and pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) concentration. It also increased anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) production, tight junction proteins (claudin-1, occludin, and ZO-1), and mucin (MUC1 and MUC2) mRNA expressions. The level of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), an important tryptophan metabolite in the liver, serum, and colon, was elevated after LAB + Trp treatment, which further upregulated aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) mRNA expression to activate the IL-22/STAT3 signaling pathway. Moreover, the supplementation with LAB + Trp modulated gut microbiota composition. The present study provided novel insights that can be used to reduce the number of UC patients by employing a method utilizing tryptophan-catabolizing Lactobacillus strains.

The risks of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and deficiency in vitamin B12 and folate (methyl donor deficiency, MDD) are increased in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We investigated the influence of MDD on NASH in rats with DSS-induced colitis. Two-month-old male Wistar rats were subjected to MDD diet and/or ingestion of DSS and compared to control animals. We studied steatosis, inflammation, fibrosis, plasma levels of metabolic markers, cytokines and lipopolysaccharide, and inflammatory pathways in liver. MDD triggered a severe macrovesicular steatosis with inflammation in DSS animals that was not observed in animals subjected to DSS or MDD only. The macrovesicular steatosis was closely correlated to folate, vitamin B12, homocysteine plasma level and liver S-adenosyl methionine/S-adenosyl homocysteine (SAM/SAH) ratio. Liver inflammation was evidenced by activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) pathway and nuclear translocation of NFκB phospho-p65. MDD worsened the increase of interleukin 1-beta (IL-1β) and abolished the increase of IL10 produced by DSS colitis. It increased monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1). MDD triggers liver macrovesicular steatosis and inflammation through imbalanced expression of IL-1β vs. IL10 and increase of MCP-1 in DSS colitis. Our results suggest evaluating whether IBD patients with MDD and increase of MCP-1 are at higher risk of NASH., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The production of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during programmed cell death (PCD) is still insufficiently studied and their implication in the process is not well understood. The present study demonstrates that the release of VOSCs with presumed antioxidant capacity (methanethiol, dimethylsulfide and dimethyldisulfide) accompanies the cell death in chemical-stressed tobacco BY-2 suspension cultured cells. The cells were exposed to cell death inducers of biotic nature mastoparan (MP, wasp venom) and camptothecin (CPT, alkaloid), and to the abiotic stress agent CdSO 4 . The VOCs emission was monitored by proton-transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS). The three chemicals induced PCD expressing apoptotic-like phenotype. The identified VOSCs were emitted in response to MP and CPT but not in presence of Cd. The VOSCs production occurred within few hours after the administration of the elicitors, peaked up when 20-50 % of the cells were dead and further levelled off with cell death advancement. This suggests that VOSCs with antioxidant activity may contribute to alleviation of cell death-associated oxidative stress at medium severity of cell death in response to the stress factors of biotic origin. The findings provide novel information about cell death defence mechanisms in chemical-challenged BY-2 cells and show that PCD related VOSCs synthesis depends on the type of inducer., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest There are no commercial links or other connections for each of the authors that could pose a conflict of interest in any way., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier GmbH.)

Optimal bowel preparation is essential for a more accurate, comfortable, and safe colonoscopy. The majority of postcolonoscopy colorectal cancers can be explained by procedural factors, mainly missed polyps or inadequate examination. Therefore the most important goal of optimal bowel preparation is to reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer. Although adequate preparation should be achieved in 85-90% or more of all colonoscopy as a quality indicator, unfortunately 20-30% shows inadequate preparation. Laxatives for oral colonoscopy bowel preparation can be classified into polyethylene glycol (PEG)-electrolyte lavage solution, osmotic laxatives, stimulant laxatives, and divided into high-volume solution (≥3 L) and low-volume solution (<3 L). The updated 2019 European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) guideline is broadly similar to the 2014 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) recommendations and reaffirms the importance of split-dosing. However, new ESGE guideline, unlike the 2014 ASGE recommendation, suggests the use of high volume or low volume PEG-based regimens as well as that of non-PEG based agents that have been clinically validated for most outpatient scenarios. For effective, safe, and highly adherent bowel preparation, physicians who prescribe and implement colonoscopy should properly know the advantages and limitations, the dosing, and the timing of regimens. Recently many studies have attempted to find the most ideal regimens, and more convenient, effective, and safe regimens have been developed by reducing the dosing volume and improving the taste. The high tolerability and acceptability of the new low-volume regimens suggest us how we should use it to increase the participation of the national colorectal cancer screening program.

Increasing evidence has confirmed that the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects of cinnamon essential oil (CEO) contribute to protection against inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model was established to investigate the correlation between the protective effects of CEO and the regulation of intestinal microflora. The symptoms of IBD were assessed by measuring the hemoglobin content, myeloperoxidase activity, histopathological observation, cytokines, and toll-like receptor (TLR4) expression. The alteration of the fecal microbiome composition was analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results indicated that the oral administration of CEO enriched with cinnamaldehyde effectively alleviated the development of DSS-induced colitis. In contrast to the inability of antibiotics to regulate flora imbalance, the mice fed with CEO had an improved diversity and richness of intestinal microbiota, and a modified community composition with a decrease in Helicobacter and Bacteroides and an increase in Bacteroidales&#95;S24-7 family and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA)-producing bacteria (Alloprevotella and Lachnospiraceae&#95;NK4A136&#95;group). Moreover, the correlation analysis showed that TLR4 and tumor necrosis factor-α was positively correlated with Helicobacter, but inversely correlated with SCFA-producing bacteria. These findings indicated from a new perspective that the inhibitory effect of CEO on IBD was closely related to improving the intestinal flora imbalance., (© 2019 The Societies and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Increased consumption of fruits may decrease the risk of chronic inflammatory diseases including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Gut microbiota dysbiosis plays an important etiological role in IBD. However, the mechanisms of action underlying the anti-inflammatory effects of dietary cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) in the colon and its role on gut microbiota were unclear. In this study, we determined the anti-inflammatory efficacy of whole cranberry in a mouse model of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis, as well as its effects on the structure of gut microbiota. The results showed that dietary cranberry significantly decreased the severity of colitis in DSS-treated mice, evidenced by increased colon length, and decreased disease activity and histologic score of colitis in DSS-treated mice compared to the positive control group (p < 0.05). Moreover, the colonic levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) were significantly reduced by cranberry supplementation (p < 0.05). Analysis of the relative abundance of fecal microbiota in phylum and genus levels revealed that DSS treatment significantly altered the microbial structure of fecal microbiota in mice. α diversity was significantly decreased in the DSS group, compared to the healthy control group. But, cranberry treatment significantly improved DSS-induced decline in α-diversity. Moreover, cranberry treatment partially reversed the change of gut microbiota in colitic mice by increasing the abundance of potential beneficial bacteria, for example, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, and decreasing the abundance of potential harmful bacteria, such as Sutterella and Bilophila. Overall, our results for the first time demonstrated that modification of gut microbiota by dietary whole cranberry might contribute to its inhibitory effects against the development of colitis in DSS-treated mice.

Dietary products may protect against inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) through mechanisms such as forming gut microbiota structures and providing substrates for microbial metabolism. Recently, many studies have been conducted on diets that potentially alleviate or suppress IBD development. To assess the efficacy of dietary oils in treating IBD, we examined the protective effects of olive oil, coconut oil, corn oil, and cottonseed oil in a dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model. Treatment with cottonseed oil or corn oil ameliorated the severity of DSS-induced colitis, alleviating weight loss and preventing the shortening of the intestine. Moreover, cottonseed oil or corn oil treatment significantly reduced the expression of inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor- α , interleukin (IL)-1 β , IL-6, and IL-17, as well as the expression of oxidative stress markers, including 8-hydroxyguanosine and nitrotyrosine in colon sections, compared with vehicle treatment. Cottonseed oil treatment inhibited intestinal fibrosis by reducing the expression of α -smooth muscle actin and type I collagen, compared with vehicle treatment in mice with DSS-induced colitis. Cottonseed oil protects against intestinal inflammation and the development of intestinal fibrosis by reducing inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress markers, and may therefore be useful as a dietary product with therapeutic benefits for IBD.

Particulate matter (PM) exposure poses many adverse effects on human health. However, it is challenging to clearly differentiate between the contributions of individual pollutants on toxicity from complex mixtures of ambient air pollutants. The aim of this study is to generate aerosols constituted by silica nanoparticles (NPs) and bisulfate to serve as simulators of particle-associated high-sulfur air pollution. Then, the health impacts of sulfur dioxide were evaluated at the cellular level using an air-liquid interface (ALI) exposure chamber. BEAS-2B cells were exposed to either nano-silica or bisulfite aerosol individually or bisulfate-coated silica (SiO 2 -NH 2 @HSO 3 ) for 3 h using the ALI. The cellular toxicities were carefully compared based on the exposure dosages. The ALI exposure of SiO 2 NPs alone did not produce any apparent cytotoxicity in cells, but the aerosol exposure of SiO 2 -NH 2 @HSO 3 significantly decreased the cell viability and enhanced the production of cellular reactive oxygen species in a dose-dependent manner. Consequently, the excessive oxidative stress resulted in mitochondrial damage as well as cellular apoptosis. ALI exposure can possibly reflect the realistic physiological exposure condition of the human respiratory system. As a derivative of the sulfur dioxide component of air pollution, sulfate exacerbates the toxic effects of inhalable PMs. This result may be due to the large surface area of the nanoparticles, with the possibility of carrying more sulfite to the target cells during aerosol exposure. The sulfate levels offer a meaningful complement to the present PM 2.5 index of air pollution for achieving better human health protection., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Sulphate attack is one of the most important factors that limit the lifetime of pure concrete constructions. Harsh environmental conditions have a large impact on the operational costs of concrete columns or piles dipped into soil. The results are non-deterministic; therefore, reliability analysis is often used. The strength characteristics of the substrate around the construction were modelled as one-dimensional prismatic beams related with random p-y curves. Sulphate deterioration is defined as a set of random variables jointed with two dimensional mechanical systems at acceptable levels. Fick's second law describes the penetration of sulphate ingress into pure concrete with explicit numerical solutions for boundary conditions and an increase in the transition factor under the progress of sulphate ingress. This process was partially solved via analytical methods for sulphate ion transport and numerically for a random field. This solves the mechanical task and determines the system reliability. A numerical example is provided to illustrate the proposed method to prevent unexpected structural failures during column service life. The proposed methodology can assist designers and can help to make decisions on existing foundations to ensure the safety of geotechnical construction., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Elevated major ion concentrations in streams are commonly observed as a consequence of resource extraction, de-icing and other anthropogenic activities. Ecologists report biodiversity losses associated with increasing salinity, with mayflies typically being highly responsive to increases of different major ions. In this study, we evaluated the performance of the mayfly Neocloeon triangulifer reared for its entire larval phase in a gradient of sulfate concentrations. Two natural waters were amended with SO 4 as a blend of CaSO 4 and MgSO 4 and exposures ranged from 5 to 1500 mg l -1 SO 4. Survival (per cent successful emergence to the subimago stage) was significantly reduced at the highest SO 4 concentration in both waters, while development was significantly delayed at 667 mg l -1 SO 4 Final sub-adult body weights were consistent across treatments, except at the highest treatment concentration. Despite evidence for sulfate uptake rates increasing with exposure concentrations and not being saturated at even extremely high SO 4 concentrations, total body sulfur changed little in subimagos. Together, these results suggest that elevated SO 4 imposes an energetic demand associated with maintaining homeostasis that is manifested primarily as reduced growth rates and associated developmental delays. We identified two genes related to sulfate transport in N. triangulifer This article is part of the theme issue 'Salt in freshwaters: causes, ecological consequences and future prospects'., (© 2018 The Author(s).)

The efficient removal of Se(VI) from sulfate-rich water is challenging as most reported processes last for hours to days. In this study, a combined sulfite/UV/Fe(III) coagulation process was proposed for efficient Se(VI) removal from sulfate-rich water within a short time (∼1 h). In the presence of sulfate (1000 mg L -1 ), over 99% of Se(VI) (initially at 10 mg L -1 ) could be reduced by sulfite (5.0 mM) with a UV dose of 16 J cm -2 (within 20 min) into Se(IV) as the sole observed product. An alkaline pH (>9) was required for the reduction process, which was naturally obtained with the addition of sulfite. Scavenging experiments with N 2 O and NO 3 - both indicated that hydrated electrons (e aq - ) were responsible for Se(VI) reduction by sulfite/UV. The presence of chloride, sulfate, phosphate, and carbonate (up to 10 mM) showed negligible influence on Se(VI) reduction, whereas nitrate and humic acid inhibited Se(VI) reduction to different extents depending on their concentrations. By Fe(III) coagulation, Se(IV) in the co-presence of sulfite and sulfate was efficiently removed at an OH - /Fe molar ratio of 1.8-2.8. The removal of Se(IV) by Fe(III) coagulation responded insignificantly to chloride, nitrate, or sulfate (up to 10 mM), whereas it was adversely affected at high levels of carbonate (10 mM) and phosphate (1 mM). The combined sulfite/UV/Fe(III) coagulation process was validated for the efficient removal of Se(VI) from synthetic sulfate-rich solution, simulated wastewater, and authentic smelting wastewater (in 1.1 h). The introduced sulfite underwent minor consumption during UV irradiation and was almost (∼90%) removed after coagulation., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Propylene glycol alginate sodium sulfate (PSS), a sulfated polysaccharide derivative, has been used as a heparinoid drug to prevent and treat hyperlipidemia and ischemic cardio-cerebrovascular diseases in China for 30 years. But its bleeding risk should not be overlooked. Here we clarified the reasons and mechanism leading to bleeding side effect of PSS. It was found that PSS fractions with low mannuronic acid (M)/guluronic acid (G) ratio and high molecular weight (Mw) can excessively extend activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and thrombin time (TT), over-inhibit the thrombin (FIIa) activity mediated by anti-thrombin III (ATIII) to induce bleeding risk. In addition, the fraction of low M/G ratio can suppress platelet aggregation mediated by adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and induce platelet reduction by improving platelet antibody (PA)-IgA/G in serum and by inhibiting or damaging the bone marrow hematopoietic function. And the fraction of high Mw can restrain the reticulated platelet (RP) production, then reduce mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet-large cell counts or ratio, and finally decrease platelet amount by inhibiting or damaging the bone marrow hematopoietic function. In brief, PSS fractions with low M/G ratio and high Mw were the main reasons to bring about bleeding by excessively suppressing coagulant factors activities and weakening platelet function. Our results suggested that it is very necessary to control the M/G ratio and the range of Mw of PSS to guarantee its safety and effectiveness in clinical., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Naringin, a natural occurring flavonoid compound, enriches in citrus fruits. We aimed to evaluate the inhibitory effect of naringin on colitis and chronic inflammation-driven carcinogenesis. Male C57BL/6 mice were exposed to AOM/DSS to induce colorectal inflammation and carcinogenesis. Naringin by oral administration prevented AOM/DSS-induced ulcerative colitis and carcinogenesis without significant side effects. Naringin attenuated the severity of colitis and colorectal adenomas through inhibiting myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), pro-inflammatory mediators GM-CSF/M-CSF, IL-6 and TNF-α and the NF-κB/IL-6/STAT3 cascades in colorectal tissues. Naringin-treated mice exhibited normalized structures of colorectal tissues. Electron microscopy analysis showed the suppression of robust endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced autophagy. Naringin inhibited the secretion of the ER-spanning transmembrane proteins, such as GRP78 ATF6, IRE1α and activated PERK phosphorylated eIF-2α and complex of autophagosomes ATG3, ATG5, ATG7, ATG12, ATG16 and ATG16L1 in the colorectal mucosal cells., Conclusion: Naringin prevented colitis and colorectal carcinogenesis through suppressing robust ER stress-induced autophagy in colorectal mucosal cells. Naringin could develop a promising therapeutic agent for the prevention of ulcerative colitis and colorectal tumor.

Objectives: We aimed to update an asthmagen job exposure matrix (JEM) developed in the late 1990s. Main reasons were: the number of suspected and recognised asthmagens has since tripled; understanding of the aetiological role of irritants in asthma and methodological insights in application of JEMs have emerged in the period., Methods: For each agent of the new occupational asthma-specific JEM (OAsJEM), a working group of three experts out of eight evaluated exposure for each International Standard Classification of Occupations, 1988 (ISCO-88) job code into three categories: 'high' (high probability of exposure and moderate-to-high intensity), 'medium' (low-to-moderate probability or low intensity) and 'unexposed'. Within a working group, experts evaluated exposures independently from each other. If expert assessments were inconsistent the final decision was taken by consensus. Specificity was favoured over sensitivity, that is, jobs were classified with high exposure only if the probability of exposure was high and the intensity moderate-to-high. In the final review, all experts checked assigned exposures and proposed/improved recommendations for expert re-evaluation after default application of the JEM., Results: The OAsJEM covers exposures to 30 sensitisers/irritants, including 12 newly recognised, classified into seven broad groups. Initial agreement between the three experts was mostly fair to moderate (κ values 0.2-0.5). Out of 506 ISCO-88 codes, the majority was classified as unexposed (from 82.6% (organic solvents) to 99.8% (persulfates)) and a minority as 'high-exposed' (0.2% (persulfates) to 2.6% (organic solvents))., Conclusions: The OAsJEM developed to improve occupational exposure assessment may improve evaluations of associations with asthma in epidemiological studies and contribute to assessment of the burden of work-related asthma., Competing Interests: Competing interests: NLM reports grants from the PHC Van Gogh programme, Campus France; OD reports grants from Prestige, Campus France; HK reports grants from the PHC Van Gogh programme, EP-Nuffic, during the conduct of the study, (© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)

Limited evidence exists concerning the impact of particulate pollution on acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We examined the effects of particulate pollution on emergency ambulance dispatches (EAD) for ARDS in Guangzhou, China. Daily air pollution concentrations for PM 10 , PM 2.5 , and PM 1 , as well as PM 2.5 chemical compositions, were available from a central air monitoring station. The association between incident ARDS and air pollution on the concurrent and previous 5 days was estimated by an over-dispersed Poisson generalized additive model controlling for meteorological factors, temporal trends, public holidays and day of the week. We identified a total of 17,002 EADs for ARDS during the study period. There were significant associations between concentrations of PM 10 , PM 2.5 , PM 1, and ARDS; corresponding excess risk (ER) for an interquartile range IQR increase in 1-day lagged concentration was 5.45% [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.70%, 9.33%] for PM 10 (45.4 μg/m 3 ), 4.71% (95% CI: 1.09%, 8.46%) for PM 2.5 (31.5 μg/m 3 ), and 4.45% (95% CI: 0.81%, 8.23%) for PM 1 (28.8 μg/m 3 ), respectively. For PM 2.5 chemical compositions, we found that OC, EC, sulfate and ammonium were significantly associated with ARDS. The observed effects remained even after adjusting for potentially confounding factors. This study suggests that PM 10 , PM 2.5, and PM 1 , as well as chemical constituents from combustion and secondary aerosols might be important triggers of ARDS in Guangzhou.

Mining activity is an increasingly important stressor for freshwater ecosystems. However, the mechanism on how sulfate-rich mine drainage affects freshwater ecosystems is largely unknown, and its potential ecological risk has not been assessed so far. During 2009-2016, water and macroinvertebrate samples from 405 sample sites were collected along the mine drainage gradient from circum-neutral to alkaline waters in Hun-Tai River, Northeastern China. Results of linear regressions showed that sulfate-rich mine drainage was significantly positively correlated with the constituents typically derived from rock weathering (Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ and HCO 3 - +CO 3 2- ); the diversity of intolerant stream macroinvertebrates exhibited a steep decline along the gradient of sulfate-rich mine drainage. Meanwhile, stressor-response relationships between sulfate-rich mine drainage and macroinvertebrate communities were explored by two complementary statistical approaches in tandem (Threshold Indicator Taxa Analysis and the field-based method developed by USEPA). Results revealed that once stream sulfate concentrations in mine drainage exceeded 35mg/L, significant decline in the abundance of intolerant macroinvertebrate taxa occurred. An assessment of ecological risk posed by sulfate-rich mine drainage was conducted based on a tiered approach consisting of simple deterministic method (Hazard Quotient, HQ) to probabilistic method (Joint Probability Curve, JPC). Results indicated that sulfate-rich mine drainage posed a potential risk, and 64.62-84.88% of surface waters in Hun-Tai River exist serious risk while 5% threshold (HC 05 ) and 1% threshold (HC 01 ) were set up to protect macroinvertebrates, respectively. This study provided us a better understanding on the impacts of sulfate-rich mine drainage on freshwater ecosystems, and it would be helpful for future catchment management to protect streams from mining activity., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Aim: To assess the cleansing efficacy and safety of a new Colon capsule endoscopy (CCE) bowel preparation regimen., Methods: This was a multicenter, prospective, randomized, controlled study comparing two CCE regimens. Subjects were asymptomatic and average risk for colorectal cancer. The second generation CCE system (PillCam ® COLON 2; Medtronic, Yoqneam, Israel) was utilized. Preparation regimens differed in the 1 st and 2 nd boosts with the Study regimen using oral sulfate solution (89 mL) with diatrizoate meglumine and diatrizoate sodium solution ("diatrizoate solution") (boost 1 = 60 mL, boost 2 = 30 mL) and the Control regimen oral sulfate solution (89 mL) alone. The primary outcome was overall and segmental colon cleansing. Secondary outcomes included safety, polyp detection, colonic transit, CCE completion and capsule excretion ≤ 12 h., Results: Both regimens had similar cleansing efficacy for the whole colon (Adequate: Study = 75.9%, Control = 77.3%; P = 0.88) and individual segments. In the Study group, CCE completion was superior (Study = 90.9%, Control = 76.9%; P = 0.048) and colonic transit was more often < 40 min (Study = 21.8%, Control = 4%; P = 0.0073). More Study regimen subjects experienced adverse events (Study = 19.4%, Control = 3.4%; P = 0.0061), and this difference did not appear related to diatrizoate solution. Adverse events were primarily gastrointestinal in nature and no serious adverse events related either to the bowel preparation regimen or the capsule were observed. There was a trend toward higher polyp detection with the Study regimen, but this did not achieve statistical significance for any size category. Mean transit time through the entire gastrointestinal tract, from ingestion to excretion, was shorter with the Study regimen while mean colonic transit times were similar for both study groups., Conclusion: A CCE bowel preparation regimen using oral sulfate solution and diatrizoate solution as a boost agent is effective, safe, and achieved superior CCE completion.

Objective: Conclusions regarding lithium's antisuicidal effect for bipolar disorder have been limited due to nonrepresentative subjects and potential confounding factors, including varying severity of illness. Findings regarding the effect of valproate, the most common alternative to lithium, are inconsistent for suicidal behavior. This study investigated the associations of these two drugs with the risk of suicide-related events, and possible differences between drugs, by using within-individual designs in a register-based longitudinal cohort., Method: Through linkage of multiple Swedish national registers, 51,535 individuals with bipolar disorder were followed from 2005 to 2013 for treatment with lithium and valproate. Stratified Cox regression was used to estimate the hazard ratios of suicide-related events during treated periods compared with untreated periods. For significant associations between medication and suicide-related events, the population attributable fraction was estimated to assess the public health impact for patients with bipolar disorder., Results: During follow-up, 10,648 suicide-related events occurred. The incidence rate was significantly decreased by 14% during lithium treatment (hazard ratio 0.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.78-0.95) but not during valproate treatment (hazard ratio 1.02, 95% CI 0.89-1.15). The difference in hazard ratios of suicide-related events between lithium and valproate was statistically significant. Estimates of the population attributable fraction suggested that 12% (95% CI 4%-20%) of suicide-related events could have been avoided if patients had taken lithium during the entire follow-up., Conclusions: The results suggest that lithium should be considered for patients with bipolar disorder with suspected suicidal intentions, although risk for suicide is only one of the considerations when providing clinical care.

Background: Colitis is a well-known subtype of inflammatory bowel disease and is caused by diverse factors. Previous research has shown that KIOM-MA elicits anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects on various diseases. KIOM-MA-128, our novel herbal formula, was generated from KIOM-MA using probiotics to improve the therapeutic efficacy. We investigated whether KIOM-MA-128 has protective activity in a mouse model of acute colitis induced by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)., Methods: Colitis was induced by DSS administered to ICR mice in drinking water. KIOM-MA-128 (125 or 250 mg/kg) was orally administered once per day. The body weights of the mice were measured daily, and colonic endoscopies were performed at 5 and 8 days. Colon length as well as histological and cytokine changes were observed at the end of drug administration., Results: KIOM-MA-128 has pharmacological activity in an acute colitis model. KIOM-MA-128 reduced the loss of body weight and disease activity index (DAI) and inhibited the abnormally short colon lengths and the colonic damage in this mouse model of acute colitis. Moreover, KIOM-MA-128 suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokine expression and maintained the integrity of the tight junctions during DSS-induced colitis., Conclusion: The results indicated that KIOM-MA-128 protects against DSS-induced colitis in mice and suggested that this formula might be a candidate treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

The analysis of multiple outcomes is becoming increasingly common in modern biomedical studies. It is well-known that joint statistical models for multiple outcomes are more flexible and more powerful than fitting a separate model for each outcome; they yield more powerful tests of exposure or treatment effects by taking into account the dependence among outcomes and pooling evidence across outcomes. It is, however, unlikely that all outcomes are related to the same subset of covariates. Therefore, there is interest in identifying exposures or treatments associated with particular outcomes, which we term outcome-specific variable selection. In this work, we propose a variable selection approach for multivariate normal responses that incorporates not only information on the mean model, but also information on the variance-covariance structure of the outcomes. The approach effectively leverages evidence from all correlated outcomes to estimate the effect of a particular covariate on a given outcome. To implement this strategy, we develop a Bayesian method that builds a multivariate prior for the variable selection indicators based on the variance-covariance of the outcomes. We show via simulation that the proposed variable selection strategy can boost power to detect subtle effects without increasing the probability of false discoveries. We apply the approach to the Normative Aging Study (NAS) epigenetic data and identify a subset of five genes in the asthma pathway for which gene-specific DNA methylations are associated with exposures to either black carbon, a marker of traffic pollution, or sulfate, a marker of particles generated by power plants., (© 2016, The International Biometric Society.)

Embedded in the colonic mucus are cathelicidins, small cationic peptides secreted by colonic epithelial cells. Humans and mice have one cathelicidin-related antimicrobial peptide (CRAMP) each, LL-37/hCAP-18 and Cramp, respectively, with related structure and functions. Altered production of MUC2 mucin and antimicrobial peptides is characteristic of intestinal amebiasis. The interactions between MUC2 mucin and cathelicidins in conferring innate immunity against Entamoeba histolytica are not well characterized. In this study, we quantified whether MUC2 expression and release could regulate the expression and secretion of cathelicidin LL-37 in colonic epithelial cells and in the colon. The synthesis of LL-37 was enhanced with butyrate (a product of bacterial fermentation) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) (a proinflammatory cytokine in colitis) in the presence of exogenously added purified MUC2. The LL-37 responses to butyrate and IL-1β were higher in high-MUC2-producing cells than in lentivirus short hairpin RNA (shRNA) MUC2-silenced cells. Activation of cyclic adenylyl cyclase (AMP) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways was necessary for the simultaneous expression of MUC2 and cathelicidins. In Muc2 mucin-deficient ( Muc2 -/- ) mice, murine cathelicidin ( Cramp ) was significantly reduced compared to that in Muc2 +/- and Muc2 +/+ littermates. E. histolytica -induced acute inflammation in colonic loops stimulated high levels of cathelicidin in Muc2 +/+ but not in Muc2 -/- littermates. In dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis in Muc2 +/+ mice, which depletes the mucus barrier and goblet cell mucin, Cramp expression was significantly enhanced during restitution. These studies demonstrate regulatory mechanisms between MUC2 and cathelicidins in the colonic mucosa where an intact mucus barrier is essential for expression and secretion of cathelicidins in response to E. histolytica- and DSS-induced colitis., (Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.)

Isomaltodextrin (IMD), a highly branched α-glucan, is a type of resistant starch. Earlier studies have indicated that polysaccharides could prevent inflammation and can be effective in reducing the complications of chronic gastrointestinal diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of IMD in dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis in a mouse model. IMD (0.5, 1.0, 2.5, and 5.0% (w/v)) was given orally for 23 days to female Balb/c mice, and then 5% DSS was administered to induce colitis (from day 15 onward to the end of the trial). IMD could not prevent DSS-induced weight loss or colon shortening. However, IMD could reduce inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-6, in the colon. Gene expression indicated the tendency of IMD to suppress pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, MCP-1, and IL-17 and to increase an anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10. Further study revealed that the anti-inflammatory action of IMD mediates through inhibition of the expression of Toll-like receptor-4.

Under oxygenated conditions, sulfate is relatively non-toxic to aquatic plants. However, in water-saturated soils, which are usually anoxic, sulfate can be reduced to toxic sulfide. Although the direct effects of sulfate and sulfide on the physiology of a few plant species have been studied in some detail, their cumulative effects on a plant's life cycle through inhibition of seed germination, seedling survival, growth, and seed production have been less well studied. We investigated the effect of sulfate and sulfide on the life cycle of wild rice (Zizania palustris L.) in hydroponic solutions and in outdoor mesocosms with sediment from a wild rice lake. In hydroponic solutions, sulfate had no effect on seed germination or juvenile seedling growth and development, but sulfide greatly reduced juvenile seedling growth and development at concentrations greater than 320 μg/L. In outdoor mesocosms, sulfate additions to overlying water increased sulfide production in sediments. Wild rice seedling emergence, seedling survival, biomass growth, viable seed production, and seed mass all declined with sulfate additions and hence sulfide concentrations in sediment. These declines grew steeper during the course of the 5 yr of the mesocosm experiment and wild rice populations became extinct in most tanks with concentrations of 250 mg SO 4 /L or greater in the overlying water. Iron sulfide precipitated on the roots of wild rice plants, especially at high sulfate application rates. These precipitates, or the encroachment of reducing conditions that they indicate, may impede nutrient uptake and be partly responsible for the reduced seed production and viability., (© 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.)

Sulfate aerosols exert profound impacts on human and ecosystem health, weather, and climate, but their formation mechanism remains uncertain. Atmospheric models consistently underpredict sulfate levels under diverse environmental conditions. From atmospheric measurements in two Chinese megacities and complementary laboratory experiments, we show that the aqueous oxidation of SO 2 by NO 2 is key to efficient sulfate formation but is only feasible under two atmospheric conditions: on fine aerosols with high relative humidity and NH 3 neutralization or under cloud conditions. Under polluted environments, this SO 2 oxidation process leads to large sulfate production rates and promotes formation of nitrate and organic matter on aqueous particles, exacerbating severe haze development. Effective haze mitigation is achievable by intervening in the sulfate formation process with enforced NH 3 and NO 2 control measures. In addition to explaining the polluted episodes currently occurring in China and during the 1952 London Fog, this sulfate production mechanism is widespread, and our results suggest a way to tackle this growing problem in China and much of the developing world., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Salinization of freshwater ecosystems as a result of human activities has markedly increased in recent years. Much attention is currently directed at evaluating the effects of increased salinity on freshwater biota. In the Central Appalachian region of the eastern United States, specific conductance from alkaline discharges associated with mountain top mining practices has been implicated in macroinvertebrate community declines in streams receiving coal mining discharges. Whole effluent toxicity testing of receiving stream water was used to test the hypothesis that mine discharges are toxic to laboratory test organisms and further, that toxicity is related to ionic concentrations as indicated by conductivity. Chronic toxicity testing using Ceriodaphnia dubia was conducted by contract laboratories at 72 sites with a total of 129 tests over a 3.5 year period. The database was evaluated to determine the ionic composition of mine effluent dominated streams and whether discharge constituents were related to toxicity in C. dubia. As expected, sulfate was found to be the dominant anion in streams receiving mining discharges with bicarbonate variable and sometimes a substantial component of the dissolved solids. Overall, the temporal variability in conductance was low at each site which would indicate fairly stable water quality conditions. Results of the toxicity tests show no relationship between conductance and survival of C. dubia in the mining influenced streams with the traditional toxicity test endpoints. However, consideration of the entire dataset revealed a significant inverse relationship between conductivity and neonate production. While conductivity explained very little of the high variability in the offspring production (r2 = 0.1304), the average numbers of offspring were consistently less than 20 neonates at the highest conductivities., Competing Interests: We have the following interests: Mindy Yeager Armstead and Leah Bitzer-Creathers are employed by Potesta & Associates, Inc. Mindy Yeager Armstead, Leah Bitzer-Creathers and Mandee Wilson worked for Alpha Natural Resources and Patriot Mining providing the data in a consulting capacity. Researchers' (Mindy Yeager Armstead and Mandee Wilson) time for conducting the evaluation and preparing the manuscript was supported by the Appalachian Research Initiative for Environmental Sciences (ARIES), an industrial affiliates program at Virginia Tech, which is supported by members that include companies in the energy sector (Norfolk Southern Corporation, Patriot Coal Corporation, TECO Coal Corporation, Natural Resource Partners, Arch Coal and Alpha Natural Resources). There are no patents, products in development or marketed products to declare. This does not alter our adherence to all the PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials, as detailed online in the guide for authors.

Background: Colonoscopy may be one of the most frequent elective procedures in older adults and is associated with a low occurrence of complications. However, reduction of risks attributable to the bowel preparation may be achieved with the use of effective and safer products., Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) associated with SUPREP(®) [oral sulfate solution (OSS)] and other common prescription bowel preparations (non-OSS)., Methods: This real-world, observational study used de-identified health insurance claims and laboratory results to identify TEAEs in the 3 months following screening colonoscopy in adults with a prescription for a bowel preparation in the prior 60 days. The unadjusted and adjusted (controlling for patient risk factors) cumulative incidences of TEAEs were estimated using Kaplan-Meier and Poisson regression, respectively., Results: Among patients ≥45 years, the overall cumulative incidence was significantly lower (p < 0.001) in the OSS cohort than in the non-OSS cohort (unadjusted: 2.31 vs. 2.89 %; adjusted: 1.61 vs. 1.95 %), with significantly lower acute cardiac conditions (1.56 vs. 1.90 %; p < 0.001), renal failure/other serious renal diseases (OSS: 0.21 %, non-OSS: 0.32 %; p < 0.001), and serum electrolyte abnormalities (OSS: 0.39 %, non-OSS: 0.49 %; p = 0.017). There were no significant differences between cohorts in death, seizure disorders, aggravation of gout, and ischemic colitis. Results were similar in the adjusted cumulative incidences., Conclusions: In actual use, the overall cumulative incidence of TEAEs was significantly lower in the OSS cohort, demonstrating that OSS is as safe as, or possibly safer than, non-OSS prescription bowel preparations., Competing Interests: Braintree Laboratories, Inc. (Braintree) sponsored this research. Covance Inc. received funding for this work. Authors include employees from Braintree, Covance Inc., and Francis A. Farraye, MD, MSc, based on their roles in study design; analysis and interpretation of data; writing and revising the manuscript; and the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. MC and RP are employees of Braintree. TK, KA, and SC are employees of Covance Inc. and received funding for this research. FAF is a scientific consultant for Braintree Laboratories, Inc. FAF was not financially compensated for collaborative efforts on publication-related activities.

While many studies have investigated the health effects associated with acute exposure to fine particulate matter (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to 2.5 μm (PM2.5)), very few have considered the risks of specific sources of PM2.5 We used city-specific source apportionment in 8 major metropolitan areas in California from 2005-2009 to examine the associations of source-specific PM2.5 exposures from vehicular emissions, biomass burning, soil, and secondary nitrate and sulfate sources with emergency department visits (EDVs) for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, including 7 subclasses. Using a case-crossover analysis, we observed associations of vehicular emissions with all cardiovascular EDVs (excess risk = 1.6%, 95% confidence interval: 0.9, 2.4 for an interquartile-range increment of 2.8 µg/m(3)) and with several subclasses of disease. In addition, vehicular emissions, biomass burning, and soil sources were associated with all respiratory EDVs and with EDVs for asthma. The soil source, which includes resuspended road dust, generated the highest risk estimate for asthma (excess risk = 4.5%, 95% confidence interval: 1.1, 8.0). Overall, our results provide additional evidence of the public health consequences of exposure to specific sources of PM2.5 and indicate that some sources of PM2.5 may pose higher risks than the overall PM2.5 mass., (© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Increased deposition of atmospheric sulfate exacerbates methylmercury (MeHg) production in freshwater wetlands by stimulating methylating bacteria, but it is unclear how methylation in sub-boreal wetlands is impacted by chronically elevated sulfate inputs, such as through mine discharges. The purpose of our study is to determine how sulfate discharges to wetlands from iron mining activities impact MeHg production. In this study, we compare spatial and temporal patterns in MeHg and associated geochemistry in two wetlands receiving contrasting loads of sulfate. Two orders of magnitude less sulfate in the un-impacted wetland create significant differences in acid-volatile sulfide and porewater sulfide; however, dissolved and solid-phase MeHg concentrations and methylation rate potentials (Kmeth) are statistically similar in both wetlands. Permitted mine pumping events flood the sulfate-impacted wetland with very high sulfate waters during the fall. In contrast to observations in sulfate-limited systems, this large input of sulfate to a chronically sulfate-impacted system led to significantly lower potential relative methylation rates, suggesting a predominance of demethylation processes over methylation processes during the sulfate loading. Overall, short-term measurements of methylation and demethylation potential are unrelated to gross measures of long-term MeHg accumulation, indicating a decoupling of short- and long-term process measurements and an overall disequilibrium in the systems. High sulfide accumulation, above ∼600-800 μg l(-1) sulfide, in the sulfate-impacted system lowers long-term MeHg accumulation, perhaps as a result of less bioavailable Hg-S complexes. Although continued research is required to determine how sulfate-limited freshwater wetlands might respond to new, large inputs of high-sulfate runoff from mining operations, chronically impacted wetlands do not appear to continually accumulate or produce MeHg at rates different from wetlands unimpacted by mining.

Adenine (6-amino-6H-purine), found in molokheiya (Corchorus olitorius L.), has exerted vasorelaxation effects in the thoracic aorta. However, the mode of action of the anti-inflammatory effect of adenine is unclear. Thus, we investigated to clarify the effect of adenine on chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. In intestinal epithelial cells, adenine significantly inhibited tumor necrosis factor-α-induced interleukin-8 secretion. The inhibition of adenine was abolished under the treatment of inhibitors of adenyl cyclase (AC) and protein kinase A (PKA), indicating the effect of adenine was mediated through the AC/PKA pathway. Adenine (5, 10, and 50 mg/kg BW/day) was administered orally for 14 days to female BALB/c mice, and then 5% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) was given to induce colitis. Adenine (5 mg/kg BW/day) significantly prevented DSS-induced colon shortening, expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and histological damage in the colon. These results suggest that adenine can be a promising nutraceutical for the prevention of intestinal inflammation.

Unlabelled: A number of literatures have documented adverse health effects of exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and secondary sulfate aerosol and black carbon may contribute to health impacts of PM2.5 exposure. We designed an exposure system to generate sulfate and traffic soot particles, and assessed the feasibility of using it for human exposure assessment in a pilot human exposure study. In the designed exposure system, average mass concentrations of generated sulfate and soot particles were 74.19 μg/m3 and 11.54 μg/m3 in the chamber and did not vary significantly during two-hour human exposure sessions. The size ranges of generated sulfate were largely between 20 to 200 nm, whereas those of generated soot particles were in the size ranges of 50 to 200 nm. Following two-hour exposure to generated sulfate and soot particles, we observed significant increases in fractional exhaled NO (FeNO) in young and health subjects. Building on established human exposure system and health response follow-up methods, future full-scale studies focusing on the effects of mixed particulates and individual PM2.5 components would provide data in understanding the underpinning cardio-respiratory outcomes in relation to air pollution mixture exposure., Implications: Controlled exposure is a useful design to measure the biological responses repeatedly following particulate exposures of target components and set exposure at target levels of health concerns. Our study provides rational and establishes method for future full-scale studies to focus on examining the effects of mixed particulates and individual PM2.5 components.

Background: Sulfotransferase (SULT) 1A1 is a phase II metabolic enzyme that catalyzes sulfate conjugation of various phenolic compounds, including endogenous substances, such as estrogens and thyroid hormones, but also different xenobiotics. Although sulfation is classically considered as a detoxification event facilitating the excretion of more water soluble metabolites from the body, in some cases such bioconversion may also lead to bioactivation of promutagens, producing highly reactive intermediates which are capable of damaging DNA and promoting carcinogenesis. The most common polymorphism in SULT1A1 (Arg213His) has an important functional impact by affecting the capacity to sulfate diverse substrates and numerous case-control studies have shown associations between SULT1A1 variants and susceptibility to different malignancies. Several factors may significantly influence such relationships, including ethnicity, gender, parity, menopausal status, use of estrogen replacement therapy, exposure to tobacco smoke or occupational chemicals., Results and Conclusion: In this review article, we show that one more important determinant should be considered as a stratifying factor in studies of possible associations between SULT1A1 variants and cancer risk, i.e., the dietary intake of different flavonoids. As sulfation of bioactive plant polyphenols can change their potential anticancer activities and, on the other hand, these phytochemicals are capable to behave also as potent SULT1A1 inhibitors, the regular dietary exposure of humans to these compounds can make a great contribution to the impact of sulfation capacity on individual susceptibility to carcinogenesis. The effect of specific flavonoids as well as their interactions with other factors on associations between SULT1A1 alleles and cancer risk certainly needs further thorough studies.

There is a distinct correlation between aluminium (Al) intoxication and neurodegenerative diseases (ND). We demonstrated how patients affected by ND showing Al intoxication benefit from short-term treatment with calcium disodium ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) (chelation therapy). Such therapy further improved through daily treatment with the antioxidant Cellfood. In the present study we examined the efficacy of long-term treatment, using both EDTA and Cellfood. Slow intravenous treatment with the chelating agent EDTA (2 g/10 mL diluted in 500 mL physiological saline administered in 2 h) (chelation test) removed Al, which was detected (using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) in urine samples collected from patients over 12 h. Patients that revealed Al intoxication (expressed in μg per g creatinine) underwent EDTA chelation therapy once a week for ten weeks, then once every two weeks for a further six or twelve months. At the end of treatment (a total of 22 or 34 chelation therapies, respectively), associated with daily assumption of Cellfood, Al levels in the urine samples were analysed. In addition, the following blood parameters were determined: homocysteine, vitamin B12, and folate, as well as the oxidative status e.g. reactive oxygen species (ROS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), oxidized LDL (oxLDL), and glutathione. Our results showed that Al intoxication reduced significantly following EDTA and Cellfood treatment, and clinical symptoms improved. After treatment, ROS, oxLDL, and homocysteine decreased significantly, whereas vitamin B12, folate and TAC improved significantly. In conclusion, our data show the efficacy of chelation therapy associated with Cellfood in subjects affected by Al intoxication who have developed ND.

Background: Copper has antimicrobial properties and has been studied for its activity against viruses, including HIV. Copper complexed within a phthalocyanine ring, forming copper (II) phthalocyanine sulfate (CuPcS), may have a role in microbicide development when used intravaginally., Methods: CuPcS toxicity was tested against cervical epithelial cells, TZM-BL cells, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and cervical explant tissues using cell viability assays. In vivo toxicity was assessed following intravaginal administration of CuPcS in female BALB/C mice and measured using a standardized histology grading system on reproductive tract tissues. Efficacy studies for preventing infection with HIV in the presence of various non-toxic concentrations of CuPcS were carried out in TZM-BL, PBMC, and cervical explant cultures using HIV-1BAL and various pseudovirus subtypes. Non-linear regression was applied to the data to determine the EC50/90 and CC50/90., Results: CuPcS demonstrated inhibition of HIV infection in PBMCs at concentrations that were non-toxic in cervical epithelial cells and PBMCs with EC50 values of approximately 50 μg/mL. Reproductive tract tissue analysis revealed no toxicity at 100 mg/mL. Human cervical explant tissues challenged with HIV in the presence of CuPcS also revealed a dose-response effect at preventing HIV infection at non-toxic concentrations with an EC50 value of 65 μg/mL., Conclusion: These results suggest that CuPcS may be useful as a topical microbicide in concentrations that can be achieved in the female genital tract.

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a highly effective surgical treatment for severe joint involvement. However, due to the release of metal ions in the blood, the patients who undergo hip replacement with metal-on-metal (MOM) bearings may develop signs of allergic skin disease. We report a case of a 60-year-old man who had received MOM hip resurfacing 5 years earlier for osteoarthritis. He presented with a 3-year history of diffuse dermatitis that did not respond to antihistamines and corticosteroids and also had elevated serum levels of chromium and cobalt. A patch test revealed chromium-sulfate hypersensitivity. A skin biopsy showed nonspecific perivascular lymphocytic infiltrate associated with histiocytes. A biopsy of an inguinal lymph node demonstrated large aggregates of Langerhans cells, suggesting type IV delayed-type hypersensitivity. The prosthesis was replaced using ceramic-on-ceramic bearings and the dermatitis resolved after 3 months. The lymph nodes decreased in volume and the serum chromium levels normalized within 24 months of revision surgery. The high levels of serum ions associated with the metal debris from MOM-THAs may induce sensitization and type IV hypersensitivity reactions. Replacing the prosthesis using alternative coupling surfaces is the only approach that has the capacity to resolve these symptoms. Physicians who are not familiar with this issue may misdiagnose systemic symptoms and provide inadequate treatment., (© 2014 British Association of Dermatologists.)

Short-term exposure to fine particle mass (PM) has been associated with adverse health effects, but little is known about the relative toxicity of particle components. We conducted a systematic review to quantify the associations between particle components and daily mortality and hospital admissions. Medline, Embase and Web of Knowledge were searched for time series studies of sulphate (SO4(2-)), nitrate (NO3(-)), elemental and organic carbon (EC and OC), particle number concentrations (PNC) and metals indexed to October 2013. A multi-stage sifting process identified eligible studies and effect estimates for meta-analysis. SO4(2-), NO3(-), EC and OC were positively associated with increased all-cause, cardiovascular and respiratory mortality, with the strongest associations observed for carbon: 1.30% (95% CI: 0.17%, 2.43%) increase in all-cause mortality per 1 μg/m(3). For PNC, the majority of associations were positive with confidence intervals that overlapped 0%. For metals, there were insufficient estimates for meta-analysis. There are important gaps in our knowledge of the health effects associated with short-term exposure to particle components, and the literature also lacks sufficient geographical coverage and analyses of cause-specific outcomes. The available evidence suggests, however, that both EC and secondary inorganic aerosols are associated with adverse health effects.

Ovotransferrin (OVT), one of the major hen egg white proteins, was shown to possess antimicrobial and antioxidant activities in vitro. However, there is no information regarding the in vivo preventative effect in chronic inflammatory diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of the present study is to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of OVT in a mouse model of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis. OVT (50 or 250 mg/kg BW) was given orally for 14 days to female BALB/c mice, and 5% DSS (MW 36-50 kDa) was used to induce acute colitis (days 7-14) via drinking water. The current in vivo study demonstrated that OVT significantly reduced clinical signs, weight loss, shortening of the colon, and inflammatory cytokine markers of disease. The histopathological analysis of the colon revealed that OVT reduced histological scores. These results indicate that the use of OVT may be a potential promising candidate for the prevention of IBD.