Short-chain fatty acids are potential goalkeepers of atherosclerosis

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are metabolites produced by gut bacteria and play a crucial role in various inflammatory diseases. Increasing evidence suggests that SCFAs can improve the occurrence and progression of atherosclerosis. However, the molecular mechanisms through which SCFAs regulate the development of atherosclerosis have not been fully elucidated. This review provides an overview of the research progress on SCFAs regarding their impact on the risk factors and pathogenesis associated with atherosclerosis, with a specific focus on their interactions with the endothelium and immune cells. These interactions encompass the inflammation and oxidative stress of endothelial cells, the migration of monocytes/macrophages, the lipid metabolism of macrophages, the proliferation and migration of smooth muscle cells, and the proliferation and differentiation of Treg cells. Nevertheless, the current body of research is insufficient to comprehensively understand the full spectrum of SCFAs’ mechanisms of action. Therefore, further in-depth investigations are imperative to establish a solid theoretical foundation for the development of clinical therapeutics in this context

Negative effects of abamectin on soil microbial communities in the short term

With the widespread use of abamectin in agriculture, there is increasing urgency to assess the effects of abamectin on soil microorganisms. Here, we treated plant–soil microcosms with abamectin at concentrations of 0.1 and 1.0 mg/kg and quantified the impacts of abamectin on bulk and rhizosphere soil microbial communities by shotgun metagenomics after 7 and 21 days of exposure. Although abamectin was reported to be easily degradable, it altered the composition of the soil microbial communities, disrupted microbial interactions, and decreased community complexity and stability after 7 days of exposure. After treatment with abamectin at a concentration of 1.0 mg/kg, some opportunistic human diseases, and soil-borne pathogens like Ralstonia were enriched in the soil. However, most ecological functions in soil, particularly the metabolic capacities of microorganisms, recovered within 21 days after abamectin treatment. The horizontal and vertical gene transfer under abamectin treatments increased the levels of antibiotic resistance genes dissemination. Overall, our findings demonstrated the negative effects of abamectin on soil ecosystems in the short-term and highlight a possible long-term risk to public and soil ecosystem health associated with antibiotic resistance genes dissemination

Physical exercise, gut, gut microbiota, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases

Abstract Arteriosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVDs) are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and its risk can be independently decreased by regular physical activity. Recently, ASCVD and its risk factors were found to be impacted by the gut microbiota through its diversity, distribution and metabolites. Meanwhile, several experiments demonstrated the relationship between physical exercise and diversity, distribution, metabolite of the gut microbiota as well as its functions on the lipid metabolism and chronic systematic inflammation. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the effects of physical exercise on ASCVD through modulation of the gut microbiota and intestinal function

Enhanced Nitrogen Removal of Steel Rolling Wastewater by Constructed Wetland Combined with Sulfur Autotrophic Denitrification

Constructed wetlands (CWs), an ecological treatment technology, is suitable for advanced treatment, but has an unsatisfying denitrification performance for steel rolling wastewater with low C/N ratio. This study combined sulfur autotrophic denitrification (SAD) with conventional constructed horizontal subsurface flow wetlands to treat steel rolling wastewater, exploring the feasibility of applying SAD to enhance the denitrification performance of CWs. The reactor consists of two sections, one filled with manganese sand and gravel (HFC) and another filled with ceramic, sulfur, and lime (HFSAD). Results showed that HFC had a good performance on removing turbidity, DO, COD, and TP, while the average removal efficiency of total nitrogen (TN) in HFC was just 25.6%. On this basis, HFSAD could remove 45.6% of TN subsequently, whose denitrification rate was 4–6 times as high as that of HFC. Increasing hydraulic retention time could improve removal efficiency of contaminants in HFC and HFSAD in different degrees. The analysis of microbial community structure, observation results of fillers and monitored sulfate all provided proofs for the occurrence of SAD. CWs combined with SAD can be applied in the treatment of steel rolling wastewater with low carbon, which can provide reference for ecological wastewater treatment, water saving, and recycling in iron and steel enterprises

Klotho inhibits the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome to alleviate lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory injury in A549 cells and restore mitochondrial function through SIRT1/Nrf2 signaling pathway

Acute lung injury is a severe clinical condition constituting a major cause of mortality in intensive care units. This study aimed to investigate the role of klotho in alleviating lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury. LPS-induced acute lung injury was used to simulate the acute lung injury caused by severe pneumonia in vitro. The viability and apoptosis of A549 cells were detected by cell counting kit-8 assay and flow cytometry. The inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial function in A549 cells were analyzed by commercial assay kits and 5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraethyl-benzimidazolyl carbocyanine iodide (JC-1) staining. The expression of apoptosis-related proteins, Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1)/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway-related proteins, and NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) expression in A549 cells was detected by western blot. The mtDNA synthase level in A549 cells was analyzed by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The results showed that, klotho had no cytotoxic effect on A549 cells. The viability and mitochondrial function were inhibited and apoptosis, inflammatory response, and oxidative stress were aggravated in LPS-induced A549 cells, which were all reversed by klotho. Klotho activated the SIRT1/Nrf2 signaling pathway to inhibit the LPS-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation in A549 cells. However, EX527, a SIRT1 inhibitor, attenuated the klotho effect to suppress viability and mitochondrial function and promoted apoptosis, inflammatory response, and oxidative stress of A549 cells. In conclusion, klotho inhibited the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome to alleviate LPS-induced inflammatory injury of A549 cells and restore mitochondrial function through activating the SIRT1/Nrf2 signaling pathway

Assessment and Comprehensive Evaluation of Large-Scale Reclaimed Water Reuse for Urban River Restoration and Water Resource Management: A Case Study in China

Replenishing reclaimed water into urban rivers, which suffer from reduced flow and deteriorating water quality due to anthropogenic activities, presents an opportunity for water resource management and ecological restoration, while the effect and evaluation need to be considered. This study investigated the feasibility of large-scale reclaimed water reuse in urban rivers, focusing on water quality improvements and reuse scheme evaluation, utilizing modeling software to simulate the water quality after implementing the reclaimed water replenishment scheme. After seven days of reclaimed water replenishment simulated, the water quality in the receiving urban rivers exhibited substantial improvements to different extents, with some rivers showing a decrease of over 90% in chemical oxygen demand (CODMn), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations. A comprehensive evaluation method using the physical element extension–analytic hierarchy process (AHP) evaluation model was developed to evaluate the feasibility and efficiency of the large-scale project of reclaimed water reuse in urban rivers. The overall score of the large-scale reclaimed water reuse scenario reaches 89, approaching Level I and indicating a highly scientific and reasonable plan. This study contributes to the field of urban river restoration and water resource management by demonstrating the potential for improving water quality in urban rivers through large-scale reclaimed water reuse. The innovative comprehensive evaluation method offers valuable insights for guiding the implementation of similar projects in other urban river systems, addressing water resource challenges, and promoting ecological restoration in urban areas

Role of Angiopoietin/Tie2 System in Sepsis: A Potential Therapeutic Target

Sepsis is a disorder of host response caused by severe infection that can lead to life-threatening organ dysfunction. There is no specific treatment for sepsis. Although there are many different pathogens that can cause sepsis, endothelial dysfunction is a frequent mechanism resulting in vascular leakage and coagulation problem. Recent studies on the regulatory pathways of vascular endothelium have shown that the disturbance of angiopoietin (Ang) /Tie2 axis can induce endothelial cell activation, which is the core pathogenesis of sepsis. In this review, we aim to discuss the regulation of Ang/Tie2 axis and the biomarkers involved in the context of sepsis. Also, we attempt to explore the prospective and feasibility of Ang/Tie2 axis as a potential target for sepsis intervention to improve clinical outcomes