ヒト ノ ケンコウ ホジ ニオケル チョウナイキン ノ ヤクワリ

The healthy gut environment is complicated and controlled by the balance of intestinal immune system, intestinal microbiota, and microbial metabolites produced by intestinal bacteria. Imbalance of these elements in genetically susceptible persons has been known to promote inflammatory bowel disease and some lifestyle-related illnesses. Manipulation of intestinal microbiota with prebiotics, which can selectively stimulate a growth of beneficial bacteria, might contribute to keep healthy condition and to improve patient’s condition. I present some results of prebiotic effects in animal model and placebo-controlled, crossover study in healthy adults and patients with ulcerative colitis （UC）. Through the clinical study, we found that UC patients had differences in microbiota composition and microbial metabolites. Decrease of Dominant anaerobic bacteria Bacteroides and diversity of microbiota composition was observed in UC. Amount of organic acids produced by bacterial fermentation reflectively decreased. Update on correlation of intestinal bacteria with human health and disease are reviewed

The intestinal microbiota and its role in human health and disease

The role of the intestinal microbiota in human health is gaining more attention since clear changes in the composition of the intestinal bacteria or environment are seen in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, allergy, autoimmune disease, and some lifestyle-related illnesses. A healthy gut environment is regulated by the exquisite balance of intestinal microbiota, metabolites, and the host’s immune system. Imbalance of these factors in genetically susceptible persons may promote a disease state. Manipulation of the intestinal microbiota with prebiotics, which can selectively stimulate growth of beneficial bacteria, might help to maintain a healthy intestinal environment or improve diseased one. In this review, analytical methods for identification of intestinal bacteria and an update on the correlation of the intestinal microbiota with human health and disease were discussed by introducing our recent studies to determine the prebiotic effects of a fiber-rich food in animal model and on healthy people and patients with ulcerative colitis (UC)

Fermented Brown Rice as a Functional Food

Brown rice, especially in a part of rice bran, contains many kinds of nutrients and biologically active components such as plant polyphenols and phytic acid, but is hard to eat. “Brown rice and rice bran fermented with Aspergillus oryzae (FBRA)” is a processed food that is easier for daily intake, commercially available, and rich in eating experience. During the fermentation process, dietary fibers is partially digested, and free vitamins and phenolic compounds have increased. These fermentation products are utilized for quality control to manage FBRA production. Recently, plant-derived polyphenols have shown anti-oxidative activity and biological function in various disease models. We and other research groups used raw powder FBRA to examine its biological activity through pathological and/or molecular biological analysis. Dietary administration of FBRA showed anti-tumorigenic effects in chemically induced tumors in rodents. Anti-inflammatory effects have been observed in DSS-induced colitis in rat and inflammation-mediated rodent tumor models. I will give an outline of the characteristic of FBRA, and then introduce our recently published work about “Preventive effect of FBRA on spontaneous type 1 diabetes in NOD female mice”, including how to estimate the in vivo effect of dietary FBRA, its possible mechanisms and the limit of this study

Preventive effect of fermented brown rice and rice bran on spontaneous type 1 diabetes in NOD female mice

Consumption of brown rice and rice bran fermented with Aspergillus oryzae (FBRA) suppresses spontaneously occurring diabetes in female NOD mouse. While control diet-fed mice showed glucosuria and hyperglycemia at around 20 week of age and the ratio reached to 57% at 30 weeks of age, the ratio did not increase in the 0.5% FBRA-containing diet-fed group. The FBRA-fed group at 30 weeks of age kept higher ratio of intact islets and showed significantly lower insulitis score compared to the control diet group, with dose-dependency from 0.25% to 0.5% dietary concentration of FBRA. The percentage of diabetic mice was significantly lower at 24 weeks of age as compared to the control group (p = 0.01, log rank test). These results indicate that the suppressive effects of dietary administration of 0.5% FBRA in delaying the spontaneous onset of diabetes in NOD mice is probably achieved by maintaining the number of intact islets

Clinical Significance of Carbapenem-Tolerant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolated in the Respiratory Tract

We often come across difficult to treat infections—even after administering appropriate antibiotics according to the minimal inhibitory concentration of the causative bacteria. Antibiotic tolerance has recently started to garner attention as a crucial mechanism of refractory infections. However, few studies have reported the correlation between clinical outcomes and antibiotic tolerance. This study aims to clarify the effect of antibiotic tolerance on clinical outcomes of respiratory tract infection caused by Pseudomonas aeuginosa (P. aeruginosa). We examined a total of 63 strains isolated from sputum samples of different patients and conducted a retrospective survey with the medical records of 37 patients with imipenem-sensitive P. aeruginosa infections. Among them, we selected 15 patients with respiratory infections, and they were divided into high-tolerance minimal bactericidal concentration for adherent bacteria (MBCAD)/minimal inhibitory concentration for adherent bacteria (MICAD) ≥ 32 (n = 9) group and low-tolerance MBCAD/MICAD ≤ 16 (n = 6) group for further investigations. The findings indicated that the high-tolerance group consisted of many cases requiring hospitalization. Chest computed tomography findings showed that the disease was more extensive in the high-tolerance group compared to the low-tolerance group. Regarding the bacterial phenotypic characterization, the high-tolerance group significantly upregulated the production of the virulence factors compared to the low-tolerance group. Our study provided evidence that carbapenem tolerance level is a potent prognostic marker of P. aeruginosa infections, and carbapenem tolerance could be a potential target for new antimicrobial agents to inhibit the progression of persistent P. aeruginosa infections

Autoinducer Analogs Can Provide Bactericidal Activity to Macrolides in Pseudomonas aeruginosa through Antibiotic Tolerance Reduction

Macrolide antibiotics are used in treating Pseudomonas aeruginosa chronic biofilm infections despite their unsatisfactory antibacterial activity, because they display several special activities, such as modulation of the bacterial quorum sensing and immunomodulatory effects on the host. In this study, we investigated the effects of the newly synthesized P. aeruginosa quorum-sensing autoinducer analogs (AIA-1, -2) on the activity of azithromycin and clarithromycin against P. aeruginosa. In the killing assay of planktonic cells, AIA-1 and -2 enhanced the bactericidal ability of macrolides against P. aeruginosa PAO1; however, they did not affect the minimum inhibitory concentrations of macrolides. In addition, AIA-1 and -2 considerably improved the killing activity of azithromycin and clarithromycin in biofilm cells. The results indicated that AIA-1 and -2 could affect antibiotic tolerance. Moreover, the results of hydrocarbon adherence and cell membrane permeability assays suggested that AIA-1 and -2 changed bacterial cell surface hydrophobicity and accelerated the outer membrane permeability of the hydrophobic antibiotics such as azithromycin and clarithromycin. Our study demonstrated that the new combination therapy of macrolides and AIA-1 and -2 may improve the therapeutic efficacy of macrolides in the treatment of chronic P. aeruginosa biofilm infections

MULHERES NA POLÍTICA NO RECÔNCAVO DA BAHIA EM 2016: QUEM SÃO AS VEREADORAS ELEITAS?

O objetivo deste artigo é apresentar e discutir resultados de pesquisa sobre as formas de participação de mulheres no pleito à vereança, em 2016, nos dezenove municípios do Território de Identidade do Recôncavo da Bahia. A literatura especializada desenvolve argumentos para a compreensão da sub-representação feminina na política. A pesquisa aqui apresentada dialoga com a literatura feminista e, através da sistematização dos dados do Tribunal Superior Eleitoral, desvenda a frágil participação das mulheres na política, limitando-se aos 30% imposto pela legislação eleitoral. Os resultados esclarecem que o perfil das mulheres eleitas se aproxima ao dos homens eleitos, apontando a necessidade de as mulheres acumularem capital político para conseguirem se inserir no mundo da política

Comparative Study on the Inhibitory Effects of α-Tocopherol and Radon on Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Renal Damage

Since the 2011 nuclear accident in Fukushima, the effects of low-dose irradiation, especially internal exposure, are at the forefront of everyone’s attention. However, low-dose radiation induced various stimulating effects such as activation of antioxidative and immune functions. In this study, we attempted to evaluate the quantitative effects of the activation of antioxidative activities in kidney induced by radon inhalation on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced renal damage. Mice were subjected to intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of CCl4 after inhaling approximately 1000 or 2000 Bq/m3 radon for 24 h, or immediately after i.p. injection of α-tocopherol (100, 300, or 500 mg/kg bodyweight). In case of renal function, radon inhalation at a concentration of 2000 Bq/m3 has the inhibitory effects similar to α-tocopherol treatment at a dose of 300–500 mg/kg bodyweight. The activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase in kidneys were significantly higher in mice exposed to radon as compared to mice treated with CCl4 alone. These findings suggest that radon inhalation has an antioxidative effect against CCl4-induced renal damage similar to the antioxidative effects of α-tocopherol due to induction of antioxidative functions

Activation of 1-nitropyrene by nitroreductase increases the DNA adduct level and mutagenicity

1-Nitropyrene (1-NP) is a mutagenic nitro compound in the environment. We studied correlations between the mutagenicity of 1-NP for three strains of Salmonella typhimurium, the activity of bacterial nitroreductases and the amount of 1-NP-derived DNA adducts. Bacterial strains used in this study were S. typhimurium strains TA98, nitroreductase-less mutant TA98NR and YG1021 carrying a nitroreductase-producing plasmid. The mutagenicity of 1-NP was measured using the Ames assay, and the nitroreductase activities of these strains were assayed by quantification of 1-aminopyrene produced from 1-NP. The DNA adducts were measured by the 32P-postlabeling method. Among the three bacterial strains, strain YG1021 was the highest in mutagenicity of 1-NP, the nitroreductase activity and the DNA adduct level. However, S. typhimurium strain TA98NR had the lowest values of these three parameters. Nitroreductase activity, DNA adduct level and mutagenicity were strongly correlated with each other. These results indicate that bacterial nitroreductase plays an important role in forming the DNA adducts, and that the higher the adduct level the higher the level of mutagenicity