Microbiota-dependent early-life programming of gastrointestinal motility

Gastrointestinal microbes modulate peristalsis and stimulate the enteric nervous system (ENS), whose development, as in the central nervous system (CNS), continues into the murine postweaning period. Given that adult CNS function depends on stimuli received during critical periods of postnatal development, we hypothesized that adult ENS function, namely motility, depends on microbial stimuli during similar critical periods. We gave fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) to germ-free mice at weaning or as adults and found that only the mice given FMT at weaning recovered normal transit, while those given FMT as adults showed limited improvements. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of colonic muscularis propria revealed enrichments in neuron developmental pathways in mice exposed to gut microbes earlier in life, while mice exposed later—or not at all—showed exaggerated expression of inflammatory pathways. These findings highlight a microbiota-dependent sensitive period in ENS development, pointing to potential roles of the early-life microbiome in later-life dysmotility

On the Relationship between Sialomucin and Sulfomucin Expression and Hydrogenotrophic Microbes in the Human Colonic Mucosa

The colonic mucus layer is comprised primarily of acidomucins, which provide viscous properties and can be broadly classified into sialomucins or sulfomucins based on the presence of terminating sialic acid or sulfate groups. Differences in acidomucin chemotypes have been observed in diseases such as colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease, and variation in sialo- and sulfomucin content may influence microbial colonization. For example, sulfate derived from sulfomucin degradation may promote the colonization of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), which through sulfate respiration generate the genotoxic gas hydrogen sulfide. Here, paired biopsies from right colon, left colon, and rectum of 20 subjects undergoing routine screening colonoscopies were collected to enable parallel histochemical and microbiological studies. Goblet cell sialo- and sulfomucins in each biopsy were distinguished histochemically and quantified. Quantitative PCR and multivariate analyses were used to examine the abundance of hydrogenotrophic microbial groups and SRB genera relative to acidomucin profiles. Regional variation was observed in sialomucins and sulfomucins with the greatest abundance of each found in the rectum. Mucin composition did not appear to influence the abundance of SRB or other hydrogenotrophic microbiota but correlated with the composition of different SRB genera. A higher sulfomucin proportion correlated with higher quantities of Desulfobacter, Desulfobulbus and Desulfotomaculum, relative to the predominant Desulfovibrio genus. Thus, acidomucin composition may influence bacterial sulfate respiration in the human colon, which may in turn impact mucosal homeostasis. These results stress the need to consider mucus characteristics in the context of studies of the microbiome that target intestinal diseases

A consensus protocol for functional connectivity analysis in the rat brain

Task-free functional connectivity in animal models provides an experimental framework to examine connectivity phenomena under controlled conditions and allows for comparisons with data modalities collected under invasive or terminal procedures. Currently, animal acquisitions are performed with varying protocols and analyses that hamper result comparison and integration. Here we introduce StandardRat, a consensus rat functional magnetic resonance imaging acquisition protocol tested across 20 centers. To develop this protocol with optimized acquisition and processing parameters, we initially aggregated 65 functional imaging datasets acquired from rats across 46 centers. We developed a reproducible pipeline for analyzing rat data acquired with diverse protocols and determined experimental and processing parameters associated with the robust detection of functional connectivity across centers. We show that the standardized protocol enhances biologically plausible functional connectivity patterns relative to previous acquisitions. The protocol and processing pipeline described here is openly shared with the neuroimaging community to promote interoperability and cooperation toward tackling the most important challenges in neuroscience

More power to women, fewer mouths to feed. by Eugene Linden

The U.N. conference reaches consensus: gender equality is a key to curbing population growth

The last, precious drops. by Eugene Linden

Population growth and development have depleted and polluted the world's water supply, raising the risk of starvation, epidemic, even war

Inoculum Effect on Growth-Delay Time of Oxacillin-Resistant Strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis Exposed to Cefamandole, Cefazolin, and Cefuroxime

Cephalosporins have been recommended as prophylactic antibiotics in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery. The major function of these antibiotics is to protect patients against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis infections. The lowest inoculum amount responsible for infection during surgery is unknown but is probably low. To determine the comparative activities of cefazolin, cefuroxime, and cefamandole against S. aureus and S. epidermidis for prophylactic purposes, we selected five strains of S. aureus and S. epidermidis that presented homogeneous resistances to oxacillin. A continuously monitored turbidimetric method was used to evaluate cultures with variable inoculum sizes ranging from 10(6) to 1 CFU/ml and exposed to cefazolin, cefuroxime, and cefamandole at concentrations of 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 micrograms/ml. Growth was defined as an increase of 0.1 optical density unit. The relationship between the time required for growth, the antibiotic concentration, and the initial bacterial density showed that cefamandole was more active than cefazolin, which, in turn, was revealed to be more active than cefuroxime against S. aureus and S. epidermidis