Probiotic Characteristics of Human-Residential Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum Strains

This study was conducted to isolate and identify Bifidobacterium from the feces of Kazakh school-age children in Yining, Xinjiang and evaluate the in vitro probiotic characteristics of B. longum subsp. longum isolates. By groEL gene sequencing and repetitive element sequence-based polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR) fingerprinting, 416 Bifidobacterium strains were identified to belong to B. longum, B. bifidum, B. pseudocatenulatum, B. catenulatum and B. breve. According to the fingerprints of B. longum subsp. longum, 27 genotypes showed genetic differences between individual strains and the coexistence of multiple strains in the gut was found. The in vitro experimental results showed that out of 27 representative strains, strains 2B3-21, 1B23-11, 2B33-3, and 1B68-16 were optimal in acid and bile salt tolerance, strains 1B68-16, 2B13-5, 2B33-3, and 1B39-2 had broad-spectrum antibacterial properties, and strains 1B38-1, 2B33-3, 1B68-16, and 2B13-28 showed a strong antioxidant capacity. Considering the antibiotic resistance of all strains and their ability to utilize plant-derived glycans, strains 1B38-1 and 2B13-28 were selected to assess their in vivo probiotic potentials. This study may lay the foundation for the development of excellent probiotics and related products for populations from specific areas

Isolation and in Vitro Probiotic Characteristics of Akkermansia muciniphila from Maternal and Infant Feces in Three Different Regions

In this study, a combination of an improved mucin enriched medium with real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) was used to test 48 samples of maternal and infant feces for Akkermansia muciniphila (Akk). Under optimized conditions, 24 Akk strains were isolated from eight positive samples. All these strains were confirmed as Akk by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and PCR with Akk-specific primers. Repetitive extragenic palindrome-polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR) fingerprinting classified the 24 strains into four genotypic groups. Subsequently, these strains were tested in vitro for simulated gastrointestinal fluid tolerance, hydrophobicity, antibiotic susceptibility, and glycan utilization capacity. The results showed that strains HN18D-1, HN18D-3, and WW48D1-13 had the highest tolerance to simulated gastric and intestinal fluids. All Akk strains were resistant to vancomycin, clindamycin, kanamycin and erythromycin. Xylooligosaccharides and soybean oligosaccharides had prebiotic effects on the Akk strains. Collectively, Akk isolates HN18D-1, HN18D-3 and WW48D1-13 can be used as potential probiotic candidates for subsequent in-depth studies

A four-microRNA panel in serum may serve as potential biomarker for renal cell carcinoma diagnosis

BackgroundRenal cell carcinoma (RCC) is one out of the most universal malignant tumors globally, and its incidence is increasing annually. MicroRNA (miRNA) in serum could be considered as a non-invasive detecting biomarker for RCC diagnosis.MethodA total of 224 participants (112 RCC patients (RCCs) and 112 normal controls (NCs)) were enrolled in the three-phrase study. Reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was applied to reveal the miRNA expression levels in RCCs and NCs. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) were utilized to predict the diagnostic ability of serum miRNAs for RCC. Bioinformatic analysis and survival analysis were also included in our study.ResultsCompared to NCs, the expression degree of miR-155-5p, miR-224-5p in serum was significantly upregulated in RCC patients, and miR-1-3p, miR-124-3p, miR-129-5p, and miR-200b-3p were downregulated. A four-miRNA panel was construed, and the AUC of the panel was 0.903 (95% CI: 0.847–0.944; p < 0.001; sensitivity = 75.61%, specificity = 93.67%). Results from GEPIA database indicated that CHL1, MPP5, and SORT1 could be seen as promising target genes of the four-miRNA panel. Survival analysis of candidate miRNAs manifested that miR-155-5p was associated with the survival rate of RCC significantly.ConclusionsThe four-miRNA panel in serum has a great potential to be non-invasive biomarkers for RCC sift to check

Probiotic Characteristics of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from the Intestinal Tract of Mothers and Infants in Hotan, Xinjiang

In this study, the lactic acid bacteria from the feces of Uygur mother-infant pairs in Hotan, Xinjiang, was isolated and identified. The bacteriostatic performance of the isolates for diarrhea pathogenic bacteria was assessed, and the probiotic properties were investigated in vitro. According to the groEL gene sequencing, 113 isolates of lactic acid bacteria representing 15 species were isolated from 19 mother-infant pairs, with Ligilactobacillus salivarius and Companilactobacillus farciminis being the dominant species, and 29 strains had inhibition effect on all the 6 pathogenic bacteria were screened from all strains. Among the strains with antibacterial activity, Companilactobacillus farciminis HTb36X-2 had the highest survival rate of 69.50% after being treated with simulated gastrointestinal juices for 4 h. Limosilactobacillus reuteri HTb34X5-6 and HTb34X5-1 had the highest auto-aggregation and hydrophobicity, with the hydrophobicity of 31.67% and 29.00%, and auto-aggregation of 81.32% and 70.91%, respectively. Combined with antibiotic resistance and carbohydrate metabolism of all 29 strains, a total of 7 strains of Companilactobacillus farciminis HTb36X-2, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei HTb6X-6, Lacticaseibacillus casei 17X-4, 17X-5, Limosilactobacillus reuteri HTb34X-5-1, HTb34X-5-6, Limosilactobacillus fermentum 10D12-2 were screened as potential probiotics, which might take a foundation for the development of probiotic and products with anti-diarrhea function

In Vitro Probiotic Properties of Human-derived Lactiplantibacillus plantarum in Yining, Xinjiang

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum is widely distributed in nature and is one of the most widely developed and used lactic acid bacteria species at present. Most developed and used L. plantarum are derived from fermented food or plant-based materials. In this study, L. plantarum was isolated from fecal samples of healthy Uyghur and Kazakh children in Yining, Xinjiang, and 20 representative strains were selected by fingerprinting to remove the identical bands. The clustering results of fingerprinting classified the strains into three major groups, and strains of the same ethnicity and age group were more likely to be clustered in the same small branch. The phylogenetic tree based on groEL gene showed that strains of the same ethnic origin tended to cluster together. At the same time, the acid and bile salt tolerance, self-aggregation, hydrophobicity (xylene), bacteriostatic capacity, antibiotic sensitivity and carbohydrate utilization ability of 20 strains were tested in vitro. The results showed that strains YLW2L-108-29, YLW2L-61-7 and YLW1L-44-7 had better acid (pH2.5) resistance, and YLW1L-44-6 had the best bile salt tolerance (0.3% concentration). Strains YLW2L-61-7, YLW2L-57-4, YLW2L-66-30 had the best self-aggregation and hydrophobics results, and all strains grew well on fructooligosaccharide, galactooligosaccharide, isomaltooligosaccharide, maltodextrin, raffinose, D-(+)-trehalose dihydrate, pectin, stachyose tetrahydrate and soybean oligosaccharide. Most strains had poor growth on inulin and resistant starch, and worst growth on xylo-oligosaccharide. Combined with the results of bacterial inhibition and antibiotic resistance, strain YLW2L-61-7 was screened as a potential probiotic strain for subsequent studies, laying the foundation for the development of excellent probiotic strains and products suitable to regional populations

Complete Genome Sequence of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans YNTRS-40, a Strain of the Ferrous Iron- and Sulfur-Oxidizing Acidophile

Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans YNTRS-40 (A. ferrooxidans) is a chemolithoautotrophic aerobic bacterium isolated from Tengchong hot springs, Yunnan Province, China, with a broad growth pH range of 1.0–4.5. This study reports the genome sequence of this strain and the information of genes related to the adaptation of diverse stresses and the oxidation of ferrous iron and sulfur. Results showed that YNTRS-40 possesses chromosomal DNA (3,209,933-bp) and plasmid DNA (47,104-bp). The complete genome of 3,257,037-bp consists of 3,349 CDS genes comprising 6 rRNAs, 52 tRNAs, and 6 ncRNAs. There are many encoded genes associated with diverse stresses adaptation and ferrous iron and sulfur oxidation such as rus operon, res operon, petI, petII, sqr, doxDA, cydAB, and cyoABCD. This work will provide essential information for further application of A. ferrooxidans YNTRS-40 in industry

Chronic scrotal pain caused by Mild Epididymitis: Report of a series of 44 cases

Objectives: Patients with idiopathic chronic scrotal pain are challenging to both the general practioner and urologist. In this study, we tried to recognize mild epididymitis as an underrecogniczed cause of idiopathic chronic scrotal pain. Methods: We described a consecutive series of 44 patients with idiopathic chronic scrotal pain characterized by mild scrotal pain, mild to moderate tenderness of epididymis without abnormal swelling of epididymis. We obtained a detailed history and physical examination along with routine urinalysis and Doppler ultrasound to identify the characteristics of this new clinical entity. Results: A consecutive series of 44 patients who were primarily diagnosed as "idiopathic chronic scrotal pain" came to our hospital. All had the sign of mild to moderate tenderness on the affected epididymis without epididynnis enlargement. Doppler ultrasound showed the affected epididymis with normal size and no abnormal change. We treated them with antibiotics orally along with cessation of strenuous activity and all fully recovered from scrotal pain. Conclusion: In this study, we recognized mild epididymitis as an underrecogniczed cause of idiopathic chronic scrotal pain. It was characterized by mild scrotal pain, mild to moderate tenderness of epididymis without abnormal enlargement of epididymis

Adenomatoid tumors of the testis: A report of two cases and review of the literature

Adenomatoid tumors are rare benign neoplasms that normally occur in the scrotum. The clinical symptoms and routine examinations mean that it is difficult to distinguish adenomatoid tumors from malignant intratesticular solid tumors, which may result in unnecessary orchidectomies. The present report describes two adenomatoid tumor patients treated between 2006 and 2013 at the Peking University Shenzhen Hospital who presented with an asymptomatic mass in the scrotum. Based on thorough analysis of clinical features, blood, radiological images and intra-operative findings, limited local excisions were performed, revealing adenomatoid tumors of the testis on pathological examination. The patients were followed up and exhibit no recurrence at the time of writing. The present report also summarizes the morphological and immunohistochemical features of paratesticular tumors and reviews the literature to improve understanding of these rare lesions and assist in accurate diagnosis