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Objective: The health of oral cavity is considered as an important indicator of aging. Oral microbiota is highly associated with the oral health, while the variation of oral microbiome in elderly population and characteristic microbes associated with aging remain unclear. Subjects and methods: In this study, 130 elderly subjects were recruited and divided into 3 groups according to their age: Stage I group (65 ≤ years < 70), Stage II group (70 ≤ years < 75), and Stage III group (75 ≤ years < 80). Their physiological indices were analyzed with using Illumina MiSeq platform and the oral microbiome was determined by high-throughput sequencing. Results: Along with aging, the level of fasting blood glucose, systolic pressure and monocytes are significantly increased. No significant difference was detected on the whole structure of the oral microbiome among groups. While using Metastats and Spearman's correlation analysis, specific bacteria were identified as potential age- or health index-related bacterial genera including Fusobacterium, Parvimonas, Porphyromonas, Aminobacter, Collinsella, Clostridium and Acinetobacter. Conclusion: Our study revealed that the composition structure of salivary microbiota in elderly population was relatively stable while specific bacteria were correlated with age and health status, which is promising to be served as health indicators of the elderly after further exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The gut microbiota significantly influences the health and growth of red-spotted grouper (Epinephelus akaara), a well-known commercial marine fish from Fujian Province in southern China. However, variations in survival strategies and seasons can impact the stability of gut microbiota data, rendering it inaccurate in reflecting the state of gut microbiota. Which impedes the effective enhancement of aquaculture health through a nuanced understanding of gut microbiota. Inspired by this, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the gut microbiota of wild and captive E. akaara in four seasons. Results: Seventy-two E. akaara samples were collected from wild and captive populations in Dongshan city, during four different seasons. Four sections of the gut were collected to obtain comprehensive information on the gut microbial composition and sequenced using 16S rRNA next-generation Illumina MiSeq. We observed the highest gut microbial diversity in both captive and wild E. akaara during the winter season, and identified strong correlations with water temperature using Mantel analysis. Compared to wild E. akaara, we found a more complex microbial network in captive E. akaara, as evidenced by increased abundance of Bacillaceae, Moraxellaceae and Enterobacteriaceae. In contrast, Vibrionaceae, Clostridiaceae, Flavobacteriaceae and Rhodobacteraceae were found to be more active in wild E. akaara. However, some core microorganisms, such as Firmicutes and Photobacterium, showed similar distribution patterns in both wild and captive groups. Moreover, we found the common community composition and distribution characteristics of top 10 core microbes from foregut to hindgut in E. akaara. Conclusions: Collectively, the study provides relatively more comprehensive description of the gut microbiota in E. akaara, taking into account survival strategies and temporal dimensions, which yields valuable insights into the gut microbiota of E. akaara and provides a valuable reference to its aquaculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Vaginal microbiota evaluation is a methodology widely used in China to diagnose various vaginal inflammatory diseases. Although vaginal microbiota evaluation has many advantages, it is time-consuming and requires highly skilled and experienced operators. Here, we investigated a six-index functional test that analyzed pH, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), leukocyte esterase (LEU), sialidase (SNA), β-glucuronidase (GUS), and acetylglucossidase (NAG), and determined its diagnostic value by comparing it with morphological tests of vaginal microbiota. Materials and methods: The research was conducted using data extracted from the Laboratory Information System of Women and Children's Hospital. A total of 4902 subjects, ranging in age from 35.4 ± 9.7 years, were analyzed. During the consultation, a minimum of two vaginal swab specimens per patient were collected for both functional and morphological testing. Fisher's exact was used to analyze data using SPSS. Results: Of the 4,902 patients, 2,454 were considered to have normal Lactobacillus morphotypes and 3,334 were considered to have normal dominant microbiota. The sensitivity and specificity of H2O2-indicating Lactobacillus morphotypes were 91.3% and 25.28%, respectively, while those of pH-indicating Lactobacillus morphotypes were 88.09% and 59.52%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of H2O2-indicating dominant microbiota were 91.3% and 25.3%, respectively, while those of pH-indicating dominant microbiota were 86.27% and 64.45%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of NAG for vulvovaginal candidiasis were 40.64% and 84.8%, respectively. For aerobic vaginitis, GUS sensitivity was low at 0.52%, while its specificity was high at 99.93%; the LEU sensitivity and specificity values were 94.73% and 27.49%, respectively. Finally, SNA sensitivity and specificity for bacterial vaginosis were 80.72% and 96.78%, respectively. Conclusion: Functional tests (pH, SNA, H2O2, LEU) showed satisfactory sensitivity for the detection of vaginal inflammatory diseases. However, these tests lacked specificity, making it difficult to accurately identify specific pathologies. By contrast, NAG and GUS showed excellent specificity in identifying vaginal inflammatory diseases, but their sensitivity was limited. Therefore, functional tests alone are not sufficient to diagnose various vaginal inflammatory diseases. When functional and morphological tests are inconsistent, morphological tests are currently considered the preferred reference method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood obesity not only has a negative impact on a child's health but is also a significant risk factor for adult obesity and related metabolic disorders, making it a major global public health concern. Recent studies have revealed the crucial role of gut microbiota in the occurrence and development of obesity, in addition to genetic and lifestyle factors. In this study, we recruited 19 normal-weight children and 47 children with varying degrees of obesity. A questionnaire survey was conducted to inquire about the family background, lifestyle habits and dietary composition of the 66 children. Findings indicate that fathers of obese children tend to be obese themselves, while children with highly educated mothers are more likely to maintain a normal weight. Furthermore, overweight children tend to spend more time on electronic devices and less time on physical activities compared to their normal-weight counterparts. Obese children exhibit significant differences in breakfast and dinner dietary composition when compared to children with normal weight. Additionally, the gut microbiota of these 66 children was analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing. Analysis of gut microbiota composition showed similar compositions among children with varying degrees of obesity, but significant differences were observed in comparison to normal-weight children. Obese children exhibited a reduced proportion of Bacteroidota and an increased proportion of Firmicutes, resulting in an elevated Firmicutes/Bacteroidota ratio. Moreover, Actinobacteriota were found to be increased in the gut microbiota of children with varying degrees of obesity. PICRUSt analysis indicated significant metabolic differences in the microbiota functions between obese and normal-weight children, suggesting the composition of gut microbiota could be a crucial factor contributing to obesity. These findings provide valuable insights for the treatment of childhood obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The recent emergence and dissemination of high-level mobile tigecycline resistance Tet(X) challenge the clinical effectiveness of tigecycline, one of the last-resort therapeutic options for complicated infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogens. Although tet(X) has been found in various bacterial species, less is known about phylogeographic distribution and phenotypic variance of different genetic variants. Methods: Herein, we conducted a multiregional whole-genome sequencing study of tet(X)-positive Acinetobacter isolates from human, animal, and their surrounding environmental sources in China. The molecular and enzymatic features of tet(X) variants were characterized by clonal expression, microbial degradation, reverse transcription, and gene transfer experiments, while the tet(X) genetic diversity and molecular evolution were explored by comparative genomic and Bayesian evolutionary analyses. Results: We identified 193 tet(X)-positive isolates from 3846 samples, with the prevalence ranging from 2.3 to 25.3% in nine provinces in China. The tet(X) was broadly distributed in 12 Acinetobacter species, including six novel species firstly described here. Besides tet(X3) (n = 188) and tet(X4) (n = 5), two tet(X5) variants, tet(X5.2) (n = 36) and tet(X5.3) (n = 4), were also found together with tet(X3) or tet(X4) but without additive effects on tetracyclines. These tet(X)-positive Acinetobacter spp. isolates exhibited 100% resistance rates to tigecycline and tetracycline, as well as high minimum inhibitory concentrations to eravacycline (2–8 μg/mL) and omadacycline (8–16 μg/mL). Genetic analysis revealed that different tet(X) variants shared an analogous ISCR2-mediated transposon structure. The molecular evolutionary analysis indicated that Tet(X) variants likely shared the same common ancestor with the chromosomal monooxygenases that are found in environmental Flavobacteriaceae bacteria, but sequence divergence suggested separation ~ 9900 years ago (7887 BC), presumably associated with the mobilization of tet(X)-like genes through horizontal transfer. Conclusions: Four tet(X) variants were identified in this study, and they were widely distributed in multiple Acinetobacter spp. strains from various ecological niches across China. Our research also highlighted the crucial role of ISCR2 in mobilizing tet(X)-like genes between different Acinetobacter species and explored the evolutionary history of Tet(X)-like monooxygenases. Further studies are needed to evaluate the clinical impact of these mobile tigecycline resistance genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A novel coronavirus was identified in December, 2019 in Wuhan, China, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) played an active role in combating the novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) caused by this fast-spreading virus COVID-19. Thus, we aimed to explore TCM characteristics of clinical efficacy to NCP, as well as to optimize Qingfei Paidu decoction (QFPDD) and the recommended formulas to NCP by National Health Commission (NHC). Methods: Chinese medical sciences theory and clinical application of TCM were analyzed. A total of 54 NCP patients were observed in a hospital from Wuhan, whose clinical characteristics and utilization of Chinese Medicines (CMs) were described. Paired t test was used to measure the change of patients' hemogram during hospitalization period, indicating the effect of CMs. Multiple linear regression analysis was applied to explore the factors affecting the length of hospital stay. Network pharmacology analysis was applied to figure out the performance of NHC-recommended formulas of five disease stages at levels of compounds, targets and pathways. Result: The average length of hospital stay was 8.96 days. Patients over 45 stayed 9.79 days in hospital in average, longer than 7.64 days of patients under 45. Comparing the hemograms between admission and discharge of hospital, the number of leukocytes, neutrophil, lymphocyte and platelet increased, while the numbers of erythrocytes, hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit decreased. According to the standard coefficients of regression, the factor affecting the length of stay for the most was CMs in category of invigorating spleen and removing dampness (ISRD), followed by administrating CMs, male, and cough. Thirty-two CMs were screened after deleting duplication from QFPDD and NHC-recommended formulas. Compound quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol, acacetin etc., were all involved in the treatment of various disease stages on the compound level both in generality and individuality. Conclusion: TCM has a systemic theoretical understanding on the pathological evolution and a positive clinical efficacy on NCP. The CMs of ISRD improved patients' recovery, suggesting the importance of regulating intestinal function and keeping microenvironmental balance in TCM treatment of NCP. The active compounds from QFPDD and NHC-recommended formulas contribute to recovery of varied disease progresses during TCM treating NCP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]