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Alcoholic hepatitis (AH) is a rapidly progressing and severe stage of alcoholic liver disease, presenting a grim prognosis. Extensive research has elucidated several underlying mechanisms that contribute to the development of AH, including metabolic alterations, immune stimulation, and intestinal dysbiosis. These pathological changes intricately intertwine during the progression of AH. Notably, recent studies have increasingly highlighted the pivotal role of alterations in the intestinal microbiota in the pathogenesis of AH. Consequently, future investigations should place significant emphasis on exploring the dynamics of intestinal microbiota. In this comprehensive review, we consolidate the primary causes of AH while underscoring the influence of gut microbes. Furthermore, by examining AH treatment strategies, we delineate the potential therapeutic value of interventions targeting the gut microbiota. Given the existing limitations in AH treatment options, we anticipate that this review will contribute to forthcoming research endeavors aimed at advancing AH treatment modalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyclophosphamide causes side effects in cancer patients, including hepatotoxicity. Probiotics have recently emerged as potential approaches for the administration of many diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum P101 against cyclophosphamide-induced liver injury and elucidate the underlying mechanism. In this study, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum P101 or Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG were pre-administered to mice with varying duration (1 week, 2 weeks, and 3 weeks) before being intraperitoneally injected with cyclophosphamide at a dose of 30 mg/kg/day for 7 days to induce liver injury. Results demonstrated that cyclophosphamide-induced liver injury was characterized by histopathological disorders, including irregular central venous shape and hepatic vascular rupture, as well as a severe inflammation response and oxidative stress. The administration of probiotics for 3 weeks exerted the most significant improvements in alleviating liver injury, oxidative stress, and inflammation when compared to the shorter intervention duration. Notably, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum P101 exhibited more pronounced effects than Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. Furthermore, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum P101 enhanced the antioxidant defense system by activating the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway, ultimately alleviating hepatotoxicity and hepatocyte apoptosis. In conclusion, this study highlighted the potential of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum P101 to alleviate cyclophosphamide-induced hepatotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, due to the influence and promotion of several factors, the Chinese market demands for prepared foods have grown rapidly. However, there are still many problems with Chinese prepared food. As China's prepared foods are still at an early stage of development, there are problems such as vague concepts, outdated processing techniques and equipment, imperfect, unclear and inconsistent national standards, and prominent safety risks. The existence of these problems hinders the high quality and stable development of prepared foods. Thus, to meet the further development of prepared foods, it is necessary to conduct further analysis and research on the concept and boundary of prepared foods, set the Chinese national standards for prepared foods further, reform and upgrade the processing technology and equipment of prepared foods, and develop the safety control management system of prepared foods to promote the high-quality development of the prepared foods industry and provide a solid foundation for the further development of this industry. In this paper, the research progress of prepared foods' processing techniques and the difficulties of industry development have been reviewed. In addition, an outlook on the future of prepared foods is provided, with a view to giving some reference for the innovative and stable development of prepared foods in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous reports confirm that microplastics exposure could induce reproductive toxicity in mammals. However, the effects of microplastics exposure during juveniles on ovarian apoptosis through oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stresses remains unclear, which is the focus of our study. In the present study, female rats (4 weeks old) were exposed to polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs, 1 μm) at different dosages (0, 0.5, and 2.0 mg/kg) for 28 days. Findings revealed that 2.0 mg/kg of PS-MPs distinctly increased the atretic follicle ratio in the ovary and dramatically reduced the serum levels of estrogen and progesterone. Additionally, the oxidative stress indicators declined, including the activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase, whereas the malondialdehyde content in the ovary was considerably enhanced in the 2.0 mg/kg PS-MPs group. Furthermore, the expressions of genes related to ER stress (PERK, eIF2α, ATF4, and CHOP) and apoptosis were remarkably elevated in the 2.0 mg/kg PS-MPs group compared with those in the control group. We found that PS-MPs induced oxidative stress and activated the PERK-eIF2α-ATF4-CHOP signaling pathway in juvenile rats. Moreover, with the oxidative stress inhibitor N-acetyl-cysteine and eIF2α dephosphorylation blocker Salubrinal treatment, ovarian damage induced by PS-MPs was repaired and associated enzyme activities were improved. Overall, our results indicated that PS-MPs exposure induced ovarian injury associated with oxidative stress and activation of the PERK-eIF2α-ATF4-CHOP signaling pathway in juvenile rats, providing new prospects for assessing the health risks of children exposed to microplastics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: The combination of natural plant products and probiotics contribute to regulating the gut microbiota and alleviating liver damage. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a main active ingredient in tea, but it is difficult for it to be absorbed and utilized by the body, resulting in limited bioactivity. Therefore, we explored the role of probiotics in enhancing the physiological activity of EGCG in a mice model of liver injury. Mice were methodically treated with either a single ingredient or a combination of EGCG and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum P101 (LP.P101) for 21 days, and then administrated with intraperitoneal injection of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) on the last day. As a result, the antioxidative genes were activated and pro-inflammatory genes were suppressed, reducing the oxidative and inflammatory injury of mice, which indicated a better preventive effect of the combination of EGCG and LP.P101 than the single ingredient. Furthermore, 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing revealed the role of gut microbiota played in liver injury mitigation. The combination of EGCG and LP.P101 increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Akkermansia and other beneficial bacteria that negatively correlated with inflammation and positively correlated with antioxidation. In conclusion, the combination of EGCG and LP.P101 was more effective than the single ingredient in alleviating liver damage caused by CCl4. Altered gut microbiota may be an important cause. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salmonella, as an important foodborne pathogen, can cause various diseases, such as severe enteritis. In recent years, various types of nucleicacid-intercalating dyes have been utilized to detect viable Salmonella. However, in principle, the performance of existing nucleic acid dyes is limited because they depend on the integrity of cell membrane. Herein, based on the metabolic activity of bacteria, a novel DNA dye called thiazole orange monoazide (TOMA) was introduced to block the DNA from dead bacteria. Recombinase-aided amplification (RAA) was then performed to detect viable Salmonella in samples. In this study, the permeability of TOMA to the cell membrane of Salmonella was evaluated via confocal laser scanning microscopy and fluorescence emission spectrometry. The limit of detection (LOD) of the TOMA–RAA method was 2.0 × 104 CFU/mL in pure culture. The feasibility of the TOMA–RAA method in detecting Salmonella was assessed in spiked milk. The LOD for Salmonella was 3.5 × 102 CFU/mL after 3 h of enrichment and 3.5 × 100 CFU/mL after 5 h of enrichment. The proposed TOMA–RAA assay has great potential to be applied to accurately detect and monitor foodborne pathogens in milk and its byproducts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a common foodborne pathogen that causes fever, vomiting, and other intestinal symptoms, and seriously affects human health and social safety. As a result, a reliable and sensitive detection technique for S. aureus must be developed. In this work, we proposed a sandwich assay on vancomycin functionalized magnetic beads (Van-MNPs) for S. aureus detection based on the specific binding between IgG and targets. The Van-MNPs were used as a tool for the separation of target bacteria. The biotin-modified IgG mediates binding between DNA nanoflowers (DNFs) and the target bacteria via interacting with streptavidin. The DNFs prepared by rolling circle amplification (RCA) were employed as a nano-container to enhance the capacity of biotins, and the streptavidin-horseradish peroxidase (SA-HRP) was loaded onto DNFs to catalyze the color change of TMB. Therefore, a colorimetric biosensor based on magnetic separation and rolling circle amplification was developed. The proposed methods for S. aureus detection showed a limit of detection (LOD) of 3.3 × 103 CFU/mL and excellent specificity. The biosensor has a certain reference value for the detection of S. aureus in juice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: Rapid magnetic enrichment strategy can significantly improve the sensitivity of multiplex PCR analysis and shorten the pre-concentration time. The simultaneous and sensitive detection of pathogenic Listeria spp. was achieved.Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria ivanovii are important pathogenic Listeria spp. that cause infections in humans and animals. Establishing a rapid and sensitive method for the simultaneous screening of pathogenic Listeria spp. is of great significance for ensuring food safety. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR) has been extensively reported to simultaneously detect several pathogens in food with high sensitivity, but a time-consuming pre-enrichment process is necessary. In this study, we report the usage of surface-modified polyethyleneimine-coated positively charged magnetic nanoparticles (PEI-MNPs) for rapid enrichment of pathogenic Listeria spp. through electrostatic interactions. The enrichment process takes only 10 min with high capture efficiency (more than 70%) at a wide pH range and ionic strength. Combined with mPCR analysis, the PEI-MNPs-mPCR strategy can simultaneously, rapidly, and sensitively detect pathogenic Listeria spp. without a time-consuming pre-concentration process. Under the optimal conditions, the detection limits of L. monocytogenes and L. ivanovii in lettuce were both as low as 101 CFU/mL, which was a hundred times lower than that without magnetic enrichment. In conclusion, the magnetic enrichment strategy based on charge interaction combined with mPCR analysis has great application potential in shortening the pre-concentration time of foodborne pathogens and improving the detection sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hazard of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) in diseased population should be given focus due to the huge number of these NPs in foods and medicine. This study aimed to evaluate the stronger biological adverse effect of oral exposure to TiO2 NPs in a fructose-induced metabolic syndrome mouse model. Compared to the normal mice, low-dose (2 mg/kg) TiO2 NPs did not cause severe hepatotoxicity. However, high-dose (20 mg/kg) TiO2 NPs induced aggravated hepatic inflammation, fibrosis, and apoptosis, with substantial alteration of related biochemical parameters in the mouse model. Moreover, significantly increased Ti and lipopolysaccharide burden were observed in metabolic syndrome murine liver and serum, which possibly worsened the portend intestinal leakage. The expression of tight junction-related protein showed that TiO2 NPs induced further increase in serious intestinal permeability. The intestinal inflammatory and oxidative stress response in the model were also assessed. Results showed that TiO2 NPs caused more severe intestinal inflammatory injury by intensifying the oxidative stress in metabolic syndrome mice and then induced further liver injury. This work provides information on the insights into the toxic effect of TiO2 NPs in sub-healthy population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential toxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) to mammals has become a widespread concern. Young individuals exposed to TiO2 NPs have a higher risk than adults. In this study, the protective effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) on liver toxicity in young rats induced by TiO2 NPs were explored. Results show that the four-week-old rats that underwent LGG after the oral intake of TiO2 NPs could prevent weight loss, reduce hematological indicators (WBC and NEUT) and serum biochemical indicators (AST, ALT, AST/ALT, and ALP). Moreover, it alleviated the pathological damage of the liver (as indicated by the disordered hepatocytes, more eosinophilic, ballooning degeneration, and accompany with blood cells), but it did not reduce the Ti contents in the liver. In addition, RT-qPCR results indicated that LGG restored the expression of anti-oxidative stress-related genes, such as SOD1, SOD2, CAT, HO-1, GSH, GCLC, and GCLM in the liver. In summary, the hepatotoxicity of TiO2 NPs in young rats is closely related to oxidative stress, and the antioxidant effect of LGG might protect the harmful effects caused by TiO2 NPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnO NPs have been assessed to show adverse effects on reproductive organs, but the molecular mechanisms of reproductive toxicity have not been sufficiently studied. In this research, the dosage effects from the oral exposure of ZnO NPs (30 nm) to pregnant mice in gestation day 10.5 to 17.5 was analyzed. Pregnant mice exposed to ZnO NPs induced dam injury, mice fetal growth restriction, and the fetus number decreased. The pathological evaluation showed that ZnO NPs exposure caused placental spongiotrophoblast area decease and structural damage. The RT-qPCR and immunocytochemistry data indicated that ZnO NPs could induce placenta oxide stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress responses, apoptosis, and altered placental function. These findings indicated that ZnO NPs could induce dam injury and fetal growth restriction. Reproductive toxicity of ZnO NPs may be due to placental injury and function alteration caused by apoptosis, oxide stress, and endoplasmic reticulum stress after ZnO NPs exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The toxicity, especially the transgenerational toxicity of quantum dots (QDs) in vivo, is still scarcely understood in spite of great promising applications of QDs in biomedicine. In this study, the maternal status, pregnancy outcome, and fetus development of parental generation (P0) to offspring in three generations (F3) were investigated after Kunming mice perinatal (GD 13-PND 5) exposure to Cd containing QDs (CdSe/ZnS QDs) and CdCl2. The results show CdSe/ZnS QDs induced placenta injuries in P0 and diminished placenta diameters in F1 and F2. Bodyweight growth decreased in the CdSe/ZnS QDs treatment group in the F1 and F2 generation. Additionally, CdSe/ZnS QDs significantly altered the expression of key genes in the Shh signal pathway. Overall, this study exhibited that the CdSe/ZnS QDs exposure during perinatal period impaired placenta growth in the first two generations, but not on the third generation. The toxicological actions of the CdSe/ZnS QDs might be through the effects on the Shh signal pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the Frequency Modulation Continuous Wave (FMCW) radar sensor for multi-target displacement measurement in Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). The principle of three-dimensional (3-D) displacement measurement of civil infrastructures is analyzed. The requirements of high-accuracy displacement and multi-target identification for the measuring sensors are discussed. The fundamental measuring principle of FMCW radar is presented with rigorous mathematical formulas, and further the multiple-target displacement measurement is analyzed and simulated. In addition, a FMCW radar prototype is designed and fabricated based on an off-the-shelf radar frontend and data acquisition (DAQ) card, and the displacement error induced by phase asynchronism is analyzed. The conducted outdoor experiments verify the feasibility of this sensing method applied to multi-target displacement measurement, and experimental results show that three targets located at different distances can be distinguished simultaneously with millimeter level accuracy.