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Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome is a rare congenital condition characterized by hypoplasia of the vagina and uterus. The vagina is one of many sites where bacterial communities are typically found in the human body. The vaginal microbiome plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy vaginal environment for women. Developing a better understanding of the neovaginal microbiome is important for MRKH patients' health. Here we presented a detailed analysis of the spatiotemporal dynamics of the neovaginal microbiota in women with MRKH undergone laparoscopic peritoneal vaginoplasty through multi-site longitudinal sampling and whole-genome shotgun metagenomic sequencing.

The vagina contains at least a billion microbial cells, dominated by lactobacilli. Here we perform metagenomic shotgun sequencing on cervical and fecal samples from a cohort of 516 Chinese women of reproductive age, as well as cervical, fecal, and salivary samples from a second cohort of 632 women. Factors such as pregnancy history, delivery history, cesarean section, and breastfeeding were all more important than menstrual cycle in shaping the microbiome, and such information would be necessary before trying to interpret differences between vagino-cervical microbiome data. Greater proportion of Bifidobacterium breve was seen with older age at sexual debut. The relative abundance of lactobacilli especially Lactobacillus crispatus was negatively associated with pregnancy history. Potential markers for lack of menstrual regularity, heavy flow, dysmenorrhea, and contraceptives were also identified. Lactobacilli were rare during breastfeeding or post-menopause. Other features such as mood fluctuations and facial speckles could potentially be predicted from the vagino-cervical microbiome. Gut and salivary microbiomes, plasma vitamins, metals, amino acids, and hormones showed associations with the vagino-cervical microbiome. Our results offer an unprecedented glimpse into the microbiota of the female reproductive tract and call for international collaborations to better understand its long-term health impact other than in the settings of infection or pre-term birth. The vagina contains at least a billion microbial cells, dominated by lactobacilli. Here we perform metagenomic shotgun sequencing on cervical and fecal samples from a cohort of 516 Chinese women of reproductive age, as well as cervical, fecal, and salivary samples from a second cohort of 632 women. Factors such as pregnancy history, delivery history, cesarean section, and breastfeeding were all more important than menstrual cycle in shaping the microbiome, and such information would be necessary before trying to interpret differences between vagino-cervical microbiome data. Greater proportion of Bifidobacterium breve was seen with older age at sexual debut. The relative abundance of lactobacilli especially Lactobacillus crispatus was negatively associated with pregnancy history. Potential markers for lack of menstrual regularity, heavy flow, dysmenorrhea, and contraceptives were also identified. Lactobacilli were rare during breastfeeding or post-menopause. Other features such as mood fluctuations and facial speckles could potentially be predicted from the vagino-cervical microbiome. Gut and salivary microbiomes, plasma vitamins, metals, amino acids, and hormones showed associations with the vagino-cervical microbiome. Our results offer an unprecedented glimpse into the microbiota of the female reproductive tract and call for international collaborations to better understand its long-term health impact other than in the settings of infection or pre-term birth.

The vaginal microbiota is less complex than the gut microbiota, and the colonization of Lactobacillus in the female vagina is considered to be critical for reproductive health. Oral probiotics have been suggested as promising means to modulate vaginal homeostasis in the general population. In this study, 60 Chinese women were followed for over a year before, during, and after treatment with the probiotics Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14. Shotgun metagenomic data of 1334 samples from multiple body sites did not support a colonization route of the probiotics from the oral cavity to the intestinal tract and then to the vagina. Our analyses enable the classification of the cervicovaginal microbiome into a stable state and a state of dysbiosis. The microbiome in the stable group steadily maintained a relatively high abundance of Lactobacilli over one year, which was not affected by probiotic intake, whereas in the dysbiosis group, the microbiota was more diverse and changed markedly over time. Data from a subset of the dysbiosis group suggests this subgroup possibly benefited from supplementation with the probiotics, indicating that probiotics supplementation can be prescribed for women in a subclinical microbiome setting of dysbiosis, providing opportunities for targeted and personalized microbiome reconstitution.

Deal with the 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing reads, which sequenced by Ion PGMTM Sequencer with Ion 318TMChip v2 with a read length of 400bp, and takes the OTU table( the measured abundance profile of detected operational taxonomic units (OTUs)).

This protocol is used to clarity the process of total DNA extration for human microbe samples.

Human urine is traditionally considered to be sterile, and whether the urine harbours distinct microbial communities has been a matter of debate. Potential links between female urine and reproductive tract microbial communities is currently not clear. Here, we collected urine samples from 147 Chinese women of reproductive age and explored the nature of colonization by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, quantitative real-time PCR, and live bacteria culture. To demonstrate the utility of this approach, the intra-individual Spearman’s correlation was used to explore the relationship between urine and multiple sites of the female reproductive tract. PERMANOVA was also performed to explore potential correlations between the lifestyle and various clinical factors and urinary bacterial communities. Our data demonstrated distinct bacterial communities in urine, indicative of a non-sterile environment. Streptococcus-dominated, Lactobacillus-dominated, and diverse type were the three most common urinary bacterial community types in the cohort. Detailed comparison of the urinary microbiota with multiple sites of the female reproductive tract microbiota demonstrated that the urinary microbiota were more similar to the microbiota in the cervix and uterine cavity than to those of the vagina in the same women. Our data demonstrate the potential connectivity among microbiota in the female urogenital system and provide insight and resources for exploring diseases of the urethra and genital tract.

Fecal samples are widely used in metagenomic research, which aims to elucidate the relationship between human health and the intestinal microbiota. However, the best conditions for stable and reliable storage and transport of these samples at room temperature are still unknown, and whether samples stored at room temperature for several days will maintain their microbiota composition is still unknown. Here, we established and tested a preservation method using reagents containing imidazolium- or pyridinium-based ionic liquids. We stored human fecal samples in these reagents for up to 7 days at different temperatures. Subsequently, all samples were sequenced and compared with fresh samples and/or samples treated under other conditions. The 16S rRNA sequencing results suggested that ionic liquid-based reagents could stabilize the composition of the microbiota in fecal samples during a 7-day storage period, particularly when stored at room temperature. Thus, this method may have implications in the storage of fecal samples for metagenomic research.

A facile layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly process using solutions under a parallel electric field was used to construct methoxybenzene group functionalized graphene oxide/poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol) (fGO/EVOH) multilayer barrier films with a nanobrick wall structure. Using aryl diazonium salt as a functionalization agent, fGO was prepared by the reduction of graphene oxide (GO). During the functionalization process, the integrity of the exfoliated nanosheets was well maintained and could be assembled from solution on an EVOH matrix at a voltage of 45 kV under a parallel electric field. The resulting films were the best moisture barrier even under a relative humidity of 99% (e.g., 0.028 g m−2 s−1 atm−1 for (fGO/EVOH)20) and showed an excellent oxygen barrier (e.g., 0.05 cm3 m−2 d−1 atm−1 for (fGO/EVOH)20). Furthermore, the Young's modulus and tensile strength of the fGO/EVOH films were improved by >200% and 50% of that of the bare EVOH film, respectively. The fGO/EVOH LbL composite films may have potential as a packaging material for protecting perishable goods that are vulnerable to moisture and oxygen degradation. Keywords: Layer-by-layer assembly, Parallel electric field, Functionalized graphene/poly (ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol), Moisture and oxygen barrier, Mechanical strength

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the release kinetics and antibacterial activities of curcumin (CUR) loaded in zein (zein-CUR) electrospun fibers towards Escherichia coli ( E. coli , 8099) and Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus , ATCC 6538). CUR was successfully loaded in zein fibers by electrospinning technique, and the encapsulation efficiency was close to 100% and the encapsulated CUR still retained its antioxidant capacity. The morphology and size of fibers strongly depended on CUR contents. The interaction between CUR and zein matrix was confirmed to be hydrogen bonding, and the addition of CUR caused a slight increase in the T g of zein matrix. The electrode process of CUR electrooxidation was diffusion-controlled and could be preceded by chemical reaction. The predominant release of CUR from fibers was Fickian diffusion, and First-order model and Hixson-Crowell model could well describe this diffusion behavior. The zein-CUR fibers showed good antibacterial activity towards S. aureus and E. coli , and the inhibition efficiency increased with the increase of CUR contents. However, the antibacterial activity towards S. aureus was better than that towards E. coli . The study displayed that the zein-CUR fibers might have potential as a promising material for antimicrobial applications to inhibit bacterial growth and propagation in active food packaging.

The present work aims to prepare mesoporous hydroxylapatite/activated carbon (meso-HA/AC) bead-on-string nanofibers and evaluate their sorption towards Co(II) via sorption kinetics and isotherms. Using polyvinyl alcohol/hydroxylapatite/glucose electrospun nanofibers as the precursor, meso-HA/AC nanofibers are prepared by a hydrothermal process. The nanofibers show bead-on-string structures with mesoporous characteristics, main pores around 29 nm in size, and a specific surface area of 30.014 m2 g−1. Moreover, the rod-like HA crystals assemble into bundles and insert into the two neighboring activated carbon beads. The sorption of Co(II) onto meso-HA/AC nanofibers is strongly dependent on pH and ionic strength. The pseudo-second-order model is valid to describe the sorption of Co(II) onto meso-HA/AC nanofibers, and the intraparticle diffusion is not the sole rate-controlling step. Both Langmuir and Freundlich models can well describe the sorption isotherms, and the Langmuir model is slightly better than the Freundlich model. Moreover, the thermodynamic parameters imply that the sorption process is spontaneous and endothermic. The meso-HA/AC bead-on-string nanofibers may have potential as a highly effective material for the removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solution.

The aim of this study is to develop antimicrobial mesoporous hydroxylapatite/zinc oxide (meso-HA/ZnO) nanofibers from polyvinyl alcohol/hydroxylapatite/zinc acetate (PVA/HA/Zn(OAc)2) electrospun nanofibers by calcination process. The antibacterial activities of meso-HA/ZnO nanofibers towards Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus, ATCC6538) and Escherichia coli (E. coli, 8099) were evaluated. The meso-HA/ZnO nanofibers were composed of hexagonal HA and wurtzite ZnO phases. The representative meso-HA/ZnO nanofibers with ZnO/HA ratio at 1:5 showed a wormhole-like shape, main pore diameter around 25 nm and specific surface area at 24.81 m2/g. The inhibition efficiency of meso-HA/ZnO nanofibers increased with the increase of ZnO/HA ratio, however, S. aureus was more sensitive to meso-HA/ZnO nanofibers than E. coli. The meso-HA/ZnO nanofibers with ZnO/HA ratio at 1:10 exhibited effective antibacterial activity towards S. aureus, whereas, the ZnO/HA ratio was raised up to 1:5 towards E. coli. The experimental results suggested that the meso-HA/ZnO nanofibers might have potential as an antimicrobial activity material in biomaterial applications. Keywords: Hydroxylapatite/zinc oxide, Mesoporous nanofibers, Electrospinning technique, Antimicrobial activity

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Background: The human uterus is traditionally believed to be sterile, while the vaginal microbiota plays an important role in fending off pathogens. Emerging evidence demonstrates the presence of bacteria beyond the vagina. However, a microbiome-wide metagenomic analysis characterizing the diverse microbial communities has been lacking.Results: We performed shotgun-sequencing of 52 samples from the cervical canal and the peritoneal fluid of Chinese women of reproductive age using the Illumina platform. Direct annotation of sequencing reads identified the taxonomy of bacteria, archaea, fungi and viruses, confirming and extending the results from our previous study. We replicated our previous findings in another 24 samples from the vagina, the cervical canal, the uterus and the peritoneal fluid using the BGISEQ-500 platform revealing that microorganisms in the samples from the same individuals were largely shared in the entire reproductive tract. Human sequences made up more than 99% of the 20GB raw data. After filtering, vaginal microorganisms were well covered in the generated reproductive tract gene catalogue, while the more diverse upper reproductive tract microbiota would require greater depth of sequencing and more samples to meet the full coverage scale.Conclusions: We provide novel detailed data on the microbial composition of a largely unchartered body site, the female reproductive tract. Our results indicated the presence of an intra-individual continuum of microorganisms that gradually changed from the vagina to the peritoneal fluid. This study also provides a framework for understanding the implications of the composition and functional potential of the distinct microbial ecosystems of the female reproductive tract in relation to health and disease.

Background The number of large-scale studies on the gut microbiota in human cohorts is rapidly increasing. However, the few and expensive options for storage of fecal samples at room temperature have been an obstacle for large-scale metagenomic studies and the development of clinical/commercial personal metagenomic sequencing. Results In this study, we systematically tested a novel N-octylpyridinium bromide-based fecal sample preservation method and compared it with other currently used storage methods. We found that the N-octylpyridinium bromide-based method enabled preservation of the bacterial composition in fecal samples transported and stored at room temperature for up to at least 14 days. Conclusions We describe a novel chemical stabilizer that allows cost-effective transportation and storage at room temperature for several days with preservation of bacterial composition. This method will facilitate sample collection even in remote area and also enable transport via normal commercial transportation routes. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40168-018-0429-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The proanthocyanidins encapsulated in zein (zein-PA) fibers was via electrospinning technique. The kinetics and antioxidant capacity of PA from zein fibers was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. Circular dichroism was used to investigate the secondary structure change of zein and its influence on the shape of fibers. The addition of PA caused a significant increase in viscosity and made fibers wider. These hydrogen bonds between zein and PA molecules would favor the α-helix change and decrease the β-folds of zein in electrospinning solutions, leading to a round-shaped tendency of fibers and enhancing the thermal properties slightly. Zein-PA fibers showed high encapsulation efficiency close to 100%, and the encapsulated PA retained its antioxidant capacity in fibers. Zein-PA fibers showed a good controlled release toward PA, and the predominant release of PA from fibers was Fickian diffusion, which could be well described by first-order model and Hixson–Crowell model.

Tetracycline hydrochloride loaded poly (vinyl alcohol)/chitosan/ZrO2 (Tet-PVA/CS/ZrO2) hybrid nanofibers were fabricated via electrospinning technique. The representative weight ratio of PVA/CS at 3 : 1 was chosen to fabricate drug carrier PVA/CS/ZrO2 nanofibers. The drug carrier showed a decrease in average diameter with the increase of ZrO2 content at given conditions, and the nanofibers were uneven and interspersed with spindle-shape beads with ZrO2 content at 60 wt % and above. The networks linked by hydrogen and Zr–O–C bonds among PVA, CS, and ZrO2 units resulted in the improving of thermal stability and decreasing of crystallinity of the polymeric matrix. Moreover, the incorporation of ZrO2 endowed the fibers with ultraviolet shielding effect ranged from 200 to 400 nm. The Tet loading dosage had no obvious effect on the morphology and size of the medicated nanofibers at Tet content below 8 wt %, but interspersed with spindle-shaped beads when Tet content increased to 10 wt %. The Tet-PVA/CS/ZrO2) nanofibers showed well controlled release and better antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, and the Tet release from the medicated nanofibers could be described by Fickian diffusion model for Mt /M∞< 0.6. These medicated nanofibers may have potential as a suitable material in drug delivery and wound dressing. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42506.