Annals of medicine
-
Background: Recent evidence indicates that host-gut microbiota crosstalk has nonnegligible effects on host skeletal muscle, yet gut microbiota-regulating mechanisms remain obscure. Methods: C57BL/6 mice were treated with a cocktail of antibiotics (Abx) to depress gut microbiota for 4 weeks. The profiles of gut microbiota and microbial bile acids were measured by 16S rRNA sequencing and ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC), respectively. ⋯ Mechanistically, circulating FGF15 was decreased, which downregulated skeletal muscle protein synthesis through the extracellular-signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) signaling pathway. Treating Abx mice with FGF19 (human FGF15 ortholog) partly reversed skeletal muscle loss. Conclusions: These findings indicate that the BA-FXR-FGF15/19 axis acts as a regulator of gut microbiota to mediate host skeletal muscle.
-
This paper uses a SEIR(D) model to analyse the time-varying transmission dynamics of the COVID-19 epidemic in Korea throughout its multiple stages of development. This multi-stage estimation of the model parameters offers a better model fit compared to the whole period analysis and shows how the COVID-19's infection patterns change over time, primarily depending on the effectiveness of the public health authority's non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs). ⋯ The original SIR compartment model may produce a poor and even misleading estimation result if it is used to cover the entire period of the epidemic. However, if we use the model carefully in distinctive stages of the COVID-19 epidemic, we can find useful insights into the nature of the transmission of the novel coronavirus and the relative effectiveness of the government's non-pharmaceutical interventions over time.Key messagesIdentifies three distinctive waves of the COVID-19 epidemic in Korea.Conducts multi-stage estimations of the COVID-19 transmission dynamics using SEIR(D) epidemic models.The transmission dynamics of the COVID-19 vary over time, primarily depending on the relative effectiveness of the government's non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs).The SEIR(D) epidemic model is useful and informative, but only when it is used carefully to account for the presence of multiple waves and context-dependent infection patterns in each wave.
-
Introduction: Recently, zein-coated MgO nanowires were synthesized, which could be promising as an effective antimicrobial compounds that can be combined in the preparation of a diversity of new dental formulations. However, there is a deficiency of information concerning their toxicological profile regarding the human health. Objective: This in vivo study aimed to explore the hepato- and nephrotoxicity of low versus high doses of zein-coated MgO nanowires in rats. ⋯ KEY MESSAGESMgO NPs are globally used in multiple fields including the therapeutic field. Zein has wide pharmaceutical applications especially coating the tablet over sugar. There are no cytotoxic studies that investigate MgO-zein nanowires safety until now.