Gastrointestinal flora of cotton rats

The gastrointestinal (GI) flora of cotton rats was examined. No lactobacilli were detected in any part of the GI tract. Anaerobes, including Peptococcaceae, Bacteroidaceae, bifidobacteria and eubacteria, were the predominant bacteria in the stomach, small intestine, caecum and faeces. Aerobes and facultative anaerobes, including Enterobacteriaceae and streptococci, were detected at low numbers and very low frequency of occurrence in all parts of the GI tract. Sixty-one isolates of bifidobacteria were recovered from the stomach, small intestine, caecum and faeces of cotton rats. They were identified as Bifidobacterium animalis, B. pseudolongum biovar a and b. The study showed that the GI flora of cotton rats seem to be very different from the GI flora in other rodents.     

Gastrointestinal absorption of neptunium in primates: effect of ingested mass, diet, and fasting

Absorption and retention of neptunium were determined in baboons after intragastric administration of neptunium nitrate solutions at pH 1. The effects of mass, diet, and fasting on absorption were studied. At higher mass levels (400-800 micrograms Np/kg), absorption was about 1%; at lower mass intakes (0.0009-0.005 micrograms Np/kg), absorption was reduced by 10- to 20-fold. The addition of an oxidizing agent (Fe3+) increased gastrointestinal absorption and supported the hypothesis of a reduction of Np (V) when loss masses were ingested. Diets depleted of or enriched with hydroxy acids did not modify retention of neptunium but increased urinary excretion with increasing hydroxy acid content. The diet enriched with milk components reduced absorption by a factor of 5. Potatoes increased absorption and retention by a factor 5, not necessarily due to the effect of phytate. Fasting for 12 or 24 h increased retention and absorption by factors of about 3 and 10, respectively. Data obtained in baboons when low masses of neptunium were administered suggest that the f1 factor used by ICRP should be decreased. However, fasting as encountered in certain nutritional habits is a factor to be taken into consideration.     

The influence of fasting, of a hyperprotein diet and of nicotinamide on hepatic L-threonine deaminase

The induction of L-threonine deaminase, following nicotinamide injection has been studied: the effect of fasting and of hyperproteic diet have been also taken in consideration. Maximal induction is observed after 5 days hyperproteic diet, and is additional only with nicotinamide treatment. Results are interpreted assuming a different hepatic content and behavior of multiple forms of the enzyme.     

The 1975 type Japanese diet improves the gut microbial flora and inhibits visceral fat accumulation in mice

ABSTRACT

In this study, the 1975 type Japanese diet was prepared and its effects and related mechanism were examined in mice. Mice were assigned to three experimental groups, the CD group fed a control diet, the MD group fed a modern Japanese diet (MD), and the JD group fed the 1975 type Japanese diet (JD) for 4 weeks. MD and JD were low protein, high fat, and high carbohydrate diets compared to the CD. Total white adipose tissue weights were significantly increased in the MD group compared to those in the CD group and were decreased in the JD group compared to those in the MD group. In the JD group, adipocyte hypertrophy was inhibited and Hsl mRNA expression was enhanced in epididymal adipose tissue and the number of bacteria associated with the production of short chain fatty acids was increased. Therefore, the JD inhibits lipid accumulation in white adipose tissue.     

高脂饮食对雄性SD大鼠肠道菌群的影响

目的探讨通过膳食饲喂高脂饲料诱发的高脂血症大鼠肠道菌群结构的变化。方法 24只SD（Spra-gue Dawley,SD）雄性大鼠随机分为A、B两组,分别连续饲喂基础饲料和高脂饲料42 d,并于第0、9、18、30和42天采集大鼠粪便,应用DGGE（Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis）和q-PCR技术对肠道菌群进行定性定量分析。结果第42天时A、B组大鼠血清总胆固醇值（TC）分别为（2.01±0.14）mmol/L、（5.16±0.22）mmol/L,B组TC水平较A组明显增高（P〈0.05）。DGGE电泳图谱显示B组42 d时肠道菌群构成较0 d时变化显著,而A组不同时期肠道菌落构成无明显差异。q-PCR定量结果显示,随着饲喂高脂饲料天数的增加,B组小鼠肠道内乳杆菌属和双歧杆菌属较0 d明显降低（P〈0.01）,而拟杆菌门数量呈递减趋势且趋势比较平缓;梭菌属呈递增趋势且增幅相对拟杆菌门的变化较大。结论高脂饮食可导致肠道菌群结构的改变,这种改变会进一步促进高脂血症的形成。     

The influence of incubation pH on the activity of rat and human gut flora enzymes

The activities of three bacterial biotransformation enzymes (beta-glucuronidase, beta-glucosidase, nitrate reductase) were determined in suspensions of rat caecal contents or human faeces over the pH range 6-8. All three enzymes were influenced by pH, as exemplified by beta-glucosidase activity which diminished as pH increased. In other instances the rat and human flora showed distinct profiles, with nitrate reductase activity undetectable in human faeces below pH 6.6, whereas the rat caecal flora displayed optimal reduction of nitrate around neutrality. The most pronounced host-species difference was found with beta-glucuronidase, which showed maximal activity at pH 6.0 in human faecal bacteria, while the rat caecal flora expressed greatest activity at pH 8.0. All three enzyme activities were associated with that fraction of rat caecal or human faecal material sedimented by centrifugation at 5000 g for 15 min, with little or no metabolism occurring in the 11,000 g supernatant fluid. The results demonstrate that pH has a pronounced effect on the enzymic activity of bacterial preparations from rat and human sources.     

The influence of incubation pH on the activity of rat and human gut flora enzymes

The activities of three bacterial biotransformation enzymes (β-glucuronidase, β-glucosidase, nitrate reductase) were determined in suspensions of rat caecal contents or human faeces over the pH range 6–8. All three enzymes were influenced by pH, as exemplified by β-glucosidase activity which diminished as pH increased. In other instances the rat and human flora showed distinct profiles, with nitrate reductase activity undetectable in human faeces below pH 6–6, whereas the rat caecal flora displayed optimal reduction of nitrate around neutrality. The most pronounced host-species difference was found with β-glucuronidase, which showed maximal activity at pH 6–0 in human faecal bacteria, while the rat caecal flora expressed greatest activity at pH 8–0. All three enzyme activities were associated with that fraction of rat caecal or human faecal material sedimented by centrifugation at 5000 g for 15 min, with little or no metabolism occurring in the 11000 g supernatant fluid. The results demonstrate that pH has a pronounced effect on the enzymic activity of bacterial preparations from rat and human sources.     

The influence of diet and environment on the gut microbial community of field crickets

The extent to which diet and environment influence gut community membership (presence or absence of taxa) and structure (individual taxon abundance) is the subject of growing interest in microbiome research. Here, we examined the gut bacterial communities of three cricket groups: (1) wild caught field crickets, (2) laboratory‐reared crickets fed cat chow, and (3) laboratory‐reared crickets fed chemically defined diets. We found that both environment and diet greatly altered the structure of the gut bacterial community. Wild crickets had greater gut microbial diversity and higher Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratios, in contrast to laboratory‐reared crickets. Predictive metagenomes revealed that laboratory‐reared crickets were significantly enriched in amino acid degradation pathways, while wild crickets had a higher relative abundance of peptidases that would aid in amino acid release. Although wild and laboratory animals differ greatly in their bacterial communities, we show that the community proportional membership remains stable from Phylum to Family taxonomic levels regardless of differences in environment and diet, suggesting that endogenous factors, such as host genetics, have greater control in shaping gut community membership.     

The optimum pH of renal adenosine triphosphatase in rats: influence of vanadate, noradrenaline and potassium

In the presence of vanadate, the optimum pH of renal (Na+, K+)-ATPase in rats is reduced and lies in the range of intracellular pH. This explains the difference in optimum pH observed with ATP extracted from equine muscle. Removal of vanadate from such ATP (with noradrenaline) raises the optimum to the accepted range obtained with synthetic ATP. Changes in the sensitivity of the enzyme to potassium concentration contribute to the alterations in optimum pH. The optimum pH of Mg-ATPase is unaffected by vanadate. Since vanadate may be an intracellular regulator of (Na+, K+)-ATPase changes of optimum pH in relation to intracellular pH could well contribute to the regulation of sodium pump activity.     

Fecal mutagens and Bacteroides fragilis levels in the feces of dimethylhydrazine-treated rats: influence of diet

In a study designed to investigate the effects of dietary synergisms on 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced rat colon carcinogenesis, fecal pellets were examined for the presence of direct-acting fecal mutagens and levels of Bacteroides fragilis group organisms. Intraperitoneal injections of DMH at 10 mg/kg were given for 16 weeks (weeks 3-18) to 160 male F344 rats consuming 4 supplemental dietary factors in all possible combinations. The dietary factors examined were wheat bran (15%), cholesterol (1%), beef tallow (18%) and indole-3-carbinol (IC) (0.1%). Feces were collected 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 weeks after commencing the dietary treatments and dichloromethane extracts were assayed using the Salmonella typhimurium TA100 without metabolic activation. The numbers of B. fragilis group organisms were enumerated in feces collected at the same time. Most feces samples were negative for mutagens but extracts from weeks 17-31 showed a significant mutagenic response from the IC factor in the diet. The fecal levels of B. fragilis were significantly increased by the inclusion of cholesterol in the diets. The B. fragilis counts and fecal mutagen production were not correlated (r = 0.09), although species of the B. fragilis group have been implicated in the production on human fecal mutagens.     

Satiety, fasting, and refeeding study of absorption in rats

In the rat, small intestine preparation was studied with the aid of our modification of Na(+)-dependent nutrient absorption short-circuit current method. In experiments on rats, it was shown that reaction of the gut to animal state changes (fasting, satiety and refeeding) depended on its medial or distal localization. Active Na+ absorption in medial part of small intestine after refeeding rose 3-6-fold depending on period of previous fasting (2 or 5 days). Two states of satiety were elucidated: when the rats were in cage with meal and after refeeding following a 5-day fasting; at least in distal small intestine, absorption of nutrients in the latter state was much higher. Fast nutrient adaptation (approximately 30 min) of absorption was revealed, second responses of short-circuit current to glyala were 3.4-fold higher than the first one: 33.4 +/- 9.7 (n = 6) and 9.9 +/- 2.9 microA/cm2 (n = 6) (P < 0.05). It is possible that increased nutrients (glucose and aminoacids) entering in mucose after the 5th day refeeding play role as a primary signal for change of animal behavior.     

奶牛阴道菌群分析与乳酸菌的分离及鉴定

目的研究奶牛阴道菌群,并从健康奶牛阴道分离出产酸能力很强的乳酸菌。方法采用常规的方法对奶牛阴道进行细菌的分离及鉴定,并进行菌群分析。结果健康奶牛阴道优势菌群主要为乳酸菌(P<0.01),屡配不孕奶牛阴道优势菌群主要为金黄色葡萄球菌(P<0.01);从健康奶牛阴道分离出的乳酸菌为55株,其中产酸能力很强的6株乳酸菌鉴定结果分别为Lactobacillus plantarum、Lactobacillus brevis、Enterococcus faecalis、Lactococcus garvieae、Lactobacillus kitasatonis和Lactobacillus amylovorus。结论奶牛阴道菌群中分离的6株乳酸菌可作为潜在的奶牛阴道微生态制剂进行深入研究。