Gastroenterology News

According to new UCLA-led research, certain gut bacteria, particularly one necessary for a healthy gut microbiome, differ between persons who get HIV infection and those who do not.

According to research lead Dr Jennifer Fulcher, assistant professor of medicine, division of infectious diseases, the findings, published in the peer-reviewed journal eBioMedicine, imply that the gut microbiota may impact one’s risk of HIV infection. “This is an important area that requires more research to better understand if and how these bacteria might effect HIV transmission,” said Fulcher, who also has a VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System appointment.

“Microbiome-based treatments are emerging as a promising field of study. With more investigation, this might be an innovative approach to HIV prevention.”

Fulcher believes that there is a relationship between persistent HIV and alterations in gut microorganisms. The researchers sought to know when these alterations start to happen following HIV infection.

To that purpose, scientists investigated gut microbiota samples taken from 27 men who have intercourse with males both before and after infection. The samples were then compared to those of 28 males who had comparable behavioural risk factors for infection but did not have HIV.

The samples were from the UCLA-led Collaborating Consortium of Cohorts Producing NIDA Opportunities (C3PNO), a resource and data centre for millions of pieces of research, lab samples, statistics, and other data targeted at speeding up research into the impact of drug usage on HIV/AIDS.

The researchers revealed that the gut flora of the infected males changed very little throughout the first year. However, they revealed that HIV-positive males had different gut microbes before being infected than their uninfected counterparts.

These males exhibited reduced levels of Bacteroides species, a kind of bacterium widespread in the lower intestine tract that has key metabolic roles in maintaining a healthy gut environment, and greater amounts of Megasphaera elsdenii, whose significance in the human gut is unknown. According to the researchers, males who acquired HIV had higher inflammatory cytokines and bioactive lipids prior to infection, both of which are associated with systemic inflammation, indicating that their systems were continually on the defence against infection or damage.

Also Read: India recorded 3,011 new COVID cases

The study’s drawbacks include a limited sample size and a focus on primarily young males who have sex with men, the majority of whom take drugs, limiting its generalizability to other populations.

Follow Medically Speaking on Twitter Instagram Facebook

Can an existing drug offer a novel therapy for the fundamental signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), even if it hasn’t previously been linked to the illness? This query was made in a recent research. The scientists created a computer model that contained the proteins and interactions of ASD-related proteins.

The journal Frontiers in Pharmacology published the study’s findings. They discovered possible treatment options by examining how various drugs altered the system’s proteins. The most likely possibility was loperamide, an antidiarrheal medication that is often used, and the researchers have an intriguing theory about how it can function to treat ASD symptoms.

Some of the most common symptoms in ASD involve difficulties with social interaction and communication.

“There are no medications currently approved for the treatment of social communication deficits, the main symptom in ASD,” said Dr Elise Koch of the University of Oslo, lead author on the study. “However, most adults and about half of children and adolescents with ASD are treated with antipsychotic drugs, which have serious side effects or lack efficacy in ASD.”

The researchers went to pharmacological repurposing, which entails investigating current medications as prospective therapies for a different ailment, in an effort to discover a new method to treat ASD. The method has several advantages since there is frequently a wealth of information regarding the safety, side effects, and biological molecules that existing pharmaceuticals interact with in the body.

Repurposing drugs as new treatments

The researchers employed a computer-based protein interaction network to find potential therapies for ASD. These networks include proteins and the intricate relationships that exist between them. When investigating biological systems, it is crucial to take this complexity into consideration since changing one protein can frequently have a ripple impact on other proteins.

The scientists built a protein interaction network that contained ASD-related proteins. The team discovered numerous possibilities that interfere with the molecular processes behind ASD by looking at current pharmaceuticals and their interactions with proteins in the network.

The most effective medication is loperamide, which is frequently used to treat diarrhoea. Although it may seem odd that an anti-diarrheal medication might alleviate the primary symptoms of ASD, the researchers have created a theory as to how it might operate.

From an upset gastrointestinal system to ASD

A protein known as the m-opioid receptor, which is often impacted by opioid medications like morphine, is bound to and activated byloperamide. The m-opioid receptor impacts social behaviour in addition to the typical benefits of an opioid medication, such as pain alleviation.

Previous research found that genetically altered mice lacking the m-opioid receptor showed social abnormalities resembling those found in ASD. Curiously, medications that stimulate the m-opioid receptor promoted the recovery of social behaviours.

These findings in mice raise the intriguing potential that loperamide or other medications that target the m-opioid receptor may offer a novel strategy for treating the social symptoms associated with ASD, but further research is need to verify this theory.

In any case, the current study demonstrates the power of assuming that old drugs may indeed learn new tricks.

Also Read: Differentaly abled women are more likely to have poor diets: Research

It’s crucial to maintain healthy gut health, which goes beyond regular bowel movements. Additionally, it is crucial that the bacteria and microorganisms in the gut be in good health since they facilitate and improve digestion. The normal operation of the immune system is also influenced by the bacteria in the gut.
In order to prevent various health issues, it is crucial that you take proper care of your digestive system. Eating the correct foods and drinking the proper liquids keeps your digestive tract in good shape and feeds the bacteria and germs there.

It is crucial to maintain a healthy balance of gut bacteria and microorganisms since they assist in preventing bloating and other digestive discomforts. Here, look at the many drinks that might aid to enhance your digestive health.

1. Matcha green tea: This tea contains natural ingredients that support the health of the gut flora. This beverage is a good choice for gut health due to the polyphenols called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) that are present in them.
2. Kombucha: This beverage lessens the imbalance between beneficial and harmful microorganisms in the gut, lowering the risk of digestive upset. Additionally, it lessens oxidative stress and inflammation.
3. Water: Water is vital, and this is true even for gut health. Water consumption aids in the proper absorption of nutrients as well as the efficient transit of meals through the digestive system.
4. Kefir: Kefir is fermented, and fermentation aids in maintaining a healthy balance of intestinal flora. Additionally, kefir aids in the breakdown of carbs and is advantageous for lactose intolerant persons.

Disclaimer: The advice provided in this article is general in nature and not intended to be taken as expert medical advice. Before beginning any exercise programme or altering your nutrition, always speak with your doctor or a dietitian.

Also Read: WHO South-East Asia Region to accelerate progress for NCD prevention and control

Follow Medically Speaking on Twitter Instagram Facebook

Massive amounts of donated lungs cannot be transplanted. A recent animal study conducted by scientists at Lund University and Skane University Hospital in Sweden raises the prospect of using more donor lungs in the future. The researchers have initiated a pilot trial to see if the medication would have the same positive effect on people.

Each year, approximately 190 organs are donated in Sweden. Due to lung deterioration, only about 30% of the lungs can be used for transplantation. The mortality rate is also increased by the fact that a sizable portion of patients pass away five years following transplantation.

Our study’s findings, according to Sandra Lindstedt, senior consultant in thoracic surgery at Skane University Hospital and adjunct professor at Lund University, “indicate that there is an improved outcome during the first two days after surgery and that a specific treatment can help us use a larger part of a donor’s lung.”

In their examination, the researchers looked at the outcomes of reducing the cytokine concentrations in pigs’ lungs. Certain immune system cells produce tiny proteins called cytokines.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome was caused by a decreased lung capacity prior to the transplant (ARDS). The outcome was that the lungs were damaged, just like human donor lungs would be.

In ten of the cases, the donor lung was treated, either before and after the transplant or immediately afterwards. Six instances made comprised the control group, which got no therapy.

The results show that the recovery of lung function to a higher level than before was caused by the lower levels of cytokines. Furthermore, according to Sandra Lindstedt, “We could tell that the lungs were operating better after the transplant and those difficulties during the first 48 hours after transplant was reduced.

About 50 to 60 lung transplants are performed each year at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg and Skane University Hospital in Lund. The number is anticipated to rise as a result of the new treatment.

The lives of those who are waiting for transplants may be significantly improved if we can utilise this on some of the donor lungs that are currently discarded, even though it won’t work on every donor’s lung. We want to provide the foundation for greater patient survival, says Sandra Lindstedt.

In order to conduct the study, a specialist unit was set up within the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Anaesthesia, and Intensive Care at Skane University Hospital. The unit contained all of the study-related abilities.

This study would not have been possible without the major contributions of various clinical specialties, including thoracic surgeons, anesthesiologists, perfusionists, operating room nurses, and anaesthetic nurses.

A subsequent clinical pilot research was built on the study’s findings, which were published in Nature Communications.

The first patients in the pilot trial are already being enrolled at Skane University Hospital in Lund. Twenty transplants are included in the trial, half of which will get therapy to reduce cytokine levels and the other half will receive conventional care. If we observe encouraging outcomes, the experiment will be expanded to include 120 transplants nationally, Sandra Lindstedt said. A subsequent clinical pilot research was built on the study’s findings, which were published in Nature Communications.

Drinking beer is beneficial to the intestine and has the potential to prevent chronic diseases, a new study has claimed.
“Beer consumption contributes to the improvement of the composition of the intestinal microbiota, a factor that has been associated with the prevention of very common chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases,” said research by the Center for Research in Health Technologies and Services (CINTESIS), a non-profit research and development unit, in the city of Porto in northern Portugal.

Beer Consumptions Measure

During the study, healthy men aged 23 to 58 drank 330 milliliters of beer daily, with or without alcohol, for four weeks.

CINTESIS, in a statement, said that the results obtained by the research pointed out that beer consumption “increases the diversity of the intestinal microbiota, without increasing weight and fat mass.”

Drinking beer “does not significantly interfere with cardiometabolic biomarkers” such as glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides, the statement said.

Also Read: Scientists develop thermogel that helps to prevent retinal scarring

The researchers point out that the beneficial effect of beer is linked to the polyphenols present in the drink, as has already been proven in red wine.

The study, published recently in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, revealed that the benefit of beer on gut health “proved to be independent of alcohol content” or absence of this element.