Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Relationship Between Gut Microbiota And Dementia, Saad Ahmed, Zackary Harris, Russell David Levi

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

This paper explores the complex relationship between gut microbiota, dietary habits, and dementia, focusing particularly on Alzheimer's disease (AD). Growing evidence suggests a significant link between the composition of gut bacteria, dietary choices, and susceptibility to dementia. Notably, individuals with dementia demonstrate a noticeable reduction in gut bacteria diversity, highlighting the crucial role of a balanced microbiome in maintaining cognitive health. Conversely, dietary preferences characterized by excessive consumption of processed foods and sugars are associated with an increased risk of dementia, emphasizing the critical influence of diet on shaping gut microbiota and subsequent neurocognitive outcomes. Importantly, dietary interventions featuring a …

Comparison Of Milk Microbiota Between Healthy And Mastitic Cows, Sibel Kizil, Fatma Esin Aydin, Cansu Önlen Güneri̇, Ufuk Ülker, Gürol Emekdaş, İbrahim Basmaci, Serkan Erat, Rıza Durmaz, Efsun Melike Çeçen, Asya Kazan

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Mammary gland infections occur due to bacterial changes in the mammary tissue. Studies conducted in recent years have reported variations in the most common bacteria differ according to geographical locations. California mastitis test (CMT), somatic cell count (SCC), and aerobic colony count (ACC) analyses were performed on approximately 50 mL of hygienically collected raw milk samples. Raw milk was also subjected to conventional bacteriological isolation and identification. Bacterial diversity and rates in raw milk were compared through metagenome analysis. Two samples, one from healthy milk and another from subclinical milk with mastitis, were independently tested to determine whether there were …

Intestinal Microbiota Analysis Of Broiler Chickens Under Necrotic Enteritis Challenge And Tributyrin Supplementation, Taylor Nicole Mckinney

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Poultry is a staple protein source for most of the planet. Until recently, antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) were used to prevent illnesses in commercial chicken production. Currently, this is not possible due to regulations and consumer concern, but without such a preventative, diseases like necrotic enteritis (NE) have reemerged, posing a threat to bird health, and ultimately, our food source. Necrotic enteritis is a severe gastrointestinal disease caused by the gram-positive pathogen, Clostridium perfringens. Clinical features of this disease are diarrhea, intestinal lesions, and death, with a high transmission rate. In a subclinical form, growth performance is diminished and is …

Gut Commensals Modulate Siv/Shiv Pathogenesis And Therapeutics, Samuel Johnson

Theses & Dissertations

Despite significant advancements in combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), ongoing inflammation in the brain and gut remain two of the most significant hurdles in the health of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Additionally, a viral reservoir in each compartment inhibits cure efforts by allowing rapid viral rebound following cART interruption. Emerging understanding of the gut-brain axis (GBA) implicates each compartment in the modulation of the other in a complex bi-directional interaction mediated by vagus innervation, circulating lymphocytes, and microbiome composition and biproducts. Using multiple models of the simian (and simian-human) immunodeficiency virus (SIV/SHIV) and therapeutic intervention, I present how …

The Large And Small Of It: The Microbiome And Metagenomics, Austin Hopkins, Elaina Gollmar, Jessica Fernandez, Shawn Wolf, Austin Hilverding, Andrew M. Roecker

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Metagenomics, the analysis of the microbial genome, permits scientists to understand the influences of external sources including diet, metabolism and antibiotics on the human microbiome. Research has revealed the possibility of a core symbiosis between humans and bacteria. The main role of the human microbiome is to aid in digestion, but identified ancillary roles include immunologic homeostasis and infection prevention. Quantifying the composition and variability of the microbiome will help lead to future treatments or preventive strategies against unhealthy change. A variety of methods may be used to define the microbiome, and 16S amplicon sequencing is primarily utilized today. Probiotics …

Effect Of Kefir Consumption On Intestinal Microbiota And Some Blood Parameters Inangora Cats, Ruhi̇ Kabakçi, Gi̇zem Çufaoğlu, Gökhan Şen

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Probiotics are one of the best alternatives to improve gut health. Kefir, which was discovered in the North Caucasus centuries ago, is still consumed frequently today due to its health benefits. Its impacts on the gastrointestinal system have begun to be investigated in animals. In this study, we focused to examine the effect of kefir on intestinal microbiota, some hematological parameters, and fecal quality in Angora cats to provide preliminary data regarding the hypothesis of its use as an alternative probiotic food supplement. Commercial kefir was given orally (30 mL/kg) to seven healthy Angora cats for 14 days. On day …

Konjac Glucomannan Polysaccharide And Inulin Oligosaccharide Ameliorate Dextran Sodium Sulfate-Induced Colitis And Alterations In Fecal Microbiota And Short-Chain Fatty Acids In C57bl/6j Mice, Chih-Hsuan Changchien, Cheng-Hsin Wang, Hsiao-Ling Chen

BioMedicine

Background: Konjac glucomannan polysaccharide (KGM), inulin oligosaccharide (inulin) and their mixture has been shown to modulate the gut-associated lymphoid tissue immunity.

Aims: The present study was mainly to determine effects of a low-level (2% w/w) KGM and inulin and their combination on dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis. We also determine the potential mechanisms mediating these effects of dietary fibers.

Methods: C57BL/6J mice (6 weeks of age, eight per group) were randomly assigned to consume one of the following diets: control (DSS group) or control diet supplemented with 2% (w/w) of KGM (KGM group), 2% (w/w) of inulin oligosaccharide (degree of …

Integrating Genomics And Metabolomics For Scalable Non-Ribosomal Peptide Discovery., Bahar Behsaz, Edna Bode, Alexey Gurevich, Yan-Ni Shi, Florian Grundmann, Deepa Acharya, Andrés Mauricio Caraballo-Rodríguez, Amina Bouslimani, Morgan Panitchpakdi, Annabell Linck, Changhui Guan, Julia Oh, Pieter C Dorrestein, Helge B Bode, Pavel A Pevzner, Hosein Mohimani

Faculty Research 2021

Non-Ribosomal Peptides (NRPs) represent a biomedically important class of natural products that include a multitude of antibiotics and other clinically used drugs. NRPs are not directly encoded in the genome but are instead produced by metabolic pathways encoded by biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). Since the existing genome mining tools predict many putative NRPs synthesized by a given BGC, it remains unclear which of these putative NRPs are correct and how to identify post-assembly modifications of amino acids in these NRPs in a blind mode, without knowing which modifications exist in the sample. To address this challenge, here we report NRPminer, …

Tick Ecdysteroid Hormone, Global Microbiota/Rickettsia Signaling In The Ovary Versus Carcass During Vitellogenesis In Part-Fed (Virgin) American Dog Ticks, Dermacentor Variabilis, Loganathan Ponnusamy, Haley Sutton, Robert D. Mitchell Iii, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Charles S. Apperson, Richard Michael Roe

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The transovarial transmission of tick-borne bacterial pathogens is an important mechanism for their maintenance in natural populations and transmission, causing disease in humans and animals. The mechanism for this transmission and the possible role of tick hormones facilitating this process have never been studied. Injections of physiological levels of the tick hormone, 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), into part-fed (virgin) adult females of the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis, attached to the host caused a reduction in density of Rickettsia montanensis in the carcass and an increase in the ovaries compared to buffer-injected controls. This injection initiates yolk protein synthesis and uptake …

Gut Microbiota Interplay With Covid-19 Reveals Links To Host Lipid Metabolism Among Middle Eastern Populations, Mohammad Tahseen Al Bataineh, Andreas Henschel, Mira Mousa, Marianne Daou, Fathimathuz Waasia, Hussein Kannout, Mariam Khalili, Mohd Azzam Kayasseh, Abdulmajeed Alkhajeh, Maimunah Uddin, Nawal Alkaabi, Guan K. Tay, Samuel F. Feng, Ahmed F. Yousef, Habiba S. Alsafar, Uae Covid-19 Collaborative Partnership

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The interplay between the compositional changes in the gastrointestinal microbiome, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) susceptibility and severity, and host functions is complex and yet to be fully understood. This study performed 16S rRNA gene-based microbial profiling of 143 subjects. We observed structural and compositional alterations in the gut microbiota of the SARS-CoV-2-infected group in comparison to non-infected controls. The gut microbiota composition of the SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals showed an increase in anti-inflammatory bacteria such as Faecalibacterium (p-value = 1.72 × 10–6) and Bacteroides (p-value = 5.67 × 10–8). We also revealed a higher relative abundance of the highly …

Self And Microbiota-Derived Epitopes Induce Cd4⁺ T Cell Anergy And Conversion Into Cd4⁺Foxp3⁺ Regulatory Cells, Michal P. Kuczma, Edyta A. Szurek, Anna Cebula, Vu L. Ngo, Maciej Pietrzak, Piotr Kraj, Timothy L. Denning, Leszek Ignatowicz

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The physiological role of T cell anergy induction as a key mechanism supporting self-tolerance remains undefined, and natural antigens that induce anergy are largely unknown. In this report, we used TCR sequencing to show that the recruitment of CD4⁺CD44⁺Foxp3⁻CD73⁺FR4⁺ anergic (Tan) cells expands the CD4⁺Foxp3⁺ (Tregs) repertoire. Next, we report that blockade in peripherally-induced Tregs (pTregs) formation due to mutation in CNS1 region of Foxp3 or chronic exposure to a selecting self-peptide result in an accumulation of Tan cells. Finally, we show that microbial antigens from Akkermansia muciniphila …

Potential Use Of Biotherapeutic Bacteria To Target Colorectal Cancer-Associated Taxa, Gareth Lawrence, Maire Begley, Paul D. Cotter, Caitríona M. Guinane

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

The role of the gut microbiome in human health and disease is the focus of much attention. It has been widely agreed upon that our gut bacteria play a role in host immunity, nutrient absorption, digestion, metabolism, and other key drivers of health. Furthermore, certain microbial signatures and specific taxa have also been associated with the development of diseases, such as obesity; inflammatory bowel disease; and, indeed, colorectal cancer (CRC), which is the focus of this review. By extension, such taxa represent potential therapeutic targets. In particular, the emerging human pathogen Fusobacterium nucleatum represents an important agent in CRC development …

Can The Fut 2 Gene Variant Have An Effect On The Body Weight Of Patients Undergoing Bariatric Surgery? - Preliminary, Exploratory Study, Natalia Komorniak, Alexandra Martynova-Van Kley, Armen Nalian, Wiktoria Wardziukiewicz, Karolina Skoniecznaa-Zydecka, Daniel Styburski, Joanna Palma, Bartosz Kowalewski, Krzysztof Kaseja, Ewa Stachowska

Faculty Publications

Background: The FUT2 gene (Se gene) encoding the enzyme α-1,2-L-fucosyltransferase 2 seems to have a significant effect on the number and type of bacteria colonizing the intestines. Methods: In a group of 19 patients after bariatric surgery, the polymorphism (rs601338) of FUT2 gene was analyzed in combination with body mass reduction, intestinal microbiome (16S RNA sequencing), and short chain fatty acids (SCFA) measurements in stools. Results: Among the secretors (Se/Se polymorphism of the FUT2 gene rs601338, carriers of GG variant), correlations between waist-hip ratio (WHR) and propionate content and an increase in Prevotella, Escherichia, Shigella, and Bacteroides were observed. On …

Investigation Of Microbiota In Health And Disease Of Poultry, Bishnu Adhikari

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The microbiotas play vital roles in health and diseases of both humans and animals. 16S rRNA genes sequence analysis is one of the most popular and commonly used methods in the analysis of microbiotas associated with hosts. In this dissertation, the microbiotas of chickens (broilers, breeders, and layers) and turkeys were evaluated by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Characterization of the culturable subpopulations of Lactobacillus in the chicken gut can serve as a valuable resource for probiotic development. In Chapter 2, Lactobacillus subpopulations recovered on MRS from chicken gut were defined comprehensively for the first time using 16S rRNA gene profiling, …

Assessment Of Presumed Sterility Of The Human Placenta And Maternal Bladder, Ali Alhousseini

Wayne State University Dissertations

Introduction

Preterm birth is the number one cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. A causal link has been established between infection and preterm birth. Urinary tract infection is the number one infection in pregnancy. Evaluating the existence of a placental and maternal bladder microbiome is a major scientific and clinical milestone in perinatal medicine.

Methodology and Results

Chapter 2: This is a prospective case control study. 69 placentas were collected in a sterile fashion from six groups of women without infection: Term cesarean not in labor (n=18), term cesarean in labor (n=9), term vaginal (n=21), preterm cesarean not in labor …

Cd4 T Cell Interaction With Intestinal Microbes Under Homeostasis And Inflammation, Jiani Chai

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Specific gut commensal bacteria improve host health by eliciting mutualistic regulatory T (Treg) cells responses. However, the bacteria that induce effector T (Teff) cells during inflammation are unclear. Here, we addressed this by analyzing bacterial-reactive T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic cells and TCR repertoires in a murine colitis model. Unexpectedly, we found that mucosal-associated Helicobacter species triggered both Treg responses during homeostasis and Teff responses during colitis, as suggested by an increased overlap between the Teff/Treg TCR repertoires with colitis. In fact, 4/6 Treg TCRs tested recognized mucosal-associated Helicobacter species in vitro and in vivo. By contrast, the marked expansion …

Dietary Inclusion Of Enriched Chicken Bone Broth Prevents Trigeminal Sensitization Meditated By Early Life Stress, Orion Peterson

MSU Graduate Theses

Early life stress is considered a risk factor for development of migraine, which is a prevalent painful neurological disorder involving sensitization and activation of trigeminal neurons, and irritable bowel syndrome, a condition often comorbid with chronic migraine. The focus of my study was to determine the effects of early life stress and dietary inclusion of enriched chicken bone broth on trigeminal nociceptor sensitization and the gut microbiota. Adult Sprague-Dawley male “sender” rats subjected to primary traumatic stress were placed next to breeding or pregnant female rats that served as “receiver” rats (secondary traumatic stress) and in proximity to the offspring …

Negative Regulators Of Colonic Peripheral Regulatory T Cell Development, Teresa Lei Ai

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Peripheral Treg cells (pTreg cells) maintain immune homeostasis at mucosal interfaces, where they can develop upon activation of naïve CD4+ T cells by bacteria antigen. However, the cellular and molecular requirements that govern their differentiation in inflamed and homeostatic contexts require further elucidation. To circumvent uncertainties in existing methods of distinguishing pTreg cells from thymic Treg cells (tTreg cells), we analyzed monoclonal cell populations of CT2 and CT6 transgenic (Tg) cells that develop into pTreg cells in response to different species of endogenously presented Helicobacter antigen. In our comprehensive assessment of multiple intestinal inflammatory models, including infections and physical injury, …

Characterizing The Role Of The T Cell Receptor Repertoire In T Cell Development And Function, Benjamin David Solomon

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Expansion and memory of immune cells in response to stimulation of diversified antigen receptors is the hallmark of adaptive immunity. Here, we use antigen receptor sequencing and in vivo analysis of monoclonal cell populations to elucidate the development and function of two T cell populations: Foxp3+RORγt+ CD4+ T cells and γδ T cells. Foxp3+RORγt+ T cells have recently been characterized as an immunoregulatory population highly enriched in the colon lamina propria. However, their developmental origin and relation to RORγt- Treg and RORγt+ TH17 cells remains unclear. Here, we show that despite sharing a subset of TCR specificities with TH17 cells, …

Role Of The Gut Microbiota As A Natural Adjuvant For Vaccine, Nicole Benn, Gerard F. Hoyne

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Vaccines have provided the most beneficial contribution to public health. Generating antigen specific antibody responses and long lasting memory are crucial for the protective immunity offered by vaccination. Unfortunately, not all individuals respond in the same manner to vaccine formulations. The microbiota is established during postnatal development and remains relatively stable for long periods. Our understanding that the microbiota can have beneficial effects on human health has led immunologists to investigate how these organisms may shape the innate and adaptive immune responses of the host. In this review we examine the impact of the microbiota on the host immune responses …

Non-Canonicaly Recruited Tcrαβcd8Αα Iels Recognize Microbial Antigens, Lukasz Wojciech, Edyta Szurek, Michal Kuczma, Anna Cebula, Wessam R. Elhefnawy, Maciej Pietrzak, Grzegorz Rempala, Leszek Ignatowicz

Computer Science Faculty Publications

In the gut, various subsets of intraepithelial T cells (IELs) respond to self or non-self-antigens derived from the body, diet, commensal and pathogenic microbiota. Dominant subset of IELs in the small intestine are TCRαβCD8αα⁺ cells, which are derived from immature thymocytes that express self-reactive TCRs. Although most of TCRαβCD8αα⁺ IELs are thymus-derived, their repertoire adapts to microbial flora. Here, using high throughput TCR sequencing we examined how clonal diversity of TCRαβCD8αα⁺ IELs changes upon exposure to commensal-derived antigens. We found that fraction of CD8αα⁺ IELs and CD4⁺ T cells express identical …

Intestinal Microbiota And Weight-Gain In Preterm Neonates, Silvia Arboleya, Pablo Martinez-Camblor, Gonzalo Solís, Marta Suárez

Dartmouth Scholarship

The involvement of the gut microbiota on weight-gain and its relationship with childhood undernutrition and growth has been reported. Thus, the gut microbiota constitutes a potential therapeutic target for preventing growth impairment. However, our knowledge in this area is limited. In this study we aimed at evaluating the relationship among early microbiota, growth, and development in preterm infants. To this end we assessed the levels of specific microorganisms by qPCR, and those of short chain fatty acids by mean of gas-chromatography, in feces from 63 preterm newborns and determined their weight-gain during the first months. The statistical analyses performed indicate …

Epidemiological Investigation Of Candida Species Causing Bloodstream Infection In Pediatric Small Bowel Transplant Recipients, Mallory J. Suhr, João Carlos Gomes-Neto, Nabaraj Banjara, Diana F. Florescu, David F. Mercer, Peter C. Iwen, Heather E. Hallen-Adams

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Small bowel transplantation (SBT) can be a life-saving medical procedure. However, these recipients experience high risk of bloodstream infections caused by Candida. This research aims to characterize the SBT recipient gut microbiota over time following transplantation and investigate the epidemiology of candidemia in seven pediatric patients. Candida species from the recipients’ ileum and bloodstream were identified by internal transcribed spacer sequence and distinguished to strain by multilocus sequence typing and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA. Antifungal susceptibility of bloodstream isolates was determined against nine antifungals. Twenty-two ileostomy samples harbored at least one Candida species. Fungemia were caused by Candida parapsilosis …

A Molecular Approach To Understanding The Effects Of Original-Xpc On The Modulation Of The Cecal Microbiota And The Survival Of Salmonella In The Poultry Host, Stephanie Roto

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Salmonella is a foodborne pathogen commonly associated with poultry products; the economic burden to the U.S. is estimated to be approximately $693 million (without factoring in contaminated eggs). Recently, there has been pressure to withdraw sub-therapeutic levels of antibiotics (also known as antibiotic growth promoters; AGP) from poultry due to concern over antibiotic-resistant bacteria spreading to the human population. Therefore, various feed additives have been researched for their ability in providing protection against harmful pathogens and their potential growth promoting effects, both of which were attributes of poultry treated with AGP. This thesis consists of a comprehensive literature review that …

Effect Of Dietary Starch Source And Concentration On Equine Fecal Microbiota, Brittany E. Harlow, Laurie M. Lawrence, Susan H. Hayes, Andrea Crum, Michael D. Flythe

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Starch from corn is less susceptible to equine small intestinal digestion than starch from oats, and starch that reaches the hindgut can be utilized by the microbiota. The objective of the current study was to examine the effects of starch source on equine fecal microbiota. Thirty horses were assigned to treatments: control (hay only), HC (high corn), HO (high oats), LC (low corn), LO (low oats), and LW (low pelleted wheat middlings). Horses received an all-forage diet (2 wk; d -14 to d -1) before the treatment diets (2 wk; d 1 to 14). Starch was introduced gradually so that …

Oral Transmission Of Listeria Monocytogenes In Mice Via Ingestion Of Contaminated Food, Elsa N. Bou Ghanem, Tanya Myers-Morales, Grant S. Jones, Sarah E. F. D'Orazio

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

L. monocytogenes are facultative intracellular bacterial pathogens that cause food borne infections in humans. Very little is known about the gastrointestinal phase of listeriosis due to the lack of a small animal model that closely mimics human disease. This paper describes a novel mouse model for oral transmission of L. monocytogenes. Using this model, mice fed L. monocytogenes-contaminated bread have a discrete phase of gastrointestinal infection, followed by varying degrees of systemic spread in susceptible (BALB/c/By/J) or resistant (C57BL/6) mouse strains. During the later stages of the infection, dissemination to the gall bladder and brain is observed. The …