End-stage renal disease is a late complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and one of the leading causes of high mortality worldwide. Over the years, the impacts of gut microbiota and their associated uremic toxins on kidney diseases through the intricate “gut-kidney axis” have been extensively studied. However, translation of microbiome-related omics results into specific mechanisms is still a significant challenge. In this paper, we review the interaction between gut microbiome and blood purification, as well as the current microbiota-based therapies in CKD. Additionally, the current sequencing technologies and progresses in the gut microbiome research are also discussed.
ObjectiveTo explore the effect mechanism of rehabilitation therapy post incomplete spinal cord injury (ISCI) in the view of graph theoretic analysis of the whole brain regions by the means of resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI).MethodsPatients with ISCI admitted to the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine of Tsinghua University Affiliated Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital from January 2017 to June 2020 were selected and healthy subjects recruited in the same period were also selected. The patients were given comprehensive rehabilitation treatment for 2 weeks, including physical therapy, functional electrical stimulation treadwheel, walking training, etc. Healthy subjects and patients before and after treatment course were examined by rs-fMRI. While patients were assessed using the motor and sensory scores of American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA), muscle tone assessment, pain assessment, Walking Index for spinal cord injury (WISCI) as well as the Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM).ResultsA total of 23 ISCI patients and 22 healthy subjects were included. After 2 weeks of treatment, ASIA lower limb motor function scores (P<0.001), ASIA sensory scores (P=0.005), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) (P=0.027), WISCI (P=0.005) and SCIM (P<0.001) scores of the patients were significantly improved compared with before treatment. Before treatment, compared with healthy subjects, ISCI patients had lower betweenness centrality (BC) in the brain regions of R38, lower local efficiency (LE) in L21, L22, L39, L41, L42, L44, L48, R22, R39 and lower weighted degree (WD) in L22, L39, L41, L44, L48, R22, R39. After treatment, compared with the healthy subjects, the BC of R5, R6, R7, AR111 and AL112 of ISCI patients increased and in R6 and AR94, the clustering coefficient increased. The LE and WD of L21 and R21 in ISCI patients after treatment were higher than those before treatment.ConclusionsThe functional analysis of the whole brain network based on graph analysis can sensitively reflect the changes of brain network remodeling in patients with ISCI. Spinal cord injury can cause the decline of graph theoretical attributes of the auditory center-related brain regions. After rehabilitation treatment, the sensorimotor cortex, auditory center and extravertebral brain regions information transmitting ability in the whole brain network are improved, suggesting that rehabilitation training may participate in brain function remodeling by activating the sensorimotor center and non-motor center-related brain regions.
Objectives To evaluate the expression levels of serum microRNA-21 (miRNA-21) and microRNA-155 (miRNA-155) from patients and rats with pancreatic cancer, and to explore its value in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Methods The clinical materials and the serum samples from 18 patients with pancreatic cancer (pancreatic cancer group) and 12 patients with benign pancreatic disease (benign pancreatic disease group) admitted to Fujian Medical University Union Hospital between January 2016 and December 2016 were collected prospectively. The real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR was performed to detect the levels of serum miRNA-21 and miRNA-155. 7, 12-dimethylbenz (a) anthracene (DMBA)-induced pancreatic cancer rat models (n=20) and the models of the blank control group (sham operation, n=10) were established and the serum samples from the pancreatic cancer group and the blank control group were measured by the real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR, to detect the levels of miRNA-21 and miRNA-155. Results The median expression levels of serum miRNA-21 and miRNA-155 were 1.99 (1.43–5.30) and 7.06 (4.98–21.48) in the pancreatic cancer group, as well as 1.28 (0.58–2.01) and 2.20 (1.76–3.02) in the benign pancreatic disease group. The expression levels of serum miRNA-21 and miRNA-155 were significantly higher in the pancreatic cancer group (Z=–2.621,P=0.009; Z=–3.430,P=0.001). In animal studies, the rat models of pancreatic cancer were successfully established and 11 rats with pancreatic cancer were acquired, as well as 9 rats in the blank control group were acquired. The median expression levels of serum miRNA-21 and miRNA-155 were 2.12 (1.33–2.72) and 16.45 (7.18–25.40) in the rat pancreatic cancer group, as well as 1.00 (0.45–1.60) and 1.49 (1.25–1.97) in the blank control group. The expression levels of serum miRNA-21 and miRNA-155 were significantly higher in the rat pancreatic cancer group (Z=–2.621,P=0.009; Z=–3.609,P<0.001). For distinguishing pancreatic cancer from benign diseases, the best cutoff value of serum miRNA-21 level was 4.21 and the sensitivity and specificity were 75.0% and 61.1% respectively; the best cutoff value of serum miRNA-155 level was 4.67 and the sensitivity and specificity both were 83.3%. Conclusions The serum miRNA-21and miRNA-155 levels are elevated both in patients and rats with pancreatic cancer. Detection of serum miRNA-155 will be helpful to some extent to distinguish pancreatic cancer from benign diseases.