Objectives: Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease characterized by dysbiosis. Modulation of the gut microbiota by oligosaccharides and aerobic training are proposed mechanisms that ameliorate the disease through affecting host-microbiota interactions. Methods: Seventy-two male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 8 groups – 5 with streptozotocin-induced diabetes and 3 healthy controls. The effect of two oligosaccharides – xylo- and galactooligosaccharides, and of aerobic training on the blood glucose concentration, growth and diversity of the gut microbiota was evaluated in the current study. Results: The galactooligosaccharides positively affected the glycemic status of the experimental animals as the diabetic and healthy rats had lower blood glucose concentration after 6 weeks of treatment (diabetic rats: week 4 vs. week 8, p=0.047; healthy rats: week 2,4,6,10 vs. week 8, p=0.001, p=0.000, p=0.025 and p=0.001, respectively). A positive effect of the galactooligosaccharides on body weight was observed when administered to diabetic rats in comparison to the diabetic control (p=0.020). Similar results were observed for the aerobically trained diabetic rats (p=0.004). The identification of bacterial species showed preserved microbiota diversity and indicated Bifidobacterium indicum , Lactobacillus feritoshensis and E. coli as the most abundant species among the analyzed genera. Conclusions: Prebiotic treatment beneficially affected the hyperglycemia and growth of type 1 diabetic rats. The most significant effect of the aerobic training was the improvement of the morphological parameters. Oligosaccharide administration and exercise did not affect the diversity of the bacterial species.

Background/Objectives: Paraneoplastic Neurological Syndromes (PNSs) comprise a rare group of disorders present in various types of malignant neoplasia. In most cases, PNSs precede the clinical symptoms and diagnosis of a tumor by years. It is therefore vital to recognize these neurological disorders, as early diagnosis of the neoplasia offers the opportunity for timely initiation of treatment and may improve patient outcomes. Case Presentation: Panels of antineuronal antibodies (ANeAs) were used to examine serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from two PNS patients using indirect immunofluorescence assay (IIFA) and immunoblotting (IB). Both patients were anti-Zic4-positive. In addition, one patient was anti-Zic4- and anti-NMDAR-positive. The individuals also exhibited abnormalities on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)—focal lesions suggestive of paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) and a tumor. During follow-up neuroimaging examinations, no tumor was found. Discussion: An in-depth study of a case series of PNS patients was carried out. Anti-Zic4 was correlated with PCD, whereas anti-NMDAR was correlated with autoimmune anti-NMDAR encephalitis. These case series may represent a possible non-paraneoplastic cerebellar syndrome associated with autoimmune encephalitis. Moreover, it is necessary for such individuals to undergo long-term follow-up in order to facilitate the early detection of a possible malignant neoplasia. Conclusions: In the current study, we focus on a case series of two patients with severely impaired neurological status, abnormalities in CT and MRI suggestive of PCD, and positive results for ANeAs—anti-Zic4 and anti-NMDAR. Through this study, we aim to emphasize the need for thorough clinical and laboratory follow-up of patients for eventual tumor development.