Dysbiosis of the gut microbiota is a contributing factor for obesity-related metabolic diseases such as hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia. Pharmacotherapy for metabolic diseases involves the modulation of gut microbiota, which is suggested to be a potential therapeutic target. In this study, the modulation of gut microbiota by statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs: atorvastatin and rosuvastatin) was investigated in an aged mouse model of high-fat diet-induced obesity, and the association between gut microbiota and immune responses was described. Atorvastatin and rosuvastatin significantly increased the abundance of the genera Bacteroides, Butyricimonas, and Mucispirillum. Moreover, the abundance of these genera was correlated with the inflammatory response, including levels of IL-1β and TGFβ1 in the ileum. In addition, oral fecal microbiota transplantation with fecal material collected from rosuvastatin-treated mouse groups improved hyperglycemia. From these results, the effect of statins on metabolic improvements could be explained by altered gut microbiota. Our findings suggest that the modulation of gut microbiota by statins has an important role in the therapeutic actions of these drugs.

Gut microbes are closely associated with disease onset and improvement. However, the effects of gut microbes on the occurrence, prevention, and treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are still unclear. We investigated the alteration of gut microbiota with implications for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of BPH and identified correlations among various indicators, including hormone indicators, apoptosis markers in BPH, and finasteride treatment models. BPH induction altered the abundance of Lactobacillus, Flavonifractor, Acetatifactor, Oscillibacter, Pseudoflavonifractor, Intestinimonas, and Butyricimonas genera, which are related to BPH indicators. Among these, the altered abundance of Lactobacillus and Acetatifactor was associated with the promotion and inhibition of prostate apoptosis, respectively. Finasteride treatment altered the abundance of Barnesiella, Acetatifactor, Butyricimonas, Desulfovibrio, Anaerobacterium, and Robinsoniella genera, which are related to BPH indicators. Among these, altered abundances of Desulfovibrio and Acetatifactor were associated with the promotion and inhibition of prostate apoptosis, respectively. In addition, the abundances of Lactobacillus and Acetatifactor were normalized after finasteride treatment. In conclusion, the association between apoptosis and altered abundances of Lactobacillus and Acetatifactor, among other gut microbes, suggests their potential utility in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of BPH.

Youngcheon Song, Hyunseok Kong, Soohwan Oh & Sang Bum Kim. BMB Reports -0001;0:. https://doi.org/10.5483/BMBRep.2024-0193

This study began with the increasing importance of ESG through sustainable management evaluation across all industries, predicting market demand through the ESG management paradigm and financial environment changes in the global industry, and establishing international strategies for the construction industry. Compared to other industries, the construction industry is in the early stages of ESG formation, and it is unclear how to expand its base by establishing evaluation system standards such as innovation of individual services, interaction of social capital, and definition of stakeholders. Currently, some large construction companies in the construction industry are publishing sustainability management reports at the group level, but given the recently strengthened global sustainability of ESG by GRI Standards, efficient analysis of global construction markets and strategic orders are needed. Therefore, this study focuses on assessing the sustainability strategies and directions of the construction industry from an ESG perspective. To this end, sustainability issues and insights, as well as global issues in Korea and the worldwide construction sector, were analyzed. The analysis showed that global construction companies were highly interested in business management approaches, such as safety and health, as critical issues regarding the construction industry’s sustainability strategy. In contrast, South Korean construction companies prioritize business values such as value creation, fair trade, and win-win. Both global and South Korean construction companies have been working on greenhouse gas reduction and energy sustainability. Regarding other issues, cultivating construction specialists, enhancing the job training system, and limiting serious accidents and safety mishaps were all significant from a social standpoint among South Korean construction companies. Conversely, global construction companies appeared to focus on issues related to ethical and environmental management from an organizational standpoint.