The rapid scientific interest in gut microbiota (GM) has coincided with a global increase in the prevalence of infectious and non-infectivous liver diseases. GM, which is also called “the new virtual metabolic organ”, makes axis with a number of extraintestinal organs, such as kidneys, brain, cardiovascular, and the bone system. The gut-liver axis has attracted greater attention in recent years. GM communication is bi-directional and involves endocrine and immunological mechanisms. In this way, gut-dysbiosis and composition of “ancient” microbiota could be linked to pathogenesis of numerous chronic liver diseases such as chronic hepatitis B (CHB), chronic hepatitis C (CHC), alcoholic liver disease (ALD), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), development of liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this paper, we discuss the current evidence supporting a GM role in the management of different chronic liver diseases and potential new therapeutic GM targets, like fecal transplantation, antibiotics, probiotics, prebiotics, and symbiotics. We conclude that population-level shifts in GM could play a regulatory role in the gut-liver axis and, consequently, etiopathogenesis of chronic liver diseases. This could have a positive impact on future therapeutic strategies.

A growing body of evidence suggests that hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) may affect the activity of adult neural stem cells (NSCs). Since the role of NSCs in recovery from brain injury is still unclear, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of sensorimotor cortex ablation (SCA) and HBO treatment (HBOT) on the processes of neurogenesis in the adult dentate gyrus (DG), a region of the hippocampus that is the site of adult neurogenesis. Ten-week-old Wistar rats were divided into groups: Control (C, intact animals), Sham control (S, animals that underwent the surgical procedure without opening the skull), SCA (animals in whom the right sensorimotor cortex was removed via suction ablation), and SCA + HBO (operated animals that passed HBOT). HBOT protocol: pressure applied at 2.5 absolute atmospheres for 60 min, once daily for 10 days. Using immunohistochemistry and double immunofluorescence labeling, we show that SCA causes significant loss of neurons in the DG. Newborn neurons in the subgranular zone (SGZ), inner-third, and partially mid-third of the granule cell layer are predominantly affected by SCA. HBOT decreases the SCA-caused loss of immature neurons, prevents reduction of dendritic arborization, and increases proliferation of progenitor cells. Our results suggest a protective effect of HBO by reducing the vulnerability of immature neurons in the adult DG to SCA injury.

Considering the relevance of the research of pathogenesis of different liver diseases, we investigated the possible activity of the IL-23/IL-17 axis on the immunohepatotoxicity of two etiologically different chronic liver diseases. A total of 36 chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients, 16 with (CHC-SF) and 20 without significant fibrosis (CHC-NSF), 19 patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and 20 healthy controls (CG) were recruited. Anthropometric, biochemical, and immunological cytokines (IL-6, IL-10, IL-17 and IL-23) tests were performed in accordance with standard procedure. Our analysis revealed that a higher concentration of plasma IL-23 was associated with NASH (p = 0.005), and a higher concentration of plasma IL-17A but a lower concentration of plasma IL-10 was associated with CHC in comparison with CG. A lower concentration of plasma IL-10 was specific for CHC-NSF, while a higher concentration of plasma IL-17A was specific for CHC-SF in comparison with CG. CHC-NSF and CHC-SF groups were distinguished from NASH according to a lower concentration of plasma IL-17A. Liver tissue levels of IL-17A and IL-23 in CHC-NSF were significantly lower in comparison with NASH, regardless of the same stage of the liver fibrosis, whereas only IL-17A tissue levels showed a difference between the CHC-NSF and CHC-SF groups, namely, a lower concentration in CHC-NSF in comparison with CHC-SF. In CHC-SF and NASH liver tissue, IL17-A and IL-23 were significantly higher in comparison with plasma. Diagnostic accuracy analysis showed significance only in the concentration of plasma cytokines. Plasma IL-6, IL-17A and IL-23 could be possible markers that could differentiate CHC patients from controls. Plasma IL-23 could be considered a possible biomarker of CHC-NSF patients in comparison with controls, while plasma IL-6 and IL-17-A could be biomarkers of CHC-SF patients in comparison with controls. The most sophisticated difference was between the CHC-SF and CHC-NSF groups in the plasma levels of IL-10, which could make this cytokine a useful biomarker of liver fibrosis.

(1) Background: The influence of different factors on balance in adolescence is assessed by conducting functional balance tests that examine its different components. (2) Materials and methods: The study sample comprised 110 healthy adolescents of both sexes, aged 12–18 years. Single Leg Stance with Eyes Open (SLS-EO) and Eyes Closed (SLS-EC) tests were conducted to evaluate static balance, whereas the Functional Reach Test (FRT) and Lateral Reach Test (LRT) were performed to establish functional stability limits. The influence of sex, age, demographic factors, anthropometric characteristics, participation in sports activities, and trunk extensor muscle endurance (Biering–Sorensen test) on balance performance was determined through correlational and univariate linear regression analyses. (3) Results: Older age (Beta [β] = 0.247; 95% CI [0.75, 5.20]; p < 0.01) and better trunk extensor muscle endurance (β = 0.224; 95% CI [0.015, 0.13]; p < 0.05) were significant predictors of the SLS-EO results, while younger age (β = −0.219; 95% CI [−1.32, −0.11]; p < 0.05) and higher muscle percentage (β = 0.237; 95% CI [0.06, 0.48]; p < 0.05) emerged as significant predictors of LRT performance, and greater bone mass was a significant predictor of FRT results (β = 0.444; 95% CI [3.62, 8.17]; p < 0.01). However, none of the independent variables was a statistically significant predictor of the SLS-EC results. (4) Conclusions: The current study found that age, trunk extensor muscle endurance, muscle percentage, and bone mass are significant predictors of different balance components, suggesting that balance is task-specific.

Considering the relevance of the pathogenesis research of different liver diseases, in our study we investigated the possible activity of IL-23/IL-17 axis on the im-munohepatotoxicity of two etiologically different CLD. A total of patients with CHC infection, 19 with NASH and 20 healthy controls (CG) were recruited. After histological verification from liver tissue obtain by liver biopsy, patients with CHC were divided into two groups: CHC-NSF (F0/F1/F2)-non-significant fibrosis, 20 patients, and CHC-SF (F3/F4)-significant fibrosis/cirrhosis, 16 patients. All anthropometric, biochemical, immunological cytokines (IL-6, IL-10, IL-17 and IL-23) tests were performed accordance to standard procedure. The plasma levels of IL-6, Il-17A and IL-23 were significantly higher in CHC-SF and NASH in compared with CG. Also, plasma levels of IL-23/IL-17A were significantly higher in NASH in compared to CHC-SF. In CHC-SF we had significantly lowest IL-10 level in compared with all three groups. Liver tissue levels of IL-17A and IL-23 in CHC-NSF were significantly lower in compared with NASH. IN CHC-SF and NASH, IL17-A and IL-23 in liver tissue were significantly higher in compare to plasma levels. In conclusan, proinflammatory response of IL-23/17A axis is dominant in plasma and liver tissue in CHC with higher levels of liver fibrosis and in NASH patients.

Idiopathic scoliosis (IS) is a three-dimensional deformity of the spine and the trunk, of unknown etiology. Balance or postural control can be defined as the ability to maintain the body's line of gravity above the base of support and thus to avoid falling. Adequate balance control is not only important for maintaining postural stability, but also for safe mobility during activities of daily life. This requires efficient central processing of information coming from the visual, vestibular and somatosensory (proprioceptive) systems. The aim of this article was to review the literature about postural stability and balance performance in patients with idiopathic scoliosis. Some studies showed that people with idiopathic scoliosis have reduced postural stability, assessed with posturography, as well as proprioceptive and vestibular deficits. Two hypotheses in the literature, biomechanical and sensory integration hypotheses, tried to explain this from different points of view. The biomechanical hypothesis emphasizes biomechanical and morphological changes in IS as responsible for poorer postural stability, while the hypothesis of sensory integration points out that certain people with idiopathic scoliosis have impaired dynamic regulation of sensorimotor integration due to an inaccurate evaluation of sensory inputs. Studies that used clinical balance tests showed difficulties in mediolateral stability and dynamic proprioception in IS. Further studies on balance in this population are needed to deepen knowledge in this area.