Objective: This study was to inspect the antidepressant‑like effect of prebiotics and probiotics, and to explore the effect of modulating gut microbiota on the serotonin (5‐HT) metabolism.Methods: Fifty rats were separated into control and other four groups randomly. The four groups underwent the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) intervention with or without prebiotics and probiotics (Bifidobacterium longum, L. rhamnosus) treatment. After weighted, the animals underwent a series of behavioral tests comprising the sucrose preference test (SPT) and the forced swimming test (FST). Central and colonic serotonin levels and relative metabolism factors were measured and analyzed. Microbiota was examined by 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing.Results: CUMS intervention caused a decrease in body weight, an increase in FST, and a decrease in SPT. Prebiotics and probiotics all ameliorated the CUMS‐induced loss of weight and depressive‐like behaviors to a certain extent, especially L. rhamnosus. Compared with the group of CUMS intervention, the rats of probiotics and probiotics treatment had a tendency to reduce colonic 5‐HT and increase 5‐HT in frontal cortex and hippocampus. However, there was no significant difference in peripheral blood 5‐HT among these groups. Furthermore, CUMS caused noteworthy gut microbiota variations at the phylum and other levels in rats. Remarkably, there were considerable relations of perturbed gut microbiota with the changed metabolism of 5‐HT.Conclusion: In conclusion, these findings implied that prebiotics and probiotics have antidepressive effects, and a considerable effect on the regulation of 5‐HT metabolism, especially L. rhamnosus.

A 12 year old boy presented with 11 episodes of weakness, ataxia, nausea, slurred speech, dehydration, and sometimes severe lethargy bordering on coma. A year previously the boy had small intestinal resections leaving 20 cm of small bowel remaining. D-lactic acidosis was diagnosed on the basis of a D-lactate level of 5.23 mmol/l. The clinical presentation of the disease is recurrent episodes of unusual neurological manifestations and severe metabolic acidosis. The diagnosis is dependent on the presentations and the plasma D-lactate level. Development of the syndrome seems to be the effect of the accumulation of D-lactic acid.

IL-1beta has been implicated in inflammatory episode. In view of the inflammatory nature of cancer cachexia, we determined the predictive value of IL-1B-31 T/C, -511 C/T, +3954 C/T and IL-1RN VNTR gene polymorphisms on the occurrence of cachexia associated with locally advanced gastric cancer.

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is acknowledged to reduce perioperative stress in several surgical diseases. Here, we investigated whether modified ERAS is associated with beneficial effects in the setting of emergency colorectal surgery. We retrospectively evaluated the medical records of 839 consecutive patients with obstructive colorectal cancer undergoing surgical intervention at 4 institutes. Among them, 356 cases were managed with a multidisciplinary team approach to care (modified ERAS protocols), and the remaining 483 cases were treated based on traditional protocols. According to modified ERAS or traditional care, propensity score (PS) matching was performed to adjust biases in patient selection. The primary outcome was gastrointestinal function recovery. Secondary outcomes included postoperative complications and length of hospital stay. Modified ERAS was associated with postoperative gastrointestinal function recovery, including time to first flatus (P = .002), first defecation (P = .008), and prolonged ileus (P = .016). According to the Clavien–Dindo classification, fewer total episodes of grade II or higher postoperative complications were observed in patients cared for with modified ERAS than in patients with traditional care (P = .002). Median (interquartile range) postoperative hospital stay in the modified ERAS group was 6 (3–22) days versus 9 (7–27) days in the traditional care group (P < .001). Furthermore, the interval from operation to postoperative chemotherapy (d) was significantly shorter in the modified ERAS group (35.6 ± 11.5 vs 47.6 ± 23.8, P < .001). The modified ERAS was safe and associated with clinical benefits, including fast recovery of bowel function, reduced postoperative complications, and shorter hospital stay for patients with obstructive colorectal cancer.

Curcumin and resveratrol are two natural products, which have been described as potential anti‑inflammatory, anti‑tumor, and anti‑oxidant molecules. The aims of the present study were to investigate the protective effect of curcumin and resveratrol on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)‑induced ulcerative colitis (UC) in mice, in addition to understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms. In order to accomplish this, BALB/c mice received drinking water containing 3.5% DSS. Curcumin (50 mg/kg/day) or resveratrol (80 mg/kg/day) were administered orally for 7 days. Survival rate, body weight, disease activity index score, colon length, pro‑inflammatory cytokines, and the expression autophagy‑associated proteins, and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) and sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) were measured. Curcumin or resveratrol treatment prolonged the survival of mice with UC, reduced body weight loss and attenuated the severity of the disease compared with the DSS‑treated mice. This effect was associated with a substantial clinical amelioration of the disruption of the colonic architecture and a significant reduction in pro‑inflammatory cytokine production. Furthermore, curcumin or resveratrol significantly downregulated the expression of autophagy‑related 12, Beclin‑1 and microtubule‑associated protein light chain 3 II, and upregulated the expression of phosphorylated mTOR and SIRT1 in the colon tissue, compared with those in the DSS‑treated group. These results suggest that curcumin and resveratrol exert protective effects on DSS‑induced UC, partially through suppressing the intestinal inflammatory cascade reaction, reducing autophagy and regulating SIRT1/mTOR signaling.