BackgroundUrolithin A (UA) is a metabolite produced by gut microbiota from ingested ellagic acid. Although the effect of ellagic acid intake on vascular endothelial function (VEF) improvement has been reported, the effect of UA intake on VEF improvement remains obscure. In addition, UA has been reported to improve the intestinal barrier function, and UA may have improved VEF by gut microbiome alteration.ObjectiveIn this study, we conducted a clinical trial to explore and analyze the effects of UA intake on vascular endothelial function (VEF) and characteristics of the intestinal environment, such as gut microbiome profiling and organic acid composition.MethodsA placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blinded, parallel group trial was conducted on participants who could metabolize small amounts of UA from ellagic acid (non-UA producers) and had relatively poor VEF. VEF was assessed using the flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD) score. Participants were administered placebo, UA 10 mg/day, or UA 50 mg/day for 12 weeks. FMD was measured and fecal samples were collected at 0, 4, 8, and 12 weeks of treatment. Gut microbiome analysis and organic acid level measurements were performed to evaluate the effects of UA intake on the intestinal environment. This clinical trial is publicly registered at the UMIN-CTR, trial number: UMIN000042014.ResultsThe gut microbiota of the UA 50 mg/day group showed a significant increase in alpha diversity (Faith’s phylogenetic diversity). Four and nine microbial genera were significantly altered in the UA 10 mg/day and UA 50 mg/day groups, respectively (p < 0.05, not corrected). Participants whose FMD scores improved with UA intake had poor baseline FMD values as well as a low Bacillota/Bacteroidota ratio.ConclusionUrolithin A intake alters the gut microbiota and improves their alpha diversity. In addition, the effect of UA on VEF correlated with the individual gut microbiota. Our results have practical implications for a new approach to providing healthcare that focuses on intestinal environment-based diet therapy.
Background: The relationship among the human gut microbiome, microbially produced metabolites, and health outcomes remains of great interest. To decrease participant burden, room-temperature storage methods for fecal samples have become increasingly important. However, kits for storing the fecal microbiome and metabolome have not been well explored. We hypothesized that storing fecal samples by drying them with silica gel may be suitable. Objectives: The objective was to evaluate the performance of storage at room temperature by drying feces for subsequent examination of the microbiome, microbial pathways, and the metabolome. Methods: Feces from ten healthy adults (6 male and 4 female) were sampled and immediately processed, as controls, and stored at room temperature in an incubator, on an FTA card, in RNAlater, or dried by silica gel. Storage at room temperature continued for 7 days. Drying by the silica gel method was assessed for 14 days. The fecal microbiome was assessed by sequencing the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA-encoding gene (V1-V2 region), fecal microbial pathway profiles were analyzed by whole-genome shotgun metagenomics, and fecal metabolome profiles were analyzed using capillary electrophoresis time-of-flight mass spectrometry (CE-TOFMS). Results: Qualitative and β-diversity analyses of the microbiome, microbial pathways, and the metabolome showed that drying by silica gel were closest to those immediately after processing. When focusing on the abundances of individual microbes, microbial pathways, and metabolites, some were found to be significantly different. However, the intra-method ranking of individual items showed that 100%, 87-97%, and 63-76% of microbes, microbial pathways, and metabolites, respectively, were significantly correlated between silica gel preserving and immediately processing method.
Appropriate evacuation strategies play an important role in saving lives during tsunamis. Evacuation by vehicle is generally not recommended, as it would induce severe congestion on roads. Nevertheless, it could be helpful for vulnerable people (e.g. the disabled, elderly, or infants) who live in an area which a tsunami would reach immediately after an earthquake, and cannot walk fast. Despite this, to date there are few simulation tools that can accurately reproduce the evacuation behavior of both pedestrians and vehicles as well as the tsunami inundation process. To help disaster risk managers with this problem, the authors newly developed an agent-based tsunami evacuation model that can consider both tsunami wave hydrodynamics and the behavior of both of these types of agents (i.e. vehicles and people) during evacuation.Recorded Presentation from the vICCE (YouTube Link): https://youtu.be/ZurujpEE0hY
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