Brown adipose tissue (BAT) promotes a lean and healthy phenotype and improves insulin sensitivity1. In response to cold or exercise brown fat cells also emerge in the white adipose tissue (named beige cells), a process known as browning2,3,4. Here, we show that the development of functional beige fat is promoted by microbiota depletion either by antibiotic treatment or in germ-free mice within the inguinal subcutaneous and perigonadal visceral adipose tissues (ingSAT and pgVAT, respectively). This leads to improved glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity and decreased white fat and adipocyte size in lean mice and obese leptin-deficient (ob/ob) and high fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. These metabolic improvements are mediated by eosinophil infiltration and enhanced type 2 cytokine signaling and M2 macrophage polarization in the subcutaneous white fat depots of microbiota-depleted animals. The metabolic phenotype and the browning of the subcutaneous fat are impaired by suppression of the type 2 signaling and are reversed by recolonization of the antibiotic-treated, or the germ-free mice with microbes. These results provide insight into microbiota-fat signaling axis and beige fat development in health and metabolic disease.

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Microbiological control is of crucial importance in the pharmaceutical industry regarding the possible bacterial contamination of the environment, water, raw materials and finished products. Molecular identification of bacterial contaminants based on DNA sequencing of the hypervariable 16SrRNA gene has been introduced recently. The aim of this study is to investigate the suitability of gene sequencing using our selection of PCR primers and conditions for rapid and accurate bacterial identification in pharmaceutical industry quality control. DNA was extracted from overnight incubated colonies from 10 bacterial ATCC strains, which are common contaminants in the pharmaceutical industry. A region of bacterial 16SrRNA gene was analyzed by bidirectional DNA sequencing. Bacterial identification based on partial sequencing of the 16SrRNA gene is the appropriate method that could be used in the pharmaceutical industry after adequate validations. We have successfully identified all tested bacteria with more than 99 % similarity to the already published sequences.

There are increasing demands from both, regulatory agencies and industry itself, for improving the quality monitoring procedures. This focus on quality and risk management has prompted for re-evaluation of the systems and procedures to ensure compliance with the proposed guidelines. One of the essential tools for quality monitoring is statistical tools with which we can support any conclusion with regard to the variability and capability of a given process and thus we can ensure a state of control. There are numerous techniques which can be used and one of them is Statistical Process Control (SPC). SPC is a highly structured approach for defining what is important, by process screening; data collection and measuring the data; data analyzing and finding the variations; what needs to be done and how to bring the process in control and maintain the state of control. Trending is part of SPC and enables to see the general direction towards which the process is moving. Trending is used as a prevention of possible out-of-specification results and nonconforming products that could have impact on the patient’s health. It is no longer acceptable to be only within specification limits and out of process control. Keywords: trend, trending, control charts, SPC, variable data, discrete (attribute) data, standard deviation, upper control limit, lower control limit

A comprehensively designed Pharmaceutical Quality System (PQS) incorporating Good Manufacturing Practice and Quality Risk Management implemented, maintained and continuously improved, allows a consistent delivery of products with appropriate quality attributes. The manufacturer in the third country and the batch certification and release site in EU belong to the same organization operating under a corporate Pharmaceutical Quality System. A signed Quality Agreement between both parties provides improvement of the Pharmaceutical Quality System and continual maintenance of the quality of the medicinal product throughout its shelf life. This paper outlines the role and the challenges of the manufacturing site in third country within the process of batch certification and release in EU (by EU QP) and also highlights the importance of the technically justified approach including Quality Risk Management process regarding sampling in third country. Through a Technical justification for sampling including Quality Risk Assessment, it is considered that the samples taken from the manufacturing site in third country ensure representation of the whole batch. Technical justification is performed periodically to identify and manage any risks associated with this approach, thus ensuring the quality, safety and efficacy according Marketing Authorization. Keywords: batch release in EU, third country, Pharmaceutical Quality System, QP