BackgroundImbalance of intestinal microbiota was closely related to colitis. Under these circumstances, regulation of enteric flora may be beneficial to the repair of inflammation. We aimed to investigate the effects of probiotics (Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus), prebiotics and their combination on inflammation, and microflora in mice of acute colitis.MethodsC57BL/6J mice were divided into six groups randomly (blank control group, model control group, probiotics group, synbiotics group, lactitol group and probiotics + lactitol group). Each group was given 2.5% dextran sulfate sodium drinking water for 5 days other than the blank control group. Except for the model control group, the other four groups were intervened with probiotics, synbiotics (probiotics and inulin), lactitol, and probiotics + lactitol. Mice were sacrificed after 1 week of gavage, and pathologic scores were calculated. The feces of different periods and intestinal mucosa samples were collected to analyze the differences of intestinal microbiota by 16S rRNA sequencing. Differences of two groups or multiple groups were statistically examined through unpaired Student t test and analysis of variance (ANOVA), respectively. ANOVA, Tukey, Anosim, and metastats analysis were used to compare differences of microbiota among different groups.ResultsAfter gavage for 1 week, the pathologic scores of groups with the intervention were significantly lower than those in the model control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The model control group was higher in the genus of Bacteroides (relative abundance: 0.3679 vs. 0.0099, P = 0.0016) and lower in Lactobacillus (relative abundance: 0.0020 vs. 0.0122, P = 0.0188), Roseburia (relative abundance: 0.0004 vs. 0.0109, P = 0.0157), compared with the blank control group. However, the same phenomenon was not found in groups gavaged with probiotics and lactitol. Compared with model control group, mice with intervention were increased with Bifidobacterium (relative abundance: 0.0172 vs. 0.0039, P = 0.0139), Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group (relative abundance: 0.1139 vs. 0.0320, P = 0.0344), Lachnospiraceae_UCG-006 (relative abundance: 0.0432 vs. 0.0054, P = 0.0454), and decreased with Alistipes (relative abundance: 0.0036 vs. 0.0105, P = 0.0207) in varying degrees. The mucosal flora was more abundant than the fecal flora, and genus of Mucispirillum (relative abundance: 0.0207 vs. 0.0001, P = 0.0034) was more common in the mucosa. Lactitol group showed higher level of Akkermansia than model control group (relative abundance: 0.0138 vs. 0.0055, P = 0.0415), probiotics group (relative abundance: 0.0138 vs. 0.0022, P = 0.0041), and synbiotics group (relative abundance: 0.0138 vs. 0.0011, P = 0.0034), while probiotics + lactitol group had more abundant Akkermansia than synbiotics group (relative abundance: 0.0215 vs. 0.0013, P = 0.0315).ConclusionsProbiotics and prebiotics reduce the degree of inflammation in acute colitis mice obviously. Mice with acute colitis show reduced beneficial ...

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Objectives To evaluate the efficacy of ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in disease activity assessment of Takayasu arteritis (TA) with carotid involvement. Methods This is a cohort study of 115 patients of TA with carotid involvement. We investigated correlations between clinical data, sonographic features and CEUS enhancement at the site most prominent lesion of each patient. Disease activity was assessed by the NIH Kerr criteria. Sonographic findings were compared with follow-up examinations. CEUS was repeated after a three to seven months interval in 35 patients to evaluate change of CEUS enhancement after treatment. Results Extensiveness of CEUS enhancement at most prominent carotid lesions had significant correlations with disease activity by the Kerr criteria (P &lt; 0.001). The specificity of extensive enhancement for indicating active disease was 95%, while sensitivity was 67%. Patients with active disease showed greater arterial wall thickness and more prominent reduction of arterial wall thickness after treatment. Most of patients (68%) with subsided active disease after treatment featured decrease of CEUS enhancement. Conclusions Extensiveness of enhancement by CEUS and arterial wall thickness by ultrasonography may be useful markers for initial and follow-up assessment of disease activity of TA with common carotid artery involvement.

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