Introduction: Gut dysbiosis has been reported to be closely associated with gout. Washed microbiota transplantation (WMT) is considered as an effective way to restore a healthy gut microbiota with less adverse events than the conventional fecal microbiota transplantation. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of WMT on serum uric acid levels, symptoms and the intestinal barrier function in patients with acute and recurrent gout. Methods: We performed a pilot study of WMT for acute and recurrent gout. The primary outcome was the changes in serum uric acid level and gout symptoms. The secondary outcomes included the changes in levels of diamine oxidase (DAO), D-lactic acid and endotoxin. Results: Eleven patients received WMT treatment. The averaged serum uric acid levels in patients with gout reduced after WMT (P = 0.031), accompanied with a decrease in the frequency and duration time of acute gout flares (P < 0.01). The levels of DAO, D-lactic acid and endotoxin were higher in patients than in healthy donors (P < 0.05). After WMT treatment, the levels of DAO and endotoxin decreased (P < 0.05). Conclusions: WMT is effective for reducing serum uric acid levels and improving gout symptoms in patients with gout, and contributes to improve their impaired intestinal barrier function.

Gastric cancer is a frequently occurring cancer with high mortality each year worldwide. Finding new and effective therapeutic strategy against human gastric cancer is still urgently required. Hence, we have established a new method to achieve treatment-actuated modifications in a tumor microenvironment by utilizing synergistic activity between two potential anticancer drugs. Dual drug delivery of gemcitabine (GEM) and Camptothecin-11 (CPT-11) exhibits a great anti-cancer potential, as GEM enhances the effect of CPT-11 treatment of human gastric cells by providing microenvironment stability. However, encapsulation of GEM and CPT-11 obsessed by poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-based nanoparticles (NPs) is incompetent owing to unsuitability between the binary free GEM and CPT-11 moieties and the polymeric system. Now, we display that CPT-11 can be prepared by hydrophobic covering of the drug centers with dioleoylphosphatidic acid (DOPA). The DOPA-covered CPT-11 can be co-encapsulated in PLGA NPs alongside GEM to stimulate excellent anticancer property. The occurrence of the CPT-11 suggestively enhanced the encapsulations of GEM into PLGA NPs (GEM-CPT-11 NPs). Formation of the nanocomposite (GEM-CPT-11 NPs) was confirmed by FTIR and X-ray spectroscopic techniques. Further, the morphology of GEM NPs, CPT-11 NPs, and GEM-CPT-11 NPs and NP size was examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. Furthermore, GEM-CPT-11 NPs induced significant apoptosis in human gastric NCI-N87 and SGC-791 cancer cells in vitro. The morphological observation and apoptosis were confirmed by the various biochemical assays (AO-EB, nuclear staining, and annexin V-FITC). In addition, evaluation of the hemolysis assay with erythrocytes of human shows excellent biocompatibility of free GEM, free CPT-11, GEM NPs, CPT-11 NPs, and GEM-CPT-11 NPs. The results suggest that GEM-CPT-11 NPs are one of the promising nursing cares for human gastric cancer therapeutic candidates worthy of further investigations.

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Background: The prognosis of and occurrence of complications in patients with different clinical features of cirrhosis differ, and cirrhosis with different etiologies has varying clinical characteristics. The aim of this study was to describe the liver function markers, hepatic complications, and psychological features differentiating patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection-related and alcohol-related cirrhosis. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective and observational study that analyzed the medical data of inpatients with alcohol-related or HBV infection-related cirrhosis from May 2014 to May 2020. Markers of liver function, portal hypertension, and psychological symptoms were compared between the two groups. Results: Patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis showed higher Self-Rating Anxiety Scale scores and prevalence of hypoproteinemia, fatty liver, and depression than those with HBV infection-related cirrhosis (all P < 0.05). After adjustment for potential confounders, patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis also showed higher risks of increased total cholesterol (odds ratio [OR] =2.671, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.160–6.151, P = 0.021), increased high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (OR = 2.714, 95% CI: 1.009–7.299, P = 0.048), and fatty liver (OR = 2.713, 95% CI: 1.002–7.215, P = 0.048); however, splenomegaly and splenectomy were significantly associated with HBV infection-related cirrhosis (OR = 2.320, 95% CI: 1.066–5.050, P = 0.034). Conclusion: Patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis were more likely to develop hyperlipidemia, fatty liver, and psychological symptoms, whereas those with HBV-related cirrhosis had a higher risk of splenomegaly.

Background: Gut dysbiosis has been reported to be closely associated with gout. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been considered as an effective way to restore the balance of gut microbiota. We aimed to evaluate the effects of FMT on serum uric acid levels, gout symptoms and the intestinal barrier function in patients with acute and recurrent gout. Methods: We performed a pilot study of FMT for acute and recurrent gout. The primary outcome was the changes in serum uric acid level on day 28 post-FMT and in gout symptoms by one year. The secondary outcomes included the changes in levels of urine uric acid, diamine oxidase (DAO), D-lactic acid and endotoxin on day 28 post-FMT. The levels of DAO, D-lactic acid and endotoxin were assessed by enzyme assay. Results: Eleven patients received FMT treatment. All the patients had a reduction in serum uric acid levels after FMT treatment ( P < 0.05), accompanied with a decrease in the frequency and duration time of acute gout flares. The levels of DAO, D-lactic acid and endotoxin, reflecting the intestinal barrier function, were higher in patients with gout than in healthy donors ( P < 0.05). After FMT treatment, the levels of DAO and endotoxin decreased ( P < 0.05). Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that FMT is effective for reducing serum uric acid levels and improving gout symptoms in patients with gout; FMT contributes to improve the impaired intestinal barrier function of the patients.