Chi Mei Medical Center

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is one of the most common etiologies of gastrointestinal disorders.Considering the inadequacies and adverse impacts of antibiotic therapies, a potential treatment for H. pylori infection is the need of the hour.Hence, in this novel study, two probiotic Lactobacillus strains, Lactobacillus acidophilus (La) and Levilactobacillus brevis (Lb), were employed to ferment hot water extract of Talinum triangulare (TT) leaves to produce endogenous oligopolysaccharide prebiotics and several ginsenosides from TT fermentation broth (TTFB).Using 8%-TTFB, bacterial count, saponins yield (ginsenoside Re and chikusetsusaponin IVa) and DPPH radical scavenging potential of La and Lb were increased, while TNF-α and IL-1β were suppressed.Min. inhibitory concentration values of H. pylori decreased to 4.2 mg/mL with increasing TTFB concentrationsConclusively, probiotic Lactobacillus spp. fermented TT may prevent H. pylori associated gastrointestinal infections and related disorders through increasing bacterial count, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidative activities.

The current study aimed at investigating the efficacies of probiotics in alleviating the symptoms of irritability/emotional lability in individuals with a neurodevelopmental condition.

Randomized placebo-controlled trials were identified through searching major electronic databases from inception to December, 2023. The outcome of interests included improvements in the symptoms of irritability/emotional lability. Outcomes were quantitatively expressed as effect size (ES) based on standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95 % confidence interval (CI).

Seven studies with 1479 participants were included in this meta-analysis. The primary results revealed a significant improvement in the symptoms of irritability/emotional lability in individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions receiving probiotics compared with the placebos (SMD= -0.17, p = 0.03). Subgroup analyses demonstrated an association between a significant improvement in the symptoms of irritability/emotional lability and the use probiotics relative to placebos only in studies using multiple-strain probiotics (SMD=-0.19, p = 0.04, three studies with 452 participant) but not in those adopting single-strain regimens.

Our study supported the use of probiotics for alleviating the symptoms of irritability/emotional lability in individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions, mainly in those receiving multiple-strain probiotics as supplements. Nevertheless, the limited number of studies targeting irritability as their primary outcomes, and most did not investigate other confounding factors such as dietary habits or consumption of other nutritional supplements may impair the robustness of evidence. Our results, which were derived from a limited number of available trials, warrant further large-scale clinical investigations for verification.

This study examined the effects of beta-blockers and the combination of carteolol/oxprenolol with epinephrine on spinal nociceptive and motor blockades and compared them with propranolol.

Nociceptive and motor blockades were assessed in rats after intrathecal injection of carteolol, oxprenolol, metoprolol, acebutolol, and sotalol. Carteolol and oxprenolol were used in combination with epinephrine for spinal nociceptive and motor blockades. Propranolol was used as a control.

At the same dose of 0.6 μmol, carteolol and oxprenolol are more potent than propranolol, and the duration of action of carteolol and oxprenolol is longer than or the same as that of propranolol. At ED₅₀ (50% effective dose), the potency rankings of drugs are carteolol > oxprenolol > propranolol (P > 0.01). At ED₂₅, ED₅₀, and ED₇₅, the time to full recovery induced by carteolol was longer than that induced by oxprenolol or propranolol. When 1:40,000 epinephrine was added to beta-blocker (carteolol, oxprenolol, and propranolol) at ED₅₀, spinal blockades and duration of action were increased compared to beta-blockers alone (P > 0.05).

Carteolol and oxprenolol are more effective than propranolol on spinal blockades, while other beta-blockers are relatively ineffective. Compared to propranolol, the duration of action of carteolol and oxprenolol is longer or the same. Epinephrine enhances spinal blockades of carteolol, oxprenolol, and propranolol, suggesting that alpha-adrenergic receptors may play an important role in enhancing the anti-nociceptive effects of beta-blockers.