Browsing by Subject "Gut"

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    Microbial Signatures in The Rodent Eyes With Retinal Dysfunction and Diabetic Retinopathy
    (Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, 2022) Prasad, Ram; Asare-Bediko, Bright; Harbour, Angela; Floyd, Jason L.; Chakraborty, Dibyendu; Duan, Yaqian; Lamendella, Regina; Wright, Justin; Grant, Maria B.; Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, School of Medicine
    Purpose: The gut microbiome has been linked to disease pathogenesis through their interaction in metabolic, endocrine, and immune functions. The goal of this study was to determine whether the gut and plasma microbiota could transfer microbes to the retina in type 1 diabetic mice with retinopathy. Methods: We analyzed the fecal, plasma, whole globe, and retina microbiome in Akita mice and compared with age-matched wild-type (WT) mice using 16S rRNA sequencing and metatranscriptomic analysis. To eliminate the contribution of the ocular surface and plasma microbiome, mice were perfused with sterile saline solution, the whole globes were extracted, and the neural retina was removed under sterile conditions for retinal microbiome. Results: Our microbiome analysis revealed that Akita mice demonstrated a distinct pattern of microbes within each source: feces, plasma, whole globes, and retina. WT mice and Akita mice experienced transient bacteremia in the plasma and retina. Bacteria were identified in the retina of the Akita mice, specifically Corynebacterium, Pseudomonas, Lactobacillus, Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus. Significantly increased levels of peptidoglycan (0.036 ± 0.001 vs. 0.023 ± 0.002; P < 0.002) and TLR2 (3.47 ± 0.15 vs. 1.99 ± 0.07; P < 0.0001) were observed in the retina of Akita mice compared to WT. Increased IBA+ cells in the retina, reduced a- and b-waves on electroretinography, and increased acellular capillary formation demonstrated the presence of retinopathy in the Akita cohort compared to WT mice. Conclusions: Together, our findings suggest that transient bacteremia exists in the plasma and retina of both cohorts. The bacteria found in Akita mice are distinct from WT mice and may contribute to development of retinal inflammation and barrier dysfunction in retinopathy.
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    New Insights Into Dietary Approaches to Potassium Management in Chronic Kidney Disease
    (Elsevier, 2023) Sumida, Keiichi; Biruete, Annabel; Kistler, Brandon M.; Khor, Ban-Hock; Ebrahim, Zarina; Giannini, Rossella; Sussman-Dabach, Elizabeth J.; Avesani, Carla Maria; Chan, Maria; Lambert, Kelly; Wang, Angela Yee-Moon; Clegg, Deborah J.; Burrowes, Jerrilynn D.; Palmer, Biff F.; Carrero, Juan-Jesus; Kovesdy, Csaba P.; Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health and Human Sciences
    Potassium disorders are one of the most common electrolyte abnormalities in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), contributing to poor clinical outcomes. Maintaining serum potassium levels within the physiologically normal range is critically important in these patients. Dietary potassium restriction has long been considered a core strategy for the management of chronic hyperkalemia in patients with CKD. However, this has been challenged by recent evidence suggesting a paradigm shift toward fostering more liberalized, plant-based dietary patterns. The advent of novel potassium binders and an improved understanding of gastrointestinal processes involved in potassium homeostasis (e.g., gastrointestinal potassium wasting) may facilitate a paradigm shift and incorporation of heart-healthy potassium-enriched food sources. Nevertheless, uncertainty regarding the risk-benefit of plant-based diets in the context of potassium management in CKD remains, requiring well-designed clinical trials to determine the efficacy of dietary potassium manipulation toward improvement of clinical outcomes in patients with CKD.