Gut microbiota is involved in the exacerbation of adrenal glucocorticoid steroidogenesis in diabetic animals by activation of the TLR4 pathway.

Introduction: Diabetes induces glucocorticoid production in patients and animal models, however, the exact mechanism behind this phenomenon is still elusive. The activation of toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 induces glucocorticoid production by the adrenals. Since diabetic patients showed gut dysbiosis in parallel to an increase in epithelial-intestinal permeability, this study investigates the role of TLR4 activation by gut bacteria-derived lipopolysaccharide on the overproduction of corticosterone in diabetic rodents.

Metabolic profiles of multidrug resistant and extensively drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis unveiled by metabolomics.

Although treatable with antibiotics, tuberculosis is a leading cause of death. Mycobacterium tuberculosis antibiotic resistance is becoming increasingly common and disease control is challenging. Conventional drug susceptibility testing takes weeks to produce results, and treatment is often initiated empirically.

Integrated analysis of ethionamide resistance loci in Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates.

Tuberculosis patients taking second line drugs such as ethionamide (ETH) have often experienced previous treatment failure and usually have a complex history of disease and treatment that can span decades. Mutations in the ETH activating enzyme, EthA, confer resistance through undescribed mechanisms. To explore the impact of EthA mutations on ETH resistance, data from a total of 160 ETH isolates was analysed.