Phage-Microbiota Crosstalk: Implications for Central Nervous System Disorders.

The gut microbiota constitutes a complex community of microorganisms (including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa) within the intestinal tract. Over the years, an increasing number of studies have highlighted the bidirectional communication between the gut microbiota and the central nervous system (CNS), a relationship commonly referred to as the "microbiota-gut-brain axis". In particular, the crosstalk between the gut microbiota and the brain has been associated with the pathogenesis and progression of various CNS disorders.

Premature skeletal muscle aging in VPS13A deficiency relates to impaired autophagy.

VPS13A disease (chorea-acanthocytosis), is an ultra-rare autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder caused by mutations of the VPS13A gene encoding Vps13A. Increased serum levels of the muscle isoform of creatine kinase associated with often asymptomatic muscle pathology are among the poorly understood early clinical manifestations of VPS13A disease. Here, we carried out an integrated analysis of skeletal muscle from Vps13a mice and from VPS13A disease patient muscle biopsies.

Imaging Ultraweak Photon Emission from Living and Dead Mice and from Plants under Stress.

The phenomenon of biological ultraweak photon emission (UPE), that is, extremely low-intensity emission (10-10 photons cm s) in the spectral range of 200-1000 nm, has been observed in all living systems that have been examined. Here, we report experiments that exemplify the ability of novel imaging systems to detect variations in UPE for a set of physiologically important scenarios. We use electron-multiplying charge-coupled device (EMCCD) and charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras to capture single visible-wavelength photons with low noise and quantum efficiencies higher than 90%.

The impact of ketamine and thiopental anesthesia on ultraweak photon emission and oxidative-nitrosative stress in rat brains.

Anesthetics such as ketamine and thiopental, commonly used for inducing unconsciousness, have distinct effects on neuronal activity, metabolism, and cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Ketamine increases heart rate and blood pressure while preserving respiratory function, whereas thiopental decreases both and can cause respiratory depression. This study investigates the impact of ketamine (100 mg/kg) and thiopental (45 mg/kg) on ultraweak photon emission (UPE), oxidative-nitrosative stress, and antioxidant capacity in isolated rat brains.