Journal: PLOS One

Article Title: The effects of rifaximin and lactulose on the gut-liver-brain axis in rats with minimal hepatic encephalopathy

doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0325988

Figure Lengend Snippet: (A) 26 rats were randomly divided into a control model (n = 6) and MHE model (n = 20). The MHE model rats were given subcutaneous injections of 3 mL/kg of CCl4 solution (a mixture of CCl 4 and olive oil at a ratio of 1:1 v/v) twice a week and were fed 5% alcohol in drinking water for 9 consecutive weeks. Control model rats received equal volume normal saline subcutaneous injections twice a week and fed regular water. 9 weeks after injection, BAEP of rats should be tested to confirm the diagnosis of MHE through latency of BAEP and Morris water maze test. Then, rats with MHE and cognitive impairment were screened and randomly divided into normal saline group (MNS group), lactulose, group (ML group), and rifaximin group (MR group), and the control model rats into normal control group (C group), with 6 rats in each group. The C and MNS group were gavaged with equal volume normal saline, the ML and MR group gavaged with lactulose at a dose of 10 mL/kg body weight and rifaximin at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight respectively once a day for 8 weeks until the end of the experiment. (B) The escape latencies of four test trials of the Morris water maze in 2 models. The escape latencies of control model gradually decreased as training time increased. Compared to controls, MHE model had significantly longer escape latencies during the 2nd, 3rd and (C) 4th tests ( p < 0.001). Abbreviations: MHE, minimal hepatic encephalopathy; CCL 4 , carbon tetrachloride; BAEP, brainstem auditory evoked potentials; Results are shown as the means ± SD. **** p < 0.0001, as determined by Mann-Whitney U test between two groups.

Article Snippet: At the end of the 9th week, C and MNS groups were gavaged with saline, while ML and MR groups received lactulose (667 g/L lactulose, Drug Industries Company Abbott, Egypt) at a dose of 10 mL/kg body weight and rifaximin (Alfasigma S.p.A. Co., Ltd.) at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight respectively, once daily for 8 weeks ( ).

Techniques: Control, Saline, Injection, Biomarker Discovery, MANN-WHITNEY

Journal: PLOS One

Article Title: The effects of rifaximin and lactulose on the gut-liver-brain axis in rats with minimal hepatic encephalopathy

doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0325988

Figure Lengend Snippet: (A) Latency of BAEP I and (B) Escape latency of the MNS group was significantly higher than that of the C group, then obviously decreased after the intervention of rifaximin and lactulose. (C) Serum ammonia and (D) Cerebrospinal ammonia levels decreased significantly upon the treatment of rifaximin and lactulose. Abbreviations: BAEP, brainstem auditory evoked potential; Results are shown as the means ± SD. ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001, **** p < 0.0001, as determined by Mann-Whitney U test between two groups.

Article Snippet: At the end of the 9th week, C and MNS groups were gavaged with saline, while ML and MR groups received lactulose (667 g/L lactulose, Drug Industries Company Abbott, Egypt) at a dose of 10 mL/kg body weight and rifaximin (Alfasigma S.p.A. Co., Ltd.) at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight respectively, once daily for 8 weeks ( ).

Techniques: MANN-WHITNEY

Journal: PLOS One

Article Title: The effects of rifaximin and lactulose on the gut-liver-brain axis in rats with minimal hepatic encephalopathy

doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0325988

Figure Lengend Snippet: (A) Serum LPS levels in the portal vein of the MNS group was significantly higher than that of the C group, then obviously decreased after the intervention of rifaximin and lactulose. Decreased (B) serum IL-1β and (C) Serum TNF-α were observed in the ML and MR groups. (D) The expression of TLR4 of the liver increased in MNS group, then significantly decreased after the intervention of rifaximin. While there was no significant difference after the treatment of lactulose. (E) HE staining of the liver showed intact liver lobular structure and normal liver cells in the C group. The MNS group showed structural destruction of liver lobules, disordered arrangement of liver cells, and significant inflammatory cell infiltration. The degree of liver damage is reduced after treatment with rifaximin and lactulose. Abbreviations: LPS, lipopolysaccharide; IL-1β, interleukin-1β; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor-α; TLR4, toll like receptor 4; Results are shown as the means ± SD. ** p < 0.05, *** p < 0.001, **** p < 0.0001, ns, no significant difference, as determined by Mann-Whitney U test between two groups.

Article Snippet: At the end of the 9th week, C and MNS groups were gavaged with saline, while ML and MR groups received lactulose (667 g/L lactulose, Drug Industries Company Abbott, Egypt) at a dose of 10 mL/kg body weight and rifaximin (Alfasigma S.p.A. Co., Ltd.) at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight respectively, once daily for 8 weeks ( ).

Techniques: Expressing, Staining, MANN-WHITNEY

Journal: PLOS One

Article Title: The effects of rifaximin and lactulose on the gut-liver-brain axis in rats with minimal hepatic encephalopathy

doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0325988

Figure Lengend Snippet: (A) The Shannon and Simpson α diversity index showed no significant difference among all groups (Shannon diversity index median [IQR] 4.06 ± 0.57 at C vs 4.45 ± 0.74 at MNS vs 4.44 ± 0.02 at ML vs 4.53 ± 1.76 at MR, p = 0.77; Simpson diversity index median [IQR] 0.07 ± 0.07 at C vs 0.03 ± 0.02 at MNS vs 0.03 ± 0.00 at ML vs 0.02 ± 0.21 at MR, p = 0.64). (B) Principal co-ordinates analysis (PCoA) and Principal component analysis (PCA) of gut microbiota, clear separation of samples by rifaximin and lactulose treatment was observed via PCoA and PCA. Abbreviations: Results are shown as the means ± SD. p < 0.05, as determined by One-way ANOVA among four groups.

Article Snippet: At the end of the 9th week, C and MNS groups were gavaged with saline, while ML and MR groups received lactulose (667 g/L lactulose, Drug Industries Company Abbott, Egypt) at a dose of 10 mL/kg body weight and rifaximin (Alfasigma S.p.A. Co., Ltd.) at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight respectively, once daily for 8 weeks ( ).

Techniques: