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[This corrects the article DOI: 10.7759/cureus.89075.].

The prevalence of substance use disorders (SUDs) is unequally distributed across socioeconomic strata. Although several genetic predispositions and psychosocial influences play integral roles, environmental factors are undoubtedly additional contributors. We propose that a potential common factor could be diet. More specifically, circumstances such as economic challenges could lead to limited food choices and poor-quality diets, and this could result in differences in microbiome composition compared to less SUD-susceptible populations having otherwise similar risk factors. The current study investigated the effect of altering the microbiome on drug withdrawal from nicotine using a standard planarian model. Planarians ( ) were treated with the broad-spectrum antibiotics ampicillin (a ß-lactam) and kanamycin (a non-ß-lactam), alone and in combination, and microbiomes were analyzed using culture techniques, microscopy, and metagenomic methods. Alphaproteobacteria such as   were detected in the microbiome. Ampicillin or kanamycin reduced the microbiome diversity, notably reducing and bacteria. One-week treatment with ampicillin and kanamycin did not affect planarian spontaneous locomotor activity. However, pretreatment with ampicillin, but not kanamycin or the combination, significantly attenuated abstinence-induced nicotine withdrawal-like behavior. These results suggest that alteration of the microbiome decreases nicotine withdrawal in this planarian species, and, more broadly, supports the idea that the microbiome might influence the susceptibility and/or maintenance of SUDs.

The microbiome of animals can influence health status, disease susceptibility and can also influence host behavior. This study investigates the effect of microbiome alteration on animal behavior using the planarian model system. For this, Girardia tigrina (Brown Planaria) and Phagocata gracilis (Black Planaria) were investigated. These flatworms possess a primitive nervous system and exhibit similar addictive and withdrawal behaviors to mammals. Here we tested the hypothesis that alteration of planarian microbiome using the broad-spectrum antibiotics kanamycin and ampicillin could influence the worms’ behavior and withdrawal response to nicotine. After antibiotic treatment period of seven days, the behavior and withdrawal response of four groups of brown and black planaria was analyzed by recording the worms’ motility on a 1 cm2 grid. Results support the hypothesis as treatment significantly altered behavior in black worms. The microbiomes of antibiotic treated planaria were analyzed using conventional culture techniques, microscopy and metagenomic methods. Alpha proteobacteria including Sphingomonadaceae were detected in both Brown and Black planarians. This study suggests chemotherapeutic alteration of an animal’s microbiome can influence motility behavior and withdrawal responses to addictive substance and sheds light on the species composition of Planarian microbiomes.

Vision loss compromises the quality of life of millions of people worldwide. Currently, vision-restoring therapies are lacking. Post-mortem preservation of human eyes may enable whole eye transplantation (WET) or therapeutic development. We developed an approach to cannulate the ophthalmic artery and perfuse post-mortem pig and human eyes using a custom-built device, Eye-in-Care-Box (ECaBox). Retinal vasculature imaging and reconstruction were used to assess perfusion efficacy using a supervised deep learning model. Without intervention, the retina degrades post-mortem, whereas perfusion preserves retinal structure and cell viability for up to 24-hours. Eyes were perfused within 30 minutes post-extraction, and regained light-responses persisted for up to 10 hours after death, challenging the notion that response to light ends at death. Our findings show that intact eyes can be resuscitated and preserved outside the body, supporting the ECaBox platform for WET preservation and pre-clinical therapeutic testing. Ultimately, ECaBox may bring vision-restoring treatments to patients.

Objectives: To evaluate, in a Compassionate City pilot experience (Sevilla), the impact results on health in a population of people with advanced illness and at the end of life. Methods: The project was undertaken in Sevilla, Spain, between January 2019 and June 2020. A longitudinal, descriptive study was conducted using a longitudinal cohort design with two cross-sectional measurements, pre and post intervention. All patients who entered the program on the start date were included. The networks of care around people with advanced illness and at the end of life, palliative care needs, quality of life, loneliness, anxiety, depression, caregivers’ burden and family satisfaction were evaluated. The interventions were conducted by community promoters assigned to the “Sevilla Contigo, Compassionate City” program. Results: A total of 83 people were included in the program. The average number of people involved in care at the beginning of the evaluations was 3.6, increasing to 6.1 at the end of the interventions. The average number of needs detected at the beginning was 15.58, and at the end of interventions, it was 16.56 out of 25. The unmet needs were those related to last wishes (40.7%), emotional relief (18.5%), entertainment (16%), help to walk up and down stairs (8.6%) and help to walk (6.2%). A total of 54.2% showed improved loneliness in the final evaluation. Out of 26 people evaluated for pre and post quality of life, 7 (26.9%) improved their quality of life in the general evaluation and 5 (19.2%) displayed improved anxiety/depression. A total of 6 people (28.6%) improved their quality-of-life thermometer scores. A total of 57.7% of caregivers improved their burden with a mean score of 17.8.

People with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) diagnosis who get informal care remain at home longer, reducing the demand for healthcare resources but increasing the stress of caregiving. Research on the effectiveness of physical training, psychoeducational, cognitive–behavioural, and health education programs in reducing the caregiver load and enhancing health-related quality of life (HRQoL) exist, but none exist about an integrated interdisciplinary program. The goals of this project are (1) to assess the Integral-CARE Interdisciplinary Program (IP) applicability, safety, effects on HRQoL, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for AD caregivers; (2) to evaluate the IP applicability and cost-effectiveness to enhance the physical, psychoemotional, cognitive–behavioural dimensions, and the health education status of informal caregivers, and (3) to study the transference of the results to the public and private sectors. A randomized controlled trial will be conducted with an experimental (IP) and a control group (no intervention). The PI will be conducted over nine months using face-to-face sessions (twice a week) and virtual sessions on an online platform (once a week). There will be an initial, interim (every three months), and final assessment. Focus groups with social and health agents will be organized to determine the most important information to convey to the public and private sectors in Extremadura (Spain). Applicability, safety, HRQoL, incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, and HRQoL will be the main outcome measures, while secondary measures will include sociodemographic data; physical, psychoemotional, health education, and cognitive–behavioural domains; program adherence; and patient health status. Data will be examined per procedure and intention to treat. A cost-effectiveness study will also be performed from the viewpoints of private and public healthcare resources.