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Background Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease burdening millions of people. One drug, praziquantel, is currently used for treatment and control. Clinically relevant drug resistance has not yet been described, but there is considerable heterogeneity in treatment outcomes, ranging from cure to only moderate egg reduction rates. The objectives of this study are to investigate potential worm-induced dysbacteriosis of the gut microbiota and to assess whether a specific microbiome profile could influence praziquantel response. Methods Using V3 and V4 regions of 16S rRNA genes, we screened the gut microbiota of 34 Schistosoma mansoni infected and uninfected children from Côte d’Ivoire. From each infected child one pre-treatment, one 24-hour and one 21-day follow-up sample after administering 60 mg/kg praziquantel or placebo, were collected. Results Overall taxonomic profiling and diversity indicators were found to be close to a “healthy” gut structure in all children. Slight overall compositional changes were observed between S. mansoni -infected and non-infected children. Praziquantel treatment was not linked to a major shift in the gut taxonomic profiles, thus reinforcing the good safety profile of the drug by ruling out off-targets effects on the gut microbes. 16S rRNA gene of the Fusobacteriales order was significantly more abundant in cured individuals, both at baseline and 24 hours post-treatment. A real-time qPCR confirmed the over-abundance of Fusobacterium spp. in cured children. Fusobacterium spp. abundance could also be correlated with treatment induced S. mansoni egg-reduction. Conclusions Our study suggests that neither a S. mansoni infection nor praziquantel administration triggers a significant effect on the microbial composition and that a higher abundance of Fusobacterium spp., before treatment, is associated with higher efficacy of praziquantel in the treatment of S. mansoni infections. Trial registration International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial, number ISRCTN15280205 .

The intestinal microbiota are a complex ecosystem influencing the immunoregulation of the human host, providing protection from colonising pathogens and producing SCFA as the main energy source of colonocytes. Our objective was to investigate the effect of dietary fibre exclusion and supplementation on the intestinal microbiota and SCFA concentrations. Faecal samples were obtained from healthy volunteers before and after two 14 d periods of consuming formulated diets devoid or supplemented with fibre (14 g/l). The faecal microbiota were analysed using fluorescent in situ hybridisation and SCFA were measured using GLC. There were large and statistically significant reductions in the numbers of the Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (P ≤ 0·01) and Roseburia spp. (P ≤ 0·01) groups during both the fibre-free and fibre-supplemented diets. Significant and strong positive correlations between the proportion of F. prausnitzii and the proportion of butyrate during both baseline normal diets were found (pre-fibre free r 0·881, P = 0·001; pre-fibre supplemented r 0·844, P = 0·002). A significant correlation was also found between the proportional reduction in F. prausnitzii and the proportional reduction in faecal butyrate during both the fibre-free (r 0·806; P = 0·005) and the fibre-supplemented diet (r 0·749; P = 0·013). These findings may contribute to the understanding of the association between fibre, microbiota and fermentation in health, during enteral nutrition and in disease states such as Crohn's disease.

Quaternary ammonium methacryloxy silicate (QAMS)-containing acrylic resin demonstrated contact-killing antimicrobial ability in vitro after three months of water storage. The objective of the present double-blind randomised clinical trial was to determine the in vivo antimicrobial efficacy of QAMS-containing orthodontic acrylic by using custom-made removable retainers that were worn intraorally by 32 human subjects to create 48-hour multi-species plaque biofilms, using a split-mouth study design. Two control QAMS-free acrylic disks were inserted into the wells on one side of an orthodontic retainer, and two experimental QAMS-containing acrylic disks were inserted into the wells on the other side of the same retainer. After 48 hours, the disks were retrieved and examined for microbial vitality using confocal laser scanning microscopy. No harm to the oral mucosa or systemic health occurred. In the absence of carry-across effect and allocation bias (disks inserted in the left or right side of retainer), significant difference was identified between the percentage kill in the biovolume of QAMS-free control disks (3.73 ± 2.11%) and QAMS-containing experimental disks (33.94 ± 23.88%) retrieved from the subjects (P ≤ 0.001). The results validated that the QAMS-containing acrylic exhibits favourable antimicrobial activity against plaque biofilms in vivo . The QAMS-containing acrylic may also be used for fabricating removable acrylic dentures.

Colorectal cancers comprise a complex mixture of malignant cells, nontransformed cells, and microorganisms. Fusobacterium nucleatum is among the most prevalent bacterial species in colorectal cancer tissues. Here we show that colonization of human colorectal cancers with Fusobacterium and its associated microbiome—including Bacteroides, Selenomonas, and Prevotella species—is maintained in distal metastases, demonstrating microbiome stability between paired primary and metastatic tumors. In situ hybridization analysis revealed that Fusobacterium is predominantly associated with cancer cells in the metastatic lesions. Mouse xenografts of human primary colorectal adenocarcinomas were found to retain viable Fusobacterium and its associated microbiome through successive passages. Treatment of mice bearing a colon cancer xenograft with the antibiotic metronidazole reduced Fusobacterium load, cancer cell proliferation, and overall tumor growth. These observations argue for further investigation of antimicrobial interventions as a potential treatment for patients with Fusobacterium-associated colorectal cancer.

Objectives This study aims to assess the effects of rinsing with zinc- and chlorhexidine-containing mouth rinse with or without adjunct tongue scraping on volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) in breath air, and the microbiota at the dorsum of the tongue. Material and methods A randomized single-masked controlled clinical trial with a cross-over study design over 14 days including 21 subjects was performed. Bacterial samples from the dorsum of the tongue were assayed by checkerboard DNA–DNA hybridization. Results No halitosis (identified by VSC assessments) at day 14 was identified in 12/21 subjects with active rinse alone, in 10/21with adjunct use of tongue scraper, in 1/21 for negative control rinse alone, and in 3/21 in the control and tongue scraping sequence. At day 14, significantly lower counts were identified only in the active rinse sequence ( p  < 0.001) for 15/78 species including , Fusobacterium sp., Porphyromonas gingivalis , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Staphylococcus aureus , and Tannerella forsythia . A decrease in bacteria from baseline to day 14 was found in successfully treated subjects for 9/74 species including: P. gingivalis , Prevotella melaninogenica , S. aureus , and Treponema denticola . Baseline VSC scores were correlated with several bacterial species. The use of a tongue scraper combined with active rinse did not change the levels of VSC compared to rinsing alone. Conclusions VSC scores were not associated with bacterial counts in samples taken from the dorsum of the tongue. The active rinse alone containing zinc and chlorhexidine had effects on intra-oral halitosis and reduced bacterial counts of species associated with malodor. Tongue scraping provided no beneficial effects on the microbiota studied. Clinical relevance Periodontally healthy subjects with intra-oral halitosis benefit from daily rinsing with zinc- and chlorhexidine-containing mouth rinse.

Objective To evaluate the antibacterial effectiveness of a combination of ε-poly-L-lysine (ε-PL), funme peptide (FP) as well as domiphen against oral pathogens, and assess the efficacy of a BOP® mouthwash supplemented with this combination in reducing halitosis and supragingival plaque in a clinical trial. Materials and methods The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the compound against Fusobacterium nucleatum , Porphyromonas gingivalis , Streptococcus mutans , and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans were determined by the gradient dilution method. Subsequently, the CCK-8 assay was used to detect the toxicity of mouthwash on human gingival fibroblastst, and the effectiveness in reducing halitosis and supragingival plaque of the mouthwash supplemented with the combination was analyzed by a randomized, double-blind, parallel-controlled clinical trial. Results The combination exhibited significant inhibitory effects on tested oral pathogens with the MIC < 1.56% (v/v) and the MBC < 3.13% (v/v), and the mouthwash containing this combination did not inhibit the viability of human gingival fibroblasts at the test concentrations. The clinical trial showed that the test group displayed notably lower volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) at 0, 10, 24 h, and 7 d post-mouthwash ( P  < 0.05), compared with the baseline. After 7 days, the VSC levels of the and control groups were reduced by 50.27% and 32.12%, respectively, and notably cutting severe halitosis by 57.03% in the test group. Additionally, the Plaque Index (PLI) of the test and control group decreased by 54.55% and 8.38%, respectively, and there was a significant difference in PLI between the two groups after 7 days ( P  < 0.01). Conclusions The combination of ε-PL, FP and domiphen demonstrated potent inhibitory and bactericidal effects against the tested oral pathogens, and the newly formulated mouthwash added with the combination exhibited anti-dental plaque and anti-halitosis properties in a clinical trial and was safe. Trial registration The randomized controlled clinical trial was registered on Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (No. ChiCTR2300073816, Date: 21/07/2023).

ObjectivesThe biocompatible 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC)-polymers, which mimic a biomembrane, reduce protein adsorption and bacterial adhesion and inhibit cell attachment. The aim of this study is to clarify whether MPC-polymer can suppress the bacterial adherence in oral cavity by a crossover design. We also investigated the number of Fusobacterium nucleatum, which is the key bacterium forming dental plaque, in clinical samples.Materials and methodsThis study was a randomized, placebo-controlled, single-blind, crossover study, with two treatment periods separated by a 2-week washout period. We conducted clinical trial with 20 healthy subjects to evaluate the effect of 5% MPC-polymer mouthwash after 5 h on oral microflora. PBS was used as a control. The bacterial number in the gargling sample before and after intervention was counted by an electronic bacterial counter and a culture method. DNA amounts of total bacteria and F. nucleatum were examined by q-PCR.ResultsThe numbers of total bacteria and oral streptcocci after 5 h of 5% MPC-polymer treatment significantly decreased, compared to the control group. Moreover, the DNA amounts of total bacteria and F. nucleatum significantly decreased by 5% MPC-polymer mouthwash.ConclusionsWe suggest that MPC-polymer coating in the oral cavity may suppress the oral bacterial adherence.Clinical relevanceMPC-polymer can be a potent compound for the control of oral microflora to prevent oral infection.

Background This study aimed to evaluate the possibility of using a mouthwash containing Glycyrrhiza uralensis ( GU ) extract as an oral health improvement material to prevent periodontal disease using the clinical parameters and the changes in bacteria that cause periodontal disease. Methods A randomized, double-blind, controlled study was conducted on 60 patients who visited M dental clinic located in Busan, South Korea. The subjects were patients who agreed to complete the questionnaire, who were not included in the exclusion criteria, and had 16 or more remaining teeth. The patients were divided into two groups: the saline gargle solution group, which consisted of 30 patients; and the GU extract group, which consisted of 30 patients. Scaling was performed to ensure the same oral conditions between the two groups. After 1 week, 15 mL each of the gargle solution (saline and GU extract) was applied once a day for 30 s for 5 days. For the periodontal clinical parameters, O’Leary index, plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), and periodontal-disease-related bacteria in subgingival plaques were examined (Baseline, After treatment, and After 5 Days). Results The use of the mouthwash containing GU extract significantly decreased the clinical values in all parameters of O’Leary index, PI, and GI ( p  < 0.05). Also, after gargling using the mouthwash containing GU extract, the antibacterial effect on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria that cause periodontal disease was confirmed to have excellent clinical effects in the inhibition, prevention, and treatment of periodontal disease. Conclusion The mouthwash containing GU extract can be beneficial in maintaining a healthy periodontal condition and oral hygiene through the reduction of O’Leary index, PI, GI, and periodontal-disease-related bacteria in the oral cavity, which has been proven in clinical applications.

The aim of this study was to compare the short-term performance of a session of single photodynamic therapy (PDT) and of a conventional ultrasonic debridement (UST) in persistent pockets of maintenance patients. In a prospective, randomized, controlled, single-blind clinical study, patients with chronic periodontitis with at least two persistent pockets (>4 mm) were enrolled. They were treated either with UST ( n  = 29) or PDT ( n  = 25). Clinical and microbiological examinations were performed at baseline and after 3 month. For UST, the mean probing depth was reduced from 5.3 to 4.5 mm ( p  = <0.001) and for PDT from 5.3 to 4.7 mm ( p  < 0.001) with no difference between the two treatment modalities. Microbial counts were significantly reduced about 30% to 40% immediately after debridement but returned to baseline values at month 3 irrespective of treatment. PDT is not superior to conventional mechanical treatment of persistent pockets, but it may be a meaningful therapeutic alternative; the clinical effects were too minor to draw a definitive conclusion.

Fusobacterium nucleatum is an oral anaerobe recently found to be prevalent in human colorectal cancer (CRC) where it is associated with poor treatment outcome. In mice, hematogenous F. nucleatum can colonize CRC tissue using its lectin Fap2, which attaches to tumor-displayed Gal-GalNAc. Here, we show that Gal-GalNAc levels increase as human breast cancer progresses, and that occurrence of F. nucleatum gDNA in breast cancer samples correlates with high Gal-GalNAc levels. We demonstrate Fap2-dependent binding of the bacterium to breast cancer samples, which is inhibited by GalNAc. Intravascularly inoculated Fap2-expressing F. nucleatum ATCC 23726 specifically colonize mice mammary tumors, whereas Fap2-deficient bacteria are impaired in tumor colonization. Inoculation with F. nucleatum suppresses accumulation of tumor infiltrating T cells and promotes tumor growth and metastatic progression, the latter two of which can be counteracted by antibiotic treatment. Thus, targeting F. nucleatum or Fap2 might be beneficial during treatment of breast cancer. High levels of Fusobacterium nucleatum have been associated with poor overall survival in patients with colorectal and esophageal cancer. Here, the authors show that F. nucleatum is abundant in breast cancer samples and that the colonization by F. nucleatum accelerates tumor growth and metastasis in preclinical breast cancer models.