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Apr 29 2024 Umeå University

A low-fiber “Western diet” causes damage to the protective mucus barrier in the gut, and such damage can increase the risk of inflammation and infection. By studying the gut bacteria of people who increased their intake of dietary fiber, researchers at Umeå University have found that the intestinal bacterium Blautia plays a key role in protecting the mucus barrier. The results are published in the journal Nature Communications. Our results contribute to an increased understanding of how the intestinal bacteria and the mucus layer work together, which may eventually lead to new treatment strategies for diseases linked to the Western diet such as the inflammatory bowel disease ulcerative colitis."

Sandra Holmberg, PhD student at the Department of Molecular Biology at Umeå University

To protect itself against the trillions of microorganisms in our intestines, our body needs effective defence mechanisms. One of the main protections is the mucus layer that covers the intestinal wall. Normally, this mucus is impermeable to bacteria and thus maintains a healthy distance from the intestinal bacteria. In the large intestine, where the amount of bacteria is greatest, this barrier is preserved through continuous secretion of mucus by our body.

Diet shapes the intestinal bacteria composition and the mucus barrier. Previous studies have shown that if mice are given a high-fat/high sugar Western diet that is also low in dietary fibre , the composition othe intestinal bacterial community changes, less mucus is secreted and the remaining mucus becomes penetrable to bacteria. This increases the risk for infection and inflammation because the intestinal bacteria can come closer to the body. Since infection and inflammation are rather an exception than the rule, it has been unclear which intestinal bacteria are important for mucus regulation and what the mechanism is.

In collaboration with researchers in Germany and Finland, Research fellow Björn Schröder and his group have investigated precisely this by following people who changed their diet and then using mouse models to study the effect of the intestinal bacteria on mucus function. Related StoriesThe global quest for the right balance of sodium and potassium in the dietDASH diet may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease in breast cancer survivorsAnimal study suggests early Western diet exposure linked to lasting memory issues

In the three-month study, the healthy participants increased their daily dietary fibre intake by 10 grams, which is equivalent to about four apples or 3 deciliters of oatmeal. To study the significance of the increased fibre intake, gut bacteria were collected at the beginning and the end of the study. These gut bacteria were then transplanted into mice which were fed a low-fiber Western diet. In the group of animals transplanted with intestinal bacteria from the beginning of the study, the researchers observed damage of the mucus layer. The opposite was seen in the group with increased consumption of dietary fibres, where the mucus layer looked fine.

"The result highlights the significant role that dietary fibre has for our intestinal bacteria, which in turn contributes to maintaining the important mucus barrier," says Rachel Feeney, Doctoral student at the Department of Molecular Biology at Umeå University.

The researchers further studied the bacterial composition of the intestinal bacteria and saw, among other things, that the amount of the bacterium Blautia was higher after a period of increased fibre intake. Its presence also correlated with the mucus function measured in the mice. In supplementary mouse studies where only Blautia was added together with the Western diet, similar improvements of mucus function, as previously seen when transplanting the human high-fibre bacteria, could be noted.

Using a specialized mucus measurement technique, the researchers discovered that even secreted molecules from Blautia could directly stimulate mucus secretion, explaining how its presence can maintain mucus function in the low-fiber environment. When further searching for the identity of these Blautia-secreted molecules, the researchers found short-chain fatty acids- structures previously shown to be beneficial to gut health. Surprisingly, these molecules were able to directly improve mucus function, which describes the mechanism behind the bacteria's function.

The addition of Blautia also reduced the severity of infection of an intestinal mouse pathogen similar to the human disease-causing bacterium E. coli.

"Therefore, we concluded that the Blautia may also have protective effects in case of infection," says Vishnu Prasoodanan, postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Molecular Biology at Umeå University. Source:

Umeå UniversityJournal reference:

Holmberg, S. M., et al. (2024). The gut commensal Blautia maintains colonic mucus function under low-fiber consumption through secretion of short-chain fatty acids. Nature Communications. doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47594-w.

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Fourteen children arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over Gateshead fire released on bail

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Fourteen children arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over Gateshead fire released on bail

All 14 children arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after a boy died in a fire have been released on police bail, officers said.

Layton Carr, 14, was found dead near the site of a fire at Fairfield industrial park in the Bill Quay area of Gateshead on Friday.

Northumbria Police said on Saturday that they had arrested 11 boys and three girls in connection with the incident.

In an update on Sunday, a Northumbria Police spokesman said: “All those arrested have since been released on police bail pending further inquiries.”

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Teenager dies in industrial estate fire

Firefighters raced to the industrial site shortly after 8pm on Friday, putting out the blaze a short time later.

Police then issued an appeal for Carr, who was believed to be in the area at that time.

In a statement on Saturday, the force said that “sadly, following searches, a body believed to be that of 14-year-old Layton Carr was located deceased inside the building”.

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David Thompson, headteacher of Hebburn Comprehensive School, where Layton was a pupil, said the school community was “heartbroken”.

Mr Thompson described him as a “valued and much-loved member of Year 9” and said he would be “greatly missed by everyone”.

He added that the school’s “sincere condolences” were with Layton’s family and that the community would “rally together to support one another through this tragedy”.

A fundraising page on GoFundMe has been set up to help Layton’s mother pay for funeral costs.

Pic: Gofundme
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Pic: Gofundme

Organiser Stephanie Simpson said: “The last thing Georgia needs to stress trying to pay for a funeral for her Boy Any donations will help thank you.”

One tribute in a Facebook post read: “Can’t believe I’m writing this my nephew RIP Layton 💔 forever 14 you’ll be a massive miss, thinking of my sister and 2 beautiful nieces right now.”

Detective Chief Inspector Louise Jenkins, of Northumbria Police, also said: “This is an extremely tragic incident where a boy has sadly lost his life.”

She added that the force’s “thoughts are with Layton’s family as they begin to attempt to process the loss of their loved one”.

They are working to establish “the full circumstances surrounding the incident” and officers will be in the area to “offer reassurance to the public”, she added.

A cordon remains in place at the site while police carry out enquiries.

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Football bodies could be forced to pay towards brain injury care costs of ex-players

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Football bodies could be forced to pay towards brain injury care costs of ex-players

Football bodies could be forced to pay towards the care costs of ex-players who have been diagnosed with brain conditions, under proposals set to be considered by MPs.

Campaigners are drafting amendments to the Football Governance Bill, which would treat conditions caused by heading balls as an “industrial injuries issue”.

The proposals seek to require the football industry to provide the necessary financial support.

Campaigners say existing support is not fit for purpose, including the Brain Health Fund which was set up with an initial £1m by the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), supported by the Premier League.

But the Premier League said the fund has supported 121 families with at-home adaptations and care home fees.

From England‘s 1966 World Cup-winning team, both Jack and Bobby Charlton died with dementia, as did Martin Peters, Ray Wilson and Nobby Stiles.

Neil Ruddock speaks to Sky's Rob Harris outside parliament
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Neil Ruddock speaks to Sky’s Rob Harris outside parliament

Ex-players, including former Liverpool defender Neil Ruddock, went to parliament last week to lobby MPs.

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Ruddock told Sky News he had joined campaigners “for the families who’ve gone through hell”.

“A professional footballer, greatest job in the world, but no one knew the dangers, and that’s scary,” he said.

“Every time someone heads a ball it’s got to be dangerous to you. You know, I used to head 100 balls a day in training. I didn’t realise that might affect my future.”

A study co-funded by the PFA and the Football Association (FA) in 2019 found footballers were three and a half times more likely to die of a neurodegenerative disease than members of the public of the same age.

‘In denial’

Among those calling on football authorities to contribute towards the care costs of ex-players who have gone on to develop conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia is Labour MP Chris Evans.

Mr Evans, who represents Caerphilly in South Wales, hopes to amend the Bill to establish a care and financial support scheme for ex-footballers and told a recent event in parliament that affected ex-players “deserve to be compensated”.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who helped to draft the amendment, said the game was “in denial about the whole thing”.

Mr Burnham called for it to be seen as “an industrial injuries issue in the same way with mining”.

In January, David Beckham lent his support to calls for greater support for footballers affected by dementia.

One of the amendments says that “the industry rather than the public should bear the financial burden”.

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A spokesperson for the FA said it was taking a “leading role in reviewing and improving the safety of our game” and that it had “already taken many proactive steps to review and address potential risk factors”.

An English Football League spokesperson said it was “working closely with other football bodies” to ensure both professional and grassroots football are “as safe as it can be”.

The PFA and Premier League declined to comment.

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Terror arrests came in context of raised warnings about Iran, with ongoing chaos in its own backyard

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Terror arrests came in context of raised warnings about Iran, with ongoing chaos in its own backyard

These are two separate and unrelated investigations by counter-terror officers.

But the common thread is nationality – seven out of the eight people arrested are Iranian.

And that comes in the context of increased warnings from government and the security services about Iranian activity on British soil.

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Counter terror officers raid property

Last year, the director general of MI5, Ken McCallum, said his organisation and police had responded to 20 Iran-backed plots presenting potentially lethal threats to British citizens and UK residents since January 2022.

He linked that increase to the ongoing situation in Iran’s own backyard.

“As events unfold in the Middle East, we will give our fullest attention to the risk of an increase in – or a broadening of – Iranian state aggression in the UK,” he said.

The implication is that even as Iran grapples with a rapidly changing situation in its own region, having seen its proxies, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, decimated and itself coming under Israeli attack, it may seek avenues further abroad.

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The government reiterated this warning only a few weeks ago, with security minister Dan Jarvis addressing parliament.

“The threat from Iran sits in a wider context of the growing, diversifying and evolving threat that the UK faces from malign activity by a number of states,” Jarvis said.

“The threat from states has become increasingly interconnected in nature, blurring the lines between: domestic and international; online and offline; and states and their proxies.

“Turning specifically to Iran, the regime has become increasingly emboldened, asserting itself more aggressively to advance their objectives and undermine ours.”

Read more:
Anybody working for Iran in UK must register or face jail, government announces

As part of that address, Jarvis highlighted the National Security Act 2023, which “criminalises assisting a foreign intelligence service”, among other things.

So it was notable that this was the act used in one of this weekend’s investigations.

The suspects were detained under section 27 of the same act, which allows police to arrest those suspected of being “involved in foreign power threat activity”.

Those powers are apparently being put to use.

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