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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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Oilers forward Hyman injured in 1st, exits Game 4

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Oilers forward Hyman injured in 1st, exits Game 4

EDMONTON, Alberta — Edmonton Oilers‘ top-line forward Zach Hyman was ruled out for the rest of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals Tuesday against the Dallas Stars after taking a hit from forward Mason Marchment, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported on the game broadcast.

The first-period collision appeared to immediately rattle Hyman, who dropped his stick and seemed to favor his right arm or wrist. Hyman went directly to the Oilers’ dressing room and did not return.

Hyman has been a key member of the Oilers’ postseason success, registering a league-leading 119 hits in 14 playoff games and scoring five goals and 11 points. He’s a fixture on the team’s top forward unit with Connor McDavid and is part of both the Oilers’ power play and penalty kill.

Edmonton was already down a forward going into Game 4 with Connor Brown sidelined after a hit from Dallas defenseman Alexander Petrovic in Sunday’s Game 3. Viktor Arvidsson returned to the lineup as Brown’s replacement on the fourth line.

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Referee Rooney returns, 11 days after high stick

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Referee Rooney returns, 11 days after high stick

EDMONTON, Alberta — NHL official Chris Rooney was back on the ice Tuesday night for Game 4 of the Western Conference finals between the Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars.

It was the veteran referee’s conference finals debut, and a fitting return for Rooney given the circumstances. It was Rooney’s first game since he took a high stick to the face on May 17 during Game 7 of the Eastern Conference second-round series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers.

Rooney was injured 13 seconds into the second period when Panthers’ defenseman Niko Mikkola caught him with the end of his stick while fighting for a puck. Rooney fell to the ice and was tended to by trainers from both teams.

While bloodied, he was able to leave under his own power. Rooney sustained a black eye and received stitches for his injury but had no lasting damage. He was replaced at the time by Garrett Rank, in the building on standby in case on injury.

It was clear even the day after his injury that Rooney, 50, hoped to resume duties at some point in the playoffs. The Boston native was finally able to step in for Game 4 with fellow referee Dan O’Rourke.

The pair was joined by linesmen Ryan Gibbons and Matt MacPherson. Referee Graham Skilliter and linesman Ryan Daisy were in the building as alternates.

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Hintz (leg) back in action, joins Stars’ top line

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Hintz (leg) back in action, joins Stars' top line

EDMONTON, Alberta — Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz is back in the lineup for Game 4 of the Western Conference finals Tuesday.

The club’s top skater, sidelined since Game 2, when he took a slash to the left leg from Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse, was placed on the top line, alongside Jason Robertson and Mikko Rantanen after taking warmups and line rushes prior to puck drop.

Hintz also took part in warmups before Game 3 on Sunday but exited early and was ruled out. He was back on the ice for Dallas’ optional practice Monday and told reporters he was “feeling good” and “trying to do everything I can” to get back in for Game 4.

It was early in the third period of Game 2 when Hintz — parked in front of the Oilers’ net — shoved Nurse from behind, and the Oilers’ blueliner responded by swinging his stick at Hintz’s leg. Hintz went down to the ice for several minutes before being helped off by Lian Bichsel and Mikael Granlund.

Nurse received a two-minute penalty for the slash but no supplementary discipline from the league. The blueliner addressed the incident publicly for the first time Tuesday, saying it didn’t come with malicious intent.

“I was backing up to net and I got shot in the back. And I think it was just a natural reaction [to respond],” Nurse said. “It’s probably a play that everyone in this room, whether you’re a net-front guy or D man, probably happens a dozen, two dozen times in a year. It’s unfortunate that I must have got [Hintz] in a bad spot. You don’t want to go out there and hurt anyone. But it was just one of those plays that happens so often.”

Having Hintz unavailable hurt the Stars in Game 3, a 6-1 drubbing by the Oilers that put Dallas in a 2-1 hole in the best-of-seven series. Hintz is the Stars’ second-leading scorer in the postseason, with 11 goals and 15 points through 15 games. He was hopeful when taking warmups Sunday that he’d feel good enough to get back in, but a quick discussion with the training staff made it clear he wasn’t ready.

Before Tuesday night, coach Peter DeBoer had since classified Hintz’s status as day-to-day.

“Of course you want to go every night, but sometimes you just can’t,” Hintz said. “I don’t know how close I [was to playing]. But I have played many years [and I] know when it’s good and when it’s not. I should be good to know that [when] it comes to that decision.”

The Oilers will have some lineup changes of their own to sort through in Game 4. Connor Brown, who is out after taking a hit from Alexander Petrovic in Game 3, will be replaced by Viktor Arvidsson. Calvin Pickard, injured in Edmonton’s second-round series against Vegas, will return to back up Stuart Skinner. And Edmonton continues to wait on defenseman Mattias Ekholm, who is getting closer to returning from a lower-body injury.

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