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Effect of Lactobacillus casei on lipid metabolism and intestinal microflora in patients with alcoholic liver injury.
Li, X, Liu, Y, Guo, X, Ma, Y, Zhang, H, Liang, H
European journal of clinical nutrition. 2021;75(8):1227-1236
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Plain language summary
Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a series of liver diseases caused by long-term heavy drinking. Lipid metabolism disorder often occurs in people with alcoholic liver injury. Treatment is mainly a combination of alcohol abstinence, improving nutrition, treating the liver injury, and preventing or reversing the progress of liver fibrosis or promoting liver regeneration. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Lactobacillus casei on lipid metabolism and intestinal microflora in patients with alcoholic liver injury. This study was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. A total of 181 ALD patients were recruited and randomly assigned to one of the three groups; low-dose group, high-dose group and positive control group (+ there was another group of 20 healthy people which served as normal control group). Results showed disorder of lipid metabolism, intestinal flora imbalance and inflammation in patients with alcoholic liver injury. Furthermore, after supplementation of Lactobacillus casei, there was a significant increase in the amount of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Authors conclude that Lactobacillus casei supplementation can improve lipid metabolism and regulate intestinal flora disorders in patients with alcoholic liver injury.
Abstract
BACKGROUND The present study aims to investigate the effect of Lactobacillus casei on lipid metabolism and intestinal microflora in patients with alcoholic liver injury. METHODS In a double-blind randomized controlled trial, 158 recruited alcoholic liver injury patients were randomized to three treatments for 60 days: low-dose group (LP, n = 58, 100 ml of Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota (LcS)), high-dose group (HP, n = 54, 200 ml of LcS), and positive control group (PC, n = 46, 100 ml of special drinks without active Lactobacillus casei). Another group of 20 healthy people was served as normal control group (NC). RESULTS The serum levels of TG and LDLC in the HP group were significantly decreased by 26.56% and 23.83%, respectively than those in the PC group (P < 0.05). After supplementation of Lactobacillus casei, there was a significant increase in the amount of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium when compared with the PC group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Supplementation of Lactobacillus casei can improve lipid metabolism and regulate intestinal flora disorders in patients with alcoholic liver injury.
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Effects of sandplay therapy in reducing emotional and behavioural problems in school-age children with chronic diseases: A randomized controlled trial.
Tan, J, Yin, H, Meng, T, Guo, X
Nursing open. 2021;8(6):3099-3110
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Children with chronic diseases are more likely to suffer emotional-behavioural problems than healthy children, which can also impact the family. Sandplay has successfully been used as a therapy in children with autism spectrum disorder and this randomised control trial aimed to determine the effect of sandplay therapy in 62 children with chronic diseases and their caregivers. The results showed that sandplay reduced anxiety, depression, withdrawal and social behavioural problems and improved behaviour in children with chronic diseases. Depression and anxiety were also improved in the caregivers of those children who participated in sandplay. It was concluded that sandplay therapy is an effective clinical tool to improve several psychological domains in children with chronic diseases.
Abstract
PURPOSE Children with chronic diseases exhibit a higher incidence of emotional-behavioural problems. Though sandplay therapy is a universally recognized psychological treatment method, experimental evidence for this form of therapy is lacking. Our aims were to examine the effectiveness of sandplay therapy in reducing emotional and behavioural problems in school-age children with chronic diseases as well as anxiety and depression in their caregivers. DESIGN AND METHODS A total of 60 children and their caregivers were enrolled in the present study between January and October 2019. A randomized controlled trial was conducted at the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China. Participants were divided into an intervention and a control group. Both groups received regular treatment, and the intervention group received additional sandplay therapy. Four behavioural rating scales were used to evaluate the differences between the two groups. The children's scores on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) before and after the intervention were compared using the Mann-Whitney test. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was also employed to compare the median results before and after treatment. RESULTS The total scores for CBCL, anxiety and depression, withdrawal, and social behavioural problems for children in the intervention group were all lower than the corresponding scores for those in the control group (p < .05). The EPQ scores for emotional stability and psychosis in the intervention group were both lower than those in the control group (p < .05). The SAS and SDS scores for the caregivers of children in the intervention group were also lower than the corresponding scores for those in the control group (p < .05). CONCLUSION Sandplay therapy can reduce anxiety, withdrawal, and social behavioural problems in school-age children with chronic diseases, as well as relieve anxiety and depression symptoms in their caregivers. Our study provided evidence for the clinical application of sandplay therapy and highlights the importance of offering and integrating psychological treatment in clinical nursing care.