Profiling of faecal water and urine metabolites among Papua New Guinea highlanders believed to be adapted to low protein intake
- Authors: Tomitsuka, Eriko , Igai, Katsura , Tadokoro, Kiyoshi , Morita, Ayako , Baba, Jun , Suda, Wataru , Greenhill, Andrew , Horwood, Paul , Soli, Kevin , Siba, Peter , Odani, Shingo , Natsuhara, Kazumi , Morita, Hidetoshi , Umezaki, Masahiro
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Metabolomics Vol. 13, no. 9 (2017), p.
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- Description: Introduction: Adequate amount of proteins from foods are normally needed to maintain muscle mass of the human body. Although protein intakes of Papua New Guinea (PNG) highlanders are less than biologically adequate, protein deficiency related disorders have rarely been reported. It has been postulated that gut microbiota play a role in such low-protein-adaptation. Objective: To explore underlying biological mechanisms of low-protein adaptation among PNG highlanders by investigating metabolomic profiles of faecal water and urine. Methods: We performed metabolome analysis using faecal water extracted from faecal samples of PNG highlanders, PNG non-highlanders and Japanese subjects. We paid special attention to amino acids and other metabolites produced by gut microbiota, as well as to metabolites involved in nitrogen recycling in the human gut. Results: Our results indicated that amino acid levels were higher in faecal water from PNG highlanders than PNG non-highlanders, but amino acid levels did not differ between PNG highlanders and Japanese subjects. Among PNG highlander samples, amino acid levels tended to be higher in those who consumed less protein. Conclusion: We speculated that a greater proportion of urea was excreted to the intestine among the PNG highlanders than other groups, and that the urea was used for nitrogen salvage. Intestinal bacteria are essential for producing ammonia from urea and also for producing amino acids from ammonia, which is a key process in low-protein adaptation. Profiling the gut microbiota of PNG highlanders is an important avenue for further research into the mechanisms of low-protein adaptation.
Spatio-temporal epidemiology of the cholera outbreak in Papua New Guinea, 2009-2011
- Authors: Horwood, Paul , Karl, Stephan , Mueller, Ivo , Jonduo, Marinjho , Pavlin, Boris , Dagina, Rosheila , Ropa, Berry , Bieb, Sibauk , Rosewell, Alexander , Umezaki, Masahiro , Siba, Peter , Greenhill, Andrew
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: BMC Infectious Diseases Vol. 14, no. 1 (2014), p.
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- Description: Background: Cholera continues to be a devastating disease in many developing countries where inadequate safe water supply and poor sanitation facilitate spread. From July 2009 until late 2011 Papua New Guinea experienced the first outbreak of cholera recorded in the country, resulting in > 15,500 cases and > 500 deaths. Methods: Using the national cholera database, we analysed the spatio-temporal distribution and clustering of the Papua New Guinea cholera outbreak. The Kulldorff space-time permutation scan statistic, contained in the software package SatScan v9.2 was used to describe the first 8 weeks of the outbreak in Morobe Province before cholera cases spread throughout other regions of the country. Data were aggregated at the provincial level to describe the spread of the disease to other affected provinces. Results: Spatio-temporal and cluster analyses revealed that the outbreak was characterized by three distinct phases punctuated by explosive propagation of cases when the outbreak spread to a new region. The lack of road networks across most of Papua New Guinea is likely to have had a major influence on the slow spread of the disease during this outbreak. Conclusions: Identification of high risk areas and the likely mode of spread can guide government health authorities to formulate public health strategies to mitigate the spread of the disease through education campaigns, vaccination, increased surveillance in targeted areas and interventions to improve water, sanitation and hygiene.