Urinary Antibiotics and Dietary Determinants in Adults in Xinjiang, West China

Exploring the Dual Nature of Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems: A Review of Environmental Benefits and Risk Challenges

Integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLS) are acknowledged as both productive and environmentally sustainable, with notable potential to optimize resource use, enhance ecosystem services, and boost crop yields. However, manure application, a critical component of ICLS, may amplify negative environmental impacts, particularly the risks associated with emerging pollutants, which remain underexplored and insufficiently understood. This comprehensive review seeks to thoroughly evaluate the environmental benefits of ICLS. It integrates case studies of successful ICLS models implemented across leading agricultural nations to deepen insights into their practical application. Moreover, this review uniquely underscores the environmental challenges posed by emerging pollutants in ICLS and examines mitigation strategies. Additionally, technological advancements, sustainable practices, assessment models, and policy interventions are essential for ICLS development, highlighting the need for further in-depth research.

Antibiotic exposure and risk of overweight/obesity in children: a biomonitoring-based study from eastern Jiangsu, China

Objective

To describe antibiotic exposure in children and explore its association with overweight/obesity.

Methods

In June 2022, 328 kindergarten and primary school children were selected from Nantong city in Jiangsu Province. Questionnaires were distributed, and morning urine samples were obtained. Total urinary concentrations of 41 antibiotics were measured using ultra-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. The rates of antibiotic exposure were expressed as percentages (%), specific percentiles (P 95 and P 99), and the maximum values were used to describe the concentration of antibiotics. The association between urinary antibiotic creatinine-adjusted and overweight/obesity was analyzed using logistic regression.

Results

A total of 328 children were initially recruited, of which 295 aged 3-8 years met the inclusion criteria and were finally included in the study. The biomonitoring results revealed that 35 antibiotics were detected, with a total detection frequency of 98.31%. Among the included children, 24.75% were classified as overweight/obesity. Multinomial logistic regression analyses revealed significant associations between overweight/obese and exposure to veterinary antibiotics (VAs) and preferred veterinary antibiotics (PVAs). After adjusting for various overweight/obesity-relevant variables, higher exposure to sulfamethoxazole [OR = 2.35, 95% confidence interval (CI):1.17-4.70], norfloxacin (OR = 2.66, 95% CI: 1.01-7.08), and fluoroquinolones (OR = 1.97, 95% CI: 1.02-3.78) were significantly associated with overweight/obesity (p < 0.05). In addition, after stratification by sex and adjustment for confounding variables, sex-specific differences were observed in the association between antibiotic exposure and overweight/obesity. Notably, these associations were predominantly observed among boys.

Conclusion

Children were extensively exposed to antibiotics. Exposure to certain types of veterinary antibiotics and preferred veterinary antibiotic exposure, mainly through food or drinking water, are associated with an increased risk of overweight/obesity in children.

Antibiotic exposure associated with nighttime sleep duration and daytime sleepiness in newlyweds

Few studies have explored the relationship between antibiotic exposure and sleep in newlyweds. We applied the actor-partner interdependence moderation model to estimate the relationships of antibiotic exposure with nighttime sleep duration (weekday, weekend, and average sleep durations) and daytime sleepiness in newlyweds. We found that 99.0% of the 2698 enrolled individuals were exposed to at least one antibiotic. Among the newlyweds, exposure to florfenicol (β, - 0.077; 95% confidence interval [CI], - 0.143, - 0.011), exposure to chloramphenicols (- 0.086 [- 0.160, - 0.011]), and exposure to veterinary antibiotics (VAs) (- 0.106 [- 0.201, - 0.010]) were negatively associated with weekday sleep duration. Florfenicol, chloramphenicols, and VAs were also inversely related to average sleep duration in the newlyweds. Ciprofloxacin and cyadox exposure was significantly associated with an increase of 0.264 (0.030, 0.497) and (0.375 [0.088, 0.663]) Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) scores in the newlyweds, respectively. Gender moderated the actor-partner effects of erythromycin and tetracyclines on the newlyweds' weekday sleep duration and ESS scores. Overall, exposure to florfenicol, chloramphenicols, and VAs shortened weekday and average sleep durations of newlyweds. Exposure to ciprofloxacin and cyadox promoted daytime sleepiness. Gender moderated the actor-partner effects of specific antibiotics on the weekday sleep duration and ESS scores of the newlyweds.

Association between Antibiotic Exposure and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Middle-Aged and Older Adults

BACKGROUND

Although previous studies have shown an association between clinically used antibiotics and type 2 diabetes, the relationship between antibiotic exposure from food and drinking water and type 2 diabetes in middle-aged and older adults is unclear.

OBJECTIVE

This study was aimed at exploring the relationship between antibiotic exposures from different sources and type 2 diabetes in middle-aged and older people, through urinary antibiotic biomonitoring.

METHODS

A total of 525 adults who were 45-75 years of age were recruited from Xinjiang in 2019. The total urinary concentrations of 18 antibiotics in five classes (tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones, macrolides, sulfonamides and chloramphenicol) commonly used in daily life were measured via isotope dilution ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The antibiotics included four human antibiotics, four veterinary antibiotics and ten preferred veterinary antibiotics. The hazard quotient (HQ) of each antibiotic and the hazard index (HI) based on the mode of antibiotic use and effect endpoint classification were also calculated. Type 2 diabetes was defined on the basis of international levels.

RESULTS

The overall detection rate of the 18 antibiotics in middle-aged and older adults was 51.0%. The concentration, daily exposure dose, HQ, and HI were relatively high in participants with type 2 diabetes. After model adjustment for covariates, participants with HI > 1 for microbial effects (OR = 3.442, 95%CI: 1.423-8.327), HI > 1 for preferred veterinary antibiotic use (OR = 3.348, 95%CI: 1.386-8.083), HQ > 1 for norfloxacin (OR = 10.511, 96%CI: 1.571-70.344) and HQ > 1 for ciprofloxacin (OR = 6.565, 95%CI: 1.676-25.715) had a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus.

CONCLUSIONS

Certain antibiotic exposures, mainly those from sources associated with food and drinking water, generate health risks and are associated with type 2 diabetes in middle-aged and older adults. Because of this study's cross-sectional design, additional prospective studies and experimental studies are needed to validate these findings.