In Vitro Evaluation of the Protective Role of Lactobacillus StrainsAgainst Inorganic Arsenic Toxicity

We developed an in vitro system to assess the role of the epithelium in regulating airway tone using the intact guinea pig trachea (J. Appl. Physiol. 64: 466–471, 1988). This method allows us to study the response of the airway when its inner epithelial surface or its outer serosal surface is stimulated independently. Using this system we evaluated how the presence of intact epithelium can affect pharmacological responsiveness. We first examined responses of tracheae with intact epithelium to histamine, acetylcholine, and hypertonic KCl when stimulated from the epithelial or serosal side. We then examined the effect of epithelial denudation on the responses to these agonists. With an intact epithelium, stimulation of the inner epithelial side always caused significantly smaller changes in diameter than stimulation of the outer serosal side. After mechanical denudation of the epithelium, these differences were almost completely abolished. In the absence of intact epithelium, the trachea was 35-fold more sensitive to histamine and 115-fold more sensitive to acetylcholine when these agents were applied to the inner epithelial side. In addition, the presence of an intact epithelium almost completely inhibited any response to epithelial side challenge with hypertonic KCl. These results indicate that the airway epithelial layer has a potent protective role in airway responses to luminal side stimuli, leading us to speculate that changes in airway reactivity measured in various conditions including asthma may result in part from changes in epithelial function.

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Losartan Increases No Production from the Bovine Aortic Wall That is Stimulated by Angiotensin II

European Journal of Inflammation ◽

10.1177/1721727x0300100304 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

pp. 113-117 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

M. Myronidou ◽

B. Kokkas ◽

A. Kouyoumtzis ◽

N. Gregoriadis ◽

A. Lourbopoulos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nitric Oxide ◽

Angiotensin Ii ◽

Aortic Wall ◽

Vascular Wall ◽

Protective Role ◽

Normal Function ◽

No Production ◽

Chemical Inactivation

In these studies we investigated if losartan, an AT1- receptor blocker has any beneficial effect on NO production from the bovine aortic preparations in vitro while under stimulation from angiotensin II. Experiments were performed on intact specimens of bovine thoracic aorta, incubated in Dulbeco's MOD medium in a metabolic shaker for 24 hours under 95 % O2 and 5 % CO2 at a temperature of 37°C. We found that angiotensin II 1nM−10 μM does not exert any statistically significant action on NO production. On the contrary, angiotensin II 10nM increases the production of NO by 58.14 % (from 12.16 + 2.9 μm/l to 19.23 + 4.2 μm/l in the presence of losartan 1nM (P<0.05). Nitric oxide levels depend on both rate production and rate catabolism or chemical inactivation. Such an equilibrium is vital for the normal function of many systems including the cardiovascular one. The above results demonstrate that the blockade of AT1-receptors favors the biosynthesis of NO and indicate the protective role of losartan on the vascular wall.

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Protocatechuic acids protects against high glucose- induced insulin resistance in human visceral adipose tissue

Problems of Endocrinology ◽

10.14341/probl201662545-46 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 62 (5) ◽

pp. 45-46

Author(s):

Paulina Ormazabal ◽

Beatrice Scazzocchio ◽

Rosaria Varì ◽

Annunziata Iacovelli ◽

Roberta Masella

Keyword(s):

Insulin Resistance ◽

Adipose Tissue ◽

Visceral Adipose Tissue ◽

High Glucose ◽

Protective Role ◽

Insulin Sensitizer ◽

20 Nm ◽

Visceral Adipose

Adipocytes exposed to high glucose concentrations exhibit impaired insulin signaling. Binding of insulin to its membrane receptor activates insulin metabolic pathway leading to IRS-1 and AKT phosphorylations. The accumulation of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) correlates with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Anthocyanins (ACN) are bioactive food compounds of great nutritional interest. We have shown that protocatechuic acid (PCA), a major metabolite of ACN, might exert insulin-sensitizer activities in human visceral adipose tissue. The aim of this work was to define the protective role of PCA against insulin-resistance induced by high glucose in VAT.Methodology: VAT obtained from control subject (BMI≤25) were separated in four experimental groups: i) PCA: samples treated for 24 h with 100 μM PCA, ii) GLU: VAT treated with 30 mM glucose for 24 h, iii) PCA+GLU: 1 hour incubation with 100 μM PCA before adding glucose (30 mM, 24 h), iv) CTR: vehicle. After treatment, VAT groups were (or not) acutely stimulated with insulin (20 nM, 20 min). Tyr-IRS-1 and Ser-Akt phosphorylations were assessed by Western blotting (WB) in basal or insulin stimulated tissues in all experimental groups. Samples were assessed for IRS-1, IR, Akt and GLUT4 protein content by WB. Results: No differences in protein contents between experimental groups were found. GLU tissues showed a lower increment in insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of IRS-1 and Akt compared to CTR and PCA samples. This impaired activation was completely reversed by the pretreatment with PCA.Conclusion: An in-vitro insulin-resistance condition induced by high glucose was established in biopsies of VAT. PCA restores the ability of GLU-tissues to fully respond to insulin by increasing IRS-1 and Akt phosphorylations. These results confirm the insulin-sensitizer effect of PCA on VAT previously reported by our group. An anthocyanin rich diet might help to protect against insulin-resistance in VAT.

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Extracellular Vesicles in Human Preterm Colostrum Inhibit Infection by Human Cytomegalovirus In Vitro

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms8071087 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (7) ◽

pp. 1087

Author(s):

Manuela Donalisio ◽

Simona Cirrincione ◽

Massimo Rittà ◽

Cristina Lamberti ◽

Andrea Civra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Milk ◽

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Human Cytomegalovirus ◽

Hcmv Infection ◽

Protective Role ◽

Surface Proteins ◽

Human Colostrum ◽

Clinical Illness

Breast milk is a complex biofluid that nourishes infants, supports their growth and protects them from diseases. However, at the same time, breastfeeding is a transmission route for human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), with preterm infants being at a great risk of congenital disease. The discrepancy between high HCMV transmission rates and the few reported cases of infants with severe clinical illness is likely due to the protective effect of breast milk. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-HCMV activity of human preterm colostrum and clarify the role of colostrum-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs). Preterm colostrum samples were collected and the EVs were purified and characterized. The in vitro anti-HCMV activity of both colostrum and EVs was tested against HCMV, and the viral replication step inhibited by colostrum-purified EVs was examined. We investigated the putative role EV surface proteins play in impairing HCMV infection using shaving experiments and proteomic analysis. The obtained results confirmed the antiviral action of colostrum against HCMV and demonstrated a remarkable antiviral activity of colostrum-derived EVs. Furthermore, we demonstrated that EVs impair the attachment of HCMV to cells, with EV surface proteins playing a role in mediating this action. These findings contribute to clarifying the mechanisms that underlie the protective role of human colostrum against HCMV infection.

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A Protective Role of Paeoniflorin in Fluctuant Hyperglycemia-Induced Vascular Endothelial Injuries through Antioxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Effects and Reduction of PKCβ1

Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity ◽

10.1155/2019/5647219 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Jing-Shang Wang ◽

Ye Huang ◽

Shuping Zhang ◽

Hui-Jun Yin ◽

Lei Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Protein Level ◽

Umbilical Vein ◽

Protective Role ◽

Vascular Endothelial ◽

Glucose Levels ◽

Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells

Hyperglycemia fluctuation is associated with diabetes mellitus (DM) complications when compared to persistent hyperglycemia. Previous studies have shown that paeoniflorin (PF), through its antiapoptosis, anti-inflammation, and antithrombotic properties, effectively protects against cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. However, the mechanism underlying the protection from PF against vascular injuries induced by hyperglycemia fluctuations remains poorly understood. Herein, we investigated the potential protective role of PF on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) subjected to intermittent glucose levels in vitro and in DM rats with fluctuating hyperglycemia in vivo. A remarkable increased apoptosis associated with elevated inflammation, increased oxidative stress, and high protein level of PKCβ1 was induced in HUVECs by intermittently changing glucose for 8 days, and PF recovered those detrimental changes. LY333531, a potent PKCβ1 inhibitor, and metformin manifested similar effects. Additionally, in DM rats with fluctuating hyperglycemia, PF protected against vascular damage as what has been observed in vitro. Taken together, PF attenuates the vascular injury induced by fluctuant hyperglycemia through oxidative stress inhibition, inflammatory reaction reduction, and PKCβ1 protein level repression, suggesting its perspective clinical usage.

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HDAC2 attenuates airway inflammation by suppressing IL-17A production in HDM-challenged mice

AJP Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajplung.00143.2018 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 316 (1) ◽

pp. L269-L279 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Tianwen Lai ◽

Mindan Wu ◽

Chao Zhang ◽

Luanqing Che ◽

Feng Xu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Airway Inflammation ◽

Inflammatory Cytokines ◽

Allergic Inflammation ◽

Allergic Airway Inflammation ◽

Inflammatory Cells ◽

Protective Role ◽

In Vivo Models

Histone deacetylase (HDAC)2 is expressed in airway epithelium and plays a pivotal role in inflammatory cells. However, the role of HDAC2 in allergic airway inflammation remains poorly understood. In the present study, we determined the role of HDAC2 in airway inflammation using in vivo models of house dust mite (HDM)-induced allergic inflammation and in vitro cultures of human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells exposed to HDM, IL-17A, or both. We observed that HDM-challenged Hdac2+/− mice exhibited substantially enhanced infiltration of inflammatory cells. Higher levels of T helper 2 cytokines and IL-17A expression were found in lung tissues of HDM-challenged Hdac2+/− mice. Interestingly, IL-17A deletion or anti-IL-17A treatment reversed the enhanced airway inflammation induced by HDAC2 impairment. In vitro, HDM and IL-17A synergistically decreased HDAC2 expression in HBE cells. HDAC2 gene silencing further enhanced HDM- and/or IL-17A-induced inflammatory cytokines in HBE cells. HDAC2 overexpresion or blocking IL-17A gene expression restored the enhanced inflammatory cytokines. Collectively, these results support a protective role of HDAC2 in HDM-induced airway inflammation by suppressing IL-17A production and might suggest that activation of HDAC2 and/or inhibition of IL-17A production could prevent the development of allergic airway inflammation.

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