Immunomodulatory effect of cell therapy on the experimental inflammatory bowel disease model

Dysregulation of innate and adaptive immunity is a central mechanism in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) that include Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Given the immunomodulatory properties of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MMSCs), developing new pathogenetic approaches to the IBD treatment using cell therapy seems to be promising.In this article, the effect of intra-arterial and intravenous MMSCs on in vitro monocytes/macrophages cytokine-producing function and splenocytes proliferative activity in laboratory animals with experimental IBD under the conditions of nonspecific and specific stimulation (mannan – cell wall component of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast) was studied.MMSC cultures have been shown to possess an immunomodulatory effect against the background of improved clinical, morphometric parameters, and the pathomorphological picture of experimental IBD damage. Intra-arterial and intravenous administration of cell cultures decreased the mannan-induced TNF-α production by CD68+ cells and mitogen/mannan-stimulated splenocyte proliferation that confirms the immunosuppressive effect of MMSC cultures on autoreactive splenocyte clones in experimental IBD. The obtained results testify to the anti-inflammatory effect of cell therapy in the experimental modeling of IBD and justified a combined administration of MMSC cultures.

Attenuation of Colonic Injury and Inflammation by Administration of a Phenolic Extract of Summer Savory (Satureja hortensis L.) in Experimental Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Mice

Summer Savory (Satureja hortensis L.) is a plant traditionally used as a food spice in the Mediterranean region. Surprisingly, not much is known about the health beneficial effects of its phenolic-rich extracts. The majority of publications have always focused on the properties of their essential oil. One of the main phenolic compounds of Summer Savory is rosmarinic acid, which has demonstrated anti-inflammatory outcomes in several animal models of inflammatory-mediated diseases. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disease, in addition to Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease, frequently related with increased morbidity and even mortality due to the complications associated, including colorectal cancer. Our work has shown, to our knowledge, for the first time, that administration of a phenolic extract of Summer Savory in a mouse model of Ulcerative Colitis led to the reduction of several markers for intestinal injury, including reduction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2 or prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase) expression, two well-known mediators of tissue inflammation and progression to cancer and led also to a reduction of the mortality. Given the chemical constitution found in the extract and the preclinical evidence of a beneficial effect of polyphenols in inflammatory processes, an opportunity arises for pharmacological modulation of pathways relevant for IBD and progression to cancer with phenolic-rich extracts.