Nutrition
-
CD8αα(+) T-cell receptor (TCR) αβ(+) intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) were found to have a regulatory function in the mucosal immune system. Glutamine (GLN) is an amino acid with immunomodulatory effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the influences of GLN on the proportion of CD8αα(+) TCRαβ(+) IELs and associated inflammatory mediator gene expression in polymicrobial sepsis. ⋯ A single dose of GLN administered after the initiation of sepsis increased the percentage of CD8αα(+) TCRαβ(+) IELs, prevented apoptosis of CD8αα(+) TCRαβ(+) IELs, and downregulated CD8αα(+) TCRαβ(+) IEL-expressed inflammatory mediators. These results suggest that GLN influenced the distribution and cytokine secretion of the CD8αα(+) TCRαβ(+) IEL subset, which may ameliorate sepsis-induced inflammatory reactions and thus mitigate the severity of intestinal epithelial injury.
-
In overweight children, high leptin levels are independently associated with higher risk for cardiovascular disease, whereas adiponectin seems to be protective against type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis. The study examines the predictive value of leptin for weight loss after a 4- to 6-wk inpatient therapy and again after 1 y; as well as the association among weight loss, leptin, and adiponectin levels and changes in cardiometabolic risk factors after therapy. ⋯ Overweight children maintained a substantial amount of weight loss after participation in a short-term inpatient lifestyle intervention. Baseline BMI was positively associated with weight reduction during the intervention, whereas baseline leptin had only a minor predictive value.
-
Lung infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa is associated with an exuberant inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and lung damage. Whey protein is a rich source of cysteine, and anti-inflammatory and immune-enhancing peptides. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of whey are augmented by hyperbaric pressure treatment. In this study, we tested whether dietary supplementation with pressurized whey protein enhances the host ability to clear P. aeruginosa infection compared with native (i.e., unpressurized) whey. ⋯ Use of nutritionally derived substances with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, such as pressurized whey, aids in limiting airway bacterial infection, particularly, under conditions of ongoing oxidative stress.
-
The berries of blue honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea L.), including an edible Kamchatka variety (var. kamtschatica Sevast.), are a potential but relatively unknown source of anthocyanins, which are thought to have favorable effects on diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The aim of this study was to examine whether the dietary addition of a Kamchatka honeysuckle berry extract (KHBE, 327 mg anthocyanins/g) is able to limit the disorders related to these diseases induced by a high-fructose diet in rats. ⋯ An anthocyanin-rich Kamchatka honeysuckle berry extract supplemented to an unbalanced diet is able to ameliorate the disturbances in lipid and glucose metabolism that are the fundamental risk factors for CVD and diabetes. Moreover, the extract stimulates enzymatic activity within the gut that seems to be related to the metabolism of polyphenols.