Search

summary Background & aim: Supplementation with probiotic Bifidobacteria or Lactobacilli or the combination of both, has been shown to maintain a healthy balance of bacterial flora in the intestinal lumen. A placebocontrolled, crossover, self-comparing clinical study evaluated the probiotic effects of Lactobacillus fermentum P.C.C. (ProBioPCC) on gastrointestinal bacterial flora. Methods: This 8-week trial comprised an initial lead-in week with no study intervention, a 3-week treatment phase (taking ProBio,1 capsule/day), a 1-week washout phase, a 3-week control phase (taking placebo, 1 capsule/day), followed by a final week of washout. Thirty healthy adults (age: 25e43 years) having no gastrointestinal diseases were recruited into the study. Stool samples were collected once at each experimental week, and cultured for counting colonies of total anaerobic bacteria, Lactobacillus spp., Bifidobacterium spp., and Clostridium perfringens. Results: We found significantly increased colony counts of Lactobacillus spp. In stool samples after the treatment phase (p < 0.05). Colony counts of probiotic Bifidobacterium spp. were significantly increased with the study intervention (p < 0.05), while those of harmful C. perfringens were reduced (p < 0.05). Ratios of Bifidobacterium spp. to total anaerobic bacteria and to C. perfringes were increased significantly (p < 0.05). The bacteria colony counts and ratios returned toward baselines during and after the placebo control phase. In order to confirm the increase of intestinal probiotics was due to oral administration of ProBioPCC, we further demonstrated that L. fermentum P.C.C. strain was resistant against simulated gastric acid and bile in vitro. Conclusions: Our data indicate that ProBioPCC is effective in decreasing C. perfringens and increasing ratio of Bifidobacterium spp. to total anaerobic bacteria in healthy humans.

Far infrared rays (FIRs) have several proven effects on the human body and are generally considered to be biologically beneficial. In this study, we determined the effect of FIRs on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) -scavenging activity, which was directly increased by 10.26% after FIR application. Even in the indirect use of FIRs accompanying carrot extract, FIRs still contributed to a 5.48% increase in H2O2 -scavenging activity. We further proved that additional FIR treatment resulted in about 23.02% and 18.77% viability increases of osteoblast cells in the 200 and 800 μM H2O2 , respectively; and about 25.67% and 47.16% viability increases of fibroblast cells in the 25 and 50 μM H2O2 , respectively. Finally, FIR treatment also delayed senescence of detached Railway Beggarticks leaves in H2O2 solution with the concentrations of 10, 100, and 1000 μM. By reviewing past articles related to the effects of oxidative stress from metabolically produced H2O2 , we discuss possible benefits of FIRs for plants and animals.

Dioscorin, the tuber storage protein of yam, was reported to have immunomodulatory activity in RAW264.7 murine macrophage cell lines ( Food and Chemical Toxicology , 2007 , 45 , 2312 -2318 ). However, the immunomodulatory function of dioscorin after being ingested was not elucidated in vivo. Hence, BALB/c mice were given oral dioscorin (2.5 and 20 mg/kg/day) once a day for 21-days. Lymphocyte subpopulation changes in the peripheral blood and splenocytes, stimulation in phagocytosis of the polymorphonuclear cell (PMN) and monocytes, the natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity, the splenocyte proliferation, and cytokine secretions in the presence of PHA were determined. The number changes of Peyer's patches and secreted IgA (sIgA) in the feces were determined. Oral dioscorin for 21-days increased the subpopulation in natural killer cells (CD49(+)) and/or B cells (CD19(+)), elevated the phagocytosis of PMN (p < 0.01) and MON (p < 0.01), and the NK cell cytotoxic activity (p < 0.05), and stimulated splenocyte proliferations in the presence of LPS or PHA (p < 0.05) in comparison with those of the control. Cytokines of INF-gamma, IL-4, and IL-10 secretions, the numbers of Peyer's patches, and sIgA in the feces showed higher levels in oral dioscorin and significant difference to those of the control (p < 0.001). These results suggested that dioscorin exhibited systemic and mucosal immunomodulatory activities after being ingested in vivo.

Far-infrared ray (FIR) radiation has been shown to be beneficial to human health; however, little scientific evidence of its mechanisms has been provided. In the present study, we investigated the effect of nonthermal-enhanced FIR on the expression of calmodulin (Cam) protein and nitric oxide (NO) production by RAW 264.7 macrophages. Results indicated a significant increase in Cam protein in FIR-treated RAW 264.7 macrophages with or without the addition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In addition, the amount of NO was slightly higher but increased significantly in FIR plus LPS-treated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Data of the present study provide the first evidence to indicate the immunomodulatory properties of FIR through increasing Cam protein and NO production in RAW 264.7 macrophages.

Background Large amounts of Ganoderma lucidum (GL) commercial products are provided in the worldwide market such as powders, tea bags, or capsules as dietary supplements which contained triterpenoids and/or polysaccharides. Therefore, it was estimated that several thousand tons of GL residues (GLR) are produced and discarded. For recycling uses, the aim of this study was to evaluate the benefits of two hot-water extracts from GLR (HWP_GLR) and solid-state fermentation GLR inoculated with GL mycelia (HWP_GLRF) on the growths of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium longum. The RAW264.7 cells were used to investigate the effects of HWP_GLR and HWP_GLRF on nitric oxide productions, phagocytic activities against FITC-labeled E. coli, and to lower lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding capacities. The powders of GLR and GLRF were used as additives in the commercial feeds for feeding broiler chicks in vivo to evaluate the immune-stimulatory and prebiotic activities. Results HWP_GLR and HWP_GLRF with molecular size 5 to 8 kDa were showed to stimulate growths of L. rhamnosus and B. longum. It was found that in the presence of polymyxin B HWP_GLR and HWP_GLRF could stimulate nitric oxide productions, elevate phagocytic activities against FITC-labeled E. coli, and to lower lipopolysaccharide-binding capacities in RAW264.7 cells. The broiler chicks were selected for feedings in vivo. The 1-day-old chicks were fed commercial feeds for 1 week, and then were fed without or with 4 or 8 % of GLR and GLRF additives for 3 weeks. There was no significant weight difference among feeding groups. However, the phagocytosis and natural killer cytotoxicity in the peripheral bloods, and prebiotic activities of bifidobacteria in feces of GLR and/or GLRF groups were significantly different compared to the control (P Conclusions The GLR, GLRF, and their hot-water extracts with beneficial activities could be processed as feed additives which could increase the waste-recycling.

Objective Supplemental glutamine (Gln) has been demonstrated to improve the immunologic response and reduce mortality in rodents with sepsis. However, the effects of Gln on gut-associated lymphoid tissue function after infection and sepsis are not clear. We investigated the effects of Gln-supplemented diets before sepsis, Gln-enriched total parenteral nutrition (TPN) after sepsis, or both on the intestinal immunity in rats with gut-derived sepsis. Methods Male Wistar rats were assigned to control and four experimental groups. The control and experimental groups 1 and 2 were fed a semi-purified diet; in experimental groups 3 and 4, part of the casein in the diets was replaced with Gln. After feeding rats the respective diets for 10 d, sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) in the experimental groups, whereas the control group underwent a sham operation; at the same time, the internal jugular vein of all rats was cannulated. All rats were maintained on TPN for 3 d. The control group and groups 1 and 3 were infused with conventional TPN, and groups 2 and 4 were given a TPN solution supplemented with Gln, which provided 25% of total amino acid nitrogen. All rats were killed 3 d after the sham operation or CLP. Intestinal immunoglobin A levels, total lymphocyte yields, and lymphocyte subpopulations in Peyer's patches were analyzed. Results Total Peyer's patch lymphocyte numbers were significantly higher in the Gln-supplemented groups than in the control group. Distributions of CD3+ and CD4+ in group 1 were significantly lower than those in the control group, whereas no differences were observed among the control and Gln-supplemented groups. Plasma immunoglobulin A levels were higher in the Gln-supplemented groups than the control group and group 1. Intestinal immunoglobulin A levels were significantly higher in groups 2 and 4 than in the control group and group 1. Conclusions Preventive use of a Gln-supplemented enteral diet before CLP or intravenous Gln supplementation after CLP have similar effects in promoting proliferation of total lymphocyte in gut-associated lymphoid tissue, enhancing IgA secretion, and maintaining T-lymphocyte populations in Peyer's patches. Gln administered before and after CLP did not seem to have a synergistic effect on enhancing mucosal immunity in rats with gut-derived sepsis.

Previous reports have shown that arginine (Arg) enhances phagocytic activity of macrophages and is required for macrophage-mediated toxicity toward tumor cells. Few studies have addressed the importance of Arg supplementation on macrophage and neutrophil function after infection and sepsis. This study examined the effect of Arg-supplemented diets before and Arg-enriched total parenteral nutrition (TPN) after sepsis or both on the phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages and blood polymorphonuclear cells in rats with gut-derived sepsis.Male Wistar rats were assigned to 4 groups. Groups 1 and 2 were fed a semipurified diet, while groups 3 and 4 had part of the casein replaced with 2% of total calories as Arg. After the experimental diets were administered for 10 days, sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP); at the same time, an internal jugular vein was cannulated. All rats were maintained on TPN for 3 days. Groups 1 and 3 were infused with conventional TPN, while groups 2 and 4 were supplemented with Arg, replacing 10% of total amino acids in the TPN solution. Survival rates were recorded for 3 days after CLP, and all surviving rats were killed 3 days after CLP to examine their immune responses.Aerobic and anaerobic bacteria colony counts in peritoneal lavage fluid were significantly reduced, and the phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages was enhanced in groups 3 and 4 but not in the other 2 groups. There were no significant differences in the phagocytic activities of blood polymorphonuclear cells and survival rates among the 4 groups.Enteral Arg supplementation before sepsis significantly enhanced peritoneal macrophage phagocytic activity and reduced total bacterial counts in peritoneal lavage fluid. Arg administered before and after CLP seemed to have a synergistic effect on enhancing phagocytic activity and on bacterial clearance. However, IV Arg administration after CLP had no favorable effects on phagocytic activity or survival rates in rats with gut-derived sepsis.

This study investigated the effect of arginine (Arg) supplementation on nutrient metabolism and splenocyte response in burned mice. Also, the survival of burned mice complicated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa was evaluated. Experiment 1: Sixty male BALB/c mice were assigned to 2 groups. One group was fed with casein as the protein source, the other group was supplemented with 2.4% (w/w) Arg in addition to casein. After 4 weeks, all mice received a 30% body surface area burn injury. Mice in each group were sacrificed for 3 consecutive days after the burn with 10 mice on each respective day. Plasma blood chemistry and amino acid profiles were analyzed. Spleens were removed aseptically from mice 1 day after the burn, interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-4 concentrations secreted by cultured splenocytes were measured. Experiment 2: Thirty mice were divided into 2 groups as described in experiment 1. After 4 weeks, burn injury was induced, and mice were challenged with P. aeruginosa . Survival of the burned mice was observed for 7 days. In experiment 1, no differences in plasma glucose, non-esterified fatty acids, and lactic acid concentrations were observed between the 2 groups on each respective day. Arg group had higher levels of alanine and branched-chain amino acids on day 2, also, plasma Arg and glutamine levels were higher in the Arg group on days 2 and 3 after the burn than in the control group. IFN-γ concentrations in mitogen stimulated splenocyte cultures were higher in the Arg group than the control group. No difference in IL-4 concentrations was observed. In experiment 2, the survival did not differ between the 2 groups. These results suggest that Arg supplementation had no beneficial effect on glucose and lipid metabolism, nor had any effect on survival when burned mice were complicated with P. aeruginosa infection. However, Arg supplementation reduced the depletion of plasma Arg and glutamine levels at the hypercatabolic stage after the burn, and may have potential benefit on enhancing cellular immune response.

This study investigated the effect of arginine (Arg) supplementation on antioxidant enzyme activities and macrophage response in burned mice. Experiment 1: 60 male BALB/c mice were assigned to two groups. One group was fed a control diet with casein as the protein source, the other group was supplemented with 2% Arg in addition to casein. The two groups were isonitrogenous. After 4 weeks, all mice received a 30% body surface area burn injury. The antioxidant enzyme activities and lipid peroxides in the tissues were analyzed. Experiment 2: 20 mice were divided into two groups and burn injury was induced after feeding for 4 weeks as described in experiment 1. Twenty-four hours after the burn, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) secreted by cultured peritoneal macrophages was measured. The results show that antioxidant enzyme activities and lipid peroxides in tissues tended to be lower in the Arg group than in the control group after the burn. Production of TNF-alpha by peritoneal macrophages after stimulation with lipopolysacchride (LPS) was significantly elevated in the Arg group, whereas no response was observed in the control group. These results suggest that dietary Arg supplementation attenuates the oxidative stress induced by burn injury, and a better macrophage response was observed when Arg was administered.

Pseudomonas exotoxin A (PE) is one of the most potent cytotoxic agents produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In this study, we examined the possibility of using PE with a deletion of 38 carboxyl-terminal amino acid residues, designated PE(Delta576-613), for active immunization against PE-mediated disease. We first examined the toxic effects of PE and PE(Delta576-613) on 5- and 9-week-old ICR mice. The results show that the subcutaneous administration of PE(Delta576-613) at a dose of 250 microg was still nontoxic to 5- and 9-week-old ICR mice, while native PE was lethal at a dose of 0.5 and 1 microg, respectively. PE(Delta576-613) was then used to immunize ICR mice. The minimum dose of PE(Delta576-613) that could effectively induce anti-PE antibodies in 5- and 9-week-old ICR mice was found to be 250 ng. However, immunization with 250 ng PE(Delta576-613) failed to protect the immunized mice from a lethal dose of PE. The effective immunization dose of PE(Delta576-613) that could protect mice against a 2 microg PE challenge was found to be 15 microg. In addition, sera obtained from PE(Delta576-613)-immunized ICR mice were able to neutralize PE intoxication and effectively protect mice from PE. Thus, PE(Delta576-613) may be used as an alternative route to new PE vaccine development.

The regulation of DNA topoisomerase I was studied in human T lymphocytes following phytohemagglutinin (PHA) stimulation. As T lymphocytes began to enter the S phase 24 h after stimulation, there was a rapid increase in DNA topoisomerase I mRNA. The level of DNA topoisomerase I mRNA increased continuously over the next 18 h and peaked (> 50-fold increase) 42 h after stimulation with PHA. A concomitant increase in DNA topoisomerase I protein was also observed. However, the maximal increase in DNA topoisomerase I protein was only 6-fold. To explain the quantitative difference between the mRNA and protein levels, we investigated the change in the rates of DNA topoisomerase I protein synthesis versus degradation in human T lymphocytes following PHA stimulation. The increase in the mRNA parallels the increase in protein synthesis. However, the half-life of the enzyme protein was reduced to 9 h in proliferating T lymphocytes compared to a half-life of 36 h in resting lymphocytes. These results indicate that, in addition to the growth-regulated increase in the expression of DNA topoisomerase I, there was also a concomitant increase in the degradation of DNA topoisomerase I protein.

The purified dioscorin from yam (Dioscorea alata L. cv. Tainong 1) tuber was previously reported (Hsu et al., 2002. J. Agric. Food Chem., 50, 6109-6113). In this report, we evaluated its immunomodulatory ability in vitro in the presence of polymyxin B (50 microg/ml) to eliminate lipopolysaccharide (LPS) contamination. Dioscorin (5-100 microg/ml) was able to stimulate nitric oxide production (expressed as nitrite concentrations) in RAW264.7 cells. The stimulation index on the phagocytosis of RAW264.7 cells against E. coli and the oxidative burst (determined by the intensity of rhodamine fluorescence) of RAW264.7 cells were both enhanced by different concentrations of dioscorin (5-100 microg/ml). The cytokine production, including IL-6, TNF-alpha, and IL-1beta in dioscorin-treated RAW264.7 cells or human monocytes, was measured in the cultured medium. Dioscorin (5-100 microg/ml) was found able to induce IL-6, TNF-alpha, and IL-1beta production in RAW264.7 cells and human monocytes. To evaluate the effects of dioscorin on the proliferation of spleen cells from BALB/c mice, phytohemagglutinin (PHA, 2 microg/ml) alone or PHA mixed with different concentrations of dioscorin (10, 25, and 50 microg/ml) was used to treat spleen cells for 24h. The stimulated proliferation index of splenic cells ranged from 1.38- to 1.48-fold of PHA alone for PHA mixed with different concentrations of dioscorin (10, 25, and 50 microg/ml). We suggest that the tuber storage protein of yam dioscorin functions as an immunomodulatory substance.

AIM: To investigate the effect of synbiotics, i.e. probiotics and prebiotics mixture, on the gut microbial ecology and digestive enzyme activities in rats. METHODS: Forty-eight SD rats weighing about 280 g were used in this study. Rats were divided into three groups according to the contents of probiotics and prebiotics mixture in the feed as control, low and high dose groups. The duration of the experiment was 8 wk. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the fecal Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium counts were signifi cantly increased and the fecal Coliform organism counts were markedly reduced in the low and high dose groups. Concerning the digestive enzyme activity of jejunum, only lactase activity increased in low dose group. However, significant increase of lipase, lactase, sucrase, and isomaltase activities were observed in high dose group. CONCLUSION: Intake of low and high dosages of probiotics and prebiotics mixture signifi cantly improved the ecosystem of the intestinal tract by increasing the probiotics population and digestive enzyme activities in rats.

To investigate the effects of glutamine (GLN)-enriched diets before and GLN-containing total parenteral nutrition (TPN) after sepsis or both on the secretion of cytokines and their mRNA expression levels in splenocytes of rats with septic peritonitis.Rats were assigned to a control group and 4 experimental groups. The control group and experimental groups 1 and 2 were fed a semipurified diet, while experimental groups 3 and 4 had part of the casein replaced by GLN which provided 25% of the total nitrogen. After rats were fed with these diets for 10 d, sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), whereas the control group underwent a sham operation, at the same time, an internal jugular vein was cannulated. All rats were maintained on TPN for 3 d. The control group and experimental groups 1 and 3 were infused with conventional TPN, while the TPN in experimental groups 2 and 4 was supplemented with GLN, providing 25% of the total nitrogen in the TPN solution. All rats were kiued 3 d after sham operation or CLP to examine their splenocyte subpopulation distribution and cytokine expression levels.Most cytokines could not be detected in plasma except for IL-10. No difference in plasma IL-10 was observed among the 5 groups. The IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, and TNF-alpha mRNA expression levels in splenocytes were significantly higher in experimental groups 2 and 4 than in the control group and group 1. The mRNA expression of IFN-gamma was significantly higher in the GLN-supplemented groups than in the control group and experimental group 1. The proportion of CD45Ra+ was increased, while those of CD3+ and CD4+ were decreased in experimental group 1 after CLP was performed. There were no differences in spleen CD3+ lymphocyte distributions between the control and GLN-supplemented groups.GLN supplementation can maintain T-lymphocyte populations in the spleen and significantly enhance the mRNA expression levels of Th1 and Th2 cytokines and TNF-alpha in the spleen of rats with septic peritonitis.

The present study examined the effect of glutamine (Gln)-enriched diets before sepsis or Gln-containing total parenteral nutrition (TPN) after sepsis, or both, on the phagocytic activity and blood lymphocyte subpopulation in rats with gut-derived sepsis. Rats were assigned to a control group or one of four experimental groups. The control group and groups 1 and 2 were fed a semipurified diet; groups 3 and 4 had part of casein replaced by Gln. After feeding the diets for 10d, sepsis was induced by caecal ligation and puncture (CLP); TPN was maintained for 3d after CLP. The control group and groups 1 and 3 were infused with conventional TPN and groups 2 and 4 were supplemented with Gln in the TPN solution. All rats were killed 3d after CLP or sham operation to examine their immune responses. The results showed that compared with the control group, the phagocytic activities of peritoneal macrophages were enhanced in groups 3 and 4, but not in groups 1 and 2. The proportion of CD3+cells in group 1 was significantly lower (P+cell proportion was significantly lower (P+cells and maintained blood total T lymphocytes in gut-derived sepsis. However, parenteral Gln administration after caecal ligation and puncture had no favourable effects on modulating immune response in septic rats.

Objectives We investigated the effect of dietary glutamine (Gln) on specific antibody production and antioxidant enzyme activities in burned mice vaccinated with detoxified Pseudomonas exotoxin A linked with the outer membrane proteins I and F (PEIF). We also evaluated the survival rate of vaccinated and non-vaccinated burned mice infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Methods There were three consecutive experiments. In experiment 1, 30 BALB/c mice were assigned to one of two groups. The control group was fed casein as the protein source; the Gln group received 4% Gln (w/w) to replace part of the casein. Mice were immunized twice with PEIF, and the production of specific antibodies against PEIF was measured every week. Eight weeks after immunization, all mice received a 30% body surface area burn injury. Mice were killed 24 h after the burn. The antioxidant enzyme activities and lipid peroxides in the tissues and specific antibody production were analyzed. In experiment 2, 12 mice were assigned to a control or a Gln group and fed with one the experimental diets for 4 wk. Then burn injury was induced, and mice were killed 24 h later. In vitro, splenocytes were cultured, and interleukin (IL)–4 and IL-10 were measured after mitogen stimulation. In experiment 3, survival rates of vaccinated and non-vaccinated burned mice complicated with P. aeruginosa infection were evaluated. The survival rate was observed for 8 d after the burn. Results Antioxidant enzyme activities and lipid peroxides in tissues tended to be lower in the Gln group than in the control group after the burn. Specific antibody production against P. aeruginosa increased significantly in the Gln group at 4 and 7 wk after immunization and at 24 h after the burn. IL-4 concentrations in mitogen-stimulated splenocytes were significantly higher in the Gln group than in the control group. Survival rates of non-vaccinated burned mice in the Gln group were significantly higher than those in the control group, whereas there was no difference in the survival of vaccinated burned mice after bacterial infection. Conclusions These results suggested that vaccinated mice receiving a Gln-enriched diet may have enhanced humoral immunity and attenuated oxidative stress induced by burn injury. Also, Gln supplementation improved the survival of burned mice complicated with P. aeruginosa infection.

Background : Supplemental Arginine (Arg) has been demonstrated to improve the immunologic response and reduce mortality in rodents with sepsis. However, the effects of Arg on gut-associated lymphoid tissue function after infection and sepsis are not clear. The aim of this study was to study the effect of Arg-supplemented diets before and Arg-enriched total parenteral nutrition (TPN) after sepsis or both on the intestinal immunity of rats with septic peritonitis. Methods : Rats were assigned to four groups. Groups 1 and 2 were fed a semipurified diet, while in the diets of groups 3 and 4, part of the casein was replaced with Arg. After feeding the experimental diets for 10 days, sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP); at the same time, the internal jugular vein was cannulated. All rats were maintained on TPN for 3 days. Groups 1 and 3 were infused with conventional TPN, while groups 2 and 4 were given a TPN solution supplemented with Arg, which replaced 10% of the total amino acids. All rats were sacrificed 3 days after CLP. Intestinal immunoglobin (Ig) A levels, total lymphocyte yields, and lymphocyte subpopulations in Peyer's patches were analyzed. In vitro cytokine secretion by splenocytes and Peyer's patch lymphocytes were also measured. Results : Total lymphocyte yields in Peyer's patches, and small intestinal immunoglobulin A (IgA) secretion in group 4 were significantly higher than the groups 1 and 2. No differences were observed between groups 3 and 4. There were no differences in the interleukin (IL)-2 and interferon- γ levels among all groups when splenocytes were stimulated with mitogen. However, in vitro splenocyte IL-10 production in group 4 was significantly higher than those of groups 1 and 2, and had no difference from group 3. There were no differences in the ratios of B and T lymphocyte subpopulations in Peyer's patches among all groups. Conclusions : Enteral Arg supplementation before sepsis tended to enhance total lymphocyte yields in Peyer's patches and intestinal IgA secretion. Arg administered both before and after CLP had a synergistic effect on improving intestinal immunity, possibly by enhancing systemic IL-10 secretion. However, intravenous Arg administration after CLP had no favorable effects on mucosal immunity in rats with septic peritonitis.

This study investigated the effect of arginine (Arg) supplementation on specific antibody production and antioxidant enzyme activities in burned mice vaccinated with detoxified Pseudomonas exotoxin A linked with the outer membrane proteins I and F, named PEIF. Also, the survival rate of burned mice complicated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa was evaluated. Experiment 1: Thirty BALB/c mice were assigned to two groups. One group was fed a control diet with casein as the protein source, while the other group was supplemented with 2% Arg in addition to casein. The two groups were isonitrogenous. The mice were immunized twice with PEIF, and the production of specific antibodies against PEIF was measured every week. After 8 weeks, all mice received a 30% body surface area burn injury. Mice were sacrificed 24 h after the burn. The antioxidant enzyme activities and lipid peroxides in the tissues as well as the specific antibody production were analyzed. Experiment 2: Twenty-eight mice were divided into two groups and vaccinated as described in experiment 1. After the burn the mice were infected with P. aeruginosa , and the survival rate was observed for 8 days. The results demonstrated that antioxidant enzyme activities and lipid peroxides in tissues were significantly lower in the Arg group than in the control group after the burn. The production of specific antibodies against P. aeruginosa significantly increased in the Arg group at 4 and 7 weeks after immunization, and 24 h after the burn. The survival rates of vaccinated burned mice after bacterial infection did not significantly differ between the two groups. These results suggest that vaccinating mice with Arg supplementation may enhance humoral immunity and attenuate the oxidative stress induced by burn injury. However, Arg supplementation did not improve survival in vaccinated mice complicated with P. aeruginosa infection.

Autoantibodies against several cytoplasmic autoantigens such as glutamic acid decarboxylase, heat shock protein 65, insulin, and carboxypeptidase H have been identified in the sera of patients with IDDM. To investigate whether type II DNA topoisomerase (TopII) is an autoantigen in IDDM patients, we have constructed a series of overlapping DNA TopII fragments that covered the entire length of this enzyme. These fragments were used as antigens to screen sera of IDDM patients. We have examined 195 Chinese IDDM patients (mean age 14.2 ± 7.5 years, age at onset 9.2 ± 6.4 years, duration of diabetes 4.6 ± 3.4 years) and 51 nondiabetic individuals. The results showed that DNA TopII autoantibodies were detected in 49.2 and 47.2% of IDDM patients using purified TopII fragments and full-length TopII as antigens, respectively. The frequency of anti-TopII positivity was relatively stable irrespective of sex and disease duration. The patients were slightly older at onset and the prevalence of anti-thyroglobulin/anti-microsomal autoantibodies was twice that in the IDDM subgroup positive for anti-TopII than in IDDM patients who were negative for anti-TopII. We also characterized the epitopes of DNA TopII that were recognized by IDDM sera. Those epitopes resided mostly in three distinct domains. One resided in amino acid residues 1–147, another in amino acid residues 286–472, and the third in the COOH-terminal one-third of DNA TopII. Intriguingly, we found that these epitopes shared similarity (up to 36% identity and 63.6% homology) to previously identified epitopes of IDDM autoantigens.

To investigate the effects of arginine (Arg)-enriched diets before sepsis and/or Arg-containing total parenteral nutrition (TPN) after sepsis or both on cytokine mRNA expression levels in splenocytes of rats with gut-derived sepsis.Rats were assigned to four experimental groups. Groups 1 and 2 were fed with a semipurified diet, while groups 3 and 4 had part of the casein replaced by Arg which provided 2% of the total calories. After the rats were fed with these diets for 10 d, sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), at the same time an internal jugular vein was cannulated. All rats were maintained on TPN for 3 d. Groups 1 and 3 were infused with conventional TPN, while groups 2 and 4 were supplemented with Arg which provided 2% of the total calories in the TPN solution. All rats were killed 3 d after CLP to examine their splenocyte subpopulation distribution and cytokine expression levels.Plasma interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interferon (IFN-gamma) were not detectable 3 d after CLP. There were no differences in the distributions of CD45Ra(+), CD3(+), CD4(+), and CD8(+) cells in whole blood and splenocytes among the four groups. The splenocyte IL-2 mRNA expression in the Arg-supplemented groups was significantly higher than that in group 1. IL-4 mRNA expression in groups 3 and 4 was significantly higher than that in groups 1 and 2. The mRNA expression of IL-10 and IFN-gamma was significantly higher in group 4 than in the other three groups. There was no difference in TNF-alpha mRNA expression among the four groups.The influence of Arg on the whole blood and splenic lymphocyte subpopulation distribution is not obvious. However, Arg administration, especially before and after CLP, significantly enhances the mRNA expression levels of Th1 and Th2 cytokines in the spleen of rats with gut-derived sepsis.

AIM: To investigate the effect of fermented soy milk on human ecosystem in the intestinal tract by way of examining the population of different microorganisms isolated from fecal samples. METHODS: A crossover experimental design was applied. Twenty-eight healthy adults completed this experiment. Each subject consumed 250 mL, twice a day between meals, of either fermented soy milk or regular soy milk first for 2 wk, then switched to the other drink after 2 wk. Fecal samples were collected from all subjects every week starting from the second week to the end of the experiment. The microorganisms analyzed were Bifidobacterium spp., Lactobacillus spp., Clostridium perfringens, coliform organisms, and total anaerobic organisms. RESULTS: In the period of fermented soy milk consumption, the populations of Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp. increased (P