Improved cutaneous wound healing after intraperitoneal injection of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone.

Skin wound healing is a complex process involving many types of cells and molecules and often results in scar tissue formation in adult mammals. However, scarless healing occurs in foetal skin and minimal scars may occur after cutaneous healing in the adult with reduced inflammation. Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) is widely distributed within the central nervous system and in other body regions, such as the skin, and has strong anti-inflammatory activity.

Morphological changes in the liver and kidneys of rats subjected to terminal ileum exclusion during obstructive cholestasis.

Purpose: To investigate the effects of ileal exclusion on hepatic and renal morphology in extra-hepatic cholestasis.

Methods: Twenty four rats were distributed into three groups. Group 1 (control) underwent laparotomy and laparorrhaphy.

Indirect effects of oral tolerance inhibit pulmonary granulomas to Schistosoma mansoni eggs.

Parenteral injection of tolerated proteins into orally tolerant mice inhibits the initiation of immunological responses to unrelated proteins and blocks severe chronic inflammatory reactions of immunological origin, such as autoimmune reactions. This inhibitory effect which we have called "indirect effects of oral tolerance" is also known as "bystander suppression." Herein, we show that i.

Indirect effects of oral tolerance improve wound healing in skin.

Tissue injury in adult mammalian skin frequently results in scarring while fetal mammalian skin heals with complete regeneration. Inflammatory reactions are among the factors thought to impair regeneration. Previous studies have shown that the injection of an immunologically tolerated protein blocks immune responses to unrelated antigens and is also able to inhibit inflammation in mice.

Cell-mediated immune response to unrelated proteins and unspecific inflammation blocked by orally tolerated proteins.

Oral tolerance promotes a generalized decrease in specific immune responsiveness to proteins previously encountered via the oral route. In addition, parenteral immunization with a tolerated protein also triggers a significant reduction in the primary responsiveness to a second unrelated antigen. This is generally explained by 'innocent bystander suppression', suggesting that the transient and episodic effects of inhibitory cytokines released by contact with the tolerated antigen would block responses to the second antigen.