Unraveling the immunomodulatory and metabolic effects of bioactive glass S53P4 on macrophages in vitro.

Macrophage metabolism is closely linked to their phenotype and function, which is why there is growing interest in studying the metabolic reprogramming of macrophages. Bioactive glass (BG) S53P4 is a bioactive material used especially in bone applications. Additionally, BG S53P4 has been shown to affect macrophages, but the mechanisms through which the possible immunomodulatory effects are conveyed remain unclear.

Bioactive glasses promote rapid pre-osteoblastic cell migration in contrast to hydroxyapatite, while carbonated apatite shows migration inhibiting properties.

Different biomaterials have been clinically used as bone filling materials, although the mechanisms behind the biological effects are incompletely understood. To address this, we compared the effects of five different biomaterials: two bioactive glasses (45S5 and S53P4), hydroxyapatite (HAP), carbonated apatite (CAP), and alumina on the in vitro migration and viability of pre-osteoblastic cells. In addition, we studied the effects of biomaterials' calcium release on cell migration, viability and differentiation.

Global and deep molecular analysis of microbiota signatures in fecal samples from patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

Background & Aims: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has been associated with disruptions to the intestinal microbiota, but studies have had limited power, coverage, and depth of analysis. We aimed to define microbial populations that can be used discriminate the fecal microbiota of patients with IBS from that of healthy subjects and correlate these with IBS intestinal symptom scores.

Methods: The microbiota composition was assessed by global and deep molecular analysis of fecal samples from 62 patients with IBS patients and 46 healthy individuals (controls).

Effect of a multispecies probiotic supplement on quantity of irritable bowel syndrome-related intestinal microbial phylotypes.

Background: Probiotics can alleviate the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), possibly by stabilizing the intestinal microbiota. Our aim was to determine whether IBS-associated bacterial alterations were reduced during multispecies probiotic intervention consisting of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, L. rhamnosus Lc705, Propionibacterium freudenreichii ssp.

Microbial community analysis reveals high level phylogenetic alterations in the overall gastrointestinal microbiota of diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome sufferers.

Background: A growing amount of scientific evidence suggests that microbes are involved in the aetiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and the gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota of individuals suffering from diarrhoea-predominant IBS (IBS-D) is distinguishable from other IBS-subtypes. In our study, the GI microbiota of IBS-D patients was evaluated and compared with healthy controls (HC) by using a high-resolution sequencing method. The method allowed microbial community analysis on all levels of microbial genomic guanine plus cytosine (G+C) content, including high G+C bacteria.

Diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome distinguishable by 16S rRNA gene phylotype quantification.

Aim: To study whether selected bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene phylotypes are capable of distinguishing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Methods: The faecal microbiota of twenty volunteers with IBS, subdivided into eight diarrhoea-predominant (IBS-D), eight constipation-predominant (IBS-C) and four mixed symptom-subtype (IBS-M) IBS patients, and fifteen control subjects, were analysed at three time-points with a set of fourteen quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assays. All assays targeted 16S rRNA gene phylotypes putatively associated with IBS, based on 16S rRNA gene library sequence analysis.

Development and application of the human intestinal tract chip, a phylogenetic microarray: analysis of universally conserved phylotypes in the abundant microbiota of young and elderly adults.

In this paper we present the in silico assessment of the diversity of variable regions of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene based on an ecosystem-specific curated database, describe a probe design procedure based on two hypervariable regions with minimal redundancy and test the potential of such probe design strategy for the design of a flexible microarray platform. This resulted in the development and application of a phylogenetic microarray for studying the human gastrointestinal microbiota--referred as the human intestinal tract chip (HITChip). Over 4800 dedicated tiling oligonucleotide probes were designed based on two hypervariable regions of the SSU rRNA gene of 1140 unique microbial phylotypes (< 98% identity) following analysis of over 16,000 human intestinal SSU rRNA sequences.

In school-aged children a combination of galacto-oligosaccharides and Lactobacillus GG increases bifidobacteria more than Lactobacillus GG on its own.

The aim of this study was to compare a combination of Lactobacillus GG (LGG) and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) with LGG on its own, and their effects on the intestinal microbiota in school-aged children. The randomized, double-blinded, crossover study comprised 30 healthy children. There were two 3-week study periods with a 4-week wash-out period in between.

Clinical trial: multispecies probiotic supplementation alleviates the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and stabilizes intestinal microbiota.

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome is the most common diagnosis in gastroenterology. Trials suggest certain probiotics to be beneficial.

Aim: To investigate the effects of multispecies probiotic supplementation (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, L.

Effects of multispecies probiotic supplementation on intestinal microbiota in irritable bowel syndrome.

Background: A multispecies probiotic has shown beneficial effects in irritable bowel syndrome. In addition, certain other probiotics have demonstrated advantageous effects, but the mechanisms behind this are poorly understood.

Aim: To investigate the mode of action of a multispecies probiotic consisting of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, Lactobacillus rhamnosus Lc705, Propionibacterium freudenreichii ssp.

Probiotic intervention decreases serum gastrin-17 in Helicobacter pylori infection.

Background: Previously we showed that a probiotic combination with L. rhamnosus GG was beneficial as an adjuvant therapy during H. pylori eradication.

Clinical studies on alleviating the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common diagnoses in gastroenterology, but current therapies are inefficient. Recent clinical trials suggest beneficial effects of certain probiotics in IBS. Because of the heterogeneity of IBS a probiotic combination may be more efficient than a single strain.

A probiotic mixture alleviates symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome patients: a controlled 6-month intervention.

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome is a gastrointestinal disorder of unknown aetiology. The effect of probiotics in this syndrome remains unclear.

Aim: To investigate whether a probiotic mixture containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, L.

Composition and temporal stability of gastrointestinal microbiota in irritable bowel syndrome--a longitudinal study in IBS and control subjects.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common intestinal disorder that includes continuous or recurrent intestinal pain and discomfort and altered bowel habits. The pathophysiology of IBS is incompletely understood, but it may involve an altered intestinal microbiota. The aim of the present study was to compare the composition and temporal stability of faecal microbiota of IBS patients and healthy controls by applying culture-based techniques and PCR-DGGE analysis.

Analysis of the fecal microbiota of irritable bowel syndrome patients and healthy controls with real-time PCR.

Objective: The gut microbiota may contribute to the onset and maintenance of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In this study, the microbiotas of patients suffering from IBS were compared with a control group devoid of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms.

Methods: Fecal microbiota of patients (n = 27) fulfilling the Rome II criteria for IBS was compared with age- and gender-matched control subjects (n = 22).

The causal element for the lactase persistence/non-persistence polymorphism is located in a 1 Mb region of linkage disequilibrium in Europeans.

Expression of lactase in the intestine persists into adult life in some people and not others, and this is due to a cis-acting regulatory polymorphism. Previous data indicated that a mutation leading to lactase persistence had occurred on the background of a 60 kb 11-site LCT haplotype known as A (Hollox et al. 2001).

Substance P immunoreactive sensory axons as a subset of the total axonal population in the maxillary sinus of the rabbit: a characterization of normal and infected mucosa.

Substance P (SP), one of the neuropeptides released from sensory nerves, is thought to mediate neurogenic inflammation. Although SP immunoreactive axons have been described in the sinus mucosa, no attempt has been made to characterize SP fibers as a subset of all axons present in the sinus mucosa. In addition, no study to date has characterized the changes in infected sinus mucosa.

The role of pH and osmolarity in evoking the acetic acid-induced wiping response in a model of nociception in frogs.

Acetic acid applied to the hindlimb of a frog evokes a vigorous wiping of the exposed skin. The aim of this study was to determine if acetic acid evokes this wiping response by decreasing subepidermal pH. Because acetic acid is hyperosmolar, a second aim was to determine if the osmolarity of acetic acid contributed to evoking the wiping response.

SYM-2081 a kainate receptor antagonist reduces allodynia and hyperalgesia in a freeze injury model of neuropathic pain.

Cold-freeze injury at -4 degrees C to the rat sciatic nerve produces mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia [M.A. Kleive, P.

Localized sinus inflammation in a rabbit sinusitis model induced by Bacteroides fragilis is accompanied by rigorous immune responses.

We evaluated inflammatory and immune responses against Bacteroides fragilis in a rabbit sinusitis model. Bacteroides was inoculated into the left maxillary sinus, and inflammatory (histology, cell number/cytology, lactose dehydrogenase, and apoptosis) and immune responses in the sinus, airway, and peripheral blood (PB) were determined for up to 4 weeks. In the inflamed sinus, the lactose dehydrogenase level was markedly elevated, with neutrophilic infiltration, severe tissue inflammation, and increased apoptosis.

The kainate receptor antagonist 2S,4R-4-methylglutamate attenuates mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia in a rat model of nerve injury.

Opioids and receptor antagonists of excitatory amino acids attenuate mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia in animal models of neuropathic pain. Recently, a kainate receptor antagonist, 2S,4R-4-methylglutamate, has been developed but has not been tested for antinociceptive effects in animal models of neuropathic pain. We evaluated whether 2S,4R-4-methylglutamate attenuated responses to mechanical and thermal stimuli in uninjured (control) rats and increased responsiveness in rats with chronic constriction injury.

Middle ear pathologic changes associated with chronic anaerobic sinusitis in rabbits.

Objective/hypothesis: To study the histopathologic changes in association with the inflammatory/immune response present in the middle ears of a rabbit model of unilateral chronic anaerobic sinusitis.

Study Design: New Zealand white rabbits, two at each experimental time point. Normal rabbits and sham-operated animals served as controls.

IgG antibody levels in the sinus, ear, and airway in a rabbit model of sinusitis with Bacteroides.

Objective: To evaluate distribution of IgG antibodies (Ab) in the airway, ear, and sinuses in association with inflammatory changes in a rabbit sinusitis model.

Design: We measured IgG Ab and lactate dehydrogenase levels in solutions from sinus, airway, and middle ear lavage and in serum, and determined interferon y messenger RNA expression in sinus and ear mucosa at 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks after inoculation with Bacteroides fragilis.

Subjects: Six rabbits at each time point; controls were untreated (n=5) and sham-operated rabbits at 2 and 4 weeks (n=4-5).