Retinoids delay cell cycle progression and promote differentiation of intestinal epithelial cells exposed to nutrient deprivation.

Objective: Vitamin A is commonly recommended as a treatment for diarrhea and undernutrition; however, little is known about the underlying cellular mechanisms. The aim of this study was to investigate the modulation of cell cycle by vitamin A derivatives (retinyl palmitate or retinol) in undernourished intestinal epithelial crypts (IEC-6).

Methods: IEC-6 cells were exposed to nutrient deprivation (no serum and no glutamine) and supplemented with retinyl palmitate or retinol at a range of 2 to 20 μM.

Cathelicidins Mitigate Staphylococcus aureus Mastitis and Reduce Bacterial Invasion in Murine Mammary Epithelium.

, an important cause of mastitis in mammals, is becoming increasingly problematic due to the development of resistance to conventional antibiotics. The ability of to invade host cells is key to its propensity to evade immune defense and antibiotics. This study focuses on the functions of cathelicidins, small cationic peptides secreted by epithelial cells and leukocytes, in the pathogenesis of mastitis in mice.

Murine and Human Cathelicidins Contribute Differently to Hallmarks of Mastitis Induced by Pathogenic Algae.

(formerly genotype-II) is an opportunistic, achlorophyllous alga that causes mastitis in cows and skin disease in cats and dogs, as well as cutaneous lesions in both immunocompetent and immunosuppressed humans. Antifungal medications are commonly ineffective. This study aimed to investigate innate immune responses contributed by cathelicidins to in the mammary gland using a mastitis model in mice deficient in the sole murine cathelicidin ().

Host defense cathelicidins in cattle: types, production, bioactive functions and potential therapeutic and diagnostic applications.

Cathelicidins are a primitive class of host defense peptides and are known for their broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against bacteria, fungi, and enveloped viruses. These small, cationic, proteolytically-activated peptides are diverse in structure, encompassing a wide range of activities on host immune and inflammatory cell responses. The dual capacity of cathelicidins to directly control infection and regulate host defenses highlights the potential use of these peptides as alternatives to antibiotics and immunomodulators.