Screening of novel lactic acid bacteria with high induction of IgA production, dendritic cell activation, and IL-12 production.

In this study, we screened 308 lactic acid bacteria strains for high immunoglobulin A (IgA) production, dendritic cell activation, and IL-12 production using human derived cells. Among them, Lactobacillus helveticus GCL1815 demonstrated superior performance in all aspects, indicating its remarkable potential for immunomodulatory functions in both innate and adaptive immunity.

Innate immunity is a late event in the onset of gliadin-specific enteropathy in the HLA-DQ8 mice.

Celiac disease (CD) is a food enteropathy that occurs in genetically susceptible individuals following the ingestion of gluten. Both gluten cytotoxicity and immunity activation play a role in CD pathogenesis; however, the chronological assessment of the different pathogenic mechanisms remains elusive. The models developed so far have only partially addressed this issue.

Establishment of a method for determining the origin of glutamic acid in processed food based on carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios.

We developed a discriminant method based on the stable isotope ratio of carbon and nitrogen (δC and δN) to evaluate whether monosodium glutamate (MSG) is used in processed food samples. δC measurements were performed by elemental analyzer/isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (EA/IRMS) for on glutamic acid isolated from samples at high purity, and δN measurements were performed by gas chromatography/combustion/IRMS (GC/C/IRMS) following the purification and derivatization steps. By applying these methods, the δC and δN values for glutamic acid present in a wide variety of processed foods were obtained.

Distinguishing glutamic acid in foodstuffs and monosodium glutamate used as seasoning by stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios.

Recently, a number of consumers have begun to appreciate more natural ingredients and have become less willing to consume monosodium glutamate (MSG) as a seasoning. By measuring stable isotope ratios (δC and δN) of glutamic acid contained in foodstuffs and MSG used as seasoning, we attempted to distinguish between both using elemental analyzer-isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (EA/IRMS) and gas chromatography/combustion/IRMS (GC/C/IRMS). As a result, seasoning MSG was observed to have a lower δN value than glutamic acid in foodstuffs.

Development of a Method to Isolate Glutamic Acid from Foodstuffs for a Precise Determination of Their Stable Carbon Isotope Ratio.

Recent growing health awareness is leading to increasingly conscious decisions by consumers regarding the production and traceability of food. Stable isotopic compositions provide useful information for tracing the origin of foodstuffs and processes of food production. Plants exhibit different ratios of stable carbon isotopes (δC) because they utilized different photosynthetic (carbon fixation) pathways and grow in various environments.

Seasoning ingredients in a medium-fat diet regulate lipid metabolism in peripheral tissues via the hypothalamic-pituitary axis in growing rats.

We fed rats noodle (N) -diet containing 30 wt.% instant noodle with a 26% fat-to-energy ratio for 30 days (N-group). Compared with rats that were fed the same amount of nutrients (C-group), the N-group showed lower liver triacylglycerol levels and higher fecal cholesterol levels.

Supplemental feeding of a gut microbial metabolite of linoleic acid, 10-hydroxy-cis-12-octadecenoic acid, alleviates spontaneous atopic dermatitis and modulates intestinal microbiota in NC/nga mice.

The present study investigated the antiallergic and anti-inflammatory effects of 10-hydroxy-cis-12-octadecenoic acid (HYA), a novel gut microbial metabolite of linoleic acid, in NC/Nga mice, a model of atopic dermatitis (AD). Feeding HYA decreased the plasma immunoglobulin E level and skin infiltration of mast cells with a concomitant decrease in dermatitis score. HYA feeding decreased TNF-α and increased claudin-1, a tight junction protein, levels in the mouse skin.

Cellular zinc is required for intestinal epithelial barrier maintenance via the regulation of claudin-3 and occludin expression.

Intracellular zinc is required for a variety of cell functions, but its precise roles in the maintenance of the intestinal tight junction (TJ) barrier remain unclear. The present study investigated the essential roles of intracellular zinc in the preservation of intestinal TJ integrity and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Depletion of intracellular zinc in both intestinal Caco-2 cells and mouse colons through the application of a cell-permeable zinc chelator N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(2-pyridylmethyl)ethylenediamine (TPEN) induced a disruption of the TJ barrier, as indicated by increased FITC-labeled dextran flux and decreased transepithelial electrical resistance.

High-fat Diet-induced Intestinal Hyperpermeability is Associated with Increased Bile Acids in the Large Intestine of Mice.

Metabolic syndrome is characterized by low-grade chronic systemic inflammation, which is associated with intestinal hyperpermeability. This study examined the effects of 3 high-fat diets (HFDs) composed of different fat sources (soybean oil and lard) on the intestinal permeability, tight junction (TJ) protein expression, and cecal bile acid (BA) concentrations in mice, and then analyzed their interrelations. C57/BL6 mice were fed the control diet, HFD (soybean oil), HFD (lard), and HFD (mix; containing equal concentrations of soybean oil and lard) for 8 wk.

Supplemental epilactose prevents metabolic disorders through uncoupling protein-1 induction in the skeletal muscle of mice fed high-fat diets.

Obesity is one of the major health problems throughout the world. The present study investigated the preventive effect of epilactose--a rare non-digestible disaccharide--on obesity and metabolic disorders in mice fed high-fat (HF) diets. Feeding with HF diets increased body weight gain, fat pad weight and adipocyte size in mice (P<0·01), and these increases were effectively prevented by the use of supplemental epilactose without influencing food intake (P<0·01).

In vivo dose response and in vitro mechanistic analysis of enhanced immunoglobulin A production by Lactobacillus plantarum AYA.

Secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) mediates the mucosal immune system, which provides the first line of defense against inhaled and ingested pathogenic bacteria and viruses. Lactobacillus plantarum AYA increases the IgA level of Peyer's patch (PP) cells, but the recommended amount of consumption and the mechanism of action remains unclear. Better understanding of these is essential to development of L.

Complete Genome Sequence of Bifidobacterium kashiwanohense JCM 15439T, Isolated from Feces from a Healthy Japanese Infant.

We isolated Bifidobacterium kashiwanohense JCM 15439 from the feces of a healthy Japanese infant and proposed it as the type strain of a novel species within the genus Bifidobacterium. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of this organism.

Modulatory activity of Lactobacillus rhamnosus OLL2838 in a mouse model of intestinal immunopathology.

Gut microbiota and probiotic strains play an important role in oral tolerance by modulating regulatory and effector cell components of the immune system. We have previously described the ability of Lactobacilli to influence both the innate and adaptive immunity to wheat gluten, a food antigen, in mouse. In this study, we further explored the immunomodulatory mechanisms elicited in this model by testing three specific probiotic strains, namely L.

A gut microbial metabolite of linoleic acid, 10-hydroxy-cis-12-octadecenoic acid, ameliorates intestinal epithelial barrier impairment partially via GPR40-MEK-ERK pathway.

Gut microbial metabolites of polyunsaturated fatty acids have attracted much attention because of their various physiological properties. Dysfunction of tight junction (TJ) in the intestine contributes to the pathogenesis of many disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease. We evaluated the effects of five novel gut microbial metabolites on tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-induced barrier impairment in Caco-2 cells and dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in mice.

Anti-inflammatory and Intestinal Barrier-protective Activities of Commensal Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria in Thoroughbreds: Role of Probiotics in Diarrhea Prevention in Neonatal Thoroughbreds.

We previously isolated the commensal bacteria lactobacilli and bifidobacteria from the Thoroughbred intestine and prepared the horse probiotics LacFi(TM), consisting of Lactobacillus ruminis KK14, L. equi KK 15, L. reuteri KK18, L.

Differential modulation of innate immunity in vitro by probiotic strains of Lactobacillus gasseri.

Background: Probiotics species appear to differentially regulate the intestinal immune response. Moreover, we have shown that different immune-modulatory abilities can be found among probiotic strains belonging to the same species. In this study, we further addressed this issue while studying L.

Bifidobacterium longum alleviates dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis by suppressing IL-17A response: involvement of intestinal epithelial costimulatory molecules.

Although some bacterial strains show potential to prevent colitis, their mechanisms are not fully understood. Here, we investigated the anti-colitic mechanisms of Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis JCM 1222(T), focusing on the relationship between interleukin (IL)-17A secreting CD4(+) T cells and intestinal epithelial costimulatory molecules in mice.

The effect of probiotics and gut microbiota on Th17 cells.

Probiotics and gut microbiota have a significant impact on gut homeostasis in the host. Recent clinical studies demonstrated the ameliorative features of several kinds of probiotics in intestinal disorders, such as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). Interleukin (IL)-17 is a potent inflammatory cytokine, and T-helper (Th)17 cells and other IL-17-producing cells are involved in the pathogenesis of IBD.

Naringenin enhances intestinal barrier function through the expression and cytoskeletal association of tight junction proteins in Caco-2 cells.

Scope: We have previously reported that naringenin promotes the tight junction (TJ) integrity in intestinal Caco-2 cells. This study investigated the naringenin-mediated effect in Caco-2 cells with a particular focus on the modulation of TJ structure and claudin-4 transcriptional regulation.

Methods And Results: Naringenin (10~100 μM) dose-dependently enhanced TJ barrier integrity of Caco-2 cells, indicated by transepithelial electrical resistance and FITC-dextran flux.

Complete sequence analysis of two cryptic plasmids from Bifidobacterium kashiwanohense JCM 15439 (type strain) isolated from healthy infant feces.

Bifidobacterial plasmids reported so far are derived from a limited number of strains and plasmids of bifidobacterial type strains isolated from humans are unknown. We found that Bifidobacterium kashiwanohense JCM 15439 (type strain) isolated from a healthy infant contained two cryptic plasmids, designated pBBKW-1 and pBBKW-2. We determined and analyzed the complete sequences of both plasmids.

Supplemental naringenin prevents intestinal barrier defects and inflammation in colitic mice.

Intestinal barrier defects are involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. The present study investigated the ameliorative effects of naringenin, a citrus polyphenol, on intestinal tight junction (TJ) barrier defects and inflammation in a murine model of colitis. In Expt.

Effects of a chicken collagen hydrolysate on the circulation system in subjects with mild hypertension or high-normal blood pressure.

We investigated the effects of a chicken collagen hydrolysate (CCH) on the circulation system in humans. A total of 58 subjects with either mild hypertension (systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 140-159 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) 90-99 mmHg) or high-normal blood pressure (SBP 130-139 mmHg or DBP 85-89 mmHg) were assigned to two groups, one involving a placebo and the other, the test food (including CCH of 2.9 g/d).

Mechanism of protection of transepithelial barrier function by Lactobacillus salivarius: strain dependence and attenuation by bacteriocin production.

Enhanced barrier function is one mechanism whereby commensals and probiotic bacteria limit translocation of foreign antigens or pathogens in the gut. However, barrier protection is not exhibited by all probiotic or commensals and the strain-specific molecules involved remain to be clarified. We evaluated the effects of 33 individual Lactobacillus salivarius strains on the hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2))-induced barrier impairment in human epithelial Caco-2 cells.

Identification of a new IgE-binding epitope of peanut oleosin that cross-reacts with buckwheat.

Peanut and buckwheat induce a severe allergic reaction, anaphylaxis, which is considered to be mediated by immunoglobulin E (IgE). We identified in this study a new IgE-binding epitope of the peanut allergen that cross-reacted with buckwheat. The phosphate-buffered saline-soluble fraction of buckwheat inhibited the binding between IgE and the peanut allergen.

Repeated exposure to water immersion stress reduces the Muc2 gene level in the rat colon via two distinct mechanisms.

The mucin family plays a number of important roles in intestinal homeostasis. Among its members, the gel-forming Muc2, produced in goblet cells, is a major component of mucus and contributes to intestinal barrier integrity. Whereas psychological stress is known to impair intestinal barrier, the effects of chronic or repeated stress on mucin expression and goblet cell differentiation have not been well documented.