A Fermented Food Product Containing Lactic Acid Bacteria Protects ZDF Rats from the Development of Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a complex metabolic disease, which involves a maintained hyperglycemia due to the development of an insulin resistance process. Among multiple risk factors, host intestinal microbiota has received increasing attention in T2D etiology and progression. In the present study, we have explored the effect of long-term supplementation with a non-dairy fermented food product (FFP) in Zucker Diabetic and Fatty (ZDF) rats T2D model. The supplementation with FFP induced an improvement in glucose homeostasis according to the results obtained from fasting blood glucose levels, glucose tolerance test, and pancreatic function. Importantly, a significantly reduced intestinal glucose absorption was found in the FFP-treated rats. Supplemented animals also showed a greater survival suggesting a better health status as a result of the FFP intake. Some dissimilarities have been observed in the gut microbiota population between control and FFP-treated rats, and interestingly a tendency for better cardiometabolic markers values was appreciated in this group. However, no significant differences were observed in body weight, body composition, or food intake between groups. These findings suggest that FFP induced gut microbiota modifications in ZDF rats that improved glucose metabolism and protected from T2D development

MAPC transplantation confers a more durable benefit than AC133+ cell transplantation

There is a need for comparative studies to determine which cell types are better candidates to remedy ischemia. Here, we compared human AC133+ cells and Multipotent Adult Progenitor Cells (hMAPC) in a mouse model reminiscent of critical limb ischemia. hMAPC or hAC133+ cell transplantation induced a significant improvement in tissue perfusion (measured by microPET) 15 days post-transplantation compared to controls. This improvement persisted for 30 days in hMAPC-treated but not in hAC133+-injected animals. While transplantation of hAC133+ cells promoted capillary growth, hMAPC transplantation also induced collateral expansion, decreased muscle necrosis/fibrosis and improved muscle regeneration. Incorporation of differentiated hAC133+ or hMAPC progeny into new vessels was limited, however, a paracrine angio/arteriogenic effect was demonstrated in animals treated with hMAPC. Accordingly, hMAPC-, but not hAC133+-conditioned media, stimulated vascular cell proliferation and prevented myoblast, endothelial and smooth muscle cell apoptosis in vitro. Our study suggests that although hAC133+ cell and hMAPC transplantation bothcontribute to vascular regeneration in ischemic limbs, hMAPC exert a more robust effect through trophic mechanisms, which translated into collateral and muscle fiber regeneration. This, in turn, conferred tissue protection and regeneration with longer-term functional improvement

Aplicación terapéutica de la bioingeniería mediante la combinación de células madre y matrices extracelulares en un modelo de infarto de miocardio en rata

Los objetivos del presente trabajo han sido los siguientes: 1. Aislar y caracterizar la población de células madre derivadas del tejido adiposo (ADSC), a partir de grasa de rata Sprague‐Dawley. 2. Caracterizar el comportamiento biológico y mecánico de distintos tipos de membranas de colágeno y determinar su biocompatibilidad in vivo. 3. Analizar de forma comparativa, el potencial terapéutico de las ADSC en el corazón, al ser trasplantadas como parche celular (mediante su previa adhesión a una membrana de colágeno) o inyectadas sin soporte, en un modelo de infarto crónico de miocardio en rata. 4. Determinar los mecanismos implicados en la posible acción terapéutica de las membranas celularizadas con ADSC

Ocurrencia de enfermedad cerebrovascular en pacientes hipertensos

Se realizó un estudio para establecer la relación entre la hipertensión arterial esencial y la enfermedad cerebrovascular, en 19 consultorios del Médico de la Familia del Policlínico Plaza de la Revolución. Se aplicó una encuesta a pacientes reevaluados como hipertensos, confeccionándose una base de datos para tratamiento en el sistema FOXBASE versión 5.0. Aplicamos prueba de asociación entre variables cualitativas que se distribuyen en Chi cuadrado. Se identificó el comportamiento de la hipertensión arterial atendiendo a grados, los grupos etáreos, el sexo, la raza y los factores de riesgo asociados. Se estableció igualmente la relación entre el control de la hipertensión arterial y la aparición de la enfermedad cerebrovascular y encontramos un 15 % de población hipertensa, predominando la moderada (36,88 %), con mayor representación los grupos etáreos de 55 a 64 años (38,29 %) y de 45 a 54 (23,16 %), del sexo femenino (55,02 %) y de la raza blanca (54,04 %). La ocurrencia de enfermedad cerebrovascular estuvo representada por el 4, 35 %, correspondiente a 71 pacientes, con mayor asociación a la hipertensión arterial severa. No resultó significativamente estadística la relación entre enfermedad cerebrovascular e hipertensión arterial.A study was conducted to establish the relationship between essential arterial hypertension and cerebrovascular disease in 19 family physician offices of "Plaza de la Revolución" Polyclinic. Those patientes reevaluated as hypertensive were surveyed. A database for treatment was created in the FOXBASE system, version 5.0. A Chi square test of association among qualitative variables, which are distributed, was applied. The behavior of arterial hypertension was identified according to degrees, age groups, sex, race and the associated risk factors. The relation between the control of arterial hypertension and the appearance of cerebrovascular disease was also established. It was found a 15 % of hypertensive population with predominance of moderate hypertension (36.88 %). The age groups 55-64 (38.29 %) and 45-54 (23.l6 %) were the most affected. It was observed a prevalence of females (55.02 %) and of white individuals (54.04 %). The occurrence of cerebrovascular disease accounted for 4.35 %, corresponding to 71 patients with higher association with severe arterial hypertension. The relation between arterial hypertension and cerebrovascular disease was not statistically significant

A Combination of Apple Vinegar Drink with Bacillus coagulans Ameliorates High Fat Diet-Induced Body Weight Gain, Insulin Resistance and Hepatic Steatosis

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic characterized by excessive fat accumulation, associated with multiple comorbidities and complications. Emerging evidence points to gut microbiome as a driving force in the pathogenesis of obesity. Vinegar intake, a traditional remedy source of exogenous acetate, has been shown to improve glycemic control and to have anti-obesity effects. New functional foods may be developed by supplementing traditional food with probiotics. B. coagulans is a suitable choice because of its resistance to high temperatures. To analyze the possible synergic effect of Vinegar and B. coagulans against the metabolic alterations induced by a high fat diet (HFD), we fed twelve-week-old C57BL/6 mice with HFD for 5 weeks after 2 weeks of acclimation on a normal diet. Then, food intake, body weight, blood biochemical parameters, histology and liver inflammatory markers were analyzed. Although vinegar drink, either alone or supplemented with B. coagulans, reduced food intake, attenuated body weight gain and enhanced glucose tolerance, only the supplemented drink improved the lipid serum profile and prevented hepatic HFD-induced overexpression of CD36, IL-1β, IL-6, LXR and SREBP, thus reducing lipid deposition in the liver. The beneficial properties of the B. coagulans-supplemented vinegar appear to be mediated by a reduction in insulin and leptin circulating levels

A Combination of Apple Vinegar Drink with Bacillus coagulans Ameliorates High Fat Diet-Induced Body Weight Gain, Insulin Resistance and Hepatic Steatosis

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic characterized by excessive fat accumulation, associated with multiple comorbidities and complications. Emerging evidence points to gut microbiome as a driving force in the pathogenesis of obesity. Vinegar intake, a traditional remedy source of exogenous acetate, has been shown to improve glycemic control and to have anti-obesity effects. New functional foods may be developed by supplementing traditional food with probiotics. B. coagulans is a suitable choice because of its resistance to high temperatures. To analyze the possible synergic effect of Vinegar and B. coagulans against the metabolic alterations induced by a high fat diet (HFD), we fed twelve-week-old C57BL/6 mice with HFD for 5 weeks after 2 weeks of acclimation on a normal diet. Then, food intake, body weight, blood biochemical parameters, histology and liver inflammatory markers were analyzed. Although vinegar drink, either alone or supplemented with B. coagulans, reduced food intake, attenuated body weight gain and enhanced glucose tolerance, only the supplemented drink improved the lipid serum profile and prevented hepatic HFD-induced overexpression of CD36, IL-1β, IL-6, LXR and SREBP, thus reducing lipid deposition in the liver. The beneficial properties of the B. coagulans-supplemented vinegar appear to be mediated by a reduction in insulin and leptin circulating levels

MAPC transplantation confers a more durable benefit than AC133+ cell transplantation

There is a need for comparative studies to determine which cell types are better candidates to remedy ischemia. Here, we compared human AC133+ cells and Multipotent Adult Progenitor Cells (hMAPC) in a mouse model reminiscent of critical limb ischemia. hMAPC or hAC133+ cell transplantation induced a significant improvement in tissue perfusion (measured by microPET) 15 days post-transplantation compared to controls. This improvement persisted for 30 days in hMAPC-treated but not in hAC133+-injected animals. While transplantation of hAC133+ cells promoted capillary growth, hMAPC transplantation also induced collateral expansion, decreased muscle necrosis/fibrosis and improved muscle regeneration. Incorporation of differentiated hAC133+ or hMAPC progeny into new vessels was limited, however, a paracrine angio/arteriogenic effect was demonstrated in animals treated with hMAPC. Accordingly, hMAPC-, but not hAC133+-conditioned media, stimulated vascular cell proliferation and prevented myoblast, endothelial and smooth muscle cell apoptosis in vitro. Our study suggests that although hAC133+ cell and hMAPC transplantation bothcontribute to vascular regeneration in ischemic limbs, hMAPC exert a more robust effect through trophic mechanisms, which translated into collateral and muscle fiber regeneration. This, in turn, conferred tissue protection and regeneration with longer-term functional improvement

In vitro and in vivo arterial differentiation of human multipotent adult progenitor cells

Many stem cell types have been shown to differentiate into endothelial cells (ECs); however, their specification to arterial or venous endothelium remains unexplored. We tested whether a specific arterial or venous EC fate could be induced in human multipotent adult progenitor cells (hMAPCs) and AC133 cells (hAC133 ). In vitro, in the presence of VEGF165, hAC133 cells only adopted a venous and microvascular EC phenotype, while hMAPCs differentiated into both arterial and venous ECs, possibly because hMAPCs expressed significantly more sonic hedgehog (Shh) and its receptors as well as Notch 1 and 3 receptors and some of their ligands. Accordingly, blocking either of those pathways attenuated in vitro arterial EC differentiation from hMAPCs. Complementarily, stimulating these pathways by addition of Delta-like 4 (Dll-4), a Notch ligand, and Shh to VEGF165 further boosted arterial differentiation in hMAPCs both in vitro and in an in vivo Matrigel model. These results represent the first demonstration of adult stem cells with the potential to be differentiated into different types of ECs in vitro and in vivo and provide a useful human model to study arteriovenous specification