Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Resveratrol, Curcumin and Simvastatin in Acute Small Intestinal Inflammation

BACKGROUND: The health beneficial effects of Resveratrol, Curcumin and Simvastatin have been demonstrated in various experimental models of inflammation. We investigated the potential anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory mechanisms of the above mentioned compounds in a murine model of hyper-acute Th1-type ileitis following peroral infection with Toxoplasma gondii. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we show that after peroral administration of Resveratrol, Curcumin or Simvastatin, mice were protected from ileitis development and survived the acute phase of inflammation whereas all Placebo treated controls died. In particular, Resveratrol treatment resulted in longer-term survival. Resveratrol, Curcumin or Simvastatin treated animals displayed significantly increased numbers of regulatory T cells and augmented intestinal epithelial cell proliferation/regeneration in the ileum mucosa compared to placebo control animals. In contrast, mucosal T lymphocyte and neutrophilic granulocyte numbers in treated mice were reduced. In addition, levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in ileum, mesenteric lymph nodes and spleen were increased whereas pro-inflammatory cytokine expression (IL-23p19, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-6, MCP-1) was found to be significantly lower in the ileum of treated animals as compared to Placebo controls. Furthermore, treated animals displayed not only fewer pro-inflammatory enterobacteria and enterococci but also higher anti-inflammatory lactobacilli and bifidobacteria loads. Most importantly, treatment with all three compounds preserved intestinal barrier functions as indicated by reduced bacterial translocation rates into spleen, liver, kidney and blood. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Oral treatment with Resveratrol, Curcumin or Simvastatin ameliorates acute small intestinal inflammation by down-regulating Th1-type immune responses and prevents bacterial translocation by maintaining gut barrier function. These findings provide novel and potential prophylaxis and treatment options of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases

The JNK Inhibitor XG-102 Protects against TNBS-Induced Colitis

The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-inhibiting peptide D-JNKI-1, syn. XG-102 was tested for its therapeutic potential in acute inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in mice. Rectal instillation of the chemical irritant trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) provoked a dramatic acute inflammation in the colon of 7–9 weeks old mice. Coincident subcutaneous application of 100 µg/kg XG-102 significantly reduced the loss of body weight, rectal bleeding and diarrhoea. After 72 h, the end of the study, the colon was removed and immuno-histochemically analysed. XG-102 significantly reduced (i) pathological changes such as ulceration or crypt deformation, (ii) immune cell pathology such as infiltration and presence of CD3- and CD68-positive cells, (iii) the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in colon tissue cultures from TNBS-treated mice, (iv) expression of Bim, Bax, FasL, p53, and activation of caspase 3, (v) complexation of JNK2 and Bim, and (vi) expression and activation of the JNK substrate and transcription factor c-Jun. A single application of subcutaneous XG-102 was at least as effective or even better depending on the outcome parameter as the daily oral application of sulfasalazine used for treatment of IBD

A flexible luminescent probe to monitor fast ion losses at the edge of the TJ-II stellarator

9 pags. ; 16 figs.A mobile luminescent probe has been developed to detect fast ion losses and suprathermal ions escaping from the plasma of the TJ-II stellarator device. The priorities for its design have been flexibility for probe positioning, ease of maintenance, and detector sensitivity. It employs a coherent fiber bundle to relay, to the outside of the vacuum chamber, ionoluminescence images produced by the ions that impinge, after entering the detector head through a pinhole aperture, onto a screen of luminescent material. Ionoluminescence light detection is accomplished by a charge-coupled device camera and by a photomultiplier, both of which are optically coupled to the in-vacuum fiber bundle head by means of a standard optical setup. A detailed description of the detector, and the first results obtained when operated close to the plasma edge, are reported. © 2008 American Institute of Physics.This work was partially funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Education under Project Nos. FTN 2003-0905 and ENE2007-65007.Peer reviewe

Población y Salud en Mesoamérica

Este volumen recoge 18 sólidos artículos de gran variedad de temas. Los denominadores comunes son: el ámbito geográfico –Mesoamérica– y el ocuparse de temas de población y salud pública. El volumen es la publicación física de los artículos dados a conocer durante dos años en la revista electrónica Población y Salud en Mesoamérica que edita el Centro Centroamericano de Población de la Universidad de Costa Rica en su servidor Web: http://ccp.ucr.ac.cr/revista/index.htm. Los temas más abordados por esta colección de artículos son la migración internacional y la fecundidad humana, incluyendo salud reproductiva. Hay también varios artículos de demografía formal, sobre la familia y sobre la evaluación de impacto de programas, así como artículos únicos sobre cáncer, adulto mayor y medio ambiente. Casi todos los artículos se basan en datos cuantitativos y en análisis estadísticos rigurosos, varios de ellos de gran sofisticación. En los artículos se nota, además del enfoque cuantitativo y el rigor para basar las conclusiones en la observación de los datos, el afán de arribar a recomendaciones o producir insumos que sirvan para tomar decisiones de política y que, en última instancia, mejoren las condiciones de vida de nuestros pueblos.La revista electrónica y la presente publicación son posibles gracias a una donación de la Fundación Andrew W. Mellon para consolidar el Centro Centroamericano de Población.UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Sociales::Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas (IIP

Curso: manejo agronómico de frijol

El curso de Manejo Agronómico de Frijol fue planteado y solicitado por los Programas Nacional de la Región con la finalidad de ampliar aspectos del manejo agronómico con énfasis en problemas de control integral de maleza y de enfermedades. Además de revisar y discutir información sobre las características de los suelos destinados a la producción de frijoles en Centroamérica, y las investigaciones existentes en Mustia. A continuación se encuentra en detalle como se desarrolla el curso, los resultados y el material que se entregó a los participantes.Programa Cooperativo Regional de Frijol para Centroamérica, México y el Caribe (PROFRIJOL)Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT)Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE)Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR)Universidad Nacional (UNA)UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Agroalimentarias::Estación Experimental Agrícola Fabio Baudrit Moreno (EEAFBM