The Anti-Inflammatory Cytokine, Interleukin-10, Inhibits Inflammatory Mediators in Human Epithelial Cells and Mouse Macrophages Exposed to Live and UV-Inactivated Chlamydia trachomatis

Chlamydia trachomatis infects macrophages and epithelial cells evoking acute and chronic inflammatory conditions, which, if not controlled, may put patients at risk for major health issues such as pelvic inflammatory disease, chronic abdominal pain, and infertility. Here we hypothesized that IL-10, with anti-inflammatory properties, will inhibit inflammatory mediators that are produced by innate immune cells exposed to C. trachomatis. We used human epithelial (HeLa) cells and mouse J774 macrophages as target cells along with live and UV-inactivated C. trachomatis mouse pneumonitis (MoPn) as stimulants. Confocal microscopy employing an anti-Chlamydia antibody confirmed cells infectivity by day 1, which persisted up to day 3. Kinetics studies revealed that live C. trachomatis induced TNF, IL-6, and IL-8, as a function of time, with day-2 infection inducing the highest cytokine levels. Exogenous IL-10 inhibited TNF, IL-6, and IL-8 as secreted by day-2 infected cells. Similarly, IL-10 diminished cytokine levels as produced by macrophages exposed to UV-inactivated Chlamydia, suggesting the IL-10-mediated inhibition of cytokines is not restricted to live organisms. Our data imply that IL-10 is an important regulator of the initial inflammatory response to C. trachomatis infection and that further investigations be made into IL-10 use to combat inflammation induced by this bacterium

The Association between Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) Protein Level and Body Mass Index

Background and Objectives: Obesity is a major health concern worldwide. Many studies emphasize the important role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in regulating appetite and body weight. We aimed to investigate the association between BDNF protein serum levels and body mass index (BMI). Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among 108 healthy adult participants divided into six categories depending on their body mass index (BMI). The ages of the participants ranged between 21 to 45 years. The BDNF serum level was measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Results: A Kruskal–Wallis test showed a significant difference in BDNF between the different BMI categories, χ2(2) = 24.201, p p p Conclusions: In this study, our data support the hypothesis that low serum levels of BDNF are associated with high BMI and obesity in Saudi adults

Nanogels as Potential Delivery Vehicles in Improving the Therapeutic Efficacy of Phytopharmaceuticals

Nanogel is a promising drug delivery approach to improve the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic prospect of phytopharmaceuticals. In the present review, phytopharmaceuticals with astonishing therapeutic utilities are being explored. However, their in vivo delivery is challenging, owing to poor biopharmaceutical attributes that impact their drug release profile, skin penetration, and the reach of optimal therapeutic concentrations to the target site. Nanogel and its advanced version in the form of nanoemulgel (oil-in-water nanoemulsion integrated gel matrix) offer better therapeutic prospects than other conventional counterparts for improving the biopharmaceutical attributes and thus therapeutic efficacy of phytopharmaceuticals. Nanoemulgel-loaded phytopharmaceuticals could substantially improve permeation behavior across skin barriers, subsequently enhancing the delivery and therapeutic effectiveness of the bioactive compound. Furthermore, the thixotropic characteristics of polymeric hydrogel utilized in the fabrication of nanogel/nanoemulgel-based drug delivery systems have also imparted improvements in the biopharmaceutical attributes of loaded phytopharmaceuticals. This formulation approach is about to be rife in the coming decades. Thus, the current review throws light on the recent studies demonstrating the role of nanogels in enhancing the delivery of bioactive compounds for treating various disease conditions and the challenges faced in their clinical translation