Secretory Leukoprotease Inhibitor (Slpi) Expression Is Required for Educating Murine Dendritic Cells Inflammatory Response Following Quercetin Exposure

Dendritic cells’ (DCs) ability to present antigens and initiate the adaptive immune response confers them a pivotal role in immunological defense against hostile infection and, at the same time, immunological tolerance towards harmless components of the microbiota. Food products can modulate the inflammatory status of intestinal DCs. Among nutritionally-derived products, we investigated the ability of quercetin to suppress inflammatory cytokines secretion, antigen presentation, and DCs migration towards the draining lymph nodes. We recently identified the Slpi expression as a crucial checkpoint required for the quercetin-induced inflammatory suppression. Here we demonstrate that Slpi-KO DCs secrete a unique panel of cytokines and chemokines following quercetin exposure. In vivo, quercetin-enriched food is able to induce Slpi expression in the ileum, while little effects are detectable in the duodenum. Furthermore, Slpi expressing cells are more frequent at the tip compared to the base of the intestinal villi, suggesting that quercetin exposure could be more efficient for DCs projecting periscopes in the intestinal lumen. These data suggest that quercetin-enriched nutritional regimes may be efficient for suppressing inflammatory syndromes affecting the ileo-colonic tract

DRY-STONE WALLS IN APULIA AND BASILICATA. MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION ART: FROM FUNCTION TO LANGUAGE OF THE CULTURE OF SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

The dry-stone walls of Apulia and Basilicata, a UNESCO heritage site, define a cultural heritage, even before being material, in the definition of optimal paths of use and management of the environment and resources; therefore, it is of particular interest to interpret the different functions that have been attributed to these handiworks in order to adapt their typology to the specific geomorphologic, climatic and cultivation needs of the involved territorial contexts. The materials and the construction arts of these micro-architectures are analyzed in this work, considering the diversified functions of these artefacts and their contribution to the socio-environmental conservation and enhancement of traditional cultures, which have anticipated many sustainability goals such as soil conservation, hydrological optimization and groundwater recharge, perception and protection of natural and cultural landscapes