Impact of a High-fat Diet on the Development of Chronic Inflammation in Heart of Wistar rats.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity is linked to the development of low-grade, chronic inflammation. Obesity-related inflammation appears to be a different type of inflammation, mainly due to excessive food intake and unusual homeostasis. It can be evaluated by measuring the concentration of pro- and anti-inflammatory marker molecules ­ C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid-A (SAA) and interleukin-4. AIM: The aim of the present study is to evaluate the rate of the inflammatory process in heart, provoked by the consumption of a high-fat diet. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty 8-week-old male Wistar rats were used in this experiment. The laboratory animals were fed orally with two different types of rodent food for 14 or 18 weeks ­ a high-fat diet (experimental groups) and standard rodent food (control groups). They all were kept under standard housing conditions. The levels of the pro- and anti-inflammatory markers in tissue homogenates from heart were analyzed using ELISA. Their expression in tissue samples was detected immunohistochemically by the biotin-streptavidin-peroxidase method. The total protein concentration was determined by the Lawry method. RESULTS: CRP levels showed no significant differences when the control group was compared with the groups fed with a high-fat diet (p>0.05). The SAA levels detected were also insignificantly changed. Only the IL-4 tissue levels showed tendency to increase (p<0.05) in the high-fat diet group. CONCLUSIONS: Our experiment indicates that there is a specific reaction of the heart to a high-fat diet. It also refers to the existence of adaptive mechanisms allowing the heart to counteract the development of dietary induced inflammation.

Effects of Low Level Laser Therapy on Erosive-atrophic Oral Lichen Planus.

BACKGROUND: The erosive-atrophic form of oral lichen planus (OLP) is associated with severe pain and burning sensation and is often unresponsive to treatment. Topical corticosteroids are considered as a medication of first choice but they can produce adverse effects. Therefore, new therapeutic approaches are required. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of biomodulation with diode laser in patients presenting with long-standing erosive-atrophic OLP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve patients, clinically and histologically diagnosed with OLP, participated in this study. The level of pain and the clinical scores of total 59 lesions were recorded before treatment using visual analog scale and Thongprasom sign scoring system respectively. All patients received low level laser therapy (LLLT) with diode laser (810 nm) with parameters (0.5 W, 30 s, 1.2 J/cm2) three times weekly for a month. The response rate was assessed according to the decrease in pain and sign scores. Treatment efficacy index was calculated. RESULTS: There was a significant reduction in pain after LLLT (p<0.0001). Improvement in clinical signs was achieved in 59.3% of the lesions. At the end of the treatment 5.1% of the lesions exhibited score 5; 6.8% - score 4, 11.9% of the lesions were scored 3 and 8.5% and 30.5% showed score 2 and score 1, respectively. Complete resolution was revealed in 37.3% of the lesions. All patients experienced some degree of improvement. Most of the cases showed moderate recovery. CONCLUSION: The present results indicate that LLLT is an effective and harmless modality for management of erosive-atrophic OLP.

Circulating levels of interleukin-17A, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-18, interleukin-10, and cognitive performance of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with cytokine imbalance and high rate (40-70%) of cognitive impairment. The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between serum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-17A, IL-18, IL-10, and cognitive performance in patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). Methods The study comprised 159 patients with RRMS (mean age 40.08 ± 8.48 years) in remission phase and 86 age-, gender-, and education-matched healthy controls. Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT), Symbol Digit Modalities test (SDMT), and Isaacs test were used for assessment of working memory, attention, visuo-perceptual abilities, information processing speed, and executive functions. Serum cytokine concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results Patients had significantly increased serum concentrations of TNF-alpha and IL-17A and decreased levels of IL-10 compared to the controls (p < 0.05). Negative correlation was found between serum TNF-alpha and SDMT score in patients with disease evolution longer than 10 years (rxy = -0.258 p = 0.033); PASAT and SDMT scores were in negative correlation with concentration of IL-17A (rxy = -0.229 p = 0.004; rxy = -0.166 p = 0.041). Cognitive impairment was established in 46.5% (n = 74) of the patients. Cognitively impaired patients had significantly higher serum IL-17A than cognitively preserved individuals (p = 0.007). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed IL-17A as a significant predictor of cognitive performance in RRMS patients. Conclusion The results from this study suggest that pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-17A and TNF-alpha simultaneously with decreased IL-10 are involved in cognitive deterioration in RRMS.

Oral Lichen Planus - Known and Unknown: a Review.

Lichen planus is a chronic mucocutaneous inflammatory disease aff ecting 1-2% of the general population with maximum prevalence of the disease in women above the age of 40. Its aetiology remains unclear and the pathogenesis is still the object of much speculation. It is considered to be an autoimmune disorder mediated mainly by the T-lymphocytes. The present paper presents the most well-known external agents (viruses in particular), internal agents like stress, and the heat shock protein thought to be trigger factors and describes the action of diff erent cells and proteins associated with the development of that disease. Diagnosis is based on clinical and histopathologic evidence; direct and indirect immunofluorescence techniques can also be of use. Despite the wide variety of therapeutic modalities, treatment outcomes are often insufficient. Currently, topical corticosteroids are widely accepted as a standard therapy, but also retinoids, calcineurin inhibitors and other immunosuppressants can be administered. Because of the aspect relevant to these drugs, priority is given to alternative harmless methods such as LLLT and PDLT. There is an ongoing controversy in the literature about the possible premalignant character of oral lichen planus, however, periodic followup is recommended.

Effects of propolis and CAPE on proliferation and apoptosis of McCoy-Plovdiv cell line.

UNLABELLED: The mechanisms of action of propolis can be studied in detail by comparing the effects of propolis and the effects of its constituent components. AIM: To clarify and compare the effects of Bulgarian propolis and caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE, a chemically synthesized component of propolis)--by using a set of cellular, molecular-biological and immunological techniques. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The McCoy-Plovdiv cell line was treated with propolis and CAPE in increasing concentrations (0.01, 0.1, 1.0, 10 mg/L, and 2.5, 4, 8, 16 mg/L, respectively). The expression of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and the tumour-suppressor protein p53 was studied immunocytochemically. Apoptosis was measured using a highly sensitive microgel electrophoresis technique (comet assay). RESULTS: The results of the study showed corresponding changes in the expression of the examined proliferative antigens. PCNA was detected in all examined concentrations of the tested substances the expression being dose-dependent. Molecule localization changed from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. Treatment with CAPE brought about gradual attenuation of PCNA expression. High propolis concentrations induced increased synthesis of p53. No p53 expression was found when cells were treated with CAPE. The studied substances in their highest concentrations (10 mg/L propolis and 16 mg/L CAPE) had a cytotoxic effect. The comet assay showed DNA degradation kinetics characteristic for apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrates that high concentrations of propolis and CAPE cause apoptosis-induced cell death in McCoy-Plovdiv cells.