Regulatory TR3-56 Cells in the Complex Panorama of Immune Activation and Regulation.

The interplay between immune activation and immune regulation is a fundamental aspect of the functional harmony of the immune system. This delicate balance is essential to triggering correct and effective immune responses against pathogens while preventing excessive inflammation and the immunopathogenic mechanisms of autoimmunity. The knowledge of all the mechanisms involved in immune regulation is not yet definitive, and, probably, the overall picture is much broader than what has been described in the scientific literature so far. Given the plasticity of the immune system and the diversity of organisms, it is highly probable that numerous other cells and molecules are still to be ascribed to the immune regulation process. Here, we report a general overview of how immune activation and regulation interact, based on the involvement of molecules and cells specifically dedicated to these processes. In addition, we discuss the role of TR3-56 lymphocytes as a new cellular candidate in the immune regulation landscape.

Erucin Exerts Cardioprotective Effects on Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury through the Modulation of mitoKATP Channels.

Modulation of mitochondrial K channels represents a pharmacological strategy to promote cardioprotective effects. Isothiocyanates emerge as molecules capable of releasing hydrogen sulfide (H2S), an endogenous pleiotropic gasotransmitter responsible for anti-ischemic cardioprotective effects also through the involvement of mitoK channels. Erucin (ERU) is a natural isothiocyanate resulting from the enzymatic hydrolysis of glucosinolates (GSLs) present in Eruca sativa Mill. seeds, an edible plant of the Brassicaceae family. In this experimental work, the specific involvement of mitoKATP channels in the cardioprotective effect induced by ERU was evaluated in detail. An in vivo preclinical model of acute myocardial infarction was reproduced in rats to evaluate the cardioprotective effect of ERU. Diazoxide was used as a reference compound for the modulation of potassium fluxes and 5-hydroxydecanoic acid (5HD) as a selective blocker of KATP channels. Specific investigations on isolated cardiac mitochondria were carried out to evaluate the involvement of mitoKATP channels. The results obtained showed ERU cardioprotective effects against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) damage through the involvement of mitoKATP channels and the consequent depolarizing effect, which in turn reduced calcium entry and preserved mitochondrial integrity.