The Effects of Single Strains and Mixtures of Probiotic Bacteria on Immune Profile in Liver, Spleen, and Peripheral Blood.

Probiotic bacteria have potential use as immunomodulators but comparative data on their immunological effects are very limited. The aim of this study was to characterize the effect of oral administration of probiotic strains, alone or as mixtures, on systemic and organ-specific immune responses. For this purpose, healthy C57BL/6 mice were perorally administered probiotics for 3 weeks. A total of five common probiotic strains, Lactobacillus rhamnosus species GG (LGG) and LC705, Bifidobacterium breve 99 (Bb99), Propionibacterium freudenreichii Shermanii JS (PJS), and Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN), and two of their mixtures, were tested. Livers, spleens, and blood were collected for investigation. A number of five treatments increased the abundance of the natural killer (NK) cells. Bb99 had the most prominent effect on hepatic NK cells (20.0 ± 1.8%). LGG (liver: 5.8 ± 1.0%; spleen: 1.6 ± 0.4%), Bb99 (liver: 13.9 ± 4.3%; spleen: 10.3 ± 3.7%), and EcN (liver: 8.5 ± 3.2%; spleen: 1.0 ± 0.2%) increased the percentage of both the hepatic and splenic T-helper 17 cells. Moreover, LGG (85.5 ± 3.0%) and EcN (89.6 ± 1.2%) increased the percentage of splenic regulatory T-cells. The tested mixtures of the probiotics had different immunological effects from their individual components on cell-mediated responses and cytokine production. In conclusion, our results confirm that the immunomodulatory potential of the probiotics is strain- and organ/tissue-specific, and the effects of probiotic mixtures cannot be predicted based on their single constituents.

Wild blueberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) alleviate inflammation and hypertension associated with developing obesity in mice fed with a high-fat diet.

BACKGROUND: Low-grade metabolic inflammation and hypertension are primary mechanisms involved in obesity-associated adverse health effects. Berries, especially Nordic wild blueberries (hereafter referred to as bilberries), represent an important source of dietary anthocyanins, a group of polyphenols with potential beneficial effects to combat obesity-associated metabolic disturbances. METHODS: The effects of 5% or 10% (w/w) of whole bilberries (BB) were studied on the development of obesity and its metabolic disturbances in C57BL mice fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) for three months. Cytokines, inflammatory cells, systolic blood pressure, glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, weight gain, body fat, food consumption and energy metabolism were assessed. RESULTS: Bilberries ameliorated type 1 pro-inflammatory responsiveness induced by HFD. This was indicated by the altered cytokine profile and the reduced prevalence of interferon gamma -producing T-cells, in particular T helper type 1 cells. Bilberries also prevented the progression of obesity associated long term increase in systolic blood pressure in mice. CONCLUSIONS: Bilberries reduce the development of systemic inflammation and prevent the progression of chronic hypertension, thus supporting their potential role in alleviating the adverse health effects associated with developing obesity.

Bilberries potentially alleviate stress-related retinal gene expression induced by a high-fat diet in mice.

PURPOSE: Obesity- and diabetes-associated visual impairment and vascular dysfunctions are increasing as causes of vision loss. The detailed mechanisms of how obesity and diabetes affect eye health are still largely unknown, but animal models have been useful in exploring the effects of potential protective compounds, i.e., compounds characterized by antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These properties occur in anthocyanins, and bilberries (European wild blueberries, Vaccinium myrtillus) are a major source of dietary anthocyanins in Nordic diets. The main aim of the present work was to study the protective effects of dietary bilberries (BB) on the level of gene expression in retinas in mice that develop obesity when fed a high-fat diet (HFD). METHODS: Mice (n=6 per group, four groups) were fed ad libitum a normal control diet (NCD), a HFD, or a diet with 5% bilberries (NCD+BB, HFD+BB) for 12 weeks. Food consumption, weight gain, and blood pressure were measured during the feeding period and whole blood serum markers of obesity at sacrifice. Retinas were collected, and RNA extracted from all 24 mice and pooled samples from four mice per group were hybridized to Mouse-Ref8 V2 Expression BeadChips (Illumina platform) with 25,697 probes for genes and transcript variants. The expression profiles in the retinas were analyzed using R, PathVisio, and DAVID to screen for high fat-induced changes as well as for bilberry-induced changes in the HFD up- or downregulated transcripts. RESULTS: The HFD and HFD+BB groups gained weight from week 5 and final weight, blood glucose, serum free fatty acids, and systolic blood pressure as compared to mice fed the control diets (Mann-Whitney's U-test, p<0.05). Bilberries had no significant effect on these parameters other than a trend to reduce systolic blood pressure in the HFD-fed mice (101±4 versus 113±9 mmHg, p=0.10). Gene ontology enrichment analysis of 810 differentially expressed genes (F-test, p<0.05) in the retina displayed differential regulation of genes in ontology groups, mainly pathways for apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress, especially systemic lupus erythematosus, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and glutathione metabolism. Mice fed a HFD had increased retinal gene expression of several crystallins, while the HFD+BB mice showed potential downregulation of these crystallins when compared to the HFD mice. Bilberries also reduced the expression of genes in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and increased those in the glutathione metabolism pathway. CONCLUSIONS: HFD feeding induces differential expression of several stress-related genes in the mouse retina. Despite minor effects in the phenotype, a diet rich in bilberries mitigates the upregulation of crystallins otherwise induced by HFD. Thus, the early stages of obesity-associated and stress-related gene expression changes in the retina may be prevented with bilberries in the diet.

Bilberries reduce low-grade inflammation in individuals with features of metabolic syndrome.

SCOPE: Low-grade inflammation is a hallmark of cardiometabolic risk. Bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) are rich in polyphenols with potential anti-inflammatory properties. We studied the impact of bilberries on inflammation and gene expression profile in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in subjects with metabolic syndrome. METHODS AND RESULTS: In randomized, controlled dietary intervention, the participants consumed either a diet rich in bilberries (n = 15) or a control diet (n = 12). The bilberry group consumed daily an equivalent dose of 400 g fresh bilberries, while the control group maintained their habitual diet. No differences were found between the groups in body weight, glucose, or lipid metabolism, but bilberry supplementation tended to decrease serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, IL-6, IL-12, and LPS concentrations. An inflammation score was significantly different between the groups (p = 0.024). In transcriptomics analyses (three participants with improved oral glucose tolerance test in the bilberry group), Toll-like receptor signaling, cytoplasmic ribosomal proteins, and B-cell receptor signaling pathways were differently regulated. QPCR analyses (n = 13 and 11 in the bilberry and control groups, respectively) showed decreased expression of MMD and CCR2 transcripts associated with monocyte and macrophage function associated genes. CONCLUSION: Regular bilberry consumption may reduce low-grade inflammation indicating decreased cardiometabolic risk in the long term.

Antioxidant phytochemicals against type 2 diabetes.

Dietary phytochemicals, of which polyphenols form a considerable part, may affect the risk of obesity-associated chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. This article presents an overview on how phytochemicals, especially polyphenols in fruits, vegetables, berries, beverages and herbal medicines, may modify imbalanced lipid and glucose homeostasis thereby reducing the risk of the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes complications.

Efficacy of dietary hempseed oil in patients with atopic dermatitis.

BACKGROUND: Hempseed oil is a rich and balanced source of omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Anecdotal evidence indicated that dietary hempseed oil might be useful in treating symptoms of atopic dermatitis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Dietary hempseed oil and olive oil were compared in a 20-week randomized, single-blind crossover study with atopic patients. Fatty acid profiles were measured in plasma triglyceride, cholesteryl and phospholipid fractions. A patient questionnaire provided additional information on skin dryness, itchiness and usage of dermal medications. Skin transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was also measured. RESULTS: Levels of both essential fatty acids (EFAs), linoleic acid (18:2n6) and alpha-linolenic acid (18:3n3), and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA; 18:3n6) increased in all lipid fractions after hempseed oil, with no significant increases of arachidonic acid (20:4n6) in any lipid fractions after either oil. Intra-group TEWL values decreased (p=0.074), qualities of both skin dryness and itchiness improved (p=0.027) and dermal medication usage decreased (p=0.024) after hempseed oil intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary hempseed oil caused significant changes in plasma fatty acid profiles and improved clinical symptoms of atopic dermatitis. It is suggested that these improvements resulted from the balanced and abundant supply of PUFAs in this hempseed oil.

Fecal and urinary excretion of aflatoxin B1 metabolites (AFQ1, AFM1 and AFB-N7-guanine) in young Chinese males.

Our study was designed to assess the fecal and urinary excretion of 3 aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) metabolites, aflatoxins M1 (AFM1) and Q1 (AFQ1) and aflatoxin B1-N7-guanine (AFB-N7-guanine) that are produced by the predominant forms of cytochrome P450 enzymes responsible for the biotransformation of AFB1. Fecal and urinary AFM1, AFQ1 and urinary AFB-N7-guanine were assessed in 83 young Chinese males selected from a larger population (n = 300) based on detectable urinary AFM1. The concentration of fecal AFQ1 (median 137 ng/g fresh weight, IQR 9.1 to 450) was approximately 60 times higher than that of AFM1 (2.3 ng/g, IQR 0.0 to 7.3). In urine, the median AFQ1 was 10.4 ng/ml (IQR 3.4 to 23.3), and the median AFM1 and AFB-N7-guanine 0.04 ng/ml (IQR 0.01 to 0.33) and 0.38 ng/ml (IQR 0.0 to 2.15), respectively. A subgroup (n = 14) with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection had significantly higher fecal concentrations of AFQ1 (p = 0.043) and AFM1 (p = 0.001) than those who were hepatitis B-virus antigen (HBsAg) negative, and the respective differences in urinary AFQ1 and AFM1 concentrations approached statistical significance (p = 0.054, p = 0.138). Our study demonstrates that AFQ1 is excreted in urine and feces at higher levels than AFM1, and feces are an important route of excretion of these AFB1 metabolites. AFQ1 should be further assessed for its predictive value as a marker for exposure and risk of dietary aflatoxins.