Acute Effects of the Consumption of Passiflora setacea Juice on Metabolic Risk Factors and Gene Expression Profile in Humans.

BACKGROUND: Passiflora setacea (PS) is a passionfruit variety of the Brazilian savannah and is a rich source of plant food bioactives with potential anti-inflammatory activity. This study aimed to investigate the effect of an acute intake of PS juice upon inflammation, metabolic parameters, and gene expression on circulating immune cells in humans. METHODS: Overweight male volunteers (n = 12) were enrolled in two double-blind placebo-controlled studies. Blood samples were collected from fasting volunteers 3 h after the consumption of 250 mL of PS juice or placebo (PB). Metabolic parameters (insulin, glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and total triglycerides) and circulating cytokines were evaluated (study 1). Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) from the same subjects were isolated and RNA was extracted for transcriptomic analyses using microarrays (study 2). RESULTS: Insulin and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) levels decreased statistically after the PS juice intake, whereas HDL level increased significantly. Interleukin (IL)-17A level increased after placebo consumption, whereas its level remained unchanged after PS juice consumption. Nutrigenomic analyses revealed 1327 differentially expressed genes after PS consumption, with modulated genes involved in processes such as inflammation, cell adhesion, or cytokine-cytokine receptor. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these clinical results support the hypothesis that PS consumption may help the prevention of cardiometabolic diseases.

Humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to different doses of attenuated vaccine against avian infectious bronchitis virus.

The antibody and cellular immune responses against infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) were evaluated at mucosal sites of chickens after immunization with various doses of an attenuated vaccine at 1 day of age. The correlation of these immune responses with protection of tracheal tissues was evaluated after experimental infection of these birds. Significantly reduced tracheal pathologic effects, measured according to ciliostasis and histology lesions, and reduced viral load were observed only in the full-dose vaccinated group at 5 days post-infection (dpi), while incomplete protection was observed for the subdose vaccinated groups. Moreover, birds of vaccinated groups, especially with full dose, developed higher levels of lachrymal IBV-specific IgG and IgA and increased the expression of cell-mediated immunity (CMI) genes, such as gamma interferon (IFNγ), CD8+ T cell marker, and granzyme homolog A more rapidly. In addition, these humoral and cellular immune responses evaluated at mucosal sites correlated significantly with tracheal protection against homologous IBV challenge in a vaccine dose-dependent manner. The results indicate that IgG, IgA and CD8+ T cell responses developed at mucosal sites after IBV vaccination of day-old chicks, could be taken as good correlates of protection against this virus.

k-casein, ß-lactoglobulin and growth hormone allele frequencies and genetic distances in Nelore, Gyr, Guzerá, Caracu, Charolais, Canchim and Santa Gertrudis cattle

Os genótipos de k-caseína (k-CN), ß-lactoglobulina (ß-LG) e hormônio de crescimento foram determinados por reaçäo em cadeia de polimerase (PCR) e digestäo com enzima de restriçäo em sete raças de bovinos (Nelore, Gir, Guzerá, Caracu, Charolesa, Canchim e Santa Gertrudis). A k-caseína apresentou dois alelos e as freqüências mais elevadas para o alelo A foram observadas em Bos indicus (0,93, 0,92 e 0,91 por cento para as raças Gir, Guzerá e Nelore, respectivamente). A ß-lactoglobulina apresentou dois alelos em todas as raças estudadas, sendo a freqüência do alelo A mais elevada nas raças européias. O loco de hormônio de crescimento apresentou dois alelos em Bos taurus e foi monomórfico (alelo L) em todas as raças zebuínas. A maior freqüência para o alelo V foi observado na raça Charolesa. Os marcadores investigados revelaram alta similaridade entre as raças, com a formaçäo de dois grupos principais: um composto de raças zebuínas e a raça Santa Gertrudis e outro composto das raças européias e a raça Canchim.