In Utero Ultrafine Particulate Exposure Yields Sex- and Dose-Specific Responses to Neonatal Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection.

Exposure to particulate matter (PM) is associated with lower respiratory tract infections. The role of ultrafine particles (UFPs, ≤0.1 µm) in respiratory disease is not fully elucidated, especially in models of immunologically immature populations. To characterize the effects of maternal UFP exposure on neonatal infection, we exposed time-mated C57Bl/6n mice to filtered air or UFPs at a low dose (LD, ∼55 µg/m3) and high dose (HD, ∼275 µg/m3) throughout gestation. At 5 days of age, offspring were infected with a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) strain known to mimic infant infection or sham control. Offspring body weights were significantly reduced in response to infection in the LD RSV group, particularly females. Pulmonary gene expression analysis demonstrated significantly increased levels of oxidative stress- and inflammation-related genes in HD-exposed male offspring in sham and RSV-infected groups. In males, the highest grade of inflammation was observed in the HD RSV group, whereas in females, the LD RSV group showed the most marked inflammation. Overall, findings highlight neonatal responses are dependent on offspring sex and maternal UFP dose. Importantly, infant RSV pathology may be enhanced following even low dose UFP exposure signifying the importance of preventing maternal exposure.

Mitigation of colitis with NovaSil clay therapy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Five million people currently live with Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis, the two major forms of inflammatory bowel disease. Available treatments frequently result in side effects that compromise the immune health of the patient. Consequently, alternative therapies that cause fewer systemic effects are needed. Dioctahedral smectite clays have been utilized to treat medical conditions, including diarrheal and enteric disease. Herein, we report the ability of a refined dioctahedral smectite (NovaSil, NS) to sorb inflammatory proteins and reduce inflammation in a TNBS (2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid) mouse model of CD. We also investigated whether NS could rescue gut microbial diversity in TNBS-induced mice. METHODS: ELISA, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy were employed to characterize the NS-cytokine interaction in vitro. A TNBS mouse colitis model was utilized to study the efficacy of NS supplementation for 4 weeks. The three treatment groups included control, TNBS, and TNBS + NS. DNA was extracted from feces and sorted for bacterial phylogenetic analysis. RESULTS: Results suggest that NS binds TNFα in vitro. In TNBS-treated mice, supplementation with NS significantly reduced weight loss, and serum proinflammatory cytokine levels (IL-2, IL-6, and IL-12, TNFα, IFNγ) compared with the TNBS group. TNBS-treated mice demonstrated a significant reduction in gut microbiota species richness when compared with the TNBS + NS group and control group. CONCLUSIONS: NovaSil mitigated the effects of TNBS-induced colitis based on reduction in systemic markers of inflammation, significant improvement in weight gain, and intestinal microbial profile.

The effect of aflatoxin-B1 on red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) and assessment of dietary supplementation of NovaSil for the prevention of aflatoxicosis.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a potent carcinogen that causes growth stunting, immunosuppression and liver cancer in multiple species. The recent trend of replacing fishmeal with plant-based proteins in fish feed has amplified the AFB1 exposure risk in farm-raised fish. NovaSil (NS), a calcium montmorillonite clay, has previously been shown to reduce AFB1 bioavailability safely and efficaciously in several mammalian species. This study was designed to: (1) evaluate AFB1 impact on cultured red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus, over the course of seven weeks; and (2) assess NS supplementation as a strategy to prevent aflatoxicosis. Fish were fed diets containing 0, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, or 5 ppm AFB1. Two additional treatment groups were fed either 5 ppm AFB1 + 1% NS or 5 ppm AFB1 + 2% NS. Aflatoxin B1 negatively impacted red drum weight gain, survival, feed efficiency, serum lysozyme concentration, hepatosomatic index (HSI), whole-body lipid levels, liver histopathological scoring, as well as trypsin inhibition. NovaSil inclusion in AFB1-contaminated diets improved weight gain, feed efficiency, serum lysozyme concentration, muscle somatic index, and intraperitoneal fat ratios compared to AFB1-treated fish. Although not significant, NS reduced AFB1-induced histopathological changes in the liver and decreased Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA) staining. Importantly, NS supplementation improved overall health of AFB1-exposed red drum.