Neurotrophic and Neuroprotective Effects of Hericium erinaceus.

Hericium erinaceus is a valuable mushroom known for its strong bioactive properties. It shows promising potential as an excellent neuroprotective agent, capable of stimulating nerve growth factor release, regulating inflammatory processes, reducing oxidative stress, and safeguarding nerve cells from apoptosis. The active compounds in the mushroom, such as erinacines and hericenones, have been the subject of research, providing evidence of their neuroprotective effects. Further research and standardization processes for dietary supplements focused on H. erinaceus are essential to ensuring effectiveness and safety in protecting the nervous system. Advancements in isolation and characterization techniques, along with improved access to pure analytical standards, will play a critical role in achieving standardized, high-quality dietary supplements based on H. erinaceus. The aim of this study is to analyze the protective and nourishing effects of H. erinaceus on the nervous system and present the most up-to-date research findings related to this topic.

The Impact of Different Types of Physical Effort on the Expression of Selected Chemokine and Interleukin Receptor Genes in Peripheral Blood Cells.

This study aimed to assess the post-effort transcriptional changes of selected genes encoding receptors for chemokines and interleukins in young, physically active men to better understand the immunomodulatory effect of physical activity. The participants, aged 16-21 years, performed physical exercise tasks of either a maximal multistage 20 m shuttle-run test (beep test) or a repeated speed ability test. The expression of selected genes encoding receptors for chemokines and interleukins in nucleated peripheral blood cells was determined using RT-qPCR. Aerobic endurance activity was a positive stimulant that induced increased expression of CCR1 and CCR2 genes following lactate recovery, while the maximum expression of CCR5 was found immediately post-effort. The increase in the expression of inflammation-related genes encoding chemokine receptors triggered by aerobic effort strengthens the theory that physical effort induces sterile inflammation. Different profiles of studied chemokine receptor gene expression induced by short-term anaerobic effort suggest that not all types of physical effort activate the same immunological pathways. A significant increase in IL17RA gene expression after the beep test confirmed the hypothesis that cells expressing this receptor, including Th17 lymphocyte subsets, can be involved in the creation of an immune response after endurance efforts.

Post-Effort Changes in Autophagy- and Inflammation-Related Gene Expression in White Blood Cells of Healthy Young Men.

Acute, strenuous physical exertion requiring high levels of energy production induces the production of reactive oxygen species and metabolic disturbances that can damage the mitochondria. Thus, selective autophagic elimination of defective mitochondria may improve resistance to oxidative stress and potentially to inflammation. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the impacts of intense effort on changes in the expression of select genes related to post-effort inflammation and autophagy. Thirty-five men aged 16-21 years were recruited to the study. The impacts of both aerobic (endurance) and anaerobic (speed) efforts on selected genes encoding chemokines (CXCL5, 8-12) were analyzed. Significant increases in the expression of all studied genes excluding CXCL12 were observed. Moreover, both types of effort induced an increase in the expression of genes encoding IL-2, -4, -6, -10, IFN-γ and TNF-α, excluding IL-17A. Generally, these efforts caused a significant increase in the relative expression of apoptosis- (BCL2 and BAX) and autophagy- (BNIP3, BECN1, MAP1LC3B, ATG5, ATG7, ATG12, ATG16L1 and SQSTM1) related genes. It seems that the duration of physical activity and its bioenergetic cost has an important impact on the degree of increase in expression of this panel of autophagy-related genes. Anaerobic effort is more strenuous than aerobic effort and requires a higher bioenergetic investment. This may explain the stronger impact of anaerobic effort on the expression of the studied genes. This observation seems to support the protective role of autophagy proposed in prior studies.

Expression of IL-1Ra, IL-6, IL-8, IL-18, TNF-α and IFN-γ genes in peripheral blood leukocytes of rabbits infected with RHDV (Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus).

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) induces a highly contagious and extremely lethal disease that fulfils many requirements of an animal model of fulminant hepatic failure (FHF); however, the pathogenesis of RHD has still not been fully elucidated. Cytokines play an important role in regulation of the immune response and pathogenesis of many diseases, including those caused by viral infections. Furthermore, recent studies indicate a role of the immune response, especially peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL), in the pathogenesis of RHD. Thus, in the present study we investigated the expression of IL-1Ra, IL-6, IL-8, IL-18, TNF-α and IFN-γ genes in PBL of RHDV-infected rabbits. We also compared the expression of genes encoding these cytokines in rabbits with different course of RHDV infection (in animals that died 36 h post infection or survived even over 60 h after infection). The study revealed increased expression of genes encoding pro-inflammatory cytokines: IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, IFN-γ in PBL of RHDV-infected rabbits. Moreover, the level of cytokine gene expression depended on the course of RHD. Hence, the results obtained indicate the potential role of these cytokines in RHDV infection and their influence on the survival time of infected rabbits.

Expression of IL-1ß, IL-2, IL-10, TNF-ß and GM-CSF in peripheral blood leukocytes of rabbits experimentally infected with rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus.

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) is a highly morbid and mortal viral infection of European rabbits. This disease is one of the main causes of death in wild rabbits, and results in large economic losses in farms of rabbits worldwide. Although the first outbreak of this disease was noted in 1984, the pathogenesis of RHD and mechanisms of RHDV (rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus) pathogenecity have still not been fully elucidated. Recent studies indicate a role of the immune response, especially peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL), in the pathogenesis of this disease. Thus, in the present study we investigated the expression of IL-1ß, IL-2, IL-10, TNF-ß and GM-CSF genes in PBL of RHDV-infected rabbits. We also compared the expression of genes encoding these cytokines in rabbits with different course of RHDV infection (in animals that died 36h postinfection or survived until 60th h after infection). The study revealed that three (IL-10, TNF-ß and GM-CSF) out of five investigated genes encoding cytokines showed increased expression in PBL of RHDV-infected rabbits, and the level of expression depended on the course of RHD. The results indicate the potential role of these cytokines in RHDV infection and their influence on the survival time of infected rabbits.

Antifungal immunity in selected fungal infections.

Fungi are omnipresent in the environment; hence they are frequent factors causing infections in humans and animals even if their immune system works correctly. These facts stimulated interest in and the will to understand the antifungal immunity mechanisms. It has been, however, evidenced that the immunological response to mycotic pathogens is related to the species and morphological form of the fungus. Nevertheless, it is assumed that always in the antifungal response, there are mechanisms of innate and adaptive immunity that cooperate with one another to eliminate such pathogens. It has been evidenced that the main elements of antifungal immunity are physical barriers of the organism, phagocytosis, cytotoxicity, and possibly trogocytosis of PMN and MN cells, as well as T-cells, and to a smaller extent B-cells, the proportion of which is principally related to their products activating the processes of PMN and MN cells. An important role in this immunity also belongs to PRR, which activate the main processes of phagocytosis and cytotoxicity of PMN, MN, NK and DC cells.

The importance of liver lesions and changes to biochemical and coagulation factors in the pathogenesis of RHD.

RHDV (rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus) is an etiologic factor of RHD (rabbit haemorrhagic disease), which is highly morbid and mortal viral infection of an adult European rabbit. Although three decades have passed since the first outbreak of rabbit haemorrhagic disease, the pathogenesis of RHD has still not been fully elucidated. It is known that RHDV replicates in the liver within the first hours following infection, causing necrotic and apoptotic cell death of hepatocytes. Anatomopathological changes are also observed in other organs of infected rabbits, i.e. lungs, spleen, kidneys, heart, as well as central nerve system. These changes leading to animals death are predominantly caused by systemic hemorrhagic diathesis with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), appearing most likely as a consequence of liver cell loss through RHDV-induced apoptosis. In this paper, we presented previously described changes in biochemical and coagulation factors in RHDV infection.

B and T cell values in peripheral blood in Polish mixed breed rabbits.

Due to the lack of reference values for immunological parameters in Polish mixed breed rabbits, the study was aimed at developing standards for B-cells with CD19+ receptor, and T-cells with CD5+ receptor, and their subpopulations, namely T-cells with receptors CD4+, CD8+ and CD25+ in peripheral blood of Polish mixed breed rabbits, as well as at assessing the impact of four seasons and sex of the animals on such values. The results of the study not only are the source of reference values, but also revealed that the season of the year and sex of the rabbits affect the percentage of B- and T-cells and their subpopulations in peripheral blood.

Apoptosis of peripheral blood leucocytes in rabbits infected with different strains of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus.

The pathogenicity of RHDV (rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus) is mainly associated with its affinity to blood vessels, with causing disseminated intravascular coagulations (DIC), and with the stimulation of the host immune system. Moreover, there are implications suggesting that apoptosis may be a pivotal process in understanding the basis of viral haemorrhagic disease in rabbits - a serious infectious disease causing mortality to wild and domestic rabbits. The aim of this study is to evaluate, by means of flow cytometry, the dynamics of apoptosis in peripheral blood granulocytes and lymphocytes in rabbits experimentally infected with seven different strains of RHDV and so-called antigenic variants of RHDV denominated as RHDVa, i.e.: Hungarian 24V/89, 1447V/96, 72V/2003; Austrian 01-04, 237/04, V-412 and French 05-01. The results showed that all of the RHDV and RHDVa strains cause an increase in the number of apoptotic cells throughout the infection, which might indicate the need for further analysis of the importance of this process.