Targeting patients' microbiota with probiotics and natural fibers in adults and children with constipation.

OBJECTIVE: Functional constipation (FC) is a common condition in which the gut microbiota composition plays a fundamental role. The increasing knowledge on the role of gut microbes in the regulation of gut motility and stool consistency has allowed reconsidering, with a new scientific-based approach, the possibility to target the composition of intestinal bacterial populations for FC treatment. In this review, we evaluate recent attempts that used prebiotics, natural fibers or probiotics to treat FC, with a deep microbiome-based focus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a literature review of articles published in Medline, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. Studies on FC in adults and children were identified using the following terms: constipation AND probiotics OR prebiotics OR synbiotics PR fibers OR microbiome OR microbiota. Selected animal studies were also considered if showing mechanistic observations. RESULTS: FC is associated with alteration in microbiome composition. Motility and fecal consistency are affected with different efficacy by the type of fiber, prebiotic or probiotic strain used in patients. CONCLUSIONS: Selected bacterial strains, mainly belonging to the Bifidobacterium genus, and some poorly or non-fermented natural fibers, such as Psyllium, may significantly improve FC and may represent the basis for an effective supplementation.

Probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics for weight loss and metabolic syndrome in the microbiome era.

OBJECTIVE: Excessive body fat and the associated dysmetabolic consequences affect both developed and emerging countries. An altered gut microbiota composition is an important environmental cause of these conditions. Clinical trials targeting gut microbiome composition or functions with pro or prebiotics to promote a healthier profile are considered a promising tool for excessive body weight treatment and prevention of dysmetabolic complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched PubMed and Cochrane Library using combinations of probiotics/prebiotics and synbiotics with obesity/weight loss/metabolic syndrome as the search terms. Clinical studies and significant pre-clinical results showing molecular mechanisms supporting clinical results were also discussed. RESULTS: Several studies in humans and in animal models have elucidated biological mechanisms supporting the observed clinical efficacy of selected probiotic and prebiotic compounds for weight management. Efficacy appears to be species or strain-specific. Fibers such as inulin or galactomannan promote independent and synergistic beneficial effects. CONCLUSIONS: Diet supplementation with synbiotics prepared using selected strains (such as Lactobacillus gasseri strains) showed to exert weight-reduction and anti-inflammatory activity in large independent studies. Their administration, together with galactomannan and/or inulin fibers, may increase weight management effects due to synergistic effect on short chain fatty acid production and microbiota 're-configuration'.

KLF6 depletion promotes NF-κB signaling in glioblastoma.

Dysregulation of the NF-κB transcription factor occurs in many cancer types. Krüppel-like family of transcription factors (KLFs) regulate the expression of genes involved in cell proliferation, differentiation and survival. Here, we report a new mechanism of NF-κB activation in glioblastoma through depletion of the KLF6 tumor suppressor. We show that KLF6 transactivates multiple genes negatively controlling the NF-κB pathway and consequently reduces NF-κB nuclear localization and downregulates NF-κB targets. Reconstitution of KLF6 attenuates their malignant phenotype and induces neural-like differentiation and senescence, consistent with NF-κB pathway inhibition. KLF6 is heterozygously deleted in 74.5% of the analyzed glioblastomas and predicts unfavorable patient prognosis suggesting that haploinsufficiency is a clinically relevant means of evading KLF6-dependent regulation of NF-κB. Together, our study identifies a new mechanism by which KLF6 regulates NF-κB signaling, and how this mechanism is circumvented in glioblastoma through KLF6 loss.

Structure and function of the extraembryonic membrane persisting around the larvae of the parasitoid Toxoneuron nigriceps.

The embryo of Toxoneuron nigriceps (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) is surrounded by an extraembryonic membrane, which, at hatching, releases teratocytes and gives rise to a cell layer embedding the body of the 1st instar larva. This cell layer was studied at different developmental times, from soon after hatching up to the first larval moult, in order to elucidate its ultrastructural, immunocytochemical and physiological function. The persisting "larval serosa" shows a striking structural and functional complexity: it is a multifunctional barrier with protective properties, limits the passage of macromolecules and it is actively involved in the enzymatic processing and uptake of nutrients. The reported results emphasizes the important role that the embryo-derived host regulation factors may have in parasitism success in Hymenoptera koinobionts.

Ultrasound and hormonology in the diagnosis of hydatiform mole with coexistent foetus. A case report.

The Authors report a case of hydatiform mole coexistent with a 12 week old foetus. They suggest that a diagnosis of hydatiform mole cannot always be based on the results of ultrasound examination and that combined ultrasound/hormone assay investigation is a valid obstetric tool for formulating the diagnosis and prognosis of hydatiform mole.

Phenotypic analysis of T cell subsets in the blood of chronically aborting women.

A relative decrease in helper and a parallel increase in suppressor-cytotoxic T lymphocytes was found in the blood of six habitually aborting women, as compared with the T-cell subset distribution in ten normal multiparae and eight multigravid post-partum women. It is suggested that an imbalance between the immunoregulatory T-cell subpopulations may contribute to the rejection of the semiallogenic fetus.

Ultracytochemical localization of adenylate cyclase in early human placenta.

A cytochemical study was carried out on adenylate cyclase (AC) activity in the early human placenta. Samples of placental villi were incubated in a medium containing adenylyl-imidodiphosphate (AMP-PNP) as specific substrate. No AC reaction product was encountered in placenta villi taken at 5 and 7 weeks of pregnancy. AC activity appeared at 9 weeks. At 9 and 10 weeks, AC reaction product was localized on the basal plasma membranes and on apposed plasma membranes of the Langhans cytotrophoblast. At 11 weeks AC activity was also clearly visible on Langhans cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast apposed plasma membranes. No AC reaction product was ever detected on the syncytiotrophoblast microvillar membrane. These results are in agreement with biochemical studies that localize AC on the villous trophoblast plasma membranes associated with the fetal circulation.

Ultracytochemical localization of guanylate cyclase in early human placenta.

Previous biochemical and cytochemical studies have indicated that in human term placenta the enzyme guanylate cyclase (GC) is associated mostly with the cytosolic fraction of homogenates and localized on the syncytiotrophoblast microvillous border. In the present study we have shown cytochemically the GC particulate form in early human placenta using guanylyl-imidodiphosphate [Gpp(NH)p] as substrate and NaN3 as activator. In samples of placental villi taken from the 6th to 12th week of pregnancy, the GC reaction product was always found on the apposing Langhans cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast plasma membranes. Furthermore, GC was present on cells in mitosis of the Langhans cytotrophoblast. From the 11th week GC was also visible on basal plasma membranes of Langhans cytotrophoblast and on endothelial cells of fetal capillaries. In samples of human term placenta GC was detectable on the syncytiotrophoblast microvillous border. This suggests a shift of enzyme localization during pregnancy.

A case of complete testicular feminisation and 47,XXY karyotype.

A very rare case of complete testicular feminisation with a 47,XXY sex chromosome complement is described. The X-chromatin is positive. The subject studied, who belongs to a family in which four other members have Morris's syndrome and have a 46,XY karyotype, is a perfect phenotypic female. The endocrine situation is unique and resembles, in part, that of subjects with Klinefelter's syndrome.

A case of true hermaphroditism with 45X/46XY mosaicism.

The authors describe a case of true hermaphroditism of mainly female phenotype, ambiguous genitalia, and ovotestis. The cytogenetic revealed 45X/46XY mosaicism and an absence of Barr bodies.

Hirudo medicinalis: a new model for testing activators and inhibitors of angiogenesis.

An increasing body of evidence indicates that in the leech Hirudo medicinalis the angiogenic process is finely regulated and coordinated by the botryoidal tissue. In this paper we provide evidence on the involvement of botryoidal tissue cells in angiogenesis induced in H. medicinalis by a variety of stimuli including surgical wounds or the administration of modulators of neovascularization. Interestingly, we show that either human activators of vascular cell growth, or anti-angiogenic peptides like angiostatin and endostatin, or the drug mitomycin, can induce a prompt biological response in H. medicinalis. We show as well that angiogenesis in this invertebrate shares a surprising degree of similarity with neovascularization in vertebrates, both at the biochemical and cellular levels, because it involves similar growth factors/growth factor receptors, and relies on analogous cell-cell or cell-matrix interactions. For these reasons we suggest that H. medicinalis can be used as a reproducible model for testing activators or inhibitors of angiogenesis, and for investigating the biochemical, ultrastructural and cellular processes involved in new vessel formation.