Wogonin preconditioning of MSCs improved their therapeutic efficiency for colitis through promoting glycolysis.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are prevalent and debilitating diseases with limited clinical treatment strategies. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSCs) are pluripotent stem cells with self-renewal capability and multiple immunomodulatory effects, which make them a promising therapeutic approach for IBDs. Thus, optimization of MSCs regimes is crucial for their further clinical application. Wogonin, a flavonoid-like compound with extensive immunomodulatory and adjuvant effects, has been investigated as a potential pretreatment for MSCs in IBD treatment. In this study, we employed the DSS-induced acute colitis mouse model to compare the therapeutic effectiveness of MSCs in pretreated with or without wogonin and further explore the underlying mechanism. Compared to untreated MSCs, MSCwogonin (pretreated with wogonin) showed greater effectiveness in the treatment of colitis. Further experiments revealed that wogonin treatment activated the AKT signaling pathway, resulting in higher cellular glycolysis. Inhibition of AKT phosphorylation by perifosine not only decreased glycolysis but impaired the therapeutic efficiency of MSCwogonin. Consistent with these results, qPCR data indicated that wogonin treatment induced the expression of immunomodulatory molecules IL-10, IDO, and AGR1, which were reduced by perifosine. Together, our data demonstrated that wogonin preconditioning strategy further augmented the therapeutic efficacy of MSCs via promoting glycolysis, which should be a promising strategy for optimizing MSCs therapy in IBDs.

New Insights into the Mechanism of Ulva pertusa on Colitis in Mice: Modulation of the Pain and Immune System.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) involving Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are gastrointestinal (GI) disorders in which abdominal pain, discomfort, and diarrhea are the major symptoms. The immune system plays an important role in the pathogenesis of IBD and, as indicated by several clinical studies, both innate and adaptative immune response has the faculty to induce gut inflammation in UC patients. An inappropriate mucosal immune response to normal intestinal constituents is a main feature of UC, thus leading to an imbalance in local pro- and anti-inflammatory species. Ulva pertusa, a marine green alga, is known for its important biological properties, which could represent a source of beneficial effects in various human pathologies. We have already demonstrated the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiapoptotic effects of an Ulva pertusa extract in a murine model of colitis. In this study, we aimed to examine thoroughly Ulva pertusa immunomodulatory and pain-relieving properties. Colitis was induced by using the DNBS model (4 mg in 100 µL of 50% ethanol), whereas Ulva pertusa was administered daily at the dosage of 50 and 100 mg/kg by oral gavage. Ulva pertusa treatments have been shown to relieve abdominal pain while modulating innate and adaptative immune-inflammatory responses. This powerful immunomodulatory activity was specifically linked with TLR4 and NLRP3 inflammasome modulation. In conclusion, our data suggest Ulva pertusa as a valid approach to counteract immune dysregulation and abdominal discomfort in IBD.

Contribution of Blood Vessel Activation, Remodeling and Barrier Function to Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) consist of a group of chronic inflammatory disorders with a complex etiology, which represent a clinical challenge due to their often therapy-refractory nature. In IBD, inflammation of the intestinal mucosa is characterized by strong and sustained leukocyte infiltration, resulting in the loss of epithelial barrier function and subsequent tissue destruction. This is accompanied by the activation and the massive remodeling of mucosal micro-vessels. The role of the gut vasculature in the induction and perpetuation of mucosal inflammation is receiving increasing recognition. While the vascular barrier is considered to offer protection against bacterial translocation and sepsis after the breakdown of the epithelial barrier, endothelium activation and angiogenesis are thought to promote inflammation. The present review examines the respective pathological contributions of the different phenotypical changes observed in the microvascular endothelium during IBD, and provides an overview of potential vessel-specific targeted therapy options for the treatment of IBD.

Associations between Cellular Energy and Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patient Response to Treatment.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis, are chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, with an unknown etiology, that affect over 6.8 million people worldwide. To characterize disease pathogenesis, proteomic and bioinformatic analyses were performed on colon biopsies collected during diagnostic endoscopy from 119 treatment-naïve pediatric patients, including from 78 IBD patients and 41 non-IBD patients who served as controls. Due to the presence of noninflamed and/or inflamed regions in IBD patients, up to two biopsies were obtained from IBD patients as compared to a single noninflamed biopsy from non-IBD pediatric control patients. Additional biopsies were obtained and analyzed from 33 of the IBD patients after IBD-directed therapeutic intervention for comparison of pre- and post-treatment proteomes. SuperSILAC was utilized to perform quantitative analysis of homogenized tissues, which were processed by filter-aided sample preparation. Hierarchical clustering and principal component analyses revealed proteomic patterns that distinguished inflamed from noninflamed tissues independent of therapy. Gene ontology revealed that proteins downregulated in inflammation are associated with metabolism, whereas upregulated proteins contribute to protein processing. A comparison of pre- and post-treatment proteomes from CD patients identified over 100 proteins that are significantly different between patients who responded and those who did not respond to therapy, including creatine kinase B and basigin.

Pomegranate Mesocarp against Colitis-Induced Visceral Pain in Rats: Effects of a Decoction and Its Fractions.

The management of chronic visceral pain related to Inflammatory Bowel Diseases or Irritable Bowel Syndrome is still a clinical problem and new therapeutic strategies continue to be investigated. In the present study, the efficacy of a pomegranate decoction and of its polysaccharide and ellagitannin components in preventing the development of colitis-induced abdominal pain in rats was evaluated. After colitis induction by 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (DNBS), the pomegranate decoction (300 mg kg-1), polysaccharides (300 mg kg-1), and ellagitannins (45 mg kg-1) were orally administered for 14 days. Repeated treatment with decoction reduced visceral hypersensitivity in the colitic animals both at 7 and 14 days. Similar efficacy was shown by polysaccharides, but with lower potency. Ellagitannins administered at dose equivalent to decoction content showed higher efficacy in reducing the development of visceral pain. Macroscopic and microscopic evaluations performed on the colon 14 days after the damage showed that all three preparations reduced the overall amount of mast cells, the number of degranulated mast cells, and the density of collagen fibers in the mucosal stroma. Although ellagitannins seem to be responsible for most of the beneficial effects of pomegranate on DNBS-induced colitis, the polysaccharides support and enhance its effect. Therefore, pomegranate mesocarp preparations could represent a complementary approach to conventional therapies for promoting abdominal pain relief.

Na+/H+ Exchanger Regulates Amino Acid-Mediated Autophagy in Intestinal Epithelial Cells.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Dysfunctional autophagy has been reported to be associated with aberrant intestinal metabolism. Amino acids can regulate autophagic activity in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). Na+/H+-exchanger 3 (NHE3) has been found to participate in the absorption of amino acids in the intestine, but whether NHE3 is involved in the regulation of autophagy in IECs is unclear. METHODS: In the present study, an amino acid starvation-induced autophagic model was established. Then, the effects of alanine and proline with or without the NHE inhibitor 5-(N-ethyl-N-isopropyl) amiloride (EIPA) were evaluated. Autophagy was examined based on the microtubule-associated light chain 3 (LC3) levels, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), tandem GFP-mCherry-LC3 construct, sequestosome-1 (SQSTM1, P62) mRNA and protein levels, and autophagy-related gene (ATG) 5, 7, and 12 expression levels. The autophagic flux was evaluated as the ratio of yellow (autophagosomes) to red (autolysosomes) LC3 puncta. RESULTS: Following amino acid starvation, we found the LC3-II and ATG expression levels were enhanced in the IEC-18 cells. An increase in the number of autophagic vacuoles was concomitantly observed by TEM and confocal microscopy. Based on the results, supplementation with either alanine or proline depressed autophagy in the IEC-18 cells. Consistent with the elevated LC3-II levels, ATG expression increased upon NHE3 inhibition. Moreover, the mCherry-GFP-LC3 autophagic puncta representing both autophagosomes and autolysosomes per cell increased after EIPA treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that NHE (most likely NHE3) may participate in the amino acid regulation of autophagy in IECs, which would aid in the design of better treatments for intestinal inflammation.

Peptide-Based Hydrogel for Nanosystems Encapsulation: the Next Generation of Localized Delivery Systems for the Treatment of Intestinal Inflammations.

Conventional therapies for inflammatory bowel diseases are mainly based on systemic treatments which cause side effects and toxicity over long-term administration. Nanoparticles appear as a valid alternative to allow a preferential accumulation in inflamed tissues following oral administration while reducing systemic drug exposure. To increase their residence time in the inflamed intestine, the nanoparticles are here associated with a hydrogel matrix. A bioadhesive peptide-based hydrogel is mixed with nanoemulsions, creating a hybrid lipid-polymer nanocomposite. Mucopenetrating nanoemulsions of 100 nm are embedded in a scaffold constituted of the self-assembling peptide hydrogel product PuraStat. The nanocomposite is fully characterized to study the impact of lipid particles in the hydrogel structure. Rheological measurements and circular dichroism analyses are performed to investigate the system's microstructure and physical properties. Biodistribution studies demonstrate that the nanocomposite acts as a depot in the stomach and facilitates the slow release of the nanoemulsions in the intestine. Efficacy studies upon oral administration of the drug-loaded system show the improvement of the disease score in a mouse model of intestinal inflammation.

Cardiac magnetic resonance in a rare case of recurrent mesalazine-induced myocarditis.

Mesalazine represents a key treatment for intestinal bowel diseases and only in rare cases produces cardiac toxicity, with a not completely known mechanism. We report a case of a 25-year-old man with a first episode of myocarditis after 2 weeks from the first mesalazine intake, documented also by a characteristic cardiac magnetic resonance pattern. Then, after less than 1 month, he suffered myocarditis recurrence and so, guided by a multidisciplinary team evaluation, in the suspicion of mesalazine-induced myocarditis, the drug was promptly stopped, with consequent recovery of cardiac damage. In our patient, the recurrence of myocarditis because of the non-interruption of the drug is very peculiar (only three cases described in literature) and definitively confirms the diagnosis.

This paper reports an exemplary case of cardiac toxicity induced by mesalazine, a key treatment for inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. In rare cases, this drug can lead to cardiac impairment, with a mechanism not yet clarified. The young patient described experiencing a first episode of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle cells) after 2 weeks of starting mesalazine. The diagnosis was possible thanks to cardiac magnetic resonance, a noninvasive exam providing high-definition images associated with tissue characterization. Mesalazine was not discontinued because drug-induced etiology was not suspected, due to its rarity. Consequently, the patient suffered a second episode of myocarditis, diagnosed by endomyocardial biopsy, an invasive technique that can accurately assess the etiology of myocardial damage, leading to prompt cessation of treatment. Since myocarditis can have various causes, diagnosis was also facilitated through a multidisciplinary team, which ruled out other possible causes for this condition. This case report is highly educational and underscores the importance of clinicians being vigilant about this side effect and considering it in patients taking mesalazine who present with myocarditis, to promptly discontinue the treatment. Mesalazine interruption is otherwise the only effective therapy for this condition, in addition to anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs. Furthermore, this paper highlights the increasing importance of multidisciplinary teams, comprising various specialists, for accurate diagnosis and therapeutic decisions. The authors also propose an algorithm for diagnosing mesalazine-induced myocarditis, with certainty derived from recurrence after drug rechallenge, either voluntarily or accidentally, as demonstrated in this case.

Voluntary Exercise-Mediated Protection in TNBS-Induced Rat Colitis: The Involvement of NETosis and Prdx Antioxidants.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are autoimmune disorders of the gut. It is increasingly clear that voluntary exercise (VE) may exert protection against IBDs, but the exact background mechanism needs to be elucidated. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the possible role of NETosis and the antioxidant peroxiredoxin (Prdx) enzyme family in VE-induced protection. Wistar Han rats were randomly divided into two groups: sedentary (SED) and VE. After the 6-week voluntary wheel running, animals were treated with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS) as a model of colitis. Here, we found that VE significantly decreased inflammation and ulceration of the colon in the VE TNBS group compared with SED TNBS. We also found that VE significantly decreased the expression of protein arginine deiminase 4 (PAD4) and myeloperoxidase (MPO), and markedly reduced citrullinated histone H3 (citH3) compared with SED TNBS. Furthermore, VE caused a significant increase in the levels of Prdx6 in the control and TNBS groups. Taken together, we found that a prior 6-week VE effectively reduces inflammation in TNBS-induced colitis, and we suggest that the protective effect of VE may be mediated via the inhibition of NETosis and upregulation of Prdx6 antioxidant.

The Role of CD1 Gene Polymorphism in the Genetic Susceptibility to Spondyloarthropathies in the Moroccan Population and the Possible Cross-Link with Celiac Disease.

Spondyloarthropathies (SpA) are a group of chronic inflammatory disorders usually affecting the axial spine and asymmetrical peripheral joints. Strong evidence links genetic and environmental factors to SpA pathogenesis. The HLA-B27 is the most important genetic factor associated with SpA. Nevertheless, the involvement of other HLA and non-HLA loci has been also reported. Some patients with SpA may also manifest features of celiac disease (CeD), thus suggesting a genetic overlap across these autoimmune diseases. Recently, CD1 glycoproteins, a class of molecules able to bind and present non peptidic antigens to T cells, aroused interest for their contribution to the pathogenesis of CeD. Therefore, to evaluate whether functional polymorphisms of CD1A and E genes also influence susceptibility to SpA, we analyzed 86 patients from Morocco affected by SpA and 51 healthy controls, using direct sequencing analysis. An increase of CD1E*01/01 homozygous genotype (p = 0.046) was found in SpA, compared with controls. CD1E*01/01 genotype was associated particularly to patients with sacroiliac joints/spine/peripheral joints pain (p = 0.0068), while a decrease of CD1E*01/02 genotype was evidenced compared to controls (p = 0.0065). Results from haplotypes analysis demonstrated that CD1A*02-E*02 decreased the risk of SpA, while CD1A*02-E*01 increased risk to develop disease. Our data indicate a relationship between CD1 genes and susceptibility to SpA in the Moroccan population and suggest the existence of shared genetic risk loci across SpA and CeD that might be useful to explain common pathogenetic features and define novel therapeutic strategies.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Synthetic Peptides Based on Glucocorticoid-Induced Leucine Zipper (GILZ) Protein for the Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBDs).

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are commonly used to treat autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, but their clinical effects and long-term use can lead to serious side effects. New drugs that can replace GCs are needed. Glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper (GILZ) is induced by GCs and mediates many of their anti-inflammatory effects, such as inhibiting the pro-inflammatory molecule NF-κB. The GILZ C-terminal domain (PER region) is responsible for GILZ/p65NF-κB interaction and consequent inhibition of its transcriptional activity. A set of five short peptides spanning different parts of the PER region of GILZ protein was designed, and their anti-inflammatory activity was tested, both in vitro and in vivo. We tested the biological activity of GILZ peptides in human lymphocytic and monocytic cell lines to evaluate their inhibitory effect on the NF-κB-dependent expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Among the tested peptides, the peptide named PEP-1 demonstrated the highest efficacy in inhibiting cell activation in vitro. Subsequently, PEP-1 was further evaluated in two in vivo experimental colitis models (chemically induced by DNBS administration and spontaneous colitis induced in IL-10 knock-out (KO) mice (to assess its effectiveness in counteracting inflammation. Results show that PEP-1 reduced disease severity in both colitis models associated with reduced NF-κB pro-inflammatory activity in colon lamina propria lymphocytes. This study explored GILZ-based 'small peptides' potential efficacy in decreasing lymphocyte activation and inflammation associated with experimental inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). Small peptides have several advantages over the entire protein, including higher selectivity, better stability, and bioavailability profile, and are easy to synthesize and cost-effective. Thus, identifying active GILZ peptides could represent a new class of drugs for treating IBD patients.

The Prokineticin System in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A Clinical and Preclinical Overview.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) includes Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), which are characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. IBDs clinical manifestations are heterogeneous and characterized by a chronic relapsing-remitting course. Typical gastrointestinal signs and symptoms include diarrhea, GI bleeding, weight loss, and abdominal pain. Moreover, the presence of pain often manifests in the remitting disease phase. As a result, patients report a further reduction in life quality. Despite the scientific advances implemented in the last two decades and the therapies aimed at inducing or maintaining IBDs in a remissive condition, to date, their pathophysiology still remains unknown. In this scenario, the importance of identifying a common and effective therapeutic target for both digestive symptoms and pain remains a priority. Recent clinical and preclinical studies have reported the prokineticin system (PKS) as an emerging therapeutic target for IBDs. PKS alterations are likely to play a role in IBDs at multiple levels, such as in intestinal motility, local inflammation, ulceration processes, localized abdominal and visceral pain, as well as central nervous system sensitization, leading to the development of chronic and widespread pain. This narrative review summarized the evidence about the involvement of the PKS in IBD and discussed its potential as a druggable target.

Socs3 expression in myeloid cells modulates the pathogenesis of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis.

Introduction: Myeloid cells play a critical role in the pathogenesis of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBDs), including Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Crohn's Disease (CD). Dysregulation of the JAK/STAT pathway is associated with many pathological conditions, including IBD. Suppressors Of Cytokine Signaling (SOCS) are a family of proteins that negatively regulate the JAK/STAT pathway. Our previous studies identified that mice lacking Socs3 in myeloid cells developed a hyper-activated phenotype of macrophages and neutrophils in a pre-clinical model of Multiple Sclerosis. Methods: To better understand the function of myeloid cell Socs3 in the pathogenesis of colitis, mice with Socs3 deletion in myeloid cells (Socs3 ΔLysM) were utilized in a DSS-induced colitis model. Results: Our results indicate that Socs3 deficiency in myeloid cells leads to more severe colitis induced by DSS, which correlates with increased infiltration of monocytes and neutrophils in the colon and increased numbers of monocytes and neutrophils in the spleen. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that the expression of genes related to the pathogenesis and diagnosis of colitis such as Il1ß, Lcn2, S100a8 and S100a9 were specifically enhanced in Socs3-deficient neutrophils localized to the colon and spleen. Conversely, there were no observable differences in gene expression in Ly6C+ monocytes. Depletion of neutrophils using a neutralizing antibody to Ly6G significantly improved the disease severity of DSS-induced colitis in Socs3-deficient mice. Discussion: Thus, our results suggest that deficiency of Socs3 in myeloid cells exacerbates DSS-induced colitis and that Socs3 prevents overt activation of the immune system in IBD. This study may provide novel therapeutic strategies to IBD patients with hyperactivated neutrophils.

Evaluation of ulcerative colitis activity using transabdominal ultrasound shear wave elastography.

BACKGROUND: Transabdominal ultrasound (US) has been reported to be effective in the evaluation of ulcerative colitis (UC). US can measure shear wave elastography (SWE) and shear wave dispersion (SWD), which may be correlated with inflammation and necrosis. We aimed to investigate the relationship between UC activity and SWE and SWD. METHODS: Patients with UC who underwent US within 2 days before or after a colonoscopy between April 2019 and March 2020 were included. SWE and SWD were measured in the sigmoid colon; the correlations of SWE and SWD with the Lichtiger index and the Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS) were investigated. We also compared SWE and SWD between patients with mucosal healing and those in the active phase according to the UCEIS. RESULTS: Twenty-six UC patients were enrolled. The median Lichtiger index, UCEIS, SWE values, and SWD values were 8 [interquartile range (IQR), 5.3-10.8], 4 (IQR, 3.3-5), 1.69 (IQR, 1.49-2.16) m/s, and 11.9 (IQR, 10.9-13.3) (m/s)/kHz, respectively. The Lichtiger index and UCEIS were negatively correlated with the SWE values (rs=-0.404 and rs=-0.506) but not with the SWD values (rs=0.004 and rs=0.002). The SWE values differed significantly between the mucosal healing and active phase groups [2.40 (IQR, 2.18-3.38) vs. 1.62 (IQR, 1.44-1.95) m/s, P=0.007], whereas the SWD values did not [13.1 (IQR, 7.05-21.6) vs. 11.9 (IQR, 11.1-13.2) (m/s)/kHz, P=0.918]. CONCLUSIONS: SWE may be useful for the evaluation of UC activity and could be a noninvasive method of assessing disease severity.

Discovery of small-molecules targeting the CCL20/CCR6 axis as first-in-class inhibitors for inflammatory bowel diseases.

The CCL20/CCR6 axis is implicated in the migration of CCR6+ immune cells towards CCL20, its sole ligand, whose expression is increased during inflammatory processes and is known to play a pivotal role in triggering different autoimmune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Herein, we report a drug discovery effort focused on the development of a new pharmacological approach for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) based on small-molecule CCR6 antagonists. The most promising compound 1b was identified by combining in silico studies, sustainable chemistry and in vitro functional/targeted assays, and its efficacy was finally validated in a classic murine model of colitis (TNBS-induced) and in a model of peritonitis (zymosan-induced). These data provide the proof of principle that a pharmacological modulation of the CCL20/CCR6 axis may indeed represent the first step for the development of an orally bioavailable drug candidate for the treatment of IBD and, potentially, other diseases regulated by the CCL20/CCR6 axis.

In silico evaluation of isatin-based derivatives with RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

Isatin (1H-indole-2,3-dione)-containing compounds have been shown to possess several remarkable biological activities. We had previously explored a few isatin-based imidazole derivatives for their predicted dual activity against both inflammation and cancer. We explored 47 different isatin-based derivatives (IBDs) for other potential biological activities using in silico tools and found them to possess anti-viral activity. Using AutoDock tools, the binding site, binding energy, inhibitory constant/Ki and receptor-ligand interactions for each of the compounds were analyzed against SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). The partition coefficient (logP) values were predicted using MedChem Designer tool. Based on the best Ki, binding energy and the ideal range of logP (between 1.0 and 3.0), 10 out of total 47 compounds were deemed to be prospective RdRp inhibitors. Some of these compounds gave better Ki, binding energy and logP values when compared to standard RdRp inhibitors, such as remdesivir (REM) (Ki = 15.61 µM, logP = 2.2; binding energy = -6.95), a clinically approved RdRp inhibitor and nine other RdRp inhibitors. The results showed that the 10 selected IBDs could be further explored. Molecular dynamics simulations (MDSs) showed that the selected RdRp-IBD complexes were highly stable compared to the native RdRp and RdRp-REM complex during 100 ns time periods. DFT studies were performed for the compounds 16a, 24a, 28a, 38a and 40a, to evaluate the charge transfer mechanism for the interactions between the IBDs and the RdRp residues. Among these, ADME profiling revealed that 28a is a possible lead compound which can be explored further for anti-RdRp activity in vitro. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Context-Dependent Regulation of Type17 Immunity by Microbiota at the Intestinal Barrier.

T-helper-17 (Th17) cells and related IL-17-producing (type17) lymphocytes are abundant at the epithelial barrier. In response to bacterial and fungal infection, the signature cytokines IL-17A/F and IL-22 mediate the antimicrobial immune response and contribute to wound healing of injured tissues. Despite their protective function, type17 lymphocytes are also responsible for various chronic inflammatory disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colitis associated cancer (CAC). A deeper understanding of type17 regulatory mechanisms could ultimately lead to the discovery of therapeutic strategies for the treatment of chronic inflammatory disorders and the prevention of cancer. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of the development and function of type17 immune cells at the intestinal barrier, focusing on the impact of microbiota-immune interactions on intestinal barrier homeostasis and disease etiology.

Role of Vitamin K in Intestinal Health.

Intestinal diseases, such as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) and colorectal cancer (CRC) generally characterized by clinical symptoms, including malabsorption, intestinal dysfunction, injury, and microbiome imbalance, as well as certain secondary intestinal disease complications, continue to be serious public health problems worldwide. The role of vitamin K (VK) on intestinal health has drawn growing interest in recent years. In addition to its role in blood coagulation and bone health, several investigations continue to explore the role of VK as an emerging novel biological compound with the potential function of improving intestinal health. This study aims to present a thorough review on the bacterial sources, intestinal absorption, uptake of VK, and VK deficiency in patients with intestinal diseases, with emphasis on the effect of VK supplementation on immunity, anti-inflammation, intestinal microbes and its metabolites, antioxidation, and coagulation, and promoting epithelial development. Besides, VK-dependent proteins (VKDPs) are another crucial mechanism for VK to exert a gastroprotection role for their functions of anti-inflammation, immunomodulation, and anti-tumorigenesis. In summary, published studies preliminarily show that VK presents a beneficial effect on intestinal health and may be used as a therapeutic drug to prevent/treat intestinal diseases, but the specific mechanism of VK in intestinal health has yet to be elucidated.

Carbonic Anhydrase IV Selective Inhibitors Counteract the Development of Colitis-Associated Visceral Pain in Rats.

Persistent pain affecting patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) is still very difficult to treat. Carbonic anhydrase (CA) represents an intriguing pharmacological target considering the anti-hyperalgesic efficacy displayed by CA inhibitors in both inflammatory and neuropathic pain models. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of inhibiting CA IV, particularly when expressed in the gut, on visceral pain associated with colitis induced by 2,4-di-nitrobenzene sulfonic acid (DNBS) in rats. Visceral sensitivity was assessed by measuring animals' abdominal responses to colorectal distension. Repeated treatment with the selective CA IV inhibitors AB-118 and NIK-67 effectively counteracted the development of visceral pain induced by DNBS. In addition to pain relief, AB-118 showed a protective effect against colon damage. By contrast, the anti-hyperalgesic activity of NIK-67 was independent of colon healing, suggesting a direct protective effect of NIK-67 on visceral sensitivity. The enzymatic activity and the expression of CA IV resulted significantly increased after DNBS injection. NIK-67 normalised CA IV activity in DNBS animals, while AB-118 was partially effective. None of these compounds influenced CA IV expression through the colon. Although further investigations are needed to study the underlying mechanisms, CA IV inhibitors are promising candidates in the search for therapies to relieve visceral pain in IBDs.

The Role of Enterobacteriaceae in Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are a group of chronic gastrointestinal inflammatory diseases with unknown etiology. There is a combination of well documented factors in their pathogenesis, including intestinal microbiota dysbiosis. The symbiotic microbiota plays important functions in the host, and the loss of beneficial microbes could favor the expansion of microbial pathobionts. In particular, the bloom of potentially harmful Proteobacteria, especially Enterobacteriaceae, has been described as enhancing the inflammatory response, as observed in IBDs. Herein, we seek to investigate the contribution of Enterobacteriaceae to IBD pathogenesis whilst considering the continuous expansion of the literature and data. Despite the mechanism of their expansion still remaining unclear, their expansion could be correlated with the increase in nitrate and oxygen levels in the inflamed gut and with the bile acid dysmetabolism described in IBD patients. Furthermore, in several Enterobacteriaceae studies conducted at a species level, it has been suggested that some adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) play an important role in IBD pathogenesis. Overall, this review highlights the pivotal role played by Enterobacteriaceae in gut dysbiosis associated with IBD pathogenesis and progression.