Intrauterine Malnutrition Reduced Long Leptin Receptor Isoform Expression and Proinflammatory Cytokine Production in Male Rat Pulmonary Endothelial Cells Stimulated by Lipopolysaccharide.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We have previously shown that low birth weight (LBW) rats exposed to intrauterine malnutrition have an impaired lung inflammatory response and reduced levels of inflammatory mediators; however, circulating leptin levels were not increased. We evaluated long leptin receptor isoform (ObRb) expression in lung endothelial cells from low birth weight rats and examined its role in the production of lipid mediators and cytokines. METHODS: Lung endothelial cells were obtained from normal birth weight (NBW) rats or LBW rats subjected to intrauterine malnutrition. These cells were stimulated with leptin (10 ng/mL), LPS (lipopolysaccharide, 1 µg/mL), or leptin plus LPS. Six hours after stimulation, the production of inflammatory mediators (PGE2, LTB4, IL-1ß, and IL-6) was evaluated using commercial ELISA kits, and Western blotting was performed to investigate p38MAPK, NF-κB, and ObRb expression. RESULTS: Leptin increased IL-1ß levels in only cells from the NBW group, whereas LPS increased PGE2 and LTB4 levels in cells from both groups; leptin addition potentiated lipid mediator production induced by LPS in the NBW group. LPS enhanced the production of IL-1ß and IL-6 in only endothelial cells from NBW rats. Leptin receptor expression was decreased (63%) in endothelial cells from LBW rats. None of the stimuli increased NF-κB or p38 signaling pathway expression in cells from LBW rats. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that intrauterine malnutrition compromises leptin receptor expression and cytokine production in pulmonary endothelial cells stimulated by LPS; these effects seem to involve the NF-κB and p38MAPK signaling pathways.

Fragrance Retention in Virgin and Bleached Caucasian Hair.

Human hair, when bleached, undergoes oxidation of melamine granules and its structural proteins. This work aims to compare fragrance retention in both virgin and bleached hair, taking into consideration the interactions between fragrance compounds and hair before and after chemical modification. The bleaching process of straight dark brown Caucasian hair was carried out using a 4.5% wt. hydrogen peroxide solution at pH 9.5. Fragrance raw materials were incorporated in a shampoo formulation and applied on hair by washing, followed by rinsing. Hair was then let to dry under controlled conditions of temperature and humidity and the volatiles were collected by solid-phase microextraction and quantified by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The more bleached the hair, the higher is the amount of sorbed substances during shampoo washing because of a higher number of holes in the hair structure, which increases its sorption capacity. Besides that, the impairments caused by oxidative reaction of hair surfaces are responsible for the faster evaporation of fragrant compounds and this behavior was compared with the loss of moisture of untreated and bleached hair.