Stimulation of brown adipose tissue by polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil.

Obesity is one of the main public health problems of the 21st century resulting from an imbalance between calorie intake and energy expenditure. Currently, the search for new treatments against this pathology has become a priority. One of the therapeutic strategies against obesity could be the activation of brown adipose tissue through different molecules such as the phenolic compounds of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). The objective of this review was to provide an update of scientific knowledge on the relationship between EVOO phenolic compounds and brown adipose tissue.According to this review, it has been demonstrated that extra virgin olive oil phenolic compounds can have beneficial effects on obesity by activating brown adipose tissue and enhance thermogenesis through different signaling pathways mediated by molecules such as AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC1α) or sirtuin 1 (Sirt1).

Effect of NSAIDs on the aminopeptidase activity of cultured human osteoblasts.

Aminopeptidases (APs) are involved in various physiological and pathological processes. In tumor tissues the expression of APs, cyclooxygenase-2 and its metabolites are increased. The objective was to determine the effect of certain NSAIDs on the AP activity of osteoblasts. Primary cultures of osteoblast were treated with different concentrations of indomethacin, meloxicam, naproxen, nimesulide, and piroxicam. The AP activity was fluorimetrically determined using aminoacyl-ß-naphthylamides (aa-ßNAs) as substrates: Ala-ßNA, Arg-ßNA, Gly-ßNA, Leu-ßNA, Lys-ßNA, Met-ßNA, and Phe-ßNA. The five NSAIDs showed an inhibitory effect of AP activity against the study substrates depending on the dose tested. Meloxicam and piroxicam had the highest inhibitory effect on enzymatic activity, with an IC50 of around 70 µM. Our results suggest that the physiological alteration of osteoblasts in the presence of NSAIDs may be a consequence of AP inhibition, suggesting a potential clinical role for these drugs against cancer in combination with chemotherapeutic agents.

Retrospective study of the association between epidural analgesia during labour and complications for the newborn.

OBJECTIVE: our objective was to determine the association between epidural analgesia and different variables. BACKGROUND: the effect on newborns of epidural analgesia administered to the mother during labour remains under debate. METHOD: this association was retrospectively investigated in a cohort of 2399 children born in a Spanish public hospital. Only full-term (>37 weeks of gestation) deliveries were included. Other exclusion criteria were: induced delivery (medical or obstetric indication), elective caesarean section, or the presence of an important pregnancy risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, severe disease, toxaemia, retarded intrauterine growth, chronologically prolonged pregnancy, prolonged membrane rupture (>24 hours), oligoamnios, or polyhydramnios). The Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher׳s exact test were applied to determine the relationship between variables. KEY CONCLUSIONS: Apgar index values at one minute and five minutes were slightly but significantly lower in neonates whose mothers had received epidural analgesia. Neonatal intensive care unit admission was significantly more frequent in the epidural versus non-epidural group. Resuscitation was significantly more frequent in the epidural versus non-epidural group. Early breast feeding onset was more frequent in the non-epidural group. The adverse effect of epidural analgesia on early lactation remained significant after adjusting for NICU admission and the need for resuscitation in a logistic regression analysis. Epidural analgesia may have adverse effects on newborns, although the risks are low, and further research is required to elucidate the causal nature of this relationship.

Repercussions of NSAIDS drugs on bone tissue: the osteoblast.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can act by modulating the behavior of osteoblasts, including their proliferation, differentiation, adhesion, and migration, but not all NSAIDs have these effects. Our objective was to update the information on this issue in a review of the literature in order to offer guidance on the prescription of the appropriate NSAID(s) to patients requiring bone tissue repair. To review current knowledge of this issue by searching for all relevant publications since 2001 in the MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases, we used the following descriptors: bone tissue, osteoblast, NSAIDs, Anti-inflammatory drugs. Published studies show that most NSAIDs have an adverse effect on osteoblast growth by cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction. The effect on differentiation varies according to the drug, dose, and treatment time. Osteoblast adhesion is increased and migration decreased by some NSAIDs, such as indomethacin and diclofenac. The antigenic profile or phagocytic function can also be modulated by NSAIDs. In general, NSAIDs have an adverse effect on bone tissue and given the routine administration of NSAIDs to individuals requiring bone repair, in which the osteoblast has an essential role, this effect on bone should be borne in mind.

Therapeutic doses of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs inhibit osteosarcoma MG-63 osteoblast-like cells maturation, viability, and biomineralization potential.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are frequently used to reduce pain and inflammation. However, their effect on bone metabolisms is not well known, and results in the literature are contradictory. The present study focusses on the effect of dexketoprofen, ketorolac, metamizole, and acetylsalicylic acid, at therapeutic doses, on different biochemical and phenotypic pathways in human osteoblast-like cells. Osteoblasts (MG-63 cell line) were incubated in culture medium with 1-10 µM of dexketoprofen, ketorolac, metamizole, and acetylsalicylic acid. Flow cytometry was used to study antigenic profile and phagocytic activity. The osteoblastic differentiation was evaluated by mineralization and synthesis of collagen fibers by microscopy and alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) by spectrophotometric assay. Short-term treatment with therapeutic doses of NSAIDs modulated differentiation, antigenic profile, and phagocyte activity of osteoblast-like cells. The treatment reduced ALP synthesis and matrix mineralization. However, nonsignificant differences were observed on collagen syntheses after treatments. The percentage of CD54 expression was increased with all treatments. CD80, CD86, and HLA-DR showed a decreased expression, which depended on NSAID and the dose applied. The treatments also decreased phagocyte activity in this cellular population. The results of this paper provide evidences that NSAIDs inhibit the osteoblast differentiation process thus reducing their ability to produce new bone mineralized extracellular matrix.

Use of platelet-rich plasma to treat pressure ulcers: a case study.

BACKGROUND: Pressure ulcers (PUs) are prevalent and chronic wounds that require significant time to heal and the search for new treatments to reduce healing time is ongoing. We describe our experience with platelet-rich plasma to facilitate PU healing. CASE: An 86-year-old woman residing in a long-term care facility developed a grade III PU on her right heel that exhibited no signs of healing despite topical therapy over a 4-month period. Her PU was treated with platelet-rich plasma generated from her own blood, with a follow-up every 3 days for a period of 8 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: The platelet-rich plasma-treated PU closed completely at 54 days. We found platelet-rich plasma easy to apply and inexpensive. Additional research is needed to evaluate the efficacy of this intervention in patients with nonhealing PUs.

Effect of aspirin on cell growth of human MG-63 osteosarcoma line.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used in bone tissue repair treatment for their pharmacological action. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of aspirin, on osteoblast growth, using MG63 cell line as osteoblast model. MTT spectrophotometry results showed that 20, 100, and 1000 µM aspirin doses have an inhibitory effect on growth. Cell cycle analysis revealed that aspirin doses of 100 and 1000 µM arrest the cell cycle in phase GO/G1. Parallel apoptosis/necrosis studies showed no changes in comparison to control cells after treatment with 1 or 10 µM aspirin but a significantly increased percentage of cells in apoptosis at doses of 20, 100, and 1000 µM. We highlight that treatment of osteoblast-like cells with 1000 µM aspirin increased not only the percentage of cells in apoptosis but also the percentage of necrotic cells, which was not observed in aspirin treatments at lower doses.

Antigenic phenotype and phagocytic capacity of MG-63 osteosarcoma line.

Human osteoblasts isolated from bone tissue samples have their own specific antigen profile but also share expression of antigens that are characteristic of other immunocompetent cells. Given that these findings come from studies performed in primary cultures of human osteoblasts, it was decided to test whether these antigen profiles and functional characteristics are retained in a characterized osteoblast cell line (MG-63). We show that some of these characteristics are also found in the MG-63 osteosarcoma cell line. We have demonstrated, using monoclonal antibodies and cytometry, that these cells expressed CD10, CD13, CD44, and CD54 antigens but were negative for CD69 and HLA-DR antigens. Functionally, 100% of MG-63 cells showed phagocytic capacity with a high phagocytic index. This study corroborates that osteoblastic cells have an immunological profile.

Expression of cytokines IL-4, IL-12, IL-15, IL-18, and IFNgamma and modulation by different growth factors in cultured human osteoblast-like cells.

The antigenic phenotype of cultured human osteoblast-like cells, their ability to phagocytose particles of different nature and size, and their capacity to stimulate allogeneic T cells suggest that they are related to other cell populations with which they may also have immunological functions in common. The objective of this study was to investigate the intracytoplasmatic presence of cytokines and their modulation by different biomolecules. Immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry were used to study the expression of IL-4, IL-12, IL-15, IL-18, and IFNgamma cytokines. To investigate whether FGF, TGF, PDGF, IL-1, and IFNgamma modulate expression of these cytokines in cultured human osteoblast-like cells we used flow cytometry. IL-4, IL-12, IL-15, IL-18, and IFNgamma cytokines were expressed by all the cultured human osteoblast-like cells studied. Treatment with FGF and TGFbeta1 reduced the percentage expression and fluorescence intensity of the cytokines. PDGF treatment enhanced their fluorescence intensity but did not modify their expression. IL-1 treatment produced a small reduction in expression and fluorescence intensity of IL-12 and IL-15, but did not produce major changes in the expression of IL-4, IL-18, or IFNgamma. IFNgamma markedly increased the fluorescence intensity of the cytokines. The results indicate that human osteoblast-like cells may perform immunological functions (e.g., synthesizing cytokines with immune regulator function) that can be modulated by different biomolecules related to bone tissue and/or immune response.

Periodontal and oral microbiological status of an adult population undergoing haemodialysis: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the periodontal status and oral microbiological patterns of a population with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), undergoing haemodialysis (HD). DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study, involving 52 patients from the Nephrology Department and 52 matched control subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The subjects had a periodontal clinical examination; subgingival plaque samples were taken and analysed using a semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to detect Porphyromas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Prevotella intermedia, Prevotella nigrescens and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans. Subgingival plaque and saliva samples were studied for Candida and Enterobacteriaceae. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Most of the 104 subjects had some degree of loss of periodontal attachment (LPA) > or =3 mm [11 (10.5%) had severe LPA; 16 (15.4%) moderate LPA; and 64 (61.5%) mild LPA]. Only 13 subjects (12.5%) presented good periodontal health. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were found between the HD patients and the control group regarding bleeding index, number of teeth, or percentage of LPA > or =3 mm. However, a statistically significant difference was seen in the degree of oral hygiene. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of the findings presented here, we cannot associate ESRD with more severe periodontal destruction. Although HD patients presented a higher number of periodontopathic microorganisms than the matched controls, a prolonged duration of HD did not bear a statistically significant relationship with the percentage of sites with LPA > or =3 mm, specific microbiota or composition of biofilm.

Modulation of antigenic phenotype in cultured human osteoblast-like cells by FGFb, TGFbeta1, PDGF-BB, IL-2, IL-1beta, LPS and IFNgamma.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Recent reports demonstrated that osteoblast-like cells can also exert activities directly associated with the immune system (cytokine synthesis, antigen presentation, phagocytosis and stimulation of T lymphocytes). The present study aimed to analyze the effect of Transforming growth factorbeta1 (TGFbeta1), Fibroblast growth factor basic (FGFb), Platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB), Interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), Interleukin-2 (IL-2), Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and Interferon-gamma (IFNgamma) on the expression on osteoblast-like cells of antigens involved in antigen presentation. METHODS: Flow cytometry was used to investigate whether the growth factors FGFb, TGFbeta1, PDGF-BB, IL-2, IL-1beta, LPS and IFNgamma modulate the expression on cultured human osteoblast-like cells of different antigens involved in antigen-presentation and T cell activation. RESULTS: TGFbeta1 treatment significantly reduced the expression of CD54 and CD86. IL-1beta treatment significantly enhanced the expression of CD54, CD86 and HLA-DR. LPS and IFNgamma treatments produced a major increase in CD54, CD80, CD86 and HLA-DR expression. Expression of these antigen-presenting molecules was not significantly modified by FGFb, PDGF-BB or IL-2 treatment.

Antigenic profile of osteoblasts present in human bone tissue sections.

The antigenic profile of human osteoblasts was previously analyzed by our group using primary cultures as study samples. These studies suggested a novel functional approach to this cell population. Osteoblasts have a characteristic antigenic profile and share antigens in common with other cell populations that also originate in the bone marrow. Some of the detected antigens are constitutively expressed, while others are modulated by different factors and/or cytokines. The aim of the present study was to analyze the antigens present in osteoblasts in vivo, since the presence of certain biomolecules in fetal bovine serum may modulate the antigenic expression, compromising the results. For this purpose, human bone tissue sections were analyzed with a wide panel of mAbs and using the immunoperoxidase technique. CD10, CD44 and alkaline phosphatase antigens and IL-12, IL-18 and IFNgamma cytokines were detected in osteoblasts in the bone tissue. However, CD80 and HLA-DR antigens were not found in all samples and when present their expression was weak. The expression of CD54 antigen was moderate or weak. These results allow data obtained by the primary culture of osteoblast-like cells to be endorsed.

Modulation of antigenic phenotype by IL-1beta, IFNgamma and TGFbeta on cultured human decidual stromal cells.

Decidual stromal cells (DSC) constitute the most abundant population in normal human decidua together with leukocytes. Both populations may be involved in the immunological role of the decidua by favoring gestational functions, participating in physiological mechanisms to eliminate the fetus, or providing local defense against infection. Using flow cytometry, we investigated whether different cytokines modulate the expression on cultured DSC of antigen-presenting molecules. The treatment with IFNgamma or IL-1beta enhanced the expression of CD54. The percentage of expression of HLA-DR was enhanced by IL-1beta treatment but was not modified by IFNgamma. The expression of CD80 and CD86 was enhanced by IFNgamma treatment but was not modified by IL-1beta; the expression of CD86 and HLA-DR was reduced by TGFbeta1 treatment. The response of DSC and dendritic cells to these cytokines appears to be similar, suggesting a phenotypic and functional relationship between these cell types.

A kinetic model for Ascaridia galli populations in chickens treated with mixed salts of copper and zinc.

The action of mixed salts of copper and zinc (basic and neutral) on Hisex chickens experimentally infected with Ascaridia galli has been studied. The data show that the lowest host mortality and decrease in body weight gain and the highest reduction in nematode loading occurs in infected chickens treated with basic salts (in comparison with infected chickens, untreated or treated with neutral salts). A mathematical model has been proposed to provide a quantitative interpretation of the observed results. The model solutions of the kinetics of parasite numbers and of the gain in body weight are in a good agreement with the experimental data. One of the kinetic parameters in the model is defined as a phenomenological constant of the host immune response. Its value is determined in the case of infected and untreated chickens.

Comparison of the effects of basic and neutral zinc salts on chicks infected with Ascaridia galli.

The present study was undertaken to investigate if the use of basic salts of zinc in the treatment of ascaridiosis in chicks may present advantages over the use of neutral zinc salts. To evaluate this, an infection of Ascaridia galli was induced in young male Hisex chicks of 14 and 30 days of age. The performance of the infected chicks was improved to a greater extent with the basic salt in doses of 30 mg Zn2+ kg-1 body weight. Parasite burden, body weight gain and liver zinc level were used to assess this performance.

Application of small doses of copper salts (basic and neutral) to Ascaridia galli-infected chicks.

Male Hisex chicks were used in two experiments to investigate the interaction between Ascaridia galli infection and supplemental copper from basic and neutral salts. This was assessed by means of body weights, mortality, parasite burden and liver copper level. Cu2(OH)3Cl reduced the number of parasites but CuSO4.5H2O and CuCO3.Cu(OH)2.nH2O did not affect the parasite burden.