Vitamin A and its metabolite retinoic acid influence various aspects of immunity. Although the capacity of vitamin A to condition intestinal CD103(+) dendritic cells (DCs) to imprint tissue-specific homing programs onto activated lymphocytes is well documented, it is unclear whether vitamin A also regulates DC populations in other tissues. A ...

Drug-resistant gonorrhea, Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N. gonorrhoeae), is an emerging concern, especially because the risk of bladder cancer is associated with this infection. N. gonorrhoeae suppresses T-helper 1(Th1) and Th2 responses and enhances Th17 responses via a mechanism involving transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) and regulatory T cells. Blockade of TGF-β alleviates ...

Macrophages play a critical role in mediating inflammatory processes; activated macrophages respond to endotoxin by releasing pro-inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and IL-6. Ketamine, a widely used anesthetic agent, has unequivocally anti-inflammatory effects in vivo and in vitro. However, the detailed mechanisms for the anti-inflammatory effects ...

: Inflammatory bowel disease is associated with industrialization, and its incidence has increased markedly over time. The prospect of reversing these trends motivates the search for the agent(s) involved. Modernity entails several physical and behavioral modifications that compromise both the photosynthesis of cholecalciferol in the skin and of its bioavailability. ...

AIM: To investigate an interaction between the calcium and sulphide signalling pathways, particularly effects of the slow H2 S release donor morpholin-4-ium-4-methoxyphenyl- (morpholino)-phosphinodithioate (GYY4137) on the expression of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP3 R) with the possible impact on the apoptosis induction in HeLa cells. METHODS: Gene expression, Western blot analysis, ...

Trichuris muris is an intestinal nematode which invades the colonic epithelium triggering a mucosal inflammation. Vitamin A and its active metabolite retinoic acid are strongly linked with the modulation of gut immune responses. Here, we describe the temporal changes in the expression of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) enzymes, responsible for converting ...

Calcium is a universal messenger regulating many physiological functions including this vital one: namely the ability of the cell to undergo orderly self-destruction upon completion of its mission, called apoptosis. In physiopathological conditions such as cancer, apoptotic processes become deregulated, leading to apoptosis-resistant phenotypes. Recently perturbations of cellular calcium homeostasis ...

Context:Vitamin D has regulatory effects on innate and adaptive immunity. Curiously, hereditary vitamin D-resistant rickets (HVDRR) patients show no increased incidence of infectious or autoimmune diseases.Objectives:The aim of the study was to investigate the role of vitamin D and the vitamin D receptor (VDR) in innate and adaptive immune responses ...

A variety of inflammatory disease conditions have been found to be associated with low levels of plasma pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP), the active form of vitamin B6 , without any indication of a lower dietary intake of vitamin B6 , excessive catabolism of the vitamin, or congenital defects in its metabolism. ...

Resistance to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) has been observed in a considerable proportion of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and it is reportedly associated with adverse outcomes, such as increased cardiovascular morbidity, faster progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and all-cause mortality. The major causes of ESA resistance include chronic ...

OX40 ligand (OX40L) is a co-stimulatory molecule involved in Th2 allergic responses. It has been shown that vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased OX40L expression in peripheral CD11c+ cells and controls Th2 responses to Aspergillus fumigatus (Af) in vitro in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA). ...

The negative feedback mechanism is essential to maintain effective immunity and tissue homeostasis. 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25[OH](2)D(3)) modulates innate immune response, but the mechanism remains poorly understood. In this article, we report that vitamin D receptor signaling attenuates TLR-mediated inflammation by enhancing the negative feedback inhibition. Vitamin D receptor inactivation leads ...

Apoptosis can occur in the myocardium under a variety of pathological conditions, including myocardial infarction and heart failure. The forkhead family of transcription factor Foxo3a plays a pivotal role in apoptosis, however its role in regulating cardiac apoptosis remains to be fully elucidated. We showed that enforced expression of Foxo3a ...

Vitamin D is unique among nutritional factors because the intake of this special vitamin represents the sum of vitamin D obtained from diet, nutritional supplements, and endogenous production after exposure to sunlight. The current recommended nutritional intake requirements reflect needs based on its established role in calcium absorption and bone ...

This review attempts to show that there may be a relationship between inflammatory processes induced by chronic overstimulation of the renin angiotensin system (RAS) and the worldwide vitamin D (VitD) deficiency, and probably both disorders are associated with environmental factors. Low VitD levels represent a risk factor for several apparently ...

Historically, vitamin D has been associated with the regulation of bone metabolism. However, increasing evidence demonstrates a strong association between vitamin D signaling and many biological processes that regulate immune responses. The discovery of the vitamin D receptor in multiple immune cell lineages, such as monocytes, dendritic cells, and activated ...

This retrospective study investigated the characteristics of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) by examining the presence of the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) and the rate of cell proliferation and apoptosis in parathyroid glands. Eighteen diffuse and 57 nodular hyperplastic parathyroid glands from 24 patients with SHPT were compared with 14 primary adenomas and ...

The existence of the bcl-2 (B-cell lymphoma-2) gene was reported nearly 30 years ago. Yet, Bcl-2 family group of proteins still surprises us with their structural and functional diversity. Since the discovery of the Bcl-2 family of proteins as one of the main apoptosis judges, the precise mechanism of their ...

BACKGROUND: In Crohn's disease (CrD), vitamin D may help to balance an exaggerated immune response and thereby improve the disease course. The immunomodulating effects depend on the activation of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 (25-D3), into 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 (1,25-D3). This activation has previously been shown to take place in dendritic cells ...

Achieving global control of tuberculosis (TB) is a great challenge considering the current increases in multi-drug resistance and mortality rate. Considerable efforts are therefore being made to develop new effective vaccines, more effective and rapid diagnostic tools as well as new drugs. Shortening the duration of TB treatment with revised ...

Reduced monocyte infiltration into the vessel wall and increased macrophage cholesterol efflux are critical components in atherosclerotic plaque regression. During inflammation, monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) signaling activation and cholesterol deposition in macrophages induces endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, which promotes an increased inflammatory response. Increased macrophage ER stress shifts macrophages ...

The ability of T cells to activate antimicrobial pathways in infected macrophages is essential to host defense against many intracellular pathogens. Here, we compared the ability of two T cell-mediated mechanisms to trigger antimicrobial responses against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in humans, CD40 activation and the release of IFN-γ. Given that IFN-γ ...

The formation of fetuin-A-containing calciprotein particles (CPP) may facilitate the clearance of calcium phosphate nanocrystals from the extracellular fluid. These crystals may otherwise seed extra-osseous mineralization. Fetuin-A is a partially phosphorylated glycoprotein that plays a critical role in stabilizing these particles, inhibiting crystal growth and aggregation. CPP removal is thought ...

Vitamin D is a secosteroid hormone that has expanding importance for a healthy lifestyle and disease prevention. A multitude of studies have highlighted that vitamin D acts not only in bone and calcium homeostasis but is critically important for human immunity. The discovery that the storage form of vitamin D ...

Maintenance of an adequate and properly regulated immune system is essential for health and well-being. Components in food may modulate immune responses in a positive way (immunonutrition), and some of these components are present in kiwifruit. Kiwifruit contains vitamin C, carotenoids, polyphenols, and dietary fiber, and these are all potentially ...

Zinc is an essential trace element whose deficiency gives rise to specific pathological signs. These signs occur because an essential metabolic function is impaired as the result of failure to form or maintain a specific metal-ion protein complex. Although zinc is a component of many essential metalloenzymes and transcription factors, ...

Acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) is a serious disease with severe neurological sequelae. The intense calcium-mediated microglial activation and subsequently pro-inflammatory cytokine release plays an important role in eliciting ABM-related oxidative damage. Considering resveratrol possesses significant anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties, the present study aims to determine whether resveratrol would exert beneficial ...

Exposure to organic dusts elicits airway inflammatory diseases. Vitamin D recently has been associated with various airway inflammatory diseases, but its role in agricultural organic dust exposures is unknown. This study investigated whether vitamin D reduces organic dust-induced inflammatory outcomes in cell culture and animal models. Organic dust extracts obtained ...

The vitamin A metabolite retinoic acid (RA) regulates intestinal immune responses through immunomodulatory actions on intestinal dendritic cells (DCs) and lymphocytes. Here, we show that RA also controls the generation of gut-tropic migratory DC precursors, referred to as pre-mucosal DCs (pre-μDCs). Pre-μDCs express the gut trafficking receptor α4β7 and home ...

Vitamin K2 (VK2, menaquinone) is known to have anticancer activity in vitro and in vivo. Although its effect is thought to be mediated, at least in part, by the induction of apoptosis, the underlying molecular mechanism remains elusive. Here, we identified Bcl-2 antagonist killer 1 (Bak) as a molecular target ...

The mechanisms that regulate programmed cell death, such as apoptosis, and the cellular self-eating phenomenon of autophagy, share many regulatory systems and common pathways. These mechanisms have been extensively investigated over the last few years. Some intracellular structures may determine and control the autophagic fate of the cell such as ...

Vitamin C is an essential water-soluble nutrient which primarily exerts its effect on host defense mechanisms and immune homeostasis, but the mechanism related to immune-potentiation is poorly understood. Since dendritic cells (DCs) are known as a potent antigen presenting cell (APC) that could enhance the antigen specific immune responses, we ...

UVB radiation stimulates the production of vitamin D and also has immunosuppressive effects. Vitamin D is also known to alter immunological function. Thus, a relevant question is whether vitamin D is a mediator of the immunological effects of UVB. In this issue, Schwarz et al. have addressed this issue and ...

An unregulated T(h)17 inflammatory response has been highlighted as a major contributor to the underlying pathology of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) whereas regulatory T (T(REG)) cells) have been highlighted as pivotal in suppressing autoimmune and inflammatory responses in the gut. Following dietary supplementation, β-glucans have been shown to reduce the ...

Astrocytes are critical for the antioxidant support of neurons. Recently, we demonstrated that low level hydrogen peroxide (H(2) O(2) ) facilitates astrocyte-dependent neuroprotection independent of the antioxidant transcription factor Nrf2, leaving the identity of the endogenous astrocytic Nrf2 activator to question. In the current work we show that an endogenous ...

As immune defects in amyloid-β (Aβ) phagocytosis and degradation underlie Aβ deposition and inflammation in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain, better understanding of the relation between Aβ phagocytosis and inflammation could lead to promising preventive strategies. We tested two immune modulators in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of AD patients and ...

Previous studies from our lab showed that increase in AngII in H9c2 cells causes elevated IGFII and IGFIIR through MEK and JNK, leading to rise in intracellular calcium, calcineurin activation by PLC-β3 via Gαq, insertion into mitochondrial membranes of Bad, and apoptosis via caspases 9 and 3. Codonopsis pilosula is ...

Interaction with the immune system is one of the most recently established nonclassic effects of vitamin D (VitD). For many years, this was considered to be limited to granulomatous diseases in which synthesis of active 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)(2)D(3)) or calcitriol is known to be increased. However, recent reports have supported ...

Nutrition is critical to immune defence and parasite resistance, which not only affects individual organisms, but also has profound ecological and evolutionary consequences. Nutrition and immunity are complex traits that interact via multiple direct and indirect pathways, including the direct effects of nutrition on host immunity but also indirect effects ...

Epidemiological and clinical studies have shown that environmental factors such as infections, smoking and vitamin D are associated with the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). Some of these factors also play a role in the MS disease course. We are currently beginning to understand how environmental factors may impact ...

Abstract Vitamin D deficiency is widespread in the neonatal and paediatric population of northern latitudes, particularly in children of African, Middle Eastern and Asian ethnicity. This is associated with diminished immune function and increases the risk of Th1 autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes. Epidermiological studies have also shown a ...

Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is an "endocrine" FGF acting in the kidney as a phosphaturic hormone and a suppressor of active vitamin D, through an inhibition of the 1α hydroxylase and a stimulation of the 24 hydroxylase. Beyond its well-known effects on the bone/kidney/parathyroid axis and its deregulation during ...

To summarize recent findings regarding the effects of inflammation on iron (Fe) metabolism and to review studies detailing the influence of poor Fe status on physical and cognitive performance. Hepatic expression and release of hepcidin, a negative regulator of Fe status, is increased by the actions of the inflammatory cytokine ...

Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in the general population including individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Autocrine regulation of vitamin D modulates important biologic processes including immune responses. Vitamin D deficiency has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several autoimmune diseases including RA. Vitamin D regulates both the innate and ...

Owing to its high contents of fructooligosaccharides (FOSs), the yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) root is used in traditional Andean medicine as a substitute for cane sugar in diabetes and for obesity prevention. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that regular consumption of yacon works to improve the immune system. ...

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by elevated oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers. The severe side effects of drug used during such disease necessitate the search for new and safe approaches. Food is a rich source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory bioactive constituents including phenolic compounds, polyunsaturated fatty ...

Purpose:Circulating immune complexes (ICs) are associated with the pathogenesis of several diseases. Very little is known about the effect of ICs on host immune response in patients with tuberculosis (TB).Methods:The effect of ICs isolated from patients with TB in modulating the release of calcium, cytokines, and granular proteins was studied ...

Inflammation features in CNS disorders such as stroke, trauma, neurodegeneration, infection, and autoimmunity in which astrocytes play critical roles. To elucidate how inflammatory mediators alter astrocyte functions, we examined effects of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and interferon-gamma (IFNγ), alone and in combination, on purified, mouse primary cortical astrocyte ...

Benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P), which is the most studied member of PAH family is released into the environment (air, water and soil) from natural and man-made sources including industrial and automobile exhaust fumes. Since B(a)P is an omnipresent environmental pollutant and is believed to be a risk factor for human chemical carcinogenesis, ...

Interest in vitamin A as a regulator of immune function goes back to the early 1900s. Recently, several lines of evidence have converged to show that retinoic acid (RA), a major oxidative metabolite of vitamin A, plays a key role in the differentiation of T cell subsets, the migration of ...