Vitamin C and B3 as new biomaterials to alter intestinal stem cells

Perspectives About Ascorbic Acid to Treat Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

It is known that reactive oxygen species cause abnormal immune responses in the gut during inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Therefore, oxidative stress has been theorized as an agent of IBD development and antioxidant compounds such as vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) have been studied as a new tool to treat IBD. Therefore, the potential of vitamin C to treat IBD was reviewed here as a critical discussion about this field and guide future research. Indeed, some preclinical studies have shown the beneficial effects of vitamin C in models of ulcerative colitis in mice and clinical and experimental findings have shown that deficiency in this vitamin is associated with the development of IBD and its worsening. The main mechanisms that may be involved in the activity of ascorbic acid in IBD include its well-established role as an antioxidant, but also others diversified actions. However, some experimental studies employed high doses of vitamin C and most of them did not perform dose-response curves and neither determined the minimum effective dose nor the ED50. Allometric extrapolations were also not made. Also, clinical studies on the subject are still in their infancy. Therefore, it is suggested that the research agenda in this matter covers experimental studies that assess the effective, safe, and translational doses, as well as the appropriate administration route and its action mechanism. After that, robust clinical trials to increase knowledge about the role of ascorbic acid deficiency in IBD patients and the effects of their supplementation in these patients can be encouraged.

Study Transportation of Drugs within Newly Established Murine Colon Organoid Systems

The development of 3D organoids of the small intestine is a tremendous breakthrough in drug development and biological research. However, the development of colonic organoids (i.e., colonoids) is particularly challenging due to a lack of simple, cost-effective protocols for colonoid cultivation. Here, intestinal homogenates are described as a supplement to the culture medium for maintaining and replicating colonic stem cells. Colonoids generated by this cultivation protocol demonstrate substantial proliferation and differentiation (3 months). There is a similarity between cultured colonoids and primary colon tissue regarding structure and functionality. To evaluate the functionality of colonoids, permeability testing is performed with suspensions of 4 and 40 kDa fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (FITC-DEX). It is observed that neither can permeate the healthy epithelial barrier. The P-glycoprotein receptor, a vital drug efflux pump mitigating potential drug toxicity, is functionally manipulated, as evidenced by its inhibition function by verapamil and monitoring uptake of Rhodamin 123. In addition, Forskolin treatment which affects chloride transport results in organoid swelling; this confirms the functional expression of the CFTR transporter in the colonoids. This protocol to generate colonoids is promising for high-throughput drug screening, toxicity testing, and oral drug development.

Intestinal organoids: A thriving and powerful tool for investigating dietary nutrients-intestinal homeostasis axis

Dietary nutrients regulate intestinal homeostasis through a variety of complex mechanisms, to affect the host health. Nowadays, various models have been used to investigate the dietary nutrients-intestinal homeostasis axis. Different from the limited flux in animal experiments, limited intestinal cell types and distorted simulation of intestinal environment of 2D cells, intestinal organoid (IO) is a 3D culture system of mini-gut with various intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) and producibility of intestinal biology. Therefore, IOs is a powerful tool to evaluate dietary nutrients-intestinal homeostasis interaction. This review summarized the application of IOs in the investigation of mechanisms for macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and fats) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) affecting intestinal homeostasis directly or indirectly (polysaccharides-intestinal bacteria, proteins-amino acids). In addition, new perspectives of IOs in combination with advanced biological techniques and their applications in precise nutrition were proposed.

Combined analysis of plasma metabolome and intestinal microbiome sequencing to explore jiashen prescription and its potential role in changing intestine–heart axis and effect on chronic heart failure

Background

Heart failure (HF) is a syndrome with global clinical and socioeconomic burden worldwide owing to its poor prognosis. Jiashen Prescription (JSP), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, exhibits unambiguous effects on treating HF. Previously, we have reported that underlying mechanisms of JSP by an untargeted metabolomics approach, but the contribution of gut microbiota and metabolic interaction to the cardioprotective efficacy of JSP remains to be elucidated.

Materials and methods

Firstly, the rat model of heart failure was established by the permanent ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. The efficacy evaluation of JSP in treating HF rats was per-formed by left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Then, 16S rRNA gene sequencing and LC/MS-based metabolomic analysis were utilized to explore the characteristics of cecal-contents microecology and plasma metabolic profile, respectively. After that, the correlation between intestinal micro-ecological characteristics and plasma metabolic characteristics was analyzed to explore the potential mechanism of the JSP treatment in HF.

Results

JSP could improve the cardiac function of heart failure rats and thus ameliorate heart failure via enhancing rat LVEF. Results of intestinal flora analysis revealed that JSP not only adjusted gut microbiota disturbances by enriching species diversity, reducing the abundance of pathogenic bacteria (such as Allobaculum, Brevinema), as well as increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria (such as Lactobacillus, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group), but also improved metabolic disorders by reversing metabolite plasma levels to normality. Through the conjoint analysis of 8 metabolites and the OTUs relative abundance data in the 16srRNA sequencing results by WGCNA method, 215 floras significantly related to the eight compounds were identified. The results of the correlation analysis demonstrated a significant association between intestinal microbiota and plasma metabolic profile, especially the significant correlation of Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014 and Protoporphyrin IX, Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005, Christensenellaceae_R-7_group and nicotinamide, dihydrofolic acid.

Conclusion

The present study illustrated the underlying mechanism of JSP to treat heart failure by affecting intestinal flora and plasma metabolites, provide a potential therapeutic strategy against heart failure.

Towards early detection of neurodegenerative diseases: A gut feeling

The gastrointestinal tract communicates with the nervous system through a bidirectional network of signaling pathways called the gut-brain axis, which consists of multiple connections, including the enteric nervous system, the vagus nerve, the immune system, endocrine signals, the microbiota, and its metabolites. Alteration of communications in the gut-brain axis is emerging as an overlooked cause of neuroinflammation. Neuroinflammation is a common feature of the pathogenic mechanisms involved in various neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) that are incurable and debilitating conditions resulting in progressive degeneration and death of neurons, such as in Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases. NDs are a leading cause of global death and disability, and the incidences are expected to increase in the following decades if prevention strategies and successful treatment remain elusive. To date, the etiology of NDs is unclear due to the complexity of the mechanisms of diseases involving genetic and environmental factors, including diet and microbiota. Emerging evidence suggests that changes in diet, alteration of the microbiota, and deregulation of metabolism in the intestinal epithelium influence the inflammatory status of the neurons linked to disease insurgence and progression. This review will describe the leading players of the so-called diet-microbiota-gut-brain (DMGB) axis in the context of NDs. We will report recent findings from studies in model organisms such as rodents and fruit flies that support the role of diets, commensals, and intestinal epithelial functions as an overlooked primary regulator of brain health. We will finish discussing the pivotal role of metabolisms of cellular organelles such as mitochondria and peroxisomes in maintaining the DMGB axis and how alteration of the latter can be used as early disease makers and novel therapeutic targets.

Unveiling of dietary and gut-microbiota derived B vitamins: Metabolism patterns and their synergistic functions in gut-brain homeostasis

Nutrition-gut cross-talk holds a vital position in sustaining intestinal function, and micronutrient metabolism has emerged as the foremost metabolic pathway to preserve gut homeostasis. Among micronutrients, B vitamins have evolved prior to DNA/RNA and are known for their vital roles for major evolutionary transitions in extant organisms. Despite their universal requirement and critical role, not all the three domains of life are endowed with a natural ability for de novo B vitamins synthesis. The human gut microbiome constitutes prototrophs and auxotroph which are entirely dependent on dietary intake and gut microbial production of B vitamins. The syntrophic metabolism involving cross-feeding of B vitamins and community-wide exchange between commensal bacteria elicit important changes in the diversity and composition of the human gut microbiome. Hereto, we discuss the B-vitamins sharing among prototrophic and auxotrophic gut bacteria, their absorption in small intestine and transport in distal gut, functional role in relation to the gut homeostasis and symptoms linked to their deficiency. We also briefly explore their potential involvement as psychobiotics in brain energetic metabolism (kynurenines/tryptophan pathway) for neurological functions and highlight their deficiency related malfunctioning.

B Vitamins and Their Roles in Gut Health

B vitamins act as coenzymes in a myriad of cellular reactions. These include energy production, methyl donor generation, neurotransmitter synthesis, and immune functions. Due to the ubiquitous roles of these vitamins, their deficiencies significantly affect the host’s metabolism. Recently, novel roles of B vitamins in the homeostasis of gut microbial ecology and intestinal health continue to be unravelled. This review focuses on the functional roles and biosynthesis of B vitamins and how these vitamins influence the growth and proliferation of the gut microbiota. We have identified the gut bacteria that can produce vitamins, and their biosynthetic mechanisms are presented. The effects of B vitamin deficiencies on intestinal morphology, inflammation, and its effects on intestinal disorders are also discussed.

Recent Advances in Water-Soluble Vitamins Delivery Systems Prepared by Mechanical Processes (Electrospinning and Spray-Drying Techniques) for Food and Nutraceuticals Applications-A Review

Water-soluble vitamins are essential micronutrients in diets and crucial to biochemical functions in human body physiology. These vitamins are essential for healthy diets and have a preventive role against diseases. However, their limitations associated with high sensitivity against external conditions (temperature, light, pH, moisture, oxygen) can lead to degradation during processing and storage. In this context, microencapsulation may overcome these conditions, protecting a biomolecule’s bioavailability, stability, and effectiveness of delivery. This technique has been used to produce delivery systems based on polymeric agents that surround the active compounds. The present review focuses on the most relevant topics of water-soluble vitamin encapsulation using promising methods to produce delivery vehicles—electrohydrodynamic (electrospinning and electrospraying) and spray-drying techniques. An overview of the suitable structures produced by these processes is provided. The review introduces the general principles of the methods, advantages, disadvantages, and involved parameters. A brief list of the used physicochemical techniques for the systems’ characterization is discussed in this review. Electrospinning and spray-drying techniques are the focus of this investigation in order to guarantee vitamins’ bioaccessibility and bioavailability. Recent studies and the main encapsulating agents used for these micronutrients in both processes applied to functional food and nutraceutical areas are highlighted in this review.

Recent developments in bio-scaffold materials as delivery strategies for therapeutics for endometrium regeneration

Intrauterine adhesions (IUAs) refer to the repair disorder after endometrial injury and may lead to uterine infertility, recurrent miscarriage, abnormal menstrual bleeding, and other obstetric complications. It is a pressing public health issue among women of childbearing age. Presently, there are limited clinical treatments for IUA, and there is no sufficient evidence that these treatment modalities can effectively promote regeneration after severe endometrial injury or improve pregnancy outcome. The inhibitory pathological micro-environment is the main factor hindering the repair of endometrial damaged tissues. To address this, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine have been achieving promising developments. Particularly, biomaterials have been used to load stem cells or therapeutic factors or construct an in situ delivery system as a treatment strategy for endometrial injury repair. This article comprehensively discusses the characteristics of various bio-scaffold materials and their application as stem cell or therapeutic factor delivery systems constructed for uterine tissue regeneration.

Vitamin C Deficiency and the Risk of Osteoporosis in Patients with an Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Recent research studies have shown that vitamin C (ascorbic acid) may affect bone mineral density and that a deficiency of ascorbic acid leads to the development of osteoporosis. Patients suffering from an inflammatory bowel disease are at a risk of low bone mineral density. It is vital to notice that patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis also are at risk of vitamin C deficiency which is due to factors such as reduced consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits, i.e., the main sources of ascorbic acid. Additionally, some patients follow diets which may provide an insufficient amount of vitamin C. Moreover, serum vitamin C level also is dependent on genetic factors, such as SLC23A1 and SLC23A2 genes, encoding sodium-dependent vitamin C transporters and GSTM1, GSTP1 and GSTT1 genes which encode glutathione S-transferases. Furthermore, ascorbic acid may modify the composition of gut microbiota which plays a role in the pathogenesis of an inflammatory bowel disease.

Advances in the Application of Biomimetic Endometrium Interfaces for Uterine Bioengineering in Female Infertility

The Asherman’s syndrome, also known as intrauterine adhesion, often follows endometrium injuries resulting from dilation and curettage, hysteroscopic resection, and myomectomy as well as infection. It often leads to scarring formation and female infertility. Pathological changes mainly include gland atrophy, lack of vascular stromal tissues and hypoxia and anemia microenvironment in the adhesion areas. Surgical intervention, hormone therapy and intrauterine device implantation are the present clinical treatments for Asherman’s syndrome. However, they do not result in functional endometrium recovery or pregnancy rate improvement. Instead, an increasing number of researches have paid attention to the reconstruction of biomimetic endometrium interfaces with advanced tissue engineering technology in recent decades. From micro-scale cell sheet engineering and cell-seeded biological scaffolds to nano-scale extracellular vesicles and bioactive molecule delivery, biomimetic endometrium interfaces not only recreate physiological multi-layered structures but also restore an appropriate nutritional microenvironment by increasing vascularization and reducing immune responses. This review comprehensively discusses the advances in the application of novel biocompatible functionalized endometrium interface scaffolds for uterine tissue regeneration in female infertility.

Probucol-poly(meth)acrylate-bile acid nanoparticles increase IL-10, and primary bile acids in prediabetic mice

Aim: Common features in insulin-resistance diabetes include inflammation and liver damage due to bile acid accumulation. Results & methodology: This study aimed to test in vivo pharmacological effects of combining two drugs, ursodeoxycholic acid that has bile acid regulatory effects, and probucol (PB) that has potent anti-oxidative stress effects, using a new poly(meth)acrylate nano-targeting formulation on prediabetic mice. Mice were made diabetic and were fed daily with either PB, nanoencapsulated PB or nanoencapsulated PB-ursodeoxycholic acid before blood, tissues, urine and feces were collected for inflammation and bile acid measurements. The nanoencapsulated PB-ursodeoxycholic acid formulation increased plasma IL-10, and increased the concentration of primary bile acids in the liver and heart. Conclusion: Results suggest potential applications in regulating IL-10 in insulin-resistance prediabetes.

Bovine pericardium membrane, gingival stem cells, and ascorbic acid: a novel team in regenerative medicine

Recently, the development and the application of 3D scaffold able to promote stem cell differentiation represented an essential field of interest in regenerative medicine. In particular, functionalized scaffolds improve bone tissue formation and promote bone defects repair. This research aims to evaluate the role of ascorbic acid (AS) supplementation in an in vitro model, in which a novel 3D-scaffold, bovine pericardium collagen membrane called BioRipar (BioR) was functionalized with human Gingival Mesenchymal Stem Cells (hGMSCs). As extensively reported in the literature, AS is an essential antioxidant molecule involved in the extracellular matrix secretion and in the osteogenic induction. Specifically, hGMSCs were seeded on BioR and treated with 60 and 90 μg/mL of AS in order to assess their growth behavior, the expression of bone specific markers involved in osteogenesis (runt-related transcription factor 2, RUNX2; collagen1A1, COL1A1; osteopontin, OPN; bone morphogenetic protein2/4, BMP2/4), and de novo deposition of calcium. The expression of COL1A1, RUNX2, BMP2/4 and OPN was evaluated by RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunocytochemistry, and proved to be upregulated. Our results demonstrate that after three weeks of treatment AS at 60 and 90 μg/mL operates as an osteogenic inductor in hGMSCs. These data indicate that the AS supplementation produces an enhancement of osteogenic phenotype commitment in an in vitro environment. For this reason, AS could represent a valid support for basic and translational research in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.