Dietary supplementation with rutin has pro-/anti-inflammatory effects in the liver of juvenile GIFT tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus

Dietary supplementation with rutin may have some pharmacological qualities including anti-inflammatory effects. Kupffer cell activation resulted in increased transcription of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the pro- and anti-inflammatory activities in juvenile freshwater tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, in response to 0.1 or 0.3 g/kg dietary supplementation of rutin. Results showed that hepatic IgM, anti-inflammatory-cytokines, and pro-inflammatory cytokines were significantly decreased in groups treated with high doses of rutin. Hepatic IgM and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10 and IFN-γ) transcripts were significantly decreased, whereas the transcripts of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNFα and IL-1β were significantly decreased, whereas IL-8 was significantly increased. The number of Kupffer cells in rutin-treated groups was significantly decreased, and scanning electron micrographs showed that rutin enriched the number of gut microvilli and secretion pits. With the phenomena of cell apoptosis occurred in the rutin groups, the present study demonstrated that optimum levels of rutin may be beneficial but excessive level may cause liver impairment, which may be absorbed by the gut and then transported to the liver.

[Synthesis and identification of rutin complete antigen and analysis its immunogenicity]

OBJECTIVE

Synthesis and identification of complete antigen of rutin, the traditional Chinese medicine active ingredient, and develop rapid detection of rutin using enzyme-linked immunoassay method (ELISA). Immunogenicity of the complete antigen was also studied.

METHOD

Prepare the complete antigen by sodium periodate solution and identified by UV scanning and SDS-PAGE test. Male New Zealand white rabbits were immunized by the antigen to obtain the antiserum.

RESULT

The results of UV analysis showed that the coupling ratio of complete antigen is 13: 1. SDS-PAGE display of the artificial antigen was delayed compared with bovine serum protein. The titer of rutin antibody is 1:4 000. The sensitivity of IC50 was 5.37 mg x L(-1), the lowest detection limit was 1 mg x L(-1), the average recovery was 102%, the intra and interspecific RSD were less than 10%, cross-reactivity rate of antibodies and other analogs were less than 1%.

CONCLUSION

Rutin complete antigen was synthesized successfully, and the rapid detection of rutin by ELISA method was successfully established.

Where do the immunostimulatory effects of oral proteolytic enzymes (‘systemic enzyme therapy’) come from? Microbial proteolysis as a possible starting point

Enteric-coated proteolytic enzyme preparations like Wobenzym and Phlogenzym are widely used for the so-called 'systemic enzyme therapy' both in humans and animals. Numerous publications reveal that oral proteolytic enzymes are able to stimulate directly the activity of immune competent cells as well as to increase efficiency of some of their products. But origins of the immunostimulatory effects of oral proteolytic enzymes are still unclear. The hypothesis described here suggests that it may be proteolysis of intestinal microorganisms that makes the immune competent cells to work in the immunostimulatory manner. The hypothesis was largely formed by several scientific observations: First, microbial lysis products (lipopolysaccharides, muropeptides and other peptidoglycan fragments, beta-glucans, etc.) are well known for their immunostimulatory action. Second, a normal human being hosts a mass of intestinal microorganisms equivalent to about 1 kg. The biomass (mainly due to naturally occurring autolysis) continuously supplies the host's organism with immunostimulatory microbial cell components. Third, the immunostimulatory effects resulting from the oral application of exogenously acting antimicrobial (lytic) enzyme preparations, such as lysozyme and lysosubtilin, are likely to be a result of the action of microbial lysis products. Fourth, cell walls of most microorganisms contain a considerable amount of proteins/peptides, a possible target for exogenous proteolytic enzymes. In fact, several authors have already shown that a number of proteases possess an ability to lyse the microbial cells in vitro. Fifth, the pretreatment of microbial cells (at least of some species) in vitro with proteolytic enzymes makes them more sensitive to the lytic action of lysozyme and, otherwise, pretreatment with lysozyme makes them more susceptible to proteolytic degradation. Sixth, exogenous proteases, when in the intestines, may participate in final steps of food-protein digestion. The resulting food-borne peptides have recently been shown to be potential activators of microbial autolysis. The main question that needs to be answered in order to verify the hypothesis is whether oral proteases are able (and to what extent) to lyse/mediate lysis of intestinal microorganisms in situ. Methods based on up-to-date molecular biology techniques to allow investigation of the influence of exogenous proteases on microbial lysis processes in vivo (in the intestines) need to be developed. Research testing of this hypothesis may have an important impact in development of novel preparations for the systemic enzyme therapy.

Polyphenolic antioxidants enhance IgE production

Epidemiological data showed that total IgE and IL-4 levels in cigarette smokers were elevated, comparable to those in the asthmatics. The etiological agent(s) elevating IgE production are not clear. We evaluate whether tobacco polyphenols potentiate IgE production in a rodent model. Mice were fed with rutin or CGA in drinking water during antigen sensitization, followed by antigenic challenge i.p. in alum. CGA and rutin were also delivered in a bolus intraperitoneally or intranasally along with antigens during immunization. Antigen-specific IgE and IgG responses were measured. Enhancement of total IgE responses via i.p. and drinking routes can be achieved at concentrations as low as 0.1% CGA. Furthermore, IgG1 responses but not IgG2a and IgG2b were augmented, indicating a Th2 type of response by CGA. Moreover, both antigen-specific and serum IgE production can be achieved when CGA and antigenic challenges were delivered intranasally in the absence of alum. In contrast, nicotine does not enhance antigen-specific IgE production, and only marginally affects serum IgE levels. The more polarized Th2 development in CGA-treated mice may account for enhancement of both antigen-specific and total IgE responses. High levels of IL-4 but not IFN-gamma or IL-12, were observed in antigen-challenged mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) cultures from CGA-treated mice. In contrast, significant levels of IL-4, IL-12, and IFN-gamma were observed in antigen-challenged cultures from nicotine-treated mice. This study shows that tobacco polyphenols, CGA and rutin potentiated IgE production in vivo. Polyphenolic antioxidants enhance Th2 development. We propose that IgE production and T cell dichotomy may be critically influenced by the redox microenvironment. Enhanced Th2 development and IgE production henceforth may counteract more severe Th1-mediated tissue damage triggered by environmental oxidative stress.

Cianidanol and its metabolites bind tightly to red cells and are responsible for the production of auto- and/or drug-dependent antibodies against these cells

Cianidanol ((+)-2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3, 5, 7-chromantriol) is a flavonoid which has been associated with severe immune haemolysis by as yet unclear mechanisms. We report six patients who developed haemolysis while receiving the drug. The disorder was episodic in all patients and resolved after discontinuing the drug. The causative antibodies could be demonstrated in all six cases, even when the haemolytic episode was more than 1 year prior to this study. One patient had developed drug-independent IgG autoantibodies, another simultaneously developed autoantibodies and drug-dependent antibodies (ddab) of the IgG class, while the remaining four patients had only ddab of the IgM and/or the IgG classes. All ddab were reactive with red blood cells (RBC) in the presence of the drug and/or its metabolites (ex vivo antigens), and, quite unexpectedly, also with RBC coated with the drug (metabolites) in vitro or in vivo. This reactivity did not change either by preincubating the antibodies with the drug or by adding large amounts of the drug to the mixture of drug-coated cells plus antibody. It seems that the stable association of cianidanol with RBC generates antigenic sites against which a heterogeneous immune response is elicited giving rise to long-lasting drug-dependent antibodies as well as autoantibodies.

Activation of factor XII by tobacco glycoprotein

A glycoprotein of mol wt ca. 18,000 daltons isolated from cured tobacco leaves (TGP-L) and from cigarette smoke condensate (TGP-CSC) activated factor XII in normal human plasma in vitro as measured by (a) shortening of the partial thromboplastin time, (b) shortening of the lysis time of euglobulin clots, and (c) generation of kinin activity. These effects were not demonstrable in plasma deficient in factor XII. The capacity of TGP-L and TGP-CSC to activate factor XII was shown to depend on the presence of rutin, a substance chemically similar to quercetin and ellagic acid, which are known activators of factor XII. Rutin and rutin coupled to bovine serum albumin, but not bovine serum albumin alone, were also demonstrated to activate factor XII. The presence in cigarette smoke of material that is both allergenic and capable of activating factor XII of the intrinsic pathway of coagulatin may be important to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular and pulmonary disease associated with cigarette smoking.