LPS, Oleuropein and Blueberry extracts affect the survival, morphology and Phosphoinositide signalling in stimulated human endothelial cells

PLC-CN-NFAT1 signaling-mediated Aβ and IL-1β crosstalk synergistically promotes hippocampal neuronal damage

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Neuronal calcium overload plays an important role in Aβ deposition and neuroinflammation, which are strongly associated with AD. However, the specific mechanisms by which calcium overload contributes to neuroinflammation and AD and the relationship between them have not been elucidated. Phospholipase C (PLC) is involved in regulation of calcium homeostasis, and CN-NFAT1 signaling is dependent on intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) to regulate transcription of genes. Therefore, we hypothesized that the PLC-CN-NFAT1 signaling might mediate the interaction between Aβ and inflammation to promote neuronal injury in AD. In this experiment, the results showed that the levels of Aβ, IL-1β and [Ca2+]i in the hippocampal primary neurons of APP/PS1 mice (APP neurons) were significantly increased. IL-1β exposure also significantly increased Aβ and [Ca2+]i in HT22 cells, suggesting a close association between Aβ and IL-1β in the development of AD. Furthermore, PLC activation induced significant calcium homeostasis imbalance, cell apoptosis, Aβ and ROS production, and significantly increased expressions of CN and NFAT1, while PLC inhibitor significantly reversed these changes in APP neurons and IL-1β-induced HT22 cells. Further results indicated that PLC activation significantly increased the expressions of NOX2, APP, BACE1, and NCSTN, which were inhibited by PLC inhibitor in APP neurons and IL-1β-induced HT22 cells. All indications point to a synergistic interaction between Aβ and IL-1β by activating the PLC-CN-NFAT1 signal, ultimately causing a vicious cycle, resulting in neuronal damage in AD. The study may provide a new idea and target for treatment of AD.

A new Schizophyllum commune strain as a potential biocontrol agent against blueberry root rot

In recent years, blueberry root rot has been caused mainly by Fusarium commune, and there is an urgent need for a green and efficient method to control this disease. To date, research on Schizophyllum commune has focused on antioxidant mechanisms, reactive dye degradation, etc., but the mechanism underlying the inhibition of pathogenic microorganisms is still unclear. Here, the control effects of S. commune on F. commune and blueberry root rot were studied using adversarial culture, tissue culture, and greenhouse pot experiments. The results showed that S. commune can dissolve insoluble phosphorus and secrete various extracellular hydrolases. The results of hyphal confrontation and fermentation broth antagonism experiments showed that S. commune had a significant inhibitory effect on F. commune, with inhibition rates of 70.30% and 22.86%, respectively. Microscopy results showed distortion of F. commune hyphae, indicating that S. commune is strongly parasitic. S. commune had a significant growth-promoting effect on blueberry tissue-cultured seedlings. After inoculation with S. commune, inoculation with the pathogenic fungus, or inoculation at a later time, the strain significantly reduced the root rot disease index in the potted blueberry seedlings, with relative control effects of 79.14% and 62.57%, respectively. In addition, S. commune G18 significantly increased the antioxidant enzyme contents in the aboveground and underground parts of potted blueberry seedlings. We can conclude that S. commune is a potential biocontrol agent that can be used to effectively control blueberry root rot caused by F. commune in the field.

The Effects of Blueberry Phytochemicals on Cell Models of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress

Blueberries have been extensively studied for the health benefits associated with their high phenolic content. The positive impact of blueberry consumption on human health is associated in part with modulation of proinflammatory molecular pathways and oxidative stress. Here, we review in vitro studies examining the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of blueberry phytochemicals, discuss the results in terms of relevance to disease and health, and consider how different blueberry components modulate cellular mechanisms. The dampening effects of blueberry-derived molecules on inflammation and oxidative stress in cell models have been demonstrated through downregulation of the NF-κB pathway and reduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation. The modulatory effects of blueberry phytochemicals on the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and antioxidant system are not as well described, with inconsistent observations reported on immune cells and between models of endothelial, dermal, and ocular inflammation. Although anthocyanins are often reported as being the main bioactive compound in blueberries, no individual phytochemical has emerged as the primary compound when different fractions are compared; rather, an effect of whole blueberry extracts or synergy between different phenolic and nonphenolic extracts seems apparent. The major molecular mechanisms of blueberry phytochemicals are increasingly defined in cell models, but their relevance in more complex human systems needs further investigation using well-controlled clinical trials, in which systemic exposures to blueberry-associated molecules are measured concurrently with physiologic indices of inflammation and oxidative stress.

Potential Effects of Phenolic Compounds That Can Be Found in Olive Oil on Wound Healing

The treatment of tissue damage produced by physical, chemical, or mechanical agents involves considerable direct and indirect costs to health care systems. Wound healing involves a series of molecular and cellular events aimed at repairing the defect in tissue integrity. These events can be favored by various natural agents, including the polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). The objective of this study was to review data on the potential effects of different phenolic compounds that can also be found in EVOO on wound healing and closure. Results of in vitro and animal studies demonstrate that polyphenols from different plant species, also present in EVOO, participate in different aspects of wound healing, accelerating this process through their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties and their stimulation of angiogenic activities required for granulation tissue formation and wound re-epithelialization. These results indicate the potential usefulness of EVOO phenolic compounds for wound treatment, either alone or in combination with other therapies. Human studies are warranted to verify this proposition.

Phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C in normal human liver and in alcohol abuse

The phosphoinositide (PI) signal transduction pathway participates in liver metabolism. Abnormal activity or expression of PI-specific phospholipase C (PLC) enzymes has been described in different liver diseases. We resume the role of the PI metabolism in liver and PLC abnormalities in different liver diseases. Moreover, we present the results of PLC analyses in a normal human liver and an alcohol-damaged liver. PLC enzymes and the expression of the corresponding genes in liver biopsies from individuals deceased for complications of the alcoholic liver disease (ALD) at different stages compared with normal controls (deceased individuals with histologically normal livers without alcohol addiction anamnesis) were analyzed by using immunohistochemistry and molecular biology techniques. The expression panel of PLCs was described in normal and alcohol abuse liver. Our observations suggest that the regulation of PLC expression might be due to posttranscriptional events and that alcohol affects the epigenetic control of PLC expression belonging to PI signaling. We also describe the alternate expression of PLCB1 and PLCH1 genes in liver. Our results corroborate literature data suggesting that PLC enzymes are differently expressed in normal versus pathological liver, playing a role in the histopathogenesis of liver tissue damage. The expression and/or localization of selected PLC isoforms is especially affected in alcohol-related liver tissue histopathology. Our present observations confirm that the modulation of protein synthesis plays a role in the regulation of PLC enzymes. We also suggest that this modulation might act at the transcription level. Further studies are required to investigate related epigenetic mechanisms.