Influence of indigenous microbiota on activities of alkaline phosphatase, phosphodiesterase I, and thymidine kinase in mouse enterocytes

Normal to cancer microbiome transformation and its implication in cancer diagnosis

Microbial communities coexisting with humans are collectively known as microbiome. It influences almost every aspect of an individual's body function. Microbiome is idiosyncratic for body condition and its alteration is indicative for several abnormalities. This article discusses about recent ideas for developing microbiology based cancer indicators using alterations in microbiome. It is noteworthy that large exploratory studies are required to identify cancer indicator microorganisms from complex and diverse microbiome constituents. This complexity also warrants that these markers should be used in conjunction with other routine cancer indicators. The present article concludes that such studies can spur development of novel microbiome based cancer diagnostics.

Intestinal mucin dynamic and leukocytic responses of chickens infected with Eimeria acervulina and fed oregano supplemented diet

We studied the effect of oregano supplemented diet on mucin dynamics in small intestine, peripheral blood leukocytes, and jejunal immunocompetent cells in ROSS 308 hybrid broilers infected withEimeria acervulinachickens’ oocyst. From the day of hatching chicks of groups 1 and 2 were fed a commercial diet without anticoccidial drug, the diet of group 3 was supplemented with oregano (0.707g·kg-1), and that of group 4 with anticoccidial drug (Robenidin hydrochloride – 33 mg·kg-1). Chickens of groups 2, 3, and 4 were inoculated withE. acervulinaoocysts (25.103) on day 12. The samples were collected on 3, 10, 17 days post infection (dpi). In blood on 3 dpi significant increase of leukocytes was found in group 3 compared to groups 1, 2, and 4, higher density of IgM+ cells in group 3 than group 2, and on 10 dpi phagocytic activity of group 3 was higher than group 1. Number of jejunal CD4+ and CD8+ cells in group 3 was consistent with values in group 4, despite higher density ofE. acervulinameronts on 10 dpi. The quantity of jejunal mucin adherent layer of group 3 was similar to that in group 4. Counts of oocysts in faeces were lower in group 3 than group 2. Results suggest that dietary supplementation of oregano to chickens infected withE. acervulinahas a modulating effect on some blood indicators and functions of phagocytes. The beneficial effect of oregano components on jejunal mucin quantity and its turnover is the first finding published in relation to oregano and coccidia.

Intestinal alkaline phosphatase: multiple biological roles in maintenance of intestinal homeostasis and modulation by diet

The diverse nature of intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) functions has remained elusive, and it is only recently that four additional major functions of IAP have been revealed. The present review analyzes the earlier literature on the dietary factors modulating IAP activity in light of these new findings. IAP regulates lipid absorption across the apical membrane of enterocytes, participates in the regulation of bicarbonate secretion and of duodenal surface pH, limits bacterial transepithelial passage, and finally controls bacterial endotoxin-induced inflammation by dephosphorylation, thus detoxifying intestinal lipopolysaccharide. Many dietary components, including fat, protein, and carbohydrate, modulate IAP expression or activity and may be combined to sustain a high level of IAP activity. In conclusion, IAP has a pivotal role in intestinal homeostasis and its activity could be increased through the diet. This is especially true in pathological situations (e.g., inflammatory bowel diseases) in which the involvement of commensal bacteria is suspected and when intestinal AP is too low to detoxify a sufficient amount of bacterial lipopolysaccharide.

Effect of Sage Extract on Alkaline Phosphatase, Enterocyte Proliferative Activity and Growth Performance in Chickens

The effects of sage extract on the activity of intestinal alkaline phosphatase (AP), proliferative ability of enterocytes, and growth performance in chickens were studied during 42 days of the experiment under commercial conditions. A significant increase of body weight gain was found in chickens fed with sage extract in the grower period (17-29 days of age) and in the finisher period (30-42 day of age). Total serum proteins were significantly (p< 0.05) increased at 29 days of age in animals treated with sage extract. A significant (p< 0.001) decrease in activity of intestinal AP was demonstrated on 29 and 42 days in animals fed with sage extract complemented diet. Proliferative activity of enterocytes was increased (p< 0.01) in the finisher period along the duodenal villi in animals treated with sage extract. We conclude that the higher growth performance was probably due to improved endogenous secretion of the liver as a consequence of increased total proteins mainly in the grower period. Decreased activity of intestinal alkaline phosphatase was not in correlation with proliferative ability of enterocytes and the lower activity of AP could be influenced by improved digestion of lipids.

Bifidobacterium bifidum monoassociation of gnotobiotic mice: effect on enterocyte brush-border enzymes

The effect of intestinal colonization with Bifidobacterium bifidum (Gram-positive anaerobic bacterium colonizing the intestine of healthy new-born mammals, exhibiting a probiotic effect, protecting the intestinal mucosa against colonization by pathogenic microflora) on enterocyte brush-border enzymes was examined in weaned 23-d- and in 2-month-old gnotobiotic inbred mice and compared with that in corresponding germ-free (GF) and conventional (CV) controls. The two groups of GF mice were associated with human B. bifidum 11 d before the end of the experiment. Specific activity of enterocyte brush-border enzymes--lactase, alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase was significantly higher in both age groups of GF mice in comparison with CV ones; on the other hand, sucrase and glucoamylase activities were higher in CV mice. Monoassociation with B. bifidum accelerates biochemical maturation of enterocytes resulting in a shift of specific activities of brush-border enzymes between the values found for GF and CV mice. This effect of B. bifidum supplementation was less pronounced for alkaline phosphatase, sucrase, glucoamylase and dipeptidyl peptidase i.v. in immature gut of weaned mice than of 2-month-old ones.

Stability of enterocytes and certain enzymatic activities in suspensions of cells from the villous tip to the crypt of Lieberkühn of the mouse small intestine

A series of studies in this laboratory have focused on how an indigenous microbiota influences the activities of alkaline phosphatase, phosphodiesterase I, and thymidine kinase in the enterocytes of the upper small intestine of mice. To draw conclusions about the role of the microflora in determining levels of enzymatic activity, we found it necessary to develop a procedure by which cell suspensions could be obtained containing enterocytes isolated sequentially from the villous tip to the crypt of Lieberkühn. The procedure was modified from the one developed for rats by Weiser (J. Biol. Chem. 248:2536-2541, 1973), involved a minimum number of interfering factors (e.g., proteolytic enzymes and mechanical agitation), and worked reproducibly for mice. During development of the procedure, some variables affecting the assays of the enzymes known to be present in enterocytes were also explored. Rods to which were tied everted segments of gut were incubated in a series of tubes containing a solution of EDTA the concentration of which was changed from 1.5 to 5.0 mM, thus giving a greater yield of enterocytes at every step. The cells incubating in the chelating solution were most stable when 0.23 M sucrose was included in the EDTA solutions. Success in assaying enzymatic activities in the cell suspensions depended on (i) how the cells were isolated, (ii) the assay procedure for thymidine kinase, and (iii) whether cellular suspensions or extracts were assayed.