Recent Comments

    inflammatory bowel disease tagged posts

    Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles can exacerbate Colitis

    July 19, 2017, Categories  Chemistry/Nanotechnology, Biology/Biotechnology

    Administration of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles aggravates colitis in the dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) mouse model of acute colitis through activation of the nucleotide-binding oligomerisation domain receptor, pyrin domain containing (NLRP)3 inflammasome.

    Administration of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles aggravates colitis in the dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) mouse model of acute colitis through activation of the nucleotide-binding oligomerisation domain receptor, pyrin domain containing (NLRP)3 inflammasome.

    Titanium dioxide, one of the most-produced nanoparticles worldwide, is being used increasingly in foodstuffs. When intestinal cells absorb titanium dioxide particles, this leads to increased inflammation and damage to the intestinal mucosa in mice with colitis. Researchers at the University of Zurich recommend that patients with colitis should avoid food containing titanium dioxide particles.

    The frequency of inflammatory bowel disease like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis has been on the rise in many Western countries for d...

    Read More

    New Potential Treatment Target for Inflammatory Bowel Disease patients

    April 5, 2017, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    Inflamed mouse colon mucosa, with an expanded population of intestinal stromal cells identified by expression of podoplanin (green). Epithelium is identified by expression of EpCAM (magenta); cyan, nuclei. Credit: Dr. Samuel Bullers

    Inflamed mouse colon mucosa, with an expanded population of intestinal stromal cells identified by expression of podoplanin (green). Epithelium is identified by expression of EpCAM (magenta); cyan, nuclei. Credit: Dr. Samuel Bullers

    Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology and Translational Gastroenterology Unit, University of Oxford have identified a potential therapeutic target for IBD. The findings are of particular importance to the 40% of patients who don’t respond to anti-TNF therapy, the current treatment option available. The new study published in Nature Medicine shows that IBD patients have higher concentrations of Oncostatin M (OSM), a protein linked to inflammation, in their intestine and suggest that blocking OSM could prove to be a successful treatment for IBD.

    The research also sho...

    Read More
    Single treatment with curli fibres ameliorates TNBS colitis. Colitis was induced in 6–8-week female Balb/c (n=6–7) mice by intrarectal instillation of 1% TNBS in 50% ethanol or 50% ethanol as a vehicle control. Day 1 post TNBS enema, mice were administered treatments as follows: 0.1 mg curli (oral), 0.4 mg curli (oral), 0.1 mg anti-TNFα (i.p.) or no treatment. (a) survival (n=6), (b) histopathological scores at day 6 post TNBS induction were plotted and (c) H&E images were taken. (d) Stool consistency scores were determined at day 3 post TNBS induction. It should be noted that larger areas of immune cell infiltration and lymphoid follicles in the submucosa was determined in the colonic tissue of mice treated with TNBS alone as compared with the groups that received curli treatment (*P<0.05; **P<0.01; ****P<0.0001). H&E, hematoxylin and eosin; i.p., intraperitoneal; TNBS, 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid; TNF, tumour necrosis factor; Tx, treatment.

    Single treatment with curli fibres ameliorates TNBS colitis. Colitis was induced in 6–8-week female Balb/c (n=6–7) mice by intrarectal instillation of 1% TNBS in 50% ethanol or 50% ethanol as a vehicle control. Day 1 post TNBS enema, mice were administered treatments as follows: 0.1 mg curli (oral), 0.4 mg curli (oral), 0.1 mg anti-TNFα (i.p.) or no treatment. (a) survival (n=6), (b) histopathological scores at day 6 post TNBS induction were plotted and (c) H&E images were taken. (d) Stool consistency scores were determined at day 3 post TNBS induction...

    Read More

    How does your microbiome grow?

    September 2, 2015, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    Bacterial growth rates computed with the new method are shown (top, average; bottom, for specific species, red represents faster replication) for a human subject that underwent a radical dietary change. Compared are days in which only white boiled rice was consumed (grey area) and days of normal diet (white area). A global change in bacterial growth dynamics was observed between dietary regimens. Credit: Weizmann Institute of Science

    Bacterial growth rates computed with the new method are shown (top, average; bottom, for specific species, red represents faster replication) for a human subject that underwent a radical dietary change. Compared are days in which only white boiled rice was consumed (grey area) and days of normal diet (white area). A global change in bacterial growth dynamics was observed between dietary regimens. Credit: Weizmann Institute of Science

    The reproduction rates of the bacteria in one’s gut may be a good indicator of health or disease, scientists say. In their examination of human microbiome data, the research group found that particular changes in bacterial growth rates are uniquely associated with type II diabetes; others are tied to inflammatory bowel disease, for example.
    The study began w...

    Read More