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    Certain GI Bacteria leverage the Immune system to Decrease the Severity of Stroke

    March 28, 2016, Categories  Biology/Biotechnology, Health/Medical

    Immune cells (green) assemble in the outer coverings of a mouse's brain, called the meninges, protecting it from a stroke's full force. Gut bacteria modified the immune' cells behavior to elicit that protective response. Credit: Corinne Benakis

    Immune cells (green) assemble in the outer coverings of a mouse’s brain, called the meninges, protecting it from a stroke’s full force. Gut bacteria modified the immune’ cells behavior to elicit that protective response. Credit: Corinne Benakis

    New research from Weill Cornell Medicine can help mitigate stroke – the second leading cause of death worldwide. In the study mice received a combination of antibiotics. 2 weeks later, ischemic stroke was induced in them. Mice treated with antibiotics experienced a stroke that was about 60% smaller than rodents that did not receive the medication. The microbial environment in the gut directed the immune cells there to protect the brain from the stroke’s full force.

    Modifying the microbiotic makeup of the gut can become an innovative method to preven...

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    Gut Microbes influence Platelet function, risk of Thrombosis

    March 10, 2016, Categories  Biology/Biotechnology, Health/Medical

    Highlights •Elevated TMAO levels predict incident risk for thrombotic events in human subjects •TMAO enhances sub-maximal stimulus-dependent platelet activation •Dietary choline, gut microbes, and TMAO are linked to thrombotic potential in vivo •Microbial transplantation shows that thrombosis potential is a transmissible trait

    Highlights •Elevated TMAO levels predict incident risk for thrombotic events in human subjects •TMAO enhances sub-maximal stimulus-dependent platelet activation •Dietary choline, gut microbes, and TMAO are linked to thrombotic potential in vivo •Microbial transplantation shows that thrombosis potential is a transmissible trait

    TMAO – gut byproduct of animal-rich diets – encourages over-reactive platelet function, increasing thrombosis risk. In a combination of both clinical studies of over 4,000 patients and animal model studies, Cleveland Clinic researchers have demonstrated – for the first time – that gut microbes alter platelet function and risk of blood clot-related illnesses like heart attack and stroke.

    When the nutrient choline –which is abundant in animal products like meat...

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    How a Waste Product of Exercise Protects Neurons from Trauma Damage

    February 21, 2016, Categories  Biology/Biotechnology, Health/Medical

    (1) Excessive glutamate activity triggers a strong influx of calcium (Ca2+) into the neuron through NMDA receptors, which leads to cell death. (2) Lactate is transported into the neuron and (3) converted to pyruvate by the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). (4) Pyruvate is then transported into mitochondria by the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) where it generates ATP. (5) ATP is then released through pannexins and activates the receptor P2Y, which (6) activates the PI3K pathway. (7) This triggers the opening of potassium channels (K+), which causes the neuron to hyperpolarize, decreasing the neuron's excitability, and thus protecting it from excitotoxic damage.

    (1) Excessive glutamate activity triggers a strong influx of calcium (Ca2+) into the neuron through NMDA receptors, which leads to cell death. (2) Lactate is transported into the neuron and (3) converted to pyruvate by the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). (4) Pyruvate is then transported into mitochondria by the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) where it generates ATP. (5) ATP is then released through pannexins and activates the receptor P2Y, which (6) activates the PI3K pathway. (7) This triggers the opening of potassium channels (K+), which causes the neuron to hyperpolarize, decreasing the neuron’s excitability, and thus protecting it from excitotoxic damage.

    Researchers led by EPFL have found how lactate, a waste product of glucose metabolism can protect neurons from damage follo...

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    Cellular Functions underlying Inflammation, Chronic disease found

    August 27, 2015, Categories  Biology/Biotechnology, Health/Medical

    Tom1 Modulates Binding of Tollip to Phosphatidylinositol 3-Phosphate via a Coupled Folding and Binding Mechanism

    Tom1 Modulates Binding of Tollip to Phosphatidylinositol 3-Phosphate via a Coupled Folding and Binding Mechanism •Tollip TBD is a disordered domain that partially folds when bound to Tom1 GAT •Tom1 GAT also directly binds to the Tollip C2 domain •Binding of Tom1 to Tollip inhibits binding of Tollip to PtdIns(3)P •Tollip TBD plays a major role in Tom1’s inhibitory function

    It has important implications for Rx of allergies, heart disease, cancer types. The discovery explains how 2 particular proteins, Tollip and Tom1, work together to contribute to the turnover of cell-surface receptor proteins that trigger inflammation...

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