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Anorexia is a major complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We postulated that chronic intestinal inflammation with increased proinflammatory cytokines elevates serum leptin concentration, thereby contributing to anorexia. This hypothesis was studied in interleukin-2--deficient (IL-[2.sup.-/-]) mice, a model of IBD with elevated proinflammatory cytokine production. IL-[2.sup.-/-], wild-type pair-fed and wild-type control male mice (8 wk old) were fed regular laboratory mouse food for 2 wk. The IL-[2.sup.-/-] and pair-fed groups consumed less food and lost weight. Serum leptin concentrations in the IL-[2.sup.-/-] mice in the fed state were lower than controls, but not different from pair-fed mice, and paradoxically increased in the starved state to levels significantly higher than both starved control and pair-fed groups; This result did not change when serum leptin was adjusted for amount of body fat. These data show abnormal leptin responses in IL-[2.sup.-/-] mice with increased leptin concentrations disproportionate to fat mass and prevention of the normal decline in leptin with food restriction. J. Nutr. 132: 893-896, 2002. KEY WORDS: * leptin * IL-2--deficient mice * inflammatory bowel disease * inflammation

1. Introduction 1.1. Periodontitis. Periodontitis is a highly prevalent, chronic immunoinflammatory disease of the periodontium that results in progressive loss of gingival tissue, the periodontal ligament, and adjacent supporting alveolar [...], Animal models and cell cultures have contributed new knowledge in biological sciences, including periodontology. Although cultured cells can be used to study physiological processes that occur during the pathogenesis of periodontitis, the complex host response fundamentally responsible for this disease cannot be reproduced in vitro. Among the animal kingdom, rodents, rabbits, pigs, dogs, and nonhuman primates have been used to model human periodontitis, each with advantages and disadvantages. Periodontitis commonly has been induced by placing a bacterial plaque retentive ligature in the gingival sulcus around the molar teeth. In addition, alveolar bone loss has been induced by inoculation or injection of human oral bacteria (e.g., Porphyromonas gingivalis)indifferent animal models. While animal models have provided a wide range of important data, it is sometimes difficult to determine whether the findings are applicable to humans. In addition, variability in host responses to bacterial infection among individuals contributes significantly to the expression of periodontal diseases. A practical and highly reproducible model that truly mimics the natural pathogenesis of human periodontal disease has yet to be developed.

Wnt proteins are intercellular signals that regulate various aspects of animal development. It is studied that two independent Wnt signaling pathways, one employing a Ryk receptor and the other Frizzled receptor, function in parallel to regulate cell fate patterning in the C. elegans vulva.

Toxoplasmosis is one of the most important causes of foodborne illnesses and inflammatory complications, as well as congenital disorders. Promiscuous Toxoplasma is transmitted by contaminated food and animal produce, water, vegetations, fruits, and sexually through semen. Toxoplasma infects nucleated cells with a unique tropism formuscles and central nervous system and amind bugging malicious effect. Pregnant women with acute or reactivated toxoplasmosis can transmit Toxoplasma via transplacental transmission to the fetus. The severity of congenital toxoplasmosis depends on the gestation period, as infection in early pregnancy causes more severe consequences. Congenital toxoplasmosis complications include miscarriage, encephalitis, neurological retardation, mental illnesses, auditory, and visual inflammatory disorders, cardiovascular abnormalities, and pains. Current therapies are inefficient for congenital and chronic toxoplasmosis or have severe side effects with life-threatening complications. There is an urgent need for effective and safe therapeutic modalities to treat complications of toxoplasmosis and effective vaccines to eliminate the infectious agent. This investigation will discuss the pathogenesis of fetomaternal, congenital, and pediatric toxoplasmosis, the currently available therapies in practice, and explore those therapeutic modalities in experimental stages for promising future trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that nutritional excess, especially refined carbohydrates and saturated fats, coupled with physical inactivity could result in chronic inflammatory conditions and deficiencies in essential nutrients leads to stunted growth and poor immune function and classical conditions.

Robust and balanced gut microbiota are required to support health and growth. Overgrowth of gut microbial or pathogens can change ecosystem balance, and compromise gut integrity to initiate gastrointestinal (GI) complications. There is no safe and effective modality against coccidiosis. Antibiotic additives routinely fed to food animals to protect against infection, are entered into the food chain, contaminate food products and pass to the consumers. Hypothesis: induced aberrant organisms possess distinct ultrastructure and are tolerated by immunodeficient-animals yet are non-pathogenic, but immunogenic in various strains of chicks to act as a preventive (vaccine) and eliminating the needs for antibiotic additives. Methods: cyclophosphamide-immunodeficient and immune-intact-chicks were inoculated with induced aberrant or normal Coccidal-organisms. Immune-intact-chicks were immunized with escalating-doses of organisms. Results: Aberrant organisms showed distinct ultrastructure with 8-free-sporozoites which lacked sporocysts walls and veils. Immunodeficient-chicks inoculated with normal-organisms developed severe GI complications but tolerated aberrant-organisms (p < 0.001) while they had no detectable antibodies. Naïve-animals challenged with a pathogenic-dose showed GI complications, bloody diarrhea, severe lesions and weight loss. Immune-intact-animals immunized with aberrant forms were protected against high dose normal-pathogenic-challenge infection and gained more weight compared to those immunized with normal-organisms (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Aberrant organisms possess a distinct ultrastructure and are tolerated in immunodeficient-chicks, yet provide novel immune-protection against pathogenic challenges including diarrhea, malnutrition and weight loss in immune-intact-animals to warrant further investigations toward vaccine production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic inflammatory diseases affect millions of people globally and the incidence rate is on the rise. While inflammation contributes to the tissue healing process, chronic inflammation can lead to life-long debilitation and loss of tissue function and organ failure. Chronic inflammatory diseases include hepatic, gastrointestinal and neurodegenerative complications which can lead to malignancy. Despite the millennial advancements in diagnostic and therapeutic modalities, there remains no effective cure for patients who suffer from inflammatory diseases. Therefore, patients seek alternatives and complementary agents as adjunct therapies to relieve symptoms and possibly to prevent consequences of inflammation. It iswell known that green tea polyphenols (GrTPs) are potent antioxidants with important roles in regulating vital signaling pathways. These comprise transcription nuclear factor-kappa B mediated I kappa B kinase complex pathways, programmed cell death pathways like caspases and B-cell lymphoma-2 and intervention with the surge of inflammatory markers like cytokines and production ofcyclooxygenase-2. This paper concisely reviews relevant investigations regarding protective effects of GrTPs and some reported adverse effects, as well as possible applications for GrTPs in the treatment of chronic and inflammatory complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]