Browsing by Subject "Lymphocytes subsets"

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    Effects of orally administered probiotic Pediococcus acidilactici on the small and large intestine of weaning piglets. A qualitative and quantitative micro-anatomical study
    (Murcia : F. Hernández, 2008) Di Giancamillo, A.; Vitari, F.; Savoini, G.; Bontempo, V.; Bersani, C.; Dell’Orto, V.; Domeneghini, C.
    Probiotic research has been approached, above all in recent years, by widely differing points of view, both for human and animal uses. Lactic acid bacteria release bacteriocins, and some of them may function as probiotic. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with the probiotic Pediococcus acidilactici on the piglet intestine, on circulating lymphocytes, and on aspects of piglet performance during the first 42 days after weaning. Sixteen female piglets were at weaning assigned to two dietary groups: Control (Ctr, 8 animals) and Pediococcus acidilactici supplemented (Pa, 8 animals). Piglets’ growth was monitored from weaning to the end of the trial. On day 42 post-weaning, the piglets were slaughtered and small specimens from both ileum and cecum were examined with haematoxylin/eosin staining to ascertain structural details. Histometry was performed by villi and crypts measurements, as well as GALT measurements. Histochemical analyses were performed to investigate the intestinal mucins. Immunohistochemical analyses were used to visualize proliferating as well as apoptotic mucosal cells, and to identify mucosal macrophages and IgA producing cells. Intra-epithelial CD8+ T lymphocytes were identified and counted. Subsets of circulating T lymphocytes were analyzed by flow cytometry. Pediococcus acidilactici supplementation positively influenced weight and post-weaning average daily gain of treated piglets. Histometry showed an increase in villi height and crypts depth in Pa animals in comparison with controls. Treated piglets showed a larger number of proliferating enterocytes than controls. Intra-epithelial CD8+ T lymphocytes were scarcer in treated than in control piglets, likely in relation with catarrhal enteritis shown in the latter. We conclude that the studied supplementation was possibly able to protect the piglet small intestinal mucosa, improving local resistance to infections in the stressful weaning period.
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    The immunohistochemical expression of metallothionein in inflammatory bowel disease. Correlation with HLA-DR antigen expression, lymphocyte subpopulations and proliferation-associated indices
    (Murcia : F. Hernández, 2003) Loachim, E.; Michael, M.; Katsanos, C.; Demou, A.; Tsianos, E.V.
    Metallothionein (MT) expression in intestinal resection specimens from 41 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 10 patients with Crohn’s disease (CD ) was immunohistochemically studied by the avidin-biotin (ABC) method. In addition, the possible relationship of its expression with HLA-DR antigen expression, lymphocyte subpopulations and proliferation-associated indices was studied in order to elucidate the role of this molecule in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The MT immunoreactivity was recorded by staining and intensity-distribution scores. MT staining varied in and was mainly localized in the cytoplasm, although a combined nuclear/cytoplasmic reactive pattern was also seen in epithelial cells. MT expression was decreased in UC, and CD compared with normal mucosa. No difference in MT expression between UC and CD was noted. In UC, a gradually decreased expression from remission, to resolving and to active phase was observed. An inverse correlation of MT expression with HLA-DR antigen expression was detected (p=0.018) in the cases of UC. The data suggest that a low level of MT expression in inflammatory bowel disease and particularly in active phase of UC may indicate a decreased endogenous intestinal protection and it may be implicated in the pathogenesis of the disease.