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Curcumin Inhibits Gastric Inflammation Induced by Helicobacter Pylori Infection in a Mouse Model
Publication . Santos, António M.; Lopes, Teresa; Oleastro, Mónica; Gato, Inês Vale; Floch, Pauline; Benejat, Lucie; Chaves, Paula; Pereira, Teresa; Seixas, Elsa; Machado, Jorge; Guerreiro, António S.; NOVA Medical School|Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (NMS|FCM); Centro de Estudos de Doenças Crónicas (CEDOC); MDPI AG
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection triggers a sequence of gastric alterations starting with an inflammation of the gastric mucosa that, in some cases, evolves to gastric cancer. Efficient vaccination has not been achieved, thus it is essential to find alternative therapies, particularly in the nutritional field. The current study evaluated whether curcumin could attenuate inflammation of the gastric mucosa due to H. pylori infection. Twenty-eight C57BL/6 mice, were inoculated with the H. pylori SS1 strain; ten non-infected mice were used as controls. H. pylori infection in live mice was followed-up using a modified 13C-Urea Breath Test (13C-UBT) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) Histologically confirmed, gastritis was observed in 42% of infected non-treated mice at both 6 and 18 weeks post-infection. These mice showed an up-regulation of the expression of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, as well as of toll-like receptors (TLRs) and MyD88, at both time points. Treatment with curcumin decreased the expression of all these mediators. No inflammation was observed by histology in this group. Curcumin treatment exerted a significant anti-inflammatory effect in H. pylori-infected mucosa, pointing to the promising role of a nutritional approach in the prevention of H. pylori induced deleterious inflammation while the eradication or prevention of colonization by effective vaccine is not available.
Rab GTPase regulation of bacteria and protozoa phagocytosis occurs through the modulation of phagocytic receptor surface expression
Publication . Seixas, E.; Escrevente, C.; Seabra, M.C.; C Seabra, Miguel; Barral, D.C.; C. Barral, Duarte; NOVA Medical School|Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (NMS|FCM); Centro de Estudos de Doenças Crónicas (CEDOC); Nature Publishing Group
Phagocytosis of invading microorganisms by professional phagocytic cells has a central role in innate immunity. However, several microorganisms developed strategies to subvert this process. Previously, we reported that bacteria and protozoa modulate differently the expression of Rab GTPases. Moreover, our results suggested that this modulation can contribute to avoid phagocytosis. Here, we investigated the mechanism by which the malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei and the bacterium Escherichia coli subvert phagocytosis through the modulation of Rab14 or Rab9a expression, respectively. We first confirmed that the scavenger receptor CD36 and the Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 are required for the phagocytosis of P. berghei and E. coli, respectively. Interestingly, we observed that Rab14 silencing leads to an increase in the surface expression of CD36 in macrophages, which can explain the increase in the phagocytosis of P. berghei we reported previously. Similar results were obtained for Rab9a and TLR4, i.e. Rab9a silencing causes an upregulation of TLR4 surface expression in macrophages. Furthermore, we found that the decrease in the internalization of CD36 and TLR4, upon Rab14 or Rab9a silencing, respectively, can explain the increase in the surface levels of these receptors. Thus, our studies provide evidence that the modulation of phagocytosis caused by changes in Rab expression is operated, at least partly through changes in the surface levels of phagocytic receptors. © 2018, The Author(s).
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Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
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SFRH
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SFRH/BPD/34094/2006