In Vitro Co-culture of Bacterial and Mammalian Cells to Investigate Effects of Potential Probiotics on Intestinal Barrier Function.

Human intestinal barrier function is crucial for health. Beneficial microbes, such as commensal gut bacteria and probiotics, are known to contribute to the regulation of this barrier function. Interactions between bacteria and human intestinal cells can be analyzed by co-culturing bacteria with mammalian cells in vitro.

Heat Treatment of Bovine Milk Influences Gastric Emptying of Lactose but not its Apparent Small Intestinal Disappearance in the Growing Pig as a Model for the Adult Human.

Background: Heat treatment influences gastric emptying of proteins and lipids in bovine milk. Whether heat treatment influences lactose gastric emptying and small intestinal lactose disappearance remains unknown.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the gastric emptying of lactose and its disappearance from the small intestine of the growing pig as a model for the adult human.

ST-III and KF7 Enhance the Intestinal Epithelial Barrier in a Dual-Environment In Vitro Co-Culture Model.

Intestinal barrier hyperpermeability, which is characterised by impaired tight junction proteins, is associated with a variety of gastrointestinal and systemic diseases. Therefore, maintaining intestinal barrier integrity is considered one of the effective strategies to reduce the risk of such disorders. This study aims to investigate the potential benefits of two probiotic strains ( ST-III and KF7) on intestinal barrier function by using a physiologically relevant in vitro model of the intestinal epithelium.

Effects of bovine whey protein on exercise-induced gut permeability in healthy adults: a randomised controlled trial.

Purpose: Intestinal permeability is a critical component of gut barrier function. Barrier dysfunction can be triggered by certain stressors such as exercise, and if left unmanaged can lead to local and systemic disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a specific whey protein fraction in alleviating exercise-induced gut permeability as assessed by recovery of lactulose/rhamnose (L/R) and lactulose/mannitol (L/M) urinary probes.

Biotransformation of Rutin in In Vitro Porcine Ileal and Colonic Fermentation Models.

Quercetin, a polyphenol antioxidant, is widely distributed in food in the form of glycoside rutin, which is not readily absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. The microbiota of the colon is known to biotransform rutin, generating quercetin aglycones that can be absorbed. We investigated the role of the ileal and colonic microbiota in rutin biotransformation using established in vitro fermentation models.

A bioactive bovine whey protein extract improves intestinal barrier function in vitro.

The human intestine plays an important role as a barrier against the ingress of pathogens and other harmful antigens. Accordingly, proper regulation of the intestinal barrier is essential for optimal health. Intestinal barrier function is regulated in part by the interactions between dietary compounds and the intestinal immune system.

In Vitro Antimicrobial Efficacy of Tobramycin Against Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms in Combination With or Without DNase I and/or Dispersin B: A Preliminary Investigation.

Staphylococcus aureus in biofilms is highly resistant to the treatment with antibiotics, to which the planktonic cells are susceptible. This is likely to be due to the biofilm creating a protective barrier that prevents antibiotics from accessing the live pathogens buried in the biofilm. S.

Dissecting the regulation of bile-induced biofilm formation in Staphylococcus aureus.

Aspiration of bile into the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung has emerged as a prognostic factor for reduced microbial lung biodiversity and the establishment of often fatal, chronic pathogen infections. Staphylococcus aureus is one of the earliest pathogens detected in the lungs of children with CF, and once established as a chronic infection, strategies for its eradication become limited. Several lung pathogens are stimulated to produce biofilms in vitro in the presence of bile.

Human oral isolate Lactobacillus fermentum AGR1487 induces a pro-inflammatory response in germ-free rat colons.

Lactobacilli are thought to be beneficial for human health, with lactobacilli-associated infections being confined to immune-compromised individuals. However, Lactobacillus fermentum AGR1487 negatively affects barrier integrity in vitro so we hypothesized that it caused a pro-inflammatory response in the host. We compared germ-free rats inoculated with AGR1487 to those inoculated with another L.

Evaluation of protease resistance and toxicity of amyloid-like food fibrils from whey, soy, kidney bean, and egg white.

The structural properties of amyloid fibrils combined with their highly functional surface chemistry make them an attractive new food ingredient, for example as highly effective gelling agents. However, the toxic role of amyloid fibrils in disease may cause some concern about their food safety because it has not been established unequivocally if consumption of food fibrils poses a health risk to consumers. Here we present a study of amyloid-like fibrils from whey, kidney bean, soy bean, and egg white to partially address this concern.

Live Faecalibacterium prausnitzii in an apical anaerobic model of the intestinal epithelial barrier.

Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, an abundant member of the human commensal microbiota, has been proposed to have a protective role in the intestine. However, it is an obligate anaerobe, difficult to co-culture in viable form with oxygen-requiring intestinal cells. To overcome this limitation, a unique apical anaerobic model of the intestinal barrier, which enabled co-culture of live obligate anaerobes with the human intestinal cell line Caco-2, was developed.

Cryopreservation of monocytes or differentiated immature DCs leads to an altered cytokine response to TLR agonists and microbial stimulation.

Literature on the effects of cryopreservation and thawing of monocytes or monocyte-derived immature dendritic cells (iDCs) on the subsequent functional capacities of the DCs is limited to a few specific maturation stimuli and is focused on applications in clinical immunotherapy. Given the cardinal role of DCs in regulating tolerance and immunity at mucosal surfaces there is a growing interest in understanding the effect of stromal, microbial and probiotic signals on DC function. Therefore our aim was to investigate the effects of cryopreservation on the functional properties of DCs stimulated with bacteria or the bacterial components using a standardized method.

Regulation of tight junction permeability by intestinal bacteria and dietary components.

The human intestinal epithelium is formed by a single layer of epithelial cells that separates the intestinal lumen from the underlying lamina propria. The space between these cells is sealed by tight junctions (TJ), which regulate the permeability of the intestinal barrier. TJ are complex protein structures comprised of transmembrane proteins, which interact with the actin cytoskeleton via plaque proteins.