1. Anti-inflammatory mechanisms of bioactive milk proteins in the intestine of newborns
Dereck E W Chatterton, Duc Ninh Nguyen, Stine Brandt Bering, Per Torp Sangild Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2013 Aug;45(8):1730-47. doi: 10.1016/j.biocel.2013.04.028. Epub 2013 May 6.
The human newborn infant is susceptible to gut inflammatory disorders. In particular, growth-restricted infants or infants born prematurely may develop a severe form of intestinal inflammation known as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), which has a high mortality. Milk provides a multitude of proteins with anti-inflammatory properties and in this review we gather together some recent significant advances regarding the isolation and proteomic identification of these minor constituents of both human and bovine milk. We introduce the process of inflammation, with a focus on the immature gut, and describe how a multitude of milk proteins act against the inflammatory process according to both in vitro and in vivo studies. We highlight the effects of milk proteins such as caseins, and of whey proteins such as alpha-lactalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin, lactoferrin, osteopontin, immunoglobulins, trefoil factors, lactoperoxidase, superoxide dismutase, platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase, alkaline phosphatase, and growth factors (TGF-β, IGF-I and IGF-II, EGF, HB-EGF). The effects of milk fat globule proteins, such as TLR-2, TLR-4, sCD14 and MFG-E8/lactadherin, are also discussed. Finally, we indicate how milk proteins could be useful for the prophylaxis and therapy of intestinal inflammation in infants and children.
2. [Social Aspects of Euthanasia]
Roberto Germán Zurriaráin Cuad Bioet. 2019 Jan-Apr;30(98):23-34.
This article analyzes the issue of euthanasia, but under a concrete point of view, that of its social implications. It is defended here that euthanasia is not exclusively an individual decision, but has, above all, an important social repercussion. If euthanasia were accepted and legalized, the very nature of the medicine and the physician's own identity would undergo a profound transformation. The doctor-patient relationship based on trust would be broken. Also, if euthanasia were endorsed, it would be encouraged that the human being was not valued for his / her being, but for his capacity to produce. Now, vulnerable, fragile and weak people (dependent, old, sick ...) keep their dignity intact, because we have this because of the simple fact of being born as human beings. All human lives are worth living, however sick and deteriorated their bodies are. To admit the opposite is to enter a spiral where the dignity of the human being would become an object of weighting with respect to another value, which, in a hypothetical conflict could be postponed by another. However, Palliative Care takes into account the social dimension of the end of life of the human being. They take care of the sick human being in its entirety. That is why they are the option most in line with the dignity of the human being at the end of his life.
3. A Novel Lithocholic Acid Derivative Upregulates Detoxification-Related Genes in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Intestinal Organoids
Shigeru Yamada, Hiroyuki Masuno, Hiroyuki Kagechika, Aya Tanatani, Yasunari Kanda Biol Pharm Bull. 2022;45(11):1720-1724. doi: 10.1248/bpb.b22-00492.
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble micronutrient that plays essential roles in a range of biological processes, including cell proliferation, inflammation, and metabolism. In this study, we investigated the effects of a novel synthetic lithocholic acid derivative with vitamin D activity (Dcha-20) on pharmacokinetic gene expression in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived intestinal organoids. Compared with vitamin D3 treatment, Dcha-20 was found to upregulate the expression and enzyme activity of the drug-metabolizing enzyme CYP3A4, an indicator of intestinal functional maturation. In addition, Dcha-20 specifically increased expression levels of the xenobiotic detoxification enzyme UGT1A and excretion transporter MRP2. These results suggest that Dcha-20 promotes activity of the intrinsic defense system of the intestinal epithelium.
