Mechanisms underlying the conditioning influence of the intestinal flora on mucosal homeostasis, including development and function of immune responses, are attracting increasing scientific scrutiny. The intestinal flora is a positive asset to host defense, but some of its components may, in genetically susceptible hosts, become a risk factor for development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)....

The human enteric flora plays a significant role in intestinal health and disease. Certain enteric bacteria can inhibit the NF-kappaB pathway by blockade of IkappaB-alpha ubiquitination. IkappaB-alpha ubiquitination is catalyzed by the E3-SCF(betaTrCP) ubiquitin ligase, which is itself regulated via covalent modification of the cullin-1 subunit by the ubiquitin-like protein NEDD8. Neddylation i...

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a multifactorial intestinal disorder that involves interactions among the immune system, genetic susceptibility, and environmental factors, especially the bacterial flora. Polydextrose, a polysaccharide constituted by 90% nondigestible and nonabsorbable soluble fibers, has several physiological effects consistent with those of dietary fibers, including prolif...

the intestinal bacterial diversity of stichopus japonicus was investigated using 16s ribosomal rna gene (rdna) clone library and polymerase chain reaction/denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (pcr-dgge). the clone library yielded a total of 188 clones, and these were sequenced and classified into 106 operational taxonomic units (otus) with sequence similarity ranging from 88 to 100%. the cov...

The mechanisms by which signaling by the innate immune system controls susceptibility to allergy are poorly understood. In this report, we show that intragastric administration of a food allergen with a mucosal adjuvant induces allergen-specific IgE, elevated plasma histamine levels, and anaphylactic symptoms in three different strains of mice lacking a functional receptor for bacterial LPS (To...

The gastrointestinal tract is home to the largest accumulation of leukocytes in the body where they are constantly being exposed to a wide array of foreign antigens. Complex signalling networks between multiple cell types ensure that the appropriate balance is maintained between immune protection from infection and tolerance of harmless antigens, such as the resident bacterial flora and dietary...

this study aimed to evaluate the effects of prebiotic immunoster on growth and nutrition performance, survival rate and body composition and intestine bacterial flora of common carp (cyprinus carpio) fingerlings. 15 fish with initial weight 12 + 1 g distributed in 12 tanks and fed with different dietary levels of prebiotic (0.5, 1.5, 2.5 g/kg diet) for 60 days. at the end of experimental period...

B1 cells are a significant source of natural serum IgM, thereby serving as a first line of defense against systemic bacterial and viral infections. They can migrate to the intestinal lamina propria and differentiate into IgA-producing plasma cells and thus might play a similar role in mucosal immunity. To investigate the contribution of B1 cells to the intestinal IgA response induced by the com...

As long as man, the chimpanzee and the monkey are the only species in which enteric shigella infections can be studied, progress in problems concerning the pathogenesis of and immunity to bacillary dysentery will be seriously hanmpered. In recent years, successful attempts have been made to modify small laboratory animals in such ways as to make them susceptible to orally administered enteric p...

Bacterial flora, activities of 10 potential mucus- and dietary polysaccharide-degrading enzymes, blood group antigenicity of the intestinal glycoproteins, and proteolytic activity in the output from experimentally colectomized dogs with conventional ileostomies and dogs with valveless ileal reservoirs (pouches) were determined. The ileostomies of dogs with conventional surgery (group II) and wi...