Products for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease: a patent review (2013-2014)

Introduction: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) consists of Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and an unspecific IBD. The unclear etiology of IBD is a limiting factor that complicates the development of new pharmacological treatments and explains the high frequency of refractory patients to current drugs, including both conventional and biological therapies. In view of this, recent progress on the development of novel patented products to treat IBD was reviewed.Areas covered: Evaluation of the patent literature during the period 2013 - 2014 focused on chemical compounds, functional foods and biological therapy useful for the treatment of IBD.Expert opinion: Majority of the patents are not conclusive because they were based on data from unspecific methods not related to intestinal inflammation and, when related to IBD models, few biochemical and molecular evaluations that could be corroborating their use in human IBD were presented. On the other hand, methods and strategies using new formulations of conventional drugs, guanylyl cyclase C peptide agonists, compounds that influence anti-adhesion molecules, mAbs anti-type I interferons and anti-integrin, oligonucleotide antisense Smad7, growth factor neuregulin 4 and functional foods, particularly fermented wheat germ with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, are promising products for use in the very near future.

Fetal kidney programming by severe food restriction: effects on structure, hormonal receptor expression and urinary sodium excretion in rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Effect of himatanthus sucuuba in maternal reproductive outcome and fetal anomaly frequency in rats

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Inflammatory bowel disease: an overview of immune mechanisms and biological treatments

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Probiotics: the scientific evidence in the context of inflammatory bowel disease

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Incubation temperature manipulation during fetal development reduces adiposity of broiler hatchlings

Broilers are known as an efficient source of lean meat. Genetic selection resulted in broiler strains with large body size and fast growth, but a concomitant increase in fat deposition also occurred. Other than reducing nutrient intake, there is a lack of alternative methods to control body fat composition of broilers. The present study assessed whether incubation temperature (machine temperatures: 36ºC, 37.5ºC, and 39ºC; eggshell temperatures: 37.4 ± 0.08°C, 37.8 ± 0.15ºC, and 38.8 ± 0.33°C, respectively.) from d 13 affects broiler hatchling fat deposition. We analyzed adipocyte hypertrophy and proliferation in 3 body regions; weight and chemical composition of yolk-free chicks and yolk sacs; and serum lipid profile. Increased incubation temperature reduced abdominal and cervical adipocyte size. Independently of temperature, cervical adipocytes were smaller and showed higher proliferation than adipocytes in the abdominal and thigh regions. Smaller cervical adipocytes were observed in birds from eggs incubated at 36ºC and 39ºC. With regard to weight and composition of chicks, ash content as a percentage of dry matter was the only variable affected by temperature; it was higher in chicks from eggs incubated at 36ºC than at 39ºC and showed no significant difference between chicks incubated at 39ºC and 37.5ºC. Absolute and relative weights of yolk sacs were higher from eggs incubated at 39ºC than at 36ºC, and these two treatments did not differ from the 37.5ºC control. Absolute measures of yolk sac lipids, moisture, dry matter, and crude protein content were lower in chicks from eggs incubated at 36ºC, and no significant differences were found for these variables between chicks from eggs incubated at 37.5ºC and 39ºC. Hatchlings from eggs incubated at 36°C had significantly higher cholesterol levels than chicks incubated at the other 2 temperatures, but no additional effects on blood lipids were detected. Incubation temperature manipulation during fetal development altered cervical and abdominal adipocyte size in broiler hatchlings and could become a tool in hatcheries to manipulate chick quality, although further studies are needed to evaluate its long-term effects.

Maturidade pulmonar e fetal de bezerros da raça holandesa preta e branca tecém-nascidos, a termo e hígidos: análise do líquido amniótico

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Estudos de algumas correlações dos ovários com os corpos lúteos e o desenvolvimento fetal em fêmeas de bovinos nelore

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Tolerance and nutritional therapy of dietary fibre from konjac glucomannan hydrolysates for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

Carbohydrates may provide an alternative therapeutic approach for a number of digestive health disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of this work was to characterise the tolerance and efficacy of low and high molecular weight konjac glucomannan hydrolysates within healthy volunteers and patients suffering from IBD and associated gut conditions. These conditions included constipation, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. For general tolerance, fourteen patients participated whilst for the digestive disorder trial, there were twenty. Scores of taste/texture of the product, bowel movement, stool consistency, diarrhoea, existence/absence of blood in the faeces, abdominal pains, flatulence, vomiting, fever, improvement of life style after use, willingness to use in the future and clinician's statements about each patient's conditions before and after use were recorded. The results showed that the hydrolysates were tolerated well for patients with diarrhoea and had a significant improvement on bowel movement, stool consistency, abdominal pain and flatulence after ten days. With respect to effects on IBD, there was a significant health benefit after fourteen days of consumption for bowel movement, stool consistency, diarrhoea, existence/absence of blood in the faeces, abdominal pain, flatulence and vomiting. Most patients declared an improvement of their life style after consuming the hydrolysates. The use of konjac glucomannan hydrolysates as a therapeutic agent or adjunct to standard treatments could prove a successful tool for the treatment of a range of disorders; although large scale studies are required to characterise further the role of the carbohydrates.

Remodelamento estrutural do tecido parabronquial de pintinhos em resposta à hipóxia durante o desenvolvimento fetal

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Ultrassonografia modo b e elastografia arfi pulmonar e hepática fetal como método preditivo para a maturidade dos conceptos em fase final de gestação de cadelas

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)