Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis are common conditions associated with inflammatory bowel disease as well as intestinal flora and epithelial barrier dysfunction. A novel fermented Lactobacillus brevis (AL0035) herein assayed in a trinitro benzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis mice model after oral administration significantly counteracted the body weight loss and improves the disease activity index and histological injury scores. AL0035 significantly decreased the mRNA and protein expression of different pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNFalpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-12, IFN-gamma) and enhanced the expression of IL-10. In addition, the probiotic promoted the expression of tight junction proteins, such as ZO-1, keeping the intestinal mucosal barrier function to attenuate colitis symptoms in mice. Markers of inflammation cascade such as myeloperoxidase (MPO) and PPAR-gamma measured in the colon were also modified by AL0035 treatment. AL0035 was also able to reduce different lymphocyte markers’ infiltration in the colon (GATA-3, T-Bet, NK1.1) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1/CCL2), a key chemokine involved in the migration and infiltration of monocytes/macrophages in the immunological surveillance of tissues and inflammation. In colonic microbiota profile analysis through 16S rRNA sequencing, AL0035 increased the microbial diversity depleted by TNBS administration and the relative abundance of the Lactobacillaceae and Lachnospiraceae families, whereas it decreased the abundance of Proteobacteria. Altogether, these data indicated that AL0035 could lower the severity of colitis induced by TNBS by regulating inflammatory cytokines, increasing the expression of tight junction proteins and modulating intestinal microbiota, thus preventing tissue damage induced by colitis.

In the last two years, the world has been overwhelmed by SARS-CoV-2. One of the most important ways to prevent the spread of the virus is the control of indoor conditions: from surface hygiene to ventilation. Regarding the indoor environments, monitoring the presence of the virus in the indoor air seems to be promising, since there is strong evidence that airborne transmission through infected droplets and aerosols is its dominant transmission route. So far, few studies report the successful detection of SARS-CoV-2 in the air; moreover, the lack of a standard guideline for air monitoring reduces the uniformity of the results and their usefulness in the management of the risk of virus transmission. In this work, starting from a critical analysis of the existing standards and guidelines for indoor air quality, we define a strategy to set-up indoor air sampling plans for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. The strategy is then tested through a case study conducted in two kindergartens in the metropolitan city of Milan, in Italy, involving a total of 290 children and 47 teachers from 19 classrooms. The results proved its completeness, effectiveness, and suitability as a key tool in the airborne SARS-CoV-2 infection risk management process. Future research directions are then identified and discussed.

Pelvic radiation disease (PRD), a frequent side effect in patients with abdominal/pelvic cancers treated with radiotherapy, remains an unmet medical need. Currently available preclinical models have limited applications for the investigation of PRD pathogenesis and possible therapeutic strategies. In order to select the most effective irradiation protocol for PRD induction in mice, we evaluated the efficacy of three different locally and fractionated X-ray exposures. Using the selected protocol (10 Gy/day × 4 days), we assessed PRD through tissue (number and length of colon crypts) and molecular (expression of genes involved in oxidative stress, cell damage, inflammation, and stem cell markers) analyses at short (3 h or 3 days after X-ray) and long (38 days after X-rays) post-irradiation times. The results show that a primary damage response in term of apoptosis, inflammation, and surrogate markers of oxidative stress was found, thus determining a consequent impairment of cell crypts differentiation and proliferation as well as a local inflammation and a bacterial translocation to mesenteric lymph nodes after several weeks post-irradiation. Changes were also found in microbiota composition, particularly in the relative abundance of dominant phyla, related families, and in alpha diversity indices, as an indication of dysbiotic conditions induced by irradiation. Fecal markers of intestinal inflammation, measured during the experimental timeline, identified lactoferrin, along with elastase, as useful non-invasive tools to monitor disease progression. Thus, our preclinical model may be useful to develop new therapeutic strategies for PRD treatment.