Resveratrol is a natural polyphenolic stilbene derivative found in several human diet components that possess important and wide-ranging effects in biological systems including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cardio-protective, and anti-ageing actions and beneficial properties against metabolic diseases. This study addresses the effects of long-term administration of resveratrol on several functional alterations arising from the metabolic syndrome experimental model of obese Zucker rats, and the possible mechanisms involved. The high plasma concentrations of triglycerides, total cholesterol, free fatty acids, insulin and leptin found in obese Zucker rats were reduced in obese rats that received resveratrol. Furthermore, the elevated hepatic lipid content was significantly lower in obese rats treated with resveratrol, an effect which was related to the increased phosphorylation of 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) in the liver of these animals. Resveratrol treatment also improved the inflammatory status peculiar to this model, as it increased the concentration of adiponectin and lowered tumor necrosis factor-alpha production in the visceral adipose tissue (VAT) of obese Zucker rats. Moreover, chronic intake of resveratrol enhanced VAT eNOS expression among obese Zucker rats. These effects parallel the activation of AMPK and inhibition by phosphorylation of ACC in this tissue. The raised systolic blood pressure and reduced aortic eNOS expression found in obese Zucker rats were significantly improved in the resveratrol-treated obese rats. In conclusion, resveratrol improved dyslipidemia, hyperinsulinemia, hyperleptinemia and hypertension in obese Zucker rats, and produced anti-inflammatory effects in VAT, effects that seem to be mediated by AMPK activation.

Critically ill patients have an alteration in the microbiome in which it becomes a disease-promoting pathobiome. It is characterized by lower bacterial diversity, loss of commensal phyla, like Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, and a domination of pathogens belonging to the Proteobacteria phylum. Although these alterations are multicausal, many of the treatments administered to these patients, like antibiotics, play a significant role. Critically ill patients also have a hyperpermeable gut barrier and dysregulation of the inflammatory response that favor the development of the pathobiome, translocation of pathogens, and facilitate the emergence of sepsis. In order to restore the homeostasis of the microbiome, several nutritional strategies have been evaluated with the aim to improve the management of critically ill patients. Importantly, enteral nutrition has proven to be more efficient in promoting the homeostasis of the gut microbiome compared to parenteral nutrition. Several nutritional therapies, including prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation, are currently being used, showing variable results, possibly due to the unevenness of clinical trial conditions and the fact that the beneficial effects of probiotics are specific to particular species or even strains. Thus, it is of great importance to better understand the mechanisms by which nutrition and supplement therapies can heal the microbiome in critically ill patients in order to finally implement them in clinical practice with optimal safety and efficacy.

Background: Propyl propane thiosulfonate (PTSO) is an organosulfur compound from Allium spp. that has shown interesting antimicrobial properties and immunomodulatory effects in different experimental models. In this sense, our aim was to evaluate its effect on an experimental model of obesity, focusing on inflammatory and metabolic markers and the gut microbiota. Methods and results: Mice were fed a high-fat diet and orally treated with different doses of PTSO (0.1, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg/day) for 5 weeks. PTSO lessened the weight gain and improved the plasma markers associated with glucose and lipid metabolisms. PTSO also attenuated obesity-associated systemic inflammation, reducing the immune cell infiltration and, thus, the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in adipose and hepatic tissues (Il-1ẞ, Il-6, Tnf-α, Mcp-1, Jnk-1, Jnk-2, Leptin, Leptin R, Adiponectin, Ampk, Ppar-α, Ppar-γ, Glut-4 and Tlr-4) and improving the expression of different key elements for gut barrier integrity (Muc-2, Muc-3, Occludin, Zo-1 and Tff-3). Additionally, these effects were connected to a regulation of the gut microbiome, which was altered by the high-fat diet. Conclusion: Allium-derived PTSO can be considered a potential new tool for the treatment of metabolic syndrome.

Background/Objectives: Irinotecan is used in monotherapy or combined with other drugs for treating different cancer streams. SN-38, the active metabolite of irinotecan, is 70% inactivated by the uridine diphosphate (UDP) glucuronosyltransferase family 1 member A1 (UGT1A1) enzyme. The UGT1A1*6 (rs4148323) and *28 (rs3064744) alleles in the gene encoding the enzyme lead to decreased enzyme expression and increased severe irinotecan toxicity. Carrying one or two copies of these alleles results in a UGT1A1 intermediate or poor metabolizer status (IM, PM). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug labels and European Medicines Agency (EMA) European Public Assessment Report (EPAR) for irinotecan recommend dose adjustments based on UGT1A1 genotypes, but only for UGT1A1 PM patients. However, available pharmacogenetic (PGx) dosing guidelines for the UGT1A1–irinotecan interaction lack a consensus about considered genetic variants, genotype-translated phenotypes, and therapeutic recommendations. We aimed to describe evidence regarding the impact of the UGT1A1 genotype in irinotecan toxicity to inform irinotecan-dosing recommendations based on possible UGT1A1 genotypes. Methods: A systematic review was performed to find all the Phase I clinical trials looking for the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) or dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) of irinotecan depending on the UGT1A1 genotype. Results: Toxicity-related events and the MTD of irinotecan differ among UGT1A1 normal metabolizers (NM), IM, and PM patients considering the UGT1A1*28 and/or *6 variants. Conclusions: Dose adjustments might also be recommended for UGT1A1 IM patients (*1/*28 or *1/*6 genotypes), with a 15% dose reduction considered.