Extraordinary advances have been made in the last decade on the knowledge of the receptors and mechanisms used by cells of the innate immunity not only to sense and eliminate the pathogen but also to communicate each other and collaborate with cells of adaptive immunity to mount an effective immune response. The analysis of innate immunity in elderly humans has evidenced that aging has a profound impact on the phenotype and functions of these cells. Thus altered expression and/or function of innate immunity receptors and signal transduction leading find more to defective activation and decreased chemotaxis, phagocytosis and intracellular killing of

pathogens have been described. The phenotype and function of NK cells from elderly individuals show significant changes that are compatible with remodeling of the different NK subsets, with a decrease in the CD56bright subpopulation and accumulation of the CD56dim cells, in particular those differentiated NK cells that co-express CD57, as well as a decreased expression of activating natural cytotoxicity receptors. These alterations can be responsible of the decreased production of cytokines and Selleckchem SN-38 the lower per-cell cytotoxicity observed in the elderly. Considering the relevance of these cells in the initiation of the immune response, the possibility to reactivate the function of innate immune cells should be considered in order to improve the response to pathogens and to vaccination in the elderly. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All

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“Aim: This study investigates the effects of montelukast sodium (MK) (CysLTLT1 receptor antagonist) on CCl(4) induced hepatopathy on rat.\n\nMaterial and methods: We worked on 4 groups of 10 Wistar male rats each. The groups received as follows: group I (Control group) – saline, group II – MK 5 mg/kg/day i.p. for 5 days, group III – MK 5 mg/kg/day i.p., 1 day prior to and 4 days concomitantly with CCl(4) p.o., 0.3 ml/Kg/day and group IV – CCl(4), p.o., 0.3 ml/Kg/day for 4 days. One clay after the last administration, samples of blood were taken and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin (TB),

direct bilirubin (DB), malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT) as well as total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were determined. The histopathological Selleck JQ-EZ-05 exam was performed. We also determined Superoxide dismutase (SOD), MDA, CAT and GSH in liver homogenate.\n\nResults: Compared to group IV, group III exhibited statistically significant lower levels of ALT (318 +/- 15.75 versus 203.14 +/- 10.28 Ul, p < 0.0001), TB (3.16 +/- 0.30 versus 1.99 +/- 0.08 mg/dl, p < 0.0001), MDA in blood and in liver homogenate (4.98 +/- 1.71 versus 2.15 +/- 1.18 nmol/ml, p = 0.0004) and higher levels of SOD and CAT. Histopathologically, group IV presented important macro- and micro-vesicular hepatic steatosis and group III preserved lobular histoarchitecture and had less severe cellular lesions.\n\nConclusion: MK exhibits a partial hepatoprotective effect oil rats treated With CCl(4).