Aims:  To evaluate the immunosuppressive properties of the exopolysaccharide (EPS) from high‐EPS producer Lactobacillus rhamnosus RW‐9595M on inflammatory cytokines produced by macrophages. Methods and Results:  The conditioned media (CM) were produced by macrophages treated with parental Lact. rhamnosus ATCC 9595 and its isogenic variant, the high‐EPS producer Lact. rhamnosus RW‐9595M, and the levels of TNF‐α, IL‐6, IL‐10 and IL‐12 were evaluated. Results revealed that CM from parental Lact. rhamnosus induced higher levels of TNF‐α, IL‐6 and IL‐12 but inhibited IL‐10 production, whereas its mucous variant induced low or no TNF‐α and IL‐6. Addition of purified EPS to macrophages treated with parental Lact. rhamnosus decreased the inflammatory cytokines and inhibited the metabolic activity of lymphocytes. The intermediate polysaccharide chains (16–30 units) produced by time‐controlled hydrolysis of EPS increased the IL‐10 produced by macrophages. Conclusions:  Polysaccharide chains of EPS induced immunosuppression by the production of macrophagic anti‐inflammatory IL‐10. Significance and impact of the Study:  These results indicate that the EPS from Lact. rhamnosus RW‐9595M may be useful as a new immunosuppressive product in dairy food.

No abstract

The status of vitamin B1, B2, B6 and C was investigated in 656 hospital inpatients by means of a dietary interview, biochemical studies, and clinical investigation. The daily intake was lower than the Recommended Dietary Allowance for vitamin B1 in 57%, B2 in 47%, B6 in 53%, and C in 9% of the patients; it was less than half the Recommended Dietary Allowance in 19, 12, 15, and 3%, respectively. A biochemical deficiency was observed in 25% of the patients for vitamin B1, in 11% for B2, in 25% for B6, and in 14% for C. On the basis of the parameters selected for this study, the biochemical vitamin status, the dietary vitamin intake, and the clinical symptoms correlated significantly with each other except in the case of vitamin B6.

An etiological study of bacterial diarrhea in infants under five years of age in Paraguay from May to July of 1990 was done. Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) strains of known serogroups were isolated from 35.8% of the patients with diarrhea, Salmonella spp. were isolated from 15.1%, enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) strains were isolated from 5.7%, and Shigella and Campylobacter spp. were isolated from 3.8% respectivery. No enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC) or Vibrio spp. was isolated. Out of 53 diarrheal patients, 34 cases (64.1%) had bacterial diarrheal diseases. The infants under one year of age with diarrhea were predominant among inpatient and outpatient children under five years of age and the total number of male diarrheal cases was greater than that of female cases. Enteropathogenic organisms were isolated from nine out of 12 water samples taken from the Paraguay River. The major serotype (018) of the EPEC isolated from the water samples of the Paraguay River corresponded to the major serotype isolated from patients with diarrhea.

No abstract