Vincristine alters gastrointestinal motility, peripheral sensitivity and mucosal architecture. Vincristine-induced neuropathy (somatic and enteric), intestinal mucosa damage and inflammatory infiltrations are relatively long-lasting.

Background: Cisplatin is an antineoplastic drug known to produce intense vomiting, gastric dysmotility, and peripheral neuropathy. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer with prokinetic properties potentially useful for cancer patients under chemotherapy. Our aim was to test whether MSG may improve gastrointestinal motor dysfunction and other adverse effects induced by repeated cisplatin in rats. Methods: Male Wistar rats were exposed or not to MSG (4 g L −1) in drinking water from week 0 to 1 week after treatment. On the first day of weeks 1-5, rats were treated with saline or cisplatin (2 mg kg −1 week −1 , ip). Gastrointestinal motility was measured by radiological methods after first and fifth administrations, as well as 1 week after treatment finalization. One week after treatment, the threshold for mechanical somatic sensitivity was recorded. Finally, samples of stomach, terminal ileum and kidneys were evaluated in sections using conventional histology. The myenteric plexus was immunohistochemically evaluated on distal colon whole-mount preparations. Key Results: Monosodium glutamate prevented the development of cisplatin-induced neuropathy and partially improved intestinal transit after the fifth cisplatin administration with little impact on gastric dysmotility. MSG did not improve the histological damage of gut wall, but prevented the changes induced by cisplatin in the colonic myenteric plexus. Conclusion and Inferences: Our results suggest that MSG can improve some dysfunctions caused by anticancer chemotherapy in the gut and other systems, associated, at least partially, with neuroprotectant effects. The potentially useful adjuvant role of this food additive to reduce chemotherapy-induced sequelae warrants further evaluation.

Lectin histochemistry is a useful method that allows the in situ identification of the terminal sugar moieties of the carbohydrates that form the glycoconjugates. Moreover, when it is combined with chemical or enzymatic deglycosylation pretreatments, lectin histochemistry can be employed to determine if carbohydrates are linked to the protein core by means of an N- or O-glycosidic linkage or, indeed, to partially sequence the sugar chains. One of the most interesting model organs for the study of spermatogenesis is the amphibian urodele testis. However, this organ has not been very widely investigated with lectin histochemical research. In the last few years, we have carried out a research project to identify and locate glycoconjugates in the testis of the urodele Pleurodeles waltl, the Spanish newt, as a first approach to identify possible carbohydrates with key roles in spermatogenesis. Our findings reveal some glycan chains located in a fusome-like structure in early (diploid) germ cells, oligosaccharides with terminal GalNAc in the acrosome, the occurrence of glycan modifications in the acrosomal contents during spermiogenesis, and changes in glycan composition of follicle and interstitial cells during the spermatogenetic cycle. Furthermore, the similar labeling pattern of follicle and duct cells supports the hypothesis for a common origin of both cell types.

Focal irradiation of epileptic foci has been performed in a group of 6 epileptic patients, of whom 2 presented with epilepsy and 4 with epileptic psychoses. The epileptic focus was localized by means of conventional scalp EEG, electrocorticography and stereoelectroencephalography. Radiosurgery was performed by coupling a stereoguide to a ⁶⁰Co unit using a 10-mm diameter collimator. An estimated dose of 10 Gy was administered. Results are presented and the mechanism of action of radiation discussed.

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Dietary modifications, including those affecting dietary fat and its fatty acid (FA) composition, may be involved in the development of brain–gut axis disorders, with different manifestations in males and females. Our aim was to evaluate the impact of three purified diets with different FA composition on the brain–gut axis in rats of both sexes. Male and female Wistar rats fed a cereal-based standard diet from weaning were used. At young adult age (2–3 months old), animals were divided into three groups and treated each with a different refined diet for 6 weeks: a control group fed on AIN-93G diet containing 7% soy oil (SOY), and two groups fed on AIN-93G modified diets with 3.5% soy oil replaced by 3.5% coconut oil (COCO) or 3.5% evening primrose oil (EP). Different brain–gut axis parameters were evaluated during 4–6 weeks of dietary intervention. Compared with SOY diet (14% saturated FAs, and 58% polyunsaturated FAs), COCO diet (52.2% saturated FAs and 30% polyunsaturated FAs) produced no changes in brain functions and minor gastrointestinal modifications, whereas EP diet (11.1% saturated FAs and 70.56% polyunsaturated FAs) tended to decrease self-care behavior and colonic propulsion in males, and significantly increased exploratory behavior, accelerated gastrointestinal transit, and decreased cecum and fecal pellet density in females. Changes in FA composition, particularly an increase in ω-6 polyunsaturated FAs, seem to facilitate the development of brain–gut axis alterations in a sex-dependent manner, with a relatively higher risk in females.

Until recently, glia were considered to be a structural support for neurons, however further investigations showed that glial cells are equally as important as neurons. Among many different types of glia, enteric glial cells (EGCs) found in the gastrointestinal tract, have been significantly underestimated, but proved to play an essential role in neuroprotection, immune system modulation and many other functions. They are also said to be remarkably altered in different physiopathological conditions. A nutraceutical is defined as any food substance or part of a food that provides medical or health benefits, including prevention and treatment of the disease. Following the description of these interesting peripheral glial cells and highlighting their role in physiological and pathological changes, this article reviews all the studies on the effects of nutraceuticals as modulators of their functions. Currently there are only a few studies available concerning the effects of nutraceuticals on EGCs. Most of them evaluated molecules with antioxidant properties in systemic conditions, whereas only a few studies have been performed using models of gastrointestinal disorders. Despite the scarcity of studies on the topic, all agree that nutraceuticals have the potential to be an interesting alternative in the prevention and/or treatment of enteric gliopathies (of systemic or local etiology) and their associated gastrointestinal conditions.