illite and Disease-Models--Animal

Discoveries associated with antibacterial activity of hydrated clays necessitate assessments of in vivo efficacy, practical use and safety. Surface properties of clays can lead to variations in the composition and abundance of bound compounds or ions, thus affecting antibacterial activity. Since exchangeable metal ions released from the clay surface are responsible for in vitro antibacterial activity, we evaluated the in vivo antibacterial efficacy of four natural clays (one illite clay, two montmorillonite clays and one kaolinite clay) and three ion-exchanged, antibacterial clays against superficial, cutaneous meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in mice. Superficial, cutaneous wounds on the back of SKH1-Elite mice were generated and subsequently infected with MRSA. Following twice daily applications of a hydrated clay poultice to infected wounds for 7  days, we observed significant differences in the in vivo antibacterial efficacy between different types of clays. The natural and ion-exchanged illite clays performed best, as measured by bacterial load, inflammatory response and gross wound morphology with significant decreases in bacterial viability and dermatitis. Topical application of kaolinite clay was the least effective, resulting in the lowest decrease in bacterial load and exhibiting severe dermatitis. These data suggest that specific types of clays may offer a complementary and integrative strategy for topically treating MRSA and other cutaneous infections. However, since natural clays exhibit in vitro antibacterial variability and vary vastly in surface chemistries, adsorptive/absorptive characteristics and structural composition, the properties and characteristics of illite clays could aid in the development of standardized and customized aluminosilicates for topical infections.

Topics: Aluminum Silicates; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacterial Load; Chemical Phenomena; Clay; Disease Models, Animal; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; Female; Inflammation; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Mice; Minerals; Skin Diseases, Bacterial; Wound Infection

The use of illite in Korean medicine has a long history as a therapeutic agent for various cerebrovascular diseases. According to Dongui Bogam, illite can be used for Qi-tonifying, phlegm dispersing and activation of blood circulation which is an important principle for the treatment of brain-associated diseases.. This study was undertaken to evaluate beneficial effects of illite on the neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer׳s disease (AD).. The transgenic mice of AD, Tg-APPswe/PS1dE9, were fed with 1% or 3% of illite for 3 months. Behavioral, immunological and ELISA analyses were used to assess memory impairment with additional measurement of Aβ accumulation and plaque deposition in the brain. Other in vitro studies were performed to examine whether illite inhibits the Aβ-induced neurotoxicity in human neuroblastoma cell line, SH-SY5Y cells.. Illite treatment rescued Aβ-induced neurotoxicity on SH-SY5Y cells, which was dependent on the PI3K/Akt activation. Intake of illite improved the Aβ-induced memory impairment and suppressed Aβ levels and plaque deposition in the brain of Tg-APPswe/PS1dE9 mice. Illite increased CREB, Akt, and GSK-3β phosphorylation and suppressed tau phosphorylation in the AD-like brains. Moreover, 1% of illite reduced weight gain and suppressed glucose level in the blood.. The present study suggests that illite has the potential to be a useful adjunct as a therapeutic drug for the treatment of AD.

Topics: Alzheimer Disease; Amyloid beta-Peptides; Animals; Apoptosis; Avoidance Learning; Blood Glucose; Brain; Cells, Cultured; Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; Disease Models, Animal; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; Humans; Memory Disorders; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; Minerals; Phosphorylation; Plaque, Amyloid; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Weight Gain