scholarly journals Candida albicans forms biofilms on the vaginal mucosa

Microbiology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 156 (12) ◽  
pp. 3635-3644 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. M. Harriott ◽  
E. A. Lilly ◽  
T. E. Rodriguez ◽  
P. L. Fidel ◽  
M. C. Noverr
Keyword(s):  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Microscopic Analysis ◽  
Vaginal Mucosa ◽  
First Time ◽  
Established Role ◽  
Type Strains

Current understanding of resistance and susceptibility to vulvovaginal candidiasis challenges existing paradigms of host defence against fungal infection. While abiotic biofilm formation has a clearly established role during systemic Candida infections, it is not known whether C. albicans forms biofilms on the vaginal mucosa and the possible role of biofilms in disease. In vivo and ex vivo murine vaginitis models were employed to examine biofilm formation by scanning electron and confocal microscopy. C. albicans strains included 3153A (lab strain), DAY185 (parental control strain), and mutants defective in morphogenesis and/or biofilm formation in vitro (efg1/efg1 and bcr1/bcr1). Both 3153A and DAY815 formed biofilms on the vaginal mucosa in vivo and ex vivo as indicated by high fungal burden and microscopic analysis demonstrating typical biofilm architecture and presence of extracellular matrix (ECM) co-localized with the presence of fungi. In contrast, efg1/efg1 and bcr1/bcr1 mutant strains exhibited weak or no biofilm formation/ECM production in both models compared to wild-type strains and complemented mutants despite comparable colonization levels. These data show for the first time that C. albicans forms biofilms in vivo on vaginal epithelium, and that in vivo biotic biofilm formation requires regulators of biofilm formation (BCR1) and morphogenesis (EFG1).

Abstract P283: Parkin Mediates Mitophagy in Cardioprotection

2011 ◽  
Vol 109 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Allen M Andres ◽  
Chengqun Huang ◽  
Eric P Ratliff ◽  
Genaro Hernandez ◽  
Pamela Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Simulated Ischemia ◽  
Selective Targeting ◽  
Cardioprotective Effects ◽  
Mitochondrial Turnover ◽  
First Time

Autophagy-dependent mitochondrial turnover in response to cellular stress is necessary for maintaining cellular homeostasis. However, the mechanisms that govern the selective targeting of damaged mitochondria are poorly understood. Parkin, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, has been shown to be essential for the selective clearance of damaged mitochondria. Parkin is expressed in the heart, yet its function has not been investigated in the context of cardioprotection. We previously reported that autophagy is required for cardioprotection by ischemic preconditioning (IPC). In the present study, we used simulated ischemia in vitro and IPC in hearts (in vivo and ex vivo) to investigate the role of Parkin in mediating cardioprotection. In HL-1 cells, simulated ischemia induced Parkin translocation to mitochondria and mitochondrial elimination. Mitochondrial loss was blunted in Atg5-deficient cells, revealing the requirement for autophagy in mitochondrial elimination. Consistent with previous reports implicating p62/SQSTM1 in mitophagy, we found that downregulation of p62 attenuated mitophagy and exacerbated cell death in HL-1 cardiomyocytes subjected to simulated ischemia. While wild type mice showed p62 translocation to mitochondria after IPC, Parkin knockout mice exhibited attenuated translocation of p62 to mitochondria. Importantly, ablation of Parkin in mice abolished the cardioprotective effects of IPC. These results reveal for the first time the crucial role of Parkin and mitophagy in cardioprotection.

scholarly journals Astrovirus-Induced Synthesis of Nitric Oxide Contributes to Virus Control during Infection

2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 1564-1574 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew D. Koci ◽  
Laura A. Kelley ◽  
Diane Larsen ◽  
Stacey Schultz-Cherry
Keyword(s):  
Nitric Oxide ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Innate Immune Responses ◽  
Vitro Analysis ◽  
Oxide Synthase ◽  
First Time

ABSTRACT Astrovirus is one of the major causes of infant and childhood diarrhea worldwide. Our understanding of astrovirus pathogenesis trails behind our knowledge of its molecular and epidemiologic properties. Using a recently developed small-animal model, we investigated the mechanisms by which astrovirus induces diarrhea and the role of both the adaptive and innate immune responses to turkey astrovirus type-2 (TAstV-2) infection. Astrovirus-infected animals were analyzed for changes in total lymphocyte populations, alterations in CD4+/CD8+ ratios, production of virus-specific antibodies (Abs), and macrophage activation. There were no changes in the numbers of circulating or splenic lymphocytes or in CD4+/CD8+ ratios compared to controls. Additionally, there was only a modest production of virus-specific Abs. However, adherent spleen cells from infected animals produced more nitric oxide (NO) in response to ex vivo stimulation with lipopolysaccharide. In vitro analysis demonstrated that TAstV-2 induced macrophage production of inducible nitric oxide synthase. Studies using NO donors and inhibitors in vivo demonstrated, for the first time, that NO inhibited astrovirus replication. These studies suggest that NO is important in limiting astrovirus replication and are the first, to our knowledge, to describe the potential role of innate immunity in astrovirus infection.

scholarly journals TAp63α targeting of Lgr5 mediates colorectal cancer stem cell properties and sulforaphane inhibition

Oncogenesis ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Chen ◽  
Meng-huan Wang ◽  
Jian-yun Zhu ◽  
Chun-feng Xie ◽  
Xiao-ting Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
P53 Family ◽  
First Time ◽  
Established Role

Abstract Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have an established role in cancer progression and therapeutic resistance. The p63 proteins are important transcription factors which belong to the p53 family, but their function and mechanism in CSCs remain elusive. Here, we investigated the role of TAp63α in colorectal CSCs and the effects of sulforaphane on TAp63α. We found that TAp63α was upregulated in spheres with stem cell properties compared to the parental cells. Overexpression of TAp63α promoted self-renewal capacity and enhanced CSC markers expression in colorectal sphere-forming cells. Furthermore, we showed that TAp63α directly bound to the promoter region of Lgr5 to enhance its expression and activate its downstream β-catenin pathway. Functional experiments revealed that sulforaphane suppressed the stemness of colorectal CSCs both in vitro and in vivo. Upregulation of TAp63α attenuated the inhibitory effect of sulforaphane on colorectal CSCs, indicating the role of TAp63α in sulforaphane suppression of the stemness in colorectal cancer. The present study elucidated for the first time that TAp63α promoted CSCs through targeting Lgr5/β-catenin axis and participated in sulforaphane inhibition of the stem cell properties in colorectal cancer.

The Role of Polyphenols in the Modulation of Plasma Non-Enzymatic Antioxidant Capacity (NEAC)

2012 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 228-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro Serafini ◽  
Giuseppa Morabito
Keyword(s):  
Antioxidant Capacity ◽  
Dietary Intervention ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
The Body ◽  
Dietary Polyphenols ◽  
Enzymatic Antioxidant ◽  
Endogenous Antioxidant

Dietary polyphenols have been shown to scavenge free radicals, modulating cellular redox transcription factors in different in vitro and ex vivo models. Dietary intervention studies have shown that consumption of plant foods modulates plasma Non-Enzymatic Antioxidant Capacity (NEAC), a biomarker of the endogenous antioxidant network, in human subjects. However, the identification of the molecules responsible for this effect are yet to be obtained and evidences of an antioxidant in vivo action of polyphenols are conflicting. There is a clear discrepancy between polyphenols (PP) concentration in body fluids and the extent of increase of plasma NEAC. The low degree of absorption and the extensive metabolism of PP within the body have raised questions about their contribution to the endogenous antioxidant network. This work will discuss the role of polyphenols from galenic preparation, food extracts, and selected dietary sources as modulators of plasma NEAC in humans.

scholarly journals Cathepsin L plays a key role in SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans and humanized mice and is a promising target for new drug development

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Miao-Miao Zhao ◽  
Wei-Li Yang ◽  
Fang-Yuan Yang ◽  
Li Zhang ◽  
Wei-Jin Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Development ◽  
Cathepsin L ◽  
Human Cells ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Disease Course ◽  
Promising Target ◽  
First Time

AbstractTo discover new drugs to combat COVID-19, an understanding of the molecular basis of SARS-CoV-2 infection is urgently needed. Here, for the first time, we report the crucial role of cathepsin L (CTSL) in patients with COVID-19. The circulating level of CTSL was elevated after SARS-CoV-2 infection and was positively correlated with disease course and severity. Correspondingly, SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus infection increased CTSL expression in human cells in vitro and human ACE2 transgenic mice in vivo, while CTSL overexpression, in turn, enhanced pseudovirus infection in human cells. CTSL functionally cleaved the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and enhanced virus entry, as evidenced by CTSL overexpression and knockdown in vitro and application of CTSL inhibitor drugs in vivo. Furthermore, amantadine, a licensed anti-influenza drug, significantly inhibited CTSL activity after SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus infection and prevented infection both in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, CTSL is a promising target for new anti-COVID-19 drug development.

scholarly journals Secreted KIAA1199 promotes the progression of rheumatoid arthritis by mediating hyaluronic acid degradation in an ANXA1-dependent manner

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Guoyu Yin ◽  
Heping Zhao ◽  
Hanzhi Ling ◽  
Zhen Xie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Hyaluronic Acid ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Collagen Induced Arthritis ◽  
Intracellular Degradation ◽  
Main Pathway ◽  
First Time

AbstractIn inflamed joints, enhanced hyaluronic acid (HA) degradation is closely related to the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). KIAA1199 has been identified as a hyaladherin that mediates the intracellular degradation of HA, but its extracellular function remains unclear. In this study, we found that the serum and synovial levels of secreted KIAA1199 (sKIAA1199) and low-molecular-weight HA (LMW-HA, MW < 100 kDa) in RA patients were significantly increased, and the positive correlation between them was shown for the first time. Of note, treatment with anti-KIAA1199 mAb effectively alleviated the severity of arthritis and reduced serum LMW-HA levels and cytokine secretion in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice. In vitro, sKIAA1199 was shown to mediate exogenous HA degradation by attaching to the cell membrane of RA fibroblast-like synoviosytes (RA FLS). Furthermore, the HA-degrading activity of sKIAA1199 depended largely on its adhesion to the membrane, which was achieved by its G8 domain binding to ANXA1. In vivo, kiaa1199-KO mice exhibited greater resistance to collagen-induced arthritis. Interestingly, this resistance could be partially reversed by intra-articular injection of vectors encoding full-length KIAA1199 instead of G8-deleted KIAA119 mutant, which further confirmed the indispensable role of G8 domain in KIAA1199 involvement in RA pathological processes. Mechanically, the activation of NF-κB by interleukin-6 (IL-6) through PI3K/Akt signaling is suggested to be the main pathway to induce KIAA1199 expression in RA FLS. In conclusion, our study supported the contribution of sKIAA1199 to RA pathogenesis, providing a new therapeutic target for RA by blocking sKIAA1199-mediated HA degradation.

scholarly journals Arginase Activity in Eisenia andrei Coelomocytes: Function in the Earthworm Innate Response

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 3687
Author(s):  
Joanna Homa ◽  
Alina Klosowska ◽  
Magdalena Chadzinska
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Wound Healing ◽  
Arginase Activity ◽  
Eisenia Andrei ◽  
Heavy Metals Ions ◽  
First Time ◽  
Important Marker

Arginase is the manganese metalloenzyme catalyzing the conversion of l-arginine to l-ornithine and urea. In vertebrates, arginase is involved in the immune response, tissue regeneration, and wound healing and is an important marker of alternative anti-inflammatory polarization of macrophages. In invertebrates, data concerning the role of arginase in these processes are very limited. Therefore, in the present study, we focused on the changes in arginase activity in the coelomocytes of Eisenia andrei. We studied the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), heavy metals ions (e.g., Mn2+), parasite infection, wound healing, and short-term fasting (5 days) on arginase activity. For the first time in earthworms, we described arginase activity in the coelomocytes and found that it can be up-regulated upon in vitro stimulation with LPS and H2O2 and in the presence of Mn2+ ions. Moreover, arginase activity was also up-regulated in animals in vivo infected with nematodes or experiencing segment amputation, but not in fasting earthworms. Furthermore, we confirmed that the activity of coelomocyte arginase can be suppressed by l-norvaline. Our studies strongly suggest that similarly to the vertebrates, also in the earthworms, coelomocyte arginase is an important element of the immune response and wound healing processes.

scholarly journals Heparan sulfate and heparin interactions with proteins

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (110) ◽  
pp. 20150589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria C. Z. Meneghetti ◽  
Ashley J. Hughes ◽  
Timothy R. Rudd ◽  
Helena B. Nader ◽  
Andrew K. Powell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heparan Sulfate ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Sequence Specificity ◽  
Structure Activity ◽  
Multiple Binding Sites ◽  
Multiple Binding ◽  
Heparin Activity

Heparan sulfate (HS) polysaccharides are ubiquitous components of the cell surface and extracellular matrix of all multicellular animals, whereas heparin is present within mast cells and can be viewed as a more sulfated, tissue-specific, HS variant. HS and heparin regulate biological processes through interactions with a large repertoire of proteins. Owing to these interactions and diverse effects observed during in vitro , ex vivo and in vivo experiments, manifold biological/pharmacological activities have been attributed to them. The properties that have been thought to bestow protein binding and biological activity upon HS and heparin vary from high levels of sequence specificity to a dependence on charge. In contrast to these opposing opinions, we will argue that the evidence supports both a level of redundancy and a degree of selectivity in the structure–activity relationship. The relationship between this apparent redundancy, the multi-dentate nature of heparin and HS polysaccharide chains, their involvement in protein networks and the multiple binding sites on proteins, each possessing different properties, will also be considered. Finally, the role of cations in modulating HS/heparin activity will be reviewed and some of the implications for structure–activity relationships and regulation will be discussed.

scholarly journals The pathophysiologic role of the protein kinase Cδ pathway in the intervertebral discs of rabbits and mice: In vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo studies

2012 ◽  
Vol 64 (6) ◽  
pp. 1950-1959 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael B. Ellman ◽  
Jae-Sung Kim ◽  
Howard S. An ◽  
Jeffrey S. Kroin ◽  
Xin Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Intervertebral Discs ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Protein Kinase Cδ

scholarly journals ROLE OF NITRIC OXIDE (NO) IN CAPSAICIN MEDIATED ANTI-PLATELET ACTIVITY IN IN VITRO, IN VIVO, EX-VIVO MODEL OF PLATELET AGGREGATION ASSAY AND ARTERIAL THROMBOSIS IN RAT: POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC TARGET?

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 44
Author(s):  
Mihir K Patel ◽  
Kiranj K. Chaudagar ◽  
Anita A. Mehta
Keyword(s):  
Platelet Aggregation ◽  
Arterial Thrombosis ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Platelet Activity ◽  
Aggregation Assay ◽  
Thrombosis Model ◽  
Platelet Aggregation Assay

Objective: Although recent advances in the treatment of congestive heart disease, mortality among patients’ remains a questionable remark. Therefore, we evaluated the role of capsaicin on in vitro and ex vivo platelet aggregation induced by Adenosine Di-Phosphate (ADP) as well as in in vivo thrombosis models and role of NO, KATP was also identified in the capsaicin-induced anti-platelet animal model as well as in vivo model of arterial thrombosis.Methods: According to body weight wistar rats were divided into five groups. Group I and Group II was treated with saline and capsaicin (3 mg/kg, i. v), while animals from Group III were treated with N(ω)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) (30 mg/kg, i. v) 30 min before administration of capsaicin (3 mg/kg, i. v). Group IV animals were treated with glibenclamide (10 mg/kg,i. v) 30 min before administration of capsaicin (3 mg/kg, i. v). Group V was considered as a positive control and administered clopidogrel (30 mg/kg, p. o). Animals were subjected for in vitro, ex-vivo platelet aggregation assay. ADP (30µM) was utilized as an aggregating agent in these experiments. After these assays; animals of each group were subjected for subaqueous tail bleeding time in a rat model and FeCl3-induced arterial thrombosis model in rats.Results: In ADP-induced in vitro platelet aggregation, a significant reduction in % platelet aggregation was observed at 50µM (64.35±4.641) and 100µM (52.72±4.192) concentration of capsaicin as compared to vehicle control (85.82±3.716). Capsaicin (3 mg/kg, i. v) also showed a significant reduction (49.53±4.075) in ex-vivo ADP-induced platelet aggregation as compared to vehicle control (89.38±2.057). In FeCl3 induced arterial thrombosis model, Capsaicin (3 mg/kg, i. v) exhibited an increase in time to occlusion in this rodent model and presence of the L-NAME and glibenclamide had inhibited the activity of capsaicin.Conclusion: In our study, capsaicin (50 µM, 100µM) exhibited potent anti-platelet activity in ADP-induced platelet aggregation, similarly capsaicin exhibited significant anti-platelet action in the ex-vivo study. Moreover, the presence of L-NAME and glibenclamide inhibited the anti-thrombotic and anti-platelet action of capsaicin. Therefore, it was concluded that NO and KATP may be involved in the anti-thrombotic action of capsaicin.

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