Mitogenic and protective activity associated with a lipopolysaccharide from Coxiella burnetii

1978 ◽  
Vol 24 (12) ◽  
pp. 1616-1618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Paquet Jr. ◽  
Eppie D. Rael ◽  
David Klassen ◽  
Irene Martinez ◽  
Oswald G. Baca

A purified lipopolysaccharide (LPS) isolated from the rickettsial agent of Q fever, Coxiella burnetii phase 1, possesses some of the in vivo and in vitro biological properties previously only associated with bacterial endotoxins. The Coxiella LPS is mitogenic for guinea pig leukocytes, induces non-specific resistance in mice to virulent Candida albicans, causes dermal Schwartzman reactions, and is positive by the limulus lysate assay.

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cody B. Smith ◽  
Charles Evavold ◽  
Gilbert J. Kersh

AbstractCoxiella burnetii, the etiologic agent of Q fever, replicates in an intracellular phagolysosome with pH between 4 and 5. The impact of this low pH environment on antimicrobial treatment is not well understood. An in vitro system for testing antibiotic susceptibility of C. burnetii in axenic media was set up to evaluate the impact of pH on C. burnetii growth and survival in the presence and absence of antimicrobial agents. The data show that C. burnetii does not grow in axenic media at pH 6.0 or higher, but the organisms remain viable. At pH of 4.75, 5.25, and 5.75 moxifloxacin, doxycycline, and rifampin are effective at preventing growth of C. burnetii in axenic media, with moxifloxacin and doxycycline being bacteriostatic and rifampin having bactericidal activity. The efficacy of doxycycline and moxifloxacin improved at higher pH, whereas rifampin activity was pH independent. Hydroxychloroquine is thought to inhibit growth of C. burnetii in vivo by raising the pH of typically acidic intracellular compartments. It had no direct bactericidal or bacteriostatic activity on C. burnetii in axenic media, suggesting that raising pH of acidic intracellular compartments is its primary mechanism of action in vivo. The data suggest that doxycycline and hydroxychloroquine are primarily independent bacteriostatic agents.


2013 ◽  
Vol 81 (12) ◽  
pp. 4604-4614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Elliott ◽  
Ying Peng ◽  
Guoquan Zhang

ABSTRACTCoxiella burnetiiis an obligate intracellular bacterium that causes acute and chronic Q fever in humans. Human Q fever is mainly transmitted by aerosol infection. However, there is a fundamental gap in the knowledge regarding the mechanisms of pulmonary immunity againstC. burnetiiinfection. This study focused on understanding the interaction betweenC. burnetiiand innate immune cellsin vitroandin vivo. Both virulentC. burnetiiNine Mile phase I (NMI) and avirulent Nine Mile phase II (NMII) were able to infect neutrophils, while the infection rates were lower than 29%, suggesting thatC. burnetiican infect neutrophils, but infection is limited. Interestingly,C. burnetiiinside neutrophils can infect and replicate within macrophages, suggesting that neutrophils cannot killC. burnetiiandC. burnetiimay be using infection of neutrophils as an evasive strategy to infect macrophages. To elucidate the mechanisms of the innate immune response toC. burnetiinatural infection, SCID mice were exposed to aerosolizedC. burnetii. Surprisingly, neutrophil influx into the lungs was delayed until day 7 postinfection in both NMI- and NMII-infected mice. This result suggests that neutrophils may play a unique role in the early immune response against aerosolizedC. burnetii. Studying the interaction betweenC. burnetiiand the innate immune system can provide a model system for understanding how the bacteria evade early immune responses to cause infection.


2020 ◽  
pp. 030098582098136
Author(s):  
Martha A. Delaney ◽  
Andreas den Hartigh ◽  
Samuel J. Carpentier ◽  
Timothy P. Birkland ◽  
Donald P. Knowles ◽  
...  

Coxiella burnetii, a highly adapted obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen and the cause of the zoonosis Q fever, is a reemerging public health threat. C. burnetii employs a Type IV secretion system (T4SS) to establish and maintain its intracellular niche and modulate host immune responses including the inhibition of apoptosis. Interactions between C. burnetii and caspase-1-mediated inflammasomes are not fully elucidated. This study confirms that C. burnetii does not activate caspase-1 during infection of mouse macrophages in vitro. C. burnetii–infected cells did not develop NLRP3 and ASC foci indicating its ability to avoid cytosolic detection. C. burnetii is unable to inhibit the pyroptosis and IL-1β secretion that is induced by potent inflammasome stimuli but rather enhances these caspase-1-mediated effects. We found that C. burnetii upregulates pro-IL-1β and robustly primes NLRP3 inflammasomes via TLR2 and MyD88 signaling. As for wildtype C. burnetii, T4SS-deficient mutants primed and potentiated NLRP3 inflammasomes. An in vivo model of pulmonary infection in C57BL/6 mice was developed. Mice deficient in NLRP3 or caspase-1 were like wildtype mice in the development and resolution of splenomegaly due to red pulp hyperplasia, and histologic lesions and macrophage kinetics, but had slightly higher pulmonary bacterial burdens at the greatest measured time point. Together these findings indicate that C. burnetii primes but avoids cytosolic detection by NLRP3 inflammasomes, which are not required for the clinical resistance of C57BL/6 mice. Determining mechanisms employed by C. burnetii to avoid cytosolic detection via NLRP3 inflammasomes will be beneficial to the development of preventative and interventional therapies for Q fever.


2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 231
Author(s):  
A. Alsaleh ◽  
J. L. Pellerin ◽  
C. Roux ◽  
M. Larrat ◽  
G. Chatagnon ◽  
...  

Coxiella burnetii, an obligate intracellular bacterium of worldwide distribution, is responsible for Q fever. Detection of significant bacterial loads in flushing media and tissue samples (oviducts and uterine horns) from the genital tracts of nonpregnant goats is a risk factor for in utero infection and transmission during embryo transfer (Alsaleh et al. 2011 CIMID 34, 355–360). The aim of this study was to investigate (1) whether cells of early goat embryos isolated from in vivo fertilized goats interact with C. burnetii in vitro, (2) whether the embryonic zona pellucida (ZP) protects early embryo cells from infection, and (3) the efficacy of the washing protocol recommend by the IETS for bovine embryos. The study was performed in triple replicate: 12 donor goats, certified negative by ELISA and PCR, were synchronized, superovulated, and subsequently inseminated by Q fever-negative males. Sixty-eight embryos were collected 4 days later by laparotomy. Two-thirds of the resulting ZP-intact and ZP-free 8- to 16-cell embryos (9–9, 11–11, and 4–4 in replicates 1, 2, and 3, respectively) were placed in 1 mL of MEM containing 107 C. burnetii CBC1 (IASP, INRA Tours). After overnight incubation at 37°C and 5% CO2, the embryos were washed according to the IETS procedure. In parallel, the remaining third ZP-intact and ZP-free uninfected embryos (3–3, 5–5, and 2–2 in replicates 1, 2, and 3, respectively) were submitted to the same procedures but without C. burnetii, thus serving as controls. The 10 washing fluids for all batches of each replicate were collected and centrifuged for 1 h at 13 000g. The washed embryos and pellets were tested by PCR. Coxiella burnetii DNA was found in all batches of ZP-intact and ZP-free infected embryos after 10 successive washes. It was also detected in the first 5 washing fluids for ZP-free embryos and in the first 8 washing fluids for ZP-intact embryos. None of the control batches (embryos and washing fluids) were found to contain bacterial DNA. These results clearly demonstrate that caprine early embryonic cells are susceptible to infection by C. burnetii. The bacterium shows a strong tendency to cling to the ZP after in vitro infection, and the washing procedure recommended by the IETS for bovine embryos failed to remove it. The persistence of these bacteria makes the embryo a potential means of transmission to recipient goats. Further studies are needed to investigate whether the enzymatic treatment of caprine embryos infected by C. burnetii would eliminate the bacteria from the ZP.


1973 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 639-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald J. Elin ◽  
Sheldon M. Wolff

The ability of sera from five different animal species to support the growth of C. albicans before and after the animals were inoculated with bacterial endotoxin was studied. A significant diminution was found of the in vitro growth of C. albicans in sera from four (man, rabbit, guinea pig, and mouse) of the five animal species inoculated with bacterial endotoxin 24 h before bleeding when compared with control sera. These findings suggest that the previously reported in vivo non-specific resistance to infection induced by bacterial endotoxin as measured by lethality in the mouse is probably present in man, the rabbit, and the guinea pig. No decrease in the growth of C. albicans was found in sera from dogs inoculated with bacterial endotoxin.


Blood ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 128 (22) ◽  
pp. 1389-1389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seung-Beom Hong ◽  
Howard Levy ◽  
Jae Yong Jung ◽  
Minkyung Park ◽  
A Rim Seo ◽  
...  

Abstract The rapid clearance of factor IX (FIX) necessitates frequent intravenous IV administrations to achieve effective prophylaxis for patients with hemophilia B (HB). Subcutaneous (SC) administration would be a preferred route of administration but has been limited by low bioavailability and potency of the marketed FIX products. CB2679d/ISU304 with enhanced biological properties was developed using a rational protein design approach and has resistance to inhibition by ATIII, increased affinity for FVIIIa, increased catalytic activity and resultant 20-fold enhanced potency in vitro (clotting activity) and in vivo (the tail clip model) and 8-fold increased duration of aPTT activity in vivo compared to recombinant wild-type FIX dosed at the same mass. ISU304 (4622 IU/mg) was injected into HB mice SC with a single dose ISU304 at 0.02, 0.05 or 0.15 mg/kg and sampled at 4, 6, 8, 24 hours. Groups of wild-type mice received ISU304 0.02, 0.05 or 0.15 mg/kg SC and BeneFIX (273 IU/mg) 0.15 mg/kg SC, and sampled at 0.25, 1, 4, 8, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours. Daily SC injection in HB mice of ISU304 at 0.05 mg/kg was sampled at 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours. FIX antigen was measured using a sandwich ELISA and FIX activity was measured using a one-stage clotting assay on Stago Compact. Pharmacokinetics of FIX was performed using PKSolver. There was a dose-dependent increase of plasma FIX antigen with SC ISU304. Mass-based pharmacokinetic profiles of ISU304 (t1/2, 18 hours; Tmax,8 hours, Bioavailability, 19-22%) were similar to those of BeneFIX (t1/2, 20 hours; Tmax, 8 hours, Bioavailability, 16%). Due to ISU304 high specific activity, SC dose of ISU304 yields much higher FIX activities in mouse plasma compared with the same mass dose of BeneFIX. Daily SC dosing of ISU304 230 IU/kg reached steady-state plateau FIX 8% activity after three injections. The bioavailability and increased potency of CB2679d/ISU304 facilitates the initiation of the Phase 1 subcutaneous dosing study in individuals with hemophilia B. Figure 1 Figure 1. Table 1 Table 1. Figure 2 Figure 2. Disclosures Hong: ISU Abxis: Employment. Levy:Catalyst Biosciences: Employment. Jung:ISU Abxis: Employment. Park:ISU Abxis: Employment. Seo:ISU Abxis: Employment. Seo:ISU Abxis: Employment. Madison:Catalyst Biosciences: Employment, Equity Ownership, Patents & Royalties.


2020 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justyna Hajtuch ◽  
Karolina Niska ◽  
Iwona Inkielewicz-Stepniak

Background: Cancer along with cardiovascular diseases are globally defined as leading causes of death. Importantly, some risk factors are common to these diseases. The process of angiogenesis and platelets aggregation are observed in cancer development and progression. In recent years, studies have been conducted on nanodrugs in these diseases that have provided important information on the biological and physicochemical properties of nanoparticles. Their attractive features are that they are made of biocompatible, well-characterized and easily functionalized materials. Unlike conventional drug delivery, sustained and controlled drug release can be obtained by using nanomaterials. Methods: In this article, we review the latest research to provide comprehensive information on nanoparticle-based drugs for the treatment of cancer, cardiovascular disease associated with abnormal haemostasis, and the inhibition of tumorassociated angiogenesis. Results: The results of the analysis of data based on nanoparticles with drugs confirm their improved pharmaceutical and biological properties, which gives promising antiplatelet, anticoagulant and antiangiogenic effects. Moreover, the review included in vitro, in vivo research and presented nanodrugs with chemotherapeutics approved by Food and Drug Administration. Conclusion: By the optimization of nanoparticles size and surface properties, nanotechnology are able to deliver drugs with enhanced bioavailability in treatment of cardiovascular disease, cancer and inhibition of cancer-related angiogenesis. Thus, nanotechnology can improve the therapeutic efficacy of the drug, but there is a need for a better understanding of the nanodrugs interaction in the human body, because this is a key factor in the success of potential nanotherapeutics.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 285-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullah M. Alnuqaydan ◽  
Bilal Rah

Background:Tamarix Articulata (T. articulata), commonly known as Tamarisk or Athal in Arabic region, belongs to the Tamaricaece species. It is an important halophytic medicinal plant and a good source of polyphenolic phytochemical(s). In traditional medicines, T. articulata extract is commonly used, either singly or in combination with other plant extracts against different ailments since ancient times.Methods:Electronic database survey via Pubmed, Google Scholar, Researchgate, Scopus and Science Direct were used to review the scientific inputs until October 2018, by searching appropriate keywords. Literature related to pharmacological activities of T. articulata, Tamarix species, phytochemical analysis of T. articulata, biological activities of T. articulata extracts. All of these terms were used to search the scientific literature associated with T. articulata; the dosage of extract, route of administration, extract type, and in-vitro and in-vivo model.Results:Numerous reports revealed that T. articulata contains a wide spectrum of phytochemical(s), which enables it to have a wide window of biological properties. Owing to the presence of high content of phytochemical compounds like polyphenolics and flavonoids, T. articulata is a potential source of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative properties. In view of these pharmacological properties, T. articulata could be a potential drug candidate to treat various clinical conditions including cancer in the near future.Conclusion:In this review, the spectrum of phytochemical(s) has been summarized for their pharmacological properties and the mechanisms of action, and the possible potential therapeutic applications of this plant against various diseases discussed.


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