The protective capacity of UV-exposedClinostomum complanatummetacercariae against challenge infections inArdeola ibis ibis

2009 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
pp. 361-367 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Allam ◽  
S.M. Aboel Hadid

AbstractExposure of encysted metacercariaeof Clinostomum complanatumto UV light (254 nm) for 60 min reduced their development into adult worms in buff-backed herons (95.7% reduction in worm burden). Metacercariae that succeeded in developing into adult worms, showed low fecundity levels. Furthermore, 30% of eggs laid showed abnormal shape; however, all normal and abnormal eggs failed to hatch into miracidia. The effectiveness of UV-irradiated metacercariae as a vaccine was investigated. Compared to control unvaccinated herons, the vaccinated group showed a significantly high protection rate (73.8%) against challenge.In vitro, worm development after challenge showed decreased fecundity and increased egg abnormalities, where only 1.5% of all eggs produced hatched into miracidia. A passive haemagglutination test revealed increased antibody titres against soluble adult worm antigen in both vaccinated and vaccinated-challenged birds. It was concluded that vaccination of herons using encysted metacercariae UV-irradiated for 60 min can protect them against challenge infection.

Author(s):  
Françoise Bernerd ◽  
Daniel Asselineau ◽  
Mathilde Frechet ◽  
Alain Sarasin ◽  
Thierry Magnaldo

Author(s):  
Michael Russelle Alvarez ◽  
Paolo Robert Bueno ◽  
Raymond Oliver Cruz ◽  
Richard Macapulay ◽  
Francis Jayson Vallesfin ◽  
...  

Plant-derived digestive enzyme inhibitors particularly those targeted to carbohydrate metabolism has been the focus of recent studies as natural supplements for weight control and diabetes. The present study explores the salivary amylase inhibition activity of Garcinia mangostana (Linn.) pericarp extracts and Carica papaya (Linn.) leaf extracts and fractions, as well as perform phytochemical screening and quantification, and thin layer – and high performance liquid chromatographic profiling. ­Results show that crude extracts and purified fractions were able to inhibit salivary amylase, with C. papaya fraction 1 being the most active at 30.89% inhibition. Phytochemical screening of all extracts tested ­positive for tannins, glycosides, phenolics, flavonoids and alkaloids. Quantification of phenolics showed that extracts contained high levels of phenolics, with C. papaya crude extract having the highest content with 219.0±12.7 mg GAE/g extract followed by G. mangostana crude extract with 247.1±18.0 mg GAE/g extract. Quantification of total flavonoids also showed C. papaya crude extract to contain the highest content with 55.12±0.679 mg QE/g extract. All extracts contained negligible alkaloid content, though. HPLC and TLC profiling showed several peaks and bands, when viewed in 210 nm and UV light, respectively. These results demonstrate in vitro the salivary amylase inhibitory activity of both plants and their potential as antidiabetic drug candidates; however, further studies need to be done, like isolation and structure elucidation of active components and toxicity assays. Keywords: Amylase inhibition, phytochemical quantification, Carica papaya, Garcinia mangostana


1997 ◽  
Vol 138 (6) ◽  
pp. 1379-1394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Caulín ◽  
Guy S. Salvesen ◽  
Robert G. Oshima

Keratins 8 (K8) and 18 (K18) are major components of intermediate filaments (IFs) of simple epithelial cells and tumors derived from such cells. Structural cell changes during apoptosis are mediated by proteases of the caspase family. During apoptosis, K18 IFs reorganize into granular structures enriched for K18 phosphorylated on serine 53. K18, but not K8, generates a proteolytic fragment during drug- and UV light–induced apoptosis; this fragment comigrates with K18 cleaved in vitro by caspase-6, -3, and -7. K18 is cleaved by caspase-6 into NH2-terminal, 26-kD and COOH-terminal, 22-kD fragments; caspase-3 and -7 additionally cleave the 22-kD fragment into a 19-kD fragment. The cleavage site common for the three caspases was the sequence VEVD/A, located in the conserved L1-2 linker region of K18. The additional site for caspases-3 and -7 that is not cleaved efficiently by caspase-6 is located in the COOH-terminal tail domain of K18. Expression of K18 with alanine instead of serine at position 53 demonstrated that cleavage during apoptosis does not require phosphorylation of serine 53. However, K18 with a glutamate instead of aspartate at position 238 was resistant to proteolysis during apoptosis. Furthermore, this cleavage site mutant appears to cause keratin filament reorganization in stably transfected clones. The identification of the L1-2 caspase cleavage site, and the conservation of the same or very similar sites in multiple other intermediate filament proteins, suggests that the processing of IFs during apoptosis may be initiated by a similar caspase cleavage.


2011 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 289-301
Author(s):  
Azza H. Mohamed

AbstractCD1 mice were immunized subcutaneously with 20 ozone-exposed (70μg/ml, 1 minute exposure) Schistosoma mansoni cercariae weekly/three weeks. The efficacy of immunization was assessed 10 weeks post challenge infection by the determination of the worm burden, ova count, oogram, granuloma diameter, IgG reactions against soluble egg antigen (SEA) and tegument structural changes of recovered worms that are immunized. A reduced worm length and a reduction in worm burden were observed in the immunized group as compared to the infected not immunized group. Moreover, no ova were found in liver and intestine from the immunized mice as compared with infected control mice. Also, immunization with ozonated cercariae showed a decrement in the mean relative weight of liver and spleen. Total leukocyte count was increased in the immunized animal as compared to the infected control. The level of total IgG antibody against SEA decreased in immunized mice as compared with the infected control mice. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of worms recovered 10 weeks post challenge from the immunized group revealed extensive tegumental destruction. This study underlines the significant role of ozone attenuated cercariae vaccine against S. mansoni infection, which generated specific immunity with a significant level of protection.


Parasitology ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 126 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. IGLESIAS ◽  
A. PARAMÁ ◽  
M. F. ÁLVAREZ ◽  
J. LEIRO ◽  
F. M. UBEIRA ◽  
...  

Philasterides dicentrarchi is a histophagous ciliate causing systemic scuticociliatosis in cultured turbot. This study demonstrates that turbot which survive this disease have serum antibodies that recognize ciliary antigens of this ciliate in ELISA and immobilize/agglutinate the ciliate in vitro. Mouse sera raised against ciliary antigens and integral membrane proteins are likewise capable of immobilizing/agglutinating the ciliates, indicating that P. dicentrarchi, like other ciliates, expresses surface immobilization antigens. Furthermore, the antigen agglutinating reaction induces the parasite to shed its surface antigens rapidly, replacing them with others with different specific serology. This antigen shedding and variation response is similar to that detected in other protozoan parasites. Immunization of turbot with ciliate lysate plus adjuvant or with formalin-fixed ciliates induced synthesis of agglutinating antibodies and conferred a degree of protection against challenge infection, suggesting that the response to surface antigens may play an important role in defence against this pathogen, SDS–PAGE and immunoblotting studies indicated the existence of a predominant polypeptide of about 38 kDa in the ciliary antigen and membrane protein fractions, and this may be the principal surface antigen of P. dicentrarchi.


Author(s):  
Keith Kiplangat Talaam ◽  
Daniel Ken Inaoka ◽  
Takeshi Hatta ◽  
Daigo Tsubokawa ◽  
Naotoshi Tsuji ◽  
...  

Emergence of parasites resistant to praziquantel, the only therapeutic agent, and its ineffectiveness as a prophylactic agent (inactive against the migratory/juvenile Schistosoma mansoni ), makes the development of new antischistosomal drugs urgent. The parasite’s mitochondrion is an attractive target for drug development because this organelle is essential for survival throughout the parasite’s life cycle. We investigated the effects of 116 compounds against Schistosoma mansoni cercariae motility that have been reported to affect mitochondria-related processes in other organisms. Next, eight compounds plus two controls (mefloquine and praziquantel) were selected and assayed against motility of schistosomula ( in vitro ) and adults ( ex vivo ). Prophylactic and therapeutic assays were performed using infected mouse models. Inhibition of oxygen consumption rate (OCR) was assayed using Seahorse XFe24 Analyzer. All selected compounds showed excellent prophylactic activity, reducing the worm burden in the lungs to less than 15% that obtained in the vehicle control. Notably, ascofuranone showed the highest activity with a 98% reduction of the worm burden, suggesting the potential for development of ascofuranone as a prophylactic agent. The worm burden of infected mice with S. mansoni at the adult stage was reduced by more than 50% in mice treated with mefloquine, nitazoxanide, amiodarone, ascofuranone, pyrvinium pamoate, or plumbagin. Moreover, adult mitochondrial OCR was severely inhibited by ascofuranone, atovaquone, and nitazoxanide, while pyrvinium pamoate inhibited both mitochondrial and non-mitochondrial OCRs. These results demonstrate that the mitochondria of S. mansoni are feasible target for drug development.


Nanomedicine ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haq Nawaz ◽  
Iqra Naseem ◽  
Tanzila Rehman ◽  
Mubashir Nawaz

Aim: To optimize the Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs)-catalyzed in vitro photolysis of bilirubin and to test their effect on bilirubin clearance in vivo. Materials & methods: ZnONPs, synthesized in an alkaline medium, were characterized. Response surface methodology was used to optimize the in vitro photolysis catalyzed by the nanoparticles (NPs). Blood samples from phenylhydrazine-induced hyperbilirubinemic rabbits which had been administered ZnONPs and UV light were analyzed to assess in vivo clearance of bilirubin. Results: The ZnONP-assisted UV treatment showed the linear and quadratic positive effects on the in vitro bilirubin photolysis with an optimal photolysis of bilirubin at 225 mg dl-1 concentration of ZnONPs and a UV exposure of 1.80 h. The ZnONP-assisted phototherapy of hyperbilirubinemic animals was also found to be more effective for in vivo clearance of bilirubin than phototherapy alone. Conclusion: After further trials, ZnONP-assisted phototherapy could be a potential treatment for hyperbilirubinemia in humans.


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