scholarly journals Experimental Phage Therapy in TreatingKlebsiella pneumoniae-Mediated Liver Abscesses and Bacteremia in Mice

2011 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 1358-1365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chih-Hsin Hung ◽  
Chih-Feng Kuo ◽  
Chiou-Huey Wang ◽  
Ching-Ming Wu ◽  
Nina Tsao

ABSTRACTIntragastric inoculation of mice withKlebsiella pneumoniaecan cause liver abscesses, necrosis of liver tissues, and bacteremia. A newly isolated phage (φNK5) with lytic activity forK. pneumoniaewas used to treatK. pneumoniaeinfection in an intragastric model. Both intraperitoneal and intragastric administration of a single dose of φNK5 lower than 2 × 108PFU at 30 min afterK. pneumoniaeinfection was able to protect mice from death in a dose-dependent manner, but the efficacy achieved with a low dose of φNK5 by intragastric treatment provided the more significant protection. Phage φNK5 administered as late as 24 h afterK. pneumoniaeinoculation was still protective, while intraperitoneal treatment with phage was more efficient than intragastric treatment as a result of the dissemination of bacteria into the circulation at 24 h postinfection. Surveys of bacterial counts for mice treated with φNK5 by the intraperitoneal route revealed that the bacteria were eliminated effectively from both blood and liver tissue.K. pneumoniae-induced liver injury, such as liver necrosis, as well as blood levels of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase and inflammatory cytokine production, was significantly inhibited by φNK5 treatment. These data suggest that a low dose of φNK5 is a potential therapeutic agent forK. pneumoniae-induced liver infection.

2007 ◽  
Vol 51 (9) ◽  
pp. 3122-3130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chih-Feng Kuo ◽  
Ya-Hui Wang ◽  
Huan-Yao Lei ◽  
Chiou-Huey Wang ◽  
Nina Tsao

ABSTRACT Intragastric inoculation of Klebsiella pneumoniae can cause invasive diseases, including necrosis of liver tissues and bacteremia. The effect of concanavalin A (ConA) on K. pneumoniae was tested. Pretreatment with ConA was able to protect mice from K. pneumoniae infection in an intragastric model. K. pneumoniae-induced mouse death and liver injury such as liver necrosis, as well as blood levels of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase, were inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by ConA. ConA administered intravenously as late as 24 h after K. pneumoniae inoculation was still protective. In an in vitro assay, ConA was able to bind K. pneumoniae cells directly and further agglutinate them but had no effect on their in vitro growth. Surveys of bacterial counts of ConA-treated mice revealed that the bacteria were eliminated effectively in both blood and liver tissues. Furthermore, the bactericidal activity of macrophages against K. pneumoniae was also enhanced in a dose-dependent manner by ConA in an in vitro culture. These data suggest that ConA is a potentially therapeutic agent for K. pneumoniae-induced liver infection.


2006 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 243-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
M S Allagui ◽  
N Hfaiedh ◽  
C Vincent ◽  
F Guermazi ◽  
J-C Murat ◽  
...  

Lithium therapy, mainly used in curing some psychiatric diseases, is responsible for numerous undesirable side effects. The present study is a contribution to the understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying lithium toxicity. Male and female mature rats were divided into three batches and fed commercial pellets: one batch was the control and the second and third batches were given 2 g (Li1) and 4 g (Li2) of lithium carbonate/kg of food/day, respectively. After 7, 14, 21 and 28 days, serum levels of free tri-iodothyronine (FT3), thyroxine (FT4), testosterone and estradiol were measured. Attention was also paid to growth rate and a histological examination of testes or vaginal mucosa was carried out. In treated rats, a dose-dependent loss of appetite and a decrease in growth rate were observed, together with symptoms of polydypsia, polyuria and diarrhea. Lithium serum concentrations increased from 0.44 mM (day 7) to 1.34 mM (day 28) in Li1 rats and from 0.66 to 1.45 mM (day 14) in Li2 rats. Li2 treatment induced a high mortality after 14 days, reaching 50-60% in female and male animals. From these data, the LD50 (14 days Li2 chronic treatment) was calculated to be about 0.3 g/day per kilogram of animal, leading to Li serum concentrations of about 1.4 mM. A significant decrease of FT3 and FT4 was observed in treated rats. This effect appeared immediately for the highest dose and was more pronounced for FT3, resulting in an increase of the FT4/FT3 ratio. In males, testosterone decreased and spermatogenesis was stopped. Conversely, in females, estradiol increased in a dose-dependent manner as the animals were blocked in the diestrus phase at day 28. This finding supports a possible antagonistic effect of lithium on the estradiol receptors.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianguo Li ◽  
Zhen Li ◽  
Zefeng Gao ◽  
Juan Xia ◽  
Jia Cui ◽  
...  

Abstract Vitamin D was empirically applied for Tuberculosis (TB) treatment in the past, and is currently used as an adjuvant for TB therapy. Although an increasing pile of evidences suggests that vitamin D has no therapeutic effect against TB infection, the prophylactic effect of vitamin D in preventing TB remains largely undetermined. To experimentally valuate the potential prophylactic effect of calcitriol (the active form of vitamin D) against mycobacterium infection, we performed dose-gradient calcitriol soaking in 30-day-old zebrafish before Mycobacterium marinum (M. marinum) challenge through tail vein injection. 1H-NMR metabolomics analysis was further performed for illustration of potential mechanisms underlying the prophylactic effect of calcitriol against M. marinum. The results suggested that calcitriol exerts dose-dependent prophylactic anti-mycobacterium effects, i.e., the bacterial load and the corresponding inflammatory factors (IL-1β, TNF-α, and IFN-γ) expressions in M. marinum challenged zebrafish were reduced by low-dose (25 µg/L) or high-dose (2500 µg/L) calcitriol soaking, rather than by moderate-dose (250 µg/L) calcitriol soaking. Body weight of the M. marinum challenged zebrafish was recovered by high-dose prophylactic calcitriol soaking rather than by low-dose or moderate-dose calcitriol. The 1H-NMR metabolomic profiling identified 29 metabolites with altered abundance among the dose-gradient calcitriol groups, among which 22 metabolites were co-varied with the dose of calcitriol, the rest 7 metabolites were co-varied with the bacterial load and the inflammatory response in term of cytokine expression. Further pathway analysis indicated that the glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism pathway was the activated in both of the two metabolite groups, indicating that the pathway was altered by dose-gradient of calcitriol and was in response to M. marinum infection in zebrafish. The results of the present study suggested that the activation of glycine, serine and threonine metabolism pathway may play a potential role for the dose-dependent anti-mycobacterium effect induced by prophylactic calcitriol soaking.


1992 ◽  
Vol 262 (2) ◽  
pp. G223-G230
Author(s):  
L. C. Knight ◽  
A. H. Maurer ◽  
R. Wikander ◽  
B. Krevsky ◽  
L. S. Malmud ◽  
...  

The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of ethanol on gastric emptying and the trituration of solid food. With the use of a noninvasive physiological imaging technique, gastric processing of a radiolabeled solid meal was evaluated in unanesthetized dogs which ingested 6-8% ethanol solutions or received intravenous alcohol before the meal. Oral alcohol (resulting in blood levels up to 174 mg/dl) decreased the amplitude of antral contractions or completely abolished them. Alcohol did not significantly affect the fundamental frequency of contractions except at high doses, at which contractions were abolished. Alcohol lengthened the mean time to 50% of gastric emptying in a dose-dependent manner, from 132 +/- 3 min without alcohol to 160 +/- 10 min with oral alcohol at blood levels of 80-120 mg/dl (P less than 0.05). This was manifested by a lengthening of the lag phase, but there was no effect on the terminal slope of emptying (emptying rate) of the processed meal. At equal blood levels up to 120 mg/dl, orally administered alcohol had a more pronounced effect than intravenous alcohol. These data suggest that even low doses of dilute alcohol affect the ability of the antrum to process solid food and thereby contribute to impairment of gastric emptying.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunyan Hao ◽  
Zefeng Gao ◽  
XianJun Liu ◽  
Zhijiang Rong ◽  
Jingjing Jia ◽  
...  

AbstractPropionate has been reported to exert antidepressant effects, but high-dose propionate may induce autism-like symptoms in experimental animals through induction of dysbiosis of neurotransmitters. The bi-directional effects of propionate seem to be dose-dependent. However, due to the pathological discrepancies between depression and autism, conclusions drawn from autism may not be simply transferable to depression. The effect and underlying action mechanisms of high-dose propionate on depression remains undetermined. To investigate the effects of propionate on depression, propionate dose gradients were intravenously administrated to rats exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) for 1 week. Results of these behavioral tests demonstrate that low-dose propionate (2 mg/kg body weight/day) induces antidepressant effect through bodyweight recovery, elevated reward-seeking behaviors, and reduced depression-like behaviors, while high-dose propionate (200 mg/kg body weight/day) induces prodepressant effects opposite of those of low-dose propionate. A comprehensive profiling of neurotransmitters in the hippocampus demonstrated that CUMS induces reduction of NE (Norepinephrine), DA (Dopamine). GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) was recovered by low-dose propionate, while high-dose propionate exerted more complicated effects on neurotransmitters, including reduction of NE, DA, 5-Hydroxytryptamine and Tryptophan, and increase of GABA, Kynurenine, Homovanillic acid, 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid, 3-hydroxykynurenine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, and 3-methoxytyramine. The neurotransmitters disturbed by high-dose propionate suggest metabolic disorders in the hippocampus, which were confirmed by the clear group separation in PCA of metabolomic profiling. The results of this study demonstrate the double-edged dose-dependent effects of propionate on depression and suggest potential cumulative toxicity of propionate as a food additive to mood disorders.


2008 ◽  
Vol 197 (2) ◽  
pp. 351-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masaki Kakeyama ◽  
Hideko Sone ◽  
Chiharu Tohyama

Exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) during the fetal and neonatal periods has been indicated to alter the development of the offspring later in life. In this study, we determined whether perinatal exposure to a low dose of TCDD affects the onset of puberty in the female offspring of Long-Evans hooded rats. On day 15 of gestation, pregnant female rats were administered TCDD by gavage at a single dose of 0 (vehicle), 200, or 800 ng/kg b.w. In the female offspring born to dams administered with TCDD at either 200 or 800 ng/kg b.w., the vaginal opening and first estrus occurred ∼4–7 days earlier than in the offspring born to vehicle-treated animals. The ovarian weight gain was also accelerated following exposure to TCDD in a dose-dependent manner. We next examined the ovarian compensatory hypertrophy (OCH) as an indicator of the maturation of the LH/GnRH-generating system in the pituitary and the hypothalamus. Exposure to TCDD accelerated the onset of OCH in the female offspring in a dose-dependent manner. In particular, in the offspring born to the dams exposed to TCDD at 800 ng/kg b.w., hypertrophy, which is characterized by hyperovulation and a marked increase in the weight of the remaining ovary after hemi-ovariectomy, was observed on postnatal days 27–30, which was 10 days earlier than in the offspring born to the vehicle-treated dams. These results indicate that perinatal exposure to a low dose of TCDD induces precocious puberty, including early maturation of the hypothalamic–pituitary axis, the gonads and genitals, in female Long-Evans hooded rats.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Liqing Zhang ◽  
Haifeng Ni ◽  
Zhen Zhou ◽  
Xiaoyang Yuan ◽  
Junbo Xia ◽  
...  

Background. Maternal supplementation with 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VD3) has immunologic effects on the developing fetus through multiple pathways. This study was aimed at investigating the effects of VD3 supplementation on immune dysregulation in the offspring during allergic rhinitis. Methods. Different doses of VD3 as well as control were given to pregnant female mice. Ovalbumin (OVA) challenge and aluminum hydroxide gel in sterile saline were used to induce allergic rhinitis in offspring mice. Nasal lavage fluids (NLF) were collected, and eosinophils were counted in NLF 24 hours after the OVA challenge. Th1, Th2, Th17, and Treg subtype-relevant cytokines, including IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10, IL-17, TGF-β, and OVA-IgE levels from the blood and NLF of offspring mice, were detected by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. The Treg subtype was analyzed by flow cytometry. Treg cells were purified from offspring and were adoptively transferred to OVA-sensitized allogenic offspring mice. The outcomes were assessed in allogenic offspring. Results. Our data showed that VD3 supplementation significantly decreased the number of eosinophils, basophils, and lymphocytes in the peripheral blood and NLF. The proportion of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+Tregs had a positive correlation with VD3 in a dose-dependent manner. The levels of serum IgE, IL-4, and IL-17 were decreased while the expressions of IFN-γ, IL-10, and TGF-β were significantly enhanced in VD3 supplementation groups. Adoptive transfer CD4+CD25+FoxP3+Tregs of VD3 supplementation groups promoted Th1 and suppressed Th2 responses in the offspring during allergic rhinitis. Conclusion. Our findings indicated that low dose VD3 supply in pregnant mice’s diet suppressed Th2 and Th17 responses in allergic rhinitis by elevating the Th1 subtype and the proportion of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+Tregs in offspring. It suggested that low dose VD3 supply may have the potential to act as a new therapeutic strategy for allergic rhinitis.


1998 ◽  
Vol 80 (08) ◽  
pp. 338-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Rosaria Rossiello ◽  
Miriam Barbanti ◽  
Fiorella Calanni ◽  
Nicola Semeraro ◽  
Mario Colucci

SummaryDesmin 370 (D370), a low molecular weight dermatan sulfate, has been shown to reduce the size of preformed thrombi in rats, via a mechanism largely independent of its anticoagulant activity. In the present study we investigated the therapeutic efficacy of D370 in rabbits with experimental jugular vein thrombosis. Experiments performed to evaluate the antithrombotic dosages in rabbits indicated that D370 prevented the formation of venous thrombi (Wessler model) in a dose-dependent manner with complete inhibition at 20 mg/kg. When injected to rabbits bearing a 30 min aged thrombus, D370 caused a time- and dose-dependent reduction in thrombus weight. Thrombi harvested 2 h after injection of 50 mg/kg of D370 were 71% smaller than thrombi from saline-treated rabbits and 50% smaller than pretreatment thrombi, suggesting a double effect of the drug: inhibition of thrombus accretion and reduction of the existing thrombus. Interestingly, pretreatment with the fibrinolytic inhibitor EACA (1 g/kg), significantly attenuated the therapeutic efficacy of D370, suggesting a possible involvement of the fibrinolytic system. Heparin (50 and 200 U/kg) was less active as therapeutic agent, the maximal decrease in thrombus weight, as compared to untreated rabbits, amounting to 38%. Heparin, moreover, caused a more pronounced prolongation of APTT than comparable antithrombotic dosages of D370. Our present data extend previous results on the therapeutic efficacy of D370 and underscore its potential as an alternative antithrombotic drug.


Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven C. Cook

Use of neonicotinoid pesticides is now ubiquitous, and consequently non-targeted arthropods are exposed to their residues at sub-lethal doses. Exposure to these neurotoxins may be a major contributor to poor honey bee colony health. Few studies have explored how sub lethal exposure to neonicotinoids affects honey bee metabolic physiology, including nutritional and energetic homeostasis, both of which are important for maintaining colony health. Reported here are results from a study of chronic oral exposure of honey bees to two sub lethal concentrations of clothianidin and imidacloprid. Neonicotinoids altered important aspects of honey bee nutritional and metabolic physiology in a compound and dose-dependent manner; both compounds at low doses reduced honey bee body weight. Low-dose clothianidin exposure resulted in bees having protein, lipids, carbohydrates, and glycogen levels similar to newly emerged bees. High-dose clothianidin exposure lowered lipids and glycogen content of bees. High-dose imidacloprid exposure resulted in bees having depressed metabolic rate. Low-dose imidacloprid exposure resulted in bees consuming low and high levels of protein and carbohydrate rich foods, respectively. Results suggest neonicotinoids interfere with honey bee endocrine neurophysiological pathways. Compound and dose-dependent effects might represent respective chemical structural differences determining an observed effect, and thresholds of compound effects on honey bee physiology.


1992 ◽  
Vol 263 (3) ◽  
pp. R572-R577 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Calingasan ◽  
S. Ritter ◽  
R. Ritter ◽  
L. Brenner

Exogenous cholecystokinin (CCK) suppresses food intake by acting on vagal sensory neurons. However, CCK doses used in behavioral experiments are generally much larger than those necessary to produce electrophysiological changes in vagal afferents. We made automated measurements of liquid food intake before, during, and after infusion of low doses of CCK octapeptide (CCK-8) through a chronic aortic catheter with its tip seated just above the celiac juncture. In parallel experiments, we made similar infusions while collecting blood from the hepatic portal and jugular veins for CCK assay. Injection of 10, 30, 50, and 70 pmol of CCK-8 suppressed feeding in a dose-dependent manner beginning 1 min postinfusion. The lowest dose to produce statistically significant suppression of preinfusion intake was 30 pmol. Infusion of the same CCK-8 doses into the jugular vein did not suppress feeding. Near-celiac injection of 30 pmol of CCK-8 produced systemic plasma CCK concentrations averaging 6.5 +/- 1 pM compared with less than 1 pM after saline injection. These findings show that exogenous CCK, by acting on tissues perfused by the celiac artery, can suppress feeding at doses that 1) are similar to those producing effects on the firing of vagal neurons and 2) do not increase plasma CCK concentrations above postprandial levels.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document