scholarly journals Effect of Prolonged Treatment with Azithromycin, Clarithromycin, or Levofloxacin on Chlamydia pneumoniae in a Continuous-Infection Model

2002 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 409-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrei Kutlin ◽  
Patricia M. Roblin ◽  
Margaret R. Hammerschlag
Keyword(s):  
Chlamydia Pneumoniae ◽  
Day Treatment ◽  
Prolonged Treatment ◽  
Infection Model ◽  
Necrosis Factor Alpha ◽  
Persistent Infections ◽  
Cytokine Levels ◽  
Factor Alpha ◽  
Vitro Model

ABSTRACT Persistent infections with Chlamydia pneumoniae have been implicated in the development of chronic diseases, such as atherosclerosis and asthma. Although azithromycin, clarithromycin, and levofloxacin are frequently used for the treatment of respiratory C. pneumoniae infections, little is known about the dose and duration of therapy needed to treat a putative chronic C. pneumoniae infection. In this study, we investigated the effect of prolonged treatment with azithromycin, clarithromycin, or levofloxacin on the viability of C. pneumoniae and cytokine production in an in vitro model of continuous infection. We found that a 30-day treatment with azithromycin, clarithromycin, and levofloxacin at concentrations comparable to those achieved in the pulmonary epithelial lining fluid reduced but did not eliminate C. pneumoniae in continuously infected HEp-2 cells. All three antibiotics decreased levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-8 in HEp-2 cells, but this effect appeared to be secondary to the antichlamydial activity, as the cytokine levels correlated with the concentrations of microorganisms. The levels of IL-1β, IL-4, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and gamma interferon were too low to assess the effect of antibiotics. These data suggest that the dosage and duration of antibiotic therapy currently being used may not be sufficient to eradicate a putative chronic C. pneumoniae infection.

Infliximab may reverse the toxic effects induced by tumor necrosis factor alpha in human spermatozoa: an in vitro model

2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (6) ◽  
pp. 1665-1673 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamer M. Said ◽  
Ashok Agarwal ◽  
Tommaso Falcone ◽  
Rakesh K. Sharma ◽  
Mohamed A. Bedaiwy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Necrosis Factor ◽  
Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha ◽  
Tumor Necrosis ◽  
In Vitro Model ◽  
Human Spermatozoa ◽  
Necrosis Factor Alpha ◽  
Factor Alpha ◽  
Vitro Model ◽  
Necrosis Factor

scholarly journals Expression of Virulence of Mycobacterium tuberculosiswithin Human Monocytes: Virulence Correlates with Intracellular Growth and Induction of Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha but Not with Evasion of Lymphocyte-Dependent Monocyte Effector Functions

1998 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 1190-1199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard F. Silver ◽  
Qing Li ◽  
Jerrold J. Ellner
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Necrosis Factor ◽  
Tumor Necrosis ◽  
In Vitro Model ◽  
Human Monocytes ◽  
Intracellular Growth ◽  
Necrosis Factor Alpha ◽  
Factor Alpha ◽  
Vitro Model ◽  
Necrosis Factor

ABSTRACT We assessed the applicability of an in vitro model of low-level infection of human monocytes to the characterization of the virulence of strains of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis family. Peripheral blood monocytes were infected at a 1:1 ratio with the virulent M. tuberculosis strain H37Rv, the avirulentM. tuberculosis strain H37Ra, and the attenuated M. bovis strain BCG. Both the percentages of cells infected by the three strains and the initial numbers of intracellular organisms were equivalent, as were levels of monocyte viability up to 7 days following infection. Intracellular growth reflected virulence, as H37Rv replicated in logarithmic fashion throughout the assay, BCG growth reached a plateau at 4 days, and H37Ra did not grow at all. The same patterns of growth were observed following infection of human alveolar macrophages with H37Rv and H37Ra. Monocyte production of tumor necrosis factor alpha was significantly higher following infection with virulent H37Rv than with either BCG or H37Ra. In contrast, there was no clear correlation of interleukin 10 production with virulence. Nonadherent cells of purified-protein-derivative-positive donors mediated equivalent degrees of reduction of the intracellular growth of H37Rv, BCG, and H37Ra. Low-level infection of human monocytes with H37Rv, BCG, and H37Ra thus provides an in vitro model for assessment of the virulence of these M. tuberculosis family strains. Furthermore, it is suggested that the virulence of these strains is expressed primarily by their differing abilities to adapt to the intracellular environment of the mononuclear phagocyte.

scholarly journals β-Lactam Antibiotics Enhance the Pathogenicity of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus via SarA-Controlled Lipoprotein-Like Cluster Expression

mBio ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Weilong Shang ◽  
Yifan Rao ◽  
Ying Zheng ◽  
Yi Yang ◽  
Qiwen Hu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Global Regulator ◽  
Necrosis Factor Alpha ◽  
Cytokine Levels ◽  
Mrsa Infection ◽  
Toll Like Receptor 2 ◽  
Factor Alpha ◽  
Subinhibitory Concentrations ◽  
Necrosis Factor

ABSTRACT Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) resists nearly all β-lactam antibiotics that have a bactericidal activity. However, whether the empirically used β-lactams enhance MRSA pathogenicity in vivo remains unclear. In this study, we showed that a cluster of lipoprotein-like genes (lpl, sa2275 to sa2273 [sa2275–sa2273]) was upregulated in MRSA in response to subinhibitory concentrations of β-lactam induction. The increasing expression of lpl by β-lactams was directly controlled by the global regulator SarA. The β-lactam-induced Lpls stimulated the production of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha in RAW 264.7 macrophages. The lpl deletion mutants (N315Δlpl and USA300Δlpl) decreased the proinflammatory cytokine levels in vitro and in vivo. Purified lipidated SA2275-his proteins could trigger a Toll-like-receptor-2 (TLR2)-dependent immune response in primary mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages and C57BL/6 mice. The bacterial loads of N315Δlpl in the mouse kidney were lower than those of the wild-type N315. The β-lactam-treated MRSA exacerbated cutaneous infections in both BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice, presenting increased lesion size; destroyed skin structure; and easily promoted abscess formation compared with those of the untreated MRSA. However, the size of abscesses caused by the β-lactam-treated N315 was negligibly different from those caused by the untreated N315Δlpl in C57BL/6 TLR2−/− mice. Our findings suggest that β-lactams must be used carefully because they might aggravate the outcome of MRSA infection compared to inaction in treatment. IMPORTANCE β-Lactam antibiotics are widely applied to treat infectious diseases. However, certain poor disease outcomes caused by β-lactams remain poorly understood. In this study, we have identified a cluster of lipoprotein-like genes (lpl, sa2275–sa2273) that is upregulated in the major clinically prevalent MRSA clones in response to subinhibitory concentrations of β-lactam induction. The major highlight of this work is that β-lactams stimulate the expression of SarA, which directly binds to the lpl cluster promoter region and upregulates lpl expression in MRSA. Deletion of lpl significantly decreases proinflammatory cytokine levels in vitro and in vivo. The β-lactam-induced Lpls enhance host inflammatory responses by triggering the Toll-like-receptor-2-mediated expressions of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha. The β-lactam-induced Lpls are important virulence factors that enhance MRSA pathogenicity. These data elucidate that subinhibitory concentrations of β-lactams can exacerbate the outcomes of MRSA infection through induction of lpl controlled by the global regulator SarA.

scholarly journals Role of the C5a-C5a receptor axis in the inflammatory responses of the lungs after experimental polytrauma and hemorrhagic shock

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shinjini Chakraborty ◽  
Veronika Eva Winkelmann ◽  
Sonja Braumüller ◽  
Annette Palmer ◽  
Anke Schultze ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hemorrhagic Shock ◽  
Inflammatory Responses ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Lung Damage ◽  
C5a Receptor ◽  
Cytokine Levels ◽  
Vitro Model

AbstractSingular blockade of C5a in experimental models of sepsis is known to confer protection by rescuing lethality and decreasing pro-inflammatory responses. However, the role of inhibiting C5a has not been evaluated in the context of sterile systemic inflammatory responses, like polytrauma and hemorrhagic shock (PT + HS). In our presented study, a novel and highly specific C5a L-aptamer, NoxD21, was used to block C5a activity in an experimental murine model of PT + HS. The aim of the study was to assess early modulation of inflammatory responses and lung damage 4 h after PT + HS induction. NoxD21-treated PT + HS mice displayed greater polymorphonuclear cell recruitment in the lung, increased pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) and reduced myeloperoxidase levels within the lung tissue. An in vitro model of the alveolar-capillary barrier was established to confirm these in vivo observations. Treatment with a polytrauma cocktail induced barrier damage only after 16 h, and NoxD21 treatment in vitro did not rescue this effect. Furthermore, to test the exact role of both the cognate receptors of C5a (C5aR1 and C5aR2), experimental PT + HS was induced in C5aR1 knockout (C5aR1 KO) and C5aR2 KO mice. Following 4 h of PT + HS, C5aR2 KO mice had significantly reduced IL-6 and IL-17 levels in the BALF without significant lung damage, and both, C5aR1 KO and C5aR2 KO PT + HS animals displayed reduced MPO levels within the lungs. In conclusion, the C5aR2 could be a putative driver of early local inflammatory responses in the lung after PT + HS.

Transforming growth factor-alpha enhances alveolar epithelial cell repair in a new in vitro model

1994 ◽  
Vol 267 (6) ◽  
pp. L728-L738 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Kheradmand ◽  
H. G. Folkesson ◽  
L. Shum ◽  
R. Derynk ◽  
R. Pytela ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Epithelial Cell ◽  
Wound Repair ◽  
Wound Closure ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Alveolar Epithelial Cell ◽  
Alveolar Epithelial ◽  
Factor Alpha ◽  
Vitro Model

Alveolar epithelial type II cells are essential for regenerating an intact alveolar barrier after destruction of type I cells in vivo. The first objective of these experimental studies was to develop an in vitro model to quantify alveolar epithelial cell wound repair. The second objective was to investigate mechanisms of alveolar epithelial cell wound healing by studying the effects of serum and transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) on wound closure. Primary cultures of rat alveolar type II cells were prepared by standard methods and grown to form confluent monolayers in 48 h. Then a wound was made by denuding an area (mean initial area of 2.1 +/- 0.6 mm2) of the monolayer. Re-epithelialization of the denuded area over time in the presence or absence of serum was measured using quantitative measurements from time-lapse video microscopy. The half time of wound healing was significantly enhanced in the presence of serum compared with serum-free conditions (2.4 +/- 0.2 vs. 17.4 +/- 0.8 h, P < 0.001). We then tested the hypothesis that TGF-alpha is an important growth factor for stimulating wound repair of alveolar epithelial cells. Exogenous addition of TGF-alpha in serum-free medium resulted in a significantly more rapid wound closure, and, furthermore, the addition of a monoclonal antibody to TGF-alpha in the presence of serum significantly decreased fourfold the rate of wound closure. Measurement of internuclear cell distance confirmed that both cell motility and cell spreading were responsible for closure of the wound. These data demonstrate that 1) the mechanisms of alveolar cell repair can be studied in vitro and that 2) TGF-alpha is a potent growth factor that enhances in vitro alveolar epithelial cell wound closure.

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