scholarly journals Identification and culture of proliferative cells in abnormal Taenia solium larvae: Role in the development of racemose neurocysticercosis

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. e0009303
Author(s):  
Miguel A. Orrego ◽  
Manuela R. Verastegui ◽  
Carlos M. Vasquez ◽  
Uriel Koziol ◽  
Juan P. Laclette ◽  
...  

Racemose neurocysticercosis is an aggressive disease caused by the aberrant expansion of the cyst form of Taenia solium within the subarachnoid spaces of the human brain and spinal cord resulting in a mass effect and chronic inflammation. Although expansion is likely caused by the proliferation and growth of the parasite bladder wall, there is little direct evidence of the mechanisms that underlie these processes. Since the development and growth of cysts in related cestodes involves totipotential germinative cells, we hypothesized that the expansive growth of the racemose larvae is organized and maintained by germinative cells. Here, we identified proliferative cells expressing the serine/threonine-protein kinase plk1 by in situ hybridization. Proliferative cells were present within the bladder wall of racemose form and absent from the homologous tissue surrounding the vesicular form. Cyst proliferation in the related model species Taenia crassiceps (ORF strain) occurs normally by budding from the cyst bladder wall and proliferative cells were concentrated within the growth buds. Cells isolated from bladder wall of racemose larvae were established in primary cell culture and insulin stimulated their proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. These findings indicate that the growth of racemose larvae is likely due to abnormal cell proliferation. The different distribution of proliferative cells in the racemose larvae and their sensitivity to insulin may reflect significant changes at the cellular and molecular levels involved in their tumor-like growth. Parasite cell cultures offer a powerful tool to characterize the nature and formation of the racemose form, understand the developmental biology of T. solium, and to identify new effective drugs for treatment.

Parasitology ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 120 (6) ◽  
pp. 547-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. BILLKER ◽  
A. J. MILLER ◽  
R. E. SINDEN

Malarial gametocytes circulate in the peripheral blood of the vertebrate host as developmentally arrested intra-erythrocytic cells, which only resume development into gametes when ingested into the bloodmeal of the female mosquito vector. The ensuing development encompasses sexual reproduction and mediates parasite transmission to the insect. In vitro the induction of gametogenesis requires a drop in temperature and either a pH increase from physiological blood pH (ca pH 7·4) to about pH 8·0, or the presence of a gametocyte-activating factor recently identified as xanthurenic acid (XA). However, it is unclear whether either the pH increase or XA act as natural triggers in the mosquito bloodmeal. We here use pH-sensitive microelectrodes to determine bloodmeal pH in intact mosquitoes. Measurements taken in the first 30 min after ingestion, when malarial gametogenesis is induced in vivo, revealed small pH increases from 7·40 (mouse blood) to 7·52 in Aedes aegypti and to 7·58 in Anophěles stephensi. However, bloodmeal pH was clearly suboptimal if compared to values required to induce gametogenesis in vitro. Xanthurenic acid is shown to extend the pH-range of exflagellation in vitro in a dose-dependent manner to values that we have observed in the bloodmeal, suggesting that in vivo malarial gametogenesis could be further regulated by both these factors.


Author(s):  
Bo Liang ◽  
Xudong Yuan ◽  
Gang Wei ◽  
Wei Wang ◽  
Ming Zhang ◽  
...  

AbstractTo curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the etiologic agent of the COVID-19 pandemic, we characterize the virucidal activity of long-acting Povidone Iodine (PVP-I) compositions developed using an in-situ gel forming technology. The PVP-I gel forming nasal spray (IVIEW-1503) and PVP-I gel forming ophthalmic eye drop (IVIEW-1201) rapidly inactivated SARS-CoV-2, inhibiting the viral infection of VERO76 cells. No toxicity was observed for the PVP-I formulations. Significant inactivation was noted with preincubation of the virus with these PVP-I formulations at the lowest concentrations tested. It has been demonstrated that both PVP-I formulations can inactivate SARS-CoV-2 virus efficiently in both a dose-dependent and a time-dependent manner. These results suggest IVIEW-1503 and IVIEW-1201 could be potential agents to reduce or prevent the transmission of the virus through the nasal cavity and the eye, respectively. Further studies are needed to clinically evaluate these formulations in early-stage COVID-19 patients.


Development ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 120 (11) ◽  
pp. 3267-3274 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Helms ◽  
C. Thaller ◽  
G. Eichele

Local application of all-trans-retinoic acid (RA) to the anterior margin of chick limb buds results in pattern duplications reminescent of those that develop after grafting cells from the zone of polarizing activity (ZPA). RA may act directly by conferring positional information to limb bud cells, or it may act indirectly by creating a polarizing region in the tissue distal to the RA source. Here we demonstrate that tissue distal to an RA-releasing bead acquires polarizing activity in a dose-dependent manner. Treatments with pharmacological (beads soaked in 330 micrograms/ml) and physiological (beads soaked in 10 micrograms/ml) doses of RA are equally capable of inducing digit pattern duplication. Additionally, both treatments induce sonic hedgehog (shh; also known as vertebrate hedgehog-1, vhh-1), a putative ZPA morphogen and Hoxd-11, a gene induced by the polarizing signal. However, tissue transplantation assays reveal that pharmacological, but not physiological, doses create a polarizing region. This differential response could be explained if physiological doses induced less shh than pharmacological doses. However, our in situ hybridization analyses demonstrate that both treatments result in similar amounts of mRNA encoding this candidate ZPA morphogen. We outline a model describing the apparently disparate effects of pharmacologic and physiological doses RA on limb bud tissue.


1996 ◽  
Vol 271 (5) ◽  
pp. G755-G761 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Hirsh ◽  
R. Tsang ◽  
S. Kammila ◽  
C. I. Cheeseman

An in situ dual vascular and luminal perfusion technique was used to study the effect of cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) on the transport of hexoses by the jejunum of the Sprague-Dawley rat from the lumen to the vascular bed. The lumen of the jejunumwas perfused with hexoses in oxygenated Krebs buffer, while the superior mesenteric artery was infused with Krebs buffer containing Ficoll 70 as a plasma expander. CCK-8 (0.8–8 pM) in the vascular infusate selectively reduced hexose transport in a dose-dependent manner by 20–47%, although having no effect on L-glucose or L-leucine absorption. Vascular tetrodotoxin did not block CCK-8 inhibition, whereas a specific CCK-A receptor antagonist, lorglumide, did. The CCK-B receptor agonist cholecystokinin tetrapeptide had a small effect on hexose absorption, whereas somatostatin-14 and -28 had no effect. These results suggest that cholecystokinin can decrease intestinal absorption of hexoses in the small intestine, acting via CCK-A-type receptors.


1999 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 770-778
Author(s):  
RALF WESTERHUIS ◽  
GER VAN ZANDBERGEN ◽  
NICOLE A. M. VERHAGEN ◽  
N. KLAR-MOHAMAD ◽  
MOHAMED R. DAHA ◽  
...  

Abstract. The mechanism of deposition of IgA in the renal mesangium in primary IgA-nephropathy is poorly understood. It has been suggested that membrane receptors for IgA on mesangial cells (MC) of the kidney may be involved. To obtain more insight in the occurrence of the myeloid receptor for IgA (CD89) on MC, both in situ and in culture, rabbit and goat polyclonal antibodies and mouse monoclonal antibody against recombinant CD89 were raised. Kidney sections from five control subjects and five patients with primary IgA-nephropathy failed to be positive for CD89 in the mesangium, using our polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. Also, five primary human MC cultures assessed for CD89 expression showed no protein expression of CD89. Furthermore, reverse transcription-PCR failed to detect mRNA expression of CD89 in the cultured MC. It was demonstrated that all five human primary MC bound human IgA in a dose-dependent manner, which was not inhibitable by blocking monoclonal anti-CD89 antibody (My43). In contrast, binding of IgA to U937 cells was blocked efficiently by My43. Finally, incubation of human MC with either human or rat IgA led to increased interleukin-6 production, whereas only human IgA, but not rat IgA, was able to bind to human CD89. Therefore, it is concluded that human MC do not express CD89 (to a significant extent). These results strongly suggest that binding of IgA to human MC occurs via an IgA receptor distinct from CD89.


2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Botião Nerilo ◽  
Jéssica Cristina Zoratto Romoli ◽  
Lydiana Polis Nakasugi ◽  
Natana Souza Zampieri ◽  
Simone Aparecida Galerani Mossini ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT: Essential oils are possible alternatives to the use of synthetic pesticides for control of fungal contamination. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) essential oil (GEO) is known for having antifungal and antiaflatoxigenic properties, but its use as a fumigant in situ has not been studied yet. The aim of this study was to evaluate GEO’s effects upon Aspergillus flavus as a fumigant agent in stored maize grains. The main compounds reported in GEO were α-zingiberene (23.85%) and geranial (14.16%), characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance. The GEO was used as a fumigant in irradiated maize grains in concentrations ranging from 5 to 50 µg/g and the resulting effects were compared to a synthetic antifungal agent (carbendazim and thiram), an antifungal traditionally used for seed treatment. The antifungal efficacy of GEO against A. flavus has been proven in a dose-dependent manner through in situ (maize grains) test. The GEO inhibited aflatoxin production at concentrations 25 and 50 µg/g and controlled fungal growth. Therefore, GEO can be used as an effective and non-toxic alternative to conventional treatments in stored maize grains for the natural control of A. flavus.


Endocrinology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 151 (12) ◽  
pp. 5830-5840 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melinda Cservenák ◽  
Ibolya Bodnár ◽  
Ted B. Usdin ◽  
Miklós Palkovits ◽  
György M. Nagy ◽  
...  

Tuberoinfundibular peptide of 39 residues (TIP39) and the PTH-2 receptor (PTH2R) constitute a peptide-receptor neuromodulator system. Based on the abundance of TIP39 fibers and axonal terminals as well as PTH2R-containing neurons and their processes in the hypothalamic para- and periventricular and arcuate nuclei TIP39 has been suggested to play a role in neuroendocrine regulation. We showed previously that TIP39 expression decreased dramatically by adulthood. In the present study, using in situ hybridization histochemistry, real-time RT-PCR, and immunohistochemistry, we found that TIP39 mRNA and peptide expression levels are markedly elevated in the posterior intralaminar complex of the thalamus (PIL) of lactating dams, one of the three locations of TIP39-containing cell bodies in the brain. In addition, in mother rats, these TIP39 neurons showed Fos expression in response to pup exposure. Transection of TIP39 fibers originating in the PIL resulted in an ipsilateral disappearance of TIP39 immunoreactivity throughout the mediobasal hypothalamus of mother rats, suggesting that TIP39 fibers there arise from the PIL. To elucidate the function of TIP39 activation in dams, mothers separated from their pups for 4 h on postpartum d 9 received injection of a PTH2R antagonist into the lateral ventricle 5 min before returning the pups. Blood samples were taken seven times during the experimental period through jugular cannulae. The PTH2R antagonist administered in two different concentrations markedly inhibited suckling-induced elevation of plasma prolactin levels in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that TIP39 neurons in the PIL may regulate suckling-induced prolactin release in rat dams.


1990 ◽  
Vol 171 (2) ◽  
pp. 533-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Granelli-Piperno

Murine T cells were stimulated in vivo by administering allogeneic cells or mitogens into the foot pads and then examining the draining popliteal lymph nodes. Allogeneic spleen cells induced the expression of IL2 and IFN-gamma mRNAs in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Induction of these transcripts also was detected after administration of Con A and anti-CD3 mAb. An increase in DNA-synthesizing cells was observed by 48 h, and these were shown to be T cells because of their sensitivity to anti-Thy-1 but not anti-B220 mAb and complement, and because of their localization to the T-dependent areas of the lymph node. The in vivo administration of cyclosporin A (CSA) reduced several of these T cell responses. The level of DNA synthesis and the frequency of cells synthesizing DNA were decreased by approximately 75%, while the induction of IL-2 responsiveness was not substantially diminished. IL-2 and IFN-gamma transcripts were inhibited at least 70-90%, as determined by Northern blot and in situ hybridization. Although the inhibition by CSA was not as complete in animals as observed previously in tissue culture, our findings indicate that in both systems, a major site of action of CSA is to inhibit T cell growth by inhibiting lymphokine production.


1989 ◽  
Vol 66 (6) ◽  
pp. 2629-2634 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Bethel ◽  
S. P. Curtis ◽  
D. C. Lien ◽  
C. G. Irvin ◽  
G. S. Worthen ◽  
...  

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) increases the bronchoconstrictor response of mammalian airways to cholinergic agonists and is thus implicated as a potential mediator of airway hyperreactivity. This study further defines the nature of the increase in airway responsiveness induced by PAF. We employed an in situ canine tracheal preparation, which allows differentiation of the effects PAF has on airway smooth muscle contraction from confounding effects it has on inducing airway edema and secretions. We found that PAF, infused regionally into tracheal arteries, increases the responsiveness of the trachealis muscle to parasympathetic stimuli in a dose-dependent manner. This effect occurred within 15 min. To determine whether the increase in trachealis muscle responsiveness resulted from effects localized to the trachea, we compared the effect of PAF on the tracheal segment with effects of the lower airways of the lung. Delivered to the arteries perfusing the tracheal segment, PAF did not increase lung resistance during vagus nerve stimulation. These data indicate that airway hyperresponsiveness elicited by PAF results from regional stimulation and/or release of mediators that augment tracheal contractility and that this effect is distinct from systemic effects elicited by PAF.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
AKARSHA B ◽  
KRISHNAKUMAR GULIMANE

Abstract This study is the first ever approach to evaluate the possible genotoxic effect of the Lagenandra toxicaria rhizome methanol extract and its antigenotoxic potency against 3% H2O2 induced genetic damage on Allium cepa root tip model. The assay revealed a significant decrease in mitotic index (MI) and an increase in the percentage of clastogenicity in a time and dose-dependent manner in the roots exposed to Lagenandra toxicaria extract at 0.2 mg/ml, 0.5 mg/ml, 1 mg/ml, 5 mg/ml and 10 mg/ml concentration for 1, 2 and 4hour. The ultra structures of cell surface and biochemical changes of the cells were assessed in four hour treated roots using Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The higher dose of 10 mg/ml treated roots showed an evident morphological as well as biochemical changes compared to the control. The agarose gel electrophoresis showed the loss of DNA integrity in the roots that were treated with 10 mg/ml extract for four hours, where as the control showed comparatively intact DNA bands. The in situ histochemical staining by Schiff’s reagent and nitroblueterasolium (NBT) confirmed the increased lipid peroxidation and free radical generation in four hour treated samples. Subsequently, the possible antigenotoxic potential of the plant extract was explored at its lower doses using H2O2 standard assays. The H2O2 treatment induced nuclear lesions in 93.45 ± 2.33% cells and it was seen to be reduced significantly (50.99 ±7.59 % and 37.13 ± 2.66 %) after the treatment with lower concentration of 0.01 mg/ml and 0.02 mg/ml extract respectively. This suggest that the Lagenandra toxicaria rhizome methanol extract acts as antigenotoxic agent at lower doses but at higher doses the extract induces clastogenic effects and thus acts like a janus-faced compound.


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