scholarly journals Disease-Alleviating Effects of Peroral Activated Charcoal Treatment in Acute Murine Campylobacteriosis

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1424
Author(s):  
Stefan Bereswill ◽  
Soraya Mousavi ◽  
Dennis Weschka ◽  
Markus M. Heimesaat

Foodborne Campylobacter jejuni infections are on the rise and responsible for worldwide serious health issues. Increasing resistance of C. jejuni strains against antimicrobial treatments, necessitates antibiotics-independent treatment options for acute campylobacteriosis. Activated charcoal (AC) constitutes a long-known and safe compound for the treatment of bacterial enteritis. In this preclinical intervention study, we addressed potential anti-pathogenic and immune-modulatory effects of AC during acute experimental campylobacteriosis. Therefore, microbiota-depleted IL-10−/− mice were infected with C. jejuni by gavage and challenged with either AC or placebo via the drinking water starting on day 2 post-infection. On day 6 post-infection, AC as compared to placebo-treated mice did not only harbor lower intestinal pathogen loads but also presented with alleviated C. jejuni-induced clinical signs such as diarrhea and wasting symptoms. The improved clinical outcome of AC-treated mice was accompanied by less colonic epithelial cell apoptosis and reduced pro-inflammatory immune responses in the intestinal tract. Notably, AC treatment did not only alleviate intestinal, but also extra-intestinal and systemic immune responses as indicated by dampened pro-inflammatory mediator secretion. Given the anti-pathogenic and immune-modulatory properties of AC in this study, a short-term application of this non-toxic drug constitutes a promising antibiotics-independent option for the treatment of human campylobacteriosis.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1140
Author(s):  
Markus M. Heimesaat ◽  
Soraya Mousavi ◽  
Dennis Weschka ◽  
Stefan Bereswill

Since human infections with Campylobacter jejuni including antibiotic-resistant strains are rising worldwide, natural compounds might constitute promising antibiotics-independent treatment options for campylobacteriosis. Since the health-beneficial properties of garlic have been known for centuries, we here surveyed the antimicrobial and immune-modulatory effects of garlic essential oil (EO) in acute experimental campylobacteriosis. Therefore, secondary abiotic IL-10-/- mice were orally infected with C. jejuni strain 81-176 and garlic-EO treatment via the drinking water was initiated on day 2 post-infection. Mice from the garlic-EO group displayed less severe clinical signs of acute campylobacteriosis as compared to placebo counterparts that were associated with lower ileal C. jejuni burdens on day 6 post-infection. Furthermore, when compared to placebo application, garlic-EO treatment resulted in alleviated colonic epithelia cell apoptosis, in less pronounced C. jejuni induced immune cell responses in the large intestines, in dampened pro-inflammatory mediator secretion in intestinal and extra-intestinal compartments, and, finally, in less frequent translocation of viable pathogens from the intestines to distinct organs. Given its potent immune-modulatory and disease-alleviating effects as shown in our actual preclinical placebo-controlled intervention study, we conclude that garlic-EO may be considered as promising adjunct treatment option for acute campylobacteriosis in humans.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1127
Author(s):  
Dennis Weschka ◽  
Soraya Mousavi ◽  
Nina Biesemeier ◽  
Stefan Bereswill ◽  
Markus M. Heimesaat

The prevalence of infections with the zoonotic enteritis pathogen Campylobacter coli is increasing. Probiotic formulations constitute promising antibiotic-independent approaches to reduce intestinal pathogen loads and modulate pathogen-induced immune responses in the infected human host, resulting in acute campylobacteriosis and post-infectious sequelae. Here, we address potential antipathogenic and immuno-modulatory effects of the commercial product Aviguard® during experimental campylobacteriosis. Secondary abiotic IL-10-/- mice were infected with a C. coli patient isolate on days 0 and 1, followed by oral Aviguard® treatment on days 2, 3 and 4. Until day 6 post-infection, Aviguard® treatment could lower the pathogen burdens within the proximal but not the distal intestinal tract. In contrast, the probiotic bacteria had sufficiently established in the intestines with lower fecal loads of obligate anaerobic species in C. coli-infected as compared to uninfected mice following Aviguard® treatment. Aviguard® application did not result in alleviated clinical signs, histopathological or apoptotic changes in the colon of infected IL-10-/- mice, whereas, however, Aviguard® treatment could dampen pathogen-induced innate and adaptive immune responses in the colon, accompanied by less distinct intestinal proinflammatory cytokine secretion. In conclusion, Aviguard® constitutes a promising probiotic compound to alleviate enteropathogen-induced proinflammatory immune responses during human campylobacteriosis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 802 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus M. Heimesaat ◽  
Soraya Mousavi ◽  
Sigri Kløve ◽  
Claudia Genger ◽  
Dennis Weschka ◽  
...  

Human infections with the food-borne zoonotic pathogen Campylobacter jejuni are progressively rising and constitute serious global public health and socioeconomic burdens. Hence, application of compounds with disease-alleviating properties are required to combat campylobacteriosis and post-infectious sequelae. In our preclinical intervention study applying an acute C. jejuni induced enterocolitis model, we surveyed the anti-pathogenic and immune-modulatory effects of the octapeptide NAP which is well-known for its neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, secondary abiotic IL-10−/− mice were perorally infected with C. jejuni and intraperitoneally treated with synthetic NAP from day 2 until day 5 post-infection. NAP-treatment did not affect gastrointestinal C. jejuni colonization but could alleviate clinical signs of infection that was accompanied by less pronounced apoptosis of colonic epithelial cells and enhancement of cell regenerative measures on day 6 post-infection. Moreover, NAP-treatment resulted in less distinct innate and adaptive pro-inflammatory immune responses that were not restricted to the intestinal tract but could also be observed in extra-intestinal and even systemic compartments. NAP-treatment further resulted in less frequent translocation of viable pathogens from the intestinal tract to extra-intestinal including systemic tissue sites. For the first time, we here provide evidence that NAP application constitutes a promising option to combat acute campylobacteriosis.


Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 940
Author(s):  
Theodor Chitlaru ◽  
Erez Bar-Haim ◽  
Liat Bar-On ◽  
Shahar Rotem ◽  
Hila Cohen ◽  
...  

HLA transgenic mice are instrumental for evaluation of human-specific immune responses to viral infection. Mice do not develop COVID-19 upon infection with SARS-CoV-2 due to the strict tropism of the virus to the human ACE2 receptor. The aim of the current study was the implementation of an adenovirus-mediated infection protocol for human ACE2 expression in HLA transgenic mice. Transient pulmonary expression of the human ACE2 receptor in these mice results in their sensitisation to SARS-CoV-2 infection, consequently providing a valuable animal model for COVID-19. Infection results in a transient loss in body weight starting 3 days post-infection, reaching 20–30% loss of weight at day 7 and full recovery at days 11–13 post-infection. The evolution of the disease revealed high reproducibility and very low variability among individual mice. The method was implemented in two different strains of HLA immunized mice. Infected animals developed strong protective humoral and cellular immune responses specific to the viral spike-protein, strictly depending on the adenovirus-mediated human ACE2 expression. Convalescent animals were protected against a subsequent re-infection with SARS-CoV-2, demonstrating that the model may be applied for assessment of efficacy of anti-viral immune responses.


2008 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 768-778 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena L. Circu ◽  
Cynthia Rodriguez ◽  
Ronald Maloney ◽  
Mary Pat Moyer ◽  
Tak Yee Aw

2018 ◽  
Vol 91 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-41
Author(s):  
Horváth Adrienne ◽  
Papp Zsuzsanna Erzsébet

Abstract A broad spectrum of chemotherapy is being used in the therapy of childhood cancers, which may induce liver injury, impairing quality of life and efficacy of the treatment. History of, especially viral, liver diseases may increase toxicity. The aim of the paper is to assess the incidence, type and grade, predisposing factors and treatment options of drug-induced liver injury in children with malignant diseases under cytostatic therapy at the Hemato-Oncology Department of the Pediatric Clinic 2 from Targu-Mures, over a time period spanning from 2012 to 2017. The results of the study may serve as a foundation for such treatment strategies which would enable optimal outcomes with fewer cases of liver toxicity. During this period, we treated 26 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), two patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML), one patient with lymphoma and seven with solid tumors. We found liver toxicity in 77% of the patients treated for ALL, mainly during the maintenance therapy (65%) with oral 6-mercaptopurine and methotrexate. The most common clinical signs were anorexia, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and faltering weight gain. Cholestasis developed in two patients, while hepatocytolysis was the most common observed event (n = 24). Liver fibrosis, hypersplenism, portal hypertension and esophageal varices were found in two patients. One patient required endoscopic ligation of esophageal varices. Elevation of serum bilirubin appeared in two patients, while hypoproteinemia was observed in nine patients. None of the patients developed acute liver failure. We treated liver toxicity with hydration, alkalinization, i.v. Aspatofort, Aminosteril-N Hepa 8%, oral acetylcysteine, silymarin, ursodeoxycholic acid, Liv-52, Sargenor, and Essentiale forte. We found hepatotoxicity in 77% of the ALL patients undergoing chemotherapy, similar results have been published by other authors. Hepatotoxicity may develop through direct hepatic effects of cytostatics, or a preexisting liver disease impairs the metabolism and excretion of the drug, increasing its toxic effects. In our patients hepatotoxicity can be explained mainly by direct liver-injury, previous infections with hepatotropic viruses, such as cytomegalovirus, were detected only in three patients. Liver injury appeared in 77% of our ALL patients; 65% occurred during maintenance therapy with oral 6-mercaptopurine and methotrexate. Close followup of liver function during chemotherapy is mandatory for optimal results.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuezhou Chen ◽  
Pei Tong ◽  
Noah B. Whiteman ◽  
Ali Sanjari Moghaddam ◽  
Adam Zuiani ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTOptimal immune responses furnish long-lasting (durable) antibodies protective across dynamically mutating viral variants (broad). To assess robustness of mRNA vaccine-induced immunity, we compared antibody durability and breadth after SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination. While vaccination delivered robust initial virus-specific antibodies with some cross-variant coverage, pre-variant SARS-CoV-2 infection-induced antibodies, while modest in magnitude, showed highly stable long-term antibody dynamics. Vaccination after infection induced maximal antibody magnitudes with enhanced longitudinal stability while infection-naïve vaccinee antibodies fell with time to post-infection-alone levels. The composition of antibody neutralizing activity to variant relative to original virus also differed between groups, with infection-induced antibodies demonstrating greater relative breadth. Differential antibody durability trajectories favored COVID-19-recovered subjects with dual memory B cell features of greater early antibody somatic mutation and cross-coronavirus reactivity. By illuminating an infection-mediated antibody breadth advantage and an anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody durability-enhancing function conferred by recalled immunity, these findings may serve as guides for ongoing vaccine strategy improvement.


Parasitology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 144 (3) ◽  
pp. 263-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
THOMAS B. NUTMAN

SUMMARYThe majority of the 30–100 million people infected withStrongyloides stercoralis, a soil transmitted intestinal nematode, have subclinical (or asymptomatic) infections. These infections are commonly chronic and longstanding because of the autoinfective process associated with its unique life cycle. A change in immune status can increase parasite numbers, leading to hyperinfection syndrome, dissemination, and death if unrecognized. Corticosteroid use and HTLV-1 infection are most commonly associated with the hyperinfection syndrome.Strongyloidesadult parasites reside in the small intestine and induce immune responses both local and systemic that remain poorly characterized. Definitive diagnosis ofS. stercoralisinfection is based on stool examinations for larvae, but newer diagnostics – including new immunoassays and molecular tests – will assume primacy in the next few years. Although good treatment options exist for infection and control of this infection might be possible,S. stercoralisremains largely neglected.


Author(s):  
Asmaa Al-Alaak

One of the main ‘complaints’ about breast disease is that ‘it is all so similar’ and that there are lots of treatment options which can seem confusing at first. The key to understanding breast disease and preparing for questions about it is to keep the basic facts about breast anatomy and pathology to the forefront, learn to recognize key patterns of clinical signs and symptoms, and then match them to the clinical scenario. The EMQs are particularly useful at practising fitting questions into clinical patterns and rehearsing the patterns. Endocrine disease poses its own challenges. Even for a surgeon it is important to understand and recognize the underlying biochemistry and how this affects the clinical presentations. Endocrine surgical disease is much less about anatomy or surgical procedures themselves as it is about understanding how treatment is matched to the pathophysiology of the conditions.


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