scholarly journals Does Curcumin Have a Role in the Interaction between Gut Microbiota and Schistosoma mansoni in Mice?

Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 767
Author(s):  
Assmaa Anter ◽  
Mohamed Abd El-Ghany ◽  
Marwa Abou El Dahab ◽  
Noha Mahana

There is strong correlation between changes in abundance of specific bacterial species and several diseases including schistosomiasis. Several studies have described therapeutic effects of curcumin (CUR) which may arise from its regulative effects on intestinal microbiota. Thus, we examined the impact of CUR on the diversity of intestinal microbiota with/without infection by Schistosoma mansoni cercariae for 56 days. Enterobacteriaceae was dominating in a naive and S. mansoni infected mice group without CUR treatment, the most predominant species was Escherichia coli with relative density (R.D%) = 80.66% and the least one was Pseudomonas sp. (0.52%). The influence of CUR on murine microbiota composition was examined one week after oral administration of high (40) and low (20 mg/kg b.w.) CUR doses were administered three times, with two day intervals. CUR induced high variation in the Enterobacteriaceae family, characterized by a significant (p < 0.001) reduction in E. coli and asignificant (p < 0.001) increase in Pseudomonas sp. in both naïve and S. mansoni-infected mice, compared to untreated mice, in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, our study showed the effects of high CUR doses on S. mansoni infection immunological and parasitological parameters. These data support CUR’s ability to promote Pseudomonas sp. known to produce schistosomicidal toxins and offset the sequelae of murine schistosomiasis.


2006 ◽  
Vol 52 (12) ◽  
pp. 1228-1237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrina Brudzynski

Honey is recognized as an efficacious topical antimicrobial agent in the treatment of burns and wounds. The antimicrobial activity in some honeys depends on the endogenous hydrogen peroxide content. This study was aimed to determine whether honey's hydrogen peroxide level could serve as a honey-specific, activity-associated biomarker that would allow predicting and assessing the therapeutic effects of honey. Using a broth microdilution assay, I analyzed antibacterial activities of 42 Canadian honeys against two bacterial strains: Escherichia coli (ATCC 14948) and Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633). The MIC90 and MIC50 were established from the dose-response relationship between antibacterial activities and honey concentrations. The impact of H2O2 on antibacterial activity was determined (i) by measuring the levels of H2O2 before and after its removal by catalase and (ii) by correlating the results with levels of antibacterial activities. Canadian honeys demonstrated moderate to high antibacterial activity against both bacterial species. Both MIC90 and MIC50 revealed that the honeys exhibited a selective growth inhibitory activity against E. coli, and this activity was strongly influenced by endogenous H2O2 concentrations. Bacillus subtilis activity was marginally significantly correlated with H2O2 content. The removal of H2O2 by catalase reduced the honeys' antibacterial activity, but the enzyme was unable to completely decompose endogenous H2O2. The 25%-30% H2O2 "leftover" was significantly correlated with the honeys' residual antibacterial activity against E. coli. These data indicate that all Canadian honeys exhibited antibacterial activity, with higher selectivity against E. coli than B. subtilis, and that these antibacterial activities were correlated with hydrogen peroxide production in honeys. Hydrogen peroxide levels in honey, therefore, is a strong predictor of the honey's antibacterial activity.Key words: honey, antibacterial activity, hydrogen peroxide, catalase, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis.



Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1156
Author(s):  
Madelaine Sugasti-Salazar ◽  
Yessica Y. Llamas-González ◽  
Dalkiria Campos ◽  
José González-Santamaría

Mayaro virus (MAYV) hijacks the host’s cell machinery to effectively replicate. The mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) p38, JNK, and ERK1/2 have emerged as crucial cellular factors implicated in different stages of the viral cycle. However, whether MAYV uses these MAPKs to competently replicate has not yet been determined. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of MAPK inhibition on MAYV replication using primary human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) and HeLa cells. Viral yields in supernatants from MAYV-infected cells treated or untreated with inhibitors SB203580, SP600125, U0126, or Losmapimod were quantified using plaque assay. Additionally, viral protein expression was analyzed using immunoblot and immunofluorescence. Knockdown of p38⍺/p38β isoforms was performed in HDFs using the PROTACs molecule NR-7h. Our data demonstrated that HDFs are highly susceptible to MAYV infection. SB203580, a p38 inhibitor, reduced MAYV replication in a dose-dependent manner in both HDFs and HeLa cells. Additionally, SB203580 significantly decreased viral E1 protein expression. Similarly, knockdown or inhibition of p38⍺/p38β isoforms with NR-7h or Losmapimod, respectively, affected MAYV replication in a dose-dependent manner. Collectively, these findings suggest that p38 could play an important role in MAYV replication and could serve as a therapeutic target to control MAYV infection.



2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1037
Author(s):  
Craig Resch ◽  
Mihir Parikh ◽  
J. Alejandro Austria ◽  
Spencer D. Proctor ◽  
Thomas Netticadan ◽  
...  

There is an increased interest in the gut microbiota as it relates to health and obesity. The impact of diet and sex on the gut microbiota in conjunction with obesity also demands extensive systemic investigation. Thus, the influence of sex, diet, and flaxseed supplementation on the gut microbiota was examined in the JCR:LA-cp rat model of genetic obesity. Male and female obese rats were randomized into four groups (n = 8) to receive, for 12 weeks, either (a) control diet (Con), (b) control diet supplemented with 10% ground flaxseed (CFlax), (c) a high-fat, high sucrose (HFHS) diet, or (d) HFHS supplemented with 10% ground flaxseed (HFlax). Male and female JCR:LA-cp lean rats served as genetic controls and received similar dietary interventions. Illumine MiSeq sequencing revealed a richer microbiota in rats fed control diets rather than HFHS diets. Obese female rats had lower alpha-diversity than lean female; however, both sexes of obese and lean JCR rats differed significantly in β-diversity, as their gut microbiota was composed of different abundances of bacterial types. The feeding of an HFHS diet affected the diversity by increasing the phylum Bacteroidetes and reducing bacterial species from phylum Firmicutes. Fecal short-chain fatty acids such as acetate, propionate, and butyrate-producing bacterial species were correspondingly impacted by the HFHS diet. Flax supplementation improved the gut microbiota by decreasing the abundance of Blautia and Eubacterium dolichum. Collectively, our data show that an HFHS diet results in gut microbiota dysbiosis in a sex-dependent manner. Flaxseed supplementation to the diet had a significant impact on gut microbiota diversity under both flax control and HFHS dietary conditions.



2009 ◽  
Vol 297 (4) ◽  
pp. F1045-F1054 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yufeng Huang ◽  
Wayne A. Border ◽  
Daniel A. Lawrence ◽  
Nancy A. Noble

Administration of a mutant, noninhibitory PAI-1 (PAI-1R), reduces disease in experimental glomerulonephritis. Here we investigated the importance of vitronectin (Vn) binding, PAI-1 stability and protease binding in this therapeutic effect using a panel of PAI-1 mutants differing in half-life, protease binding, and Vn binding. PAI-1R binds Vn normally but does not inhibit proteases. PAI-1AK has a complete defect in Vn binding but retains full inhibitory activity, with a short half-life similar to wild-type (wt)-PAI-1. Mutant 14-lb is identical to wt-PAI-1 but with a longer half-life. PAI-1K has defective Vn binding, inhibits proteases normally, and has a long half-life. In vitro wt-PAI-1 dramatically inhibited degradation of mesangial cell ECM while the AK mutant had much less effect. Mutants 14-1b and PAI-1K, like wt-PAI-1, inhibited matrix degradation but PAI-1R failed to reverse this inhibition although PAI-1R reversed the wt-PAI-1-induced inhibition of ECM degradation in a plasmin-, time-, and dose-dependent manner. Thus the ability of PAI-1 to inhibit ECM degradation is dependent both on its antiproteinase activity and on maintaining an active conformation achieved either by Vn binding or mutation to a stable form. Administration of these PAI-1 mutants to nephritic rats confirmed the in vitro data; only PAI-1R showed therapeutic effects. PAI-1K did not bind to nephritic kidney, indicating that Vn binding is essential to the therapeutic action of PAI-1R. The ability of PAI-1R to remain bound to Vn even in a high-protease environment is very likely the key to its therapeutic efficacy. Furthermore, because both PAI-1R and 14-1b bound to the nephritic kidney in the same pattern and differ only in their ability to bind proteases, lack of protease inhibition is also keyed to PAI-1R's therapeutic action.



Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (12) ◽  
pp. 3569
Author(s):  
Yicheng Tan ◽  
Zhang Ye ◽  
Mansheng Wang ◽  
Muhammad Faisal Manzoor ◽  
Rana Muhammad Aadil ◽  
...  

In this study, the impact of different cell disruption techniques (high-pressure micro fluidization (HPMF), ionic liquids (ILs), multi-enzyme (ME), and hydrochloric acid (HCl)) on the chemical composition and biological activity of astaxanthin (AST) obtained from Haematococcus pluvialis was investigated. Results indicated that all cell disruption techniques had a significant effect on AST composition, which were confirmed by TLC and UPC2 analysis. AST recovery from HCl (HCl-AST) and ILs (ILs-AST) cell disruption techniques was dominant by free and monoesters AST, while AST recovery from HPMF (HPMF-AST) and ME (ME-AST) cell disruption techniques was composed of monoesters, diesters, and free AST. Further biological activity analysis displayed that HCl-AST showed the highest ABTS and DPPH activity, while ILs-AST showed better results against the ORAC assay. Additionally, ILs-AST exhibits a stronger anti-proliferation of HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner, which was ascribed to AST-induced ROS in to inhibit the proliferative of cancer cells.



2006 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 156-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashish A. Sawant ◽  
Narasimha V. Hegde ◽  
Beth A. Straley ◽  
Sarah C. Donaldson ◽  
Brenda C. Love ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT A study was conducted to understand the descriptive and molecular epidemiology of antimicrobial-resistant gram-negative enteric bacteria in the feces of healthy lactating dairy cattle. Gram-negative enteric bacteria resistant to ampicillin, florfenicol, spectinomycin, and tetracycline were isolated from the feces of 35, 8, 5, and 42% of 213 lactating cattle on 74, 39, 9, 26, and 82% of 23 farms surveyed, respectively. Antimicrobial-resistant gram-negative bacteria accounted for 5 (florfenicol) to 14% (tetracycline) of total gram-negative enteric microflora. Nine bacterial species were isolated, of which Escherichia coli (87%) was the most predominant species. MICs showing reduced susceptibility to ampicillin, ceftiofur, chloramphenicol, florfenicol, spectinomycin, streptomycin, and tetracycline were observed in E. coli isolates. Isolates exhibited resistance to ampicillin (48%), ceftiofur (11%), chloramphenicol (20%), florfenicol (78%), spectinomycin (18%), and tetracycline (93%). Multidrug resistance (≥3 to 6 antimicrobials) was seen in 40% of E. coli isolates from healthy lactating cattle. Of 113 tetracycline-resistant E. coli isolates, tet(B) was the predominant resistance determinant and was detected in 93% of isolates, while the remaining 7% isolates carried the tet(A) determinant. DNA-DNA hybridization assays revealed that tet determinants were located on the chromosome. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed that tetracycline-resistant E. coli isolates (n = 99 isolates) belonged to 60 subtypes, which is suggestive of a highly diverse population of tetracycline-resistant organisms. On most occasions, E. coli subtypes, although shared between cows within the herd, were confined mostly to a dairy herd. The findings of this study suggest that commensal enteric E. coli from healthy lactating cattle can be an important reservoir for tetracycline and perhaps other antimicrobial resistance determinants.



2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liaqat Hussain ◽  
Muhammad Sajid Hamid Akash ◽  
Madeha Tahir ◽  
Kanwal Rehman

<span><em>Sapium sebiferum</em> leaves were used to determine its hepatoprotective effects against paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. A dose dependent study was conducted using two different doses (200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg) of the extract of </span><em>S. sebiferum</em><span> against toxic effects of paracetamol (500 mg/kg) in experimental animal model. Silymarin (50 mg/kg) was used as standard drug to compare therapeutic effects of </span><em>S. sebiferum</em><span> with control and paracetamol-treated groups. Paracetamol significantly increased the serum levels of liver enzyme markers like alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, and direct bilirubin. The extract showed protective effects by normalizing the liver enzymes markers in a dose dependent manner. Histopathological results confirmed the hepatoprotective effects of leaves of </span><em>S. sebiferum</em><span>. We conclude that leaves of </span><em>S. sebiferum</em><span> have strong hepatoprotective effects against paracetamol-induced liver injury and can be used in liver injuries caused by drug-induced toxicity.</span>



2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Masoura ◽  
Paolo Passaretti ◽  
Tim W. Overton ◽  
Pete A. Lund ◽  
Konstantinos Gkatzionis

Abstract Honey has been valued as a powerful antimicrobial since ancient times. However, the understanding of the underlying antibacterial mechanism is incomplete. The complexity and variability of honey composition represent a challenge to this scope. In this study, a simple model system was used to investigate the antibacterial effect of, and possible synergies between, the three main stressors present in honey: sugars, gluconic acid, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which result from the enzymatic conversion of glucose on honey dilution. Our results demonstrated that the synergy of H2O2 and gluconic acid is essential for the antibacterial activity of honey. This synergy caused membrane depolarization, destruction of the cell wall, and eventually growth inhibition of E. coli K-12. The presence of H2O2 stimulated the generation of other long-lived ROS in a dose-dependent manner. Sugars caused osmosis-related morphological changes, however, decreased the toxicity of the H2O2/gluconic acid. The susceptibility of catalase and general stress response sigma factor mutants confirmed the synergy of the three stressors, which is enhanced at higher H2O2 concentrations. By monitoring cellular phenotypic changes caused by model honey, we explained how this can be bactericidal even though the antimicrobial compounds which it contains are at non-inhibitory concentrations.



Polymers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuyang Li ◽  
Xingtao Chen ◽  
Xiaomei Wang ◽  
Yi Xiong ◽  
Yonggang Yan ◽  
...  

Zinc can enhance osteoblastic bone formation and stimulate osteogenic differentiation, suppress the differentiation of osteoclast precursor cells into osteoclasts, and inhibit pathogenic bacterial growth in a dose-dependent manner. In this study, simonkolleite, as a novel zinc resource, was coated on poly (amino acids) (PAA) via suspending PAA powder in different concentrations of zinc chloride (ZnCl2) solution, and the simonkolleite-coated PAA (Zn–PAA) was characterized by SEM, XRD, FT-IR and XPS. Zinc ions were continuously released from the coating, and the release behavior was dependent on both the concentration of the ZnCl2 immersing solution and the type of soak solutions (SBF, PBS and DMEM). The Zn–PAA was cultured with mouse bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) through TranswellTM plates, and the results indicated that the relative cell viability, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and mineralization of BMSCs were significantly higher with Zn–PAA as compared to PAA. Moreover, the Zn–PAA was cultured with RAW264.7 cells, and the results suggested an inhibiting effect of Zn–PAA on the cell differentiation into osteoclasts. In addition, Zn–PAA exhibited an antibacterial activity against both S. aureus and E. coli. These findings suggest that simonkolleite coating with certain contents could promote osteogenesis, suppress osteoclast formation and inhibit bacteria, indicating a novel way of enhancing the functionality of synthetic bone graft material and identifying the underline principles for designing zinc-containing bone grafts.



2012 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 722-724 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan Yan ◽  
Joy G. Waite-Cusic ◽  
Periannan Kuppusamy ◽  
Ahmed E. Yousef

ABSTRACTIntracellular free iron ofEscherichia coliwas determined by whole-cell electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometry. Ultrahigh pressure (UHP) increased both intracellular free iron and cell lethality in a pressure-dose-dependent manner. The iron chelator 2,2′-dipyridyl protected cells against UHP treatments. A mutation that produced iron overload conditions sensitizedE. colito UHP treatment.



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