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  • Borch Hutchinson posted an update 3 months, 2 weeks ago

    Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) is a Gram-positive bacterium closely related to many refractory infections of human and shows the resistant ability against the antibacterial effects of silver. Simvastatin is a semisynthetic compound derived from lovastatin and a hydroxymethyl glutaryl coenzyme A(HMG-COA) reductase inhibitor showing certain inhibitive effects on bacteria. The main purpose of this study was to establish and characterize the Ag+/silver nanoparticles (AgNPs)-resistant E. faecalis, and further evaluate the function of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in the silver resistance and the effect of simvastatin on the silver-resistance of E. faecalis. The results showed that the established silver-resistant E. faecalis had strong resistance against both Ag+ and AgNPs and simvastatin could decrease the silver-resistance of both original and Ag+/AgNPs-resistant E. faecalis. The Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), High-angle annular dark-field (HAADF) and mapping images showed that the silver ions or particles aggregated and confined in the EPS on surface areas of the cell membrane when the silver-resistant E. faecalis were incubated with Ag+ or AgNPs. When the simvastatin was added, the silver element was not confined in the EPS and entered the bacteria. These findings may indicate that the silver resistance of E. faecalis was derived from the entrapping function of EPS, but simvastatin could compromise the function of EPS to decrease the silver resistant ability of E. faecalis.Aging-induced functional and phenotypic alterations of the vasculature (e.g., endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress) have a central role in morbidity and mortality of older adults. It has become apparent in recent years that cell autonomous mechanisms alone are inadequate to explain all aspects of vascular aging. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that age-related changes in circulating anti-geronic factors contribute to the regulation of vascular aging processes in a non-cell autonomous manner. To test this hypothesis, through heterochronic parabiosis we determined the extent, if any, to which endothelial function, vascular production of ROS, and shifts in the vascular transcriptome (RNA-seq) are modulated by the systemic environment. We found that in aortas isolated from isochronic parabiont aged (20-month-old) C57BL/6 mice [A-(A); parabiosis for 8 weeks] acetylcholine-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation was impaired and ROS production (dihydroethidium fluorescence) was increasedon. In conclusion, a relatively short-term exposure to young blood can rescue vascular aging phenotypes, including attenuation of oxidative stress, mitochondrial rejuvenation, and improved endothelial function. Our findings provide additional evidence supporting the significant plasticity of vascular aging and evidence for the existence of anti-geronic factors capable of exerting rejuvenating effects on the aging vasculature.Multigene panel tests for hereditary cancer syndromes are increasingly utilized in the care of colorectal cancer (CRC) and polyposis patients. However, widespread availability of panels raises a number of questions including which patients should undergo testing, which genes should be included on panels, and the settings in which panels should be ordered and interpreted. To address this knowledge gap, key questions regarding the major issues encountered in clinical evaluation of hereditary CRC and polyposis were designed by the Collaborative Group of the Americas on Inherited Gastrointestinal Cancer Position Statement Committee and leadership. A literature search was conducted to address these questions. Chlorogenic Acid solubility dmso Recommendations were based on the best available evidence and expert opinion. This position statement addresses which genes should be included on a multigene panel for a patient with a suspected hereditary CRC or polyposis syndrome, proposes updated genetic testing criteria, discusses testing approaches for patients with mismatch repair proficient or deficient CRC, and outlines the essential elements for ordering and disclosing multigene panel test results. We acknowledge that critical gaps in access, insurance coverage, resources, and education remain barriers to high-quality, equitable care for individuals and their families at increased risk of hereditary CRC.CDK12 variants were investigated as a genetic susceptibility to ovarian cancer in a series of 416 unrelated and consecutive patients with ovarian carcinoma and who carry neither germline BRCA1 nor BRCA2 pathogenic variant. The presence of CDK12 variants was searched in germline DNA by massive parallel sequencing on pooled DNAs. The lack of detection of deleterious variants and the observed proportion of missense variants in the series of ovarian carcinoma patients as compared with all human populations strongly suggests that CDK12 is not an ovarian cancer predisposing gene.PURPOSE OF REVIEW Megalin is well known for its role in the reabsorption of proteins from the ultrafiltrate. Recent studies suggest that megalin also reabsorbs renin and angiotensinogen. Indeed, without megalin urinary renin and angiotensinogen levels massively increase, and even prorenin becomes detectable in urine. RECENT FINDINGS Intriguingly, megalin might also contribute to renal angiotensin production, as evidenced from studies in megalin knockout mice. This review discusses these topics critically, concluding that urinary renin-angiotensin system components reflect diminished reabsorption rather than release from renal tissue sites and that alterations in renal renin levels or megalin-dependent signaling need to be ruled out before concluding that angiotensin production at renal tissue sites is truly megalin dependent. Future studies should evaluate megalin-mediated renin/angiotensinogen transcytosis (allowing interstitial angiotensin generation), and determine whether megalin prefers prorenin over renin, thus explaining why urine normally contains no prorenin.BACKGROUND Patients often develop infectious complications after severe trauma. No biomarkers exist that enable early identification of patients who are at risk. Neutrophils are important immune cells that combat these infections by phagocytosis and killing of pathogens. Analysis of neutrophil function used to be laborious and was therefore not applicable in routine diagnostics. Hence, we developed a quick and point-of-care method to assess a critical part of neutrophil function, neutrophil phagosomal acidification. The aim of this study was to investigate whether this method was able to analyze neutrophil functionality in severely injured patients and whether a relation with the development of infectious complications was present. RESULTS Fifteen severely injured patients (median ISS of 33) were included, of whom 6 developed an infection between day 4 and day 9 after trauma. The injury severity score did not significantly differ between patients who developed an infection and patients who did not (p = 0.529).

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