The aortic valve functions in a complex mechanical environment which leads to force dependent cellular and tissue responses. Characterization of these responses provides a fundamental understanding of valve pathogenesis. The aim of this work was to develop an ex vivo organ culture system capable of simulating physiological aortic pressures and flow rates, and study the biological characteristics of native porcine aortic valves cultured in the system. Collagen, sGAG and elastin content of the valve leaflets were measured and cusp morphology, cell phenotype, cell proliferation and apoptosis were examined. Presence of endothelial cells (ECs) on the leaflet surface was also evaluated. The differences in collagen, sGAG and elastin contents were not significant (p greater than0.05) between the cultured and fresh valve leaflets. The cultured valves maintained the structural integrity of the leaflets while preserving the native morphology and cell phenotype. Cell phenotype in leaflets incubated statically under atmospheric conditions decreased compared to fresh and cultured valve leaflets, indicating the importance of mechanical forces in maintaining the natural biology of the valve leaflets. ECs were retained on the surfaces of cultured leaflets with no remodeling of the leaflets. The number of apoptotic cells in the cultured leaflets was significantly (p less than 0.05) less than in the statically incubated leaflets and comparable to fresh leaflets. The sterile ex vivo organ culture system thus maintained the viability and native biological characteristics of the aortic valves that were cultured under dynamic conditions for a period of 48 hours.

Cepas de Escherichia coli enteropatogênica (EPEC) estão entre os patógenos mais freqüentemente envolvidos em casos de diarréia. Este patotipo é subdividido em EPEC típicas e atípicas, sendo que as típicas possuem o gene eae (EPEC attaching and effacing) e o plasmídeo EAF (EPEC adherence fator), e as atípicas albergam somente o gene eae. A principal característica de sua patogênese é a formação de uma lesão histopatológica no epitélio intestinal denominada attaching and effacing (A/E), que resulta da adesão íntima da bactéria ao enterócito. A adesão é uma etapa crítica na patogênese bacteriana, sendo o primeiro pré-requisito para que as E. coli colonizem com sucesso a mucosa do hospedeiro. A ligação da bactéria a um ou mais componentes teciduais da matriz extracelular como colágeno I e IV, laminina, fibronectinas celular e plasmática são indícios de que essas moléculas estão sendo usadas como substrato de adesão e colonização do hospedeiro pela bactéria patogênica. Adesinas com capacidade de interagir com componentes da matriz extracelular já foram identificadas em bactérias patogênicas, no entanto, ainda não foi caracterizada nenhuma proteína de EPEC atípica com essa capacidade de adesão. Essa propriedade foi evidenciada em um isolado de EPEC atípica durante pesquisas em nosso laboratório e neste trabalho visamos identificar e caracterizar a(s) proteína(s) envolvida(s) nesta habilidade adesiva. As proteínas possivelmente envolvidas apresentam massas moleculares relativas de 107, 44 e 35 kDa e a pré-incubação do isolado 2103 com componentes de matriz extracelular provoca uma variação no seu padrão de adesão e influencia o número de bactérias aderidas a células epiteliais. No entanto, como esse patotipo é muito heterogêneo essa característica não pode ser extrapolada para todos os isolados dessa categoria. / Atypical Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) has been a leading cause of childhood diarrhea in developing countries. The main mechanism of atypical EPEC pathogenesis is a lesion called attaching and effacing (A/E), which is characterized by intimate adherence of the bacteria to the intestinal epithelium and destruction of microvillus. Nevertheless, it represents a heterogeneous group and other virulence factors may be involved in atypical EPEC pathogenesis. Previously, we have identified one isolate of atypical EPEC, serotype O26:H11, which secretes proteins that interact with ECM macromolecules. The interactions between pathogenic bacteria and ECM molecules such as fibronectin, laminin and collagen may play an important role in the bacterium adherence to and invasion of host cells. Adhesion is critical for successful E. coli colonization of gastrointestinal tract and is mediated by adhesins. The aim of this study is to identify and characterize putative adhesins that may contribute to the binding of the isolate of atypical EPEC to extracellular matrix components. The supernatant of the atypical EPEC isolate was submitted to a solid phase binding assay with matrigel (a mouse basement membrane composed mainly of laminin, collagen IV and fibronectin), the adhered proteins were stripped from the wells, separated by SDS-PAGE, transferred to nitrocellulose membranes and submitted to immunoblotting assay. Three major proteins of apparent molecular weights of 107, 44 e 35 kDa were recognized by the anti-proteins polyclonal serum (produced in rabbit immunized with the isolate\'s supernatant) through immunoblotting assay. Besides, we observed that in the presence of ECM components the isolate clearly changes its adherence pattern of the isolate to HEp-2 cells, and the number of adhered bacteria to epithelial cells. The atypical EPEC do not share a unique pattern of virulence, suggesting that many virulence factors may contribute to the pathogenesis. The identification of proteins involved in the adhesion with extracellular matrix components in one isolate of this category of diarrheagenic E. coli confirms the heterogeneity among the atypical EPEC.

Cepas de Escherichia coli enteropatogênica (EPEC) estão entre os patógenos mais freqüentemente envolvidos em casos de diarréia. Este patotipo é subdividido em EPEC típicas e atípicas, sendo que as típicas possuem o gene eae (EPEC attaching and effacing) e o plasmídeo EAF (EPEC adherence fator), e as atípicas albergam somente o gene eae. A principal característica de sua patogênese é a formação de uma lesão histopatológica no epitélio intestinal denominada attaching and effacing (A/E), que resulta da adesão íntima da bactéria ao enterócito. A adesão é uma etapa crítica na patogênese bacteriana, sendo o primeiro pré-requisito para que as E. coli colonizem com sucesso a mucosa do hospedeiro. A ligação da bactéria a um ou mais componentes teciduais da matriz extracelular como colágeno I e IV, laminina, fibronectinas celular e plasmática são indícios de que essas moléculas estão sendo usadas como substrato de adesão e colonização do hospedeiro pela bactéria patogênica. Adesinas com capacidade de interagir com componentes da matriz extracelular já foram identificadas em bactérias patogênicas, no entanto, ainda não foi caracterizada nenhuma proteína de EPEC atípica com essa capacidade de adesão. Essa propriedade foi evidenciada em um isolado de EPEC atípica durante pesquisas em nosso laboratório e neste trabalho visamos identificar e caracterizar a(s) proteína(s) envolvida(s) nesta habilidade adesiva. As proteínas possivelmente envolvidas apresentam massas moleculares relativas de 107, 44 e 35 kDa e a pré-incubação do isolado 2103 com componentes de matriz extracelular provoca uma variação no seu padrão de adesão e influencia o número de bactérias aderidas a células epiteliais. No entanto, como esse patotipo é muito heterogêneo essa característica não pode ser extrapolada para todos os isolados dessa categoria. / Atypical Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) has been a leading cause of childhood diarrhea in developing countries. The main mechanism of atypical EPEC pathogenesis is a lesion called attaching and effacing (A/E), which is characterized by intimate adherence of the bacteria to the intestinal epithelium and destruction of microvillus. Nevertheless, it represents a heterogeneous group and other virulence factors may be involved in atypical EPEC pathogenesis. Previously, we have identified one isolate of atypical EPEC, serotype O26:H11, which secretes proteins that interact with ECM macromolecules. The interactions between pathogenic bacteria and ECM molecules such as fibronectin, laminin and collagen may play an important role in the bacterium adherence to and invasion of host cells. Adhesion is critical for successful E. coli colonization of gastrointestinal tract and is mediated by adhesins. The aim of this study is to identify and characterize putative adhesins that may contribute to the binding of the isolate of atypical EPEC to extracellular matrix components. The supernatant of the atypical EPEC isolate was submitted to a solid phase binding assay with matrigel (a mouse basement membrane composed mainly of laminin, collagen IV and fibronectin), the adhered proteins were stripped from the wells, separated by SDS-PAGE, transferred to nitrocellulose membranes and submitted to immunoblotting assay. Three major proteins of apparent molecular weights of 107, 44 e 35 kDa were recognized by the anti-proteins polyclonal serum (produced in rabbit immunized with the isolate\'s supernatant) through immunoblotting assay. Besides, we observed that in the presence of ECM components the isolate clearly changes its adherence pattern of the isolate to HEp-2 cells, and the number of adhered bacteria to epithelial cells. The atypical EPEC do not share a unique pattern of virulence, suggesting that many virulence factors may contribute to the pathogenesis. The identification of proteins involved in the adhesion with extracellular matrix components in one isolate of this category of diarrheagenic E. coli confirms the heterogeneity among the atypical EPEC.