No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (Th. M.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [61]-65).

Thesis (Th. M.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [61]-65).

Thesis (Th. M.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [61]-65).

Campylobacter jejuni infection is one of the leading causes of gastroenteritis in humans worldwide. During colonization of the gastrointestinal tract, C. jejuni will be unavoidably exposed to reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by the host immune system and other intestinal microbiota. Identification of defenses against ROS is therefore important for understanding how Campylobacter survives this environmental stress during infection. Construction of isogenic deletion mutants into genes encoding potential oxidative stress defense systems followed by phenotypic screening revealed genes important for oxidant defense within C. jejuni. Surprisingly, genes involved in motility were found to play an indirect role in resistance to oxidative stress. Deletion of the flagellar motor apparatus genes, motAB, resulted in increased sensitivity towards superoxide which could be restored by fumarate supplementation or tandem deletion of motAB with ccoQ (cytochrome c oxidase). This finding suggested that disruption of the proton gradient across the inner membrane resulted in increased superoxide production in non-motile flagellar mutants. Phenotypic screening of the mutant library also identified a novel gene (cj1386) specifically involved in hydrogen peroxide defense within the cell. Hydrogen peroxide detoxification within living organisms is predominantly carried out by catalase enzymes. Interestingly, cj1386 is located directly downstream from katA (catalase) in the C. jejuni genome and it was found that a ∆cj1386 mutant had reduced catalase activity relative to wild-type C. jejuni. Immunoprecipitation of KatA from ∆cj1386 revealed a significant reduction in hemin content associated with KatA suggesting a role for cj1386 in hemin trafficking to KatA. Hemin binding experiments with purified Cj1386 demonstrated the ability of Cj1386 to bind hemin with a 1:1 hemin-to-protein binding ratio. Furthermore, co-immunoprecipitation experiments revealed an interaction between KatA and Cj1386. Mutagenesis of conserved amino acids in Cj1386 demonstrated that tyrosine 57 plays an important role in hemin affinity and is required for proper hemin content of KatA within the cell. Overall, this work provides a global characterization of key oxidant defenses within C. jejuni and provides one of the first studies investigating hemin trafficking to KatA.

No description available.

Porphyromonas gingivalis, a gram-negative anaerobic bacterium, is implicated as a major etiological agent in the initiation and progression of severe forms of periodontal disease. It has been reported that gingivitis and periodontal disease affect roughly 50.3% and 35% of the adult population, respectively. Therefore, approximately over 85% of the adult population may suffer from some form of gingival disease. Porphyromonas gingivalis, an established periodontopathogen, requires hemin for growth. Although multiple hemin uptake systems appear to be present in this organism, their specific role in hemin uptake and virulence remains unknown. Pigmentation is thought to result from the accumulation of iron protoporphyrin IX (FePPIX) derived from erythrocyte hemoglobin. It has been observed that mutations abolishing activity of the Lys-X specific cysteine protease, Kgp, resulted in loss of black pigmentation of P. gingivalis W83; they were less virulent than their wild-type counterparts. Thus, we have observed that Kgp degradation of fibrinogen deregulates the clotting cascade, thereby minimizing the availability of free erythrocytes. Additionally, Kgp binds erythrocytes and degrades them, releasing hemoglobin. The interference with mechanisms involved in the accumulation of black pigmentation may be significant in controlling the pathogenic potential of P. gingivalis. These results suggest that Lys-gingipain protease is a principal protein involved in acquisition of hemin from hemoglobin as well as a major factor in transport, by affecting the accumulation of FePPIX on the bacterial cell surface. Microarray analysis indicates a change in the expression of key enzymes and proteins required for hemin uptake, iron storage, electron transport and oxidative stress. Therefore, interference with mechanisms involved in accumulation of black pigmentation may be significant in controlling the pathogenic potential of P. gingivalis.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is an increasingly diagnosed constellation of injuries derived from acute mechanical trauma to the brain. With the rise of advanced neuroimaging techniques recent focus has oriented primarily towards the mild-moderate range of TBI which previously was missed diagnostically. Characteristically, these advances have shown increasing areas of micro-hemorrhage in susceptible areas of the brain and to date there are no treatment modalities targeting micro-hemorrhages or their sequelae. This dissertation explores the effects of the resulting heme processing response in the days following injury with a particular focus on inducing early heme clearance from the parenchyma using a rat central fluid percussion injury model in the mild-moderate injury range. Since heme is released ~24-48 hours post-injury and is known to be cytotoxic we observed there may be a critical window for treatment to clear heme before it is spontaneously released and to increase the buffering capacity of the tissue. We targeted heme clearance by using drugs known to increased expression of Nrf2, an upstream transcriptional regulator of the canonical heme processing protein heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), and tracking expression of HO-1, the iron sequestration/storage proteins Lipocalin 2 (LCN2) and Ferritin (FTL), as well as the activity of matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMP2, MMP9). We examined both tissue known to be frankly hemorrhagic (the neocortex) as well as tissue lacking any identifiable bleed (the hippocampus). We demonstrated that using the HO-1 inducers Hemin and Sulforaphane in a single dose paradigm given 1 hour post-injury heme clearance was accelerated in the neocortex with the majority of heme pigment processed by 24 hours post-injury. Further there was significant attenuation of protein expression in HO-1 and ferritin as well as the enzyme activity of MMP2 and MMP9 in both the neocortex and the hippocampus. Behavioral attenuation was also seen in both rotarod and Morris water maze tests. While we intended to target hemorrhagic processing after injury, and indeed demonstrated improved clearance of heme from post-injury hemorrhagic regions of the brain, in both tissues studied we observed remarkably similar responses to the drugs utilized in protein expression, enzyme activity, and behavioral improvement which may suggest a globally improved pathologic state or that there are unidentified pathologic micro-hemorrhages or leaky vessels which extend further into the brain parenchyma than currently identified.

Submitted by Nelci Antunes de Moura (nelcimoura@gmail.com) on 2016-05-20T00:29:22Z No. of bitstreams: 1 tese Nelci final.pdf: 3449766 bytes, checksum: 82850e9746cb84286bf3b3204344f1e9 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Felipe Augusto Arakaki (arakaki@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-05-23T19:39:07Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 moura_na_dr_bot.pdf: 3449766 bytes, checksum: 82850e9746cb84286bf3b3204344f1e9 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-23T19:39:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 moura_na_dr_bot.pdf: 3449766 bytes, checksum: 82850e9746cb84286bf3b3204344f1e9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-12-18 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / O ferro heme presente na carne vermelha está associado ao aumento da incidência do câncer colorretal (CCR). O heme pode catalisar a formação de compostos nitrosos e a peroxidação lipídica no lúmen intestinal. No entanto, os efeitos pró-carcinogênicos do heme podem ser inibidos por alguns compostos como os sais de cálcio, clorofila entre outros. Sabe-se que o indol-3-carbinol (I3C), presente nas plantas da família das Brassicas e os simbióticos são compostos promissores na prevenção do câncer de cólon, atuando em via de proliferação, apoptose e modulação da microbiota intestinal. Dessa forma, o objetivo desse estudo foi o de avaliar os efeitos da ingestão de simbiótico (prebiótico inulina associado ao probiótico Bifidobacterium lactis bb-12) e de I3C, isolados ou em associação sobre o processo de carcinogênese de cólon induzido pela 1,2-dimetilhidrazina (DMH) em ratos Wistar alimentados ou não com dieta suplementada com heme. Os animais foram alocados em 9 grupos, os grupos 1 a 8 (n=12) receberam quatro doses de DMH (40 mg/Kg) nas duas semanas iniciais do experimento. Os grupos 1 e 9 (n=12 e 5) receberam ração basal até o final do experimento e os grupos 2 a 8 receberam ração basal suplementada com heme, heme+I3C, heme+simbiótico, heme+I3C+simbiótico, I3C, simbiótico e I3C+simbiótico, respectivamente. A eutanásia ocorreu ao final da 25ª semana. Neste momento foi realizada a coleta do cólon com os respectivos tumores e amostras de fezes do ceco. Em seguida, procedeu-se a medida dos tumores e coleta de amostras para biologia molecular. Após a fixação em formalina tamponada e a retirada dos tumores, realizou-se a contagem de focos de criptas aberrantes (FCA) pela coloração de azul de metileno. Realizou-se a análise histológica dos tumores e a análise da expressão de 95 genes relacionados a via da carcinogênese colônica, pela técnica Taqman Low Density Array, e a expressão proteica da E-caderina, TGFB1 (Transforming growth factor beta 1) e RAF1 (Serine/threonine-protein kinase) por Western Blotting. Foram analisados os índices de proliferação celular e apoptose pelo PCNA (Proliferating cell nuclear antigen) e caspase 3-clivada, respectivamente, tanto nos cólons como em tumores, e a expressão de β-catenina e E-caderina nos tumores, por imunoistoquímica. Células da linhagem Caco-2 foram incubadas com água fecal extraída das fezes do ceco e submetidas a testes de citotoxicidade e genotoxidade pelos testes do MTT (mitochondrial tetrazolium test) e Cometa, respectivamente. Os dados foram comparados utilizando-se o software Sigma Stat 3.5 e Expression Suíte para expressão gênica. Foi observado aumento significativo no número de criptas aberrantes (CA) no grupo que recebeu heme (G2) quando comparado ao grupo que recebeu apenas ração basal (G1). Redução significativa no número de CA foi observada no grupo que recebeu heme+I3C (G3) e heme+simbiótico (G4) quando comparado ao grupo que recebeu heme (G2). O número de FCA totais com ≥ 9 criptas aberrantes foi significativamente menor no grupo que recebeu heme+simbiótico (G4) quando comparado ao grupo que recebeu heme (G2). Entretanto, aumento significativo no número de tumores com mais de 60 mm3 foi observado no grupo suplementado com heme+I3C+simbiótico (G5), quando comparado ao grupo que recebeu heme (G2). Além disso, foi observado aumento significativo na incidência de tumores invasivos no grupo que recebeu heme+I3C+simbiótico (G5) quando comparado ao grupo que recebeu heme (G2). Os tumores do grupo suplementado com heme+I3C+simbiótico (G5) apresentaram baixa expressão dos genes Cdh1, Tgfb1, Appl1 e alta expressão do Raf1, já os tumores do grupo suplementado com heme +I3C (G3) apresentaram baixa expressão do Cdh1. A água fecal do grupo que recebeu heme (G2) apresentou significativamente maior citotoxicidade e genotoxicidade quando comparado ao grupo que recebeu ração basal (G1). Com relação aos tratamentos, a água fecal do grupo que recebeu heme+I3C (G3) e heme e simbiótico (G4) apresentaram água fecal significativamente com menor potencial genotóxico quando comparada ao grupo que recebeu heme (G2). No entanto, o grupo que recebeu heme+I3C+simbiótico (G5) apresentou aumento significativo na genotoxicidade da água fecal. Dessa forma, concluímos que o heme associado a uma dieta com níveis normais de cálcio não é um potente indutor de FCA, mas aumenta a citotoxicidade e genotoxicidade da água fecal. No entanto, tanto o I3C como o simbiótico reduzem os efeitos citotóxicos/genotóxicos da ingestão de heme. Contudo, a associação do heme+I3C+simbiótico apresentou efeito promotor da carcinogênese de cólon. / Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common type of cancer worldwide. Hemin iron, which is found in red meat, catalyzes the formation of carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds and lipid peroxidation end-products in the colon lumen. The procarcinogenic effect of hemin is known to be inhibited by molecules, such as calcium, chlorophyll and others. However, the preventive effect of indole 3-carbinol and synbiotics on colon carcinogenesis remains uninvestigated. The aim of this study was to assess the modifying effects of a synbiotic (inulin+ Bifidobacterium lactis) and/or I3C against dimethylhidrazine (DMH)-induced colon carcinogenesis in hemin-fed male Wistar rats. Nine groups of animals were evaluated. Groups 1–8 received a total of four s.c. DMH injections (40 mg/kg b.w.) over 2 weeks, whereas group 9 was given EDTA solution (vehicle). Two weeks after DMH-initiation, G1 and G9 were fed a basal diet while groups G2, G3, G4, G5, G6, G7 and G8 received a basal diet containing hemin, hemin+I3C, hemin+synbiotic, hemin+I3C+synbiotic, I3C, synbiotic and I3C+synbiotic, respectively, during 23 weeks. At 25 week, all animals were killed and their colons were removed. Cecal contents were collected to determine fecal water cytotoxicity and genotoxicity (DNA damage) in Caco-2 cells. Colon tumors were measured and samples were collected and stored at -800C. The colons were fixed flat in 10% buffered formalin for 24 h and stained with 1.0% methylene blue for classical ACF analysis and quantification. Tumor incidence and multiplicity were assessed after histopathological analysis. Gene and protein expression were determined in tumor samples alone. The total number of aberrant crypts (AC) was significantly higher (p= 0.03) in the hemin group (G2) than in the group fed basal diet (G1). AC number in both hemin+I3C (G3) and hemin+synbiotic (G4) groups was also significantly lower than in the group fed hemin (G2). Tumor volume was higher in the hemin+I3C+ synbiotic (G5) group and invasive adenocarcinoma was more frequent in the hemin+I3C+synbiotic group (G5) than in the group fed hemin (G2). Colon tumor expression analysis showed that in comparison with the group fed hemin (G2), Cdh1, Tgfb1 and Appl1 were downregulated while Raf1 was upregulated in the group hemin+I3C+synbiotic (G5), and Cdh1 was down-regulated in the group hemin+I3C (G3). Fecal water cytotoxicity in the hemin group (G2) was higher than in groups fed basal diet (G1) and hemin+I3C (G3). Fecal water genotoxicity was also significantly higher in the group fed hemin alone (G2) than in the basal diet group (G1), as well as, in groups fed hemin+I3C (G3) and hemin+synbiotics (G4). However, when compared to hemin alone (G2), fecal water from group hemin+I3C+ synbiotics (G5) presented the highest DNA damage levels. Our results suggest that although hemin in a regular-calcium diet was not a powerful ACF promoter, it increased fecal water citotoxicity and genotoxicity. On the other hand, hemin associated with either I3C or synbiotics prevented ACF promotion. Nonetheless, a synergistic interaction among hemin, I3C and synbiotic did promote DMH-induced tumorigenesis. / FAPESP: 2011/23699-4