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Contaminated poultry and egg products are major sources of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. enteritidis, SE) infections in humans. Colonization of SE in chicken reproductive tract results in the production of contaminated commercial shell-eggs and fertilized hatchery eggs. The complex pathogen-host interactions during SE colonization of chicken reproductive tract are largely unknown. This study was aimed at determining the pathogenic roles of the type three secretion systems (TTSS-1 and TTSS-2) in SE infection of chicken oviduct epithelial cells (COEC). A series of SE strains carrying mutations in the genes encoding structure or effector proteins of TTSS-1 and TTSS-2 were constructed. The invasiveness and intracellular survival rate of each SE strain as well as the host innate immune responses induced by the infections were evaluated. The results demonstrate that both TTSS-1 and TTSS-2 are required by SE to invade COEC which involve genes encoding effector proteins SipA, SopB, SopE2, and PipB. In addition to their involvement in host cell invasion, sipA and sipB are also necessary for the survival or replication of SE inside COEC. Inactivation of TTSS-2 genes (ssaV and pipB) resulted in an enhanced bacterial proliferation inside COEC. The data from this study also show that SE infection triggers pro-inflammatory responses in COEC and TTSS-1 is involved in the expression of iNOS and IL-8, a CXC chemokine. TTSS-1 and TTSS-2 are not necessary for induction of K203, MIP-1β, and IL-10 or suppression of TGF-β3 in COEC.

No description available.

African monkey species are natural hosts of simian hemorrhagic fever virus (SHFV) and develop persistent, asymptomatic infections. SHFV was previously shown to also cause a rapid onset fatal hemorrhagic fever disease in macaques. Infection of macaques with a new isolate of SHFV from persistently infected baboon sera, that showed high nucleotide identity with the lab strain LVR, resulted in viremia, pro-inflammatory cytokine and tissue factor production, and symptoms of coagulation defects. Primary macrophages and myeloid dendritic cell cultures from disease-susceptible macaques efficiently replicated SHFV and produced pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6 and TNF-α, as well as tissue factor. Cells from disease resistant baboons produced low virus yields and the immunomodulatory cytokine IL-10. IL-10 treatment of macaque cells decreased IL-6 levels but had no effect on TNF-α levels, tissue factor or virus production suggesting that IL-10 plays a role in modulating immunopathology in disease-resistant baboons but not in regulating the efficiency of virus replication. SHFV is a member of the family Arteriviridae. The SHFV genome encodes 8 minor structural proteins. Other arteriviruses encode 4 minor structural proteins. Amino acid sequence comparisons suggest that the four additional SHFV minor structural proteins resulted from gene duplication. A full-length infectious clone of SHFV was constructed and produced virus with replication kinetics comparable to the parental virus. Mutant infectious clones, each with the start codon of one of the minor structural proteins substituted, were analyzed. All eight SHFV proteins were required for infectious virus production. The SHFV nonstructural polyprotein is processed into the mature replicase proteins by several viral proteases including papain-like cysteine proteases (PLPs). Only one or two PLP domains are present in other arteriviruses but SHFV has three PLP domains. Analysis of in vitro proteolytic processing of C- and N-terminally tagged polyproteins indicated that the PLP in each of the three SHFV nsp1 proteins is active. However, the nsp1α protease is more similar to a cysteine protease than a PLP. Analysis of the subcellular localization of the three SHFV nsp1 proteins indicated they have divergent functions.

African monkey species are natural hosts of simian hemorrhagic fever virus (SHFV) and develop persistent, asymptomatic infections. SHFV was previously shown to also cause a rapid onset fatal hemorrhagic fever disease in macaques. Infection of macaques with a new isolate of SHFV from persistently infected baboon sera, that showed high nucleotide identity with the lab strain LVR, resulted in viremia, pro-inflammatory cytokine and tissue factor production, and symptoms of coagulation defects. Primary macrophages and myeloid dendritic cell cultures from disease-susceptible macaques efficiently replicated SHFV and produced pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6 and TNF-α, as well as tissue factor. Cells from disease resistant baboons produced low virus yields and the immunomodulatory cytokine IL-10. IL-10 treatment of macaque cells decreased IL-6 levels but had no effect on TNF-α levels, tissue factor or virus production suggesting that IL-10 plays a role in modulating immunopathology in disease-resistant baboons but not in regulating the efficiency of virus replication. SHFV is a member of the family Arteriviridae. The SHFV genome encodes 8 minor structural proteins. Other arteriviruses encode 4 minor structural proteins. Amino acid sequence comparisons suggest that the four additional SHFV minor structural proteins resulted from gene duplication. A full-length infectious clone of SHFV was constructed and produced virus with replication kinetics comparable to the parental virus. Mutant infectious clones, each with the start codon of one of the minor structural proteins substituted, were analyzed. All eight SHFV proteins were required for infectious virus production. The SHFV nonstructural polyprotein is processed into the mature replicase proteins by several viral proteases including papain-like cysteine proteases (PLPs). Only one or two PLP domains are present in other arteriviruses but SHFV has three PLP domains. Analysis of in vitro proteolytic processing of C- and N-terminally tagged polyproteins indicated that the PLP in each of the three SHFV nsp1 proteins is active. However, the nsp1α protease is more similar to a cysteine protease than a PLP. Analysis of the subcellular localization of the three SHFV nsp1 proteins indicated they have divergent functions.

BARROSO NETO, Ito Liberato. Resolução da estrutura tridimensional de uma lectina de sementes de Canavalia grandiflora Benth. com efeitos sobre mecanismos inflamatórios. 2010. 103 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Bioquímica) - Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza-CE, 2010. / Submitted by Eric Santiago (erichhcl@gmail.com) on 2016-05-25T12:16:49Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_dis_ilbarrosoneto.pdf: 2893401 bytes, checksum: 790650a62ad9b6de91f47b92f3115778 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by José Jairo Viana de Sousa (jairo@ufc.br) on 2016-07-05T19:29:27Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_dis_ilbarrosoneto.pdf: 2893401 bytes, checksum: 790650a62ad9b6de91f47b92f3115778 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-05T19:29:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_dis_ilbarrosoneto.pdf: 2893401 bytes, checksum: 790650a62ad9b6de91f47b92f3115778 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Plant Lectins can be defined as non-immune origin proteins having at least one non-catalytic domain that binds reversibly in a specific fashion to a mono-or oligosaccharide. The legume lectin family group represents the best studied of these proteins, in particular highlighted the subtribe Diocleinae, which has the best characterized representative, ConA. Lectins Diocleinae show a high degree of structural similarity, but the same does not regarding biological activities and specificity to different carbohydrates, which makes it important to research in structural and biological levels of its various members, among them the Canavalia grandiflora Benth. The lectin from Canavalia grandiflora (Congr) was purified according to Ceccato (2001) and was crystallized by vapor diffusion method at 293 K. Crystals were obtained in a state containing 0.5 M of cadmium sulfate hydrate, 0.1 M HEPES pH 7.5 and 1.0 M sodium acetate trihydrate. The crystals have the orthorhombic space group I222, the unit cell has the dimensions a = 67.70 Å, b = 55.90 Å and c = 107.46 Å and angles? =? =? = 90 °, giving a monomer in the asymmetric unit and a content of 42.53% solvent in the crystal. The structure was solved to 2.19 Å and phase problem was solved by the method of molecular replacement using the coordinates of Canavalia gladiata as a template (PDB: 2D7F). The refinement showed satisfactory "rfactor" and "Rfree" with 22.6 and 27.4 respectively and only one amino acid residue in a region of the Ramachandran disallowed. Despite the high structural similarity, small changes in the direction of key amino acids may be responsible for the diversity in the biological applications as a result of the residues of the carbohydrate binding site which are retained despite changes in spatial orientation. The primary sequence of the lectin from C. grandiflora has great similarity with lectins of the same genus, but it has the largest number of mutations representative of the genus Dioclea, characterizing it as the subgenus Canavalia nearest Dioclea and canavalias is among the most primitive. The Congregation edamatogênica showed activity in a model of paw edema (sc) and relaxing effect on smooth muscle of rat aorta endothelial, but the effects appear to be weak compared to other lectins Diocleinae. / Lectinas de plantas podem ser definidas como proteínas de origem não imune que possuem pelo menos um domínio não catalítico que se liga reversivelmente de maneira específica a um mono- ou oligossacarídeo. A família das lectinas de leguminosas representa o grupo destas proteínas mais bem estudadas, em especial destaque a subtribo Diocleinae, que possui o representante mais bem caracterizado, a ConA. As lectinas de Diocleinae apresentam um alto grau de similaridade estrutural, porém o mesmo não ocorre quanto às atividades biológicas e especificidade a carboidratos variados, o que torna importante a investigação em níveis estruturais e biológicos dos seus diversos membros, dentre eles a Canavalia grandiflora Benth. A lectina de sementes de Canavalia grandiflora (ConGr) foi purificada de acordo com Ceccato (2001) e foi cristalizada pelo método de difusão de vapor a 293 K. Cristais foram obtidos em uma condição contendo 0,5 M de sulfato de cádmio hidratado, 0,1 M de HEPES pH 7.5 e 1,0 M de acetato de sódio triidratado. Os cristais apresentam o grupo espacial ortorrômbico I222, a cela unitária tem como dimensões a=67,70 Å, b=55,90Å e c=107,46 Å e ângulos ?=?=?=90º, sendo observado um monômero na unidade assimétrica e um conteúdo de 42,53% de solvente no cristal. A estrutura foi resolvida a 2,19Å e o problema de fase foi solucionado pelo método de substituição molecular utilizando as coordenadas da Canavalia gladiata como modelo (PDB: 2D7F). O refinamento satisfatório apresentou “Rfactor” e “Rfree” com 22,6 e 27,4 respectivamente e apenas um resíduo de aminoácido em região não permitida do Ramachandran. Apesar da alta similaridade estrutural, pequenas mudanças na orientação de aminoácidos chaves, podem ser responsáveis pela diversidade nos resultado de aplicações biológicas como os resíduos do sítio de ligação a carboidrato, que apesar de conservados possuem modificações na orientação espacial. A seqüência primária da lectina de C. grandiflora apresenta grande similaridade com lectinas do mesmo gênero, porém ela concentra o maior número de mutações representativas do gênero Dioclea, caracterizando-o como o subgênero de Canavalia mais próximo de Dioclea, e dentre as canavalias é a mais primitiva. A ConGr apresentou atividade edamatogênica em modelo de edema de pata (s.c.) e efeito relaxante em músculo liso de aortas de ratos endotelizadas, porém os efeitos mostram-se fracos frente a outras lectinas de Diocleinae.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-06T17:06:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Alexandra Amin Lineburger.pdf: 1015080 bytes, checksum: 1d7fd8b623689b7bd6fd0e3efda64391 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-05-30 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Heart failure (HF) is a disease with systemic involvement, because in addition to cardiac involvement it causes cardiorenal, hemodynamic and neurohormonal dysfunctions contributing to aggravate the catabolism and exercise intolerance and impacting on quality of life. In this context, the high prevalence of hypotestosteronemia is associated with increased cardiovascular events and mortality in men with HF. Regular physical exercise, especially high intensity, and testosterone supplementation are therapeutic options in the management of the disease due to the reduction of risk factors such as dyslipidemia and low-grade inflammation. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of high intensity exercise and testosterone supplementation therapy (TST) on lipid and inflammatory profile of men with HF. The study is characterized as a randomized controlled trial, with 17 men participants of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program, HF functional class II and III (NYHA) with ejection fraction <45% and testosterone levels <400ng/dl, with 8 patients undergoing high intensity exercise (EAI) and 9 patients who received hormonal supplementation with testosterone undecanoate (Nebido 1000mg) and performed high-intensity exercise (EAIT group). The physical exercise protocol was carried out for 12 weeks and testosterone supplementation was applied in the first and sixth week. Lipid profile (LDL-c, HDL-c, triglycerides and total cholesterol) and plasma levels of inflammatory mediators (TNF-&#945; and CRP) were analyzed before and after the intervention. The results showed significant increase of 26.7% from the level of HDL-C (p = 0.04) in the EAI group. In comparing the two groups, there were statistically significant differences for the variations in the levels of triglycerides (p = 0.03). Both the EAI group as EAIT decreased plasma levels of TNF-&#945;, respectively 47.4% (p = 0.02) and 43.7% (p = 0.04) with no statistically significant difference between groups. Based on these results it is suggested that high intensity exercise positively influence lipid and inflammatory profile without additional effects associated with supplementation of testosterone therapy. / A insuficiência cardíaca (IC) é uma doença de acometimento sistêmico, pois além do comprometimento cardíaco causa disfunções cardiorrenais, hemodinâmicas e neurohormonais que contribuem para agravar o catabolismo e a intolerância ao exercício impactando na qualidade de vida. Neste contexto, a alta prevalência de hipotestosteronemia está associada ao aumento de eventos cardiovasculares e mortalidade em homens com IC. A prática regular de exercícios físicos, especialmente o de alta intensidade, e a suplementação de testosterona são opções terapêuticas no manejo da doença, devido à redução de fatores de risco como a dislipidemia e a inflamação de baixo grau. O objetivo do presente estudo foi analisar os efeitos do exercício de alta intensidade e terapia de suplementação de testosterona (TST) no perfil lipídico e inflamatório de homens com IC. O estudo é caracterizado como ensaio clínico controlado randomizado, com 17 homens participantes de um programa de reabilitação cardiopulmonar, portadores de IC classe funcional II e III (NYHA), com frequência de ejeção < 45 % e níveis de testosterona < 400 ng/dl, sendo 8 pacientes submetidos a exercício de alta intensidade (EAI) e 9 pacientes que receberam suplementação hormonal com undecanoato de testosterona (Nebido 1000 mg) e realizaram exercício de alta intensidade (grupo EAIT). O protocolo de exercícios físicos foi realizado por 12 semanas e a suplementação de testosterona foi aplicada na primeira e na sexta semana. Foi analisado o perfil lipídico (LDL-c, HDL-c, triglicerídeos e colesterol total) e os níveis plasmáticos de mediadores inflamatórios (TNF-&#945; e PCR) antes e após a intervenção. Os resultados mostraram aumento significativo de 26,7% do nível de HDL-c (p=0,04) no grupo EAI. Na comparação entre os dois grupos, houve diferença estatística para as variações dos níveis de triglicerídeos (p = 0,03). Tanto o grupo EAI quanto o EAIT apresentaram redução nos níveis plasmáticos de TNF- &#945;, respectivamente de 47,7% (p=0,02) e 43,7% (p=0,04) sem diferença estatística entre os grupos. Com base nestes resultados sugere-se que o exercício físico de alta intensidade influenciou positivamente o perfil lipídico e inflamatório, sem efeitos adicionais quando associado à terapia de suplementação de testosterona.

PhD (Microbiology) / Department of Microbiology / Background Conversion of Cholesterol to 25-HydroxyCholesterol (25HC) by Cholesterol 25-hydroxylase (CH25H) has been shown to exert broad antiviral properties. Given its antiviral activities, CH25H is part of an increasingly appreciated connection between type I interferon (IFN-I) and lipid metabolism. Moreover, the details of this connection appear to differ in mouse and human cells. Nevertheless, the molecular basis for the induction of CH25H in humans is not known. Objective Elucidation of signaling and transcriptional events for induction of CH25H expression is critical to design therapeutic antiviral agents. Materials and methods: Wildtype THP-1 monocytic cell-line or THP-1 MyD88 Knockout cell-line were treated with PMA for 72 hours for differentiation into macrophages. Differentiated macrophages or Microglial cells were stimulated with either TLR-agonists, pro-inflammatory cytokine, or interferons, and CH25H mRNAs expression levels were measured by qPCR. Results In this study, we show that CH25H is induced by Zika virus infection or TLR stimulation. Interestingly, CH25H is induced by pro-inflammatory cytokines including 1L- 1, TNF-, and IL-6, and this induction depends on STAT-1 transcription factor. Additionally, we have observed that ATF3 weakly binds to the CH25H promoter, suggesting co-operation with STAT-1. However, ZIKV induced CH25H was independent of type I interferon. Conclusion This study has demonstrated for the first time that pro-inflammatory cytokines such as 1L-1, TNF-, and IL-6 induce CH25H expression. Moreover, this provides further understanding to the connection between innate immunity and sterol metabolism and encourages the exploration of cytokines in antiviral immunity. / NRF

BACKGROUND: The effects of pro-inflammatory diets, as measured by the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), on periodontal disease among Americans have not been evaluated. OBJECTIVE: This study examines whether the DII is associated with periodontitis in U.S. adults participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) 2009-2014. In particular, it evaluates whether an anti-inflammatory dietary pattern is associated with lower prevalence of periodontitis in NHANES and lower severity of periodontitis. METHODS: Dietary Inflammatory Index score was derived from taking the mean of two 24-hour dietary recall interviews. The sample population included 7,480 subjects (3,628 men and 3,852 women), who were 30-80 years old from all racial/ethnic groups. The exclusion criteria were incomplete or missing data regarding clinical periodontal and dental examinations. In addition, participants were also excluded who had diabetes, cancer, pregnancy or breastfeeding status, unreliable dietary information, or elevated alcohol intake. The DII score was classified as Low DII/anti-inflammatory (DII: -5.16≤DII≤0.54) and High DII/pro-inflammatory (DII: 0.54<DII≤4.82). Outcome was measured using case definitions of periodontitis and classified as mild, moderate, severe, and total periodontitis. The prevalence for each was calculated in the overall sample population and sex-specific subgroups. Logistic regression models were used to calculate crude ORs (and 95% CI) for the presence of total periodontitis. Multivariate regression analysis was used to adjust for age, sex, alcohol consumption, and smoking. Chi-square test was used to calculate the ORs for mild, moderate, and severe periodontitis. RESULTS: The prevalence of total periodontitis among subjects with Low DII is 42% and the prevalence of total periodontitis among subjects with High DII is 47.5%. The prevalence of total periodontitis among men with Low DII is 49.8%, while the prevalence of total periodontitis among men with High DII is 57.7%. The prevalence is 32.1% and 41.4% for women with Low DII and High DII, respectively. Based on adjusted logistic regression models, consuming a diet that scores High DII results in 35% increased risk of total periodontitis; for men the risk is 25% and for women 44%. Based on the subtype analysis, consuming a diet that scores High DII results in a statistically significant 21% increased risk of moderated periodontitis and 48% increased risk of severe periodontitis. CONCLUSIONS: Pro-inflammatory diet (High DII) is associated with higher prevalence of moderate, severe, and total periodontitis in both men and women. The prevalence of mild periodontitis is higher among women adhering to High DII, but not among men. The overall cohort has increased odds of having moderate, severe, and total periodontitis when consuming pro-inflammatory foods and nutrients, with women being at greater risk for total periodontitis. Subjects whose diet was pro-inflammatory had statistically-significant increased risk of having moderate or severe periodontitis, but not mild.