Abstract 4926: Gut microbiota regulates cisplatin mediated cachexia and systemic toxicity

Chemotherapy induced toxicity severely affect the cancer survivors and lowers the quality of life. By 2020, there will be more than 18 million of cancer survivors all over the world. Majority of them might develop long term nephrotoxicity, ototoxicity and gut toxicity. In addition, chemotherapy may also facilitate the initiation and progression of cachexia. Recent studies have shown that gut microbiota modulates the efficacy of anti-cancer chemotherapy, however very limited knowledge is available regarding the role of gut microbiota in regulating systemic toxicity and cachexia. We hypothesized that gut microbiota modulates cisplatin induced systemic toxicity as well as cachexia. Four groups (n=10 in each group) of 6-8 weeks old C57B/6 mice were treated with cisplatin, cisplatin+antibiotics cocktails (ABX), ABX only and control. ABX cocktail contained primaxin, vancomycin and neomycin. This experiment was validated using C57B/6 germ free mice. We performed anti-p-γ-H2AX based toxicity assay for DNA damage. In addition, we performed immunohistochemistry for studying cachexia. H&E staining and DNA damage were assessed by light and super resolution confocal microscopy (Zeiss 880) and quantified by 3-D reconstruction using IMARIS. We also performed high content imaging to evaluate DNA damage in bone marrow and spleen. Body weight and kidney blood content were also analyzed to determine the degree of toxicity. Depletion of gut microbiota significantly reduced nephrotoxicity and gut toxicity. In addition, we found that depletion of gut microbiota prevents muscle and adipose tissue loss by down-regulating UCP-1and PGC-1α in adipose tissue and MURF-1 and Atrogin-1 in muscle. Experiments are confirmed by using Germ free mice. Our data suggest that modulation of gut microbiota may be utilized to reduce chemotherapy associated cachexia and systemic toxicity.

Citation Format: Soumen Roy, Rodrigo Das Neves, Amiran Dzutsev, Carolyne Smith, Bathai Edwards, Miranda Dawson, Simone Difilippantonio, Loretta Smith, April Huang, Young Kim, Giorgio Trinchieri. Gut microbiota regulates cisplatin mediated cachexia and systemic toxicity [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4926. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4926

A laser driven pulsed X-ray backscatter technique for enhanced penetrative imaging

X-ray backscatter imaging can be used for a wide range of imaging applications, in particular for industrial inspection and portal security. Currently, the application of this imaging technique to the detection of landmines is limited due to the surrounding sand or soil strongly attenuating the 10s to 100s of keV X-rays required for backscatter imaging. Here, we introduce a new approach involving a 140 MeV short-pulse (< 100 fs) electron beam generated by laser wakefield acceleration to probe the sample, which produces Bremsstrahlung X-rays within the sample enabling greater depths to be imaged. A variety of detector and scintillator configurations are examined, with the best time response seen from an absorptive coated BaF2 scintillator with a bandpass filter to remove the slow scintillation emission components. An X-ray backscatter image of an array of different density and atomic number items is demonstrated. The use of a compact laser wakefield accelerator to generate the electron source, combined with the rapid development of more compact, efficient and higher repetition rate high power laser systems will make this system feasible for applications in the field. Content includes material subject to Dstl (c) Crown copyright (2014). Licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@ nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk.

Treatment options for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection: Where are we now?

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection continues to be a substantial global problem with significant associated morbidity and mortality. This review summarises the discussions that took place at the 4th MRSA Consensus Conference in relation to the current treatment options for serious MRSA infections and how to optimise whichever therapy is embarked upon. It highlights the many challenges faced by both the laboratory and clinicians in the diagnosis and treatment of MRSA infections.

First results from the LUX dark matter experiment at the Sanford underground research facility

The Large Underground Xenon (LUX) experiment is a dual-phase xenon time-projection chamber operating at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (Lead, South Dakota). The LUX cryostat was filled for the first time in the underground laboratory in February 2013. We report results of the first WIMP search data set, taken during the period from April to August 2013, presenting the analysis of 85.3 live days of data with a fiducial volume of 118 kg. A profile-likelihood analysis technique shows our data to be consistent with the background-only hypothesis, allowing 90% confidence limits to be set on spin-independent WIMP-nucleon elastic scattering with a minimum upper limit on the cross section of 7.6 × 10(-46) cm(2) at a WIMP mass of 33 GeV/c(2). We find that the LUX data are in disagreement with low-mass WIMP signal interpretations of the results from several recent direct detection experiments.

Antimicrobial stewardship: lessons from human healthcare

This paper focuses on antimicrobial stewardshipin human healthcare, and some concepts possibly transferable to veterinary medicine. Antimicrobial stewardship is a multidisciplinary effort to reduce antimicrobial resistance in human pathogens, when future drug development is dwindling. These strategies encourage healthcare staff to use antimicrobials prudently and, when needed, for as short a duration and with as narrow a spectrum as possible. Various methods are involved in stewardship within the healthcare setting, often implemented simultaneously, which sometimes makes evaluation of specific measures difficult. All healthcare workers must accept responsibility for stewardship, although the role of infectious diseases physicians, microbiologists, pharmacists and infection control practitioners is crucial, as are appropriate surveillance systems and information technology. Support from management and government is also beneficial. Considering the frequent use of antimicrobials in animals, it would seem sensible to apply a similarly critical approach to conserve the efficacy of the antimicrobials still available, now and in the future.

Syncoilin is an intermediate filament protein in activated hepatic stellate cells

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play an important role in several (patho)physiologic conditions in the liver. In response to chronic injury, HSCs are activated and change from quiescent to myofibroblast-like cells with contractile properties. This shift in phenotype is accompanied by a change in expression of intermediate filament (IF) proteins. HSCs express a broad, but variable spectrum of IF proteins. In muscle, syncoilin was identified as an alpha-dystrobrevin binding protein with sequence homology to IF proteins. We investigated the expression of syncoilin in mouse and human HSCs. Syncoilin expression in isolated and cultured HSCs was studied by qPCR, Western blotting, and fluorescence immunocytochemistry. Syncoilin expression was also evaluated in other primary liver cell types and in in vivo-activated HSCs as well as total liver samples from fibrotic mice and cirrhotic patients. Syncoilin mRNA was present in human and mouse HSCs and was highly expressed in in vitro- and in vivo-activated HSCs. Syncoilin protein was strongly upregulated during in vitro activation of HSCs and undetectable in hepatocytes and liver sinusoidal endothelial cells. Syncoilin mRNA levels were elevated in both CCl4- and common bile duct ligation-treated mice. Syncoilin immunocytochemistry revealed filamentous staining in activated mouse HSCs that partially colocalized with α-smooth muscle actin, β-actin, desmin, and α-tubulin. We show that in the liver, syncoilin is predominantly expressed by activated HSCs and displays very low-expression levels in other liver cell types, making it a good marker of activated HSCs. During in vitro activation of mouse HSCs, syncoilin is able to form filamentous structures or at least to closely interact with existing cellular filaments.

Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia

Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus causes an evolving clinical presentation of pneumonia. Health-care-acquired infection differs from community-associated disease, with important implications for treatment. Current antibiotics are less than ideal, and broader management strategies are crucial to prevent complacency.