Oral administration of lactobacilli from human intestinal tract protects mice against influenza virus infection

AIMS

Our study was conducted to evaluate the potent protective effects of oral administration of probiotic Lactobacillus strains against influenza virus (Flu) infection in a mouse model.

METHOD AND RESULTS

Lyophilized Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) and Lactobacillus gasseri TMC0356 (TMC0356) were orally administered to BALB/c mice for 19 days. The test mice were intranasally infected with Flu A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) on day 14, and any changes in clinical symptoms were monitored. After 6 days of infection, the mice were killed and pulmonary virus titres were determined. The clinical symptom scores of mice administered oral LGG and TMC0356 were significantly ameliorated, compared to those of the control mice (P < 0.01). The pulmonary virus titres of the mice fed LGG and TMC0356 were also significantly decreased compared to those of control mice (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that oral administration of lactobacilli, such as LGG and TMC0356, might protect a host animal against Flu infection.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

These results demonstrate that oral administration of selected lactobacilli might protect host animals from Flu infection by interactions with gut immunity.

Intranasal administration of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG protects mice from H1N1 influenza virus infection by regulating respiratory immune responses

AIMS

To investigate whether intranasal Lactobacillus administration protects host animals from influenza virus (IFV) infection by enhancing respiratory immune responses in a mouse model.

METHODS AND RESULTS

After 3 days of intranasal exposure to Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG), BALB/c mice were infected with IFV A/PR/8/34 (H1N1). Mice treated with LGG showed a lower frequency of accumulated symptoms and a higher survival rate than control mice (P < 0.05). The YAC-1 cell-killing activity of lung cells isolated from mice treated with LGG was significantly greater than those isolated from control mice (P < 0.01). Intranasal administration of LGG significantly increased mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-1 beta, tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1 (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that intranasal administration of LGG protects the host animal from IFV infection by enhancing respiratory cell-mediated immune responses following up-regulation of lung natural killer (NK) cell activation.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY

We have demonstrated that probiotics might protect host animals from viral infection by stimulating immune responses in the respiratory tract.

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification method for detection of human papillomavirus type 6, 11, 16, and 18

A new method was developed for detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) by loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), which was compared with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and real‐time PCR for specificity and sensitivity. All initial validation studies with the control DNA proved to be type‐specific. In order to evaluate the reliability of HPV type‐specific LAMP detecting HPV DNA from clinical samples, tissue specimens were obtained from 27 patients with external genital polypoid lesions. The histologic diagnoses included condyloma acuminatum (n = 21), bowenoid papulosis (n = 2), seborrheic keratosis (n = 2), epidermolytic acanthoma (n = 1), and hairy nymphae (n = 1). HPV‐6 DNA and HPV‐11 DNA were detected in 18 and 3 of 21 condylomata acuminata, respectively, and there was no simultaneous infection. HPV‐16 DNA was detected in one of two bowenoid papuloses. HPV DNA was not detected in the seborrheic keratoses, epidermolytic acanthoma, and hairy nymphae. These results correlated perfectly with those from real‐time PCR analysis. Most positive samples contained high copy numbers of HPV DNA. HPV‐11 DNA was detected in one case that could not be detected by PCR. The average reaction time was about 59 min. There was a linear correlation between the genome quantity and reaction time to reach the threshold. The LAMP method has an additional advantage as a quantitative method, and is superior in terms of sensitivity, specificity, rapidity, and simplicity, and can potentially be a valuable tool for the detection of HPV DNA. J. Med. Virol. 79:605–615, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Cancer Cell Permeability-Glycoprotein as a Target of MDR Reverters: Possible Role of Novel Dihydropyridine Derivatives

The overexpression of permeability-glycoprotein (P-gp) and other drug transporters (ATP-binding cassette) confers a multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype on cells in various diseases, including many forms of cancer. Development of MDR is one of the main reasons of failure in malignant tumour chemotherapy, as tumour cells, by increasing drug efflux, acquire cross-resistance to many structurally and functionally unrelated anticancer agents, which therefore never achieve effective intracellular concentrations. Endeavouring to find MDR-reverters is a crucial task for exploring new anti-cancer therapeutic intervention. Although many P-gp inhibitors have so far been identified, it is widely recognised that their interaction with P-gp is a complex process and, presently, the details of the mechanisms of action are still a matter of debate. These compounds turned out, however, to be of limited clinical usefulness owing to their inherent pharmacological activities (first generation compounds) and their accessory, inhibiting activity on CYP enzyme system (second generation compounds). Moreover, recent advances of the knowledge on P-gp structure and function and on the mechanisms of P-gp inhibition will prove fruitful for the development of novel therapeutically effective P-gp inhibitors. A dibenzoyl-1,4-dihydropyridine compound (DP7) has been shown to be a powerful P-gp inhibitor, almost devoid of cardiovascular effects, but capable of inhibiting liver CYP3A. DP7 is considered a lead compound for the development of novel dihydropyridines which do not affect CYP enzyme system but still retain the activity towards ABC-efflux transporters.

Kinetic measurements of DNA hybridization on an oligonucleotide-immobilized 27-MHz quartz crystal microbalance

A highly sensitive 27-MHz quartz-crystal microbalance, on which a 10-30-mer oligonucleotide was immobilized as a probe molecule, was employed to detect hybridization of complementary oligonucleotides in aqueous solution. From frequency decreases (mass increases due to the hybridization) with passage of time, kinetic parameters such as association constants (K(a)) and binding and dissociation rate constants (k(1) and k(-1)) could be obtained, as well as binding (hybridization) amount at the nanogram level (delta m). Kinetic studies were carried out by changing various parameters: (i) the immobilization method of a probe oligonucleotide on Au electrode, (ii) number of mismatching bases in sequences of target oligonucleotides, (iii) length of both probe and target oligonucleotides, (iv) hybridization temperature, and (v) ionic strength in solution. The obtained results were compared with those obtained by a surface plasmon resonance method using a BIAcore system.

The antimotility action of a trifluoromethyl ketone on some gram-negative bacteria

The inhibition of bacterial motility was studied by a trifluoro methyl ketone derivative on two Escherichia coli strains (wild strain having a proton pump system and the proton pump-deficient mutant strain) and two Helicobacter pylori strains (clarithromycin susceptible and clarithromycin resistant). Evidence is presented of the inhibitory action of 1-(2-benzoxazolyl)-3,3,3-trifluoro-2-propanone (TF18) on the proton motive forces of the two bacterial strains by affecting the action of biological motor and proton efflux in the membranes. The swimming, the forward motion was more sensitive than the vibration or tumbling to the inhibition. We suppose that the inhibiton of bacterial motility is related to the virulence of bacteria: consequently the pathogenicity can be reduced in the presence of TF18.

A cardiac allograft recipient with Bowen's disease on a finger and concurrent perianal bowenoid papulosis

We report a patient who developed Bowen's disease of the finger and bowenoid papulosis of the perianal area after cardiac transplantation. Human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 only, not any skin-related or epidermodysplasia verruciformis-related types, was detected in both lesions by in situ hybridization and polymerase chain reaction. The same virus type was identified in both the tumor of the finger and the perianal area, which suggests contact transmission. HPV 16 has often been associated with malignant changes and may be at least one source of the malignancies that are more common in immunosuppressed patients. The presence of a potentially oncogenic type of the HPV in an immunosuppressed patient highlights the importance of regular follow-up of such patients.

Mixed-ligand modification of polyamidoamine dendrimers to develop an effective scaffold for maintenance of hepatocyte spheroids

Compared with a monolayer culture, hepatocyte spheroids are known to maintain liver function for long periods. We found that hepatocytes formed spheroids when cultured on polyamidoamine dendrimers modified with fructose. Because galactose is a ligand for the asialoglycoprotein receptor on the hepatocyte cytoplasmic membrane, it was chosen as another ligand for modification in order to maintain adhesion of spheroids for long periods. Simultaneous modification of dendrimers with fructose and galactose had a marked effect on the time length of spheroid adhesion. Suppression of apoptosis and necrosis was observed in hepatocyte spheroids cultured on a dendrimer modified with fructose and galactose (F/G dendrimer). Moreover, the hepatocyte spheroids cultured on the F/G dendrimer had higher activities of liver-specific functions, such as urea synthesis and albumin gene expression, than did those cultured on single-ligand-modified dendrimers. The expression of heat shock protein (HSP) genes was examined to evaluate the stress response of cells to scaffolds. The hepatocytes cultured on the F/G dendrimer had very low expression levels of both HSP60 and HSP70 mRNAs. Thus immobilization of mixed-ligand-modified dendrimers could generate a suitable surface for hepatocyte spheroid formation. These dendrimers could be a powerful tool for generating custom-made scaffolds for cells other than hepatocytes by selecting the ligands suitable for each cell type.

Structural variation in the Waxy gene and differentiation in foxtail millet [Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.]: implications for multiple origins of the waxy phenotype

The origin and evolution of the waxy type of foxtail millet [Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv] were studied by analyzing structural variation in the Waxy gene. Initially, the Waxy gene was amplified by RT-PCR, RACE and genomic PCR from a non-waxy strain to determine the structure of the wild-type gene. Secondly, we screened by PCR for polymorphisms at the Waxy locus in 79 strains with various waxy phenotypes. We then carried out genomic Southern analysis on 67 strains and identified seven RFLP classes which were designated as types I-VII. RFLP type was correlated with phenotype, such that types I and II corresponded to non-waxy, types III and VI to low-amylose, and types IV, V and VII to waxy phenotypes. The differences between RFLP types could be attributed to insertions in the Waxy gene. Types II and VI were caused by the insertion of a Tourist element into intron 1 and a SINE-like sequence into intron 12, respectively. Types III, IV, V and VII were characterized by the insertion of large sequences into the Waxy gene that may alter the expression of the gene. Thus, multiple, independent insertions in the Waxy gene appear to have caused the loss-of-function waxy phenotypes. Furthermore, the geographical distributions of the three RFLP types associated with the waxy phenotype (types IV, V and VII) were distinct, with type IV being found mainly in Taiwan and Japan, type V in Korea, and type VII in Myanmar. These results indicate a polyphyletic origin for the waxy phenotype in landraces of foxtail millet.

Synthesis of sulfated colominic acids and their interaction with fibroblast growth factors

Colominic acid, an alpha (2-->8)-linked poly(sialic acid), was sulfated and characterized by NMR spectroscopy. During sulfation, the secondary hydroxyl group at C-4 had almost the same reactivity as the primary hydroxyl group at C-9, while the secondary hydroxyl group at C-7 was hardly substituted. Analysis by molecular modeling suggested that the lack of substitution at C-7 was due to a steric hindrance. A mobility shift assay indicated that FGF-2 bound to the sulfated colominic acid. Synthetic sulfated colominic acid potentiated the mitogenic activity of FGFs for fibroblasts in the same manner as heparin. Sulfated colominic acid with a low degree of sulfation was able to potentiate FGF activity. Regardless of the degree of sulfation, sulfated colominic acid-induced cytotoxicity was not observed. It was suggested that the carboxyl groups in sulfated colominic acid cooperate with the sulfate groups to reinforce the interaction with FGFs and to reduce the cytotoxicity of sulfated colominic acids.

Homology study of two polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthases from Pseudomonas aureofaciens

Recently, we have cloned and analyzed two polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase genes (phaC1 and phaC2 in the pha cluster) from Pseudomonas aureofaciens. In this report, the deduced amino acid (AA) sequences of PHA synthase 1 and PHA synthase 2 from P. aureofaciens are compared with those from three other bacterial strains (Pseudomonas sp. 61-3, P. oleovorans and P. aeruginosa) containing the homologous pha cluster. The level of homology of either PHA synthase 1 or PHA synthase 2 was high with each enzyme from these three bacterial strains. Furthermore, multialignment of PHA synthase AA sequences implied that both enzymes of PHA synthase 1 and PHA synthase 2 were highly conserved in the four strains including P. aureofaciens.

Reoperative minimally invasive axillocoronary artery bypass to the obtuse marginal branch

A 73-year-old man was admitted with unstable angina, having severe coronary artery disease involving 3 vessels. He had undergone coronary artery bypass grafting to the left anterior descending artery and the obtuse marginal branch using saphenous vein grafts in 1979. Computed tomography showed severe calcium deposition and atherosclerosis in the ascending and descending aorta. We conducted axillocoronary artery bypass to the obtuse marginal branch and left internal thoracic artery as an in situ graft to the left anterior descending artery without cardiopulmonary bypass. Grafts were satisfactory and clinical results good.

Biological activity of a fruit vegetable, "Anastasia green", a species of sweet pepper

Russian green sweet pepper (Anastasia Green) was successively extracted with hexane, acetone, methanol and 70% methanol and the extracts were further separated into a total of twenty fractions by silica gel or ODS column chromatographies. The biological activities of these extracts and fractions were compared. The extracts and fractions showed higher cytotoxic activity against two human oral tumor cell lines than against normal human gingival fibroblasts, suggesting their tumor-specific action. Several fractions [H3, H4, A4] reversed the multidrug resistant gene (MDR1) against L5178 mouse T-cell lymphoma more effectively than (+/-) verapamil (positive control). All extracts and fractions showed no anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) nor anti-Helicobacter pylori activity. These data suggest the medicinal importance of an Anastasia Green extract.

Iontophoretic pulsatile transdermal delivery of human parathyroid hormone (1-34)

Iontophoretic pulsatile transdermal delivery of hPTH(1-34) was examined in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, hairless rats and beagle dogs. Application for 60 min (200 microg; 0.1 mA cm(-2)) showed current-responsive increases in serum hPTH(1-34) levels in all the animals. In SD rats, the area under the curves of serum hPTH(1-34) levels (AUCs) were proportional to the doses (40, 120, 200, 400 and 1000 microg) and current densities (0.05, 0.1 and 0.15mA cm(-2)) applied. The absorption rates per 200-microg dose, calculated by a deconvolution method, were 6.7, 2.4 and 3.7 microg h(-1) for SD rats, hairless rats and beagle dogs, respectively. These values correlated well with the ratios of the skin porosity to the dermal thickness reported for these animals, which are believed to represent the reciprocal of the electrical resistance of the aqueous channels formed by the hair follicles. From this correlation, we suggested that absorption of hPTH(1-34) occurs mainly via the hair-follicle route, and that the absorption rate in man might be intermediate between those in hairless rats and beagle dogs. Three-fold repetitions of 30 min current with various rest intervals produced current-responsive triple pulses in serum hPTH(1-34) levels in SD rats. Seven-fold repetitions of current also produced similar current-responsive pulsatile serum hPTH(1-34) levels. However, peak serum hPTH(1-34) levels tended to decrease gradually after the fourth current application, possibly due to consumption of the electrodes, suggesting that three-fold repetitions of current might be optimal. These findings suggest that this iontophoretic administration system could create a repeated-pulsatile pattern of serum hPTH(1-34) levels without the necessity for frequent injections, and may be useful for the treatment of osteoporosis with hPTH(1-34).

Antimicrobial activity of trifluoromethyl ketones and their synergism with promethazine

The antimicrobial effects of 30 trifluoromethyl ketones [1-30] were studied on various representative bacteria. Of the ketones, 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-phenyl-1,3-butanedione [10], 1,1,1-trifluoro-3-(4,5-dimethyloxazol-2-yl)-2-propanone [11] and 1-(2-benzoxazolyl)-3,3,3-trifluoro-2-propanone [18] were found to exhibit potent antibacterial activity against the Gram-positive Bacillus megaterium and Corynebacterium michiganese, but not against Gram-negative bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens. Compounds 11 and 18 inhibited the Escherichia coli. Compound 18 was also effective against yeasts. The combination of promethazine with 18 was significantly synergistic against E. coli strains, especially the proton pump deficient mutant. The results suggest that membrane transporters are the target of trifluoromethyl ketones. The inhibition was more marked in the proton pump deficient E. coli mutant than in the wild type, which suggested that the antibacterial effect of trifluoromethyl ketones is partly prevented by the proton pump system.

Tolerance to analgesia and dependence liability by topical application of dihydroetorphine to hairless rats

The tolerance to analgesia and dependence liability of dihydroetorphine following topical application were investigated in hairless rats with and without formalin-induced inflammation. The analgesic effect of dihydroetorphine (s.c.) was 4600- to 7200-fold more potent than that of morphine. In non-inflamed rats, the analgesic effect of 24-h topical application of dihydroetorphine tape (35 microg) and 4-day repeated tape applications (20 microg/5 h/day) decreased with time after the start of application, even though the plasma dihydroetorphine concentrations did not decrease. In formalin-inflamed rats, however, the tolerance to analgesia diminished. Naloxone-precipitated weight loss was observed after 24-h infusion of dihydroetorphine but not after the tape application in non-inflamed rats. A significant rewarding effect was found in the non-inflamed rats conditioned by s.c. injection and tape application but not in the formalin-inflamed rats. These results indicate that topical application of dihydroetorphine has a tolerance and dependence liability when there is no pain, and therefore, it should be used only for pain relief.

Biological activity of kiwifruit peel extracts

Various bioactive substances in kiwifruit extracts were fractionated by organic solvent extractions, followed by silica gel and ODS chromatographies. Both cytotoxic activity and multi-drug resistance reversal activity were found in the less polar fractions. Cytotoxic activity was not always parallel the radical intensity. Antibacterial activity was distributed into various fractions and all fractions were inactive against Candida albicans and H. pylori. Only 70% methanol extracts showed anti-human immunodeficiency virus activity, and produced a broad ESR signal under alkaline conditions, in a fashion similar to lignin. These fractions also effectively scavenged O(2)(-) produced by the xanthine-xanthine oxidase reaction, suggesting a bimodal (pro-oxidant and antioxidant) action. These data suggest a medicinal efficacy of kiwifruit peel extracts.