Matrix metalloproteinases activation in Toxocara canis induced pulmonary pathogenesis

Seropositivity for Toxocara spp. in Individuals with Animal Hoarding Disorder in Southern Brazil: An Alarm for Public Health

PURPOSE

Animal hoarding has been associated with unhealthy human, animal and environmental conditions that predispose such individuals to serious life-threatening risks such as arson, malnutrition, cruelty and zoonosis. The study aimed to evaluate the presence of anti-Toxocara spp. antibodies among individuals with animal hoarding disorder in Curitiba, Brazil.

METHODS

65 residences with register of animal hoarder behavior were visited and 11 residences were included in the study, with a total of 19 individuals consenting participation. A short questionnaire was applied to gather information regarding hoarders and their dogs/cats, and serum samples were screened to detect antibodies (IgG) against antigens of Toxocara spp.

RESULTS

Overall, 14/19 individuals (73.7%) presented anti-Toxocara spp. antibodies. In 8/11 (72.7%) households at least one person was seropositive. Seropositivity was higher among women (10/13; 76.9%) than men (4/6; 66.7%). A total of 442 dogs (14-30 dogs; average = 23.3 per household) and 31 cats (1-20 cats; average = 4.8 per household) were observed. To the authors' knowledge, this was the first study to survey occurrences of toxocariasis among animal hoarders. The high population densities of dogs observed during visits, in conjunction with absence of veterinary care and unsanitary conditions, may indicate that situations of high levels of animal infection and soil contamination were present.

CONCLUSION

In summary, the seroprevalence observed in this study indicated that there was a high risk of Toxocara spp. infection among individuals with animal hoarding disorder. Provision of educational programs to reduce the risk of infection in this population is warranted.

Calycosin inhibits gemcitabine-resistant lung cancer cells proliferation through modulation of the LDOC1/GNL3L/NFκB

Lung cancer is the most common malignant cancer worldwide. Combination therapies are urgently needed to increase patient survival. Calycosin is a phytoestrogen isoflavone that has been reported previously to inhibit tumor cell growth, although its effects on lung cancer remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of calycosin on cell proliferation and apoptosis of gemcitabine-resistant lung cancer cells. Using calycosin to treat human lung cancer cells (CL1-0) and gemcitabine-resistant lung cancer cells (CL1-0 GEMR) and examine the effects on the cells. Cultured human lung cancer cells (CL1-0) and gemcitabine-resistant lung cancer cells (CL1-0 GEMR) were treated with increasing concentrations of calycosin. Cell viability and apoptosis were studied by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5 diphenyltetrazolium bromide, flow cytometry, and TUNEL assays. Western blots were used to measure the expression levels of proliferation-related proteins and cancer stem cell proteins in CL1-0 GEMR cells. The results showed that calycosin treatment inhibited cell proliferation, decreased cell migration ability, and suppressed cancer stem cell properties in CL1-0 GEMR cells. Interestingly, in CL1-0 GEMR cells, calycosin treatment not only increased LDOC1 but also decreased GNL3L/NFκB protein levels and mRNA levels, in concentration-dependent manners. We speculate that calycosin inhibited cell proliferation of the gemcitabine-resistant cell line through regulating the LDOC1/GNL3L/NFκB pathway.

Edible folic acid and medicinal folinic acid produce cardioprotective effects in late-stage triple-transgenic Alzheimer's disease model mice by suppressing cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis

Some clinical studies have indicated the patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) display an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Here, to examine the relationship between AD and CVDs, we investigated the changes in heart function in triple-transgenic late-stage AD model mice (3× Tg-AD; APPSwe, PS1M146V, and tauP301L). We fed the AD mice folic acid (FA) or folinic acid (FN) and analyzed the protective effects of the compounds on the heart; specifically, 20-month-old triple-transgenic AD mice, weighing 34-55 g, were randomly allocated into three groups-the AD, AD + FA, and AD + FN groups-and subject to gastric feeding with FA or FN once daily at 12 mg/kg body weight (BW) for 3 months. Mouse BWs were assessed throughout the trial, at the end of which the animals were sacrificed using carbon dioxide suffocation. We found that BW, whole-heart weight, and left-ventricle weight were reduced in the AD + FA and AD + FN groups as compared with the measurements in the AD group. Furthermore, western blotting of excised heart tissue revealed that the levels of the hypertrophy-related protein markers phospho(p)-p38 and p-c-Jun were markedly decreased in the AD + FA group, whereas p-GATA4, and ANP were strongly reduced in the AD + FN group. Moreover, the fibrosis-related proteins uPA, MMP-2, MEK1/2 and SP-1 were decreased in the heart in both AD + FN group. In summary, our results indicate that FA and FN can exert anti-cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis effects to protect the heart in aged triple-transgenic AD model mice, particular in FN.

Calycosin alleviates H2 O2 -induced astrocyte injury by restricting oxidative stress through the Akt/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway

Oxidative stress-induced brain cell damage is a crucial factor in the pathogenesis of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-associated neurological diseases. Further, studies show that astrocytes are an important immunocompetent cell in the brain and play a potentially significant role in various neurological diseases. Therefore, elimination of ROS overproduction might be a potential strategy for preventing and treating neurological diseases. Accumulating evidence indicates that calycosin, a main active ingredient in the Chinese herbal medicine Huangqi (Radix Astragali Mongolici), is a potential therapeutic candidate with anti-inflammation and/or anticancer effects. Here, we investigated the protective effect of calycosin in brain astrocytes by mimicking in vitro oxidative stress using H₂ O₂ . The results revealed that H₂ O₂ significantly induced ROS and inflammatory factor (tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α and interleukin [IL]-1β) production, whereas post-treatment with calycosin dramatically and concentration-dependently suppressed H₂ O₂ -induced damage by enhancing cell viability, repressing ROS and inflammatory factor production, and increasing superoxide dismutase (SOD) expression. Additionally, we found that calycosin facilitated nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) expression and promoted its nuclear translocation, thereby inducing the expression of antioxidant molecules (heme oxygenase [HO]-1 and SOD) following H₂ O₂ treatment. Moreover, calycosin did not attenuated H₂ O₂ -induced astrocyte damage and ROS production in the presence of the ML385 (a Nrf2-specific inhibitor) and following Nrf2 silencing. Furthermore, calycosin failed to increase Akt phosphorylation and mitigate H₂ O₂ -induced astrocyte damage in the presence of the LY294002 (a selective phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor), indicating that calycosin-mediated regulation of oxidative-stress homeostasis involved Akt/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling. These findings demonstrated that calycosin protects against oxidative injury in brain astrocytes by regulating oxidative stress through the AKT/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

The Role of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in the Life Cycle of Toxocara spp

The present study aimed to experimentally assess Nile tilapia as potential paratenic host of Toxocara spp. A total of 15 Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) were fed with 300 embryonated Toxocara canis eggs by oral gavage, while five others of the control group received distilled water. The fish were individually analyzed at 16, 24, 48, 72, and 240 h after inoculation. Water contamination was assessed, and tissue migration by liver, gastrointestinal tract (GIT), eyes, and central nervous system. A murine model was used as the paratenic host for egg infectivity assessment. Eggs and larvae were found in plastic tank water and fish GIT, ranging from 23 to 86% per fish. Eggs and larvae were recovered from the tank water (76.3%) and fish GIT (23.7%). The counting of eggs and larvae observed was negatively correlated with number of eggs and larvae in the water tank (rho = -0.698, p = 0.003). Shedding of embryonated eggs was first detected at 16 and up to 240 h, with significant egg and larvae yield decrease on water-shedding (p = 0.001) and in the GIT (p = 0.007). Although no T. canis larva was recovered in fish tissues, egg infectivity after fish GIT transit was experimentally confirmed by mice assessment. In conclusion, despite shedding viable embryonated eggs through the gastrointestinal tract, tilapias may not play a role as a suitable paratenic hosts for Toxocara spp., posing low risk of zoonotic transmission by fish meat consumption.