Adaptive Phage Therapy for the Prevention of Recurrent Nosocomial Pneumonia: Novel Protocol Description and Case Series

Nowadays there is a growing interest worldwide in using bacteriophages for therapeutic purposes to combat antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, driven by the increasing ineffectiveness of drugs against bacterial infections. Despite this fact, no novel commercially available therapeutic phage products have been developed in the last two decades, as it is extremely difficult to register them under the current legal regulations. This paper presents a description of the interaction between a bacteriophage manufacturer and a clinical institution, the specificity of which is the selection of bacteriophages not for an individual patient, but for the entire spectrum of bacteria circulating in the intensive care unit with continuous clinical and microbiological monitoring of efficacy. The study presents the description of three clinical cases of patients who received bacteriophage complex via inhalation for 28 days according to the protocol without antibiotic use throughout the period. No adverse effects were observed and the elimination of multidrug-resistant microorganisms from the bronchoalveolar lavage contents was detected in all patients. A decrease in such inflammatory markers as C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin was also noted. The obtained results demonstrate the potential of an adaptive phage therapy protocol in intensive care units for reducing the amount of antibiotics used and preserving their efficacy.

Multi-locus transcranial magnetic stimulation system for electronically targeted brain stimulation

BACKGROUND

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) allows non-invasive stimulation of the cortex. In multi-locus TMS (mTMS), the stimulating electric field (E-field) is controlled electronically without coil movement by adjusting currents in the coils of a transducer.

OBJECTIVE

To develop an mTMS system that allows adjusting the location and orientation of the E-field maximum within a cortical region.

METHODS

We designed and manufactured a planar 5-coil mTMS transducer to allow controlling the maximum of the induced E-field within a cortical region approximately 30 mm in diameter. We developed electronics with a design consisting of independently controlled H-bridge circuits to drive up to six TMS coils. To control the hardware, we programmed software that runs on a field-programmable gate array and a computer. To induce the desired E-field in the cortex, we developed an optimization method to calculate the currents needed in the coils. We characterized the mTMS system and conducted a proof-of-concept motor-mapping experiment on a healthy volunteer. In the motor mapping, we kept the transducer placement fixed while electronically shifting the E-field maximum on the precentral gyrus and measuring electromyography from the contralateral hand.

RESULTS

The transducer consists of an oval coil, two figure-of-eight coils, and two four-leaf-clover coils stacked on top of each other. The technical characterization indicated that the mTMS system performs as designed. The measured motor evoked potential amplitudes varied consistently as a function of the location of the E-field maximum.

CONCLUSION

The developed mTMS system enables electronically targeted brain stimulation within a cortical region.

Studying of cellular interaction of hairpin-like peptide EcAMP1 from barnyard grass (Echinochloa crusgalli L.) seeds with plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium solani using microscopy techniques

An interaction of recombinant hairpin-like cationic peptide EcAMP1 with conidia of plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium solani at the cellular level was studied by a combination of microscopic methods. EcAMP1 is from barnyard grass (Echinochloa crusgalli L.), and obtained by heterologous expression in Escherichia coli system. As a result, a direct relationship between hyphal growth inhibition and increasing active peptide concentration, time of incubation and fungal physiological condition has been determined. Dynamics of accumulation and redistribution of the peptide studied on fungal cellular cover and inside the conidia cells has been shown. The dynamics are dependent on time of coupling, as well as, a dissimilarity of EcAMP1 binding with cover of fungal conidia and its stepwise accumulation and diffuse localization in the cytoplasm. Correlation between structural disruption of fungal conidia and the presence of morphological changes has also been found. The correlation was found under the influence of peptide high concentrations at concentrations above 32 μM. The results indicate the presence of a binding of EcAMP1 with the surface of fungal conidia, thus, demonstrating a main specificity for its antifungal action at the cellular level. These results, however, cannot exclude the existence of attendant EcAMP1 action based on its intracellular localization on some specific targets. SCANNING 38:591-598, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Active diffusion of nanoparticles of maternal origin within the embryonic brain

Aim: To investigate porous silicon (PSi) nanoparticles (NPs) behavior in the embryonic brain. Materials & methods: Fluorescently labeled PSi NPs were injected into the embryonic brains intraventricularly and to the mother intravenously (iv.). Brain histology from different time points up to 3 days was analyzed and live brains imaged with two-photon microscopy. Results: PSi NPs were able to penetrate 80% of the embryonic cortical depth. Particle motility was confirmed in real-time in vivo. PSi NPs were able to penetrate the embryonic cortex after either iv. maternal or intraventricular injection. No developmental of macromorphological changes or increased cell apoptosis was observed. Conclusion: PSi NPs penetrate deep in the brain tissues of embryos after intraventricular injection and after iv. injection to the mother.

In vivo Calcium Imaging of Evoked Calcium Waves in the Embryonic Cortex

The dynamics of intracellular calcium fluxes are instrumental in the proliferation, differentiation, and migration of neuronal cells. Knowledge thus far of the relationship between these calcium changes and physiological processes in the developing brain has derived principally from ex vivo and in vitro experiments. Here, we present a new method to image intracellular calcium flux in the cerebral cortex of live rodent embryos, whilst attached to the dam through the umbilical cord. Using this approach we demonstrate induction of calcium waves by laser stimulation. These waves are sensitive to ATP-receptor blockade and are significantly increased by pharmacological facilitation of intracellular-calcium release. This approach is the closest to physiological conditions yet achieved for imaging of calcium in the embryonic brain and as such opens new avenues for the study of prenatal brain development. Furthermore, the developed method could open the possibilities of preclinical translational studies in embryos particularly important for developmentally related diseases such as schizophrenia and autism.

In vivo two-photon microscopy of single nerve endings in skin

Nerve endings in skin are involved in physiological processes such as sensing(1) as well as in pathological processes such as neuropathic pain(2). Their close-to-surface positioning facilitates microscopic imaging of skin nerve endings in living intact animal. Using multiphoton microscopy, it is possible to obtain fine images overcoming the problem of strong light scattering of the skin tissue. Reporter transgenic mice that express EYFP under the control of Thy-1 promoter in neurons (including periphery sensory neurons) are well suited for the longitudinal studies of individual nerve endings over extended periods of time up to several months or even life-long. Furthermore, using the same femtosecond laser as for the imaging, it is possible to produce highly selective lesions of nerve fibers for the studies of the nerve fiber restructuring. Here, we present a simple and reliable protocol for longitudinal multiphoton in vivo imaging and laser-based microsurgery on mouse skin nerve endings.

Flat-floored air-lifted platform: a new method for combining behavior with microscopy or electrophysiology on awake freely moving rodents

It is widely acknowledged that the use of general anesthetics can undermine the relevance of electrophysiological or microscopical data obtained from a living animal’s brain. Moreover, the lengthy recovery from anesthesia limits the frequency of repeated recording/imaging episodes in longitudinal studies. Hence, new methods that would allow stable recordings from non-anesthetized behaving mice are expected to advance the fields of cellular and cognitive neurosciences. Existing solutions range from mere physical restraint to more sophisticated approaches, such as linear and spherical treadmills used in combination with computer-generated virtual reality. Here, a novel method is described where a head-fixed mouse can move around an air-lifted mobile homecage and explore its environment under stress-free conditions. This method allows researchers to perform behavioral tests (e.g., learning, habituation or novel object recognition) simultaneously with two-photon microscopic imaging and/or patch-clamp recordings, all combined in a single experiment. This video-article describes the use of the awake animal head fixation device (mobile homecage), demonstrates the procedures of animal habituation, and exemplifies a number of possible applications of the method.

Acute brain trauma in mice followed by longitudinal two-photon imaging

Although acute brain trauma often results from head damage in different accidents and affects a substantial fraction of the population, there is no effective treatment for it yet. Limitations of currently used animal models impede understanding of the pathology mechanism. Multiphoton microscopy allows studying cells and tissues within intact animal brains longitudinally under physiological and pathological conditions. Here, we describe two models of acute brain injury studied by means of two-photon imaging of brain cell behavior under posttraumatic conditions. A selected brain region is injured with a sharp needle to produce a trauma of a controlled width and depth in the brain parenchyma. Our method uses stereotaxic prick with a syringe needle, which can be combined with simultaneous drug application. We propose that this method can be used as an advanced tool to study cellular mechanisms of pathophysiological consequences of acute trauma in mammalian brain in vivo. In this video, we combine acute brain injury with two preparations: cranial window and skull thinning. We also discuss advantages and limitations of both preparations for multisession imaging of brain regeneration after trauma.

Dynamic longitudinal investigation of individual nerve endings in the skin of anesthetized mice using in vivo two-photon microscopy

Visualization of individual cutaneous nerve endings has previously relied on laborious procedures of tissue excision, fixation, sectioning and staining for light or electron microscopy. We present a method for non-invasive, longitudinal two-photon microscopy of single nerve endings within the skin of anesthetized transgenic mice. Besides excellent signal-to-background ratio and nanometer-scale spatial resolution, this method offers time-lapse "movies" of pathophysiological changes in nerve fine structure over minutes, hours, days or weeks. Structure of keratinocytes and dermal matrix is visualized simultaneously with nerve endings, providing clear landmarks for longitudinal analysis. We further demonstrate feasibility of dissecting individual nerve fibers with infra-red laser and monitoring their degradation and regeneration. In summary, our excision-free optical biopsy technique is ideal for longitudinal microscopic analysis of animal skin and skin innervations in vivo and can be applied widely in preclinical models of chronic pain, allergies, skin cancers and a variety of dermatological disorders.