Subcellular particles for characterization of host-parasite interactions

Parasitic diseases remain a major global health problem for humans. Parasites employ a variety of strategies to invade and survive within their hosts and to manipulate host defense mechanisms, always in the pathogen's favor. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), membrane-bound nanospheres carrying a variety of bioactive compounds, were shown to be released by the parasites during all stages of the infection, enabling growth and expansion within the host and adaptation to frequently changing environmental stressors. In this review, we discuss how the use of existing nanotechnologies and high-resolution imaging tools assisted in revealing the role of EVs during parasitic infections, enabling the quantitation, visualization, and detailed characterization of EVs. We discuss here the cases of malaria, Chagas disease and leishmaniasis as examples of parasitic neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Unraveling the EVs' role in the NTD pathogenesis may enormously contribute to their early and reliable diagnostic, effective treatment, and prevention.

Exploring Peripheral Blood-Derived Extracellular Vesicles as Biomarkers: Implications for Chronic Chagas Disease with Viral Infection or Transplantation

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer envelopes that encapsulate cell-specific cargo, rendering them promising biomarkers for diverse diseases. Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, poses a significant global health burden, transcending its initial epicenter in Latin America to affect individuals in Europe, Asia, and North America. In this study, we aimed to characterize circulating EVs derived from patients with chronic Chagas disease (CCD) experiencing a reactivation of acute symptoms. Blood samples collected in EDTA were processed to isolate plasma and subsequently subjected to ultracentrifugation for particle isolation and purification. The EVs were characterized using a nanoparticle tracking analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Our findings revealed distinctive differences in the size, concentration, and composition of EVs between immunosuppressed patients and those with CCD. Importantly, these EVs play a critical role in the pathophysiology of Chagas disease and demonstrate significant potential as biomarkers in the chronic phase of the disease. Overall, our findings support the potential utility of the CL-ELISA assay as a specific sensitive tool for detecting circulating EVs in chronic Chagasic patients, particularly those with recurrent infection following an immunosuppressive treatment or with concurrent HIV and Chagas disease. Further investigations are warranted to identify and validate the specific antigens or biomarkers responsible for the observed reactivity in these patient groups, which may have implications for diagnosis, the monitoring of treatment, and prognosis.

Isolation and molecular characterization of circulating extracellular vesicles from blood of chronic Chagas disease patients

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer envelopes that encase several types of molecules. Their contents mostly reflect their cell origin and possible targets at other locations in the organism and can be modified in pathological conditions to interfere with intercellular communication, thus promoting disease establishment and development. These characteristics, in addition to their presence in virtually all body fluids, make such vesicles ideal for biomarker discovery in human diseases. Here we describe the effect of different anticoagulants and the combination of two purification methods for isolation and characterization of circulating extracellular vesicles from blood of chronic Chagas disease (CCD) patients. We illustrated this procedure by studying a population of patients with Chagas disease at the indeterminate chronic stage, in which the Trypanosoma cruzi is very scarce in circulation. EVs were harvested from blood collected without or with different anticoagulants. Protein and nanoparticle tracking analysis was used to measure EVs size and concentration. The EVs were purified by ultracentrifugation, followed by size exclusion chromatography and characterized by chemiluminescent ELISA and Dot Blot using antibodies that recognized parasite-derived EVs, such as hyperimmune sera, polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies against trans-sialidase and mucins. In parallel, antibodies against classical human EV markers CD9, CD63, CD81 and CD82, were also analyzed. The results showed that anticoagulants did not interfere with the analyzed parameters and circulating EVs from CCD patients contain T. cruzi antigens and classical human exosomal markers. Overall, our protocol is adequate for the isolation of the total circulating extracellular vesicles and can serve as an important basis for further studies on biomarker discovery in Chagas' disease. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Synthesis and Characterization of Styrene-Butadiene Rubber-Clay Nanocomposites with Enhanced Mechanical and Gas Barrier Properties

Five styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR)/clay nanocomposite or hybrid systems were synthesized via mechanical mixing of SBR using a Brabender mixer and a 2-roll mill in the presence of unmodified sodium montmorillonite (Na-MMT) clay, MMT modified with octadecylamine (C18amine), MMT modified with a zwitterionic surfactant, octadecyldimethyl betaine (C18DMB), and MMT modified with a polymerizable cationic surfactant, vinylbenzyl octadecyldimethyl ammonium chloride (VODAC) or vinylbenzyl dodecyldimethyl ammonium chloride (VDAC). The surfactant chain length and functional groups affected the dispersion of clay nanolayers in the matrix and the overall properties of the nanocomposites. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed peaks corresponding to intercalated structures; transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations agreed well with XRD assessment of the composites. SBR/VODAC-MMT system exhibited the best dispersion among the nanocomposites studied. VODAC-MMT was partially exfoliated in SBR matrix and the average aspect ratio of the nanolayer stacks or aggregates was high (20). Depending on the amount of clay, considerable mechanical reinforcement and gas barrier enhancement were achieved in nanocomposites over pure rubber. Tensile strength in excess of 18MPa was observed in SBR nanocomposites with 30 phr C18 organoclays. The storage modulus at 25C increased by a factor of four by incorporating 10 phr VODAC-MMT in SBR. The most pronounced oxygen barrier enhancement was again observed in SBR/VODAC-MMT nanocomposite with the reduction of permeability by 60% at silicate volume fraction of 0.06. The superior performance of nanocomposites containing VODAC-MMT is attributed to the presence of the vinyl-benzyl group and 18 carbon-atom tail in the surfactant leading to high compatibility with SBR and nano-scale dispersion in the SBR matrix.

Impact of harmonic imaging on transthoracic echocardiographic identification of infective endocarditis and its complications

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the comparative diagnostic value of harmonic imaging (HI) in the assessment of patients with suspected infective endocarditis (IE).

SETTING

Tertiary referral centre.

DESIGN

139 consecutive patients were evaluated with three imaging modalities: transthoracic echocardiography with fundamental imaging (FI); HI; and transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE). Image quality was assessed for each modality by semiquantitative scoring (0, poor, to 3, excellent). Presence, dimension, and characteristics of vegetations were assessed separately for each imaging modality, as well as presence of abscesses.

RESULTS

35 patients had definite IE. TOE was positive in 33 patients, HI in 28, and FI in 12 (p < 0.001 for FI v HI and v TOE). Mean image quality was 1.4 (0.7) for FI, 2.1 (0.6) for HI (p < 0.01 v FI), and 2.6 (0.4) for TOE (p < 0.001 v HI). The association between FI and TOE findings was Phi = 0.35 (chi2 = 17.57, p = 0.0014) and between HI and TOE it was Phi = 0.95 (chi2 = 125.72, p < 0.0001; p < 0.0001 v FI). The global echo score of vegetations was 7.1 (3.3) with FI, 8.5 (3.4) with HI, and 11.3 (3.9) with TOE (p < 0.001 v HI). Compared with TOE, FI identified only one of seven abscesses (sensitivity 14%) and HI identified two of seven abscesses (sensitivity 28%).

CONCLUSIONS

HI provides an accurate assessment of suspected IE. TOE achieves superior definition of IE related abnormalities.

In-vitro mechanisms of 1,2-dichloropropane nephrotoxicity using the renal cortical slice model

1. Renal cortical slices isolated from the kidneys of male Wistar rats were used as an experimental model for studying the nephrotoxicity induced by 1,2-dichloropropane. 2. The solvent causes a depletion of renal reduced glutathione content and slight, but significant, lipid peroxidation. The block of the oxidative pathway with carbon monoxide prevents glutathione content depletion, and shows that this conjugation is the major step in 1,2-dichloropropane metabolism. 3. Loss of organic anion accumulation and release into the incubation medium of tubular enzymes, mainly from the soluble fraction, are the toxic effects of the solvent. The brush border is only slightly affected. 4. The mechanism of nephrotoxicity appears to occur via mercapturic acid metabolism. Acivicin and aminooxyacetic acid, inhibitors of gamma-glutamyltransferase and beta-lyase activity, respectively, partially but significantly prevent the loss of organic anion accumulation induced by 1,2-dichloropropane. Furthermore, alpha-ketobutyrate, an activator of beta-lyase, enhances the effects of 1,2-dichloropropane on the target, but is itself toxic for organic anion accumulation.

Sex- and age-related nephrotoxicity due to 1,2-dichloropropane in vitro

Sex- and age-related nephrotoxicity due to 1,2-dichloropropane was studied in vitro by means of renal cortical slices obtained from Wistar rats. Reduced glutathione content, organic anion accumulation (p-aminohippurate), and release of malondialdehyde (to measure the extent of lipid peroxidation), aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltransferase and lactate dehydrogenase into the incubation medium were determined. Sex differences in naive rats parameters were slight, but male were more susceptible to toxic effects of 1,2-dichloropropane than female rats; glutathione depletion, lipid peroxidation, and loss of organic anion accumulation were higher in male than in female slices. During senescence, naive male rats showed a progressive decrease of glutathione content (statistically significant from 7-9 months of age), increase of spontaneous lipid peroxidation from the same age, and increase of signs of cytotoxicity (release of aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase into the incubation medium) from 3-4 months of age. A loss of organic anion accumulation started from 7-9 months of age. Slices from rats of 3-4 months old showed the apparently highest susceptibility to 1,2-dichloropropane but depletion of glutathione content and loss of organic anion accumulation were at the same level in the oldest rats. The age decrease of control values caused the differences in the percentage ratio and then, apparently, a lower DCP effect. On the contrary, the increase of aspartate aminotransferase released in the incubation medium by DCP-treated slices corresponded to the age-related increase in cytotoxicity.

[Pollution by nitrous dioxide during diagnostic laparoscopy interventions]

Here we have outlined the data relative to an environmental survey carried out in a laparoscopy clinic at the hospital of Padua, to determine the environmental concentration of nitrous dioxide (N2O) used for intra-abdominal inflation during diagnostic laparoscopy interventions. The data obtained have revealed cases of considerable N2O environmental pollution. This above all, due to spontaneous loss of gas during the intervention and to the lack of adequate ventilation systems.