Characterization and Potentiating Effects of the Ethanolic Extracts of the Red Seaweed Gracillaria sp. on the Activity of Carbenicillin against Vibrios

β-lactam-resistant Vibrio strains are a significant clinical problem, and β-lactamase inhibitors are generally coadministered with β-lactam drugs to control drug-resistant bacteria. Seaweed is a rich source of natural bioactive compounds; however, their potential as β-lactamase inhibitors against bacterial pathogens remains unknown. Herein, we evaluated the potential β-lactamase inhibitory effect of the ethanolic extracts of the red seaweed Gracilaria sp. (GE) against four Vibrio strains. The minimum inhibitory concentration, half-maximal inhibitory concentration, checkerboard assay results, and time-kill study results indicate that GE has limited antibacterial activity but can potentiate the activity of the β-lactam antibiotic carbenicillin against Vibrio parahemolyticus and V. cholerae. We overexpressed and purified recombinant metallo-β-lactamase, VarG, from V. cholerae for in vitro studies and observed that adding GE reduced the carbenicillin and nitrocefin degradation by VarG by 20% and 60%, respectively. Angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibition studies demonstrated that GE did not inhibit VarG via metal chelation. Toxicity assays indicated that GE exhibited mild toxicity against human cells. Through gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, we showed that GE comprises alkaloids, phenolic compounds, terpenoids, terpenes, and halogenated aromatic compounds. This study revealed that extracts of the red seaweed Gracillaria sp. can potentially inhibit β-lactamase activity.

Secretory Production of Functional Grouper Type I Interferon from Epinephelus septemfasciatus in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis

Nervous necrosis virus (NNV) results in high mortality rates of infected marine fish worldwide. Interferons (IFNs) are cytokines in vertebrates that suppress viral replication and regulate immune responses. Heterologous overexpression of fish IFN in bacteria could be problematic because of protein solubility and loss of function due to protein misfolding. In this study, a protein model of the IFN-α of Epinephelus septemfasciatus was built based on comparative modeling. In addition, PelB and SacB signal peptides were fused to the N-terminus of E. septemfasciatus IFN-α for overexpression of soluble, secreted IFN in Escherichia coli (E-IFN) and Bacillus subtilis (B-IFN). Cytotoxicity tests indicated that neither recombinant grouper IFN-α were cytotoxic to a grouper head kidney cell line (GK). The GK cells stimulated with E-IFN and B-IFN exhibited elevated expression of antiviral Mx genes when compared with the control group. The NNV challenge experiments demonstrated that GK cells pretreated or co-treated with E-IFN and B-IFN individually had three times the cell survival rates of untreated cells, indicating the cytoprotective ability of our recombinant IFNs. These data provide a protocol for the production of soluble, secreted, and functional grouper IFN of high purity, which may be applied to aquaculture fisheries for antiviral infection.

Plasma sprayed hydroxyapatite coatings on titanium substrates. Part 2: optimisation of coating properties

Heat treatment and the introduction of a Ti bond coat have been applied to hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings sprayed using different plasma powers and gas mixtures. Attempts were made in this way to achieve optimal coating properties for orthopaedic implants. In particular, the effects on the degree of crystallinity, the adhesion, the OH ion content and the purity were evaluated. Heat treatment at 700 C for 1 h in air proved to be effective in increasing the crystallinity, regaining the OH- ion and removing other non-HA compounds, although it caused a significant decrease in the degree of adhesion (interfacial fracture toughness) for those specimens sprayed at high powers. This heat treatment was found to induce significant transformation of amorphous HA to the crystalline form, while not detrimentally changing the properties of the underlying Ti-6Al-4V substrates. Precoating with a 100 microm Ti layer increased the adhesion of the HA coatings on Ti-6Al-4V substrates, primarily by providing a rougher surface and promoting better mechanical interlocking. Changes in coating properties during immersion in biological fluids were also studied and were found to depend critically on the chemical composition of the fluids. Small precipitates formed on the coating surfaces when immersed in Ringers solution. These might account for the apparent drop in the degree of crystallinity when measured using X-ray diffraction. A significant drop in the interfacial adhesion was found for those coatings sprayed at high powers. This could be offset by prior precoating with a titanium bond coat and suitable heat treatment. In summary, the following processing sequence is suggested in order to achieve optimum coating properties: precoating the substrate with a layer of Ti (approximately 100 microm), spraying HA at a sufficiently high-power level (depending on particle size and gas mixture) and heat treatment at 700 degrees C for 1 h in air.

Plasma sprayed hydroxyapatite coatings on titanium substrates. Part 1: Mechanical properties and residual stress levels

Hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings have been sprayed on to substrates of Ti-6Al-4V, using a range of input power levels and plasma gas mixtures. Coatings have also been produced on substrates of mild steel and tungsten, in order to explore certain aspects of the mechanical behaviour of HA without the complication of yielding or creep in the substrate. Studies have been made of the phase constitution, porosity, degree of crystallinity, OH ion content, microstructure and surface roughness of the HA coatings. The Young's moduli in tension and in compression were evaluated by the cantilever beam bend test using a tungsten/HA composite beam. The flexural Young's modulus was determined using a free-standing deposit under the same test. Adhesion was characterised using the single-edge notch-bend test; this is considered superior to the tensile bond strength test in common use. Measured interfacial fracture energies were of the order 1-10 J m(-2). Stress levels were investigated using specimen curvature measurements in conjunction with a numerical process model. The quenching stress for HA was measured to be about 10-25 MPa and the residual stress level in HA coatings at room temperature are predicted to lie in the approximate range of 20-40 MPa (tensile). These residual stresses could be reduced in magnitude by maintaining the substrate at a low temperature (possibly below room temperature) during spraying and it may be worthwhile to explore this. Ideally, the HA coating should have low porosity, high cohesive strength, good adhesion to the substrate, a high degree of crystallinity and high chemical purity and phase stability. In practice, such combinations are rather difficult to achieve by just varying the spraying parameters.

The effect of the male contraceptive agent Gossypol on human lymphocytes in vitro: traditional chromosome breakage, micronuclei, sister chromatid exchange, and cell kinetics

The male antifertility agent Gossypol did not affect the level of traditional chromosome breakage or number of micronuclei in 66-hour lymphocyte cultures at concentrations up to 40 micrograms/ml. It did increase the frequency of SCE slightly, although the inter-individual variation was greater than the increase resulting from Gossypol, and, even at the highest concentration (40 micrograms/ml), the SCE rate was still within the normal range. It also affected cell kinetics, reducing the mitotic index and the proportion of second and third metaphases after BUdR incorporation.