Reduction of Campylobacter jejuni contamination by using UVA-LED and sodium hypochlorite on the surface of chicken meat.

Campylobacter jejuni causes gastroenteritis in humans and is a major concern in food safety. Commercially prepared chicken meats are frequently contaminated with C. jejuni, which is closely associated with the diffusion of intestinal contents in poultry processing plants. Sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) is commonly used during chicken processing to prevent food poisoning; however, its antimicrobial activity is not effective in the organic-rich solutions. In this study, we investigated the potential of a new photo-disinfection system, UVA-LED, for the disinfection of C. jejuni-contaminated chicken surfaces. The data indicated that UVA irradiation significantly killed C. jejuni and that its killing ability was significantly facilitated in NaClO-treated chickens. Effective inactivation of C. jejuni was achieved using a combination of UVA and NaClO, even in the organic-rich condition. The results of this study show that synergistic disinfection using a combination of UVA and NaClO has potential beneficial effects in chicken processing systems.

Oral administration of resveratrol or lactic acid bacterium improves lens elasticity.

A decrease in the elasticity of the ocular lens during aging is associated with loss of the accommodative ability of the eye, leading to presbyopia. Although near vision impairment is a social issue affecting the length of healthy life expectancy and productivity of elderly people, an effective treatment to improve near vision has not yet become available. Here we examined the effect of Enterococcus faecium WB2000, Lactobacillus pentosus TJ515, and resveratrol on lens elasticity in rats, where the stiffness of the ocular lens increases exponentially during the aging process. A combination of WB2000 and resveratrol improved lens elasticity not only in the long term but also with just short-term treatment. In addition, TJ515 decreased stiffness in the eye lens with long-term treatment. Therefore, the oral administration of WB2000 and resveratrol or TJ515 may be a potential approach for managing the progression of near vision impairment.

Bacterial Contamination of Hemodialysis Devices in Hospital Dialysis Wards.

Chronic care patients undergoing hemodialysis for treatment of end-stage renal failure experience higher rates of bloodstream-associated infection due to the patients' compromised immune system and management of the bloodstream through catheters. Staphylococcus species are acommon cause of hemodialysis catheterrelated bloodstream infections. We investigated environmental bacterial contamination of dialysis wards and contamination of hemodialysis devices to determine the source of bacteria for these infections. All bacterial samples were collected by the swab method and the agarose stamp method. And which bacterium were identified by BBL CRYSTAL Kit or 16s rRNA sequences. In our data, bacterial cell number of hemodialysis device was lower than environment of patient surrounds. But Staphylococcus spp. were found predominantly on the hemodialysis device (46.8%), especially on areas frequently touched by healthcare-workers (such as Touch screen). Among Staphylococcus spp., Staphylococcus epidermidis was most frequently observed (42.1% of Staphylococcus spp.), and more surprising, 48.2% of the Staphylococcus spp. indicated high resistance for methicillin. Our finding suggests that hemodialysis device highly contaminated with bloodstream infection associated bacteria. This study can be used as a source to assess the risk of contamination-related infection and to develop the cleaning system for the better prevention for bloodstream infections in patients with hemodialysis. J. Med. Invest. 66 : 148-152, February, 2019.

Cellular Tight Junctions Prevent Effective Campylobacter jejuni Invasion and Inflammatory Barrier Disruption Promoting Bacterial Invasion from Lateral Membrane in Polarized Intestinal Epithelial Cells.

Campylobacter jejuni invasion is closely related to C. jejuni pathogenicity. The intestinal epithelium contains polarized epithelial cells that form tight junctions (TJs) to provide a physical barrier against bacterial invasion. Previous studies indicated that C. jejuni invasion of non-polarized cells involves several cellular features, including lipid rafts. However, the dynamics of C. jejuni invasion of polarized epithelial cells are not fully understood. Here we investigated the interaction between C. jejuni invasion and TJ formation to characterize the mechanism of C. jejuni invasion in polarized epithelial cells. In contrast to non-polarized epithelial cells, C. jejuni invasion was not affected by depletion of lipid rafts in polarized epithelial cells. However, depletion of lipid rafts significantly decreased C. jejuni invasion in TJ disrupted cells or basolateral infection and repair of cellular TJs suppressed lipid raft-mediated C. jejuni invasion in polarized epithelial cells. In addition, pro-inflammatory cytokine, TNF-α treatment that induce TJ disruption promote C. jejuni invasion and lipid rafts depletion significantly reduced C. jejuni invasion in TNF-α treated cells. These data demonstrated that TJs prevent C. jejuni invasion from the lateral side of epithelial cells, where they play a main part in bacterial invasion and suggest that C. jejuni invasion could be increased in inflammatory condition. Therefore, maintenance of TJs integrity should be considered important in the development of novel therapies for C. jejuni infection.

Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Reduces Microtubule-Dependent Campylobacter jejuni Invasion.

Campylobacterjejuni is a foodborne pathogen that induces gastroenteritis. Invasion and adhesion are essential in the process of C. jejuni infection leading to gastroenteritis. The mucosal layer plays a key role in the system of defense against efficient invasion and adhesion by bacteria, which is modulated by several ion channels and transporters mediated by water flux in the intestine. The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) plays the main role in water flux in the intestine, and it is closely associated with bacterial clearance. We previously reported that C. jejuni infection suppresses CFTR channel activity in intestinal epithelial cells; however, the mechanism and importance of this suppression are unclear. This study sought to elucidate the role of CFTR in C. jejuni infection. Using HEK293 cells that stably express wild-type and mutated CFTR, we found that CFTR attenuated C. jejuni invasion and that it was not involved in bacterial adhesion or intracellular survival but was associated with microtubule-dependent intracellular transport. Moreover, we revealed that CFTR attenuated the function of the microtubule motor protein, which caused inhibition of C. jejuni invasion, but did not affect microtubule stability. Meanwhile, the CFTR mutant G551D-CFTR, which had defects in channel activity, suppressed C. jejuni invasion, whereas the ΔF508-CFTR mutant, which had defects in maturation, did not suppress C. jejuni invasion, suggesting that CFTR suppression of C. jejuni invasion is related to CFTR maturation but not channel activity. When these findings are taken together, it may be seen that mature CFTR inhibits C. jejuni invasion by regulating microtubule-mediated pathways. We suggest that CFTR plays a critical role in cellular defenses against C. jejuni invasion and that suppression of CFTR may be an initial step in promoting cell invasion during C. jejuni infection.