Preservation of protective capacity of hyperimmune anti-Stx2 bovine colostrum against enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 pathogenicity after pasteurization and spray-drying processes.

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 is a major etiologic agent that causes bloody diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Shiga toxin (Stx) is the main virulence factor of EHEC responsible for the progression to HUS. Although many laboratories have made efforts to develop an effective treatment for Stx-mediated HUS, a specific therapy has not been found yet. Human consumption of bovine colostrum is known to have therapeutic effects against several gastrointestinal infections because of the peptide and proteins (including antibodies) with direct antimicrobial and endotoxin-neutralizing effects contained in this fluid. We have previously demonstrated that colostrum from Stx type 2 (Stx2)-immunized pregnant cows effectively prevents Stx2 cytotoxicity and EHEC O157:H7 pathogenicity. In this study we evaluated the preservation of the protective properties of hyperimmune colostrum against Stx2 (HIC-Stx2) after pasteurization and spray-drying processes by performing in vitro and in vivo assays. Our results showed that reconstituted HIC-Stx2 colostrum after pasteurization at 60°C for 60 min and spray-dried under optimized conditions preserved specific IgG that successfully neutralized Stx2 cytotoxicity on Vero cells. Furthermore, this pasteurized/dehydrated and reconstituted HIC-Stx2 preserved the protective capacity against EHEC infection in a weaned mice model. The consumption of hyperimmune HIC-Stx2 bovine colostrum could be effective for HUS prevention in humans as well as in EHEC control in calves. However, further studies need to be done to consider its use for controlling EHEC infections.

Wastewater treatment using microalgae: how realistic a contribution might it be to significant urban wastewater treatment?

Microalgae have been proposed as an option for wastewater treatment since the 1960s, but still, this technology has not been expanded to an industrial scale. In this paper, the major factors limiting the performance of these systems are analysed. The composition of the wastewater is highly relevant, and especially the presence of pollutants such as heavy metals and emerging compounds. Biological and engineering aspects are also critical and have to be improved to at least approximate the performance of conventional systems, not just in terms of capacity and efficiency but also in terms of robustness. Finally, the harvesting of the biomass and its processing into valuable products pose a challenge; yet at the same time, an opportunity exists to increase economic profitability. Land requirement is a major bottleneck that can be ameliorated by improving the system's photosynthetic efficiency. Land requirement has a significant impact on the economic balance, but the profits from the biomass produced can enhance these systems' reliability, especially in small cities.

Utilization of secondary-treated wastewater for the production of freshwater microalgae.

In this work, we studied the potential use of secondary-treated wastewater as nutrient source in the production of freshwater microalgae strains. Experiments were performed indoors in a semicontinuous mode, at 0.3 day(-1), simulating outdoor conditions. We demonstrated that all the tested strains can be produced by using only secondary-treated wastewater as the nutrient source. The utilization of secondary-treated wastewater imposes nutrient-limiting conditions, with maximal biomass productivity dropping to 0.5 g l(-1) day(-1) and modifies the biochemical composition of the biomass by increasing the amount of lipids and carbohydrates while reducing the biomass protein content. We measured fatty acid content and productivity of up to 25 %d.wt. and 110 mg l(-1) day(-1), respectively. We demonstrated that all the tested strains were capable of completely removing the nitrogen and phosphorus contained in the secondary-treated wastewater, and while the use of this effluent reduced the cells' photosynthetic efficiency, the nitrogen and phosphorus coefficient yield increased. Muriellopsis sp. and S. subpicatus were selected as the most promising strains for outdoor production using secondary-treated wastewater as the culture medium; this was not only because of their high productivity but also their photosynthetic efficiency, of up to 2.5 %, along with nutrient coefficient yields of up to 96 gbiomass gN (-1) and 166 gbiomass gP (-1). Coupling microalgae production processes to tertiary treatment in wastewater treatment plants make it possible to recover nutrients contained in the water and to produce valuable biomass, especially where nutrient removal is required prior to wastewater discharge.

Optical coherence tomography applied to tests of skin care products in humans--a case study.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: When evaluating skin care products for human skin, quantitative test methods need to be simple, precise and reliable. Optical coherence tomography (OCT), provides high-resolution sectional images of translucent materials to a depth of a few millimeters, a technique usually applied to medical measurements in ophthalmology and dermatology. This study aimed to demonstrate the application of OCT as the main technique for monitoring changes in skin topography during tests of a wrinkle-reduction product in humans. METHODS: We used a commercial OCT apparatus to perform clinical examinations of skin roughness in treated and non-treated sites in the periorbital region of thirty human voluntaries who were using an anti-aging product commercially available: Natura Chronos® Flavonóides de Passiflora 45+ FPS15, from Natura Cosméticos, Brazil. Measurements were performed days 0, 7, 14 and 28 of treatment. Equipment and software allowed real-time recording of skin roughness parameters and wrinkle depths. RESULTS: The OCT measurements have allowed the monitoring of changes in skin roughness, which have shown reduction in treated sites around 10%. The obtained depth distributions also indicate reduction in the occurrence of wrinkles deeper than 170 µm. The verified results are consistent with those typically obtained after successful treatment with modern anti-aging products. CONCLUSION: By using the OCT technique, it was possible to quantify changes in skin roughness and in the distribution of depths of skin wrinkles, with adequate sensitivity. OCT imaging allows the direct visualization of the skin topography with resolution of micrometers, a reliable and interactive tool for clinical use. Therefore, for the first time, we demonstrated the use of OCT technique to verify the efficacy of cosmetic products in real time.

Beyond the Natural Proteome: Nondegenerate Saturation Mutagenesis-Methodologies and Advantages.

Beyond the natural proteome, high-throughput mutagenesis offers the protein engineer an opportunity to "tweak" the wild-type activity of a protein to create a recombinant protein with required attributes. Of the various approaches available, saturation mutagenesis is one of the core techniques employed by protein engineers, and in recent times, nondegenerate saturation mutagenesis is emerging as the approach of choice. This review compares the current methodologies available for conducting nondegenerate saturation mutagenesis with traditional, degenerate saturation and briefly outlines the options available for screening the resulting libraries, to discover a novel protein with the required activity and/or specificity.

Involvement of hypoxia and inflammation in early pregnancy loss mediated by Shiga toxin type 2.

INTRODUCTION: Symptomatic or asymptomatic Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infections during early pregnancy may cause maternal or fetal damage mediated by Shiga toxin type 2 (Stx2). The aim of this study is to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for early pregnancy loss in rats treated with Stx2. METHODS: Sprague Dawley pregnant rats were intraperitoneally injected at day 8 of gestation with a sublethal dose (0.5 ng of Stx2/g of total body weight, 250 µl) of purified Stx2. Control rats were injected with the same volume of PBS. The expression of globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) glycosphingolipid receptor for Stx2 was evaluated by thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Regions of hypoxia in decidual tissue were determined by pimonidazole immunohistochemistry and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels in serum and decidual tissue were evaluated by ELISA. Serum progesterone levels were determined by RIA. RESULTS: Decidual tissue from both, control and Stx2-treated rats showed similar expression of Gb3 receptor. Intrauterine growth restriction was observed in Stx2-treated rats, associated with hypoxia and an increase of decidual TNF-α levels. Decrease of serum progesterone levels and decidual VEGF expression were also demonstrated. DISCUSSION: Our findings indicate that Stx2 reaches the uteroplacental unit, binds Gb3 and triggers damage in decidual tissue. Poor oxygen supply accompanied with damage in the uteroplacental unit and inflammation could be responsible for the early pregnancy loss. Decrease in the pregnancy protective factors, serum progesterone and local VEGF, may contribute to the pregnancy loss.

Postantibiotic effect of penicillin on Streptococcus anginosus.

We studied the postantibiotic effect of penicillin G on bacterial growth of two strains of Streptococcus anginosus by optical density readings of the cultures and by counting the numbers of viable cells. Duration of the effect of the drug in concentrations equivalent to the MICs after exposure for 2 h was 3.4 and 3.5 h. The production of streptococcal substances was examined during the postantibiotic phase. The antibiotic caused an increase in deoxyribonuclease and a decrease in both free and cell-bound hemolysin activities of one strain. The other strain displayed an increase in hyaluronidase and both free and bound hemolysin production.