Effect of immunosuppression by UV-B radiation on components of the innate immune response in skin lesions with Leishmania mexicana: Effect of UVB on the innate immune response in cutaneous infection by L. mexicana.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is the most common form of leishmaniasis in humans, factors such as poverty, poor housing, inadequate domestic hygiene, malnutrition, mobility, and occupational exposure are risk factors associated with the condition, however, there are few studies focused on determining the immune mechanism involved in the resolution of cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by the species Leishmania mexicana, as well as possible environmental factors such as solar radiation, which could contribute to its establishment. through mechanisms immunosuppressants, of which to date is unknown. In this study, the effect of UV-B light was evaluated as a risk factor affecting components of the innate immune response 3 days after infection with L. mexicana. A delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction (DTH) was used to evaluate immunosuppression induced by UV-B light. Through a histological analysis, the skin lesions of the mice (Hematoxylin & Eosin) were evaluated, the presence of mast cells and their level of degranulation (toluidine blue staining), the presence of IL-10+ and MOMA2+ cells were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and finally, the cytokine profile was evaluated by qPCR in the skin lesions tissue. An alteration in the architecture of the tissue was observed, as well as a greater number of mast cells, both complete and degranulated, as well as an increase in IL-10+ and MOMA2+ cells in the skin lesions of the mice that were irradiated and subsequently infected, when compared with the lesions of infected mice (P> 0.0001), immunomodulation was also observed in the profile of cytokines expressed between both groups analyzed. This is the first study to demonstrate the effects of UV-B radiation on components of the innate immune response at short times of infection by L. mexicana.

Complexes containing benzimidazolyl-phenol ligands and Ln(III) ions: Synthesis, spectroscopic studies and preliminary cytotoxicity evaluation.

Fourteen new complexes were obtained from Ln(III)(NO3)3∙n-H2O and the chromophores 2-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)-phenol (Bzp1) or 2-(5-methyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)-phenol (Bzp2). The complete characterization allowed us to assign unequivocally the structures of all the complexes. The techniques used for this purpose were Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) and Fourier-Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopies, High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS), Magnetic Susceptibility (MS), Elemental Analysis (EA) and Molar Conductivity (MC). HRMS allowed us to find the molecular ion and its isotopic pattern. The FT-IR spectral data suggested that benzimidazolyl-phenol ligands coordinate with Ln(III) ions through iminic nitrogen and phenolic oxygen. Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) studies of NdBzp1 and GdBzp2 complexes indicate the presence of lattice water along with three nitrates and two benzimidazolyl-phenol ligands; the thermal decomposition was consistent with the minimal formula suggested by EA. The coordination type of the benzimidazolyl-phenol ligands, the geometry and the structural organization of these coordination complexes have been interpreted by Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, and they coincided with the physicochemical data suggesting a coordination number eight for the Ln(III) ions. The cytotoxicity of the chromophores and their coordination complexes was tested against a cancer cell line (HeLa), as compared with structure/support cells (NIH-3T3) and defense cells (J774A.1), revealing that three coordination complexes showed moderate cytotoxicity against the cell lines studied.

Prevalence of Trichomonas vaginalis and Human papillomavirus in female sex workers in Central Veracruz, Mexico.

Female sex workers (FSWs) have been considered a key population for sexually transmitted infections (STIs); therefore, they are periodically screened as a requirement to obtain a work card. However, there is insufficient epidemiological data on STIs among FSWs in Mexico. The detection of Trichomonas vaginalis is limited to microscopic studies and the molecular screening of Human papillomavirus (HPV) is only done to women 35 years of age and older. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of T. vaginalis and HPV infections in FSWs in the city of Orizaba, Veracruz, Mexico. Samples from 105 FSWs were obtained by cervical swab and analyzed. The identification of T. vaginalis and HPV was performed by molecular methods. HPV DNA was identified in 5.71% of the samples with the presence of HPV16, HPV18, and HPV58. A percentage of 25.7% samples were positive for T. vaginalis for optical microscopy and 23.8% for PCR. The results of the study indicate the need to incorporate more sensitive methods for the timely diagnosis of STIs as well as comprehensive health promotion programs directed to the most vulnerable groups among FSWs.

In Vitro Expression of Toll-Like Receptors and Proinflammatory Molecules Induced by Ergosta- 7,22-Dien-3-One Isolated from a Wild Mexican Strain of Ganoderma oerstedii (Agaricomycetes).

Compounds showing pharmacological activity on the immune system are of interest because of their therapeutic potential in the treatment of many diseases. However, data from primary human immune cells and in vivo studies are limited. The aim of this study was to analyze the ability to induce the expression of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and proinflammatory molecules on cells involved in the immune system using the compound ergosta-7,22-dien-3- one, isolated from a wild Mexican strain of Ganoderma oerstedii. According to our study, ergosta-7,22-dien-3-one did not present any cytotoxic effect on HeLa or J774A.1 cells, and it was able to stimulate nitric oxide production, induce the expression of genes, and induce the production of TLRs, cytokines, chemokines, and cellular adhesion molecules in J774A.1 cells, based on reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Here we report a new pro-inflammatory property of ergosta-7,22-dien-3-one, which should be considered as a possible adjuvant property in view of its biological activity.

Cytotoxic activity and induction of inflammatory mediators of the methanol:chloroform extract of Fusarium moniliforme.

BACKGROUND: Fusarium moniliforme is a phytopathogenic facultative fungus with a cosmopolitan distribution in all types of climates, and has a wide host range, including, among others, bean, rice, wheat and sorghum crops. There is a current lack of knowledge regarding the potential of these fungi, so it is considered to be of great importance to obtain information related to the biological activity of extracts and secondary metabolites. AIMS: An evaluation of the role of methanol:chloroform extract of F. moniliforme in the production of inflammatory cytokines and their cytotoxic activity. METHODS: The production of nitric oxide was analyzed by the Griess method, the production of cytokines using ELISA, and the effects of the extract on cell cycle and induction of apoptosis by flow cytometry. RESULTS: The extract of F. moniliforme was seen to be able to stimulate nitric oxide (NO) production in J774A.1 cells, as well as to produce cytokines such as, IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α. It was also observed that the extract of F. moniliforme produces activity on cell cycle modulation and apoptosis when tested in carcinogenic cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained from this study open the possibility of obtaining and identifying metabolites of the extract of F. moniliforme that can be evaluated for possible use in cancer therapy.

A low density microarray method for the identification of human papillomavirus type 18 variants.

We describe a novel microarray based-method for the screening of oncogenic human papillomavirus 18 (HPV-18) molecular variants. Due to the fact that sequencing methodology may underestimate samples containing more than one variant we designed a specific and sensitive stacking DNA hybridization assay. This technology can be used to discriminate between three possible phylogenetic branches of HPV-18. Probes were attached covalently on glass slides and hybridized with single-stranded DNA targets. Prior to hybridization with the probes, the target strands were pre-annealed with the three auxiliary contiguous oligonucleotides flanking the target sequences. Screening HPV-18 positive cell lines and cervical samples were used to evaluate the performance of this HPV DNA microarray. Our results demonstrate that the HPV-18's variants hybridized specifically to probes, with no detection of unspecific signals. Specific probes successfully reveal detectable point mutations in these variants. The present DNA oligoarray system can be used as a reliable, sensitive and specific method for HPV-18 variant screening. Furthermore, this simple assay allows the use of inexpensive equipment, making it accessible in resource-poor settings.

Trypanocidal activity of ergosterol peroxide from Pleurotus ostreatus.

Chagas' disease, which is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is a public health problem in South America affecting millions of people, and more recently several thousands in countries where the disease is not endemic. Due to the magnitude of the problem, finding a cure for this disease remains a major challenge. The aim of this study is to evaluate the trypanocidal activity of ergosterol peroxide (5α, 8α-epidioxy-22E-ergosta-6, 22-dien-3ß-ol) isolated from Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.) P. Kumm. f. sp. Florida. The ergosterol peroxide showed strong trypanocidal activity on the intracellular form of T. cruzi. Ergosterol peroxide had an inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 6.74 µg/mL on T. cruzi, but showed no lytic action on erythrocytes and no cytotoxic effect on mammalian cells at concentrations higher than 1600 µg/mL. The interaction of Trypanosoma cruzi with ergosterol peroxide in vitro resulted in a strong lytic activity possibly due to the disruption of the parasite membrane. This is the first report of trypanocidal activity, a new biological property of ergosterol peroxide isolated from Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.) P. Kumm. f. sp. Florida.

Prevalencia de anticuerpos contra Trypanosoma cruzi en donadores de sangre del IMSS, Orizaba, Veracruz, México / Prevalence of antibodies against Trypanossoma cruzi in blood bank donors from the IMSS General Hospital in Onizaba, Veracruz, Mexico

OBJETIVO: Determinar la prevalencia de anticuerpos contra Trypanosoma cruzi en donadores del Hospital General Regional del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) en la ciudad de Orizaba, Veracruz. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se examinaron muestras de donadores del banco de sangre del Hospital General Regional (HGRO) del IMSS para la búsqueda de antiT. cruzi por ELISA, Western blot e IFI, utilizando una proteína recombinante (MBP::Hsp70) y un extracto crudo de epimastigotes. Las muestras fueron obtenidas entre los meses de octubre de 2001 a enero de 2002. RESULTADOS: Los 420 donadores de sangre analizados fueron seronegativos para HBV, HCV, BrA, VDRL y HIV. Despu‚s del tamizaje de los 420 donadores, se identificaron dos individuos seropositivos por las pruebas de ELISA, Western blot e IFI, con una seroprevalencia de 0.48 por ciento. CONCLUSIONES: En este estudio se muestran evidencias de seropositividad para T. cruzi en donadores de sangre del HGRO, lo que sugiere la existencia de riesgo de contaminaci¢n por transfusión sanguínea. Por tal motivo, es necesario aplicar programas para el tamizaje serológico a través de técnicas inmunológicas con alta sensibilidad y especificidad.