Synergistic activity between conventional antifungals and chalcone-derived compound against dermatophyte fungi and Candida spp.

The scarce antifungal arsenal, changes in the susceptibility profile of fungal agents, and lack of adherence to treatment have contributed to the increase of cases of dermatomycoses. In this context, new antimicrobial substances have gained importance. Chalcones are precursors of the flavonoid family that have multiple biological activities, have high tolerability by humans, and easy synthesis. In this study, we evaluated the in vitro antifungal activity, alone and in combination with conventional antifungal drugs, of the VS02-4'ethyl chalcone-derived compound against dermatophytes and Candida spp. Susceptibility testing was carried out by broth microdilution. Experiments for determination of the target of the compound on the fungal cell, time-kill kinetics, and toxicity tests in Galleria mellonella model were also performed. Combinatory effects were evaluated by the checkerboard method. Results showed high activity of the compound VS02-4'ethyl against dermatophytes (MIC of 7.81-31.25 µg/ml). The compound targeted the cell membrane, and the time-kill test showed the compound continues to exert gradual activity after 5 days on dermatophytes, but no significant activity on Candida. Low toxicity was observed at 250 mg/kg. Excellent results were observed in the combinatory test, where VS02-4'ethyl showed synergistic interactions with itraconazole, fluconazole, terbinafine, and griseofulvin, against all isolates tested. Although further investigation is needed, these results revealed the great potential of chalcone-derived compounds against fungal infections for which treatments are long and laborious.

Improved-quality graphene films via the synergism of large nanosheet aligning and nanotube bridging for flexible supercapacitors.

Scalable production of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) films with high mechanical-electrical properties are desirable candidates for wearable electronics devices and energy storage applications. Removing structural incompleteness such as wrinkles or voids in the graphene films generated from the assemble process would greatly optimize their mechanical properties. However, the densely stacked graphene sheets in the films degrades their ionic kinetics and thus limits their development. Here, a horizontal-longitudinal-structure modulating strategy is demonstrated to produce enhanced mechanical, conductive and capacitive graphene films. Typically, two-dimensional (2D) large graphene sheets (LGS) induce regular stacking of GO during assembling process to reduce wrinkles, while one-dimensional (1D) single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) bridge with graphene sheets to strengthen the multidirectional intercalation and reduce GO layer restacking. The simultaneous incorporation of LGS and SWCNT synergistically makes fine microstructure with improving the alignment of graphene sheets, increasing continuous conductive pathways to facilitate electron transport, and enlarging interlayer spacing to promote the electrolyte ion diffusion. As a result, the obtained graphene films are flat and exhibit signally reinforced mechanical properties, electrical conductivity (38727 S m-1), as well as specific capacitance (232 F g-1) as supercapacitor electrodes than those of original rGO films. Moreover, owing to the comprehensive improved properties, the flexible gel supercapacitor assembled by the graphene film-based electrodes shows high energy density, good flexibility and excellent cycling stability (93.8% capacitance retention after 10000 cycles). This work provides a general strategy to manufacture robust graphene structural materials for energy storage applications in flexible and wearable electronics.

Metabolic Synergy of Dehalococcoides Populations Leading to Greater Reductive Dechlorination of Polychlorinated Biphenyls.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are dioxin-like pollutants that cause persistent harm to life. Organohalide-respiring bacteria (OHRB) can detoxify PCBs via reductive dechlorination, but individual OHRB are potent in dechlorinating only specific PCB congeners, restricting the extent of PCB dechlorination. Moreover, the low biomass of OHRB frequently leads to the slow natural attenuation of PCBs at contaminated sites. Here we constructed defined microbial consortia comprising various combinations of PCB-dechlorinating Dehalococcoides strains (CG1, CG4, and CG5) to successfully enhance PCB dechlorination. Specifically, the defined consortia consisting of strains CG1 and CG4 removed 0.28-0.44 and 0.23-0.25 more chlorine per PCB from Aroclor1260 and Aroclor1254, respectively, compared to individual strains, which was attributed to the emergence of new PCB dechlorination pathways in defined consortia. Notably, different Dehalococcoides populations exhibited similar growth when cocultivated, but temporal differences in the expression of PCB reductive dehalogenase genes indicated their metabolic synergy. Bioaugmentation with individual strains (CG1, CG4, and CG5) or defined consortia led to greater PCB dechlorination in wetland sediments, and augmentation with the consortium comprising strains CG1 and CG4 resulted in the greatest PCB dechlorination. These findings collectively suggest that simultaneous application of multiple Dehalococcoides strains, which catalyze complementary dechlorination pathways, is an effective strategy to accelerate PCB dechlorination.

The independent and joint risks of alcohol consumption, smoking, and excess weight on morbidity and mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis exploring synergistic associations.

OBJECTIVE: Alcohol consumption, smoking, and excess weight independently increase the risk of morbidity/mortality. Less is known about how they interact. This research aims to quantify the independent and joint associations of these exposures across health outcomes and identify whether these associations are synergistic. STUDY DESIGN: The protocol for this systematic review and meta-analysis was pre-registered (PROSPERO CRD42021231443). METHODS: Medline and Embase were searched between 1 January 2010 and 9 February 2022. Eligible peer-reviewed observational studies had to include adult participants from Organisation for Co-Operation and Development countries and report independent and joint associations between at least two eligible exposures (alcohol, smoking, and excess weight) and an ICD-10 outcome (or equivalent). For all estimates, we calculated the synergy index (SI) to identify whether joint associations were synergistic. Meta-analyses were conducted for outcomes with sufficiently homogenous data. RESULTS: The search returned 26,290 studies, of which 98 were included. Based on 138,130 participants, the combined effect (SI) of alcohol and smoking on head and neck cancer death/disease was 3.78 times greater than the additive effect of each exposure (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.61, 5.48). Based on 2,603,939 participants, the combined effect of alcohol and excess weight on liver disease/death was 1.55 times greater than the additive effect of each exposure (95% CI = 1.33, 1.82). CONCLUSION: Synergistic associations suggest the true population-level risk may be underestimated. In the absence of bias, individuals with multiple risks would experience a greater absolute risk reduction from an intervention that targets a single exposure than individuals with a single risk.

Catalytic degradation of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) over Ce-Mn-Ti composite oxide catalysts.

Developing industrially moldable catalysts with harmonized redox performance and acidity is of great significance for the efficient disposal of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) in actual exhaust gasses. Here, commercial TiO2, typically used for molding catalysts, was chosen as the carrier to fabricate a series of Ce0.02Mn0-0.24TiOx materials with different Mn doping ratios and employed for chlorobenzene (CB) destruction. The introduction of Mn remarkedly facilitated the synergistic effect of each element via the electron transfer processes: Ce3++Mn4+/3+↔Ce4++Mn3+/2+ and Mn4+/3++Ti4+↔Mn3+/2++Ti3+. These synergistic interactions in Ce0.02Mn0.04-0.24TiOx, especially Ce0.02Mn0.16TiOx, significantly elevated the active oxygen species, oxygen vacancies and redox properties, endowing the superior catalytic oxidation of CB. When the Mn doping amount increased to 0.24, a separate Mn3O4 phase appeared, which in turn might weaken the synergistic effect. Furthermore, the acidity of Ce0.02Mn0.04-0.24TiOx was decreased with the Mn doping, regulating the balance of redox property and acidity. Notably, Ce0.02Mn0.16TiOx featured relatively abundant B-acid sites. Its coordinating redox ability and moderate acidity promoted the deep oxidation of CB and RCOOH- intermediates, as well as the rapid desorption of Cl species, thus obtaining sustainable reactivity. In comparison, CeTiOx owned the strongest acidity, however, its poor redox property was not sufficient for the timely oxidative decomposition of the easier adsorbed CB, resulting in its rapid deactivation. This finding provides a promising strategy for the construction of efficient commercial molding catalysts to decompose the industrial-scale CVOCs.

Climate warming interacts with other global change drivers to influence plant phenology: A meta-analysis of experimental studies.

Shifts in plant phenology influence ecosystem structures and functions, yet how multiple global change drivers interact to affect phenology remains elusive. We conducted a meta-analysis of 242 published articles to assess interactions between warming (W) and other global change drivers including nitrogen addition (N), increased precipitation (IP), decreased precipitation (DP) and elevated CO2 (eCO2 ) on multiple phenophases in experimental studies. We show that leaf out and first flowering were most strongly affected by warming, while warming and decreased precipitation were the most pronounced drivers for leaf colouring. Moreover, interactions between warming and other global change drivers were common and both synergistic and antagonistic interactions were observed: interactions W + IP and W + eCO2 were frequently synergistic, whereas interactions W + N and W + DP were mostly antagonistic. These findings demonstrate that global change drivers often affect plant phenology interactively. Incorporating the multitude of interactions into models is crucial for accurately predicting plant responses to global changes.

Active Site Engineering and Theoretical Aspects of "Superhydrophilic" Nanostructure Array Enabling Efficient Overall Water Electrolysis.

The rational design of noble metal-free electrocatalysts holds great promise for cost-effective green hydrogen generation through water electrolysis. In this context, here, the development of a superhydrophilic bifunctional electrocatalyst that facilitates both oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline conditions is demonstrated. This is achieved through the in situ growth of hierarchical NiMoO4 @CoMoO4 ·xH2 O nanostructure on nickel foam (NF) via a two-step hydrothermal synthesis method. NiMoO4 @CoMoO4 ·xH2 O/NF facilitates OER and HER at the overpotentials of 180 and 220 mV, respectively, at the current density of 10 mA cm-2 . The NiMoO4 @CoMoO4 ·xH2 O/NF ǁ NiMoO4 @CoMoO4 ·xH2 O/NF cell can be operated at a potential of 1.60 V compared to 1.63 V displayed by the system based on the Pt/C@NFǁRuO2 @NF standard electrode pair configuration at 10 mA cm-2 for overall water splitting. The density functional theory calculations for the OER process elucidate that the lowest ΔG of NiMoO4 @CoMoO4 compared to both Ni and NiMoO4 is due to the presence of Co in the OER catalytic site and its synergistic interaction with NiMoO4 . The preparative strategy and mechanistic understanding make the windows open for the large-scale production of the robust and less expensive electrode material for the overall water electrolysis.

Determinants of synergistic cell-cell interactions in bacteria.

Bacteria are ubiquitous and colonize virtually every conceivable habitat on earth. To achieve this, bacteria require different metabolites and biochemical capabilities. Rather than trying to produce all of the needed materials by themselves, bacteria have evolved a range of synergistic interactions, in which they exchange different commodities with other members of their local community. While it is widely acknowledged that synergistic interactions are key to the ecology of both individual bacteria and entire microbial communities, the factors determining their establishment remain poorly understood. Here we provide a comprehensive overview over our current knowledge on the determinants of positive cell-cell interactions among bacteria. Taking a holistic approach, we review the literature on the molecular mechanisms bacteria use to transfer commodities between bacterial cells and discuss to which extent these mechanisms favour or constrain the successful establishment of synergistic cell-cell interactions. In addition, we analyse how these different processes affect the specificity among interaction partners. By drawing together evidence from different disciplines that study the focal question on different levels of organisation, this work not only summarizes the state of the art in this exciting field of research, but also identifies new avenues for future research.

In situanchoring of Fe3O4/CNTs hybrids on basalt fiber for efficient electromagnetic wave absorption.

The development of practical and efficient electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbing materials is a challenging research problem. A mussel-inspired molecular structure regulation strategy using polydopamine to increase the roughness and functional groups of basalt fiber (BF) surface, which can improve the fiber interfacial adhesion. Herein, a novel BF-Fe3O4/CNTs heterostructure is synthesized through a dip-coating adsorption process. The three-dimensional network structure of Fe3O4/CNTs hybridin situanchored on the surface of BF, which endows the composite to have good intrinsic magnetic and dielectric properties. Modulation of EMW absorption performance by controlling the addition of CNTs, the minimum RL of BF-Fe3O4/7C reaches to -40.57 dB at a thickness of 1.5 mm with CNTs addition of 7%. The enhanced EMW absorption performance of BF-Fe3O4/7C heterostructure may be attributed to the synergistic effects of interfacial polarization between the hollow magnetic Fe3O4spheres and CNTs, conduction loss, magnetic resonance loss and multiple reflection/scattering inside the BF. This work provides a simple pathway to design EMW absorbing materials with good environmental stability.

Influence of Soil Moisture on Bioaccumulation, Growth, and Recruitment of Folsomia candida Exposed to Phenanthrene-Polluted Soil.

Climate change has resulted in an increased occurrence of summer droughts in large parts of the world. Low soil moisture has marked impacts on the physiology of soil invertebrates and lowers degradation rates of organic contaminants in soil. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are hydrophobic contaminants that readily accumulate in the lipids of soil organisms. Here, we exposed springtails (Collembola, small soil living arthropods) to phenanthrene (a common PAH) in combination with a range of soil water contents to investigate the combined effects of these factors on the bioaccumulation, survival, recruitment, and body growth in a full factorial experiment. The results showed that phenanthrene up to 60 mg/kg dry soil had moderate effects on survival (<20%), whereas dry soil (4% soil water content) caused approximately 60% mortality. The bioaccumulation of phenanthrene increased almost 3-fold when soil water content decreased from 22 to 4%. We observed a joint effect of low soil water content and phenanthrene on recruitment, suggesting a synergistic interaction. The recruitment EC50 values of phenanthrene decreased from approximately 40 mg/kg dry soil at 22% soil water content to approximately 10 mg/kg dry soil at 12% soil water content. Our results show that the effects of phenanthrene are more pronounced in dry soil partly because bioaccumulation is enhanced when soils become dry.

Autochthonous strains of Trichoderma isolated from tannery solid waste improve phytoextraction potential of heavy metals by sunflower.

This research work was aimed at isolating and demonstrating the significant potential of autochthonous fungi for phytoextraction of hazardous metals in metal polluted soil using Helianthus annuus. Four multi-metal resistant strains of Trichoderma were selected from a total of 21 strains isolated from tannery polluted soil and tannery solid waste. Autochthonous Trichoderma strains were used singly and in the form of consortium (TC). Sunflower was grown in pots for 90 days having eight different amendments of tannery polluted soil with and without Trichoderma inoculation. Growth and biochemical attributes of the plants were observed along with metal content extract by different plant parts. The results revealed that TC enhanced shoot length, shoot dry weight, and metal uptake as compared to single specie inoculation. Similarly, BCF (72.8-118.23%) and TF were significantly pronounced in shoots of H. annuus grown with TC at 40% amended soil. The biochemical analysis of the plants showed that Trichoderma strains boosted the enzymatic (catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase) antioxidants in the plants. The use of indigenous fungi with metal accumulating plants like sunflower can help to alleviate metal contamination from industrial sites and can make the soil cultivable for energy crops.

The genus Trichoderma is among the most common cosmopolitan soil fungi that enhance phytoextraction capability of plants. Hence, the isolation and identification of diversified and potent Trichoderma strains from contaminated environments is the need of the hour for broad spectrum applications in bioremediation. In the present study, contaminated soil mycoflora was explored and multi-metal resistant strains of Trichoderma were isolated. Their application in myco-assisted phytoextraction with Helianthus annuus was assessed to analyze their impact on the metal removal efficacy and enhancing growth in highly contaminated soil.

The Complex Interplay between Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Strigolactone: Mechanisms, Sinergies, Applications and Future Directions.

Plants, the cornerstone of life on Earth, are constantly struggling with a number of challenges arising from both biotic and abiotic stressors. To overcome these adverse factors, plants have evolved complex defense mechanisms involving both a number of cell signaling pathways and a complex network of interactions with microorganisms. Among these interactions, the relationship between symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and strigolactones (SLs) stands as an important interplay that has a significant impact on increased resistance to environmental stresses and improved nutrient uptake and the subsequent enhanced plant growth. AMF establishes mutualistic partnerships with plants by colonizing root systems, and offers a range of benefits, such as increased nutrient absorption, improved water uptake and increased resistance to both biotic and abiotic stresses. SLs play a fundamental role in shaping root architecture, promoting the growth of lateral roots and regulating plant defense responses. AMF can promote the production and release of SLs by plants, which in turn promote symbiotic interactions due to their role as signaling molecules with the ability to attract beneficial microbes. The complete knowledge of this synergy has the potential to develop applications to optimize agricultural practices, improve nutrient use efficiency and ultimately increase crop yields. This review explores the roles played by AMF and SLs in plant development and stress tolerance, highlighting their individual contributions and the synergistic nature of their interaction.

Exploration of the Use of Natural Compounds in Combination with Chemotherapy Drugs for Tumor Treatment.

Currently, chemotherapy is the main treatment for tumors, but there are still problems such as unsatisfactory chemotherapy results, susceptibility to drug resistance, and serious adverse effects. Natural compounds have numerous pharmacological activities which are important sources of drug discovery for tumor treatment. The combination of chemotherapeutic drugs and natural compounds is gradually becoming an important strategy and development direction for tumor treatment. In this paper, we described the role of natural compounds in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs in synergizing, reducing drug resistance, mitigating adverse effects and related mechanisms, and providing new insights for future oncology research.

Promotional catalytic activity and reaction mechanism of Ag-modified Ce0.6Zr0.4O2 catalyst for catalytic oxidation of ammonia.

Ce1-xZrxO2 composite oxides (molar, x = 0-1.0, interval of 0.2) were prepared by a cetyltrimethylammonium bromide-assisted precipitation method. The enhancement of silver-species modification and catalytic mechanism of adsorption-transformation-desorption process were investigated over the Ag-impregnated catalysts for low-temperature selective catalytic oxidation of ammonia (NH3-SCO). The optimal 5 wt.% Ag/Ce0.6Zr0.4O2 catalyst presented good NH3-SCO performance with >90% NH3 conversion at temperature (T) ≥ 250°C and 89% N2 selectivity. Despite the irregular block shape and underdeveloped specific surface area (∼60 m2/g), the naked and Ag-modified Ce0.6Zr0.4O2 solid solution still obtained highly dispersed distribution of surface elements analyzed by scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM-EDS) (mapping), N2 adsorption-desorption test and X-ray diffraction (XRD). H2 temperature programmed reduction (H2-TPR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results indicated that Ag-modification enhanced the mobility and activation of oxygen-species leading to a promotion on CeO2 reducibility and synergistic Ag0/Ag+ and Ce4+/Ce3+ redox cycles. Besides, Ag+/Ag2O clusters could facilitate the formation of surface oxygen vacancies that was beneficial to the adsorption and activation of ammonia. NH3-temperature programmed desorption (NH3-TPD) showed more adsorption-desorption capacity to ammonia were provided by physical, weak- and medium-strong acid sites. Diffused reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) experiments revealed the activation of ammonia might be the control step of NH3-SCO procedure, during which NH3 dehydrogenation derived from NHx-species and also internal selective catalytic reduction (i-SCR) reactions were proposed.

Hyperlipidemia and hypertension have synergistic interaction on ischemic stroke: insights from a general population survey in China.

BACKGROUND: Hyperlipidemia (HLP) and hypertension (HTN) are both independent risk factors for ischemic stroke. This study aimed to assess whether HTN and HLP have a synergistic effect on the risk of ischemic stroke. METHODS: Between January and August 2013, 11,695 subjects in rural areas of northeastern China were enrolled. The additive and multiplicative scales were used to evaluate the interaction. RESULTS: The prevalence of ischemic stroke was 5.7%. Using the healthy group (without HTN or HLP) as the reference group, subjects with both HTN and HLP had a higher risk of ischemic stroke (odds ratio [OR]: 3.369, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.579-4.402), and this OR was greater than that of subjects with only HTN (OR: 1.995, 95% CI 1.526-2.610) or HLP (OR: 1.321, 95% CI 0.937-1.862) (adjusting for age, sex, race, education level, family income, current smoking and drinking status, physical activity, body mass index, diabetes, family history of stroke, and atrial fibrillation). Regarding the additive scale, the relative excess risk due to interaction (OR: 1.053, 95% CI 0.458-1.648) was positive after adjusting for confounders. Moreover, the attributable proportion was 31.3%, which means that 31.3% of the total risk of ischemic stroke was due to the synergistic interaction between HTN and HLP. Furthermore, the synergistic index (S) of ischemic stroke was 1.8 (95% CI 1.157-2.801), which also indicates a synergistic interaction between HTN and HLP. Regarding the multiplicative scale, the interaction effect was also significant after adjusting for confounders (OR: 2.163, 95% CI 1.817-2.575). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the synergistic effect of HTN and HLP on ischemic stroke is significantly higher than the sum of their independent effects. The quantification of the combined effect should help to promote healthy blood pressure and blood lipid levels among the general population.

Interactive effect of obesity and cognitive function decline on the risk of chronic kidney disease progression in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a 9.1-year cohort study.

Background: Obesity and cognitive function decline are independent risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, few studies have examined the combined effects of obesity status and cognitive function on change in CKD risk. We aimed to evaluate the association between obesity status, cognitive function and CKD risk change in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: Data on 3399 T2DM patients were extracted from a diabetes disease management program between 2006 and 2018. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess the association between obesity, cognitive decline, and CKD risk change. Three indexes, including the relative excess risk of interaction (RERI), attributable proportion of interaction (API), and synergy index (SI), were used to analyze interactions. CKD risk was classified according to the KDIGO 2012 CKD definition. Results: In multivariate analysis, the hazard ratio (HR, 95%Cis) for CKD risk progression was 1.34 (1.12-1.61) times higher in the moderate and severely obese patients compared with the normal weight patients, and 1.34 (1.06-1.67) times higher in the patients with a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score ≤18 compared to those with an MMSE score ≥24. There was a synergistic interaction between moderate and severe obesity and MMSE score ≤18 on CKD risk progression (SI=4.461; 95% CI: 1.998-9.962), and the proportion of CKD risk progression caused by this interaction was 52.7% (API=0.527; 95% CI: 0.295-0.759). However, normal weight and MMSE score ≥24 were not beneficial on CKD risk improvement in the patients with a moderate risk and very high-risk stage of CKD. Conclusion: There may be a synergistic interaction between obesity and cognitive function decline, and the synergistic interaction may increase the risk of CKD progression.

Tagetes lucida Cav. essential oil and the mixture of its main compounds are antibacterial and modulate antibiotic resistance in multi-resistant pathogenic bacteria.

We evaluated an essential oil (EO) of Tagetes lucida Cav. and the mixture of its main compounds against multi-drug resistant bacteria. We found that EO and the partially reconstituted blend of its main components have antibacterial activity and inhibit antibiotic resistance (ampicillin, chloramphenicol, nalidixic acid, vancomycin and imipenem) in strains of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa HIM-MR01. The T. lucida EO alone or added to the antibiotics showed antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. The EO main bioactive compounds were methyl eugenol (relative abundance in EO: 46·15%), estragole (32·93%), linalool (2·48%) and geraniol (0·33%). The mixture (PREO) of those compounds at those proportions inhibited the growth of P. aeruginosa in 45% at 683·62 µg ml-1 and that of S. aureus in 51·7% at 39·04 µg ml-1 . The PREO had higher antibacterial and modulatory activities than the original EO. In conclusion, we overcame the unpredictability of EO activity (due to their natural variability) by determining which EO components inhibited bacteria and then producing a PREO to generate a reproducible mixture with predictable antibacterial and modulation of resistance activities. Thus, the PREO, and its components, show potential as alternatives to manage multidrug-resistant pathogens.

Modulation of proinflammatory mediators by viruses-bacteria synergism in human osteoblasts-an in vitro study.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Viruses-bacteria synergistic interaction is associated with destructive periodontal diseases. However, the underlying mechanism for tissue destruction is not fully elucidated. In this study, lipopolysaccharide from Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg-LPS) and polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) were used to simulate bacteria and viruses, respectively. The possible combined effects of both molecular patterns on secretion of interleukin (IL)-6 and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) from osteoblasts were determined. The effects of povidone-iodine (PVP-I) on the secretion of IL-6 and PGE2 were also examined. METHODS: Viability of treated osteoblastic cells (MG63) was examined by detection the mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity. Secretion of IL-6 and PGE2 was detected using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were determined using the Western blotting analysis. RESULTS: Pg-LPS or poly I:C significantly enhanced the production of IL-6 and PGE2 in MG63 cells. The additive/synergistic effects of Pg-LPS/poly I:C on production of IL-6 and PGE2 were evident. The levels of phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and expression of COX-2 protein were enhanced by Pg-LPS and/or poly I:C. On the other hand, the level of phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) was reduced by Pg-LPS and/or poly I:C. The stimulatory secretion of PGE2 by poly I:C was significantly reduced by PVP-I. CONCLUSION: Concomitant infection of viruses and bacteria may be potentially harmful to the tooth supporting tissues by production of proinflammatory mediators. The results suggest the potential anti-inflammatory effect of PVP-I on bacterial or viral infection.

Characterizing the Interaction between Root-knot Nematodes and Soil-borne Fungi which are Pathogenic to Passion Fruit (Passiflora Edulis).

For decades there have been anecdotal claims of synergistic interactions between plant-parasitic nematodes and soil-borne fungi causing decline of productivity of passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) orchards. An empirical confirmation of these disease complexes would impact disease management and plant breeding for resistance. To test those claims, we subjected passion fruit plants to single or concomitant parasitism by Meloidogyne javanica or M. incognita and Fusarium nirenbergiae or Neocosmospora sp. under controlled conditions. Non-inoculated plants served as control for the assays. The severity of shoot symptoms and variables related to plant growth, the extent of fungal lesions, and nematode reproduction were assessed to characterize the interactions. The shoot symptoms and effect on plant growth induced by the pathogens varied, but no synergy between the pathogens was observed. Moreover, the volume of tissue lesioned by the fungi was not affected by co-parasitism of the nematodes. Conversely, plant resistance to the nematodes was not affected by co-parasitism of the fungi. The interactions M. incognita-F. nirenbergiae, M. incognita-Neocosmospora sp., M. javanica-F. nirenbergiae, and M. javanica-Neocosmospora sp. were not synergistic as previously claimed, but instead neutral.

Combination of paeoniflorin and calycosin-7-glucoside alleviates ischaemic stroke injury via the PI3K/AKT signalling pathway.

CONTEXT: Paeoniflorin (PF) and calycosin-7-glucoside (CG, Paeonia lactiflora Pall. extract) have demonstrated protective effects in ischaemic stroke. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the synergistic effects of PF + CG on ischaemia/reperfusion injury in vivo and in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to the middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R). After MCAO/R for 24 h, rats were randomly subdivided into 5 groups: sham, model (MCAO/R), study treatment (PF + CG, 40 + 20 mg/kg), LY294002 (20 mg/kg), and study treatment + LY294002. Males were given via intragastric administration; the duration of the in vivo experiment was 8 days. Neurologic deficits, cerebral infarction, brain edoema, and protein levels were assessed in vivo. Hippocampal neurons (HT22) were refreshed with glucose-free DMEM and placed in an anaerobic chamber for 8 h. Subsequently, HT22 cells were reoxygenated in a 37 °C incubator with 5% CO2 for 6 h. SOD, MDA, ROS, LDH and protein levels were measured in vitro. RESULTS: PF + CG significantly reduced neurobehavioral outcomes (21%), cerebral infarct volume (44%), brain edoema (1.6%) compared with the MCAO/R group. Moreover, PF + CG increased p-PI3K/PI3K (4.69%, 7.4%), p-AKT/AKT (6.25%, 60.6%) and Bcl-2/BAX (33%, 49%) expression in vivo and in vitro, and reduced GSK-3ß (10.5%, 9.6%) expression. In vitro, PF + CG suppressed apoptosis in HT22 cells and decreased ROS and MDA levels (20%, 50%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: PF + CG showed a synergistic protective effect against ischaemic brain injury, potentially being a future treatment for ischaemic stroke.