Antidepressant effects of Kai-Xin-San in fluoxetine-resistant depression rats

This study aimed to investigate the antidepressant effect and the mechanism of action of Kai-Xin-San (KXS) in fluoxetine-resistant depressive (FRD) rats. Two hundred male Wistar rats weighing 200±10 g were exposed to chronic and unpredictable mild stresses (CUMS) for 4 weeks and given fluoxetine treatment simultaneously. The rats that did not show significant improvement in behavioral indexes were chosen as the FRD model rats. These rats were randomly divided into four groups: FRD model control; oral fluoxetine and aspirin; oral KXS at a dose of 338 mg·kg-1·day-1; and oral KXS at a dose of 676 mg·kg-1·day-1. Rats continued to be exposed to CUMS and underwent treatment once a day for 3 weeks, then cytokine (COX-2, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TGF-β, and TNF-α) levels in the hippocampus and serum, and organ coefficients were measured. Both doses of KXS improved the crossing and rearing frequencies, sucrose-preference index, and body weight in FRD rats. KXS at a dose of 338 mg·kg-1·day-1reduced COX-2, IL-2, IL-6, TNF-α levels, increased IL-10 level in the hippocampus, and reduced IL-2 and TNF-α levels in serum. KXS at a dose of 676 mg·kg-1·day-1reduced TNF-α level in the hippocampus, reduced IL-2 and TNF-α levels in serum, and increased IFN-γ and IL-10 levels in the hippocampus and serum. There were no significant differences in organ-coefficients of the spleen among and between groups. The results suggested that oral administration of KXS in FRD rats was effective in improving behavior disorders by influencing various inflammatory pathways.

Different characteristics between mycobacteriophage Chy1 and D29, which were classified as cluster A2 mycobacteriophages.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to isolate a novel mycobacteriophage and then explore its anti‑tuberculosis (TB) potential. Materials and Methods: Phage was isolated from enriched soil sample. A total of 36 mycobacterial strains obtained from clinical specimens were subjected to investigate the host range of phage by the spot lysis assay. Biological characteristics were investigated through growth curve, host range and phage antimicrobial activity in vitro. Then, genome sequencing and further analysis were accomplished by using an ABI3730XL DNA sequencer and comparative genome, respectively. Results: A lytic mycobacteriophage (Chy1) was isolated and the plaque morphology was similar to D29. The genome of Chy1 was estimated to be about 47,198 base pair (bp) and strong similarity (97.4% identity) to D29, especially, the Chy1 gene 7 encoding holin which is considered as a clock controlling growth cycle of the corresponding phage, was identical (100% identity) to phage D29 gene 11, thus classifying Chy1 as a member of the cluster A2 family. However, to our surprise, Chy1 can infect a narrower range of host‑mycobacterial strains than that of D29. The latent period of Chy1 was quite longer compared to D29. Moreover, Chy1 has a weaker ability to lyse Mycobacterium smegmatis compared to D29. Conclusions: The sequence of Chy1 showed 97.4% homology with the genome sequence of D29, but there was a large difference in their biological characteristics. Overall, the results of this investigation indicate that Chy1 is not an ideal candidate for developing mycobacteriophage‑based anti‑TB therapies but for future researches to investigate the reason why biological characteristics of Chy1 and D29 were remarkably different.

Nontyphoidal Salmonella urinary tract infection in a case of hyperparathyroidism and nephrocalcinosis / Infección de las vías urinaria por Salmonella no tifoidea en un caso de hiperparatiroidismo y nefrocalcinosis

Nontyphoidal Salmonella infections often present with self-limited gastroenteritis. Extraintestinal focal infections are uncommon but have high mortality and morbidity. Urinary tract infection caused by nontyphoidal Salmonella is usually associated with structural abnormalities of the urinary tract. Nephrocalcinosis and nephrolithiasis are the major risk factors. Although primary hyperparathyroidism has been reported to increase the risk of nephrocalcinosis and nephrolithiasis, little is known about the association between hyperparathyroidism and Salmonella urinary tract infection. We report the case of a 37-year old man who had a history of primary hyperparathyroidism and bilateral nephrocalcinosis and who developed urinary tract infection. Salmonella Group D was isolated from his urine specimen. Salmonella should be considered as a possible causality organism in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and nephrocalcinosis who develop urinary tract infection. These patients need to be aware of the potential risks associated with salmonellosis.

Las infecciones por Salmonella no tifoidea se presentan a menudo con gastroenteritis auto-limitada. Las infecciones extra-intestinales focales son poco frecuentes, pero tienen una alta mortalidad y morbilidad. La infección de las vías urinarias causada por la Salmonella no tifoidea se asocia generalmente a anomalías estructurales de las vías urinarias. La nefrocalcinosis y la nefrolitiasis son los principales factores de riesgo. Aunque se ha reportado que el hiperparatiroidismo primario aumenta el riesgo de la nefrocalcinosis y la nefrolitiasis, poco se sabe sobre la asociación entre el hiperparatiroidismo y la infección de las vías urinarias por Salmonella. Damos a conocer aquí el caso de un hombre de 37 años con una historia de hiperparatiroidismo primario y nefrocalcinosis bilateral, que desarrolló una infección de las vías urinarias. La Salmonella del grupo D fue aislada de su muestra de orina. La Salmonella se debe considerar como un posible organismo de causalidad en pacientes con hiperparatiroidismo primario y nefrocalcinosis que desarrollan infección del tracto urinario. Estos pacientes necesitan tomar conciencia de los riesgos potenciales asociados con la salmonellosis.

Tumor necrosis factor alpha increases epithelial barrier permeability by disrupting tight junctions in Caco-2 cells

The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-á) on intestinal epithelial cell permeability and the expression of tight junction proteins. Caco-2 cells were plated onto Transwell® microporous filters and treated with TNF-á (10 or 100 ng/mL) for 0, 4, 8, 16, or 24 h. The transepithelial electrical resistance and the mucosal-to-serosal flux rates of the established paracellular marker Lucifer yellow were measured in filter-grown monolayers of Caco-2 intestinal cells. The localization and expression of the tight junction protein occludin were detected by immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis, respectively. SYBR-Green-based real-time PCR was used to measure the expression of occludin mRNA. TNF-á treatment produced concentration- and time-dependent decreases in Caco-2 transepithelial resistance and increases in transepithelial permeability to the paracellular marker Lucifer yellow. Western blot results indicated that TNF-á decreased the expression of phosphorylated occludin in detergent-insoluble fractions but did not affect the expression of non-phosphorylated occludin protein. Real-time RT-PCR data showed that TNF-á did not affect the expression of occludin mRNA. Taken together, our data demonstrate that TNF-á increases Caco-2 monolayer permeability, decreases occludin protein expression and disturbs intercellular junctions.

Application of alcohol- or acetone-fixed Schistosoma eggs as an alternative to lyophilized eggs for the circumoval precipitin test.

Antigenicity of Schistosoma mansoni and S. japonicum eggs preserved in ethanol or acetone were assessed in a circumoval precipitin (COP) assay. The egg antigens were found to retain sufficiently their COP reactivity for the diagnosis of both schistosomiasis mansoni and japonica, although their reactivity became lower than that of lyophilized eggs. These alternative preparations for COP tests have advantages, such as keeping eggs directly in fixatives soon after the egg-purification process. Furthermore, evaporation-process may cause eggshell cleavages which facilitate the reaction. The possible usefulness of those eggs in COP assays in local endemic areas is discussed.