Five undescribed guanidine alkaloids from Plumbago zeylanica.

Five undescribed guanidine alkaloids, plumbagines HK (1-4) and plumbagoside E (5), as well as five known analogues (6-10) were isolated from the roots of Plumbago zeylanica. Their structures were established by extensive spectroscopic analyses and chemical methods. In addition, 1-10 were accessed their anti-inflammatory activities by measuring nitric oxide (NO) concentrations in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. However, all compounds especially 1 and 3-5 could not inhibit the secretion of NO but significant increase the secretion of NO. The result reminded us that 1-10 may become potential novel immune potentiators.

Nematostatic activity of isoprenylated guanidine alkaloids from Pterogyne nitens and their interaction with acetylcholinesterase.

Although new nematicides have appeared, the demand for new products less toxic and more efficient for the control of plant-parasitic nematodes are still high. Consequently, studies on natural secondary metabolites from plants, to develop new nematicides, have increased. In this work, nineteen extracts from eleven Brazilian plant species were screened for activity against Meloidogyne incognita. Among them, the extracts of Piterogyne nitens showed a potent nematostatic activity. The alkaloid fraction obtained from the ethanol extract of leaves of P. nitens was more active than the coming extract. Due to the promising activity from the alkaloid fraction, three isoprenylated guanidine alkaloids isolated from this fraction, galegine (1), pterogynidine (2), and pterogynine (3) were tested, showing similar activity to the alkaloid fraction, which was comparable to that of the positive control Temik at 250 µg/mL. At lower concentrations (125-50 µg/mL), compound 2 showed to be the most active one. As several nematicides act through inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), the guanidine alkaloids were also employed in two in vitro AChE assays. In both cases, compound 2 was more active than compounds 1 and 3. Its activity was considered moderated compared to the control (physostigmine). Compound 2 was selected for an in silico study with the electric eel (Electrophorus electricus) AChE, showing to bind mostly to the same site of physostigmine in the AChEs, pointing out that this could be the mechanism of action for this compound. These results suggested that the guanidine alkaloids 1,2 and 3 from P. nitens are promising for the development of new products to control M. incognita, especially guanidine 2, and encourage new investigations to confirm the mechanism of action, as well as to determine the structure-activity relationship of the guanidine alkaloids.

Unique guanidine-conjugated catechins from the leaves of Alchornea rugosa and their autophagy modulating activity.

Natural guanidines, molecules that contain the guanidine moiety, are structurally unique and often exhibit potent biological activities. A phytochemical investigation of the leaves of Alchornea rugosa (Lour.) Müll.Arg. by MS/MS-based molecular networking revealed eight undescribed guanidine-flavanol conjugates named rugonines A-H. The chemical structures of the isolated compounds were comprehensively elucidated by NMR spectroscopy, HRESIMS, and circular dichroism (CD) analysis. All isolated compounds were tested for autophagosome formation in HEK293 cells stably expressing GFP-LC3. The results revealed that compounds rugonines D-G showed potential autophagy inhibitory activity.

2-Guanidino-quinazoline promotes the readthrough of nonsense mutations underlying human genetic diseases.

Premature termination codons (PTCs) account for 10 to 20% of genetic diseases in humans. The gene inactivation resulting from PTCs can be counteracted by the use of drugs stimulating PTC readthrough, thereby restoring production of the full-length protein. However, a greater chemical variety of readthrough inducers is required to broaden the medical applications of this therapeutic strategy. In this study, we developed a reporter cell line and performed high-throughput screening (HTS) to identify potential readthrough inducers. After three successive assays, we isolated 2-guanidino-quinazoline (TLN468). We assessed the clinical potential of this drug as a potent readthrough inducer on the 40 PTCs most frequently responsible for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). We found that TLN468 was more efficient than gentamicin, and acted on a broader range of sequences, without inducing the readthrough of normal stop codons (TC).

Chemical Stimulants and Stressors Impact the Outcome of Virus Infection and Immune Gene Expression in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera).

Western honey bees (Apis mellifera) are ecologically, agriculturally, and economically important plant pollinators. High average annual losses of honey bee colonies in the US have been partially attributed to agrochemical exposure and virus infections. To examine the potential negative synergistic impacts of agrochemical exposure and virus infection, as well as the potential promise of phytochemicals to ameliorate the impact of pathogenic infections on honey bees, we infected bees with a panel of viruses (i.e., Flock House virus, deformed wing virus, or Sindbis virus) and exposed to one of three chemical compounds. Specifically, honey bees were fed sucrose syrup containing: (1) thyme oil, a phytochemical and putative immune stimulant, (2) fumagillin, a beekeeper applied fungicide, or (3) clothianidin, a grower-applied insecticide. We determined that virus abundance was lower in honey bees fed 0.16 ppm thyme oil augmented sucrose syrup, compared to bees fed sucrose syrup alone. Parallel analysis of honey bee gene expression revealed that honey bees fed thyme oil augmented sucrose syrup had higher expression of key RNAi genes (argonaute-2 and dicer-like), antimicrobial peptide expressing genes (abaecin and hymenoptaecin), and vitellogenin, a putative honey bee health and age indicator, compared to bees fed only sucrose syrup. Virus abundance was higher in bees fed fumagillin (25 ppm or 75 ppm) or 1 ppb clothianidin containing sucrose syrup relative to levels in bees fed only sucrose syrup. Whereas, honey bees fed 10 ppb clothianidin had lower virus levels, likely because consuming a near lethal dose of insecticide made them poor hosts for virus infection. The negative impact of fumagillin and clothianidin on honey bee health was indicated by the lower expression of argonaute-2, dicer-like, abaecin, and hymenoptaecin, and vitellogenin. Together, these results indicate that chemical stimulants and stressors impact the outcome of virus infection and immune gene expression in honey bees.

Multiple ligand recognition sites in free fatty acid receptor 2 (FFA2R) direct distinct neutrophil activation patterns.

The allosteric modulating free fatty acid receptor 2 ligands Cmp58 and AZ1729, increased the activity induced by orthosteric receptor agonists mediating a rise in intracellular calcium ions and activation of the neutrophil NADPH-oxidase. Together, the two modulators triggered an orthosteric-agonist-independent activation of the oxidase without any rise in the concentration of intracellular calcium ions. In this study, structurally diverse compounds presumed to be ligands for free fatty acid receptor 2 were used to gain additional insights into receptor-modulation/signaling. We identified two molecules that activate neutrophils on their own and we classified one as allosteric agonist and the other as orthosteric agonist. Ten compounds were classified as allosteric FFA2R modulators. Of these, one activated neutrophils when combined with AZ1729; the nine remaining compounds activated neutrophils solely when combined with Cmp58. The activation signals were primarily biased when stimulated by two allosteric modulators interacting with different binding sites, such that two complementary modulators together triggered an activation of the NADPH-oxidase but no increase in the intracellular concentration of calcium ions. No neutrophil activation was induced when allosteric receptor modulators suggested to be recognized by the same binding site were combined, results in agreement with our proposed model for activation, in which the receptor has two different sites that selectively bind allosteric modulators. The down-stream signaling mediated by cross-sensitizing allosteric receptor modulators, occurring independent of any orthosteric agonist, represent a new mechanism for activation of the neutrophil NADPH oxidase.

The TMPRSS2 Inhibitor Nafamostat Reduces SARS-CoV-2 Pulmonary Infection in Mouse Models of COVID-19.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused significant morbidity and mortality on a global scale. The etiologic agent, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), initiates host cell entry when its spike protein (S) binds to its receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). In airway epithelia, the spike protein is cleaved by the cell surface protease TMPRSS2, facilitating membrane fusion and entry at the cell surface. This dependence on TMPRSS2 and related proteases suggests that protease inhibitors might limit SARS-CoV-2 infection in the respiratory tract. Here, we tested two serine protease inhibitors, camostat mesylate and nafamostat mesylate, for their ability to inhibit entry of SARS-CoV-2 and that of a second pathogenic coronavirus, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Both camostat and nafamostat reduced infection in primary human airway epithelia and in the Calu-3 2B4 cell line, with nafamostat exhibiting greater potency. We then assessed whether nafamostat was protective against SARS-CoV-2 in vivo using two mouse models. In mice sensitized to SARS-CoV-2 infection by transduction with human ACE2, intranasal nafamostat treatment prior to or shortly after SARS-CoV-2 infection significantly reduced weight loss and lung tissue titers. Similarly, prophylactic intranasal treatment with nafamostat reduced weight loss, viral burden, and mortality in K18-hACE2 transgenic mice. These findings establish nafamostat as a candidate for the prevention or treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection and disease pathogenesis. IMPORTANCE The causative agent of COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), requires host cell surface proteases for membrane fusion and entry into airway epithelia. We tested the hypothesis that inhibitors of these proteases, the serine protease inhibitors camostat and nafamostat, block infection by SARS-CoV-2. We found that both camostat and nafamostat reduce infection in human airway epithelia, with nafamostat showing greater potency. We then asked whether nafamostat protects mice against SARS-CoV-2 infection and subsequent COVID-19 lung disease. We performed infections in mice made susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection by introducing the human version of ACE2, the SARS-CoV-2 receptor, into their airway epithelia. We observed that pretreating these mice with nafamostat prior to SARS-CoV-2 infection resulted in better outcomes, in the form of less virus-induced weight loss, viral replication, and mortality than that observed in the untreated control mice. These results provide preclinical evidence for the efficacy of nafamostat in treating and/or preventing COVID-19.

Antihypertensive Effect of Galegine from Biebersteinia heterostemon in Rats.

The aerial part of Biebersteinia heterostemon Maxim. (Geraniaceae Biebersteiniaceae) known as ming jian na bao in Chinese, has been traditionally used in Tibetan folk medicine for treatment of diabetes and hypertension. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of galegine obtained from an ethanol extract of the entire Biebersteinia heterostemon plant on the rat's cardiovascular system in order to characterize its contributions as an antihypertensive agent. The antihypertensive effect of galegine was investigated in pentobarbital-anesthetized hypertensive rats at three dose levels based on the LD50 of galegine. Meanwhile a positive control group received dimaprit with the same procedure. Dimaprit infusion induced a significant hypotension which declined by an average margin of 20%. Simultaneously, single administration of galegine at the doses of 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg by intraperitoneal injection induced an immediate and dose-dependent decrease in mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) by an average margin of 40% with a rapid increase in heart rate (HR). We demonstrated that galegine is effective in reducing blood pressure in anesthetized hypertensive rats with rapid onset and a dose-related duration of the effects. The results indicate that galegine was the bioactive compound which can be used as a pharmacophore to design new hypertensive agents.

Unravelling high-affinity binding compounds towards transmembrane protease serine 2 enzyme in treating SARS-CoV-2 infection using molecular modelling and docking studies.

The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) outbreak that is caused by a highly contagious severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a zoonotic pandemic, with approximately 24.5 million positive cases and 8.3 lakhs deaths globally. The lack of effective drugs or vaccine provoked the research for drug candidates that can disrupt the spread and progression of the virus. The identification of drug molecules through experimental studies is time-consuming and expensive, so there is a need for developing alternative strategies like in silico approaches which can yield better outcomes in less time. Herein, we selected transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) enzyme, a potential pharmacological target against SARS-CoV-2, involved in the spread and pathogenesis of the virus. Since 3D structure is not available for this protein, the present study aims at homology modelling and validation of TMPRSS2 using Swiss-model server. Validation of the modelled TMPRSS2 using various online tools confirmed model accuracy, topology and stereochemical plausibility. The catalytic triad consisting of Serine-441, Histidine-296 and Aspartic acid-345 was identified as active binding site of TMPRSS2 using existing ligands. Molecular docking studies of various drugs and phytochemicals against the modelled TMPRSS2 were performed using camostat as a standard drug. The results revealed eight potential drug candidates, namely nafamostat, meloxicam, ganodermanontriol, columbin, myricetin, proanthocyanidin A2, jatrorrhizine and baicalein, which were further studied for ADME/T properties. In conclusion, the study unravelled eight high affinity binding compounds, which may serve as potent antagonists against TMPRSS2 to impact COVID-19 drug therapy.

Inhibition of the lemon brown rot causal agent Phytophthora citrophthora by low-toxicity compounds.

BACKGROUND: Phytophthora spp., soil-borne oomycetes, cause brown rot (BR) on postharvest lemons. The management of this disease is based on cultural practices and chemical control using inorganic salts of limited efficacy. In the search for new alternatives, the aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of low-toxicity compounds to inhibit the growth of P. citrophthora and to control BR disease on lemons. Sodium bicarbonate, potassium sorbate, polyhexamethylene guanidine, Ascophyllum nodosum extract and a formulation containing phosphite salts plus A. nodosum (P+An) were evaluated. RESULTS: All tested products inhibited mycelial growth, sporangia formation and zoospore germination of P. citrophthora in vitro. In postharvest applications on artificially inoculated lemons, only P+An exhibited a BR curative effect, with incidence reduction of around 60%. When this formulation was applied in field treatments, BR incidence was reduced by 40% on lemons harvested and inoculated up to 30 days post application. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate the in vitro direct anti-oomycete effect of low-toxicity compounds and the in vivo efficacy of P+An formulation to control BR, encouraging the incorporation of the latter in the management of citrus BR. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Curcumin, Alone or in Combination with Aminoguanidine, Increases Antioxidant Defenses and Glycation Product Detoxification in Streptozotocin-Diabetic Rats: A Therapeutic Strategy to Mitigate Glycoxidative Stress.

Both oxidative stress and the exacerbated generation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) have crucial roles in the onset and progression of diabetic complications. Curcumin has antioxidant and antidiabetic properties; its combination with compounds capable of preventing the advanced glycation events, such as aminoguanidine, is an interesting therapeutic option to counteract diabetic complications. This study is aimed at investigating the effects of treatments with curcumin or aminoguanidine, alone or in combination, on metabolic alterations in streptozotocin-diabetic rats; the focus was mainly on the potential of these bioactive compounds to oppose the glycoxidative stress. Curcumin (90 mg/kg) or aminoguanidine (50 and 100 mg/kg), alone or in combination, slightly decreased glycemia and the biomarkers of early protein glycation, but markedly decreased AGE levels (biomarkers of advanced glycation) and oxidative damage biomarkers in the plasma, liver, and kidney of diabetic rats. Some novel insights about the in vivo effects of these bioactive compounds are centered on the triggering of cytoprotective machinery. The treatments with curcumin and/or aminoguanidine increased the activities of the antioxidant enzymes (paraoxonase 1, superoxide dismutase, and catalase) and the levels of AGE detoxification system components (AGE-R1 receptor and glyoxalase 1). In addition, combination therapy between curcumin and aminoguanidine effectively prevented dyslipidemia in diabetic rats. These findings demonstrate the combination of curcumin (natural antioxidant) and aminoguanidine (prototype therapeutic agent with anti-AGE activity) as a potential complementary therapeutic option for use with antihyperglycemic agents, which may aggregate beneficial effects against diabetic complications.

In silico screening of GMQ-like compounds reveals guanabenz and sephin1 as new allosteric modulators of acid-sensing ion channel 3.

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are voltage-independent cation channels that detect decreases in extracellular pH. Dysregulation of ASICs underpins a number of pathologies. Of particular interest is ASIC3, which is recognised as a key sensor of acid-induced pain and is important in the establishment of pain arising from inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Thus, the identification of new ASIC3 modulators and the mechanistic understanding of how these compounds modulate ASIC3 could be important for the development of new strategies to counteract the detrimental effects of dysregulated ASIC3 activity in inflammation. Here, we report the identification of novel ASIC3 modulators based on the ASIC3 agonist, 2-guanidine-4-methylquinazoline (GMQ). Through a GMQ-guided in silico screening of Food and Drug administration (FDA)-approved drugs, 5 compounds were selected and tested for their modulation of rat ASIC3 (rASIC3) using whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology. Of the chosen drugs, guanabenz (GBZ), an α2-adrenoceptor agonist, produced similar effects to GMQ on rASIC3, activating the channel at physiological pH (pH 7.4) and potentiating its response to mild acidic (pH 7) stimuli. Sephin1, a GBZ derivative that lacks α2-adrenoceptor activity, has been proposed to act as a selective inhibitor of a regulatory subunit of the stress-induced protein phosphatase 1 (PPP1R15A) with promising therapeutic potential for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. However, we found that like GBZ, sephin1 activates rASIC3 at pH 7.4 and potentiates its response to acidic stimulation (pH 7), i.e. sephin1 is a novel modulator of rASIC3. Furthermore, docking experiments showed that, like GMQ, GBZ and sephin1 likely interact with the nonproton ligand sensor domain of rASIC3. Overall, these data demonstrate the utility of computational analysis for identifying novel ASIC3 modulators, which can be validated with electrophysiological analysis and may lead to the development of better compounds for targeting ASIC3 in the treatment of inflammatory conditions.

6 α-Hydroxy-4[14], 10[15]-guainadien-8ß, 12-olide induced cell cycle arrest via modulation of EMT and Wnt/ß-catenin pathway in HER-2 positive breast cancer cells.

Cyathocline purpurea has potential biological activities and has been widely used in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. The aim of the present study is to elucidate the anticancer effect of its 6 α-hydroxy-4[14], 10[15]-guainadien-8ß, 12-olide (SRCP1) against HER-2 positive subtype of breast carcinoma. Anticancer effect of SRCP1 was assessed by cell viability, senescence, apoptosis, cell cycle, DNA synthesis, and gene expression assays. The activity was further validated by the molecular docking study. SRCP1 inhibits human HER-2 positive breast cancer growth via inhibition of DNA synthesis in a dose-dependent manner. SRCP1 induces cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase, late apoptosis, and necrosis. Further, it induces senescence causing reduction in migration via down-regulation of EMT. A remarkable increase in the number of necrotic cells and Annexin-V staining revealed that exposure to SRCP1 triggers late apoptosis. Treatment with SRCP1 increased E-cadherin, p21, p53, ER-α expression and decreased ß-catenin, MMP-9, snail1, TNF-α expression. SRCP1 showed binding affinity towards an active site of the HER-2 receptor. Our results of molecular docking and biological assays demonstrated the potent anticancer activity of SRCP1 in MDA-MB-453 cells via multiple pathways including EMT, TNF-α, and Wnt/ß-catenin signaling.

Chemosensitizing Effect of Cernumidine Extracted from Solanum cernuum on Bladder Cancer Cells in Vitro.

Cernumidine (CER) is a guanidinic alkaloid isolated from Solanum cernuum leaves. In this work, we investigated the cytotoxicity, chemosensitizing effect of cernumidine to cisplatin (cDDP) and the possible mechanism of action of the combination on bladder cancer cells. Cernumidine showed cytotoxicity and could sensitize bladder cancer cells to cisplatin. The combination of CER+cDDP inhibited cell migration on T24 cells. CER+cDDP down-regulated MMP-2/9 and p-ERK1/2, while it increased EGFR activity corroborating the observed cell migration inhibition. Down-regulation of Bcl-2 and up-regulation pro-apoptotic Bax and further depletion of the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) indicates that mitochondria play a central role in the combination treatment inducing the mitochondrial signaling pathway of apoptosis in T24 cells. Our data showed that the alkaloid cernumidine is worthy of further studies as a chemosensitizing agent to be used in complementary chemotherapy.

Clothianidin seed-treatment has no detectable negative impact on honeybee colonies and their pathogens.

Interactions between multiple stressors have been implicated in elevated honeybee colony losses. Here, we extend our landscape-scale study on the effects of placement at clothianidin seed-treated oilseed rape fields on honeybees with an additional year and new data on honeybee colony development, swarming, mortality, pathogens and immune gene expression. Clothianidin residues in pollen, nectar and honeybees were consistently higher at clothianidin-treated fields, with large differences between fields and years. We found large variations in colony development and microbial composition and no observable negative impact of placement at clothianidin-treated fields. Clothianidin treatment was associated with an increase in brood, adult bees and Gilliamella apicola (beneficial gut symbiont) and a decrease in Aphid lethal paralysis virus and Black queen cell virus - particularly in the second year. The results suggest that at colony level, honeybees are relatively robust to the effects of clothianidin in real-world agricultural landscapes, with moderate, natural disease pressure.

Chemical, biological and molecular modelling analyses to probe into the pharmacological potential of Antidesma madagascariense Lam.: A multifunctional agent for developing novel therapeutic formulations.

Antidesma madagascariense Lam. (AM), an indigenous medicinal plant to the Mascarene Islands, is used for the treatment of several diseases. We endeavoured to validate its use via evaluating the kinetics of inhibition of crude aqueous extract (CAE) and crude methanol extract (CME) of AM against key metabolic enzymes (pancreatic lipase, cholesterol esterase [CEase], acetylcholinesterase [AChE], and urease). In vitro antiglycation, antioxidant, cytotoxicity using iCELLigence real time cell analysis system and WST-1 methods, were used. LC-ESI-MS/MS was employed to determine the phenolic composition of the extracts and interaction of selected compounds to the studied enzymes was determined using in silico docking. AChE was inhibited by the CME of AM and CEase by the CAE. Both extracts were active inhibitors of urease and pancreatic lipase. Hyperoside (271.97 µg/g extract), present in large amount in the CME, docked to the enzymatic pocket of urease and CEase. The extracts showed competitive and mixed inhibition of urease and pancreatic lipase, respectively. The antioxidant capacity of the CME (6.61 µg GAE/mg crude extract) was higher compared to CAE (2.20 µg GAE/mg crude extract). AM extracts were significantly (p < 0.05) less potent than aminoguanidine in preventing advanced glycation end products formation. Toxicological screening revealed that both extracts were non-toxic on HEK-293 cells. AM crude extracts at concentrations ranging from 78 to 312 µg/ml did not cause a visible change in cell morphology compared to control. This study supports the safe use of AM as a biomedicine for the management and/or treatment of common non-communicable diseases.

Nitensidine B affects proteins of the glycolytic pathway and induces apoptosis in cervical carcinoma cells immortalized by HPV16.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer, the fourth most common type of cancer among women worldwide, accounts for approximately 12% of all types of malignancies that affect women. Natural products have contributed significantly to the development of modern therapies; approximately 70% of the drugs available for chemotherapy are naturally based products. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the biological activities of nitensidine B (NTB), a guanidinic alkaloid isolated from the leaves of Pterogyne nitens Tul. (Fabaceae) in a cervical cancer cell line. METHODS: In vitro experiments were performed using cervical carcinoma cells immortalized by human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16, SiHa cells), since epidemiological and molecular studies have demonstrated robust associations between the etiologies of cervical cancer and HPV infection. Cytotoxicity as well as the effect of NTB treatment on intracellular signals of apoptosis, fragmentation of internucleosomal DNA via terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL), and levels of apoptosis effectors (Caspase 3/7) were evaluated. In addition, differential proteomic analysis (iTRAQ) and protein validation using western blot were performed. RESULTS: The cytotoxicity of NTB treatment in the SiHa cell line was concentration-dependent, with the minimum inhibitory concentration of 50% of the cells of 40.98 µM. In the TUNEL assay, SiHa cell apoptosis with 3/7 caspase activation was reported at 12 h following treatment. Differential proteomic analysis by iTRAQ demonstrated that proteins of the glycolytic pathway, aldolase A, alpha-enolase, pyruvate kinase, and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase were underexpressed. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that NTB could play a role in decreasing glycolysis . Since tumor cells prefer the glycolytic pathway to generate energy, these findings suggest that NTB may be a reliable model for the study of human cervical cancer cell lines immortalized by HPV16, however more experiments can be performed.

A CD4-mimetic compound enhances vaccine efficacy against stringent immunodeficiency virus challenge.

The envelope glycoprotein (Env) trimer ((gp120/gp41)3) mediates human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) entry into cells. The "closed," antibody-resistant Env trimer is driven to more open conformations by binding the host receptor, CD4. Broadly neutralizing antibodies that recognize conserved elements of the closed Env are potentially protective, but are elicited inefficiently. HIV-1 has evolved multiple mechanisms to evade readily elicited antibodies against more open Env conformations. Small-molecule CD4-mimetic compounds (CD4mc) bind the HIV-1 gp120 Env and promote conformational changes similar to those induced by CD4, exposing conserved Env elements to antibodies. Here, we show that a CD4mc synergizes with antibodies elicited by monomeric HIV-1 gp120 to protect monkeys from multiple high-dose intrarectal challenges with a heterologous simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV). The protective immune response persists for at least six months after vaccination. CD4mc should increase the protective efficacy of any HIV-1 Env vaccine that elicits antibodies against CD4-induced conformations of Env.

Viability of honeybee colonies exposed to sunflowers grown from seeds treated with the neonicotinoids thiamethoxam and clothianidin.

In this study, honeybee colonies were monitored in a field study conducted on sunflowers grown from seeds treated with the systemic neonicotinoids thiamethoxam or clothianidin. This field trial was carried out in different representative growing areas in Spain over a beekeeping season. The health and development of the colonies was assessed by measuring factors that have a significant influence on their strength and overwintering ability. The parameters assessed were: colony strength (adult bees), brood development, amount of pollen and honey stores and presence and status of the queen. The concentration of residues (clothianidin and thiamethoxam) in samples of beebread and in adult bees was at the level of ng.g-1; in the ranges of 0.10-2.89 ng g-1 and 0.05-0.12 ng g-1; 0.10-0.37 ng g-1 and 0.01-0.05 ng g-1, respectively. Multivariate models were applied to evaluate the interaction among factors. No significant differences were found between the honeybee colonies of the different treatment groups, either exposed or not to the neonicotinoids. The seasonal development of the colonies was affected by the environmental conditions which, together with the initial strength of the bee colonies and the characteristics of the plots, had a significant effect on the different variables studied.

The effects of dietary ß-guanidinopropionic acid on growth and muscle fiber development in juvenile red porgy, Pagrus pagrus.

ß-guanidinopropionic acid (ß-GPA) has been used in mammalian models to reduce intracellular phosphocreatine (PCr) concentration, which in turn lowers the energetic state of cells. This leads to changes in signaling pathways that attempt to re-establish energetic homeostasis. Changes in those pathways elicit effects similar to those of exercise such as changes in body and muscle growth, metabolism, endurance and health. Generally, exercise effects are beneficial to fish health and aquaculture, but inducing exercise in fishes can be impractical. Therefore, this study evaluated the potential use of supplemental ß-GPA to induce exercise-like effects in a rapidly growing juvenile teleost, the red porgy (Pagrus pagrus). We demonstrate for the first time that ß-GPA can be transported into teleost muscle fibers and is phosphorylated, and that this perturbs the intracellular energetic state of the cells, although to a lesser degree than typically seen in mammals. ß-GPA did not affect whole animal growth, nor did it influence skeletal muscle fiber size or myonuclear recruitment. There was, however, an increase in mitochondrial volume within myofibers in treated fish. GC/MS metabolomic analysis revealed shifts in amino acid composition of the musculature, putatively reflecting increases in connective tissue and decreases in protein synthesis that are associated with ß-GPA treatment. These results suggest that ß-GPA modestly affects fish muscle in a manner similar to that observed in mammals, and that ß-GPA may have application to aquaculture by providing a more practical means of generating some of the beneficial effects of exercise in fishes.