Malaria remains one of the most significant health issues worldwide, accounting for 2.6% of the total global disease burden, and efforts to eliminate this threat continue. The key focus is to develop an efficient and long-term immunity to this disease via vaccination or therapeutic approach, and innovative strategies would enable us to achieve this target. Previously, using a mouse co-infection disease model, cross-protection was illustrated between Babesia microti and Plasmodium chabaudi. Hence, this study was planned to elucidate the impact of acute B. microti Peabody mjr and Plasmodium berghei ANKA co-infection on the consequence of complicated malaria in the C57BL/6J mouse model of malaria. Furthermore, immune response and pathological features were analyzed, and the course of the disease was compared among experimental groups. Our study established that acute B. microti infection activated immunity which was otherwise suppressed by P. berghei. The immunosuppressive tissue microenvironment was counteracted as evidenced by the enhanced immune cell population in co-infected mice, in contrast to P. berghei-infected control mice. Parasite sequestration in the brain, liver, lung, and spleen of co-infected mice was significantly decreased and tissue injury was ameliorated. Meanwhile, the serum levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-12p70 were reduced while the secretion of IL-10 was promoted in co-infected mice. Eventually, co-infected mice showed an extended rate of survival. Hereby, the principal cytokines associated with the severity of malaria by P. berghei infection were TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-12p70. Moreover, it was evident from our flow cytometry results that innate immunity is crucial and macrophages are at the frontline of immunity against P. berghei infection. Our study recommended further investigations to shed light on the effects of babesiosis in suppressing malaria with the goal of developing Babesia-based therapy against malaria.
Babesia microti , Coinfection , Malaria , Animals , Mice , Plasmodium berghei , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Malaria/complications , Malaria/drug therapy
Objective To investigate the expression and prognostic role of ADP-ribosylation factor 6 (ARF6) in human endometrial carcinoma.Methods 51 endometrial carcinoma tissues and matched tumor-adjacent tissues were collected from Jan.2010 to Dec.2011 in People's Hospital of Linzi District of Zibo City and Penglai People's Hospital.mRNA expression of ARF6 was detected by qRT-PCR,and the protein expression of ARF6 was detected by immunohistochemistry.The correlation between ARF6 and clinicopathological features was analyzed by chi-square test,and the Kaplan-Meier survival curves were drawn to describe the prognostic effects of ARF6 expression.Results Both mRNA and protein expression of ARF6 were down-regulated in endometrial carcinoma tissues than those in matched tumor-adjacent tissues (P＜0.05).Positive expression of ARF6 was associated with lynphatic metastasis (P＜0.05) and advanced TNM stage (Ⅲ+Ⅴ,P＜0.05).Both the 3-year overall survival rate and disease-free survival rate were lower in ARF6 positive expression group than in ARF6 negative expression group(P＜0.05).Conclusion Positive expression of ARF6 in human endometrial carcinoma is related to the malignant clinicopathological features and poor prognosis.
In the present study, the fluoro-gold(FG) and horseradish peroxidase(HRP) combined tracing method was used to investigate the localization of parasympathetic preganglionic neurons and ascending projection neurons in lumbosacral spinal cord of the rat. FG was injected into the lateral parabrachial nucleus(PBL) or into Barrington's nucleus on one side, and HRP was applied to the contralateral pelvic nerve. The retrogradely FG-labeled neurons were found in bilateral "visceral field" at segments L_5-S_2, and the majority of them were concentrated in the intermediolateral nucleus (IML), and the dorsal commissural nucleus (DCN). In addition to these areas, some labeled neurons were also observed in bilateral lamina I and lateral spinal nucleus (LSN). The parasympathetic preganglionic neurons labeled with HRP were seen in the IML at segments L_6-S_1, occasionally appeared in the intercalated nucleus. In the IML area, HRP-labeled parasympathetic preganglionic neurons were located in its ventral part, however, the localization of FG-labeled neurons projected to the PBL and Barrington's nucleus were mainly found in the dorsal and dorsomedial part of the IML, and a few FG-labeled cells were scattered among HRP-labeled cells. Based on the present and other investigations, the nomenclature, organization and function of the IML and the composition of the LSN were discussed.
