DHA Supplementation during Pregnancy in Women with Obesity Normalizes IGF2R Levels in the Placenta of Male Newborns.

Introduction: Insulin-like growth factor receptor 2 (IGF2R) regulates placental nutrient transport, and its soluble form is related to obesity in adults. If the placental expression of IGF2R is altered in women with obesity is unknown. Whether maternal supplementation with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a polyunsaturated fatty acid with anti-inflammatory properties, has a modulatory role in IGF2R's function has not been elucidated. We hypothesized that maternal obesity (Ob) would be associated with alterations in placental IGF2R expression, which may be prevented with DHA supplementation during pregnancy. Methods: At delivery, we obtained placentas from women with Ob (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2, n = 17), Ob supplemented with 800 mg/day of DHA during pregnancy (Ob + DHA, n = 13), and normal-weight women (Nw, BMI ≥ 18.5 ≤ 24.9 kg/m2, n = 14). The IGF2R mRNA and protein were determined by RT-PCR and western blotting, respectively. Moreover, we quantified the gene expression of molecules that modulate the IGF2R function in the extracellular domain, such as TACE/ADAM17, PLAU, and IGF2. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric tests were used to compare results between two or three groups accordingly. Results: The IGF2R levels in the Ob placentas of the male offspring were higher than in the Nw group. The DHA supplementation prevented this effect, suggesting an unknown relationship between IGF2R-Ob-DHA in placental tissues. Conclusion: We report, for the first time, that DHA supplementation during pregnancy in women with obesity normalizes the increased IGF2R levels in male placentas, reducing the risk of adverse outcomes related to the IGF2/IGF2R system in male newborns.

ZrN-ZrOxNy vs ZrO2-ZrOxNy coatings deposited via unbalanced DC magnetron sputtering.

ZrN-ZrO[Formula: see text]N[Formula: see text] and ZrO[Formula: see text]-ZrO[Formula: see text]N[Formula: see text] coatings were deposited on 316L stainless steel substrates via the unbalanced DC magnetron sputtering technique in order to improve their corrosion resistance and evaluate their possible use as a coating biocompatible with bone cells. The composition, structure, morphology, and corrosion resistance were studied by sum means of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), x-Ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The corrosion resistance was evaluated in 3.5 wt.% NaCl using potentiodynamic polarization (PL) and electrochemical impedance techniques (EIS). The ZrN-ZrO[Formula: see text]N[Formula: see text] and ZrO[Formula: see text]-ZrO[Formula: see text]N[Formula: see text] coatings exhibited barrier-type protection of the substrate against corrosion. The growth of mouse osteoblast cells was evaluated in the coating that exhibited the greatest resistance to corrosion, ZrO[Formula: see text]-ZrO[Formula: see text]N[Formula: see text], finding that the cell viability was maintained, so this material can be considered to be a candidate for use in osteosynthesis processes.

Malnutrition Aggravates Alterations Observed in the Gut Structure and Immune Response of Mice Infected with Leishmania infantum.

Malnutrition is a risk factor for developing visceral leishmaniasis and its severe forms. Our group demonstrated that malnourished animals infected with Leishmania infantum had severe atrophies in lymphoid organs and T cell subpopulations as well as altered levels of thymic and splenic chemotactic factors, all of which resulted in dysfunctional lymphoid microenvironments that promoted parasite proliferation. Here, we hypothesize that malnutrition preceding parasite infection leads to structural and immunological changes in the gut mucosae, resulting in a failure in the immune response sensed in the intestine. To evaluate this, we analyzed the immunopathological events resulting from protein malnutrition in the guts of BALB/c mice infected with L. infantum. We observed lymphocytic/lymphoplasmacytic inflammatory infiltrates and lymphoid hyperplasia in the duodenum of well-nourished-infected mice; such alterations were worsened when malnutrition preceded infection. Parasite infection induced a significant increase of duodenal immunoglobulin A (IgA) of well-nourished animals, but those levels were significantly decreased in malnourished-infected mice. In addition, increased levels of Th17-related cytokines in duodenums of malnourished animals supported local inflammation. Together, our results suggest that the gut plays a potential role in responses to L. infantum infection-and that such responses are impaired in malnourished individuals.

Proteomic profiling of splenic interstitial fluid of malnourished mice infected with Leishmania infantum reveals defects on cell proliferation and pro-inflammatory response.

Protein malnutrition is a risk factor for developing visceral leishmaniasis. Because we previously demonstrated that protein malnutrition and infection with Leishmania infantum disrupts the splenic microarchitecture in BALB/c mice, alters T cell-subsets and increases splenic parasite load, we hypothesize that splenic microenvironment is precociously compromised in infected animals that suffered a preceding malnutrition. To evaluate this, we characterized the abundance of proteins secreted in the splenic interstitial fluid (IF) using an iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomics approach. In addition, local levels of pro-inflammatory and proliferation molecules were analyzed. Whereas well-nourished infected animals showed increased IL-1ß and IL-2 levels, malnourished-infected mice displayed significant reduction of these cytokines. Remarkably, a two-weeks infection with L. infantum already modified protein abundance in the splenic IF of well-nourished mice, but malnourished animals failed to respond to infection in the same fashion. Malnutrition induced significant reduction of chemotactic and pro-inflammatory molecules as well as of proteins involved in nucleic acid and amino acid metabolism, indicating an impaired proliferative microenvironment. Accordingly, a significant decrease in Ki67 expression was observed, suggesting that splenocyte proliferation is compromised in malnourished animals. Together, our results show that malnutrition compromises the splenic microenvironment and alters the immune response to the parasite in malnourished individuals. SIGNIFICANCE: Protein malnutrition is recognized as an important epidemiological risk factor for developing visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Locally secreted factors present in the interstitial fluid have important roles in initiating immune responses and in regulating fluid volume during inflammation. However, the regulation of secreted factors under pathological conditions such as malnutrition and infection are widely unknown. To analyze how protein malnutrition alters secreted proteins involved in the immune response to L. infantum infection we evaluated the proteomic profile of the interstitial fluid of the spleen in malnourished BALB/c mice infected with L. infantum. Our work revealed new elements that contribute to the understanding of the immunopathological events in the spleen of malnourished animals infected with L. infantum and opens new pathways for consideration of other aspects that could improve VL treatment in malnourished individuals.

A comparative proteomic study of plasma in Colombian childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer. Owing to the incorporation of risk-adapted therapy and the arrival of new directed agents, the cure rate and survival of patients with ALL have improved dramatically, get near to 90%. In Latin American countries, the mortality rates of ALL are high, for example in Colombia, during the last decade, ALL has been the most prevalent cancer among children between 0-14 years of age. In the face of this public health problem and coupled with the fact that the knowledge of the proteome of the child population is little, our investigation proposes the study of the plasma proteome of Colombian children diagnosed with B-cell ALL (B-ALL) to determine potential disease markers that could reflect processes altered by the presence of the disease or in response to it. A proteomic study by LC-MS/MS and quantification by label-free methods were performed in search of proteins differentially expressed between healthy children and those diagnosed with B-ALL. We quantified a total of 472 proteins in depleted blood plasma, and 25 of these proteins were differentially expressed (fold change >2, Bonferroni-adjusted P-values <0.05). Plasma Aggrecan core protein, alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein, coagulation factor XIII A chain and gelsolin protein were examined by ELISA assay and compared to shotgun proteomics results. Our data provide new information on the plasma proteome of Colombian children. Additionally, these proteins may also have certain potential as illness markers or as therapeutic targets in subsequent investigations.

Thymic Microenvironment Is Modified by Malnutrition and Leishmania infantum Infection.

Detrimental effects of malnutrition on immune responses to pathogens have long been recognized and it is considered a main risk factor for various infectious diseases, including visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Thymus is a target of both malnutrition and infection, but its role in the immune response to Leishmania infantum in malnourished individuals is barely studied. Because we previously observed thymic atrophy and significant reduction in cellularity and chemokine levels in malnourished mice infected with L. infantum, we postulated that the thymic microenvironment is severely compromised in those animals. To test this, we analyzed the microarchitecture of the organ and measured the protein abundance in its interstitial space in malnourished BALB/c mice infected or not with L. infantum. Malnourished-infected animals exhibited a significant reduction of the thymic cortex:medulla ratio and altered abundance of proteins secreted in the thymic interstitial fluid. Eighty-one percent of identified proteins are secreted by exosomes and malnourished-infected mice showed significant decrease in exosomal proteins, suggesting that exosomal carrier system, and therefore intrathymic communication, is dysregulated in those animals. Malnourished-infected mice also exhibited a significant increase in the abundance of proteins involved in lipid metabolism and tricarboxylic acid cycle, suggestive of a non-proliferative microenvironment. Accordingly, flow cytometry analysis revealed decreased proliferation of single positive and double positive T cells in those animals. Together, the reduced cortical area, decreased proliferation, and altered protein abundance suggest a dysfunctional thymic microenvironment where T cell migration, proliferation, and maturation are compromised, contributing for the thymic atrophy observed in malnourished animals. All these alterations could affect the control of the local and systemic infection, resulting in an impaired response to L. infantum infection.

Estudio proteómico 2DE-DIGE en plasma sanguíneo de pacientes en etapa infantil con leucemia linfoblástica aguda / 2DE-DIGE proteomic study in blood plasma of patients in childhood stage with acute lymphoblastic leukemia / Estudo proteômico 2DE-DIGE no plasma sanguíneo de pacientes em estágio infantil com leucemia linfoblástica aguda

Resumen En Colombia, durante la última década, la leucemia linfoblástica aguda (LLA) ha causado más del 40% de las muertes por cáncer en menores de edad. Entre los factores que influyen en estas cifras, el diagnóstico tardío es uno de los factores que más afecta el éxito del tratamiento. Por lo anterior, esta investigación se centró en el estudio del proteoma plasmático de niños colombianos diagnosticados con LLA tipo B, en comparación con controles en la búsqueda de proteínas que podrían ser clasificadas como biomarcadores de diagnóstico. En vista de los avances en las herramientas proteómicas y de espectrometría de masas y teniendo en cuenta que son una alternativa para abordar la complejidad molecular de enfermedades como el cáncer, se utilizó una aproximación proteómica basada en una separación por electroforesis bidimensional diferencial (2DE-DIGE) con posterior separación por cromatografía líquida acoplada a espectrometría de masas (LC-MS) en tándem. Se encontraron ocho proteínas con expresión diferencial en plasma de pacientes con LLA-B, entre las cuales resaltan la Serotransferrina, la Alfa-1-antitripsina, la Haptoglobina, la Alfa-2-glicoproteína de zinc y el Complemento C3.

Abstract In Colombia, during the last decade, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has caused more than 40% of cancer deaths in children. Among the factors that influence these figures, late diagnosis is one of the factors that affects the treatment success. Therefore, this research focused on the plasma proteome study of Colombian children diagnosed with B-cell ALL, as compared with healthy controls in the search of proteins that could be classified as diagnostic biomarkers. Now, in view of the advances in the proteomics and mass spectrometry tools and taking into account that they are an alternative to address the molecular complexity of diseases such as cancer, a proteomic approach, based on bidimensional difference gel electrophoretic separation (2DE-DIGE) coupled to LC-MS/ MS, was used. We found eight differentially expressed proteins in plasma from B-cell ALL patients as follows: Serotransferrin, Alpha-1-antitrypsin, Haptoglobin, Zinc-alpha-2-glycoprotein, and Complement C3.

Resumo Na Colômbia, durante a última década, a leucemia linfoblastica aguda (LLA) tem sido o câncer com maior incidência, com mais de 40% das mortes por câncer em menores atribuídas a essa doença. Entre os fatores que influenciam esses números, o diagnóstico tardio talvez seja o fator mais sensível que afeta negativamente o sucesso do tratamento. Esta pesquisa enfocou o estudo do proteoma plasmático de crianças colombianas diagnosticadas com LLA tipo B, dada a sua alta incidência, em comparação com controles na busca por proteínas que poderiam ter potencialidade para serem classificadas como biomarcadores diagnósticos. Agora, em vista dos avanços nas ferramentas de proteômica e espectrometria de massa e sabendo que eles são uma alternativa para abordar a complexidade molecular de doenças como o câncer, usamos uma abordagem proteômica baseada em uma separação por eletroforese bidimensional diferencial (2DE-DIGE) com subsequente separação por cromatografia líquida acoplada a espectrometria de massa em tandem. Encontramos 8 proteínas com expressão diferencial no plasma de pacientes com LBA, dentre os quais a Serotransferrina, a Alfa-1-antitripsina, a Haptoglobina, a Glicoproteína alfa-2-zinco e o Complemento C3.

TRANSFORMING GROWTH FACTOR BETA HAS DUAL EFFECTS ON MMP9 AND uPA EXPRESSION IN HTR-8/SVneo HUMAN TROPHOBLASTIC CELL LINE / El factor de crecimiento transformante beta tiene efecto dual en la expresión de MMP9 y uPA en la línea celular de trofoblasto _HTR-8/SVneo

ABSTRACT Invasion of trophoblast into endometrium is vital for successful pregnancy development. MMP9 and uPA are key proteases in this process, but it is still not clear the regulation of its expression by Transforming Growth Factor Beta (TGF-β), a known negative regulator of trophoblast invasion. We evaluated the effect of TGF-β on the transcriptional expression of uPA and MMP9 over time, in HTR-8/SVneo trophoblast cells cultured with or without 0.5 % fetal bovine serum, via RT qPCR. The involved transcription factors and signaling pathways were analyzed in silico, using Proscan, Enrich, PCViz and Wiki Pathway. Results showed that TGF-β temporarily regulates the expression of uPA and MMP9. Serum modified the nature of TGF-β's effects on uPA expression, from negative without serum to positive with it, showing opposite effects on MMP9 expression. In silico analysis evidenced different transcription factors for each protease, some belonging to TGF-β signaling pathway, and crosstalk with MAPK and Wnt/β -catenin pathways. The TGF-β dual role is discussed proposing that serum affects the cellular context. Transcriptional regulation of MMP9 and uPA by TGF-β is differential and depends on serum presence and evaluation time.

RESUMEN La invasión del trofoblasto al endometrio es vital para el correcto desarrollo del embarazo. Las proteasas MMP9 y uPA son claves en este proceso, pero aún no es clara la regulación de su expresión por parte del Factor de Crecimiento Transformante beta (TGF-β), conocido por sus acciones no invasivas sobre el trofoblasto. En este trabajo evaluamos el efecto del TGF-β sobre la expresión transcripcional de uPA y MMP9 en células de la línea de trofoblasto HTR-8/SVneo cultivadas con o sin suero fetal bovino al 0,5 %, mediante RT qPCR. Se analizaron in sillico los potenciales factores de transcripción y vías de señalización involucradas empleando Proscan, Enrich, PCViz y WikiPathway. Los resultados muestran que el TGF-β regula temporalmente la expresión de uPA y MMP9. El suero modificó la naturaleza del efecto del TGF-β sobre la expresión de uPA, de negativo en ausencia de suero a positivo en presencia de este, presentando efectos opuestos para la expresión de MMP9. El análisis in sillico evidenció diferentes factores de transcripción para cada proteasa, algunos pertenecientes a la vía de señalización del TGF-β, y un entrecruzamiento con la vía MAPK y Wnt/β-catenina. Los resultados sugieren que la regulación transcripcional de MMP9 y uPA por parte del TGF-β es diferencial y depende de la presencia de suero y tiempo de evaluación.

Protein malnutrition promotes dysregulation of molecules involved in T cell migration in the thymus of mice infected with Leishmania infantum.

Protein malnutrition, the most deleterious cause of malnutrition in developing countries, has been considered a primary risk factor for the development of clinical visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Protein malnutrition and infection with Leishmania infantum leads to lymphoid tissue disorganization, including changes in cellularity and lymphocyte subpopulations in the thymus and spleen. Here we report that protein malnutrition modifies thymic chemotactic factors by diminishing the CCL5, CXCL12, IGF1, CXCL9 and CXCL10 protein levels in infected animals. Nevertheless, T cells preserve their migratory capability, as they were able to migrate ex vivo in response to chemotactic stimuli, indicating that malnutrition may compromise the thymic microenvironment and alter in vivo thymocyte migration. Decrease in chemotactic factors protein levels was accompanied by an early increase in the parasite load of the spleen. These results suggest that the precondition of malnutrition is affecting the cell-mediated immune response to L. infantum by altering T cell migration and interfering with the capacity of protein-deprived animals to control parasite spreading and proliferation. Our data provide evidence for a disturbance of T lymphocyte migration involving both central and peripheral T-cells, which likely contribute to the pathophysiology of VL that occurs in malnourished individuals.

IL1B-CGTC haplotype is associated with colorectal cancer in admixed individuals with increased African ancestry.

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in cytokine genes can affect gene expression and thereby modulate inflammation and carcinogenesis. However, the data on the association between SNPs in the interleukin 1 beta gene (IL1B) and colorectal cancer (CRC) are conflicting. We found an association between a 4-SNP haplotype block of the IL1B (-3737C/-1464G/-511T/-31C) and CRC risk, and this association was exclusively observed in individuals with a higher proportion of African ancestry, such as individuals from the Coastal Colombian region (odds ratio, OR 2.06; 95% CI 1.31-3.25; p < 0.01). Moreover, a significant interaction between this CRC risk haplotype and local African ancestry dosage was identified in locus 2q14 (p = 0.03). We conclude that Colombian individuals with high African ancestry proportions at locus 2q14 harbour more IL1B-CGTC copies and are consequently at an increased risk of CRC. This haplotype has been previously found to increase the IL1B promoter activity and is the most frequent haplotype in African Americans. Despite of limitations in the number of samples and the lack of functional analysis to examine the effect of these haplotypes on CRC cell lines, our results suggest that inflammation and ethnicity play a major role in the modulation of CRC risk.

Detection and quantification of Leishmania infantum in naturally and experimentally infected animal samples.

Leishmania infantum is one of the causative agents of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). VL is the most severe form of leishmaniasis and can be fatal if it is not properly treated. Although several PCR works are intended to detect L. infantum, in silico analysis of available primers and/or primer-probes reveals potential cross species amplification. Here, a TaqMan-based quantitative real time PCR (qPCR) assay was developed for specific detection and quantitation of L. infantum in tissue samples from experimentally or naturally infected animals, mice or dogs, respectively. For this assay, primers and probes were designed for the kinetoplast minicircle DNA of L. infantum. The qPCR assay achieved a detection limit of 0.01pg of parasite DNA, and allowed specific amplification of L. infantum in both asymptomatic and symptomatic naturally infected dogs with inter-assay variation coefficients between 0.05-0.11. There was no cross amplification with dog DNA or with L. braziliensis, L. donovani, L. major, L. tropica or Trypanosoma cruzi. In addition, our assay detected a significantly higher parasite load in symptomatic than in the asymptomatic animals (p<0.0001). We believe this approach will be a valuable tool for the specific detection of L. infantum in regions of sympatric transmission of VL-causing parasites.

Serum depletion induces changes in protein expression in the trophoblast-derived cell line HTR-8/SVneo.

BACKGROUND: How nutrition and growth factor restriction due to serum depletion affect trophoblast function remains poorly understood. We performed a proteomic differential study of the effects of serum depletion on a first trimester human immortalized trophoblast cell line. METHODS: The viability of HTR-8/SVneo trophoblast cells in culture with 0, 0.5 and 10 % fetal bovine serum (FBS) were assayed via MTT at 24, 48 and 64 h. A comparative proteomic analysis of the cells grown with those FBS levels for 24 h was performed using two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE), followed by mass spectrometry for protein spot identification, and a database search and bioinformatics analysis of the expressed proteins. Differential spots were identified using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (n = 3, significance level 0.10, D > 0.642) and/or ANOVA (n = 3, p < 0.05). RESULTS: The results showed that low serum doses or serum depletion differentially affect cell growth and protein expression. Differential expression was seen in 25 % of the protein spots grown with 0.5 % FBS and in 84 % of those grown with 0 % FBS, using 10 % serum as the physiological control. In 0.5 % FBS, this difference was related with biological processes typically affected by the serum, such as cell cycle, regulation of apoptosis and proliferation. In addition to these changes, in the serum-depleted proteome we observed downregulation of keratin 8, and upregulation of vimentin, the glycolytic enzymes enolase and pyruvate kinase (PKM2) and tumor progression-related inosine-5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase 2 (IMPDH2) enzyme. The proteins regulated by total serum depletion, but not affected by growth in 0.5 % serum, are members of the glycolytic and nucleotide metabolic pathways and the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), suggesting an adaptive switch characteristic of malignant cells. CONCLUSIONS: This comparative proteomic analysis and the identified proteins are the first evidence of a protein expression response to serum depletion in a trophoblast cell model. Our results show that serum depletion induces specific changes in protein expression concordant with main cell metabolic adaptations and EMT, resembling the progression to a malignant phenotype.

Implementación de una metodología para la separación de proteomas de plasma humano mediante electroforesis bidimensional / Implementation of a methodology to separate human plasma proteomes by two-dimensional electrophoresis / Implementação de uma metodologia para a separação do proteoma do plasma humano por eletroforese bidimensional

En este trabajo se implementaron las condiciones para la separación de proteomas de plasma sanguíneo por electroforesis bidimensional. En muestras de plasma de infante y adulto se evaluaron dos sistemas de pretratamiento de la muestra para reducir el rango dinámico de las proteínas: inmunodepleción de proteínas abundantes y enriquecimiento de proteínas de baja abundancia. Los proteomas se separaron por electroforesis bidimensional y las imágenes se analizaron con el programa Melanie 7.0. Se encontró que ambos métodos de pretratamiento fueron reproducibles y permitieron ver las diferencias en los proteomas de infante y adulto, como muestran los análisis de componentes principales y de clasificación jerárquica tipo heatmap. El porcentaje de recuperación de proteínas fue mayor con la inmunodepleción en comparación con el enriquecimiento proteico. Estos resultados permitieron concluir que con la inmunodepleción, se tiene mayor control de las proteínas eliminadas y por tanto menor pérdida de información, lo que permite su aplicación en estudios exploratorios para la identificación de potenciales biomarcadores de enfermedad.

The conditions to separate blood plasma proteomes by two-dimensional electrophoresis were implemented. In plasma samples from infant and adult two sample pretreatment systems to reduce the proteins dynamic range were evaluated: Immunodepletion of abundant proteins and protein-enrichment of low abundance proteins. Proteomes were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis and the images were analyzed using Melanie 7.0. It was found that both pretreatment methods were reproducible and allowed to see the differences in the proteomes of infant and adult, as evidenced by the principal component analysis and heatmap, a type of hierarchic classification. The percent recovery of proteins was greater with the immunodepletion method, compared to the protein enrichment system. With these results, we conclude that reducing the complexity of plasma by immunoaffinity showed better control of unrecovered proteins and therefore less loss of information, which allows its application on exploratory studies to identify potential biomarkers of disease.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi otimizar as condições para a separação de proteomas do plasma sanguíneo por eletroforese bidimensional para sua aplicação na procura de potenciais biomarcadores. Trabalhou-se com amostras de plasma de crianças e adultos, avaliando dois sistemas de pre-tratamento da amostra para diminuir o espectro dinâmico das proteínas, imunodepleção de proteínas abundantes e enriquecimento de proteínas de baixa abundância. Os proteomas foram separados por eletroforese bidimensional e as imagens foram analisadas com o programa Melanie 7.0. Foi encontrado que ambos métodos de pre-tratamento foram reprodutíveis e permitiram observar as diferenças nos proteomas de crianças e adultos, como foram evidenciadas com as análises de componentes principais e de classificação hierárquica tipo heatmap. A porcentagem de recuperação de proteínas foi maior na imunodepleção do que obtido pelo enriquecimento proteico. Estes resultados permitiram concluir que com a imunodepleção há um controle mais eficiente das proteínas eliminadas e assim uma menor perda de informação, isto permite sua aplicação em estudos exploratórios orientados na identificação de potenciais biomarcadores da doença.

T-cell populations and cytokine expression are impaired in thymus and spleen of protein malnourished BALB/c mice infected with Leishmania infantum.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a parasitic infectious disease that causes significant morbidity and mortality in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Although infections with visceralizing Leishmania may be asymptomatic, factors such as undernutrition increase the likelihood of progressing to clinical disease. Protein malnutrition, the most deleterious cause of malnutrition in developing countries, has been considered as a primary risk factor for the development of clinical VL. However, data regarding the immunological basis of this association are scarce. With the aim to analyze the effects of protein malnutrition on Leishmania infantum infection, we used BALB/c mice subjected to control or low protein isocaloric diets. Each animal group was divided into two subgroups and one was infected with L. infantum resulting in four study groups: animals fed 14% protein diet (CP), animals fed 4% protein diet (LP), animals fed 14% protein diet and infected (CPi), and animals fed 4% protein diet and infected (LPi).The susceptibility to L. infantum infection and immune responses were assessed in terms of body and lymphoid organ weight, parasite load, lymphocyte subpopulations, and cytokine expression. LPi mice had a significant reduction of body and lymphoid organ weight and exhibited a severe decrease of lymphoid follicles in the spleen. Moreover, LPi animals showed a significant decrease in CD4+CD8+ T cells in the thymus, whereas there was an increase of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells percentages in the spleen. Notably, the cytokine mRNA levels in the thymus and spleen of protein malnourished-infected animals were altered compared to the CP mice. Protein malnutrition results in a drastic dysregulation of T cells and cytokine expression in the thymus and spleen of L. infantum-infected BALB/c mice, which may lead to defective regulation of the thymocyte population and an impaired splenic immune response, accelerating the events of a normal course of infection.

Simvastatin impairs growth hormone-activated signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling pathway in UMR-106 osteosarcoma cells.

Recent studies have demonstrated that statins reduce cell viability and induce apoptosis in various types of cancer cells. The molecular mechanisms underlying these effects are poorly understood. The JAK/STAT pathway plays an important role in the regulation of proliferation and apoptosis in many tissues, and its deregulation is believed to be involved in tumorigenesis and cancer. The physiological activation of STAT proteins by GH is rapid but transient in nature and its inactivation is regulated mainly by the expression of SOCS proteins. UMR-106 osteosarcoma cells express a GH-responsive JAK2/STAT5 signaling pathway, providing an experimental model to study the influence of statins on this system. In this study we investigated the actions of simvastatin on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion on UMR-106 cells and examined whether alterations in GH-stimulated JAK/STAT/SOCS signaling may be observed. Results showed that treatment of osteosarcoma cells with simvastatin at 3 to 10 µM doses decreases cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in a time- and dose-dependent manner. At the molecular level, although the mechanisms used by simvastatin are not entirely clear, the effect of the statin on the reduction of JAK2 and STAT5 phosphorylation levels may partially explain the decrease in the GH-stimulated STAT5 transcriptional activity. This effect correlated with a time- and dose-dependent increase of SOCS-3 expression levels in cells treated with simvastatin, a regulatory role that has not been previously described. Furthermore, the finding that simvastatin is capable of inducing SOCS-3 and CIS genes expression shows the potential of the JAK/STAT pathway as a therapeutic target, reinforcing the efficacy of simvastatin as chemotherapeutic drug for the treatment of osteosarcoma.

Igf-ii y la gonddotropina coriónica regulan la roliferación, migración e invassión de células de trofoblasto humano / IGF-II and Chorionic Gonadotropin Regulate Proliferation, Migration and Invasion of Human Trophoblast Cells

Son conocidas las propiedades del factor de crecimiento similar a la insulina tipo II (IGF-II) y de la hormona gonadotropina coriónica (hCG) en implantación y migración trofoblástica; sin embargo, los mecanismos moleculares a través de los cuales ejercen sus efectos no están completamente caracterizados. El objetivo de este estudio fue establecer la interacción potencial entre los efectos funcionales de hCG e IGF-II en la regulación de la proliferación, migración e invasión trofoblástica. Utilizando la línea celular HTR-8/SVneo de trofoblasto extravelloso se estableció que IGF-II promueve la proliferación celular y de manera novedosa se demostró que hCG, a concentraciones elevadas, es capaz de estimular la proliferación trofoblástica, a través de un mecanismo independiente al empleado por IGF-II. En contraste, la capacidad invasiva del trofoblasto fue regulada por IGF-II y hCG, planteando la existencia de un efecto aditivo en sus acciones. En conclusión, nuestros resultados demuestran el papel de hCG e IGF-II en la regulación de la proliferación e invasión del trofoblasto y plantean la existencia de interacciones a nivel de sus acciones biológicas, contribuyendo a un mejor entendimiento de la biología del trofoblasto y sus patologías.

Both IGF-II and chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) are important regulators of human trophoblast migration and implantation; however the molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. The purpose of this study was to determine the potential cross-talk between functional effects of hCG and IGF-II in the regulation of trophoblast proliferation, migration and invasion. Using the HTR-8/SVneo trophobast cell line we found that IGF-II stimulates cell proliferation and, for the first time we demonstrate that hCG at high doses is able to promote trophoblast proliferation through a mechanism independent of IGF-II. In contrast, trophoblast invasiveness was regulated by both IGF-II and hCG and an additive effect between the two hormones was observed. In conclusion, our results demonstrate cross-talk between the biological activities of IGF-II and hCG in the regulation of trophoblast invasiveness and contribute to a better understanding of the trophoblast biology and pathology.