Myeloperoxidase as a biomarker for intestinal-brain axis dysfunction induced by malnutrition and Cryptosporidium infection in weanling mice.

Cryptosporidiosis is a waterborne protozoal infection that may cause life-threatening diarrhea in undernourished children living in unsanitary environments. The aim of this study is to identify new biomarkers that may be related to gut-brain axis dysfunction in children suffering from the malnutrition/infection vicious cycle, necessary for better intervention strategies. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is a well-known neutrophil-related tissue factor released during enteropathy that could drive gut-derived brain inflammation. We utilized a model of environmental enteropathy in C57BL/6 weanling mice challenged by Cryptosporidium and undernutrition. Mice were fed a 2%-Protein Diet (dPD) for eight days and orally infected with 107-C. parvum oocysts. C. parvum oocyst shedding was assessed from fecal and ileal-extracted genomic DNA by qRT-PCR. Ileal histopathology scores were assessed for intestinal inflammation. Prefrontal cortex samples were snap-frozen for MPO ELISA assay and NF-kb immunostaining. Blood samples were drawn by cardiac puncture after anesthesia and sera were obtained for serum amyloid A (SAA) and MPO analysis. Brain samples were also obtained for Iba-1 prefrontal cortex immunostaining. C. parvum-infected mice showed sustained stool oocyst shedding for six days post-infection and increased fecal MPO and inflammation scores. dPD and cryptosporidiosis led to impaired growth and weight gain. C. parvum-infected dPD mice showed increased serum MPO and serum amyloid A (SAA) levels, markers of systemic inflammation. dPD-infected mice showed greater MPO, NF-kB expression, and Iba-1 immunolabeling in the prefrontal cortex, an important brain region involved in executive function. Our findings suggest MPO as a potential biomarker for intestinal-brain axis dysfunction due to environmental enteropathy.

Myeloperoxidase as a biomarker for intestinal-brain axis dysfunction induced by malnutrition and Cryptosporidium infection in weanling mice

Abstract Cryptosporidiosis is a waterborne protozoal infection that may cause life-threatening diarrhea in undernourished children living in unsanitary environments. The aim of this study is to identify new biomarkers that may be related to gut-brain axis dysfunction in children suffering from the malnutrition/infection vicious cycle is necessary for better intervention strategies. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is a well-known neutrophil-related tissue factor released during enteropathy that could drive gut-derived brain inflammation. We utilized a model of environmental enteropathy in C57BL/6 weanling mice challenged by Cryptosporidium and undernutrition. Mice were fed a 2%-Protein Diet (dPD) for eight days and orally infected with 107-C. parvum oocysts. C. parvum oocyst shedding was assessed from fecal and ileal-extracted genomic DNA by qRT-PCR. Ileal histopathology scores were assessed for intestinal inflammation. Prefrontal cortex samples were snap-frozen for MPO ELISA assay and NF-kb immunostaining. Blood samples were drawn by cardiac puncture after anesthesia and sera were obtained for serum amyloid A (SAA) and MPO analysis. Brain samples were also obtained for Iba-1 prefrontal cortex immunostaining. C. parvum-infected mice showed sustained stool oocyst shedding for six days post-infection and increased fecal MPO and inflammation scores. dPD and cryptosporidiosis led to impaired growth and weight gain. C. parvum-infected dPD mice showed increased serum MPO and serum amyloid A (SAA) levels, markers of systemic inflammation. dPD-infected mice showed greater MPO, NF-kB expression, and Iba-1 immunolabeling in the prefrontal cortex, an important brain region involved in executive function. Our findings suggest MPO as a potential biomarker for intestinal-brain axis dysfunction due to environmental enteropathy.

Chronic Methylmercury Intoxication Induces Systemic Inflammation, Behavioral, and Hippocampal Amino Acid Changes in C57BL6J Adult Mice.

Methylmercury (MeHg) is highly toxic to the human brain. Although much is known about MeHg neurotoxic effects, less is known about how chronic MeHg affects hippocampal amino acids and other neurochemical markers in adult mice. In this study, we evaluated the MeHg effects on systemic lipids and inflammation, hippocampal oxidative stress, amino acid levels, neuroinflammation, and behavior in adult male mice. Challenged mice received MeHg in drinking water (2 mg/L) for 30 days. We assessed weight gain, total plasma cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), endotoxin, and TNF levels. Hippocampal myeloperoxidase (MPO), malondialdehyde (MDA), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), amino acid levels, and cytokine transcripts were evaluated. Mice underwent open field, object recognition, Y, and Barnes maze tests. MeHg-intoxicated mice had higher weight gain and increased the TG and TC plasma levels. Elevated circulating TNF and LPS confirmed systemic inflammation. Higher levels of MPO and MDA and a reduction in IL-4 transcripts were found in the hippocampus. MeHg-intoxication led to increased GABA and glycine, reduced hippocampal taurine levels, delayed acquisition in the Barnes maze, and poor locomotor activity. No significant changes were found in AChE activity and object recognition. Altogether, our findings highlight chronic MeHg-induced effects that may have long-term mental health consequences in prolonged exposed human populations.

Apolipoprotein E polymorphism influences orthotopic liver transplantation outcomes in patients with hepatitis C virus-induced liver cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is responsible for a chronic liver inflammation, which may cause end-stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. Apolipoprotein E (protein: ApoE, gene: APOE), a key player in cholesterol metabolism, is mainly synthesized in the liver and APOE polymorphisms may influence HCV-induced liver damage. AIM: To determine whether APOE alleles affect outcomes in HCV-infected patients with liver cirrhosis following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). METHODS: This was a cohort study in which 179 patients, both genders and aged 34-70 years, were included before or after (up to 10 years follow-up) OLT. Liver injury severity was assessed using different criteria, including METAVIR and models for end-stage liver disease. APOE polymorphisms were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The APOE3 allele was the most common (67.3%). In inflammation severity of biopsies from 89 OLT explants and 2 patients in pre-transplant, the degree of severe inflammation (A3F4, 0.0%) was significantly less frequent than in patients with minimal and moderate degree of inflammation (≤ A2F4, 16.2%) P = 0.048, in patients carrying the APOE4 allele when compared to non-APOE4. In addition, a significant difference was also found (≤ A2F4, 64.4% vs A3F4, 0.0%; P = 0.043) and (A1F4, 57.4% vs A3F4, 0.0%; P = 0.024) in APOE4 patients when compared to APOE3 carriers. The fibrosis degree of the liver graft in 8 of 91 patients and the lack of the E4 allele was associated with more moderate fibrosis (F2) (P = 0.006). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the E4 allele protects against progression of liver fibrosis and degree of inflammation in HCV-infected patients.

Potential for in vitro mesoderm differentiation of Wharton's jelly cells from ovine umbilical cord isolated in different culture media / Potencial de diferenciação in vitro de células provenientes da geleia de Wharton de cordões umbilicais ovinos isolados em diferentes meios de cultivo

The mammalian Wharton's jelly of umbilical cord (WJUC) is a promising source of multipotent cells, providing advantages due to ethical implications, ease of collection and the absence of teratomas in pre-clinical trials. Ovine multipotent cells have already been isolated from various tissues, however there are no reports using umbilical cords in this species. This study aimed to investigate the best medium to transport the umbilical cord, to isolate and maintain ovine WJUC cells and to compare in vitro growth and mesodermal differentiation potential. Eight ovine umbilical cords were obtained during parturition, sectioned and transported in six different media: MEM, low glucose DMEM, M199, RPMI 1640, PBS and saline. For each transportation medium, four culture media were used and the tissue was explanted in 24-well plates and cultured in MEM, low glucose DMEM, M199 and RPMI 1640, all with 10% FBS. Every experiment was conducted with low-passage (P2), investigating MTT viability during four days and adipogenic, chondrogenic and osteogenesis differentiation was induced in vitro. The most effective transport medium (p<0.1) was low glucose DMEM. There was no bacterial or fungal contamination from collection. Cells from Wharton's jelly of ovine umbilical cords collected at natural birth possess fibroblastic morphology and the capacity for in vitro differentiation into adipogenic, chondrogenic and osteogenic cell lines. MTT tests and in vitro differentiation experiments revealed that cell culture medium modulates the behavior of cells and is an important factor for proliferation and maintenance of multipotency. Low glucose DMEM was the most suitable medium for the isolation of cells from Wharton's jelly of ovine umbilical cord.(AU)

A geleia de Wharton do cordão umbilical (GWCU) de mamíferos é uma fonte promissora de células multipotentes, sendo vantajosa por aspectos éticos, facilidade de coleta e não causar teratomas em ensaios pré-clínicos. Em ovinos, células multipotentes já foram isoladas de vários tecidos, no entanto, não existem relatos do isolamento a partir do cordão umbilical nesta espécie. O objetivo do presente estudo foi investigar o melhor meio para o transporte do cordão umbilical, isolar e manter as células da GWCU ovino em diferentes meios e comparar a proliferação e o potencial de diferenciação mesodermal in vitro. Oito cordões umbilicais foram obtidos, por ocasião do parto natural, seccionados e transportados em seis diferentes meios que consistiram em MEM, DMEM baixa glicose, M199, RPMI 1640, PBS e soro fisiológico. Para cada meio de transporte foram utilizados quatro meios de cultivo, sendo o tecido explantado em placas de 24 poços e cultivados em MEM, DMEM baixa glicose, M199 e RPMI 1640, todos com 10% SFB. Todo o experimento foi realizado em baixa passagem (P2) investigando viabilidade pelo MTT por quatro dias além da indução à diferenciação adipogênica, condrogênica e osteogênica in vitro. O meio de transporte mais efetivo (P<0,10) foi o DMEM baixa glicose. Não houve contaminações bacterianas ou fúngicas decorrentes da coleta. Células oriundas da geleia de Wharton do cordão umbilical ovino colhido por ocasião do parto natural possuem morfologia fibroblastóide e capacidade de diferenciação in vitro nas linhagens adipogênica, condrogênica e osteogênica. Os ensaios de MTT e diferenciação in vitro, revelaram que o meio de cultura celular modula o comportamento destas células, sendo um fator importante tanto para a proliferação como para a manutenção da multipotência, destacando o DMEM baixa glicose como o meio mais adequado para o transporte e isolamento de células da geleia de Wharton do cordão umbilical ovino.(AU)