Clostridium perfringens phospholipase C, an archetypal bacterial virulence factor, induces the formation of extracellular traps by human neutrophils.

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are networks of DNA and various microbicidal proteins released to kill invading microorganisms and prevent their dissemination. However, a NETs excess is detrimental to the host and involved in the pathogenesis of various inflammatory and immunothrombotic diseases. Clostridium perfringens is a widely distributed pathogen associated with several animal and human diseases, that produces many exotoxins, including the phospholipase C (CpPLC), the main virulence factor in gas gangrene. During this disease, CpPLC generates the formation of neutrophil/platelet aggregates within the vasculature, favoring an anaerobic environment for C. perfringens growth. This work demonstrates that CpPLC induces NETosis in human neutrophils. Antibodies against CpPLC completely abrogate the NETosis-inducing activity of recombinant CpPLC and C. perfringens secretome. CpPLC induces suicidal NETosis through a mechanism that requires calcium release from inositol trisphosphate receptor (IP3) sensitive stores, activation of protein kinase C (PKC), and the mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK/ERK) pathways, as well as the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by the metabolism of arachidonic acid. Proteomic analysis of the C. perfringens secretome identified 40 proteins, including a DNAse and two 5´-nucleotidases homologous to virulence factors that could be relevant in evading NETs. We suggested that in gas gangrene this pathogen benefits from having access to the metabolic resources of the tissue injured by a dysregulated intravascular NETosis and then escapes and spreads to deeper tissues. Understanding the role of NETs in gas gangrene could help develop novel therapeutic strategies to reduce mortality, improve muscle regeneration, and prevent deleterious patient outcomes.

Validación del método analítico para tabletas de dicloroisocianurato de sodio para desinfección de agua potable / Validation of the analytical method for sodium dichloroisocyanurate aimed at drinking water disinfection

INTRODUCCIÓN: en Cuba se han desarrollado las primeras tabletas efervescentes de 3,5 mg dicloroisocianurato de sodio, como ingrediente activo no terapéutico, el cual libera una determinada cantidad de cloro al disolverse en un litro de agua, capaz de inducir a una adecuada desinfección del agua potable y lista para ingerir después de transcurrido 30 min. OBJETIVO: desarrollar y validar un método analítico yodométrico, aplicable al control de la calidad de las tabletas efervescentes de 3,5 mg de dicloroisocianurato de sodio. MÉTODOS: para la cuantificación del contenido de cloro activo libre en las tabletas efervescentes, se empleó como técnica un método potenciométrico, utilizando electrodos de platino y solución valorada de tiosulfato de sodio 0,1 N. El método desarrollado fue validado según los parámetros exigidos para la categoría I, que incluye las técnicas destinadas a cuantificar principios activos en las formas terminadas. Adicionalmente se realizaron otras pruebas para evaluar la influencia del analista y el día en los resultados analíticos. RESULTADOS: los parámetros evaluados en la validación del método se encontraron dentro de los límites establecidos. El método resultó ser específico, lineal, exacto y preciso en el rango de concentraciones estudiadas. CONCLUSIONES: los resultados permiten que el método pueda emplearse de manera confiable y segura(AU)

INTRODUCTION: Cuba has developed the first effervescent 3.5 mg sodium dichloroisocyanurate tablets as a non-therapeutic active principle. This ingredient releases certain amount of chlorine when dissolved into a litre of water and it can cause adequate disinfection of drinking water ready to be taken after 30 min. OBJECTIVE: developing and validating an analytical iodometric method applicable to the quality control of effervescent 3.5 mg sodium dichloroisocyanurate tablets. METHODS: quantitation of the free active chlorine content in effervescent tablets by using a potentiometric method based on the platinum electrodes and the tittered 0.1 N sodium thiosulphate solution. The developed method was validated as per the category I parameters including the techniques for quantitation of the active principles in the finished forms. Additionally, other tests were conducted to evaluate the influence of the analyst and of the day on the analytical results. RESULTS: the evaluated parameters in the validation of the method were within the set limits. The method was specific, linear, exact and precise in the range of studied concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: the results proved that this method can be used in a safe reliable way(AU)

High mitochondrial mutation rates estimated from deep-rooting Costa Rican pedigrees.

Estimates of mutation rates for the noncoding hypervariable Region I (HVR-I) of mitochondrial DNA vary widely, depending on whether they are inferred from phylogenies (assuming that molecular evolution is clock-like) or directly from pedigrees. All pedigree-based studies so far were conducted on populations of European origin. In this article, we analyzed 19 deep-rooting pedigrees in a population of mixed origin in Costa Rica. We calculated two estimates of the HVR-I mutation rate, one considering all apparent mutations, and one disregarding changes at sites known to be mutational hot spots and eliminating genealogy branches which might be suspected to include errors, or unrecognized adoptions along the female lines. At the end of this procedure, we still observed a mutation rate equal to 1.24 × 10(-6) , per site per year, i.e., at least threefold as high as estimates derived from phylogenies. Our results confirm that mutation rates observed in pedigrees are much higher than estimated assuming a neutral model of long-term HVRI evolution. We argue that until the cause of these discrepancies will be fully understood, both lower estimates (i.e., those derived from phylogenetic comparisons) and higher, direct estimates such as those obtained in this study, should be considered when modeling evolutionary and demographic processes.

Mitochondrial polymorphisms associated with differential longevity do not impact lifetime-reproductive success.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if individuals who carry mitochondrial markers which have been previously shown to affect longevity also have differential lifetime reproductive success (LRS). METHODS: We extracted the mtDNA from living subjects residing in Atenas, Costa Rica. Since mtDNA does not recombine, and its probability of mutation is low, we assume that all maternal ancestors of the living subjects have the same mtDNA. We reconstructed the maternal genealogy of the living subjects, so that we have information on the LRS and longevity of the maternal ancestors of the living subjects. We compared the LRS of women who carried the 5178A marker in haplogroup D (associated with decreased longevity) and who carried the 150T polymorphism (associated with increased longevity) with the LRS of controls born in the same half century time period from 1750 to 1939. RESULTS: We found that the LRS of neither group of women with a longevity-associated polymorphism (LAP) differed from the LRS of controls, even if these women differed significantly from the controls in their longevity. CONCLUSIONS: Although LAPS significantly affect longevity, such differential longevity does not result in differential lifetime reproductive success. From an evolutionary perspective, these longevity-associated polymorphisms do not affect the carriers' Darwinian fitness.

Mitochondrial polymorphisms are associated both with increased and decreased longevity.

Previous work compared frequency of longevity-associated polymorphisms (LAPS) in long-lived individuals and in controls from the general population (primarily in Europe and Japan), suggesting the polymorphisms are responsible for unusual longevity. However, individuals from the general population are not the control group for long-lived subjects because both were born in different periods. We report results of a project which collected mtDNA from living subjects in Costa Rica, and traced back their maternal genealogy. Since mtDNA does not recombine and its probability of mutation is low, we can assume that the maternal ancestors had the same mtDNA of their descendants. We compared the longevity of individuals with LAPS with the longevity of controls born in the same time period. We did not confirm previous associations for several markers, but found that the 5178A mutation in haplogroup D is associated with decreased longevity, whereas the 150T mutation is associated with increased longevity. These associations however, are not significant for all time periods under study. While our data confirm that mtDNA make up affects longevity, they also indicate that the time period in which a person was born had a much greater impact on longevity than presence or absence of a marker.

Evidence of genetic overlap of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder: linkage disequilibrium analysis of chromosome 18 in the Costa Rican population.

The long-standing concept that schizophrenia (SC) and bipolar disorder (BP) represent two distinct illnesses has been recently challenged by findings of overlap of genetic susceptibility loci for these two diseases. We report here the results of a linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis of chromosome 18 utilizing subjects with SC from the Central Valley of Costa Rica. Evidence of association (P < 0.05) was obtained in three chromosomal regions: 18p11.31 (D18S63), 18q12.3 (D18S474), and 18q22.3-qter (D18S1161, D18S70), all of which overlap or are in close proximity with loci previously shown to be in LD with BP, type I in this population. Since both the SC and bipolar samples contained cases with a history of mania and almost all cases of SC and BP had a history of psychosis, we performed an alternative phenotyping strategy to determine whether presence or absence of mania, in the context of psychosis, would yield distinct linkage patterns along chromosome 18. To address this issue, a cohort of psychotic patients (including a range of DSMIV diagnoses) was divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of mania. Regions that showed association with SC showed segregation of association when the sample was stratified by history of mania. Our results are compared with previous genetic studies of susceptibility to SC or BP, in Costa Rica as well as in other populations. This study illustrates the importance of detailed phenotype analysis in the search for susceptibility genes influencing complex psychiatric disorders in isolated populations and suggests that subdivision of psychoses by presence or absence of past mania syndromes may be useful to define genetic subtypes of chronic psychotic illness.

Ensayo de disolución para las tabletas de pentoxifilina 400 mg de liberación controlada / Dissolution test for controlled-release pentoxiphillin tablets 400 mg

Se desarrolló y validó un método por espectrofotometría ultravioleta para evaluar los perfiles de disolución de las tabletas de pentoxifilina de liberación controlada. Se comprobó la condición de insaturación de la pentoxifilina en el medio de disolución empleado y se evaluaron los parámetros de especificidad, linealidad y precisión, así como la influencia de la filtración y la estabilidad del principio activo. Los resultados alcanzados demuestran la fiabilidad del método y su posibilidad de empleo en el control de la calidad del medicamento