Cardioprotection strategies for anthracycline cardiotoxicity.

Thanks to the fantastic progress in cancer therapy options, there is a growing population of cancer survivors. This success has resulted in a need to focus much effort into improving the quality of life of this population. Cancer and cardiovascular disease share many common risk factors and have an interplay between them, with one condition mechanistically affecting the other and vice versa.

β3-Adrenergic receptor overexpression in cardiomyocytes preconditions mitochondria to withstand ischemia-reperfusion injury.

β3-Adrenergic receptor (β3AR) agonists have been shown to protect against ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). Since β3ARs are present both in cardiomyocytes and in endothelial cells, the cellular compartment responsible for this protection has remained unknown. Using transgenic mice constitutively expressing the human β3AR (hβ3AR) in cardiomyocytes or in the endothelium on a genetic background of null endogenous β3AR expression, we show that only cardiomyocyte expression protects against IRI (45 min ischemia followed by reperfusion over 24 h).

Anthracycline Cardiotoxicity Induces Progressive Changes in Myocardial Metabolism and Mitochondrial Quality Control: Novel Therapeutic Target.

Background: Anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity (AIC) debilitates quality of life in cancer survivors. Serial characterizations are lacking of the molecular processes occurring with AIC.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to characterize AIC progression in a mouse model from early (subclinical) to advanced heart failure stages, with an emphasis on cardiac metabolism and mitochondrial structure and function.

Identification of signalling pathways involved in gill regeneration in zebrafish.

The occurrence of regeneration of the organs involved in respiratory gas exchange amongst vertebrates is heterogeneous. In some species of amphibians and fishes, the gills regenerate completely following resection or amputation, whereas in mammals, only partial, facultative regeneration of lung tissue occurs following injury. Given the homology between gills and lungs, the capacity of gill regeneration in aquatic species is of major interest in determining the underlying molecular or signalling pathways involved in respiratory organ regeneration.

Molecular characterization of Infectious Bursal Disease Virus isolated in Chile reveals several mutations in VP2 coding region and a reassortment in its genome.

Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD) is a well-described disease in young chickens. It is caused by the Infectious Bursal Disease Virus (IBDV), which has a bi-segmented, double-strand RNA genome. The absence of a lipidic envelope makes IBDV highly resistant to environmental conditions.

Antimicrobial Resistance Dynamics in Chilean Strains Within Two Decades: Role of Resistance Locus Pathogenicity Island and Class 1 and Class 2 Integrons.

Shigellosis is an enteric infectious disease in which antibiotic treatment is effective, shortening the duration of symptoms and reducing the excretion of the pathogen into the environment. spp., the etiologic agent, are considered emerging pathogens with a high public health impact due to the increase and global spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains.

A comparative perspective on lung and gill regeneration.

The ability to continuously grow and regenerate the gills throughout life is a remarkable property of fish and amphibians. Considering that gill regeneration was first described over one century ago, it is surprising that the underlying mechanisms of cell and tissue replacement in the gills remain poorly understood. By contrast, the mammalian lung is a largely quiescent organ in adults but is capable of facultative regeneration following injury.

Deciphering Additional Roles for the EF-Tu, l-Asparaginase II and OmpT Proteins of Shiga Toxin-Producing .

Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) causes outbreaks and sporadic cases of gastroenteritis. STEC O157:H7 is the most clinically relevant serotype in the world. The major virulence determinants of STEC O157:H7 are the Shiga toxins and the locus of enterocyte effacement.

Immunization of mice with chimeric antigens displaying selected epitopes confers protection against intestinal colonization and renal damage caused by Shiga toxin-producing .

Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) cause diarrhea and dysentery, which may progress to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Vaccination has been proposed as a preventive approach against STEC infection; however, there is no vaccine for humans and those used in animals reduce but do not eliminate the intestinal colonization of STEC. The OmpT, Cah and Hes proteins are widely distributed among clinical STEC strains and are recognized by serum IgG and IgA in patients with HUS.

Hypoxia enhances blood O affinity and depresses skeletal muscle O consumption in zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are widely used animal models. Nevertheless, the mechanisms underlying hypoxia tolerance in this species have remained poorly understood. In the present study, we have determined the effects of hypoxia on blood-O transport properties and mitochondrial respiration rate in permeabilized muscle fibres of adult zebrafish exposed to either 1) a gradual decrease in O levels until fish lost equilibrium (~1 h, acute hypoxia), or 2) severe hypoxia (PO ∼ 15 Torr) for 48 h (prolonged hypoxia).

Arginine Vasotocin and Cortisol Co-regulate Vasotocinergic, Isotocinergic, Stress, and Thyroid Pathways in the Gilthead Sea Bream ().

In teleosts, a complex interaction between several endocrine axes modulates physiological functions related to metabolism, stress, and osmoregulation. Although many studies in fish underline the interconnection between the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) and hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) endocrine axes, their relationship with the vasotocinergic and isotocinergic systems remains unknown. The aim of the present study is therefore to shed light on the potential cross-regulations between HPT, HPI, and the vasotocinergic and isotocinergic axes in gilthead sea bream () at hypothalamic, hypophyseal, and plasma levels.

Coli Surface Antigen 26 Acts as an Adherence Determinant of Enterotoxigenic and Is Cross-Recognized by Anti-CS20 Antibodies.

The coli surface antigen 26 (CS26) of enterotoxigenic (ETEC) had been described as a putative adhesive pilus based on the partial sequence of the gene, detected in isolates from children with diarrhea in Egypt. However, its production and activity as adherence determinant has not been experimentally addressed. The was identified as a homolog of genes encoding structural subunits of ETEC colonization factors (CFs) CS12, CS18, and CS20.

Moderate hypoxia but not warming conditions at larval stage induces adverse carry-over effects on hypoxia tolerance of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) juveniles.

Environmental conditions, to which organisms are exposed during all their life, may cause possible adaptive responses with consequences in their subsequent life-history trajectory. The objective of this study was to investigate whether ecologically relevant combinations of hypoxia (40% and 100% air saturation) and temperature (15° and 20 °C), occurring during the larval period of European sea bass larvae (Dicentrarchus labrax), could have long-lasting impacts on the physiology of resulting juveniles. Hypoxic challenge tests were performed over one year to give an integrative evaluation of physiological performance.

Metabolic response to hypoxia in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) displays developmental plasticity.

Several physiological functions in fish are shaped by environmental stimuli received during early life. In particular, early-life hypoxia has been reported to have long-lasting effects on fish metabolism, with potential consequences for fish life history traits. In the present study, we examine whether the synergistic stressors hypoxia (40% and 100% air saturation) and temperature (15° and 20°C), encountered during early life, could condition later metabolic response in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) juveniles.

Early exposure to chronic hypoxia induces short- and long-term regulation of hemoglobin gene expression in European sea bass ().

European sea bass () inhabits coastal waters and may be exposed to hypoxia at different life stages, requiring physiological and behavioral adaptation. In the present study, we attempted to determine whether regulation of hemoglobin (Hb) gene expression plays a role in the physiological response to chronic moderate hypoxia in whole larvae and hematopoietic tissues (head kidney and spleen) of juveniles. We also tested the hypothesis that hypoxia exposure at the larval stage could induce a long-term effect on the regulation of Hb gene expression.

Chaperone-Usher Pili Loci of Colonization Factor-Negative Human Enterotoxigenic .

Enterotoxigenic (ETEC) is one of the most common causes of diarrhea worldwide. Among the 25 different ETEC adhesins, 22 are known as "colonization factors" (CFs), of which 17 are assembled by the chaperone-usher (CU) mechanism. Currently, there is no preventive therapy against ETEC, and CFs have been proposed as components for vaccine development.

Cortisol modulates vasotocinergic and isotocinergic pathways in the gilthead sea bream.

In the present study, we assessed the responses of the vasotocinergic and isotocinergic systems to chronic stress induced by cortisol administration in the gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata). Pituitary and plasma arginine vasotocin (AVT) and isotocin (IT) levels, as well as hypothalamic pro-vasotocin (pro-VT) and pro-isotocin (pro-IT) mRNA expression levels, were analysed. In addition, the mRNA levels of three receptors, AVTR type V1a2, AVTR type V2 and ITR, were analysed in several target organs associated with the following physiological processes: (i) integration and control (hypothalamus), (ii) metabolism and its control (liver and hypothalamus), (iii) osmoregulation (gills) and (iv) stress response (head kidney).