Extracellular Traps in Patients Diagnosed With Bacterial Vaginosis, Trichomoniasis, Candidiasis, Noninfectious Vaginitis and Cytolytic Vaginosis.

Vaginal infections are a public health problem associated with serious health complications due to the exacerbated inflammation they generate. Vaginal inflammation may also occur in some noninfectious processes, such as noninfectious vaginitis and cytolytic vaginosis. Immune system cells respond to infections through various mechanisms, such as the formation of extracellular traps (ETs), which are DNA networks associated with effector proteins.

The antimicrobial peptides LL-37, KR-20, FK-13 and KR-12 inhibit the growth of a sensitive and a metronidazole-resistant strain of Trichomonas vaginalis.

The parasite Trichomonas vaginalis is the aetiologic agent of trichomoniasis, the most common non-viral sexually transmitted disease worldwide. This infection often remains asymptomatic and is related to several health complications. The traditional treatment for trichomoniasis uses drugs of the 5-nitroimidazole family, such as metronidazole; however, scientific reports indicate an increasing number of drug-resistant strains.

Trichomonas vaginalis triggers neutrophil extracellular traps reducing parasite integrity and growth.

Trichomoniasis-caused by the parasite Trichomonas vaginalis-is associated with a high inflammatory process that may contribute to the risk of suffering from other medical complications. Our study focused on the in vitro interaction of T. vaginalis with human neutrophils because these are the most abundant cells implicated in the characteristic inflammatory process of trichomoniasis.

Correlation between urinary KIM-1 and kidney protein expression of p-ERK following damage in rats exposed to gentamicin or lead acetate.

Kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) is a membrane receptor upregulated in the proximal tubule cells following various types of kidney injuries. Notably, studies have suggested a correlation between KIM-1 expression and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between the kidney overexpression pattern of cytoplasmic phosphorylated-ERK (p-ERK) protein and increased urinary KIM-1 levels in rats exposed to gentamicin or lead acetate, both at the end of toxic exposure and after a 4-week recovery period.

Reduced viability in mice pretreated with parasite DNA.

Trichomonas vaginalis is an extracellular parasite that colonizes the human urogenital tract leading to trichomoniasis, the most common sexually-transmitted non-viral disease worldwide. The immune response plays a critical role in the host defense against this parasite. Trichomonas' DNA contains unmethylated CpG motifs (CpGDNA) that in other microorganisms act as modulators of the immune response.

Functions of Antimicrobial Peptides in Vertebrates.

Objective: The aim of this review is to examine the multiple activities of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in vertebrates.

Content: The largest AMP families are the cathelicidins and defensins, but several peptides derived from bigger proteins have also been reported. Cathelicidins are characterized by a conserved Nterminal pro-region and a variable region that encodes the C-terminal mature peptide.

Entamoeba histolytica Trophozoites and Lipopeptidophosphoglycan Trigger Human Neutrophil Extracellular Traps.

Neutrophil defense mechanisms include phagocytosis, degranulation and the formation of extracellular traps (NET). These networks of DNA are triggered by several immune and microbial factors, representing a defense strategy to prevent microbial spread by trapping/killing pathogens. This may be important against Entamoeba histolytica, since its large size hinders its phagocytosis.

The component leaching from decellularized pericardial bioscaffolds and its implication in the macrophage response.

The extracellular matrix molecules remaining in bioscaffolds derived from decellularized xenogeneic tissues appear to be important for inducing cell functions conducting tissue regeneration. Here, we studied whether decellularization methods, that is, detergent Triton X-100 (TX) alone and TX combined with reversible alkaline swelling (STX), applied to bovine pericardial tissue, could affect the bioscaffold components. The in vitro macrophage response, subdermal biodegradation, and cell infiltration were also studied.

An Entamoeba histolytica ADP-ribosyl transferase from the diphtheria toxin family modifies the bacterial elongation factor Tu.

ADP-ribosyl transferases are enzymes involved in the post-translational modification of proteins; they participate in multiple physiological processes, pathogenesis and host-pathogen interactions. Several reports have characterized the functions of these enzymes in viruses, prokaryotes and higher eukaryotes, but few studies have reported ADP-ribosyl transferases in lower eukaryotes, such as parasites. The locus EHI_155600 from Entamoeba histolytica encodes a hypothetical protein that possesses a domain from the ADP-ribosylation superfamily; this protein belongs to the diphtheria toxin family according to a homology model using poly-ADP-ribosyl polymerase 12 (PARP12 or ARTD12) as a template.

Effect of antimicrobial peptides derived from human cathelicidin LL-37 on Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites.

The human cathelicidin hCAP18/LL-37 is an antimicrobial protein consisting of a conserved N-terminal prosequence called the cathelin-like domain and a C-terminal peptide called LL-37. This peptide contains 37 amino acid residues, and several truncated variants obtained from natural sources or by chemical synthesis differ in their capability to damage Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria as well as Candida albicans. KR-12 is the shortest peptide (12 amino acids) of LL-37 that has conserved antibacterial activity.

Decellularization of pericardial tissue and its impact on tensile viscoelasticity and glycosaminoglycan content.

Bovine pericardium is a collagenous tissue commonly used as a natural biomaterial in the fabrication of cardiovascular devices. For tissue engineering purposes, this xenogeneic biomaterial must be decellularized to remove cellular antigens. With this in mind, three decellularization protocols were compared in terms of their effectiveness to extract cellular materials, their effect on glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content and, finally, their effect on tensile biomechanical behavior.

Acetaldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase-2 (EhADH2) and clathrin are involved in internalization of human transferrin by Entamoeba histolytica.

Transferrin (Tf) is a host glycoprotein capable of binding two ferric-iron ions to become holotransferrin (holoTf), which transports iron in to all cells. Entamoeba histolytica is a parasitic protozoan able to use holoTf as a sole iron source in vitro. The mechanism by which this parasite scavenges iron from holoTf is unknown.

Effect of the antimicrobial peptide tritrpticin on the in vitro viability and growth of Trichomonas vaginalis.

Antimicrobial peptides are widely distributed in nature; they play important roles in several aspects of innate immunity and may provide a basis for the design of novel therapeutic agents. In this study, C-amidated tritrpticin, a 13 amino acid tryptophan-rich antimicrobial peptide derived from a porcine cathelicidin, was tested against Trichomonas vaginalis, a protozoan that causes a serious non-viral sexually transmitted disease associated with preterm birth, low birth weight, and high risk of HIV-1 infection. Tritrpticin was selected due to its reasonably easy synthesis and because analogs with lower toxicity may be designed.

Degradation of human secretory IgA1 and IgA2 by Entamoeba histolytica surface-associated proteolytic activity.

The protozoan Entamoeba histolytica is the etiological agent of amebiasis, an infection with high prevalence worldwide. The host-ameba relationship outcome depends on parasite and host factors, and among these is secretory IgA. These antibodies reduce mucosal colonization by pathogens and neutralize a variety of toxins and enzymes.

MonoADP-ribosylation of the NAD+-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase from Entamoeba histolytica.

The human parasite Entamoeba histolytica is an amitochondrial protozoan whose metabolism depends on glucose fermentation. Among the metabolic enzymes absolutely required for amoeba growth is the NAD+-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase (EhADH2). The polymeric form of EhADH2 was sedimented at 160,000 g, and in this fraction we observed [32P]-labeling of a 96-kDa protein under mono-ADP-ribosylation conditions with [32P]NAD+.

Recognition of Entamoeba histolytica 115-kDa surface protein by human secretory immunoglobulin A antibodies from asymptomatic carriers.

Entamoeba histolytica is a protozoan parasite that can invade the intestinal mucosa. Infection induces production of secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) antibodies that can diminish the adhesion between E. histolytica trophozoites and epithelial cells in vitro and reduce the rate of new infections in children.

Indirect determination of nitric oxide production by reduction of nitrate with a freeze-thawing-resistant nitrate reductase from Escherichia coli MC1061.

Preparation of a nitrate reductase lysate of Escherichia coli MC1061 to measure nitrate and nitrite in biologic fluids is described. To obtain the crude bacterial lysate containing nitrate reductase activity, E. coli MC1061 was subjected to 16-20 freeze-thawing cycles, from -70 to 60 degrees C, until nitrite reductase activity was < or = 25%.

An extracellular monoADP-ribosyl transferase activity in Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites.

Due to the important role of monoADP-ribosyl transferases in physiological and pathological events, we investigated whether the protozoan parasite Entamoeba histolytica had monoADP-ribosyl transferase activity. Reactions were initiated using ameba-free medium as the source of both enzyme and ADP-ribosylation substrate(s) and [32P]NAD+ as source of ADP-ribose. Proteins were analyzed by electrophoresis, and [32P]-labeled proteins were detected by autoradiography.

Subcellular localization of the NAD+-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase in Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites.

The protozoan parasite Entamoeba histolytica is an ancient eukaryotic cell that shows morphologically atypical organelles and differs metabolically from higher eukaryotic cells. The aim of this study was to determine the subcellular localization of ameba NAD+-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH2). The enzyme activity was present in soluble and mainly in particulate material whose density was 1.