Common Chemical Plasticizer Di(2-Ethhylhexyl) Phthalate Exposure Exacerbates Coxsackievirus B3 Infection.

Unlabelled: Di(2-ethhylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a common plastic rubberizer. DEHP leaches from plastic matrices and is under increasing scrutiny as numerous studies have linked it to negative human health manifestations. Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB) is a human pathogen that typically causes subclinical infections but can sometimes cause severe diseases such as pancreatitis, myocarditis, and meningoencephalitis.

Sex differences in mitochondrial gene expression during viral myocarditis.

Background: Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle most often caused by viral infections. Sex differences in the immune response during myocarditis have been well described but upstream mechanisms in the heart that might influence sex differences in disease are not completely understood.

Methods: Male and female BALB/c wild type mice received an intraperitoneal injection of heart-passaged coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) or vehicle control.

Efficacy and safety of a whole lung lavage program for artificial stone silicosis.

Background: The incidence of silicosis has increased due to occupational silica exposure from artificial stone, with no treatments proven to halt or reverse the disease. Whole lung lavage (WLL) involves the instillation of fluid into the lungs to wash out silica particles and disease-causing inflammatory cells. This study aimed to determine the feasibility, safety, and possible benefit of WLL in patients with artificial stone silicosis.

Investigating the potential role of capsaicin in facilitating the spread of coxsackievirus B3 via extracellular vesicles.

Unlabelled: Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) is a non-enveloped picornavirus that can cause systemic inflammatory diseases including myocarditis, pericarditis, pancreatitis, and meningoencephalitis. We have previously reported that following infection, CVB3 localizes to mitochondria, inducing mitochondrial fission and mitophagy, while inhibiting lysosomal degradation by blocking autophagosome-lysosome fusion. This results in the release of virus-laden mitophagosomes from the host cell as infectious extracellular vesicles (EVs) which allow non-lytic viral egress.

Transcriptomic analysis of coxsackievirus B3 infection in induced pluripotent stem cell-derived brain-like endothelial cells.

Unlabelled: Viral aseptic meningitis is a neuroinflammatory condition that occurs when viruses gain access to the central nervous system (CNS) and induce inflammation. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is comprised of brain endothelial cells (BECs) that stringently regulate the passage of molecules, toxins, and pathogens from the circulation into the CNS. Through their unique properties, such as complex tight junctions, reduced rates of endocytosis, expression of efflux transporters, and restricted expression of leukocyte adhesion molecules, the BBB is often able to limit pathogen entry into the brain; however, certain neurotropic pathogens, such as coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) are able to infect the CNS.