Bi-fluorescent infection enables single-cell analysis of intracellular killing .

Techniques for studying the clearance of bacterial infections are critical for advances in understanding disease states, immune cell effector functions, and novel antimicrobial therapeutics. Intracellular killing of by neutrophils can be monitored using a strain stably expressing GFP, a fluorophore that is quenched when exposed to the reactive oxygen species (ROS) present in the phagolysosome. Here, we expand upon this method by developing a bi-fluorescent killing assay for use Conjugating with a stable secondary fluorescent marker enables the separation of infected cell samples into three populations: cells that have not engaged in phagocytosis, cells that have engulfed and killed , and cells that have viable internalized .

CRTH2 Mediates Profibrotic Macrophage Differentiation and Promotes Lung Fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a particularly deadly form of pulmonary fibrosis of unknown cause. In patients with IPF, high serum and lung concentrations of CHI3L1 (chitinase 3 like 1) can be detected and are associated with poor survival. However, the roles of CHI3L1 in these diseases have not been fully elucidated.

Exposure to high fructose corn syrup during adolescence in the mouse alters hepatic metabolism and the microbiome in a sex-specific manner.

Key Points: The prevalence of obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in children is dramatically increasing at the same time as consumption of foods with a high sugar content. Intake of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a possible aetiology as it is thought to be more lipogenic than glucose. In a mouse model, HFCS intake during adolescence increased fat mass and hepatic lipid levels in male and female mice.

Alda-1 Protects Against Acrolein-Induced Acute Lung Injury and Endothelial Barrier Dysfunction.

Inhalation of acrolein, a highly reactive aldehyde, causes lung edema. The underlying mechanism is poorly understood and there is no effective treatment. In this study, we demonstrated that acrolein not only dose-dependently induced lung edema but also promoted LPS-induced acute lung injury.

Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) inhibitory protein IκBβ determines apoptotic cell death following exposure to oxidative stress.

The transcription factor NF-κB regulates the cellular response to inflammatory and oxidant stress. Although many studies have evaluated NF-κB activity following exposure to oxidative stress, the role of the IκB family of inhibitory proteins in modulating this activity remains unclear. Specifically, the function of IκBβ in mediating the cellular response to oxidative stress has not been evaluated.