Myeloperoxidase as a biomarker for intestinal-brain axis dysfunction induced by malnutrition and Cryptosporidium infection in weanling mice.

Cryptosporidiosis is a waterborne protozoal infection that may cause life-threatening diarrhea in undernourished children living in unsanitary environments. The aim of this study is to identify new biomarkers that may be related to gut-brain axis dysfunction in children suffering from the malnutrition/infection vicious cycle, necessary for better intervention strategies. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is a well-known neutrophil-related tissue factor released during enteropathy that could drive gut-derived brain inflammation.

A bivalent vaccine confers immunogenicity and protection against and enterotoxigenic infections in mice.

Vaccine studies for and enterotoxigenic have been impaired by the lack of optimal animal models. We used two murine models to show that a 2a bivalent vaccine (CVD 1208S-122) expressing enterotoxigenic colonization factor antigen-I (CFA/I) and the binding subunits A2 and B of heat labile-enterotoxin (LTb) is immunogenic and protects against weight loss and diarrhea. These findings document the immunogenicity and pre-clinical efficacy effects of CVD 1208S-122 vaccine and suggest that further work can help elucidate relevant immune responses and ultimately its clinical efficacy in humans.

Virulence-Related Genes and Coenteropathogens Associated with Clinical Outcomes of Enteropathogenic Infections in Children from the Brazilian Semiarid Region: a Case-Control Study of Diarrhea.

Enteropathogenic (EPEC) is a major cause of diarrhea in children from developing countries and presents high genetic variability. We aimed to characterize the EPEC virulence-related gene (VRG) distribution and copathogens associated with diarrhea and nutrition-related outcomes in children from the low-income Brazilian semiarid region. A cross-sectional case-control study of diarrhea was conducted in 1,191 children aged 2 to 36 months from the northeast region of Brazil.

A murine model of diarrhea, growth impairment and metabolic disturbances with infection and the role of zinc deficiency.

is one of the major enteric pathogens worldwide. We present a murine model of infection and investigate the role of zinc deficiency (ZD). C57BL/6 mice fed either standard chow (HC) or ZD diets were pretreated with an antibiotic cocktail and received strain 2457T orally.

Modulation of Intestinal Immune and Barrier Functions by Vitamin A: Implications for Current Understanding of Malnutrition and Enteric Infections in Children.

The micronutrient vitamin A refers to a group of compounds with pleiotropic effects on human health. These molecules can modulate biological functions, including development, vision, and regulation of the intestinal barrier. The consequences of vitamin A deficiency and supplementation in children from developing countries have been explored for several years.