The urothelium, a distinct epithelial tissue lining the urinary tract, serves as an essential component in preserving urinary tract integrity and thwarting infections. The asymmetric unit membrane (AUM), primarily composed of the uroplakin complex, constitutes a critical permeability barrier in fulfilling this role. However, the molecular architectures of both the AUM and the uroplakin complex have remained enigmatic due to the paucity of high-resolution structural data. In this investigation, we employed cryo-electron microscopy to elucidate the three-dimensional structure of the uroplakin complex embedded within the porcine AUM at a resolution of 3.5 Å. Our findings unveiled that the uroplakin complexes are situated within hexagonally arranged crystalline lipid membrane domains, rich in hexosylceramides. Moreover, our research rectifies a misconception in a previous model by confirming the existence of a domain initially believed to be absent, and pinpointing the accurate location of a crucial Escherichia coli binding site implicated in urinary tract infections. These discoveries offer valuable insights into the molecular underpinnings governing the permeability barrier function of the urothelium and the orchestrated lipid phase formation within the plasma membrane.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3080731/v1 | DOI Listing |
BMC Med Educ
January 2025
School of Nursing, Seirei Christopher University, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan.
Background: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can be used in a variety of clinical settings and is a safe and powerful tool for ultrasound-trained healthcare providers, such as physicians and nurses; however, the effectiveness of ultrasound education for nursing students remains unclear. This prospective cohort study aimed to examine the sustained educational impact of bladder ultrasound simulation among nursing students.
Methods: To determine whether bladder POCUS simulation exercises sustainably improve the clinical proficiency regarding ultrasound examinations among nursing students, evaluations were conducted before and after the exercise and were compared with those after the 1-month follow-up exercise.
Sci Rep
January 2025
Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran.
This study is designed to assess the effect of root extract of P. ginseng on kidney tissue injury attributed to cisplatin and its molecular mechanism involved in this process in the AKI rat model. Twenty-four male Wistar rats were randomly allocated into 4 experimental groups including: the control group, the cisplatin group, the extract 100 mg/kg group, and the extract 200 mg/kg group.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Clin Nutr
January 2025
Freemasons Centre for Male Health & Wellbeing, School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Background: High prevalence of urinary tract infections (UTI), including cystitis, and concern for antimicrobial resistance justify safe and effective non-antibiotic therapies for prevention of recurrent UTI (rUTI). This study investigated the effect of a whole cranberry fruit powder supplement on incidence of culture-confirmed UTI (primary outcome) in females with rUTI history.
Methods: This multicenter, 6-month, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study enrolled 150 healthy females (18-65 years, body mass index (BMI) >17.
Int J Infect Dis
January 2025
Molecular Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA. Electronic address:
We present a case of an 88-year-old man with symptoms consistent with a urinary tract infection, whose diagnostic workup uncovered a previously unrecognized motile flagellated protozoan. Molecular identification confirmed the organism as Dimastigella trypaniformis, a free-living kinetoplastid from the Rhynchomonadidae family. Known only from soil samples in Scotland and termite gut contents in Australia and Germany, Dimastigella trypaniformis has not been previously reported to infect vertebrate hosts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLancet Neurol
February 2025
Department of Neurology, International University of Health and Welfare, Narita, Japan.
Background: Evidence from preclinical studies suggests that IL-6 signalling has the potential to modulate immunopathogenic mechanisms upstream of autoantibody effector mechanisms in patients with generalised myasthenia gravis. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of satralizumab, a humanised monoclonal antibody targeting the IL-6 receptor, in patients with generalised myasthenia gravis.
Methods: LUMINESCE was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre, phase 3 study at 105 sites, including hospitals and clinics, globally.
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