Urinary Tract Infections Caused by Uropathogenic Strains-New Strategies for an Old Pathogen.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common infections worldwide. Uropathogenic (UPECs) are the main causative agent of UTIs. UPECs initially colonize the human host adhering to the bladder epithelium.

pH-responsive oleic acid based nanocarriers: Melanoma treatment strategies.

Numerous clinical observations indicate that, despite novel therapeutic approaches, a high percentage of melanoma patients is non-responder or suffers of severe drug-related toxicity. To overcome these problems, we considered the option of designing, preparing and characterizing nanoemulsions and niosomes containing oleic acid, a pH-sensitive monounsaturated fatty acid holding per se an antimetastatic and anti-inflammatory role in melanoma. These new nanostructures will allow in vivo administration of oleic acid, otherwise toxic in its free form.

Exposure to TiO Nanoparticles Increases Infection of Intestinal Epithelial Cells.

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO NPs) are widely used in a variety of consumer products. Cellular exposure to TiO NPs results in complex effects on cell physiology that could impact biological systems. We investigated the behavior of in intestinal epithelial cells pre-treated with either a low or high (1 and 20 µg/cm) dose of TiO NPs.

L. Essential Oils: Chemical Profiles/Phytochemical Screening, Antimicrobial Activity and O/W NanoEmulsion Formulations.

Chemical fingerprints of four different L. essential oils (SEOs) were assayed by an untargeted metabolomics approach based on Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry (MS) coupled with either electrospray ionization or atmospheric pressure chemical ionization ion sources. Analysis and relative quantification of the non-polar volatile fraction were conducted by gas chromatography (GC) coupled to MS.

Satureja montana L. essential oil and its antimicrobial activity alone or in combination with gentamicin.

Many essential oils (EOs) are screened as potential sources of antimicrobial compounds. EOs from the genus Satureja have recognized biological properties, including analgesic, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anticancer, and antimicrobial activity. This study aimed to obtain a metabolite profile of commercial essential oil of S.

Virulence behavior of uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains in the host model Caenorhabditis elegans.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections in humans. Although a number of bacteria can cause UTIs, most cases are due to infection by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). UPEC are a genetically heterogeneous group that exhibit several virulence factors associated with colonization and persistence of bacteria in the urinary tract.

Systems Biology-Driven Hypotheses Tested In Vivo: The Need to Advancing Molecular Imaging Tools.

Processing and interpretation of biological images may provide invaluable insights on complex, living systems because images capture the overall dynamics as a "whole." Therefore, "extraction" of key, quantitative morphological parameters could be, at least in principle, helpful in building a reliable systems biology approach in understanding living objects. Molecular imaging tools for system biology models have attained widespread usage in modern experimental laboratories.