Therapeutic Efficacy of the N,N′ Bis-(2-Mercaptoethyl) Isophthalamide Chelator for Methylmercury Intoxication in Caenorhabditis elegans

Neurotoxicity Research - Methylmercury (MeHg) is a global pollutant and potent neurotoxin. In humans, MeHg damages the central nervous system (CNS), causing irreversible neuronal shrinkage, and...     

Lead-Induced Physiological,Biochemical and Enzymatic Changes in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Asplenium scolopendrium</Emphasis> L.

The paper aims to determine the lead-induced physiological, biochemical and enzymatic changes in Asplenium scolopendrium, which could represent biomarkers used in environmental assessment. Of all the physiological processes, photosynthesis and respiration were analyzed and the enzymatic and biochemical determinations focused on catalase activity, assimilatory pigment concentration, polyphenol content and lead presence in tissues.The stress induced by the exposure to Pb of the species Asplenium scolopendrium determined an increase in the carotenoid content, the catalase activity, the total polyphenol content and also enhanced the respiration potential. No significant changes were recorded regarding the chlorophyll content and the photosynthetic activity. The recorded changes may be used as non-specific markers in the assessment of the impact of Pb on plants (Asplenium scolopendrium).     

Risk of active tuberculosis in patients with inflammatory arthritis receiving TNF inhibitors: a look beyond the baseline tuberculosis screening protocol

Clinical Rheumatology - Tuberculosis (TB) is a major concern in patients receiving TNF inhibitors (TNFi). This study aimed to assess the incidence of active TB and the efficacy of TB prevention...     

Long-term calorie restriction, but not endurance exercise, lowers core body temperature in humans

Reduction of body temperature has been proposed to contribute to the increased lifespan in calorie restricted animals and mice overexpressing the uncoupling protein-2 in hypocretin neurons. However, nothing is known regarding the long-term effects of calorie restriction (CR) with adequate nutrition on body temperature in humans. In this study, 24-hour core body temperature was measured every minute by using ingested telemetric capsules in 24 men and women (mean age 53.7 ± 9.4 yrs) consuming a CR diet for an average of 6 years, 24 age- and sex-matched sedentary (WD) and 24 body fat-matched exercise-trained (EX) volunteers, who were eating Western diets. The CR and EX groups were significantly leaner than the WD group. Energy intake was lower in the CR group (1769 ± 348 kcal/d) than in the WD (2302 ± 668 kcal/d) and EX (2798 ± 760 kcal/d) groups (P < 0.0001). Mean 24-hour, day-time and night-time core body temperatures were all significantly lower in the CR group than in the WD and EX groups (P ≤ 0.01). Long-term CR with adequate nutrition in lean and weight-stable healthy humans is associated with a sustained reduction in core body temperature, similar to that found in CR rodents and monkeys. This adaptation is likely due to CR itself, rather than to leanness, and may be involved in slowing the rate of aging.     

Paraneoplastic syndrome in haemophagocytic histiocytic sarcoma in a dog

A case of metastatic splenic haemophagocytic histiocytic sarcoma (HHS) in a 6-year-old neutered male flat-coated retriever is described. The main clinical findings were hypoalbuminaemia and regenerative anaemia. The diagnosis was based on histological features and expression of CD11d by the neoplastic cells. Tumour cells were shown to produce interleukin (IL)-6, to phagocytose erythrocytes and to take up albumin, as demonstrated by immunohistochemistry and ultrastructural examination. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction identified increased IL-6 gene expression in affected organs. These findings suggest that neoplastic cells are responsible for the clinical features of HHS, by removing erythrocytes and albumin from the blood and releasing cytokines, such as IL-6.     

Synergistic effect of combined HIV/HCV immunogens: a combined HIV-1/HCV candidate vaccine induces a higher level of CD8+ T cell-immune responses in HLA-A2.1 mice

Dual infections with HIV-1 and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) may proceed in concert to cause severe disease. HIV positive individuals that become infected with HCV advance more rapidly to AIDS than those that are infected with HIV-1 alone. In this study, HLA-A2.1 mice were immunized with a combination vaccine including HIV and HCV immunogens (polycistronic DNA + proteins) or vaccine containing either HIV or HCV immunogens. Mice immunized with the combined HIV/HCV regimen had similar antibody titers as the group receiving either the HIV-1 or HCV only regimen. Proliferative immune responses showed that mice receiving the combined HIV/HCV vaccine exhibited a three fold higher stimulation index (SI) to gp120 than mice immunized with the vaccine containing HIV alone. To determine whether our vaccine strategy induced Th1 or Th2 immune responses, IFN-gamma and IL-4/IL-5 were measured. The combined HIV/HCV vaccine induced a higher level of Th1 responses to HIV-1 gag protein compared with the other groups, as measured by IFN-gamma production. Interestingly, detection of IFN-gamma by ELISPOT assay demonstrated that the combined HIV/HCV vaccine group had increased numbers of spot forming cells (SFC) to HIV-gp120 peptides when compared to that of the HIV-1 only vaccine group. The combined HIV/HCV vaccine group also showed an increase in SFC to HCV-core peptides in comparison with the group receiving the HCV only vaccine. Intracellular IFN-gamma staining confirmed the ELISPOT results and demonstrated that the combined HIV/HCV group had significantly higher percentages of HIV and HCV-specific CD8+ T cells in comparison to the groups receiving the HIV or HCV vaccines. These results suggest a new approach to maximize vaccine efficacy against HIV and HCV.