Bacterial assemblages structure in intensive cultivations of the microalga Tetradesmus obliquus

The present study shows the characterization of the bacterial communities associated with different systems during the cultivation of the microalga Tetradesmus obliquus. For that, sequential cultivation was performed in three different systems: (1) Photobioreactor bench-scale; (2) flat-panel photobioreactor; and (3) thin-layer cascade. Cultures were monitored daily for growth parameters and biomass samples were collected for characterization of bacterial communities using metagenomic. A total of 195,177 reads were produced, resulting in the identification of 72 OTUs. In the grouping of bacterial communities, 3 phyla, 6 classes, 28 families, and 35 taxa were found. The bacteria Brevundimonas and Porphyrobacter had a higher relative abundance compared with other taxa found. These taxa were present in all cultivation systems forming a possible core community. Bacterial communities associated with different cultivation systems of the microalga T. obliquus showed an increase in taxa richness and diversity in the super-intensive and intensive systems.

The workload-indexed blood pressure response predicts cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality in coronary artery disease

Background

Abnormal blood arterial pressure response to exercise (BPR) is a cardiovascular (CV) risk factor (CVRF). The concept of pathological BPR, believed to be an excessive raise or decrease, has been challenged. The workload-indexed blood pressure response (WBPR) recently emerged in an attempt to normalize hypertensive responses to exercise. However, it remains to be explored its value in high-risk CV subjects.

Purpose

Evaluation of the predictive value of WBPR in the occurrence of CV events and death in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients.

Methods

A cohort of 318 patients with known CAD, who underwent Bruce protocol treadmill testing between 2009–2010, were retrospectively followed to 11/2021 (9.9±2.3 years) to assess the predictive value of WBPR for the occurrence of death and CV events. The WBPR is the ratio between systolic blood pressure variation from rest to peak exercise (ΔSBP) and metabolic equivalent of task (MET-1). High and low WBPR groups were created based on median value for this sample (5.2 mmHg/MET). Data presented: mean ± standard deviation; 95% confidence interval (CI) for hazard ratios (HR); significance between groups p<0.05.

Results

Low vs high WBPR groups were similar at baseline for sex (88% male, p=0.67), hypertension (63%, p=0.18), diabetes (32%, p=0.34); dyslipidemia (72%, p=0.62), myocardial infarction (75%, p=0.39) and heart failure (HF) (9.9%, p=0.07), with exception for overweight/obesity (90% vs 82%, p=0.009) and age (57±11 vs 61±8 years, p=0.009) that were higher in the high-WBPR group. No significant differences were found between groups for medication at baseline, including anti-hypertensive, anti-thrombotic or anti-ischemic drugs. In the follow-up period occurred 43 deaths (12 CV deaths), 58 reinfarctions, 94 worsening/de novo HF and 29 strokes. A non-linear J-shaped relationship was observed between WBPR and most events. In the event-free survival analyses using Cox regression, the high-WBPR group was associated with all death (HR 2.0 (CI 1.0–3.9, p=0.042), reinfarction (HR 2.3 (CI 1.2–4.1, p=0.008), and worsening/de novo HF (HR 1.7 (CI 1.0–2.9, p=0.043) after adjusting for baseline age, CVRFs and medication. In receiver operating characteristic curves, adding WBPR to a model with other cardiac stress variables (double product, ST-T changes, symptoms, and test positivity) significantly improved the power to predict all death, with an area under curve of 0.73 (CI 0.66–0.80, p=0.037).

Conclusions

Data shows that WBPR is a powerful independent predictor of future cardiovascular events and deaths in CAD patients. This highlights cardiac exercise stress testing as an important risk assessment tool in secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

Anti-cancer Effects of Fucoxanthin on Human Glioblastoma Cell Line

BACKGROUND/AIM

Glioblastomas (GBMs) are the most malignant primary brain tumor. New treatment strategies against the disease are urgently needed, as therapies are not completely efficient. In this study, we evaluated the antitumorigenic activity of the carotenoid fucoxanthin (Fx) on human GBM cells in vitro.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

GBM1 cell viability and proliferation was assessed by MTT reduction, Ki67 and single cell cloning assays. GBM1 migration and invasion were analyzed by wound healing and Transwell assays. Apoptosis and necrosis were analyzed by flow cytometry, and the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) by the selective fluorescent dye tetramethylrhodamine ethyl ester. Cell morphology was analyzed through scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Fx anti-angiogenic effect was assessed by the CAM ex ovo assay.

RESULTS

Fx decreased cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner (40-100 μ M) in GBM1, A172 and C6 cell lines and was not cytotoxic to murine astrocytes. In addition, Fx inhibited the proliferation and clonogenic potential, and decreased migration and invasion of GBM1 cells. Furthermore, Fx induced apoptosis, loss of ΔΨm and ultrastructural alterations in GBM1. Fx-treated GBM1 cells-conditioned medium reduced the quail yolk membrane vascularity.

CONCLUSION

Fx induces cytotoxicity, anti-proliferative, anti-invasive and anti-angiogenic effects on GBM1 cells.

Secretion of the acid trehalase encoded by the CgATH1 gene allows trehalose fermentation by Candida glabrata

The emergent pathogen Candida glabrata differs from other yeasts because it assimilates only two sugars, glucose and the disaccharide trehalose. Since rapid identification tests are based on the ability of this yeast to rapidly hydrolyze trehalose, in this work a biochemical and molecular characterization of trehalose catabolism by this yeast was performed. Our results show that C. glabrata consumes and ferments trehalose, with parameters similar to those observed during glucose fermentation. The presence of glucose in the medium during exponential growth on trehalose revealed extracellular hydrolysis of the sugar by a cell surface acid trehalase with a pH optimum of 4.4. Approximately ∼30% of the total enzymatic activity is secreted into the medium during growth on trehalose or glycerol. The secreted enzyme shows an apparent molecular mass of 275 kDa in its native form, but denaturant gel electrophoresis revealed a protein with ∼130 kDa, which due to its migration pattern and strong binding to concanavalin A, indicates that it is probably a dimeric glycoprotein. The secreted acid trehalase shows high affinity and activity for trehalose, with Km and Vmax values of 3.4 mM and 80 U (mg protein)(-1), respectively. Cloning of the CgATH1 gene (CAGLOK05137g) from de C. glabrata genome, a gene showing high homology to fungal acid trehalases, allowed trehalose fermentation after heterologous expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Sentinel lymph node in endometrial cancer

The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of identifying the sentinel lymph node and involvement of neoplastic cells in patients with endometrial carcinoma limited to the uterus, and also its correlation with the conditions of other pelvic and para-aortic lymph nodes. Forty patients with endometrial carcinoma, clinical staging I and II, were submitted to complete surgical staging through laparotomy, as recommended by FIGO in 1988. The sentinel node was investigated using patent blue dye in the myometrial subserosa. The sentinel node was excised and submitted to frozen section examination of specimen, stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E). Afterward, selective bilateral para-aortic and pelvic lymphadenectomy, total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy were performed. The lymph nodes excised were examined by means of paraffin-embedded slices stained with H&E and of imunohistochemistry with antikeratin antibody AE1/AE3. The sentinel lymph node was identified in 77.5% of patients (31/40), and 16.1% (5/31) presented neoplastic involvement in the node. In 25 cases of negative sentinel node, 96% (24/25) had no neoplastic involvement, and 4% (1/25) had other lymph node affected (false negative). In nine cases with no sentinel node identified, 55.5% (5/9) had lymph node involvement. The results of this study allow us to conclude that it is possible to identify the sentinel node using the methods described, and the pathologic examination significantly represents the same conditions of other pelvic and para-aortic lymph nodes.

Sulpiride in the treatment of somatoform disorders: results of a European observational study to characterize the responder profile

An open, observational study was conducted in five European countries to obtain information concerning the profile of patients responding to sulpiride. A total of 1,356 patients were evaluable for analysis. The majority of patients (81.1%) had at least three principal somatic complaints; asthenia being the most common, followed by dizziness and headache. Most patients (76.0%) were rated as moderately to extremely ill according to the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) severity score. All patients received oral sulpiride for 3-6 weeks (mean dose, 175 mg/day). Sulpiride demonstrated good efficacy as shown by a reduction in the incidence and severity of somatic complaints, and an improvement in CGI severity score and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist--58 items. Based on a CGI rating of very much or much improved, 58.2% of patients were rated as responders. Sulpiride was well tolerated. There were no serious adverse events and only 16 patients (1.2%) were withdrawn prematurely from the study due to adverse events. There were no differences between the countries regarding the patients' profile or their response to sulpiride. Thus, the prescription profile of sulpiride appears not to be culturally dependent.

Surgical treatment for colorectal endometriosis

The authors studied the surgical treatment of patients with intestinal endometriosis. A total of 10 patients, with a median age range of 43 years, underwent an operation. Cramp abdominal pain (100%), diarrhea (30%), constipation and enterorrhagia (20%) dominated the clinical picture. At the time of surgery, four patients presented intestinal obstructive symptoms. Five (50%) patients reported gynecological complaints. Four patients were infertile and five had prior surgical gynaecological events. Seven cases presented sigmoid involvement, and three had involvement of the cecal appendix. Pre-operative diagnosis was carried out in two patients only. Surgical indications were due to suspicion of cancer (4 patients), appendicitis (3 patients), diverticular disease (1 patient) and unmanageable pain (2 patients). The following procedures were performed: left colectomy (2 cases), rectosigmoidectomy (3 cases), sigmoidectomy (3 cases), colostomy (2 cases) and three appendicectomy cases associated with concomitant gynecological interventions. No postoperative complications or deaths were observed. The authors emphasize that intestinal stenotic lesions should be treated by means of extirpation while the parietal nodule should be treated by exeresis. Intestinal endometriosis should be suspected in cases of lower abdomen recurrent pain in premenopausal infertile women or with previous surgical, gynecological events associated with intestinal symptoms or distal colon stenosis.