Detection of Coxiella antibodies in ruminants using a SucB recombinant antigen

The detection of Coxiella burnetii in ruminants remains challenging despite the use of new technology and the accumulation of novel knowledge. Serology tools, the primary methods of infection surveillance in veterinary medicine, have limitations. We used recombinant antigen production to develop an ELISA based on the SucB protein, one of the major immunodominant antigens described in humans and laboratory animals. We produced the antigen successfully in an Escherichia coli heterologous system, confirmed by sequencing and mass spectrometry, and seen as a band of ~50 kDa in SDS-PAGE and on western blot analysis. We compared the performance of the recombinant ELISA with a commercial ELISA. We observed agreement of 83.5% and a substantial Cohen κ value of 0.67 in our pilot study.

Chronodisruption of the acute inflammatory response by night lighting in rats

Daily oscillations are present in many aspects of the immune system, including responsiveness to infections, allowing temporal alignment of defence mechanisms with the external environment. Our study addresses whether compromised circadian timing function by dim artificial light at night (ALAN) impacts the time dependency of the acute inflammatory response in a rat model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation. After 2 weeks of exposure to low-intensity ALAN (~2 lx) or a standard light/dark cycle, male rats were challenged with LPS during either the day or the night. Dim ALAN attenuated the anorectic response when rats were stimulated during their early light phase. Next, ALAN suppressed daily variability in inflammatory changes in blood leukocyte numbers and increased the daytime sensitivity of neutrophils to the priming effects of LPS on oxidative burst. An altered renal inflammatory response in ALAN-exposed rats was manifested by stimulated T-cell infiltration into the kidney upon night-time LPS injection and the modified rhythmic response of genes involved in inflammatory pathways. Moreover, ALAN disturbed steady-state oscillations of the renal molecular clock and eliminated the inflammatory responsiveness of Rev-erbα. Altogether, dim ALAN impaired time-of-day-dependent sensitivity of inflammatory processes, pointing out a causal mechanism between light pollution and negative health effects.

Annual Plasma Neurofilament Dynamics Is a Sensitive Biomarker of Disease Activity in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Background and Objectives: Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a sensitive biomarker of neuroaxonal damage. This study aimed to assess the relationship between the annual change in plasma NfL (pNfL) and disease activity in the past year, as defined by the concept no evidence of disease activity (NEDA) in a cohort of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Materials and Methods: Levels of pNfL (SIMOA) were examined in 141 MS patients and analyzed in relationship to the NEDA-3 status (absence of relapse, disability worsening, and MRI activity) and NEDA-4 (NEDA-3 extended by brain volume loss ≤ 0.4%) during the last 12 months. Patients were divided into two groups: annual pNfL change with an increase of less than 10% (group 1), and pNfL increases of more than 10% (group 2). Results: The mean age of the study participants (n = 141, 61% females) was 42.33 years (SD, 10.17), and the median disability score was 4.0 (3.5-5.0). The ROC analysis showed that a pNfL annual change ≥ 10% correlates with the absence of the NEDA-3 status (p < 0.001; AUC: 0.92), and the absence of the NEDA-4 status (p < 0.001; AUC: 0.839). Conclusions: Annual plasma NfL increases of more than 10% appear to be a useful tool for assessing disease activity in treated MS patients.

Age-Dependent Changes in Calcium Regulation after Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

During aging, heart structure and function gradually deteriorate, which subsequently increases susceptibility to ischemia-reperfusion (IR). Maintenance of Ca²⁺ homeostasis is critical for cardiac contractility. We used Langendorff's model to monitor the susceptibility of aging (6-, 15-, and 24-month-old) hearts to IR, with a specific focus on Ca²⁺-handling proteins. IR, but not aging itself, triggered left ventricular changes when the maximum rate of pressure development decreased in 24-month-olds, and the maximum rate of relaxation was most affected in 6-month-old hearts. Aging caused a deprivation of Ca²⁺-ATPase (SERCA2a), Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchanger, mitochondrial Ca²⁺ uniporter, and ryanodine receptor contents. IR-induced damage to ryanodine receptor stimulates Ca²⁺ leakage in 6-month-old hearts and elevated phospholamban (PLN)-to-SERCA2a ratio can slow down Ca²⁺ reuptake seen at 2-5 μM Ca²⁺. Total and monomeric PLN mirrored the response of overexpressed SERCA2a after IR in 24-month-old hearts, resulting in stable Ca²⁺-ATPase activity. Upregulated PLN accelerated inhibition of Ca²⁺-ATPase activity at low free Ca²⁺ in 15-month-old after IR, and reduced SERCA2a content subsequently impairs the Ca²⁺-sequestering capacity. In conclusion, our study suggests that aging is associated with a significant decrease in the abundance and function of Ca²⁺-handling proteins. However, the IR-induced damage was not increased during aging.

Disturbances of Hormonal Circadian Rhythms by Light Pollution

The circadian rhythms evolved to anticipate and cope with cyclic changes in environmental conditions. This adaptive function is currently compromised by increasing levels of artificial light at night (ALAN), which can represent a risk for the development of diseases of civilisation. The causal links are not completely understood, and this featured review focuses on the chronodisruption of the neuroendocrine control of physiology and behaviour by dim ALAN. The published data indicate that low levels of ALAN (2-5 lux) can attenuate the molecular mechanisms generating circadian rhythms in the central oscillator, eliminate the rhythmic changes in dominant hormonal signals, such as melatonin, testosterone and vasopressin, and interfere with the circadian rhythm of the dominant glucocorticoid corticosterone in rodents. These changes are associated with a disturbed daily pattern of metabolic changes and behavioural rhythms in activity and food and water intake. The increasing levels of ALAN require the identification of the pathways mediating possible negative consequences on health to design effective mitigation strategies to eliminate or minimise the effects of light pollution.

Dextran Sulphate Sodium Acute Colitis Rat Model: A Suitable Tool for Advancing Our Understanding of Immune and Microbial Mechanisms in the Pathogenesis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of disorders causing inflammation in the digestive tract. Recent data suggest that dysbiosis may play a pivotal role in the IBD pathogenesis. As microbiome-based therapeutics that modulate the gut ecology have been proposed as a novel strategy for preventing IBD, the aim of presenting study was to evaluate the dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) rat model mainly in terms of microbial shifts to confirm its suitability for dysbiosis study in IBD. Acute colitis was induced using 5% DSS solution for seven days and rats were euthanized five days after DSS removal. The faecal/caecal microbiota was analyzed by next generation sequencing. Disease activity index (DAI) score was evaluated daily. Blood and colon tissue immunophenotyping was assessed by flow cytometry and histological, haematological, and biochemical parameters were also evaluated. The colitis induction was reflected in a significantly higher DAI score and changes in all parameters measured. This study demonstrated significant shifts in the colitis-related microbial species after colitis induction. The characteristic inflammation-associated microbiota could be detected even after a five day-recovery period. Moreover, the DSS-model might contribute to an understanding of the effect of different treatments on extraintestinal organ impairments. The observation that certain bacterial species in the gut microbiota are associated with colitis raises the question of whether these organisms are contributors to, or a consequence of the disease. Despite some limitations, we confirmed the suitability of DSS-induced colitis model to monitor microbial changes during acute colitis, in order to test attractive new microbiome-based therapies.

Flavonoids Targeting HIF-1: Implications on Cancer Metabolism

Tumor hypoxia is described as an oxygen deprivation in malignant tissue. The hypoxic condition is a consequence of an imbalance between rapidly proliferating cells and a vascularization that leads to lower oxygen levels in tumors. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) is an essential transcription factor contributing to the regulation of hypoxia-associated genes. Some of these genes modulate molecular cascades associated with the Warburg effect and its accompanying pathways and, therefore, represent promising targets for cancer treatment. Current progress in the development of therapeutic approaches brings several promising inhibitors of HIF-1. Flavonoids, widely occurring in various plants, exert a broad spectrum of beneficial effects on human health, and are potentially powerful therapeutic tools against cancer. Recent evidences identified numerous natural flavonoids and their derivatives as inhibitors of HIF-1, associated with the regulation of critical glycolytic components in cancer cells, including pyruvate kinase M2(PKM2), lactate dehydrogenase (LDHA), glucose transporters (GLUTs), hexokinase II (HKII), phosphofructokinase-1 (PFK-1), and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK). Here, we discuss the results of most recent studies evaluating the impact of flavonoids on HIF-1 accompanied by the regulation of critical enzymes contributing to the Warburg phenotype. Besides, flavonoid effects on glucose metabolism via regulation of HIF-1 activity represent a promising avenue in cancer-related research. At the same time, only more-in depth investigations can further elucidate the mechanistic and clinical connections between HIF-1 and cancer metabolism.