Opening of Ca2+-activated K+ channels triggers early and delayed preconditioning against I/R injury independent of NOS in mice. (65/277)

Opening of Ca2+-activated K+ (KCa) channels has been shown to confer early cardioprotection. It is unknown whether the opening of these channels also induces delayed cardioprotection. In addition, we determined the involvement of nitric oxide synthases (NOSs), which have been implicated in cardioprotection induced by opening of mitochondrial ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels. Adult male ICR mice were pretreated with the KCa-channel opener NS-1619 either 10 min or 24 h before 30 min of global ischemia and 60 min of reperfusion (I/R) in Langendorff mode. Infusion of NS-1619 (10 microM) for 10 min before I/R led to smaller infarct sizes as compared with the vehicle (DMSO)-treated group (P <0.05). This infarct-limiting effect of NS-1619 was associated with improvement in ventricular functional recovery after I/R. The NS-1619-induced protection was abolished by coadministration with the KCa-channel blocker paxilline (1 microM). Similarly, pretreatment with NS-1619 (1 mg/kg ip) induced delayed protection 24 h later (P <0.05). Interestingly, the NS-1619-induced late protection was not blocked by the NOS inhibitor Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (15 mg/kg ip). Unlike diazoxide (the opener of mitochondrial KATP channels), NS-1619 did not increase the expression of inducible or endothelial NOS. Western blot analysis demonstrated the existence of alpha- and beta-subunits of KCa channels in mouse heart tissue. We conclude that opening of KCa channels leads to both early and delayed preconditioning effects through a mechanism that is independent of nitric oxide.  (+info)

Detection of multiple QTL with epistatic effects under a mixed inheritance model in an outbred population. (66/277)

A quantitative trait depends on multiple quantitative trait loci (QTL) and on the interaction between two or more QTL, named epistasis. Several methods to detect multiple QTL in various types of design have been proposed, but most of these are based on the assumption that each QTL works independently and epistasis has not been explored sufficiently. The objective of the study was to propose an integrated method to detect multiple QTL with epistases using Bayesian inference via a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm. Since the mixed inheritance model is assumed and the deterministic algorithm to calculate the probabilities of QTL genotypes is incorporated in the method, this can be applied to an outbred population such as livestock. Additionally, we treated a pair of QTL as one variable in the Reversible jump Markov chain Monte Carlo (RJMCMC) algorithm so that two QTL were able to be simultaneously added into or deleted from a model. As a result, both of the QTL can be detected, not only in cases where either of the two QTL has main effects and they have epistatic effects between each other, but also in cases where neither of the two QTL has main effects but they have epistatic effects. The method will help ascertain the complicated structure of quantitative traits.  (+info)

phgABC, a three-gene operon required for growth of Streptococcus pneumoniae in hyperosmotic medium and in vivo. (67/277)

To cause disease, bacterial pathogens need to be able to adapt to the physiological conditions found within the host, including an osmolality of approximately 290 mosmol kg(-1). While investigating Streptococcus pneumoniae genes contained within pneumococcal pathogenicity island 1, we identified a three-gene operon of unknown function termed phgABC. PhgC has a domain with similarity to diacylglycerol kinases of eukaryotes and is the first described member of a family of related proteins found in many gram-positive bacteria. phgA and phgC mutant strains were constructed by insertional duplication mutagenesis and found to have impaired growth under conditions of high osmotic and oxidative stress. The compatible solutes proline and glycine betaine improved growth of the wild-type and the phgA mutant strains in hyperosmolar medium, and when analyzed by electron microscopy, the cellular morphology of the phgA mutant strain was unaffected by osmotic stress. The phgA and phgC mutant strains were reduced in virulence in models of both systemic and pulmonary infection. As the virulence of the phgA mutant strain was not restored in gp91phox(-/-) mice and the phgA and phgC mutant strains had reduced growth in both blood and serum, the reduced virulence of these strains is unlikely to be due to increased sensitivity to the respiratory burst of phagocytes but is, instead, due to impaired growth at physiological osmolality.  (+info)

Experimental infections of neonatal mice with cysts of Giardia lamblia clone GS/M-83-H7 are associated with an antigenic reset of the parasite. (68/277)

Transmission of the protozoan parasite Giardia lamblia from one to another host individuum occurs through peroral ingestion of cysts which, following excystation in the small intestine, release two trophozoites each. Many studies have focused on the major surface antigen, VSP (for variant surface protein), which is responsible for the antigenic variability of the parasite. By using trophozoites of G. lamblia clone GS/M-83-H7 (expressing VSP H7) and the neonatal mouse model for experimental infections, we quantitatively assessed the process of antigenic variation of the parasite on the transcriptional level. In the present study, variant-specific regions identified on different GS/M-83-H7 vsp sequences served as targets for quantitative reverse transcription-PCR to monitor alterations in vsp mRNA levels during infection. Respective results demonstrated that antigenic switching of both the duodenal trophozoite and the cecal cyst populations was associated with a massive reduction in vsp H7 mRNA levels but not with a simultaneous increase in transcripts of any of the subvariant vsp genes analyzed. Most importantly, we also explored giardial variant-type formation and vsp mRNA levels after infection of mice with cysts. This infection mode led to an antigenic reset of the parasite in that a VSP H7-negative inoculum "converted" into a population of intestinal trophozoites that essentially consisted of the original VSP H7 type. This antigenic reset appears to be associated with excystation rather than with a selective process which favors expansion of a residual population of VSP H7 types within the antigenically diversified cyst inoculum. Based on these findings, the VSP H7 type has to be regarded as a predominant variant of G. lamblia clone GS/M-83-H7 which (re-)emerges during early-stage infection and may contribute to an optimal establishment of the parasite within the intestine of the experimental murine host.  (+info)

Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase exacerbates group B streptococcus sepsis and arthritis in mice. (69/277)

The role of nitric oxide in group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection was evaluated by inhibiting its production with aminoguanidine (AG). AG-treated mice displayed higher mortality rates and more frequent and severe arthritis than controls. Worsening of arthritis correlated with a higher number of GBS cells in the joints and local interleukin-1 beta production.  (+info)

Virus persistence in an animal model of multiple sclerosis requires virion attachment to sialic acid coreceptors. (70/277)

Persistent Theiler's virus infection in the central nervous system (CNS) of mice provides a highly relevant animal model for multiple sclerosis. The low-neurovirulence DA strain uses sialic acid as a coreceptor for cell binding before establishing infection. During adaptation of DA virus to growth in sialic acid-deficient cells, three amino acid substitutions (G1100D, T1081I, and T3182A) in the capsid arose, and the virus no longer used sialic acid as a coreceptor. The adapted virus retained acute CNS virulence, but its persistence in the CNS, white matter inflammation, and demyelination were largely abrogated. Infection of murine macrophage but not oligodendrocyte cultures with the adapted virus was also significantly reduced. Substitution of G1100D in an infectious DA virus cDNA clone demonstrated a major role for this mutation in loss of sialic acid binding and CNS persistence. These data indicate a direct role for sialic acid binding in Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus persistence and chronic demyelinating disease.  (+info)

Cobalt chloride induces delayed cardiac preconditioning in mice through selective activation of HIF-1alpha and AP-1 and iNOS signaling. (71/277)

Acute systemic hypoxia induces delayed cardioprotection against ischemia (I)-reperfusion (R) injury via inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)-dependent mechanism. Because CoCl2 is known to elicit hypoxia-like responses, we hypothesized that this chemical would mimic the delayed preconditioning effect in the heart. Adult male mice were pretreated with CoCl2 or saline. The hearts were isolated 24 h later and subjected to 20 min of global I and 30 min of R in Langendorff mode. Myocardial infarct size (% of risk area; mean +/- SE, n=6-8/group) was reduced in mice pretreated with 30 mg/kg CoCl2 (16.1 +/- 3.1% vs. 27.6 +/- 3.3% with saline control; P <0.05) without compromising postischemic cardiac function. Higher doses of CoCl2 failed to induce similar protection. Electrophoretic mobility gel shift assay demonstrated significant enhancement in DNA binding activity of hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha) and activator protein 1 (AP-1) in nuclear extracts from CoCl2-treated hearts. Activation of HIF-1alpha and AP-1 was evident at 30 min and sustained for the next 4 h after CoCl2 injection. In contrast, CoCl2-induced protection was independent of NF-kappaB activation because no DNA binding or p65 translocation was observed in nuclear extracts. Also, CoCl2-induced cardioprotection was preserved in p50 subunit NF-kappaB-knockout (KO) mice (11.1 +/- 3.0% vs. 25.1 +/- 5.0% in saline-treated p50-KO mice; P <0.05). The infarct-limiting effect of CoCl2 was absent in iNOS-KO mice (20.9 +/- 3.0%). We conclude that in vivo administration of CoCl2 preconditions the heart against I/R injury. The delayed protective effect of CoCl2 is achieved through a distinctive signaling mechanism involving HIF-1alpha, AP-1, and iNOS but independent of NF-kappaB activation.  (+info)

Molecular cloning of the Chlamydophila abortus groEL gene and evaluation of its protective efficacy in a murine model by genetic vaccination. (72/277)

The immunogenicity and protective effect of a DNA vaccine encoding the heat-shock protein (Hsp) GroEL of Chlamydophila abortus AB7, an obligate intracellular bacterium that causes abortion in sheep, was evaluated in pregnant and non-pregnant mouse models. The C. abortus groEL gene was cloned by screening a genomic library constructed in lambdaFIX II arms with a nucleic acid probe corresponding to the central portion of the groEL gene from C. abortus. Sequence analysis of a positive clone revealed an open reading frame of 1632 bp encoding a 544 amino acid polypeptide with a predicted molecular mass of 58 256 Da and highly similar to GroEL of Chlamydia trachomatis (93 %) and Chlamydophila pneumoniae (94 %). As observed in other sequenced chlamydial genomes, the groEL gene belongs to an operon comprising another gene encoding the Hsp GroES. OF1 outbred mice were immunized intramuscularly with plasmid DNA carrying the groEL gene three times at 3 week intervals and challenged 2 weeks after the last DNA injection. In pregnant mice, no reduction in abortion was observed and the DNA vaccination failed to reduce the bacterial infection in the placenta and spleen of mice. Nevertheless, partial protection of fetuses was obtained. Immunization of non-pregnant mice with the groEL gene resulted in a specific humoral response with the predominant IgG2a isotype, suggesting a Th1-type immune response. The anti-GroEL antibodies showed no neutralizing effect in vitro on C. abortus infectivity. Although the DNA vaccine induced a delayed-type hypersensitivity response, it failed to elicit an efficient cellular immune response since the mice were not protected against bacterial challenge.  (+info)