DSpace Collection: 561 - 785

Use of wogonin as a cooperative drug with praziquantel to better combat schistosomiasis

2024-12-19T04:19:47Z

Title: Use of wogonin as a cooperative drug with praziquantel to better combat schistosomiasis Authors: Pekkle Lam, Ho Yin; Hung, Meng-Yun; Cheng, Po-Ching; Peng, Shih-Yi Abstract: Abstract Background: Schistosomiasis is one of the most devastating tropical diseases in the world. Currently, praziquantel (PZQ) represents the best pharmacological option for the treatment of schistosomiasis as it effectively kills the worm. However, the inability to reverse established liver damages often makes treatment futile. In the current study, we investigate whether combining the use of wogonin, a compound that was found to be liver-protective, with PZQ can attribute to the greatest beneficial effect in Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice. Methods: To determine the protective effect of PZQ-wogonin treatment on S. manosni-infected mice, histopathological analysis was done to evaluate the granuloma size and fibrotic areas in the liver. Western blotting was performed to analyze several injuries-related markers including fibrotic markers, inflammasomes, and apoptotic markers. Scanning electron microscopy was done to evaluate the effect of wogonin on the worms, and the worm and egg burden was calculated. Results: Our results showed that PZQ-wogonin treatment significantly improved liver histopathology of S. mansoni-infected mice. Further analysis showed that PZQ-wogonin combinations are more effective in reducing fibrosis, inflammation, and apoptosis in the liver than that ofindividual drug use. Furthermore, our results revealed that wogonin is anthelmintic; and it works better with PZQ in reducing hepatic egg burden, further lessen the disease progression. Conclusion: In general, this combinatorial strategy may represent a new and effective approach to schistosomiasis treatment

Nasopharyngeal microbial profiles associated with the risk of airway allergies in early childhood

2024-12-19T04:09:20Z

Title: Nasopharyngeal microbial profiles associated with the risk of airway allergies in early childhood Authors: Tsai, Ming-Han; Shih, Hsiang-Ju; -Wen Su, Kuan; Liao, Sui-Ling; Chin Hua, Man-; Chieh Yao, Tsung- Abstract: Abstract Background: Airway microbiota may play an important role in regulating the immune response related to allergic respiratory diseases. A molecular-based approach was used to analyze the association between nasopharyngeal microbiota, serum immunoglobin (Ig)E levels, and childhood respiratory allergies. Methods: Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from children aged 36 months with three phenotypes, including allergic respiratory diseases plus atopy, atopy alone, and healthy controls for microbiome analysis using Illumina-based 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Results: In total, 87 children were enrolled, including 36 with allergic respiratory diseases plus atopy, 21 with atopy alone, and 30 healthy controls. Proteobacteria (45.7%), Firmicutes (29.3%), and Actinobacteria (15.3%) were the most prevalent phyla in the study population. Compared with healthy controls, a lower Chao1 index was found in children with allergies (P < 0.035), indicating that bacterial richness was inversely associated with airway allergiesAdditionally, in comparison with healthy controls, the genera Acinetobacter, Moraxella, Asaia, and Rhodococcus were more abundant and positively correlated with total serum IgE levels in children with allergies (P < 0.01), whereas the genera Enterococcus and Rickettsia were inversely correlated with total IgE levels, and also appeared to be negatively associated with airway allergies (P < 0.01). Conclusions: The composition of the nasopharyngeal microbiota alteration may have an influence on childhood respiratory allergies. The inverse association between bacterial richness and allergies postulated that children living in a microbially hygienic environment may increase their risk of developing respiratory allergies.

Effect of combination treatment with Lactobacillus rhamnosus and corticosteroid in reducing airway inflammation in a mouse asthma model

2024-12-19T04:08:37Z

Title: Effect of combination treatment with Lactobacillus rhamnosus and corticosteroid in reducing airway inflammation in a mouse asthma model Authors: Voo, Pit-Yee; -Ta Wu, Chia; Sun, Hai-Lun; -Liang Ko, Jiunn; Lue, Ko-Haung Abstract: Abstract Background: Asthma is a complex multifactorial chronic airway inflammatory disease with diverse phenotypes and levels of severity and is associated with significant health and economic burden. In a certain population of asthma patients, the symptoms cannot be well controlled with steroid. There has been long standing interest in the use of probiotics for treating allergic diseases. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the combination of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) with prednisolone could reduce the dosage of glucocorticoid in controlling airway inflammation in a murine model for allergic asthma. Material and methods: We used Der p 2-sensitized asthma model in female BALB/c mice. The animals were treated with 75 ml or 50 ml oral prednisolone or combination treatment of these two doses of oral prednisolone with LGG. Airway hyperresponsiveness, serum specific IgE/ IgG1/IgG2a, infiltrating inflammatory cells in lung and cytokines were assessed. Results: Compared to 75 ml prednisolone, a lower dose of prednisolone with 50 ml was less satisfactory in suppressing airway hyperresponsives, serum IgE and IgG1, Th2 cytokines andinflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, IL-8 and IL-17 as well as infiltrating inflammatory cells. However, combination of 50 ml prednisolone and LGG decreased airway resistance and serum IgE and IgG1, inhibited the production of IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-13 and IL-17, upregulated serum IgG2a and enhanced Th1 immune response. Conclusions: LGG may reduce the dosage of prednisolone and thus may be beneficial in the treatment of asthma.

Development and clinical implications of a novel CRISPR-based diagnostic test for pulmonary Aspergillus fumigatus infection

2024-12-19T03:53:24Z

Title: Development and clinical implications of a novel CRISPR-based diagnostic test for pulmonary Aspergillus fumigatus infection Authors: Li, Zhengtu; Wang, Mingdie; Xu, Teng; Zhan, Yangqing; Chen, Fengyi; Lin, Ye Abstract: Abstract Background: Rapid and reliable diagnostic methods for Aspergillus fumigatus infection are urgently needed. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)- associated protein 13a (Cas13a) has high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of viral infection. However, its potential use in detecting A. fumigatus remains unexplored. A highly sensitive and specific method using the CRISPR/Cas13a system was developed for the reliable and rapid detection of A. fumigatus. Methods: The conserved internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of A. fumigatus was used to design CRISPR-derived RNA (crRNA) and the corresponding recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) primer sequence with the T7 promoter for the CRISPR assay. Twenty-five clinical isolates and 43 bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) remaining from routine examinations of patients with confirmed pulmonary aspergillosis were collected to further validate the CRISPR assay. Results: No amplification signal was observed when genomic DNA from closely clinically related Aspergillus species, such as Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus terreus, as well as Monascus purpureus Went and Escherichia coli, was tested by this assay, and the detection limit for A. fumigatus was 3 copies in a single reaction system. Validation experiments using the 25 clinical isolates demonstrated 91.7% specificity for the A. fumigatus section, and the sensitivity was 100% when first-generation sequencing was used as the standard. There was no significant difference between the PCR and CRISPR methods (P Z 1.0), and the diagnosis results of the two methods were consistent (Kappa Z 0.459, P Z 0.003).Conclusion: The study offers a new validated CRISPR/Cas13a technique for A. fumigatus detection, providing a simple, rapid and affordable test that is ready for application in the diagnosis of A. fumigatus infection.