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PloS One 2023As the number of contact lens users increases, contact lens induced corneal infection is becoming more common. Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a type of those which is...
As the number of contact lens users increases, contact lens induced corneal infection is becoming more common. Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a type of those which is caused by Acanthamoeba species, and may cause severe ocular inflammation and visual loss. We evaluated whether Torreya nucifera (T. nucifera) extract has an anti-amoebic effect and studied its mechanism of action on Acanthamoeba lugdunensis (A. lugdunensis). Cell viability was tested using the alamarBlue™ method, and the cell death mechanism was confirmed using the Tali® Apoptosis Kit. The SYTOX® Green assay was performed to check the plasma membrane permeability. The JC-1 dye was used to measure the mitochondrial membrane potential. A CellTiter-Glo® Luminescent Assay was used to measure the adenosine-triphosphate (ATP) level. Morphological changes in the mitochondria were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Cystic changes and a decrease in cell viability after treatment with T. nucifera were observed. Both apoptotic and necrotic cells were found in the Tali® Apoptosis assay. There was no significant difference in plasma membrane permeability between the control and T. nucifera treated groups. The collapse of the mitochondrial membrane potential and reduced ATP level in A. lugdunensis was confirmed in the groups treated with T. nucifera. Structural damage to the mitochondria was observed on TEM in the groups treated with T. nucifera. T. nucifera showed an anti-amoebic effect on A. lugdunensis, by inducing the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Thus, it could be a future therapeutic agent for AK.
Topics: Humans; Acanthamoeba; Amebicides; Acanthamoeba Keratitis; Adenosine Triphosphate; Plant Extracts
PubMed: 36745609
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281141 -
The Korean Journal of Parasitology Aug 2022The high percentage of Vermamoeba was found in tap water in Korea. This study investigated whether Vermamoeba induced allergic airway inflammation in mice. We selected 2...
The high percentage of Vermamoeba was found in tap water in Korea. This study investigated whether Vermamoeba induced allergic airway inflammation in mice. We selected 2 free-living amoebas (FLAs) isolated from tap water, which included Korean FLA 5 (KFA5; Vermamoeba vermiformis) and 21 (an homolog of Acanthamoeba lugdunensis KA/ E2). We axenically cultured KFA5 and KFA21. We applied approximately 1 × 106 to mice's nasal passages 6 times and investigated their pathogenicity. The airway resistance value was significantly increased after KFA5 and KFA21 treatments. The eosinophil recruitment and goblet cell hyperplasia were concomitantly observed in bronchial alveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and lung tissue in mice infected with KFA5 and KFA21. These infections also activated the Th2-related interleukin 25, thymic stromal lymphopoietin, and thymus and activation-regulated chemokines gene expression in mouse lung epithelial cells. The CD4+ interleukin 4+ cell population was increased in the lung, and the secretion of Th2-, Th17-, and Th1-associated cytokines were upregulated during KFA5 and KFA21 infection in the spleen, lung-draining lymph nodes, and BAL fluid. The pathogenicity (allergenicity) of KFA5 and KFA21 might not have drastically changed during the long-term in vitro culture. Our results suggested that Vermamoeba could elicit allergic airway inflammation and may be an airway allergen.
Topics: Acanthamoeba; Amoeba; Animals; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; Eosinophils; Inflammation; Mice; Water
PubMed: 36041484
DOI: 10.3347/kjp.2022.60.4.229 -
The Korean Journal of Parasitology Apr 2020Free-living amoebas (FLAs) can cause severe disease in humans and animals when they become infected. However, there are no accurate survey reports on the prevalence of...
Free-living amoebas (FLAs) can cause severe disease in humans and animals when they become infected. However, there are no accurate survey reports on the prevalence of FLAs in Korea. In this study, we collected 163 tap water samples from buildings, apartments, and restrooms of highway service areas in 7 Korean provinces with high population density. All these buildings and facilities have water storage tanks in common. The survey was separated into categories of buildings, apartments, and highway service areas. Five hundred milliliters of tap water from each building was collected and filtered with 0.2 µm pore filter paper. The filters were incubated in agar plates with heated E. coli at 25°C. After axenization, genomic DNA was collected from each FLA, and species classification was performed using partial 18S-rDNA PCR-sequencing analysis. We found that 12.9% of tap water from buildings with storage tanks in Korea was contaminated with FLAs. The highway service areas had the highest contamination rate at 33.3%. All of the FLAs, except one, were genetically similar to Vermamoeba vermiformis (Hartmannella vermiformis). The remaining FLA (KFA21) was very similar to Acanthamoeba lugdunensis (KA/E26). Although cases of human infection by V. vermiformis are very rare, we must pay attention to the fact that one-third of tap water supplies in highway service areas have been contaminated.
Topics: Amoeba; Republic of Korea; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Water Microbiology; Water Supply
PubMed: 32418389
DOI: 10.3347/kjp.2020.58.2.191 -
PloS One 2023[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281141.].
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281141.].
PubMed: 37922291
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294194 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jan 2024Caffeic acid (CA) is one of the most abundant natural compounds present in plants and has a broad spectrum of beneficial pharmacological activities. However, in some...
Caffeic acid (CA) is one of the most abundant natural compounds present in plants and has a broad spectrum of beneficial pharmacological activities. However, in some cases, synthetic derivation of original molecules can expand their scope. This study focuses on the synthesis of caffeic acid phosphanium derivatives with the ambition of increasing their biological activities. Four caffeic acid phosphanium salts (CAPs) were synthesized and tested for their cytotoxic, antibacterial, antifungal, and amoebicidal activity in vitro, with the aim of identifying the best area for their medicinal use. CAPs exhibited significantly stronger cytotoxic activity against tested cell lines (HeLa, HCT116, MDA-MB-231 MCF-7, A2058, PANC-1, Jurkat) in comparison to caffeic acid. Focusing on Jurkat cells (human leukemic T cell lymphoma), the IC value of CAPs ranged from 0.9 to 8.5 μM while IC of CA was >300 μM. Antimicrobial testing also confirmed significantly higher activity of CAPs against selected microbes in comparison to CA, especially for Gram-positive bacteria (MIC 13-57 μM) and the yeast (MIC 13-57 μM). The anti- activity was studied against two pathogenic strains. In the case of , all CAPs revealed a stronger inhibitory effect (EC 74-3125 μM) than CA (>10 µM), while in strain, the higher inhibition was observed for three derivatives (EC 44-291 μM). The newly synthesized quaternary phosphanium salts of caffeic acid exhibited selective antitumor action and appeared to be promising antimicrobial agents for topical application, as well as potential molecules for further research.
Topics: Humans; Salts; Anti-Infective Agents; Antiprotozoal Agents; HeLa Cells; Caffeic Acids
PubMed: 38256271
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021200