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Scientific Reports Jun 2024Megalurothrips usitatus (Bagnall) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is an important pest in Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. Neoseiulus barkeri (Hughes) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is...
Megalurothrips usitatus (Bagnall) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is an important pest in Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. Neoseiulus barkeri (Hughes) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is widely used for control of pest mites and insects worldwide. We evaluated its effect on M. usitatus when predators (N. barkeri) or insecticides (Spinetoram) were applied in the fields. Neoseiulus barkeri Hughes consumed 80% of M. usitatus prey offered within 6 h, and predation showed Type III functional response with prey density. The maximum consumption of N. barkeri was 27.29 ± 1.02 individuals per d per arena (1.5 cm diameter), while the optimal prey density for the predatory mite was 10.35 ± 0.68 individuals per d per arena (1.5 cm diameter). The developmental duration of N. barkeri fed with M. usitatus was significantly shorter than those fed with the dried fruit mite, Carpoglyphus lactis (L.) (Acari: Astigmata). In field trials, the efficiency of N. barkeri against M. usitatus was not significantly different from that of applications of the insecticide spinetoram. Biodiversity of other insects in treated fields was assessed, and there were 21 insect species in garden plots treated with N. barkeri releases. The total abundance (N), Shannon's diversity index (H), Pielou's evenness index (J) and Simpson's diversity index (D) of the garden plots treated with predatory mites were all significantly higher than that in the garden plots treated with spinetoram, where we found no species of predators or parasitoids and 7 herbivores. Our results show that N. barkeri is a potential means to control M. usitatus while preserving arthropod diversity at the level of treated gardens.
Topics: Animals; Biodiversity; Predatory Behavior; Mites; Pest Control, Biological; Insecticides; Arthropods; Macrolides
PubMed: 38902417
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64740-y -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024Previous studies showed tacrolimus monotherapy and dual therapy with tacrolimus and prednisone as effective treatment modalities in managing membranous nephropathy.... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Previous studies showed tacrolimus monotherapy and dual therapy with tacrolimus and prednisone as effective treatment modalities in managing membranous nephropathy. However, few studies have compared these therapeutic regimens. The patients were divided into two groups based on the treatment regimen: (1) tacrolimus and prednisone dual therapy (T + P group, n = 67) treatment group; and (2) tacrolimus monotherapy (T group, n = 65) or the control group. Propensity matching method and subgroup analysis to eliminate the bias in the relationship between the treatment regimen and the outcomes. The mean remission times were 20.33 ± 2.75 weeks at T group and 9.50 ± 1.81 weeks at T + P group. The T group had a remission rates of 73.33, 76.66 and 66.66% at 12weeks, 24weeks and 48weeks, while the T + P group had a remission rate of 81.66, 86.66, 91.66%; At the follow-up of 48 weeks, the relapse rate for the T group was 21.66%, and that for the T + P group was 5%. The anti-PLA2R ab is positive and therapy may be the independent risk factors for predicting remission. Tacrolimus and low-dose prednisone dual therapy is efficacious in managing MN and lowers the recurrence rate in clinical practice.
Topics: Humans; Tacrolimus; Glomerulonephritis, Membranous; Prednisone; Male; Female; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; Drug Therapy, Combination; Immunosuppressive Agents; Adult; Treatment Outcome; Aged; Remission Induction
PubMed: 38902302
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64661-w -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Jun 2024In Southeast Asia, treatment is recommended for all patients with post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL). Adherence to the first-line regimen, twelve weeks of... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
A phase II, non-comparative randomised trial of two treatments involving liposomal amphotericin B and miltefosine for post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis in India and Bangladesh.
BACKGROUND
In Southeast Asia, treatment is recommended for all patients with post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL). Adherence to the first-line regimen, twelve weeks of miltefosine (MF), is low and ocular toxicity has been observed with this exposure period. We assessed the safety and efficacy of two shorter-course treatments: liposomal amphotericin B (LAmB) alone and combined with MF.
METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
An open-label, phase II, randomized, parallel-arm, non-comparative trial was conducted in patients with parasitologically confirmed PKDL, 6 to ≤60 years. Patients were assigned to 20 mg/kg LAmB (total dose, in five injections over 15 days) alone or combined with allometric MF (3 weeks). The primary endpoint was definitive cure at 12 months, defined as complete resolution of papular and nodular lesions and >80% re-pigmentation of macular lesions. Definitive cure at 24 months was a secondary efficacy endpoint. 118/126 patients completed the trial. Definitive cure at 12 months was observed in 29% (18/63) patients receiving LAmB and 30% (19/63) receiving LAmB/MF (mITT), increasing to 58% and 66%, respectively, at 24 months. Most lesions had resolved/improved at 12 and 24 months for patients receiving LAmB (90%, 83%) and LAmB/MF (85%, 88%) by qualitative assessment. One death, unrelated to study drugs, was reported; no study drug-related serious adverse events were observed. The most frequent adverse drug reactions were MF-related vomiting and nausea, and LAmB-related hypokalaemia and infusion reactions. Most adverse events were mild; no ocular adverse events occurred.
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE
Both regimens are suitably safe and efficacious alternatives to long-course MF for PKDL in South Asia.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
CTRI/2017/04/008421.
Topics: Humans; Amphotericin B; Phosphorylcholine; Bangladesh; Male; Antiprotozoal Agents; Adult; Adolescent; Female; Middle Aged; Young Adult; Child; India; Leishmaniasis, Visceral; Treatment Outcome; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous; Drug Therapy, Combination
PubMed: 38900786
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012242 -
Microbiology (Reading, England) Jun 2024Long-term administration of certain macrolides is efficacious in patients with persistent pulmonary infection, despite how limited the clinically achievable...
Long-term administration of certain macrolides is efficacious in patients with persistent pulmonary infection, despite how limited the clinically achievable concentrations are, being far below their MICs. An increase in the sub-MIC of macrolide exposure-dependent sensitivity to nitrosative stress is a typical characteristic of . However, a few clinical isolates do not respond to sub-MIC of macrolide treatment. Therefore, we examined the effects of sub-MIC of erythromycin (EM) on the sensitivity to nitrosative stress together with an efflux pump inhibitor (EPI) phenylalanine arginyl β-naphthylamide (PAβN). The sensitivity to nitrosative stress increased, suggesting that the efflux pump was involved in inhibiting the sub-MIC of macrolide effect. Analysis using efflux pump-mutant revealed that MexAB-OprM, MexXY-OprM, and MexCD-OprJ are factors in reducing the sub-MIC of macrolide effect. Since macrolides interfere with quorum sensing (QS), we demonstrated that the QS-interfering agent furanone C-30 (C-30) producing greater sensitivity to nitric oxide (NO) stress than EM. The effect of C-30 was decreased by overproduction of MexAB-OprM. To investigate whether the increase in the QS-interfering agent exposure-dependent sensitivity to nitrosative stress is characteristic of clinical isolates, we examined the viability of treated with NO. Although treatment with EM could reduce cell viability, a high variability in EM effects was observed. Conversely, C-30 was highly effective at reducing cell viability. Treatment with both C-30 and PAβN was sufficiently effective against the remaining isolates. Therefore, the combination of a QS-interfering agent and an EPI could be effective in treating infections.
Topics: Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Quorum Sensing; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Nitrosative Stress; Erythromycin; Membrane Transport Proteins; Furans; Dipeptides; Macrolides; Pseudomonas Infections; Humans; Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; Bacterial Proteins
PubMed: 38900549
DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001464 -
Indian Journal of Dermatology,... May 2024Background Increasing rates of macrolide and fluroquinolone resistance in Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) are being reported worldwide with resultant treatment failure. Aims...
Background Increasing rates of macrolide and fluroquinolone resistance in Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) are being reported worldwide with resultant treatment failure. Aims and objectives We aimed to determine the level of antibiotic resistance of MG in men who have sex with men (MSM) attending a sexually transmitted infections (STIs) clinic in New Delhi, India. Methods Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays targeting MgPa and pdhD genes were performed to detect MG rectal, urogenital or oropharyngeal infections in 180 MSM between January 2022 and June 2023. Macrolide resistance-associated mutations (MRM) and quinolone resistance-associated mutations (QRM) were detected by specific amplification of domain V of 23SrRNA gene and appropriate regions of parC and gyrA genes respectively followed by sequencing. PCR-based screening for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection was also performed. Results A total of 13 (7.2%) MSM were positive for MG infection. The most common site of infection was anorectum (8/13; 61.5%) followed by the urethra (5/13; 38.5%). None of the patients had infection at both the sites, and no oropharyngeal MG infection was detected. CT infection was detected in 37 (20.6%) MSM. Of the 13 MG-infected MSM, 6 (46.2%) were co-infected with CT. MRM and QRM were found in five (46.2%) and two (15.4%) strains, respectively. Both Quinolone resistance mutation (QRM)-harbouring strains also harboured MRM. All the five MG isolates carried the MRM A2071G. Both the QRM isolates co-harboured the parC and gyrA single-nucleotide polymorphisms. There was no correlation between the presence of antibiotic resistance and co-infection with CT (P = 0.52). Limitation Because all patients in the study were MSM, the high rate of resistance to macrolides and fluoroquinolones could not be extrapolated for non-MSM patients. Conclusion This is a report of an initial survey of antibiotic resistance to MG in a country where its diagnosis and treatment are not routinely available. We found a high prevalence of MG-carrying MRM, QRM and dual-class resistance in MSM in the absence of antibiotic exposure. This study mandates the need for both screening and detection of antimicrobial resistance against MG.
PubMed: 38899414
DOI: 10.25259/IJDVL_933_2023 -
Veterinaria Italiana Mar 2024The aim of this study was to determine the concentration of TNF-alpha (TNF-α) in dogs naturally infected with Dirofilaria immitis (D. immitis) and to assess whether...
The aim of this study was to determine the concentration of TNF-alpha (TNF-α) in dogs naturally infected with Dirofilaria immitis (D. immitis) and to assess whether there are any changes in TNF-α concentration and their dependence during therapy for heartworm disease (HWD). For this study, 14 client-owned dogs with HWD were selected. Clinical and parasitological examinations (modified Knott test for circulating microfilariae and SNAP Test IDEXX for circulating D. immitis antigen) had been used for diagnosing D. immitis and HWD. All dogs were treated with an alternative therapy for HWD (oral doxycycline 10 mg/kg b.w., once daily for 6 weeks, then alternately 4 weeks without and 2 weeks with the medication, and oral ivermectin 6-14 µg/kg b.w., every 2 weeks). The dogs blood sera at the moment of HWD diagnosis, during and at the end of therapy were frozen for further quantifying of TNF-α (Canine TNF-alpha ELISA kit, Thermo scientific). At the moment of HWD diagnosis TNF-α was detected in 9 dogs (7.21±12.44 pg/ml). Concentration of TNF-α was not significantly change during the therapy, neither related to the level of D. immitis antigen nor to antigen level changes. The alternative therapy for HWD has no influence on TNF-α concentration dynamics.
Topics: Animals; Dogs; Dirofilariasis; Dog Diseases; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Dirofilaria immitis; Male; Female; Doxycycline; Ivermectin
PubMed: 38898794
DOI: 10.12834/VetIt.2662.22847.2 -
Current Microbiology Jun 2024Delftia has been separated from freshwater, sludge, and soil and has emerged as a novel opportunistic pathogen in the female vagina. However, the genomic...
Delftia has been separated from freshwater, sludge, and soil and has emerged as a novel opportunistic pathogen in the female vagina. However, the genomic characteristics, pathogenicity, and biotechnological properties still need to be comprehensively investigated. In this study, a Delftia strain was isolated from the vaginal discharge of a 43-year-old female with histologically confirmed cervical intraepithelial neoplasm (CIN III), followed by whole-genome sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis and average nucleotide identity (ANI) analysis demonstrated that it belongs to Delftia lacustris, named D. lacustris strain LzhVag01. LzhVag01 was sensitive to β-lactams, macrolides, and tetracyclines but exhibited resistance to lincoamines, nitroimidazoles, aminoglycosides, and fluoroquinolones. Its genome is a single, circular chromosome of 6,740,460 bp with an average GC content of 66.59%. Whole-genome analysis identified 16 antibiotic resistance-related genes, which match the antimicrobial susceptibility profile of this strain, and 11 potential virulence genes. These pathogenic factors may contribute to its colonization in the vaginal environment and its adaptation and accelerate the progression of cervical cancer. This study sequenced and characterized the whole-genome of Delftia lacustris isolated from vaginal discharge, which provides investigators and clinicians with valuable insights into this uncommon species.
Topics: Delftia; Genome, Bacterial; Vaginal Discharge; Humans; Female; Adult; Phylogeny; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Virulence Factors; Species Specificity
PubMed: 38898312
DOI: 10.1007/s00284-024-03758-x -
The ISME Journal Jun 2024The rhizosphere, which serves as the primary interface between plant roots and the soil, constitutes an ecological niche for a huge diversity of microbial communities....
The rhizosphere, which serves as the primary interface between plant roots and the soil, constitutes an ecological niche for a huge diversity of microbial communities. Currently, there is little knowledge on the nature and the function of the different metabolites released by rhizospheric microbes to facilitate colonization of this highly competitive environment. Here, we demonstrate how the production of galbonolides, a group of polyene macrolides that inhibit plant and fungal inositol phosphorylceramide synthase (IPCS), empowers the rhizospheric Streptomyces strain AgN23, to thrive in the rhizosphere by triggering the plant's defence mechanisms. Metabolomic analysis of AgN23-inoculated Arabidopsis roots revealed a strong induction in the production of an indole alkaloid, camalexin, which is a major phytoalexin in Arabidopsis. By using a plant mutant compromized in camalexin synthesis, we show that camalexin production is necessary for the successful colonization of the rhizosphere by AgN23. Conversely, hindering galbonolides biosynthesis in AgN23 knock-out mutant resulted in loss of inhibition of IPCS, a deficiency in plant defence activation, notably the production of camalexin, and a strongly reduced development of the mutant bacteria in the rhizosphere. Together, our results identified galbonolides as important metabolites mediating rhizosphere colonization by Streptomyces.
PubMed: 38896026
DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae112 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024Amino acid permeases (AAPs) transporters are crucial for the long-distance transport of amino acids in plants, from source to sink. While and rice have been extensively...
Amino acid permeases (AAPs) transporters are crucial for the long-distance transport of amino acids in plants, from source to sink. While and rice have been extensively studied, research on foxtail millet is limited. This study identified two transcripts of , both of which were induced by NO and showed similar expression patterns. The overexpression of and in inhibited plant growth and seed size, although SiAAP9 was found to transport more amino acids into seeds. Furthermore, transgenic showed increased tolerance to high concentrations of glutamate (Glu) and histidine (His). The high overexpression level of suggested its protein was not only located on the plasma membrane but potentially on other organelles, as well. Interestingly, sequence deletion reduced SiAAP9's sensitivity to Brefeldin A (BFA), and SiAAP9 had ectopic localization on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Protoplast amino acid uptake experiments indicated that SiAAP9 enhanced Glu transport into foxtail millet cells. Overall, the two transcripts of have similar functions, but SiAAP9L shows a higher colocalization with BFA compartments compared to SiAAP9S. Our research identifies a potential candidate gene for enhancing the nutritional quality of foxtail millet through breeding.
Topics: Arabidopsis; Plants, Genetically Modified; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Plant Proteins; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Seeds; Setaria Plant; Amino Acid Transport Systems; Protein Transport; Brefeldin A; Amino Acids; Glutamic Acid
PubMed: 38892028
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115840 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024(IIIb) is frequently isolated from reptiles and less frequently from birds and mammals. However, its isolation from invasive human infections has not been widely...
(IIIb) is frequently isolated from reptiles and less frequently from birds and mammals. However, its isolation from invasive human infections has not been widely reported. Migratory mallard ducks are excellent bioindicators of pathogen presence and pathogen antibiotic resistance (AMR). We present the first isolation from a mallard duck in central Europe of the antibiotic-resistant subsp. with the unique antigenic pattern 58:r:z and report its whole-genome sequencing, serosequencing, and genotyping, which enabled the prediction of its pathogenicity and comparison with phenotypic AMR. The isolated strain was highly similar to isolated from humans and food. Twenty-four AMR genes were detected, including those encoding aminoglycoside, fluoroquinolone, macrolide, carbapenem, tetracycline, cephalosporin, nitroimidazole, peptide antibiotic, and disinfecting agent/antiseptic resistance. Six pathogenicity islands were found (SPI-1, SPI-2, SPI-3, SPI-5, SPI-9, and SPI-13). An iron transport system was detected in SPI-1 centisome C63PI. Plasmid profile analyses showed three to be present. Sequence mutations in the and genes were noted, which truncated and elongated the proteins, respectively. The strain also harbored genes encoding type-III secretion-system effector proteins and many virulence factors found in associated with human infections. This study aims to elucidate the AMR and virulence genes in subsp. that may most seriously threaten human health.
Topics: Animals; Ducks; Humans; Salmonella; Whole Genome Sequencing; Genomic Islands; Salmonella Infections, Animal; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Salmonella enterica; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; Genome, Bacterial; Phylogeny; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Plasmids
PubMed: 38891852
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115664