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The Science of the Total Environment Jun 2024Hermetia illucens larvae can enhance the degradation of oxytetracycline (OTC) through its biotransformation. However, the underlying mechanisms mediated by gut...
Hermetia illucens larvae can enhance the degradation of oxytetracycline (OTC) through its biotransformation. However, the underlying mechanisms mediated by gut metabolites and proteins are unclear. To gain further insights, the kinetics of OTC degradation, the functional structures of gut bacterial communities, proteins, and metabolites were investigated. An availability-adjusted first-order model effectively evaluated OTC degradation kinetics, with degradation half-lives of 4.18 and 21.71 days for OTC degradation with and without larval biotransformation, respectively. Dominant bacteria in the larval guts were Enterococcus, Psychrobacter, Providencia, Myroides, Enterobacteriaceae, and Lactobacillales. OTC exposure led to significant differential expression of proteins, with functional classification revealing involvement in digestion, transformation, and adaptability to environmental stress. Upregulated proteins, such as aromatic ring hydroxylase, acted as oxidoreductases modifying the chemical structure of OTC. Unique metabolites, aclarubicin and sancycline identified were possible OTC metabolic intermediates. Correlation analysis revealed significant interdependence between gut bacteria, metabolites, and proteins. These findings reveal a synergistic mechanism involving gut microbial metabolism and enzyme structure that drives the rapid degradation of OTC and facilitates the engineering applications of bioremediation.
PubMed: 38914334
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174224 -
Journal of Medical Entomology Jun 2024Insects and microorganisms, ubiquitous organisms in the natural world, have developed intricate relationships throughout their evolutionary histories. However, most...
Insects and microorganisms, ubiquitous organisms in the natural world, have developed intricate relationships throughout their evolutionary histories. However, most studies have concentrated on specific time points or life stages, but some limited studies have investigated the dynamics of microbial diversity within insects across life stages. Here, 16S rDNA sequencing technology was used to investigate the gut bacterial community across the life stages of Sarcophaga peregrina (Robineau-Desvoidy) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae). The results revealed that the gut bacterial diversity of S. peregrina varied with life stage and showed similarity in the nearby life stages. Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes were the dominant phyla in S. peregrina. Genera such as Providencia, Ignatzschineria, and Myroides are implicated in potentially pivotal roles during the developmental processes of this flesh fly. Furthermore, the effects of amikacin on the growth and development of S. peregrina were not statistically significant. However, we did observe significant changes at the protein level, which suggests a close association between protein-level alterations and growth and development. Additionally, we speculate that S. peregrina regulates its nutritional status during nonfeeding stages to meet the demands of eclosion. This study represents the first comprehensive examination of the intestinal bacterial composition across various life stages of S. peregrina. Our findings deepen our understanding of the gut microbiota in this flesh fly and lay the groundwork for further exploration into the intricate interactions between microorganisms and insects.
PubMed: 38902886
DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjae071 -
American Journal of Human Biology : the... Jun 2024The association between indicators of maturation and measures of physical fitness are not well correlated and vary according to chronological age, sex, body size, and...
BACKGROUND
The association between indicators of maturation and measures of physical fitness are not well correlated and vary according to chronological age, sex, body size, and motor characteristics. It is known that chronological age, maturation, and fat mass are significant predictors of cardiorespiratory fitness in girls, however, the contributions of fat mass to the relationship between maturation and endurance performance are still unclear.
OBJECTIVE
The current study aimed to examine whether the association between somatic maturation and running performance in the 20-m shuttle-run in girls is mediated by estimated fat mass.
METHODS
The sample comprised 67 girls, aged 8.00-8.99 years. Stature, body mass, and skinfolds were measured. Estimates of body composition and predicted mature stature (PMS) were then calculated. Current stature was expressed as a percentage of PMS and somatic maturation was given by z-scores of the percentage of PMS. Mediation analysis was performed using the bias-corrected bootstrap approach with 5000 resamples in order to obtain estimates of total, direct, and indirect effects of z-scores of the percentage of PMS on 20-m shuttle-run performance mediated by fat mass.
RESULTS
The results show that fat mass mediated the negative effect of biological maturation on 20-m shuttle-run performance in the observed sample of prepubescent girls (Indirect effect: β = -0.177, 95%CI: -0.291 to -0.059).
CONCLUSION
Although the participants were prepubescent girls, poorer aerobic running performance appeared to be partly due to increased levels of fat mass.
PubMed: 38899410
DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.24120 -
BioRxiv : the Preprint Server For... Jun 2024is a Gram-negative bacterium found in a wide variety of water and land environments and organisms. It has been isolated as part of the gut microbiome of animals and...
is a Gram-negative bacterium found in a wide variety of water and land environments and organisms. It has been isolated as part of the gut microbiome of animals and insects, as well as from stool samples of patients with diarrhea. Specific strains encode gene homologs of virulence factors found in other pathogenic members of the same Enterobacterales order, such as serovar Typhimurium and Whether these genes are also pathogenic determinants in is not known. Here we have used 205/92, a clinical isolate, with and infection models to investigate -host interactions at the cellular level. Our particular focus was the role of two type III secretion systems (T3SS) belonging to the Inv-Mxi/Spa family. T3SS is widespread in spp. and encoded on the chromosome. T3SS is encoded on a large plasmid that is present in a subset of strains, which are primarily isolates from diarrheal patients. Using a combination of electron and fluorescence microscopy and gentamicin protection assays we show that 205/92 is internalized into eukaryotic cells, rapidly lyses its internalization vacuole and proliferates in the cytosol. This triggers caspase-4 dependent inflammasome responses in gut epithelial cells. The requirement for the T3SS in entry, vacuole lysis and cytosolic proliferation is host-cell type specific, playing a more prominent role in human intestinal epithelial cells as compared to macrophages. In a bovine ligated intestinal loop model, colonizes the intestinal mucosa, inducing mild epithelial damage with negligible fluid accumulation. No overt role for T3SS or T3SS was seen in the calf infection model. However, T3SS was required for the rapid killing of . We propose that the acquisition of two T3SS by horizontal gene transfer has allowed to diversify its host range, from a highly virulent pathogen of insects to an opportunistic gastrointestinal pathogen of animals.
PubMed: 38895369
DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.07.595826 -
Applied and Environmental Microbiology Jun 2024Marine bacteria experience fluctuations in osmolarity that they must adapt to, and most bacteria respond to high osmolarity by accumulating compatible solutes also known...
Marine bacteria experience fluctuations in osmolarity that they must adapt to, and most bacteria respond to high osmolarity by accumulating compatible solutes also known as osmolytes. The osmotic stress response and compatible solutes used by the coral and oyster pathogen were unknown. In this study, we showed that to alleviate osmotic stress biosynthesized glycine betaine (GB) and transported into the cell choline, GB, ectoine, dimethylglycine, and dimethylsulfoniopropionate, but not -inositol. -inositol is a stress protectant and a signaling molecule that is biosynthesized and used by algae. Bioinformatics identified -inositol () catabolism clusters in and other , , , and species. Growth pattern analysis demonstrated that utilized -inositol as a sole carbon source, with a short lag time of 3 h. An deletion mutant, which encodes an inositol dehydrogenase, was unable to grow on -inositol. Within the clusters were an MFS-type () and an ABC-type () transporter and analyses showed that both transported -inositol. IolG and IolA phylogeny among species showed different evolutionary histories indicating multiple acquisition events. Outside of , IolG was most closely related to IolG from a small group of fish and human pathogens and species. However, IolG from hypervirulent strains clustered with IolG from and divergently from , , and plant pathogens. The cluster was also present within , , , , , , , , , and , of which many species were associated with marine flora and fauna.IMPORTANCEHost associated bacteria such as encounter competition for nutrients and have evolved metabolic strategies to better compete for food. Emerging studies show that -inositol is exchanged in the coral-algae symbiosis, is likely involved in signaling, but is also an osmolyte in algae. The bacterial consumption of -inositol could contribute to a breakdown of the coral-algae symbiosis during thermal stress or disrupt the coral microbiome. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the evolutionary history of -inositol metabolism is complex, acquired multiple times in , but acquired once in many bacterial plant pathogens. Further analysis also showed that a conserved cluster is prevalent among many marine species (commensals, mutualists, and pathogens) associated with marine flora and fauna, algae, sponges, corals, molluscs, crustaceans, and fish.
PubMed: 38874337
DOI: 10.1128/aem.00920-24 -
JAMA Jun 2024Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors improve outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease, but their effect on...
IMPORTANCE
Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors improve outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease, but their effect on outcomes of critically ill patients with organ failure is unknown.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether the addition of dapagliflozin, an SGLT-2 inhibitor, to standard intensive care unit (ICU) care improves outcomes in a critically ill population with acute organ dysfunction.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
Multicenter, randomized, open-label, clinical trial conducted at 22 ICUs in Brazil. Participants with unplanned ICU admission and presenting with at least 1 organ dysfunction (respiratory, cardiovascular, or kidney) were enrolled between November 22, 2022, and August 30, 2023, with follow-up through September 27, 2023.
INTERVENTION
Participants were randomized to 10 mg of dapagliflozin (intervention, n = 248) plus standard care or to standard care alone (control, n = 259) for up to 14 days or until ICU discharge, whichever occurred first.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
The primary outcome was a hierarchical composite of hospital mortality, initiation of kidney replacement therapy, and ICU length of stay through 28 days, analyzed using the win ratio method. Secondary outcomes included the individual components of the hierarchical outcome, duration of organ support-free days, ICU, and hospital stay, assessed using bayesian regression models.
RESULTS
Among 507 randomized participants (mean age, 63.9 [SD, 15] years; 46.9%, women), 39.6% had an ICU admission due to suspected infection. The median time from ICU admission to randomization was 1 day (IQR, 0-1). The win ratio for dapagliflozin for the primary outcome was 1.01 (95% CI, 0.90 to 1.13; P = .89). Among all secondary outcomes, the highest probability of benefit found was 0.90 for dapagliflozin regarding use of kidney replacement therapy among 27 patients (10.9%) in the dapagliflozin group vs 39 (15.1%) in the control group.
CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE
The addition of dapagliflozin to standard care for critically ill patients and acute organ dysfunction did not improve clinical outcomes; however, confidence intervals were wide and could not exclude relevant benefits or harms for dapagliflozin.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05558098.
PubMed: 38873723
DOI: 10.1001/jama.2024.10510 -
Neuromuscular Disorders : NMD May 2024Inclusion body myositis is the commonest acquired myopathy in those over 50 years of age. Although it is classified as an idiopathic inflammatory myopathy and the most...
Inclusion body myositis is the commonest acquired myopathy in those over 50 years of age. Although it is classified as an idiopathic inflammatory myopathy and the most frequent finding on muscle biopsy in inclusion body myositis is an endomysial inflammatory infiltrate, it is clinically distinct from other myositis, including a lack of response to immunosuppressive medication. Neurogenic changes are commonly reported in inclusion body myositis and inflammatory changes are observed in muscle following neurogenic injury. The objective of our study was to explore whether neurogenic inflammation plays a role in the pathogenesis of inclusion body myositis, possibly explaining its resistance to immunosuppression. The number of mast cells and presence of neuropeptides, substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide, were assessed in 48 cases of inclusion body myositis, 11 cases of steroid responsive myositis, two cases of focal myositis associated with neurogenic injury, and ten normal controls. The number of mast cells in inclusion body myositis focal and myositis associated to neurogenic injury were significantly greater than that observed in steroid responsive myositis. Our findings suggest that neurogenic inflammation mediated through mast cells may play a role in the pathogenesis of inclusion body myositis, and focal myositis associated to neurogenic injury, and thus, explain in some part its lack of response to immunosuppressive treatments.
PubMed: 38865916
DOI: 10.1016/j.nmd.2024.05.001 -
Archives of Public Health = Archives... Jun 2024Lifestyle and habits, cardiovascular risk factors (CRF), bone and mental health, dietary habits, physical activity, among others are developed in childhood and...
BACKGROUND
Lifestyle and habits, cardiovascular risk factors (CRF), bone and mental health, dietary habits, physical activity, among others are developed in childhood and adolescence. Family environment has shown to play an important role in these outcomes. However, whether the parent-child relationship lifestyle habits and health parameters can be influenced by physical activity patterns still unclear. The objective of this study will be to monitor and investigate the associations between lifestyle habits between parents and their children longitudinally, as well as verify whether in more active parents, the possible associations with lifestyle habits are different from those of parents considered less active.
METHODS
The sample will consist of parents (father, mother, or both) and their children /adolescents. The participants will be recruited through public call by flyers spread across all the regions of the city and also through social media. The health parameters will include cardiovascular (cardiac autonomic modulation, blood pressure and resting heart rate), bone mineral density, anthropometric indices, handgrip strength, mental health (quality of life, anxiety and depression symptoms and stress), self-reported morbidities and musculoskeletal pain. Lifestyle habits will include physical activity levels, sedentary behavior, sleep parameters, eating patterns, smoking and alcohol consumption. Sociodemographic variables of age, sex, ethnicity and socioeconomic status will be considered as covariates. The follow-up visits of data collection will be scheduled after a period of 12 months from the baseline assessment during every twelve months.
DISCUSSION
The family environment has great potential to determine lifestyle habits in children and adolescents. Based on the results presented in the present study, we hope that health promotion actions can be better designed in the family environment.
PubMed: 38863036
DOI: 10.1186/s13690-024-01311-7 -
PLoS Pathogens Jun 2024Invertebrates lack the immune machinery underlying vertebrate-like acquired immunity. However, in many insects past infection by the same pathogen can 'prime' the immune...
Invertebrates lack the immune machinery underlying vertebrate-like acquired immunity. However, in many insects past infection by the same pathogen can 'prime' the immune response, resulting in improved survival upon reinfection. Here, we investigated the mechanistic basis and epidemiological consequences of innate immune priming in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster when infected with the gram-negative bacterial pathogen Providencia rettgeri. We find that priming in response to P. rettgeri infection is a long-lasting and sexually dimorphic response. We further explore the epidemiological consequences of immune priming and find it has the potential to curtail pathogen transmission by reducing pathogen shedding and spread. The enhanced survival of individuals previously exposed to a non-lethal bacterial inoculum coincided with a transient decrease in bacterial loads, and we provide strong evidence that the effect of priming requires the IMD-responsive antimicrobial-peptide Diptericin-B in the fat body. Further, we show that while Diptericin B is the main effector of bacterial clearance, it is not sufficient for immune priming, which requires regulation of IMD by peptidoglycan recognition proteins. This work underscores the plasticity and complexity of invertebrate responses to infection, providing novel experimental evidence for the effects of innate immune priming on population-level epidemiological outcomes.
Topics: Animals; Immunity, Innate; Drosophila melanogaster; Providencia; Drosophila Proteins; Female; Male; Enterobacteriaceae Infections; Antimicrobial Peptides
PubMed: 38857285
DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012308 -
Euro Surveillance : Bulletin Europeen... Jun 2024BackgroundThe war in Ukraine led to migration of Ukrainian people. Early 2022, several European national surveillance systems detected multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria...
BackgroundThe war in Ukraine led to migration of Ukrainian people. Early 2022, several European national surveillance systems detected multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria related to Ukrainian patients.AimTo investigate the genomic epidemiology of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM)-producing from Ukrainian patients among European countries.MethodsWhole-genome sequencing of 66 isolates sampled in 2022-2023 in 10 European countries enabled whole-genome multilocus sequence typing (wgMLST), identification of resistance genes, replicons, and plasmid reconstructions. Five -carrying- isolates underwent antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). Transferability to of a -carrying plasmid from a patient strain was assessed. Epidemiological characteristics of patients with NDM-producing were gathered by questionnaire.ResultswgMLST of the 66 isolates revealed two genetic clusters unrelated to Ukraine and three linked to Ukrainian patients. Of these three, two comprised -carrying- and the third -carrying- The clusters (PstCluster-001, n = 22 isolates; PstCluster-002, n = 8 isolates) comprised strains from seven and four countries, respectively. The cluster (PstCluster-003) included 13 isolates from six countries. PstCluster-001 and PstCluster-002 isolates carried an MDR plasmid harbouring , , and , which was transferrable and, for some Ukrainian patients, shared by other Enterobacterales. AST revealed PstCluster-001 isolates to be extensively drug-resistant (XDR), but susceptible to cefiderocol and aztreonam-avibactam. Patients with data on age (n = 41) were 19-74 years old; of 49 with information on sex, 38 were male.ConclusionXDR were introduced into European countries, requiring increased awareness and precautions when treating patients from conflict-affected areas.
Topics: Humans; Ukraine; beta-Lactamases; Enterobacteriaceae Infections; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; Providencia; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Europe; Plasmids; Whole Genome Sequencing; Multilocus Sequence Typing; Male; Adult; Female; Middle Aged; Aged; Young Adult
PubMed: 38847120
DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.23.2300616