Human peripheral blood monocytes release a 30,000 dalton factor (30 KD MF) that stimulates immunoglobulin production by activated B cells

Supernatants (SN) of well-washed adherent human monocytes, obtained from T cell-depleted peripheral blood mononuclear cells, contain a 30,000 dalton protein (30 KD MF) that increases immunoglobulin (Ig) synthesis by EBV-activated B cells two- to fourfold. This factor is released spontaneously during the first 20 hr after monocytes are placed in culture. SN containing 30 KD MF are inactive in the thymocyte co-stimulator assay, under conditions that will detect as little as 0.5 U of purified IL 1. The addition of autologous T cells to isolated adherent monocytes, previously depleted of T cells, suppresses the release or activity of this B cell stimulator in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, 30 KD MF stimulates a two- to fourfold increase in IgA production by cells of an EBV-transformed B cell line (JB/FF line) without increasing incorporation of [3H]thymidine. In contrast, stimulation of this B cell line with up to 10 U of purified IL 1 increases IgA synthesis by less than 50%, and addition of up to 100 U of recombinant IL 2 causes no change whatsoever in IgA production. However, co-stimulation with 30 KD MF and recombinant IL 2 or recombinant gamma-interferon induces more Ig production than is caused by the monocyte factor alone. These observations suggest that the monocyte, in addition to acting as an antigen-presenting cell and source of IL 1, facilitates B cell differentiation by producing a factor which acts both independently and in synergy with cytokines produced by T cells to stimulate Ig production by B lymphocytes.     

Length weight relationships of five marine fishes from the Bay of Bengal

Length weight relationships (LWR) of five marine fishes were estimated from the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh. Fish samples were collected occasionally from fisher's catch with gill net (mesh size: 3 cm) during November 2019 to October 2020. Fishing was done overnight. Total length (0.1 cm) and body weight (0.01 g) of each individual were measured. We recorded maximum total length for P. maculatus (55.0 cm) and P. parmatus (39.0 cm).     

Risk Denial and Socio-Economic Factors Related to High HIV Transmission in a Fishing Community in Rakai,Uganda: A Qualitative Study

Background

In Kasensero fishing community, home of the first recorded case of HIV in Uganda, HIV transmission is still very high with an incidence of 4.3 and 3.1 per 100 person-years in women and men, respectively, and an HIV prevalence of 44%, reaching up to 74% among female sex workers. We explored drivers for the high HIV transmission at Kasensero from the perspective of fishermen and other community members to inform future policy and preventive interventions.

Methods

20 in-depth interviews including both HIV positive and HIV negative respondents, and 12 focus-group discussions involving a total of 92 respondents from the Kasensero fishing community were conducted during April-September 2014. Content analysis was performed to identify recurrent themes.

Results

The socio-economic risk factors for high HIV transmission in Kasensero fishing community cited were multiple and cross-cutting and categorized into the following themes: power of money, risk denial, environmental triggers and a predisposing lifestyle and alcoholism and drug abuse. Others were: peer pressure, poor housing and the search for financial support for both the men and women which made them vulnerable to HIV exposure and or risk behavior.

Conclusions

There is a need for context specific combination prevention interventions in Kasensero that includes the fisher folk and other influential community leaders. Such groups could be empowered with the knowledge and social mobilization skills to fight the negative and risky behaviors, perceptions, beliefs, misconceptions and submission attitudes to fate that exposes the community to high HIV transmission. There is also need for government/partners to ensure effective policy implementation, life jackets for all fishermen, improve the poor housing at the community so as to reduce overcrowding and other housing related predispositions to high HIV rates at the community. Work place AIDS-competence teams have been successfully used to address high HIV transmission in similar settings.     

Modeling of Hypo/Hyperglycemia and Their Impact on Breast Cancer Progression Related Molecules

Breast cancer (BC) arises commonly in women with metabolic dysfunction. The underlying mechanism by which glycemic load can exert its action on tumor metastasis is under investigated. In this study we showed that glycemic microenvironment alters the expression of three classes of proteins, VEGF and its receptors, cell to cell, and cell to extracellular matrix (ECM) adhesion proteins in MDA-MB-231 parental cells and its two metastatic variants to the bone and brain (MDA-MB-231BO and MDA-MB-231BR, respectively). Using western blotting, we showed that VEGFR2 levels were higher in these variant cells and persisted in the cells under extreme hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia did not alter VEGFR2 expression per se but rather suppressed its posttranslational glycosylation. This was reversed rapidly upon the restoration of glucose, and cyclohexamide (CHX) treatment demonstrated that this deglycosylated VEGFR2 was not a product of de-novo protein synthesis. VEGFR2 co-receptor Neuropilin-1 was up-regulated four-fold in all MDA-MB-231 cells (parental and two variants) compared to VEGFR2 expression, and was also susceptible to glycemic changes but resistant to CHX treatment for up to 72 hrs. Hypoglycemia also resulted in a significant decrease in specific catenin, cadherin, and integrin proteins, as well as cellular proliferation and colony forming ability. However, MDA-MB-231BR cells showed a unique sensitivity to hypo/hyperglycemia in terms of morphological changes, colony formation ability, integrin β3 expression and secreted VEGF levels. In conclusion, this study can be translated clinically to provide insight into breast cancer cell responses to glycemic levels relevant for our understanding of the interaction between diabetes and cancer.     

Antibody responses following rubella immunization analyzed by HLA and ABO types

HLA typing was performed on 232 rubella seronegative (HAI antibody titer <8) children immunized with RA 27/3 vaccine. High convalescentphase geometric mean antibody titers were noted in children one to five years of age, in girls one to 12 years of age, in subjects with AB blood type and in vaccinees with HLA types B14 and BW22. Of nine children with rubella titers512, 44 percent had HLA type A28; in contrast, only eight percent of the total group had A28 HLA type. HLA-A2 was present in four, and HLA types B12 and BW17 were present in three of the six children in whom seroconversion did not occur. Fifteen of 37 sibling pairs had identical antibody responses; in contrast, only 18 percent of randomly paired children had titers identical to each other. Vaccine-related symptomatology could not be associated with any HLA type. The results of this study suggest that infection with and antibody response to RA 27/3 rubella vaccine is influenced by genetic factors, which include cellular membrane determinants.     

Resorcinol degradation by a <Emphasis Type="Italic">Penicillium chrysogenum</Emphasis> strain under osmotic stress: mono and binary substrate matrices with phenol

A phenol-degrading Penicillium chrysogenum strain previously isolated from a salt mine was able to grow at 1,000 mg l⁻¹ of resorcinol on solid medium. The aerobic degradation of resorcinol by P. chrysogenum CLONA2 was studied in batch cultures in minimal mineral medium with 58.5 g l⁻¹ of sodium chloride using resorcinol as the sole carbon source. The fungal strain showed the ability to degrade up to 250 mg l⁻¹ of resorcinol. Resorcinol and phenol efficiency degradation by P. chrysogenum CLONA2 was compared. This strain removes phenol faster than resorcinol. When phenol and resorcinol were in binary substrate matrices, phenol enhanced resorcinol degradation, and organic load decreased with respect to the mono substrate matrices. The acute toxicity of phenol and resorcinol, individually and in combination, to Artemia franciscana larvae has been verified before and after the bioremediation process with P. chrysogenum CLONA2. The remediation process was effective in mono and binary substrate systems.     

Effect of Acacia gum on blood pressure in rats with adenine-induced chronic renal failure

Chronic renal failure (CRF) occurring naturally in patients or induced by subtotal nephrectomy in rats induces several alterations in the cardiovascular system (CVS). However, the effect of chemically induced CRF in rats on the CVS is less well known. We induced CRF in rats by feeding adenine (0.75%, w/w, four weeks) and investigated the effect of the ensuing CRF on the systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR). Further, we investigated the effect of giving acacia gum (AG, 10%, w/v) in the drinking water concomitantly with adenine on the above parameters. AG has been previously shown to ameliorate the severity of CRF in humans and rats. We confirmed here that adenine-induced CRF significantly increased the plasma concentrations of urea and creatinine, and reduced creatinine clearance. Additionally, it significantly increased both systolic and diastolic BP, with no significant effect on HR. Both of these actions were significantly mitigated by AG treatment. The antihypertensive angiotenisn-converting enzyme inhibitor lisinopril (10 mg/kg) was given by gavage to rats concomitantly with adenine, significantly reduced the rise in blood pressure induced by adenine. In conclusion, adenine-induced CRF in rats significantly increased BP, and this was significantly mitigated by administration of AG. Possible mechanisms of these changes and the protective effect of AG will be investigated.     

Penicillium chrysogenum var. halophenolicum, a new halotolerant strain with potential in the remediation of aromatic compounds in high salt environments

A halotolerant phenylacetate-degrading fungus Penicillium CLONA2, previously isolated from a salt mine at Algarve (Portugal), was identified as a variant of P. chrysogenum using the ITS-5,8S rDNA and the D1/D2 domain of 28S rDNA sequences. The metabolic features and genetic characteristics suggest that this strain belongs to a subgroup of P. chrysogenum, named var. halophenolicum. The presence of the penicillin biosynthetic cluster was proven by Southern hybridizations using probes internal to the pcbAB and penDE genes and sequencing of the pcbAB-pcbC intergenic region. However the pcbAB-pcbC divergent promoter region contained 20 point modifications with respect to that of the wild type P. chrysogenum NRRL1951. The CLONA2 strain produced non-aromatic natural penicillins rather than benzylpenicillin in a medium containing potassium phenylacetate (the precursor of benzylpenicillin) and was able to grow well on phenylacetatic acid using it as sole carbon source. Due to the ability of P. chrysogenum CLONA2 to degrade aromatic compounds, this strain may be an interesting organism for aromatic compounds remediation in high salinity environments.     

Designing peptide inhibitors for oligomerization and toxicity of Alzheimer's beta-amyloid peptide

Convergent biochemical and genetic evidence suggests that the formation of beta-amyloid (Abeta) deposits in the brain is an important and, probably, seminal step in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent studies support the hypothesis that Abeta soluble oligomers are the pathogenic species that prompt the disease. Inhibiting Abeta self-oligomerization could, therefore, provide a novel approach to treating the underlying cause of AD. Here, we designed potential peptide-based aggregation inhibitors containing Abeta amino acid sequences (KLVFF) from part of the binding region responsible for Abeta self-association (residues 16-20), with RG-/-GR residues added at their N- and C-terminal ends to aid solubility. Two such peptides (RGKLVFFGR, named OR1, and RGKLVFFGR-NH2, named OR2) were effective inhibitors of Abeta fibril formation, but only one of these peptides (OR2) inhibited Abeta oligomer formation. Interestingly, this same OR2 peptide was the only effective inhibitor of Abeta toxicity toward human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Our data support the idea that Abeta oligomers are responsible for the cytotoxic effects of Abeta and identify a potential peptide inhibitor for further development as a novel therapy for AD.