Liver abscess as the presenting manifestation of chronic granulomatous disease

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a rare primary immunodeficiency disease, affecting phagocytic blood cells, which predispose patients to recurrent infectious complications. Herein, an 11-year-old girl is described who presented with liver abscess at the age of 9 years. Positive dihydrorhodamine (DHR) and nitrobluetetrazolium (NBT) tests confirmed the diagnosis of CGD for the patient. Anti-tuberculosis drugs and parenteral antibiotic therapy were started. Unusual visceral abscess and recurrent infections should be considered as an alarm for primary immunodeficiency diseases, while early diagnosis and appropriate treatment could prevent severe complications and even death in this group of patients.     

Identification of cytoplasmic and membrane-associated complexes in human embryonic stem cells using blue native PAGE

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) have great potential for use in developmental biology studies, functional genomics applications, drug screening, and regenerative medicine. A detailed understanding of the molecular mechanisms that are responsible for maintaining the undifferentiated and pluripotent nature of hESCs is essential for their effective therapeutic application. It has become evident that many complex cellular processes are carried out by assemblies of protein molecules (protein complexes). Blue native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (BN-PAGE) has been used to separate protein complexes from whole cell lysates. Using BN-PAGE, we resolved cytoplasmic and membrane-associated complexes from hESCs and characterised their composition, stoichiometry, and dynamics by denaturing SDS-PAGE. The reliability of the fractionation was examined by western blot analysis of membrane and cytosolic markers. MALDI TOF/TOF mass spectrometry identified 119 cytosolic and 69 membrane proteins from the BN-PAGE proteome maps. Potential protein complexes were validated by computational prediction of possible protein-protein interactions using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) database. Based on BN-PAGE gels and validation by databases, 82 heteromultimeric and 47 homomultimeric protein complexes have been found in hESCs. Resolving some of the protein complexes provided insight into the function of previously uncharacterised complexes in hESCs.     

The potential therapeutic use of renin–angiotensin system inhibitors in the treatment of inflammatory diseases

Inflammation is a normal part of the immune response to injury or infection but its dysregulation promotes the development of inflammatory diseases, which cause considerable human suffering. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents are the most commonly prescribed agents for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, but they are accompanied by a broad range of side effects, including gastrointestinal and cardiovascular events. The renin–angiotensin system (RAS) is traditionally known for its role in blood pressure regulation. However, there is increasing evidence that RAS signaling is also involved in the inflammatory response associated with several disease states. Angiotensin II increases blood pressure by binding to angiotensin type 1 (AT₁) receptor, and direct renin inhibitors, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and AT₁ receptor blockers (ARBs) are clinically used as antihypertensive agents. Recent data suggest that these drugs also have anti-inflammatory effects. Therefore, this review summarizes these recent findings for the efficacy of two of the most widely used antihypertensive drug classes, ACE inhibitors and ARBs, to reduce or treat inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis, arthritis, steatohepatitis, colitis, pancreatitis, and nephritis.     

Comparative inactivation of adenovirus serotypes by UV light disinfection

The results of this study confirm that adenoviruses are the most resistant enteric viruses to inactivation by UV light and that adenovirus 40 appears to be the most resistant. The effect of freeze-thawing and storage in water may affect the sensitivity of some adenoviruses to inactivation by UV light.     

Development and validation of a rapid HPLC method for simultaneous determination of tramadol, and its two main metabolites in human plasma

Tramadol, an analgesic agent, and its two main metabolites O-desmethyltramadol (M1) and N-desmethyltramadol (M2) were determined simultaneously in human plasma by a rapid and specific HPLC method. The sample preparation was a simple extraction with ethyl acetate. Chromatographic separation was achieved with a Chromolith Performance RP-18e 50 mm x 4.6 mm column, using a mixture of methanol:water (13:87, v/v) adjusted to pH 2.5 by phosphoric acid, in an isocratic mode at flow rate of 2 ml/min. Fluorescence detection (lambda(ex)=200 nm/lambda(em)=301 nm) was used. The calibration curves were linear (r(2)>0.997) in the concentration range of 2.5-500 ng/ml, 1.25-500 ng/ml and 5-500 ng/ml for tramadol, M1 and M2, respectively. The lower limit of quantification was 2.5 ng/ml for tramadol, 1.25 ng/ml for M1 and 5 ng/ml for M2. The within- and between-day precisions in the measurement of QC samples at four tested concentrations were in the range of 2.5-9.7%, 2.5-9.9% and 5.9-11.3% for tramadol, M1 and M2, respectively. The developed procedure was applied to assess the pharmacokinetics of tramadol and its two main metabolites following administration of 100mg single oral dose of tramadol to healthy volunteers.     

Maintenance of membrane integrity and increase of taxanes production in hazel (Corylus avellana L.) cells induced by low-intensity ultrasound

Suspension-cultured hazel cells were ultrasonicated at power densities of 4 and 455 mW for 4–40 min. Both treatments stimulated the production of major taxanes: Taxol, 10-deacetylbaccatin, and baccatin III. The highest amounts of these taxanes (0.46, 0.26, and 0.07 mg/l, respectively) were obtained at 8 and 20 min of the treatment at 455 mW. Ultrasound had no adverse effects on cell viability, growth, or membrane integrity. Increased release of taxanes by ultrasound resulted not from increased membrane permeability but more likely from stimulation of taxanes biosynthesis.     

Analysis of the community structure of abyssal kinetoplastids revealed similar communities at larger spatial scales

Knowledge of the spatial scales of diversity is necessary to evaluate the mechanisms driving biodiversity and biogeography in the vast but poorly understood deep sea. The community structure of kinetoplastids, an important group of microbial eukaryotes belonging to the Euglenozoa, from all abyssal plains of the South Atlantic and two areas of the eastern Mediterranean was studied using partial small subunit ribosomal DNA gene clone libraries. A total of 1364 clones from 10 different regions were retrieved. The analysis revealed statistically not distinguishable communities from both the South-East Atlantic (Angola and Guinea Basin) and the South-West Atlantic (Angola and Brazil Basin) at spatial scales of 1000–3000 km, whereas all other communities were significantly differentiated from one another. It seems likely that multiple processes operate at the same time to shape communities of deep-sea kinetoplastids. Nevertheless, constant and homogenous environmental conditions over large spatial scales at abyssal depths, together with high dispersal capabilities of microbial eukaryotes, maintain best the results of statistically indistinguishable communities at larger spatial scales.     

The molecular behavior of a single β‐amyloid inside a dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine bilayer at three different temperatures: An atomistic simulation study: Aβ interaction with DPPC: Atomistic simulation

The behavior of a single Aβ40 molecule within a dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) bilayer was studied by all‐atom molecular dynamics simulations. The effect of membrane structure was investigated on Aβ40 behavior, secondary structure, and insertion depth. Simulations were performed at three temperatures (323, 310, and 300 K) to probe three different bilayer fluidities. Results show that at all above temperatures, the peptide contains two short helices, coil, bend, and turn structures. At 300 K, the peptide contains a region with β structure in C‐terminal region. Our results also show that Aβ decreases the bilayer thickness and the order of lipids in its vicinity which leads to water insertion into the bilayer and concomitant increase in the local fluidity. The peptide remains embedded in the bilayer at all temperatures, and become inserted into the bilayer up to several residues at 323 and 310 K. At 310 and 300 K, the dominant interaction energy between Aβ and bilayer changes from electrostatic to van der Waals. It can be proposed that at higher temperatures (e.g., 323 K), Lys28 and the C‐terminal region of the peptide play the role of two anchors that keep Aβ inside the top leaflet. This study demonstrates that Aβ molecule can perturb the integrity of cellular membranes. Proteins 2017; 85:1298–1310. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Mixed Phase Solid‐State Plastic Crystal Electrolytes Based on a Phosphonium Cation for Sodium Devices

Na batteries are seen as a feasible alternative technology to lithium ion batteries due to the greater abundance of sodium and potentially similar electrochemical behavior. In this work, mixed phase electrolyte materials based on solid‐state compositions of a tri methylisobutylphosphonium (P_111i4) bis(tri fluromethanesulphonyl)amide (NTf₂) organic ionic plastic crystal (OIPC) and high concentration of NaNTf₂ that support safe, sodium metal electrochemistry are demonstrated. A Na symmetric cell can be cycled efficiently, even in the solid state (at 50 °C and 60 °C), for a 25 mol% (P_111i4NTf₂)–75 mol% NaNTf₂ composition at 0.1 mA cm^?2 for 100 cycles. Thus, these mixed phase materials can be potentially used in Na‐based devices under moderate temperature conditions. It is also investigated that the phase behavior, conductivity, and electrochemical properties of mixtures of NaNTf₂ with this OIPC. It is observed that these mixtures have complex phase behavior. For high compositions of the Na salt, the materials are solid at room temperature and retain a soft solid consistency even at 50 °C with remarkably high conductivity, approaching that of the pure ionic liquid at 50 °C, i.e., 10^?3–10^?2 S cm^?1.