Characteristics and Dynamics of Salmonella Contamination along the Coast of Agadir,Morocco

The occurrence of Salmonella enterica in the environment of tropical and desert regions has remained largely uninvestigated in many areas of the world, including Africa. In the present study, we investigated the presence of Salmonella spp. along 122 km of the coastline of Agadir (southern Morocco) in relation to environmental parameters. A total of 801 samples of seawater (243), marine sediment (279), and mussels (279) were collected from six sites between July 2004 and May 2008. The overall prevalence of Salmonella spp. was 7.1%, with the highest occurrence in mussels (10%), followed by sediment (6.8%) and seawater (4.1%). Only three serotypes were identified among the 57 Salmonella sp. strains isolated. S. enterica serotype Blockley represented 43.8% of all Salmonella strains and was identified in mussel and sediment samples. S. enterica serotype Kentucky (29.8%) was found almost exclusively in mussels, whereas S. enterica serotype Senftenberg (26.3%) was detected in sediment and seawater. Statistical analysis using generalized additive models identified seawater temperature, environmental temperature, rainfall, and solar radiation as significant factors associated with the presence of Salmonella. Rainfall was the only variable showing a linear positive effect on the presence of Salmonella in the sea, whereas the remaining variables showed more complex nonlinear effects. Twenty-eight (49.1%) Salmonella isolates displayed resistance to ampicillin (22 isolates), nalidixic acid (9 isolates), sulfonamide compounds (2 isolates), and tetracycline (1 isolate), with six of these isolates displaying multiple resistance to two of these antimicrobial agents. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis revealed homogenous restriction patterns within each serotype that were uncorrelated with the resistance pattern profiles.Salmonella enterica bacteria are one of the most frequent causes of food-borne infections transmitted to humans, mainly from animal products (9). In addition to health concerns, the presence of Salmonella contamination in the food chain has serious economic consequences related to the costs of medical care and lost productivity (36). Thus, studies aimed at examining the capacity of Salmonella spp. to survive in different habitats are critical for controlling contamination and understanding the routes of colonization of new hosts (40).Salmonella bacteria display a high degree of resistance to a large variety of stress factors, which provides them with an enhanced capacity to persist in changing environments (40). However, the persistence of the organism outside of the host is not uniform among the different serogroups (3, 4, 13, 24, 32, 34). About 50 of the more than 2,500 different serotypes of Salmonella included in the current classification scheme (29) are dominantly identified in human and animal sources (34). Information about groups that predominate in a given environment and their relationship to potential human or animal origins remains scarce. In recent years, some studies carried out in aquatic environments have provided new insights into the ecological preferences of different Salmonella serogroups in these environments. These studies have revealed the presence of specific patterns of contamination in different geographical areas in association with environmental and oceanographic variables (13, 24, 32) and have identified major factors and conditions that favor the presence of the contaminating bacteria. Identification of the different Salmonella strains present in the environment at serotype level is an essential preliminary step in discriminating potentially clinically important strains among the Salmonella present in contaminated areas, providing invaluable information about the nature of the contamination and allowing the inference of potential routes of dissemination through microbial source tracking (31). All of this information is critical for an improved assessment of the potential risks to public health associated with Salmonella and for the evaluation of the ecological preferences of the diverse and heterogeneous group of organisms which comprise the genus Salmonella (26).The lack of information regarding the epidemiology, contamination, and potential routes of transmission of Salmonella is of particular concern in many regions of the world, such as Africa and Central America, where gastrointestinal diseases continue to be a major cause of illness, primarily due to poor sanitary conditions and nutritional deficiencies. In the present study, we investigated the dynamics of Salmonella contamination in the coastal areas of Agadir, a populous region of southern Morocco where shellfish production and maritime tourism are important to the local economy. Information concerning the biological characteristics of the isolates was correlated with environmental data in order to evaluate the climatic conditions that favor contamination of this region by this pathogen and to identify the potential sources of contamination.     

Anti-HER2 vaccines: new prospects for breast cancer therapy

Each year, breast cancer accounts for more than 400,000 new cancer cases and more than 130,000 cancer deaths in Europe. Prognosis of nonmetastatic breast cancer patients is directly related to the extent of the disease, mainly nodal spreading and tumor size, and to the molecular profile, particularly HER2 over-expression. In patients with HER2-over-expressing tumors, different studies have shown cellular and/or humoral immune responses against HER2 associated with a lower tumor development at early stages of the disease. These findings have led to the hypothesis that the generation of an anti-HER2 immune response should protect patients from HER2-over-expressing tumor growth. Taken together with the clinical efficiency of trastuzumab-based anti-HER2 passive immunotherapy, these observations allowed to envisage various vaccine strategies against HER2. The induction of a stable and strong immunity by cancer vaccines is expected to lead to establishment of immune memory, thereby preventing tumor recurrence. However, an immunological tolerance against HER2 antigen exists representing a barrier to effective vaccination against this oncoprotein. As a consequence, the current challenge for vaccines is to find the best conditions to break this immunological tolerance. In this review, we will discuss the different anti-HER2 vaccine strategies currently developed; considering the strategies having reached the clinical phases as well as those still in preclinical development. The used antigen can be either composed of tumoral allogenic cells or autologous cells, or specific to HER2. It can be delivered by dendritic cells or in a DNA, peptidic or proteic form. Another area of research concerns the use of anti-idiotypic antibodies mimicking HER2.     

Feeding ecology of the vulnerable aoudad (Ammotragus lervia) in north-western Sahara

The feeding ecology of the aoudad (Ammotragus lervia) was investigated for the first time in north-western Sahara, Djebel Antar (Bechar province, Algeria), from autumn 2015 to summer 2016. Microhistological analyses of faeces revealed an annual diet composed of 23 identified taxa belonging to 16 plant families. The highest species diversity was recorded in spring and summer (23 species), despite a marked consumption of two species: Vachellia tortilis (17.7%) and Avena sterilis (14.0%); diet diversity was lower in autumn and winter (16 species), including mainly Teucrium polium (14.7%, 21.0%) and Gymnocarpos decander (19.7%, 10.0%). The main plant parts consumed during these seasons were stems (77.7%, 65.3%), while leaves and inflorescences were mostly consumed during spring and summer (54.7%, 52.3%). Forbs dominated the aoudad's diet, with 46.3% average relative abundance, including mainly T. polium, Limoniastrum feei, and Chrysanthemum macrocarpum. Woody plants including mainly V. tortilis and G. decander accounted for 33.3% (50.0% in autumn), and grasses including A. sterilis and H. murinum for 20.4% (32.0% in summer). Based on this diet, A. lervia can be classified as a “generalist mixed-feeder.”     

Circadian variation in hepatic toxicity of the immunosuppressive agent “Mycophenolate Mofetil” in rats

Immunosuppressive drugs may have varying toxicity or efficacy depending on the administration time. This study investigates whether the liver toxicity of the mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) varies according to the circadian dosing-time in rats. 300 mg/kg of MMF was injected by intraperitonal route to different groups of animals at four different circadian stages (1, 7, 13, and 19 h after light onset, HALO). Biochemical variable (transaminase, alkaline phosphatase) and histopathological examinations on liver section were performed. The results obtained showed that MMF treatment induced hepato-toxicity depending on the circadian time. A severe toxicity in the liver was observed when the drug was injected at 7 HALO. The data obtained indicate that the maximum of hepato-toxicity is observed when MMF was injected in the middle of the light-rest span of rats which is physiologically analogous to the end of the activity of the diurnal phase in human patients.     

Gastric bronchogenic cyst presenting as a submucosal mass: a case report

ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: Bronchogenic cysts are developmental anomalies of the primitive foregut which mostly occur in the lung. Gastric bronchogenic cysts are extremely rare; few cases have been reported in the literature and the diagnosis was often made following surgical resection. CASE PRESENTATION: A 40-year-old North African man was admitted to our hospital with a gastric submucosal mass. An endoscopic ultrasound revealed a unilocular cystic mass located in the muscular layer. Its content was echogenic suggestive of mucus. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the liquid nature of the cyst and showed a high ratio of proteins. Based on these observations, the diagnosis of bronchogenic cyst was confirmed. An endoscopic monitoring was decided rather than surgery because of the small size of the cyst and the absence of symptoms. CONCLUSION: Although gastric bronchogenic cysts are rare, they should be well known and considered in all differential diagnoses of gastric tumors. We report a new case of gastric bronchogenic cyst and highlight the contribution of morphological tests that currently allow a non-invasive diagnosis.     

Variations in vinblastine production at different stages of somatic embryogenesis,embryo, and field-grown plantlets of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Catharanthus roseus</Emphasis> L. (G) Don,as revealed by HPLC

Catharanthus roseus L. (G) Don. is an important dicotyledonous medicinal plant that produces anticancer compounds, which are used for the treatment of a wide variety of cancers. We have quantified vinblastine (a major dimeric anticancer compound) in various in vitro raised tissues; embryogenic and nonembryogenic calli, three different embryogenic stages (proliferated, matured, and germinating embryo), somatic embryo derived plantlets and in ex vitro grown plantlets by using high performance liquid chromatography. Of the various obtained callus lines and embryogenesis stages, maximum vinblastine content was found in leaf callus and in germinating embryos. The leaves of somatic embryo-derived plantlets contained more vinblastine than did Catharanthus leaves developed ex vitro. The yield of vinblastine was monitored for 30 wk. The production of vinblastine appeared to be age dependent and tissue specific; the finding of our analyses is discussed in detail.     

Cytotoxicity and anti-microbial analysis of silver and graphene oxide bio nanoparticles

It is of interest to document the cytotoxicity and anti microbial analysis of silver and graphene oxide nanoparticles. The plant extracts from Andrographis paniculata and Ocimum sanctum Linn were used as reducing agent. The nanoparticles were characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy, FT-IR, XRD and TEM. The antimicrobial activity was completed for oral pathogens. Brine Shrimp Lethality assay was conducted for cytotoxicity. Thus, we show that silver and graphene oxide bio based nanoparticles have antimicrobial activity with minimum cytotoxic effects.