The viral mimic, polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid, induces fever in rats via an interleukin-1-dependent mechanism

Polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) is a synthetic double-stranded RNA that is used experimentally to model viral infections in vivo. Previous studies investigating the inflammatory properties of this agent in rodents demonstrated that it is a potent pyrogen. However, the mechanisms underlying this response have not been fully elucidated. In the current study, we examined the effects of peripheral administration of poly I:C on body temperature and cytokine production. Male rats were implanted with biotelemetry devices and randomly assigned to one of the following three groups: poly I:C + saline, poly I:C + interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), or saline + saline. Maximal fever of 1.6 degrees C above baseline was observed 3 h after an intraperitoneal injection of poly I:C (750 microg/kg). Pretreatment with IL-1ra diminished this response by >50% (maximum body temperature = 0.6 degrees C above baseline). Plasma IL-6 concentration increased fivefold 2 h post-poly I:C compared with saline-injected rats; levels returned to baseline 4 h postinjection. Pretreatment with IL-1ra prevented this rise in IL-6. Plasma tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha was also increased more than fourfold 2 h postinjection but remained unaffected by IL-1ra treatment. IL-1beta and cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA were significantly upregulated in the hypothalamus of poly I:C-treated animals. Finally, poly I:C decreased food intake by 30%, but this response was not altered by pretreatment with IL-1ra. These results suggest that poly I:C induces fever, but not anorexia, through an IL-1 and prostaglandin-dependent mechanism.     

Molecular Flow Quantified beyond the Diffraction Limit by Spatiotemporal Image Correlation of Structured Illumination Microscopy Data

We combine total internal reflection fluorescence structured illumination microscopy with spatiotemporal image correlation spectroscopy to quantify the flow velocities and directionality of filamentous-actin at the T cell immunological synapse. These techniques demonstrate it is possible to image retrograde flow of filamentous-actin at superresolution and provide flow quantification in the form of velocity histograms and flow vector maps. The flow was found to be retrograde and radially directed throughout the periphery of T-cells during synapse formation.Many biological processes are now being visualized with the use of superresolution fluorescence microscopy techniques. However, localization-based techniques primarily rely on fixed or slow moving samples to permit the collection of structural information. The 10-fold gains in resolution afforded by these superresolution techniques are usually possible through sacrificing the factors that originally made microscopy such a powerful tool: the ability to image live cells. In the case of stimulated emission depletion imaging, the scanning approach associated with this technique may fail to detect faster molecular events when imaging whole cellular regions.Structured illumination microscopy (SIM) is an alternative to these methods (1). It increases the resolution of conventional fluorescence microscopy twofold; it has the advantage of using a wide-field system, providing fast acquisition speeds of whole cells with relatively low laser powers; and it is compatible with standard fluorophores. By using a physical grating to produce interference patterns from a laser, periodic illumination is created. This patterned illumination causes information from higher spatial frequencies to be downmodulated (i.e., shifted) into the optical transfer function (support region) of the lens, resulting in higher-resolution spatial information being captured than is ordinarily obtainable.To quantify the directional motion of intracellular molecules, spatiotemporal image correlation spectroscopy (STICS (2)) was applied. Using spatial image correlation in time, STICS measures the similarity of pixels with those surrounding in lagging frames via a correlation function. The correlation function provides information on both flow velocities and directionality, while discounting static structures through the immobile object filter, achieved by subtracting a moving average of pixel intensities.The formation of an immunological synapse between T cells and antigen-presenting cells is a process requiring many dynamic (3) and subdiffraction-limited clustering events (4–6) to take place. The polymerization of actin is important for the spreading of cells over their target antigen-presenting cells (7), as well as cell mobility and migration (8). Retrograde flow of densely meshed cortical actin is observed at the basal membrane of synapse-forming T cells, where it may have a role in the corralling and clustering of signaling molecules at the plasma membrane (9), as well as at the leading edge of migrating cells (10). Filamentous actin is an extremely dynamic (7), densely packed, and thin (7-nm) structure (11,12).Here, we perform STICS on SIM data acquired on a total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscope system, which generated an evanescent field of 75-nm depth for excitation. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of an image correlation approach to quantify molecular dynamics on subresolution length scales using wide-field microscopy. To demonstrate the technique, we analyze two-dimensional actin flows in CD4⁺ T cells during immunological synapse formation, performed after cross-linking of antigen T cell receptors on a coverslip coated with specific antibodies.Fig. 1 a shows a schematic of the TIRF SIM setup. Excitation light (488 nm) passes through a polarizing module and then a phase-grating block, producing diffracted beams. These are then passed through a diffraction filter module to isolate the −1 and +1 order laser beams. These first-order laser beams are angled through the objective to produce total internal reflection conditions at the glass-water interface. The two evanescent waves interfere at the sample, producing structured illumination. The setup then produces lateral and rotational shifts through three orientations, producing nine raw images containing higher spatial frequencies than can normally be acquired by an objective using standard light microscopy. Fig. 1 b demonstrates the increased resolution obtained from TIRF SIM. Shown are the collected Fourier frequencies compared to those of a conventional microscope (dotted red line). Resolution was also measured using sparse 100-nm diameter fluorescent beads. Fig. 1 c shows a magnified image of these beads from which a line profile was obtained (yellow arrow). The full width at half-maximum of this profile (Fig. 1 d) gives a lateral resolution for the system of 120 nm.Open in a separate windowFigure 1(a) Schematic of the TIRF SIM setup. (b) Demonstration of the doubling of spatial resolution of collected frequencies through a Fourier transform (superimposed red circle demonstrating regular spatial frequency limits). (c) SIM reconstructed image of 100-nm bead (scale bar 0.5 μm). (d) (Plotted line) Bead showing full width at half-maximum of 120 nm.We then applied STICS analysis to quantify actin flow in T cell synapses acquired using TIRF SIM (Fig. 2). Fig. 2 a shows a schematic of the STICS analysis. From the raw data, immobile objects are first filtered by subtracting a moving average of the pixel values. Vector maps were obtained from correlation analysis of the time-series as previously published in Hebert et al. (2) and Brown et al. (13). Fig. 2 b shows a reconstructed TIRF SIM image of a mature T cell immunological synapse, representative of a time-point derived from the time series acquired at 1.28 fps (see Movie S1 in the Supporting Material). From this reconstructed image, two representative regions have been selected. In these regions, pseudo-colored actin flow vectors are overlaid onto the fluorescence intensity image. These range in magnitude from 0.01 μm/min (blue) to 5.61 μm/min (red). It can be observed that all flow vectors are directed radially toward the synapse center. A histogram of this flow is shown in Fig. 2 c. The histogram shows a peak retrograde flow velocity of 1.91 ± 1.27 μm/min. These data are representative of n = 7 T-cell synapses imaged by TIRF SIM.Open in a separate windowFigure 2(a) STICS analysis, performed by isolating mobile from immobile structures through a moving average filter (i) and binning a subset of pixels into blocks of superpixels (ii); the STICS software correlates spatial fluorescence fluctuations through time (iii). The code then outputs vector maps showing directionality and flow velocities. (b) TIRF SIM image of actin flow in a T cell 5 min after contact with a stimulatory coverslip. (Zoomed regions) Retrograde actin flow at the synapse periphery. (c) Histograms showing flow speed statistics of vectors from T-cell synapses (n = 7).     

Live-cell fluorescence imaging of microgametogenesis in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum

Formation of gametes in the malaria parasite occurs in the midgut of the mosquito and is critical to onward parasite transmission. Transformation of the male gametocyte into microgametes, called microgametogenesis, is an explosive cellular event and one of the fastest eukaryotic DNA replication events known. The transformation of one microgametocyte into eight flagellated microgametes requires reorganisation of the parasite cytoskeleton, replication of the 22.9 Mb genome, axoneme formation and host erythrocyte egress, all of which occur simultaneously in <20 minutes. Whilst high-resolution imaging has been a powerful tool for defining stages of microgametogenesis, it has largely been limited to fixed parasite samples, given the speed of the process and parasite photosensitivity. Here, we have developed a live-cell fluorescence imaging workflow that captures the entirety of microgametogenesis. Using the most virulent human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, our live-cell approach captured early microgametogenesis with three-dimensional imaging through time (4D imaging) and microgamete release with two-dimensional (2D) fluorescence microscopy. To minimise the phototoxic impact to parasites, acquisition was alternated between 4D fluorescence, brightfield and 2D fluorescence microscopy. Combining live-cell dyes specific for DNA, tubulin and the host erythrocyte membrane, 4D and 2D imaging together enables definition of the positioning of newly replicated and segregated DNA. This combined approach also shows the microtubular cytoskeleton, location of newly formed basal bodies, elongation of axonemes and morphological changes to the erythrocyte membrane, the latter including potential echinocytosis of the erythrocyte membrane prior to microgamete egress. Extending the utility of this approach, the phenotypic effects of known transmission-blocking inhibitors on microgametogenesis were confirmed. Additionally, the effects of bortezomib, an untested proteasomal inhibitor, revealed a clear block of DNA replication, full axoneme nucleation and elongation. Thus, as well as defining a framework for broadly investigating microgametogenesis, these data demonstrate the utility of using live imaging to validate potential targets for transmission-blocking antimalarial drug development.     

Molecular Flow Quantified beyond the Diffraction Limit by Spatiotemporal Image Correlation of Structured Illumination Microscopy Data

We combine total internal reflection fluorescence structured illumination microscopy with spatiotemporal image correlation spectroscopy to quantify the flow velocities and directionality of filamentous-actin at the T cell immunological synapse. These techniques demonstrate it is possible to image retrograde flow of filamentous-actin at superresolution and provide flow quantification in the form of velocity histograms and flow vector maps. The flow was found to be retrograde and radially directed throughout the periphery of T-cells during synapse formation.     

Evaluation of Culture Techniques for Isolation of Pseudomonas pseudomallei from Soil

Three selective enrichment broths and four selective agar media were evaluated for their ability to support the growth of Pseudomonas pseudomallei both at 35°C and at ambient temperature (range, 20 to 32°C; mean, 25°C). Colony counts of 50 strains of P. pseudomallei and recovery studies with 1 soil strain in 60 simulated soil samples demonstrated that enrichment with Trypticase soy broth incorporating 5 mg of crystal violet per liter and 20 mg of colistin per liter (CVCB) and subculture to Ashdown medium supported the growth of all 50 strains and produced the highest recovery rates with the greatest suppression of other soil flora. An enrichment broth of MacConkey broth (purple) incorporating 10 mg of crystal violet per liter, 5 mg of bromcresol purple per liter, 25 mg of gentamicin per liter, and 650 mg of streptomycin per liter showed greater suppression of soil bacteria than CVCB, but it failed to support the growth of three strains of P. pseudomallei. Recovery rates were essentially the same irrespective of whether the soil samples were incubated at 35°C or at ambient temperature, provided cultures were incubated in protected shade for an extended period. This is an important feature for field work in large-scale epidemiological surveys in which resources are limited.     

Torpor in an African caprimulgid, the freckled nightjar Caprimulgus tristigma

Recent data suggest that facultative hypothermic responses such as torpor are more important in the energy balance of birds from tropical and sub-tropical regions than previously thought. We used telemetric measurements of skin temperature (T_skin) for five individuals on 151 bird-nights to investigate the occurrence of torpor during winter in an 81 g African caprimulgid, the freckled nightjar Caprimulgus tristigma . We found that freckled nightjars have the capacity to enter torpor, with a minimum observed T_skin of 12.8°C. During the torpor bouts we observed, complete rewarming typically occurred after sunrise, and coincided with the availability of solar radiation. There was considerable inter-individual variability in the frequency and depth of torpor bouts, with one female nightjar exhibiting particularly frequent and deep torpor. Our results confirm the ability to use torpor by a nocturnal aerial insectivore from the Afrotropics, and reiterate the variability in patterns of torpor that can exist within a population.     

A meta‐review of “lifestyle psychiatry”: the role of exercise,smoking, diet and sleep in the prevention and treatment of mental disorders

There is increasing academic and clinical interest in how “lifestyle factors” traditionally associated with physical health may also relate to mental health and psychological well‐being. In response, international and national health bodies are producing guidelines to address health behaviors in the prevention and treatment of mental illness. However, the current evidence for the causal role of lifestyle factors in the onset and prognosis of mental disorders is unclear. We performed a systematic meta‐review of the top‐tier evidence examining how physical activity, sleep, dietary patterns and tobacco smoking impact on the risk and treatment outcomes across a range of mental disorders. Results from 29 meta‐analyses of prospective/cohort studies, 12 Mendelian randomization studies, two meta‐reviews, and two meta‐analyses of randomized controlled trials were synthesized to generate overviews of the evidence for targeting each of the specific lifestyle factors in the prevention and treatment of depression, anxiety and stress‐related disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Standout findings include: a) convergent evidence indicating the use of physical activity in primary prevention and clinical treatment across a spectrum of mental disorders; b) emerging evidence implicating tobacco smoking as a causal factor in onset of both common and severe mental illness; c) the need to clearly establish causal relations between dietary patterns and risk of mental illness, and how diet should be best addressed within mental health care; and d) poor sleep as a risk factor for mental illness, although with further research required to understand the complex, bidirectional relations and the benefits of non‐pharmacological sleep‐focused interventions. The potentially shared neurobiological pathways between multiple lifestyle factors and mental health are discussed, along with directions for future research, and recommendations for the implementation of these findings at public health and clinical service levels.     

Rapid differentiation of Pseudomonas pseudomallei from Pseudomonas cepacia

The Minitek disc system was utilized for the differentiation of Pseudomonas pseudomallei, the causative agent of melioidosis, from Ps. cepacia. The system was simple to use, inexpensive, and furnished rapid, clear-cut test results after 4 h. This procedure is suitable for differentiating soil bacteria presumptively identified as Ps. pseudomallei, Ps. cepacia or flavobacteria, and for the rapid confirmation of the presumptive identification of either Ps. pseudomallei or Ps. cepacia obtained by commercial identification-kit systems in the clinical laboratory.     

Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist as a modulator of gender differences in the febrile response to lipopolysaccharide in rats

Febrile responses to bacterial pathogens are attenuated near term of pregnancy in several mammalian species. It is unknown, however, whether this reflects a fundamental physiological adaptation of female rats or whether it is specific to pregnancy. The aims of this study therefore were 1) to determine whether febrile responses to the bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) are attenuated in female vs. male rats and, if so, to identify possible mechanisms involved in modulating this and 2) to assess whether plasma concentrations of the anti-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), an important regulator of fever, are dependent on the physiological state of the female and could therefore be involved in modulating febrile responses. We found febrile responses were attenuated in cycling female vs. male rats and also in near-term pregnant dams vs. cycling females after intraperitoneal injection of LPS (0.05 mg/kg). Plasma levels of IL-1ra were significantly greater in female rats after injection of LPS, particularly during pregnancy, than in males. This was accompanied by attenuated levels of hypothalamic IL-1beta and cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA, two key mediators of the febrile response, in female rats. Furthermore, increasing plasma levels of IL-1ra in male rats by intraperitoneal administration of the recombinant antagonist attenuated hypothalamic mRNA levels of these mediators after LPS. These data suggest that there is a fundamental difference in febrile response to LPS between the genders that is likely regulated by IL-1ra. This may be an important mechanism that protects the developing fetus from potentially deleterious consequences of maternal fever during pregnancy.