Capric Acid Secreted by S. boulardii Inhibits C. albicans Filamentous Growth, Adhesion and Biofilm Formation

Candidiasis are life-threatening systemic fungal diseases, especially of gastro intestinal track, skin and mucous membranes lining various body cavities like the nostrils, the mouth, the lips, the eyelids, the ears or the genital area. Due to increasing resistance of candidiasis to existing drugs, it is very important to look for new strategies helping the treatment of such fungal diseases. One promising strategy is the use of the probiotic microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit. Such a probiotic microorganism is yeast Saccharomyces boulardii, a close relative of baker yeast. Saccharomyces boulardii cells and their extract affect the virulence factors of the important human fungal pathogen C. albicans, its hyphae formation, adhesion and biofilm development. Extract prepared from S. boulardii culture filtrate was fractionated and GC-MS analysis showed that the active fraction contained, apart from 2-phenylethanol, caproic, caprylic and capric acid whose presence was confirmed by ESI-MS analysis. Biological activity was tested on C. albicans using extract and pure identified compounds. Our study demonstrated that this probiotic yeast secretes into the medium active compounds reducing candidal virulence factors. The chief compound inhibiting filamentous C. albicans growth comparably to S. boulardii extract was capric acid, which is thus responsible for inhibition of hyphae formation. It also reduced candidal adhesion and biofilm formation, though three times less than the extract, which thus contains other factors suppressing C. albicans adherence. The expression profile of selected genes associated with C. albicans virulence by real-time PCR showed a reduced expression of HWP1, INO1 and CSH1 genes in C. albicans cells treated with capric acid and S. boulardii extract. Hence capric acid secreted by S. boulardii is responsible for inhibition of C. albicans filamentation and partially also adhesion and biofilm formation

Investigating the dynamic nature of the ABC transporters: ABCB1 and MsbA as examples for the potential synergies of MD theory and EPR applications

ABC transporters are primary active transporters found in all kingdoms of life. Human multidrug resistance transporter ABCB1, or P-glycoprotein, has an extremely broad substrate spectrum and confers resistance against chemotherapy drug treatment in cancer cells. The bacterial ABC transporter MsbA is a lipid A flippase and a homolog to the human ABCB1 transporter, with which it partially shares its substrate spectrum. Crystal structures of MsbA and ABCB1 have been solved in multiple conformations, providing a glimpse into the possible conformational changes the transporter could be going through during the transport cycle. Crystal structures are inherently static, while a dynamic picture of the transporter in motion is needed for a complete understanding of transporter function. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy can provide structural information on ABC transporters, but the strength of these two methods lies in the potential to characterise the dynamic regime of these transporters. Information from the two methods is quite complementary. MD simulations provide an all atom dynamic picture of the time evolution of the molecular system, though with a narrow time window. EPR spectroscopy can probe structural, environmental and dynamic properties of the transporter in several time regimes, but only through the attachment sites of an exogenous spin label. In this review the synergistic effects that can be achieved by combining the two methods are highlighted, and a brief methodological background is also presented

Psychosocial problems of the families of the terminally ill.

Towarzyszenie śmiertelnie choremu w ostatnich chwilach życia jest szczególnym doświadczeniem, dającym okazję do przeżycia bliskości z drugim człowiekiem, zwłaszcza w wymiarze emocjonalnym i duchowym. Może to jednak być przeżycie zbyt trudne i bolesne zarówno psychicznie jak i fizycznie powodując u bliskich chorego wycofanie się z procesu opieki. Szczerość i uczciwość w tym wyjątkowym czasie, bez uciekania się do niedomówień i kłamstwa wymagają siły i osobistej odwagi. Dla wszystkich osób z otoczenia chorego u kresu jego życia jest to okres szczególnego wysiłku, cierpliwości, wyrozumiałości delikatności. Rodzina powinna pamiętać, że w zespole hospicyjnym i chory, i oni sami mają sprzymierzeńca. Poprzez wspólny wysiłek udaje się dotrzeć do chorego i zatroszczyć o każdy z aspektów wielowymiarowego cierpienia, tak aby ostatni okres ich życia nie był traktowany jak beznadziejne, przeżywanie w osamotnieniu i niezrozumieniu, oczekiwanie na nieuchronny koniec. Konieczne staje się stworzenie takich warunków aby okres ten był przeżywany był jako istotna część życia, mimo istniejących trudności i ograniczeń. Celem pracy stała się próba opisu z jakimi problemami borykają się rodziny i opiekunowie osób terminalnie chorych.Assistance for the terminally ill people is a special experience which gives the opportunity to achieve physical and emotional intimacy with the sick. Arguably, a patient at death’s door needs special effort, forbearance and gentleness. Complete honesty and high integrity in this hard time require strength and personal courage. However, this experience may become so overwhelming that the patient's relatives gradually withdraw from delivering care.Without a doubt, the hospice team concentrates on supporting the patient and loved ones’ acceptance of the dying process as a natural part of life preserving a measure of peace and dignity. Hospice care keeps the patient comfortable, as free as possible from pain and symptoms, and allows him or her to maintain a good quality of life for the time remaining. With hospice, the focus is on comfort and promoting well-being for patients despite considerable difficulties and limitations. The aim of this study is to identify problems faced by family and caregivers of the terminally ill

The e¡ect of Saccharomyces boulardii on Candida albicans-infected human intestinal cell lines Caco-2 and Intestin 407

Abstract Saccharomyces boulardii is a probiotic strain that confers many benefits to human enterocolopathies and is used against a number of enteric pathogens. Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogen that causes intestinal infections in immunocompromised patients, and after translocation into the bloodstream, is responsible for serious systemic candidiasis. In this study, we investigated the influence of S. boulardii cells and its culture extract on C. albicans adhesion to Caco-2 and Intestin 407 cell lines. We also tested the proinflammatory IL-1b, IL-6 and IL-8 cytokine expression by C. albicans-infected Caco-2 cells, using real-time RT-PCR. We found that both S. boulardii and its extract significantly inhibited C. albicans adhesion to epithelial cell lines. The IL-8 gene expression by C. albicans-infected Caco-2 cells was suppressed by the addition of S. boulardii extract. Our results indicate that S. boulardii affects C. albicans adhesion and reduces cytokinemediated inflammatory host response

Photodynamic Therapy and Hyperthermia in Combination Treatment—Neglected Forces in the Fight against Cancer

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in humans. Despite the progress in cancer treatment, and an increase in the effectiveness of diagnostic methods, cancer is still highly lethal and very difficult to treat in many cases. Combination therapy, in the context of cancer treatment, seems to be a promising option that may allow minimizing treatment side effects and may have a significant impact on the cure. It may also increase the effectiveness of anti-cancer therapies. Moreover, combination treatment can significantly increase delivery of drugs to cancerous tissues. Photodynamic therapy and hyperthermia seem to be ideal examples that prove the effectiveness of combination therapy. These two kinds of therapy can kill cancer cells through different mechanisms and activate various signaling pathways. Both PDT and hyperthermia play significant roles in the perfusion of a tumor and the network of blood vessels wrapped around it. The main goal of combination therapy is to combine separate mechanisms of action that will make cancer cells more sensitive to a given therapeutic agent. Such an approach in treatment may contribute toward increasing its effectiveness, optimizing the cancer treatment process in the future

Proper Dietary and Supplementation Patterns as a COVID-19 Protective Factor (Cross-Sectional Study-Silesia, Poland)

Background. The COVID-19 pandemic has become a challenge for the world today, so it is very important to create healthy eating habits in society to support immunity and raise awareness of the benefits of supplementation. Objective. The purpose of this study is to evaluate diet and dietary supplementation, since previous studies indicate the protective nature of these in building immunity during the pandemic and post-pandemic period (COVID-19). The hypothesis of the study is whether the dietary regimen presented by the COVID-19 respondents can be considered protective in building immunity against SARS-CoV-2. Material and methods. The study included 304 subjects, with an average age of 39.04 ± 23.59. The main criteria for inclusion in the study were that the respondent was ≥18 years old and participated voluntarily. The study was conducted using an original questionnaire. Results. In the study group, no change was noticed in the previous diet during the COVID-19 pandemic, while the level of physical activity among the respondents decreased. Too low a percentage of people regularly consumed, among other foods. legume seeds—only 10.5% of respondents consumed them several times a week—and citrus fruits—the largest number of respondents, as many as 39.8%, only consumed them several times a month. The largest percentage of respondents with mild/scanty COVID-19 disease regularly took vitamin C-containing preparations (n = 61; 59.80%). Statistical analysis showed that there was a correlation between the incidence of mild/scanty COVID-19 and the regularity of taking vitamin C-containing preparations (T = 11.374; r = 0.611; p = 0.04603). A statistical significance level was also obtained for the regularity of supplementation of multivitamin preparations, which were taken by 68% (34) of respondents affected by mild/scanty COVID-19 (T = 13.456; r = 0.711; p = 0.02191). Conclusions. The study’s hypothesis was supported. Respondents characterized by a normal dietary pattern and taking supplements commonly recognized as immune “boosters” were more likely to mildly survive COVID-19. Moreover, it was shown that the pandemic in most of the respondents did not significantly affect their dietary strategy. It is reasonable to conclude that the dietary patterns adopted may be a common way to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infections and their possible complications