Identification of Bacteroides genes involved in Metronidazole resistance

Includes bibliographical references (leaves [123]-141).Bacteroides species are Gram-negative obligate anacrobes that live in the gastrointestinal tract of mammals and are thought to account for approximately 30% of the colonic microbiota. Certain Bacteroides species, such as B. fragilis and to a lesser extent B. thetaiotaomicron, can become opportunistic pathogens and cause severe infection. The antibiotic of choice for treating such infections is metronidazole, a DNA damaging agent. Metronidazole enters the bacterial cell as an inert prodrug, and is activated by cellular reduction into a cytotoxic compound which is thought to cause DNA strand breaks. Certain metronidazole resistant B. fragilis strains have been described, where the drug was not reduced inside the cell due to decreased activity of the metabolic enzymes which are involved in this process. Little is known about the mechanisms involved in repair of metronidazole damage and the potential for resistance. In this study, two difIerent approaches were used to isolate and analyse Bacteroides genes involved in metronidazole resistance, with emphasis on DNA repair genes. These methods were transposon mutagenesis of Bacteroides, and functional complementation of E. coli metronidazole sensitive mutants with genes from B. fragilis

Scorecard can help monitor children’s psycho-social health and wellbeing

Healthy early childhood development is fundamental to success and happiness, not only during childhood but throughout the course of a person’s life. This not only includes linguistic and cognitive development but also physical, social and emotional development. This development and the environment surrounding a child could either enhance or hinder optimal development of the individual. Schools are seen as an important environment for the promotion of education, but they could also be crucial for the promotion of health in children, as well as their families and community, through specific health-promotion programmes. The right programmes in a school setting could make a positive contribution to the overall health of the children and society

Learning to be a health activist

In 2009, Professor Alan Christoffels from the South African National Bioinformatics Institute and Professor Trish Struthers from the School of Public Health decided to join forces on a multidisciplinary project aimed at developing an innovative health intervention for South African school learners from Grades 7 to 9. Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) programme from the United States, a learning resource kit, titled “How to Be a Health Activist”, was developed with the aim of engaging and educating teenagers about tuberculosis within the context of HIV, as well as dealing with issues of self-esteem, poverty and helping them make informed decisions about their lives to help mitigate some of the health risks they face. This was, however, not just another learning resource for school learners

Obesity and the reproductive system disorders: epigenetics as a potential bridge

BACKGROUND: Obesity and overweight are significantly involved in several reproductive pathologies contributing to infertility in men and women. In addition, several cancers of the reproductive system, such as endometrial, ovarian, breast, testicular and prostate cancers, are strongly influenced by obesity. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in the association between obesity and reproductive disorders remain unclear. Our proposal is to review the current scientific evidence regarding the effect of obesity-related factors as the core of the collective mechanisms directly and indirectly involved in the relationship between obesity and reproductive disorders, with a special and original focus on the effect of the obesity state microenvironment on the epigenetic profile as a reversible mechanistic link between obesity and the reproductive disorders. METHODS: A PubMed search was performed using keywords related to obesity and adipose-related factors and epigenetics and associated with keywords related to reproduction. Full-text articles and abstracts in the English language published prior to 31 December 2013 were reviewed. RESULTS: The obesity state notably contributes to a reproductive dysfunction in both men and women, ranging from infertility to oncological outcomes. Several epidemiological and experimental studies demonstrate that factors secreted by the adipose tissue and gut in an obesity state can directly induce reproductive disturbances. Relevantly, these same factors are able to alter the epigenetic regulation of genes, a dynamic and reversible mechanism by which the organism responds to environmental pressures critical to the reproductive function. CONCLUSION: This review outlines the evidence showing that the association between the reproductive pathologies and obesity is not inevitable but is potentially preventable and reversible. The epigenetic marks related to obesity could constitute a therapeutic target for the reproductive disorders associated with obesity.Instituto de Salud Carlos III/CIBERobnInstituto de Salud Carlos III/INTRASALUDXunta de GaliciaFundación Lill