Immunization of Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn)-infected Apob(tm2Sgy)Ldlr(tm1Her)/J mice with a combined peptide of Cpn significantly reduces atherosclerotic lesion development

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the antigenic effect of a peptide containing two epitopes of Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn) on atherosclerotic lesion formation in mice infected with Cpn. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six-week-old Apob(tm2Sgy)Ldlr(tm1Her)/J mice were immunized using a repetitive immunization multiple-sites strategy with KLH-conjugated peptides derived from the major outer membrane protein and the putative outer membrane protein 5 of Cpn. Mice were fed a high-fat diet and infected with Cpn twice during the 10-week diet period. Lesions were evaluated histologically; local and systemic immune responses were analyzed by immunohistochemistry of aorta samples and cytokine measurements in plasma samples and splenocyte supernatants. RESULTS: Mice immunized with the combined Cpn peptide showed a greater reduction in lesion size compared to mice immunized with either epitope alone [54.7% vs 39.8% or 41.72%] and was also associated with a significant decrease in lesion area in descending aortas compared with those in controls (88.9% for combined Cpn peptide, 81.9% for MOMP peptide and 75.7% for Omp5, respectively). This effect was associated with a shift in the cellular composition of plaques towards decreased inflammatory cell and increased regulatory T-cell content. Additionally, the effect was also connected with decreased secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and increased production of anti-inflammatory cytokines demonstrated in plasma and in supernatant on stimulated spleen cells. CONCLUSIONS: Atherosclerotic lesion formation may be promoted by Cpn infection in the presence of a high-fat diet, and reduced by immunization with the combined Cpn peptide. The combined peptide has more potential than either epitope alone in reducing atherosclerotic lesion development through Treg expansion

Enrofloxacin Induces Intestinal Microbiota-Mediated Immunosuppression in Zebrafish

The immunosuppressive effects of antibiotics and the potential associations with the intestinal microbiota of the host have been increasingly recognized in recent years. However, the detailed underlying mechanisms of immune interference of antibiotics in environmental organisms remain unclear, particularly at the early life stage of high sensitivity. To better understand the gut microbiome and immune function interactions, the vertebrate model, zebrafish, was treated with environmentally relevant concentrations of a frequently detected antibiotic, enrofloxacin (ENR), ranging from 0.01 to 100 μg/L. 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing indicated diminished diversity, richness, and evenness of intestinal flora following ENR treatment. Twenty-two taxa of gut bacteria including Rickettsiales, Pseudomonadales, and Flavobacteriales were significantly correlated with immunosuppressive biomarkers, including a significant decrease in the abundance of macrophages and neutrophils. To validate the immunomodulatory effects due to altered intestinal microbial populations, zebrafish reared under sterile and non-sterile husbandry conditions were compared after ENR treatment. A significant inhibitory effect was induced by ENR treatment under non-sterile conditions, while the number of macrophages and neutrophils, as well as biomarkers of immunosuppressive effects, were significantly salved in zebrafish under sterile conditions, confirming for the first time that immunosuppression by ENR was closely mediated through alterations of the intestinal microbiome in fish.publishedVersio

Leveraging social media in new product development: organisational learning processes, mechanisms and evidence from China

Purpose The main purpose of this paper is to investigate how social media can provide important platforms to facilitate organisational learning and innovation in new product development (NPD) process. Design/methodology/approach Using a multiple case-study approach, this study assesses qualitative data collected via 56 interviews from 13 world-leading Chinese companies in the high-technology industry. Findings The study identified three distinct types of organisational learning mechanisms for firms to extract potential innovation inherent in social media. It further determined various organisational enablers that facilitate the connections between these mechanisms and NPD performance. Research limitations/implications This research contributes to the emerging literature on digital product development and organisational learning. The cases were conducted in the Chinese context, hence, the results may not be fully generalisable to other organisations, industries and countries without appropriate re-contextualisation. Practical implications The empirical evidence showcases the various mechanisms adopted by managers in different NPD phases. It identifies several technological and organisational adaptations that managers can apply to smartly scale their social presence and facilitate NPD. Originality/value Despite the exponential growth of social media use in identifying and interacting with external stakeholders, managerial practice and academic research have paid little attention to how social media can be leveraged for NPD. The value of this research comes from applying a qualitative method to gain in-depth insights into the mechanisms for leveraging social media to facilitate innovation in NPD

Leveraging Social Media in New Product Development: Organisational Learning Processes, Mechanisms and Evidence from China

Purpose – The main purpose of this paper is to investigate how social media can provide important platforms to facilitate organisational learning and innovation in new product development (NPD) process.Design/methodology/approach – Using a multiple case-study approach, this study assesses qualitative data collected via 56 interviews from 13 world-leading Chinese companies in the high-technology industry.Findings – The study identified three distinct types of organisational learning mechanisms for firms to extract potential innovation inherent in social media. It further determined various organisational enablers that facilitate the connections between these mechanisms and NPD performance.Research limitations/implications – This research contributes to the emerging literature on digital product development and organisational learning. The cases were conducted in the Chinese context, hence, the results may not be fully generalisable to other organisations, industries and countries without appropriate re-contextualisation.Practical implications – The empirical evidence showcases the various mechanisms adopted by managers in different NPD phases. It identifies several technological and organisational adaptations that managers can apply to smartly scale their social presence and facilitate NPD.Originality/value – Despite the exponential growth of social media use in identifying and interacting with external stakeholders, managerial practice and academic research have paid little attention to how social media can be leveraged for NPD. The value of this research comes from applying a qualitative method to gain in-depth insights into the mechanisms for leveraging social media to facilitate innovation in NPD