Etude De Quelques Proprietes Biologiques De Ocimum Gratissimum L., Une Lamiaceae Recoltee A Daloa (Côte d'Ivoire)

Introduction: Ocimum gratissimum is used in traditional Ivorian medicine for its multiple therapeutic virtues. Scope: Evaluate the biological properties of the essential oil of this plant. Methods: Antitumor activity was assessed using the MTS colorimetric assay on six (06) cell lines, the antifungal activity was evaluated by double dilution slant method on four (04) strains of clinical fungi, the potential antioxidant was determined by the DPPH test. Results: The strongest cytotoxic activity was obtained on Jurkat (T lymphoma) with an IC50 = 80 μg / ml. The best antifungal activity was observed on C. albicans with MIC and FMC values obtained at 12.5 μg / ml. Antioxidant activity was evaluated at F = 187 ± 1.57 mM Trolox / ml or (I = 38 ± 0.74%). Conclusion: The essential oil has interesting biological properties like as cytotoxic, antifungal and antioxidan

Chemically Detachable Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Platform for Cell Sheet Engineering

International audienc

Gut dysbiosis during influenza contributes to pulmonary pneumococcal superinfection through altered short-chain fatty acid production

Secondary bacterial infections often complicate viral respiratory infections. We hypothesize that perturbation of the gut microbiota during influenza A virus (IAV) infection might favor respiratory bacterial superinfection. Sublethal infection with influenza transiently alters the composition and fermentative activity of the gut microbiota in mice. These changes are attributed in part to reduced food consumption. Fecal transfer experiments demonstrate that the IAV-conditioned microbiota compromises lung defenses against pneumococcal infection. In mechanistic terms, reduced production of the predominant short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) acetate affects the bactericidal activity of alveolar macrophages. Following treatment with acetate, mice colonized with the IAV-conditioned microbiota display reduced bacterial loads. In the context of influenza infection, acetate supplementation reduces, in a free fatty acid receptor 2 (FFAR2)-dependent manner, local and systemic bacterial loads. This translates into reduced lung pathology and improved survival rates of double-infected mice. Lastly, pharmacological activation of the SCFA receptor FFAR2 during influenza reduces bacterial superinfection

Enhancing tumor specific immune responses by transcutaneous vaccination.

Our understanding of the involvement of the immune system in cancer control has increased over recent years. However, the development of cancer vaccines intended to reverse tumor-induced immune tolerance remains slow as most current vaccine candidates exhibit limited clinical efficacy. The skin is particularly rich with multiple subsets of dendritic cells (DCs) that are involved to varying degrees in the induction of robust immune responses. Transcutaneous administration of cancer vaccines may therefore harness the immune potential of these DCs, however, this approach is hampered by the impermeability of the stratum corneum. Innovative vaccine formulations including various nanoparticles, such as liposomes, are therefore needed to properly deliver cancer vaccine components to skin DCs. Areas covered: The recent insights into skin DC subsets and their functional specialization, the potential of nanoparticle-based vaccines in transcutaneous cancer vaccination and, finally, the most relevant clinical trial advances in liposomal and in cutaneous cancer vaccines will be discussed. Expert commentary: To define the optimal conditions for mounting protective skin DC-induced anti-tumor immune responses, investigation of the cellular and molecular interplay that controls tumor progression should be pursued in parallel with clinical development. The resulting knowledge will then be translated into improved cancer vaccines that better target the most appropriate immune players.journal articlereviewresearch support, non-u.s. gov't2017 11importe

Spleen-Resident CD4+ and CD4− CD8α− Dendritic Cell Subsets Differ in Their Ability to Prime Invariant Natural Killer T Lymphocytes

One important function of conventional dendritic cells (cDC) is their high capacity to capture, process and present Ag to T lymphocytes. Mouse splenic cDC subtypes, including CD8α+ and CD8α− cDC, are not identical in their Ag presenting and T cell priming functions. Surprisingly, few studies have reported functional differences between CD4− and CD4+ CD8α− cDC subsets. We show that, when loaded in vitro with OVA peptide or whole protein, and in steady-state conditions, splenic CD4− and CD4+ cDC are equivalent in their capacity to prime and direct CD4+ and CD8+ T cell differentiation. In contrast, in response to α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer), CD4− and CD4+ cDC differentially activate invariant Natural Killer T (iNKT) cells, a population of lipid-reactive non-conventional T lymphocytes. Both cDC subsets equally take up α-GalCer in vitro and in vivo to stimulate the iNKT hybridoma DN32.D3, the activation of which depends solely on TCR triggering. On the other hand, and relative to their CD4+ counterparts, CD4− cDC more efficiently stimulate primary iNKT cells, a phenomenon likely due to differential production of co-factors (including IL-12) by cDC. Our data reveal a novel functional difference between splenic CD4+ and CD4− cDC subsets that may be important in immune responses

Integrin/Fak/Src-mediated regulation of cell survival and anoikis in human intestinal epithelial crypt cells: selective engagement and roles of PI3-K isoform complexes

In human intestinal epithelial crypt (HIEC) cells, the PI3-K/Akt-1 pathway is crucial for the promotion of cell survival and suppression of anoikis. Class I PI3-K consists of a complex formed by a catalytic (C) and regulatory (R) subunit. Three R (p85α, β, and p55γ) and four C (p110α, β, γ and δ) isoforms are known. Herein, we analyzed the expression of PI3-K isoforms in HIEC cells and determined their roles in cell survival, as well as in the β1 integrin/Fak/Src-mediated suppression of anoikis. We report that: (1) the predominant PI3-K complexes expressed by HIEC cells are p110α/p85β and p110α/p55γ; (2) the inhibition and/or siRNA-mediated expression silencing of p110α, but not that of p110β, γ or δ, results in Akt-1 down-activation and consequent apoptosis; (3) the expression silencing of p85β or p55γ, but not that of p85α, likewise induces Akt-1 down-activation and apoptosis; however, the impact of a loss of p55γ on both Akt-1 activation and cell survival is significantly greater than that from the loss of p85β; and (4) both the p110α/p85β and p110α/p55γ complexes are engaged by β1 integrin/Fak/Src signaling; however, the engagement of p110α/p85β is primarily Src-dependent, whereas that of p110α/p55γ is primarily Fak-dependent (but Src-independent). Hence, HIEC cells selectively express PI3-K isoform complexes, translating into distinct roles in Akt-1 activation and cell survival, as well as in a selective engagement by Fak and/or Src within the context of β1 integrin/Fak/Src-mediated suppression of anoikis

Postoperative acute kidney injury in adult non-cardiac surgery:joint consensus report of the Acute Disease Quality Initiative and PeriOperative Quality Initiative

Postoperative acute kidney injury (PO-AKI) is a common complication of major surgery that is strongly associated with short-term surgical complications and long-term adverse outcomes, including increased risk of chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular events and death. Risk factors for PO-AKI include older age and comorbid diseases such as chronic kidney disease and diabetes mellitus. PO-AKI is best defined as AKI occurring within 7 days of an operative intervention using the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) definition of AKI; however, additional prognostic information may be gained from detailed clinical assessment and other diagnostic investigations in the form of a focused kidney health assessment (KHA). Prevention of PO-AKI is largely based on identification of high baseline risk, monitoring and reduction of nephrotoxic insults, whereas treatment involves the application of a bundle of interventions to avoid secondary kidney injury and mitigate the severity of AKI. As PO-AKI is strongly associated with long-term adverse outcomes, some form of follow-up KHA is essential; however, the form and location of this will be dictated by the nature and severity of the AKI. In this Consensus Statement, we provide graded recommendations for AKI after non-cardiac surgery and highlight priorities for future research

Insulin: Its role in the central control of reproduction

Insulin has long been recognized as a key regulator of energy homeostasis via its actions at the level of the brain, but in addition, plays a role in regulating neural control of reproduction. In this review, we consider and compare evidence from animal models demonstrating a role for insulin for physiological control of reproduction by effects on GnRH/LH secretion. We also review the role that insulin plays in prenatal programming of adult reproduction, and consider specific candidate neurons in the adult hypothalamus by which insulin may act to regulate reproductive function. Finally, we review clinical evidence of the role that insulin may play in adult human fertility and reproductive disorders. Overall, while insulin appears to have a significant impact on reproductive neuroendocrine function, there are many unanswered questions regarding its precise sites and mechanisms of action, and their impact on developing and adult reproductive neuroendocrine function

Planck 2015 results: XXV. Diffuse low-frequency Galactic foregrounds

We discuss the Galactic foreground emission between 20 and 100 GHz based on observations by Planck and WMAP. The total intensity in this part of the spectrum is dominated by free-free and spinning dust emission, whereas the polarized intensity is dominated by synchrotron emission. The Commander component-separation tool has been used to separate the various astrophysical processes in total intensity. Comparison with radio recombination line templates verifies the recovery of the free-free emission along the Galactic plane. Comparison of the high-latitude H\u3b1 emission with our free-free map shows residuals that correlate with dust optical depth, consistent with a fraction (\ue2\u2030 30%) of H\u3b1 having been scattered by high-latitude dust. We highlight a number of diffuse spinning dust morphological features at high latitude. There is substantial spatial variation in the spinning dust spectrum, with the emission peak (in I\u3bd) ranging from below 20 GHz to more than 50 GHz. There is a strong tendency for the spinning dust component near many prominent H ii regions to have a higher peak frequency, suggesting that this increase in peak frequency is associated with dust in the photo-dissociation regions around the nebulae. The emissivity of spinning dust in these diffuse regions is of the same order as previous detections in the literature. Over the entire sky, the Commander solution finds more anomalous microwave emission (AME) than the WMAP component maps, at the expense of synchrotron and free-free emission. This can be explained by the difficulty in separating multiple broadband components with a limited number of frequency maps. Future surveys, particularly at 5-20 GHz, will greatly improve the separation by constraining the synchrotron spectrum. We combine Planck and WMAP data to make the highest signal-to-noise ratio maps yet of the intensity of the all-sky polarized synchrotron emission at frequencies above a few GHz. Most of the high-latitude polarized emission is associated with distinct large-scale loops and spurs, and we re-discuss their structure. We argue that nearly all the emission at 40deg > l >-90deg is part of the Loop I structure, and show that the emission extends much further in to the southern Galactic hemisphere than previously recognised, giving Loop I an ovoid rather than circular outline. However, it does not continue as far as the "Fermi bubble/microwave haze", making it less probable that these are part of the same structure. We identify a number of new faint features in the polarized sky, including a dearth of polarized synchrotron emission directly correlated with a narrow, roughly 20deg long filament seen in H\u3b1 at high Galactic latitude. Finally, we look for evidence of polarized AME, however many AME regions are significantly contaminated by polarized synchrotron emission, and we find a 2\u3c3 upper limit of 1.6% in the Perseus region