Characterization of Protein Involved in Hemolysis Expressed by Sneathia amnii, a Pathogen of the Female Urogenital Tract

Sneathia amnii is a poorly characterized gram-negative anaerobe that commonly colonizes the vagina. It has been linked to many obstetric disorders, including preterm labor, preeclampsia, and chorioamnionitis. S. amnii lyses human red blood cells, and we aimed to identify the hemolysin. We identified two genes that appear to encode transporter and effector components of a two-partner secretion system. The putative effector, which we refer to as SaFHA, contains a domain with amino acid similarity to the filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA) of Bordetella pertussis and its predicted structure suggests it may form a transmembrane channel or pore. Thus, we hypothesized that SaFHA would be secreted by S. amnii and that it would play a role in hemoglobbin release. To test this, a portion of the gene encoding the SaFHA protein in S. amnii was expressed in E. coli and used as an immunogen in rabbits. Western analysis using anti-SaFHA revealed that the protein is secreted and localizes to the bacterial surface. Pre-treatment of S. amnii with anti-SaFHA blocked the hemolytic activity whereas antiserum against an irrelevant protein had no effect. We partially purified SaFHA from S. amnii using cation exchange chromatography and the partially purified protein mediated hemoglobin release from human RBC, supporting our hypothesis. Further characterization of SaFHA will help provide more insight on the virulence of S. amnii, and perhaps shed light on the etiology of Sneathia-associated vaginal conditions, as well as future treatment options.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/gradposters/1046/thumbnail.jp

Ecophysiological characterization of cultivable Antarctic psychrotolerant marine bacteria able to degrade hydrocarbons

The basic understanding of both the physiology and ecology of psychrotolerant Antarctic bacteria is a crucial step for the optimization of their biodegradative activity in cold environments. The detection of cold-adapted hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria in Antarctic seawaters is certainly of great interest for bioremediative purpose in oil polluted marine Antarctic systems, where the introduction of non native species is not allowed. This study focused on psychrotolerant marine bacteria inhabiting an Antarctic coastal area directly influenced by the human activity at the Italian Research Station (Terra Nova Bay). Fifty bacterial strains were isolated from hydrocarbon-degrading enrichment cultures obtained from seawater samples collected in the inlet Road Bay (Ross Sea). A preliminary Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, carried out on 16S rDNA amplified via PCR using RSAI and AluI restriction enzymes, was applied to cluster the isolates according to the restriction profile they showed. One representative isolate per cluster was selected for further characterization; to elucidate their taxonomic position, conventional phenotypic and phylogenetic analyses were performed. Results led to the identification of the isolates as members of ten genera belonging to four phylogenetic groups: the alfa- and gamma-proteobacteria subdivisions, the gram-positive branch and the Cytophaga-Flexibacter-Bacteroides (CFB) phylum. Results indicate a high degree of biodiversity within the peculiar ecophysiological group of the hydrocarbon-degrading marine bacteria

HLA in migraine and coeliac children

The linkage between HLA antigens and disease susceptibility has been investigated in several diseases. Two different mechanisms are known to act in the relation between the HLA system and headache: linkage and association of alleles. Among neurological disorders associated with coeliac disease (CD) we focused on headache in 1997. From a group of 70 coeliac children, we studied 10 children with headache (3 boys and 7 girls). For each subject we evaluated clinical history and HLA antigens. The incidence of headache was not different with respect to the prevalence of headache in the general population. The HLA setting is not different between the 2 groups examined. However, we highlight 2 cases for the particular HLA setting

In Vitro Permeation Screening of a New Formulation of Thiocolchicoside Containing Various Enhancers

Thiocolchicoside, a muscle relaxant agent with anti-inflammatory and analgesic actions, also is used topically for the treatment of muscular spasms and for rheumatologic, orthopedic, and traumatologic disorders. In this study, thiocolchicoside was formulated to use as foam to avoid contact with the afflicted area during the spreading phase. To enhance drug penetration, various enhancers were added to the base formulation. The tested enhancers were ethoxyethylendiglycol (Transcutol), highly purified phosphatidylcholine (Lipoid S20), capsaicin, propylene glycol dipelargonate (DPPG), and glycolysed ethoxylated glycerides (Labrafil M1944 CS). The transdermal absorption of the tested formulations containing enhancers, in comparison with base formulation, was evaluated in vitro through rat skin using standard Franz diffusion cells. Base formulation was found to have a higher permeation profile than the simple aqueous and hydroalcoholic solutions of the drug, meaning that the base formulation by itself enhances the drug permeation. Among the tested formulations, only the formulation containing DPPG/ethanol was found to be statistically different, showing an enhancement factor of 3.58. In the same experimental session, Muscoril ointment, the commercially available pharmaceutical product containing the same thiocolchicoside concentration (0.25%), also was tested. The formulation containing DPPG/ethanol showed a 4.86 times increase of permeability constant in comparison with Muscoril ointment. The formulation containing DPPG/ethanol as an enhancer could be a good candidate for a new topical foam, considering its good characteristics of permeability and compliance

Evaluating the Implementation and Effectiveness of the SWITCH-MS: An Ecological, Multi-Component Adolescent Obesity Prevention Intervention

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of an ecological, multi-component adolescent obesity prevention intervention called School Wellness Integration Targeting Child Health-Middle School (SWITCH-MS).Methods: Following the effectiveness-implementation hybrid type 3 quasi-experimental design, seven middle schools (377 students) in Iowa, United States, were stratified into experienced (n= 3; 110 students) or inexperienced (n= 4; 267 students) groups to receive the 12-week SWITCH-MS intervention. To evaluate implementation, school informants (n= 10) responded to a survey and students completed behavioral tracking in the classroom on a website. For effectiveness evaluation, students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades completed a validated questionnaire before and after intervention, to measure behaviors of physical activity (PA; Do ), screen-based activity ( View ), and fruits and vegetable consumption ( Chew ).Results: The two groups of schools showed similar levels of implementation for best practices, awareness, and engagement. Behavioral tracking rate favored the experienced schools early on (47.5% vs. 11.7%), but differences leveled off in weeks 3-12 (sustained at 30.1-44.3%). Linear mixed models demonstrated significant time effects for Do (at school and out of school;p\u3c 0.01) and View behaviors (p= 0.02), after controlling for student- and school-level covariates.Conclusions: This study demonstrates that prior experience with SWITCH-MS may not be a prominent factor for implementation and effectiveness, although greater experience is associated with favorable behavioral tracking when the intervention is first launched

A non-invasive approach to monitor chronic lymphocytic leukemia engraftment in a xenograft mouse model using ultra-small superparamagnetic iron oxide-magnetic resonance imaging (USPIO-MRI).

This work was supported by: Associazione Italiana Ricerca sul Cancro (AIRC) [Grant 5 x mille n.9980, (to M.F., F.M. and A. N.)]; AIRC I.G. [n. 14,326 (to M.F.)], [n.10136 and 16,722 (A.N.)], [n.15426 (to F.F.)]. AIRC and Fondazione CaRiCal co-financed Multi Unit Regional Grant 2014 [n.16695 (to F.M.)]. Italian Ministry of Health 5 × 1000 funds (to F.F). A.G R. was supported by Associazione Italiana contro le Leucemie-Linfomi-Mielomi (AIL) Cosenza - Fondazione Amelia Scorza (FAS). S.M. C.M., F.V., L. E., S. B., were supported by AIRC.Peer reviewedPostprin