Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm is a potent inducer of phagocyte hyperinflammation

OBJECTIVE: Pseudomonas aeruginosa effectively facilitate resistance to phagocyte killing by biofilm formation. However, the cross talk between biofilm components and phagocytes is still unclear. We hypothesize that a biofilm provides a concentrated extracellular source of LPS, DNA and exopolysaccharides (EPS), which polarize neighbouring phagocytes into an adverse hyperinflammatory state of activation. METHODS: We measured the release of a panel of mediators produced in vitro by murine neutrophils and macrophages exposed to various biofilm components of P. aeruginosa cultures. RESULTS: We found that conditioned media from a high biofilm-producing strain of P. aeruginosa, PAR5, accumulated high concentrations of extracellular bacterial LPS, DNA and EPS by 72 h. These conditioned media induced phagocytes to release a hyperinflammatory pattern of mediators, with enhanced levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL12p40, PGE2 and NO. Moreover, the phagocytes also upregulated COX-2 and iNOS with no influence on the expression of arginase-1. CONCLUSIONS: Phagocytes exposed to biofilm microenvironment, called by us biofilm-associated neutrophils/macrophages (BANs/BAMs), display secretory properties similar to that of N1/M1-type phagocytes. These results suggest that in vivo high concentrations of LPS and DNA, trapped in biofilm by EPS, might convert infiltrating phagocytes into cells responsible for tissue injury without direct contact with bacteria and phagocytosis

The attitude of young farmers of Ciechanow district faced with the opportunities of farms development

Celem badań jest próba poznania i analiza postaw młodych rolników z powiatu ciechanowskiego względem szans rozwojowych ich gospodarstw rolnych, w zależności od wykształcenia i źródeł dochodu w gospodarstwie. Dane do analizy zebrano za pomocą kwestionariusza wywiadu w 50 gospodarstwach rolnych w 2014 roku. Właścicielami przeważającej grupy gospodarstw byli mężczyźni w wieku około 30. roku życia, z wykształceniem wyższym. W produkcji rolniczej prowadzonej w badanych gospodarstwach rolnych dominował dział produkcji zwierzęcej. Najwięcej gospodarstw (42% badanych) miało powierzchnię od 10 do 20 ha. Największą wolę rozwoju gospodarstw wyrażali rolnicy mający wyższe wykształcenie i utrzymujący się z pracy we własnym gospodarstwie. Deklarowali oni głównie zwiększenie powierzchni posiadanych gospodarstw, które stawałyby się formalnie ich własnością.The aim of the study was to analyze the activity of young farmers located in the district of Ciechanów to the development opportunities they held farms, depending on the education of agricultural producers and sources of income on the farm. Data for the analysis were collected using a questionnaire in 50 farms in 2014. The owners of the majority of the farms were male respondents aged about 30 years of age with higher education. In agricultural production conducted in the surveyed farms had most of the department of animal production. Most households (42% of respondents) had an area of between 10-20 ha. Respondents with higher education, continuing work on his farm expressed will of the greatest development of farms primarily by increasing its surface, which would become formally owned by them

Urocortin 2 - a protective effect in hypertension?

Urocortin 2, an endogenous selective ligand for the corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor type 2, has been suggested to exert cardioprotective effects. We analyzed the possible relationship between the level of Ucn2 and specific indicators of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with untreated hypertension and in healthy subjects. Sixty seven subjects were recruited: 38 with newly diagnosed treatment-naive hypertension (with no pharmacological treatment - HT group) and 29 healthy subjects without hypertension (nHT group). We evaluated ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, Ucn2 levels and metabolic indices. Multivariable regression analyses were performed to assess the effects of gender, age, and Ucn2 levels on metabolic indices or blood pressure (BP) level. Log of Ucn2 levels were higher in healthy subjects than in hypertensive patients (2.44±0.7 versus 2.09±0.66, p<.05) and correlated inversely with 24-hour diastolic blood pressure, and both night-time systolic and diastolic blood pressure regardless of age and gender (R2=0.06; R2=0.06; R2=0.052; respectively). Furthermore, Ucn2 levels inversely correlated with cholesterol and low-density cholesterol (LDL) concentrations in healthy subjects only. Ucn2 was independently related to total cholesterol (but not to LDL) regardless of age, gender and the presence of hypertension (R2=0.18). However, we did not find any relationship between urocortin 2, body mass index or waist-hip ratio as well as parameters of glucose metabolism. Our data indicates that higher levels of urocortin 2 are related to more favorable lipid profiles and lower blood pressure