Additional file 1 of CheV enhances the virulence of Salmonella Enteritidis, and the Chev-deleted Salmonella vaccine provides immunity in mice

Supplementary Material 1: Figure 1A-S1—The original electrophoretic image of Figure 1 (A

Data_Sheet_1_Motor imagery therapy improved upper limb motor function in stroke patients with hemiplegia by increasing functional connectivity of sensorimotor and cognitive networks.docx

BackgroundMotor imagery therapy (MIT) showed positive effects on upper limbs motor function. However, the mechanism by which MIT improves upper limb motor function is not fully understood. Therefore, our purpose was to investigate the changes in functional connectivity (FC) within and outside the sensorimotor network (SMN) induced by MIT associated with improvement in upper limb motor function in stroke patients.MethodsA total of 26 hemiplegic stroke patients were randomly divided into MIT (n = 13) and control (n = 13) groups. Fugl-Meyer Assessment Upper Extremity Scale (FMA-UL), Modified Barthel Index (MBI) and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) were evaluated in the two groups before treatment and 4 weeks after treatment. The efficacy of MIT on motor function improvement in stroke patients with hemiplegia was evaluated by comparing the FMA-UL and MBI scores before and after treatment in the two groups. Furthermore, the FC within the SMN and between the SMN and the whole brain was measured and compared before and after different treatment methods in stroke patients. The correlation analysis between the improvement of upper limbs motor function and changes in FC within the SMN and between the SMN and the whole brain was examined.ResultsThe FCs between ipsilesional primary motor cortex (M1.I) and contralateral supplementary motor area (SMA.C), M1.I and ipsilesional SMA (SMA.I), and SMA.C and contralateral dorsolateral premotor cortex (DLPM.C) significantly increased in the control group but decreased in the MIT group; while the FC between SMA.C and contralateral primary somatosensory cortex (S1.C) significantly increased in the control group but showed no significant difference in the MIT group. The FCs between M1.I and the ipsilesional hippocampal gyrus and ipsilesional middle frontal gyrus significantly decreased in the control group but increased in the MIT group; while the FC in the contralateral anterior cingulate cortex significantly increased in the MIT group but there was no significant difference in the control group. The results of the correlation analysis showed that the differences in abnormal intra-FCs within the SMN negatively correlated with the differences in FMA and MBI, and the difference in abnormal inter-FCs of the SMN positively correlated with the differences in FMA and MBI.ConclusionsMIT can improve upper limb motor function and daily activities of stroke patients, and the improvement effect of conventional rehabilitation therapy (CRT) combined with MIT is significantly higher than that of CRT alone. CRT may improve the upper limb motor function of stroke patients with hemiplegia mainly through the functional reorganization between SMN, while MIT may mainly increase the interaction between SMN and other brain networks.</p

Multi-functional chitosan copolymer modified nanocrystals as oral andrographolide delivery systems for enhanced bioavailability and anti-inflammatory efficacy

Modifying nanocrystals with functional materials have been common strategy to enlarge the enhancing ability on oral absorption via nanocrystals; however, whether the functional materials have played their full enhancing ability in oral absorption is still unknown. In this study, we synthetized a novel chitosan-based copolymer (the copolymer of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), chitosan (CS) and D-α-Tocopherol polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate, SDS-CS-TPGS), and modified nanocrystals with this copolymer, aiming to enhance the oral absorption of polymer andrographolide (ADR). In real-time distribution study, we found the distribution of ADR, SDS, CS and TPGS varies in gastrointestinal tract, while the distribution of ADR and SDS-CS-TPGS was similar, revealing the SDS-CS-TPGS could able to participate in the absorption process of andrographolide timely. To explore the oral absorption enhancing ability of SDS-CS-TPGS, we prepared a series of nanocrystals modified with different materials and explored their pharmacokinetic performances on SD rats. The results showed the nanocrystals modified with SDS-CS-TPGS (S-C-TANs) exhibited the highest bioavailability, which could enhance the AUC0-∞ of ADR from 1.291 mg/L*h to 5.275 mg/L*h (enhanced for about 4.09-folds). The enhanced anti- inflammatory efficacy was also found on ICR mice by employing ear swelling rate, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 and pharmacodynamic index. These results indicated that modified with synthesized copolymer containing different functional stabilizers is an efficient strategy to enlarge the enhancing ability on oral absorption of nanocrystals.</p

Increased nutritional quality of rice grains and migration mechanisms of selenium by spraying a foliar selenium-rich nutrient solution

Foliar application of selenium (Se) is an effective method for biofortification in rice, to ensure that sufficient Se is supplied by the crop to maintain human health. In order to improve Se concentration in rice and meet the daily recommended intake for humans, a foliar Se fertilizer was applied in five regions of Liaoning and Jilin provinces, China, and its effects on rice quality, leaf morphology, and wax characteristics were assessed in field tests. The effects of alkyl polyglycosides (APG) in the Se fertilizer were evaluated, and epicuticular waxes were measured to analyze the effects of the fertilizer on plant water status. The Se fertilizer effectively enhanced organic Se levels in rice (p −1. An intake of 50 g d−1 of Se-enriched rice can meet nutritional requirements, with total Se intake ranging from 30.0 to 100.1 µg d−1. The Se fertilizer increased the protein content and decreased the proportion of chalky rice (p 2 in Daohuaxiang and Wuyou 4, respectively. These results suggest a link between the quality of rice and epicuticular wax thickness, and the foliar application of Se fertilizer shows promise for increasing Se content in rice grown in Se deficient soils.</p

Fungus-treated MDDCs enhance HIV-1 endocytosis and alter viral intracellular sequestration.

<p>(A) Enhanced HIV-1 endocytosis in Fungus-treated MDDCs. Immature MDDCs were treated with heat-killed fungi as described above. HIV-1 VLPs (40 ng amounts of p24^gag) were added for 2 h incubation, and some samples were prior-blocked with anti-DC-SIGN antibodies, and trypsin treatment for 5 min at room temperature was used to remove surface-bound virus. Gag-GFP level was detected by flow cytometry, and the positive percentages and the calculated MFI values from one representative out of four experiments are denoted. (B) Internalized HIV-1 VLPs are sequestrated in CD81⁺ DC-SIGN^- compartments in fungus-stimulated MDDCs. Immature MDDCs were treated with heat-killed fungi and pulsed with HIV-1 VLPs as described for panel A, MDDCs were fixed and immunostained for DC-SIGN or CD81, and cells were observed by confocal microscopy. Scale bars, 2 µm.</p

Fungus-stimulated MDDCs increase surface expression of ICAM-1 and facilitate the formation of virological synapses between MDDCs and CD4⁺ T target cells.

<p>(A) Increased ICAM-1 expression on fungus-stimulated MDDCs. Immature MDDCs were treated separately with heat-inactivated <i>C. albicans</i>, PMy and PMm or medium. The surface level of ICAM-1 was detected by flow cytometry. The MFI values are shown. (B, C) Enhanced viral concentration on the contact sites between MDDCs and T cells. Immature MDDCs were treated with fungi as above, HIV-1 VLPs (40 ng p24^gag) were added for 2 h incubation, and Hut/CCR5 or PHA-activated autologous primary CD4⁺ T cells were added as target cells for 30 min co-culture. Cells were fixed and observed by confocal microscopy. β-actin (B) or tetraspanin CD81 (C) were stained and shown in red. Nuclei were stained by DAPI. DIC, differential interference contrast. Scale bars, 5 µm.</p

Fungal stimulation promotes MDDC-mediated HIV-1 transmission to CD4⁺ T cells.

<p>Immature MDDCs were treated with heat-killed fungi species as described in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0027609#pone-0027609-g002" target="_blank">Figure 2</a>. After pulsing with 40 ng p24^gag amounts of HIV-1 VLPs (A), or with 5 ng p24^gag amounts of pseudotyped HIV-Luc/NL4-3 or HIV-Luc/JRFL(B and C), CD4⁺ T target cells were added for co-culture, HIV-1 VLP transfer was detected either by flow cytometry after 30 min (A), or by measuring HIV-1 infection after 3 days co-culture (B and C). (A) Enhanced viral association with Hut/CCR5 cells mediated by fungus-stimulated MDDCs. Hut/CCR5 cells (CD11c^-) were gated from co-culture, and viral association was measured by detecting Gag-GFP level by flow cytometry. The positive percentages and the values of MFI from one representative out of three experiments are shown; (B, C) Increased HIV-1 <i>trans</i> infection mediated by fungus-stimulated MDDCs, either with Hut/CCR5 cells (B) or PHA-activated autologous primary CD4⁺ T cells as target cells (C). Asterisks indicate significantly enhanced HIV-1 <i>trans</i> infection mediated by fungus-treated MDDCs compared with that of medium-treated cells (**<i>P</i> <0.01, ***<i>P</i> <0.001, paired <i>t</i> test); Results of one representative experiment out of four are shown. All data are means ± SD. cps, counts per second.</p

Fungal stimulation induces MDDCs activation.

<p>(A) <i>Ex vivo</i> culture and characterizations of fungi species associated with HIV-1 infection. <i>P. Marneffei</i> was isolated and identified from a skin lesion from an AIDS patient. Sub-cultured <i>P. Marneffei</i> showed dimorphisms, with a yeast form at 37°C growth (PMy) and a mycelial form at 25°C (PMm-i); the production of red pigments at 25°C is indicated (PMm-ii). <i>C. Albicans</i> was isolated from the tongue of an AIDS patient (CA-i), and <i>identified with sub-inoculation</i> in CHROMagar Candida displaying the green color (CA-ii), and in Corn Tween agar showing the formation of sporulation (CA-iii), <i>C. albicans</i> was sub-cultured <i>ex vivo</i> (CA-iv). (B) Activation of MDDCs was monitored by flow cytometry. Immature MDDCs were treated with heat-killed <i>C. albicans</i>, PMy and PMm at a ratio of 1∶10 for 48 h, and medium treatment was used as a control. MDDCs were gated as a CD11c⁺ population, and fungus-stimulated MDDCs showed increased expression of HLA-DR and the co-stimulatory molecules CD83 and CD86, with decreased expression of DC-SIGN, compared with the medium-treated controls. The positive percentages and values of MFI from one representative out of six experiments are indicated.</p

HIV-1 infection is blocked in MDDCs after fungal stimulation.

<p>Immature MDDCs were treated separately with heat-killed fungus species <i>C. albicans</i>, PMy and PMm or control medium for 48 h, and then were incubated with single-cycle luciferase reporter virus HIV-Luc/JRFL (5 ng of p24^gag) for 2 h. After washing, HIV-1-pulsed MDDCs were incubated and harvested at the indicated times, and HIV-1 infection was detected by measuring the luciferase activity in cell lysates. Results of one representative experiment out of three are shown. All data are mean ± standard deviation (SD).cps, counts per second.</p