Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Iti Saraav, Luisa Cervantes-Barragan, Philipp Olias, Yong Fu, Qiuling Wang, Leran Wang, Yi Wang, Matthias Mack, Megan T. Baldridge, Thaddeus Stappenbeck, Marco Colonna, L. David Sibley
Summary: Oral infection with Toxoplasma gondii exacerbates damage to the colon caused by chemical irritant and impairs wound healing by suppressing stem cell regeneration. Enhanced tissue damage is due to inflammatory monocytes releasing inflammatory mediators.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Namrata Anand, Jenny Lutshumba, Megan Whitlow, Mohamed H. Abdelaziz, Rajesh Mani, Yasuhiro Suzuki
Summary: The study examined the role of IDOL in controlling cerebral Toxoplasma gondii infection in genetically resistant and susceptible strains of mice. The results showed that IDO1 deficiency in genetically resistant mice was compensated by the upregulated expression of Gbp1 and NOS2 to control the growth of cerebral tachyzoites. In contrast, IDO1 did not significantly contribute to controlling cerebral tachyzoite growth in genetically susceptible mice due to its suppressed expression in infected cells.
MICROBES AND INFECTION
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Shang Xian Bo, Wang Yan Jie, Cai De Chao, Ma Sai, Wang Zhe, Zhu Ya Kun, Guo Hui Hui, Wang Chen, Ma Xiao, Hu Zhong Yao, Yu Hao Ran, Zhang Ji Sen, Cheng Wen Dan
Summary: The study demonstrated that compound 22o effectively inhibited the inflammatory response and catabolism of chondrocytes, reducing articular cartilage injury in a rat OA model induced by ACLT. The compound showed potential as a disease-modifying OA drug.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Congcong Lyu, Xuke Yang, Jichao Yang, Lun Hou, Yanqin Zhou, Junlong Zhao, Bang Shen
Summary: This study identified a starch synthase required for amylopectin synthesis in Toxoplasma gondii, which plays a critical role in parasite growth, development, and virulence. Disrupting this enzyme may impact the pathogen's proliferation and ability to move between different life cycle stages, highlighting a potential drawback in using such mutants as vaccine candidates.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shaimaa Maher, Lauren A. Smith, Celine A. El-Khoury, Haitham Kalil, Khalid Sossey-Alaoui, Mekki Bayachou
Summary: Nitric oxide (NO) is a small molecule that has a significant impact on various biological activities. It has been linked to cancer-related processes and has the potential to be used as an anti-cancer agent. In this study, NO-releasing materials were developed using modified sodium alginate hydrogel, which showed compatibility with cell growth. The release of NO from the hydrogel exhibited distinct kinetic features.
Article
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Jie Zhang, Ximing Wang, Yu Cui, Shan Jiang, Jin Wei, Jenna Chan, Anish Thalakola, Thanh Le, Lan Xu, Liang Zhao, Lei Wang, Kun Jiang, Feng Cheng, Trushar Patel, Jacentha Buggs, Volker Vallon, Ruisheng Liu
Summary: This study investigates the mechanism of hypertension in patients with diabetes and suggests that in early diabetes, upregulation of NOS1 in the macula densa plays a role in inhibiting TGF and increasing glomerular filtration rate, which helps in maintaining normal blood pressure.
Article
Andrology
Li Liu, Xiao Wang, Kang Liu, Jiaqi Kang, Shangren Wang, Yuxuan Song, Kechong Zhou, Lu Yi, Xiaoqiang Liu
Summary: This study investigated the role of iNOS in diabetes mellitus erectile dysfunction (DMED) and confirmed that upregulation of iNOS leads to microvascular dysfunction in patients with ED. Inhibiting iNOS showed beneficial effects in the treatment of ED, suggesting further exploration of its mechanism is warranted.
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Richi Nakatake, Tetsuya Okuyama, Masaya Kotsuka, Morihiko Ishizaki, Hiroaki Kitade, Katsuhiko Yoshizawa, Rene H. Tolba, Mikio Nishizawa, Mitsugu Sekimoto
Summary: Sepsis after major liver surgery is a critical issue due to the overproduction of nitric oxide (NO) in hepatocytes and macrophages. This study shows that a single-stranded oligonucleotide called SO1 can inhibit the interaction between iNOS mRNA and AS transcripts, leading to a reduction in iNOS mRNA levels.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Agnieszka Zablocka, Dominika Jakubczyk, Katarzyna Leszczynska, Katarzyna Pacyga-Prus, Jozefa Macala, Sabina Gorska
Summary: This study investigated the ability of Bifidobacterium species to induce iNOS-dependent NO synthesis in macrophages. The results showed that Bifidobacterium can regulate the expression of iNOS and produce NO by activating MAPK kinases. TLR2 and TLR4 receptors are involved in Bifidobacterium-induced macrophage activation and NO production. The study suggests that Bifidobacterium has a protective mechanism in the intestine, and its efficacy is strain-dependent.
PROBIOTICS AND ANTIMICROBIAL PROTEINS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tetsuya Tachibana, Maki Takahashi, Sakirul Khan, Ryosuke Makino, Mark A. Cline
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the effects of virus component analogues on NO production in chicks and found that poly I:C and R848 significantly increased plasma NO concentrations and induced an increase in iNOS mRNA expression. The study also found that these virus analogues decreased mRNA expressions of endothelial NOS and neural NOS in several organs, suggesting that iNOS might be responsible for the increased plasma NO levels. These findings suggest that viral infections facilitate NO production by inducing iNOS and are associated with corticosterone release in birds.
COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY A-MOLECULAR & INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Damien Dupont, Jian-Sheng Lin, Francois Peyron, Hideo Akaoka, Martine Wallon
Summary: The study demonstrated that Toxoplasma gondii infection can lead to chronic alterations in sleep-wake states in mice, characterized by increased time spent awake, increased cortical EEG theta power density, and decreased slow-wave sleep. These effects can be alleviated by anti-inflammatory treatment with corticosteroid dexamethasone, shedding light on the neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders reported in infected patients.
CNS NEUROSCIENCE & THERAPEUTICS
(2021)
Article
Psychiatry
Adriana Lori, Dimitrios Avramopoulos, Alex W. Wang, Jennifer Mulle, Nicholas Massa, Erica J. Duncan, Abigail Powers, Karen Conneely, Charles F. Gillespie, Tanja Jovanovic, Kerry J. Ressler, Brad D. Pearce
Summary: The study found that the polygenic risk score for schizophrenia (SCZ-PRS) is significantly associated with uninfected individuals but not with those infected with Toxoplasma gondii. This highlights the importance of considering environmental risk factors in identifying subgroups with independent or different genetic components involved in the development of schizophrenia.
COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cosme Alvarado-Esquivel, Sergio Estrada-Martinez, Alma Rosa Perez-Alamos, Agar Ramos-Nevarez, Karina Botello-Calderon, Angel Osvaldo Alvarado-Felix, Raquel Vaquera-Enriquez, Gustavo Alexis Alvarado-Felix, Antonio Sifuentes-Alvarez, Carlos Alberto Guido-Arreola, Elizabeth Rabago-Sanchez, Leandro Saenz-Soto
Summary: This study determined the association between Toxoplasma gondii infection and insomnia. The results showed that individuals with insomnia had a higher prevalence of anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies compared to those without insomnia. Men and individuals over the age of 50 were more susceptible to T. gondii infection-related insomnia.
Article
Immunology
Jiaxue Wang, Lulin Rao, Zhuoan Huang, Lili Ma, Tian Yang, Zhongqi Yu, Aihua Sun, Yumei Ge
Summary: The current study investigates the impact of the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) gene on biofilm formation in Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis). The results show that deletion of the NOS gene enhances biofilm formation, slightly retards bacterial growth, decreases autolysis rate, and weakens bacterial biofilm dispersal. Gene expression analysis suggests that the NOS gene negatively regulates biofilm formation by affecting biofilm aggregation and dispersal.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Chang-Ho Kang, Jin-Seong Kim, Hyemin Kim, Hye Min Park, Nam-Soo Paek
Summary: The study found that heat-killed lactic acid bacteria have immunomodulatory functions and antioxidant activity, making them suitable for use as probiotics. Heat treatment of strains can prolong the shelf-life of probiotic foods and significantly inhibit the expression of nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2.
PROBIOTICS AND ANTIMICROBIAL PROTEINS
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Bi-Xiu Su, Ju-Feng Wang, Ting-Bao Yang, Geoff Hide, De-Hua Lai, Zhao-Rong Lun
Summary: This study reports a new species of trypanosomes, named Trypanosoma bubalisi, isolated from the freshwater leech in Guangdong province, China. These trypanosomes show significant genetic differences from typical trypanosome strains and are identified as likely being mammalian trypanosomes. Blood composition analysis indicates that the blood meal source for these leeches is water buffalo. These findings suggest that freshwater leeches may serve as potential vectors for this new mammalian trypanosome.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Xiao-Li Cai, Su-Jin Li, Peng Zhang, Ziyin Li, Geoff Hide, De-Hua Lai, Zhao-Rong Lun
Summary: This study generated a series of monomorphic trypanosome stocks by artificially syringe-passage in mice and compared them with naturally monomorphic trypanosomes. The results showed that laboratory-adapted monomorphic trypanosomes could still differentiate, while naturally monomorphic strains completely failed to differentiate. These findings provide new insights into the origin of naturally monomorphic strains and suggest potential risks associated with the malignant evolution of trypanosomes.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Ke Chen, Peng Zhang, Ting-Bao Yang, Yan-Zi Wen, Geoff Hide, Zhao-Rong Lun, De-Hua Lai
Summary: Trypanosomes, a type of haemoflagellates found in vertebrates, can cause severe diseases and even death in infected hosts. The lack of effective treatment for fish trypanosomiasis is largely due to the limited understanding of these parasites. The Nile tilapia has been identified as a viable model for studying both marine and freshwater fish trypanosomes, providing valuable insights for potential vaccines and treatments.
EXPERIMENTAL PARASITOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jia Shen, Si-fei O. Yu, Mei Peng, De-Hua O. Lai, Geoff Hide, Zhong-Dao O. Wu, Zhao-Rong Lun
Summary: This study investigates the role of iNOS-derived nitric oxide in the immune system and immunopathological responses to Schistosoma japonicum infection in rats. The results demonstrate that iNOS deficiency weakens the immune response against the infection, leading to impaired T cell responses, altered cytokine patterns, and exacerbated fibrosis.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Jiang-Mei Gao, Jun-Hua Rao, Zhi-Yuan Wei, Shou-Yue Xia, Li Huang, Ming-Tian Tang, Geoff Hide, Ting-Ting Zheng, Jia-Huan Li, Guo-An Zhao, Yun-Xiao Sun, Jian-Huan Chen
Summary: Metagenomic analysis revealed that the relative abundance of Megasphaera significantly increased in cynomolgus monkeys with tolerance to a high-fat diet, and transplantation of Megasphaera reduced blood lipid levels in hyperlipidemia rats.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Ju-Feng Wang, Ruo-Hong Lin, Xuan Zhang, Geoff Hide, Zhao-Rong Lun, De-Hua Lai
Summary: In this study, the complete assembly of the T. musculi maxicircle genome revealed high sequence identity with other trypanosomes, as well as novel gene insertions and deletions which question the role of Complex I in T. musculi. The detailed analysis of DRII suggests it could be a valuable marker for distinguishing T. musculi and T. lewisi.
Article
Parasitology
Peng Zhang, Ke Chen, Michaela Svobodova, Ting-Bao Yang, Julius Lukes, Jinyong Zhang, Zhao- Rong Lun, De-Hua Lai
Summary: In this study, the authors provide evidence based on an expanded sequence dataset, morphology, and experimental infections to show that the described T. micropteri is conspecific with the long-term known T. carassii.
FOLIA PARASITOLOGICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wenyan Wan, Hui Dong, De-Hua Lai, Jiong Yang, Kai He, Xiaoyan Tang, Qun Liu, Geoff Hide, Xing-Quan Zhu, L. David Sibley, Zhao-Rong Lun, Shaojun Long
Summary: The micropore is an essential organelle for the endocytosis of nutrients from the host cell cytosol and Golgi in Toxoplasma gondii. It requires the ceramide de novo synthesis pathway in the parasite for optimal activity.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhixun Li, Wenjing Du, Jiong Yang, De-Hua Lai, Zhao-Rong Lun, Qiang Guo
Summary: The fine structure of Toxoplasma gondii in its native state is visualized using cryo-electron tomography. The cytoskeleton is found to originate from microtubules, which provides a reference for further studies.
Article
Cell Biology
Jia Shen, Siyu Zhao, Mei Peng, Yanguo Li, Lichao Zhang, Xiaoping Li, Yunyi Hu, Mingrou Wu, Suoyu Xiang, Xiaoying Wu, Jiahua Liu, Beibei Zhang, Zebin Chen, Datao Lin, Huanyao Liu, Wenyan Tang, Jun Chen, Xi Sun, Qi Liao, Geoff Hide, Zhijun Zhou, Zhao-Rong Lun, Zhongdao Wu
Summary: Schistosoma parasites exhibit host specificity in infection, and this study reveals that macrophages in Microtus fortis can attach to and kill schistosomula, providing insights into the host-parasite interactions and potential strategies for schistosomiasis control.
