Lipopolysaccharide

Neutrophil infiltration into inflammatory sites is one of the hallmarks of acute inflammation. Locally produced chemotactic factors are presumed to mediate the sequence of events leading to the infiltration at inflammatory sites. Interleukin-8 (IL-8), a novel leukocyte chemotactic activating cytokine (chemokine), is produced by various types of cells upon stimulation with inflammatory stimuli and exerts a variety of functions on leukocytes, particularly, neutrophils in vitro. However, no definitive evidence has been presented on its role in recruiting and activating neutrophils in the lesions of various types of inflammatory reactions. We administered a highly specific neutralizing antibody against IL-8 in several types of acute inflammatory reactions, including lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced dermatitis, LPS/IL-1-induced arthritis, lung reperfusion injury, and acute immune complex-type glomerulonephritis. Anti-IL-8 treatment prevented neutrophil-dependent tissue damage as well as ...

Resveratrol is a natural molecule with antioxidant action. Moreover, resveratrol is also considered to be a molecule with anti-inflammatory action, an effect attributed to suppression of prostaglandin (PG) biosynthesis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of resveratrol, a polyphenol present in most red wines, on reactive oxygen species formation as well as on arachidonic acid (AA) release, cyclooxygenase expression, and PG synthesis in murine resident peritoneal macrophages. Results show that resveratrol exerted a strong inhibitory effect on superoxide radical (O2−) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) produced by macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) or phorbol esters (PMA). Resveratrol also significantly decreased [3H]AA release induced by LPS and PMA or by exposure to O2− or H2O2. Resveratrol treatment caused a significant impairment of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) induction stimulated by LPS and PMA or by O2− or H2O2 exposure. These effects of resveratrol on [3H]AA release and COX-2 overexpression were correlated with a marked reduction of PG synthesis. Our results indicate that the antioxidant action of resveratrol affects AA mobilization and COX-2 induction.

Pasteurella multocida type B: 2 is responsible for major animal diseases of economic importance in both
developed and developing countries. Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (HS) could inflict devastating effects on blood
tissues and organs in the host animal. Therefore, the current study aims to investigate the haematological and
clinico- pathological responses in mice following oral inoculation of graded doses of Pasteurella multocida type B: 2
and its lipopolysaccharide. Sixty healthy Balb c mice were placed in twelve plastic cages each one containing five
mice. The mice were divided into three major groups (A, B and C). Group A is the control group (n=10) and these
were inoculated with 0.4 ml of PBS pH 7.4 orally. The treatment groups (B; n=25 and C; n=25) were inoculated with
P. multocida type B: 2 and its lipopolysaccharide respectively. The mice in group B and C were further divided into
five subgroups. The subgroups were designated based on the graded doses as B101, B103, B105, B107 and B109 for
Pasteurella multocida and C101, C103, C105, C107 and C109 for LPS respectively. The mice were observed for 120
hours post- inoculation. The clinical signs (Ruffled fur, Ocular discharges, Level of alertness and Laboured breathing)
were significantly different (p<0.001) in mice inoculated orally with variable doses of Pasteurella multocida type B:
2 and its LPS. RBC, PCV, haemoglobin concentrations, PT, APTT, Thrombocyte, WBC, Lymphocytes, monocytes,
plasma proteins, band and segmented neutrophils were significantly different (p<0.0001) in mice inoculated with
graded doses of Pasteurella multocida type B: 2 and its LPS. Inflammatory cells, degeneration, necrosis and
congestion were significantly different (p<0.0001) in mice inoculated with graded doses of both Pasteurella multocida
type B: 2 and its LPS. In conclusion, 109 cfu of Pasteurella multocida type B: 2 and its lipopolysaccharide have
devastating effects on organs and blood tissues.

Our earlier studies demonstrated that representative microbial substances--lipopolysaccharide, peptidoglycan, and poly-inosine: poly-cytosine (poly(I):(C))--increased the spontaneous discharge rates and sensory-evoked responses of isolated locus coeruleus (LC) neurons in a dose- and time-related manner after i.p. injection into rats. We then turned our attention to the mechanism by which microbial substances administered into the peritoneal cavity affect the LC neurons. The involvement of the subdiaphragmatic vagus nerves was examined in this regard since several brain responses to peripherally administered lipopolysaccharide have been found to depend upon the integrity of these nerves. The experiments reported here show that lipopolysaccharide, peptidoglycan, and poly(I):(C) all failed to excite LC neurons after i.p. injection into rats that had previously been subjected to complete transection of the subdiaphragmatic vagus nerves. Furthermore, selective transection of the subdiaph...

It is quite evident that microbial (bacteria or fungi) crude extracts contain several important bioactive compounds and some have already shown their therapeutic activity. Unfortunately, most of the compounds have not properly been evaluated for the exploration of new lead molecule. Moreover, some of the mechanisms of actions of few bioactive compounds have not been identified so far. Hence, extensive research is required to find out the activity of compounds in the microbial crude extracts and to exploit their therapeutic potential to unlock silent secondary metabolites. Therefore, this review article raise the importance of activating microbial secondary metabolites noting the need for new tools to access the full microbial genome.

Prior exposure to a stressor can potentiate CNS pro-inflammatory immune responses to a peripheral immune challenge. However, the neuroimmune substrate(s) mediating this effect has not been determined. The present investigation examined whether microglia serve as this neuroimmune substrate given that microglia are the primary immune effector cell in the CNS. The effect of inescapable shock (IS) on glial activation (MHC

A high-throughput mass spectrometry assay to measure the catalytic activity of UDP-3-O-(R-3-hydroxymyristoyl)-N-acetylglucosamine deacetylase, LpxC, is described. This reaction is essential in the biosynthesis of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of gram-negative bacteria and is an attractive target for the development of new antibacterial agents. The assay uses the RapidFire mass spectrometry platform to measure the native LpxC substrate and the reaction product and thereby generates a ratiometric readout with minimal artifacts due to detection interference. The assay was robust in a high-throughput screen of a library of more than 700,000 compounds arrayed as orthogonal mixtures, with a median Z&#x27; factor of 0.74. Selected novel inhibitors from the screening campaign were confirmed as binding to LpxC by biophysical measurements using a thermal stability shift assay. Some inhibitors showed whole-cell antimicrobial activity against a sensitive strain of Escherichia coli with reduced LpxC ...

ABSTRACT The distribution of intravenously injected A-layer protein and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) purified from the outer surface of the fish pathogen Aeromonas salmonicida, was studied in Atlantic salmon. Radiolabelling was achieved by conjugating the antigens to tyramine cellobiose (TC) or fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) which were radioiodinated either before or after conjugation. Since both TC and FITC are trapped intralysosomally at the cellular site of uptake, the ligands are advantageous in studies on tissue distribution of antigens. Injection of TC-A-layer protein and TC-LPS resulted in high specific radioactivity (cpm g−1tissue) in both head kidney and trunk kidney. In contrast, only low specific radioactivity was recovered in spleen, heart and liver. Surprisingly, use of FITC-LPS as the antigen changed the uptake to be high in both spleen and head kidney. Radiolabelled (125I-TC-) LPS and A-protein, administered by a dorsal aorta catheterisation technique, were cleared from the blood within 24 h. In immunised fish, the antibody activity against the A-layer protein was diminished even within 10 min after administration, in contrast to the level of anti-LPS antibodies which remained high. These results suggest that immune-complex formation took place at least with the A-layer protein, but the uptake of A-layer protein in the various tissues did not differ significantly in vaccinated (A. salmonicida bacterin) and non-vaccinated fish.

Improved methods of cell culture from eye stalk, hepatopancreas, muscle, ovary, and hemocytes of shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) were established using synthetic media and shrimp muscle extract (SME). For hemocytes and ovarian cell cultures, Grace’s insect medium supplemented with 10% (v/v) fetal bovine serum and 10% SME (v/v) showed enhanced attachment and proliferation of the cells. The hemocyte and ovarian cell cultures could be maintained for 48 and 66 days, respectively, and have been sub-cultured four and six times, respectively. Both ovary and hemocyte cell cultures contained primarily epithelial-like cells. Cells derived from ovary tissue grew preferably between 26°C and 28°C with 5% CO2. Although the temperature preference of hemocyte cells was the same as ovarian cells, CO2 supplementation did not show any difference in the growth of hemocyte cells. When the shrimp were injected with lipopolysaccharide (8 μg/g of shrimp) and hemolymph was drawn 24 h post-injection, the in vitro multiplicity of hemocytes dramatically improved. The growth of eye stalk, hepatopancreas, and muscle-derived cells was much less compared to ovarian cells and hemocytes under the conditions described above. The optimal culture conditions for ovarian cells and hemocytes were also different from that for eye stalk, hepatopancreas, and muscle cell culture. The proliferation efficiencies of primary cultures of hepatopancreas, eyestalk, and muscle cells were about 30, 12, and <7 d, respectively. The improved culture conditions described here, particularly for hemocytes and ovary, will be very useful for in vitro studies involving viruses infecting shrimp and in shrimp genomic studies.

Jojoba [Simmondsia chinensis (Link 1822) Schneider 1907] is an arid perennial shrub grown in several American and African countries. Jojoba seeds, which are rich in liquid wax, were used in folk medicine for diverse ailments. In the current study, the potential anti-inflammatory activity of jojoba liquid wax (JLW) was evaluated in a number of experimental models. Results showed that JLW caused reduction of carrageenin-induced rat paw oedema in addition to diminishing prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) level in the inflammatory exudates. In a test for anti-inflammatory potential utilizing the chick’s embryo chroioallantoic membrane (CAM), JLW also caused significant lowering of granulation tissue formation. Topical application of JLW reduced ear oedema induced by croton oil in rats. In the same animal model, JLW also reduced neutrophil infiltration, as indicated by decreased myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. In addition, JLW ameliorated histopathological changes affected by croton oil application. In the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in air pouch in rats, JLW reduced nitric oxide (NO) level and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) release. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the effectiveness of JLW in combating inflammation in several experimental models. Further investigations are needed to identify the active constituents responsible for the anti-inflammatory property of JLW.

Non-specific mechanisms are important in the defence of all multicellular animals against pathogenic microorganisms. Macrophages and granulocytes play a central role in this respect. It is thus pertinent to develop methods for obtaining and cultivation of macrophages and assessing their functions in the spotted wolffish, a cold water species of current interest for the aquaculture industry. Kidney macrophages from the spotted wolffish (Anarhichas minor Olafsen) were isolated by density sedimentation using Percoll. The cells were highly phagocytic and possessed typical macrophage morphology evaluated by transmission and scanning electron microscopy. Using electron microscopic analysis, the size of the macrophages, collected from the Percoll density interface, was 5-9 microm. The viability in vitro was highest (87.1%) when the cells were kept at 13 degrees C with the addition of synthetic serum replacement (SSR-2) when measured 24 h after seeding. One day old cells were not significantly activated by addition of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 24 h when measured by reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium compared to control cells. The cells were negative in respect to synthesis and contents of complement component C3.