Project description:The goals of this study were to investigate whether two anesthesia regimens, with and without N2O, and bacterial colonization influence respiratory complications after major abdominal surgery for cancer.
Project description:Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is characterized as progressive processes of bacterial persistence and chronic gastritis with features of infiltration of mononuclear cells more than granulocytes in gastric mucosa. Angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4) is considered a double-edged sword in inflammation-associated diseases, but its function and clinical relevance in H. pylori-associated pathology is unknown. Here we demonstrate both pro-colonization and pro-inflammation roles of ANGPTL4 in H. pylori infection. Increased ANGPTL4 in the infected gastric mucosa was produced from gastric epithelial cells (GECs) synergistically induced by H. pylori and IL-17A in a cagA-dependent manner. Human gastric ANGPTL4 correlated with H. pylori colonization and the severity of gastritis, and mouse ANGPTL4 from non-bone marrow-derived cells promoted bacteria colonization and inflammation. Importantly, H. pylori colonization and inflammation were attenuated in Il17a-/-, Angptl4-/-, Il17a-/-Angptl4-/- mice. Mechanistically, ANGPTL4 bound to integrin αV (ITGAV) on GECs to suppress CXCL1 production by inhibiting ERK, leading to decreased gastric influx of neutrophils, thereby promoting H. pylori colonization; ANGPTL4 also bound to ITGAV on monocytes to promote CCL5 production by activating PI3K-AKT-NF-κB, resulting in increased gastric influx of regulatory CD4+ T cells (Tregs) via CCL5-CCR4-dependent migration. In turn, ANGPTL4 induced Treg proliferation through binding to ITGAV to activate PI3K-AKT-NF-κB, promoting H. pylori-associated gastritis. Overall, we propose a model in which ANGPTL4 collectively ensures H. pylori persistence and promotes gastritis. Efforts to inhibit ANGPTL4-associated pathway may prove valuable strategies in treating H. pylori infection.
Project description:Bacterial-modulated gastric epithelial cells (GECs) play key roles in H. pylori-associated pathology. Here we demonstrate a pro-colonization and pro-inflammation role of GEC-expressed glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase 3 (GPAT3), a lipid metabolism-associated protein, in H. pylori infection. GPAT3 expression was elevated in gastric mucosa of both patients and mice infected with H. pylori. GPAT3 in GECs was synergistically induced by H. pylori and IL-22 in a cagA-dependent manner. Human gastric GPAT3 correlated with H. pylori colonization and the severity of gastritis, and mouse GPAT3 from non-bone marrow-derived cells promoted bacteria colonization and inflammation. Importantly, H. pylori colonization and inflammation were attenuated in Il22-/-, Gpat3-/- and Il22-/-Gpat3-/- mice. Mechanistically, GPAT3 directly interacted with CCAR1 and activated IKKγ, subsequently promoted NF-κB phosphorylation whereby NF-kB directly bound to the promoters of MMP1, CXCL11 and IL-33 to activate their transcription, which not only led to decreased E-cadherin and zonula occludens-1 proteins by MMP1, thereby resulting in gastric mucosal damage and increased H. pylori colonization; but also resulted in increased gastric influx of CD8+ T cells via CXCL11-dependent migration and their subsequent IL-33-dependent IFN-γ production, thereby promoting H. pylori-associated gastritis. Overall, we propose a model in which GPAT3 collectively ensures H. pylori persistence and promotes gastritis.
Project description:Paneth cells of intestinal crypts contribute to host defense by producing antimicrobial peptides that are packaged as granules for secretion into the crypt lumen. Here, we provide evidence using light and electron microscopy that postsecretory Paneth cell granules undergo limited dissolution and accumulate within the intestinal crypts of cystic fibrosis (CF) mice. On the basis of this finding, we evaluated bacterial colonization and expression of two major constituents of Paneth cells, i.e., {alpha}-defensins (cryptdins) and lysozyme, in CF murine intestine. Paneth cell granules accumulated in intestinal crypt lumens in both untreated CF mice with impending intestinal obstruction and in CF mice treated with an osmotic laxative that prevented overt clinical symptoms and mucus accretion. Ultrastructure studies indicated little change in granule morphology within mucus casts, whereas granules in laxative-treated mice appear to undergo limited dissolution. Protein extracts from CF intestine had increased levels of processed cryptdins compared with those from wild-type (WT) littermates. Nonetheless, colonization with aerobic bacteria species was not diminished in the CF intestine and oral challenge with a cryptdin-sensitive enteric pathogen, Salmonella typhimurium, resulted in greater colonization of CF compared with WT intestine. Modest downregulation of cryptdin and lysozyme mRNA in CF intestine was shown by microarray analysis, real-time quantitative PCR, and Northern blot analysis. Based on these findings, we conclude that antimicrobial peptide activity in CF mouse intestine is compromised by inadequate dissolution of Paneth cell granules within the crypt lumens. Keywords: other
Project description:Paneth cells of intestinal crypts contribute to host defense by producing antimicrobial peptides that are packaged as granules for secretion into the crypt lumen. Here, we provide evidence using light and electron microscopy that postsecretory Paneth cell granules undergo limited dissolution and accumulate within the intestinal crypts of cystic fibrosis (CF) mice. On the basis of this finding, we evaluated bacterial colonization and expression of two major constituents of Paneth cells, i.e., {alpha}-defensins (cryptdins) and lysozyme, in CF murine intestine. Paneth cell granules accumulated in intestinal crypt lumens in both untreated CF mice with impending intestinal obstruction and in CF mice treated with an osmotic laxative that prevented overt clinical symptoms and mucus accretion. Ultrastructure studies indicated little change in granule morphology within mucus casts, whereas granules in laxative-treated mice appear to undergo limited dissolution. Protein extracts from CF intestine had increased levels of processed cryptdins compared with those from wild-type (WT) littermates. Nonetheless, colonization with aerobic bacteria species was not diminished in the CF intestine and oral challenge with a cryptdin-sensitive enteric pathogen, Salmonella typhimurium, resulted in greater colonization of CF compared with WT intestine. Modest downregulation of cryptdin and lysozyme mRNA in CF intestine was shown by microarray analysis, real-time quantitative PCR, and Northern blot analysis. Based on these findings, we conclude that antimicrobial peptide activity in CF mouse intestine is compromised by inadequate dissolution of Paneth cell granules within the crypt lumens. Total RNA was extracted from pooled small intestines of three WT and three CF mice using Tri-Reagent (Molecular Research Center, Cincinnati, OH), and poly(A) RNA was purified by using the MicroPoly(A) mRNA purification kit (Ambion, Austin, TX). The WT and CF poly(A) RNA samples were sent to IncyteGenomics (St. Louis, MO) where they were labeled with cyanine 3 (Cy3) and Cy5, respectively, and hybridized with the UniGEM1.31 array representing 9,570 known genes and expressed sequence tags.
Project description:Different regions of the gastrointestinal tract have distinct digestive and absorptive functions, which may be locally disrupted by infection or autoimmune disease. Yet, the mechanisms underlying intestinal regionalization and its dysregulation in disease are not well understood. Here, we used mouse models, transcriptomics, and immune profiling to show that regional epithelial expression of the transcription factor GATA4 prevented adherent bacterial colonization and inflammation in the proximal small intestine by regulating retinol metabolism and luminal IgA. Loss of epithelial GATA4 expression increased mortality in mice infected with Citrobacter rodentium which was dependent on commensal microbiota induced immunopathology. In active celiac patients with villous atrophy, low GATA4 expression was associated with metabolic alterations, mucosal Actinobacillus, and increased IL-17 immunity. This study reveals broad impacts of GATA4-regulated intestinal regionalization and highlights an elaborate interdependence of intestinal metabolism, immunity, and microbiota in homeostasis and disease.
Project description:Host pathways mediating changes in immune states elicited by intestinal microbial colonization are incompletely characterized. Here we describe alterations of the host immune state induced by colonization of germ-free zebrafish larvae with an intestinal microbial community or single bacterial species. We show that microbiota-induced changes in intestinal leukocyte subsets and whole-body host gene expression are dependent on the innate immune adaptor gene myd88. Similar patterns of gene expression are elicited by colonization with conventional microbiome, as well as mono-colonization with two different zebrafish commensal bacterial strains. By studying loss-of-function myd88 mutants, we find that colonization suppresses Myd88 at the mRNA level. Tlr2 is essential for microbiota-induced effects on myd88 transcription and intestinal immune cell composition.
Project description:Anthropogenic activities have dramatically increased the inputs of reactive nitrogen (N) into terrestrial ecosystems, with potentially important effects on the soil microbial community and consequently soil C and N dynamics. Our analysis of microbial communities in soils subjected to 14 years of 7 g N m-2 year-1 Ca(NO3)2 amendment in a Californian grassland showed that the taxonomic composition of bacterial communities, examined by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, was significantly altered by nitrate amendment, supporting the hypothesis that N amendment- induced increased nutrient availability, yielded more fast-growing bacterial taxa while reduced slow-growing bacterial taxa. Nitrate amendment significantly increased genes associated with labile C degradation (e.g. amyA and xylA) but had no effect or decreased the relative abundances of genes associated with degradation of more recalcitrant C (e.g. mannanase and chitinase), as shown by data from GeoChip targeting a wide variety of functional genes. The abundances of most N cycling genes remained unchanged or decreased except for increases in both the nifH gene (associated with N fixation), and the amoA gene (associated with nitrification) concurrent with increases of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria. Based on those observations, we propose a conceptual model to illustrate how changes of functional microbial communities may correspond to soil C and N accumulation.
Project description:A. baumannii has the propensity to colonize abiotic surfaces and this is thought to mediate its transmission to susceptible patients. We found that disruption of A. baumannii ribonuclease T2 family protein (ATCC 17978 locus A1S_3026) severely diminishes the organism's ability to colonize abiotic surfaces. We used Affymetrix A. baumannii GeneChips (part number PMDACBA1) to compare the gene expression properties of wild type and isogenic ribonuclease T2 family protein mutant cells. A. baumanni strain 98-37-09 (wild type) or isogenic ACJ7 (harboring a EZ-Tn5 insertion in A1S_3026) cells were grown to mid-exponential phase growth in Luria Burtani medium, total bacterial RNA was isolated and subjected to GeneChip hybridization and analysis. We sought to determine the regulatory effects of A1S_3026.
Project description:Chronic infection of the human stomach with Helicobacter pylori leads to a variety of pathologic sequelae including peptic ulcer and gastric cancer, resulting in significant human morbidity and mortality. Several genes have been implicated in disease related to H. pylori infection including the vacuolating cytotoxin and the cag pathogenicity island. Other factors important for establishment and maintenance of infection include urease enzyme production, motility, iron uptake and stress response. We utilized a C57BL/6 mouse infection model to query a collection of 2400 transposon mutants in two different bacterial strain backgrounds for H. pylori genetic loci contributing to colonization of the stomach. Microarray based tracking of transposon mutants allowed us to monitor the behavior of transposon insertions in 758 different gene loci. Of the loci measured 223 (29%) had a predicted colonization defect. These include previously described H. pylori virulence genes, genes implicated in virulence in other pathogenic bacteria and 81 hypothetical proteins. We have retested 10 previously uncharacterized candidate colonization gene loci by making independent null alleles and confirmed their colonization phenotype using competition experiments and determination of the dose required for 50% infection. Of the genetic loci retested, 60% have strain specific colonization defects while 40% had phenotypes in both strain backgrounds for infection, highlighting the profound effect of H. pylori strain variation on the pathogenic potential of this organism. This SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.