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Background/purpose: Eosinophils are recruited to the brain of mice after infection with Angiostrongylus canonensis. Several factors produced by infected mice are well known playing the role to chemoattract eosinophils from the blood into the brain. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether Angiostronylus cantonensis young-adult worms (AcYA) have components which have eosinophilic chemotactic activity. Methods: Eosinophil chemotactic activity of AcYA was tested by Boyden blind-well chamber technique. The components of AcYA were analysed by SDS-PAGE and Mass spectrometry. Furthermore, galectin-9 in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of infected mice and galectin-9-like in AcYA were measured by ELISA technic and also were recognized by western blot analysis respectively. Results: Excretory-secretory products of AcYA did not show eosinophil chemotactic activity. However, the extracts of AcYA showed protein concentration-dependent eosinophil chemotactic activity and reached the peak at the 24 μg/ml. The eosinophil chemotactic activity was significantly reduced by lactose. The components of AcYA at molecular weights of approximatively 15 kDa and 35 kDa showed several galectins component in Mass spectrometric analysis. Furthermore, galectin-9-like in AcYA was recognized by ELISA and western blot analysis. In parallel with increase of galectin-9 in the CSF, eosinophils were also significantly increased in mouse after infected with A. cantonensis. Conclusion: Galectin-9-like in AcYA and galectin-9 in mouse CSF were confirmed demonstrating eosinophil chemotactic activity both in vitro study and in the infection of mouse in this study.

Background/Purpose: Hymenolepis nana is globally distributed. Leucaena leucocephala has been studied as a treatment, including the nematodes and protozoa, but no research results are related to cestodes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to target H. nana. Methods: The natural components of L. leucocephala were isolated and added to H. nana, which was cultured in vitro, to observe changes in the mortality, motility, and morphology. BALB/c male mice infected with H. nana were treated with effective components of L. leucocephala for 10 days, and the changes were recorded. After the mice were sacrificed, the spleen weight was measured, and a primary culture was performed for the subsequent cytokine and chemokine testing. Results: The experiment found that 132-hydroxy-(132-S)-pheophytin a and aristophyll-C have clear cestocidal effects in vitro. 132-hydroxy-(132-S)-pheophytin a has been shown to be effective at reducing parasite populations and eliciting host immune responses in vivo. IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-13, IL-17, MCP-1, IFN-γ, TNF-α, MIP-1α, and GM-CSF in 132-hydroxy-(132-S)-pheophytin a were significantly increased after stimulation, while IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-3, IL-12p70, and RANTES were unchanged. Conclusions: The investigation shows that components of L. leucocephala have actual cestocidal activity against H. nana.

Background: The prevalence of pinworm infection is extremely low in Taipei, Taiwan. This population study was designed to determine the current status and the associated risk factors of this infection among pre-school children. Methods: Perianal swab specimens were obtained from the parents or guardians using a two-consecutive-day adhesive cellophane perianal swab kit. Information of family background, personal hygiene, and household sanitary conditions were collected by asking the parents or guardians to complete a questionnaire. Results: Of 44,163 children, 0.21% was found to infect with pinworm. The positive rate was highest in Datong (0.59%) and Nangang (0.58%) Districts and lowest in Neihu District (0.02%). There was no significant difference in the rates by gender (boys 0.24% and girls 0.19%) or school (kindergartens 0.25% and nurseries 0.17%). Significantly higher positive rates were found in children having parent with lower educational level and elder brother(s)/sister(s). Children taking bath by themselves and those sleeping in bed with matting had significantly higher positive rates. Five significant independent predictors of pinworm infection were determined by multivariate analysis: having elder brother(s), having elder sister(s), infrequent washing hands after using toilet facilities, bathing without the help of family members, and sleeping on bed with matting. Conclusion: The prevalence of pinworm infection in the pre-school children of Taipei is extremely low and decreasing. Good hand washing habit should be an important preventive measure. Transmission of this infection in pre-school children may occur in the family through their school-age siblings. Keywords: Enterobius vermicularis infection, Risk factors, Pre-school children, Taipei

Anisakiasis is a human parasitic disease caused by infection with the infective larvae of Anisakis. Accidental infection in humans causes the gastrointestinal pathophysiological effects of mechanical tissue damage by migrating larvae. The mechanism of the infective larval invasion and migration is suspected to involve larval excretory/secretory proteases and motility. This study demonstrates the penetration rate of the infective larvae of Anisakis pegreffii in mouse gastrointestine depends on the time after infection, and that only 15% of larvae remain in the gastrointestinal tract 3 h after infection. Strong activities of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and serine proteases, especially plasmin, were found in the excretory/secretory products of A. pegreffii; these can be inhibited by ONO-4817 and phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, respectively. The protease activity was also significantly decreased in another 1 h of cultivation of larvae in fresh 0.9% normal saline (NS) after previous cultivation for 48 h in NS. The motility scores of larvae were significantly lower after 48 h of cultivation in NS. The penetration rate of A. pegreffii larvae in the gastrointestine of infected mice sequentially were 90% in the freshly prepared, 68% in serine protease inhibited, 55% in MMPs inhibited larvae, and 16% in larvae cultivated in NS for 48 h. Therefore, this study demonstrates that MMPs and serine proteases excreted and secreted by A. pegreffii and the mechanical movement of infective larvae participate in the penetration of the gastrointestine of mice after infection.

The 14-3-3 proteins are cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) markers of neuronal damage during infectious meningitis and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Little is known about dynamic changes in the individual isoforms in response to parasitic eosinophilic meningitis. The purposes of this study were to determine the 14-3-3 protein isoform patterns, examine the kinetics and correlate the severity of blood brain barrier (BBB) damage with the expressions of these markers in mice with eosinophilic meningitis. Mice were orally infected with 50 A. cantonensis L3 via an oro-gastric tube and sacrificed every week for 3 consecutive weeks after infection. The Evans blue method and BBB junctional protein expressions were used to measure changes in the BBB. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to analyze pathological changes in the mice brains following 1-3 weeks of infection with A. cantonensis. The levels of 14-3-3 protein isoforms in serum/CSF and brain homogenates were analyzed by Western blot, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to explore the different isoform distributions of 14-3-3 proteins and changes in BBB junctional proteins in the mice brain meninges. Dexamethasone was injected intraperitoneally from the seventh day post infection (dpi) until the end of the study (21 dpi) to study the changes in BBB junctional proteins. The amounts of Evans blue, tight junction and 14-3-3 protein isoforms in the different groups of mice were compared using the nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test. There were significant increases in 14-3-3 protein isoforms β and γ in the CSF in the second and third weeks after infection compared to the controls and first week of infection, which were correlated with the severity of BBB damage in brain histology, and Evans blue extravasation. Using IHC to assess the distribution of 14-3-3 protein isoforms and changes in BBB junctional proteins in the mice brain meninges, the expressions of isoforms β, γ, ε, and θ and junctional proteins occludin and claudin-5 in the brain meninges increased over a 3-week period after infection compared to the controls and 1 week after infection. The administration of dexamethasone decreased the expressions of BBB junctional proteins occludin and claudin-5 in the mice brain meninges. Our findings support that 14-3-3 proteins β and γ can potentially be used as a CSF marker of neuronal damage in parasitic eosinophilic meningitis caused by A. cantonensis.

Abstract Background Angiostrongylus cantonensis, the rat lungworm, is the major cause of eosinophilic meningitis worldwide. Rats serve as the definitive host of the nematode, but humans can be infected incidentally, leading to eosinophilic meningitis. A previous BALB/c animal study has demonstrated increased apoptotic proteins and decreased anti-apoptotic proteins in mice infected with A. cantonensis. Steroids may be an effective treatment option for eosinophilic meningitis caused by A. cantonensis, but the involved mechanism is unclear. This study hypothesized that the beneficial effects of steroids on eosinophilic meningitis are mediated by decreased apoptosis. Methods In a BALB/c animal model, mice were orally infected with 50 A. cantonensis L3 via an oro-gastric tube and were sacrificed every week for 3 consecutive weeks after infection or until the end of the study. Dexamethasone was injected intra-peritoneally from the 7th day post-infection until the end of the 21-day study. Evans blue method was used to measure changes in the blood brain barrier, while western blotting, immuno-histochemistry, and TUNEL assay were used to analyze brain homogenates expression of apoptotic and anti-apoptotic proteins. Results There were increased amounts of Evans blue, apoptotic proteins (caspase-3, -8, and -9 and cytochrome C), and decreased anti-apoptotic proteins (bcl-2) after 2-3 weeks of infection. Dexamethasone administration significantly decreased Evans blue extravasations and apoptotic protein expressions. Conclusions Apoptosis of mice brain homogenates can be repressed by dexamethasone treatment.

In Taiwan, Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection has been reported in foreign laborers who had consumed raw Ampullarium canaliculatus snails. This study analyzed three foreign laborers who had contracted enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-confirmed A cantonensis infection while working in Taiwan. All three workers had consumed either roasted snails or raw snails flavored with seasoning while drinking wine. This study investigated possible risk factors for A cantonensis, including naturally occurring A cantonensis in A canaliculatus snails, viability of third-stage A cantonensis larvae in raw seasoned snails and in roasted snails, infectivity of larvae, and effects of alcohol while consuming snails. Positive infection rates in snails from five different irrigation canals in south Taiwan ranged from 12.3% to 29.4% and the average number of motile larvae per infected snail ranged from 36 to 65. The number of motile and coiled larvae in snail meat after 120 minutes seasoning was 93 (27.7%) and 233 (69.3%), respectively. After 20 minutes of roasting, most larvae in the snail meat were dead. The infectivities of motile and coiled larvae from snail meat after 60 minutes seasoning were 53.2% and 33.2%, respectively, and those from snail meat after 5 minutes roasting were 33.2% and 7.0%, respectively. Eating Taiwan A canaliculatus snails raw is extremely risky given their high infection rates and infection intensities. Even after 120 minutes seasoning or after 20 minutes roasting, snail meat should be considered unsafe for human consumption. Finally, experimental rodent studies indicated that consuming alcohol while ingesting larvae does not significantly reduced infectivity.

Diphyllobothriasis latum is an intestinal parasitosis caused by the ingestion of mostly raw freshwater fish containing plerocercoids of Diphyllobothrium latum. We report an 8-year-old boy who came to our hospital with the complaint of a tapeworm hanging from the anus after defecation. The other symptom was mild abdominal cramping for a period of 1 year. The laboratory examination did not reveal anemia or vitamin B12 deficiency. Examination of gravid proglottids with rosette-like central uterus and typically operculated eggs of D. latum confirmed the diagnosis. The morphologic characters of proglottids and eggs size are compatible with D. latum. The patient had a history of eating uncooked fish for 1 year. Salmonids may be the infection source. He was treated with two doses of praziquantel and passed about 183 cm in length of all proglottids. There is a high prevalence of diphyllobothriasis latum in the northern temperate areas, but it is very rare in children. This patient is the first child case reported in Taiwan.

When non-permissive hosts are infected with Angiostrongylus cantonensis, the migration of the worms to the brain and their subsequent development manifests as marked eosinophilic pleocytosis. We used microchambers to demonstrate direct eosinophil chemotactic activity by adding a variety of antibodies into cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of BALB/c mice 21 days post-infection with A. cantonensis. The antibodies were directed to neutralize eotaxin, RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T-cells expressed and secreted), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1a, and platelet-activating factor (PAF), respectively. Eosinophil migration into the polycarbonate membrane covering CSF with anti-eotaxin or anti-MIP-1a antibodies was significantly lower than that for antibody-free CSF (Student's t test: p < 0.01, p < 0.05). We also collected CSF from mice 21 days after infection with 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 third-stage larvae (L3) respectively for dose-dependent testing, and 40 L3 at days 7, 14, and 21 after infection for time-dependent testing. Chemokine production in CSF was affected by A. cantonensis infection intensity and post-infection time. In conclusion, eotaxin and MIP-1a released in the CSF of A. cantonensis-infected mice have eosinophil chemotactic activity in this in vitro assay.

The present study to attempt to cultivate Angiostrongylus cantonensis from third-stage larvae (AcL3) to fourth-stage larvae (AcL4) in vitro in defined complete culture medium that contained with Minimum Essential Medium Eagle (MEM), supplemented amino acid (AA), amine (AM), fatty acid (FA), carbohydrate (CA) and 20% fetal calf serum (FCS) was successful. When AcL3 were cultured in the defined complete culture medium at 37°C in a 5% CO2 atmosphere, the larvae began to develop to AcL4 after 30 days of cultivation, and were enclosed within the sheaths of the third molts of the life cycle. Under these conditions, the larvae developed uniformly and reached to the fourth-stage 36 days. The morphology of AcL3 develop to AcL4 were recording and analyzing. Then comparison of A. cantonensis larval morphology and development between in vitro cultivation in defined complete culture medium and in vivo cultivation in infective BALB/c mice. The larvae that had been cultivated in vitro were smaller than AcL4 of infective BALB/c mice. However the AcL3 that were cultured using defined incomplete culture medium (MEM plus 20% FCS with AA+AM, FA, CA, AA+AM+FA, FA+CA, CA+AA+AM or not) did not adequately survive and develop. Accordingly, the inference is made that only the defined complete medium enable AcL3 develop to AcL4 in vitro. Some nematodes have been successfully cultured into mature worms but only a few researches have been made to cultivate A. cantonensis in vitro. The present study is the first to have succeeded in developing AcL3 to AcL4 by in vitro cultivation. Finally, the results of in vitro cultivation studies herein contribute to improving media for the effective development and growth of A. cantonensis. The gap in the A. cantonensis life cycle when the larvae are cultivated in vitro from third-stage larvae to fourth-stage larvae can thus be solved.

Steroids are commonly used in patients with eosinophilic meningitis caused by A. cantonensis infections. The mechanism steroids act on eosinophilic meningitis remains unclear. In this mouse experiments, expressions of 14-3-3 isoform β and γ proteins significantly increased in the CSF 2-3 weeks after the infection, but not increasedin the dexamethasone-treated group. Expression of 14-3-3 β, γ, ε, and θ isoforms increased in brain meninges over the 3-week period after infection and decreased due to dexamethasone treatment. In conclusion, administration of dexamethasone in mice with eosinophilic meningitis decreased expressions of 14-3-3 isoform proteins in the CSF and in brain meninges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. cv. Rosa-plena (Nelumbonaceae), commonly known as lotus, is a perennial aquatic plant grown and consumed throughout Asia. All parts of N. nucifera have been used for various medicinal purposes in oriental medicine. From the leaves of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. cv. Rosa-plena (an aquatic plant), liriodenine (1), lysicamine (2), (-)-anonaine (3), (-)-asimilobine (4), (-)-caaverine (5), (-)-N-methylasimilobine (6), (-)-nuciferine (7), (-)-nornuciferine (8), (-)-roemerine (9), 7-hydroxydehydronuciferine (10) and cepharadione B (11) were isolated and identification and anthelmintic activities of aporphine was evaluated against Anisakis simplex and Hymenolepis nana. This study found that the above constituents killed H. nana or reduced their spontaneous movements (oscillation/peristalsis). However, the above constituents at various concentrations demonstrated no larvicidal effect or ability to halt spontaneous parasite movement for 72 h against A. simplex, respectively. In addition, according to an assay of cestocidal activity against H. nana and nematocidal activity against A. simplex, we found that the above compounds showed greater lethal efficacy on H. nana than against A. simplex. Further investigation showed that these above constituents have effects against peroxyl radicals under cestocidal effect. Together, these findings suggest that these constituents of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. cv. Rosa-plena might be used as anthelmintic agents against H. nana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a parasite endemic in the Southeast Asian and Pacific regions. Humans are incidentally infected either by eating uncooked intermediate hosts or by consuming vegetables containing the living third-stage larvae. The 14-3-3β protein is a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) marker of neuronal damage during the development of Creutzfeldt- Jakob disease. In addition, increased 14-3-3β protein is also found in CSF from patients with a variety of neurological disorders. The goal of this study is to determine the roles of serum/CSF14-3-3β protein in patients with eosinophilic meningitis. Methods In a cohort study among nine Thai laborers with eosinophilic meningitis due to eating raw snails (Pomacea canaliculata), we examined the CSF weekly while patients were still hospitalized and followed up the serum for 6 months. The levels of 14-3-3β protein in CSF were analyzed by western blot and an in-house 14-3-3β enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) measurement was established and tested in an animal model of eosinophilic meningitis. Results The elevated 14-3-3β level was detected in the CSF from eight out of nine (81 %) patients After 2 weeks of treatment, all patients showed a declined level or cleared of 14-3-3β protein in the CSF. By developing an in-house ELISA for measurement of 14-3-3β protein, it was found that the serum 14-3-3β level was significantly increased in patients during initial visit. . This finding was consistent to the animal experiment result in which there was severe blood brain barrier damage three weeks after infection and increased 14-3-3β protein expression in the CSF and serum by western blot and in house ELISA. After treatment, the serum 14-3-3β level in meningitis patients was rapidly returned to normal threshold. There was a correlation between initial CSF 14-3-3β level with severity of headache (r = 0.692, p = 0.039), CSF pleocytosis (r = 0.807, p = 0.009) and eosinophilia (r = 0.798, p = 0.01) in the CSF of patients with eosinophilic meningitis (Spearman's correlation test). Conclusions The serum 14-3-3β concentrations may constitute a useful marker for blood brain barrier damage severity and follow up in patients with eosinophilic meningitis caused by A. cantonensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alpinia oxyphylla is a common remedy in traditional Chinese medicine. Yakuchinone A is a major constituent of A. oxyphylla and exhibits anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antibacterial, and gastric protective activities. Methods: Antioxidant and antitumor characteristics of yakuchinone A in skin cancer cells as well as novel mechanisms for the inhibition of adipocyte differentiation, cestocidal activities against Hymenolepis nana adults, and nematocidal activities against Anisakis simplex larvae are investigated. Results: Yakuchinone A presents the ability of the removal of DPPH•and ABTS+ free radicals and inhibition of lipid peroxidation. Yakuchinone A suppresses intracellular lipid accumulation during adipocyte differentiation in 3 T3-L1 cells and the expressions of leptin and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ). Yakuchinone A induces apoptosis and inhibits cell proliferation in skin cancer cells. The inhibition of cell growth by yakuchinone A is more significant for non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) cells than for melanoma (A375 and B16) and noncancerous (HaCaT and BNLCL2) cells. Treatment BCC cells with yakuchinone A shows down-regulation of Bcl-2, up-regulation of Bax, and an increase in cleavage poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). This suggests that yakuchinone A induces BCC cells apoptosis through the Bcl-2-mediated signaling pathway. The anthelmintic activities of yakuchinone A for A. simplex are better than for H. nana. Conclusions: In this work, yakuchinone A exhibits antioxidative properties, anti-adipocyte differentiation, antitumor activity, and anthelmintic activities against A. simplex and H. nana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of C57BL/6 mice infected with Angiostrongylus cantonensis was examined for kinetic changes in oxidative stress parameters, including reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, malondialdehyde (MDA), 8-isoprostane, and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG). The ROS increased gradually in the early stage of infection. During days 12–30 post-infection, the infected mice revealed ROS levels significantly higher than that in uninfected controls (P < 0.001). The ROS levels peaked at day 24 and then returned to that observed in uninfected controls at day 45 post-infection. The kinetics of MDA, 8-isoprostane, and 8-OHdG concentration changes observed in the CSF of the infected mice corresponded with kinetic changes in ROS levels. Thus, the excess ROS caused lipid peroxidation and DNA damage to cells in the central nervous system (CNS) of mice infected with A. cantonensis despite the increased antioxidant SOD and catalase enzyme activities during post-infection days 12–30. The oxidative stress in the CNS of C57BL/6 mice was apparently increased by diseases associated with A. cantonensis infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  To quantitate cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) in adult patients with Klebsiella pneumoniae meningitis and to correlate levels of MMP-9 with parameters of intrathecal inflammation and analyze the kinetic changes of MMP-9. In a prospective cohort study, levels of MMP-9 and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase (TIMP-1) concentrations were measured in the CSF of six adult patients with meningitis and 11 controls. MMP-9 and TIMP-1 were detected in all of the six patients at presentation and follow up lumbar puncture. CSF levels of MMP-9 (6.71 ± 7.29 ng/ml) and TIMP-1(454.3 ± 242.9 ng/ml) were higher in patients than in the control group (0.07 ± 0.11 ng/ml and 27.14 ± 39.34 ng/ml, respectively). Levels of MMP-9 correlated with CSF concentrations of protein, cell count and lactate. Repeated lumbar punctures showed that levels of MMP-9 decrease during clinical recovery, although the levels of MMP-9 in the CSF are variable because of the small number of cases. The relative change in gelatin zymography is comparable to the changes of MMP-9 levels found in ELISA. MMP-9 levels in CSF may be a useful tool in follow-up in patients with K. pneumoniae meningitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relation of helminthic infestation to hepatolithiasis is a subject of dispute. This case–control study was undertaken to evaluate the prevalence of helminthiasis in hepatolithiasis patients and to compare the clinicopathological features of hepatolithiasis between patients with and without helminthiasis.The prevalence of ascariasis or clonorchiasis was evaluated using ELISA in 131 patients with hepatolithiasis who were treated at Show-Chwan Memorial Hospital and 121 subjects who constituted a control group. The patients’ detailed histories and medical charts were reviewed.The prevalence of positive immunodiagnosis of ascariasis and clonorchiasis was higher in patients with hepatolithiasis than in control subjects (33.6%, 44/131vs17.4%, 21/121, odds ratio[OR] = 2.41, 95% confidence interval[CI] = 1.28–4.56,P = 0.005; and 6.9%, 9/131v0.8%, 1/121, OR = 8.85, 95% CI = 1.12–188.69,P = 0.02). Patients with helminthiasis rarely had concurrent gallbladder stones (26%, 12/47vs55%, 46/84, OR = 0.28, 95% CI = 0.12–0.66,P = 0.002). Prior to the diagnosis of hepatolithiasis in adulthood, most of the patients with helminthiasis tended to have a history of recurrent abdominal pain in their childhood and an asymptomatic‘lucid interval’ during their teenage years (70.2%, 33/47vs39.3%, 33/84, OR = 3.64, 95% CI = 1.59–8.42,P = 0.0005). However, the prevalence of intrahepatic duct stricture (38.3%, 18/47vs40.5%, 34/84, OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.41–2.02,P > 0.05), secondary biliary cirrhosis (6.4%, 3/47vs3.6%, 3/84, OR = 1.84, 95% CI = 0.28–12.03,P > 0.05), cholangiocarcinoma (2.1%, 1/47vs0%, 0/84, OR = ∼,P > 0.05), and stone recurrence (54.8%, 24/42vs50.0%, 38/76, OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 0.58–3.06,P > 0.05) did not significantly increase.Helminthiasis is a possible risk factor for hepatolithiasis, although it is unlikely to increase the incidence of complications, including bile duct stricture, secondary biliary cirrhosis, and cholangiocarcinoma. Patients with helminthiasis tend to have a history of an asymptomatic‘lucid interval’ between the periods of recurrent abdominal pain in their childhood and the diagnosis of hepatolithiasis in their adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The kinetics of changes in the eotaxin concentration in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of BALB/c mice after infection with Angiostrongylus cantonensis and the correlation between the concentration of eotaxin and worm recovery were investigated. The mean concentration of eotaxin in serum of infected mice gradually increased from 46.3±6.5 pg/ml at week 0 to 104.9±44.8 pg/ml at week 3 after infection, while the mean eotaxin level in the CSF of infected mice rapidly increased from 18.7±2.1 pg/ml to 193.2±23.6 pg/ml 1 week after infection and then increased further to 507.8±167.9 pg/ml at week 3. The concentrations of eotaxin in the CSF of infected mice each week after infection were all significantly higher than those in serum ( P<0.0001). In parallel with the increase in eotaxin in the CSF, infected mice showed gradual increases in CSF eosinophilia and a reduction in intracranial worm recovery. The concentration of eotaxin in CSF was higher in infected mice with more worms in the brain, except when the number of worms in the brain was >30. In addition, when the worm counts in the brains of infected mice were <30, eotaxin concentrations in the CSF were positively correlated with worm counts in the brain ( P<0.001). Thus, the release of eotaxin in the CSF of mice infected with A. cantonensis observed in this study was time dependent and worm-load dependent, and in parallel with the increase in eotaxin in the CSF, and gradual decreases in worm counts in the brains of infected mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major cause of eosinophilic meningitis in Taiwan is Angiostrongylus cantonensis. Humans are infected by ingesting terrestrial and freshwater snails and slugs. In 1998 and 1999, two outbreaks of eosinophilic meningitis caused by A. cantonensis infection were reported among 17 adult male immigrant Thai laborers who had eaten raw golden apple snails (Pomacea canaliculata). Another outbreak associated with consuming a health drink consisting of raw vegetable juice was reported in 2001. These adult cases differed from reports in the 1970s and 1980s, in which most of the cases were in children. With improvements in public health and education of foreign laborers, there have since been only sporadic cases in Taiwan. Review of clinical research indicates inconsistent association of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) results with clinical features of eosinophilic meningitis. MRI features were nonspecific but there was an association between the presence of high brain MRI signal intensities and severity of peripheral and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) eosinophilia. Inflammatory markers have been identified in the CSF of patients with eosinophlic meningitis caused by A. cantonensis infection, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and the matrix metalloproteinase system may be associated with blood-brain barrier disruption. Eosinophilic meningitis caused by A. cantonensis infection is not a reportable disease in Taiwan. It is important that a public advisory and education program be developed to reduce future accidental infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazilein, a natural, biologically active compound from Caesalpinia sappan L., has been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and to inhibit the growth of several cancer cells. This study verifies the antioxidant and antitumor characteristics of brazilein in skin cancer cells and is the first time to elucidate the inhibition mechanism of adipocyte differentiation, cestocidal activities against Hymenolepis nana, and reduction of spontaneous movement in Anisakis simplex. Brazilein exhibits an antioxidant capacity as well as the ability to scavenge DPPH• and ABTS•+ free radicals and to inhibit lipid peroxidation. Brazilein inhibited intracellular lipid accumulation during adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells and suppressed the induction of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), the master regulator of adipogenesis, suggesting that brazilein presents the antiobesity effects. The toxic effects of brazilein were evaluated in terms of cell viability, induction of apoptosis, and the activity of caspase-3 in BCC cells. The inhibition of the growth of skin cancer cells (A431, BCC, and SCC25) by brazilein is greater than that of human skin malignant melanoma (A375) cells, mouse leukemic monocyte macrophage (RAW 264.7 cells), and noncancerous cells (HaCaT and BNLCL2 cells). The anthelmintic activities of brazilein against Hymenolepis nana are better than those of Anisakis simplex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: According to earlier studies, heat shock proteins (Hsps) is expressed in cochlear cells after ototoxic stimuli. In this study we investigated the possibility that Hsps could be found in circulation and observed its possible clinical role in pat!ents with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). Materials and Methods: We enrolled 61 patients with idiopathic unilateral SSNHL and 30 normal controls for this study. Their serum Hsp70, 60 and 27 levels were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test and confirmed by Western blot immunoassay. Serum Hsps levels were analyzed to find the possible clinical value in patients with SSNHL. Results: The patients with SSNHL did not show significantly higher serum Hsp70, 60 and 27 levels than the normal controls, as measured by the ELISA test (P > 0.05). There were no strong bands indicating the presence of Hsp70, 60 and 27 on the Western blot assay. Conclusion: In this study, the serum Hsp70, 60 and 27 levels in the patients with SSNHL were n0t elevated as compared to the normal controls. There were no clinical significance of serum Hsp 70, 60 and 27 in hearing outcome of patients with sudden hearing loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]