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Bacterial biofilms cause a range of problems in many areas and especially in health care. Biofilms are difficult to eradicate with traditional antibiotics and consequently there is a need for alternative ways to prevent and/or remove bacterial biofilms. Furthermore, the emergence of antibiotic resistance in bacteria creates a challenge to find new types of antibiotics with a lower evolutionary pressure for resistance development. One route to develop such drugs is to target the so called virulence factors, i.e. bacterial systems used when bacteria infect a host cell. This study investigates synergy effects between Ga(III) ions, previously reported to suppress biofilm formation and growth in bacteria, and salicylidene acylhydrazides (hydrazones) that have been proposed as antivirulence drugs targeting the type three secretion system used by several Gram-negative pathogens, including Pseudomonas aerugionosa, during bacterial infection of host cells. A library of hydrazones was screened for: Fe(III) binding, enhanced anti-biofilm effect with Ga(III) on P. aeruginosa, and low cytotoxicity to mammalian cells. The metal coordination for the most promising ligand, 2-Oxo-2-[N-(2,4,6-trihydroxy-benzylidene)-hydrazino]-acetamide (ME0163) with Ga(III) was investigated using extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy as well as density functional theory. The results showed that Ga(III) chelates the hydrazone with 5- and 6-membered chelating rings, and that the Ga(III)-ME0163 complex enhanced the antibiofilm effect of Ga(III) while suppressing the type three secretion system in P. aeruginosa. The latter effect was not observed for the hydrazone alone and was similar for Ga(III)-citrate and Ga(III)-ME0163 complexes, indicating that the inhibition of virulence was caused by Ga(III)., (Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The acute pulmonary responses after exposure to sulfur and nitrogen mustards are well documented whereas the late pulmonary effects are not. With a novel focus on the immune system this paper investigate whether late phase pulmonary effects developed in rats exposed to the nitrogen mustard melphalan are linked to the acute responses and whether the reactions are genetically regulated. The DA rat strain was used to establish a lung exposure model. Five other inbred rat strains (PVG, PVG.1AV1, LEW, WF and F344) were compared within the model at selected time points. All rat strains displayed a biphasic pattern of leukocyte infiltration in the lungs, dominated by neutrophils 2 days after exposure and a second peak dominated by macrophages 29 days after exposure. The number of macrophages was higher in the DA rat compared with the other strains. The infiltration of lymphocytes in the lungs varied in both time of appearance and magnitude between strains. The quantity of collagen deposition in the lungs varied between strains at day 90; LEW and WF displayed high collagen content which coincided with an increased level of cytotoxic T cells. LEW further displayed an increased number of T helper cells and natural killer (NK) T cells in the lungs. The results in this study suggest there is a link between the development of lung fibrosis and high cytotoxic cell responses and that there is a genetic influence, as there are variations in acute and late adverse reactions between rat strains in both timing and magnitude., (Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Chlorine (Cl2) is an industrial gas that is highly toxic and irritating when inhaled causing tissue damage and an acute inflammatory response in the airways followed by a long-term airway dysfunction. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether early anti-inflammatory treatment can protect against the delayed symptoms in Cl2-exposed mice. BALB/c mice were exposed by nose-only inhalation using 200ppm Cl2 during 15min. Assessment of airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), inflammatory cell counts in bronchoalveolar lavage, occurrence of lung edema and lung fibrosis were analyzed 24h or 14days post-exposure. A single dose of the corticosteroid dexamethasone (10 or 100mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally 1, 3, 6, or 12h following Cl2 exposure. High-dose of dexamethasone reduced the acute inflammation if administered within 6h after exposure but treated animals still displayed a significant lung injury. The effect of dexamethasone administered within 1h was dose-dependent; high-dose significantly reduced acute airway inflammation (100mg/kg) but not treatment with the relatively low-dose (10mg/kg). Both doses reduced AHR 14days later, while lung fibrosis measured as collagen deposition was not significantly reduced. The results point out that the acute inflammation in the lungs due to Cl2 exposure only partly is associated with the long-term AHR. We hypothesize that additional pathogenic mechanisms apart from the inflammatory reactions contribute to the development of long-term airway dysfunction. By using this mouse model, we have validated early administration of corticosteroids in terms of efficacy to prevent acute lung injury and delayed symptoms induced by Cl2 exposure., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In this study aerosol samples collected in an Asian mega-city (Kabul, Afghanistan) were compared to PM samples collected in a European location with traffic (Umeå, Sweden) and a reference urban dust material (SRM 1649b). The toxicity of each sample towards normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells and a human bronchial epithelial cell line (BEAS-2B) was tested along with their ability to induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and inflammatory responses. The extracts' morphology and elemental composition was studied by SEM-EDXRF, and filter samples were analyzed for metals and organic compounds. The PM from Kabul contained a larger fraction of fine particles, 19 times more polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and 37 times more oxygenated PAH (oxy-PAH) compared to samples from Umeå. The PM-samples from Kabul and the reference material (SRM 1649b) induced significantly stronger oxidative stress responses than the samples from Umeå. Furthermore, samples collected in Kabul induced significantly higher secretion of the cytokines IL-6, IL-8 and GM-CSF while SRM1649b induced a cytokine pattern more similar to samples collected in Umeå. Several properties of the particles could potentially explain these differences, including differences in their size distribution and contents of PAH and oxy-PAH, possibly in combination with their relative transition metal contents., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Chlorine is highly irritating when inhaled, and is a common toxic industrial gas causing tissue damage in the airways followed by an acute inflammatory response. In this study, we investigated mechanisms by which chlorine exposure may cause reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS) and we examined the dose-dependency of the development of symptoms. Mice were exposed to 50 or 200 ppm Cl(2) during a single 15 min exposure in a nose-only container. The experiment terminated 2, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 h and 7, 14, 28 and 90 days post exposure. Inflammatory cell counts in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), secretion of inflammatory mediators in BAL, occurrence of lung edema and histopathological changes in lung tissue was analyzed at each time-point. Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) was studied after 24 and 48 h and 7, 14, 28 and 90 days. The results showed a marked acute response at 6h (50 ppm) and 12h (200 ppm) post exposure as indicated by induced lung edema, increased airway reactivity in both central and peripheral airways, and an airway inflammation dominated by macrophages and neutrophils. The inflammatory response declined rapidly in airways, being normalized after 48 h, but inflammatory cells were sustained in lung tissue for at least seven days. In addition, a sustained AHR was observed for at least 28 days. In summary, this mouse model of chlorine exposure shows delayed symptoms of hyperreactive airways similar to human RADS. We conclude that the model can be used for studies aimed at improved understanding of adverse long-term responses following inhalation of chlorine., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Context: Exposure to toxic alkylating mustard agents causes both acute and long-term effects to the lungs as indicated by increased number of inflammatory cells in airways, lung edema and lung tissue fibrosis. We have previously demonstrated that treatment with the corticosteroid dexamethasone 1 h after lung exposure to the nitrogen mustard analog melphalan protects mice from acute and sub-acute inflammatory responses, as well as from lung tissue fibrosis., Objective: In order to address the importance of early anti-inflammatory treatment, we investigated the therapeutic effect of dexamethasone administered 1, 2 or 6 h following exposure to melphalan., Methods: C57BL/6 mice were exposed to melphalan and treated with dexamethasone 1, 2 or 6 h after exposure. Twenty hours or 14 days post exposure mice were subjected to analysis of respiratory mechanics where the effects of incremental doses of methacholine on central and peripheral lung components were measured. We also determined the amount of inflammatory cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and measured the amount of collagen content in the lungs., Results: Melphalan exposure increased airway hyperresponsiveness in both central and peripheral airways and induced an airway inflammation dominated by infiltration of macrophages and neutrophils. Dexamethasone given 1 h after exposure to melphalan provided better protection against airway inflammation than administration 2 or 6 h after exposure. Collagen deposition 14 days after exposure was decreased due to dexamethasone treatment., Conclusion: Early treatment with dexamethasone is important in order to reduce the airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation caused by toxic alkylating mustards such as melphalan., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

We have compared the cellular uptake and responses of five preparations of nanocrystalline titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) between normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells and epithelial cell lines (A549 and BEAS-2B). The P25 nanoparticles, containing both anatase and rutile modifications, induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and secretion of the neutrophil chemoattractant IL-8 in all three cell types used. Pure anatase and rutile particles provoked differential IL-8 response in A549 and no response in BEAS-2B cells despite similar formation of ROS. The pure TiO(2) modifications also provoked release of the inflammatory mediators: IL-6, G-CSF and VEGF, in NHBE cells but not in the two cell lines. We conclude that the responsiveness of lung epithelial cells is strongly dependent on both the physicochemical properties of TiO(2) nanoparticles and the type of responder cells. The differential pro-inflammatory responsiveness of primary lung epithelial cells compared with immortalized cell lines should be considered in the assessment of adverse reactions to inhaled nanoparticles.

Gallium ions have previously been shown to exhibit antibacterial and antibiofilm properties. In this study, we report differential bactericidal activities of two gallium complexes, gallium desferrioxamine B (Ga-DFOB) and gallium citrate (Ga-Cit). Modeling of gallium speciation in growth medium showed that DFOB and citrate both can prevent precipitation of Ga(OH)(3), but some precipitation can occur above pH 7 with citrate. Despite this, Ga-Cit 90% inhibitory concentrations (IC(90)) were lower than those of Ga-DFOB for clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and several reference strains of other bacterial species. Treatment with Ga compounds mitigated damage inflicted on murine J774 macrophage-like cells infected with P. aeruginosa PAO1. Again, Ga-Cit showed more potent mitigation than did Ga-DFOB. Ga was also taken up more efficiently by P. aeruginosa in the form of Ga-Cit than in the form of Ga-DFOB. Neither Ga-Cit nor Ga-DFOB was toxic to several human cell lines tested, and no proinflammatory activity was detected in human lung epithelial cells after exposure in vitro. Metabolomic analysis was used to delineate the effects of Ga-Cit on the bacterial cell. Exposure to Ga resulted in lower concentrations of glutamate, a key metabolite for P. aeruginosa, and of many amino acids, indicating that Ga affects various biosynthesis pathways. An altered protein expression profile in the presence of Ga-Cit suggested that some compensatory mechanisms were activated in the bacterium. Furthermore, the antibacterial effect of Ga was shown to vary depending on the carbon source, which has importance in the context of medical applications of gallium.

Low-dose exposure of alkylating mustard gas causes long-term respiratory complications characterized by bronchitis and lung fibrosis. In this study, we utilized a mouse model for lung exposure of the nitrogen mustard melphalan, in order to define early and late events in the pathogenesis such as expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, recruitment of inflammatory cells to airways and late-phase fibrosis. We investigated the roles of different T lymphocyte subsets on the inflammatory response by using knockout mice lacking either the genes expressing T cell receptor (TCR)αβ or TCRγδ, and compared the responsiveness with that of wild type mice and double knockout mice completely deficient in T cells. Exposure to melphalan induced an early burst of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and IL-23 in airways, followed by extensive infiltration of neutrophils in the lung tissue and airways within 24h. The acute phase was followed by a sustained lymphocytic response that persisted for at least 14 days with resulting lung fibrosis. Engagement of T lymphocytes, particularly the γδ T cell subset, was crucial both for the acute cytokine and neutrophil response and for the late-phase lung fibrosis as indicated by the lack of response in γδ T cell deficient mice. Our data demonstrate that T lymphocytes play a prominent role in the pathogenesis of long-term lung injuries caused by strong alkylating agents., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The airway epithelium is the first line of defence in the response to inhaled particles and irritants. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an inflammatory disease characterised by an irreversible loss of lung function, with cigarette smoking as a major risk factor. Here, we address intraepithelial T-cells in COPD, as these cells are a distinct T-cell subtype thought to have important regulatory functions. We hypothesised that intraepithelial T-cells play a role in the response to lung irritants and that the T-cell populations would be altered and associated with signs of inflammation in COPD., Methods: Bronchoscopy with endobronchial mucosal biopsy sampling was performed in 22 patients (mean age; 57) with stable COPD (median FEV(1)% predicted: 51). Age- and smoking- matched smokers (S) with normal lung function (n=14) and age-matched non-smokers (NS) (n=15) served as controls. Airway inflammation was recorded visually using bronchitis index (BI). Biopsy specimens were processed into glycol methacrylate resin and inflammatory cells were stained immunohistochemically., Results: The number of intraepithelial CD4+ T-cells were significantly higher in COPD patients compared to smokers as well as trend towards significance in non-smokers (p=0.005 and p=0.036, respectively), whereas intraepithelial CD8+ T-cells number were increased in patients with COPD compared to non-smokers (p=0.017). Both patients with COPD and smokers had a higher BI than non-smokers (p<0.001 for both)., Conclusions: The present data suggest a role for intraepithelial CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells in stable COPD and indicate that T-cells are of importance in the long-term inflammatory response in COPD or, alternatively, play a regulatory role.

To investigate how respiratory epithelial cells react to an alkylating agent, we exposed human bronchial (BEAS-2B) and alveolar (A549) cells to the nitrogen mustard derivative melphalan. The BEAS-2B cells were highly sensitive to melphalan, as shown by a reduced viability after a 10-min incubation with 300 microM melphalan. The A549 cells were less sensitive and required several hours of exposure to reduce significantly in viability. However, exposure to melphalan also induces activation of intracellular signal transduction pathways, as indicated by phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) and p38 (proteins belonging to the family of stress-induced mitogen-activated phosphorylated kinases, MAPK) within 5 min, as well as translocation of the transcription factor nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB to the nucleus within 45 min. This early activation was followed by elevated levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha mRNA within 2 h. We also observed increased expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) on the surface of both cell lines 18 h after exposure to 25 microM melphalan and an increased adhesion of monocytes to the epithelial cells in vitro.In conclusion, we have demonstrated that alkylating compounds not only cause cell death of lung epithelial cells but also activate stress-associated MAPK signal transduction pathways and induce expression of mediators known to participate in the recruitment of inflammatory cells.

We investigated if a two-hit shock model, commonly referred to as generalized Shwartzman reaction (GSR), can prime for indirect acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in mice. The GSR was provoked in C57BL/6 mice by two consecutive i.p. injections of 100 microg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at t = 0 and t = 20 h. These mice demonstrated a dramatic decrease in respiratory capacity and 80% mortality after the second injection. No such effect was observed when LPS was given as a single 200 microg dose at t = 0. Increased expression of proinflammatory cytokines in serum (interleukin-1beta, interleukin-6 and interferon-gamma), lung neutrophilia, and edema formation were observed in mice injected with one dose of LPS, but notably, mice exposed twice did not further increase their inflammatory response. Early treatment 1 h after the first LPS injection (t = 1 h) with either dexamethasone (10 mg/kg) or vitamin E (50 mg/kg) improved respiratory function and down-modulated the induction of proinflammatory cytokines in serum. In conclusion, mice with a generalized Shwartzman reaction exhibited features resembling some aspects of the pathophysiology in septic ARDS, i.e., neutrophilic inflammation, edema formation, impaired respiratory capacity, and mortality. Our data indicate that a systemic cytokine response and lung neutrophilia may prime for the GSR but that other mechanisms account for the rapid decline in lung function after the second challenge. We suggest that this model can be used for studies of pathogenesis and therapeutic prevention of acute respiratory failure.