Search results for "host"
showing 10 items of 1982 documents
The Guinea Worm: A Zoonotic Parasite of Dogs
2017
Partial resistance to homologous challenge infections of the digenean Echinostoma caproni in ICR mice
2015
AbstractIn the present paper, we analyse the effect of a primary infection of ICR mice with Echinostoma caproni (Trematoda: Echinostomatidae) on the generation of resistance against homologous challenge infections. In ICR mice, E. caproni induces chronic infections concomitantly with strong responses characterized by the development of T-helper 1 (Th1)-type local immune responses with elevated levels of local interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and inflammatory and antibody responses. Here, the effect of the response generated against a primary infection with E. caproni in the generation of resistance against subsequent homologous infections was analysed. For this purpose, ICR mice were challenged wit…
SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19: A genetic, epidemiological, and evolutionary perspective
2020
In less than five months, COVID-19 has spread from a small focus in Wuhan, China, to more than 5 million people in almost every country in the world, dominating the concern of most governments and public health systems. The social and political distresses caused by this epidemic will certainly impact our world for a long time to come. Here, we synthesize lessons from a range of scientific perspectives rooted in epidemiology, virology, genetics, ecology and evolutionary biology so as to provide perspective on how this pandemic started, how it is developing, and how best we can stop it.
How biological sex of the host shapes its gut microbiota.
2021
The gut microbiota is a complex system, consisting of a dynamic population of microorganisms, involved in the regulation of the host's homeostasis. A vast number of factors are driving the gut microbiota composition including diet, antibiotics, environment, and lifestyle. However, in the past decade, a growing number of studies also focused on the role of sex in relationship to changes in the gut microbiota composition in animal experiments as well as in human beings. Despite the progress in investigation techniques, still little is known about the mechanism behind the observed sex-related differences. In this review, we summarized current knowledge on the sex-dependent differences of the i…
First international descriptive and interventional survey for cholesterol and non-cholesterol sterol determination by gas- and liquid-chromatography–…
2019
International audience; Serum concentrations of lathosterol, the plant sterols campesterol and sitosterol and the cholesterol metabolite 5alpha-cholestanol are widely used as surrogate markers of cholesterol synthesis and absorption, respectively. Increasing numbers of laboratories utilize a broad spectrum of well-established and recently developed methods for the determination of cholesterol and non-cholesterol sterols (NCS). In order to evaluate the quality of these measurements and to identify possible sources of analytical errors our group initiated the first international survey for cholesterol and NCS. The cholesterol and NCS survey was structured as a two-part survey which took place…
Virus-host interactome: Putting the accent on how it changes
2017
[EN] Viral infections are extremely complex processes that could only be well understood by precisely characterizing the interaction networks between the virus and the host components. In recent years, much effort has gone in this directionwith the aimof unveiling themolecular basis of viral pathology. These networks are mostly formed by viral and host proteins, and are expected to be dynamic bothwith time and space (i.e., with the progression of infection, as well as with the virus and host genotypes; what we call plastodynamic). This largely overlooked spatio-temporal evolution urgently calls for a change both in the conceptual paradigms and experimental techniques used so far to characte…
Henneguya zschokkei (Myxozoa) infection in cultured whitefish: Age-dependence, seasonality and distribution within host
2017
Abstract Whitefish ( Coregonus lavaretus ) is an important species for European fisheries and aquaculture. Recently, the myxosporean Henneguya zschokkei has been observed to infect the muscles of whitefish in fish farms. Plasmodia of H. zschokkei prevent marketing of the fillet and cause economic losses. The factors associated with occurrence of the parasite in fish farms have not been investigated previously. We studied age-dependence, seasonality, and within-host distribution of H. zschokkei plasmodia in farmed whitefish by examining a total of 1599 fish. Distribution of plasmodia within the fish was not uniform. When the fillet was divided into parts, the number of plasmodia was positive…
Diversity of extracellular vesicles from different developmental stages of Fasciola hepatica
2020
The secretion of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in Fasciola hepatica adult worms was described by our group in 2012. Since then, EVs have been found in other helminths, thus providing a new paradigm for the complete understanding of host-parasite communication. However, information was lacking regarding the possible existence and role of EVs from other developmental stages of the parasite. In this study, we confirm the secretion of EVs by F. hepatica eggs and juvenile forms. EVs were isolated by size exclusion chromatography and characterised by nanoparticle tracking analysis and electron microscopy. We observed a large diversity in the morphologies of these EVs, suggesting specific functions…
Microevolutionary response of a gut nematode to intestinal inflammation.
2017
7 pages; International audience; Parasitic helminths interfere with the immune response of their hosts to establish long-lasting, chronic infections. While favorable to the parasite, the capacity to dampen the immune response can also provide a benefit to the host in terms of reduced risk of immune disorders and immunopathology. The immunomodulatory role of nematodes has been exploited in clinical trials to treat a number of inflammatory and immune diseases. However, how parasites adapt to an inflammatory environment remains a poorly explored question. Here, we conducted a serial passage experiment where the gut nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus was maintained for nine generations in mice …
Retrospective Serological Evidence of High Exposure of Globally Relevant Zoonotic Parasite Toxoplasma Gondii in The Latvian Population
2019
Abstract Toxoplasmosis is an important infection caused by the single-celled parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which is a zoonotic parasite causing widespread human and animal diseases, mostly involving the central nervous system. Humans can acquire toxoplasmosis by ingestion of raw or undercooked meat containing T. gondii tissue cysts, ingestion of oocysts shed by infected felids via contaminated food or water, and by vertical transmission to the fetus through the placenta from the mother during pregnancy. The aim of the present study was to determine the seroprevalence of specific anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies using a large set of clinical diagnostic laboratory data obtained over a 14-y…