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Objective@#To investigate the influences of antibiotic-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis on Mycoplasma pneumoniae (Mp) airway infection.@*Methods@#C57BL/6J mice were treated with vancomycin and gentamicin for 21 d by oral delivery and then intranasally infected with Mp. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) was performed to detect five major phyla of gut microbiota in mouse fecal specimens before and after antibiotic treatment and the loads of Mp in lung tissues on 3 d and 7 d after infection. Pathological changes in lung tissues were evaluated with HE staining. IFN-γ and IL-4 secreted by spleen CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. Mp-specific IgM and IgG in mouse serum samples were measured by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).@*Results@#Vancomycin and gentamicin treatment significantly reduced the number of Bacteroidetes in mouse feces, but increased the amount of Firmicutes. Meanwhile, the numbers of δ, γ-Proteobacteria, Actinomycetes and Tenericutes also changed. These antibiotic-induced gut microbiota alterations in mice with Mp infection increased the loads of Mp in lung tissues and the pathological scores of lung tissue inflammation on 3 d and 7 d after infection, and reduced the number of IFN-γ-secreting spleen CD4+ T lymphocytes on 7 d.@*Conclusions@#Antibiotic-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis aggravated Mp airway infection.
ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the influences of antibiotic-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis on Mycoplasma pneumoniae (Mp) airway infection. Methods C57BL/6J mice were treated with vancomy-cin and gentamicin for 21 d by oral delivery and then intranasally infected with Mp. Quantitative real-time PCR ( qPCR) was performed to detect five major phyla of gut microbiota in mouse fecal specimens before and after antibiotic treatment and the loads of Mp in lung tissues on 3 d and 7 d after infection. Pathological changes in lung tissues were evaluated with HE staining. IFN-γ and IL-4 secreted by spleen CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. Mp-specific IgM and IgG in mouse serum samples were measured by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results Vancomycin and gentamicin treatment significantly reduced the number of Bacteroidetes in mouse feces, but increased the amount of Fir-micutes. Meanwhile, the numbers of δ, γ-Proteobacteria, Actinomycetes and Tenericutes also changed. These antibiotic-induced gut microbiota alterations in mice with Mp infection increased the loads of Mp in lung tissues and the pathological scores of lung tissue inflammation on 3 d and 7 d after infection, and re-duced the number of IFN-γ-secreting spleen CD4+T lymphocytes on 7 d. Conclusions Antibiotic-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis aggravated Mp airway infection.
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To obtain the nucleotide sequence and deduced amino acid sequence of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) cDNA from the tree shrew (Tupaia glis).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The cDNA sequence of the tree shrew CETP was obtained by utilizing the technique of switching mechanism at 5' end of RNA transcript (SMART) and rapid amplification of cDNA end (RACE) from the first strand of the cDNA. The amino acid sequence of CETP was deduced from the cDNA sequence and its primary and secondary structures were predicted.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The sequence of CETP cDNA from tree shrew (GenBank accession number AF334033) covers 1636 bp, including 178 bp at the 3' end of the untranslated region and a 1458 bp fragment in a coding region, which provides the complete sequence of mature tree shrew CETP, although not the initiator methionine. The first 24 bp encodes a partial signal peptide. The mature protein consists of 477 amino acids and is longer than the human version by one amino acid (Gly318). Comparing this amino acid sequence with those of other animals' CETPs, the identity between tree shrew and human and rabbit CETP is 88% and 82%, respectively. The protein is extremely hydrophobic as it contains many hydrophobic residues, especially at the C-terminal, consistent with its function in the transfer of neutral lipids. The amino acid residues concerning with binding and transferring neutral lipids are highly conserved. There is a deletion of an N-linked glycosylation site at Asn342 in the tree shrew CETP protein that may participate in the removal of peripheral cholesterol and cholesteryl ester by increasing its activity of transferring cholesteryl ester.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The possible glycosylation in the tree shrew CETP may be involved in the molecular mechanism of its insusceptibility to atherosclerosis.</p>