Prevention and detection of mycoplasma contamination in cell culture

One of the main problems in cell culture is mycoplasma infection. It can extensively affect cell physiology and metabolism. As the applications of cell culture increase in research, industrial production and cell therapy, more concerns about mycoplasma contamination and detection will arise. This review will provide valuable information about: 1. the ways in which cells are contaminated and the frequency and source of mycoplasma species in cell culture; 2. the ways to prevent mycoplasma contamination in cell culture; 3. the importance of mycoplasma tests in cell culture; 4. different methods to identify mycoplasma contamination; 5. the consequences of mycoplasma contamination in cell culture and 6. Available methods to eliminate mycoplasma contamination. Awareness about the sources of mycoplasma and pursuing aseptic techniques in cell culture along with reliable detection methods of mycoplasma contamination can provide an appropriate situation to prevent mycoplasma contamination in cell culture

Purified aged garlic extract modulates allergic airway inflammation in Balb/c Mice

Garlic is known as a potent spice and a medicinal herb with broad therapeutic properties ranging from antibacterial to anticancer and anticoagulant. Our previous studies have shown some immunoregulatory effects for aged garlic extract, suggesting a key role for 14-kD glycoprotein of garlic in shifting the cytokine pattern to T helper-1. In present study, we investigated the effect of 1, 2, and 3 times intraperitoneal injections of aged garlic extract on an established allergic airway inflammation in murine model [BALB/c mice]. The garlic extract, isolated by biochemical method, includes proteins precipitation by ammonium sulfate. After injection of the aged garlic extract, IFN-gamma, anti allergen specific IgE and IgG1 were measured in lavage and serum by ELISA and histological assessment was performed on the lung tissues. The results indicated that three-time intra peritoneal injections of the aged garlic extract caused a significant decrease in the hallmark criteria of allergic airway inflammation levels which included eosinophil percentage in lavage, peribronchial lung eosinophils, IgG1 level in lavage and serum, mucous producing goblet cells grade and peribronchial and perivascular inflammation. Our findings in the present research suggested that aged garlic extract has the potential of attenuation of inflammatory features of allergic airway inflammation in murine model

Experimental model of pulmonary allergic inflammation induced by latex in Balb/c

The prevalence of allergic airway diseases has dramatically increased in recent years all over the world. Murine models of allergic airway inflammation have provided helpful information about treatment and cellular and molecular mechanisms of the disease. Previous published works using murine models to investigate latex allergy did not introduce a complete characteristic eosinophilic allergic airway inflammation. Latex allergy is important due to serious health impacts and widespread use of its products. Thus, the aim of this study was to establish a new mouse model of latex allergic airway inflammation using aerosol inhalation. Initially, four groups of mice were injected intraperitoneally [IP] with 0, 10, 50, or 200 mg of latex extract and their serum anti-latex IgE titers were compared using ELISA to find out the optimum dose for IP injection. In the second stage, a standard protocol of inhalation was designed and three doses of latex extract solutions including 1%, 0.1%, and 0.01% were used to induce allergic airway inflammation. Characteristics of this model were shown by studying different parameters including bronchoalveolar lavage [BAL], cytokines [Interleukin-5 [IL-5] and interleukin-13 [IL-13]] and serum anti-latex IgE and IgG1 titers by ELISA, specific histologic changes in the lung and eosinophilia of the bone marrow, peripheral blood, BAL, and lung inflammatory foci. The aerosol inhalation of 1% latex allergens solution and pre-sensitization with 50 mg of latex in this study resulted in the development of characteristic allergic airway inflammation in BALB/c mice. These features included elevated allergen specific IgE and IgG1, peripheral blood, BAL and bone marrow eosinophilia and characteristic inflammatory response in lung with eosinophil infiltration. Elevated levels of IL-5 and IL-13 can be a sign of this type of inflammation. This paper describes a latex aerosol inhalational challenge model of eosinophilic airway inflammation in latex pre-sensitized BALB/c mice