Chemistry and biology of pyoverdines, Pseudomonas primary siderophores.

Pyoverdine is the generic name given to a vast family of fluorescent green-yellowish pigments produced by Pseudomonas species. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen, particularly infecting humans with compromised natural defenses. These infections result in significantly higher morbidity, longer hospitalization, increased mortality rates and excess health care costs. P. aeruginosa is very difficult to eradicate because of an intrinsic coupled with an adaptive resistance to a wide variety of classical antibiotics. When subjected to iron starvation conditions, Pseudomonas bacteria synthesize pyoverdines, their primary siderophores, to acquire iron from the extracellular medium. These molecules are not only powerful iron(III) scavengers but efficient iron(III) transporters as well. Three distinct structural parts constitute pyoverdines, i.e. (i) the fluorescent chromophore, deriving from a dihydroxyquinoline, attached via its carbonyl group to (ii) a type-specific peptide composed of 6 to 14 amino acids and (iii) a small side chain corresponding to a carboxylic acid derivative. Their chemical structure show three bidentate chelating sites including a catechol and two hydroxamates, leading to an octahedral geometry when complexed to iron(III). While the chromophore group is common to all pyoverdines, their peptide moiety differs among strains and species by the number, length, composition and configuration of amino acids. Following chelation with iron(III), the newly formed pyoverdine-Fe complex is recognized by a specific outer membrane transporter, namely FpvA, and reenters the cell where the iron is released from the pyoverdine into the periplasm for further incorporation into bacterial proteins. The remaining apo-pyoverdine is then recycled and secreted back to the extracellular medium by efflux pumps. Besides, the role of pyoverdines in P. aeruginosa is not only limited to scavenge iron from the bacterial environment. Indeed, these siderophores act as signal molecules for the production of acute virulence factors and are involved in biofilm formation as well. The ongoing expanding pathogenicity of P. aeruginosa has become a major public health problem, and finding alternative strategies to classical antibiotics is urgently needed. Pyoverdines along with the iron pathway recently gained interest among academical researchers as potential new approaches to "fight" the bacteria. This review describes the classification of the nearly 60 pyoverdines identified so far, their structural and chemical properties and their (bio)synthesis. The different mechanisms underlying the steps of a pyoverdine's life in Pseudomonas are detailed as well: the affinity by which a pyoverdine chelates iron(III), the description of the interactions inducing the siderophore-receptor recognition, the specific transport of the pyoverdine-Fe(III) complex. As pyoverdine production and severe infections are linked, we will also report on situations where pyoverdines are considered as being P. aeruginosa Achilles heel: the propensity of FpvA to transport exo-pyoverdines, organic synthesis of pyoverdines and analogs, grafting of antibiotics on pyoverdines in a Trojan Horse strategy.

[Accidental ingestion of methadone and buprenorphine by children. A case review of the Lille Poison Centre between 1995 and 2005]. / Ingestions accidentelles de produits de substitution par des enfants. Revue des cas du centre antipoison de Lille 1995-2005.

We have performed a retrospective study (1995-2005) on 218 accidental intoxications in children less than 15 years old, linked to drugs used in the management of opiate withdrawal (cases registered at the Lille poison centre) This study shows a peak of frequency in children less than 3 years old, with a predominance of boys. Poisonings with buprenorphine are more frequent but ingestions of methadone are often more severe (p = 0.004).

[Fatal poisoning caused by the ingestion of a concentrated solution of 2,4-D and MCPP]. / Ingestion mortelle d'une solution concentree de 2,4-D et de MCPP.

We report a clinical case of lethal ingestion of an herbicide containing 100 g/L of 2,4-D and 400 g/L de MCPP. The patient shows quickly disturbances of consciousness and cardiac arythmy, a severe metabolic acidosis and an hyperkalemia. The digestive endoscopy at day 4 after ingestion shows an haemorrhagic mucous membrane at oesophagus and stomach level with numerous aulcerations. The bronchial endoscopy shows an inflammatory mucous membrane covered with haemorrhagic liquid. At day 6, appearance of a toxic medullar aplasia. The patient dies at day 7. the autopsy shows haemorrhagic digestive lesions, a bilateral pneumopathy, lungs oedema, an ascite but no cerebral oedema.

Intermediate syndrome with delayed distal polyneuropathy from ethyl parathion poisoning.

An acute poisoning in a 44-y-old female who ingested 50 ml of ethyl parathion concentrate (25 g) is described. She was treated by gastric lavage, administration of pralidoxime and atropine, and mechanical ventilation. As signs of intoxication disappeared at day 3, treatment was discontinued. The patient had a relapse of acute cholinergic crisis at day 4, and the same treatment was applied again. The acute poisoning phase was followed by an intermediate syndrome and delayed distal polyneuropathy. The clinical course of this severe ethyl parathion poisoning was favorable after 40 d.

Influence of the degree of exposure to lead on relations between alcohol consumption and the biological indices of lead exposure: epidemiological study in a lead acid battery factory.

Alcohol has been shown to interact with lead to influence haem biosynthesis. The aim of this study was to define the dependence of this interaction on the degree of exposure to lead. Exposure to alcohol was estimated by measurement of alcohol concentrations in a sample of urine collected during the morning (AlcUM) (0.82 (SD 4.36) mmol/l) and in a sample collected during the afternoon (AlcUA) (1.15 (SD 3.49) mmol/l). The biological monitoring of exposure to lead included measurements of blood lead (Pb-B) (1.82 (SD 0.72) mumol/l), urinary delta-aminolaevulinic acid (ALAU) (35.33 (SD 28.00) mumol/l; d = 1.015), and erythrocyte zinc-protoporphyrin (ZPP) (112.90 (SD 83.71) nmol/mmol Hb) concentrations. The study of the influence of the degree of occupational exposure to lead on relations between alcohol consumption and effects of the exposure to lead led to the consideration of two different groups--namely, mildly and strongly exposed subjects. In the first group, individual biological susceptibility seemed to play a preponderant part. In the second, the pool of lead present in the body seemed to be sufficiently important to mask the effects of individual susceptibility.