Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P43026 (lipopolysaccharide)
 62,215 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

An in vitro cell culture model was used to investigate the long-term effects of azithromycin, rifampin, and the combination of azithromycin and rifampin on Chlamydia trachomatis infection. Although standard in vitro susceptibility testing indicated efficient inhibition by azithromycin, prolonged treatment did not reveal a clear elimination of chlamydia from host cells. Chlamydia were temporarily arrested in a persistent state, characterized by culture-negative, but viable, metabolically active chlamydia, as demonstrated by the presence of short-lived rRNA transcripts. Additionally, azithromycin induced generation of aberrant inclusions and an altered steady-state level of chlamydial antigens, with the predominance of Hsp60 protein compared to the level of the major outer membrane protein. Treatment with azithromycin finally resulted in suppression of rRNA synthesis. Chlamydial lipopolysaccharide and processed, functional rRNA were detectable throughout the entire incubation period. These in vitro data show a good correlation to those from some recent clinical investigations that have reported on the persistence of chlamydia, despite appropriate antibiotic treatment with azithromycin. Rifampin was highly active by in vitro susceptibility testing, but prolonged exposure to rifampin alone for up to 20 days resulted in the emergence of resistance. No development of resistance to rifampin was observed when chlamydia-infected cells were incubated with a combination of azithromycin and rifampin. This combination was shown to be more efficient than azithromycin alone, in that suppression of rRNA synthesis occurred earlier. Thus, such a combination may prove more useful than azithromycin alone.
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PMID:Effects of azithromycin and rifampin on Chlamydia trachomatis infection in vitro. 1160 Mar 48

Chlamydia trachomatis infection is currently the most common cause of infection-related sterility in women. However, it remains largely unknown how uterine epithelial cells interact with recruited leucocytes in response to C. trachomatis infection in the female genital tract. To study the defence mechanism of the endometrium against C. trachomatis infection, we established an in vitro co-culture of EEC (endometrial epithelial cells) and PBL (peripheral blood leucocytes) isolated from mice and investigated the immune response of these cells upon C. trachomatis LPS (lipopolysaccharide) challenge using a cytokine antibody array and RT-PCR (reverse transcription-PCR). Our results showed that upon C. trachomatis LPS stimulation, proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines, such as TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, MIPs (macrophage inflammatory proteins), IL-12p40p70, KC, GCSFs (granulocyte colony stimulating factors), IL-6 and TIMPs (tissue inhibition metalloproteinases) are up-regulated and/or released from EEC-PBL co-culture. Further, the TER (transepithelial resistance), measured by the Isc (short-circuit current) technique was significantly increased in EEC/PBL co-cultured cells and also when stimulated with C. trachomatis LPS compared with EEC alone. These changes appear to be mediated by the change in cytokine-induced expression of tight junction-related protein ZO-1. The present results demonstrated that the epithelial-immune cross-talk could promote the release of proinflammatory cytokines and enhance the barrier function of the endometrium against C. trachomatis infection in the female reproductive tract.
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PMID:Interaction between endometrial epithelial cells and blood leucocytes promotes cytokine release and epithelial barrier function in response to Chlamydia trachomatis lipopolysaccharide stimulation. 2055 92