Eduardo Ruiz-Bustos

Antimicrobial Activity of Northwestern Mexican Plants Against Helicobacter pylori

Helicobacter pylori is the major etiologic agent of such gastric disorders as chronic active gastritis and gastric carcinoma. Over the past few years, the appearance of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has led to the development of better treatments, such as the use of natural products. This study evaluated the anti-H. pylori activity of 17 Mexican plants used mainly in the northwestern part of Mexico (Sonora) for the empirical treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. The anti-H. pylori activity of methanolic extracts of the plants was determined by using the broth microdilution method. The 50% minimum inhibitory concentrations ranged from less than 200 to 400 μg/mL for Castella tortuosa, Amphipterygium adstringens, Ibervillea sonorae, Pscalium decompositum, Krameria erecta, Selaginella lepidophylla, Pimpinella anisum, Marrubium vulgare, Ambrosia confertiflora, and Couterea latiflora and were greater than 800u2009μg/mL for Byophyllum pinnatum, Tecoma stans linnaeus, Kohleria deppena, Jatropha cuneata, Chenopodium ambrosoides, and Taxodium macronatum. Only Equisetum gigantum showed no activity against H. pylori. This study suggests the important role that these plants may have in the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders caused by H. pylori. The findings set the groundwork for further characterization and elucidation of the active compounds responsible for such activity.

Isolation and characterisation of putative adhesins from Helicobacter pylori with affinity for heparan sulphate proteoglycan.

A pool of heparan sulphate-binding proteins (HSBPs) from Helicobacter pylori culture supernates was obtained by sequential ammonium sulphate precipitation and affinity chromatography on heparin-Sepharose. The chromatographic procedure yielded one major fraction that contained proteins with heparan sulphate affinity as revealed by inhibition studies of heparan sulphate binding to H. pylori cells. Preparative iso-electric focusing, SDS-PAGE and blotting experiments, with peroxidase(POD)-labelled heparan sulphate as a probe, indicated the presence of two major extracellular proteins with POD-heparan sulphate affinity. One protein had a molecular mass of 66.2 kDa and a pI of 5.4, whilst the second protein had a molecular mass of 71.5 kDa and a pI of 5.0. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the 71.5-kDa HSBP did not show homology to any other heparin-binding protein, nor to known proteins of H. pylori, whereas the 66.2-kDa HSBP showed a high homology to an Escherichia coli chaperon protein and equine haemoglobin. A third HSBP was isolated from an outer-membrane protein (OMP) fraction of H. pylori cells with a molecular mass of 47.2 kDa. The amino acid sequence of an internal peptide of the OMP-HSBP did not show homology to the extracellular HSBP of H. pylori, or to another microbial HSBP.

Involvement of the heparan sulphate-binding proteins of Helicobacter pylori in its adherence to HeLa S3 and Kato III cell lines.

To determine whether Helicobacter pylori heparan sulphate-binding proteins (HSBPs) are involved in the adherence of H. pylori to HeLa and Kato III cells, monolayers were pre-incubated with various preparations and concentrations of H. pylori HSBPs at 37 degrees C, washed and then challenged with bacteria. HSBPs did not prevent but enhanced H. pylori adherence. However, challenging cultured cells with H. pylori previously incubated with rabbit anti-HSBP IgG resulted in significant inhibition of bacterial adherence. These data demonstrate that the extracellular HSBP plays an important role in promoting H. pylori attachment to Kato III and HeLa S3 cells, that adhesion of H. pylori to Kato III and HeLa S3 cells is promoted by the presence of the 71.5-kDa extracellular HSBP and that rabbit polyclonal antibodies against this HSBP can inhibit adhesion of H. pylori to the cultured cell lines and detach cell-bound H. pylori.

Low number of peripheral blood B lymphocytes in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.

The cellular immune response plays a critical role in the containment of persistent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection; however, the immunological mechanisms that lead to its control are not completely identified. The goal of this study was to evaluate B (CD19+) and T (CD3+) peripheral blood lymphocyte profiles and T-cell subsets (CD4+ and CD8+) in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Percentages (p = 0.02) and absolute numbers (p = 0.005) of B cells were significantly lower in patients with pulmonary TB than in healthy donors. In contrast, percentages (p = 0.12) and absolute numbers (p = 0.14) of T cells were similar in TB patients and healthy donors. No significant differences in percentages of CD4+ (p = 0.19) or CD8+ (p = 0.85) T cells between patients and healthy donors were observed. In summary, patients with pulmonary tuberculosis had a lower number of peripheral blood B lymphocytes than healthy controls.

Protection of BALB/c mice against experimental Helicobacter pylori infection by oral immunisation with H. pylori heparan sulphate-binding proteins coupled to cholera toxin β-subunit

The presence of Helicobacter pylori in the gastroduodenal mucosae is associated with chronic active gastritis, peptic ulcers and gastric cancers such as adenocarcinoma and low-grade gastric B-cell lymphoma. In response to the presence of antibiotic-resistant strains, the use of vaccines to combat this infection has become an attractive alternative. The present study used a murine model of infection by a mouse-adapted H. pylori strain to determine whether infection in BALB/c mice can be successfully eradicated by intragastric vaccination with H. pylori heparan sulphate-binding proteins (HSBP) covalently coupled to the beta-subunit of cholera toxin (CTB). It was shown that vaccination confers protection against exposure of BALB/c mice to the pathogen, as revealed by microbiological, histopathological and molecular methods.

In vitro anti-mycobacterial activity of nine medicinal plants used by ethnic groups in Sonora, Mexico

BackgroundSonoran ethnic groups (Yaquis, Mayos, Seris, Guarijíos, Pimas, Kikapúes and Pápagos) use mainly herbal based preparations as their first line of medicinal treatment. Among the plants used are those with anti-tuberculosis properties; however, no formal research is available.MethodsOrganic extracts were obtained from nine medicinal plants traditionally used by Sonoran ethnic groups to treat different kinds of diseases; three of them are mainly used to treat tuberculosis. All of the extracts were tested against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv using the Alamar Blue redox bioassay.ResultsMethanolic extracts from Ambrosia confertiflora, Ambrosia ambrosioides and Guaiacum coulteri showed minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 200, 790 and 1000xa0μg/mL, respectively, whereas no effect was observed with the rest of the methanolic extracts at the concentrations tested. Chloroform, dichloromethane, and ethyl acetate extracts from Ambrosia confertiflora showed a MIC of 90, 120 and 160xa0μg/mL, respectively.ConclusionsA. confertiflora and A. ambrosioides showed the best anti-mycobacterial activity in vitro. The activity of Guaiacum coulteri is consistent with the traditional use by Sonoran ethnic groups as anti-tuberculosis agent.For these reasons, it is important to investigate a broader spectrum of medicinal plants in order to find compounds active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

In vitro anti-proliferative activity of Argemone gracilenta and identification of some active components

BackgroundCancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Natural products have been regarded as important sources of potential chemotherapeutic agents. In this study, we evaluated the anti-proliferative activity of Argemone gracilenta’s methanol extract and its fractions. We identified those compounds of the most active fractions that displayed anti-proliferative activity.MethodsThe anti-proliferative activity on different cancerous cell lines (M12.C3F6, RAW 264.7, HeLa) was evaluated in vitro using the MTT colorimetric method. Identification of the active compounds present in the fractions with the highest activity was achieved by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses.ResultsBoth argemonine and berberine alkaloids, isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction, displayed high anti-proliferative activity with IC50 values of 2.8, 2.5, 12.1, and 2.7, 2.4, 79.5xa0μg/mL on M12.C3F6, RAW 264.7, and HeLa cancerous cell lines, respectively. No activity was shown on the normal L-929 cell line. From the hexane fraction, a mixture of fatty acids and fatty acid esters of 16 or more carbon atoms with anti-proliferative activity was identified, showing a range of IC50 values of 16.8-24.9, 34.1-35.4, and 67.6-91.8xa0μg/mL on M12.C3F6, RAW 264.7, and HeLa cancerous cell lines, respectively. On the normal L-929 cell line, this mixture showed a range of IC50 values of 85.1 to 100xa0μg/mL.ConclusionThis is the first study that relates argemonine, berberine, and a mixture of fatty acids and fatty acid esters with the anti-proliferative activity displayed by Argemone gracilenta.

Escherichia coli y Klebsiella pneumoniae comunitarias y hospitalarias productoras de β-lactamasas en hospitales de Hermosillo, Sonora

OBJETIVO: Determinar la prevalencia de Escherichia coli y Klebsiella pneumoniae productoras de β-lactamasas de espectro extendido (BLEE) en hospitales de Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. MATERIAL Y METODOS: Se analizaron 1 412 aislamientos obtenidos durante un ano (2008-2009). La deteccion de productores de BLEE se realizo por el metodo de sinergia de doble disco con y sin acido clavulanico. RESULTADOS: Se aislaron E.coli y K.pneumoniae productores de BLEE hospitalarios (31.8 y 35.3%) con mayor prevalencia que los comunitarios (14.4 y 0.0%) (p<0.005). CONCLUSIONES: Nuestro estudio demuestra la presencia de microorganismos productores de BLEE en los tres hospitales.

Antibacterial activity of Sonoran propolis and some of its constituents against clinically significant Vibrio species.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the anti-Vibrio activity of propolis collected from three different areas of the Sonoran Desert in northwestern, Mexico [Pueblo de Alamos (PAP), Ures (UP), and Caborca (CP)]. The anti-Vibrio spp. activity of Sonoran propolis was determined by the broth microdilution method. UP propolis showed the highest antibacterial activity [minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC(50))<50 μg mL(-1)] against Vibrio spp. (UP>CP>PAP). UP propolis significantly inhibited the growth of Vibrio cholerae O1 serotype Inaba (MIC(50)<50 μg mL(-1)), V. cholerae non-O1 (MIC(50)<50 μg mL(-1)), V. vulnificus (MIC(50)<50 μg mL(-1)), and V. cholerae O1 serotype Ogawa (MIC(50) 100 μg mL(-1)), in a concentration-dependent manner. The UP propolis constituents, galangin and caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), exhibited a potent growth inhibitory activity (MIC(50) 0.05-0.1 mmol l(-1)) against V. cholerae strains (non-O1 and serotype Ogawa). The strong anti-Vibrio activity of Sonoran propolis and some of its chemical constituents (galangin and CAPE) support further studies on the clinical applications of this natural bee product against different Vibrio spp., mainly V. cholerae.

The role of heparan sulfate on adhesion of 47 and 51 kDa outer membrane proteins of Helicobacter pylori to gastric cancer cells.

Helicobacter pylori is a common gastrointestinal pathogenic bacterium in humans and the usual preference for the stomachs outer membrane proteins (OMPs) are antigens involved in the adhesion process. Through SDS-PAGE and blotting analyses, using horseradish peroxidase-labeled heparan sulfate (HRP-HS) as a probe, we identified H. pylori OMPs with affinity for heparan sulfate (OMP-HS). Biotin-streptavidin bacterial-adhesion assay was used to evaluate participation of OMP-HS in the adhesion of H. pylori to semi-confluent HeLa S3 and Kato III cell monolayers. The results provide evidence that induction of antibodies against 2 OMP-HSs (HSBP-47 and HSBP-51) could reduce binding of H. pylori to both cell lines and induce detachment of cell-bound bacteria from infected cultured cells.