In the last years, the use of probiotics, including Lactobacillus species, has received much attention to prevent and treat vaginal disorders. These species have been described as having the ability to colonize the epithelial surface and produce antimicrobial metabolites that are able to control the remaining vaginal microflora. This study aimed to identify and characterize, for the first time, a bacteriocin natively produced by Lactobacillus acidophilus KS400 (probiotic strain from Gynoflor®-Medinova AG, Switzerland) and its antimicrobial activity against relevant urogenital pathogens. After organic acids and hydrogen peroxide neutralization in the fermented Lactobacillus acidophilus KS400 culture medium, bacteriocin activity was tested against the indicator microorganism Lactobacillus delbrueckii ATCC9649. The fermentation of Lactobacillus acidophilus KS400 for bacteriocin production was carried out in batch mode, and its antimicrobial activity, optical density and pH were monitored. After production and extraction, the bacteriocin molecular weight was estimated by electrophoresis and tested against vaginal pathogenic microorganisms. As described for other bacteriocins, batch fermentation profiles indicated that bacteriocin production occurs during the exponential growth phase of the lactobacilli, and declines during their stationary growth phase. The molecular weight of the bacteriocin is approximately 7.5 kDa. The bacteriocin containing protein extract was shown to inhibit the growth of Gardnerella vaginalis, Streptococcus agalactiae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the indicator strain Lactobacillus delbrueckii ATCC9649. We conclude that L. acidophilus KS400 produces bacteriocin with antimicrobial activity against relevant urogenital pathogens.
Six transmembrane epithelial antigen of the prostate 1 (STEAP1) is overexpressed in numerous types of tumors, especially in prostate cancer. STEAP1 is located in the plasma membrane of epithelial cells and may play an important role in inter- and intracellular communication. Several studies suggest STEAP1 as a potential biomarker and an immunotherapeutic target for prostate cancer. However, the role of STEAP1 in cell proliferation and apoptosis remains unclear. Therefore, the role of STEAP1 in prostate cancer cells proliferation and apoptosis was determined by inducing STEAP1 gene knockdown in LNCaP cells. In addition, the effect of DHT on the proliferation of LNCaP cells knocked down for STEAP1 gene was evaluated. Our results demonstrated that silencing the STEAP1 gene reduces LNCaP cell viability and proliferation, while inducing apoptosis. In addition, we showed that the cellular and molecular effects of STEAP1 gene knockdown may be independent of DHT treatment, and blocking STEAP1 may reveal to be an appropriate strategy to activate apoptosis in cancer cells, as well as to prevent the proliferative and anti-apoptotic effects of DHT in prostate cancer.
Candida spp. are common causative agents of mucocutaneous infections. New therapeutic antifungal drugs are needed to treat chronic disease as these are frequently clinically resistant to azols. Chitosan, among other possible vehicles for active compounds, shows an added value as it appears to have intrinsic antimicrobial properties. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the anti-Candida activity of a medium-molecular-weight chitosan hydrogel (CH), to clarify its possible mechanism of action and to evaluate its cytotoxicity on human fibroblasts. CH antifungal activity was assessed according to CLSI reference M27-A3 protocol; its mechanism of action was investigated by flow cytometry, and its cytotoxicity was studied by MTT assay. CH demonstrated a full inhibition of C. tropicalis, C. krusei, C. guilliermondii and C. parapsilosis growth while impairing C. albicans and C. glabrata viability. Flow cytometry tests showed that CH acts by inducing primary lesion of the cytoplasmic membrane. However, CH showed no cytotoxic effect upon human fibroblasts cells. Resistant strains will require new therapeutic approaches. Chitosan being a good carrier and having itself anti-Candida activity seems to be a promising vehicle to be used for the treatment of mucocutaneous candidosis.
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