| 1. |
- Lindblad, Anna, 1987-, et al.
(författare)
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The Role of NLRP3 in Regulation of Antimicrobial Peptides and Estrogen Signaling in UPEC-Infected Bladder Epithelial Cells
- 2023
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Ingår i: Cells. - : MDPI. - 2073-4409. ; 12:18
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The NLRP3 inflammasome, estrogen and antimicrobial peptides have all been found to have a vital role in the protection of the bladder urothelium. However, the interdependence between these protective factors during a bladder infection is currently unknown. Our aim was to investigate the role of NLRP3 in the regulation of antimicrobial peptides and estrogen signaling in bladder epithelial cells during a UPEC infection. Human bladder epithelial cells and CRISPR/Cas9-generated NLRP3-deficient cells were stimulated with the UPEC strain CFT073 and estradiol. The gene and protein expression were evaluated with microarray, qRT-PCR, western blot and ELISA. Microarray results showed that the expression of most antimicrobial peptides was reduced in CFT073-infected NLRP3-deficient cells compared to Cas9 control cells. Conditioned medium from NLRP3-deficient cells also lost the ability to suppress CFT073 growth. Moreover, NLRP3-deficient cells had lower basal release of Beta-defensin-1, Beta-defensin-2 and RNase7. The ability of estradiol to induce an increased expression of antimicrobial peptides was also abrogated in NLRP3-deficient cells. The decreased antimicrobial peptide expression might be linked to the observed reduced expression and activity of estradiol receptor beta in NLRP3-deficient cells. This study suggests that NLRP3 may regulate the release and expression of antimicrobial peptides and affect estrogen signaling in bladder epithelial cells.
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| 2. |
- Kapetanaki, Stefania, 1988-, et al.
(författare)
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TMAO Suppresses Megalin Expression and Albumin Uptake in Human Proximal Tubular Cells Via PI3K and ERK Signaling
- 2022
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Ingår i: International Journal of Molecular Sciences. - : MDPI. - 1661-6596 .- 1422-0067. ; 23:16
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) is a uremic toxin, which has been associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Renal tubular epithelial cells play a central role in the pathophysiology of CKD. Megalin is an albumin-binding surface receptor on tubular epithelial cells, which is indispensable for urine protein reabsorption. To date, no studies have investigated the effect of TMAO on megalin expression and the functional properties of human tubular epithelial cells. The aim of this study was first to identify the functional effect of TMAO on human renal proximal tubular cells and second, to unravel the effects of TMAO on megalin-cubilin receptor expression. We found through global gene expression analysis that TMAO was associated with kidney disease. The microarray analysis also showed that megalin expression was suppressed by TMAO, which was also validated at the gene and protein level. High glucose and TMAO was shown to downregulate megalin expression and albumin uptake similarly. We also found that TMAO suppressed megalin expression via PI3K and ERK signaling. Furthermore, we showed that candesartan, dapagliflozin and enalaprilat counteracted the suppressive effect of TMAO on megalin expression. Our results may further help us unravel the role of TMAO in CKD development and to identify new therapeutic targets to counteract TMAOs effects.
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| 3. |
- Lindblad, Anna, 1987-, et al.
(författare)
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The role of caspase-1, caspase-4 and NLRP3 in regulating the host cell response evoked by uropathogenic Escherichia coli
- 2022
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 2045-2322. ; 12:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The inflammasome-associated proteins caspase-1, caspase-4 and NLRP3 have been emphasised to be essential in the host cell response during urinary tract infection (UTI) by regulating IL-1β release. Our aim was to investigate how the inflammasome-associated proteins regulate the cell response of bladder epithelial cells during infection with uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). Human bladder epithelial cells (5637) and CRISPR/Cas9 generated caspase-1, caspase-4 and NLRP3 knockdown cells were stimulated with the UPEC strain CFT073. Using Olink proteomics and real time RT-PCR, we showed that caspase-1, caspase-4 and NLRP3 are vital for the expression of many inflammatory genes and proteins from bladder epithelial cells. When investigating the effect of inflammasome-associated proteins on neutrophils, we found that conditioned medium from UPEC-infected caspase-4 knockdown cells significantly increased phagocytosis of CFT073 and significantly decreased ROS production from neutrophils. In contrast, conditioned medium from UPEC-infected NLRP3 knockdown cells significantly decreased the phagocytosis of CFT073 and significantly increased the ROS production from neutrophils. In conclusion, we showed that the inflammasome-associated proteins contribute to the host cell response during UPEC infection.
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| 4. |
- Persson, Katarina, 1962-, et al.
(författare)
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Transcriptional alterations in bladder epithelial cells in response to infection with different morphological states of uropathogenic Escherichia coli
- 2022
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 2045-2322. ; 12:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) may undergo a cyclic cascade of morphological alterations that are believed to enhance the potential of UPEC to evade host responses and re-infect host cell. However, knowledge on the pathogenic potential and host activation properties of UPEC during the morphological switch is limited. Microarray analysis was performed on mRNA isolated from human bladder epithelial cells (HBEP) after exposure to three different morphological states of UPEC (normal coliform, filamentous form and reverted form). Cells stimulated with filamentous bacteria showed the lowest number of significant gene alterations, although the number of enriched gene ontology classes was high suggesting diverse effects on many different classes of host genes. The normal coliform was in general superior in stimulating transcriptional activity in HBEP cells compared to the filamentous and reverted form. Top-scored gene entities activated by all three morphological states included IL17C, TNFAIP6, TNF, IL20, CXCL2, CXCL3, IL6 and CXCL8. The number of significantly changed canonical pathways was lower in HBEP cells stimulated with the reverted form (32 pathways), than in cells stimulated with the coliform (83 pathways) or filamentous bacteria (138 pathways). A host cell invasion assay showed that filamentous bacteria were unable to invade bladder cells, and that the number of intracellular bacteria was markedly lower in cells infected with the reverted form compared to the coliform. In conclusion, the morphological state of UPEC has major impact on the host bladder response both when evaluating the number and the identity of altered host genes and pathways.
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| 5. |
- Kapetanaki, Stefania, 1988-, et al.
(författare)
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The Fibrotic Effects of TMAO on Human Renal Fibroblasts Is Mediated by NLRP3, Caspase-1 and the PERK/Akt/mTOR Pathway
- 2021
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Ingår i: International Journal of Molecular Sciences. - : MDPI. - 1661-6596 .- 1422-0067. ; 22:21
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a product of gut microbiota metabolism, has previously been shown to be implicated in chronic kidney disease. A high TMAO-containing diet has been found to cause tubulointerstitial renal fibrosis in mice. However, today there are no data linking specific molecular pathways with the effect of TMAO on human renal fibrosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the fibrotic effects of TMAO on renal fibroblasts and to elucidate the molecular pathways involved. We found that TMAO promoted renal fibroblast activation and fibroblast proliferation via the PERK/Akt/mTOR pathway, NLRP3, and caspase-1 signaling. We also found that TMAO increased the total collagen production from renal fibroblasts via the PERK/Akt/mTOR pathway. However, TMAO did not induce fibronectin or TGF-β1 release from renal fibroblasts. We have unraveled that the PERK/Akt/mTOR pathway, NLRP3, and caspase-1 mediates TMAO's fibrotic effect on human renal fibroblasts. Our results can pave the way for future research to further clarify the molecular mechanism behind TMAO's effects and to identify novel therapeutic targets in the context of chronic kidney disease.
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| 6. |
- Demirel, Isak, 1987-, et al.
(författare)
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Activation of NLRP3 by uropathogenic Escherichia coli is associated with IL-1β release and regulation of antimicrobial properties in human neutrophils
- 2020
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 2045-2322. ; 10:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The NLRP3 inflammasome and IL-1β have recently been linked to the severity of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC)-mediated urinary tract infection (UTI). However, not much is known about the contribution of NLRP3 to the antimicrobial properties of neutrophils and the release of IL-1β during UPEC infection. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the mechanisms behind UPEC-induced IL-1β release from human neutrophils, and to investigate the contribution of the NLRP3 inflammasome in neutrophil-mediated inhibition of UPEC growth. We found that the UPEC strain CFT073 increased the expression of NLRP3 and increased caspase-1 activation and IL-1β release from human neutrophils. The IL-1β release was mediated by the NLRP3 inflammasome and by serine proteases in an NF-κB-and cathepsin B-dependent manner. The UPEC virulence factors α-hemolysin, type-1 fimbriae and p-fimbriae were all shown to contribute to UPEC mediated IL-1β release from neutrophils. Furthermore, inhibition of caspase-1 and NLRP3 activation increased neutrophil ROS-production, phagocytosis and the ability of neutrophils to suppress UPEC growth. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that UPEC can induce NLRP3 and serine protease-dependent release of IL-1β from human neutrophils and that NLRP3 and caspase-1 can regulate the antimicrobial activity of human neutrophils against UPEC.
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| 7. |
- Fagerström, Anna, 1980-
(författare)
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Long-term molecular epidemiology of extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Escherichia coli in a low-endemic setting
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Escherichia coli is a commensal inhabitant in the gastro-intestinal tract of humans and animals but it is also the most common bacterial species causing urinary tract infection, which ranges in severity from distal cystitis to urosepsis and septic shock. During the past decades, the prevalence of antibiotic resistant E. coli has increased worldwide. Extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) causes resistance to β-lactam antibiotics, the most widely used class of antibiotics. The genes encoding ESBL, bla, are usually carried on conjugative plasmids, which can be transferred between different bacterial lineages and different species. These plasmids frequently also carry resistance genes to additional antibiotic classes, and ESBL-producing E. coli are therefore often multidrug-resistant. The aim of this thesis was to describe the long-term molecular epidemiology of ESBL-producing E. coli in Örebro County during the time when they first started to emerge. In addition, potential transmission to the environment was investigated by performing a comparative analysis on ESBL-producing E. coli isolated from patients and from the aquatic environment in Örebro city. In general, the E. coli population was genetically diverse, but the pandemic lineage ST131, first identified in 2004, appears to have been responsible for the dramatic increase of CTX-M-15-producing E.coli observed during the late 2000s. CTX-M-15 was the most prevalent ESBL-type followed by CTX-M-14 and these genes were mainly found on plasmids belonging to the IncF or IncI1 families. Continuous horizontal transmission of IncI1 ST31 and ST37 plasmids between diverse E. coli lineages have also contributed to the dissemination of blaCTX-M-15 in Örebro County. Extended spectrum β-lactamase-producing E. coli were found to be common in the aquatic environment in Örebro city and E. coli lineages genetically similar to those causing infections in humans were present in environmental waters indicating that transmission of ESBL-producing E. colifrom humans to the aquatic environment likely has occurred.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Lindblad, Anna, 1987-, et al.
(författare)
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IL-1RA is part of the inflammasome-regulated immune response in bladder epithelial cells and influences colonization of uropathogenic E. coli
- 2019
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Ingår i: Cytokine. - : Academic Press. - 1043-4666 .- 1096-0023. ; 123
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The NLRP3 inflammasome, IL-1β release and pyroptosis (cell lysis) have recently been proposed to be essential for the progression of urinary tract infection (UTI) and elimination of intracellular bacterial niches. However, the effects of IL-1R antagonist (IL-1RA) on immune responses during UTI, except for its ability to disrupt IL-1β signalling, are not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of IL-1RA in UPEC colonization of bladder epithelial cells and the subsequent host inflammatory response. Human bladder epithelial cells (5637) and CRISPR/Cas9 generated NLRP3 and caspase-1 knockdown cells and IL-1RA knockout cells were stimulated with the UPEC isolate CFT073. The results showed that the UPEC virulence factor α-hemolysin is essential for IL-1RA release, and that the inflammasome-associated proteins caspase-1 and NLRP3 affect the release of IL-1RA. IL-1RA deficient cells showed a reduced adherence and invasion by CFT073 compared to wild-type cells, suggesting that IL-1RA may oppose mechanisms that protects against bacterial colonization. A targeted protein analysis of inflammation-related proteins showed that the basal expression of 23 proteins and the UPEC-induced expression of 10 proteins were significantly altered in IL-1RA deficient bladder epithelial cells compared to Cas9 control cells. This suggests that IL-1RA has a broad effect on the inflammatory response in bladder epithelial cells.
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| 10. |
- Demirel, Isak, 1987-, et al.
(författare)
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Activation of the NLRP3 Inflammasome Pathway by Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Is Virulence Factor-Dependent and Influences Colonization of Bladder Epithelial Cells
- 2018
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2235-2988. ; 8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The NLRP3 inflammasome and IL-1 beta release have recently been suggested to be important for the progression of urinary tract infection (UTI). However, much is still unknown regarding the interaction of UPEC and the NLRP3 inflammasome. The purpose of this study was to elucidate what virulence factors uropathogenic Escherichia coil (UPEC) use to modulate NLRP3 inflammasome activation and subsequent IL-1 beta release and the role of NLRP3 for UPEC colonization of bladder epithelial cells. The bladder epithelial cell line 5637, CRISPR/Cas9 generated NLRP3, caspase-1 and mesotrypsin deficient cell lines and transformed primary bladder epithelial cells (HBLAK) were stimulated with UPEC isolates and the non-pathogenic MG1655 strain. We found that the UPEC strain CFT073, but not MG1655, induced an increased caspase-1 activity and IL-1 beta release from bladder epithelial cells. The increase was shown to be mediated by et-hemolysin activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in an NE-kappa B-independent manner. The effect of-hemolysin on IL-1 beta release was biphasic, initially suppressive, later inductive. Furthermore, the phase-locked type-1-fimbrial ON variant of CFT073 inhibited caspase-1 activation and IL-1 beta release. In addition, the ability of CFT073 to adhere to and invade NLRP3 deficient cells was significantly reduced compare to wild-type cells. The reduced colonization of NLRP3-deficient cells was type-1 fimbriae dependent. In conclusion, we found that the NLRP3 inflammasome was important for type-1 fimbriae-dependent colonization of bladder epithelial cells and that both type-1 fimbriae and alpha-hemolysin can modulate the activity of the NLRP3 inflammasome.
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