title: Suppression and inactivation of Vibrio vulnificus hemolysin in cirrhotic ascites, a human ex vivo experimental system.
abstract: To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the in vivo suppression and inactivation of Vibrio vulnificus hemolysin (VvhA), we used cirrhotic ascites fluid as a human ex vivo experimental system. VvhA expression was suppressed in proportion to the amount of cirrhotic ascites. The expression of vvhA in undiluted cirrhotic ascites could be suppressed further by the addition of glucose, a constituent of cirrhotic ascites. VvhA was readily inactivated in the presence of cirrhotic ascites by a cholesterol-mediated oligomerization and interaction with an undefined constituent(s) of cirrhotic ascites. These results indicate that the expression of vvhA can be suppressed and that any VvhA produced is inactivated by the constituents of cirrhotic ascites. Our results suggest that only a very small portion of the VvhA that is produced in human body fluids may actually contribute to the pathogenesis of V. vulnificus septicemia. It is suggested that cirrhotic ascites could be used as a human ex vivo experimental system for the studies on the in vivo expression and the significance of V. vulnificus virulence factors.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Resistant Cells, Chosun University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Mi-Hwa
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Ra-Young
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hui-Yu
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Choon-Mee
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young-Hoon
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Shee-Eun
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Soo-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young-Ran
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Joon-Haeng
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.forename: Sung-Heui
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Shin
mesh_terms: D001201:Ascites / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005947:Glucose / Q000494:pharmacology; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D041261:Vibrio vulnificus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; C073845:hemolysin, Vibrio; D002784:Cholesterol; D005947:Glucose