Mononuclear phagocytes (MP; monocytes, tissue macrophages, and dendritic cells) are reservoirs, vehicles of dissemination, and targets for persistent HIV infection. However, not all MP populations equally support viral growth. Such differential replication is typified by the greater ability of placental macrophages (PM), as compared with monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM), to restrict viral replication. Since cytosolic protein patterns can differentiate macrophage subtypes, we used a proteomics approach consisting of surface enhanced laser desorption ionization time of flight (SELDI-TOF), tandem mass spectrometry, and Western blots to identify differences between uninfected and HIV infected PM and MDM protein profiles linked to viral growth. We performed the first proteome analysis of PM in the molecular range of 5 to 20 kDa. Importantly, we found that a SELDI-TOF protein peak with an m/z of 11100, which was significantly lower in uninfected and HIV infected PM than MDM, was identified as cystatin B (CSTB). Studies of siRNA against CSTB treatment in MDM associated its expression with HIV replication. These data demonstrate that low molecular weight placental macrophage cytosolic proteins are differentially expressed in HIV infected PM and MDM and identify a potential role for CSTB in HIV replication. This work also serves to elucidate a mechanism by which the placenta protects the fetus from HIV transmission.

Cystatin (CSTB, also known as stefin B), a cysteine protease inhibitor, recently was found to be down-regulated in the proteome of uninfected and HIV-1-infected placental macrophages (PM) and associated with restricted HIV-1 replication in PM but not in monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM). We investigated CSTB interactions with signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT-1) by immunoprecipitation studies because this molecule is known to activate HIV-1 replication. Since both CSTB and STAT-1 are related to HIV-1 replication, we hypothesized that these proteins could be interacting. We applied immunoprecipitation assays to determine STAT-1-CSTB interaction in uninfected and HIV-1-infected PM as compared with MDM. We found that CSTB associates with STAT-1 in PM and MDM. Further analyses indicated that the levels of STAT-1 tyrosine phosphorylation were higher in PM than MDM. High levels of tyrosine phosphorylation previously have been associated with HIV-1 inhibitory activity. This is the first report to demonstrate that cystatin B interact with STAT-1 and that the levels of STAT-1 tyrosine phosphorylation (but not serine phosphorylation) between uninfected and HIV-infected PM and MDM are differentially regulated.

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BackgroundThe TRAMIL program aims to understand, validate and expand health practices based on the use of medicinal plants in the Caribbean, which is a “biodiversity hotspot” due to high species endemism, intense development pressure and habitat loss. The antibacterial activity was examined for thirteen plant species from several genera that were identified as a result of TRAMIL ethnopharmacological surveys or were reported in ethnobotanical accounts from Puerto Rico. The aim of this study was to validate the traditional use of these plant species for the treatment of bacterial infections, such as conjunctivitis, fever, otitis media and furuncles.MethodsAn agar disc diffusion assay was used to examine five bacterial strains that are associated with the reported infections, including Staphylococcus saprophyticus (ATCC 15305), S. aureus (ATCC 6341), Escherichia coli (ATCC 4157), Haemophilus influenzae (ATCC 8142), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 7700) and Proteus vulgaris (ATCC 6896), as well as the fungus Candida albicans (ATCC 752). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values were determined for each of the extracts that showed inhibitory activity.ResultsThe decoctions of Pityrogramma calomelanos, Tapeinochilus ananassae, and Syzygium jambos, as well as the juice of Gossypium barbadense, showed > 20% growth inhibition against several bacteria relative to the positive control, which was the antibiotic Streptomycin. Extracts with the best antimicrobial activities were S. jambos that showed MIC = 31 μg/mL and MBC = 1.0 mg/mL against P. vulgaris and T. ananassae that showed MIC = 15 μg/mL against S. aureus.ConclusionThis report confirms the traditional use of P. calomelanos for the treatment of kidney infections that are associated with stones, as well as the antimicrobial and bactericidal effects of T. ananassae against P. vulgaris and S. saprophyticus and the effects of S. jambos against S. aureus and S. saprophyticus.