Nasotracheal enterococcal carriage and resistomes: detection of optrA-, poxtA- and cfrD-carrying strains in migratory birds,livestock, pets,and in-contact humans in Spain

European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases - This study determined the carriage rates and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes of enterococci from...     

Changes of nitric oxide synthase activity and free methylarginines contents in regenerating rat liver after partial hepatectomy

In the present study, liver regeneration rate (%) was increased up to 70% 3 days after partial hepatectomy (PH). Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity in liver tissue as well as serum nitrite/nitrate content had no timed response, revealing no significant difference between shamoperated and partially hepatectomized rat liver. Contents of free methylarginines in liver tissue were increased biphasically in a time-dependent manner after PH. However, those in serum did not exhibit the same patterns as in liver. Taken together, the results suggest that N^G-monomethyl-L-arginine (MMA) and N^G, N^G-dimethylarginine (DMA) play a role in inhibiting nitric oxide (NO) synthesis in regenerating rat liver because the increase of their contents was synchronized with NOS expression.     

Inhibitory effects of ginseng total saponins on hypoxia-induced dysfunction and injuries of cultured astrocytes

The effects of ginseng total saponins (GTS) on hypoxic damage of primary cultures of astrocytes were studied. Hypoxia was created by placing cultures in an air tight chamber that was flushed with 95% N(2)/5% CO(2) for 15 min before being sealed. Cultures showed evidence of significant cell injury after 24 h of hypoxia (increased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) content in the culture medium, cell swelling and decreased glutamate uptake and protein content). Addition of GTS (0.1, 0.3 mg/ml) to the cultures during the exposure to hypoxic conditions produced dose-dependent inhibition of the LDH efflux. GTS (0.1, 0.3 mg/ml) also produced significant inhibition of the increased cell volume of astrocytes measured by [(3)H]O-methyl-D-glucose uptake under the hypoxic conditions. Decreased glutamate uptake and protein content was inhibited by GTS. These data suggest that GTS prevents astrocytic cell injury induced by severe hypoxiain vitro.     

中剂量特尔立(rhGM-CSF)防治肿瘤化疗所致白细胞减少的疗效观察

目的观察中剂量特尔立(rhGM-CSF)对恶性肿瘤化疗后白细胞减少的防治作用.方法采用自身对照,化疗过程中白细胞降至正常值(4.0×109/L)以下时入组,并作为对照周期.其后的化疗周期中末次给药48小时后皮下注射rhGM-CSF(150ug/(次.天).结果 rhGM-CSF能明显减轻化疗后白细胞下降的程度,缩短白细胞在正常值以下的持续时间及恢复到正常值以上的时间,对血小板的变化影响不大,毒副反应轻微.结论使用特尔立(rhGM-CSF)安全、有效,可作为肿瘤化疗有价值的辅助药物.     

化疗在晚期肺腺癌治疗中的作用

目的：探索晚期肺腺癌患者化疗疗效和对化疗的耐受性,化疗后生活质量变化和生存期。材料与方法：回顾分析1992－11~1995-04,经病理确诊为肺腺癌。按UICC分期为Ⅲb、Ⅳ期,Kamofsky评分≥60,连续完成2程以上的以铂类药物为主的联合化疗方案治疗患者。结果：化疗有效率3．1％,化疗后Kamofskv评分不变者43．8％,升高40．6％。下降≥10分15．6％,Ⅲb期中位生存期13月,Ⅳ期10月。结论：全身状况较好无化疗禁忌证的晚期肺腺癌患者,给予适当的联合化疗可使部分患者病情改善,生活质量提高。     

Bilateral macular hemorrhage after laser in situ keratomileusis

· Background: This is the first report of a bilateral submacular hemorrhage after LASIK surgery in an extreme myo pic patient. A 31-year-old man underwent bilateral surgery for correction of –16.75+0.75×70° and –16.50+0.50×55°. · Methods: Case report. · Results: One day after surgery the patient’s uncorrected visual acuity was in the 20/50 range OU and by 17 days after surgery his visual acuity had declined to 20/200 range. Fundus examination showed multifocal subretinal macular and posterior pole hemorrhages. Fluorescein angiography showed some macular lesions compatible with lacquer cracks. · Conclusions: Preoperative and postoperative fundus examination is important to detect this phenomenon. Patients should be informed of this rare complication. Received: 2 June 1998 Revised version received: 16 November 1998 Accepted: 17 November 1998     

Synthesized TGF-beta s in RPE regulates cellular proliferation

Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells transdifferentiate in culture, a transition which is accompanied by a shift in biological activity. The present study investigates whether transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta has the same effects on morphologically transformed RPE cells that it has on primary RPE cells. It also evaluates the autocrine and paracrine activities of TGF-beta s synthesized by RPE cells as well as the anti-TGF-beta effect of mannose-6-phosphate (M-6-P). RPE cells were subcultured at the sixth passage to induce morphological change. The effect of second passaged RPE-conditioned medium (CM) on DNA synthesis was evaluated by the incorporation of 3H-thymidine in rabbit subconjunctival fibroblasts (SCFs) and primary RPE cells. The presence of TGF-beta in RPE-CM was determined using immunoblotting analysis. And the inhibitory effect of M-6-P on cell proliferation mediated by RPE-CM was also analyzed using 3H-thymidine incorporation into DNA. TGF-beta 1, TGF-beta 2, and TGF-beta 3 inhibited the proliferation of the primary cultures of RPE cells in a dose-dependent manner, but the spindle-shaped sixth passaged RPE cells were not inhibited by these growth factors. The medium conditioned by RPE cells stimulated the proliferation of SCFs and inhibited the proliferation of primary RPE cells, in a manner similar to TGF-beta. When this medium was precipitated with either anti-TGF-beta 1, anti-TGF-beta 2, or anti-TGF-beta 3 antibodies, all three TGF-beta s, with an apparent molecular size of 25 kDa, were detected. Mannose-6-phosphate significantly blocked the effect of RPE-CM on cell proliferation. These findings indicate that RPE cells produce biologically functional TGF-beta s and that M-6-P can block the inhibitory effect of RPE-CM on cell proliferation.     

Bioisosterism: Interchange of 4-OH to 4-NH2 in vanillin or homovanillin ring of capsaicinoids

A series of 4-amino Capsaicin analogs 15, 17 and 19 were prepared to investigate the bioisosteric effect of 4-amino group, and all these compounds exhibited moderate or weak potency from their analgesic test. From our previous results and others, 4-hydroxyl group as well as 3-methoxy substituent could be crucial for high analgesic activity. This biological result also shows that the activity is sensitive to alkyl chain length in hydrophobic region and the phenylacetic amides 19 are more active than the corresponding urea derivatives 17.     

Chiral separation of β-blockers after derivatization with (−)-menthyl chloroformate by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography

Optimum conditions of chiral derivatization reaction of beta-blockers acebutolol, arotinolol, beta-xolol, bisoprolol, celiprolol, metoprolol and pindolol) with (-)-menthyl chloroformate were investigated for the resolution by HPLC. With more than 30 times molar excess of (-)-menthyl chloroformate chiral derivatization reactions were completed within one hour at room temperature except arotinolol and celiprolol. Diastereomeric derivatives of beta-blockers were well resolved on the ODS column using acetonitrile-methanol-water as a mobile phase.