Sanitizing alternatives for Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium on bell peppers at household kitchens

Fresh fruits and vegetables are known to play an important role as carriers of disease-causing organisms in household kitchens. The aims of this study were to assess and compare the effectiveness of sodium hypochlorite, organic acid-based and silver-based products to reduce Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium inoculated on individual bell pepper pieces. Inoculated bell pepper pieces (n = 5) were submerged in sodium hypochlorite, organic acid-based and silver-based product solutions, at the concentration specified in the product label for sanitization of fruits and vegetables. Sodium hypochlorite reduced E. coli and Salmonella typhimurium by 3.13 Log₁₀/25cm² and 2.73 Log₁₀/25cm², respectively. Organic-based and silver-based products reduced E. coli and S. typhimurium by 2.23 Log₁₀/25cm², 1.74 Log₁₀/25cm² and 2.10 Log₁₀/25cm², 1.92 Log₁₀/25cm², respectively. The results showed that greater attention is needed in selecting sanitizing products to kill or remove human pathogens from fresh produce to minimize risk of foodborne infections.     

Increasing the Dose of Varenicline in Patients Who Do Not Respond to the Standard Dose

Varenicline is a partial agonist of α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. It is effective at dosages of 2 mg/d for 12 weeks, but not for all smokers. It is possible that increasing the dose can increase the drug efficacy. We reviewed the clinical records of consecutive smokers who had been treated in 2 smoking cessation services with varenicline at doses of 3 mg/d. In all cases, the treatment program consisted of a combination of behavioral therapy and drug treatment. Varenicline was prescribed at a standard dosage for 8 weeks. After 8 weeks of treatment, the dose was increased to 3 mg/d if patients tolerated varenicline well and continued smoking or, in spite of not smoking, if they experienced severe withdrawal symptoms. The sample included 73 patients, of whom 52 continued to smoke at 8 weeks and 21 stopped smoking but reported severe withdrawal discomfort. Carbon monoxide-validated continuous abstinence rates from week 9 to week 24 were 40% and 48% in these 2 subgroups, respectively. The increase in dosage was associated with adverse events in 22 patients (30%). These were mostly mild and included nausea, vomiting, abnormal dreams, and insomnia. Only 2 patients discontinued treatment (both because of nausea and vomiting). Thus, we conclude that increasing the varenicline dose in smokers who do not respond to the standard dose after 8 weeks of treatment is associated with limited adverse events and high success rates.     

Frequency of mutations in rpoB and codons 315 and 463 of katG in rifampin- and/or isoniazid-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from northeast Mexico

A total of 48 isoniazid (INH)- and rifampin (RIF)-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates, 19 INH-resistant isolates, and 9 RIF-resistant isolates were randomly selected and tested for detecting mutations at codons 315 and 463 of katG by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), and/or for detecting mutations at a 69-bp region of the rpoB gene by the INNO-LiPA Rif TB assay. Of the 67 INH-resistant isolates tested, 36 (53.7%) showed the mutation at codon 315 of katG; however, none of them showed the mutation at codon 463. The majority of the RIF-resistant samples analyzed (49 of 57, 86.0%) reacted positive with one of the four R-type probes. The R5-pattern (S531L mutation) was the most frequently observed (31 of 57, 54.4%), followed by R4a-pattern (H526Y mutation) 13 isolates (22.8%), R4b-pattern (H526D mutation) 4 isolates (7.0%), and R2-pattern (D516V mutation) 1 isolate (1.8%). Overall, there was agreement between the line probe kit and phenotypic RIF-susceptibility test for 56 (98.2%) of 57 RIF-resistant isolates tested. These results show that the mutation analysis at codon 315 of katG could be used as a screening assay prior to standard susceptibility testing, whereas mutations in the rpoB gene could be used successfully as genetic markers to rapidly detect RIF-resistant M. tuberculosis clinical isolates from northeast Mexico.     

Diacerein decreases TNF-α and IL-1β levels in peritoneal fluid and prevents Baker’s yeast-induced fever in young rats

Objective

To investigate the effect of diacerein, an anti-inflammatory drug, on body temperature and protocols of fever induction in male Wistar rats.

Methods

The effect of diacerein (5.0 mg/kg, s.c.) on rectal temperature (T _R) changes induced by Baker’s yeast (0.135 g/kg, i.p.) and PGE₂ (10 ng/animal, i.t.) was evaluated. T _R changes were recorded over time. The leukocyte count and TNF-α and IL-1β content were evaluated in the peritoneal fluid by means of optical microscopy and enzyme immunoassay (ELISA kits), respectively.

Results

The administration of diacerein to febrile animals attenuated Baker’s yeast-induced fever but did not alter prostaglandin E₂-induced fever. Diacerein prevented the development of Baker’s yeast-induced fever and significantly attenuated the increase in peritoneal leukocytes and decreased IL-1β and TNF-α levels in peritoneal fluid.

Conclusions

These data suggest that diacerein partially protects against Baker’s yeast-induced fever and peritoneal leukocyte migration, and indicate that this effect appears to be due to inhibition of release of cytokines (such as TNF-α and IL-1β).     

Balapiravir plus peginterferon alfa-2a (40KD)/ribavirin in a randomized trial of hepatitis C genotype 1 patients

Introduction. Balapiravir (R1626, RG1626) is the prodrug of a nucleoside analogue inhibitor of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (R1479, RG1479). This phase 2, double-blind international trial evaluated the optimal treatment regimen of balapiravir plus peginterferon alfa-2a (40KD)/ribavirin.Material and methods. Treatment-naive genotype 1 patients (N = 516) were randomized to one of seven treatment groups in which they received balapiravir 500, 1,000, or 1,500 mg twice daily, peginterferon alfa2a (40KD) 180 or 90 Mg/week and ribavirin 1,000/1,200 mg/day or peginterferon alfa-2a (40KD)/ribavirin. The planned treatment duration with balapiravir was reduced from 24 to 12 weeks due to safety concerns.Results. The percentage of patients with undetectable HCV RNA was consistently higher in all balapiravir groups from week 2 to 12. However, high rates of dose modifications and discontinuations of one/all study drugs compromised the efficacy assessment and resulted in similar sustained virological response rates in the balapiravir groups (range 32-50%) and the peginterferon alfa-2a (40KD)/ribavirin group (43%). Balapiravir was discontinued for safety reasons in 28-36% of patients (most often for lymphopenia) and the percentage of patients with serious adverse events (especially hematological, infection, ocular events) was dose related. Serious hematological adverse events (particularly neutropenia, lymphopenia) were more common in balapiravir recipients. Two deaths in the balapiravir/peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin combination groups were considered possibly related to study medication.Conclusion. Further development of balapiravir for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C has been halted because of the unacceptable benefit to risk ratio revealed in this study (www.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT 00517439).     

Constrictive pericarditis and restrictive myocardiopathy]

The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical and echocardiographic characteristics of constrictive pericarditis (CP) and restrictive cardiomyopathy (RC) and to compare them with the results obtained with cardiac catheterization. Clinical history, electrocardiogram and X-ray were taken in all patients, and transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography were performed. Cardiac catheterization with transmyocardial biopsy was performed on only 5 patients. Wall thickness and left ventricular dimensions were normal in all patients with CP. Wall thickness was increased in those with RC. No patients demonstrated alterations in segmental wall movement. The pericardium was thickened and abnormally bright in the 3 patients with CP. In patients with CP the percentage of atrioventricular, semilunar, pulmonary and hepatic flow changes with respiration were more than 10%. In patients with RC this flow variation was less notable. However, the percentage of systolic and diastolic flow velocity increase of hepatic veins during expiration was greater than in CP. We can conclude that M-mode, two dimensional and Doppler echocardiography is extremely useful noninvasive method to differentiate CP and RC with good correlation with cardiac catheterization.     

An insight into the Phlebotomus perniciosus saliva by a proteomic approach

Sand fly saliva is known to play an important role in the establishment of Leishmania spp. infection. As a consequence, identifying antigenic salivary proteins of different leishmaniasis vectors has currently become a major task in the field of anti-Leishmania vaccine development. The purpose of this work was to improve the knowledge of Phlebotomus perniciosus salivary proteins by combining two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) methodology, mass spectrometry and Western blotting (WB). Salivary protein profiles of three P. perniciosus colonies from different geographic origins in Spain were compared through SDS-PAGE, leading to a similar pattern with no qualitatively noticeable differences. A gradual increase of the protein content was significantly detected with the age of sand flies, reaching the complete salivary protein profiles at day four. The 2DE revealed a reproducible protein profile that matched the classic monodimensional SDS-PAGE pattern (1DE). More spots rather than protein bands (19 versus 11) were visualized by 2DE and 1DE, respectively, suggesting the presence of either protein isoforms or posttranslational modifications. Sera of mice and hamsters immunized through exposure to sand fly bites following different immunization schedules showed elevated anti-saliva IgG levels. These sera allowed the detection of 5 bands and 16 immunogenic spots in 1DE and 2DE, respectively, followed by WB. These antigens were identified by MALDITOF/TOF as SP03, SP03B, SP08, SP01, SP01B, SP04, SP04B, SP02, Phlebotomus ariasi SP16, and Phlebotomus argentipes SP13. This work is assumed to be the first attempt to establish 2DE proteomic maps of P. perniciosus saliva. All spots were identified as salivary proteins, confirming this technology as an interesting tool to improve sand fly salivary knowledge.     

Uraemic medium accelerates proliferation but does not induce apoptosis of endothelial cells in culture.

BACKGROUND: Chronic renal failure patients exhibit accelerated atherosclerosis, which is associated with a high incidence of cardiovascular death. We investigated the potential effect of uraemic medium on cell proliferation and apoptosis of endothelial cells in culture (ECs), two key processes in the development of atherosclerosis. Phosphorylation kinetics of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) p42/44 and p38 were also evaluated. METHODS: ECs were cultured with growth media supplemented with pooled sera from healthy donors. Semiconfluent ECs were incubated for 24 h with media supplemented with pools of control or uraemic sera. Cell proliferation was assessed through morphometric analysis and by flow cytometry evaluation of cell cycle. To investigate if uraemic medium induces apoptosis in ECs, we used a combination of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) assay and activation of caspase-3 using flow cytometry. Changes in the phosphorylation levels of MAPK were evaluated in cell lysates by western blotting. RESULTS: Exposure to uraemic media caused an alteration in the morphology of ECs, showing irregular shape and size. The number of ECs at S+G(2)M phase in the cell cycle was found to be increased when exposed to uraemic media for 24 h (28.4+/-2.9 vs 20.2+/-2.6% in control ECs). There was a transient increase in levels of phosphorylation of MAPK in both cells, although these levels were significantly higher in ECs exposed to uraemic media, especially after 5 min. In contrast, no signs of apoptosis were observed in ECs incubated with uraemic medium at the conditions applied. CONCLUSIONS: Under our experimental conditions, uraemic medium accelerates proliferation of ECs, but it does not seem to induce apoptosis. The increased proliferation observed could be related to a higher MAPK activity in these cells. Although the enhanced atherosclerosis cannot be explained on the basis of an apoptotic process, the proliferative status could contribute to intimal proliferation, which is considered to be an earlier step in the development of atherosclerosis.