Anti‐inflammatory and antiproliferative activities of crude extract and its fractions of the defensive secretion from the Mediterranean sponge,Spongia officinalis

The fact that conventional and newly emerging treatment procedures like chemotherapy, catalytic therapy, photodynamic therapy, and radiotherapy have not succeeded in reversing the outcome of many cancers alternative treatment options has been explored. This study documents the identification of component(s) from the Mediterranean sponge, Spongia officinalis that have anti‐inflammatory and antiproliferative activities. In the present study we investigated the efficacy of a crude extract and its semi‐purified fractions (F1–F3) of the defensive secretion from Spongia officinalis for in vivo anti‐inflammatory activity using the carrageenan‐induced paw edema assay in rats and their in vitro antiproliferative effects against three human cancer cell lines (A549, lung cell carcinoma; HCT15, colon cell carcinoma; and MCF7, breast adenocarcinoma). Among the series, the crude extract exhibited interesting anti‐inflammatory activity associated with significant growth and concentration‐related colony inhibitory effects against the three cell lines. The fractions F2 and F3 showed, respectively, interesting anti‐inflammatory and antiproliferative activities in a dose‐dependent manner. The purification and the determination of chemical structures of compounds of these active fractions are under investigation. Drug Dev Res 71: 412–418, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Protective effects of selenium on methimazole-induced anemia and oxidative stress in adult rats and their offspring

The present study investigates the potential ability of selenium, considered as an antioxidant with pharmacological property to alleviate oxidative stress and hematological parameter disorders induced by methimazole, an antithyroid drug. Pregnant Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups of six each: group I served as negative control and received a standard diet; group II received 250 mg/L of methimazole in drinking water and a standard diet; group III received both methimazole (250 mg/L, orally) and selenium (0.5 mg/kg of diet) supplemented to the standard diet; group IV served as positive control and received a supplement of selenium in the diet (0.5 mg/kg of diet) as sodium selenite (Na(2)SeO(3)). Treatment was started from the 14th day of pregnancy until day 14 after delivery. Methimazole reduced the number of red blood cells, hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit in mothers and their pups. Besides, plasma iron, vitamins B(9), B(12), C and E levels were reduced. Lipid peroxidation increased, objectified by high malondialdehyde levels and lactate dehydrogenase activity in plasma, while glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities showed a significant decline. Co-administration of selenium through diet improved all the parameters cited above. It can be concluded that the administration of selenium alleviates methimazole-induced toxicity, thus demonstrating its antioxidant efficacy.     

Durée de l’antibiothérapie lors du traitement des pneumopathies acquises sous ventilation mécanique : comparaison entre sept jours et dix jours. Étude pilote

Objective

To compare the efficiency of a 7-day antibiotics regimen with a 10-day regimen for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).

Study design

Prospective randomized study.

Patients and methods

Adults patients ventilated for more than 48 hours in the intensive care unit (ICU) with a clinical diagnosis of VAP documented by positive quantitative cultures of tracheal aspiration were included in this study. All included patients were randomized in two groups. Ten-day group: 10 days antibiotic therapy, and 7-day group: 7 days antibiotic therapy. Primary judgment criteria were 14- and 28-day mortality, the number of days without antibiotics. Secondary judgments criteria were rate of recurrent pulmonary infection, the evolution of the clinical pulmonary infection scores (CPIS), the length of ICU stay and the length of mechanical ventilation.

Results

Thirty patients were included in this study (16 in the 10-day group and 14 in the 7-day group). The demographic and clinical characteristics of the groups assigned to receive antibiotic therapy for 7 or 10 days were generally similar. The 14-day and 28-day mortality rate following VAP onset were 31.2 and 37.5% in the 10-day group and 7.1 and 35.7% in the 7-day group. The difference was not significant. The number of day without antibiotics and without mechanical ventilation turned out: 1.75 and 2.06 days versus 4.14 and 3.43 days in the 10-day group and 7-day group respectively, the recurrent rate of pulmonary infection (12.5% versus 14.3%, p = 0.6), the length of stay in the ICU (27.7 days versus 26.0 days, p = 0.8) and the evolution of the CPIS were no different in the two groups.

Conclusion

In patients with microbiologically confirmed VAP who received appropriate empirical antibiotic therapy, a 7-day antibiotic regimen was as efficient clinically and microbiologically as a 10-day antibiotic regimen with a reduction of antibiotic use.     

Molecular features of new Peach Latent Mosaic Viroid variants suggest that recombination may have contributed to the evolution of this infectious RNA

Nucleotide sequences of a broad range of Peach Latent Mosaic Viroid (PLMVd) variants were determined. The variants were isolated from peach, pear, and almond tree samples collected in Tunisia. Sequence analysis confirmed the high variability of PLMVd, as no less than 119 new variants were identified. Variations included new polymorphic positions, insertions of 11 to 14 nucleotides, and new mutations within the hammerhead self-cleavage motifs. We provide the first covariation-based evidence for certain stems within the proposed secondary structure. Our covariation analysis also strengthens the view that a pseudoknot closes the replication domain. On the basis of phylogenetic tree studies and informative positions, PLMVd variants are proposed to cluster into groups and subgroups likely to have resulted from recombination events. PLMVd thus emerges as a suitable viroid for retracing the evolution of an RNA genome.