Activating effect of substance P on nerve tissue in culture

The effect of substance P on organotypic culture of rat sympathetic ganglia and spinal cord was studied. Substance P was able to stimulate the fibre outgrowth from explant, to increase the numbers of glial and fibroblasttypic cells in ganglia growth zone. The effect was observed in the range from 10(-5) to 10(-12) M (for sympathetic ganglia) and from 10(-5) to 10(-14) M (for spinal cord culture). It is suggested that substance P can be used as a nonspecific growth factor for peripheral and central nervous tissue.     

Clinical and laboratory criteria for assessing the efficacy of Essliver Forte for patients with combined liver and gall bladder pathologies]

As many as 60 patients with combined pathologies (chronic hepatitis (CH) and chronic non-calculous cholecystitis (CNCC)) were examined, and 20 healthy subjects were included in the control group. The efficacy of Essliver Forte for patients with chronic non-calculous cholecystitis combined with chronic hepatitises (both viral hepatitis and steatohepatitis) was assessed on the basis of clinical, biochemical and bacteriological criteria. Essliver Forte was found to improve the clinical and biochemical parameters of the functional liver condition, bile biochemical characteristics and intestinal microbiocenosis in patients with combined pathologies. The positive clinical effect is most evident for patients with chronic non-calculous cholecystitis and chronic steatohepatitis (both alcohol and non-alcohol). Essliver Forte can be recommended for treatment of patients with combined pathologies.     

Nosocomial and community acquired uropathogenic isolates of Proteus mirabilis and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles at a university hospital in Sub–Saharan Africa

ObjectiveTo ascertain antimicrobial susceptibility profile of Proteus mirabilis (P. mirabilis) from clinical urine specimens at a university hospital in the spate of its recorded increasing resistance patterns.MethodsThe study was retrospective in nature. Data generated from urine cultures of patients at University of Calabar Teaching Hospital for a period of five years (2004–2009) were compiled. Relevant information obtained were age and gender of patients, organisms recovered and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns. P. mirabilis was identified using standard laboratory procedures.ResultsP. mirabilis showed the highest resistance against ampicillin, cloxacillin, amoxicillin, tetracycline, co-trimoxazole, erythromycin and chloramphenicol (100%–37.2%) while colistin, ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone, nalidixic acid and nitrofurantoin recorded the highest activity (59.1%–96.9%) with no drug recording 100% activity. The resistance of the nosocomial isolates of the organism were significantly higher than the community acquired isolates against that of the common antibiotics in use (P<0.05).ConclusionsExtreme caution should be exercised in antibiotic administration in hospital setting and the potential benefits adequately assessed while control of nosocomial infections be given a priority so as to limit the spread of resistant bacteria.