[Antimicrobial activity kefir on pseudomonas aeruginosa]

Kefir is a probiotic mixture of bacteria and yeast originating from Qafqaz region. The Kefir grain contain s both Lactic acid bacteria [Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacte and Streptococcus spp.] and yeast [Kluyveromyces, Torula, Candida and Saccharomyces spp.]. Kefir is claimed to have therapeutic effect. This study looked at the antimicrobial activity of Kefir on Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The antimicrobial activity of Kefir extract were determined on Pseudomonas aeruginosa [ATCC 27853] and on those isolated from burned patient. Effect of antibacterial extracts Kefir fermentation time in both 48 and 72 hours at a temperature of 35 degrees Celsius were determined with the disk plate and well test in vitro. The MIC was defined as the lowest antimicrobial concentration able to completely inhibited bacterial growth up to 24 h. MIC values were determined by microdilution method. The lactic acid contents of the Kefir extracts were determined by reverse-phase HPLC [high performance liquid chromatography]. The result showed that the highest antimicrobial activity of Kefir extract on Pseudomonas aeruginosa [ATCC 27853] and the burned patient isolation, ranged from 250 mg/mL[MIC] to 250 mg/mL[MBC] on time 96h. The Kefir extract showed significant antimicrobial activity on Pseudomonas aeruginosa [ATCC 27853] and the clinical isolate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

[Antibiotic resistance patterns of isolated pseudomonas aeruginosa strains from infections of burned patients]

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most important pathogens, particularly in immunocompromised hosts, and remains a prominent gram-negative bacterium that causes hospital-associated infections. The aim of this study was to evaluate the susceptibility of 110 clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to routine antibiotics and antibiotyping of these strains. One hundred and ten bacterial isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were isolated from 99 burned patients [Shahid Motahary Burn Hospital, Tehran, Iran, during March to April 2006] with different types of infections. Antibiotic susceptibility test was performed by disc diffusion method and clones of bacteria were determined by antibiotyping. Demographic data of patients were recorded too. The frequency of Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistant to imipenem, amikacin, gentamicin, trimethoprim, tetracycline, carbenicillin, piperacillin, ceftazidime ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin were 32.1%, 47.2%, 89%, 100%, 70%, 90%, 88.1%, 91.8%, 93.6% and 77.2%, respectively. Antibiotyping showed that 110 isolates were distributed in 33 patterns, but 19 isolates were resistant to all antibiotics and 65 isolates belonged to 7 patterns of antibiotyping. Other isolates [45 isolates] created 26 patterns. The results showed that most of isolates were resistant to routine antibiotics and it is necessary to introduce urgent measures for restriction of the spread of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in Shahid Motahary Burn Hospital. It is possible that most infections were carried by special clones and it is probable that the source of these clones is environmental

Point mutations on mitochondrial DNA in Iranian patients with Friedreich's ataxia

Mitochondrial DNA [mt DNA] is considered a candidate modifier factor for neuro-degenerative disorders. The most common type of ataxia is Friedreich's ataxia [FA]. The aim of this study was to investigate different parts of mt DNA in 20 Iranian FA patients and 80 age-matched controls by polymerase chain reaction [PCR] and automated DNA sequencing methods to find any probable point mutations involved in the pathogenesis of FA. We identified 13 nucleotide substitutions including A3505G, T3335C, G3421A, G8251A, A8563G, A8563G, G8584A, T8614C, T8598C, C8684T, A8701G, G8994A and A9024G. Twelve of 13 nucleotide substitutions had already been reported as polymorphism. One of the nucleotide substitutions [A9024G] had not been reported before. The A9024G nucleotide substitution does not change its amino acid. The controls were also investigated for this polymorphism which was found in two of them [2.5%].None of the mutations found in this study can affect the clinical manifestations of FA. This survey also provides evidence that the mtDNA A9024G allele is a new nonpathogenic polymorphism. We suggest follow-up studies for this polymorphism in different populations