ABSTRACT
Objective: epididymo-orchitis [EO] potentially results in reduced fertility in up to 60% of affected patients. The anti-inflammatory effects of Korean red ginseng [KRG] and its ability to act as an immunoenhancer in parallel with the beneficial effects of this ancient herbal medicine on the reproductive systems of animals and humans led us to evaluate its protective effects against acute EO
Materials and Methods: this animal experimental study was conducted in the Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences [ZUMS], Zanjan, Iran during 2013-2015. We divided 50 Wistar rats into five following groups [n=10 per group]: i. Control-intact animals, ii. Vehicle-phosphate buffered saline [PBS] injection into the vas deferens, iii. KRG-an intraperitoneal [IP] injection of KRG, iv. EO-an injection of uropathogenic Escherichia coli [UPEC] strain M39 into the vas deferens, and v. EO/ KRG-injections of both UPEC strain M39 and KRG. The treatment lasted seven days. We then evaluated sperm parameters, number of germ cell layers, Johnson's criteria, germ cell apoptosis, body weight and relative sex organs weight
Results: acute EO increased the relative weight of prostate and seminal vesicles [P
Conclusion: consequently, KRG ameliorated the devastating effects of EO on the sperm retrieved from either epididymis or testicle in rats
ABSTRACT
Aim: This case-control study investigated the various PAI markers, phylogenetic groups and antimicrobial susceptibilityamong DEC and commensal E. coli isolates
Background: Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli [DEC] is an emerging agent among pathogens that cause diarrheal diseases andrepresents a major public health problem in developing countries. The major difference in virulence among DEC pathotypeand commensals may be related to the presence of specific genomic segments, termed pathogenicity islands [PAIs]
Patients and methods: A total of 600 stool specimens from children [450 with and 150 without diarrhea] were collectedand various PAI markers, phylogenetic groups and antimicrobial resistance profile among DEC and commensal E. coliisolates were detected
Results: One hundred sixty eight [90.3%] isolates were resistant to one or more antimicrobial agents. PAI markers weredetected in a substantial percentage of commensal [90%] and DEC isolates [99.3%][P> 0.05]. The most prevalent PAI markeramong DEC and commensal isolates was HPI [91.9% DEC vs. 68% commensal]. We found a high number of PAI markerssuch as SHI-2, Sheand LEE that were significantly associated with DEC. Several different combinations of PAIs were foundamong DEC isolates. Comparison of PAIs among DEC and commensal isolates showed that many DEC isolates [94.8%]carried two or more PAI markers, while 76% of commensals had only one PAI marker [P< 0.05]. According to thephylogenetic classification, group B2 was the most commonly found in the DEC isolates. Furthermore, our results showed thatgroup B2 can be present in commensal isolates [18%]
Conclusion: These results indicate that PAI markers are widespread among commensal and DEC isolates and thesecommensal isolates may be reservoirs for transmission of these markers
ABSTRACT
Objective: Pseudomonas aeruginosa [P. aeruginosa] is an opportunistic pathogen with numerous virulence factors considered to be one of the most etiological agents in nosocomial infections. The emergence of multi-drug resistant [MDR] P. aeruginosa has become a serious, worldwide public health threat. This study intended to determine the frequency of phzM, phzS, phzH, phzI, and phzII genes in MDR P. aeruginosa strains isolated from clinical samples
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we examined 93 isolates of P. aeruginosa collected from different clinical samples in Zanjan during 1393-94. After identification of isolates by biochemical tests, we performed the antibiotic susceptibility test [Kirby-Bauer] per CLSI guidelines. Then, total DNA was extracted for PCR analysis to detect phzM, phzS, phzH, phzI, and phzII genes
Results: P. aeruginosa isolates exhibited high-level resistance to Erythromycin and Cefoxitin [95.6%]. Amikacin showed the highest activity against isolates with 73.2% susceptibility. There were 88 [94.6%] MDR isolates. The genes had the following frequency among MDR isolates: phzI [96.5%], phzII [93.1%], phzM [45.4%], phzS [27.2%], and phzH [27.2%]
Conclusion: The pathogenesis of P. aeruginosa is clearly multifactorial as shown by the large numbers of virulence factors and the broad spectrum of diseases this bacterium causes. The results indicated a greater frequency of phzI and phzII genes in MDR P. aeruginosa strains. This finding could be an alarm for the infections caused by this microorganism
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of betalactamase producing EAEC isolates among young children with diarrhea in Zanjan, Iran. Entero aggregative Escherichia coli [EAEC] is an emerging enteric pathogen associated with acute and persistent diarrhea and the evolution and spread of acquired extended spectrum betalactamases [ESBLs] among these strains has become a serious problem in the management of infectious diseases in developing countries. During the period from March 2011 to January 2012, 140 isolates of E. coli from diarrheal children aged 0-60 months and 90 isolates from age-matched controls without diarrhea were investigated for EAEC using PCR. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed as CLSI guidelines and betalactamase genes, including blaTEM, blaCTX-M, blaIMP, blaVIM and blaNDM-1 investigated in EAEC isolates. In this study, EAEC was detected with slightly higher frequency in children with [8%] than in children without [4.6%] diarrhea [P>0.05]. Diarrheagenic E. coli exhibited high level resistance to aztreonam [80.7%], amoxicillin [74.4%] and tetracycline [69.3%]. Also, 86.4% of E. coli isolates were resistant to at least three different classes of antimicrobial agents and considered as multidrug resistance. Molecular characterization of betalactamase genes showed that blaTEM was the most frequently isolated betalactamase. It was detected in 78.9% of ESBL producing EAEC isolates. Also, the frequency of blaCTX-M was 63.1% [12/19] and 8 [42.1%] isolates carried the blaTEM and blaCTX-M, simultaneously. None MBL producing EAEC was detected in our study. Our results indicate that ESBLs especially blaTEM and blaCTX-M are widespread among EAEC isolates and appropriate surveillance and control measures are essential to prevent further dissemination of betalactamases in our country.