ABSTRACT
Sixteen isolates of P. aeruginosa were collected from different hospitals in Kahramanmaras among 2006-2007 and tested for the level of resistance to the widely used antipseudomonal antibiotics and used in local midicinal and veterinary practice. The aim of this study was to determine the antibiotic resistance to P. aeruginosa strains isolated in Microbiology Laboratory of different hospitals in Kahramanmaras between 2006-2007. These strains were mostly isolated from urine and few from tracheolaringeal aspirate, tracheal secretion, mucus, bronchoalveolar lavage. The antibiotic resistance rates were as follows: Penicillin (PEN) 100%, Amoxicillin (AMO) 94%, Cefazolin (CEF) 87.5%, Cefoxitin (CEFX) 81%, Nitrofrantoin (NIT) 75%, Chlorampenicol (CHL) 62.5 %, Tetracycline (TET) 56%, Ceftriaxone (CEFT) 44%, Oflaxain (OFL) and Gentamycin (GEN) 37.5%, Meropenem (MER) and Streptomycine (STR) 31%. Among 16 isolates of P.aeruginosa from wounds showed 8 (50%) b-lactamase activity, whereas 8 isolates of P.aeruginosa from urine showed no b-lactamase activity. All P. aeruginosa strains 16 (100%) isolates showed multiple antibiotic resistance towards three to eleven antibiotics.
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Raloxifene (Ral) on degeneration-related changes in osteoarthritis (OA)-like chondrocytes using two- and three-dimensional models. Five-azacytidine (Aza-C) was used to induce OA-like alterations in rat articular chondrocytes and the model was verified at molecular and macrolevels. Chondrocytes were treated with Ral (1, 5 and 10 μM) for 10 days. Caspase-3 activity, gene expressions of aggrecan, collagen II, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), collagen X, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-13, MMP-3 and MMP-2), and MMP-13, MMP-3 and MMP-2 protein expressions were studied in two-dimensional model. Matrix deposition and mechanical properties of agarose-chondrocyte discs were evaluated in three-dimensional model. One μM Ral reduced expression of OA-related genes, decreased apoptosis, and MMP-13 and MMP-3 protein expressions. It also increased aggrecan and collagen II gene expressions relative to untreated OA-like chondrocytes. In three-dimensional model, 1 μM Ral treatment resulted in increased collagen deposition and improved mechanical properties, although a significant increase for sGAG was not observed. In summation, 1 μM Ral improved matrix-related activities, whereas dose increment reversed these effects except ALP gene expression and sGAG deposition. These results provide evidence that low-dose Ral has the potential to cease or reduce the matrix degeneration in OA.
ABSTRACT
The antimicrobial activities of the ethyl acetate, acetone and methanol extract of 12 plant species were studied. The extract of Capsicum annuum (red pepper) (fruit) Zingiber officinale (ginger) (root), Cuminum cyminum (cumin), Alpinia ficinarum (galingale), Coriandrum sativum (coriander), Cinnamomun zeylanicum Nees (cinnamomun), Origanum onites L. (thyme), Folium sennae (senna), Eugenia caryophyllata (cloves), Flos tiliae (lime), Folium menthae crispae (peppermint) and Piper nigrum (blackpepper) were tested in vitro against 2 fungi and 8 bacterial species by the disc diffusion method. Klebsiella pneumonia 13883, Bacillus megaterium NRS, Pseudomonas aeroginosa ATCC 27859, Staphylococcus aureus 6538 P, Escherichia coli ATCC 8739, Enterobacter cloaca ATCC 13047, Corynebacterium xerosis UC 9165, Streptococcus faecalis DC 74, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Rhodotorula rubra were used in this investigation. The results indicated that extracts of different spices has shown antibacterial activity in the range of 7-24 mm 30Al-1 inhibition zone Eugenia caryophyllata (clove), 7-20 mm 30Al-1 inhibition zone Capsicum annum (red pepper) and Cinnamomun zeylanicum (cinnamon) bark, 7-18 mm 30Al-1 inhibition zone Folium sennae (senna) leaves, 7-16 mm 30 Al-1 inhibition zone Zingiber officinale (ginger) root, 7-15 mm 30Al-1 inhibition zone Cuminum cyminum (cumin) seed, 7-14 mm 30 Al-1 inhibition zone Folium menthae crispae (peppermint), Origanum onites (thyme) leaves and Alpinia ficinarum (galingale) root, 7-12 mm 30 Al-1 inhibiton zone Piper nigrum (blackpepper), 7-11 mm 30Al-1 inhibition zone Flos tiliae (lime) leaves, 7-8 mm 30Al-1 inhibition zone Coriandrum sativum (coriander) to the microorganisms tested.
ABSTRACT
Secondary osteoporosis is a feature of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In recent years, several attempts have been made to develop specific markers for monitoring connective tissue metabolism in arthritic diseases. Our purpose, in this study was to assess pyridinium crosslinks (PYD and DPYD) excretion in relation to the activity of RA (changes related to sulphasalazine treatment). Fourty premenopausal female patients with active RA (mean age; 36.0 7.2 years), 20 postmenopausal women with active RA (mean age; 60.0 6.8 years), 23 postmenopausal women with OA (mean age; 56.1 6.6 years) and 17 premenopausal healthy subjects (mean age; 28.3 4.28 years) were enrolled in our study. All of the 40 premenopausal female patients with active RA were given sulphasalazine. The mean follow up period for these patients was 10.3 1.1 months. In all of these patients, urine samples were collected both in the active and in the inactive periods. Urine PYD and DPYD levels were measured by ELISA. Urine PYD levels were significantly higher in the active period (14.01 3.16 nmol/mmol cr) than in the inactive (8.25 4.23 nmol/mmol cr) period in patients with premenopausal RA (p 0.05). Urine PYD levels were significantly high in postmenopausal active RA patients (19.06 3.26 nmol/mmol cr) compared to premenopausal active and ind inactive, postmenopausal inactive RA patients, osteoarthritis and healthy controls. Urine DPYD excretion was similar in patients with premenopausal RA in the active (7.46 2.13 nmol/mmol cr) and inactive periods (5.08 0.87 nmol/mmol cr) (p 0.05). In active premenopausal RA patients, a correlation was found between PYD excretion and RAI, ESR, CRP and functional capacity (r=0.5729 p 0.01, r=0.5953 p 0.01, r=0.6125 p 0.01 and r=0.6232, p 0.01 respectively). But in the inactive period, no such correlation was was evident. In disease activity parameters did not correlate with DPYD excretion in either the active or the inactive period. As a result, urine PYD excretion was significantly high in patients with active RA. During sulphasalazine treatment, urine PYD levels decreased. This is attributed to improvement in bone destruction.