ABSTRACT
Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (HvKP) is a new variant of Klebsiella pneumoniae. It is characterized by strong virulence and easy dissemination. It mainly causes liver abscess with multiple invasive infections, including eye, lung and central nervous system, with a high fatality rate. A case of severe intracranial infection caused by HvKP was reported. The patient was a 44-year-old formerly healthy man. He had acute onset of fever, headache, and disturbance of consciousness, which rapidly progressed to intracranial hypertension and respiratory failure. Cerebrospinal fluid examination suggested purulent infection, and bacterial culture suggested Klebsiella pneumoniae, which was sensitive to other commonly used antibiotics except ampicillin. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed multiple abnormal signals in bilateral frontal, parietal and temporal lobes, right centrum semiovale, bilateral corona radiata, basal ganglia, thalamus and insula, as well as enhancement of meningeal and ependymal membrane, and swelling of brain tissue. During hospitalization, the patient developed a blood stream infection of pan-drug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae and was in critical condition. After aggressive treatment, the patient was cured and discharged from the hospital. After half a year follow-up, his prognosis was good and his social function was restored. The clinical data, diagnosis and treatment of the patient were reported and the literature was reviewed to provide clinical reference for the disease.
ABSTRACT
Cryptococcal meningitis is a central nervous system infection caused by cryptococcal invasion of meninges and (or) brain parenchyma. It is characterized by severe intracranial hypertension and brain parenchyma damage. This opportunistic infection commonly occurs among HIV infected individuals, organ transplant recipients, and other immunosuppressive situations, and otherwise immunologically normal hosts. The global burden of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome has declined over the years, but cryptococcal meningitis still has a high morbidity and mortality. The risk groups, clinical presentation, imaging characteristics, diagnostic criteria and therapeutic issues were reviewed in this article.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of Acanthopanax senticosus saponins (ASS) on oxidative damage induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 ) in cardiomyocytes.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The cardiomyocytes were induced to oxidative damaged by exposed to H2O2. We evaluated the level of oxidative injury through morphology change, the survival rate, the activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and the content of cellular malondialdehyde (MDA). The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT) and the content of reductive glutathione (GSH) of cardiomyocytes were also determined.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>When the cardiomyocytes were exposed to H2O, (50, 100, 200 micromol x L(-1)) for deigned time, the percentage of survival cells was down significantly (P < 0.01 or P < 0.001), and the activity of LDH and the content of MDA were increased markedly (P < 0.05, P < 0.01 or P < 0.001). These results show that the cells were subjected to oxidative damage. Treatment with ASS (600 mg x L(-1)) prior to H2O2 exposure could increase cell viability significantly, lessen cardiomyocyte morphological damaged change, and decrease LDH activity (1687.40 +/- 97.51) U x mL(-1) in media and cellular MDA content (16.50 +/- 2.66) nmol x mg(-1) markedly (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05). Furthermore, the activities of SOD (89.55 +/- 6.93) U x mg(-1), GSH-Px (845.87 +/- 63.76) mU x mg(-1), CAT (93.07 +/- 10.40) U x mg(-1) and the content of GSH (8.91 +/- 1.06) micromol x mg(-1) of cardiomyocytes were also raised by 600 mg x L(-1) l ASS (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Taken together, the study implicate that ASS protects cardiomyocytes against oxidative-stress injury induced by H2O2 through reduction of lipid peroxidation and enhancement of the activity of antioxidant defense.</p>