Comparative evaluation of antiproliferative activity and induction of apoptosis by some fluoroquinolones with a human non-small cell lung cancer cell line in culture.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer- related death in the world today. Since the effective management of drug resistant lung cancer, and particularly non-small cell lung carcinomas is a major problem, attempts need to be made to identify new potential anticancer drugs that can kill non-small cell lung cancer cells efficiently. In the present study, a human non-small cell lung carcinoma NCI-H460 cell line was used to evaluate the antiproliferative activity of Fluoroquinolones like Enoxacin, Norfloxacin, Ciprofloxacin and Levofloxacin. As determined by Sulphorodhamine B assay (SRB assay), all Fluoroquinolones caused cellular growth inhibition in a concentration and time-dependent manner. Enoxacin was found to be the most effective Fluoroquinolone followed by Norfloxacin, Ciprofloxacin and Levofloxacin. Growth inhibitory effects were also found to be independent of the concentrations of serum growth factors in culture medium or variation of initial cell seeding density and proved to be irreversible in nature. Appearance of rounded cells with altered morphology and cell surface blebbing indicated cell killing by apoptosis. Cell shrinkage, nuclear condensation & fragmentation, and cytoplasmic blebbing as indicated by MGG staining confirmed this to be the case. Thus, this investigation clearly demonstrated that the NCI-H460 human non-small cell lung carcinoma cell line is highly sensitive to Fluoroquinolone treatment. The Fluoroquinolones used in this study which are clinically used as antibacterial agents, can also inhibit tumor cell growth suggesting their potential use in a strategy for cancer treatment which might help in controlling cancer.

Susceptibilidad de escherichia coli frente a 13 drogas antimicrobiana / Susceptibility of escherichia coli against 13 antimicrobial drugs

Escherichia coli es uno de los bacilos gram negativos más aislados en nuestras clínicas, provocando diversos cuadros de tipo infeccioso. Por este motivo es importante conocer la susceptibilidad antimicrobiana de esta especie, con el fin de poder administrar drogas antimicrobianas realmente efectivas. Este trabajo determina la sensibilidad cuantitativa "in vitro" de 245 cepas de Escherichia coli, aisladas de diversas muestras clínicas frente a 13 drogas antimicrobianas para lo cual se utilizó el método de dilución en agar de Ericsson y Sherris. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que alrededor del 90 por ciento de las cepas fueron sensibles a Enoxacino, Cefotaxima, Aztreonam, Gentamicina, Ceftriaxzona, Amikacina, Cefuroximo, Cefoperazona y Nitrofurantoina y alrededor del 50 por ciento de las cepas fueron sensibles a Cefradina. Frente a los restantes antimicrobianos-Cloramfenicol, Cotrimoxazol y Ampicilina- se obtuvo un alto nivel de resistencia

Susceptibility pattern of bacterial isolates to lomefloxacin.

The in vitro susceptibility pattern with respect to lomefloxacin was determined in case of 1009 bacterial isolates from clinical specimens with varying susceptibility to commonly used antimicrobial agents. The MIC50 and MIC90 values of lomefloxacin for the Gram negative bacilli showed susceptibility value ranging between 0.12 to 4.0 micrograms/ml, while 90 per cent of the streptococci tested were inhibited only at 16 micrograms/ml. Lomefloxacin was comparable in activity to enoxacin and ciprofloxacin but it was more active than norfloxacin and nalidixic acid.