Effect of sexual steroids on the calcium content of aortic atherosclerotic plaque of oophorectomized rabbits

We determined the effect of conjugated equine estrogen plus medroxyprogesterone acetate on calcium content of aortic atherosclerotic lesions in oophorectomized adult New Zealand rabbits submitted to a cholesterol rich diet. Five groups of 10 animals each were studied: G1 = control, G2 = cholesterol diet only, G3 = diet plus conjugated equine estrogen (0.625 mg/day); G4 and G5 = diet, conjugated equine estrogen (0.625 mg/day) plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (5 and 10 mg/day, respectively). Mean weight varied from 2.7 ± 0.27 to 3.1 ± 0.20 kg (P = 0.38) between groups at the beginning and 3.1 ± 0.27 to 3.5 ± 0.20 kg (P = 0.35) at the end of the experiment. Cholesterol and triglyceride levels were determined at the time of oophorectomy, 21 days after surgery (time 0), and at the end of follow-up of 90 days. The planimetric method was used to measure plaque and caryometric method for histopathologic examination of the aorta. Calcium content was determined by the method of von Kossa. A similar increase in cholesterol occurred in all treated groups without differences between them at the end of the study. Groups G4 and G5 had smaller areas of atherosclerotic lesions (2.33 ± 2.8 and 2.45 ± 2.1 cm², respectively) than the groups receiving no progestogens (G2: 5.6 ± 4 and G3: 4.6 ± 2.8 cm²; P = 0.02). The relation between lesion area and total aorta area was smaller in groups treated with combined drugs compared to the groups receiving no progesterone (G4: 14.9 ± 13 and G5: 14.2 ± 13.4 vs G2: 35.8 ± 26 and G3: 25 ± 8 cm², respectively; P = 0.017). Oral conjugated equine estrogen (0.625 mg/day) plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (5 or 10 mg/day) provoked a greater reduction in atherosclerotic plaque area and calcium content in treated groups, suggesting a dose-dependent effect.

Suceptibilidad antimicrobiana y producción de ß-lactamasa en cepas de neisseria gonorrhoeae aisladas en pacientes del Hospital Universitario Dr. Manuel Núñez Tovar Estado Monagas Venezuela / Antimicrobial susceptibility and ß-lactamase production in strains of neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated in patients from the University Hospital Dr. Manuel Núñez Tovar

Con el propósito de determinar los patrones de susceptibilidad antimicrobiana y producción de beta-lactaminasa, se estudiaron 60 pacientes procedentes del área de enfermedades de transmisión sexual del Hospital Universitario "Dr. Manuel Nuñez Tovar", estado Monagas. Se aislaron 35 cepas (58,30 por ciento) de N.gonorrhoeae, las cuales se agruparon de acuerdo a la susceptibilidad antimicrobiana y producción de beta-lactamasa, observándose una elevada tasa de resistencia a la penicilina (94,29 por ciento) y a la tetraciclina (97,14 por ciento). De las 33 cepas de N.gonorrhoeae resistentes a la penicilina, 15 (45,45 por ciento) fueron no productoras de beta-lactamasa. La sensibilidad in vitro de N. gonorrhoeae frente al cefepime, cefoxitin y ceftriaxone fue de 97,14 por ciento, 94,29 por ciento y 80,50 por ciento, respectivamente. Con relación a la susceptibilidad a la ofloxacina, se encontró que el 97,14 por ciento de las cepas de N.gonorrhoeae mostraron sensibilidad a este antimicrobiano