RESUMO
Background@#Thermal traumas impose a huge burden on healthcare systems. This merits the need for advanced but cost-effective remedies with clinical prospects. In this context, we prepared a regenerative 3D-construct comprising of Cassia angustifolia extract (SM) primed adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) laden amniotic membrane for faster burn wound repair. @*Methods@#ASCs were preconditioned with SM (30 µg/ml for 24 h), and subsequently exposed to in-vitro thermal injury (51 °C,10 min). In-vivo thermal injury was induced by placing pre-heated copper-disc (2 cm diameter) on dorsum of the Wistar rats. ASCs (2.0 × 105) pre-treated with SM (SM-ASCs), cultured on stromal side of amniotic membrane (AM) were transplanted in rat heat-injury model. Non-transplanted heat-injured rats and non-heat-injured rats were kept as controls. @*Results@#The significantly upregulated expression of IGF1, SDF1A, TGFβ1, VEGF, GSS, GSR, IL4, BCL2 genes and downregulation of BAX, IL6, TNFα, and NFkB1 in SM-ASCs in in-vitro and in-vivo settings confirmed its potential in promoting cell-proliferation, migration, angiogenesis, antioxidant, cell-survival, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing activity. Moreover, SM-ASCs induced early wound closure, better architecture, normal epidermal thickness, orderly-arranged collagen fibers, and well-developed skin appendages in healed rat-skin transplanted with AM+SM-ASCs, additionally confirmed by increased expression of structural genes (Krt1, Krt8, Krt19, Desmin, Vimentin, α-Sma) in comparison to untreated-ASCs laden-AM transplanted in heat injured rats. @*Conclusion@#SM priming effectively enabled ASCs to counter thermal injury by significantly enhancing cell survival and reducing inflammation upon transplantation. This study provides bases for development of effective combinational therapies (natural scaffold, medicine, and stem cells) with clinical prospects for treating burn wounds.
RESUMO
Background: The normal vaginal flora contains a variety of microorganisms. Vaginal discharge is a common gynaecologic problem especially among sexually active females. Pathological vaginal discharges are usually due to infection or inflammation of vagina and/or cervix
Objective: To find out the frequency of aerobic gram negative rods in high vaginal swabs and to determine their antimicrobial susceptibility profile
Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in Microbiology laboratory, Pathology Department, SZMC/H, Rahim Yar Khan from 1[st] January, 2012 to 30[th] June, 2012. High vaginal swabs were collected from 100 females visiting antenatal clinics and gynae OPD of Sheikh Zayed Medical College/Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan. Samples were cultured on blood and Mac Conkey agar plates. Plates were incubated aerobically at 35-37°C. All positive cultures were identified by gram staining, cultural characteristics and biochemical reactions. The antimicrobial susceptibility testing of all isolates was done by standard disc diffusion method
Results: Majority of culture positive females were between 25 to 30 years of age. Escherichia coli [72%] was the predominant organism, followed by Klebsiella spp [16%], Enterobacter [6%], Proteus spp [2%], Morganella [2%], Pseudomonas spp [2%]. All these isolates showed good sensitivity towards imepenem and cefoperazone-Sulbactam
Conclusion: In this study, E.coli were the predominant organism, followed by Klebsiella spp. Imepenem and cefoperazone-sulbactam were the most effective antimicrobials against all isolates