An overview on the current available treatment for COVID-19 and the impact of antibiotic administration during the pandemic

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has caused several problems in healthcare systems around the world, as to date, there is no effective and specific treatment against all forms of COVID-19. Currently, drugs with therapeutic potential are being tested, including antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-malarial, immunotherapy, and antibiotics. Although antibiotics have no direct effect on viral infections, they are often used against secondary bacterial infections, or even as empiric treatment to reduce viral load, infection, and replication of coronaviruses. However, there are many concerns about this therapeutic approach as it may accelerate and/or increase the long-term rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). We focused this overview on exploring candidate drugs for COVID-19 therapy, including antibiotics, considering the lack of specific treatment and that it is unclear whether the widespread use of antibiotics in the treatment of COVID-19 has implications for the emergence and transmission of multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Sistemas de aleitamento artificial para bezerros em condições tropicais / Artificial feeding systems for calves in tropical conditions

Objetivou-se avaliar o desempenho bioeconômico de bezerros, nos primeiros 60 dias de vida, submetidos a três sistemas de aleitamento. Foram utilizados 24 bezerros (Holandês x Guzerá), sendo 12 machos e 12 fêmeas, com peso inicial de 32,25±4,8kg para as fêmeas e 36,92±6,8kg para os machos. Os animais foram distribuídos em delineamento inteiramente ao acaso, em esquema fatorial (3 x 2). Os bezerros receberam água à vontade e seis litros de sucedâneo lácteo por dia, durante 60 dias, em três estratégias diferentes, denominadas sistema de aleitamento (SA30: 3 litros de sucedâneo lácteo, duas vezes ao dia, até 30 dias de idade; SA45: 3 litros de sucedâneo lácteo, duas vezes ao dia, até 45 dias de idade; SA49: 3 litros de sucedâneo lácteo, duas vezes ao dia, até 49 dias de idade). Os sistemas de aleitamento estudados não apresentaram diferença estatística (P>0,05) para o consumo e a digestibilidade de nutrientes, com exceção para o consumo de matéria orgânica (MO) e extrato etéreo (EE). Verificou-se interação (P<0,05) entre o sistema de aleitamento e a classe sexual para os consumos de MO e EE, bem como para o ganho médio diário, em que os machos do SA 49 apresentaram maiores médias em relação ao SA 30. O desempenho bioeconômico de bezerros machos do sistema de aleitamento 49 foi superior e apresentou a melhor relação custo-benefício entre os sistemas estudados.(AU)

The objective of this study was to evaluate the bioeconomic performance of calves in the first 60 days of life submitted to three feeding systems. Twenty-four calves (Dutch x Guzerá) were used, 12 males and 12 females, with initial weight of 32.25±4.8kg for females and 36.92±6.8kg for males. The animals were distributed in a completely randomized design, in a factorial scheme (3 x 2). The calves received water at will and six liters of milk replacer a day for 60 days in three different strategies, called the suckling system (SA-30: 3 liters of milk replacer, twice a day until 30 days of age; SA-45: 3 liters of milk replacer, twice a day until 45 days of age; SA-49: 3 liters of milk replacer, twice daily up to 49 days old). The lactation systems studied did not present statistical difference (P>0.05) for the consumption and digestibility of nutrients, except for organic matter (OM) and ethereal extract (EE). There was an interaction (P<0.05) between the suckling system and sexual class for the OM and EE intakes, as well as for the average daily gain, in which HS 49 males presented higher averages in relation to SA 30. The bioeconomic performance of male calves from the lactation system 49 was superior and presented the best cost-benefit ratio among the systems studied.(AU)

Positive response to imatinib mesylate therapy for childhood chronic myeloid leukemia

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is rare in the pediatric population, accounting for 2-3 percent of childhood leukemia cases, with an annual incidence of one case per million children. The low toxicity profile of imatinib mesylate has led to its approval as a front-line therapy in children for whom interferon treatment has failed or who have relapsed after allogeneic transplantation. We describe the positive responses of 2 children (case 1 - from a 7-year-old male since May 2005; case 2 - from a 5-year-old female since June 2006) with Philadelphia-positive chromosome CML treated with imatinib (300 mg/day, orally) for up to 28 months, as evaluated by morphological, cytogenetic, and molecular approaches. Our patients are alive, are in the chronic phase, and are in continuous morphological complete remission.

Purification, partial characterization and role in lipid transport to developing oocytes of a novel lipophorin from the cowpea weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus

Lipid transport in arthropods is achieved by highly specialized lipoproteins, which resemble those described in vertebrate blood. Here we describe purification and characterization of the lipid-apolipoprotein complex, lipophorin (Lp), from adults and larvae of the cowpea weevil Callosobruchus maculatus. We also describe the Lp-mediated lipid transfer to developing oocytes. Lps were isolated from homogenates of C. maculatus larvae and adults by potassio bromide gradient and characterized with respect to physicochemical properties and lipid content. The weevil Lp (465 kDa) and larval Lp (585 kDa), with hydrated densities of 1.22 and 1.14 g/mL, contained 34 and 56 percent lipids and 9 and 7 percent carbohydrates, respectively. In both Lps, mannose was the predominant monosaccharide detected by paper chromatography. SDS-PAGE revealed two apolipoproteins in each Lp with molecular masses of 225 kDa (apolipoprotein-I) and 79 kDa (apolipoprotein-II). The lipids were extracted and analyzed by thin-layer chromatography. The major phospholipids found were phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine in adult Lp, and phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and sphingomyelin in larval Lp. Hydrocarbons, fatty acids and triacylglycerol were the major neutral lipids found in both Lps. Lps labeled in the protein moiety with radioactive iodine (125I-iodine) or in the lipid moiety with fluorescent lipids revealed direct evidence of endocytic uptake of Lps in live oocytes of C. maculatus.

Molecular characterization of van genes found in vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp. isolated from Hospital das Clínicas, FMUSP, Säo Paulo, Brazil

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci strains (VRE) is an important pathogen related with hospital infections in many countries, presenting limited or no therapeutic options for treating serious infections. VRE has presented some different genotypes been VanA and VanB considered to be the most important in hospital environments. In the present study the authors investigated the prevalence of van genes (A, B an C) among clinical isolates of VRE in a five month period at a large tertiary hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The results showed the presence of vanA, but not vanB or vanC in all 43 strains of E. faecalis and five E. faecium studied. The results bring an important issue, due to the possibility of resistance spread of vanA genes, to be monitored and solved by the hospital infection control team and the microbiology and molecular biology laboratories at tertiary Hospitals

Molecular techniques for MRSA typing: current issues and perspectives

Staphylococcus aureus has long been recognised as an important pathogen in human disease. Serious staphylococcal infections can frequently occur in inpatients and may lead to dire consequences, especially as to therapy with antimicrobial agents. The increase in the frequency of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) as the causal agent of nosocomial infection and the possibility of emergence of resistance to vancomycin demands a quick and trustworthy characterization of isolates and identification of clonal spread within hospitals. Enough information must be generated to permit the implementation of appropriate measures for control of infection, so that outbreaks can be contained. Molecular typing techniques reviewed in this manuscript include: plasmid profile analysis, analysis of chromosomal DNA after enzymatic restriction, Southern blotting, pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), techniques involving polymerase chain reaction and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Repetitive DNA Sequence PCR (rep-PCR) may be used for screening due to its practicality, low cost and reproducibility. Because of its high discriminatory power Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) still remains the gold standard for MRSA typing. New techniques with higher reproducibility and discriminatory power, such as Multi-Locus Sequence Typing (MLST), are appearing. These are mostly useful for global epidemiology studies. Molecular typing techniques are invaluable tools for the assessment of putative MRSA outbreaks and so should be extensively used for this purpose

Pneumonias lipoides exogenas na infancia. / Exogenous lipoid pneumonia in infants

Quatro casos de pneumonias lipoides em criancas que aspiraram oleo mineral sao apresentados. Em tres houve iatrogenia. Em todos o diagnostico foi estabelecido associando uma historia de ingestao de oleo com radiografias, mostrando infiltrados difusos que nao involuiram com a terapeutica. Houve confirmacao anatomopatologica em tres casos