Efecto del Lactobacillus casei administrado en el suero de rehidratación oral, en el tratamiento de la enfermedad diarreica aguda / Efficacy of Lactobacillus GG in oral rehidratation solution

El probiótico Lactobacillus GG es efectivo en promover una recuperación rápida de la diarrea aguda infantil producida por rotavirus. Hay poca información, sobre el rol de este agente en el efecto sobre la diarrea producida por otros gérmenes, tampoco hay evidencia de su eficacia administrada en la sal de hidratación oral para pscientes con diarrea de diversas causa. Método: Niños de 1 mes a 3 años de edad con enfermedad diarreica aguda fueron enrolados en una investigación doble ciego. Pacientes fueron randomizados y colocados en al grupo A recibiendo sal de hidratación y placebo, y en el grupo recibiendo, el mismo con el agragado de una preparación viva de Lactobacuillus GG. Luego de la hidratación en las 4 ó 6 horas se les ofreció su dieta habitual. Resultados: enrolamos 97 pacientes 52 del grupo A y 45 del grupo B. Duración de la diarrea luego del enrolamiento fue 7 días para el grupo A y 4 días para el grupo B (p<0.005).Para los niños rotavirus positivos la diarrea duró 6 días para el grupo A y 3 días para el grupo B (p<0.005).La diarrea duró más de 10 días, 5 para el grupo A y 1 para el grupo B. Conclusión: Administrar sal de hidratación oral conteniendo Lactobacillus GG a niños con enfermedad diarreica aguda es segura y resulta en duración menor de esta y tiene menos chance de pasar a curso prolongado. (AU)

Etiology of children's diarrhea in Montevideo, Uruguay: associated pathogens and unusual isolates.

We studied microorganisms associated with infant diarrhea in a group of 256 children admitted to a public pediatric hospital in Montevideo, Uruguay. Diagnostic procedures were updated to optimize detection of potential pathogens, which were found in 63.8% of cases, and to be able to define their characteristics down to molecular or antigenic type. Coinfection with two or more agents was detected in more than one-third of positive studies. Escherichia coli enteric virotypes, especially enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), were shown to be prevalent. Rotavirus, Cryptosporidium, Campylobacter (mainly Campylobacter jejuni), and Shigella flexneri were also often identified. Enterotoxigenic E. coli, Salmonella, and Giardia lamblia were sporadically recognized. Unusual findings included two enteroinvasive E. coli strains, one Shigella dysenteriae 2 isolate, and a non-O:1 Vibrio cholerae culture. EPEC bacteria and S. flexneri (but not Salmonella) showed unusually frequent antimicrobial resistance, especially towards beta-lactam antibiotics, which is the subject of ongoing work.

Experimental infection of Akodon molinae (Rodentia, Cricetidae) with Junín virus.

Experimental infection with the XJ-Clone 3 strain of Junín virus in laboratory bred Akodon molinae, a cricetid rodent inhabiting the borders of endemic Argentine hemorrhagic fever areas, was studied. Suckling animals inoculated intracerebrally proved sensitive and became chronically infected. Sixty percent of the rodents showed neurologic involvement, with mortality reaching 60%. Virus was recovered from the brain at 7, 15, 21, 37, and 57 days postinfection (pi). By immunofluorescence (IF), viral antigens were observed up to 182 days pi in cells of the central nervous system (CNS). Concurrently, immunoglobulin deposits were detected in infected CNS cells from 21 up to 182 days pi. These deposits increased with the progression of the immune response as measured by IF antibodies. The detection of immune complexes in brain cells of apparently healthy animals suggests that neither viral replication nor the development of a humoral immune response are necessary requisites for neurovirulence in this host. Infection of adult rodents by different routes failed to induce disease or mortality and virus could not be recovered from oral swabs, blood, or organs. Our data suggest that Akodon molinae could play a role in nature as an alternative reservoir of Junín virus in addition to the main reservoir, Calomys musculinus.

Comparative study of bezafibrate and fenofibrate in patients with primary hyperlipoproteinaemia.

A study was carried out in 40 patients with primary hyperlipoproteinaemia to compare the efficacy and tolerance of bezafibrate and fenofibrate, combined with a dietary regimen, in reducing lipid levels. Patients were allocated at random to receive treatment for 4 months with either 600 mg bezafibrate or 300 mg fenofibrate per day. Efficacy of treatment was assessed from measurement before and after treatment of the levels of total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides and blood glucose. Tolerance was monitored by monthly clinical examinations and routine investigation of blood chemistry and urinalysis before and after treatment. The results indicated that bezafibrate was a more effective normolipaemic agent than fenofibrate. Whilst both drugs reduced triglyceride levels significantly, only in the bezafibrate group were they decreased to within the risk-free range. Bezafibrate also produced a significant decrease in total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol to near the risk-free level and an increase in HDL-cholesterol. With fenofibrate, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels remained within the range necessitating treatment and HDL-cholesterol showed little if any change. Although there were decreases in alkaline phosphatase and significant decreases in gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase levels in both groups after treatment, there was a tendency for SGPT, SGOT, total bilirubin and direct bilirubin levels to increase after fenofibrate but to decrease after bezafibrate.

Growth and reproduction of two species of Akodon and their hybrids.

Growth and reproduction of Akodon molinae (A.m.), A. dolores (A.d.) (Rodentia: Cricetidae), and their hybrids are described. A.d. showed less fertility under animal room conditions, fewer "successful" matings, similar litter sizes, and an altered sex proportion as compared to A.m.; A.d. ovulatory index is supposed to be higher than mean litter size. X-linked lethal gene(s) and chromosome polymorphisms are possible causes of these variations. Interspecific crosses showed a marked seasonal (summer) tendency in parturitions. Intraspecific matings also produced young during winter. F1 hybrids showed a reversed tendency, while F2 matings returned to the parental pattern. A.d. male X A.m. female and F1 crosses presented larger litter sizes than the other pairings. A.m. exhibited sexual differences in weight after 60 days of age. A.d. and F1 hybrids did not show significant differences in weight of both sexes at any age. A.m. males and females were heavier than A.d. individuals except 12 months after birth. F1 hybrids born to A.m. male were heavier at birth than the A.d. female s interspecific offspring, and may be interpreted as a maternal influence of the A.m. females. Hybrids were heavier than their parents at birth and some of them were also heavier at 21 days, and probably is due to pseudoheterosis. The comparison of body measurements between sexes of both species did not give conclusive results. A.m. females were larger than females of A.d. Males of both species showed similar total lengths; A.m. males had larger body lengths and shorter tails. Body measurements were not related to weight variations. However, differences in weight and measurements between sexes appeared simultaneously at 2-6 months. This probably reflected the attainment of maturity.