Antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of Laurus nobilis L. essential oil against Staphylococcus aureus strains associated with oral infections.

BACKGROUND: Laurus nobilis L. is an aromatic herb with relevant medicinal properties due to its important chemical composition and its potential therapeutic effects. In this study, we investigate the chemical composition, the antibacterial and the antibiofilms activities of Tunisian L. nobilis L. essential oils against clinical Staphylococcus aureus strains. METHODS: The chemical composition of L. nobilis L. essential oils was analysed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The antibacterial activity of L. nobilis L. essential oils was evaluated in vitro against oral S. aureus (n=21) strains using broth microdilution method. The antibiofilm activity was assessed via Crystal Violet staining and MTT assays. RESULTS: Our results revealed that GC-MS assay exhibited 1.8-Cineole, methyl eugenol and α-terpinyl acetate as the major compounds in the essential oils. Moreover, the essential oil from Sousse exhibited the best bactericidal activity (MICs values ranged from 3.91 to 15.62mgm-1). Furthermore, this oil showed a strong biofilm inhibition effect above 70%, from a low sub-inhibitory concentration (1/16×MIC). MTT assay revealed that both essential oils displayed an excellent antibiofilm activity with eradication percentages ranging from 79.6±2.27 to 95.2±0.56. CONCLUSION: Our finding demonstrated that L. nobilis L. essential oils are able to inhibit oral S. aureus strains with important antibiofilm efficacy. It could have a promising role in the prevention of oral diseases.

[Retroperitoneal laparoscopy for the management of lumbar ureter stones]. / L'approche lomboscopique dans le traitement des calculs urétéraux lombaires.

INTRODUCTION: Retroperitoneal laparoscopy is a recent alternative to conventional surgical treatment of ureterolithiasis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the place of retroperitoneal laparoscopic ureterolithotomy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The authors report 50 cases of retroperitoneal laparoscopy for lumbar ureter stones performed in 49 patients between January 2001 and December 2006. The indications were a very large (>15 mm) obstructive stone in the lumbar ureter in 88% of cases, failure of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) in 6% of cases and refusal of ESWL in 6% of cases. RESULTS: The mean stone diameter was 17 mm (range: 10-35 mm). The stone was removed by retroperitoneal laparoscopy in 46 out of 50 cases (92%). The mean operating time was 97 min. (range: 35-170 min.). The surgical conversion rate was 8%. Ten patients (20%) developed a urinary fistula requiring secondary drainage by double J ureteric stent. The mean hospital stay was 6.8 days. No cases of ureteric stenosis or kidney destruction was observed with a mean follow-up of 32 months. CONCLUSION: Retroperitoneal laparoscopic lumbar ureterolithotomy is a safe, effective and minimally invasive technique which could constitute an alternative to open ureterolithotomy in the majority of its current indications.

Management of penile fractures complicated by urethral rupture.

The combination of lesions of the penile urethra and the corpus cavernosum is rare and likely to go unremarked. It worsens the immediate and long-term prognosis and poses a problem of management. Among 312 cases of penile fracture, we performed a retrospective study of a series of 10-case of traumatic corpora cavernosa rupture complicated with urethral rupture, treated in the department of Urology at 'Charles Nicolle' Hospital in Tunis. The median patients' age was 30 years. The most common mechanism was manipulation of an erect penis, found in six cases. Urethral rupture was suspected in all patients given the presence of bloody urethral discharge. No preoperative radiographic investigations were necessary. All patients underwent immediate surgical exploration. The urethral injury was always partial and localized at the level of the corpora tear. Surgical repair of both urethral and corpora tear was done in all patients. The follow up was uneventful. Urethrography at the removal of the transurethral catheter did not visualize contrast extravasation in any patient. No urethral stricture or erectile complaints were noted within a 36-month mean follow-up. Urethral rupture must be suspected in any case of penile fracture presenting with bloody urethral discharge. Standard treatment is immediate surgical repair.

Cystic nephroma in the adult: pathological aspects and therapeutic implications.

Cystic nephroma is a benign renal neoplasm. Since its initial description, there has been much debate regarding its origin. Preoperative diagnosis of Cystic nephroma is difficult to achieve. The differential diagnoses of Cystic nephroma are recently described mixed epithelial and stromal tumours of the kidney and cystic renal cell carcinoma. The Authors report three cases of Cystic nephroma and illustrate the clinical, radiological and histological features of this renal neoplasm.

Contribution to carrier detection and genetic counselling in X linked retinoschisis.

X linked retinoschisis (RS) is a vitreoretinal disease resulting from microcystic degeneration of the macula associated with peripheral lesions. The disease gene has already been assigned to the distal short arm of the X chromosome (Xp22.2) by linkage studies. In order to contribute both to a better localisation of the RS locus and to genetic counselling in RS families, we have carried out a clinical and genetic analysis in seven pedigrees. We show, first, that in contrast with previous reports, heterozygote carriers frequently express the disease, and display peripheral retinal alterations similar to those found in affected males. Second, while distal markers DXS16, DXS207, and DXS43 are closely linked to the disease locus, a high level of recombination events was found with centromeric markers, namely DXS274, DXS41, and DXS164. These findings must be taken into account for both carrier detection and prenatal diagnosis in X linked RS.