The effect of Tropaeolum majus L. on bacterial infections and in vitro efficacy on apoptosis and DNA lesions in hyperosmotic stress.

Tropaeolum majus L. (T. majus) or nasturtium is a medicinal plant widespread in the areas with temperate climate, commonly used in culinary and in traditional medicine due to therapeutic properties. In the last few years, various effects of the flowers and leaves of this plant have been studied, but their benefits are not fully known. The aim of the study was to identify the phenolic compounds from T. majus edible flowers in relation with its antioxidant capacity and the antimicrobial activity against different bacteria and Candida albicans. In addition, the impact of natural extract on oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis was analysed on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) exposed to normotonic and hypertonic conditions. The major phenolic acids, identified by HPLC-RP with UV detection, were gallic acid, caffeic acid and p-coumaric and predominant flavonoids were quercetin, epicatechin and luteolin. The both fractions of T. majus were rich sources of polyphenols with marked antioxidant activity, evidenced by TEAC or DPPH methods. The extract exhibited a week antibacterial effect on some strains of streptococcus, without antifungal or antibacterial effect on gram negative bacteria. T. majus extract increased the p53 and Bcl-2 expressions and diminished the DNA lesions indicating the protective and antiapoptotic effects in vitro, on endothelial cells exposed to hyperosmotic stress. These experimental findings suggest that T. majus can exert some protection against bacterial infections and reduce apoptosis and DNA lesions in hypertonic conditions.

Second-generation hexavalent molybdenum oxo-amidinate precursors for atomic layer deposition.

The synthesis of molybdenum oxo-amidinate complexes MoO2(R2AMD)2 [AMD = N,N'-di-R-acetamidinate; R = Cy (2; cyclohexyl) and iPr (3)], and their characterization by 1H, 13C NMR, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis is reported. Quartz-crystal microbalance and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic studies confirm that 3 is an improved ALD precursor versus the R = t-butyl derivative for MoO3 film growth. Complex 3 is accessible in higher yields (80%+), is easier to handle without mass loss, and in conjunction with O3 as the second ALD reagent, yields nitride-free MoO3 films.

Comparison of erythema migrans caused by Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii.

BACKGROUND: We compared epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients with erythema migrans (EM) caused by Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 200 consecutive adult patients with B. afzelii isolated from the skin lesion and 53 consecutive adult patients with EM caused by B. garinii qualified for the present study. RESULTS: Comparison of the two groups revealed several distinctions. Patients with EM caused by B. garinii were older, had their skin lesions more often located on the trunk but less often on extremities, had shorter incubation and faster evolution of EM, more often reported associated local and certain systemic symptoms, had abnormal liver function test results more often and were more frequently seropositive. CONCLUSION: Early localized Lyme borreliosis caused by B. afzelii and B. garinii has distinct epidemiological and clinical characteristics. Clinical features of EM depend upon the genospecies of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato causing the illness.

Isolation of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato from blood of patients with erythema migrans.

BACKGROUND: We assessed the isolation rate of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato from blood in European patients with typical erythema migrans and evaluated the course and outcome of their illness. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Adult patients diagnosed with erythema migrans and from whom borreliae cultured from blood were included in this study. RESULTS: Borreliae were isolated from the blood of 35/2,828 (1.2%) patients, on average 7 days (range 1-47 days) after the appearance of erythema migrans. Only seven (20%) patients reported constitutional symptoms. 24/35 isolates were typed of which 20 were Borrelia afzelii and four were Borrelia garinii. 31 (88.6%) patients were treated with oral antibiotics while four (11.4%) received ceftriaxone iv. The course and outcome of the illness were favorable in all patients. CONCLUSION: In European patients with erythema migrans the yield of blood culturing was low, spirochetemia was often clinically silent and the course and outcome of the illness were favorable; the predominantly isolated strain was B. afzelii.

Has the presence or absence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato as detected by skin culture any influence on the course of erythema migrans?

The aim of this prospective study was to compare epidemiological and clinical data in patients with a positive Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato culture and culture-negative erythema migrans skin lesions. Of the 546 adult patients with erythema migrans seen at our institution in 1997 in whom a skin biopsy was performed and the specimen cultured for the presence of B. burgdorferi sensu lato, 235 (43%) had a positive and 311 (57%) a negative skin culture. More women than men were present in both groups and women were also significantly older than men. Tick bites resulting in culture-positive erythema migrans predominated in May (p = 0.012), while in August and September tick bites with subsequent culture-negative skin lesions were more common (p = 0.018 and 0.011, respectively). Similarly, erythema migrans lesions noticed by our patients in May were significantly more often Borrelia culture positive than negative (p = 0.004), while lesions appearing in October were significantly more often culture negative (p = 0.004). In addition to these seasonal differences, the comparison of the large number of Borrelia skin culture-positive and -negative patients with erythema migrans also revealed differences in several clinical parameters including a larger diameter of skin lesions in the culture-positive group (p = 0.007 at presentation, and p = 0.039 at registration, respectively), a lesser number of multiple skin lesions (7/235 versus 27/311, p = 0.006), and a lower frequency of signs/symptoms (p = 0.039) associated with erythema migrans lesions in culture-positive than in culture-negative patients. We have no plausible explanation for the majority of these rather unexpected findings. Of the 59 patients who, prior to biopsy, had received brief courses of antibiotics known to be effective in the treatment of erythema migrans, 12 (20.3%) were culture positive. As anticipated, the ratio of culture positivity in pretreated patients was significantly lower (p < 0.001) than in those without antecedent antibiotic therapy.

Lyme borreliosis and peripheral facial palsy.

From 1994 to 1996, 114 consecutive patients older than 15 years who presented at the Department of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Centre, Ljubljana, fulfilled the criteria for inclusion into this study on the borrelial aetiology of peripheral facial palsy (PFP). The study was restricted to patients without a conceivable explanation for their PFP, erythema migrans or history of erythema migrans, clinical signs/symptoms of frank meningitis or any other neurological manifestation in addition to PFP. In 22 (19.3%) of these 114 patients borrelial infection was confirmed by one of the following: in 3 (13.6%) by the isolation of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), in 11 (50%) by the presence of intrathecal antibody production, and in 8 (36.4%) by seroconversion to borrelial antigens. Additional 20 (17.5%) patients interpreted as having had a probable borrelial infection, had positive (> or = 1:256) IFA IgM and/or IgG borrelial serum antibody titres, and in 9 (7.9%) patients borderline borrelial antibody titres (1:128) were found (interpreted as a possible infection). In 63 (55.3%) patients the serological tests remained negative. Lymphocytic pleocytosis was found at the first visit in 12/22 (54.5%) patients with confirmed borrelial infection, in 3/20 (15%) with probable infection, in 1/9 (11.1%) with possible infection, and in 10/63 (15.9%) patients with symptoms of unknown aetiology. Patients with confirmed borrelial infection had abnormal CSF findings significantly more often than did patients with symptoms of unknown aetiology (p = 0.0139 for lymphocytic pleocytosis and/or elevated CSF protein levels, and p = 0.0010 for lymphocytic pleocytosis). Local and systemic signs/-symptoms were also more common in patients with confirmed borrelial infection than in those with an symptoms of unknown aetiology (p = 0.0258). In Slovenia which is a highly endemic region for Lyme borreliosis, borrelial infection is a frequent cause of PFP in adult patients. PFP may occur early in the course of LB, prior to measurable antibody response, indicating the need for serologic follow-up. Abnormal CSF results and the presence of additional local and/or systemic symptoms are factors indicating a higher possibility of borrelial aetiology of PFP and should alert physicians to suspect LB.

Comparison of peripheral and central biopsy sites for the isolation of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato from erythema migrans skin lesions.

To compare peripheral and central biopsy sites for the isolation of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato from typical erythema migrans lesions, two biopsy specimens (one from the margin and the other from the center of the lesion) were taken from each of 53 adult patients. Thirty-four (32.1%) of the 106 biopsy specimens and 23 (43.4%) of the 53 patients were culture-positive. Spirochetes were isolated in 19 (35.9%) of the 53 central and 15 (28.3%) of the 53 peripheral biopsies (nonsignificant difference). In 8 cases only the central specimen, in 4 cases only the peripheral specimen, and in 11 cases both specimens were positive. In a comparison of 36 annular and 17 homogeneous lesions, borreliae were isolated from 15 (41.7%) of the former and 8 (47.1%) of the latter. In the annular-lesion biopsies, 11 central and 12 peripheral specimens were culture-positive. In the homogeneous-lesion biopsies, eight central and three peripheral specimens were culture-positive (nonsignificant difference); there were no culture-positive results solely for the margin of homogeneous lesions. This study demonstrates that B. burgdorferi sensu lato may be isolated from the central aspect of erythema migrans lesions as efficiently as from the peripheral aspect.

Treatment of borrelial lymphocytoma.

Treatment results in 65 patients with borrelial lymphocytoma (22 on the ear lobe and 43 on the breast), registered at the Department of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, from January 1986 to March 1995, are presented. When lymphocytoma was the sole manifestation of Lyme borreliosis or associated with erythema migrans only patients were treated orally with doxycycline, phenoxymethylpenicillin or amoxicillin for 14 days, or azithromycin for 5 days (15, 19, six and 12 patients, respectively). When signs and symptoms of disseminated borrelial infection were present (seven patients) or clinically suspected (six patients) patients received ceftriaxone or penicillin G i.v. for 14 days. Lymphocytoma disappeared within a few weeks after the institution of treatment. The speed of regression depended on the duration of lymphocytoma before the institution of therapy. The number of patients was too low and pretreatment characteristics were too heterogeneous to enable a reliable comparison of the efficacy of different antibiotics. It appears that the effectiveness of doxycycline and azithromycin is comparable and that amoxicillin performs well, but some findings may indicate that phenoxymethylpenicillin is less effective than some newer antibiotics. The optimal agent, dosage and duration of therapy for borrelial lymphocytoma have not been determined.