[Combination effect of teicoplanin and beta-lactams on MRSA].

In vitro combination effect of teicoplanin and beta-lactams was investigated against 109 MRSA strains isolated from a variety of clinical specimens at the Social Health Insurance Medical Center during the period from January 1994 through February 2000. TEIC + panipenem (PAPM) was revealed by microbroth dilution method-based checkerboard method, to exhibit synergistic effect of min. FIC index < or = 0.5 against all the 109 strains. The combination of TEIC and flomoxef (FMOX) was shown to have synergistic effect on 108 strains (99.1%). The combination of TEIC and cefepime (CFPM) was shown to have synergistic effect on 96 strains (88.1%). The combination of TEIC and cefmetazole (CMZ) was shown to have synergistic effect on all the 109 strains (100%). The mean value of min. FIC indices obtained from each of the combinations was 0.1259 as to TEIC + PAPM, 0.2019 as to TEIC + FMOX, 0.3257 as to TEIC + CFPM and 0.1995 as to TEIC + CMZ, in other words, the combination of TEIC + PAPM showed the lowest value of all the combinations. While MIC80 was 2.0 micrograms/ml when TEIC was used alone, it was < or = 0.06 microgram/ml when used together with PAPM, and 0.13 microgram/ml when used together with FMOX, respectively. While MIC80 was 3.2 micrograms/ml when PAPM was used alone, it was 0.5 microgram/ml when used together with TEIC. Meanwhile, the value for FMOX was changed from > or = 128 micrograms/ml to 4.0 micrograms/ml. When TEIC was used in combination with CFPM, MIC80 was found to be 0.5 microgram/ml. Similar to the case of the concurrent use with FMOX, the value obtained by combination with CMZ was 0.13 microgram/ml. While MIC80 was 128 micrograms/ml when CFPM was used alone, it was 8.0 micrograms/ml when used together with TEIC, whereas the value for CMZ was decreased from 64 micrograms/ml to 2.0 micrograms/ml. In conclusion, TEIC's antibacterial activity was shown to be accentuated by any of the combinations.

Induction of nociceptive responses by intrathecal injection of interleukin-1 in mice.

Intrathecal (i.t.) injection (between lumbar vertebrae 5 and 6) into mice of a markedly low dose of IL-1alpha (3x10(-4) fmol or 5.4 fg in 5 microl per mouse) induced behaviors involving scratching, biting, and licking of non-stimulated hindpaws. The IL-1-induced behaviors appeared within 10 min of the injection of IL-1alpha, peaked at 20-40 min, and had disappeared 60 min after the injection. The IL-1-induced behaviors were similar to the nociceptive responses induced in mice by i.t. injection of substance P (SP) or subcutaneous (s.c.) injection of formalin into the footpad. The IL-1-induced behaviors were suppressed by intraperitoneal morphine, indicating that they are nociceptive responses. The nociceptive responses induced by 3x10(-4) (5.4 fg) of IL-1alpha were almost completely suppressed by co-injection of 0.3 fmol (7.2 pg) of an IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra). An antiserum against substance P, but not an antiserum against somatostatin, suppressed the IL-1-induced nociceptive responses. The nociceptive responses induced by s.c. injection of 2% formalin into the footpad were also inhibited by i.t. injection of 30 pmol (720 ng) of IL-1ra. These results suggest that IL-1 may play a role in hyperalgesia in mice by acting as a factor augmenting pain transmission in the spinal cord at least in part by either directly or indirectly releasing substance P.

Responses to epinephrine in patients with anorexia nervosa.

To examine the sensitivity to epinephrine in patients with anorexia nervosa, 20-60 micrograms/kg body weight/min of epinephrine was infused for 30 min each in 5 patients and 5 controls. The increase in pulse rate and the decrease in diastolic blood pressure were significantly smaller in the patient group. Elevated plasma GH levels in the patients were markedly suppressed by epinephrine infusion. These results indicate the beta-adrenergic function is decreased at least in the cardiovascular system in patients with anorexia nervosa.