Experimental protection of diabetic mice against Lethal P. aeruginosa infection by bacteriophage.

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains has become a global crisis and is vulnerable for the exploration of alternative antibacterial therapies. The present study emphasizes the use of bacteriophage for the treatment of multidrug resistant P. aeruginosa. P. aeruginosa was used to induce septicemia in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic and nondiabetic mice by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of 3 × 10(8) CFU, resulting in a fatal bacteremia within 48 hrs. A single i.p. injection of 3 × 10(9) PFU phage GNCP showed efficient protection in both diabetic (90%) and nondiabetic (100%) bacteremic mice. It was further noted that the protection rate was reduced in diabetic mice when phage GNCP was administered after 4 h and 6 h of lethal bacterial challenge. In contrast, nondiabetic bacteremic mice were rescued even when treatment was delayed up to 20 h after lethal bacterial challenge. Evaluation of results confirmed that a single intraperitoneal injection of the phage dose (3 × 10(9) PFU/mL) was more effective than the multiple doses of imipenem. These results uphold the efficacy of phage therapy against pernicious P. aeruginosa infections, especially in cases of immunocompromised host.

Neuroprotective effects of polyhydroxy pregnane glycoside isolated from Wattakaka volubilis (L.f.) Stapf. after middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion in rats.

Wattakaka volubilis (L.f) (Stapf.) is well known for its rich steroid pregnane contents and this plant is known for its potential use as alternative biological activities. However, little is known about its neuroprotective effect in ischemia-reperfusion (I/R)-induced cerebral injury. Hence, the present study was carried out to investigate the effect of W. volubilis(L.f) (Stapf.) sapogenin glycosides mixture (WVSM) and polyhydroxy pregnane glycoside (PPG) isolated from it on neuroprotection and the potential mechanisms in the rat I/R model induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The rats were pretreated with WVSM (50 mg/kg) and PPG (5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg) (p.o.) once a day for 5 days before MCAO. Neurological deficit score (NDS), rotarod performance, brain water content, 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining and indices of oxidative stress [superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS)] were measured at 24 h after ischemia. The results indicated that pretreatment with WVSM and PPG (10 mg/kg) significantly diminished the volume of infarction and brain water content, and improved NDS. Moreover, WVSM and PPG (10 mg/kg) markedly reversed the level of MDA, NO, NOS and SOD to their normal state in serum or cerebral ischemic section. These findings demonstrate that WVSM and PPG (10 mg/kg) exhibit neuroprotective effect through its anti-oxidative action in MCAO rats.