Antiadipogenic effects of a standardized quassinoids-enriched fraction and eurycomanone from Eurycoma longifolia.

Bioactive compounds of Eurycoma longifolia (EL) jack were previously shown to reduce omentum fat mass and oestradiol-induced fatty uterine adhesion in rats. However, the exact role of EL on adipogenesis remains unknown. This study sought to investigate the effects of an EL standardized quassinoids-enriched fraction (SQEL) and the pure compound, eurycomanone, on adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cells. 3T3-L1 cells were induced to differentiate and treated for 8 days. The treatment reduced intracellular accumulation of lipid droplets and triglycerides in the differentiating adipocytes and induced lipolysis in matured adipocytes. The expressions of adipogenic transcription factors and markers were also significantly downregulated during the early stage of differentiation. Furthermore, SQEL also suppressed body weight gain, decreased epididymal and perirenal fat pad mass and size, and reduced the accumulation of fat in the livers of C57BL/6J mice fed with normal or high-fat diet that were concurrently given 5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg (i.p) of SQEL for 12 weeks. SQEL also improved glucose intolerance and decreased the elevated total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in these mice groups. These findings suggest that SQEL could be explored as an alternative pharmacologic agent inhibiting adipogenesis for the prevention of obesity.

Decolorization of textile indigo dye by ligninolytic fungi.

The indigo dye is extensively used by textile industries and is considered a recalcitrant substance, which causes environmental concern. Chemical products used on textile processing, which affect the environment through effluents, can be voluminous, colored and varied. Vat textile dyes, like indigo, are often used and dye mainly cellulosic fibers of cotton. Decolorization of this dye in liquid medium was tested with ligninolytic basidiomycete fungi from Brazil. Decolorization started in a few hours and after 4 days the removal of dye by Phellinus gilvus culture was in 100%, by Pleurotus sajor-caju 94%, by Pycnoporus sanguineus 91% and by Phanerochaete chrysosporium 75%. No color decrease was observed in a sterile control. Thin layer chromatography of fungi culture extracts revealed only one unknown metabolite of Rf=0.60, as a result of dye degradation.

Economic evaluation of linezolid, flucloxacillin and vancomycin in the empirical treatment of cellulitis in UK hospitals: a decision analytical model.

Standard antibiotic treatment of infections has become more difficult and costly due to treatment failure associated with the rise in bacterial resistance. New antibiotics that can overcome such resistant pathogens have the potential for great clinical and economic impact. Linezolid is a new antibiotic that is effective in the treatment of both antibiotic-susceptible and antibiotic-resistant Gram-positive bacterial infections, including those resistant to other available antibiotics. This breadth of activity is unique in existing antibiotics for Gram-positive bacteria and serves as the rationale for exploring the hypothesis that linezolid is an appropriate choice when considering empirical treatment of cellulitis in complicated or compromised patients in the nosocomial setting. A decision-modelling approach was used to compare the predicted first-line treatment efficacy and direct medical costs of linezolid with standard treatment of cellulitis among hospitalized patients. For the purposes of this analysis, standard care is defined along two main pathways: (1) initiating care with intravenous (iv) flucloxacillin, switching to vancomycin if the pathogen is found to be resistant to flucloxacillin, or maintaining flucloxacillin if the pathogen is found susceptible, or when culture and sensitivity analysis is inconclusive; or (2) initiating care with vancomycin, switching to iv flucloxacillin if the pathogen is found susceptible to flucloxacillin, maintaining vancomycin if the infection is found resistant, or when culture and sensitivity are inconclusive. For those patients taking iv flucloxacillin, a switch to oral flucloxacillin was allowed when clinically appropriate. We hypothesized that the cost of care of initiating treatment with linezolid would be less than that for both vancomycin and flucloxacillin in resistance risk ranges typically encountered in UK hospitals. In addition, while the registration trials showed equivalence of linezolid with the comparators in known or suspected methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and in known or suspected methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) (vancomycin and oxacillin) respectively, we hypothesized that first-line success rates would be higher in empiric treatment with linezolid. Efficacy data were obtained from recent clinical trials with linezolid and standard treatment, and medical resource utilization was obtained from an expert panel of clinicians who were questioned regarding resistant and susceptible infections separately. UK hospital direct medical costs of treatment were determined using standard costing techniques. Base case analyses assumed a residual 80% unknown pathogen rate after culture and susceptibility based on a physician survey and supported in the literature. The analysis in this model predicts that initiating empirical treatment of cellulitis with linezolid will (1) result in higher overall success rates than flucloxacillin for first-line treatment, regardless of resistance risk and (2) be less costly than initiating treatment with flucloxacillin when the likelihood of a patient being infected by a resistant pathogen is greater than 24.1%. Furthermore, initiating treatment with linezolid is predicted to result in higher overall success rates and be less costly than vancomycin across the entire spectrum of the patients' risk of being infected by a resistant pathogen.

[Immunologic and parasitologic aspects of Biomphalaria tenagophila infected by Schistosoma mansoni and other Digenea]. / Aspectos imunológicos e parasitológicos em Biomphalaria tenagophila infectadas por Schistosoma mansoni e outros Digenea.

The behavior of Biomphalaria tenagophila amoebocytes was studied in infections produced by Schistosoma mansoni and other Digenea. The resistance to superinfection was also verified in mixed infections. Data on amoebocyte phagocytic activity, on the number of amoebocytes in hemolymph, and on amoebocyte tissue reactions were obtained and electrophoretic and immunodiffusion examinations of the hemolymph were carried out. It was concluded that the snails infected with Digenea show resistance to superinfection with S. mansoni. Apparently sporocysts are not destroyed by the action of amoebocytes. An increase in amoebocyte phagocytic activity was discovered in infected snails. Immunoelectrophoresis shows quantitative and qualitative differences in the hemolymph of the infected snails.