Alternative treatment of serious and mild Pasteurella multocida infection in New Zealand White rabbits.

BACKGROUND: Pasteurella multocida causes numerous economically relevant diseases in livestock including rabbits. Immunisation is only variably effective. Prophylactic antibiotics are used in some species but are contra-indicated in rabbits, due to their adverse effects on the rabbit microbiota. There is therefore a substantial need for alternative forms of infection control in rabbits; we investigated the effect of oral ß-glucan on P. multocida infection in this species. RESULTS: Thirthy-five New Zealand White rabbits were randomly divided into five groups of seven animals. Three groups were inoculated with Pasteurella multocida intranasally (in.), a physiologically appropriate challenge which reproduces naturally acquired infection, and received either (1-3), (1-6) ß-glucans or placebo. Four other groups were inoculated both in. and intramuscularly (im.), representing a supra-physiological challenge, and received either (1-3), (1-6) ß-glucans, antibiotic or placebo. ß-glucans given prophylactically were highly effective in protecting against physiological (in.) bacterial challenge. They were less effective in protecting against supra-physiological bacterial challenge (in. and im.), although they extended survival times. This latter finding has practical relevance to breeders as it extends the window in which heavily infected and symptomatic animals can be salvaged with antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, (1-3), (1-6) ß-glucans were highly effective in protecting against a model of naturally acquired P. multocida infection and extended survival times in the supra-physiological model. Enrofloxacin was effective in protecting against supra-physiological infection. We are currently reviewing the use of combined prophylaxis.

Spectroscopic study of explanted opacified hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lenses.

PURPOSE: To report a detailed spectroscopic analysis of explanted hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lenses (IOLs) that were removed because of postoperative opacification of the lens optic. METHODS: Thirteen Hydroview H60M (Bausch & Lomb Surgical) IOLs were explanted from 13 different patients on average 56 months after phacoemulsification and IOL implantation. All patients had decreased visual acuity because of a fine granularity of the optical surface of the IOLs. The surface was investigated by gross, microscopic, histochemical and scanning electron microscopic analysis, and the elemental composition of the opacified IOLs was determined by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF). The spectrograms were compared to three different originally packed and never-implanted hydrophilic acrylic IOLs. RESULTS: Light and scanning electron microscopy of the optical surface of explanted IOLs revealed multiple fine granular deposits varying in size and shape that were positive for alizarin red. XRF confirmed that the explanted IOLs contained not only the previously reported calcium and phosphorous (calcium apatite), chlorine, silicone, sodium, aluminum and magnesium but also iron, sulfur, potassium as well as lesser amounts of iodine, zinc, strontium and yttrium. CONCLUSION: This is the first spectroscopic analysis determining the content of more than 10 elements of explanted and originally packed never-implanted hydrophilic acrylic IOLs. The possible origin of the different elements obtained from the spectrograms and their implications are discussed.

[Kidney neovascularization by the greater omentum after pretreatment with omental angiogenic factor]. / A vese neovascularizatiója a nagycseplesz felhasználásával omentális angiogén faktor elokezeléssel.

BACKGROUND: Several diseases may affect the renal artery and the circulation of the kidney. In these cases alternative blood flow should be secured to preserve renal function. There are experimental methods for this, such as omentonephropexy. In this model the new vessels grow into the kidney from the omentum. METHODS: Thirty mongrel dogs were anaesthetized and operated on. The left kidney was exposed, partially decapsulated, then omental angiogenic factor extractum was placed on the renal surface and the greater omentum was fixed there. After 4 weeks the left renal artery was ligated, and further 4 weeks later the right kidney was removed. Hematology tests were performed, urea, creatinine levels were measured and urine samples were tested after each operations. For statistical analysis Mann-Whitney rank sum and Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used. RESULTS: The survival rate was 20%. Significant elevations were observed in serum creatinine and urea levels after each operation, mostly after the third one and in non-surviving animals. Moderate anaemia was also present. CONCLUSION: The efficacy of the neovascularization presented in this study and the survival rate indicate further investigations are necessary in order to explore the mechanism and the dynamics of the vascularization processes.

Monitoring the antioxidant activity of extracts originated from various Serratula species and isolation of flavonoids from Serratula coronata.

The antioxidant effect of aqueous methanolic herb extracts of Serratula coronata, S. wolffii and S. tinctoria was investigated using both enzyme-dependent and enzyme-independent systems. The extracts displayed concentration-dependent inhibition of lipid peroxidation. Flavonoids and ecdysteroids present in the extracts were evaluated as antioxidant components. The flavonoid-containing fraction of the herb extract of S. coronata was more effective in lipid peroxidation than the ecdysteroid-containing fraction. This paper also reports the isolation of quercetin 3-O-methyl ether, apigenin, luteolin, quercetin, luteolin 4'beta-D-glucoside and quercetin 4'beta-D-glucoside from S. coronata.

LC-SSI-MS techniques as efficient tools for characterization of nonvolatile phenolic compounds of a special Hungarian wine.

The utility of high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry using electrospray (ESI) and sonic spray (SSI) ionization for the characterization of nonvolatile phenolic compounds is tested using the special Hungarian wine Tokaj aszu of 1983 vintage. Besides caffeic-, ferrulic-, chlorogenic-, and 3,4-dimethoxycinnamic acids; 3,4-dimethoxycinnamoyl-, ferruloyl-, and galloyl-glucose; gentisic acid-beta-D-glucoside; theogallin; and resveratrol-3-O-beta-D-glucoside, 26 flavonoids can be identified. It is shown that because of its higher sensitivity, SSI is a more powerful tool for characterization and monitoring of nonvolatile phenolic compounds than ESI.

Structure elucidation and antioxidant activity of (-)-isosilandrin isolated from Silybum marianum L.

A regioisomer of the known flavanolignan (-)-silandrin (3a), named (-)-isosilandrin (8a), was isolated from the fruits of a white-flowered variant of Silybum marianum L. populated in Hungary. Its structure was established both by spectroscopic methods and total synthesis, and its absolute configuration was determined by means of circular dichroism. This compound showed stronger inhibitory activity on the superoxide anion (O2*-) release by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) than (+)-silybin (1a,b).