Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Campylobacter spp. Isolated from Broiler Chicken Meat of Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian Origin at Estonian Retail Level and from Patients with Severe Enteric Infections in Estonia.

The resistance patterns of Campylobacter spp. isolated from retail broiler chicken meat originating either from Estonia, Lithuania or Latvia collected in Estonia were determined. Additionally, in collaboration with the laboratories of several Estonian hospitals, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns were determined for Campylobacter isolates from patients with severe Campylobacter enteric infections. The isolates were identified at the species level by the PCR method. Respectively, 88.8% of the isolates were C. jejuni, and 11.2% were C. coli. In total, 126 Campylobacter isolates of broiler chicken meat and human origin were tested for minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) with the broth microdilution VetMIC(TH) method (National Veterinary Institute; Uppsala, Sweden) for a total of six antimicrobials. Resistance to one or more antimicrobials was detected in 62 (63.3%) of Campylobacter broiler chicken meat isolates and in 20 (71.4%) of human-origin isolates. Large proportions of the broiler chicken meat isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin (60.2%). Multidrug resistance (i.e. to three or more unrelated antimicrobials) was detected in five (5.1%) C. jejuni isolates. Among the human isolates, 20 (71.4%) were resistant to fluoroquinolones, and two (7.1%) C. jejuni isolates exhibited multidrug resistance. The chicken meat isolates of Estonian origin were the most susceptible. However, a high proportion of fluoroquinolone-resistant C. jejuni isolates were found in Latvian and Lithuanian products. The results of this study indicate that the problems caused by the inappropriate use of antimicrobials extend beyond the country in which a food originates; therefore, both domestic and international interventions and agreements are required to implement common policies on antimicrobial usage and to minimize the emergence of Campylobacter drug resistance.

Sugar repression in the methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha studied by using hexokinase-negative, glucokinase-negative and double kinase-negative mutants.

Two glucose-phosphorylating enzymes, a hexokinase phosphorylating both glucose and fructose, and a glucose-specific glucokinase were electrophoretically separated in the methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha. Hexokinase-negative, glucokinase-negative and double kinase-negative mutants were isolated in H. polymorpha by using mutagenesis, selection and genetic crosses. Regulation of synthesis of the sugar-repressed alcohol oxidase, catalase and maltase was studied in different hexose kinase mutants. In the wild type and in mutants possessing either hexokinase or glucokinase, glucose repressed the synthesis of maltase, alcohol oxidase and catalase. Glucose repression of alcohol oxidase and catalase was abolished in mutants lacking both glucose-phosphorylating enzymes (i.e. in double kinase-negative mutants). Thus, glucose repression in H. polymorpha cells requires a glucose-phosphorylating enzyme, either hexokinase or glucokinase. The presence of fructose-phosphorylating hexokinase in the cell was specifically needed for fructose repression of alcohol oxidase, catalase and maltase. Hence, glucose or fructose has to be phosphorylated in order to cause repression of the synthesis of these enzymes in H. polymorpha suggesting that sugar repression in this yeast therefore relies on the catalytic activity of hexose kinases.

[Laser acupuncture in the complex treatment of stenocardia]. / Lazeropunktura v kompleksnoi terapii stenokardii.

Acupuncture points were exposed to helium-neon laser beam in 200 anginal patients. This therapeutic modality yielded good results: the number of attacks and nitroglycerin intake reduced, exercise tolerance grew, echocardiographic evidence showed a positive trend, hemodynamics improved, Spilberger's test values changed for the better.