Antibiotic sensitivity patterns in Staphylococcus spp. isolated from goat milk in association with molecular detection of antibiotic resistance genes.

BACKGROUND: Microbes become unresponsive to the drugs used to treat infections due to their ability to acquire antimicrobial resistance. AIMS: The present research aimed to study the patterns of phenotypic and genotypic antimicrobial resistance in Staphylococcus spp. isolated from goat milk. METHODS: A total of 200 milk samples were collected to isolate Staphylococcus spp. from mastitic and healthy goats from Punjab state, India. The isolates were then identified biochemically and molecularly (polymerase chain reaction (PCR)). An antibiotic sensitivity test was conducted using 15 different antibiotics. Molecular detection of antibiotic resistance genes was done using PCR. Chi-square test was done to study the association between genotypic and phenotypic resistance patterns among the isolates. RESULTS: A total of 47 Staphylococcus spp. were isolated of which 33 and 14 isolates were respectively coagulase positive and negative. The isolates phenotypically showed the highest resistance to Penicillin G (P) (91.4%). Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was found 56.25%. Amongst the antibiotic resistance genes, tetK (87.23%) was the most prevalent isolated gene followed by blaZ (85.10%), mecA (48.93%), and tetM (14.89%). Statistical analysis revealed that the genotypic and phenotypic resistance patterns were significantly associated with penicillin and methicillin (MET) resistances. CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus spp., especially MRSA, in goat milk is of concern and needs to be addressed in this area.

Case Report on Sleeve Avulsion of Patella in Young Adult.

INTRODUCTION: Sleeve avulsion of patella is extremely rare, limited almost to children. However, few cases have been reported in adults. Rarity of this fracture makes the diagnosis and choice of treatment difficult. Inability to raise leg remains important clinical sign for quadriceps mechanism insufficiency. In the absence of standard treatment guidelines pullout sutures through patella provides a secure and stable fixation option. Our case remains the first to be reported ever in English literature in a 23-year-old male with a superior pole avulsion patella being treated with Krakow pullout suture. CASE REPORT: A 23-year-old Indian male was admitted with left knee pain and swelling following fall from bike. He had knee pain, swelling, and inability to bear weight. Active straight leg raising was not possible. On X-ray he had small bony sleeve visible near proximal pole of patella. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was done which showed sleeve avulsion of patella at proximal pole. Under spinal anesthesia fracture was exposed through midline approach. Pullout Krakow sutures were taken through quadriceps tendon and fracture fragments using 3 no Polyester suture. Transosseous tunnels were drilled in patella and tied distally. At 4 months patient had no extension lag with full range of movements. At 14 months follow-up patient is asymptomatic and able to run, squat, sit cross legged, and do his day-to-day activities. CONCLUSION: Sleeve avulsion of patella in adults is extremely rare with only few cases reported in literature. MRI is not only useful for diagnosis but also for deciding treatment modality. Krackow technique with Polyester suture through quadriceps tendon incorporating fracture fragment passed through patellar transosseous tunnel provides secure fixation with excellent results. Also avoids any future hardware problems in this subcutaneous bone.

SOCS3-mediated regulation of inflammatory cytokines in PTEN and p53 inactivated triple negative breast cancer model.

Somatic mutations or deletions of TP53 and PTEN in ductal carcinoma in situ lesions have been implicated in progression to invasive ductal carcinomas. A recent molecular and mutational analysis of breast cancers revealed that inactivation of tumor suppressors, p53 and PTEN, are strongly associated with triple negative breast cancer. In addition, these tumor suppressors have important roles in regulating self-renewal in normal and malignant stem cells. To investigate their role in breast carcinogenesis, we knocked down these genes in human mammary cells and in non-transformed MCF10A cells. p53 and PTEN knockdown synergized to activate pro-inflammatory interleukin-6 (IL6)/Stat3/nuclear factor κB signaling. This resulted in generation of highly metastatic epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition-like cancer stem cells resulting in tumors whose gene expression profile mimicked that found in basal/claudin-low molecular subtype within the triple negative breast tumors. Constitutive activation of this loop in transformed cells was dependent on proteolytic degradation of suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) resulting in low levels of this protein in basal/claudin-low cell lines and primary tumors. In non-transformed cells, transient activation of the IL6 inflammatory loop induced SOCS3 expression leading to pathway inactivation. In transformed cells, enforced expression of SOCS3 or interfering with IL6 pathway via IL6R blockade inhibited tumor growth and metastasis in mouse xenograft models. Furthermore, circulating tumor cells were significantly reduced in tumor-bearing animals when treated with anti-IL6R antibodies. These studies uncover important connections between inflammation and carcinogenesis and suggest that blocking pro-inflammatory cytokines may be utilized as an attractive strategy to target triple negative breast tumors, which currently lacks molecularly targeted therapies.

Ischemic tissue repair by autologous bone marrow-derived stem cells: scientific basis and preclinical data.

The success of therapies targeting acute myocardial ischemia and the aging of the population due to improved general medical care has resulted in an increasing population of patients with chronic myocardial ischemia and congestive heart failure who remain symptomatic despite having exhausted the currently available therapeutic options. In this chapter we review the scientific underpinnings of autologous bone marrow-derived cell therapy and the early clinical experience that has fuelled interest in this approach.

Transport of sugars across human placental membranes measured by light scattering.

The goal of this research was to investigate movement of sugars across placental plasma membranes. Changes in vesicle volume produced by solute uptake were measured by light scattering. Analysis, performed by fitting of the light scattering data to exponentials, revealed that for certain sugars such as glucose, a rapid component and a second, slower transport process were present. Measurements in the presence of the glucose transport inhibitor phloretin, comparison with the transport of mannitol and analysis of the concentration dependence of the two transport components were used to demonstrate that these two processes are consistent with protein-mediated and lipid-diffusional transport of glucose. Calculation of glucose flux rates using the time constants which define these processes provided values similar to those determined by radioisotopic methods. Glucose, 2-deoxyglucose and galactose were transported both by carrier-mediated and diffusional processes, while mannitol, fructose, ribose and 2-deoxyribose were transported solely by the latter process and not by a protein carrier. The rate of glucose transport across the syncytiotrophoblast basal membrane was slightly greater than that across the microvillous membrane, in contrast to that predicted previously by immunoblotting. In addition, measurements of hexose transmembrane diffusion showed that microvillous and basal transport rates were similar and lower than previously determined. We conclude that this new technique represents a simple and rapid method for investigating sugar transport across placental membranes.

Diabetes alters the expression and activity of the human placental GLUT1 glucose transporter.

This study was designed to investigate the effects of maternal diabetes on glucose transporter expression and glucose transport activity in the human placenta. Syncytiotrophoblast microvillous and basal membranes were prepared from placental tissue obtained at term from pregestational diabetics (White class B) and gestational diabetics controlled either by diet alone (class A1) or by diet and insulin (class A2). These membranes were used to measure GLUT1 glucose transporter expression and D-glucose transport activity. Diabetic groups showed no differences in placental weights or neonatal birth weights compared to controls, although 8 of 25 diabetic fetuses were macrosomic. Glycemic control in the diabetics at term, as assessed by maternal glycosylated hemoglobin, was within normal limits. Basal membrane GLUT1 density was about 2-fold higher in all diabetic groups compared to that in controls, as measured by immunoblotting, whereas no changes were found for the microvillous membranes. D-Glucose uptake across the basal membrane was increased by 40% in the diabetic groups; no changes were observed for the microvillous membrane. These results demonstrate that diabetes causes an increase in basal membrane GLUT1 expression and activity that persists despite a lack of evidence for current or recent maternal hyperglycemia. This suggests the potential for an extended increase in transplacental glucose flux in the absence of maternal hyperglycemia, which may contribute to fetal macrosomia and the other consequences of diabetic pregnancy.

Micropropagation of nodal explants from adult trees of Cleistanthus collinus.

The micropropagation of adult Cleistanthus collinus was accomplished. The nodal segments from terminal twigs of a 15-year-old tree and basal sprouts of a comparable chronological age were used for initiating shoot bud cultures. Washing explants with sterile mixtures of citric acid (520.5 µM) and PVP 40 (3.75 µM) three to four times controlled the leaching of brown inhibitory substances into the establishment medium. Axillary shoots proliferated best on MS medium containing citric acid (104.1 µM), and PVP 40 (12.5 or 25 µM) supplemented with 0.44 µM BA. The number of new shoots from nodal segments of explants placed on MS medium supplemented with 0.44 µM BA increased when the remaining lengths of nodal segments were transferred to fresh medium after the longer microshoots were harvested. The microshoots derived from basal sprouts rooted best (50%) when treated with 11.4 mM IAA for 2 min, whereas only 40% of the microshoots derived from terminal twigs produced roots after a 2-min exposure to 28.5 mM IAA. The placement of BA-soaked agar cubes on the apex-decapitated shoots controlled shoot-tip necrosis considerably. In general, explants from basal sprouts were more suitable than terminal twig explants for the micropropagation of adult trees of C. collinus.

The role of endolymphatic sac surgery in the management of secondary endolymphatic hydrops associated with perilymphatic fistulas: preliminary observations.

The evidence for the existence of secondary endolymphatic hydrops in patients with perilymphatic fistulas is reviewed and the indications for treatment of such hydrops in patients with fistulas are discussed. The indications for and results of combined fistula repair by middle ear exploration and endolymphatic sac surgery in fifteen patients are presented. The preliminary results in these patients appear encouraging. Patients with recurrent perilymphatic fistulas, or with symptoms of attacks of spinning vertigo after fistula repair, and those who present with severe imbalance with findings of a perilymphatic fistula appear to be candidates for combined fistula and sac surgery.

Relative efficacy of alcohol and propranolol in action tremor.

Thirty-nine patients with a variety of diseases, including essential tremor, Parkinson's Disease, olivopontocerebellar degeneration, ataxia telangiectasia, and cervical cord injury with action tremor, were evaluated for the effect of one ounce of absolute alcohol ingestion. Tremor significantly subsided in 61.9% of E.T.; 46.6% of P.D.; one patient with A.T.; and one patient with C6 lesion. The tremor became worse in one patient with O.P.C.D. Twenty of these patients were treated with propranolol, an average dose of 92 mgm. per day, and re-evaluated three to six months later. All those who improved on alcohol improved on propranolol and the one whose tremor accentuated with alcohol had a similar response to propranolol. It is concluded that the tremorilytic effect of alcohol is neither specific for, nor limited to, essential tremor and is of no value in differentiating various neurological disorders which manifest as action tremor. It is recommended that one ounce of absolute alcohol by mouth be used as an office procedure to predict the response of patients' tremor to propranolol.