Submerged leaves of live indoor foliage plants adsorb H1N1 influenza virus from suspension.

Control of hazardous indoor particles using plants has attracted interest due to the increasing worldwide air pollution and spread of pandemic-causing viruses. However, the interaction between human pathogenic viruses (HPVs) and live plants has not been examined largely due to issues in detecting tiny amounts of infectious viruses in a carrier (such as an aerosol) and the lack of suitable examination methods. In this study, as a novel evaluation method, the effect of submerged leaves of live plants on HPVs in water was examined, using the H1N1 influenza virus as a model. Selected plant foliage of a live plant was immersed in a small bag containing HPV water suspension. In an initial screening test, the activities of 20 different plant species on the virus suspension were evaluated using a rapid virus detection kit. Ten plant species had the capability to decrease virus concentrations in the water suspension within 72 h. Among the experimental plant species, Epipremnum aureum showed the highest virus decreasing characteristics when examined using both the kit and quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction. The capacity of immersed leaf of live E. aureum to decrease viral content was enhanced when the plant-containing pot was electrically grounded to the earth (approximately 70% decrease in virus concentration). The foliage sample analysis showed that virus adsorption to the plant foliage surface could be the major reason for the decrease in the suspension. These results suggest that the proposed method can be applied to select plants to further investigate plant-HPV interactions.

[A case of pseudomenbranous colitis after paclitaxel and carboplatin chemotherapy].

Antibiotics-associated pseudomembranous colitis is well documented and caused by abnormal overgrowth of toxin producing Clostridium difficile colonizing the large bowel of patients undergoing antibiotic therapy. Administration of chemotherapeutic agents is frequently complicated by diarrhea and enterocolitis. However, pseudomembranous colitis related to chemotherapeutic agent usage is very rare. We experienced a 67 old-years male patient diagnosed of non-small cell lung carcinoma who complained of watery diarrhea and abdominal pain after treated with paclitaxel and carboplatin. Sigmoidoscopic examination revealed diffusely scattered, whitish to yellowish pseudomembrane with background edematous hyperemic mucosa from sigmoid colon to rectum. Histopathologic findings were consistent with pseudomembranous colitis as typical volcano-like exudate. The symptoms improved after stopping chemotherapy and treatment with metronidazole. In patients with persistent diarrhea and abdominal pain after receiving chemotherapy agents, although rare, pseudomembranous colitis should be considered as a differential diagnosis.