[Bactericidal activity of colloidal silver against grampositive and gramnegative bacteria].

PubMed

Afonina, I A; Kraeva, L A; Tseneva, G Ia

2010-01-01

It was shown that colloidal silver solution prepared in cooperation with the A. F. Ioffe Physical Technical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, had significant bactericidal activity. Stable bactericidal effect on gramnegative microorganisms was observed after their 2-hour exposition in the solution of colloidal silver at a concentration of 10 ppm. Grampositive capsule-forming microorganisms were less susceptible to the colloidal silver solution: their death was observed after the 4-hour exposition in the solution.

[Bactericidal activity of serum and chemotherapy in sensitive and resistant exciter (author's transl)].

PubMed

Eyer, H; Metz, H; Preac-Mursic, V

1975-11-21

Comparing examinations with Ampicillin sensitive and resistant bacteria-strains show that the bactericidal activity of serum is dependent on the bacteria-strains, on the Ampicillin sensitivity of the particular exciter and on the number of bacteria/ml (germ count). Bactericide effect could always be obtained with sensitive strains as a result of additional chemotherapy. With several resistant strains a bactericide effect could not be obtained in this case the continuous optimal Ampicillin addition was the decisive factor. Because of the extremely complicated process of the bactericide one should not make general conclusions from the individual experimental results.

The Siderophore Product Ornibactin Is Required for the Bactericidal Activity of Burkholderia contaminans MS14.

PubMed

Deng, Peng; Foxfire, Adam; Xu, Jianhong; Baird, Sonya M; Jia, Jiayuan; Delgado, Keren H; Shin, Ronald; Smith, Leif; Lu, Shi-En

2017-04-15

Burkholderia contaminans MS14 was isolated from soil in Mississippi. When it is cultivated on nutrient broth-yeast extract agar, the colonies exhibit bactericidal activity against a wide range of plant-pathogenic bacteria. A bacteriostatic compound with siderophore activity was successfully purified and was determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to be ornibactin. Isolation of the bactericidal compound has not yet been achieved; therefore, the exact nature of the bactericidal compound is still unknown. During an attempt to isolate the bactericidal compound, an interesting relationship between the production of ornibactin and the bactericidal activity of MS14 was characterized. Transposon mutagenesis resulted in two strains that lost bactericidal activity, with insertional mutations in a nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) gene for ornibactin biosynthesis and a luxR family transcriptional regulatory gene. Coculture of these two mutant strains resulted in restoration of the bactericidal activity. Furthermore, the addition of ornibactin to the NRPS mutant restored the bactericidal phenotype. It has been demonstrated that, in MS14, ornibactin has an alternative function, aside from iron sequestration. Comparison of the ornibactin biosynthesis genes in Burkholderia species shows diversity among the regulatory elements, while the gene products for ornibactin synthesis are conserved. This is an interesting observation, given that ornibactin is thought to have the same defined function within Burkholderia species. Ornibactin is produced by most Burkholderia species, and its role in regulating the production of secondary metabolites should be investigated. IMPORTANCE Identification of the antibacterial product from strain MS14 is not the key feature of this study. We present a series of experiments that demonstrate that ornibactin is directly involved in the bactericidal phenotype of MS14. This observation provides evidence for an alternative function for

Bactericidal activity and post-antibiotic effect of ozenoxacin against Propionibacterium acnes.

PubMed

Kanayama, Shoji; Okamoto, Kazuaki; Ikeda, Fumiaki; Ishii, Ritsuko; Matsumoto, Tatsumi; Hayashi, Naoki; Gotoh, Naomasa

2017-06-01

Ozenoxacin, a novel non-fluorinated topical quinolone, is used for the treatment of acne vulgaris in Japan. We investigated bactericidal activity and post-antibiotic effect (PAE) of ozenoxacin against Propionibacterium acnes, a major causative bacterium of acne vulgaris. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of ozenoxacin against 3 levofloxacin-susceptible strains (MIC of levofloxacin; ≤4 μg/mL) and 3 levofloxacin-resistant strains (MIC of levofloxacin; ≥8 μg/mL) ranged from 0.03 to 0.06 μg/mL and from 0.25 to 0.5 μg/mL, respectively. These MICs of ozenoxacin were almost the same or lower than nadifloxacin and clindamycin. The minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of ozenoxacin against the levofloxacin-susceptible and -resistant strains were from 0.06 to 8 μg/mL and from 0.5 to 4 μg/mL, respectively. These MBCs were lower than those of nadifloxacin and clindamycin. In time-kill assay, ozenoxacin at 1/4, 1 and 4 times the respective MIC against both levofloxacin-susceptible and -resistant strains showed a concentration-dependent bactericidal activity. Ozenoxacin at 4 times the MICs against the levofloxacin-susceptible strains showed more potent and more rapid onset of bactericidal activity compared to nadifloxacin and clindamycin at 4 times the respective MICs. The PAEs of ozenoxacin at 4 times the MICs against the levofloxacin-susceptible strains were from 3.3 to 17.1 h, which were almost the same or longer than nadifloxacin and clindamycin. In contrast, the PAEs were hardly induced by any antimicrobial agents against the levofloxacin-resistant strains. The present findings suggest that ozenoxacin has a potent bactericidal activity against both levofloxacin-susceptible and -resistant P. acnes, and a long-lasting PAE against levofloxacin-susceptible P. acnes. Copyright © 2017 Japanese Society of Chemotherapy and The Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Peptide fragments of a beta-defensin derivative with potent bactericidal activity.

PubMed

Reynolds, Natalie L; De Cecco, Martin; Taylor, Karen; Stanton, Chloe; Kilanowski, Fiona; Kalapothakis, Jason; Seo, Emily; Uhrin, Dusan; Campopiano, Dominic; Govan, John; Macmillan, Derek; Barran, Perdita; Dorin, Julia R

2010-05-01

Beta-defensins are known to be both antimicrobial and able to chemoattract various immune cells. Although the sequences of paralogous genes are not highly conserved, the core defensin structure is retained. Defb14-1C(V) has bactericidal activity similar to that of its parent peptide (murine beta-defensin Defb14) despite all but one of the canonical six cysteines being replaced with alanines. The 23-amino-acid N-terminal half of Defb14-1C(V) is a potent antimicrobial while the C-terminal half is not. Here, we use a library of peptide derivatives to demonstrate that the antimicrobial activity can be localized to a particular region. Overlapping fragments of the N-terminal region were tested for their ability to kill Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. We demonstrate that the most N-terminal fragments (amino acids 1 to 10 and 6 to 17) are potent antimicrobials against Gram-negative bacteria whereas fragments based on sequence more C terminal than amino acid 13 have very poor activity against both Gram-positive and -negative types. We further test a series of N-terminal deletion peptides in both their monomeric and dimeric forms. We find that bactericidal activity is lost against both Gram types as the deletion region increases, with the point at which this occurs varying between bacterial strains. The dimeric form of the peptides is more resistant to the peptide deletions, but this is not due just to increased charge. Our results indicate that the primary sequence, together with structure, is essential in the bactericidal action of this beta-defensin derivative peptide and importantly identifies a short fragment from the peptide that is a potent bactericide.

Effect of tilmicosin on chemotactic, phagocytic, and bactericidal activities of bovine and porcine alveolar macrophages.

PubMed

Brumbaugh, Gordon W; Herman, James D; Clancy, Julianne S; Burden, Kyland I; Barry, Tracie; Simpson, R B; López, Hector Sumano

2002-01-01

To evaluate chemotactic, phagocytic, and bactericidal activities of bovine and porcine alveolar macrophages (AM) exposed to tilmicosin. 12 healthy calves and 12 healthy pigs. Lungs were obtained immediately after euthanasia; AM were collected by means of bronchoalveolar lavage and density gradient centrifugation. Chemotactic activity was evaluated by exposing AM to lipopolysaccharide or macrophage inhibitory peptide during incubation with tilmicosin. Phagocytic activity was evaluated by incubating AM with tilmicosin for 24 hours and then with tilmicosin-resistant Salmonella serotype Typhimurium. Bactericidal activity was evaluated by incubating AM with tilmicosin (0, 10, or 20 microg/ml for bovine AM; 0 or 10 microg/ml or 10 microg/ml but washed free of tilmicosin for porcine AM) and then with Mannheimia haemolytica (bovine AM) or with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae or Pasteurella multocida (porcine AM). Tilmicosin had no significant effects on chemotactic or phagocytic activities of bovine or porcine AM. The time-course of bactericidal activity was best described by polynomial equations. Time to cessation of bacterial growth and area under the time versus bacterial number curve were significantly affected by incubation of AM with tilmicosin. Results show that bactericidal activity of bovine and porcine AM was enhanced by tilmicosin, but not in proportion to the reported ability of AM to concentrate tilmicosin intracellularly. With or without exposure to tilmicosin, the time-course of bactericidal activity of bovine AM against M haemolytica and of porcine AM against A pleuropneumoniae or P multocida was too complex to be reduced to a simple linear equation.

Bactericidal activity against coagulase-negative staphylococci is impaired in infants receiving long-term parenteral nutrition.

PubMed

Okada, Y; Klein, N J; van Saene, H K; Webb, G; Holzel, H; Pierro, A

2000-02-01

To examine the role of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) in predisposing infants to infection caused by coagulase-negative staphylococci. Total parenteral nutrition is an important means of providing essential nutrients to newborn infants. However, its use has been associated with complications, particularly infection caused by coagulase-negative staphylococci. Recent data suggest that TPN may modulate immune function; however, reports directly indicating impaired immunity against coagulase-negative staphylococci during TPN are limited. Study 1 involved 31 infants younger than 4 months who had undergone surgery and were not receiving antibiotics; 20 were receiving TPN and 11 were receiving a normal enteral diet. An in vitro whole blood model was used to measure the host bactericidal activity against coagulase-negative staphylococci. Bacterial killing and phagocytosis were measured after a 45-minute challenge with viable coagulase-negative staphylococci. In study 2, whole blood killing and intracellular killing of coagulase-negative staphylococci were measured in five newborn infants (younger than 2 months) who were receiving long-term TPN (>10 days), five control infants receiving a normal enteral diet, and five healthy adults. In study 1, infants receiving a normal enteral diet showed a high capacity to ingest and kill coagulase-negative staphylococci. In contrast, the blood of infants receiving long-term TPN showed a reduction in coagulase-negative staphylococci phagocytosis and killing. There were significant negative linear correlations between the duration of TPN and killing of coagulase-negative staphylococci and phagocytosis of coagulase-negative staphylococci. In study 2, infants receiving long-term TPN had lower whole blood killing and intracellular killing than infants receiving a normal enteral diet and healthy adult volunteers. These data seem to indicate a neutrophil dysfunction mediated by TPN in infancy. Host defense mechanisms, including phagocytosis

The Integral Method, a new approach to quantify bactericidal activity.

PubMed

Gottardi, Waldemar; Pfleiderer, Jörg; Nagl, Markus

2015-08-01

The bactericidal activity (BA) of antimicrobial agents is generally derived from the results of killing assays. A reliable quantitative characterization and particularly a comparison of these substances, however, are impossible with this information. We here propose a new method that takes into account the course of the complete killing curve for assaying BA and that allows a clear-cut quantitative comparison of antimicrobial agents with only one number. The new Integral Method, based on the reciprocal area below the killing curve, reliably calculates an average BA [log10 CFU/min] and, by implementation of the agent's concentration C, the average specific bactericidal activity SBA=BA/C [log10 CFU/min/mM]. Based on experimental killing data, the pertaining BA and SBA values of exemplary active halogen compounds were established, allowing quantitative assertions. N-chlorotaurine (NCT), chloramine T (CAT), monochloramine (NH2Cl), and iodine (I2) showed extremely diverging SBA values of 0.0020±0.0005, 1.11±0.15, 3.49±0.22, and 291±137log10 CFU/min/mM, respectively, against Staphylococcus aureus. This immediately demonstrates an approximately 550-fold stronger activity of CAT, 1730-fold of NH2Cl, and 150,000-fold of I2 compared to NCT. The inferred quantitative assertions and conclusions prove the new method suitable for characterizing bactericidal activity. Its application comprises the effect of defined agents on various bacteria, the consequence of temperature shifts, the influence of varying drug structure, dose-effect relationships, ranking of isosteric agents, comparison of competing commercial antimicrobial formulations, and the effect of additives. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Peptide Fragments of a β-Defensin Derivative with Potent Bactericidal Activity ▿

PubMed Central

Reynolds, Natalie L.; De Cecco, Martin; Taylor, Karen; Stanton, Chloe; Kilanowski, Fiona; Kalapothakis, Jason; Seo, Emily; Uhrin, Dusan; Campopiano, Dominic; Govan, John; Macmillan, Derek; Barran, Perdita; Dorin, Julia R.

2010-01-01

β-Defensins are known to be both antimicrobial and able to chemoattract various immune cells. Although the sequences of paralogous genes are not highly conserved, the core defensin structure is retained. Defb14-1CV has bactericidal activity similar to that of its parent peptide (murine β-defensin Defb14) despite all but one of the canonical six cysteines being replaced with alanines. The 23-amino-acid N-terminal half of Defb14-1CV is a potent antimicrobial while the C-terminal half is not. Here, we use a library of peptide derivatives to demonstrate that the antimicrobial activity can be localized to a particular region. Overlapping fragments of the N-terminal region were tested for their ability to kill Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. We demonstrate that the most N-terminal fragments (amino acids 1 to 10 and 6 to 17) are potent antimicrobials against Gram-negative bacteria whereas fragments based on sequence more C terminal than amino acid 13 have very poor activity against both Gram-positive and -negative types. We further test a series of N-terminal deletion peptides in both their monomeric and dimeric forms. We find that bactericidal activity is lost against both Gram types as the deletion region increases, with the point at which this occurs varying between bacterial strains. The dimeric form of the peptides is more resistant to the peptide deletions, but this is not due just to increased charge. Our results indicate that the primary sequence, together with structure, is essential in the bactericidal action of this β-defensin derivative peptide and importantly identifies a short fragment from the peptide that is a potent bactericide. PMID:20176896

Understanding bactericidal performance on ambient light activated TiO2-InVO4 nanostructured films.

PubMed

He, Ziming; Xu, Qingchi; Tan, Timothy Thatt Yang

2011-12-01

TiO(2)-InVO(4) nanostructured films were coated onto glass substrates and systematically investigated for their bactericidal activities using Escherichia coli (E. coli) as the model bacterium under ambient light illumination. The uniform TiO(2)-InVO(4) nanostructured films were prepared using titanium isopropoxide (TTIP) as the precursor via a simple sol-gel approach. Polyethylenimine (PEI) was used as a surfactant to ensure uniform dispersion of InVO(4) and a sacrificial pore-inducing agent, generating nanostructured films. Compared to unmodified TiO(2) film, the current TiO(2)-InVO(4) films exhibited enhanced bactericidal activities under ambient light illumination. Bacterial cell "photo-fixation" was demonstrated to be crucial in enhancing the bactericidal activity. A bacterial-nanostructured surface interaction mechanism was proposed for the current ambient-light activated nanostructured film.

The nature of inherent bactericidal activity: insights from the nanotopology of three species of dragonfly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mainwaring, David E.; Nguyen, Song Ha; Webb, Hayden; Jakubov, Timur; Tobin, Mark; Lamb, Robert N.; Wu, Alex H.-F.; Marchant, Richard; Crawford, Russell J.; Ivanova, Elena P.

2016-03-01

While insect wings are widely recognised as multi-functional, recent work showed that this extends to extensive bactericidal activity brought about by cell deformation and lysis on the wing nanotopology. We now quantitatively show that subtle changes to this topography result in substantial changes in bactericidal activity that are able to span an order of magnitude. Notably, the chemical composition of the lipid nanopillars was seen by XPS and synchrotron FTIR microspectroscopy to be similar across these activity differences. Modelling the interaction between bacterial cells and the wing surface lipids of 3 species of dragonflies, that inhabit similar environments, but with distinctly different behavioural repertoires, provided the relationship between surface structure and antibacterial functionality. In doing so, these principal behavioural patterns correlated with the demands for antimicrobial efficiency dictated by differences in their foraging strategies. This work now reveals a new feature in the design elegance of natural multi-functional surfaces as well providing insights into the bactericidal mechanism underlying inherently antimicrobial materials, while suggesting that nanotopology is related to the evolutionary development of a species through the demands of its behavioural repertoire. The underlying relationship between the processes of wetting, adhesion and capillarity of the lipid nanopillars and bactericidal efficiency suggests new prospects for purely mechano-responsive antibacterial surfaces.While insect wings are widely recognised as multi-functional, recent work showed that this extends to extensive bactericidal activity brought about by cell deformation and lysis on the wing nanotopology. We now quantitatively show that subtle changes to this topography result in substantial changes in bactericidal activity that are able to span an order of magnitude. Notably, the chemical composition of the lipid nanopillars was seen by XPS and synchrotron

EFFECT OF INORGANIC CATIONS ON BACTERICIDAL ACTIVITY OF ANIONIC SURFACTANTS

PubMed Central

Voss, J. G.

1963-01-01

Voss, J. G. (Procter & Gamble Co., Cincinnati, Ohio). Effect of inorganic cations on bactericidal activity of anionic surfactants. J. Bacteriol. 86:207–211. 1963.—The bactericidal effectiveness of two alkyl benzene sulfonates and of three other types of anionic surfactants against Staphylococcus aureus is increased in the presence of low concentrations of divalent cations, especially alkaline earths and metals of group IIB of the periodic table. The cations may act by decreasing the negative charge at the cell surface and increasing adsorption of the surfactant anions, leading to damage to the cytoplasmic membrane and death of the cell. Increased adsorption of surfactant is also found with Escherichia coli, but does not lead to death of the cell. PMID:14058942

Bactericidal activity of herbal volatile oil extracts against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii

PubMed Central

Intorasoot, Amornrat; Chornchoem, Piyaorn; Sookkhee, Siriwoot; Intorasoot, Sorasak

2017-01-01

Aim: The aim of the study is to investigate the antibacterial activity of 10 volatile oils extracted from medicinal plants, including galangal (Alpinia galanga Linn.), ginger (Zingiber officinale), plai (Zingiber cassumunar Roxb.), lime (Citrus aurantifolia), kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix DC.), sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum Linn.), tree basil (Ocimum gratissimum), lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus DC.), clove (Syzygium aromaticum), and cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) against four standard strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, and 30 clinical isolates of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii (MDR-A. baumannii). Materials and Methods: Agar diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration, and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were employed for the determination of bactericidal activity of water distilled medicinal plants. Tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) was used as positive control in this study. Results: The results indicated the volatile oil extracted from cinnamon exhibited potent antibacterial activity against the most common human pathogens, S. aureus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and A. baumannii. Most of volatile oil extracts were less effective against non-fermentative bacteria, P. aeruginosa. In addition, volatile oil extracted from cinnamon, clove, and tree basil possessed potent bactericidal activity against MDR-A. baumannii with MBC90 of 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/mL, respectively. Conclusions: The volatile oil extracts would be useful as alternative natural product for the treatment of the most common human pathogens and MDR-A. baumannii infections. PMID:28512603

Bactericidal activity of herbal volatile oil extracts against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

PubMed

Intorasoot, Amornrat; Chornchoem, Piyaorn; Sookkhee, Siriwoot; Intorasoot, Sorasak

2017-01-01

The aim of the study is to investigate the antibacterial activity of 10 volatile oils extracted from medicinal plants, including galangal ( Alpinia galanga Linn.), ginger ( Zingiber officinale ), plai ( Zingiber cassumunar Roxb.), lime ( Citrus aurantifolia ), kaffir lime ( Citrus hystrix DC.), sweet basil ( Ocimum basilicum Linn.), tree basil ( Ocimum gratissimum ), lemongrass ( Cymbopogon citratus DC.), clove ( Syzygium aromaticum ), and cinnamon ( Cinnamomum verum ) against four standard strains of Staphylococcus aureus , Escherichia coli , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Acinetobacter baumannii , and 30 clinical isolates of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii (MDR- A. baumannii ). Agar diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration, and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were employed for the determination of bactericidal activity of water distilled medicinal plants. Tea tree oil ( Melaleuca alternifolia ) was used as positive control in this study. The results indicated the volatile oil extracted from cinnamon exhibited potent antibacterial activity against the most common human pathogens, S. aureus , E. coli , P. aeruginosa , and A. baumannii . Most of volatile oil extracts were less effective against non-fermentative bacteria, P. aeruginosa . In addition, volatile oil extracted from cinnamon, clove, and tree basil possessed potent bactericidal activity against MDR- A. baumannii with MBC 90 of 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/mL, respectively. The volatile oil extracts would be useful as alternative natural product for the treatment of the most common human pathogens and MDR- A. baumannii infections.

Urinary bactericidal activity of single doses (250, 500, 750 and 1000 mg) of levofloxacin against fluoroquinolone-resistant strains of Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Stein, Gary E; Schooley, Sharon L; Nicolau, David P

2008-10-01

Increasing resistance to fluoroquinolones in uropathogens has become a clinical concern. The purpose of this study was to analyse the urinary bactericidal activity (UBA) of levofloxacin against fluoroquinolone-resistant strains of Escherichia coli. Ten healthy adult subjects (aged 23-60 years) received single doses of levofloxacin (250, 500, 750 and 1000 mg) and then blood and urine samples were collected in intervals (0-1.5, 1.5-4, 4-8, 8-12 and 12-24h) over 24h. Both serum and urine concentrations were measured by a validated high-performance liquid chromatography assay. Bactericidal titres in urine were determined against E. coli isolates with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 0.125, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64microg/mL for levofloxacin. The mean serum pharmacokinetic parameters for these doses of levofloxacin were similar to previously published values. The mean peak urinary concentrations (0-1.5h) were 210, 347, 620 and 536microg/mL for the 250, 500, 750 and 1000 mg dose, respectively. Each dose of levofloxacin exhibited early (0-1.5h time period) bactericidal activity in urine in virtually all subjects against E. coli strains with MICsbactericidal activity in 9/10 subjects against E. coli isolates with MICs up to 32microg/mL. In summary, this ex vivo investigation found that high-dose levofloxacin can produce early and prolonged UBA against fluoroquinolone-resistant strains of E. coli. Patient outcome studies are needed to determine whether these findings translate into clinical cures.

Structural effect of quaternary ammonium chitin derivatives on their bactericidal activity and specificity.

PubMed

Morkaew, Tirut; Pinyakong, Onruthai; Tachaboonyakiat, Wanpen

2017-08-01

The effect of the quaternary ammonium chitin structure on the bactericidal activity and specificity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was investigated. Quaternary ammonium chitins were synthesized by the separate acylation of chitin (CT) with carboxymethyl trimethylammonium chloride (CMA), 3-carboxypropyl trimethylammonium chloride (CPA) and N-dodecyl-N,N-(dimethylammonio)butyrate (DDMAB). The successful acylation was confirmed by newly formed ester linkage. All three derivatives had a higher surface charge than chitin due to the additional positively charged quaternary ammonium groups. The N-short alkyl substituent (methyl) of CTCMA and CTCPA increased the hydrophilicity whilst the N-long alkyl substituent (dodecyl) of CTDDMAB increased the hydrophobicity compared to chitin. Chitin did not exhibit any bactericidal activity, while CTCMA and CTCPA completely killed E. coli and S. aureus in 30 and 60min, respectively, and CTDDMAB completely killed S. aureus in 10min but did not kill E. coli after a 2-h exposure. Therefore, the N-short alkyl substituent was more effective for killing E. coli and the N-long alkyl substituent conferred specific bactericidal activity against S. aureus. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An investigation of the bactericidal activity of chlorhexidine digluconateagainst multidrug-resistant hospital isolates.

PubMed

Ekizoğlu, Melike; Sağiroğlu, Meral; Kiliç, Ekrem; Hasçelik, Ayşe Gülşen

2016-04-19

Hospital infections are among the most prominent medical problems around the world. Using proper biocides in an appropriate way is critically important in overcoming this problem. Several reports have suggested that microorganisms may develop resistance or reduce their susceptibility to biocides, similar to the case with antibiotics. In this study we aimed to determine the antimicrobial activity of chlorhexidine digluconate against clinical isolates. The susceptibility of 120 hospital isolated strains of 7 bacterial genera against chlorhexidine digluconate was determined by agar dilution test, using minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values and the EN 1040 Basic Bactericidal Activity Test to determine the bactericidal activity. According to MIC values, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia were found to be less susceptible to chlorhexidine digluconate. Quantitative suspension test results showed that 4% chlorhexidine digluconate was effective against antibiotic resistant and susceptible bacteria after 5 min of contact time and can be safely used in our hospital. However, concentrations below 4% chlorhexidine digluconate caused a decrease in bactericidal activity, especially for Staphylococcus aureus and P. aeruginosa. It is crucial to use biocides at appropriate concentrations and to perform surveillance studies to trace resistance or low susceptibility patterns of S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and other hospital isolates.

THE BACTERICIDAL ACTIVITY OF NORMAL GUINEA PIG SERUM AGAINST LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES AND ITS INHIBITION BY A LISTERIAL CELL EXTRACT,

DTIC Science & Technology

Normal guinea pig serum contains bactericidins active against Listeria monocytogenes. The listeriocidal activity of the serum did not increase after...factor. Lysozyme was not implicated in the bactericidal system. It was suggested that the bactericidal activity of guinea pig serum might be due either to

The Effect of Long-Term Storage on the Physiochemical and Bactericidal Properties of Electrochemically Activated Solutions

PubMed Central

Robinson, Gareth; Thorn, Robin; Reynolds, Darren

2013-01-01

Electrochemically activated solutions (ECAS) are generated by electrolysis of NaCl solutions, and demonstrate broad spectrum antimicrobial activity and high environmental compatibility. The biocidal efficacy of ECAS at the point of production is widely reported in the literature, as are its credentials as a “green biocide.” Acidic ECAS are considered most effective as biocides at the point of production and ill suited for extended storage. Acidic ECAS samples were stored at 4 °C and 20 °C in glass and polystyrene containers for 398 days, and tested for free chlorine, pH, ORP and bactericidal activity throughout. ORP and free chlorine (mg/L) in stored ECAS declined over time, declining at the fastest rate when stored at 20 °C in polystyrene and at the slowest rate when stored at 4 °C in glass. Bactericidal efficacy was also affected by storage and ECAS failed to produce a 5 log10 reduction on five occasions when stored at 20 °C. pH remained stable throughout the storage period. This study represents the longest storage evaluation of the physiochemical parameters and bactericidal efficacy of acidic ECAS within the published literature and reveals that acidic ECAS retain useful bactericidal activity for in excess of 12 months, widening potential applications. PMID:23263673

The effect of long-term storage on the physiochemical and bactericidal properties of electrochemically activated solutions.

PubMed

Robinson, Gareth; Thorn, Robin; Reynolds, Darren

2012-12-24

Electrochemically activated solutions (ECAS) are generated by electrolysis of NaCl solutions, and demonstrate broad spectrum antimicrobial activity and high environmental compatibility. The biocidal efficacy of ECAS at the point of production is widely reported in the literature, as are its credentials as a "green biocide." Acidic ECAS are considered most effective as biocides at the point of production and ill suited for extended storage. Acidic ECAS samples were stored at 4 °C and 20 °C in glass and polystyrene containers for 398 days, and tested for free chlorine, pH, ORP and bactericidal activity throughout. ORP and free chlorine (mg/L) in stored ECAS declined over time, declining at the fastest rate when stored at 20 °C in polystyrene and at the slowest rate when stored at 4 °C in glass. Bactericidal efficacy was also affected by storage and ECAS failed to produce a 5 log(10) reduction on five occasions when stored at 20 °C. pH remained stable throughout the storage period. This study represents the longest storage evaluation of the physiochemical parameters and bactericidal efficacy of acidic ECAS within the published literature and reveals that acidic ECAS retain useful bactericidal activity for in excess of 12 months, widening potential applications.

Human Salivary Protein Histatin 5 Has Potent Bactericidal Activity against ESKAPE Pathogens

PubMed Central

Du, Han; Puri, Sumant; McCall, Andrew; Norris, Hannah L.; Russo, Thomas; Edgerton, Mira

2017-01-01

ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumanni, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) pathogens have characteristic multiple-drug resistance and cause an increasing number of nosocomial infections worldwide. Peptide-based therapeutics to treat ESKAPE infections might be an alternative to conventional antibiotics. Histatin 5 (Hst 5) is a salivary cationic histidine-rich peptide produced only in humans and higher primates. It has high antifungal activity against Candida albicans through an energy-dependent, non-lytic process; but its bactericidal effects are less known. We found Hst 5 has bactericidal activity against S. aureus (60–70% killing) and A. baumannii (85–90% killing) in 10 and 100 mM sodium phosphate buffer (NaPB), while killing of >99% of P. aeruginosa, 60–80% E. cloacae and 20–60% of E. faecium was found in 10 mM NaPB. Hst 5 killed 60% of biofilm cells of P. aeruginosa, but had reduced activity against biofilms of S. aureus and A. baumannii. Hst 5 killed 20% of K. pneumonia biofilm cells but not planktonic cells. Binding and uptake studies using FITC-labeled Hst 5 showed E. faecium and E. cloacae killing required Hst 5 internalization and was energy dependent, while bactericidal activity was rapid against P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii suggesting membrane disruption. Hst 5-mediated killing of S. aureus was both non-lytic and energy independent. Additionally, we found that spermidine conjugated Hst 5 (Hst5-Spd) had improved killing activity against E. faecium, E. cloacae, and A. baumannii. Hst 5 or its derivative has antibacterial activity against five out of six ESKAPE pathogens and may be an alternative treatment for these infections. PMID:28261570

Human Salivary Protein Histatin 5 Has Potent Bactericidal Activity against ESKAPE Pathogens.

PubMed

Du, Han; Puri, Sumant; McCall, Andrew; Norris, Hannah L; Russo, Thomas; Edgerton, Mira

2017-01-01

ESKAPE ( Enterococcus faecium , Staphylococcus aureus , Klebsiella pneumoniae , Acinetobacter baumanni , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and Enterobacter species) pathogens have characteristic multiple-drug resistance and cause an increasing number of nosocomial infections worldwide. Peptide-based therapeutics to treat ESKAPE infections might be an alternative to conventional antibiotics. Histatin 5 (Hst 5) is a salivary cationic histidine-rich peptide produced only in humans and higher primates. It has high antifungal activity against Candida albicans through an energy-dependent, non-lytic process; but its bactericidal effects are less known. We found Hst 5 has bactericidal activity against S. aureus (60-70% killing) and A. baumannii (85-90% killing) in 10 and 100 mM sodium phosphate buffer (NaPB), while killing of >99% of P. aeruginosa , 60-80% E. cloacae and 20-60% of E. faecium was found in 10 mM NaPB. Hst 5 killed 60% of biofilm cells of P. aeruginosa , but had reduced activity against biofilms of S. aureus and A. baumannii . Hst 5 killed 20% of K. pneumonia biofilm cells but not planktonic cells. Binding and uptake studies using FITC-labeled Hst 5 showed E. faecium and E. cloacae killing required Hst 5 internalization and was energy dependent, while bactericidal activity was rapid against P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii suggesting membrane disruption. Hst 5-mediated killing of S. aureus was both non-lytic and energy independent. Additionally, we found that spermidine conjugated Hst 5 (Hst5-Spd) had improved killing activity against E. faecium, E. cloacae , and A. baumannii . Hst 5 or its derivative has antibacterial activity against five out of six ESKAPE pathogens and may be an alternative treatment for these infections.

Evaluation of the Bactericidal Activity of Plazomicin and Comparators against Multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.

PubMed

Thwaites, M; Hall, D; Shinabarger, D; Serio, A W; Krause, K M; Marra, A; Pillar, C

2018-06-04

The next-generation aminoglycoside plazomicin, in development for infections due to multi-drug resistant (MDR) Enterobacteriaceae, was evaluated alongside comparators for bactericidal activity in minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) and time-kill (TK) assays against MDR Enterobacteriaceae isolates with characterized aminoglycoside and β-lactam resistance mechanisms. Overall, plazomicin and colistin were the most potent, with plazomicin demonstrating an MBC 50/90 of 0.5/4 μg/mL and sustained 3-log 10 kill against MDR Escherichia coli , Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter spp. Copyright © 2018 Thwaites et al.

Pharmacokinetics and bactericidal activity of cefuroxime axetil.

PubMed Central

Ginsburg, C M; McCracken, G H; Petruska, M; Olson, K

1985-01-01

The pharmacokinetics of cefuroxime axetil were studied in 10 adult volunteers aged 24 to 31 years (mean age, 27), 22 infants and children aged 11 to 68 months (mean age, 33 months), and 11 children aged 7 years, 7 months to 12 years, 3 months (mean age, 11 years, 1 month). Mean peak plasma concentrations of cefuroxime occurred between 90 and 120 min in all study patients and were independent of the fasting or feeding status. The areas under the concentration-time curves were significantly higher in adult volunteers who received cefuroxime axetil with milk than in those who received the drug while fasting or with applesauce. The bioavailability of cefuroxime axetil was significantly enhanced in children by the concomitant ingestion of cefuroxime axetil and infant formula or whole milk. The areas under the concentration-time curves were 25 to 88% higher when cefuroxime axetil and milk were administered simultaneously than when the same dose was given to all fasting patients. The plasma bactericidal activities of cefuroxime against beta-lactamase-positive and -negative strains of Haemophilus influenzae and Staphylococcus aureus at the time of peak plasma concentrations were independent of feeding status and were similar in adults and in children. Against these strains, 52% of the children and 38% of the adults had peak bactericidal levels of 1:8 or greater. PMID:3878129

Cross-over assessment of serum bactericidal activity of moxifloxacin and levofloxacin versus penicillin-susceptible and penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae in healthy volunteers.

PubMed

Hart, Daniel; Weinstein, Melvin P

2007-07-01

We compared the serum bactericidal activity (SBA) of moxifloxacin and levofloxacin against penicillin-susceptible and penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae in 12 healthy volunteers. Each subject received 3 days of oral moxifloxacin 400 mg daily and levofloxacin 750 mg daily, respectively, with a 2- to 4-week washout period between regimens. Blood was drawn at 6 time points after the third dose of each antibiotic. Mean serum bactericidal titers (MSBTRs) for moxifloxacin were 4-fold higher than the mean titers for levofloxacin at each time point. For each drug, MSBTRs at each time point were the same or within one 2-fold dilution when analyzed according to the penicillin susceptibility of the strains or the sex of the subjects. The difference in SBA of the 2 drugs may have implications for the emergence of resistance and clinical outcome.

Relative importance of complement-mediated bactericidal and opsonic activity for protection against meningococcal disease.

PubMed

Granoff, Dan M

2009-06-24

Killing of Neisseria meningitidis can result from complement-mediated serum bactericidal activity (SBA) or opsonophagocytosis (OPA), or a combination of the two mechanisms. While SBA titers > or =1:4 confer protection, recent evidence suggests that this threshold titer may not be required. For example, the incidence of meningococcal disease declines between ages 1 and 4 years without evidence of acquisition of SBA titers > or =1:4. Meningococcal polysaccharide vaccination also elicited OPA and lowered the risk of disease in patients with late complement component deficiencies whose sera did not support SBA. Sera from healthy adults immunized with an outer membrane vesicle vaccine showed OPA killing of N. meningitidis with C6-depleted complement, and whole blood from complement-sufficient non-immunized adults with SBA titers <1:4 also frequently had killing activity. Collectively the data indicate that SBA titers <1:4 and/or vaccine-induced OPA can confer protection against meningococcal disease.

Relative importance of complement-mediated bactericidal and opsonic activity for protection against meningococcal disease

PubMed Central

Granoff, Dan M.

2009-01-01

Killing of Neisseria meningitidis can result from complement-mediated bactericidal activity (SBA) or opsonophagocytosis (OPA), or a combination of the two mechanisms. While SBA titers ≥1:4 confer protection, recent evidence suggests that this threshold titer may not be required. For example, the incidence of meningococcal disease declines between ages 1 and 4 years without evidence of acquisition of SBA titers ≥1:4. Meningococcal polysaccharide vaccination also elicited OPA and lowered the risk of disease in patients with late complement component deficiencies whose sera did not support SBA. Sera from healthy adults immunized with an outer membrane vesicle vaccine showed OPA killing of N. meningitidis with C6-depleted complement, and whole blood from complement-sufficient non-immunized adults with SBA titers <1:4 also frequently had killing activity. Collectively the data indicate that SBA titers <1:4 and/or vaccine-induced OPA can confer protection against meningococcal disease. PMID:19477054

Bactericidal activity of propylene glycol, glycerine, polyethylene glycol 400, and polyethylene glycol 1000 against selected microorganisms

PubMed Central

Nalawade, Triveni Mohan; Bhat, Kishore; Sogi, Suma H. P.

2015-01-01

Aim: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the bactericidal activity of propylene glycol, glycerine, polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400), and polyethylene glycol 1000 (PEG 1000) against selected microorganisms in vitro. Materials and Methods: Five vehicles, namely propylene glycol, glycerine, PEG 400, PEG 1000, and combination of propylene glycol with PEG 400, were tested for their bactericidal activity. The minimum bactericidal concentration was noted against four standard strains of organisms, i.e. Streptococcus mutans American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) 25175, Streptococcus mutans ATCC 12598, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 35550, and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, using broth dilution assay. Successful endodontic therapy depends upon thorough disinfection of root canals. In some refractory cases, routine endodontic therapy is not sufficient, so intracanal medicaments are used for proper disinfection of canals. Intracanal medicaments are dispensed with vehicles which aid in increased diffusion through the dentinal tubules and improve their efficacy. Among the various vehicles used, glycerine is easily available, whereas others like propylene glycol and polyethylene glycol have to be procured from appropriate sources. Also, these vehicles, being viscous, aid in sustained release of the medicaments and improve their handling properties. The most commonly used intracanal medicaments like calcium hydroxide are ineffective on many microorganisms, while most of the other medicaments like MTAD (Mixture of Tetracycline, an Acid, and a Detergent) and Triple Antibiotic Paste (TAP) consist of antibiotics which can lead to development of antibiotic resistance among microorganisms. Thus, in order to use safer and equally effective intracanal medicaments, newer alternatives like chlorhexidine gluconate, ozonized water, etc., are being explored. Similarly, the five vehicles mentioned above are being tested for their antimicrobial activity in this study. Results: All vehicles

Bactericidal activity of propylene glycol, glycerine, polyethylene glycol 400, and polyethylene glycol 1000 against selected microorganisms.

PubMed

Nalawade, Triveni Mohan; Bhat, Kishore; Sogi, Suma H P

2015-01-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the bactericidal activity of propylene glycol, glycerine, polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400), and polyethylene glycol 1000 (PEG 1000) against selected microorganisms in vitro. Five vehicles, namely propylene glycol, glycerine, PEG 400, PEG 1000, and combination of propylene glycol with PEG 400, were tested for their bactericidal activity. The minimum bactericidal concentration was noted against four standard strains of organisms, i.e. Streptococcus mutans American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) 25175, Streptococcus mutans ATCC 12598, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 35550, and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, using broth dilution assay. Successful endodontic therapy depends upon thorough disinfection of root canals. In some refractory cases, routine endodontic therapy is not sufficient, so intracanal medicaments are used for proper disinfection of canals. Intracanal medicaments are dispensed with vehicles which aid in increased diffusion through the dentinal tubules and improve their efficacy. Among the various vehicles used, glycerine is easily available, whereas others like propylene glycol and polyethylene glycol have to be procured from appropriate sources. Also, these vehicles, being viscous, aid in sustained release of the medicaments and improve their handling properties. The most commonly used intracanal medicaments like calcium hydroxide are ineffective on many microorganisms, while most of the other medicaments like MTAD (Mixture of Tetracycline, an Acid, and a Detergent) and Triple Antibiotic Paste (TAP) consist of antibiotics which can lead to development of antibiotic resistance among microorganisms. Thus, in order to use safer and equally effective intracanal medicaments, newer alternatives like chlorhexidine gluconate, ozonized water, etc., are being explored. Similarly, the five vehicles mentioned above are being tested for their antimicrobial activity in this study. All vehicles exhibited bactericidal activity at

Bactericidal Activity of Octenidine to Various Genospecies of Borrelia burgdorferi, Sensu Lato Spirochetes in Vitro and in Vivo.

PubMed

Tylewska-Wierzbanowska, Stanisława; Rogulska, Urszula; Lewandowska, Grażyna; Chmielewski, Tomasz

2017-07-06

The aim of our studies was to invent a reliable method for detection of the bactericidal activity of disinfectants against Borrelia burgdorferi in suspension (in vitro) and in cell line cultures (in vivo). In the suspension method, 0.01% octenidine at 20°C and 35°C was bactericidal to Borrelia afzeli; Borrelia garini, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto after 5 minutes treatment. Increase of the temperature to 35°C speed up the bactericidal effect to 1 minute. The bactericidal action of octenidine towards B. burgdorferi spirochetes growing in fibroblasts was less effective and needed a longer time to kill them than in the suspension.

Bactericidal catechins damage the lipid bilayer.

PubMed

Ikigai, H; Nakae, T; Hara, Y; Shimamura, T

1993-04-08

The mode of antibacterial action of, the green tea (Camellia sinensis) extracts, (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) and (-)-epicatechin (EC) was investigated. Strong bactericidal EGCg caused leakage of 5,6-carboxyfluorescein from phosphatidylcholine liposomes (PC), but EC with very weak bactericidal activity caused little damage to the membrane. Phosphatidylserine and dicetyl phosphate partially protected the membrane from EGCg-mediated damage when reconstituted into the liposome membrane with PC. EGCg, but not EC, caused strong aggregation and NPN-fluorescence quenching of PC-liposomes and these actions were markedly lowered in the presence of negatively charged lipids. These results show that bactericidal catechins primarily act on and damage bacterial membranes. The observation that Gram-negative bacteria are more resistant to bactericidal catechins than Gram-positive bacteria can be explained to some extent by the presence of negatively charged lipopolysaccharide.

Combined roles of human IgG subclass, alternative complement pathway activation, and epitope density in the bactericidal activity of antibodies to meningococcal factor h binding protein.

PubMed

Giuntini, Serena; Reason, Donald C; Granoff, Dan M

2012-01-01

Meningococcal vaccines containing factor H binding protein (fHbp) are in clinical development. fHbp binds human fH, which enables the meningococcus to resist complement-mediated bacteriolysis. Previously, we found that chimeric human IgG1 mouse anti-fHbp monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) had human complement-mediated bactericidal activity only if the MAb inhibited fH binding. Since IgG subclasses differ in their ability to activate complement, we investigated the role of human IgG subclasses on antibody functional activity. We constructed chimeric MAbs in which three different murine fHbp-specific binding domains were each paired with human IgG1, IgG2, or IgG3. Against a wild-type group B isolate, all three IgG3 MAbs, irrespective of their ability to inhibit fH binding, had bactericidal activity that was >5-fold higher than the respective IgG1 MAbs, while the IgG2 MAbs had the least activity. Against a mutant with increased fHbp expression, the anti-fHbp MAbs elicited greater C4b deposition (classical pathway) and greater bactericidal activity than against the wild-type strain, and the IgG1 MAbs had similar or greater activity than the respective IgG3 MAbs. The bactericidal activity against both wild-type and mutant strains also was dependent, in part, on activation of the alternative complement pathway. Thus, at lower epitope density in the wild-type strain, the IgG3 anti-fHbp MAbs had the greatest bactericidal activity. At a higher epitope density in the mutant, the IgG1 MAbs had similar or greater bactericidal activity than the IgG3 MAbs, and the activity was less dependent on the inhibition of fH binding than at a lower epitope density.

In vitro bactericidal activity of enrofloxacin against gyrA mutant and qnr-containing Escherichia coli isolates from animals.

PubMed

Cengiz, M; Sahinturk, P; Sonal, S; Buyukcangaz, E; Sen, A; Arslan, E

2013-05-04

The objective of this work was to investigate the bactericidal activity of enrofloxacin against gyrA mutant and qnr-containing Escherichia coli isolates from animals. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of gyrA mutant and qnr-containing E coli isolates ranged from 1 µg/ml to 32 µg/ml for enrofloxacin. Time-kill experiments were performed using selected E coli isolates. For the time-kill experiments, the colony counts were determined by plating each diluted sample onto plate count agar and an integrated pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamics area measure (log ratio area) was applied to the colony-forming units (cfu) data. In general, enrofloxacin exhibited bactericidal activity against all the gyrA mutant E coli isolates at all concentrations greater than four times the MIC. However, the bactericidal activity of enrofloxacin for all the qnr-containing E coli isolates was less dependent on concentration. The results of the present study indicated that the genetic mechanism of resistance might account for the different bactericidal activities of enrofloxacin observed for the gyrA mutant and the qnr-containing E coli isolates. Therefore, in addition to MIC assays, genetic mechanism-based pharmacodynamic models should be used to provide accurate predictions of the effects of drugs on resistant bacteria.

Selective bactericidal activity of nanopatterned superhydrophobic cicada Psaltoda claripennis wing surfaces.

PubMed

Hasan, Jafar; Webb, Hayden K; Truong, Vi Khanh; Pogodin, Sergey; Baulin, Vladimir A; Watson, Gregory S; Watson, Jolanta A; Crawford, Russell J; Ivanova, Elena P

2013-10-01

The nanopattern on the surface of Clanger cicada (Psaltoda claripennis) wings represents the first example of a new class of biomaterials that can kill bacteria on contact based solely on its physical surface structure. As such, they provide a model for the development of novel functional surfaces that possess an increased resistance to bacterial contamination and infection. Their effectiveness against a wide spectrum of bacteria, however, is yet to be established. Here, the bactericidal properties of the wings were tested against several bacterial species, possessing a range of combinations of morphology and cell wall type. The tested species were primarily pathogens, and included Bacillus subtilis, Branhamella catarrhalis, Escherichia coli, Planococcus maritimus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Staphylococcus aureus. The wings were found to consistently kill Gram-negative cells (i.e., B. catarrhalis, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and P. fluorescens), while Gram-positive cells (B. subtilis, P. maritimus, and S. aureus) remained resistant. The morphology of the cells did not appear to play any role in determining cell susceptibility. The bactericidal activity of the wing was also found to be quite efficient; 6.1 ± 1.5 × 10(6) P. aeruginosa cells in suspension were inactivated per square centimeter of wing surface after 30-min incubation. These findings demonstrate the potential for the development of selective bactericidal surfaces incorporating cicada wing nanopatterns into the design.

Bactericidal activity of partially oxidized nanodiamonds.

PubMed

Wehling, Julia; Dringen, Ralf; Zare, Richard N; Maas, Michael; Rezwan, Kurosch

2014-06-24

Nanodiamonds are a class of carbon-based nanoparticles that are rapidly gaining attention, particularly for biomedical applications, i.e., as drug carriers, for bioimaging, or as implant coatings. Nanodiamonds have generally been considered biocompatible with a broad variety of eukaryotic cells. We show that, depending on their surface composition, nanodiamonds kill Gram-positive and -negative bacteria rapidly and efficiently. We investigated six different types of nanodiamonds exhibiting diverse oxygen-containing surface groups that were created using standard pretreatment methods for forming nanodiamond dispersions. Our experiments suggest that the antibacterial activity of nanodiamond is linked to the presence of partially oxidized and negatively charged surfaces, specifically those containing acid anhydride groups. Furthermore, proteins were found to control the bactericidal properties of nanodiamonds by covering these surface groups, which explains the previously reported biocompatibility of nanodiamonds. Our findings describe the discovery of an exciting property of partially oxidized nanodiamonds as a potent antibacterial agent.

Visible-Light-Induced Bactericidal Activity of a Nitrogen-Doped Titanium Photocatalyst against Human Pathogens

PubMed Central

Wong, Ming-Show; Chu, Wen-Chen; Sun, Der-Shan; Huang, Hsuan-Shun; Chen, Jiann-Hwa; Tsai, Pei-Jane; Lin, Nien-Tsung; Yu, Mei-Shiuan; Hsu, Shang-Feng; Wang, Shih-Lien; Chang, Hsin-Hou

2006-01-01

The antibacterial activity of photocatalytic titanium dioxide (TiO2) substrates is induced primarily by UV light irradiation. Recently, nitrogen- and carbon-doped TiO2 substrates were shown to exhibit photocatalytic activities under visible-light illumination. Their antibacterial activity, however, remains to be quantified. In this study, we demonstrated that nitrogen-doped TiO2 substrates have superior visible-light-induced bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli compared to pure TiO2 and carbon-doped TiO2 substrates. We also found that protein- and light-absorbing contaminants partially reduce the bactericidal activity of nitrogen-doped TiO2 substrates due to their light-shielding effects. In the pathogen-killing experiment, a significantly higher proportion of all tested pathogens, including Shigella flexneri, Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Acinetobacter baumannii, were killed by visible-light-illuminated nitrogen-doped TiO2 substrates than by pure TiO2 substrates. These findings suggest that nitrogen-doped TiO2 has potential application in the development of alternative disinfectants for environmental and medical usages. PMID:16957236

Determination of the bactericidal activity of different calcium hydroxide presentations on a dentin model.

PubMed

Sinan, A; Adou, A J; Rochd, T; Calas, P

2007-03-01

Calcium hydroxide placed as a temporary dressing in the root canal helps sterilize infected canals. Hycal and Roeko calcium hydroxide points are two delayed-action medications containing Ca(OH)2 recommended for root canal treatment. The purpose of this study was to test their bactericidal activity in comparison with that of C-PMCP on Streptococcus sanguins strain NCTC 7823. Artificially infected 4-mm high blocks of dentin obtained from bovine incisors were used as an experimental model (n = 192). After three days of treatment with the two antiseptics, intracanal dentin powder was collected by serial drillings and used to inoculate a culture broth. The turbidity of this broth after 24 hours showed if the bacteria were eliminated or not and was used as criterion of antiseptic efficacy. No bacterial growth was observed in the samples treated with C-PMCP. Hycal had a considerable bactericidal activity with 94% of negative cultures whereas first-generation Roeko points had no activity on the strain of S. sanguis tested.

Powerful Bactericidal Activity of Moxifloxacin in Human Leprosy▿

PubMed Central

Pardillo, Fe Eleanor F.; Burgos, Jasmin; Fajardo, Tranquilino T.; Cruz, Eduardo Dela; Abalos, Rodolfo M.; Paredes, Rose Maria D.; Andaya, Cora Evelyn S.; Gelber, Robert H.

2008-01-01

In a clinical trial of moxifloxacin in eight multibacillary leprosy patients, moxifloxacin proved highly effective. In all trial patients, a single 400-mg dose of moxifloxacin resulted in significant killing (P ≤ 0.006) of Mycobacterium leprae, ranging from 82% to 99%, with a mean of 91%. In all instances, no viable bacilli were detected with an additional 3 weeks of daily therapy, this observed rapid bactericidal activity being matched previously only by rifampin. On moxifloxacin therapy, skin lesions cleared exceedingly rapidly with definite improvement observed consistently after eight doses and progressive resolution continuing for the 56 days of the trial. Side effects, toxicities, and laboratory abnormalities were mild, not requiring discontinuation of therapy. PMID:18573938

Powerful bactericidal activity of moxifloxacin in human leprosy.

PubMed

Pardillo, Fe Eleanor F; Burgos, Jasmin; Fajardo, Tranquilino T; Dela Cruz, Eduardo; Abalos, Rodolfo M; Paredes, Rose Maria D; Andaya, Cora Evelyn S; Gelber, Robert H

2008-09-01

In a clinical trial of moxifloxacin in eight multibacillary leprosy patients, moxifloxacin proved highly effective. In all trial patients, a single 400-mg dose of moxifloxacin resulted in significant killing (P bactericidal activity being matched previously only by rifampin. On moxifloxacin therapy, skin lesions cleared exceedingly rapidly with definite improvement observed consistently after eight doses and progressive resolution continuing for the 56 days of the trial. Side effects, toxicities, and laboratory abnormalities were mild, not requiring discontinuation of therapy.

Bactericidal Dendritic Polycation Cloaked with Stealth Material via Lipase-Sensitive Intersegment Acquires Neutral Surface Charge without Losing Membrane-Disruptive Activity.

PubMed

Xu, Lulu; He, Chen; Hui, Liwei; Xie, Yuntao; Li, Jia-Min; He, Wei-Dong; Yang, Lihua

2015-12-23

Net cationicity of membrane-disruptive antimicrobials is necessary for their activity but may elicit immune attack when administered intravenously. By cloaking a dendritic polycation (G2) with poly(caprolactone-b-ethylene glycol) (PCL-b-PEG), we obtain a nanoparticle antimicrobial, G2-g-(PCL-b-PEG), which exhibits neutral surface charge but kills >99.9% of inoculated bacterial cells at ≤8 μg/mL. The observed activity may be attributed PCL's responsive degradation by bacterial lipase and the consequent exposure of the membrane-disruptive, bactericidal G2 core. Moreover, G2-g-(PCL-b-PEG) exhibits good colloidal stability in the presence of serum and insignificant hemolytic toxicity even at ≥2048 μg/mL. suggesting good blood compatibility required for intravenous administration.

Bactericidal antibiotics induce mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative damage in Mammalian cells.

PubMed

Kalghatgi, Sameer; Spina, Catherine S; Costello, James C; Liesa, Marc; Morones-Ramirez, J Ruben; Slomovic, Shimyn; Molina, Anthony; Shirihai, Orian S; Collins, James J

2013-07-03

Prolonged antibiotic treatment can lead to detrimental side effects in patients, including ototoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and tendinopathy, yet the mechanisms underlying the effects of antibiotics in mammalian systems remain unclear. It has been suggested that bactericidal antibiotics induce the formation of toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) in bacteria. We show that clinically relevant doses of bactericidal antibiotics-quinolones, aminoglycosides, and β-lactams-cause mitochondrial dysfunction and ROS overproduction in mammalian cells. We demonstrate that these bactericidal antibiotic-induced effects lead to oxidative damage to DNA, proteins, and membrane lipids. Mice treated with bactericidal antibiotics exhibited elevated oxidative stress markers in the blood, oxidative tissue damage, and up-regulated expression of key genes involved in antioxidant defense mechanisms, which points to the potential physiological relevance of these antibiotic effects. The deleterious effects of bactericidal antibiotics were alleviated in cell culture and in mice by the administration of the antioxidant N-acetyl-l-cysteine or prevented by preferential use of bacteriostatic antibiotics. This work highlights the role of antibiotics in the production of oxidative tissue damage in mammalian cells and presents strategies to mitigate or prevent the resulting damage, with the goal of improving the safety of antibiotic treatment in people.

Bactericidal activity of self-assembled palmitic and stearic fatty acid crystals on highly ordered pyrolytic graphite.

PubMed

Ivanova, Elena P; Nguyen, Song Ha; Guo, Yachong; Baulin, Vladimir A; Webb, Hayden K; Truong, Vi Khanh; Wandiyanto, Jason V; Garvey, Christopher J; Mahon, Peter J; Mainwaring, David E; Crawford, Russell J

2017-09-01

The wings of insects such as cicadas and dragonflies have been found to possess nanostructure arrays that are assembled from fatty acids. These arrays can physically interact with the bacterial cell membranes, leading to the death of the cell. Such mechanobactericidal surfaces are of significant interest, as they can kill bacteria without the need for antibacterial chemicals. Here, we report on the bactericidal effect of two of the main lipid components of the insect wing epicuticle, palmitic (C16) and stearic (C18) fatty acids. Films of these fatty acids were re-crystallised on the surface of highly ordered pyrolytic graphite. It appeared that the presence of two additional CH 2 groups in the alkyl chain resulted in the formation of different surface structures. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy showed that the palmitic acid microcrystallites were more asymmetric than those of the stearic acid, where the palmitic acid microcrystallites were observed to be an angular abutment in the scanning electron micrographs. The principal differences between the two types of long-chain saturated fatty acid crystallites were the larger density of peaks in the upper contact plane of the palmitic acid crystallites, as well as their greater proportion of asymmetrical shapes, in comparison to that of the stearic acid film. These two parameters might contribute to higher bactericidal activity on surfaces derived from palmitic acid. Both the palmitic and stearic acid crystallite surfaces displayed activity against Gram-negative, rod-shaped Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Gram-positive, spherical Staphylococcus aureus cells. These microcrystallite interfaces might be a useful tool in the fabrication of effective bactericidal nanocoatings. Nanostructured cicada and dragonfly wing surfaces have been discovered to be able physically kill bacterial cells. Here, we report on the successful fabrication of bactericidal three-dimensional structures of two main lipid

Bactericidal active ingredient in cryopreserved plasma-treated water with the reduced-pH method for plasma disinfection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitano, Katsuhisa; Ikawa, Satoshi; Nakashima, Yoichi; Tani, Atsushi; Yokoyama, Takashi; Ohshima, Tomoko

2016-09-01

For the plasma disinfection of human body, plasma sterilization in liquid is crucial. We found that the plasma-treated water (PTW) has strong bactericidal activity under low pH condition. Physicochemical properties of PTW is discussed based on chemical kinetics. Lower temperature brings longer half-life and the bactericidal activity of PTW can be kept by cryopreservation. High performance PTW, corresponding to the disinfection power of 22 log reduction (B. subtilis spore), can be obtained by special plasma system equipped with cooling device. This is equivalent to 65% H2O2, 14% sodium hypochlorite and 0.33% peracetic acid, which are deadly poison for human. But, it is deactivated soon at higher temperature (4 sec. at body temperature), and toxicity to human body seems low. For dental application, PTW was effective on infected models of human extracted tooth. Although PTW has many chemical components, respective chemical components in PTW were isolated by ion chromatography. In addition to peaks of H2O2, NO2- and NO3-, a specific peak was detected. and only this fraction had bactericidal activity. Purified active ingredient of PTW is the precursor of HOO, and further details will be discussed in the presentation. MEXT (15H03583, 23340176, 25108505). NCCE (23-A-15).

Preliminary flight prototype potable water bactericide system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jasionowski, W. J.; Allen, E. T.

1973-01-01

The development, design, and testing of a preliminary flight prototype potable water bactericide system are described. The system is an assembly of upgraded canisters composed of: (1) A biological filter; (2) an activated charcoal and ion exchange resin canister; (3) a silver chloride canister, (4) a deionizer, (5) a silver bromide canister with a partial bypass, and (6) mock-up instrumentation and circuitry. The system exhibited bactericidal activity against 10 to the 9th power Pseudomonas aeruginosa and/or Type IIIa, and reduced Bacillus subtilis by up to 5 orders of magnitude in 24 hours at ambient temperatures with a 1 ppm silver ion dose. Four efficacy tests were performed with a AgBr canister dosing anticipated fuel cell water. Tests show that a 0.05 ppm silver ion dose was bactericidal against 3 plus or minus 1 x 10 to the 9th power (5 plus or minus 1 x 10,000/ml Pseudomonas aeruginosa and/or Type IIIa in 15 minutes or less.

BACTERICIDAL COATINGS ON TEXTILES FOR REMEDIATION OF INTERMICROBE ACTIVITY (BaCTeRIA) SUMMARY REPORT

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-07-07

Activity by Bacillus sp. P11” Food Bioprocess Technol. 4:822- 828. (2011) Levy, S.B and Marshal,l B.; “ Antibacterial resistance worldwide: causes...TEXTILES FOR REMEDIATION OF INTERMICROBE ACTIVITY (BaCTeRIA) SUMMARY REPORT by Tobyn A. Branck Courtney M. Cowell Jennifer M. Rego and...October 2011 – September 2015 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE BACTERICIDAL COATINGS ON TEXTILES FOR REMEDIATION OF INTERMICROBE ACTIVITY (BaCTeRIA) SUMMARY REPORT

PHAGOCYTIN: A BACTERICIDAL SUBSTANCE FROM POLYMORPHONUCLEAR LEUCOCYTES

PubMed Central

Hirsch, James G.

1956-01-01

A technique has been developed for collecting large numbers of polymorphonuclear leucocytes from peritoneal exudates in rabbits. These cells are obtained essentially free from other cell types and from debris. When microphages so procured are disrupted by physical methods and extracted with aqueous salt solutions, the soluble fraction manifests striking bactericidal activity, especially on Gram-negative enteric bacilli. The susceptible microorganisms are not lysed. This bactericidal substance, which has been called phagocytin, appears to be limited in distribution mainly to the polymorphonuclear leucocyte. No phagocytin is present in extracts of rabbit heart, kidney, or skeletal muscle, and rabbit liver and spleen contain much less than do packed leucocytes. Extracts of human and of guinea pig microphages show less bactericidal activity than rabbit cell preparations. Similar extracts of rat and mouse polymorphonuclear leucocytes contain no demonstrable phagocytin. As indicated by its behavior on dialysis, on exposure to proteolytic enzymes, and on salt fractionation, phagocytin appears to be a protein with general properties characteristic of a globulin. It is clearly different from lysozyme and from properdin. Although phagocytin is reasonably stable at temperatures of 65°C. and lower for several hours, solutions of it gradually lose bactericidal activity on standing for prolonged periods at 4°C. This instability, and also the ease with which phagocytin is inactivated, presumably by adsorption, on exposure to a variety of materials, have thus far rendered fruitless efforts to isolate it. PMID:13319580

Synergistic bactericidal activity of chlorhexidine-loaded, silver-decorated mesoporous silica nanoparticles.

PubMed

Lu, Meng-Meng; Wang, Qiu-Jing; Chang, Zhi-Min; Wang, Zheng; Zheng, Xiao; Shao, Dan; Dong, Wen-Fei; Zhou, Yan-Min

2017-01-01

Combination of chlorhexidine (CHX) and silver ions could engender synergistic bactericidal effect and improve the bactericidal efficacy. It is highly desired to develop an efficient carrier for the antiseptics codelivery targeting infection foci with acidic microenvironment. In this work, monodisperse mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN) nanospheres were successfully developed as an ideal carrier for CHX and nanosilver codelivery through a facile and environmentally friendly method. The CHX-loaded, silver-decorated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Ag-MSNs@CHX) exhibited a pH-responsive release manner of CHX and silver ions simultaneously, leading to synergistically antibacterial effect against both gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative Escherichia coli . Moreover, the effective antibacterial concentration of Ag-MSNs@CHX showed less cytotoxicity on normal cells. Given their synergistically bactericidal ability and good biocompatibility, these nanoantiseptics might have effective and broad clinical applications for bacterial infections.

Bactericidal Antibiotics Induce Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Oxidative Damage in Mammalian Cells

PubMed Central

Costello, James C.; Liesa, Marc; Morones-Ramirez, J Ruben; Slomovic, Shimyn; Molina, Anthony; Shirihai, Orian S.; Collins, James J.

2013-01-01

Prolonged antibiotic treatment can lead to detrimental side effects in patients, including ototoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and tendinopathy, yet the mechanisms underlying the effects of antibiotics in mammalian systems remain unclear. It has been suggested that bactericidal antibiotics induce the formation of toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) in bacteria. We show that clinically relevant doses of bactericidal antibiotics—quinolones, aminoglycosides, and β-lactams—cause mitochondrial dysfunction and ROS overproduction in mammalian cells. We demonstrate that these bactericidal antibiotic–induced effects lead to oxidative damage to DNA, proteins, and membrane lipids. Mice treated with bactericidal antibiotics exhibited elevated oxidative stress markers in the blood, oxidative tissue damage, and up-regulated expression of key genes involved in antioxidant defense mechanisms, which points to the potential physiological relevance of these antibiotic effects. The deleterious effects of bactericidal antibiotics were alleviated in cell culture and in mice by the administration of the antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine or prevented by preferential use of bacteriostatic antibiotics. This work highlights the role of antibiotics in the production of oxidative tissue damage in mammalian cells and presents strategies to mitigate or prevent the resulting damage, with the goal of improving the safety of antibiotic treatment in people. PMID:23825301

Phenothiaziniums as putative photobactericidal agents for red blood cell concentrates.

PubMed

Wainwright, M; Phoenix, D A; Smillie, T E; Wareing, D R

2001-10-01

The antibacterial activities of Methylene Blue and several of its congeners were measured against Yersinia enterocolitica, a gram-negative pathogen known to exhibit significant growth at 4 degrees C and thus constituting a threat to red blood cell concentrates which are stored at this temperature. None of the derivatives was highly active in dark conditions, as expected, but on illumination using a lamp emitting light in the waveband 615-645 nm, considerable bactericidal activity was noted using similar photosensitizer concentrations to those used elsewhere to inactivate blood-borne viruses. Two novel compounds in this area, the phenothiazinium New Methylene Blue N and the phenoxazinium Brilliant Cresyl Blue, exhibited bactericidal activity at lower concentrations than both of the established phenothiaziniums, Methylene Blue and Toluidine Blue O and the recently published blood photovirucidal agent 1,9-Dimethyl Methylene Blue. The photoactivity of these compounds was undiminished in the presence of red blood cells.

Comprehensive bactericidal activity of an ethanol-based hand gel in 15 seconds.

PubMed

Kampf, Günter; Hollingsworth, Angela

2008-01-22

Some studies indicate that the commonly recommended 30 s application time for the post contamination treatment of hands may not be necessary as the same effect may be achieved with some formulations in a shorter application time such as 15 s. We evaluated the bactericidal activity of an ethanol-based hand gel (Sterillium Comfort Gel) within 15 s in a time-kill-test against 11 Gram-positive, 16 Gram-negative bacteria and 11 emerging bacterial pathogens. Each strain was evaluated in quadruplicate. The hand gel (85% ethanol, w/w) was found to reduce all 11 Gram-positive and all 16 Gram-negative bacteria by more than 5 log10 steps within 15 s, not only against the ATCC test strains but also against corresponding clinical isolates. In addition, a log10 reduction > 5 was observed against all tested emerging bacterial pathogens. The ethanol-based hand gel was found to have a broad spectrum of bactericidal activity in only 15 s which includes the most common species causing nosocomial infections and the relevant emerging pathogens. Future research will hopefully help to find out if a shorter application time for the post contamination treatment of hands provides more benefits or more risks.

Antibacterial activities of leave extracts as bactericides for soaking of skin or hide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suparno, Ono; Panandita, Tania; Afifah, Amalia; Marimin; Purnawati, Rini

2018-03-01

Antibacteria, a subtance inhibiting the growth of bacteria, can be obtained from tropical-almond (Terminalia catappa), morinda (Morinda citrifolia), and white leadtree (Leucaena leucocephala) plants, since the plants have phytochemical content functioning as antibacterial agent. Commonly, part of plant that contains higher antibacterial substances is its leaf. The objectives of this study were to determine antibacterial activity of tropical-almond, morinda, and white leadtree leaves extracts, and to analyse the potency of the three extracts as natural bactericide for soaking of skin or hide. The responses measured in this study were phytochemical contents, total flavonoid, tannin content, the inhibition zone, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). Phytochemical contents containing the three leaves extracts were alkaloid, flavonoid, tannin, saponin, phenolic, and glycoside. Total flavonoid and tannin contents of the three extracts were tropical-almond extract of 1.14 % and 1.51 %, respectively; morinda extract of 0.61 % and 0.36 %, respectively; and white leadtree extract of 0.60 % and 4.82 %, respectively. White leadtree leaf extract gave the highest inhibition zone against B. subtilis, S. aureus and E. coli, i.e. 1.50, 1.3, and 1.65 cm, respectively; and the lowest MIC and MBC against B. subtilis, S. aureus and E. coli, i.e. 1500, 3000, and 1500 μg/ml, respectively. Therefore, the white leadtree leave extract had more potential as bactericide for soaking of skin or hide compared to those of the tropical-almond and morinda leaves extracts.

Susceptibility of Meningococcal Strains Responsible for Two Serogroup B Outbreaks on U.S. University Campuses to Serum Bactericidal Activity Elicited by the MenB-4C Vaccine.

PubMed

Rossi, Raffaella; Beernink, Peter T; Giuntini, Serena; Granoff, Dan M

2015-12-01

In 2013 and 2014, two U.S. universities had meningococcal serogroup B outbreaks (a total of 14 cases) caused by strains from two different clonal complexes. To control the outbreaks, students were immunized with a serogroup B meningococcal vaccine (Novartis) that was not yet licensed in the United States. The vaccine (referred to as MenB-4C) contains four components capable of eliciting bactericidal activity. Both outbreak strains had high expression levels of two of the vaccine antigens (subfamily B factor H binding protein [FHbp] and neisserial heparin binding antigen [NHba]); the university B outbreak strain also had moderate expression of a third antigen, NadA. We investigated the bactericidal activity of sera from mice immunized with FHbp, NHba, or NadA and sera from MenB-4C-immunized infant macaques and an adult human. The postimmunization bactericidal activity of the macaque or human serum against isolates from university B with FHbp identification (ID) 1 that exactly matched the vaccine FHbp sequence variant was 8- to 21-fold higher than that against isolates from university A with FHbp ID 276 (96% identity to the vaccine antigen). Based on the bactericidal activity of mouse antisera to FHbp, NadA, or NHba and macaque or human postimmunization serum that had been depleted of anti-FHbp antibody, the bactericidal activity against both outbreak strains largely or entirely resulted from antibodies to FHbp. Thus, despite the high level of strain expression of FHbp from a subfamily that matched the vaccine antigen, there can be large differences in anti-FHbp bactericidal activity induced by MenB-4C vaccination. Further, strains with moderate to high NadA and/or NHba expression can be resistant to anti-NadA or anti-NHba bactericidal activity elicited by MenB-4C vaccination. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Plasma contributes to the antimicrobial activity of whole blood against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

PubMed

López-Medrano, Ramiro; Guerra-Laso, José Manuel; López-Fidalgo, Eduardo; Diez-Tascón, Cristina; García-García, Silvia; Blanco-Conde, Sara; Rivero-Lezcano, Octavio Miguel

2016-10-01

The whole blood model for infection has proven useful to analyze the immunological response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, because it exerts a significant antimicrobial activity. Although this activity has been generally assumed to be cellular, we have found that the leukocyte fraction of blood from healthy volunteers did not kill the bacilli. We have discovered that plasma was responsible for a large proportion, but not all, of the antimicrobial activity. Furthermore, infected monocytes controlled the mycobacterial multiplication when cultivated in the presence of plasma. Intriguingly, serum from the same donors did not share this activity, although it was able to eliminate the non-pathogenic Mycobacterium gordonae To identify the remaining components that participate in the antimycobacterial activity we fractionated blood in leukocytes, plasma, erythrocytes and platelets, and analyzed the bactericidal power of each fraction and their combinations using a factorial design. We found that erythrocytes, but not platelets, participated and showed by flow cytometry that mycobacteria physically associated with erythrocytes. We propose that in exposed healthy individuals that show 'early clearance' of the mycobacteria, the innate response is predominantly humoral, probably through the effect of antimicrobial peptides and proteins. © The Author(s) 2016.

Biofilm-forming activity of bacteria isolated from toilet bowl biofilms and the bactericidal activity of disinfectants against the isolates.

PubMed

Mori, Miho; Gomi, Mitsuhiro; Matsumune, Norihiko; Niizeki, Kazuma; Sakagami, Yoshikazu

2013-01-01

To evaluate the sanitary conditions of toilets, the bacterial counts of the toilet bowl biofilms in 5 Kansai area and 11 Kansai and Kanto area homes in Japan were measured in winter and summer seasons, respectively. Isolates (128 strains) were identified by analyzing 16S ribosomal RNA sequences. The number of colonies and bacterial species from biofilms sampled in winter tended to be higher and lower, respectively, than those in summer. Moreover, the composition of bacterial communities in summer and winter samples differed considerably. In summer samples, biofilms in Kansai and Kanto areas were dominated by Blastomonas sp. and Mycobacterium sp., respectively. Methylobacterium sp. was detected in all toilet bowl biofilms except for one sample. Methylobacterium sp. constituted the major presence in biofilms along with Brevundimonas sp., Sphingomonas sp., and/or Pseudomonas sp. The composition ratio of the sum of their genera was 88.0 from 42.9% of the total bacterial flora. The biofilm formation abilities of 128 isolates were investigated, and results suggested that Methylobacterium sp. and Sphingomonas sp. were involved in biofilm formation in toilet bowls. The biofilm formation of a mixed bacteria system that included bacteria with the highest biofilm-forming ability in a winter sample was greater than mixture without such bacteria. This result suggests that isolates possessing a high biofilm-forming activity are involved in the biofilm formation in the actual toilet bowl. A bactericidal test against 25 strains indicated that the bactericidal activities of didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC) tended to be higher than those of polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) and N-benzyl-N,N-dimethyldodecylammonium chloride (ADBAC). In particular, DDAC showed high bactericidal activity against approximately 90% of tested strains under the 5 h treatment.

Antagonism between Bacteriostatic and Bactericidal Antibiotics Is Prevalent

PubMed Central

Lázár, Viktória; Papp, Balázs; Arnoldini, Markus; Abel zur Wiesch, Pia; Busa-Fekete, Róbert; Fekete, Gergely; Pál, Csaba; Ackermann, Martin; Bonhoeffer, Sebastian

2014-01-01

Combination therapy is rarely used to counter the evolution of resistance in bacterial infections. Expansion of the use of combination therapy requires knowledge of how drugs interact at inhibitory concentrations. More than 50 years ago, it was noted that, if bactericidal drugs are most potent with actively dividing cells, then the inhibition of growth induced by a bacteriostatic drug should result in an overall reduction of efficacy when the drug is used in combination with a bactericidal drug. Our goal here was to investigate this hypothesis systematically. We first constructed time-kill curves using five different antibiotics at clinically relevant concentrations, and we observed antagonism between bactericidal and bacteriostatic drugs. We extended our investigation by performing a screen of pairwise combinations of 21 different antibiotics at subinhibitory concentrations, and we found that strong antagonistic interactions were enriched significantly among combinations of bacteriostatic and bactericidal drugs. Finally, since our hypothesis relies on phenotypic effects produced by different drug classes, we recreated these experiments in a microfluidic device and performed time-lapse microscopy to directly observe and quantify the growth and division of individual cells with controlled antibiotic concentrations. While our single-cell observations supported the antagonism between bacteriostatic and bactericidal drugs, they revealed an unexpected variety of cellular responses to antagonistic drug combinations, suggesting that multiple mechanisms underlie the interactions. PMID:24867991

Immunity to Escherichia coli in pigs: Serum Gamma Globulin Levels, Indirect Hemagglutinating Antibody Titres and Bactericidal Activity Against E. coli in pigs up to five Weeks of Age

PubMed Central

Wilson, M. R.; Svendsen, J.

1972-01-01

Serum gamma globulin levels, indirect hemagglutinating antibody titres and bactericidal activity against the 0149:K91;K88ac:H10 Serotype of Escherichia coli were determined in pigs up to five weeks of age from vaccinated and non-vaccinated sows. Gamma globulin levels at two days of age were approximately twice adult levels, by three weeks of age they were one quarter of adult levels and remained so until five weeks of age. Indirect hemagglutinating antibody activity was highest at two days of age, fell until three weeks of age and then rose. Little or no indirect hemagglutinating antibody activity was detected in sera taken at two days of age from pigs from non-vaccinated sows. Only three of 26 two day old pigs had demonstrable bactericidal activity; by three weeks of age 16 of 26 had bactericidal activity. Serum from piglets of vaccinated sows had no more bactericidal activity than did sera from non-vaccinated sows. PMID:4110608

Bactericidal Effects and Mechanism of Action of Olanexidine Gluconate, a New Antiseptic

PubMed Central

Iwata, Koushi; Nii, Takuya; Nakata, Hikaru; Tsubotani, Yoshie; Inoue, Yasuhide

2015-01-01

Olanexidine gluconate [1-(3,4-dichlorobenzyl)-5-octylbiguanide gluconate] (development code OPB-2045G) is a new monobiguanide compound with bactericidal activity. In this study, we assessed its spectrum of bactericidal activity and mechanism of action. The minimal bactericidal concentrations of the compound for 30-, 60-, and 180-s exposures were determined with the microdilution method using a neutralizer against 320 bacterial strains from culture collections and clinical isolates. Based on the results, the estimated bactericidal olanexidine concentrations with 180-s exposures were 869 μg/ml for Gram-positive cocci (155 strains), 109 μg/ml for Gram-positive bacilli (29 strains), and 434 μg/ml for Gram-negative bacteria (136 strains). Olanexidine was active against a wide range of bacteria, especially Gram-positive cocci, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and had a spectrum of bactericidal activity comparable to that of commercial antiseptics, such as chlorhexidine and povidone-iodine. In vitro experiments exploring its mechanism of action indicated that olanexidine (i) interacts with the bacterial surface molecules, such as lipopolysaccharide and lipoteichoic acid, (ii) disrupts the cell membranes of liposomes, which are artificial bacterial membrane models, (iii) enhances the membrane permeability of Escherichia coli, (iv) disrupts the membrane integrity of S. aureus, and (v) denatures proteins at relatively high concentrations (≥160 μg/ml). These results indicate that olanexidine probably binds to the cell membrane, disrupts membrane integrity, and its bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects are caused by irreversible leakage of intracellular components. At relatively high concentrations, olanexidine aggregates cells by denaturing proteins. This mechanism differs slightly from that of a similar biguanide compound, chlorhexidine. PMID:25987609

Enhanced bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli in calves fed Morinda citrifolia (Noni) puree.

PubMed

Schäfer, M; Sharp, P; Brooks, V J; Xu, J; Cai, J; Keuler, N S; Peek, S F; Godbee, R G; Schultz, R D; Darien, B J

2008-01-01

Although adequate colostrum intake and properly used antibiotics can provide much protection for the bovine neonate, increased antibiotic scrutiny and consumer demand for organic products have prompted investigations of natural immunomodulators for enhancing calf health. One plant-based immunomodulator, Morinda citrifolia (noni) fruit, is a well-recognized natural product that has a broad range of immunomodulatory effects. Neonatal calves fed noni puree would demonstrate whole blood phagocytic capacity in Gram-negative and Gram-positive in vitro assays. Blood samples from 18 neonatal Holstein bull calves. Calves were divided into 2 groups: Group 1 comprised control calves, whereas Group 2 received 30 mL of noni puree twice a day in milk replacer. Day 0 blood samples were obtained between 36 and 48 hours of age before the first feeding of puree. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid anticoagulated blood was collected from each calf on days 0, 3, 7, and 14. Bactericidal assays were performed to estimate the percentage killing of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Blood samples from noni puree-fed calves displayed significantly more E. coli bacterial killing than did controls on day 14, and although differences were not significant on days 0, 3, and 7, bacterial killing progressively increased over time. There was no significant difference between the groups for S. epidermidis killing. The immunomodulatory effect of noni puree may prove valuable in the future as production animal antibiotic use becomes more restricted. Additional clinical trials are warranted to investigate the clinical application of noni puree in promoting calf health.

Algerian propolis extracts: Chemical composition, bactericidal activity and in vitro effects on gilthead seabream innate immune responses.

PubMed

Soltani, El-Khamsa; Cerezuela, Rebeca; Charef, Noureddine; Mezaache-Aichour, Samia; Esteban, Maria Angeles; Zerroug, Mohamed Mihoub

2017-03-01

Propolis has been used as a medicinal agent for centuries. The chemical composition of four propolis samples collected from four locations of the Sétif region, Algeria, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was determined. More than 20 compounds and from 30 to 35 compounds were identified in the aqueous and ethanolic extracts, respectively. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of the propolis extracts against two marine pathogenic bacteria was evaluated. Finally, the in vitro effects of propolis on gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.) leucocyte activities were measured. The bactericidal activity of ethanolic extracts was very high against Shewanella putrefaciens, average against Photobacterium damselae and very low against Vibrio harveyi. The lowest bactericidal activity was always that found for the aqueous extracts. When the viability of gilthead seabream head-kidney leucocytes was measured after 30 min' incubation with the different extracts, both the ethanolic and aqueous extracts of one of the propolis samples (from Babor) and the aqueous extract of another (from Ain-Abbassa) provoked a significant decrease in cell viability when used at concentrations of 100 and 200 μg ml -1 . Furthermore, significant inhibitory effects were recorded on leucocyte respiratory burst activity when isolated leucocytes where preincubated with the extracts. This effect was dose-dependent in all cases except when extracts from a third propolis sample (from Boutaleb) were used. Our findings suggest that some of Algerian propolis extracts have bactericidal activity against important bacterial pathogens in seabream and significantly modulate in vitro leucocyte activities, confirming their potential as a source of new natural biocides and/or immunomodulators in aquaculture practice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Serum bactericidal activities of moxifloxacin and levofloxacin against aerobic and anaerobic intra-abdominal pathogens.

PubMed

Stein, Gary E; Schooley, Sharon; Tyrrell, Kerin L; Citron, Diane M; Nicolau, David P; Goldstein, Ellie J C

2008-02-01

We studied the serum bactericidal activity (SBA) of moxifloxacin and levofloxacin against common pathogens associated with complicated intra-abdominal infections. Ten healthy volunteers received a single dose of moxifloxacin (400 mg) and levofloxacin (750 mg) and serum samples were collected at 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24h after the dose of each drug. Bactericidal titers in serum over time were determined for aerobic gram-negative bacilli (Escherichia coli, Klebseilla pneumoniae, and Enterobacter cloacae) and anaerobic bacteria (Bacteroides fragilis, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, Prevotella bivia, and Finegoldia magna). Both fluoroquinolones provided rapid (2h) attainment and prolonged (24h) SBA (titers > or = 1:8) against each of the aerobic bacilli studied. SBA was observed for at least 12h against B. fragilis strains with MICs < or = 2 microg/ml to moxifloxacin and < or = 4 microg/ml to levofloxacin. Prolonged (12h) SBA (titers > or = 1:2) was also observed against isolates of B. thetaiotaomicron, P. bivia, and F. magna with moxifloxacin < or = MICs 2 microg/ml.

In vitro bactericidal and bacteriolytic activity of ceragenin CSA-13 against planktonic cultures and biofilms of Streptococcus pneumoniae and other pathogenic streptococci.

PubMed

Moscoso, Miriam; Esteban-Torres, María; Menéndez, Margarita; García, Ernesto

2014-01-01

Ceragenin CSA-13, a cationic steroid, is here reported to show a concentration-dependent bactericidal/bacteriolytic activity against pathogenic streptococci, including multidrug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae. The autolysis promoted by CSA-13 in pneumococcal cultures appears to be due to the triggering of the major S. pneumoniae autolysin LytA, an N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase. CSA-13 also disintegrated pneumococcal biofilms in a very efficient manner, although at concentrations slightly higher than those required for bactericidal activity on planktonic bacteria. CSA-13 has little hemolytic activity which should allow testing its antibacterial efficacy in animal models.

Bactericidal activity of electrolyzed acid water from solution containing sodium chloride at low concentration, in comparison with that at high concentration.

PubMed

Kiura, Hiromasa; Sano, Kouichi; Morimatsu, Shinichi; Nakano, Takashi; Morita, Chizuko; Yamaguchi, Masaki; Maeda, Toyoyuki; Katsuoka, Yoji

2002-05-01

Electrolyzed strong acid water (ESW) containing free chlorine at various concentrations is becoming to be available in clinical settings as a disinfectant. ESW is prepared by electrolysis of a NaCl solution, and has a corrosive activity against medical instruments. Although lower concentrations of NaCl and free chlorine are desired to eliminate corrosion, the germicidal effect of ESW with low NaCl and free-chlorine concentrations (ESW-L) has not been fully clarified. In this study, we demonstrated that ESW-L possesses bactericidal activity against Mycobacteria and spores of Bacillus subtilis. The effect was slightly weaker than that of ESW containing higher NaCl and free-chlorine concentrations (ESW-H), but acceptable as a disinfectant. To clarify the mechanism of the bactericidal activity, we investigated ESW-L-treated Pseudomonas aeruginosa by transmission electron microscopy, a bacterial enzyme assay and restriction fragment length polymorphism pattern (RFLP) assay. Since the bacterium, whose growth was completely inhibited by ESW-L, revealed the inactivation of cytoplasmic enzyme, blebs and breaks in its outer membrane and remained complete RFLP of DNA, damage of the outer membrane and inactivation of cytoplasmic enzyme are the important determinants of the bactericidal activity.

Human milk bactericidal properties: effect of lyophilization and relation to maternal factors and milk components.

PubMed

Salcedo, Jaime; Gormaz, Maria; López-Mendoza, Maria C; Nogarotto, Elisabetta; Silvestre, Dolores

2015-04-01

Lyophilization appears to be a viable method for storing human milk, assuring no microbiological contamination and preserving its health benefits and antibacterial properties. The aim of the study is to evaluate and compare the effects of different storage methods (lyophilization and freezing at -20°C and -80°C) and maternal factors (gestational length or time postpartum) upon the microbiological contents and bactericidal activity of human milk. The possible relation between bactericidal activity and the content of certain nutrients and functional components is also investigated. Microbiological content, bactericidal activity, sialic acid, and ganglioside contents, as well as protein, fat, and lactose concentrations were assessed in 125 human milk samples from 65 healthy donors in the Human Milk Bank of La Fe (Valencia, Spain). Lyophilization and storage at -80°C significantly reduced the content of mesophilic aerobic microorganisms and Staphylococcus epidermidis when compared with storage at -20°C. Bactericidal activity was not significantly modified by lyophilization when compared with freezing at either -20°C or -80°C. Bactericidal activity was not correlated with fat, protein, or lactose content, but was significantly correlated to ganglioside content. The bactericidal activity was significantly greater (P < 0.05) in mature milk and in milk from women with term delivery than in milk from early lactation (days 1-7 postpartum) and milk from women with preterm delivery, respectively. Lyophilization and storage at -80°C of human milk yields similar results and are superior to storage at -20C with regard to microbial and bactericidal capacities, being a feasible alternative for human milk banks.

Erythrocyte and blood antibacterial defense

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

It is an axiom that blood cellular immunity is provided by leukocytes. As to erythrocytes, it is generally accepted that their main function is respiration. Our research provides objective video and photo evidence regarding erythrocyte bactericidal function. Phase-contrast immersion vital microscopy of the blood of patients with bacteremia was performed, and the process of bacteria entrapping and killing by erythrocytes was shot by means of video camera. Video evidence demonstrates that human erythrocytes take active part in blood bactericidal action and can repeatedly engulf and kill bacteria of different species and size. Erythrocytes are extremely important integral part of human blood cellular immunity. Compared with phagocytic leukocytes, the erythrocytes: a) are more numerous; b) are able to entrap and kill microorganisms repeatedly without being injured; c) are more resistant to infection and better withstand the attacks of pathogens; d) have longer life span and are produced faster; e) are inauspicious media for proliferation of microbes and do not support replication of chlamidiae, mycoplasmas, rickettsiae, viruses, etc.; and f) are more effective and uncompromised bacterial killers. Blood cellular immunity theory and traditional view regarding the function of erythrocytes in human blood should be revised. PMID:24883200

Erythrocyte and blood antibacterial defense.

PubMed

Minasyan, Hayk

2014-06-01

It is an axiom that blood cellular immunity is provided by leukocytes. As to erythrocytes, it is generally accepted that their main function is respiration. Our research provides objective video and photo evidence regarding erythrocyte bactericidal function. Phase-contrast immersion vital microscopy of the blood of patients with bacteremia was performed, and the process of bacteria entrapping and killing by erythrocytes was shot by means of video camera. Video evidence demonstrates that human erythrocytes take active part in blood bactericidal action and can repeatedly engulf and kill bacteria of different species and size. Erythrocytes are extremely important integral part of human blood cellular immunity. a) are more numerous; b) are able to entrap and kill microorganisms repeatedly without being injured; c) are more resistant to infection and better withstand the attacks of pathogens; d) have longer life span and are produced faster; e) are inauspicious media for proliferation of microbes and do not support replication of chlamidiae, mycoplasmas, rickettsiae, viruses, etc.; and f) are more effective and uncompromised bacterial killers. Blood cellular immunity theory and traditional view regarding the function of erythrocytes in human blood should be revised.

Polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride shows bactericidal advantages over chlorhexidine digluconate against ESKAPE bacteria.

PubMed

Zhou, Zhongxin; Wei, Dafu; Lu, Yanhua

2015-01-01

More information regarding the bactericidal properties of polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride (PHMG) against clinically important antibiotic-resistant ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) pathogens needs to be provided for its uses in infection control. The bactericidal properties of PHMG and chlorhexidine digluconate (CHG) were compared based on their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), minimum bactericidal concentrations, and time-course-killing curves against clinically important antibiotic-susceptible and antibiotic-resistant ESKAPE pathogens. Results showed that PHMG exhibited significantly higher bactericidal activities against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, and ceftazidime-resistant Enterobacter spp. than CHG. A slight bactericidal advantage over CHG was obtained against vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium, ciprofloxacin- and levofloxacin-resistant Acinetobacter spp., and multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In previous reports, PHMG had higher antimicrobial activity against almost all tested Gram-negative bacteria and several Gram-positive bacteria than CHG using MIC test. These studies support the further development of covalently bound PHMG in sterile-surface materials and the incorporation of PHMG in novel disinfectant formulas. © 2014 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

In vitro and bactericidal activities of ABT-492, a novel fluoroquinolone, against Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms.

PubMed

Almer, Laurel S; Hoffrage, Jennifer B; Keller, Erika L; Flamm, Robert K; Shortridge, Virginia D

2004-07-01

In vitro activities of ABT-492, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, trovafloxacin, moxifloxacin, gatifloxacin, and gemifloxacin were compared. ABT-492 was more potent against quinolone-susceptible and -resistant gram-positive organisms, had activity similar to that of ciprofloxacin against certain members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, and had comparable activity against quinolone-susceptible, nonfermentative, gram-negative organisms. Bactericidal activity of ABT-492 was also evaluated.

In Vitro and Bactericidal Activities of ABT-492, a Novel Fluoroquinolone, against Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Organisms

PubMed Central

Almer, Laurel S.; Hoffrage, Jennifer B.; Keller, Erika L.; Flamm, Robert K.; Shortridge, Virginia D.

2004-01-01

In vitro activities of ABT-492, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, trovafloxacin, moxifloxacin, gatifloxacin, and gemifloxacin were compared. ABT-492 was more potent against quinolone-susceptible and -resistant gram-positive organisms, had activity similar to that of ciprofloxacin against certain members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, and had comparable activity against quinolone-susceptible, nonfermentative, gram-negative organisms. Bactericidal activity of ABT-492 was also evaluated. PMID:15215148

Nonspecific bactericidal activity of the lactoperoxidases-thiocyanate-hydrogen peroxide system of milk against Escherichia coli and some gram-negative pathogens.

PubMed Central

Reiter, B; Marshall, V M; BjörckL; Rosén, C G

1976-01-01

Two strains of Escherichia coli and one strain each of Salmonella typhimurium and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were killed by the bactericidal activity of the lactoperoxidase-thiocyanate-hydrogen peroxide system in milk and in a synthetic medium. H2O2 was supplied exogenously by glucose oxidase, and glucose was produced at a level which was itself noninhibitory. Two phases were distinguished: the first phase was dependent on the oxidation of SCN(-) by lactoperoxidase and H2O2, which was reversed by reducing agent, and the second phase was dependent on the presence of accumulated H2O2, which was reversed by catalase. The latter enzyme could also reverse the first phase, but only when present in excessive and unphysiological levels. The bactericidal activity was greatest at pH 5 and below, and it depended on the SCN(-)concentration and on the number of organisms. Since raw or heated milk neutralizes the acid barrier against infection in the stomach, the bactericidal system discussed may contribute to the prevention of enteric infections in neonates. PMID:5374

Cationic Biomimetic Particles of Polystyrene/Cationic Bilayer/Gramicidin for Optimal Bactericidal Activity.

PubMed

Xavier, Gabriel R S; Carmona-Ribeiro, Ana M

2017-12-02

Nanostructured particles of polystyrene sulfate (PSS) covered by a cationic lipid bilayer of dioctadecyldimethylammonium bromide (DODAB) incorporated gramicidin D (Gr) yielding optimal and broadened bactericidal activity against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus . The adsorption of DODAB/Gr bilayer onto PSS nanoparticles (NPs) increased the zeta-average diameter by 8-10 nm, changed the zeta-potential of the NPs from negative to positive, and yielded a narrow size distributions for the PSS/DODAB/Gr NPs, which displayed broad and maximal microbicidal activity at very small concentrations of the antimicrobials, namely, 0.057 and 0.0057 mM DODAB and Gr, respectively. The results emphasized the advantages of highly-organized, nanostructured, and cationic particles to achieve hybrid combinations of antimicrobials with broad spectrum activity at considerably reduced DODAB and Gr concentrations.

Evaluation of bactericidal efficacy of silver ions on Escherichia coli for drinking water disinfection.

PubMed

Pathak, Satya P; Gopal, K

2012-07-01

The purpose of this study is the development of a suitable process for the disinfection of drinking water by evaluating bactericidal efficacy of silver ions from silver electrodes. A prototype of a silver ioniser with silver electrodes and control unit has been fabricated. Silver ions from silver electrodes in water samples were estimated with an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. A fresh culture of Escherichia coli (1.75 × 10(3) c.f.u./ml) was exposed to 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 ppb of silver ions in 100 ml of autoclaved tap water for 60 min. The effect of different pH and temperatures on bactericidal efficacy was observed at constant silver ion concentration (5 ppb) and contact time of 30 min. The maximum bactericidal activity (100%) was observed at 20 ppb of silver ion concentration indicating total disinfection after 20 min while minimum bactericidal activity (25%) was observed after 10 min at 01 ppb of silver ions. Likewise, 100% bactericidal activity was noticed with 2, 5 and 10 ppb of silver ions after 60, 50 and 40 min, respectively. Bactericidal activity at pH 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 was observed at 79.9%, 79.8%, 80.5%, 100% and 100%, respectively, whereas it was 80.4%, 88.3%, 100%, 100% and 100% at 10°C, 20°C, 30°C, 40°C and 50°C, respectively. The findings of this study revealed that very low concentrations of silver ions at pH 8-9 and temperature >20°C have bactericidal efficacy for total disinfection of drinking water. Silver ionisation is suitable for water disinfection and an appropriate alternative to chlorination which forms carcinogenic disinfection by-products.

21 CFR 1240.10 - Effective bactericidal treatment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Effective bactericidal treatment. 1240.10 Section... DISEASES General Provisions § 1240.10 Effective bactericidal treatment. Whenever, under the provisions of this part, bactericidal treatment is required, it shall be accomplished by one or more of the following...

Bactericidal Activity of Micromolar N-Chlorotaurine: Evidence for Its Antimicrobial Function in the Human Defense System

PubMed Central

Nagl, Markus; Hess, Michael W.; Pfaller, Kristian; Hengster, Paul; Gottardi, Waldemar

2000-01-01

N-Chlorotaurine, the main representative of long-lived oxidants found in the supernatant of stimulated granulocytes, has been investigated systematically with regard to its antibacterial activity at different physiological concentrations for the first time. N-Chlorotaurine (12.5 to 50 μM) demonstrated a bactericidal effect i.e., a 2 to 4 log10 reduction in viable counts, after incubation at 37°C for 6 to 9 h at pH 7.0, which effect was significantly enhanced in an acidic milieu (at pH 5.0), with a 3 to 4 log10 reduction after 2 to 3 h. Moreover, bacteria were attenuated after being incubated in N-chlorotaurine for a sublethal time, as demonstrated with the mouse peritonitis model. The supernatant of stimulated granulocytes exhibited similar activity. Transmission electron microscopy revealed changes in the bacterial cell membrane and cytoplasmic disintegration with both reacting systems, even in the case of a mere attenuation. The results of this study suggest a significant bactericidal function of N-chlorotaurine and other chloramines during inflammation. PMID:10952603

A novel chimeric phage lysin with high in vitro and in vivo bactericidal activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae.

PubMed

Díez-Martínez, Roberto; De Paz, Héctor D; García-Fernández, Esther; Bustamante, Noemí; Euler, Chad W; Fischetti, Vincent A; Menendez, Margarita; García, Pedro

2015-01-01

Streptococcus pneumoniae is becoming increasingly antibiotic resistant worldwide and new antimicrobials are urgently needed. Our aim was new chimeric phage endolysins, or lysins, with improved bactericidal activity by swapping the structural components of two pneumococcal phage lysozymes: Cpl-1 (the best lysin tested to date) and Cpl-7S. The bactericidal effects of four new chimeric lysins were checked against several bacteria. The purified enzymes were added at different concentrations to resuspended bacteria and viable cells were measured after 1 h. Killing capacity of the most active lysin, Cpl-711, was tested in a mouse bacteraemia model, following mouse survival after injecting different amounts (25-500 μg) of enzyme. The capacity of Cpl-711 to reduce pneumococcal biofilm formation was also studied. The chimera Cpl-711 substantially improved the killing activity of the parental phage lysozymes, Cpl-1 and Cpl-7S, against pneumococcal bacteria, including multiresistant strains. Specifically, 5 μg/mL Cpl-711 killed ≥7.5 log of pneumococcal R6 strain. Cpl-711 also reduced pneumococcal biofilm formation and killed 4 log of the bacterial population at 1 μg/mL. Mice challenged intraperitoneally with D39_IU pneumococcal strain were protected by treatment with a single intraperitoneal injection of Cpl-711 1 h later, resulting in about 50% greater protection than with Cpl-1. Domain swapping among phage lysins allows the construction of new chimeric enzymes with high bactericidal activity and a different substrate range. Cpl-711, the most powerful endolysin against pneumococci, offers a promising therapeutic perspective for the treatment of multiresistant pneumococcal infections. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Influence of Scaffold Size on Bactericidal Activity of Nitric Oxide Releasing Silica Nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Carpenter, Alexis W.; Slomberg, Danielle L.; Rao, Kavitha S.; Schoenfisch, Mark H.

2011-01-01

A reverse microemulsion synthesis was used to prepare amine functionalized silica nanoparticles of three distinct sizes (i.e., 50, 100, and 200 nm) with identical amine concentrations. The resulting hybrid nanoparticles, consisting of N-(6 aminohexyl) aminopropyltrimethoxysilane and tetraethoxysilane, were highly monodisperse in size. N-diazeniumdiolate nitric oxide (NO) donors were subsequently formed on secondary amines while controlling reaction conditions to keep the total amount of nitric oxide (NO) released constant for each particle size. The bactericidal efficacy of the NO releasing nanoparticles against Pseudomonas aeruginosa increased with decreasing particle size. Additionally, smaller diameter nanoparticles were found to associate with the bacteria at a faster rate and to a greater extent than larger particles. Neither control (non-NO-releasing) nor NO releasing particles exhibited toxicity towards L929 mouse fibroblasts at concentrations above their respective minimum bactericidal concentrations. This study represents the first investigation of the bactericidal efficacy of NO-releasing silica nanoparticles as a function of particle size. PMID:21842899

[Antibacterial actin of vinegar against food-borne pathogenic bacteria including Escherichia coli O157:H7 (Part 2). Effect of sodium chloride and temperature on bactericidal activity].

PubMed

Entani, E; Asai, M; Tsujihata, S; Tsukamoto, Y; Ohta, M

1997-05-01

Bactericidal effects of various kinds of AWASEZU (processed vinegar, 2.5% acidity) on food-borne pathogenic bacteria including Escherichia coli O157:H7 and other bacteria were examined. the order of bactericidal activities was NIHAIZU (3.5% NaCl was added) > SANBA-IZU (3.5% NaCl and 10% sucrose were added) > plain vinegar (spirit vinegar) > AMAZU (10% sucrose was added). This indicates that their activities were enhanced by the addition of sodium chloride and suppressed by the addition of sugar. On the other hand, when soy sauce was used instead of sodium chloride, the order of bactericidal activities was plain vinegar > AMAZU > NIHAIZU > SANBAIZU. This is mainly because their activities were suppressed by the increase in the pH value. The effect of sodium chloride (0.01-15%) and temperature (10-50 degrees C) on bactericidal activities against E. coli O157:H7 in spirit vinegar (0.5-2.5% acidity) was further examined. When vinegar was used in combination with sodium chloride, predominant synergism on the bactericidal activity was observed. Their activities were markedly enhanced by the addition of sodium chloride in proportion to the concentration. In addition to this, at higher temperatures spirit vinegar killed bacteria much more rapidly. It should be noted that the bactericidal activity of spirit vinegar was extremely enhanced by the combined use of the addition of sodium chloride and the rise of temperature. For example, in 2.5% acidity vinegar, the time required for 3 log decrease in viable cell numbers at 20 degrees C was shortened to 1/140-fold by the addition of 5% sodium chloride, shortened to 1/51-fold by the rise of the reaction temperature at 40 degrees C, and shortened to 1/830-fold; 0.89 minutes by both the addition of 5% sodium chloride and the rise of temperature at 40 degrees C. In order to propose the methods to prevent food poisoning by bacterial infection, bactericidal activities of vinegar solution containing sodium chloride on cooking tools and

Superior bactericidal activity of N-bromine compounds compared to their N-chlorine analogues can be reversed under protein load.

PubMed

Gottardi, W; Klotz, S; Nagl, M

2014-06-01

To investigate and compare the bactericidal activity (BA) of active bromine and chlorine compounds in the absence and presence of protein load. Quantitative killing tests against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were performed both in the absence and in the presence of peptone with pairs of isosteric active chlorine and bromine compounds: hypochlorous and hypobromous acid (HOCl and HOBr), dichloro- and dibromoisocyanuric acid, chlorantine and bromantine (1,3-dibromo- and 1,3 dichloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoine), chloramine T and bromamine T (N-chloro- and N-bromo-4-methylbenzenesulphonamide sodium), and N-chloro- and N-bromotaurine sodium. To classify the bactericidal activities on a quantitative basis, an empirical coefficient named specific bactericidal activity (SBA), founded on the parameters of killing curves, was defined: SBA= mean log reductions/(mean exposure times x concentration) [mmol 1(-1) min (-1)]. In the absence of peptone, tests with washed micro-organisms revealed a throughout higher BA of bromine compounds with only slight differences between single substances. This was in contrast to chlorine compounds, whose killing times differed by a factor of more than four decimal powers. As a consequence, also the isosteric pairs showed according differences. In the presence of peptone, however, bromine compounds showed an increased loss of BA, which partly caused a reversal of efficacy within isosteric pairs. In medical practice, weakly oxidizing active chlorine compounds like chloramines have the highest potential as topical anti-infectives in the presence of proteinaceous material (mucous membranes, open wounds). Active bromine compounds, on the other hand, have their chance at insensitive body regions with low organic matter, for example skin surfaces. The expected protein load is one of the most important parameters for selection of a suited active halogen compound. © 2014 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Systemic hypoxia enhances exercise-mediated bactericidal and subsequent apoptotic responses in human neutrophils.

PubMed

Wang, Jong-Shyan; Chiu, Ya-Ting

2009-10-01

Phagocytosis and oxidative burst are critical host defense mechanisms in which neutrophils clear invading pathogens. Clearing phagocytic neutrophils by triggering apoptosis is an essential process for controlling inflammation. This study elucidates how various exercise bouts with/without hypoxia affected neutrophil bactericidal activity and subsequent apoptosis in humans. Fifteen sedentary males performed six distinct experimental tests in an air-conditioned normobaric hypoxia chamber: two normoxic exercises [strenuous exercise (SE; up to maximal O2 consumption) and moderate exercise (ME; 50% maximal O2 consumption for 30 min) while exposed to 21% O2], two hypoxic exercises (ME for 30 min while exposed to 12% and 15% O2), and two hypoxic exposures (resting for 30 min while exposed to 12% and 15% O2). The results showed that 1) plasma complement-C3a desArg/C4a desArg/C5a concentrations were increased, 2) expressions of L-selectin/lymphocyte functin-associated antigen-1/Mac-1/C5aR on neutrophils were enhanced, 3) phagocytosis of neutrophils to Esherichia coli and release of neutrophil oxidant products by E. coli were elevated, and 4) E. coli-induced phosphotidylserine exposure or caspase-3 activation of neutrophils were promoted immediately and 2 h after both 12% O2 exposure at rest and with ME as well as normoxic SE. Although neither normoxic ME nor breathing 15% O2 at rest influenced these complement- and neutrophil-related immune responses, ME at both 12% and 15% O2 resulted in enhanced complement activation in the blood, expressions of opsonic/complement receptors on neutrophils, or the bactericidal activity and apoptosis of neutrophils. Moreover, the increased neutrophil oxidant production and apoptosis by normoxic SE and hypoxic ME were ameliorated by treating neutrophils with diphenylene iodonium (a NADPH oxidase inhibitor). Therefore, we conclude that ME at 12-15% O2 enhances bactericidal capacity and facilitates the subsequent apoptosis of neutrophils.

Blood antimicrobial activity varies against different Mycobacterium spp.

PubMed

Rivero-Lezcano, Octavio Miguel; Blanco-Conde, Sara; López-Medrano, Ramiro; López-Fidalgo, Eduardo; Caño-Herrero, Manuela; Nebreda-Mayoral, Teresa

2017-12-01

In vitro analysis of mycobacterial pathogenicity or host susceptibility has traditionally relied on the infection of macrophages, the target cell of mycobacteria, despite difficulties reproducing their antimycobacterial activity. We have employed alternative models, namely whole blood and leukocytes in plasma, from QuantiFERON negative individuals, and performed infections with the pathogenic M. tuberculosis, the less pathogenic M. avium, M. kansasii and M. chelonae and the occasionally pathogenic M. gordonae and M. bovis. The anticoagulant used in blood extraction, heparin or EDTA, had a major influence in the outcome of the infection. Thus, while in the heparinized models a similar number of bacteria were enumerated in the inoculum and after seven days, in the presence of EDTA a killing effect was observed, despite the inhibitory effect of EDTA on cellular functions like the production of cytokines or reactive oxygen species (ROS). A special case was the rapidly growing mycobacteria M. chelonae, that multiplied in heparinized models but was eliminated in models with EDTA. We verified that EDTA is not responsible for the bactericidal effect, but acts as a bacteriostatic agent. Further work will determine whether blood derived models are a better alternative to the classical macrophage. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In Vitro and In Vivo studies of monoclonal antibodies with prominent bactericidal activity against Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei.

PubMed

Zhang, Shimin; Feng, Shaw-Huey; Li, Bingjie; Kim, Hyung-Yong; Rodriguez, Joe; Tsai, Shien; Lo, Shyh-Ching

2011-05-01

Our laboratory has developed more than a hundred mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei. These antibodies have been categorized into different groups based on their specificities and the biochemical natures of their target antigens. The current study first examined the bactericidal activities of a number of these MAbs by an in vitro opsonic assay. Then, the in vivo protective efficacy of selected MAbs was evaluated using BALB/c mice challenged intranasally with a lethal dose of the bacteria. The opsonic assay using dimethyl sulfoxide-treated human HL-60 cells as phagocytes revealed that 19 out of 47 tested MAbs (40%) have prominent bactericidal activities against B. pseudomallei and/or B. mallei. Interestingly, all MAbs with strong opsonic activities are those with specificity against either the capsular polysaccharides (PS) or the lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of the bacteria. On the other hand, none of the MAbs reacting to bacterial proteins or glycoproteins showed prominent bactericidal activity. Further study revealed that the antigenic epitopes on either the capsular PS or LPS molecules were readily available for binding in intact bacteria, while the epitopes on proteins/glycoproteins were less accessible to the MAbs. Our in vivo study showed that four MAbs reactive to either the capsular PS or LPS were highly effective in protecting mice against lethal bacterial challenge. The result is compatible with that of our in vitro study. The MAbs with the highest protective efficacy are those reactive to either the capsular PS or LPS of the Burkholderia bacteria.

In Vitro and In Vivo Studies of Monoclonal Antibodies with Prominent Bactericidal Activity against Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei▿

PubMed Central

Zhang, Shimin; Feng, Shaw-Huey; Li, Bingjie; Kim, Hyung-Yong; Rodriguez, Joe; Tsai, Shien; Lo, Shyh-Ching

2011-01-01

Our laboratory has developed more than a hundred mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei. These antibodies have been categorized into different groups based on their specificities and the biochemical natures of their target antigens. The current study first examined the bactericidal activities of a number of these MAbs by an in vitro opsonic assay. Then, the in vivo protective efficacy of selected MAbs was evaluated using BALB/c mice challenged intranasally with a lethal dose of the bacteria. The opsonic assay using dimethyl sulfoxide-treated human HL-60 cells as phagocytes revealed that 19 out of 47 tested MAbs (40%) have prominent bactericidal activities against B. pseudomallei and/or B. mallei. Interestingly, all MAbs with strong opsonic activities are those with specificity against either the capsular polysaccharides (PS) or the lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of the bacteria. On the other hand, none of the MAbs reacting to bacterial proteins or glycoproteins showed prominent bactericidal activity. Further study revealed that the antigenic epitopes on either the capsular PS or LPS molecules were readily available for binding in intact bacteria, while the epitopes on proteins/glycoproteins were less accessible to the MAbs. Our in vivo study showed that four MAbs reactive to either the capsular PS or LPS were highly effective in protecting mice against lethal bacterial challenge. The result is compatible with that of our in vitro study. The MAbs with the highest protective efficacy are those reactive to either the capsular PS or LPS of the Burkholderia bacteria. PMID:21450976

Smart Biointerface with Photoswitched Functions between Bactericidal Activity and Bacteria-Releasing Ability.

PubMed

Wei, Ting; Zhan, Wenjun; Yu, Qian; Chen, Hong

2017-08-09

Smart biointerfaces with capability to regulate cell-surface interactions in response to external stimuli are of great interest for both fundamental research and practical applications. Smart surfaces with "ON/OFF" switchability for a single function such as cell attachment/detachment are well-known and useful, but the ability to switch between two different functions may be seen as the next level of "smart". In this work reported, a smart supramolecular surface capable of switching functions reversibly between bactericidal activity and bacteria-releasing ability in response to UV-visible light is developed. This platform is composed of surface-containing azobenzene (Azo) groups and a biocidal β-cyclodextrin derivative conjugated with seven quaternary ammonium salt groups (CD-QAS). The surface-immobilized Azo groups in trans form can specially incorporate CD-QAS to achieve a strongly bactericidal surface that kill more than 90% attached bacteria. On irradiation with UV light, the Azo groups switch to cis form, resulting in the dissociation of the Azo/CD-QAS inclusion complex and release of dead bacteria from the surface. After the kill-and-release cycle, the surface can be easily regenerated for reuse by irradiation with visible light and reincorporation of fresh CD-QAS. The use of supramolecular chemistry represents a promising approach to the realization of smart, multifunctional surfaces, and has the potential to be applied to diverse materials and devices in the biomedical field.

Ex vivo 12 h bactericidal activity of oral co-amoxiclav (1.125 g) against beta-lactamase-producing Haemophilus influenzae.

PubMed

Bronner, S; Pompei, D; Elkhaïli, H; Dhoyen, N; Monteil, H; Jehl, F

2001-10-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate the in vitro/ex vivo bactericidal activity of a new coamoxiclav single-dose sachet formulation (1 g amoxicillin + 0.125 g clavulanic acid) against a beta-lactamase-producing strain of Haemophilus influenzae. The evaluation covered the 12 h period after antibiotic administration. Serum specimens from the 12 healthy volunteers included in the pharmacokinetic study were pooled by time point and in equal volumes. Eight of 12 pharmacokinetic sampling time points were included in the study. At time points 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.5, 2.5, 5, 8 and 12 h post-dosing, the kinetics of bactericidal activity were determined for each of the serial dilutions. Each specimen was serially diluted from 1:2 to 1:256. The index of surviving bacteria (ISB) was subsequently determined for each pharmacokinetic time point. For all the serum samples, bactericidal activity was fast (3-6 h), marked (3-6 log(10) reduction in the initial inoculum) and sustained over the 12 h between-dosing interval. The results obtained also confirmed that the potency of the amoxicillin plus clavulanic acid combination was time dependent against the species under study and that the time interval over which the concentrations were greater than the MIC (t > MIC) was 100% for the strain under study. The data thus generated constitute an interesting prerequisite with a view to using co-amoxiclav 1.125 g in a bd oral regimen.

Phytosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Myrtus communis L. Leaf Extract and Investigation of Bactericidal Activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ajdari, M. R.; Tondro, G. H.; Sattarahmady, N.; Parsa, A.; Heli, H.

2017-12-01

Silver nanoparticles have been synthesized using only Myrtus communis L. leaf extract by a facile procedure without other reagents. The extract played the roles of both reducing and capping agent. The nanoparticles were characterized using field-emission scanning microscopy, and remained stable for at least 3 weeks. Antibacterial activity of the nanoparticles was evaluated toward Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus faecalis based on inhibition zone disk diffusion assays. The minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations of the nanoparticles were obtained. Mechanisms for the antibacterial activity were proposed.

Synthesis, anti-inflammatory, bactericidal activities and docking studies of novel 1,2,3-triazoles derived from ibuprofen using click chemistry.

PubMed

Angajala, Kishore Kumar; Vianala, Sunitha; Macha, Ramesh; Raghavender, M; Thupurani, Murali Krishna; Pathi, P J

2016-01-01

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are of vast therapeutic benefit in the treatment of different types of inflammatory conditions. 1,2,3-Triazoles and their derivatives have a wide range of applications as anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-tubercular, cytostatic, anti-HIV, anti-allergic, anti-neoplastic and anti-inflammatory (AI) agents. Considering the individual biological and medicinal importance of ibuprofen and 1,2,3-triazoles, we wanted to explore novel chemical entities based on ibuprofen and triazole moieties towards their biological significance. Click chemistry has utilized as an ideal strategy to prepare novel ibuprofen-based 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazole containing molecules. These compounds were screened for their in vivo AI activity, among all the synthesized analogues 13o was shown potent effect than the reference AI drug ibuprofen at the same concentration (10 mg/kg body weight). Compounds 13l, 13g, 13c, 13k, 13i, 13n, 13m and 13j were shown significant AI activity. These triazole analogues were also screened for their bactericidal profile. Compounds 13c, 13i, 13l and 13o exhibited considerable bactericidal activity against gram positive and gram negative strains. In addition to this, molecular docking studies were also carried out into cyclooxygenase-2 active site to predict the affinity and orientation of these novel compounds (13a-q). In summary, we have designed and synthesized 1,2,3-triazole analogues of ibuprofen in good yields using Click chemistry approach. AI and bactericidal activities of these compounds were evaluated and shown remarkable results.

Influence of nanoscale topology on bactericidal efficiency of black silicon surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linklater, Denver P.; Khuong Duy Nguyen, Huu; Bhadra, Chris M.; Juodkazis, Saulius; Ivanova, Elena P.

2017-06-01

The nanostructuring of materials to create bactericidal and antibiofouling surfaces presents an exciting alternative to common methods of preventing bacterial adhesion. The fabrication of synthetic bactericidal surfaces has been inspired by the anti-wetting and anti-biofouling properties of insect wings, and other topologies found in nature. Black silicon is one such synthetic surfaces which has established bactericidal properties. In this study we show that time-dependent plasma etching of silicon wafers using 15, 30, and 45 min etching intervals, is able to produce different surface geometries with linearly increasing heights of approximately 280, 430, and 610 nm, respectively. After incubation on these surfaces with Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial cells it was established that smaller, more densely packed pillars exhibited the greatest bactericidal activity with 85% and 89% inactivation of bacterial cells, respectively. The decrease in the pillar heights, pillar cap diameter and inter-pillar spacing corresponded to a subsequent decrease in the number of attached cells for both bacterial species.

Human bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein and a recombinant NH2-terminal fragment cause killing of serum-resistant gram-negative bacteria in whole blood and inhibit tumor necrosis factor release induced by the bacteria.

PubMed Central

Weiss, J; Elsbach, P; Shu, C; Castillo, J; Grinna, L; Horwitz, A; Theofan, G

1992-01-01

The bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) of neutrophils and BPI fragments neutralize the effects of isolated Gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharides both in vitro and in vivo. Since endotoxin most commonly enters the host as constituents of invading Gram-negative bacteria, we raised the question: Can BPI and its bioactive fragments also protect against whole bacteria? To determine whether the bactericidal and endotoxin-neutralizing activities of BPI/fragments are expressed when Gram-negative bacteria are introduced to the complex environment of whole blood we examined the effects of added BPI and proteolytically prepared and recombinant NH2-terminal fragments on: (a) the fate of serum-resistant encapsulated Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa that survive the antibacterial actions of whole blood and (b) the ability of these bacteria to trigger cytokine release. Added BPI in nanomolar concentrations killed each of three encapsulated strains of E. coli and in closely parallel fashion inhibited tumor necrosis factor (TNF) release. Holo-BPI and its NH2-terminal fragment were equipotent toward a rough LPS chemotype K1-encapsulated strain, but the fragment was substantially more potent than holo-BPI toward two encapsulated smooth LPS chemotype strains. TNF release induced by K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa was also inhibited by both holo-BPI and fragment but, at the protein concentrations tested, P. aeruginosa was killed only by the fragment and K. pneumoniae was not killed by either protein. The bactericidal action of BPI/fragment toward E. coli is inhibited by C7-depleted serum, but accelerated by normal serum, indicating that BPI, acting in synergy with late complement components, enhances extracellular killing of serum-resistant bacteria. Thus, BPI and an even more potent NH2-terminal fragment may protect against Gram-negative bacteria in the host by blocking bacterial proliferation as well as endotoxin

Human bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein and a recombinant NH2-terminal fragment cause killing of serum-resistant gram-negative bacteria in whole blood and inhibit tumor necrosis factor release induced by the bacteria.

PubMed

Weiss, J; Elsbach, P; Shu, C; Castillo, J; Grinna, L; Horwitz, A; Theofan, G

1992-09-01

The bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) of neutrophils and BPI fragments neutralize the effects of isolated Gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharides both in vitro and in vivo. Since endotoxin most commonly enters the host as constituents of invading Gram-negative bacteria, we raised the question: Can BPI and its bioactive fragments also protect against whole bacteria? To determine whether the bactericidal and endotoxin-neutralizing activities of BPI/fragments are expressed when Gram-negative bacteria are introduced to the complex environment of whole blood we examined the effects of added BPI and proteolytically prepared and recombinant NH2-terminal fragments on: (a) the fate of serum-resistant encapsulated Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa that survive the antibacterial actions of whole blood and (b) the ability of these bacteria to trigger cytokine release. Added BPI in nanomolar concentrations killed each of three encapsulated strains of E. coli and in closely parallel fashion inhibited tumor necrosis factor (TNF) release. Holo-BPI and its NH2-terminal fragment were equipotent toward a rough LPS chemotype K1-encapsulated strain, but the fragment was substantially more potent than holo-BPI toward two encapsulated smooth LPS chemotype strains. TNF release induced by K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa was also inhibited by both holo-BPI and fragment but, at the protein concentrations tested, P. aeruginosa was killed only by the fragment and K. pneumoniae was not killed by either protein. The bactericidal action of BPI/fragment toward E. coli is inhibited by C7-depleted serum, but accelerated by normal serum, indicating that BPI, acting in synergy with late complement components, enhances extracellular killing of serum-resistant bacteria. Thus, BPI and an even more potent NH2-terminal fragment may protect against Gram-negative bacteria in the host by blocking bacterial proliferation as well as endotoxin

Bactericidal Activity of Ceragenin CSA-13 in Cell Culture and in an Animal Model of Peritoneal Infection.

PubMed

Bucki, Robert; Niemirowicz, Katarzyna; Wnorowska, Urszula; Byfield, Fitzroy J; Piktel, Ewelina; Wątek, Marzena; Janmey, Paul A; Savage, Paul B

2015-10-01

Ceragenins constitute a novel family of cationic antibiotics characterized by a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities, which have mostly been assessed in vitro. Using a polarized human lung epithelial cell culture system, we evaluated the antibacterial activities of the ceragenin CSA-13 against two strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PAO1 and Xen5). Additionally, the biodistribution and bactericidal activity of a CSA-13-IRDye 800CW derivate were assessed using an animal model of peritoneal infection after PAO1 challenge. In cell culture, CSA-13 bactericidal activities against PAO1 and Xen5 were higher than the activities of the human cathelicidin peptide LL-37. Increased CSA-13 activity was observed in polarized human lung epithelial cell cultures subjected to butyric acid treatment, which is known to increase endogenous LL-37 production. Eight hours after intravenous or intraperitoneal injection, the greatest CSA-13-IRDye 800CW accumulation was observed in mouse liver and kidneys. CSA-13-IRDye 800CW administration resulted in decreased bacterial outgrowth from abdominal fluid collected from animals subjected to intraperitoneal PAO1 infection. These observations indicate that CSA-13 may synergistically interact with antibacterial factors that are naturally present at mucosal surfaces and it maintains its antibacterial activity in the infected abdominal cavity. Cationic lipids such as CSA-13 represent excellent candidates for the development of new antibacterial compounds. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Following the mechanisms of bacteriostatic versus bactericidal action using Raman spectroscopy.

PubMed

Bernatová, Silvie; Samek, Ota; Pilát, Zdeněk; Serý, Mojmír; Ježek, Jan; Jákl, Petr; Siler, Martin; Krzyžánek, Vladislav; Zemánek, Pavel; Holá, Veronika; Dvořáčková, Milada; Růžička, Filip

2013-10-24

Antibiotics cure infections by influencing bacterial growth or viability. Antibiotics can be divided to two groups on the basis of their effect on microbial cells through two main mechanisms, which are either bactericidal or bacteriostatic. Bactericidal antibiotics kill the bacteria and bacteriostatic antibiotics suppress the growth of bacteria (keep them in the stationary phase of growth). One of many factors to predict a favorable clinical outcome of the potential action of antimicrobial chemicals may be provided using in vitro bactericidal/bacteriostatic data (e.g., minimum inhibitory concentrations-MICs). Consequently, MICs are used in clinical situations mainly to confirm resistance, and to determine the in vitro activities of new antimicrobials. We report on the combination of data obtained from MICs with information on microorganisms' "fingerprint" (e.g., DNA/RNA, and proteins) provided by Raman spectroscopy. Thus, we could follow mechanisms of the bacteriostatic versus bactericidal action simply by detecting the Raman bands corresponding to DNA. The Raman spectra of Staphylococcus epidermidis treated with clindamycin (a bacteriostatic agent) indeed show little effect on DNA which is in contrast with the action of ciprofloxacin (a bactericidal agent), where the Raman spectra show a decrease in strength of the signal assigned to DNA, suggesting DNA fragmentation.

Docosahexaenoic acid loaded lipid nanoparticles with bactericidal activity against Helicobacter pylori.

PubMed

Seabra, Catarina Leal; Nunes, Cláudia; Gomez-Lazaro, Maria; Correia, Marta; Machado, José Carlos; Gonçalves, Inês C; Reis, Celso A; Reis, Salette; Martins, M Cristina L

2017-03-15

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid present in fish oil, has been described as a promising molecule to the treatment of Helicobacter pylori gastric infection. However, due to its highly unsaturated structure, DHA can be easily oxidized loosing part of its bioactivity. This work aims the nanoencapsulation of DHA to improve its bactericidal efficacy against H. pylori. DHA was loaded into nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) produced by hot homogenization and ultrasonication using a blend of lipids (Precirol ATO5 ® , Miglyol-812 ® ) and a surfactant (Tween 60 ® ). Homogeneous NLC with 302±14nm diameter, -28±3mV surface charge (dynamic and electrophoretic light scattering) and containing 66±7% DHA (UV/VIS spectroscopy) were successfully produced. Bacterial growth curves, performed over 24h in the presence of different DHA concentrations (free or loaded into NLC), demonstrated that nanoencapsulation enhanced DHA bactericidal effect, since DHA-loaded NLC were able to inhibit H. pylori growth in a much lower concentrations (25μM) than free DHA (>100μM). Bioimaging studies, using scanning and transmission electron microscopy and also imaging flow cytometry, demonstrated that DHA-loaded NLC interact with H. pylori membrane, increasing their periplasmic space and disrupting membrane and allowing the leakage of cytoplasmic content. Furthermore, the developed nanoparticles are not cytotoxic to human gastric adenocarcinoma cells at bactericidal concentrations. DHA-loaded NLC should, therefore, be envisaged as an alternative to the current treatments for H. pylori infection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bactericidal and anti-adhesive properties of culinary and medicinal plants against Helicobacter pylori.

PubMed

O'Mahony, Rachel; Al-Khtheeri, Huda; Weerasekera, Deepaka; Fernando, Neluka; Vaira, Dino; Holton, John; Basset, Christelle

2005-12-21

To investigate the bactericidal and anti-adhesive properties of 25 plants against Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). Twenty-five plants were boiled in water to produce aqueous extracts that simulate the effect of cooking. The bactericidal activity of the extracts was assessed by a standard kill-curve with seven strains of H. pylori. The anti-adhesive property was assessed by the inhibition of binding of four strains of FITC-labeled H. pylori to stomach sections. Of all the plants tested, eight plants, including Bengal quince, nightshade, garlic, dill, black pepper, coriander, fenugreek and black tea, were found to have no bactericidal effect on any of the isolates. Columbo weed, long pepper, parsley, tarragon, nutmeg, yellow-berried nightshade, threadstem carpetweed, sage and cinnamon had bactericidal activities against H. pylori, but total inhibition of growth was not achieved in this study. Among the plants that killed H. pylori, turmeric was the most efficient, followed by cumin, ginger, chilli, borage, black caraway, oregano and liquorice. Moreover, extracts of turmeric, borage and parsley were able to inhibit the adhesion of H. pylori strains to the stomach sections. Several plants that were tested in our study had bactericidal and/or anti-adhesive effects on H. pylori. Ingestion of the plants with anti-adhesive properties could therefore provide a potent alternative therapy for H. pylori infection, which overcomes the problem of resistance associated with current antibiotic treatment.

Contribution of the autolysin AtlA to the bactericidal activity of amoxicillin against Enterococcus faecalis JH2-2.

PubMed

Bravetti, Anne-Lise; Mesnage, Stéphane; Lefort, Agnès; Chau, Françoise; Eckert, Catherine; Garry, Louis; Arthur, Michel; Fantin, Bruno

2009-04-01

The bactericidal activity of amoxicillin was investigated against Enterococcus faecalis JH2-2 and against an isogenic mutant deficient in the production of the N-acetylglucosaminidase AtlA. Comparison of the two strains indicated that this autolysin contributes to killing by amoxicillin both in vitro and in a rabbit model of experimental endocarditis.

Cicada Wing Surface Topography: An Investigation into the Bactericidal Properties of Nanostructural Features.

PubMed

Kelleher, S M; Habimana, O; Lawler, J; O' Reilly, B; Daniels, S; Casey, E; Cowley, A

2016-06-22

Recently, the surface of the wings of the Psaltoda claripennis cicada species has been shown to possess bactericidal properties and it has been suggested that the nanostructure present on the wings was responsible for the bacterial death. We have studied the surface-based nanostructure and bactericidal activity of the wings of three different cicadas (Megapomponia intermedia, Ayuthia spectabile and Cryptotympana aguila) in order to correlate the relationship between the observed surface topographical features and their bactericidal properties. Atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy performed in this study revealed that the tested wing species contained a highly uniform, nanopillar structure on the surface. The bactericidal properties of the cicada wings were investigated by assessing the viability of autofluorescent Pseudomonas fluorescens cells following static adhesion assays and targeted dead/live fluorescence staining through direct microscopic counting methods. These experiments revealed a 20-25% bacterial surface coverage on all tested wing species; however, significant bactericidal properties were observed in the M. intermedia and C. aguila species as revealed by the high dead:live cell ratio on their surfaces. The combined results suggest a strong correlation between the bactericidal properties of the wings and the scale of the nanotopography present on the different wing surfaces.

Preparation and bactericide activity of gallic acid stabilized gold nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moreno-Álvarez, S. A.; Martínez-Castañón, G. A.; Niño-Martínez, N.; Reyes-Macías, J. F.; Patiño-Marín, N.; Loyola-Rodríguez, J. P.; Ruiz, Facundo

2010-10-01

In this work, gold nanoparticles with three different sizes (13.7, 39.4, and 76.7 nm) were prepared using a simple aqueous method with gallic acid as the reducing and stabilizing agent, the different sizes were obtained varying some experimental parameters as the pH of the reaction and the amount of the gallic acid. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Samples were identified as elemental gold and present spherical morphology, a narrow size distribution and good stabilization according to TEM and DLS results. The antibacterial activity of this gallic acid stabilized gold nanoparticles against S. mutans (the etiologic agent of dental caries) was assessed using a microdilution method obtaining a minimum inhibitory concentration of 12.31, 12.31, and 49.25 μg/mL for 13.7, 39.4, and 76.7 nm gold nanoparticles, respectively. The antibacterial assay showed that gold nanoparticles prepared in this work present a bactericide activity by a synergistic action with gallic acid. The MIC found for this nanoparticles are much lower than those reported for mixtures of gold nanoparticles and antibiotics.

Characterization of the extracellular bactericidal factors of rat alveolar lining material.

PubMed Central

Coonrod, J D; Lester, R L; Hsu, L C

1984-01-01

The surfactant fraction (55,000-g pellet) of leukocyte-free rat bronchoalveolar lavage fluid contains factors that rapidly kill and lyse pneumococci. These factors were purified and identified biochemically by using a quantitative bactericidal test to monitor fractionation procedures. 91% of the antipneumococcal activity of rat surfactant was recovered in chloroform after extraction of rat surfactant with chloroform-methanol (Bligh-Dyer procedure). After chromatography on silicic acid with chloroform, acetone, and methanol, all detectable antibacterial activity (approximately 80% of the initial activity) eluted with the neutral lipids in chloroform. When rechromatographed on silicic acid with hexane, hexane-chloroform, and chloroform, the antibacterial activity eluted with FFA. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) established that the antibacterial activity was confined to the FFA fraction. Gas-liquid chromatography showed that the fatty acid fraction contained a mixture of long-chain FFA (C12 to C22) of which 66.7% were saturated and 32.4% were unsaturated. The quantity of TLC-purified FFA needed to kill 50% of 10(8) pneumococci under standardized conditions (one bactericidal unit) was 10.6 +/- 0.5 micrograms. Purified FFA acted as detergents, causing release of [3H]choline from pneumococcal cell walls and increased bacterial cell membrane permeability, evidenced by rapid unloading of 3-O-[3H]methyl-D-glucose. FFA acting as detergents appear to account for the bactericidal and bacteriolytic activity of rat pulmonary surfactant for pneumococci. PMID:6548228

Susceptibility of Escherichia coli to Bactericidal Action of Lactoperoxidase, Peroxide, and Iodide or Thiocyanate

PubMed Central

Thomas, Edwin L.; Aune, Thomas M.

1978-01-01

The bactericidal action that results from lactoperoxidase-catalyzed oxidation of iodide or thiocyanate was studied, using Escherichia coli as the test organism. The susceptibility of intact cells to bactericidal action was compared with that of cells with altered cell envelopes. Exposure to ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, to lysozyme and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, or to osmotic shock were used to alter the cell envelope. Bactericidal action was greatly increased when the cells were exposed to the lactoperoxidase-peroxide-iodide system at low temperatures, low cell density, or after alteration of the cell envelope. When thiocyanate was substituted for iodide, bactericidal activity was observed only at low cell density or after osmotic shock. Low temperature and low cell density lowered the rate of destruction of peroxide by the bacteria. Therefore, competition for peroxide between the bacteria and lactoperoxidase may influence the extent of bactericidal action. Alteration of the cell envelope had only a small effect on the rate of destruction of peroxide. Instead, the increased susceptibility of these altered cells suggested that bactericidal action required permeation of a reagent through the cell envelope. In addition to altering the cell envelope, these procedures partly depleted cells of oxidizable substrates and sulfhydryl components. Adding an oxidizable substrate did not decrease the susceptibility of the altered cells. On the other hand, mild reducing agents such as sulfhydryl compounds did partly reverse bactericidal action when added after exposure of cells to the peroxidase systems. These studies indicate that alteration of the metabolism, structure, or composition of bacterial cells can greatly increase their susceptibility to peroxidase bactericidal action. PMID:348097

Evaluation of Streptococcus pneumoniae Type XIV Opsonins by Phagocytosis-Associated Chemiluminescence and a Bactericidal Assay

PubMed Central

Gardner, Susan E.; Anderson, Donald C.; Webb, Bette J.; Stitzel, Ann E.; Edwards, Morven S.; Spitzer, Roger E.; Baker, Carol J.

1982-01-01

The relative roles of serum factors required for opsonization of type XIV Streptococcus pneumoniae were investigated by means of luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence (CL), bactericidal, and immunofluorescence assays employing adult sera containing high (>1,000 ng of antibody nitrogen per ml) or low (<200 ng of antibody nitrogen per ml) antibody concentrations as determined by radioimmunoassay. Specific antibody concentration correlated directly with both total and heat-labile CL activity (P < 0.005) and with the bactericidal index (P < 0.05) at a serum concentration of 10%. The importance of specific antibody as an opsonin was confirmed by the abolition of CL activity and immunoglobulin immunofluorescence observed after absorption of heated sera with type XIV pneumococcal cells and by the dose response in CL and bactericidal activity observed with the addition of immunoglobulin G to hypogammaglobulinemic serum. A role for the classical complement pathway in opsonization was indicated by significantly greater CL integrals for high-antibody sera than for low-antibody sera depleted of factor D and by the bactericidal activity noted for untreated, but not magnesium ethylene glycol-bis(β-aminoethyl ether)-N,N-tetraacetic acid-chelated low-antibody sera. The alternative pathway contributed more than half of the CL activity of both high- and low-antibody sera. However, after magnesium ethylene glycol-bis(β-aminoethyl ether)-N,N-tetraacetic acid chelation, only sera with high antibody concentrations or agammaglobulinemic serum reconstituted with immunoglobulin G with high specific antibody levels supported significant bactericidal activity. Therefore, type-specific antibody and complement promote opsonization of type XIV S. pneumoniae, and this may occur via either complement pathway. These results suggest that CL is a suitable tool to delineate serum factors and their contribution to opsonization, but results must be related to other functional assays. PMID:6802760

Effect of food processing organic matter on photocatalytic bactericidal activity of titanium dioxide (TiO2).

PubMed

Yemmireddy, Veerachandra K; Hung, Yen-Con

2015-07-02

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of food processing organic matter on photocatalytic bactericidal activity of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs). Produce and meat processing wash solutions were prepared using romaine lettuce and ground beef samples. Physico-chemical properties such as pH, turbidity, chemical oxygen demand (COD), total phenolics (for produce) and protein (for meat) content of the extracts were determined using standard procedures. The photocatalytic bactericidal activity of TiO2 (1 mg/mL) in suspension with or without organic matter against Escherichia coli O157:H7 (5-strain) was determined over a period of 3h. Increasing the concentration of organic matter (either produce or meat) from 0% to 100% resulted in 85% decrease in TiO2 microbicidal efficacy. 'Turbidity, total phenolics, and protein contents in wash solutions had significant effect on the log reduction. Increasing the total phenolics content in produce washes from 20 to 114 mg/L decreased the log reduction from 2.7 to 0.38 CFU/mL, whereas increasing the protein content in meat washes from 0.12 to 1.61 mg/L decreased the log reduction from and 5.74 to 0.87 CFU/mL. Also, a linear correlation was observed between COD and total phenolics as well as COD and protein contents. While classical disinfection kinetic models failed to predict, an empirical equation in the form of "Y=me(nX)" (where Y is log reduction, X is COD, and m and n are reaction rate constants) predicted the disinfection kinetics of TiO2 in the presence of organic matter (R(2)=94.4). This study successfully identified an empirical model with COD as a predictor variable to predict the bactericidal efficacy of TiO2 when used in food processing environment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effect of growth rate on pyrazinamide activity in Mycobacterium tuberculosis - insights for early bactericidal activity?

PubMed

Pullan, Steven T; Allnutt, Jon C; Devine, Rebecca; Hatch, Kim A; Jeeves, Rose E; Hendon-Dunn, Charlotte L; Marsh, Philip D; Bacon, Joanna

2016-05-17

Pyrazinamide (PZA) plays an essential part in the shortened six-month tuberculosis (TB) treatment course due to its activity against slow-growing and non-replicating organisms. We tested whether PZA preferentially targets slow growing cells of Mycobacterium tuberculosis that could be representative of bacteria that remain after the initial kill with isoniazid (INH), by observing the response of either slow growing or fast growing bacilli to differing concentrations of PZA. M. tuberculosis H37Rv was grown in continuous culture at either a constant fast growth rate (Mean Generation Time (MGT) of 23.1 h) or slow growth rate (69.3 h MGT) at a controlled dissolved oxygen tension of 10 % and a controlled acidity at pH 6.3 ± 0.1. Cultures were exposed to step-wise increases in the concentration of PZA (25 to 500 μgml(-1)) every two MGTs, and bacterial survival was measured. PZA-induced global gene expression was explored for each increase in PZA-concentration, using DNA microarray. At a constant pH 6.3, actively dividing mycobacteria were susceptible to PZA, with similar responses to increasing concentrations of PZA at both growth rates. Three distinct phases of drug response could be distingished for both slow growing (69.3 h MGT) and fast growing (23.1 h MGT) bacilli. A bacteriostatic phase at a low concentration of PZA was followed by a recovery period in which the culture adapted to the presence of PZA and bacteria were actively dividing in steady-state. In contrast, there was a rapid loss of viability at bactericidal concentrations. There was a notable delay in the onset of the recovery period in quickly dividing cells compared with those dividing more slowly. Fast growers and slow growers adapted to PZA-exposure via very similar mechanisms; through reduced gene expression of tRNA, 50S, and 30S ribosomal proteins. PZA had an equivalent level of activity against fast growing and slow growing M. tuberculosis. At both growth rates drug-tolerance to sub

Complement-mediated bactericidal activity of anti-factor H binding protein monoclonal antibodies against the meningococcus relies upon blocking factor H binding.

PubMed

Giuntini, Serena; Reason, Donald C; Granoff, Dan M

2011-09-01

Binding of the complement-downregulating protein factor H (fH) to the surface of the meningococcus is important for survival of the organism in human serum. The meningococcal vaccine candidate factor H binding protein (fHbp) is an important ligand for human fH. While some fHbp-specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) block binding of fH to fHbp, the stoichiometry of blocking in the presence of high serum concentrations of fH and its effect on complement-mediated bactericidal activity are unknown. To investigate this question, we constructed chimeric antibodies in which the human IgG1 constant region was paired with three murine fHbp-specific binding domains designated JAR 3, JAR 5, and MAb502. By surface plasmon resonance, the association rates for binding of all three MAbs to immobilized fHbp were >50-fold higher than that for binding of fH to fHbp, and the MAb dissociation rates were >500-fold lower than that for fH. While all three MAbs elicited similar C1q-dependent C4b deposition on live bacteria (classical complement pathway), only those antibodies that inhibited binding of fH to fHbp (JAR 3 and JAR 5) had bactericidal activity with human complement. MAb502, which did not inhibit fH binding, had complement-mediated bactericidal activity only when tested with fH-depleted human complement. When an IgG1 anti-fHbp MAb binds to sparsely exposed fHbp on the bacterial surface, there appears to be insufficient complement activation for bacteriolysis unless fH binding also is inhibited. The ability of fHbp vaccines to elicit protective antibodies, therefore, is likely to be enhanced if the antibody repertoire is of high avidity and includes fH-blocking activity.

Correlations between phytohemagglutinin response and leukocyte profile, and bactericidal capacity in a wild rodent.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhiqiang; Zhao, Zhijun

2015-05-01

Phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-induced swelling is widely used to investigate cell-mediated and innate immunity across different vertebrate taxa. However, its physiological mechanism is still an open question due to the complexity of the involved immune components. In the present study, we measured the synchronous variations of PHA response, the proportion of different subtypes of leukocytes, as well as serum bactericidal capacity in circulation blood at 6, 12 and 24 h after PHA versus PBS injection in striped hamster, Cricetulus barabensis. First, the results showed that PHA responses reached a peak at 6 h postinjection, then sharply declined at 12 h and 24 h postinjection. Serum bactericidal capacity was higher at 6 h and 12 h than at 24 h. The proportion of different subtypes of leukocytes, as well as the ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes did not display significant changes across different time points. Second, PHA response was positively correlated with the proportion of neutrophils and serum bactericidal capacity. The proportion of monocytes was negatively correlated with that of eosinophils and neutrophils. The proportion of basophils was negatively correlated with that of lymphocytes. Our results indicate that earlier enhanced PHA response is important for the striped hamster to cope with changing environmental conditions due to its small body mass, and the increased components of innate immunity in circulation blood may contribute to the enhancement of PHA swelling response. © 2015 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Bactericidal activity of the human skin fatty acid cis-6-hexadecanoic acid on Staphylococcus aureus.

PubMed

Cartron, Michaël L; England, Simon R; Chiriac, Alina Iulia; Josten, Michaele; Turner, Robert; Rauter, Yvonne; Hurd, Alexander; Sahl, Hans-Georg; Jones, Simon; Foster, Simon J

2014-07-01

Human skin fatty acids are a potent aspect of our innate defenses, giving surface protection against potentially invasive organisms. They provide an important parameter in determining the ecology of the skin microflora, and alterations can lead to increased colonization by pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus. Harnessing skin fatty acids may also give a new avenue of exploration in the generation of control measures against drug-resistant organisms. Despite their importance, the mechanism(s) whereby skin fatty acids kill bacteria has remained largely elusive. Here, we describe an analysis of the bactericidal effects of the major human skin fatty acid cis-6-hexadecenoic acid (C6H) on the human commensal and pathogen S. aureus. Several C6H concentration-dependent mechanisms were found. At high concentrations, C6H swiftly kills cells associated with a general loss of membrane integrity. However, C6H still kills at lower concentrations, acting through disruption of the proton motive force, an increase in membrane fluidity, and its effects on electron transfer. The design of analogues with altered bactericidal effects has begun to determine the structural constraints on activity and paves the way for the rational design of new antistaphylococcal agents. Copyright © 2014 Cartron et al.

Expanding the potential of NAI-107 for treating serious ESKAPE pathogens: synergistic combinations against Gram-negatives and bactericidal activity against non-dividing cells

PubMed Central

Brunati, Cristina; Thomsen, Thomas T; Gaspari, Eleonora; Maffioli, Sonia; Sosio, Margherita; Jabes, Daniela; Løbner-Olesen, Anders; Donadio, Stefano

2018-01-01

Abstract Objectives To characterize NAI-107 and related lantibiotics for their in vitro activity against Gram-negative pathogens, alone or in combination with polymyxin, and against non-dividing cells or biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus. NAI-107 was also evaluated for its propensity to select or induce self-resistance in Gram-positive bacteria. Methods We used MIC determinations and chequerboard experiments to establish the antibacterial activity of the examined compounds against target microorganisms. Time–kill assays were used to evaluate killing of exponential and stationary-phase cells. The effects on biofilms (growth inhibition and biofilm eradication) were evaluated using biofilm-coated pegs. The frequency of spontaneous resistant mutants was evaluated by either direct plating or by continuous sub-culturing at 0.5 × MIC levels, followed by population analysis profiles. Results The results showed that NAI-107 and its brominated variant are highly active against Neisseria gonorrhoeae and some other fastidious Gram-negative pathogens. Furthermore, all compounds strongly synergized with polymyxin against Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and showed bactericidal activity. Surprisingly, NAI-107 alone was bactericidal against non-dividing A. baumannii cells. Against S. aureus, NAI-107 and related lantibiotics showed strong bactericidal activity against dividing and non-dividing cells. Activity was also observed against S. aureus biofilms. As expected for a lipid II binder, no significant resistance to NAI-107 was observed by direct plating or serial passages. Conclusions Overall, the results of the current work, along with previously published results on the efficacy of NAI-107 in experimental models of infection, indicate that this lantibiotic represents a promising option in addressing the serious threat of antibiotic resistance. PMID:29092042

Subtle Variations in Surface Properties of Black Silicon Surfaces Influence the Degree of Bactericidal Efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhadra, Chris M.; Werner, Marco; Baulin, Vladimir A.; Truong Khanh, Vi; Kobaisi, Mohammad Al; Nguyen, Song Ha; Balcytis, Armandas; Juodkazis, Saulius; Wang, James Y.; Mainwaring, David E.; Crawford, Russell J.; Ivanova, Elena P.

2018-06-01

One of the major challenges faced by the biomedical industry is the development of robust synthetic surfaces that can resist bacterial colonization. Much inspiration has been drawn recently from naturally occurring mechano-bactericidal surfaces such as the wings of cicada ( Psaltoda claripennis) and dragonfly ( Diplacodes bipunctata) species in fabricating their synthetic analogs. However, the bactericidal activity of nanostructured surfaces is observed in a particular range of parameters reflecting the geometry of nanostructures and surface wettability. Here, several of the nanometer-scale characteristics of black silicon (bSi) surfaces including the density and height of the nanopillars that have the potential to influence the bactericidal efficiency of these nanostructured surfaces have been investigated. The results provide important evidence that minor variations in the nanoarchitecture of substrata can substantially alter their performance as bactericidal surfaces.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

The air-bubble method of locking central-vein catheters with acidified, concentrated sodium chloride as a bactericidal agent: in vitro studies.

PubMed

Moore, Harold L; Twardowski, Zbylut J

2003-10-01

Soft, cuffed indwelling catheters are used for hemodialysis access and intravenous infusions. The majority of these catheters are removed as a result of infection caused by contamination of the catheter hub during the connection/disconnection procedures. To prevent clot formation in the lumen, these catheters are routinely "locked" with heparin or some other anticoagulant. None of the anticoagulants commonly used as locking solutions demonstrates any significant bactericidal properties. The primary goal of this study was the development of a catheter locking method that retains anticoagulant properties at the catheter tip and bactericidal properties at the catheter hub. The second goal was to find a solution that possesses excellent bactericidal properties but is not detrimental in the event of injection into the patient's blood stream. The bactericidal properties of acidified, concentrated saline (ACS) were compared to concentrated trisodium citrate and to commonly used bactericidal agents such as povidone iodine, sodium hypochlorite, and chlorhexidine. In preliminary studies, the rate of diffusion of solutes was measured in glass tubes. In another set of experiments, the mixing of two solutions (anticoagulant and bactericide) separated by an air bubble ("air-bubble method") was observed in stationary and moving systems. The final series of studies compared the bactericidal properties of ACS to other bactericidal solutions mentioned above. The solutions diffused swiftly in the glass tubes, and by the third day, both solutions were mixed. The air-bubble method prevented mixing in both stationary and moving systems. The bactericidal properties of ACS were superior to all other tested solutions. The proposed method of catheter locking with anticoagulant at the catheter tip and ACS at the catheter hub separated by an air bubble is a promising technique and clinical studies are warranted.

[Bactericidal effect of soybean peroxidase-hydrogen peroxide-potassium iodide system].

PubMed

Jin, Jianling; Zhang, Weican; Li, Yu; Zhao, Yue; Wang, Fei; Gao, Peiji

2011-03-01

To study the bactericidal effect and the possible mechanisms of the three components system [soybean peroxidases (SBP)-hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-potassium iodide (KI), SBP-H2O2-KI]. The inhibition and bactericidal effect of SBP-H2O2-KI system to bacteria was detected by OD600 and the number of live bacteria (CFU). The sensitivity was tested by comparing the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of bacterial cultures before and after cultured under sub-lethal dose of SBP-H2O2-KI system. Oxidizing activity groups were detected with physical and chemical methods in order to explain the bactericidal mechanisms of SBP-H2O2-KI system. SBP-H2O2-KI ternary system had rapid and high efficient bactericidal effect to a variety of bacterial strains in just several minutes. The MICs had no significant changes when bacterial cultures continuously cultured in sub-lethal dose of SBP-H2O2-KI system, and no resistance/tolerance mutant strains could be isolated from them. Both physical and chemical test results showed that no hydroxyl radical produced in SBP- H2O2-KI reaction system, chemical test results showed that no superoxide anion but a singlet oxygen and iodine produced in SBP-H2O2-KI reaction system. These results suggested that singlet oxygen and iodine or the iodine intermediate state may possible be the main sterilization factors for SBP-H2O2-KI system, and hydroxyl radical and superoxide anion not. In addition, the both characteristics of SBP-H2O2-KI system: rapid and high efficient bactericidal effect, and bacteria difficultly resisting to it, indicated it would have a good potential application in medical and plant protection area.

Effect of Bromide-Hypochlorite Bactericides on Microorganisms1

PubMed Central

Shere, Lewis; Kelley, Maurice J.; Richardson, J. Harold

1962-01-01

A new principle in compounding stable, granular bactericidal products led to unique combinations of a water-soluble inorganic bromide salt with a hypochlorite-type disinfectant of either inorganic or organic type. Microbiological results are shown for an inorganic bactericide composed of chlorinated trisodium phosphate containing 3.1% “available chlorine” and 2% potassium bromide, and for an organic bactericide formulated from sodium dichloroisocyanurate so as to contain 13.4% “available chlorine” and 8% potassium bromide. Comparison of these products with their nonbromide counterparts are reported for Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus lactis, Aerobacter aerogenes, and Proteus vulgaris. Test methods employed were the Chambers test, the A.O.A.C. Germicidal and Detergent Sanitizer-Official test, and the Available Chlorine Germicidal Equivalent Concentration test. The minimal killing concentrations for the bromide-hypochlorite bactericides against this variety of organisms were reduced by a factor 2 to 24 times those required for similar hypochlorite-type disinfectants not containing the bromide. PMID:13977149

Expanding the potential of NAI-107 for treating serious ESKAPE pathogens: synergistic combinations against Gram-negatives and bactericidal activity against non-dividing cells.

PubMed

Brunati, Cristina; Thomsen, Thomas T; Gaspari, Eleonora; Maffioli, Sonia; Sosio, Margherita; Jabes, Daniela; Løbner-Olesen, Anders; Donadio, Stefano

2018-02-01

To characterize NAI-107 and related lantibiotics for their in vitro activity against Gram-negative pathogens, alone or in combination with polymyxin, and against non-dividing cells or biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus. NAI-107 was also evaluated for its propensity to select or induce self-resistance in Gram-positive bacteria. We used MIC determinations and chequerboard experiments to establish the antibacterial activity of the examined compounds against target microorganisms. Time-kill assays were used to evaluate killing of exponential and stationary-phase cells. The effects on biofilms (growth inhibition and biofilm eradication) were evaluated using biofilm-coated pegs. The frequency of spontaneous resistant mutants was evaluated by either direct plating or by continuous sub-culturing at 0.5 × MIC levels, followed by population analysis profiles. The results showed that NAI-107 and its brominated variant are highly active against Neisseria gonorrhoeae and some other fastidious Gram-negative pathogens. Furthermore, all compounds strongly synergized with polymyxin against Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and showed bactericidal activity. Surprisingly, NAI-107 alone was bactericidal against non-dividing A. baumannii cells. Against S. aureus, NAI-107 and related lantibiotics showed strong bactericidal activity against dividing and non-dividing cells. Activity was also observed against S. aureus biofilms. As expected for a lipid II binder, no significant resistance to NAI-107 was observed by direct plating or serial passages. Overall, the results of the current work, along with previously published results on the efficacy of NAI-107 in experimental models of infection, indicate that this lantibiotic represents a promising option in addressing the serious threat of antibiotic resistance. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial

Age dependence of in vitro survival of meningococci in whole blood during childhood.

PubMed

Ison, Catherine A; Anwar, Natasha; Cole, Michelle J; Pollard, Andrew J; Morley, Sarah L; Fidler, Katy; Sandiford, Colin; Banks, Julia; Kroll, Simon J; Levin, Michael

2003-10-01

To determine the association between the ability of a different strains of meningococci to survive in whole blood and the age of the donor. A panel of serogroup B and a serogroup C strain of Neisseria meningitidis was tested in an ex vivo whole blood model. Blood from 81 healthy children and 20 adults and from children during convalescence from serogroup B (55 patients) or serogroup C (43 patients) meningococcal infection was assessed. Age-dependent acquisition of whole blood killing of serogroup B and C bacterial isolates was demonstrated in healthy children with an inverse relationship to the reported incidence of disease. After infection with serogroup B or C meningococci, evidence of whole blood killing of the bacteria was found even in blood from children <2 years of age, the survival of a serogroup B strain, MC58, being reduced compared with that in healthy children (median, 64% compared with 194.5% survival at 90 min). In both affected children and controls, there was a significant correlation between whole blood killing of strain MC58 and of other serogroup B and C meningococci. The whole blood model measures both humoral and cellular mechanisms responsible for the bactericidal activity of blood. The model was first described 80 years ago, but this is the first description of its age dependency. Acquisition of bactericidal activity was more rapid in children infected and is directed at various strains of meningococci, indicating the presence of a cross-reactive antigen(s).

Evaluation of bactericidal effects of low-temperature nitrogen gas plasma towards application to short-time sterilization.

PubMed

Kawamura, Kumiko; Sakuma, Ayaka; Nakamura, Yuka; Oguri, Tomoko; Sato, Natsumi; Kido, Nobuo

2012-07-01

To develop a novel low-temperature plasma sterilizer using pure N(2) gas as a plasma source, we evaluated bactericidal ability of a prototype apparatus provided by NGK Insulators. After determination of the sterilizing conditions without the cold spots, the D value of the BI of Geobacillus stearothermophilus endospores on the filter paper was determined as 1.9 min. However, the inactivation efficiency of BI carrying the same endospores on SUS varied to some extent, suggesting that the bactericidal effect might vary by materials of sterilized instruments. Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were also exposed to the N(2) gas plasma and confirmed to be inactivated within 30 min. Through the evaluation of bactericidal efficiency in a sterilization bag, we concluded that the UV photons in the plasma and the high-voltage pulse to generate the gas plasma were not concerned with the bactericidal effect of the N(2) gas plasma. Bactericidal effect might be exhibited by activated nitrogen atoms or molecular radicals. © 2012 The Societies and Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Bactericidal activities of woven cotton and nonwoven polypropylene fabrics coated with hydroxyapatite-binding silver/titanium dioxide ceramic nanocomposite “Earth-plus”

PubMed Central

Kasuga, Eriko; Kawakami, Yoshiyuki; Matsumoto, Takehisa; Hidaka, Eiko; Oana, Kozue; Ogiwara, Naoko; Yamaki, Dai; Sakurada, Tsukasa; Honda, Takayuki

2011-01-01

Background Bacteria from the hospital environment, including linens and curtains, are often responsible for hospital-associated infections. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the bactericidal effects of fabrics coated with the hydroxyapatite-binding silver/titanium dioxide ceramic nanocomposite “Earth-plus”. Methods Bactericidal activities of woven and nonwoven fabrics coated with Earth-plus were investigated by the time-kill curve method using nine bacterial strains, including three Staphylococcus aureus, three Escherichia coli, and three Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains. Results The numbers of viable S. aureus and E. coli cells on both fabrics coated with Earth-plus decreased to below 2 log10 colony-forming units/mL in six hours and reached the detection limit in 18 hours. Viable cell counts of P. aeruginosa on both fabrics coated with Earth-plus could not be detected after 3–6 hours. Viable cells on woven fabrics showed a more rapid decline than those on nonwoven fabrics. Bacterial cell counts of the nine strains on fabrics without Earth-plus failed to decrease even after 18 hours. Conclusion Woven cotton and nonwoven polypropylene fabrics were shown to have excellent antibacterial potential. The woven fabric was more bactericidal than the nonwoven fabric. PMID:21931489

Population pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic analysis of the bactericidal activities of sutezolid (PNU-100480) and its major metabolite against intracellular Mycobacterium tuberculosis in ex vivo whole-blood cultures of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.

PubMed

Zhu, Tong; Friedrich, Sven O; Diacon, Andreas; Wallis, Robert S

2014-06-01

Sutezolid (PNU-100480 [U-480]) is an oxazolidinone antimicrobial being developed for the treatment of tuberculosis. An active sulfoxide metabolite (PNU-101603 [U-603]), which reaches concentrations in plasma several times those of the parent, has been reported to drive the killing of extracellular Mycobacterium tuberculosis by sutezolid in hollow-fiber culture. However, the relative contributions of the parent and metabolite against intracellular M. tuberculosis in vivo are not fully understood. The relationships between the plasma concentrations of U-480 and U-603 and intracellular whole-blood bactericidal activity (WBA) in ex vivo cultures were examined using a direct competitive population pharmacokinetic (PK)/pharmacodynamic 4-parameter sigmoid model. The data set included 690 PK determinations and 345 WBA determinations from 50 tuberculosis patients enrolled in a phase 2a sutezolid trial. The model parameters were solved iteratively. The median U-603/U-480 concentration ratio was 7.1 (range, 1 to 28). The apparent 50% inhibitory concentration of U-603 for intracellular M. tuberculosis was 17-fold greater than that of U-480 (90% confidence interval [CI], 9.9- to 53-fold). Model parameters were used to simulate in vivo activity after oral dosing with sutezolid at 600 mg twice a day (BID) and 1,200 mg once a day (QD). Divided dosing resulted in greater cumulative activity (-0.269 log10 per day; 90% CI, -0.237 to -0.293 log10 per day) than single daily dosing (-0.186 log10 per day; 90% CI, -0.160 to -0.208 log10 per day). U-480 accounted for 84% and 78% of the activity for BID and QD dosing, respectively, despite the higher concentrations of U-603. Killing of intracellular M. tuberculosis by orally administered sutezolid is mainly due to the activity of the parent compound. Taken together with the findings of other studies in the hollow-fiber model, these findings suggest that sutezolid and its metabolite act on different mycobacterial subpopulations. Copyright �

Bactericidal activity and silver release of porous ceramic candle filter prepared by sintering silica with silver nanoparticles/zeolite for water disinfection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trinh Nguyen, Thuy Ai; Phu Dang, Van; Duy Nguyen, Ngoc; Le, Anh Quoc; Thanh Nguyen, Duc; Hien Nguyen, Quoc

2014-09-01

Porous ceramic candle filters (PCCF) were prepared by sintering silica from rice husk with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs)/zeolite A at about 1050 °C to create bactericidal PCCF/AgNPs for water disinfection. The silver content in PCCF/AgNPs was of 300-350 mg kg-1 determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and the average pore size of PCCF/AgNPs was of 50-70 Å measured by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method. The bactericidal activity and silver release of PCCF/AgNPs have been investigated by flow test with water flow rate of 5 L h-1 and initial inoculation of E. coli in inlet water of 106 CFU/100 mL. The volume of filtrated water was collected up to 500 L. Results showed that the contamination of E. coli in filtrated water was <1 CFU/100 mL and the content of silver released from PCCF/AgNPs into filtrated water was <1 μg L-1, it is low, far under the WHO guideline of 100 μg L-1 at maximum for drinking water. Based on the content of silver in PCCF/AgNPs and in filtrated water, it was estimated that one PCCF/AgNPs could be used to filtrate of ˜100 m3 water. Thus, as-prepared PCCF/AgNPs releases low content of silver into water and shows effectively bactericidal activity that is promising to apply as point-of-use water treatment technology for drinking water disinfection.

Antagonistic effects of lipids against the bactericidal activity of thymol-beta-D-glucopyranoside

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The gut of food-producing animals is a reservoir for zoonotic pathogens. Thymol is bactericidal against Salmonella, E. coli, and Campylobacter, but its rapid absorption from the proximal gut reveals a need for protective technologies to deliver effective concentrations to the lower gut where the pa...

Green-Tea and Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate are Bactericidal against Bacillus anthracis

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-13

EGCG, catechins such 245 as epigallocatechin and epicatechin gallate are also antibacterial agents. Moreover, the 246 bactericidal activity of green...Sharma A, Gupta S, Sarethy IP, Dang S, Gabrani R. 2012. Green tea extract: possible mechanism 285 and antibacterial activity on skin pathogens. Food...was shown to be responsible for this activity , against 30 both the attenuated B. anthracis ANR and the virulent, encapsulated strain B. anthracis

Propolis modulates miRNAs involved in TLR-4 pathway, NF-κB activation, cytokine production and in the bactericidal activity of human dendritic cells.

PubMed

Conti, Bruno J; Santiago, Karina B; Cardoso, Eliza O; Freire, Paula P; Carvalho, Robson F; Golim, Marjorie A; Sforcin, José M

2016-12-01

Dendritic cells (DCs) are antigen-presenting cells, essential for recognition and presentation of pathogens to T cells. Propolis, a resinous material produced by bees from various plants, exhibits numerous biological properties, highlighting its immunomodulatory action. Here, we assayed the effects of propolis on the maturation and function of human DCs. DCs were generated from human monocytes and incubated with propolis and LPS. NF-κB and cytokines production were determined by ELISA. microRNA's expression was analysed by RT-qPCR and cell markers detection by flow cytometry. Colony-forming units were obtained to assess the bactericidal activity of propolis-treated DCs. Propolis activated DCs in the presence of LPS, inducing NF-kB, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10 production. The inhibition of hsa-miR-148a and hsa-miR-148b abolished the inhibitory effects on HLA-DR and pro-inflammatory cytokines. The increased expression of hsa-miR-155 may be correlated to the increase in TLR-4 and CD86 expression, maintaining LPS-induced expression of HLA-DR and CD40. Such parameters may be involved in the increased bactericidal activity of DCs against Streptococcus mutans. Propolis modulated the maturation and function of DCs and may be useful in the initial steps of the immune response, providing a novel approach to the development of DC-based strategies and for the discovery of new immunomodulators. © 2016 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Bactericidal behavior of Cu-containing stainless steel surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiangyu; Huang, Xiaobo; Ma, Yong; Lin, Naiming; Fan, Ailan; Tang, Bin

2012-10-01

Stainless steels are one of the most common materials used in health care environments. However, the lack of antibacterial advantage has limited their use in practical application. In this paper, antibacterial stainless steel surfaces with different Cu contents have been prepared by plasma surface alloying technology (PSAT). The steel surface with Cu content 90 wt.% (Cu-SS) exhibits strong bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) within 3 h. Although the Cu-containing surface with Cu content 2.5 wt.% (CuNi-SS) can also kill all tested bacteria, this process needs 12 h. SEM observation of the bacterial morphology and an agarose gel electrophoresis were performed to study the antibacterial mechanism of Cu-containing stainless steel surfaces against E. coli. The results indicated that Cu ions are released when the Cu-containing surfaces are in contact with bacterial and disrupt the cell membranes, killing the bacteria. The toxicity of Cu-alloyed surfaces does not cause damage to the bacterial DNA. These results provide a scientific explanation for the antimicrobial applications of Cu-containing stainless steel. The surfaces with different antibacterial abilities could be used as hygienic surfaces in healthcare-associated settings according to the diverse requirement of bactericidal activities.

Neutralization of bactericidal activity related to antimicrobial carry-over in broiler carcass rinse samples

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Chemical antimicrobial interventions used as poultry processing aids may have potential for carry-over into whole poultry carcass buffered peptone water (BPW) rinses collected for the recovery of viable Salmonella. Such carry-over may lead to false negative indications due to continuing bactericidal...

The potent bactericidal activity of streptomycin in the guinea pig model of tuberculosis ceases due to the presence of persisters.

PubMed

Ahmad, Zahoor; Pinn, Michael L; Nuermberger, Eric L; Peloquin, Charles A; Grosset, Jacques H; Karakousis, Petros C

2010-10-01

The biphasic kill curve of isoniazid against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in guinea pigs is due to the presence of persisters rather than selection of isoniazid-resistant mutants. To determine whether this phenomenon is common to other bactericidal drugs, we studied the activity of streptomycin and its ability to select for streptomycin-resistant mutants in the guinea pig model of tuberculosis. Pharmacokinetic studies were performed to establish the human-equivalent dose of streptomycin. Guinea pigs were aerosol-infected with M. tuberculosis and 2 weeks later streptomycin was given for 5 days/week via intramuscular injection. Bactericidal activity was assessed by homogenizing and plating lungs for cfu until 10 weeks of treatment. At each timepoint, cfu were isolated, suspended in normal saline and re-plated on plates containing 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 or 10.0 mg/L streptomycin. The human-equivalent dose of streptomycin was determined to be 70 mg/kg. Streptomycin showed potent activity during the first 14 days of treatment, rescuing all animals from acute tuberculosis-related death and reducing lung cfu by ∼4 log(10). However, streptomycin activity was dramatically reduced thereafter, as lung cfu declined by only ∼1 log(10) over the next 56 days of treatment. Although streptomycin-resistant mutants were detectable, their frequency of isolation was identical at treatment initiation and after 70 days of treatment. The reduced activity of streptomycin during the second phase of monotherapy is not associated with the selection of streptomycin-resistant mutants but, rather, with the presence of phenotypically tolerant 'persisters'.

A Cleavage-potentiated Fragment of Tear Lacritin Is Bactericidal*

PubMed Central

McKown, Robert L.; Coleman Frazier, Erin V.; Zadrozny, Kaneil K.; Deleault, Andrea M.; Raab, Ronald W.; Ryan, Denise S.; Sia, Rose K.; Lee, Jae K.; Laurie, Gordon W.

2014-01-01

Antimicrobial peptides are important as the first line of innate defense, through their tendency to disrupt bacterial membranes or intracellular pathways and potentially as the next generation of antibiotics. How they protect wet epithelia is not entirely clear, with most individually inactive under physiological conditions and many preferentially targeting Gram-positive bacteria. Tears covering the surface of the eye are bactericidal for Gram-positive and -negative bacteria. Here we narrow much of the bactericidal activity to a latent C-terminal fragment in the prosecretory mitogen lacritin and report that the mechanism combines membrane permeabilization with rapid metabolic changes, including reduced levels of dephosphocoenzyme A, spermidine, putrescine, and phosphatidylethanolamines and elevated alanine, leucine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, proline, glycine, lysine, serine, glutamate, cadaverine, and pyrophosphate. Thus, death by metabolic stress parallels cellular attempts to survive. Cleavage-dependent appearance of the C-terminal cationic amphipathic α-helix is inducible within hours by Staphylococcus epidermidis and slowly by another mechanism, in a chymotrypsin- or leupeptin protease-inhibitable manner. Although bactericidal at low micromolar levels, within a biphasic 1–10 nm dose optimum, the same domain is mitogenic and cytoprotective for epithelia via a syndecan-1 targeting mechanism dependent on heparanase. Thus, the C terminus of lacritin is multifunctional by dose and proteolytic processing and appears to play a key role in the innate protection of the eye, with wider potential benefit elsewhere as lacritin flows from exocrine secretory cells. PMID:24942736

Shape-dependent bactericidal activity of copper oxide nanoparticle mediated by DNA and membrane damage

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Laha, Dipranjan; Pramanik, Arindam; Laskar, Aparna

Highlights: • Spherical and sheet shaped copper oxide nanoparticles were synthesized. • Physical characterizations of these nanoparticles were done by TEM, DLS, XRD, FTIR. • They showed shape dependent antibacterial activity on different bacterial strain. • They induced both membrane damage and ROS mediated DNA damage in bacteria. - Abstract: In this work, we synthesized spherical and sheet shaped copper oxide nanoparticles and their physical characterizations were done by the X-ray diffraction, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The antibacterial activity of these nanoparticles was determined on both gram positive and gram negative bacterial. Sphericalmore » shaped copper oxide nanoparticles showed more antibacterial property on gram positive bacteria where as sheet shaped copper oxide nanoparticles are more active on gram negative bacteria. We also demonstrated that copper oxide nanoparticles produced reactive oxygen species in both gram negative and gram positive bacteria. Furthermore, they induced membrane damage as determined by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Thus production of and membrane damage are major mechanisms of the bactericidal activity of these copper oxide nanoparticles. Finally it was concluded that antibacterial activity of nanoparticles depend on physicochemical properties of copper oxide nanoparticles and bacterial strain.« less

In vitro and in vivo activities of E-101 solution against Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from U.S. military personnel.

PubMed

Denys, G A; Davis, J C; O'Hanley, P D; Stephens, J T

2011-07-01

We evaluated the in vitro and in vivo activity of a novel topical myeloperoxidase-mediated antimicrobial, E-101 solution, against 5 multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates recovered from wounded American soldiers. Time-kill studies demonstrated rapid bactericidal activity against all A. baumannii strains tested in the presence of 3% blood. The in vitro bactericidal activity of E-101 solution against A. baumannii strains was confirmed in a full-thickness excision rat model. Additional in vivo studies appear warranted.

Selenium-mediated protection in reversing the sensitivity of bacterium to the bactericidal antibiotics.

PubMed

Li, Zhonglei; Tan, Jun; Shao, Lei; Dong, Xiaojing; Ye, Richard D; Chen, Daijie

2017-05-01

Inducing production of damaging reactive oxygen species (ROS) is an important criterion to distinguish the bactericidal antibiotics from bacteriostatic antibiotics. Selenoenzymes were generally recognized to be a powerful antioxidant capable of scavenging free radicals, protecting the cells from the harmful effects of ROS. Therefore, the present study was carried out to investigate the selenium (Se)-mediated protection in reversing antibiotic sensitivity and the role of selenoenzymes in alleviating the negative effects of oxidative stress. The cellular antioxidant activity of Se-enriched bacteria was analyzed, as well as intracellular ROS production and elimination when Se-enriched bacteria in the presence of various antibiotics. Compared to complete inhibition of the parental strain by bactericidal antibiotics, it only exhibited slight and reversible inhibition of Se-enriched Escherichia coli ATCC25922 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC25923 at the same conditions, which indicated that intracellular selenium provided substantial protection against antibiotics. ROS generation caused by bactericidal antibiotics was confirmed by fluorescence spectrophotometry using 2', 7'-dichloro- uorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) as substrate. The time course experiments of pretreatment with selenium showed significant decrease of ROS level at 2h. In summary, the present study provides experimental evidence supporting selenoenzymes has good scavenging effect to ROS and can protect bacteria from oxidative stress injury induced by bactericidal antibiotics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Bactericidal Effect of Photolysis of H2O2 in Combination with Sonolysis of Water via Hydroxyl Radical Generation.

PubMed

Sheng, Hong; Nakamura, Keisuke; Kanno, Taro; Sasaki, Keiichi; Niwano, Yoshimi

2015-01-01

The bactericidal effect of hydroxyl radical (·OH) generated by combination of photolysis of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and sonolysis of water was examined under the condition in which the yield of ·OH increased additively when H2O2 aqueous solution was concomitantly irradiated with laser and ultrasound. The suspension of Staphylococcus aureus mixed with the different concentrations of H2O2 was irradiated simultaneously with a laser light (wavelength: 405 nm, irradiance: 46 and 91 mW/cm2) and ultrasound (power: 30 w, frequency: 1.65 MHz) at 20 ± 1°C of the water bulk temperature for 2 min. The combination of laser and ultrasound irradiation significantly reduced the viable bacterial count in comparison with the laser irradiation of H2O2 alone. By contrast, the ultrasound irradiation alone exerted almost no bactericidal effect. These results suggested that the combination effect of photolysis of H2O2 and sonolysis of water on bactericidal activity was synergistic. A multi-way analysis of variance also revealed that the interaction of H2O2 concentration, laser power and ultrasound irradiation significantly affected the bactericidal activity. Since the result of oxidative DNA damage evaluation demonstrated that the combination of laser and ultrasound irradiation significantly induced oxidative damage of bacterial DNA in comparison with the laser irradiation of H2O2 alone, it was suggested that the combination effect of photolysis of H2O2 and sonolysis of water on bactericidal activity would be exerted via oxidative damage of cellular components such as DNA.

Natural Product Anacardic Acid from Cashew Nut Shells Stimulates Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Production and Bactericidal Activity.

PubMed

Hollands, Andrew; Corriden, Ross; Gysler, Gabriela; Dahesh, Samira; Olson, Joshua; Raza Ali, Syed; Kunkel, Maya T; Lin, Ann E; Forli, Stefano; Newton, Alexandra C; Kumar, Geetha B; Nair, Bipin G; Perry, J Jefferson P; Nizet, Victor

2016-07-01

Emerging antibiotic resistance among pathogenic bacteria is an issue of great clinical importance, and new approaches to therapy are urgently needed. Anacardic acid, the primary active component of cashew nut shell extract, is a natural product used in the treatment of a variety of medical conditions, including infectious abscesses. Here, we investigate the effects of this natural product on the function of human neutrophils. We find that anacardic acid stimulates the production of reactive oxygen species and neutrophil extracellular traps, two mechanisms utilized by neutrophils to kill invading bacteria. Molecular modeling and pharmacological inhibitor studies suggest anacardic acid stimulation of neutrophils occurs in a PI3K-dependent manner through activation of surface-expressed G protein-coupled sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors. Neutrophil extracellular traps produced in response to anacardic acid are bactericidal and complement select direct antimicrobial activities of the compound. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Antimicrobial-induced endotoxin and cytokine activity in an in vitro model of septicemia in foals.

PubMed

Bentley, Adrienne P; Barton, Michelle H; Lee, Margie D; Norton, Natalie A; Moore, James N

2002-05-01

To determine which antimicrobials that are used to treat neonatal foals with septicemia attributable to Escherichia coli will minimize endotoxin release from bacteria and subsequent activity of inflammatory mediators while maintaining bactericidal efficacy. Blood samples from 10 healthy foals. Escherichia coli isolates A and B were isolated from 2 septicemic foals, and minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were determined for 9 antimicrobials. Five of these antimicrobials were tested in vitro at 2 and 20 times their respective MIC. Whole blood or mononuclear cells grown in tissue-culture media were incubated with 105 colony-forming units of E. coli and each antimicrobial or saline (0.9% NaCl) solution. After 6 hours, number of viable bacteria remaining was determined, and supernatant was tested for endotoxin and tumor necrosis activity. Testing in whole blood was compromised by bactericidal effects of the blood itself. In mononuclear cell suspensions, each antimicrobial significantly reduced the number of viable bacteria to low or undetectable amounts. Antimicrobials did not differ significantly in efficacy of bacterial killing. Amikacin used alone or in combination with ampicillin resulted in significantly less endotoxin activity than did ampicillin, imipenem, or ceftiofur alone. There was a correlation between TNF-alpha and endotoxin activity. Aminoglycosides appear less likely to induce endotoxemia and TNF-alpha synthesis during bactericidal treatment of E. coli septicemia, compared with beta-lactam antimicrobials. Use of ampicillin, imipenem, or ceftiofur in the treatment of septicemic neonatal foals should be accompanied by appropriate treatment for endotoxemia.

Triggering through NOD-2 Differentiates Bone Marrow Precursors to Dendritic Cells with Potent Bactericidal activity

PubMed Central

Khan, Nargis; Aqdas, Mohammad; Vidyarthi, Aurobind; Negi, Shikha; Pahari, Susanta; Agnihotri, Tapan; Agrewala, Javed N.

2016-01-01

Dendritic cells (DCs) play a crucial role in bridging innate and adaptive immunity by activating naïve T cells. The role of pattern recognition receptors like Toll-Like Receptors and Nod-Like Receptors expressed on DCs is well-defined in the recognition of the pathogens. However, nothing is precisely studied regarding the impact of NOD-2 signaling during the differentiation of DCs. Consequently, we explored the role of NOD-2 signaling in the differentiation of DCs and therefore their capability to activate innate and adaptive immunity. Intriguingly, we observed that NOD-2 stimulated DCs (nDCs) acquired highly activated and matured phenotype and exhibited substantially greater bactericidal activity by robust production of nitric oxide. The mechanism involved in improving the functionality of nDCs was dependent on IFN-αβ signaling, leading to the activation of STAT pathways. Furthermore, we also observed that STAT-1 and STAT-4 dependent maturation and activation of DCs was under the feedback mechanism of SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 proteins. nDCs acquired enhanced potential to activate chiefly Th1 and Th17 immunity. Taken together, these results suggest that nDCs can be exploited as an immunotherapeutic agent in bolstering host immunity and imparting protection against the pathogens. PMID:27265209

Anti-listerial Bactericidal Activity of Lactobacillus plantarum DM5 Isolated from Fermented Beverage Marcha.

PubMed

Das, Deeplina; Goyal, Arun

2013-09-01

The strain Lactobacillus plantarum DM5 was isolated from fermented beverage Marcha of Sikkim and explored for its antagonistic activity against food-borne pathogens. The cell-free supernatant of L. plantarum DM5 showed antibacterial activity of 6,400 AU/mL in MRS medium (pH 6.0) against the indicator strain Staphylococcus aureus. MRS medium supplemented with 15 g/L of maltose at 37 °C under static condition yielded highest antimicrobial activity (6,400 AU/mL) with 3 % increase in specific activity when compared to 20 g/L glucose. The antimicrobial compound was heat stable (60 min at 100 °C) and was active over a wide pH range. It showed bactericidal effect on S. aureus and Listeria monocytogenes by causing 96 and 98 % of cell lysis, respectively. The cell morphology of the treated S. aureus and L. monocytogenes was completely deformed as revealed by scanning electron microscopy, suggesting the high potential of L. plantarum DM5 as natural preservatives in food industry. The antimicrobial compound was purified by 80 % ammonium sulphate precipitation and showed antimicrobial activity of 12,800 AU/mL with 19-fold purification and a molecular mass of 15.2 kDa, indicating the proteinaceous nature of the compound.

Bactericidal Effects of HVOF-Sprayed Nanostructured TiO2 on Pseudomonas aeruginosa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeffery, B.; Peppler, M.; Lima, R. S.; McDonald, A.

2010-01-01

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been shown to exhibit photocatalytic bactericidal activity. This preliminary study focused on examining the photocatalytic activity of high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) sprayed nanostructured TiO2 coatings to kill Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The surfaces of the nanostructured TiO2 coatings were lightly polished before addition of the bacterial solution. Plates of P. aeruginosa were grown, and then suspended in a phosphate buffer saline (PBS) solution. The concentration of bacteria used was determined by a photo-spectrometer, which measured the amount of light absorbed by the bacteria-filled solution. This solution was diluted and pipetted onto the coating, which was exposed to white light in 30-min intervals, up to 120 min. It was found that on polished HVOF-sprayed coatings exposed to white light, 24% of the bacteria were killed after exposure for 120 min. On stainless steel controls, approximately 6% of the bacteria were not recovered. These preliminary results show that thermal-sprayed nanostructured TiO2 coatings exhibited photocatalytic bactericidal activity with P. aeruginosa.

Silver ion bactericide system. [for Space Shuttle Orbiter potable water

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jasionowski, W. J.; Allen, E. T.

1974-01-01

Description of a preliminary flight prototype system which uses silver ions as the bactericide to preserve sterility of the water used for human consumption and hygiene in the Space Shuttle Orbiter. The performance of silver halide columns for passively dosing fuel cell water with silver ions is evaluated. Tests under simulated Orbiter mission conditions show that silver ion doses of 0.05 ppm are bactericidal for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Type IIIa, the two bacteria found in Apollo potable water systems. The design of the Advance Prototype Silver Ion Water Bactericide System now under development is discussed.

In situ production of human β defensin-3 in lager yeasts provides bactericidal activity against beer-spoiling bacteria under fermentation conditions.

PubMed

James, T C; Gallagher, L; Titze, J; Bourke, P; Kavanagh, J; Arendt, E; Bond, U

2014-02-01

To examine the use of a natural antimicrobial peptide, human β-defensin-3 (HBD3), as a means of preventing spoilage from bacterial contamination in brewery fermentations and in bottled beer. A chemically synthesised HBD3 peptide was tested for bactericidal activity against common Gram-positive and Gram-negative beer-spoiling bacteria, including species of Lactobacillus, Pediococcus and Pectinatus. The peptide was effective at the μmol l(-1) range in vitro, reducing bacterial counts by 95%. A gene construct encoding a secretable form of HBD3 was integrated into the genome of the lager yeast Saccharomyces pastorianus strain CMBS-33. The integrated gene was expressed under fermentation conditions and was secreted from the cell into the medium, but a significant amount remains associated with yeast cell surface. We demonstrate that under pilot-scale fermentation conditions, secreted HBD3 possesses bactericidal activity against beer-spoiling bacteria. Furthermore, when added to bottled beer, a synthetic form of HBD3 reduces the growth of beer-spoiling bacteria. Defensins provide prophylactic protection against beer-spoiling bacteria under brewing conditions and also in bottled beer. The results have direct application to the brewing industry where beer spoilage due to bacterial contamination continues to be a major problem in breweries around the world. © 2013 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Antimicrobial activity of peptides derived from olive flounder lipopolysaccharide binding protein/bactericidal permeability-increasing protein (LBP/BPI).

PubMed

Nam, Bo-Hye; Moon, Ji-Young; Park, Eun-Hee; Kim, Young-Ok; Kim, Dong-Gyun; Kong, Hee Jeong; Kim, Woo-Jin; Jee, Young Ju; An, Cheul Min; Park, Nam Gyu; Seo, Jung-Kil

2014-10-17

We describe the antimicrobial function of peptides derived from the C-terminus of the olive flounder LBP BPI precursor protein. The investigated peptides, namely, ofLBP1N, ofLBP2A, ofLBP4N, ofLBP5A, and ofLBP6A, formed α-helical structures, showing significant antimicrobial activity against several Gram-negative bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria, and the yeast Candida albicans, but very limited hemolytic activities. The biological activities of these five analogs were evaluated against biomembranes or artificial membranes for the development of candidate therapeutic agents. Gel retardation studies revealed that peptides bound to DNA and inhibited migration on an agarose gel. In addition, we demonstrated that ofLBP6A inhibited polymerase chain reaction. These results suggested that the ofLBP-derived peptide bactericidal mechanism may be related to the interaction with intracellular components such as DNA or polymerase.

Early bactericidal activity of delamanid (OPC-67683) in smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients.

PubMed

Diacon, A H; Dawson, R; Hanekom, M; Narunsky, K; Venter, A; Hittel, N; Geiter, L J; Wells, C D; Paccaly, A J; Donald, P R

2011-07-01

Delamanid (OPC-67683) is a novel mycolic acid biosynthesis inhibitor active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis at a low minimum inhibitory concentration. Forty-eight patients with smear-positive tuberculosis (63% male; 54.7 ± 9.9 kg; 30.7 ± 10.8 years) were randomly assigned to receive delamanid 100, 200, 300 or 400 mg daily for 14 days. Colony forming units (cfu) of M. tuberculosis were counted on agar plates from overnight sputum collections to calculate early bactericidal activity (EBA), defined as fall in log(10) cfu/ml sputum/day. The EBA of delamanid was monophasic and not significantly different between dosages; however, more patients receiving 200 mg (70%) and 300 mg (80%) experienced a response of ≥0.9 log(10) cfu/ml sputum decline over 14 days than those receiving 100 mg (45%) and 400 mg (27%). The average EBA of all dosages combined (0.040 ± 0.056 log(10) cfu/ml sputum/day) was significant from day 2 onward. Delamanid exposure was less than dosage-proportional, reaching a plateau at 300 mg, likely due to dose-limited absorption. Moderate but significant correlation was found between C(max) and EBA, indicating exposure dependence. Delamanid was well tolerated without significant toxicity. Delamanid at all dosages was safe, well tolerated and demonstrated significant exposure-dependent EBA over 14 days, supporting further investigation of its pharmacokinetics and anti-tuberculosis activity.

Synthesis and characterization of bactericidal silver nanoparticles using cultural filtrate of simulated microgravity grown Klebsiella pneumoniae.

PubMed

Kalpana, Duraisamy; Lee, Yang Soo

2013-03-05

Silver nanoparticles were synthesized by biological method using cultural filtrate of Klebsiella pneumoniae cultured under simulated microgravity and silver nitrate solution as precursor. The nanoparticles exhibited typical plasmon absorption maximum of silver nanoparticles between 405 and 407 nm. Spherical silver nanoparticles were found to have size between 15 and 37 nm by TEM analysis. XRD pattern corresponding to planes (111), (200), (220) (311) revealed the crystalline nature of the biosynthesized silver nanoparticles. FTIR spectrum proposed stabilization of silver nanoparticles by the protein molecules present in the cultural filtrate. The silver nanoparticles exhibited high bactericidal activity against Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli and moderate bactericidal activity against Streptococcus pyogenes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An investigation of the bactericidal activity of selected essential oils to Aeromonas spp.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Starliper, Clifford E.; Ketola, H. George; Noyes, Andrew D.; Schill, William B.; Henson, Fred G.; Chalupnicki, Marc; Dittman, Dawn E.

2015-01-01

Diseases of fishes caused by Aeromonas spp. are common, have broad host ranges and may cause high mortality. Treatments of captive-reared populations using antimicrobials are limited with concerns for bacterial resistance development and environmental dissemination. This study was done to determine whether selected plant-derived essential oils were bactericidal to Aeromonas spp. Initially, twelve essential oils were evaluated using a disk diffusion assay to an isolate of A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida, cause of fish furunculosis. The greatest zones of inhibition were obtained with oils of cinnamon Cinnamomum cassia, oregano Origanum vulgare, lemongrass Cymbopogon citratus and thyme Thymus vulgaris. Minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC’s) were determined for these four oils, Allimed® (garlic extract, Allium sativum) and colloidal silver to sixty-nine isolates representing nine Aeromonas spp. The lowest mean MBCs (0.02–0.04%) were obtained with three different sources of cinnamon oil. MBCs for three sources of oregano and lemongrass oils ranged from 0.14% to 0.30% and 0.10% to 0.65%, respectively, and for two thyme oils were 2.11% and 2.22%. The highest concentration (5%) of Allimed® tested resulted in MBCs to twelve isolates. A concentration of silver greater than 15 mg/L would be required to determine MBCs for all but one isolate.

A rapid microtiter plate serum bactericidal assay method for determining serum complement-mediated killing of Mannheimia haemolytica.

PubMed

Ayalew, Sahlu; Confer, Anthony W; Shrestha, Binu; Payton, Mark E

2012-05-01

In this study, we describe a rapid microtiter serum bactericidal assay (RMSBA) that can be used to measure the functionality of immune sera. It quantifies bactericidal activity of immune sera in the presence of complement against a homologous bacterium, M. haemolytica in this case. There is high correlation between data from RMSBA and standard complement-mediated bacterial killing assay (r=0.756; p<0.0001). The RMSBA activity of sera can be generated in less than 5 h instead of overnight incubation. RMSBA costs substantially less in terms of time, labor, and resources and is highly reproducible. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of bactericidal effect of three antiseptics on bacteria isolated from wounds.

PubMed

Kumara, D U A; Fernando, S S N; Kottahachchi, J; Dissanayake, D M B T; Athukorala, G I D D A D; Chandrasiri, N S; Damayanthi, K W N; Hemarathne, M H S L; Pathirana, A A

2015-01-01

at the lowest concentration compared to other two acids. Despite promising bactericidal effects, further studies warrant, as ongoing debates on toxicity of acids on tissue epithelialisation. Application of antiseptics for a shorter duration could overcome this problem without losing bactericidal activity. The authors have no conflict of interest and no funding was received for this study.

Eflect of Relative Humidity on the Bactericidal Activity of Propylene Oxide Vapor1

PubMed Central

Himmelfarb, Philip; El-Bisi, Hamed M.; Read, R. B.; Litsky, Warren

1962-01-01

Because of the low toxicity of its breakdown product, propylene oxide (PO) vapor will play an increasingly important role in the preservation of foods. It is therefore necessary that the diversified variables which influence effectiveness of PO treatment be thoroughly investigated and understood prior to advocating its general use in industry. Accordingly, the present study was undertaken to determine the effect of relative humidity (RH) upon the bactericidal activity of PO sterilant atmospheres. Death rates were established at increasing RH values of < 1, 52, 65, 80, and 98% and under constant conditions of concentration, pressure, and temperature. Test bacterial populations were preconditioned to corresponding moisture levels. Results indicate that gram-positive cocci were relatively insensitive to PO vapor at dry conditions but became progressively less resistant with the increase in RH up to a maximum of 65 to 70%. Lactic acid bacteria and gram-negative rods were much more sensitive at dry conditions, showing much less dependency upon water vapor. Bacillus subtilis spores elicited the highest degree of resistance but the death rate substantially increased with the increase in RH. PMID:13954626

Development and Use of a Serum Bactericidal Assay Using Pooled Human Complement To Assess Responses to a Meningococcal Group A Conjugate Vaccine in African Toddlers

PubMed Central

Lynn, Freyja; Mocca, Brian; Borrow, Ray; Findlow, Helen; Hassan-King, Musa; Preziosi, Marie-Pierre; Idoko, Olubukola; Sow, Samba; Kulkarni, Prasad; LaForce, F. Marc

2014-01-01

A meningococcal group A polysaccharide (PS) conjugate vaccine (PsA-TT) has been developed for African countries affected by epidemic meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis. Complement-mediated serum bactericidal antibody (SBA) assays are used to assess protective immune responses to meningococcal vaccination. Human complement (hC′) was used in early studies demonstrating antibody-mediated protection against disease, but it is difficult to obtain and standardize. We developed and evaluated a method for sourcing hC′ and then used the SBA assay with hC′ (hSBA) to measure bactericidal responses to PsA-TT vaccination in 12- to 23-month-old African children. Sera with active complement from 100 unvaccinated blood donors were tested for intrinsic bactericidal activity, SBA titer using rabbit complement (rSBA), and anti-group A PS antibody concentration. Performance criteria and pooling strategies were examined and then verified by comparisons of three independently prepared hC′ lots in two laboratories. hSBA titers of clinical trial sera were then determined using this complement sourcing method. Two different functional antibody tests were necessary for screening hC′. hSBA titers determined using three independent lots of pooled hC′ were within expected assay variation among lots and between laboratories. In African toddlers, PsA-TT elicited higher hSBA titers than meningococcal polysaccharide or Hib vaccines. PsA-TT immunization or PS challenge of PsA-TT-primed subjects resulted in vigorous hSBA memory responses, and titers persisted in boosted groups for over a year. Quantifying SBA using pooled hC′ is feasible and showed that PsA-TT was highly immunogenic in African toddlers. PMID:24671551

An investigation of the bactericidal activity of selected essential oils to Aeromonas spp.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Starliper, Clifford E.; Ketolab, Henry G.; Noyes, Andrew D.; Schill, William B.; Henson, Fred G.; Chalupnicki, Marc A.; Dittman, Dawn E.

2015-01-01

Diseases of fishes caused by Aeromonas spp. are common, have broad host ranges and may cause high mortality. Treatments for captive-reared populations using antimicrobials are limited with concerns for bacterial resistance development and environmental dissemination. This study was done to determine if selected plant-derived essential oils were bactericidal to Aeromonas spp. Initially, twelve essential oils were evaluated using a disk diffusion assay to an isolate of A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida, cause of fish furunculosis. The greatest zones of inhibition were obtained with oils of cinnamon Cinnamomum cassia, oregano Origanum vulgare, lemongrass Cymbopogon citratus and thyme Thymus vulgaris. Minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC’s) were determined for these four oils, Allimed® (garlic extract, Allium sativum) and colloidal silver to sixty-nine isolates representing nine Aeromonas spp. The lowest mean MBC’s (0.02 to 0.04%) were obtained with three different sources of cinnamon oil. MBC’s for three sources of oregano and lemongrass oils ranged from 0.14 to 0.30% and 0.10 to 0.65%, respectively, and for two thyme oils were 2.11 and 2.22%. The highest concentration (5%) of Allimed® tested resulted in MBC’s to twelve isolates. A concentration of silver greater than 15 mg/L would be required to determine MBC’s for all but one isolate

An investigation of the bactericidal activity of selected essential oils to Aeromonas spp.

PubMed Central

Starliper, Clifford E.; Ketola, Henry G.; Noyes, Andrew D.; Schill, William B.; Henson, Fred G.; Chalupnicki, Marc A.; Dittman, Dawn E.

2014-01-01

Diseases of fishes caused by Aeromonas spp. are common, have broad host ranges and may cause high mortality. Treatments of captive-reared populations using antimicrobials are limited with concerns for bacterial resistance development and environmental dissemination. This study was done to determine whether selected plant-derived essential oils were bactericidal to Aeromonas spp. Initially, twelve essential oils were evaluated using a disk diffusion assay to an isolate of A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida, cause of fish furunculosis. The greatest zones of inhibition were obtained with oils of cinnamon Cinnamomum cassia, oregano Origanum vulgare, lemongrass Cymbopogon citratus and thyme Thymus vulgaris. Minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC’s) were determined for these four oils, Allimed® (garlic extract, Allium sativum) and colloidal silver to sixty-nine isolates representing nine Aeromonas spp. The lowest mean MBCs (0.02–0.04%) were obtained with three different sources of cinnamon oil. MBCs for three sources of oregano and lemongrass oils ranged from 0.14% to 0.30% and 0.10% to 0.65%, respectively, and for two thyme oils were 2.11% and 2.22%. The highest concentration (5%) of Allimed® tested resulted in MBCs to twelve isolates. A concentration of silver greater than 15 mg/L would be required to determine MBCs for all but one isolate. PMID:25685547

Role of Bactericidal Peptidoglycan Recognition Proteins in Regulating Gut Microbiota and Obesity

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-03-01

s) Pglyrps have an established role in innate immunity, bactericidal activity , and inflammatory diseases. Our new data suggest that in addition...genetic cause remains unknown. We report that deletion of the innate immunity antibacterial gene Nod2 abolishes this resistance, as Nod2−/− BALB/c mice...stimula- tion of Nod2 results in the activation of NF-κB and MAP kinase-signaling cascades and production of inflam- matory molecules and anti-microbial

Bactericidal Antibiotics Induce Toxic Metabolic Perturbations that Lead to Cellular Damage.

PubMed

Belenky, Peter; Ye, Jonathan D; Porter, Caroline B M; Cohen, Nadia R; Lobritz, Michael A; Ferrante, Thomas; Jain, Saloni; Korry, Benjamin J; Schwarz, Eric G; Walker, Graham C; Collins, James J

2015-11-03

Understanding how antibiotics impact bacterial metabolism may provide insight into their mechanisms of action and could lead to enhanced therapeutic methodologies. Here, we profiled the metabolome of Escherichia coli after treatment with three different classes of bactericidal antibiotics (?-lactams, aminoglycosides, quinolones). These treatments induced a similar set of metabolic changes after 30 min that then diverged into more distinct profiles at later time points. The most striking changes corresponded to elevated concentrations of central carbon metabolites, active breakdown of the nucleotide pool, reduced lipid levels, and evidence of an elevated redox state. We examined potential end-target consequences of these metabolic perturbations and found that antibiotic-treated cells exhibited cytotoxic changes indicative of oxidative stress, including higher levels of protein carbonylation, malondialdehyde adducts, nucleotide oxidation, and double-strand DNA breaks. This work shows that bactericidal antibiotics induce a complex set of metabolic changes that are correlated with the buildup of toxic metabolic by-products. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bactericidal activity of lemon juice and lemon derivatives against Vibrio cholerae.

PubMed

de Castillo, M C; de Allori, C G; de Gutierrez, R C; de Saab, O A; de Fernandez, N P; de Ruiz, C S; Holgado, A P; de Nader, O M

2000-10-01

Food products can be possible vectors of the agent responsible for cholera epidemics, because some of these products allow Vibrio cholerae O1 to develop to concentrations above the dangerous level. This study deals with the behaviour of essential oils, natural and concentrated lemon juice and fresh and dehydrated lemon peel against V. cholerae O1 biotype Eltor serotype Inaba tox+. Our aim was to evaluate whether these products, used at different dilutions, exhibit bactericidal or bacteriostatic activity against the microorganism, when present at concentrations of 10(2), 10(4), 10(6) and 10(8) colony forming units (CFU) ml(-1), and after different exposure times. 10(8) CFU ml(-1) was considered an infectious dose. Concentrated lemon juice and essential oils inhibited V. cholerae completely at all studied dilutions and exposure times. Fresh lemon peel and dehydrated lemon peel partially inhibited growth of V. cholerae. Freshly squeezed lemon juice, diluted to 10(-2), showed complete inhibition of V. cholerae at a concentration of 10(8) CFU ml(-1) after 5 min of exposure time; a dilution of 2 x 10(-3) produced inhibition after 15 min and a dilution of 10(-3) after 30 min. It can be concluded that lemon, a natural product which is easily obtained, acts as a biocide against V. cholerae, and is, therefore, an efficient decontaminant, harmless to humans.

Rapid killing of Capnocytophaga canimorsus and Capnocytophaga cynodegmi by human whole blood and serum is mediated via the complement system.

PubMed

Zangenah, Salah; Bergman, Peter

2015-01-01

Capnocytophaga canimorsus (Cani) and Capnocytophaga cynodegmi (Cyno) are found in the oral cavities of dogs and cats. They can be transmitted to humans via licks or bites and cause wound infections as well as severe systemic infections. Cani is considered to be more pathogenic than Cyno, but the pathophysiological mechanisms are not elucidated. Cani has been suggested to be resistant to serum bactericidal effects. Thus, we hypothesized that the more invasive Cani would exhibit a higher degree of serum-resistance than the less pathogenic Cyno. Whole blood and serum bactericidal assays were performed against Cani- (n = 8) and Cyno-strains (n = 15) isolated from blood and wound-specimens, respectively. Analysis of complement-function was performed by heat-inactivation, EGTA-treatment and by using C1q-depleted serum. Serum and whole blood were collected from healthy individuals and from patients (n = 3) with a history of sepsis caused by Cani. Both Cani and Cyno were equally susceptible to human whole blood and serum. Cani was preferentially killed by the classical pathway of the complement-system whereas Cyno was killed by a partly different mechanism. Serum from 2/3 Cani-infected patients were deficient in MBL-activity but still exhibited the same killing effect as control sera. Both Cani and Cyno were readily killed by human whole blood and serum in a complement-dependent way. Thus, it is not likely that serum bactericidal capacity is the key determinant for the clinical outcome in Cani or Cyno-infections.

Bactericidal activity of LFchimera is stronger and less sensitive to ionic strength than its constituent lactoferricin and lactoferrampin peptides.

PubMed

Bolscher, Jan G M; Adão, Regina; Nazmi, Kamran; van den Keybus, Petra A M; van 't Hof, Wim; Nieuw Amerongen, Arie V; Bastos, Margarida; Veerman, Enno C I

2009-01-01

The innate immunity factor lactoferrin harbours two antimicrobial moieties, lactoferricin and lactoferrampin, situated in close proximity in the N1 domain of the molecule. Most likely they cooperate in many of the beneficial activities of lactoferrin. To investigate whether chimerization of both peptides forms a functional unit we designed a chimerical structure containing lactoferricin amino acids 17-30 and lactoferrampin amino acids 265-284. The bactericidal activity of this LFchimera was found to be drastically stronger than that of the constituent peptides, as was demonstrated by the need for lower dose, shorter incubation time and less ionic strength dependency. Likewise, strongly enhanced interaction with negatively charged model membranes was found for the LFchimera relative to the constituent peptides. Thus, chimerization of the two antimicrobial peptides resembling their structural orientation in the native molecule strikingly improves their biological activity.

Bactericidal effects of triclosan in soap both in vitro and in vivo.

PubMed

Kim, S A; Moon, H; Lee, K; Rhee, M S

2015-12-01

On December 2013, the US FDA proposed a rule stating that manufacturers must provide data to demonstrate that antibacterial soap is more effective than plain soap or water. The objective of the present study was to examine the in vitro and in vivo bactericidal effect of triclosan (the most widely used antiseptic agent in soap) in soap. Twenty bacterial strains (proposed by the FDA) were exposed to plain and antibacterial soaps (the same formulation as plain soap, but containing 0.3% triclosan) for 20 s at 22°C (room temperature) and 40°C (warm temperature). The temperature and time were selected to simulate the hand washing conditions and procedures used by consumers. The triclosan concentration of 0.3% is the maximum allowed by law. The decontamination efficacy of plain soap and antibacterial soap was also examined in vivo: the hands of volunteers were artificially inoculated with Serratia marcescens. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in bactericidal activity between plain soap and antibacterial soap at either test temperature. However, antibacterial soap showed significantly greater bactericidal effects after 9 h. These results suggest that although triclosan-containing soap does have antibacterial activity, the effects are not apparent during the short time required for hand washing. Antibacterial soap containing triclosan (0.3%) was no more effective than plain soap at reducing bacterial contamination when used under 'real-life' conditions. The present study provides practical information that may prove useful for both industry and governments. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Damage of Escherichia coli membrane by bactericidal agent polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride: micrographic evidences.

PubMed

Zhou, Z X; Wei, D F; Guan, Y; Zheng, A N; Zhong, J J

2010-03-01

The purpose of this study was to provide micrographic evidences for the damaged membrane structure and intracellular structure change of Escherichia coli strain 8099, induced by polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride (PHMG). The bactericidal effect of PHMG on E. coli was investigated based on beta-galactosidase activity assay, fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate confocal laser scanning microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The results revealed that a low dose (13 microg ml(-1)) of PHMG slightly damaged the outer membrane structure of the treated bacteria and increased the permeability of the cytoplasmic membrane, while no significant damage was observed to the morphological structure of the cells. A high dose (23 microg ml(-1)) of PHMG collapsed the outer membrane structure, led to the formation of a local membrane pore across the membrane and badly damaged the internal structure of the cells. Subsequently, intracellular components were leaked followed by cell inactivation. Dose-dependent membrane disruption was the main bactericidal mechanism of PHMG. The formation of the local membrane pores was probable after exposure to a high dose (23 microg ml(-1)) of PHMG. Micrographic evidences were provided about the damaged membrane structure and intracellular structure change of E. coli. The presented information helps understand the bactericidal mechanism of PHMG by membrane damage.

Antimicrobial activity and safety evaluation of peptides isolated from the hemoglobin of chickens.

PubMed

Hu, Fengjiao; Wu, Qiaoxing; Song, Shuang; She, Ruiping; Zhao, Yue; Yang, Yifei; Zhang, Meikun; Du, Fang; Soomro, Majid Hussain; Shi, Ruihan

2016-12-05

Hemoglobin is a rich source of biological peptides. As a byproduct and even wastewater of poultry-slaughtering facilities, chicken blood is one of the most abundant source of hemoglobin. In this study, the chicken hemoglobin antimicrobial peptides (CHAP) were isolated and the antimicrobial and bactericidal activities were tested by the agarose diffusion assay, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) analysis, minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) analysis, and time-dependent inhibitory and bactericidal assays. The results demonstrated that CHAP had potent and rapid antimicrobial activity against 19 bacterial strains, including 9 multidrug-resistant bacterial strains. Bacterial biofilm and NaCl permeability assays, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were further performed to detect the mechanism of its antimicrobial effect. Additionally, CHAP showed low hemolytic activity, embryo toxicity, and high stability in different temperatures and animal plasma. CHAP may have great potential for expanding production and development value in animal medication, the breeding industry and environment protection.

Bactericidal activity of culture fluid components of Lactobacillus fermentum strain 90 TS-4 (21) clone 3, and their capacity to modulate adhesion of Candida albicans yeast-like fungi to vaginal epithelial cells.

PubMed

Anokhina, I V; Kravtsov, E G; Protsenko, A V; Yashina, N V; Yermolaev, A V; Chesnokova, V L; Dalin, M V

2007-03-01

Antagonistic activities of L. fermentum strain 90 TS-4 (21), L. casei ATCC 27216, and L. acidophilus ATCC 4356 and bactericidal activity of lactobacillus culture fluid towards E. coli strain K12, S. aureus, and S. epidermidis test cultures were studied. The bactericidal effect of L. fermentum strain 90 TS-4 (21) clone 3 culture fluid preparation (pH 6.0) on the test cultures was dose-dependent. Adhesion of C. albicans yeast-like fungi to vaginal epitheliocytes was more pronounced for strains isolated from women with asymptomatic infection than for strains isolated from women with manifest forms. L. fermentum strain 90 TS-4 (21) clone 3 culture fluid preparation modulated adhesion of yeast-like fungi only if the fungal strain was initially highly adherent.

Detection and characterisation of Complement protein activity in bovine milk by bactericidal sequestration assay.

PubMed

Maye, Susan; Stanton, Catherine; Fitzgerald, Gerald F; Kelly, Philip M

2015-08-01

While the Complement protein system in human milk is well characterised, there is little information on its presence and activity in bovine milk. Complement forms part of the innate immune system, hence the importance of its contribution during milk ingestion to the overall defences of the neonate. A bactericidal sequestration assay, featuring a Complement sensitive strain, Escherichia coli 0111, originally used to characterise Complement activity in human milk was successfully applied to freshly drawn bovine milk samples, thus, providing an opportunity to compare Complement activities in both human and bovine milks. Although not identical in response, the levels of Complement activity in bovine milk were found to be closely comparable with that of human milk. Differential counts of Esch. coli 0111 after 2 h incubation were 6.20 and 6.06 log CFU/ml, for raw bovine and human milks, respectively - the lower value representing a stronger Complement response. Exposing bovine milk to a range of thermal treatments e.g. 42, 45, 65, 72, 85 or 95 °C for 10 min, progressively inhibited Complement activity by increasing temperature, thus confirming the heat labile nature of this immune protein system. Low level Complement activity was found, however, in 65 and 72 °C heat treated samples and in retailed pasteurised milk which highlights the outer limit to which high temperature, short time (HTST) industrial thermal processes should be applied if retention of activity is a priority. Concentration of Complement in the fat phase was evident following cream separation, and this was also reflected in the further loss of activity recorded in low fat variants of retailed pasteurised milk. Laboratory-based churning of the cream during simulated buttermaking generated an aqueous (buttermilk) phase with higher levels of Complement activity than the fat phase, thus pointing to a likely association with the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) layer.

A Bactericidal Guanidinomethyl Biaryl That Alters the Dynamics of Bacterial FtsZ Polymerization

PubMed Central

Kaul, Malvika; Parhi, Ajit K.; Zhang, Yongzheng; LaVoie, Edmond J.; Tuske, Steve; Arnold, Eddy; Kerrigan, John E.; Pilch, Daniel S.

2014-01-01

The prevalence of multidrug resistance among clinically significant bacterial pathogens underscores a critical need for the development of new classes of antibiotics with novel mechanisms of action. Here we describe the synthesis and evaluation of a guanidinomethyl biaryl compound {1-((4′-(tert-butyl)-[1,1′-biphenyl]-3-yl)methyl)guanidine} that targets the bacterial cell division protein FtsZ. In vitro studies with various bacterial FtsZ proteins reveal that the compound alters the dynamics of FtsZ self-polymerization via a stimulatory mechanism, while minimally impacting the polymerization of tubulin, the closest mammalian homologue of FtsZ. The FtsZ binding site of the compound is identified through a combination of computational and mutational approaches. The compound exhibits a broad spectrum of bactericidal activity, including activity against the multidrug-resistant pathogens methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), while also exhibiting a minimal potential to induce resistance. Taken together, our results highlight the compound as a promising new FtsZ-targeting bactericidal agent. PMID:23050700

Ex vivo model of meningococcal bacteremia using human blood for measuring vaccine-induced serum passive protective activity.

PubMed

Plested, Joyce S; Welsch, Jo Anne; Granoff, Dan M

2009-06-01

The binding of complement factor H (fH) to meningococci was recently found to be specific for human fH. Therefore, passive protective antibody activity measured in animal models of meningococcal bacteremia may overestimate protection in humans, since in the absence of bound fH, complement activation is not downregulated. We developed an ex vivo model of meningococcal bacteremia using nonimmune human blood to measure the passive protective activity of stored sera from 36 adults who had been immunized with an investigational meningococcal multicomponent recombinant protein vaccine. Before immunization, human complement-mediated serum bactericidal activity (SBA) titers of > or = 1:4 against group B strains H44/76, NZ98/254, and S3032 were present in 19, 11, and 8% of subjects, respectively; these proportions increased to 97, 22, and 36%, respectively, 1 month after dose 3 (P < 0.01 for H44/76 and S3032). Against the two SBA-resistant strains, NZ98/254 and S3032, passive protective titers of > or = 1:4 were present in 11 and 42% of sera before immunization, respectively, and these proportions increased to 61 and 94% after immunization (P < 0.001 for each strain). Most of the sera with SBA titers of <1:4 and passive protective activity showed a level of killing in the whole-blood assay (>1 to 2 log(10) decreases in CFU/ml during a 90-min incubation) similar to that of sera with SBA titers of > or = 1:4. In conclusion, passive protective activity was 2.6- to 2.8-fold more frequent than SBA after immunization. The ability of SBA-negative sera to kill Neisseria meningitidis in human blood where fH is bound to the bacteria provides further evidence that SBA titers of > or = 1:4 measured with human complement may underestimate meningococcal immunity.

[The bactericidal effect of oxybuprocaine. A possible cause of false negative results in bronchoalveolar lavage].

PubMed

Anding, K; Albrecht, P; Heilmann, C; Daschner, F

1993-09-01

New approaches in the diagnosis of pneumonia, especially in intensive care units, are quantitative cultures of bronchoalveolar (BAL) fluid or the protected specimen brush. The sensitivity of these methods, however, has often been found to be as low as 50-60%. One possible explanation for the low sensitivity of these diagnostic tools is the antimicrobial activity of local anaesthetics used in bronchoscopy. Therefore, we investigated the bactericidal properties of oxybuprocaine, a topical anaesthetic used for bronchoscopy in our clinic, in order to test the reliability of specimens obtained from BAL. METHODS. The bactericidal activity of oxybuprocaine in concentrations of 1%, 0.1%, 0.05% and 0.01% was tested by constructing time-kill curves for Streptococcus pneumoniae, Hemophilus influenzae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. Five stains of each bacterial species were tested. The inoculum size was 10(4) ml, and bacteria were counted after 10, 20, 30, 60 and 120 min. RESULTS. The resulting time-kill curves are demonstrated in Figs. 1-4. The most sensitive bacteria were S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae, in which significant bactericidal activity could be shown even with a 0.01% solution of oxybuprocaine. E. coli and P. aeruginosa were also inhibited, but only at the highest concentration of 1%. CONCLUSIONS. The use of local anaesthetics before material is taken for culture, e.g. from BAL, may give rise to false-negative results and should therefore be avoided or reduced. For each local anaesthetic used in bronchoscopy, the concentrations that can be used without the risk of false-negative results should be determined.

Microfluidic device coupled with a microfabricated oxygen electrode for the measurement of bactericidal activity of neutrophil-like cells.

PubMed

Yamagishi, Anna; Tanabe, Koji; Yokokawa, Masatoshi; Morimoto, Yuji; Kinoshita, Manabu; Suzuki, Hiroaki

2017-09-08

A microfluidic device coupled with a microfabricated Clark-type oxygen electrode was used to measure the bactericidal activity of neutrophil-like cells differentiated from HL-60 cells. The neutrophil-like cells and Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells were cultured in the same medium, which was introduced into the flow channel of the device. Changes in the respiratory activity of E. coli were measured as changes in the consumption of dissolved oxygen. As the activity of the neutrophil-like cells increased, the rate of elimination of E. coli increased. The accompanying decrease in the number of E. coli reduced the consumption of dissolved oxygen. The changes were actually observed as changes in generated current. A distinct difference in changes in dissolved oxygen concentrations was observed between E. coli cells co-incubated with IFN-γ-activated or non-activated neutrophil-like cells. The required sample volume was less than 10 μL, and results could be obtained within 1-2 h. The device may be useful for the assessment of psychological stresses that affect the activity of neutrophils. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydrophobic pinning with copper nanowhiskers leads to bactericidal properties.

PubMed

Singh, Ajay Vikram; Baylan, Semanur; Park, Byung-Wook; Richter, Gunther; Sitti, Metin

2017-01-01

The considerable morbidity associated with hospitalized patients and clinics in developed countries due to biofilm formation on biomedical implants and surgical instruments is a heavy economic burden. An alternative to chemically treated surfaces for bactericidal activity started emerging from micro/nanoscale topographical cues in the last decade. Here, we demonstrate a putative antibacterial surface using copper nanowhiskers deposited by molecular beam epitaxy. Furthermore, the control of biological response is based on hydrophobic pinning of water droplets in the Wenzel regime, causing mechanical injury and cell death. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed the details of the surface morphology and non-contact mode laser scanning of the surface revealed the microtopography-associated quantitative parameters. Introducing the bacterial culture over nanowhiskers produces mechanical injury to cells, leading to a reduction in cell density over time due to local pinning of culture medium to whisker surfaces. Extended culture to 72 hours to observe biofilm formation revealed biofilm inhibition with scattered microcolonies and significantly reduced biovolume on nanowhiskers. Therefore, surfaces patterned with copper nanowhiskers can serve as potential antibiofilm surfaces. The topography-based antibacterial surfaces introduce a novel prospect in developing mechanoresponsive nanobiomaterials to reduce the risk of medical device biofilm-associated infections, contrary to chemical leaching of copper as a traditional bactericidal agent.

Validation of CoaBC as a Bactericidal Target in the Coenzyme A Pathway of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

PubMed

Evans, Joanna C; Trujillo, Carolina; Wang, Zhe; Eoh, Hyungjin; Ehrt, Sabine; Schnappinger, Dirk; Boshoff, Helena I M; Rhee, Kyu Y; Barry, Clifton E; Mizrahi, Valerie

2016-12-09

Mycobacterium tuberculosis relies on its own ability to biosynthesize coenzyme A to meet the needs of the myriad enzymatic reactions that depend on this cofactor for activity. As such, the essential pantothenate and coenzyme A biosynthesis pathways have attracted attention as targets for tuberculosis drug development. To identify the optimal step for coenzyme A pathway disruption in M. tuberculosis, we constructed and characterized a panel of conditional knockdown mutants in coenzyme A pathway genes. Here, we report that silencing of coaBC was bactericidal in vitro, whereas silencing of panB, panC, or coaE was bacteriostatic over the same time course. Silencing of coaBC was likewise bactericidal in vivo, whether initiated at infection or during either the acute or chronic stages of infection, confirming that CoaBC is required for M. tuberculosis to grow and persist in mice and arguing against significant CoaBC bypass via transport and assimilation of host-derived pantetheine in this animal model. These results provide convincing genetic validation of CoaBC as a new bactericidal drug target.

The Commonly Used Bactericide Bismerthiazol Promotes Rice Defenses against Herbivores

PubMed Central

Mo, Xiaochang; Wang, Wanwan; Chen, Xia

2018-01-01

Chemical elicitors that enhance plant resistance to pathogens have been extensively studied, however, chemical elicitors that induce plant defenses against insect pests have received little attention. Here, we found that the exogenous application of a commonly used bactericide, bismerthiazol, on rice induced the biosynthesis of constitutive and/or elicited jasmonic acid (JA), jasmonoyl-isoleucine conjugate (JA-Ile), ethylene and H2O2 but not salicylic acid. These activated signaling pathways altered the volatile profile of rice plants. White-backed planthopper (WBPH, Sogatella furcifera) nymphs and gravid females showed a preference for feeding and/or oviposition on control plants: survival rates were better and more eggs were laid than on bismerthiazol-treated plants. Moreover, bismerthiazol treatment also increased both the parasitism rate of WBPH eggs laid on plants in the field by Anagrus nilaparvatae, and also the resistance of rice to the brown planthopper (BPH) Nilaparvata lugens and the striped stem borer (SSB) Chilo suppressalis. These findings suggest that the bactericide bismerthiazol can induce the direct and/or indirect resistance of rice to multiple insect pests, and so can be used as a broad-spectrum chemical elicitor. PMID:29695083

Bacteria survival probability in bactericidal filter paper.

PubMed

Mansur-Azzam, Nura; Hosseinidoust, Zeinab; Woo, Su Gyeong; Vyhnalkova, Renata; Eisenberg, Adi; van de Ven, Theo G M

2014-05-01

Bactericidal filter papers offer the simplicity of gravity filtration to simultaneously eradicate microbial contaminants and particulates. We previously detailed the development of biocidal block copolymer micelles that could be immobilized on a filter paper to actively eradicate bacteria. Despite the many advantages offered by this system, its widespread use is hindered by its unknown mechanism of action which can result in non-reproducible outcomes. In this work, we sought to investigate the mechanism by which a certain percentage of Escherichia coli cells survived when passing through the bactericidal filter paper. Through the process of elimination, the possibility that the bacterial survival probability was controlled by the initial bacterial load or the existence of resistant sub-populations of E. coli was dismissed. It was observed that increasing the thickness or the number of layers of the filter significantly decreased bacterial survival probability for the biocidal filter paper but did not affect the efficiency of the blank filter paper (no biocide). The survival probability of bacteria passing through the antibacterial filter paper appeared to depend strongly on the number of collision between each bacterium and the biocide-loaded micelles. It was thus hypothesized that during each collision a certain number of biocide molecules were directly transferred from the hydrophobic core of the micelle to the bacterial lipid bilayer membrane. Therefore, each bacterium must encounter a certain number of collisions to take up enough biocide to kill the cell and cells that do not undergo the threshold number of collisions are expected to survive. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bacilysin from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42 Has Specific Bactericidal Activity against Harmful Algal Bloom Species

PubMed Central

Wu, Liming; Wu, Huijun; Chen, Lina; Xie, Shanshan; Zang, Haoyu; Borriss, Rainer

2014-01-01

Harmful algal blooms, caused by massive and exceptional overgrowth of microalgae and cyanobacteria, are a serious environmental problem worldwide. In the present study, we looked for Bacillus strains with sufficiently strong anticyanobacterial activity to be used as biocontrol agents. Among 24 strains, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42 showed the strongest bactericidal activity against Microcystis aeruginosa, with a kill rate of 98.78%. The synthesis of the anticyanobacterial substance did not depend on Sfp, an enzyme that catalyzes a necessary processing step in the nonribosomal synthesis of lipopeptides and polyketides, but was associated with the aro gene cluster that is involved in the synthesis of the sfp-independent antibiotic bacilysin. Disruption of bacB, the gene in the cluster responsible for synthesizing bacilysin, or supplementation with the antagonist N-acetylglucosamine abolished the inhibitory effect, but this was restored when bacilysin synthesis was complemented. Bacilysin caused apparent changes in the algal cell wall and cell organelle membranes, and this resulted in cell lysis. Meanwhile, there was downregulated expression of glmS, psbA1, mcyB, and ftsZ—genes involved in peptidoglycan synthesis, photosynthesis, microcystin synthesis, and cell division, respectively. In addition, bacilysin suppressed the growth of other harmful algal species. In summary, bacilysin produced by B. amyloliquefaciens FZB42 has anticyanobacterial activity and thus could be developed as a biocontrol agent to mitigate the effects of harmful algal blooms. PMID:25261512

Bactericidal effect of lactoferrin and lactoferrin chimera against halophilic Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

PubMed

Leon-Sicairos, Nidia; Canizalez-Roman, Adrian; de la Garza, Mireya; Reyes-Lopez, Magda; Zazueta-Beltran, Jorge; Nazmi, Kamran; Gomez-Gil, Bruno; Bolscher, Jan G

2009-01-01

Infections caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus, an halophilic member of the genus Vibrio, have increased globally in the last 5 years. Diarrhea caused by V. parahaemolyticus results from eating raw or undercooked seafood. The aim of this work was to investigate whether lactoferrin and some lactoferrin-peptides have bactericidal activity against Vibrio parahaemolyticus ATCC 17802, the pandemic strain O3:K6, and the multidrug resistant isolate 727, as well as against Vibrio cholerae strains O1 and non-O1. Whereas both peptides lactoferricin (17-30) and lactoferrampin (265-284) did not have bactericidal activity, 40 microM of lactoferrin chimera (a fusion of the two peptides) inhibited the growth of all Vibrio tested to the same extent as the antibiotic gentamicin. The cidal effect of LFchimera showed a clear concentration response in contrast to bovine lactoferrin which showed higher inhibition at 10 microM than at 40 microM. FITC-labeled LFchimera bound to the bacterial membranes. Moreover LFchimera permeabilized bacterial cells and membranes were seriously damaged. Finally, in experiments with the multidrug resistant isolate 727, sub-lethal doses of LFchimera strongly reduced the concentrations of ampicillin, gentamicin or kanamicin needed to reach more than 95% growth inhibition, suggesting synergistic effects. These data indicate that LFchimera is a potential candidate to combat the multidrug resistant pathogenic Vibrio species.

Activity of Nitazoxanide and Tizoxanide against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vitro and in whole blood culture

PubMed Central

Harausz, Elizabeth P.; Chervenak, Keith A.; Good, Caryn E.; Jacobs, Michael R.; Wallis, Robert S.; Sanchez-Felix, Manuel; Boom, W. Henry

2016-01-01

Nitazoxanide (NTZ) and its metabolite tizoxanide (TIZ) were studied as antimycobacterial agents in vitro (in mycobacterial growth indicator tube [MGIT] cultures) and in a whole blood bactericidal assay. Both NTZ and TIZ show high protein binding. In MGIT cultures (albumin concentration=78 µM), inhibition of Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth occurred at total drug concentrations of ≥16 µg/ml, whereas in whole blood cultures (albumin concentration=350 µM), ≥128 µg/ml was required. Free drug fractions at these two conditions were estimated to be 69% and 2%, respectively. Co-incubation of NTZ and TIZ in human plasma for 72 hours nearly completely eliminated their ability to inhibit mycobacterial growth in MGIT. Interactions with plasma proteins may limit the potential of NTZ and TIZ as drugs for human tuberculosis. PMID:27156623

Morphological bactericidal fast-acting effects of peracetic acid, a high-level disinfectant, against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms in tubing.

PubMed

Chino, T; Nukui, Y; Morishita, Y; Moriya, K

2017-01-01

The bactericidal effect of disinfectants against biofilms is essential to reduce potential endoscopy-related infections caused by contamination. Here, we investigated the bactericidal effect of a high-level disinfectant, peracetic acid (PAA), against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm models in vitro. S. aureus and P. aeruginosa biofilms were cultured at 35 °C for 7 days with catheter tubes. The following high-level disinfectants (HLDs) were tested: 0.3% PAA, 0.55% ortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA), and 2.0% alkaline-buffered glutaraldehyde (GA). Biofilms were exposed to these agents for 1-60 min and observed after 5 min and 30 min by transmission and scanning electron microscopy. A Student's t test was performed to compare the exposure time required for bactericidal effectiveness of the disinfectants. PAA and GA were active within 1 min and 5 min, respectively, against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa biofilms. OPA took longer than 10 min and 30 min to act against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa biofilms, respectively ( p  < 0.01). Treatment with PAA elicited changes in cell shape after 5 min and structural damage after 30 min. Amongst the HLDs investigated, PAA elicited the most rapid bactericidal effects against both biofilms. Additionally, treatment with PAA induced morphological alterations in the in vitro biofilm models, suggesting that PAA exerts fast-acting bactericidal effects against biofilms associated with endoscopy-related infections. These findings indicate that the exposure time for bactericidal effectiveness of HLDs for endoscope reprocessing in healthcare settings should be reconsidered.

Bactericidal activities of plant essential oils and some of their isolated constituents against Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella enterica.

PubMed

Friedman, Mendel; Henika, Philip R; Mandrell, Robert E

2002-10-01

An improved method of sample preparation was used in a microplate assay to evaluate the bactericidal activity levels of 96 essential oils and 23 oil compounds against Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella enterica obtained from food and clinical sources. Bactericidal activity (BA50) was defined as the percentage of the sample in the assay mixture that resulted in a 50% decrease in CFU relative to a buffer control. Twenty-seven oils and 12 compounds were active against all four species of bacteria. The oils that were most active against C. jejuni (with BA50 values ranging from 0.003 to 0.009) were marigold, ginger root, jasmine, patchouli, gardenia, cedarwood, carrot seed, celery seed, mugwort, spikenard, and orange bitter oils; those that were most active against E. coli (with BA50 values ranging from 0.046 to 0.14) were oregano, thyme, cinnamon, palmarosa, bay leaf, clove bud, lemon grass, and allspice oils; those that were most active against L monocytogenes (with BA50 values ranging from 0.057 to 0.092) were gardenia, cedarwood, bay leaf, clove bud, oregano, cinnamon, allspice, thyme, and patchouli oils; and those that were most active against S. enterica (with BA50 values ranging from 0.045 to 0.14) were thyme, oregano, cinnamon, clove bud, allspice, bay leaf, palmarosa, and marjoram oils. The oil compounds that were most active against C. jejuni (with BA50 values ranging from 0.003 to 0.034) were cinnamaldehyde, estragole, carvacrol, benzaldehyde, citral, thymol, eugenol, perillaldehyde, carvone R, and geranyl acetate; those that were most active against E. coli (with BA50 values ranging from 0.057 to 0.28) were carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde, thymol, eugenol, salicylaldehyde, geraniol, isoeugenol, citral, perillaldehyde, and estragole; those that were most active against L monocytogenes (with BA50 values ranging from 0.019 to 0.43) were cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, thymol, carvacrol, citral, geraniol, perillaldehyde

Bacterial Iron Uptake Pathways: Gates for the Import of Bactericide Compounds.

PubMed

Schalk, Isabelle J; Mislin, Gaëtan L A

2017-06-08

Bacterial resistance to most antibiotics in clinical use has reached alarming proportions. A challenge for modern medicine will be to discover new antibiotics or strategies to combat multidrug resistant bacteria, especially Gram-negative bacteria for which the situation is particularly critical. Vectorization of bactericide compounds by siderophores (iron chelators produced by bacteria) is a promising strategy able to considerably increase the efficacy of drugs. Such a Trojan horse strategy can also extend activity of specific Gram-positive antibiotics to Gram-negative bacteria.

[Analysis of bactericidal material generated by electrical devices advertising bactericidal ability against bacteria on the agar gel plates].

PubMed

Nishimura, Hidekazu

2012-11-01

Several Japanese companies sell electrical devices advertised as effective in inactivating viruses and killing bacteria by releasing special materials, e.g., Plasmacluster ions, Nanoe particle and minus ions, into the air. These companies claim that their devices killed bacteria on plates in their own experiments. We tested device effectiveness using the same experiments from the Plasmacluster ioniser SHARP Co., Japan, the Nanoe generator Panasonic Co., Japan, and the Vion KING JIM Co., Japan, to test their advertising claims. Bactericidal ability on agar plate was tested, using Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus cereus, and Enterococcus faecalis as follows: the medium containing a certain amount of each bacterium was put onto an agar plate and smeared. Plates were kept in a closed chamber (inner volume 14.4 m3) or a glove box (inner volume 0.2 m), with one of the devices run for 2 hours. Plates not exposed to any device were used as controls. Each plate was retrieved and put in an incubator to count the number of bacterial colonies formed on the plate. There was no significant difference in the number of colonies on plates exposed to devices compared to control, in the number for all devices, or in all bacteria tested in experiments in the 14.4 m3 chamber. These results strongly suggest that these devices have almost no bactericidal effect, at least in space exceeding this volume. Colony formation was suppressed in the glove box in all devices and in all bacteria tested except P. aeruginosa, although the degree of suppression differed among experiments. The colony formation suppression mechanism was analyzed, and indicated that:colony formation did not change even after the removal of Plasmacluster ions, Nanoe particles, or negative ions from the air, while colony formation was decreased drastically by the removal of ozone from space, which was revealed to be generated inevitably during device operation. These results strongly suggest that the

Sensitive Microplate Assay for Detection of Bactericidal Antibodies to Vibrio cholerae O139

PubMed Central

Attridge, Stephen R.; Johansson, Camilla; Trach, Dang D.; Qadri, Firdausi; Svennerholm, Ann-Mari

2002-01-01

A microplate assay for the detection of bactericidal antibodies to Vibrio cholerae O139 is described. The assay is sensitive, highly reproducible, specific, and convenient to perform. It has been used to demonstrate the induction of serum bactericidal antibodies in Vietnamese recipients of an oral, inactivated, bivalent O1/O139 vaccine, as well as in Bangladeshi patients with O139 disease. In both study groups there was a significant inverse correlation between the preexposure level of antibodies in serum and the magnitude of the subsequent bactericidal response. Although infection generated stronger responses than vaccination, the proportion of responders was similar among individuals with low background titers. PMID:11874883

Uric acid disrupts hypochlorous acid production and the bactericidal activity of HL-60 cells.

PubMed

Carvalho, Larissa A C; Lopes, João P P B; Kaihami, Gilberto H; Silva, Railmara P; Bruni-Cardoso, Alexandre; Baldini, Regina L; Meotti, Flavia C

2018-06-01

Uric acid is the end product of purine metabolism in humans and is an alternative physiological substrate for myeloperoxidase. Oxidation of uric acid by this enzyme generates uric acid free radical and urate hydroperoxide, a strong oxidant and potentially bactericide agent. In this study, we investigated whether the oxidation of uric acid and production of urate hydroperoxide would affect the killing activity of HL-60 cells differentiated into neutrophil-like cells (dHL-60) against a highly virulent strain (PA14) of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. While bacterial cell counts decrease due to dHL-60 killing, incubation with uric acid inhibits this activity, also decreasing the release of the inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF- α). In a myeloperoxidase/Cl - /H 2 O 2 cell-free system, uric acid inhibited the production of HOCl and bacterial killing. Fluorescence microscopy showed that uric acid also decreased the levels of HOCl produced by dHL-60 cells, while significantly increased superoxide production. Uric acid did not alter the overall oxidative status of dHL-60 cells as measured by the ratio of reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione. Our data show that uric acid impairs the killing activity of dHL-60 cells likely by competing with chloride by myeloperoxidase catalysis, decreasing HOCl production. Despite diminishing HOCl, uric acid probably stimulates the formation of other oxidants, maintaining the overall oxidative status of the cells. Altogether, our results demonstrated that HOCl is, indeed, the main relevant oxidant against bacteria and deviation of myeloperoxidase activity to produce other oxidants hampers dHL-60 killing activity. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Copper and Quaternary Ammonium Cations Exert Synergistic Bactericidal and Antibiofilm Activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa▿

PubMed Central

Harrison, Joe J.; Turner, Raymond J.; Joo, Daniel A.; Stan, Michelle A.; Chan, Catherine S.; Allan, Nick D.; Vrionis, Helen A.; Olson, Merle E.; Ceri, Howard

2008-01-01

Biofilms are slimy aggregates of microbes that are likely responsible for many chronic infections as well as for contamination of clinical and industrial environments. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a prevalent hospital pathogen that is well known for its ability to form biofilms that are recalcitrant to many different antimicrobial treatments. We have devised a high-throughput method for testing combinations of antimicrobials for synergistic activity against biofilms, including those formed by P. aeruginosa. This approach was used to look for changes in biofilm susceptibility to various biocides when these agents were combined with metal ions. This process identified that Cu2+ works synergistically with quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs; specifically benzalkonium chloride, cetalkonium chloride, cetylpyridinium chloride, myristalkonium chloride, and Polycide) to kill P. aeruginosa biofilms. In some cases, adding Cu2+ to QACs resulted in a 128-fold decrease in the biofilm minimum bactericidal concentration compared to that for single-agent treatments. In combination, these agents retained broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity that also eradicated biofilms of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica serovar Cholerasuis, and Pseudomonas fluorescens. To investigate the mechanism of action, isothermal titration calorimetry was used to show that Cu2+ and QACs do not interact in aqueous solutions, suggesting that each agent exerts microbiological toxicity through independent biochemical routes. Additionally, Cu2+ and QACs, both alone and in combination, reduced the activity of nitrate reductases, which are enzymes that are important for normal biofilm growth. Collectively, the results of this study indicate that Cu2+ and QACs are effective combinations of antimicrobials that may be used to kill bacterial biofilms. PMID:18519726

A Role for the ATP7A Copper-transporting ATPase in Macrophage Bactericidal Activity*

PubMed Central

White, Carine; Lee, Jaekwon; Kambe, Taiho; Fritsche, Kevin; Petris, Michael J.

2009-01-01

Copper is an essential micronutrient that is necessary for healthy immune function. This requirement is underscored by an increased susceptibility to bacterial infection in copper-deficient animals; however, a molecular understanding of its importance in immune defense is unknown. In this study, we investigated the effect of proinflammatory agents on copper homeostasis in RAW264.7 macrophages. Interferon-γ was found to increase expression of the high affinity copper importer, CTR1, and stimulate copper uptake. This was accompanied by copper-stimulated trafficking of the ATP7A copper exporter from the Golgi to vesicles that partially overlapped with phagosomal compartments. Silencing of ATP7A expression attenuated bacterial killing, suggesting a role for ATP7A-dependent copper transport in the bactericidal activity of macrophages. Significantly, a copper-sensitive mutant of Escherichia coli lacking the CopA copper-transporting ATPase was hypersensitive to killing by RAW264.7 macrophages, and this phenotype was dependent on ATP7A expression. Collectively, these data suggest that copper-transporting ATPases, CopA and ATP7A, in both bacteria and macrophage are unique determinants of bacteria survival and identify an unexpected role for copper at the host-pathogen interface. PMID:19808669

Phosphorylcholine Allows for Evasion of Bactericidal Antibody by Haemophilus influenzae

PubMed Central

Clark, Sarah E.; Snow, Julian; Li, Jianjun; Zola, Tracey A.; Weiser, Jeffrey N.

2012-01-01

The human pathogen Haemophilus influenzae has the ability to quickly adapt to different host environments through phase variation of multiple structures on its lipooligosaccharide (LPS), including phosphorylcholine (ChoP). During colonization with H. influenzae, there is a selection for ChoP+ phase variants. In a murine model of nasopharyngeal colonization, this selection is lost in the absence of adaptive immunity. Based on previous data highlighting the importance of natural antibody in limiting H. influenzae colonization, the effect of ChoP expression on antibody binding and its bactericidal activity was investigated. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that ChoP+ phase variants had decreased binding of antibody to LPS epitopes compared to ChoP− phase variants. This difference in antibody binding correlated with increased survival of ChoP+ phase variants in the presence of antibody-dependent, complement-mediated killing. ChoP+ phase variants were also more resistant to trypsin digestion, suggesting a general effect on the physical properties of the outer membrane. Moreover, ChoP-mediated protection against antibody binding correlated with increased resilience of outer membrane integrity. Collectively, these data suggest that ChoP expression provides a selective advantage during colonization through ChoP-mediated effects on the accessibility of bactericidal antibody to the cell surface. PMID:22396641

Bactericidal effects of a high-power, red light-emitting diode on two periodontopathic bacteria in antimicrobial photodynamic therapy in vitro.

PubMed

Umeda, Makoto; Tsuno, Akiko; Okagami, Yoshihide; Tsuchiya, Fumito; Izumi, Yuichi; Ishikawa, Isao

2011-11-01

  Light-emitting diodes have been investigated as new light activators for photodynamic therapy. We investigated the bactericidal effects of high-power, red light-emitting diodes on two periodontopathic bacteria in vitro.   A light-emitting diode (intensity: 1100 mW/cm(2) , peak wavelength: 650 nm) was used to irradiate a bacterial solution for either 10 or 20 s. Bacterial solutions (Porphyromonas gingivalis or Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans) at a concentration of 2.5 × 10(6) c.f.u./mL were mixed with an equal volume of either methylene blue or toluidine blue O (0-20 μg/mL) and added to titer plate wells. The plate wells were irradiated with red light-emitting diode light from a distance of 22 or 40 mm. The contents were diluted, and 50 μL was smeared onto blood agar plates. After 1 week of culturing, bacterial c.f.u. were counted.   The light-emitting diode energy density was estimated to be approximately 4 and 8 J/cm(2) after 10 and 20 s of irradiation, respectively. Red light-emitting diode irradiation for 10 s from a distance of 22 mm, combined with methylene blue at concentrations >10 μg/mL, completely killed Porphyromonas gingivalis and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans.   High-power, red light-emitting diode irradiation with a low concentration of dye showed effective bactericidal effects against two periodontopathic bacteria. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

A versatile synthesis of highly bactericidal Myramistin® stabilized silver nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vertelov, G. K.; Krutyakov, Yu A.; Efremenkova, O. V.; Olenin, A. Yu; Lisichkin, G. V.

2008-09-01

Silver nanoparticles stabilized by a well-known antibacterial surfactant benzyldimethyl[3-(myristoylamino)propyl]ammonium chloride (Myramistin®) were produced for the first time by borohydride reduction of silver chloride sol in water. Stable aqueous dispersions of silver nanoparticles without evident precipitation for several months could be obtained. In vitro bactericidal tests showed that Myramistin® capped silver NPs exhibited notable activity against six different microorganisms—gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, yeasts and fungi. The activity was up to 20 times higher (against E. coli) compared to Myramistin® at the same concentrations and on average 2 times higher if compared with citrate-stabilized NPs.

The bactericidal effect of surface micro-discharge plasma under different ambient conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimizu, T.; Zimmermann, J. L.; Morfill, G. E.

2011-02-01

A series of experiments on the bactericidal properties of plasmas using a surface micro-discharge (SMD) device in an atmosphere under different ambient temperatures and humidities was carried out. This plasma dispenser was developed for use as a disinfection system in private and public places (hospitals, medical practices, etc). The bactericidal effect is due to the interplay of the plasma and the chemical products produced via interactions with O2/N2 and H2O vapour in air. To use this device in different countries and therefore under various ambient conditions, it is important to understand its behaviour and efficiency, especially with respect to air temperature and humidity. The experimental results obtained in this study show that the bactericidal properties of the SMD plasma dispenser are not sensitive to the different temperatures and humidities.

Bactericidal and Cytotoxic Activities of Polyphenol Extracts from Solanum tuberosum spp. tuberosum and spp. andigena Cultivars on Escherichia coli and Human Neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y Cells In Vitro

PubMed Central

Silveyra, María Ximena; Damiano, Rocío Belén; Andreu, Adriana Balbina

2018-01-01

Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) are a good source of dietary antioxidant polyphenols. This study investigated the potential antioxidant, bactericidal, and cytotoxic activities in vitro of the phenolic compounds present in tubers of one S. tuberosum spp. tuberosum (Summerside), and three S. tuberosum spp. andigena (landraces Moradita, Waicha, and Santa María) cultivars. Both the content of phenolic acids, chlorogenic acids (CGAs) being the most abundant, and the antioxidant activity were higher in extracts from skin than from flesh. Extracts from Moradita flesh and Summerside skin showed bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 but failed to inhibit pathogenic E. coli O157. Both extracts lack pigmentation but do contain 5-CGA, caffeic, and ferulic acids. Positive control with gentamicin and commercial 5-CGA resulted in a complete inhibition of bacterial growth. In addition, all potato extracts and commercial 5-CGA diminished dose-dependently human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell viability. Skin extracts were more potent than flesh extracts. Among flesh extracts, Moradita was the most potent. Together, our results suggest that Moradita flesh could provide a desirable source of important health-promoting substances. Findings indicate that the biological activity of potato extracts is a combination of various bioactive compounds and contribute to the revalorization of potato as a functional food.

LED array designing and its bactericidal effect researching on Pseudomonas aeruginosa in vitro

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Jing; Xing, Jin; Gao, Liucun; Shen, Benjian; Kang, Hongxiang; Jie, Liang; Peng, Chen

2015-10-01

Lights with some special waveband and output power density have a bactericidal effect to some special bacteria. In this paper, the bactericidal effect of light at wavelength of 470 nm on P. aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) is researched with different irradiation dose. The light source is a LED array which is obtained by incoherent combine of 36 LEDs with emitting wavelength of 470 nm. The P. aeruginosa suspension is exposed with the LED array at the light power density of 100 mW/cm2 with exposures time of 0, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 min, respectively. The numbers of CFU are then determined by serial dilutions on LB agar plates. The bactericidal effect research results of 470 nm LED on P. aeruginosa show that the killing ratio increases with increasing of the exposure time. For the 80 min irradiation, as much as 92.4% reduction of P. aeruginosa is achieved. The results indicate that, in vitro, 470-nm lights produce dose dependent bactericidal effects on P. aeruginosa.

Microarray Bactericidal Testing of Natural Products Against Yersinia intermedia and Bacillus anthracis

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-01-01

Based Preservation Systems and Probiotic Bacteria. In Food Microbiology: Fundamentals and Frontiers. M. P. Doyle, L.R. Beuchat and T.J. Montville...Microarray Bactericidal Testing of Natural Products Against Yersinia intermedia and Bacillus anthracis I.J. Fry1, F.K. Lee2, A. Turetsky2 and J.J...effective protection against biological warfare agents (BWA’s), natural products with a historical record of bactericidal efficacy such as

STUDIES ON MECHANISM OF BACTERICIDAL ACTION BY IRRADIATION WITH RADIOISOTOPE COBALT-60 (in Japanese)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Akimoto, T.

1960-04-01

E.Coli, YC-1 strain, were subjected to 40-C irradiation under various conditions and the survival ratios measured. The following results were obtained: With radiation dosage held constant, prolonged irradiation produced less bactericidal effect. Temperature and environment before irradiation had little influence on the bactericidal effect. Preirradiation washing had little effect. In the earlier stage metabolism continued but gradually decreased later. The more densely the suspension is populated, the higher the survival ratio. This ratio is decreased when a large number of bacteria is treated with a sublethal dose of streptomycin before irradiation. Treatment with chloramphenicol showed no effect in a smallmore » population, but the survival ratio decreased in a large population. Penicillin caused a decrease in a large population also, but in a small population the ratio became markedly high. It is presumed that the activity of bacterial metabolism is closely related to the bacterial action of irradiation. (P.C.H.)« less

Direct comparison of Xpert MTB/RIF assay with liquid and solid mycobacterial culture for quantification of early bactericidal activity.

PubMed

Kayigire, Xavier A; Friedrich, Sven O; Venter, Amour; Dawson, Rodney; Gillespie, Stephen H; Boeree, Martin J; Heinrich, Norbert; Hoelscher, Michael; Diacon, Andreas H

2013-06-01

The early bactericidal activity of antituberculosis agents is usually determined by measuring the reduction of the sputum mycobacterial load over time on solid agar medium or in liquid culture. This study investigated the value of a quantitative PCR assay for early bactericidal activity determination. Groups of 15 patients were treated with 6 different antituberculosis agents or regimens. Patients collected sputum for 16 h overnight at baseline and at days 7 and 14 after treatment initiation. We determined the sputum bacterial load by CFU counting (log CFU/ml sputum, reported as mean ± standard deviation [SD]), time to culture positivity (TTP, in hours [mean ± SD]) in liquid culture, and Xpert MTB/RIF cycle thresholds (C(T), n [mean ± SD]). The ability to discriminate treatment effects between groups was analyzed with one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). All measurements showed a decrease in bacterial load from mean baseline (log CFU, 5.72 ± 1.00; TTP, 116.0 ± 47.6; C(T), 19.3 ± 3.88) to day 7 (log CFU, -0.26 ± 1.23, P = 0.2112; TTP, 35.5 ± 59.3, P = 0.0002; C(T), 0.55 ± 3.07, P = 0.6030) and day 14 (log CFU, -0.55 ± 1.24, P = 0.0006; TTP, 54.8 ± 86.8, P < 0.0001; C(T), 2.06 ± 4.37, P = 0.0020). The best discrimination between group effects was found with TTP at day 7 and day 14 (F = 9.012, P < 0.0001, and F = 11.580, P < 0.0001), followed by log CFU (F = 4.135, P = 0.0024, and F = 7.277, P < 0.0001). C(T) was not significantly discriminative (F = 1.995, P = 0.091, and F = 1.203, P = 0.316, respectively). Culture-based methods are superior to PCR for the quantification of early antituberculosis treatment effects in sputum.

Fabrication of nonfouling, bactericidal, and bacteria corpse release multifunctional surface through surface-initiated RAFT polymerization.

PubMed

Wang, Bailiang; Ye, Zi; Tang, Yihong; Han, Yuemei; Lin, Quankui; Liu, Huihua; Chen, Hao; Nan, Kaihui

Infections after surgery or endophthalmitis are potentially blinding complications caused by bacterial adhesion and subsequent biofilm formation on the intraocular lens. Neither single-function anti-adhesion surface nor contacting killing surface can exhibit ideal antibacterial function. In this work, a novel (2-(dimethylamino)-ethyl methacrylate- co -2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) (p (DMAEMA- co -MPC)) brush was synthesized by "grafting from" method through reversible-addition fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. 1-Bromoheptane was used to quaternize the p (DMAEMA- co -MPC) brush coating and to endow the surface with bactericidal function. The success of the surface functionalization was confirmed by atomic force microscopy, water contact angle, and spectroscopic ellipsometry. The quaternary ammonium salt units were employed as efficient disinfection that can eliminate bacteria through contact killing, whereas the 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine units were introduced to suppress unwanted nonspecific adsorption. The functionalized poly(dimethyl siloxane) surfaces showed efficiency in reducing bovine serum albumin adsorption and in inhibiting bacteria adhesion and biofilm formation. The copolymer brushes also demonstrated excellent bactericidal function against gram-positive ( Staphylococcus aureus ) bacteria measured by bacteria live/dead staining and shake-flask culture methods. The surface biocompatibility was evaluated by morphology and activity measurement with human lens epithelial cells in vitro. The achievement of the p (DMAEMA + - co -MPC) copolymer brush coating with nonfouling, bactericidal, and bacteria corpse release properties can be used to modify intraocular lenses.

Fabrication of nonfouling, bactericidal, and bacteria corpse release multifunctional surface through surface-initiated RAFT polymerization

PubMed Central

Wang, Bailiang; Ye, Zi; Tang, Yihong; Han, Yuemei; Lin, Quankui; Liu, Huihua; Chen, Hao; Nan, Kaihui

2017-01-01

Infections after surgery or endophthalmitis are potentially blinding complications caused by bacterial adhesion and subsequent biofilm formation on the intraocular lens. Neither single-function anti-adhesion surface nor contacting killing surface can exhibit ideal antibacterial function. In this work, a novel (2-(dimethylamino)-ethyl methacrylate-co-2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) (p (DMAEMA-co-MPC)) brush was synthesized by “grafting from” method through reversible–addition fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. 1-Bromoheptane was used to quaternize the p (DMAEMA-co-MPC) brush coating and to endow the surface with bactericidal function. The success of the surface functionalization was confirmed by atomic force microscopy, water contact angle, and spectroscopic ellipsometry. The quaternary ammonium salt units were employed as efficient disinfection that can eliminate bacteria through contact killing, whereas the 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine units were introduced to suppress unwanted nonspecific adsorption. The functionalized poly(dimethyl siloxane) surfaces showed efficiency in reducing bovine serum albumin adsorption and in inhibiting bacteria adhesion and biofilm formation. The copolymer brushes also demonstrated excellent bactericidal function against gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria measured by bacteria live/dead staining and shake-flask culture methods. The surface biocompatibility was evaluated by morphology and activity measurement with human lens epithelial cells in vitro. The achievement of the p (DMAEMA+-co-MPC) copolymer brush coating with nonfouling, bactericidal, and bacteria corpse release properties can be used to modify intraocular lenses. PMID:28053527

Fungi and bacteria. [fungicide and bactericide measures for spacecraft in tropical regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daniels, G. E.

1973-01-01

Spacecraft equipment is usually protected from fungi and bacteria by incorporating a fungicide-bactericide in the material, by a fungicide-bactericide spray, or by reducing the relative humidity to a degree where growth will not take place. A unique method to protect delicate, expensive bearings in equipment was to maintain a pressure (with dry air or nitrogen) slightly above the outside atmosphere (few millibars) within the working parts of the equipment, thus preventing fungi from entering equipment.

Bactericidal application and cytotoxic activity of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles with an extract of the red seaweed Pterocladiella capillacea on the HepG2 cell line.

PubMed

El Kassas, Hala Yassin; Attia, Azza Ahmed

2014-01-01

Nano-biotechnology is recognized as offering revolutionary changes in various fields of medicine. Biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles have a wide range of applications. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were biosynthesized with an aqueous extract of Pterocladiella (Pterocladia) capillacea, used as a reducing and stabilizing agent, and characterized using UV-VIS spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infra red (FT-IR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive analysis (EDX). The biosynthesized AgNPs were tested for cytotoxic activity in a human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cell line cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum, 1% antibiotic and antimycotic solution and 2 mM glutamine. Bacterial susceptibility to AgNPs was assessed with Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis [Gram+ve] and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli [Gram-ve]. The agar well diffusion technique was adopted to evaluate the bactericidal activity of the biosynthesized AgNPs using Ampicillin and Gentamicin as gram+ve and gram-ve antibacterial standard drugs, respectively. The biosynthesized AgNPs were 11.4±3.52 nm in diameter. FT-IR analysis showed that carbonyl groups from the amino acid residues and proteins could assist in formation and stabilization of AgNPs. The AgNPs showed potent cytotoxic activity against the human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cell line at higher concentrations. The results also showed that the biosynthesized AgNPs inhibited the entire panel of tested bacteria with a marked specificity towards Bacillus subtillus. Cytotoxic activity of the biosynthesized AgNPs may be due to the presence of alkaloids present in the algal extract. Our AgNPs appear more bactericidal against gram-positive bacteria (B. subtillus).

Pharmacokinetics and bactericidal activities of one 800-milligram dose versus two 400-milligram doses of intravenously administered pefloxacin in healthy volunteers.

PubMed Central

Petitjean, O; Pangon, B; Brion, N; Tod, M; Chaplain, C; Le Gros, V; Louchahi, K; Allouch, P

1993-01-01

Pefloxacin pharmacokinetics and serum bactericidal activities (SBA) against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were compared after intravenous infusion of either a single 800-mg dose or twice-daily 400-mg doses into 16 healthy volunteers. Plasma pefloxacin concentrations were measured for up to 60 h, and SBAs were determined 1, 12, and 24 h after the start of the infusion. The mean areas under the concentration-versus-time curve for plasma were not different (138 versus 136 h.mg/liter). The mean clearances, volumes of distribution, and half-lives were also comparable. The mean (+/- standard deviation) maximal concentration after the 800-mg infusion was 12.11 +/- 1.35 versus 6.51 +/- 0.73 mg/liter after the first 400-mg infusion and 7.42 +/- 0.76 mg/liter after the second 400-mg infusion. Mean trough concentrations at 24 h were significantly different: 2.77 +/- 0.63 (800 mg) versus 1.93 +/- 0.49 (400 mg twice) mg/liter (P = 0.0007). Mean SBAs against E. coli after 800 mg of pefloxacin were higher than 1/128 (1 h), 1/32 (12 h), and 1/16 (24 h). Mean SBAs against S. aureus under the same conditions were higher than 1/64 (1 h), 1/16 (12 h), and 1/8 (24 h). Mean SBAs at 1 and 12 h were significantly higher after the 800-mg infusion than after the 400-mg infusion but were similar at 24 h for both regimens. Comparison of SBAs according to National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards criteria showed a similar adequacy at 24 h for both regimens against both strains. Administration of 800 mg of pefloxacin once a day is bioequivalent to 400 mg twice a day, and bactericidal activity of the 800-mg infusion is not less than that of two 400-mg infusions. PMID:8494368

Combined treatment of UVA irradiation and antibiotics induces greater bactericidal effects on Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

PubMed

Hou, Yanfei; Nakahashi, Mutsumi; Mawatari, Kazuaki; Shimohata, Takaaki; Uebanso, Takashi; Harada, Yumi; Tsunedomi, Akari; Emoto, Takahiro; Akutagawa, Masatake; Kinouchi, Yohsuke; Takahashi, Akira

2016-01-01

The presence of antibiotics in the environment and their subsequent impact on the development of multi-antibiotic resistant bacteria has raised concerns globally. Consequently, much research is focused on a method to produce a better disinfectant. We have established a disinfectant system using UVA-LED that inactivates pathogenic bacteria. We assessed the bactericidal efficiency of a combination of UVA-LED and antibiotics against Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Combined use of antibiotic drugs and UVA irradiation was more bactericidal than UVA irradiation or antibacterial drugs alone. The bactericidal synergy was observed at low concentrations of each drug that are normally unable to kill the bacteria. This combination has the potential to become a sterilization technology.

Bactericidal effects of plasma-modified surface chemistry of silicon nanograss

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ostrikov, Kola; Macgregor-Ramiasa, Melanie; Cavallaro, Alex; (Ken Ostrikov, Kostya; Vasilev, Krasimir

2016-08-01

The surface chemistry and topography of biomaterials regulate the adhesion and growth of microorganisms in ways that are still poorly understood. Silicon nanograss structures prepared via inductively coupled plasma etching were coated with plasma deposited nanometer-thin polymeric films to produce substrates with controlled topography and defined surface chemistry. The influence of surface properties on Staphylococcus aureus proliferation is demonstrated and explained in terms of nanograss substrate wetting behaviour. With the combination of the nanograss topography; hydrophilic plasma polymer coatings enhanced antimicrobial activity while hydrophobic coatings reduced it. This study advances the understanding of the effects of surface wettability on the bactericidal properties of reactive nano-engineered surfaces.

Anti-biofilm and bactericidal effects of magnolia bark-derived magnolol and honokiol on Streptococcus mutans.

PubMed

Sakaue, Yuuki; Domon, Hisanori; Oda, Masataka; Takenaka, Shoji; Kubo, Miwa; Fukuyama, Yoshiyasu; Okiji, Takashi; Terao, Yutaka

2016-01-01

Dental caries affects people of all ages and is a worldwide health concern. Streptococcus mutans is a major cariogenic bacterium because of its ability to form biofilm and induce an acidic environment. In this study, the antibacterial activities of magnolol and honokiol, the main constituents of the bark of magnolia plants, toward planktonic cell and biofilm of S. mutans were examined and compared with those of chlorhexidine. The minimal inhibitory concentrations of magnolol, honokiol and chlorhexidine for S. mutans were 10, 10 and 0.25 µg/mL, respectively. In addition, each agent showed bactericidal activity against S. mutans planktonic cells and inhibited biofilm formation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Magnolol (50 µg/mL) had greater bactericidal activity against S. mutans biofilm than honokiol (50 µg/mL) and chlorhexidine (500 µg/mL) at 5 min after exposure, while all showed scant activity against biofilm at 30 s. Furthermore; chlorhexidine (0.5-500 µg/mL) exhibited high cellular toxicity for the gingival epithelial cell line Ca9-22 at 1 hr, whereas magnolol (50 µg/mL) and honokiol (50 µg/mL) did not. Thus; it was found that magnolol has antimicrobial activities against planktonic and biofilm cells of S. mutans. Magnolol may be a candidate for prevention and management of dental caries. © 2015 The Societies and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Understanding of gas phase deposition of reactive magnetron sputtered TiO2 thin films and its correlation with bactericidal efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panda, A. B.; Mahapatra, S. K.; Barhai, P. K.; Das, A. K.; Banerjee, I.

2012-10-01

Nanostructured TiO2 thin films were deposited using RF reactive magnetron sputtering at different O2 flow rates (20, 30, 50 and 60 sccm) and constant RF power of 200 W. In situ investigation of the nucleation and growth of the films was made by Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES). The nano amorphous nature as revealed from X-ray diffraction (XRD) of the as deposited films and abundance of the Ti3+ surface oxidation states and surface hydroxyl group (OH-) in the films deposited at 50 sccm as determined from X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS) was explained on the basis of emission spectra studies. The increase in band gap and decrease in particle size with O2 flow rate was observed from transmission spectra of UV-vis spectroscopy. Photoinduced hydrophilicity has been studied using Optical Contact Angle (OCA) measurement. The post irradiated films showed improved hydrophilicity. The bactericidal efficiency of these films was investigated taking Escherichia coli as model bacteria. The films deposited at 50 sccm shows better bactericidal activity as revealed from the optical density (OD) measurement. The qualitative analysis of the bactericidal efficiency was depicted from Scanning Electron Microscope images. A correlation between bactericidal efficiency and the deposited film has been established and explained on the basis of nucleation growth, band gap and hydrophilicity of the films.

In Vitro Antibacterial Activities of AF 3013, the Active Metabolite of Prulifloxacin, against Nosocomial and Community Italian Isolates

PubMed Central

Montanari, Maria Pia; Mingoia, Marina; Varaldo, Pietro Emanuele

2001-01-01

AF 3013, the active metabolite of prulifloxacin, was tested to determine its inhibitory and bactericidal activities against 396 nosocomial and 258 community Italian isolates. Compared with that of ciprofloxacin, its activity (assessed in MIC and minimal bactericidal concentration tests) was generally similar or greater against gram-positive bacteria and greater against gram-negative bacteria. In time-kill assays using selected isolates, its bactericidal activity was comparable to that of ciprofloxacin. PMID:11709353

Isolation and characterization of pediocin AcH chimeric protein mutants with altered bactericidal activity.

PubMed

Miller, K W; Schamber, R; Osmanagaoglu, O; Ray, B

1998-06-01

A collection of pediocin AcH amino acid substitution mutants was generated by PCR random mutagenesis of DNA encoding the bacteriocin. Mutants were isolated by cloning mutagenized DNA into an Escherichia coli malE plasmid that directs the secretion of maltose binding protein-pediocin AcH chimeric proteins and by screening transformant colonies for bactericidal activity against Lactobacillus plantarum NCDO955 (K. W. Miller, R. Schamber, Y. Chen, and B. Ray, 1998. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 64:14-20, 1998). In all, 17 substitution mutants were isolated at 14 of the 44 amino acids of pediocin AcH. Seven mutants (N5K, C9R, C14S, C14Y, G37E, G37R, and C44W) were completely inactive against the pediocin AcH-sensitive strains L. plantarum NCDO955, Listeria innocua Lin11, Enterococcus faecalis M1, Pediococcus acidilactici LB42, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides Ly. A C24S substitution mutant constructed by other means also was inactive against these bacteria. Nine other mutants (K1N, W18R, I26T, M31T, A34D, N41K, H42L, K43N, and K43E) retained from <1% to approximately 60% of wild-type activity when assayed against L. innocua Lin11. One mutant, K11E, displayed approximately 2. 8-fold-higher activity against this indicator. About one half of the mutations mapped to amino acids that are conserved in the pediocin-like family of bacteriocins. All four cysteines were found to be required for activity, although only C9 and C14 are conserved among pediocin-like bacteriocins. Several basic amino acids as well as nonpolar amino acids located within the hydrophobic C-terminal region also were found to be important. The mutations are discussed in the context of structural models that have been proposed for the bacteriocin.

Green synthesis and characterization of Carica papaya leaf extract coated silver nanoparticles through X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy and evaluation of bactericidal properties

PubMed Central

Banala, Rajkiran Reddy; Nagati, Veera Babu; Karnati, Pratap Reddy

2015-01-01

The evolution of nanotechnology and the production of nanomedicine from various sources had proven to be of intense value in the field of biomedicine. The smaller size of nanoparticles is gaining importance in research for the treatment of various diseases. Moreover the production of nanoparticles is eco-friendly and cost effective. In the present study silver nanoparticles were synthesized from Carica papaya leaf extract (CPL) and characterized for their size and shape using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS/EDX) and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD) were conducted to determine the concentration of metal ions, the shape of molecules. The bactericidal activity was evaluated using Luria Bertani broth cultures and the minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were estimated using turbidimetry. The data analysis showed size of 50–250 nm spherical shaped nanoparticles. The turbidimetry analysis showed MIC and MBC was >25 μg/mL against both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria in Luria Bertani broth cultures. In summary the synthesized silver nanoparticles from CPL showed acceptable size and shape of nanoparticles and effective bactericidal activity. PMID:26288570

Green synthesis and characterization of Carica papaya leaf extract coated silver nanoparticles through X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy and evaluation of bactericidal properties.

PubMed

Banala, Rajkiran Reddy; Nagati, Veera Babu; Karnati, Pratap Reddy

2015-09-01

The evolution of nanotechnology and the production of nanomedicine from various sources had proven to be of intense value in the field of biomedicine. The smaller size of nanoparticles is gaining importance in research for the treatment of various diseases. Moreover the production of nanoparticles is eco-friendly and cost effective. In the present study silver nanoparticles were synthesized from Carica papaya leaf extract (CPL) and characterized for their size and shape using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS/EDX) and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD) were conducted to determine the concentration of metal ions, the shape of molecules. The bactericidal activity was evaluated using Luria Bertani broth cultures and the minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were estimated using turbidimetry. The data analysis showed size of 50-250 nm spherical shaped nanoparticles. The turbidimetry analysis showed MIC and MBC was >25 μg/mL against both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria in Luria Bertani broth cultures. In summary the synthesized silver nanoparticles from CPL showed acceptable size and shape of nanoparticles and effective bactericidal activity.

THE THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF PENICILLINS F, G, K, AND X IN EXPERIMENTAL INFECTIONS WITH PNEUMOCOCCUS TYPE I AND STREPTOCOCCUS PYOGENES

PubMed Central

Eagle, Harry

1947-01-01

1. The relative bactericidal activities of penicillins F, G, K, and X against Type I pneumococcus in vitro were 60, 100, 180, and 135. The corresponding activities against Streptococcus pyogenes, strain C-203, were 75, 100, 115, and 145, respectively. 2. The total curative doses (CD50) of penicillins F, G, K, and X in pneumococcal infections of white mice (ten injections at 3 hour intervals) were 4.6, 3.8, 20, and 2.4 mg. per kg., respectively, or relative activities of 83, 100, 19, and 160, referred to G as 100. 3. The corresponding curative doses in streptococcal infections of white mice were 2.6, 1.3, 14.0, and 0.5 mg. per kg., or relative activities of 50, 100, 9, and 260. 4. Penicillin K was therefore one-tenth as active in vivo as would be implied by its bactericidal activity in vitro. This probably reflects its rapid inactivation in vivo, evidenced by the low and evanescent blood levels observed in both rabbits and man, and the low urinary recovery of this species of penicillin. 5. Penicillin X was significantly more active therapeutically than its bactericidal activity in vitro would imply. This probably reflects its slower inactivation in vivo, evidenced by the somewhat higher and more prolonged blood levels afforded by this penicillin in comparison with penicillin G. Judged by the mouse infections with the strains here used, penicillin X is the penicillin of choice in the treatment of infections with pneumococcus Type I and hemolytic streptococci. 6. The curative dose of penicillin in streptococcal and pneumococcal infections paralleled the varying susceptibility of these organisms to penicillin in vitro. PMID:19871606

Inhibitory and bactericidal activities of levofloxacin, ofloxacin, erythromycin, and rifampin used singly and in combination against Legionella pneumophila.

PubMed Central

Baltch, A L; Smith, R P; Ritz, W

1995-01-01

The susceptibilities of 56 Legionella pneumophila isolates (43 clinical and 15 environmental isolates) to levofloxacin, ofloxacin, erythromycin, and rifampin were studied with buffered charcoal yeast extract (BCYE) agar (inoculum, 10(4) CFU per spot), and the susceptibilities of five isolates were studied with buffered yeast extract (BYE) broth (inoculum, 10(5) CFU/ml). The MICs inhibiting 90% of strains tested on BCYE agar were 0.125, 0.25, 1.0, and < or = 0.004 micrograms/ml for levofloxacin, ofloxacin, erythromycin, and rifampin, respectively. The MICs by the BYE broth dilution method were 1 to 3, 2, 1 to 2, and 1 tube lower than those by the agar dilution method for levofloxacin, ofloxacin, erythromycin, and rifampin, respectively. The MBCs were 1 to 2 tubes higher than the broth dilution MICs for levofloxacin, 1 to 3 tubes higher than the broth dilution MICs for ofloxacin, 1 to 3 tubes higher than the broth dilution MICs for erythromycin, and the same as the broth dilution MICs for rifampin. In kinetic time-kill curve studies, at drug concentrations of 1.0 and 2.0 times the MIC, the most active drugs were levofloxacin and rifampin. At 72 h, concentrations of levofloxacin and rifampin of 2.0 times the MIC demonstrated a bactericidal effect against L. pneumophila. In contrast, at concentrations of 1.0 and 2.0 times the MICs regrowth was observed with ofloxacin and only a gradual decrease in the numbers of CFU per milliliter was observed with erythromycin. Only a minor inhibitory effect was observed with 0.25 or 0.5 time the MICs of all drugs at 24 to 48 h, with regrowth occurring at 72 h. In contrast to erythromycin or ofloxacin plus rifampin at 0.25 time the MICs, only levofloxacin plus rifampin demonstrated synergy. Thus, levofloxacin demonstrated the best inhibitory and bactericidal effects against L. pneumophila when it was studied alone or in a combination with rifampin. PMID:7486896

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles by endosymbiont Pseudomonas fluorescens CA 417 and their bactericidal activity.

PubMed

Syed, Baker; M N, Nagendra Prasad; B L, Dhananjaya; K, Mohan Kumar; S, Yallappa; S, Satish

2016-12-01

The present study emphasizes on biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles and their bactericidal activity against human and phytopathogens. Nanoparticle synthesis was performed using endosymbiont Pseudomonas fluorescens CA 417 inhabiting Coffea arabica L. Synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using hyphenated spectroscopic techniques such as UV-vis spectroscopy which revealed maximum absorption 425nm. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed the possible functional groups mediating and stabilizing silver nanoparticles with predominant peaks occurring at 3346 corresponding to hydroxyl group, 1635 corresponding carbonyl group and 680 to aromatic group. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed the Bragg's diffraction pattern with distinct peaks at 38° 44°, 64° and 78° revealing the face-centered cubic (fcc) metallic crystal corresponding to the (111), (200), (220) and (311) facets of the crystal planes at 2θ angle. The energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis revealed presence of high intense absorption peak at 3keV is a typical characteristic of nano-crystalline silver which confirmed the presence of elemental silver. TEM analysis revealed the size of the nanoparticles to be in the range 5-50nm with polydisperse nature of synthesized nanoparticles bearing myriad shapes. The particle size determined by Dynamic light scattering (DLS) method revealed average size to be 20.66nm. The synthesized silver nanoparticles exhibited significant antibacterial activity against panel of test pathogens. The results showed Klebsiella pneumoniae (MTCC 7407) and Xanthomonas campestris to be more sensitive among the test human pathogen and phyto-pathogen respectively. The study also reports synergistic effect of silver nanoparticles in combination with kanamycin which displayed increased fold activity up to 58.3% against Klebsiella pneumoniae (MTCC 7407). The results of the present investigation are promising enough and attribute towards

The absorbed dose to blood from blood-borne activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hänscheid, H.; Fernández, M.; Lassmann, M.

2015-01-01

The radiation absorbed dose to blood and organs from activity in the blood is relevant for nuclear medicine dosimetry and for research in biodosimetry. The present study provides coefficients for the average absorbed dose rates to the blood from blood-borne activity for radionuclides frequently used in targeted radiotherapy and in PET diagnostics. The results were deduced from published data for vessel radius-dependent dose rate coefficients and reasonable assumptions on the blood-volume distribution as a function of the vessel radius. Different parts of the circulatory system were analyzed separately. Vessel size information for heart chambers, aorta, vena cava, pulmonary artery, and capillaries was taken from published results of morphometric measurements. The remaining blood not contained in the mentioned vessels was assumed to reside in fractal-like vascular trees, the smallest branches of which are the arterioles or venules. The applied vessel size distribution is consistent with recommendations of the ICRP on the blood-volume distribution in the human. The resulting average absorbed dose rates to the blood per nuclear disintegration per milliliter (ml) of blood are (in 10-11 Gy·s-1·Bq-1·ml) Y-90: 5.58, I-131: 2.49, Lu-177: 1.72, Sm-153: 2.97, Tc-99m: 0.366, C-11: 4.56, F-18: 3.61, Ga-68: 5.94, I-124: 2.55. Photon radiation contributes 1.1-1.2·10-11 Gy·s-1·Bq-1·ml to the total dose rate for positron emitters but significantly less for the other nuclides. Blood self-absorption of the energy emitted by ß-particles in the whole blood ranges from 37% for Y-90 to 80% for Tc-99m. The correspondent values in vascular trees, which are important for the absorbed dose to organs, range from 30% for Y-90 to 82% for Tc-99m.

Preparation of bio-deep eutectic solvent triggered cephalopod shaped silver chloride-DNA hybrid material having antibacterial and bactericidal activity.

PubMed

Bhatt, Jitkumar; Mondal, Dibyendu; Bhojani, Gopal; Chatterjee, Shruti; Prasad, Kamalesh

2015-11-01

2.5% w/w DNA (Salmon testes) was solubilized in a bio-deep eutectic solvent [(bio-DES), obtained by the complexation of choline chloride and ethylene glycol at 1:2 molar ratio] containing 1% w/w of silver chloride (AgCl) to yield a AgCl decorated DNA based hybrid material. Concentration dependent formation of AgCl crystals in the DES was observed and upon interaction with DNA it gave formation of a cephalopod shaped hybrid material. DNA was found to maintain its chemical and structural stability in the material. Further, AgCl microstructures were found to have orderly self assembled on the DNA helices indicating the electrostatic interaction between Ag(+) and phosphate side chain of DNA as a driving force for the formation of the material with ordered microstructural distribution of AgCl. Furthermore, the functionalized material exhibited excellent antibacterial and bactericidal activity against both Gram negative and Gram positive pathogenic bacteria. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bactericidal activity of juvenile chinook salmon macrophages against Aeromonas salmonicida after exposure to live or heat-killed Renibacterium salmoninarum or to soluble proteins produced by R. salmoninarum

USGS Publications Warehouse

Siegel, D.C.; Congleton, J.L.

1997-01-01

Macrophages isolated from the anterior kidney of juvenile chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in 96-well microtiter plates were exposed for 72 h to 0, 105, or 106 live or heat-killed Renibacterium salmoninarum cells per well or to 0, 0.1, 1.0, or 10 ??g/mL of R. salmoninarum soluble proteins. After treatment, the bactericidal activity of the macrophages against Aerornonas salmonicida was determined by a colorimetric assay based on the reduction of the tetrazolium dye MTT to formazan by viable bacteria. The MTT assay was modified to allow estimation of the percentage of bacteria killed by reference to a standard curve relating the number of bacteria added to microtiter wells to absorbance by formazan at 600 nm. The live and heat-killed R. salmoninarum treatments significantly (P < 0.001) increased killing of A. salmonicida by chinook salmon macrophages. In each of the five trials, significantly (P < 0.05) greater increases in killing occurred after exposure to 105 R. salmoninarum cells than to 106 R. salmoninarum cells per well. In contrast, treatment of macrophages with 10 ??g/mL R. salmoninarum soluble proteins significantly (P < 0.001) decreased killing of A. salmonicida, but treatment with lower doses did not. These results show that the bactericidal activity of chinook salmon macrophages is stimulated by exposure to R. salmoninarum cells at lower dose levels but inhibited by exposure to R. salmoninarum cells or soluble proteins at higher dose levels.

Efficient Killing of Planktonic and Biofilm-Embedded Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci by Bactericidal Protein P128

PubMed Central

Poonacha, Nethravathi; Nair, Sandhya; Desai, Srividya; Tuppad, Darshan; Hiremath, Deepika; Mohan, Thulasi; Vipra, Aradhana

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are the major causative agents of foreign-body-related infections, including catheter-related bloodstream infections. Because of the involvement of biofilms, foreign-body-related infections are difficult to treat. P128, a chimeric recombinant phage-derived ectolysin, has been shown to possess bactericidal activity on strains of Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). We tested the killing potential of P128 on three clinically significant species of CoNS, S. epidermidis, S. haemolyticus, and S. lugdunensis, under a variety of physiological conditions representing growing and nongrowing states. The MIC90 and minimum bactericidal concentration at which 90% of strains tested are killed (MBC90) of P128 on 62 clinical strains of CoNS were found to be 16 and 32 μg/ml (0.58 and 1.16 μM), respectively, demonstrating the bactericidal nature of P128 on CoNS strains. Serum showed a potentiating effect on P128 inhibition, as indicated by 4- to 32-fold lower MIC values observed in serum. P128 caused a rapid loss of viability in all CoNS strains tested. Persisters of CoNS that were enriched in the presence of vancomycin or daptomycin were killed by P128 at 1× the MIC in a rapid manner. Low concentrations of P128 caused a 2- to 5-log reduction in CFU in stationary-phase or poorly metabolizing CoNS cultures. P128 at low concentrations eliminated CoNS biofilms in microtiter plates and on the surface of catheters. Combinations of P128 and standard-of-care (SoC) antibiotics were highly synergistic in inhibiting growth in preformed biofilms. Potent activity on planktonic cells, persisters, and biofilms of CoNS suggests that P128 is a promising candidate for the clinical development of treatments for foreign-body-related and other CoNS infections. PMID:28559263

Antibiofilm Activity and Synergistic Inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms by Bactericidal Protein P128 in Combination with Antibiotics

PubMed Central

Nair, Sandhya; Desai, Srividya; Poonacha, Nethravathi; Vipra, Aradhana

2016-01-01

P128 is an antistaphylococcal protein, comprising a cell wall-degrading enzymatic region and a Staphylococcus-specific binding region, which possesses specific and potent bactericidal activity against sensitive and drug-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus. To explore P128's ability to kill S. aureus in a range of environments relevant to clinical infection, we investigated the anti-S. aureus activity of P128 alone and in combination with standard-of-care antibiotics on planktonic and biofilm-embedded cells. P128 was found to have potent antibiofilm activity on preformed S. aureus biofilms as detected by CFU reduction and a colorimetric minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC) assay. Scanning electron microscopic images of biofilms formed on the surfaces of microtiter plates and on catheters showed that P128 at low concentrations could destroy the biofilm structure and lyse the cells. When it was tested in combination with antibiotics which are known to be poor inhibitors of S. aureus in biofilms, such as vancomycin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, linezolid, and daptomycin, P128 showed highly synergistic antibiofilm activity that resulted in much reduced MBIC values for P128 and the individual antibiotics. The synergistic effect was seen for both sensitive and resistant isolates of S. aureus. Additionally, in an in vitro mixed-biofilm model mimicking the wound infection environment, P128 was able to prevent biofilm formation by virtue of its anti-Staphylococcus activity. The potent S. aureus biofilm-inhibiting activity of P128 both alone and in combination with antibiotics is an encouraging sign for the development of P128 for treatment of complicated S. aureus infections involving biofilms. PMID:27671070

Bactericidal efficacy of elevated pH on fish pathogenic and environmental bacteria

USGS Publications Warehouse

Starliper, Clifford E.; Watten, Barnaby J.

2013-01-01

Ship ballast water is a recognized medium for transfer and introductions of nonindigenous species. There is a need for new ballast water treatment methods that effectively and safely eliminate or greatly minimize movements of these species. The present study employed laboratory methods to evaluate the bactericidal efficacy of increased pH (pH 10.0–12.0) for exposure durations of up to 72 h to kill a variety of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria including fish pathogens (Aeromonas spp., Yersinia ruckeri, Edwardsiella ictaluri, Serratia liquefaciens, Carnobacterium sp.), other common aquatic-inhabitant bacteria (Serratia marcescens, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Staphylococcus sp., Bacillus sp.) and indicators listed in International Maritime Organization D2 Standards; namely, Vibrio cholera (an environmental isolate from fish), Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis. Volumes of 5 N NaOH were added to tryptic soy broth to obtain desired pH adjustments. Viable cells were determined after 0, 4, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h. Initial (0 h) cell numbers ranged from 3.40 × 104 cfu/mL for Bacillus sp. to 2.44 × 107 cfu/mL for E. faecalis. The effective endpoints of pH and treatment duration necessary to realize 100% bactericidal effect varied; however, all bacteria tested were killed within 72 h at pH 12.0 or lower. The lowest parameters examined, 4 h at pH 10.0, were bactericidal to V. cholera, E. ictaluri, three of four isolates of E. coli, and (three of four) Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida. Bactericidal effect was attained at pH 10.0 within 12 h for the other A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida, and within 24 h for P. fluorescens, and the remaining E. coli.

Bactericidal activity of amoxicillin against non-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae in an in vitro pharmacodynamic model simulating the concentrations obtained with the 2000/125 mg sustained-release co-amoxiclav formulation.

PubMed

Sevillano, David; Calvo, Almudena; Giménez, María-José; Alou, Luis; Aguilar, Lorenzo; Valero, Eva; Carcas, Antonio; Prieto, José

2004-12-01

To investigate the bactericidal activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae of simulated amoxicillin serum concentrations obtained in humans after 2000/125 mg sustained-release (SR) and 875/125 mg co-amoxiclav administered twice and three times a day, respectively. An in vitro computerized pharmacodynamic simulation was carried out and colony counts were determined over 24 h. Ten strains non-susceptible to amoxicillin (four of them exhibiting an MIC of 4 mg/L, five strains with an MIC of 8 mg/L and one strain with an MIC of 16 mg/L) were used. With amoxicillin 2000 mg, an initial inoculum reduction >99.99% was obtained for strains with an MIC of 4 mg/L, > or =99% for strains with an MIC of 8 mg/L and 70.6% for the strain with an MIC of 16 mg/L at 24 h sampling time. At this sampling time, no reduction of initial inocula was obtained with amoxicillin 875 mg/8 h for two of the four strains with an MIC of 4 mg/L, three of the five strains with an MIC of 8 mg/L or for the strain with an MIC of 16 mg/L. The new co-amoxiclav 2000/125 mg SR formulation appears to offer advantages versus previous formulations with respect to bactericidal activity against current amoxicillin non-susceptible strains.

A combination of ceftaroline and daptomycin has synergistic and bactericidal activity in vitro against daptomycin nonsusceptible methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

PubMed

Shafiq, Iffat; Bulman, Zackery P; Spitznogle, Sarah L; Osorio, Justin E; Reilly, Irene S; Lesse, Alan J; Parameswaran, Ganapathi I; Mergenhagen, Kari A; Tsuji, Brian T

2017-05-01

There is an urgent need to optimize therapeutic options in patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia who have failed conventional therapy. Two clinical isolates were obtained from a 68-year-old male with persistent MRSA bacteremia before and after the development of daptomycin nonsusceptibility. The pharmacodynamic activity of monotherapies and combinations of ceftaroline, daptomycin, cefoxitin, nafcillin and vancomycin were evaluated in time-kill experiments versus 10 8 CFU/mL of the pre- and post-daptomycin nonsusceptible MRSA isolates. Cefoxitin, nafcillin and vancomycin alone or in combination with ceftaroline failed to generate prolonged bactericidal activity against the post-daptomycin nonsusceptible isolate whereas a ceftaroline-daptomycin combination resulted in 6, 24 and 48 h log 10 (CFU/mL) reductions of 3.90, 4.40 and 6.32. Population analysis profiles revealed a daptomycin heteroresistant subpopulation of the pre-daptomycin nonsusceptible MRSA isolate that expanded by >10,000× on daptomycin agar containing 2-16 mg/L in the post-daptomycin nonsusceptible isolate. Daptomycin and ceftaroline combinations may be promising against persistent MRSA bacteremia.

Graphene sponge decorated with copper nanoparticles as a novel bactericidal filter for inactivation of Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Deng, Can-Hui; Gong, Ji-Lai; Zeng, Guang-Ming; Zhang, Peng; Song, Biao; Zhang, Xue-Gang; Liu, Hong-Yu; Huan, Shuang-Yan

2017-10-01

Nanotechnology has great potential in water purification. However, the limitations such as aggregation and toxicity of nanomaterials have blocked their practical application. In this work, a novel copper nanoparticles-decorated graphene sponge (Cu-GS) was synthesized using a facile hydrothermal method. Cu-GS consisting of three-dimensional (3D) porous graphene network and well-dispersed Cu nanoparticles exhibited high antibacterial efficiency against Esherichia coli when used as a bactericidal filter. The morphological changes determined by scanning electron microscope and fluorescence images measured by flow cytometry confirmed the involvement of membrane damage induced by Cu-GS in their antibacterial process. The oxidative ability of Cu-GS and intercellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were also determined to elucidate the possible antibacterial mechanism of Cu-GS. Moreover, the concentration of released copper ions from Cu-GS was far below the drinking water standard, and the copper ions also have an effect on the antibacterial activity of Cu-GS. Results suggested that Cu-GS as a novel bactericidal filter possessed a potential application of water disinfection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparative in vitro susceptibilities and bactericidal activities of investigational fluoroquinolone ABT-492 and other antimicrobial agents against human mycoplasmas and ureaplasmas.

PubMed

Waites, Ken B; Crabb, Donna M; Duffy, Lynn B

2003-12-01

We determined in vitro susceptibilities for ABT-492 and other antimicrobials against Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Mycoplasma fermentans, Mycoplasma hominis, and Ureaplasma species. ABT-492 MICs were < or =1 microg/ml, and the agent was bactericidal against selected isolates of M. pneumoniae and M. hominis. ABT-492 has potential for treatment of infections due to these microorganisms.

Bactericidal Effect of Zero-Valent Iron Nanoparticles on Escherichia coli

PubMed Central

Lee, Changha; Kim, Jee Yeon; Lee, Won Il; Nelson, Kara L.; Yoon, Jeyong; Sedlak, David L.

2008-01-01

Zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nano-Fe0) in aqueous solution rapidly inactivated Escherichia coli (E. coli). A strong bactericidal effect of nano-Fe0 was found under deaerated conditions, with a linear correlation between log inactivation and nano-Fe0 dose (0.82 log inactivation / mg/L nano-Fe0 · hr). The inactivation of E. coli under air saturation required much higher nano-Fe0 doses due to the corrosion and surface oxidation of nano-Fe0 by dissolved oxygen. Significant physical disruption of the cell membranes was observed in E. coli exposed to nano-Fe0, which may have caused the inactivation, or enhanced the biocidal effects of dissolved iron. The reaction of Fe(II) with intracellular oxygen or hydrogen peroxide also may have induced oxidative stress by producing reactive oxygen species. The bactericidal effect of nano-Fe0 was a unique property of nano-Fe0, which was not observed in other types of iron-based compounds. PMID:18678028

Bactericidal effect of TiO2 photocatalyst on selected food-borne pathogenic bacteria.

PubMed

Kim, Byunghoon; Kim, Dohwan; Cho, Donglyun; Cho, Sungyong

2003-07-01

Titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) photocatalysts have attracted great attention as a material for photocatalytic sterilization in the food and environmental industry. This research aimed to design a new photobioreactor and its application to sterilize selected food borne pathogenic bacteria, Salmonella choleraesuis subsp., Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Listeria monocytogenes. The photocatalytic reaction was carried out with various TiO(2) concentrations and Ultraviolet (UV) illumination time. A feasible synergistic effect was found that the bactericidal effect of TiO(2) on all bacterial suspension after UV light irradiation was much higher than that of without TiO(2). As the concentration of TiO(2) increased to 1.0 mg/ml, bactericidal effect increased. However, the bactericidal effect was rapidly abbreviated at TiO(2) concentration higher than 1.25 mg/ml to all selected bacteria. UV illumination time affected drastically the viability of all bacteria with different death rate. Similar trends were obtained from S. choleraesuis subsp. and V. parahaemolyticus that their complete killing was achieved after 3 h of illumination. However, L. monocytogenes was more resistant and its death ratio was about 87% at that time.

Comparative In Vitro Susceptibilities and Bactericidal Activities of Investigational Fluoroquinolone ABT-492 and Other Antimicrobial Agents against Human Mycoplasmas and Ureaplasmas

PubMed Central

Waites, Ken B.; Crabb, Donna M.; Duffy, Lynn B.

2003-01-01

We determined in vitro susceptibilities for ABT-492 and other antimicrobials against Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Mycoplasma fermentans, Mycoplasma hominis, and Ureaplasma species. ABT-492 MICs were ≤1 μg/ml, and the agent was bactericidal against selected isolates of M. pneumoniae and M. hominis. ABT-492 has potential for treatment of infections due to these microorganisms. PMID:14638513

In vitro bactericidal effect of a modified thermal Nitinol electrode.

PubMed

Liatsikos, E N; Dinlenc, C Z; Kapoor, R; Fogarty, J; Bernardo, N O; Isenberg, H D; Smith, A D

2001-04-01

A standard electrode surgical generator connected to a Nitinol coil was used in vitro to evaluate whether the generated electromagnetic energy had any bactericidal effect on Escherichia coli. The ATCC 259222 E. coli strain was used. We mixed 135 mL of a 1.5% non-nutritive agar with 15 mL of a 10(6) CFU/mL inoculum and transferred it to gas-sterilized plastic containers lined with aluminium foil. A 22F cylindrical shape was cut from the center of the agar, and a Nitinol coil was placed in that space and connected to a standard electrode surgical generator. Electrical energy was then applied from 5 to 25 V at 5-V increments. Temperatures were measured with two thermocouples placed in the middle and periphery of each agar. The treatment was stopped when the temperature at the middle thermometer reached 50 degrees C. The control group was not treated and was embedded in a water bath at 45 degrees C. Three 3 x 7-mm pieces were sliced from the inner to the outer part of the agar and processed, and colony counts were performed. We observed statistically significant deleterious effects on E. coli in all three zones when the treatment voltage was 15 and 20. When the potential was raised to 25 V, we observed a significant result only in the core zone. The treatment duration was 50 minutes for 5 and 10 V, 45 minutes for 15 V, 15 minutes for 20 V, and 10 minutes for 25 V. The bactericidal effect was mainly in the central area, decreasing linearly toward the periphery, and was related to the temperature reached during activation of the electrical generator. These results were disappointing with regard to the utility of Nitinol stents to treat bacterial prostatitis.

21 CFR 864.7140 - Activated whole blood clotting time tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Activated whole blood clotting time tests. 864....7140 Activated whole blood clotting time tests. (a) Identification. An activated whole blood clotting... pulmonary embolism by measuring the coagulation time of whole blood. (b) Classification. Class II...

21 CFR 864.7140 - Activated whole blood clotting time tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Activated whole blood clotting time tests. 864....7140 Activated whole blood clotting time tests. (a) Identification. An activated whole blood clotting... pulmonary embolism by measuring the coagulation time of whole blood. (b) Classification. Class II...

21 CFR 864.7140 - Activated whole blood clotting time tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Activated whole blood clotting time tests. 864....7140 Activated whole blood clotting time tests. (a) Identification. An activated whole blood clotting... pulmonary embolism by measuring the coagulation time of whole blood. (b) Classification. Class II...

21 CFR 864.7140 - Activated whole blood clotting time tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Activated whole blood clotting time tests. 864....7140 Activated whole blood clotting time tests. (a) Identification. An activated whole blood clotting... pulmonary embolism by measuring the coagulation time of whole blood. (b) Classification. Class II...

21 CFR 864.7140 - Activated whole blood clotting time tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Activated whole blood clotting time tests. 864....7140 Activated whole blood clotting time tests. (a) Identification. An activated whole blood clotting... pulmonary embolism by measuring the coagulation time of whole blood. (b) Classification. Class II...

Approach to Cultural Asset Preservation "Enzyme Filter Media Has Bactericidal Effect and Bacteriostasis Effect in Air Phase"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isomae, Kazuro

Enzyme air-filter media according to the bactericidal effect as an environmental green technology acquired the high appraisal and the result in the domestic and foreign clean room and the air conditioning field. The mechanism of this enzyme technology, safety, and the bactericidal effect in the real environment are discussed by using the electron microscopic picture etc. And it proposes to apply these technologies to the cultural asset preservation.

Residual water bactericide monitor development program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

A silver-ion bactericidal monitor is considered for the Space Shuttle Potable Water System. Potentiometric measurement using an ion-selective electrode is concluded to be the most feasible of available techniques. Four commercially available electrodes and a specially designed, solid-state, silver-sulfide electrode were evaluated for their response characteristics and suitability for space use. The configuration of the solid-state electrode with its Nernstian response of 10 to 10,000 ppb silver shows promise for use in space. A pressurized double-junction reference electrode with a quartz-fiber junction and a replaceable bellows electrolyte reservoir was designed verification-tested, and paired with a solid-state silver-sulfide electrode in a test fixture.

Nanoparticles as Efflux Pump and Biofilm Inhibitor to Rejuvenate Bactericidal Effect of Conventional Antibiotics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Divya; Singh, Ajeet; Khan, Asad U.

2017-07-01

The universal problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotic reflects a serious threat for physicians to control infections. Evolution in bacteria results in the development of various complex resistance mechanisms to neutralize the bactericidal effect of antibiotics, like drug amelioration, target modification, membrane permeability reduction, and drug extrusion through efflux pumps. Efflux pumps acquire a wide range of substrate specificity and also the tremendous efficacy for drug molecule extrusion outside bacterial cells. Hindrance in the functioning of efflux pumps may rejuvenate the bactericidal effect of conventional antibiotics. Efflux pumps also play an important role in the exclusion or inclusion of quorum-sensing biomolecules responsible for biofilm formation in bacterial cells. This transit movement of quorum-sensing biomolecules inside or outside the bacterial cells may get interrupted by impeding the functioning of efflux pumps. Metallic nanoparticles represent a potential candidate to block efflux pumps of bacterial cells. The application of nanoparticles as efflux pump inhibitors will not only help to revive the bactericidal effect of conventional antibiotics but will also assist to reduce biofilm-forming capacity of microbes. This review focuses on a novel and fascinating application of metallic nanoparticles in synergy with conventional antibiotics for efflux pump inhibition.

Contact activation of blood-plasma coagulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golas, Avantika

Surface engineering of biomaterials with improved hemocompatibility is an imperative, given the widespread global need for cardiovascular devices. Research summarized in this dissertation focuses on contact activation of FXII in buffer and blood plasma frequently referred to as autoactivation. The extant theory of contact activation imparts FXII autoactivation ability to negatively charged, hydrophilic surfaces. According to this theory, contact activation of plasma involves assembly of proteins comprising an "activation complex" on activating surfaces mediated by specific chemical interactions between complex proteins and the surface. This work has made key discoveries that significantly improve our core understanding of contact activation and unravel the existing paradigm of plasma coagulation. It is shown herein that contact activation of blood factor XII (FXII, Hageman factor) in neat-buffer solution exhibits a parabolic profile when scaled as a function of silanized-glass-particle activator surface energy (measured as advancing water adhesion tension t°a=g° Iv costheta in dyne/cm, where g°Iv is water interfacial tension in dyne/cm and theta is the advancing contact angle). Nearly equal activation is observed at the extremes of activator water-wetting properties --36 < t°a < 72 dyne/cm (O° ≤ theta < 120°), falling sharply through a broad minimum within the 20 < t°a < 40 dyne/cm (55° < theta < 75°). Furthermore, contact activation of FXII in buffer solution produces an ensemble of protein fragments exhibiting either procoagulant properties in plasma (proteolysis of blood factor XI or prekallikrein), amidolytic properties (cleavage of s-2302 chromogen), or the ability to suppress autoactivation through currently unknown biochemistry. The relative proportions of these fragments depend on activator surface chemistry/energy. We have also discovered that contact activation is moderated by adsorption of plasma proteins unrelated to coagulation through an

Chemical studies on damages of Escherichea coli by the immune bactericidal reaction. II. Release of phosphatidylethanolamine from a phospholipase A-deficient mutant of E. coli during the immune bactericidal reaction.

PubMed

Inoue, K; Yano, K; Amano, T

1974-12-01

When an antibody-sensitized, phospholipase A-deficient mutant of Escherichia coli B/SM was treated with complement in the absence of lysozyme, bacterial phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) was liberated into the lipid fraction of the surrounding medium, but only traces of its degradation products were found in this fraction. Therefore, most of the degradation of bacterial PE to FFA and LPE observed in the usual immune bactericidal reaction (Inoue et al., 1974) must be the result of the action of bacterial phospholipase A which is activated or becomes accessible to its substrate on formation of lesions by complement. The mechanism of complement-mediated formation of membrane lesions is discussed on the basis of these results.

Synergistic effect of a recombinant N-terminal fragment of bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein and cefamandole in treatment of rabbit gram-negative sepsis.

PubMed

Lin, Y; Leach, W J; Ammons, W S

1996-01-01

As a consequence of their bactericidal actions, many antibiotics cause the release of endotoxin, a primary mediator of gram-negative sepsis. Bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) has bactericidal activity and neutralizes endotoxin in vitro and in vivo. We sought to examine the effect of a recombinant N-terminal fragment of BPI (rBPI21) in conjunction with cefamandole, a cephalosporin antibiotic, in the treatment of Escherichia coli bacteremia and septic shock in rabbits. Cefamandole (100 mg/kg of body weight) was injected intravenously. This was followed by simultaneous 10-min infusions of E. coli O7:K1 (9 x 10(9) CFU/kg) and rBPI21 (10 mg/kg). rBPI21 was continuously infused for an additional 110 min at 10 mg/kg/h. The administration of rBPI21 in conjunction with the administration of cefamandole prevented the cefamandole-induced increase of free endotoxin in plasma, accelerated bacterial clearance, ameliorated cardiopulmonary dysfunction, and thereby, prevented death, whereas neither agent alone was protective in this animal model. The efficacy of the combined treatment with rBPI21 and cefamandole suggests a synergistic interaction between the two agents. The data indicate that rBPI21 may be useful in conjunction with traditional antibiotic therapy.

Bactericidal efficacy of atmospheric pressure non-thermal plasma (APNTP) against the ESKAPE pathogens.

PubMed

Flynn, Padrig B; Higginbotham, Sarah; Alshraiedeh, Nid'a H; Gorman, Sean P; Graham, William G; Gilmore, Brendan F

2015-07-01

The emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens within the clinical environment is presenting a mounting problem in hospitals worldwide. The 'ESKAPE' pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter spp.) have been highlighted as a group of causative organisms in a majority of nosocomial infections, presenting a serious health risk due to widespread antimicrobial resistance. The stagnating pipeline of new antibiotics requires alternative approaches to the control and treatment of nosocomial infections. Atmospheric pressure non-thermal plasma (APNTP) is attracting growing interest as an alternative infection control approach within the clinical setting. This study presents a comprehensive bactericidal assessment of an in-house-designed APNTP jet both against biofilms and planktonic bacteria of the ESKAPE pathogens. Standard plate counts and the XTT metabolic assay were used to evaluate the antibacterial effect of APNTP, with both methods demonstrating comparable eradication times. APNTP exhibited rapid antimicrobial activity against all of the ESKAPE pathogens in the planktonic mode of growth and provided efficient and complete eradication of ESKAPE pathogens in the biofilm mode of growth within 360s, with the exception of A. baumannii where a >4log reduction in biofilm viability was observed. This demonstrates its effectiveness as a bactericidal treatment against these pathogens and further highlights its potential application in the clinical environment for the control of highly antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. and the International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.

Bactericidal effect of photocatalytically-active nanostructured TiO2 surfaces on biofilms of the early oral colonizer, Streptococcus oralis.

PubMed

Westas, Emma; Hayashi, Mariko; Cecchinato, Francesca; Wennerberg, Ann; Andersson, Martin; Jimbo, Ryo; Davies, Julia R

2017-08-01

This study evaluated the photocatalytic bactericidal effect of nanostructured anatase-rich titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) on microbial biofilms. Commercially pure titanium discs were spin-coated with photocatalytic TiO 2 nanoparticles (P25). Uncoated discs were used as control (CTRL). Half of the CTRL and half of the P25-coated surfaces were coated with purified saliva (SAL) to give four different groups (CTRL, CTRL + SAL, P25 and P25 + SAL). Streptococcus oralis were allowed to form biofilms on the discs for 18 h and non-adherent cells were rinsed off. Bacterial viability was assessed at time 0 with Live/Dead BacLight staining and epifluorescence microscopy. The remaining discs were divided into a non-UV group and UVA-irradiated (+UV) group (irradiation time, 6 or 24 h). Thereafter, viability was assessed as above. Viability at time 0 was high and no dead cells were seen on any of the surfaces, even after 24 h, in the absence of UVA. However, after 24 h of exposure, the proportion of viable cells was reduced by 40% on the P25 discs compared to 0 and 6 h, and this effect was enhanced with a salivary pellicle. Members of mixed species biofilms differ in their susceptibility to the bactericidal effect of the surfaces tested and further investigations are needed to optimize the conditions. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 2321-2328, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Bactericidal and antibiofilm activity of bactenecin-derivative peptides against the food-pathogen Listeria monocytogenes: New perspectives for food processing industry.

PubMed

Palmieri, Gianna; Balestrieri, Marco; Capuano, Federico; Proroga, Yolande T R; Pomilio, Francesco; Centorame, Patrizia; Riccio, Alessia; Marrone, Raffaele; Anastasio, Aniello

2018-08-20

Antimicrobial peptides have received great attention for their potential benefits to extend the shelf-life of food-products. Innate defense regulator peptide-1018 (IDR-1018) represents a promising candidate for such applications, due to its broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, although food-isolated pathogens have been poorly investigated. Herein, we describe the design and the structural-functional characterization of a new 1018-derivative peptide named 1018-K6, in which the alanine in position 6 was replaced with a lysine. Spectroscopic analysis revealed a noticeable switch from β-sheet to helical conformations of 1018-K6 respect to IDR-1018, with a faster folding kinetic and increased structural stability. Moreover, 1018-K6 evidenced a significant antibiofilm/bactericidal efficiency specifically against Listeria monocytogenes isolates from food-products and food-processing environments, belonging to serotype 4b involved in the majority of human-listeriosis cases, with EC 50 values two- five-fold lower than those measured for IDR-1018. Therefore, a single amino-acid substitution in IDR-1018 sequence produced severe changes in peptide conformation and antimicrobial performances. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Cpa, the outer membrane protease of Cronobacter sakazakii, activates plasminogen and mediates resistance to serum bactericidal activity.

PubMed

Franco, A A; Kothary, M H; Gopinath, G; Jarvis, K G; Grim, C J; Hu, L; Datta, A R; McCardell, B A; Tall, B D

2011-04-01

Cronobacter spp. are emerging neonatal pathogens in humans, associated with outbreaks of meningitis and sepsis. To cause disease, they must survive in blood and invade the central nervous system by penetrating the blood-brain barrier. C. sakazakii BAA-894 possesses an ~131-kb plasmid (pESA3) that encodes an outer membrane protease (Cpa) that has significant identity to proteins that belong to the Pla subfamily of omptins. Members of this subfamily of proteins degrade a number of serum proteins, including circulating complement, providing protection from the complement-dependent serum killing. Moreover, proteins of the Pla subfamily can cause uncontrolled plasmin activity by converting plasminogen to plasmin and inactivating the plasmin inhibitor α2-antiplasmin (α2-AP). These reactions enhance the spread and invasion of bacteria in the host. In this study, we found that an isogenic cpa mutant showed reduced resistance to serum in comparison to its parent C. sakazakii BAA-894 strain. Overexpression of Cpa in C. sakazakii or Escherichia coli DH5α showed that Cpa proteolytically cleaved complement components C3, C3a, and C4b. Furthermore, a strain of C. sakazakii overexpressing Cpa caused a rapid activation of plasminogen and inactivation of α2-AP. These results strongly suggest that Cpa may be an important virulence factor involved in serum resistance, as well as in the spread and invasion of C. sakazakii.

[Immunobiological blood parameters in rabbits after addition to the diet suspensions of chlorella, sodium sulfate, citrate and chromium chloride].

PubMed

Lesyk, Ia V; Fedoruk, R S; Dolaĭchuk, O P

2013-01-01

We studied the content of glycoproteins and their individual carbohydrate components, the phagocyte activity of neutrophils, phagocyte index, phagocyte number lizotsym and bactericidal activity of the serum concentration of circulating immune complexes and middle mass molecules in the blood of rabbits following administration into the diet chlorella suspension, sodium sulfate, chromium citrate and chromium chloride. The studies were conducted on rabbits weighing 3.7-3.9 kg with altered diet from the first day of life to 118 days old. Rabbits were divided into five groups: the control one and four experimental groups. We found that in the blood of rabbits of experimental groups recieved sodium sulphate, chromium chloride and chromium citrate, the content of glycoprotein's and their carbohydrate components was significantly higher during the 118 days of the study compared with the control group. Feeding rabbits with mineral supplements likely reflected the differences compared with the control parameters of nonspecific resistance in the blood for the study period, which was more pronounced in the first two months of life.

Corneal epithelial wound healing and bactericidal effect of conditioned medium from human uterine cervical stem cells.

PubMed

Bermudez, Maria A; Sendon-Lago, Juan; Eiro, Noemi; Treviño, Mercedes; Gonzalez, Francisco; Yebra-Pimentel, Eva; Giraldez, Maria Jesus; Macia, Manuel; Lamelas, Maria Luz; Saa, Jorge; Vizoso, Francisco; Perez-Fernandez, Roman

2015-01-22

To evaluate the effect of conditioned medium from human uterine cervical stem cells (CM-hUCESCs) on corneal epithelial healing in a rat model of dry eye after alkaline corneal epithelial ulcer. We also tested the bactericidal effect of CM-hUCESCs. Dry eye was induced in rats by extraocular lacrimal gland excision, and corneal ulcers were produced using NaOH. Corneal histologic evaluation was made with hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining. Real-time PCR was used to evaluate mRNA expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines. We also studied the bactericidal effect of CM-hUCESCs in vitro and on infected corneal contact lenses (CLs) using Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteria. In addition, in order to investigate proteins from CM-hUCESCs that could mediate these effects, we carried out a human cytokine antibody array. After injury, dry eyes treated with CM-hUCESCs significantly improved epithelial regeneration and showed reduced corneal macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1α) and TNF-α mRNA expression as compared to untreated eyes and eyes treated with culture medium or sodium hyaluronate ophthalmic drops. In addition, we found in CM-hUCESCs high levels of proteins, such as tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases 1 and 2, fibroblast growth factor 6 and 7, urokinase receptor, and hepatocyte growth factor, that could mediate these effects. In vitro, CM-hUCESCs showed a clear bactericidal effect on both E. coli and S. epidermidis and CLs infected with S. epidermidis. Analyses of CM-hUCESCs showed elevated levels of proteins that could be involved in the bactericidal effect, such as the chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligands 1, 6, 8, 10, and the chemokine (C-C motif) ligands 5 and 20. Treatment with CM-hUCESCs improved wound healing of alkali-injured corneas and showed a strong bactericidal effect on CLs. Patients using CLs and suffering from dry eye, allergies induced by commercial solutions, or small corneal injuries could benefit from this treatment

A comparison of bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein variant versus recombinant endotoxin-neutralizing protein for the treatment of Escherichia coli sepsis in rats .

PubMed

Stack, A M; Saladino, R A; Siber, G R; Thompson, C; Marra, M N; Novitsky, T J; Fleisher, G R

1997-01-01

To compare a recombinant bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein variant and a recombinant endotoxin-neutralizing protein. Randomized, blinded, controlled study, using a rat model of sepsis. Animal research facility. Male Wistar rats. An inoculum of 1.5 x 10(7) to 1.8 x 10(8) Escherichia coli O18ac K1, implanted in the peritoneum, produced bacteremia in 95% of animals after 1 hr. One hour after E. coli challenge, animals received recombinant bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein variant, recombinant endotoxin-neutralizing protein, or saline intravenously, followed by ceftriaxone and gentamicin intramuscularly. Twenty-four (85.7%) of 28 animals receiving recombinant endotoxin-neutralizing protein (p < .001 vs. control) survived 7 days compared with nine (33.3%) of 27 recombinant bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein variant-treated (p < .001 vs. control) and two (6.5%) of 31 control animals. Both recombinant endotoxin-neutralizing protein and recombinant bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein variant improved survival. Recombinant endotoxin-neutralizing protein was superior to recombinant bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein variant in its protective effect at the doses tested. Our results suggest that both proteins may be useful in the treatment of human Gram-negative sepsis.

Determination of serum bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli by an automated photometric method.

PubMed Central

Crokaert, F; Lismont, M J; van der Linden, M P; Yourassowsky, E

1988-01-01

The resistance of gram-negative bacteria to complement-mediated serum activity is supposedly an important virulence factor. However, the lack of standardization in the methods used to determine serum activity and the many definitions applied make the comparisons between studies very difficult. We developed a rapid photometric method that we compared with a classical killing one. Escherichia coli in the exponential phase of growth in brain heart infusion broth (final inoculum, 10(7) CFU/ml) at 35 degrees C was added to 50% human serum in Veronal buffer. Viable counts and automatic recording of the variations in the optical densities were obtained for 40 E. coli strains isolated from the stools of healthy adults. With the viable count method, 17 (42.5%) were susceptible (at least a 1 log CFU/ml decrease), 17 (42.5%) were resistant (a 0.6 log CFU/ml increase), 4 (10%) were intermediate (poorly growing inoculum or a decrease of less than 1 log CFU/ml), and 2 could not be classified (nonreproducible results). Agreement between both methods was observed for 87.5% of the stool strains. Eight reference strains of known susceptibilities were classified identically by both methods, leading to a final concordance rate of 89.6%. A total of 129 blood isolates were tested by the photometric method: 64 (49.6%) were resistant, 50 (38.8%) were susceptible 5 (3.9%) showed early regrowth, and 10 (7.7%) were not perfectly reproducible. Of these 129 blood isolates, 5 were also tested by the killing method: 37 (49%) were resistant, 32 (43%) were susceptible, and 6 (8%) were intermediate. The concordance rate between both assays was 89% for the blood isolates; when the minor discordances were ruled out, it was 97%. This automated method could be a useful screening tool for detecting resistance to serum in clinical trials and for studying the in vitro variations of this property. PMID:3053761

Multi-residue screening of prioritised human pharmaceuticals, illicit drugs and bactericides in sediments and sludge.

PubMed

Langford, Katherine H; Reid, Malcolm; Thomas, Kevin V

2011-08-01

A robust multi-residue method was developed for the analysis of a selection of pharmaceutical compounds, illicit drugs and personal care product bactericides in sediments and sludges. Human pharmaceuticals were selected for analysis in Scottish sewage sludge and freshwater sediments based on prescription, physico-chemical and occurrence data. The method was suitable for the analysis of the selected illicit drugs amphetamine, benzoylecgonine, cocaine, and methamphetamine, the pharmaceuticals atenolol, bendroflumethiazide, carbamazepine, citalopram, diclofenac, fluoxetine, ibuprofen, and salbutamol, and the bactericides triclosan and triclocarban in sewage sludge and freshwater sediment. The method provided an overall recovery of between 56 and 128%, RSDs of between 2 and 19% and LODs of between 1 and 50 ng g(-1). Using the methodology the human pharmaceuticals atenolol, carbamazepine and citalopram and the bactericides triclosan and triclocarban were detected in Scottish sewage sludge. The illicit drugs cocaine, its metabolite benzoylecgonine, amphetamine and methamphetamine were not detected in any of the samples analysed. Triclosan and triclocarban were present at the highest concentrations with triclocarban detected in all but one sample and showing a pattern of co-occurrence in both sludge and sediment samples.

Bactericidal effect of silver nanoparticles against propagation of Clavibacter michiganensis infection in Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.

PubMed

Rivas-Cáceres, Raymundo Rene; Luis Stephano-Hornedo, Jose; Lugo, Jorge; Vaca, Rocio; Del Aguila, Pedro; Yañez-Ocampo, Gustavo; Mora-Herrera, Martha Elena; Camacho Díaz, Luis Miguel; Cipriano-Salazar, Moisés; Alaba, Peter Adeniyi

2018-02-01

This study explored the use of silver nanoparticle as a bactericidal against the propagation of Clavibacter michiganensis onto tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill). In Mexico, tomato production covers about 73% of the total vegetable production but it is affected by outbreak of bacteria canker caused by Clavibacter michiganensis subspecies michiganensis (Cmm). Silver ions possess inhibitor properties, bactericides and high specter antimicrobials. In this study, 6 groups of culture were prepared using 6 different petri dishes where silver nanoparticles of varying concentrations (120, 84, 48, 24, 12 and 0 μg) were added. Furthermore, each group was observed for 20 min, 1, 2, 12 and 24 h. The optimum concentration is 84 μg, which shows an average of 2 Cmm colonies after 20 min. Further increase to 120 μg shows no significant change. However, the average colonies was observed for 48 μg after 1, 2, 12, and 24 h. The obtained results indicate that silver nanoparticles are a promising inhibitor, bactericide and high a specter antimicrobial for treatment or prevention of Cmm. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Foetal Ureaplasma parvum bacteraemia as a function of gestation-dependent complement insufficiency: Evidence from a sheep model of pregnancy.

PubMed

Kemp, Matthew W; Ahmed, Shatha; Beeton, Michael L; Payne, Matthew S; Saito, Masatoshi; Miura, Yuichiro; Usuda, Haruo; Kallapur, Suhas G; Kramer, Boris W; Stock, Sarah J; Jobe, Alan H; Newnham, John P; Spiller, Owen B

2017-01-01

Complement is a central defence against sepsis, and increasing complement insufficiency in neonates of greater prematurity may predispose to increased sepsis. Ureaplasma spp. are the most frequently cultured bacteria from preterm blood samples. A sheep model of intrauterine Ureaplasma parvum infection was used to examine in vivo Ureaplasma bacteraemia at early and late gestational ages. Complement function and Ureaplasma killing assays were used to determine the correlation between complement potency and bactericidal activity of sera ex vivo. Ureaplasma was cultured from 50% of 95-day gestation lamb cord blood samples compared to 10% of 125-day gestation lambs. Bactericidal activity increased with increased gestational age, and a direct correlation between functional complement activity and bactericidal activity (R 2 =.86; P<.001) was found for 95-day gestational lambs. Ureaplasma bacteraemia in vivo was confined to early preterm lambs with low complement function, but Ureaplasma infection itself did not diminish complement levels. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effect of blood activity on dosimetric calculations for radiopharmaceuticals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zvereva, Alexandra; Petoussi-Henss, Nina; Li, Wei Bo; Schlattl, Helmut; Oeh, Uwe; Zankl, Maria; Graner, Frank Philipp; Hoeschen, Christoph; Nekolla, Stephan G.; Parodi, Katia; Schwaiger, Markus

2016-11-01

The objective of this work was to investigate the influence of the definition of blood as a distinct source on organ doses, associated with the administration of a novel radiopharmaceutical for positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging—(S)-4-(3-18F-fluoropropyl)-L-glutamic acid (18F-FSPG). Personalised pharmacokinetic models were constructed based on clinical PET/CT images from five healthy volunteers and blood samples from four of them. Following an identifiability analysis of the developed compartmental models, person-specific model parameters were estimated using the commercial program SAAM II. Organ doses were calculated in accordance to the formalism promulgated by the Committee on Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) and the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) using specific absorbed fractions for photons and electrons previously derived for the ICRP reference adult computational voxel phantoms. Organ doses for two concepts were compared: source organ activities in organs parenchyma with blood as a separate source (concept-1); aggregate activities in perfused source organs without blood as a distinct source (concept-2). Aggregate activities comprise the activities of organs parenchyma and the activity in the regional blood volumes (RBV). Concept-1 resulted in notably higher absorbed doses for most organs, especially non-source organs with substantial blood contents, e.g. lungs (92% maximum difference). Consequently, effective doses increased in concept-1 compared to concept-2 by 3-10%. Not considering the blood as a distinct source region leads to an underestimation of the organ absorbed doses and effective doses. The pronounced influence of the blood even for a radiopharmaceutical with a rapid clearance from the blood, such as 18F-FSPG, suggests that blood should be introduced as a separate compartment in most compartmental pharmacokinetic models and blood should be considered as a distinct source in

Activation states of blood eosinophils in asthma

PubMed Central

Johansson, Mats W.

2014-01-01

Asthma is characterized by airway inflammation rich in eosinophils. Airway eosinophilia is associated with exacerbations and has been suggested to play a role in airway remodeling. Recruitment of eosinophils from the circulation requires that blood eosinophils become activated, leading to their arrest on the endothelium and extravasation. Circulating eosinophils can be envisioned as potentially being in different activation states, including non-activated, pre-activated or “primed”, or fully activated. In addition, the circulation can potentially be deficient of pre-activated or activated eosinophils, because such cells have marginated on activated endothelium or extravasated into the tissue. A number of eosinophil-surface proteins, including CD69, L-selectin, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1, CD54), CD44, P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1, CD162), cytokine receptors, Fc receptors, integrins including αM integrin (CD11b), and activated conformations of Fc receptors and integrins have been proposed to report cell activation. Variation in eosinophil activation states may be associated with asthma activity. Eosinophil-surface proteins proposed to be activation markers, with a particular focus on integrins, and evidence for associations between activation states of blood eosinophils and features of asthma are reviewed here. Partial activation of β1 and β2 integrins on blood eosinophils, reported by monoclonal antibodies (mAb) N29 and KIM-127, is associated with impaired pulmonary function and airway eosinophilia, respectively, in non-severe asthma. The association with lung function does not occur in severe asthma, presumably due to greater eosinophil extravasation, specifically of activated or pre-activated cells, in severe disease. PMID:24552191

Whole Blood Cholinesterase Activity in 20 Species of Wild Birds.

PubMed

Horowitz, Igal H; Yanco, Esty G; Landau, Shmulik; Nadler-Valency, Rona; Anglister, Nili; Bueller-Rosenzweig, Ariela; Apelbom-Halbersberg, Tal; Cuneah, Olga; Hanji, Vera; Bellaiche, Michel

2016-06-01

Clinical signs of organophosphate and carbamate intoxication in wild birds can be mistaken for those of other diseases, thus potentially delaying diagnosis and implementation of life-saving treatment. The objective of this study was to determine the reference interval for blood cholinesterase activity in 20 different wild avian species from 7 different orders, thereby compiling a reference database for wildlife veterinarians. Blood was collected from birds not suspected of having organophosphate or carbamate toxicosis, and the modified Michel method, which determines the change in blood pH that directly correlates with cholinesterase activity, was used to measure blood cholinesterase levels. Results of change in blood pH values ranged from 0.11 for the white-tailed eagle ( Haliaeetus albicilla ) to 0.90 for the honey buzzard ( Pernis apivorus ). The results showed that even within the same family, interspecies differences in normal cholinesterase blood activity were not uncommon. The findings emphasized the importance of determining reference intervals for avian blood cholinesterase activity at the species level.

Potable water bactericide agent development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hurley, T. L.; Bambenek, R. A.

1972-01-01

The results are summarized of the work performed for the development and evaluation of a bactericide agent/system concept capable of being used in the space shuttle potable water system. The concept selected for evaluation doses fuel cell water with silver ions before the water is stored and used, by passing this water through columns packed with silver chloride and silver bromide particles, respectively. Four simulated space shuttle potable water system tests, each of seven days duration, were performed to demonstrate that this concept is capable of delivering sterile water even though 3 + or - 1 x 10 to the 9th power Type IIIa or Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, two types which have been found in the Apollo potable water system, are purposely injected into the system each day. This result, coupled with the fact that silver ions do not have to be periodically added to the stored water, indicates that this concept is superior to the chlorine and iodine techniques used on Apollo.

Enhanced biomimic bactericidal surfaces by coating with positively-charged ZIF nano-dagger arrays.

PubMed

Yuan, Yuan; Zhang, Yugen

2017-10-01

Cicada wing surfaces are covered with dense patterns of nano-pillar structure that prevent bacterial growth by rupturing adhered microbial cells. To mimic the natural nano-pillar structure, we developed a general and simple method to grow metal organic framework (MOF) nano-dagger arrays on a wide range of surfaces. These nano-daggers possess high bactericidal activity, with log reduction >7 for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. It was hypothesized that the positively-charged ZIF-L nano-dagger surfaces enhance bacterial cell adhesion, facilitating selective and efficient bacteria killing by the rigid and sharp nano-dagger tips. This research provides a safe and clean antimicrobial surface technology which does not require external chemicals and will not cause drug resistance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Enhanced bactericidal potency of nanoliposomes by modification of the fusion activity between liposomes and bacterium.

PubMed

Ma, Yufan; Wang, Zhao; Zhao, Wen; Lu, Tingli; Wang, Rutao; Mei, Qibing; Chen, Tao

2013-01-01

liposomal encapsulated tobramycin was prepared, and the bactericidal effect occurred more quickly when bacteria were cultured with liposomal encapsulated tobramycin. The bactericidal potency of fluid liposomes is dramatically enhanced with respect to fusion ability when the fusogenic lipid, DOPE, is included. Regardless of changes in liposome composition, fluid liposomes-bacterium fusion is universally enhanced by calcium ions. The information obtained in this study will increase our understanding of fluid liposomal action mechanisms, and help in optimizing the new generation of fluid liposomal formulations for the treatment of pulmonary bacterial infections.

Enhanced bactericidal potency of nanoliposomes by modification of the fusion activity between liposomes and bacterium

PubMed Central

Ma, Yufan; Wang, Zhao; Zhao, Wen; Lu, Tingli; Wang, Rutao; Mei, Qibing; Chen, Tao

2013-01-01

. Furthermore, the fluid liposomal encapsulated tobramycin was prepared, and the bactericidal effect occurred more quickly when bacteria were cultured with liposomal encapsulated tobramycin. Conclusion The bactericidal potency of fluid liposomes is dramatically enhanced with respect to fusion ability when the fusogenic lipid, DOPE, is included. Regardless of changes in liposome composition, fluid liposomes-bacterium fusion is universally enhanced by calcium ions. The information obtained in this study will increase our understanding of fluid liposomal action mechanisms, and help in optimizing the new generation of fluid liposomal formulations for the treatment of pulmonary bacterial infections. PMID:23847417

Deficient expression of bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein in immunocompromised hosts: translational potential of replacement therapy.

PubMed

Palmer, Christine D; Guinan, Eva C; Levy, Ofer

2011-08-01

BPI (bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein) is a 55 kDa anti-infective molecule expressed in neutrophil and eosinophil granules and on some epithelial cells. BPI's high affinity for the lipid A region of endotoxin targets its opsonizing, microbicidal and endotoxin-neutralizing activities towards Gram-negative bacteria. Several immunocompromised patient populations demonstrate BPI deficiency, including newborns, those with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (as in cystic fibrosis and HIV infection) and those exposed to radiochemotherapy. BPI may be replenished by administering agents that induce its expression or by administration of recombinant BPI congeners, potentially shielding BPI-deficient individuals against Gram-negative bacterial infection, endotoxemia and its toxic sequelae.

Association between active commuting and elevated blood pressure in adolescents

PubMed Central

Santana, Fábio da Silva; Palmeira, Aline Cabral; dos Santos, Marcos André Moura; Farah, Breno Quintella; de Souza, Bruna Cadengue Coêlho; Ritti-Dias, Raphael Mendes

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective To analyze the association between active commuting and blood pressure in adolescents. Methods This is a cross-sectional study with high school students from public education network in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. Data from 6039 students (14 to 19 years) were collected using a questionnaire. “Physically inactive” were considered those who reported not to walk or ride a bicycle to and from school on any day of the past week, and/or those who, regardless of the weekly frequency of practice this type of activity, reported the duration of commuting to school was less than 20 minutes (round trip). The high blood pressure was obtained by Omron HEM 742 equipment. Adolescents with high blood pressure were defined as those with higher blood pressure or equal to the 95th percentile for age, sex and height. Regression logistic analyses were used to assess the association between active commuting and high blood pressure, considering adjustments for the following confounders: sex, age, overweight, total physical activity, socioeconomic level, place of residence. Results The prevalence of high blood pressure was 7.3%, and 79.3% were considered insufficiently active in commuting. There was an association between high blood pressure and active commuting only among those living in rural areas (OR = 6.498; 95% CI = 1.513-27.900), and the same was not observed among those living in urban areas (OR = 1.113; 95% CI = 0.812-1.526). Conclusion Active commuting can be considered a protective factor for high blood pressure in adolescents living in rural areas. PMID:29364363

Association between active commuting and elevated blood pressure in adolescents.

PubMed

Santana, Fábio da Silva; Palmeira, Aline Cabral; Santos, Marcos André Moura Dos; Farah, Breno Quintella; Souza, Bruna Cadengue Coêlho de; Ritti-Dias, Raphael Mendes

2017-01-01

To analyze the association between active commuting and blood pressure in adolescents. This is a cross-sectional study with high school students from public education network in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. Data from 6039 students (14 to 19 years) were collected using a questionnaire. "Physically inactive" were considered those who reported not to walk or ride a bicycle to and from school on any day of the past week, and/or those who, regardless of the weekly frequency of practice this type of activity, reported the duration of commuting to school was less than 20 minutes (round trip). The high blood pressure was obtained by Omron HEM 742 equipment. Adolescents with high blood pressure were defined as those with higher blood pressure or equal to the 95th percentile for age, sex and height. Regression logistic analyses were used to assess the association between active commuting and high blood pressure, considering adjustments for the following confounders: sex, age, overweight, total physical activity, socioeconomic level, place of residence. The prevalence of high blood pressure was 7.3%, and 79.3% were considered insufficiently active in commuting. There was an association between high blood pressure and active commuting only among those living in rural areas (OR = 6.498; 95% CI = 1.513-27.900), and the same was not observed among those living in urban areas (OR = 1.113; 95% CI = 0.812-1.526). Active commuting can be considered a protective factor for high blood pressure in adolescents living in rural areas.

Activation of blood coagulation in cancer: implications for tumour progression

PubMed Central

Lima, Luize G.; Monteiro, Robson Q.

2013-01-01

Several studies have suggested a role for blood coagulation proteins in tumour progression. Herein, we discuss (1) the activation of the blood clotting cascade in the tumour microenvironment and its impact on primary tumour growth; (2) the intravascular activation of blood coagulation and its impact on tumour metastasis and cancer-associated thrombosis; and (3) antitumour therapies that target blood-coagulation-associated proteins. Expression levels of the clotting initiator protein TF (tissue factor) have been correlated with tumour cell aggressiveness. Simultaneous TF expression and PS (phosphatidylserine) exposure by tumour cells promote the extravascular activation of blood coagulation. The generation of blood coagulation enzymes in the tumour microenvironment may trigger the activation of PARs (protease-activated receptors). In particular, PAR1 and PAR2 have been associated with many aspects of tumour biology. The procoagulant activity of circulating tumour cells favours metastasis, whereas the release of TF-bearing MVs (microvesicles) into the circulation has been correlated with cancer-associated thrombosis. Given the role of coagulation proteins in tumour progression, it has been proposed that they could be targets for the development of new antitumour therapies. PMID:23889169

Urinary Excretion and Bactericidal Activities of Gemifloxacin and Ofloxacin after a Single Oral Dose in Healthy Volunteers

PubMed Central

Naber, Christoph K.; Hammer, Michaela; Kinzig-Schippers, Martina; Sauber, Christian; Sörgel, Fritz; Bygate, Elizabeth A.; Fairless, Amanda J.; Machka, Konstanze; Naber, Kurt G.

2001-01-01

In a randomized crossover study, 16 volunteers (8 men, 8 women) received single oral doses of 320 mg of gemifloxacin and 400 mg of ofloxacin on two separate occasions in the fasting state to assess the urinary excretion and urinary bactericidal titers (UBTs) at intervals for up to 144 h. Ofloxacin showed higher concentrations in urine compared with those of gemifloxacin. The median (range) cumulative excretion of gemifloxacin was 29.7% (8.4 to 48.7%) of the parent drug administered, and median (range) cumulative excretion of ofloxacin was 84.3% (46.5 to 95.2%) of the parent drug administered. The UBTs, i.e., the highest twofold dilutions (with antibiotic-free urine as the diluent) of urine that were still bactericidal, were determined for a reference strain and nine uropathogens for which the MICs of gemifloxacin and ofloxacin were as follows: Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, 0.016 and 0.06 μg/ml, respectively; Klebsiella pneumoniae, 0.03 and 0.06 μg/ml, respectively; Proteus mirabilis, 0.125 and 0.125 μg/ml, respectively; Escherichia coli, 0.06 and 0.5 μg/ml, respectively; Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 1 and 4 μg/ml, respectively; Staphylococcus aureus, 0.008 and 0.25 μg/ml, respectively; Enterococcus faecalis, 0.06 and 2 μg/ml, respectively; Staphylococcus aureus, 0.25 and 4 μg/ml, respectively; Enterococcus faecalis, 0.5 and 32 μg/ml, respectively; and Staphylococcus aureus, 2 and 32 μg/ml, respectively. Generally, the UBTs for gram-positive uropathogens were higher for gemifloxacin than for ofloxacin and the UBTs for gram-negative uropathogens were higher for ofloxacin than for gemifloxacin. According to the UBTs, ofloxacin-resistant uropathogens (MICs, ≥4 mg/liter) should also be considered gemifloxacin resistant. Although clinical trials have shown that gemifloxacin is effective for the treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections, whether an oral dosage of 320 mg of gemifloxacin once daily is also adequate for the treatment of complicated urinary

Urinary excretion and bactericidal activities of gemifloxacin and ofloxacin after a single oral dose in healthy volunteers.

PubMed

Naber, C K; Hammer, M; Kinzig-Schippers, M; Sauber, C; Sörgel, F; Bygate, E A; Fairless, A J; Machka, K; Naber, K G

2001-12-01

In a randomized crossover study, 16 volunteers (8 men, 8 women) received single oral doses of 320 mg of gemifloxacin and 400 mg of ofloxacin on two separate occasions in the fasting state to assess the urinary excretion and urinary bactericidal titers (UBTs) at intervals for up to 144 h. Ofloxacin showed higher concentrations in urine compared with those of gemifloxacin. The median (range) cumulative excretion of gemifloxacin was 29.7% (8.4 to 48.7%) of the parent drug administered, and median (range) cumulative excretion of ofloxacin was 84.3% (46.5 to 95.2%) of the parent drug administered. The UBTs, i.e., the highest twofold dilutions (with antibiotic-free urine as the diluent) of urine that were still bactericidal, were determined for a reference strain and nine uropathogens for which the MICs of gemifloxacin and ofloxacin were as follows: Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, 0.016 and 0.06 microg/ml, respectively; Klebsiella pneumoniae, 0.03 and 0.06 microg/ml, respectively; Proteus mirabilis, 0.125 and 0.125 microg/ml, respectively; Escherichia coli, 0.06 and 0.5 microg/ml, respectively; Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 1 and 4 microg/ml, respectively; Staphylococcus aureus, 0.008 and 0.25 microg/ml, respectively; Enterococcus faecalis, 0.06 and 2 microg/ml, respectively; Staphylococcus aureus, 0.25 and 4 microg/ml, respectively; Enterococcus faecalis, 0.5 and 32 microg/ml, respectively; and Staphylococcus aureus, 2 and 32 microg/ml, respectively. Generally, the UBTs for gram-positive uropathogens were higher for gemifloxacin than for ofloxacin and the UBTs for gram-negative uropathogens were higher for ofloxacin than for gemifloxacin. According to the UBTs, ofloxacin-resistant uropathogens (MICs, >or=4 mg/liter) should also be considered gemifloxacin resistant. Although clinical trials have shown that gemifloxacin is effective for the treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections, whether an oral dosage of 320 mg of gemifloxacin once daily is also adequate for the

Spectroscopy investigation on chemo-catalytic, free radical scavenging and bactericidal properties of biogenic silver nanoparticles synthesized using Salicornia brachiata aqueous extract

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seralathan, Janani; Stevenson, Priscilla; Subramaniam, Shankar; Raghavan, Rachana; Pemaiah, Brindha; Sivasubramanian, Aravind; Veerappan, Anbazhagan

2014-01-01

Nanosized silver have been widely used in many applications, such as catalysis, photonics, sensors, medicine etc. Thus, there is an increasing need to develop high-yield, low cost, non-toxic and eco-friendly procedures for the synthesis of nanoparticles. Herein, we report an efficient, green synthesis of silver nanoparticles utilizing the aqueous extract of Salicornia brachiata, a tropical plant of the Chenopodiaceae family. Silver nanoparticles have been characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The morphology of the particles formed consists of highly diversified shapes like spherical, rod-like, prism, triangular, pentagonal and hexagonal pattern. However, addition of sodium hydroxide to the extract produces mostly spherical particles. The stable nanoparticles obtained using this green method show remarkable catalytic activity in the reduction of 4-nitro phenol to 4-amino phenol. The reduction catalyzed by silver nanoparticles followed the first-order kinetics, with a rate constant of, 0.6 × 10-2 s-1. The bactericidal activity of the synthesized silver nanoparticles against the pathogenic bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus aureus E, Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli, was also explored using REMA. The obtained results showed that the minimum inhibitory concentration required to induce bactericidal effect is lower than the control antibiotic, ciprofloxacin. In addition to these, the biogenic synthesized nanoparticles also exhibited excellent free radical scavenging activity.

Systemic and local bactericidal potentiality in late lactation Holstein-Friesian cows following a combined antibiotics and Enterococcus faecium SF68 dry-cow treatment.

PubMed

Tiantong, Attapol; Piamya, Piya; Chen, Shuen-Ei; Liu, Wen-Bor; Chang, Fang-Yu; Lin, Pei-Chi; Nagahata, Hajime; Chang, Chai-Ju

2015-08-01

Antibiotic dry-cow treatment contributes a major part to the total use of antibiotics in dairy herds. Enterococcus faecium strain SF68 (SF68) was of human origin but has been authorized in EU as probiotic feed additive. In the present study, one of the front and rear quarters of twelve late lactation Holstein-Friesian cows were infused once with a commercial antibiotic dry-cow formula (antibiotics quarter) on the first milk-stasis day (d 1), when the contrallateral quarters were infused with 5 x 10(8)-CFU SF68 plus half-dose antibiotic dry-cow formula (SF68/antibiotics quarter) meanwhile. Gelatinase level and cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production capacity were measured for blood and quarter secretion. The results showed that the count of blood total leukocytes minorly decreased on d 3 only but the microscopic somatic cell count (MSCC) continuously increased up to d 7, especially in SF68/antibiotics quarters. Plasma level of gelatinase A remained similar up to d 7 but gelatinase B was not detectable in plasma throughout the study. The level of gelatinase A in quarter secretion increased up to d 7 but gelatinase B increased even more drastically, especially in SF68/antibiotics quarters. The ROS production capacity of blood leukocytes increased temporarily only on d 3, but that of milk cells continuously increased up to d 7, especially in SF68/antitiotics quarters. Overall, late lactation Holstein-Friesian cows were systemically adaptable to the combined antibiotics and SF68 dry-cow treatment, while the local bactericidal potentiality in mammary gland was actively responsive to additional SF68 intramammary treatment.

Bactericide effect of methylene blue associated with low-level laser therapy in Escherichia coli bacteria isolated from pressure ulcers.

PubMed

Gomes, Thais Ferreira; Pedrosa, Matheus Masalskiene; de Toledo, Ana Claudia Laforga; Arnoni, Veridiana Wanshi; Dos Santos Monteiro, Mirian; Piai, Davi Cury; Sylvestre, Silvia Helena Zacarias; Ferreira, Bruno

2018-05-09

The present study analyzed the bactericidal effect of methylene blue associated with low-level lasers on Escherichia coli isolated from a pressure ulcer. Microbiological material from a pressure ulcer was isolated using an aseptic swab, and antimicrobial activity was verified using the diffusion disc method. Methylene blue was used at concentrations of 0.001 and 0.005%, and low-level lasers of 670, 830, and 904 nm, with the energy densities of 4, 8, 10, and 14 J/cm 2 , were tested on three plates each and combined with methylene blue of each concentration. In addition, three control plates were used, with each concentration and energy density separated without any interventions. The results were analyzed using the paired sample t test to determine the bactericidal effect of the methylene blue and using the ANOVA test to compare the effects of the energy densities and wavelengths among the low-level laser treatment protocols. The results showed bacterial reduction at wavelengths of 830 and 904 nm and more proliferation in wavelengths of 670 nm. In wavelength of 830 nm, a bacterial reduction was observed in the conditions with 0.001% methylene blue in all energy density utilized, with 0.005% methylene blue in energy density of 10 J/cm 2 , and without methylene blue in energy density at 10 J/cm 2 . And in a wavelength of 904 nm, all condition showed bacterial reduction with or without methylene blue. We concluded that the low-level lasers of 904 and 830 nm have bactericidal effects and at better energy densities (10 and 14 J/cm 2 ).

One pot green fabrication of metallic silver nanoscale materials using Crescentia cujete L. and assessment of their bactericidal activity.

PubMed

Prabukumar, Seetharaman; Rajkuberan, Chandrasekaran; Sathishkumar, Gnanasekar; Illaiyaraja, Mani; Sivaramakrishnan, Sivaperumal

2018-06-01

In this study, the leaf extract of an important medicinal plant Crescentia cujete L. (CC) was employed as a green reducing agent to synthesise highly-stable C. cujete silver nanoparticles (CCAgNPs). The reduction of Ag + to Ag 0 nanoparticles was initially observed by a colour change which generates an intense surface plasmon resonance peak at 417 nm using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. Various optimisation factors such as temperature, pH, time and the stoichiometric proportion of the reaction mixture were performed, which influence the size, dispersity and synthesis rate of CCAgNPs. In addition, surface chemistry of synthesised CCAgNPs through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy reveals the reducing/stabilising agent present in the aqueous extract of C. cujete and synthesised CCAgNPs. Transmission electron microscopy analysis features the spherical shape of CCAgNPs with an average size of 39.74 nm. Furthermore, an X-ray diffraction study confirms that the synthesised CCAgNPs were face-centred cubic crystalline in nature. The CCAgNPs display tremendous bactericidal activity against human pathogens Bacillus subtilis , Staphylococcus epidermidis , Rhodococcus rhodochrous , Salmonella typhi , Mycobacterium smegmatis , Shigella flexneri and Vibrio cholerae via penetrating into the bacterial cell membrane and causing failure of an internal chain reaction.

Multi-biofunctional polymer graphene composite for bone tissue regeneration that elutes copper ions to impart angiogenic, osteogenic and bactericidal properties.

PubMed

Jaidev, L R; Kumar, Sachin; Chatterjee, Kaushik

2017-11-01

Despite several recent advances, poor vascularization in implanted scaffolds impedes complete regeneration for clinical success of bone tissue engineering. The present study aims to develop a multi-biofunctional nanocomposite for bone tissue regeneration using copper nanoparticle decorated reduced graphene oxide (RGO_Cu) hybrid particles in polycaprolactone (PCL) matrix (PCL/RGO_Cu). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction confirmed the presence of copper oxides (CuO and Cu 2 O) on RGO. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that 11.8% of copper was decorated on RGO. PCL/RGO_Cu exhibited steady release of copper ions in contrast to burst release from the composite containing copper alone (PCL/Cu). PCL/RGO_Cu exhibited highest modulus due to enhanced filler exfoliation. Endothelial cells rapidly proliferated on PCL/RGO_Cu confirming cytocompatibility. The sustained release of ions from PCL/RGO_Cu composites augmented tube formation by endothelial cells evidenced enhanced angiogenic activity. Gene expression of angiogenic markers VEGF and ANG-2 was higher on PCL/RGO_Cu compared to PCL. The osteogenic activity of PCL/RGO_Cu was confirmed by the 87% increase in mineral deposition by pre-osteoblasts compared to PCL. The bactericidal activity of PCL/RGO_Cu showed 78% reduction in viability of Escherichia coli. Thus, the multi-biofunctional PCL/RGO_Cu composite exhibits angiogenic, osteogenic and bactericidal properties, a step towards addressing some of the critical challenges in bone tissue engineering. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bactericidal effects of wine on Vibrio parahaemolyticus in oysters.

PubMed

Liu, Chengchu; Chen, Ruiying; Su, Yi-Cheng

2006-08-01

The bactericidal effects of wines on Vibrio parahaemolyticus in oysters were studied to evaluate potential inactivation of V. parahaemolyticus in contaminated oysters by wine consumption. Shucked whole oyster and oyster meat homogenate were inoculated with V. parahaemolyticus and mixed with red or white wine. Survivals of V. parahaemolyticus in inoculated oysters were determined at 7 and 25 degrees C. Populations of V. parahaemolyticus in inoculated whole oysters (5.52 log most probable number [MPN] per g) decreased slightly to 4.90 log MPN/g (a 0.62-log reduction) after 24 h at 7 degrees C but increased to 7.37 log MPN/g over the same period at 25 degrees C. However, the populations in wine-treated whole oysters decreased by >1.7 and >1.9 log MPN/g after 24 h at 7 and 25 degrees C, respectively. Both red and white wines were more effective in inactivating V. parahaemolyticus in oyster meat homogenate than in whole oyster. Populations of V. parahaemolyticus in oyster meat homogenate (7.8 x 10(3) MPN/g) decreased rapidly to nondetectable levels (< 3 MPN/g) after 30 min of mixing with wine at 25 degrees C (a 3.89-log MPN/g reduction). These results suggest that chewing oysters before swallowing when eating raw oysters may result in greater inactivation of V. parahaemolyticus if wine is consumed. More studies are needed to determine the bactericidal effects of wine on V. parahaemolyticus in the complicated stomach environment.

Study of bactericidal properties of carbohydrate-stabilized platinum oxide nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rezaei-Zarchi, Saeed; Imani, Saber; mohammad Zand, Ali; Saadati, Mojtaba; Zaghari, Zahra

2012-09-01

Platinum oxide nanoparticles were prepared by a simple hydrothermal route and chemical reduction using carbohydrates (fructose and sucrose) as the reducing and stabilizing agents. In comparison with other metals, platinum oxide has less environmental pollution. Therefore, Pt is considered an appropriate candidate to deal with environmental pathogens. The crystallite size of these nanoparticles was evaluated from X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and was found to be 10 nm, which is the demonstration of EM bright field and transmission electron microscopy. The effect of carbohydrates on the morphology of the nanoparticles was studied using TEM. The nanoparticles were administered to the Pseudomonas stutzeri and Lactobacillus cultures, and the incubation was done at 37°C for 24 h. The nanocomposites exhibited interesting inhibitory as well as bactericidal activity against P. stutzeri and Lactobacillus species. Incorporation of nanoparticles also increased the thermal stability of the carbohydrates. The results of this paper showed that carbohydrates can serve as a carrier for platinum oxide nanoparticles, and nanocomposites can have potential biological applications.

Antibacterial Activity of Cinoxacin In Vitro

PubMed Central

Giamarellou, Helen; Jackson, George G.

1975-01-01

Cinoxacin is a new synthetic compound similar chemically and in antimicrobial activity to oxolonic acid and nalidixic acid. It is most effective against Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis, but at concentrations expected in the urine it is inhibitory for all species of Enterobacteriaceae. Relative to nalidixic acid, cinoxacin has slightly greater inhibitory and bactericidal activity, less inoculum effect probably due to less heterogeneity in the susceptibility of bacterial cells, and less inhibition by high concentrations of serum protein. Both drugs are more active in an acid than an alkaline medium. Glucose can specifically antagonize the inhibitory effect against P. mirabilis. In urine the bactericidal rate and effect are decreased. Resistance to cinoxacin can be developed quickly by serial transfers in vitro. Some nonresistant organisms remained viable in bactericidal drug concentrations. The in vivo importance of the favorable features of cinoxacin must be determined by clinical trials. PMID:1096811

[On the bactericidal action of dibromoisocyanuric acid; experiments concerning the disinfection of hands (author's transl)].

PubMed

Gottardi, W; Puritscher, M

1976-07-01

The action of dibromoisocyanuric acid (DBI), C12, Br2, trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCI) and chloramine T against Staph. aureus SG 511 was compared. Using the suspension test DBI and Br2 showed the strongest, chloramine T however, the weakest bactericidal power (Tab 2). Under the conditions of the "Hygienic disinfection of hands" a 0.005 M solution of DBI met the requirements specified in the "Richtlinien für die Prüfung chemischer Desinfektionsmittel" (3. Ed., Stuttgart: Gustav Fischer Verlag, 1972), and was comparable to a chloramine T solution containing the same amount of active halogen (Tab. 3). The decrease of disinfection power compared with the suspension test can be attributed to a great error induced by protein.

Biomaterials trigger endothelial cell activation when co-incubated with human whole blood.

PubMed

Herklotz, Manuela; Hanke, Jasmin; Hänsel, Stefanie; Drichel, Juliane; Marx, Monique; Maitz, Manfred F; Werner, Carsten

2016-10-01

Endothelial cell activation resulting from biomaterial contact or biomaterial-induced blood activation may in turn also affect hemostasis and inflammatory processes in the blood. Current in vitro hemocompatibility assays typically ignore these modulating effects of the endothelium. This study describes a co-incubation system of human whole blood, biomaterial and endothelial cells (ECs) that was developed to overcome this limitation. First, human endothelial cells were characterized in terms of their expression of coagulation- and inflammation-relevant markers in response to various activators. Subsequently, their capacity to regulate hemostasis as well as complement and granulocyte activation was monitored in a hemocompatibility assay. After blood contact, quiescent ECs exhibited anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory properties. When they were co-incubated with surfaces exhibiting pro-coagulant or pro-inflammatory characteristics, the ECs down-regulated coagulation but not complement or leukocyte activation. Analysis of intracellular levels of the endothelial activation markers E-selectin and tissue factor showed that co-incubation with model surfaces and blood significantly increased the activation state of ECs. Finally, the coagulation- and inflammation-modulating properties of the ECs were tested after blood/biomaterial exposure. Pre-activation of ECs by biomaterials in the blood induced a pro-coagulant and pro-inflammatory state of the ECs, wherein the pro-coagulant response was higher for biomaterial/blood pre-activated ECs than for TNF-α-pre-activated cells. This work provides evidence that biomaterials, even without directly contacting the endothelium, affect the endothelial activation state with and have consequences for plasmatic and cellular reactions in the blood. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aqueous and organic solvent-extracts of selected south African medicinal plants possess antimicrobial activity against drug-resistant strains of Helicobacter pylori: inhibitory and bactericidal potential.

PubMed

Njume, Collise; Jide, Afolayan A; Ndip, Roland N

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify sources of cheap starting materials for the synthesis of new drugs against Helicobacter pylori. Solvent-extracts of selected medicinal plants; Combretum molle, Sclerocarya birrea, Garcinia kola, Alepidea amatymbica and a single Strychnos species were investigated against 30 clinical strains of H. pylori alongside a reference control strain (NCTC 11638) using standard microbiological techniques. Metronidazole and amoxicillin were included in these experiments as positive control antibiotics. All the plants demonstrated anti-H. pylori activity with zone diameters of inhibition between 0 and 38 mm and 50% minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC(50)) values ranging from 0.06 to 5.0 mg/mL. MIC(50) values for amoxicillin and metronidazole ranged from 0.001 to 0.63 mg/mL and 0.004 to 5.0 mg/mL respectively. The acetone extracts of C. molle and S. birrea exhibited a remarkable bactericidal activity against H. pylori killing more than 50% of the strains within 18 h at 4× MIC and complete elimination of the organisms within 24 h. Their antimicrobial activity was comparable to the control antibiotics. However, the activity of the ethanol extract of G. kola was lower than amoxicillin (P < 0.05) as opposed to metronidazole (P > 0.05). These results demonstrate that S. birrea, C. molle and G. kola may represent good sources of compounds with anti-H. pylori activity.

Monoclonal antibodies to meningococcal factor H binding protein with overlapping epitopes and discordant functional activity.

PubMed

Giuntini, Serena; Beernink, Peter T; Reason, Donald C; Granoff, Dan M

2012-01-01

Meningococcal factor H binding protein (fHbp) is a promising vaccine candidate. Anti-fHbp antibodies can bind to meningococci and elicit complement-mediated bactericidal activity directly. The antibodies also can block binding of the human complement down-regulator, factor H (fH). Without bound fH, the organism would be expected to have increased susceptibility to bacteriolysis. Here we describe bactericidal activity of two anti-fHbp mAbs with overlapping epitopes in relation to their different effects on fH binding and bactericidal activity. Both mAbs recognized prevalent fHbp sequence variants in variant group 1. Using yeast display and site-specific mutagenesis, binding of one of the mAbs (JAR 1, IgG3) to fHbp was eliminated by a single amino acid substitution, R204A, and was decreased by K143A but not by R204H or D142A. The JAR 1 epitope overlapped that of previously described mAb (mAb502, IgG2a) whose binding to fHbp was eliminated by R204A or R204H substitutions, and was decreased by D142A but not by K143A. Although JAR 1 and mAb502 appeared to have overlapping epitopes, only JAR 1 inhibited binding of fH to fHbp and had human complement-mediated bactericidal activity. mAb502 enhanced fH binding and lacked human complement-mediated bactericidal activity. To control for confounding effects of different mouse IgG subclasses on complement activation, we created chimeric mAbs in which the mouse mAb502 or JAR 1 paratopes were paired with human IgG1 constant regions. While both chimeric mAbs showed similar binding to fHbp, only JAR 1, which inhibited fH binding, had human complement-mediated bactericidal activity. The lack of human complement-mediated bactericidal activity by anti-fHbp mAb502 appeared to result from an inability to inhibit binding of fH. These results underscore the importance of inhibition of fH binding for anti-fHbp mAb bactericidal activity.

Physical Activity, BMI, and Blood Pressure in US Youth: NHANES 2003-2006.

PubMed

Betz, Heather Hayes; Eisenmann, Joey C; Laurson, Kelly R; DuBose, Katrina D; Reeves, Mathew J; Carlson, Joseph J; Pfeiffer, Karin A

2018-03-15

The objective of this study was to examine the independent and combined association of physical activity and body mass index (BMI) with blood pressure in youth. Youth aged 8-18 years from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) with BMI, blood pressure, and physical activity (accelerometer) were included in the analyses. A total of 2585 subjects (1303 males; 47% of all 8- to 18-year-olds) met these criteria. Obese youth had a systolic blood pressure that was 8 mm Hg higher than normal weight youth. A significant interaction between BMI and physical activity on blood pressure was found (P < .001), and group differences among the BMI/activity groups showed that the 3 obese groups and the overweight/least active group had significantly higher systolic blood pressure than the normal weight/active group across all analyses. The overweight/least active and normal weight/least active groups had significantly higher diastolic blood pressure than the normal weight/active group as well. This study showed a significant independent and combined association of BMI and physical activity with blood pressure in youth. Interventions need to focus on the reduction of fatness/BMI as a way to reduce the cardiovascular risk in youth.

Modification of TiO(2) nanotube surfaces by electro-spray deposition of amoxicillin combined with PLGA for bactericidal effects at surgical implantation sites.

PubMed

Lee, Jung-Hwan; Moon, Seung-Kyun; Kim, Kwang-Mahn; Kim, Kyoung-Nam

2013-01-01

To fabricate the antibiotic-releasing coatings on TiO(2) nanotube surfaces for wide applications of implant and bone plate in medical and dental surgery, the optimal deposition time of amoxicillin/PLGA solution simultaneously performing non-toxicity and a high bactericidal effect for preventing early implant failures was found. FE-SEM, ESD and FT-IR were used for confirming deposition of amoxicillin/PLGA on the TiO(2) surface. Also, the elution of amoxicillin/PLGA in a TiO(2) nanotube surface was measured by a UV-VIS spectrophotometer. The bactericidal effect of amoxicillin on the TiO(2) nanotube surface was evaluated by using Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). The cytotoxicity and cell proliferation were observed by WST assay using MC3T3-E1 osteoblast cells. The results indicated that the TiO(2) nanotube surface controlled by electro-spray deposition time with amoxicillin/PLGA solution could provide a high bactericidal effect against S. aureus by the bactericidal effect of amoxicillin, as well as good osteoblast cell proliferation at the TiO(2) nanotube surface without toxicity. This study used electro-spray deposition (ESD) methodology to obtain amoxicillin deposition in nanotube structures of TiO(2) and found the optimal deposition time of amoxicillin/PLGA solution simultaneously performing non-toxicity and a high bactericidal effect for preventing early implant failures.

In vitro bactericidal effect of Nd:YAG laser on Actinomyces israelii.

PubMed

Vescovi, Paolo; Conti, Stefania; Merigo, Elisabetta; Ciociola, Tecla; Polonelli, Luciano; Manfredi, Maddalena; Meleti, Marco; Fornaini, Carlo; Rocca, Jean-Paul; Nammour, S Amir

2013-07-01

A bactericidal effect has been reported by the use of near-infrared laser light on both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Nd:YAG laser on Actinomyces israelii, filamentous bacteria causing cervicofacial actinomycosis. Experiments were realized on bacterial cells in saline suspension or streaked on Mueller-Hinton (MH) agar plates with or without India ink. Laser application was performed in Eppendorf tubes with different powers and frequencies for 40 s; bacterial suspensions were then streaked on agar plates and incubated at 35 °C in proper conditions for 5 days before colony enumeration. A reduction of colony number variable from 60.13 to 100 % for powers of 2, 4, and 6 W at 25-50 Hz of frequency was observed in comparison with growth control. For agar plates, laser application was performed with different powers at 50 Hz for 60 s. A growth inhibition was observed after 5 days of incubation on MH plates with powers of 6 W and on MH-ink plates with all applied powers. This preliminary study showed a bactericidal effect caused by Nd:YAG laser application worthy to be evaluated in further experiments in vivo.

Lysozyme enhances the bactericidal effect of BP100 peptide against Erwinia amylovora, the causal agent of fire blight of rosaceous plants.

PubMed

Cabrefiga, Jordi; Montesinos, Emilio

2017-02-17

Fire blight is an important disease affecting rosaceous plants. The causal agent is the bacteria Erwinia amylovora which is poorly controlled with the use of conventional bactericides and biopesticides. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been proposed as a new compounds suitable for plant disease control. BP100, a synthetic linear undecapeptide (KKLFKKILKYL-NH 2 ), has been reported to be effective against E. amylovora infections. Moreover, BP100 showed bacteriolytic activity, moderate susceptibility to protease degradation and low toxicity. However, the peptide concentration required for an effective control of infections in planta is too high due to some inactivation by tissue components. This is a limitation beause of the high cost of synthesis of this compound. We expected that the combination of BP100 with lysozyme may produce a synergistic effect, enhancing its activity and reducing the effective concentration needed for fire blight control. The combination of a synhetic multifunctional undecapeptide (BP100) with lysozyme produces a synergistic effect. We showed a significant increase of the antimicrobial activity against E. amylovora that was associated to the increase of cell membrane damage and to the reduction of cell metabolism. Combination of BP100 with lysozyme reduced the time required to achieve cell death and the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), and increased the activity of BP100 in the presence of leaf extracts even when the peptide was applied at low doses. The results obtained in vitro were confirmed in leaf infection bioassays. The combination of BP100 with lysozyme showed synergism on the bactericidal activity against E. amylovora and provide the basis for developing better formulations of antibacterial peptides for plant protection.

ABO/Rh Blood-Typing Model: A Problem-Solving Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wake, Carol

2005-01-01

An ARO/Rh Blood-Typing kit useful for students to visualize blood-typing activities and practice problem-solving skills with transfusion reactions is presented. The model also enables students to identify relationships between A, B, and Rh antigens and antibodies in blood and to understand molecular mechanisms involved in transfusion agglutination…

New bactericidal UV light sources: excilamps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sosnin, Edward A.; Lavrent'eva, Larisa V.; Erofeev, Mikhail V.; Masterova, Yana V.; Kuznetzova, Eugenia N.; Tarasenko, Victor F.

2004-05-01

A reliable bactericidal effect on Escherichia coli cells irradiation by excilamps has been established. Both on primary and secondary irradiation there exists the reciprocally proportional dependence between irradiation doze (or exposure time) and survived cells number. The microorganisms survived after primary irradiation are shown to have not changed sensitivity to excilamps irradiation. The best results have been obtained during XeBr-excilamp irradiation. Owing to their technical parameters, the excilamps are promising systems for UV-sterilization. Comparison of capacitive discharge excilamp characteristics with other conventional UV light sources in presented. A comparative study on UV doze effect of a barrier discharge KrCl-excilamp (λ = 222 nm) on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli inactivation was carried out. KrCl-excilamp emission power is 65 W, and emitting area is 0.1 m2. It has been demonstrated that Staphylococcus aureus cell sensitivity to UV radiation at this wavelength is higher than that of Escherichia coli.

Bactericidal Effect and Pharmacodynamics of Cethromycin (ABT-773) in a Murine Pneumococcal Pneumonia Model

PubMed Central

Kim, Myo-Kyoung; Zhou, Wen; Tessier, Pamela R.; Xuan, Dawei; Ye, Min; Nightingale, Charles H.; Nicolau, David P.

2002-01-01

Cethromycin (ABT-773), a new ketolide, possesses potent in vitro activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae. The objective of this study was to investigate the in vivo bactericidal activity of cethromycin against macrolide-susceptible and -resistant S. pneumoniae in a murine pneumonia model and to describe the pharmacodynamic (PD) profile of cethromycin. Eight (two macrolide susceptible, six macrolide resistant) clinical isolates of S. pneumoniae were investigated. Cyclophosphamide administration rendered ICR mice transiently neutropenic prior to intratracheal inoculation with 0.05 ml of an S. pneumoniae suspension containing 107 to 108 CFU/ml. Oral cethromycin was initiated 12 to 14 h postinoculation over a dosage range of 0.1 to 800 mg/kg of body weight/day. Lungs from seven to eight mice per treatment and control groups were collected at 0 and 24 h posttherapy to assess bacterial density. The cumulative mortality (n = 12 to 13) was assessed at 120 h (end of therapy) and at 192 h (3 days posttherapy). Recovery of pneumococci from the lungs of infected animals prior to the initiation of therapy ranged from 4.6 to 7.2 log10 CFU. Growth in untreated control animals over a 24-h study period increased 0.3 to 2.7 log10 CFU. Cethromycin demonstrated a substantial bactericidal effect, regardless of macrolide susceptibility. Correlation between changes in bacterial density (24 h) and survival over both 120 and 192 h were statistically significant. All three PD parameters demonstrated a significant correlation with changes in log10 CFU/lung (Spearman's correlation coefficient, P < 0.001); however, the goodness of fit as assessed with the maximum effect (Emax) model revealed that the maximum concentration of free drug in serum (Cmax free)/MIC and the area under the free drug concentration-time curve (AUCfree)/MIC best explained the relationship between drug exposure and reductions in viable bacterial counts. These data reveal that an approximate cethromycin AUCfree/MIC of 50

Blood Volume Response to Physical Activity and Inactivity

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-07-01

feedback to promote volume excretion and maintain blood volume at its normal baseline level. Physical activity does not alter either arterial pressure or...although this is less clear. The increase in total blood volume then increases the ability to maintain a high stroke volume and a lower heart rate for...compelling evidence that reduced blood vol- ume with age may be a result of a sedentary, high caloric lifestyle rather than the aging process. There

Preliminary investigation of catalytic, antioxidant, anticancer and bactericidal activity of green synthesized silver and gold nanoparticles using Actinidia deliciosa.

PubMed

Naraginti, Saraschandra; Li, Yi

2017-05-01

Herein we report a rapid low cost one step green synthetic method using Actinidia deliciosa fruit extract for preparation of stable and multifunctional silver and gold nanoparticles. The synthesized nanoparticles were successfully used as green catalysts for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) and methylene blue (MB). The enhanced biological activity of the prepared nanoparticles was investigated based on its highly stable antioxidant, anticancer and bactericidal effects. TEM micrographs showed that the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) formed were predominantly spherical in shape having diameters ranging from 25 to 40nm, while gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) shown particle size ranges from 7 to 20nm. EDAX (energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) and XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) results confirmed the presence of elemental silver and gold. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern revealed the formation of face-centered cubic structure for AgNPs and AuNPs. The Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum indicated the presence of possible functional groups in the biomolecule responsible for capping the nanoparticles. The AgNPs treated HCT116 cells showed 78% viability at highest concentration (350μg/mL), while AuNPs showed 71% viability at highest concentration (350μg/mL) using MTT assay, which provides promising approach for alternative nano-drug development. The antimicrobial activity of the nanoparticles was investigated using Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P.aeruginosa) in which damaging the cell membrane was observed by TEM images. Our results revealed that the green synthesis method is easy, rapid, inexpensive, eco-friendly and efficient in developing multifunctional nanoparticles in near future in the field of biomedicine, water treatment and nanobiotechnology. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The Human Antimicrobial Protein Bactericidal/Permeability-Increasing Protein (BPI) Inhibits the Infectivity of Influenza A Virus

PubMed Central

Pinkenburg, Olaf; Meyer, Torben; Bannert, Norbert; Norley, Steven; Bolte, Kathrin; Czudai-Matwich, Volker; Herold, Susanne; Gessner, André; Schnare, Markus

2016-01-01

In addition to their well-known antibacterial activity some antimicrobial peptides and proteins (AMPs) display also antiviral effects. A 27 aa peptide from the N-terminal part of human bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) previously shown to harbour antibacterial activity inhibits the infectivity of multiple Influenza A virus strains (H1N1, H3N2 and H5N1) the causing agent of the Influenza pneumonia. In contrast, the homologous murine BPI-peptide did not show activity against Influenza A virus. In addition human BPI-peptide inhibits the activation of immune cells mediated by Influenza A virus. By changing the human BPI-peptide to the sequence of the mouse homologous peptide the antiviral activity was completely abolished. Furthermore, the human BPI-peptide also inhibited the pathogenicity of the Vesicular Stomatitis Virus but failed to interfere with HIV and measles virus. Electron microscopy indicate that the human BPI-peptide interferes with the virus envelope and at high concentrations was able to destroy the particles completely. PMID:27273104

Comparison of bactericidal efficiency of 7.5 MeV X-rays, gamma-rays, and 10 MeV e-beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Beom-Seok; Lee, Yunjong; Moon, Byeong-Geum; Go, Seon-Min; Park, Jong-Heum; Kim, Jae-Kyung; Jung, Koo; Kim, Dong-Ho; Ryu, Sang-Ryeol

2016-08-01

This study was performed to verify the feasibility of 7.5 MeV X-rays for food pasteurization through a comparison of the bactericidal efficiency with those of other sources for selected bacterial pathogens. No significant differences were observed between the overall bactericidal efficiency for beef-inoculated pathogens based on the uncertainty of the absorbed dose and variations in bacterial counts. This result supported that all three irradiation sources were effective for inactivation of food-borne bacteria and that 7.5 MeV X-rays may be used for food pasteurization.

Antibacterial activity of vegetables and juices.

PubMed

Lee, Yee-Lean; Cesario, Thomas; Wang, Yang; Shanbrom, Edward; Thrupp, Lauri

2003-01-01

We evaluated the antibacterial activities of various fruit and vegetable extracts on common potential pathogens including antibiotic-resistant strains. Standardized bacterial inocula were added to serial dilutions of sterile vegetable and fruit extracts in broth, with final bacterial concentrations of 10(4-5) cells/mL. After overnight incubation at 35 degrees C, antibacterial activity was measured by minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal dilutions (for raw juices) or concentrations (for tea). Among the vegetable and fruit extracts tested, all green vegetables showed no antibacterial activity on Staphylococcus epidermidis and Klebsiella pneumoniae. All purple and red vegetable and fruit juices had antibacterial activities in dilutions ranging from 1:2 to 1:16. Garlic juice had significant activity, with bactericidal action in dilutions ranging up to 1:128 of the original juice. Tea also had significant activity, with bactericidal action in concentrations ranging up to 1.6 mg/mL, against a spectrum of pathogens including resistant strains such as methicillin- and ciprofloxacin-resistant staphylococci, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and ciprofloxacin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Tea and garlic have the potential for exploration of broader applications as antibacterial agents.

Effect of vigorous physical activity on blood lipid and glucose.

PubMed

Kwon, Hyoung-Jeong; Lee, Han-Joon

2017-12-01

The aim of the study is to investigate how the participation of vigorous physical activities in the health examination contributes to blood lipid and blood glucose. A total of 56,810 workers from the Ulsan University Hospital in Ulsan, Subjects were tested for health checkups from February to November in 2016. The subject is those who does not have medical history, current ailments, and medication histories, and selected those who conducted the study of subjects tested to research. And this study did not consider their drinking and smoking. The final selected population was 11,557 and categorized as a vigorous physical activity of the health survey items. In this study, the group participated by the vigorous physical activity activities, group 1 (n= 70) had more than 6 days of vigorous physical activity, group 2 (n= 2,960) is 3 to 5 days of vigorous physical activity, the group 3 (n= 7,389) is 1 to 2 days of vigorous physical activity. The group 4 (n= 1,138) were classified as those who did not perform vigorous physical activity. To achieve the purpose of the study, the questionnaire examined blood lipid and blood glucose, using questions related to physical activity related to health examination in the Ulsan University Hospital. We obtained the mean and standard deviation for each group and conducted the one-way analysis of variance as an independent variable. Post hoc is least significant difference test and significant level is 0.05. Vigorous physical activity more than 3 days of participation had a positive affect high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride. But participation in vigorous physical activity did not affect blood glucose.

The activity of several newer antimicrobials against logarithmically multiplying M. leprae in mice.

PubMed

Burgos, Jasmin; de la Cruz, Eduardo; Paredes, Rose; Andaya, Cora Revelyn; Gelber, Robert H

2011-09-01

Moxifloxacin, rifampicin, rifapentine, linezolid, and PA 824, alone and in combination, have been previously administered, as single doses and five times daily doses, to M. leprae infected mice during lag phase multiplication and were each found to have some bactericidal activity. The fluroquinolones, ofloxacin, moxifloxacin and gatifloxacin, (50 mg/kg, 150 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg) and the rifamycins (5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, and 20 mg/kg), rifampicin and rifapentine, were evaluated alone and in combination for bactericidal activity against M. leprae using the mouse footpad model during logarithmic multiplication. Linezolid and PA 824 were similarly evaluated alone and linezolid in combination with rifampicin, minocycline and ofloxacin. The three fluroquinolones and rifamycins were found alone and in combination to be bactericidal at all dosage schedules. PA 824 had no activity against M. leprae, while linezolid at a dose of 25 mg/kg was bacteriostatic, and progressively more bactericidal at doses of 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg. No antagonisms were detected between any of these drugs when used in combinations. Moxifloxacin, gatifloxacin, rifapentine and linezolid were found bactericidal against rapidly multiplying M. leprae.

Towards optical control of single blood platelet activation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spiryova, Darya V.; Karmatskih, Oleg Yu.; Vorob'ev, Alexei Yu.; Moskalensky, Alexander E.

2018-04-01

Blood platelets play a pivotal role in blood coagulation and in other normal and pathological processes. The understanding of fundamental mechanisms underlying their functions is very important for diagnostics and treatment. Single-cell experiments are needed for this purpose, which are complicated by insufficient spatiotemporal precision of conventional activation protocols. We present an approach to trigger single platelet activation optically, without the need of reagent mixing. This is achieved using photolabile compound, which rapidly delivers epinephrine upon UV irradiation. We demonstrated the applicability of the technique to rapidly induce platelet activation for studying dynamics of activation. The presented method may give novel fundamental knowledge about platelet functions and facilitate current research of their ability to deliver drugs to tumors or vascular injury sites.

Association of physical activity with blood pressure and blood glucose among Malaysian adults: a population-based study.

PubMed

Teh, Chien Huey; Chan, Ying Ying; Lim, Kuang Hock; Kee, Chee Cheong; Lim, Kuang Kuay; Yeo, Pei Sien; Azahadi, Omar; Fadhli, Yusoff; Tahir, Aris; Lee, Han Lim; Nazni, Wasi Ahmad

2015-12-03

The health-enhancing benefits of physical activity (PA) on hypertension and diabetes have been well documented for decades. This study aimed to determine the association of PA with systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as blood glucose in the Malaysian adult population. Data were extracted from the 2011 National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS), a nationally representative, cross-sectional study. A two-stage stratified sampling method was used to select a representative sample of 18,231 Malaysian adults aged 18 years and above. The PA levels of the respondents were categorised as low, moderate or high according to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)-short form. Blood pressure and fasting blood glucose levels were measured using a digital blood pressure-measuring device and finger-prick test, respectively. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) level was positively associated with PA level (p = 0.02) whilst no significant association was noted between PA level and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). In contrast, respondents with low (adjusted coefficient = 0.17) or moderate (adjusted coefficient = 0.03) level of PA had significantly higher blood glucose level as compared to those who were highly active (p = 0.04). A significant negative association was observed between PA level and blood glucose only. Future studies should employ an objective measurement in estimating PA level in order to elucidate the actual relationship between PA, hypertension and diabetes for the development of effective interventions to combat the increasing burden of premature-mortality and cardiovascular disease-related morbidity in Malaysia.

Bactericidal Efficacy of Hydrogen Peroxide-Based Disinfectants Against Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria on Stainless Steel Surfaces.

PubMed

Ríos-Castillo, Abel G; González-Rivas, Fabián; Rodríguez-Jerez, José J

2017-10-01

In order to develop disinfectant formulations that leverage the effectiveness of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), this study evaluated the bactericidal efficacy of hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectants against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria on stainless steel surfaces. Low concentration of hydrogen peroxide as 0.5% with a cationic polymer, ethoxylated fatty alcohol, and ethyl alcohol had bactericidal efficacy (reductions ≥ 4 log 10 CFU/mL) against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus hirae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectants were more effective against E. hirae and P. aeruginosa than to S. aureus. However, the efficacy of hydrogen peroxide against catalase positive bacteria such as S. aureus was increased when this compound was formulated with low concentrations of benzalkonium chloride or ethyl alcohol, lactic acid, sodium benzoate, cationic polymer, and salicylic acid. This study demonstrates that the use of hydrogen peroxide with other antimicrobial products, in adequate concentrations, had bactericidal efficacy in Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria on stainless steel surfaces, enabling to reduce the effective concentration of hydrogen peroxide. In the same way, the use of hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectants could reduce the concentrations of traditional disinfectants as quaternary ammonium compounds and therefore a reduction of their chemical residues in the environment after being used. The study of the bactericidal properties of environmentally nontoxic disinfectants such as hydrogen peroxide, sole or in formulations with other disinfectants against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria can enhance the efficacy of various commonly used disinfectant formulations with the hygiene benefits that it entails. Also, the use of hydrogen peroxide formulations can reduce the concentration levels of products that generate environmental residues. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Aqueous and Organic Solvent-Extracts of Selected South African Medicinal Plants Possess Antimicrobial Activity against Drug-Resistant Strains of Helicobacter pylori: Inhibitory and Bactericidal Potential

PubMed Central

Njume, Collise; Jide, Afolayan A.; Ndip, Roland N.

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify sources of cheap starting materials for the synthesis of new drugs against Helicobacter pylori. Solvent-extracts of selected medicinal plants; Combretum molle, Sclerocarya birrea, Garcinia kola, Alepidea amatymbica and a single Strychnos species were investigated against 30 clinical strains of H. pylori alongside a reference control strain (NCTC 11638) using standard microbiological techniques. Metronidazole and amoxicillin were included in these experiments as positive control antibiotics. All the plants demonstrated anti-H. pylori activity with zone diameters of inhibition between 0 and 38 mm and 50% minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC50) values ranging from 0.06 to 5.0 mg/mL. MIC50 values for amoxicillin and metronidazole ranged from 0.001 to 0.63 mg/mL and 0.004 to 5.0 mg/mL respectively. The acetone extracts of C. molle and S. birrea exhibited a remarkable bactericidal activity against H. pylori killing more than 50% of the strains within 18 h at 4× MIC and complete elimination of the organisms within 24 h. Their antimicrobial activity was comparable to the control antibiotics. However, the activity of the ethanol extract of G. kola was lower than amoxicillin (P < 0.05) as opposed to metronidazole (P > 0.05). These results demonstrate that S. birrea, C. molle and G. kola may represent good sources of compounds with anti-H. pylori activity. PMID:22016616

Efficacy of pH elevation as a bactericidal strategy for treating ballast water of freight carriers.

PubMed

Starliper, Clifford E; Watten, Barnaby J; Iwanowicz, Deborah D; Green, Phyllis A; Bassett, Noel L; Adams, Cynthia R

2015-05-01

Treatment of ship ballast water with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is one method currently being developed to minimize the risk to introduce aquatic invasive species. The bactericidal capability of sodium hydroxide was determined for 148 bacterial strains from ballast water collected in 2009 and 2010 from the M/V Indiana Harbor, a bulk-freight carrier plying the Laurentian Great Lakes, USA. Primary culture of bacteria was done using brain heart infusion agar and a developmental medium. Strains were characterized based on PCR amplification and sequencing of a portion of the 16S rRNA gene. Sequence similarities (99+ %) were determined by comparison with the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) GenBank catalog. Flavobacterium spp. were the most prevalent bacteria characterized in 2009, comprising 51.1% (24/47) of the total, and Pseudomonas spp. (62/101; 61.4%) and Brevundimonas spp. (22/101; 21.8%) were the predominate bacteria recovered in 2010; together, comprising 83.2% (84/101) of the total. Testing was done in tryptic soy broth (TSB) medium adjusted with 5 N NaOH. Growth of each strain was evaluated at pH 10.0, pH 11.0 and pH 12.0, and 4 h up to 72 h. The median cell count at 0 h for 148 cultures was 5.20 × 10(6) cfu/mL with a range 1.02 × 10(5)-1.60 × 10(8) cfu/mL. The TSB adjusted to pH 10.0 and incubation for less than 24 h was bactericidal to 52 (35.1%) strains. Growth in pH 11.0 TSB for less than 4 h was bactericidal to 131 (88.5%) strains and pH 11.0 within 12 h was bactericidal to 141 (95.3%). One strain, Bacillus horikoshii, survived the harshest treatment, pH 12.0 for 72 h.

Efficacy of pH elevation as a bactericidal strategy for treating ballast water of freight carriers

PubMed Central

Starliper, Clifford E.; Watten, Barnaby J.; Iwanowicz, Deborah D.; Green, Phyllis A.; Bassett, Noel L.; Adams, Cynthia R.

2015-01-01

Treatment of ship ballast water with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is one method currently being developed to minimize the risk to introduce aquatic invasive species. The bactericidal capability of sodium hydroxide was determined for 148 bacterial strains from ballast water collected in 2009 and 2010 from the M/V Indiana Harbor, a bulk-freight carrier plying the Laurentian Great Lakes, USA. Primary culture of bacteria was done using brain heart infusion agar and a developmental medium. Strains were characterized based on PCR amplification and sequencing of a portion of the 16S rRNA gene. Sequence similarities (99+ %) were determined by comparison with the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) GenBank catalog. Flavobacterium spp. were the most prevalent bacteria characterized in 2009, comprising 51.1% (24/47) of the total, and Pseudomonas spp. (62/101; 61.4%) and Brevundimonas spp. (22/101; 21.8%) were the predominate bacteria recovered in 2010; together, comprising 83.2% (84/101) of the total. Testing was done in tryptic soy broth (TSB) medium adjusted with 5 N NaOH. Growth of each strain was evaluated at pH 10.0, pH 11.0 and pH 12.0, and 4 h up to 72 h. The median cell count at 0 h for 148 cultures was 5.20 × 106 cfu/mL with a range 1.02 × 105–1.60 × 108 cfu/mL. The TSB adjusted to pH 10.0 and incubation for less than 24 h was bactericidal to 52 (35.1%) strains. Growth in pH 11.0 TSB for less than 4 h was bactericidal to 131 (88.5%) strains and pH 11.0 within 12 h was bactericidal to 141 (95.3%). One strain, Bacillus horikoshii, survived the harshest treatment, pH 12.0 for 72 h. PMID:26257948

The role of anti-NHba antibody in bactericidal activity elicited by the meningococcal serogroup B vaccine, MenB-4C.

PubMed

Partridge, Elizabeth; Lujan, Eduardo; Giuntini, Serena; Vu, David M; Granoff, Dan M

2017-07-24

MenB-4C (Bexsero®) is a multicomponent serogroup B meningococcal vaccine. For vaccine licensure, efficacy was inferred from serum bactericidal antibody (SBA) against three antigen-specific indicator strains. The bactericidal role of antibody to the fourth vaccine antigen, Neisserial Heparin binding antigen (NHba), is incompletely understood. We identified nine adults immunized with two or three doses of MenB-4C who had sufficient volumes of sera and >3-fold increases in SBA titer against a strain with high NHba expression, which was mismatched with the other three MenB-4C antigens that elicit SBA. Using 1month-post-immunization sera we measured the effect of depletion of anti-NHba and/or anti-Factor H binding protein (FHbp) antibodies on SBA. Against three strains matched with the vaccine only for NHba, depletion of anti-NHba decreased SBA titers by an average of 43-79% compared to mock-adsorbed sera (P<0.05). Despite expression of sub-family A FHbp (mismatched with the sub-family B vaccine antigen), depletion of anti-FHbp antibodies also decreased SBA by 45-64% (P<0.05). Depletion of both antibodies decreased SBA by 84-100%. Against a strain with sub-family B FHbp and expression of NHba with 100% identity to the vaccine antigen, depletion of anti-NHba decreased SBA by an average of 26%, compared to mock-adsorbed sera (P<0.0001), and depletion of anti-FHbp antibody decreased SBA by 92% (P<0.0001). Anti-NHba antibody can contribute to SBA elicited by MenB-4C, particularly in concert with anti-FHbp antibody. However, some high NHba-expressing strains are resistant, even with an exact match between the amino acid sequence of the vaccine and strain antigens. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structure-activity analysis and biological studies of chensinin-1b analogues.

PubMed

Dong, Weibing; Dong, Zhe; Mao, Xiaoman; Sun, Yue; Li, Fei; Shang, Dejing

2016-06-01

Chensinin-1b shows a potent and broad-spectrum bactericidal activity and no hemolytic activity and thus is a potential therapeutic agent against bacterial infection. The NMR structure of chensinin-1b consists of a partially α-helical region (residues 8-14) in a membrane-mimic environment that is distinct from other common antimicrobial peptides. However, further analysis of the structural features of chensinin-1b is required to better understand its bactericidal activity. In this study, a series of N- and C-terminally truncated or amino acid-substituted chensinin-1b analogues were synthesized. Next, the bactericidal activity and bacterial membrane effects of the analogues were investigated. The results indicated that the N-terminal residues play a more significant role than the C-terminal residues in the antimicrobial activity of chensinin-1b. The removal of five amino acids from the C-terminus of chensinin-1b did not affect its biological properties, but helix disruption significantly decreased bactericidal activity. The substitution of positively charged residues increased the helicity and antimicrobial activity of the peptide. We also identified a novel analogue [R(4),R(10)]C1b(3-13) that exhibited similar bactericidal properties with its parent peptide chensinin-1b. Electrostatic interactions between the selected analogues and lipopolysaccharides or cells were detected using isothermal titration calorimetry or zeta potential. The thermodynamic parameters ΔH and ΔS for [R(4),R(10)]C1b(3-13) were -20.48kcalmol(-1) and -0.0408kcalmol(-1)deg(-1), respectively. Chensinin-1b yielded similar results of -26.36kcalmol(-1) and -0.0559kcalmol(-1)deg(-1) for ΔH and ΔS, respectively. These results are consistence with their antimicrobial activities. Lastly, membrane depolarization studies showed that selected analogues exerted bactericidal activity by damaging the cytoplasmic membrane. Antimicrobial peptide chensinin-1b is a candidate for the development of new drugs

Sensitivity of genera Porphyromonas and Prevotella to the bactericidal action of C-terminal domain of human CAP18 and its analogues.

PubMed

Isogai, E; Isogai, H; Matuo, K; Hirose, K; Kowashi, Y; Okumuara, K; Hirata, M

2003-10-01

This paper reports the effect of the synthesized 27-amino acid sequence in the C-terminal domain of human CAP18 (hCAP18), a human cationic antibacterial protein or cathelicidin, on certain strains belonging to the genera Porophyromonas and Prevotella. The domain binds lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from Porophyromonas gingivalis and Porophyromonas circumdentaria as well as enterobacterial LPS. Two analogues of hCAP18, designated LL/CAP18 and FF/CAP18, were also tested to determine whether additional activity was obtained. The analogue peptides replaced with hydrophobic and cationic amino acid residues showed more potent bactericidal and LPS-binding activities than the original one.

Impact of Physical Activity Interventions on Blood Pressure in Brazilian Populations

PubMed Central

Bento, Vivian Freitas Rezende; Albino, Flávia Barbizan; de Moura, Karen Fernandes; Maftum, Gustavo Jorge; dos Santos, Mauro de Castro; Guarita-Souza, Luiz César; Faria Neto, José Rocha; Baena, Cristina Pellegrino

2015-01-01

Background High blood pressure is associated with cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of mortality in the Brazilian population. Lifestyle changes, including physical activity, are important for lowering blood pressure levels and decreasing the costs associated with outcomes. Objective Assess the impact of physical activity interventions on blood pressure in Brazilian individuals. Methods Meta-analysis and systematic review of studies published until May 2014, retrieved from several health sciences databases. Seven studies with 493 participants were included. The analysis included parallel studies of physical activity interventions in adult populations in Brazil with a description of blood pressure (mmHg) before and after the intervention in the control and intervention groups. Results Of 390 retrieved studies, eight matched the proposed inclusion criteria for the systematic review and seven randomized clinical trials were included in the meta-analysis. Physical activity interventions included aerobic and resistance exercises. There was a reduction of -10.09 (95% CI: -18.76 to -1.43 mmHg) in the systolic and -7.47 (95% CI: -11.30 to -3.63 mmHg) in the diastolic blood pressure. Conclusions Available evidence on the effects of physical activity on blood pressure in the Brazilian population shows a homogeneous and significant effect at both systolic and diastolic blood pressures. However, the strength of the included studies was low and the methodological quality was also low and/or regular. Larger studies with more rigorous methodology are necessary to build robust evidence. PMID:26016783

Comparative study of the bactericidal effects of indocyanine green- and methyl aminolevulinate-based photodynamic therapy on Propionibacterium acnes as a new treatment for acne.

PubMed

Choi, Seung-Hwan; Seo, Jeong-Wan; Kim, Ki-Ho

2018-05-03

Acne vulgaris is one of the most common dermatological problems, and its therapeutic options include topical and systemic retinoids and antibiotics. However, increase in problems associated with acne treatment, such as side-effects from conventional agents and bacterial resistance to antibiotics, has led to greater use of photodynamic therapy. The purpose of this study was to compare the bactericidal effects of indocyanine green- and methyl aminolevulinate-based photodynamic therapy on Propionibacterium acnes. P. acnes were cultured under anaerobic conditions; then they were divided into three groups (control, treated with indocyanine green and treated with methyl aminolevulinate) and illuminated with different lights (630-nm light-emitting diode, 805-nm diode laser and 830-nm light-emitting diode). The bactericidal effects were evaluated by comparing each group's colony-forming units. The cultured P. acnes were killed with an 805-nm diode laser and 830-nm light-emitting diode in the indocyanine green group. No bactericidal effects of methyl aminolevulinate-based photodynamic therapy were identified. The clinical efficacy of indocyanine green-based photodynamic therapy in 21 patients was retrospectively analyzed. The Korean Acne Grading System was used to evaluate treatment efficacy, which was significantly decreased after treatment. The difference in the efficacy of the 805-nm diode laser and 830-nm light-emitting diode was not statistically significant. Although the methyl aminolevulinate-based photodynamic therapy showed no bactericidal effect, the indocyanine green-based photodynamic therapy has bactericidal effect and clinical efficacy. © 2018 Japanese Dermatological Association.

Photon activation-15O decay studies of tumor blood flow.

PubMed

Ten Haken, R K; Nussbaum, G H; Emami, B; Hughes, W L

1981-01-01

A direct, noninvasive method for measuring absolute values of specific capillary blood flow in living tissue is described. The method is based on the photon activation, in situ, of tissue elements and the measurement of the subsequent decay of the positron activity induced, employing coincidence detection of the photon pairs produced in positron annihilation. Analysis of the time-dependent coincidence spectrum reveals the contribution to the total signal from the decay of 15O, from which the specific capillary blood flow in the imaged, activated volume is ultimately determined. By virtue of its introduction of the radioisotope of interest (15O) directly and uniformly into the tissue volume under investigation, the method described permits both the nonperfused and well perfused fractions of an activated volume to be estimated and hence, the average specific blood flow within imaged tumor volumes to be computed. The model employed to describe and analyze the data is discussed in detail. Results of application of the technique to measurement of specific blood flow in rhabdomyosarcoma tumors grown in WAG/Rij rats are presented and discussed. The method is shown to be reliable and well suited to studies designed to determined the effects of various agents, such as heat, radiation and drugs, on tumor blood flow.

Bactericidal Effect of Pterostilbene Alone and in Combination with Gentamicin against Human Pathogenic Bacteria.

PubMed

Lee, Wee Xian; Basri, Dayang Fredalina; Ghazali, Ahmad Rohi

2017-03-17

The antibacterial activity of pterostilbene in combination with gentamicin against six strains of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were investigated. The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of pterostilbene were determined using microdilution technique whereas the synergistic antibacterial activities of pterostilbene in combination with gentamicin were assessed using checkerboard assay and time-kill kinetic study. Results of the present study showed that the combination effects of pterostilbene with gentamicin were synergistic (FIC index < 0.5) against three susceptible bacteria strains: Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 , Escherichia coli O157 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa 15442 . However, the time-kill study showed that the interaction was indifference which did not significantly differ from the gentamicin treatment. Furthermore, time-kill study showed that the growth of the tested bacteria was completely attenuated with 2 to 8 h treatment with 0.5 × MIC of pterostilbene and gentamicin. The identified combinations could be of effective therapeutic value against bacterial infections. These findings have potential implications in delaying the development of bacterial resistance as the antibacterial effect was achieved with the lower concentrations of antibacterial agents.

Blood lactate clearance after maximal exercise depends on active recovery intensity.

PubMed

Devlin, J; Paton, B; Poole, L; Sun, W; Ferguson, C; Wilson, J; Kemi, O J

2014-06-01

High-intensity exercise is time-limited by onset of fatigue, marked by accumulation of blood lactate. This is accentuated at maximal, all-out exercise that rapidly accumulates high blood lactate. The optimal active recovery intensity for clearing lactate after such maximal, all-out exercise remains unknown. Thus, we studied the intensity-dependence of lactate clearance during active recovery after maximal exercise. We constructed a standardized maximal, all-out treadmill exercise protocol that predictably lead to voluntary exhaustion and blood lactate concentration>10 mM. Next, subjects ran series of all-out bouts that increased blood lactate concentration to 11.5±0.2 mM, followed by recovery exercises ranging 0% (passive)-100% of the lactate threshold. Repeated measurements showed faster lactate clearance during active versus passive recovery (P<0.01), and that active recovery at 60-100% of lactate threshold was more efficient for lactate clearance than lower intensity recovery (P<0.05). Active recovery at 80% of lactate threshold had the highest rate of and shortest time constant for lactate clearance (P<0.05), whereas the response during the other intensities was graded (100%=60%>40%>passive recovery, P<0.05). Active recovery after maximal all-out exercise clears accumulated blood lactate faster than passive recovery in an intensity-dependent manner, with maximum clearance occurring at active recovery of 80% of lactate threshold.

Characterization and evaluation of the Ag+-loaded soy protein isolate-based bactericidal film-forming dispersion and films.

PubMed

Sun, Qingshen; Li, Xiaodi; Wang, Pu; Du, Yiyang; Han, Dequan; Wang, Fengjiao; Liu, Xumei; Li, Pengfei; Fu, Honggang

2011-08-01

This study aims to prepare bactericidal films developed from soy protein isolate (SPI) based film-forming dispersions (FFDs) for use in the food and medical fields. The FFD and films were prepared after the incorporation of different concentrations of AgNO₃ as a bactericidal agent. The transparency, tensile strength, and antimicrobial features were evaluated. Structural characterizations were also performed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, and atomic force microscopy analysis. Results showed that the opacity of these FFD was greatly decreased after the incorporation of AgNO₃. The SPI-5 film has the largest tensile strength (P < 0.05) compared with that of the other ones. Micro structural imaging analysis showed an increase in the surface irregularities with the addition of AgNO₃. The minimum inhibitory concentration of AgNO₃ was 336 μg/mL FFD for both Escherichia coli ATCC 25923 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25922. The SPI-AgNO₃ films developed from the FFD with the minimal AgNO₃ concentration at 336 μg/mL FFD also showed bactericidal effects for both the strains. These results may prove promising for the use of SPI-AgNO₃ films in the food or medical industries. The films prepared in this study are biodegradable and will be used in medical and food fields. © 2011 Institute of Food Technologists®

Inhibitory and bactericidal action of the biocorrosion agents «INCORGAS» and «AMDOR».

PubMed

Tsygankova, L E; Vigdorovich, V I; Esina, M N; Nazina, T N; Dubinskaya, E V

2014-06-01

Inhibiting action of A, B and M-X compositions against hydrosulfide corrosion of carbon steel, hydrogen diffusion through the steel membrane has been studied along with their bactericidal effect with respect to sulfate-reducing bacteria of Desulfomicrobium type. Bactericidal properties of the compositions have been studied in the Postgate medium. Corrosion tests have been made in the NACE medium saturated by hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide separately and together by methods of gravimetrical measurements and linear polarization resistance (LRP). Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical diffusion method have been used. Steel protection is determined in the inhibited solutions by combined action of corrosion products film and inhibitor. Presence of sulfate-reducing bacteria in medium increases hydrogen diffusion flux through the steel membrane by 2-3 times and essentially stimulates effect of the inhibitors. The inhibiting compositions decrease quantity of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) by 95-98%. The obtained results testify about predominately bacteriostatic action of the inhibiting compositions, which has influence on the enzymatic systems of SRB cells responsible directly for the sulfate reduction because of substantially decreasing the biogenic hydrogen sulfide concentration in the system. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Inhibition of C5a-induced inflammation with preserved C5b-9-mediated bactericidal activity in a human whole blood model of meningococcal sepsis.

PubMed

Sprong, Tom; Brandtzaeg, Petter; Fung, Michael; Pharo, Anne M; Høiby, E Arne; Michaelsen, Terje E; Aase, Audun; van der Meer, Jos W M; van Deuren, Marcel; Mollnes, Tom E

2003-11-15

The complement system plays an important role in the initial defense against Neisseria meningitidis. In contrast, uncontrolled activation in meningococcal sepsis contributes to the development of tissue damage and shock. In a novel human whole blood model of meningococcal sepsis, we studied the effect of complement inhibition on inflammation and bacterial killing. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) blocking lectin and alternative pathways inhibited complement activation by N meningitidis and oxidative burst induced in granulocytes and monocytes. Oxidative burst was critically dependent on CD11b/CD18 (CR3) expression but not on Fc gamma-receptors. Specific inhibition of C5a using mAb 137-26 binding the C5a moiety of C5 before cleavage prohibited CR3 up-regulation, phagocytosis, and oxidative burst but had no effect on C5b-9 (TCC) formation, lysis, and bacterial killing. An mAb-blocking cleavage of C5, preventing C5a and TCC formation, showed the same effect on CR3, phagocytosis, and oxidative burst as the anti-C5a mAb but additionally inhibited TCC formation, lysis, and bacterial killing, consistent with a C5b-9-dependent killing mechanism. In conclusion, the anti-C5a mAb 137-26 inhibits the potentially harmful effects of N meningitidis-induced C5a formation while preserving complement-mediated bacterial killing. We suggest that this may be an attractive approach for the treatment of meningococcal sepsis.

Bactericidal action of binary and ternary mixtures of carvacrol, thymol, and eugenol against Listeria innocua.

PubMed

García-García, Rebeca; López-Malo, Aurelio; Palou, Enrique

2011-03-01

The bactericidal effect of 3 natural agents (carvacrol, thymol, and eugenol) was evaluated as well as their binary and ternary mixtures on Listeria innocua inactivation in liquid model systems. Minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBC) of these agents were determined, and then binary and ternary mixtures were evaluated. Culture media were inoculated with L. innocua and incubated for 72 h at 35 °C. Turbidity of studied systems were determined every 24 h. The most effective individual antimicrobial agent was carvacrol, followed by thymol and then eugenol with MBCs of 150, 250, and 450 mg kg(-1), respectively. It was observed that the most effective binary mixture was 75 mg kg(-1) carvacrol and 62.5 mg kg(-1) thymol. Furthermore, the ternary mixture carvacrol-thymol-eugenol in concentrations of 75, 31.25, and 56.25 mg kg(-1), correspondingly, was the most effective for L. innocua inactivation. Several binary and ternary mixtures of these 3 natural antimicrobial agents worked adequately to inactivate L. innocua.

Bactericidal properties of silver films on intramedullary implants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallagher, C.; Walker, C.; Cortes, E.; Hettinger, Jeffrey; Krchnavek, R.; Caputo, G. A.; Ostrum, R.

2011-03-01

We report on investigations of silver films on titanium and stainless steel substrates as anti-bacterial coatings for intramedullary nails used in orthopedic trauma. Silver films are deposited using a magnetron sputtering technique from a single elemental target. The deposition parameter (energy, pressure, and temperature) dependence of the silver film microstructure and adhesion will be presented. Preliminary measurements of the effectiveness of the silver films as a bactericide on S. aureus bacteria demonstrate that the films are effective destroying the bacteria. The process of this investigation will be presented. Preliminary transmission electron microscopy measurements will also presented which image healthy and damaged bacteria helping to identify the fundamental mechanism leading to the effectiveness of silver as an anti-bacterial coating. We acknowledge the support of Rowan University, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

The dormant blood microbiome in chronic, inflammatory diseases.

PubMed

Potgieter, Marnie; Bester, Janette; Kell, Douglas B; Pretorius, Etheresia

2015-07-01

Blood in healthy organisms is seen as a 'sterile' environment: it lacks proliferating microbes. Dormant or not-immediately-culturable forms are not absent, however, as intracellular dormancy is well established. We highlight here that a great many pathogens can survive in blood and inside erythrocytes. 'Non-culturability', reflected by discrepancies between plate counts and total counts, is commonplace in environmental microbiology. It is overcome by improved culturing methods, and we asked how common this would be in blood. A number of recent, sequence-based and ultramicroscopic studies have uncovered an authentic blood microbiome in a number of non-communicable diseases. The chief origin of these microbes is the gut microbiome (especially when it shifts composition to a pathogenic state, known as 'dysbiosis'). Another source is microbes translocated from the oral cavity. 'Dysbiosis' is also used to describe translocation of cells into blood or other tissues. To avoid ambiguity, we here use the term 'atopobiosis' for microbes that appear in places other than their normal location. Atopobiosis may contribute to the dynamics of a variety of inflammatory diseases. Overall, it seems that many more chronic, non-communicable, inflammatory diseases may have a microbial component than are presently considered, and may be treatable using bactericidal antibiotics or vaccines. © FEMS 2015.

The dormant blood microbiome in chronic, inflammatory diseases

PubMed Central

Potgieter, Marnie; Bester, Janette; Kell, Douglas B.; Pretorius, Etheresia

2015-01-01

Blood in healthy organisms is seen as a ‘sterile’ environment: it lacks proliferating microbes. Dormant or not-immediately-culturable forms are not absent, however, as intracellular dormancy is well established. We highlight here that a great many pathogens can survive in blood and inside erythrocytes. ‘Non-culturability’, reflected by discrepancies between plate counts and total counts, is commonplace in environmental microbiology. It is overcome by improved culturing methods, and we asked how common this would be in blood. A number of recent, sequence-based and ultramicroscopic studies have uncovered an authentic blood microbiome in a number of non-communicable diseases. The chief origin of these microbes is the gut microbiome (especially when it shifts composition to a pathogenic state, known as ‘dysbiosis’). Another source is microbes translocated from the oral cavity. ‘Dysbiosis’ is also used to describe translocation of cells into blood or other tissues. To avoid ambiguity, we here use the term ‘atopobiosis’ for microbes that appear in places other than their normal location. Atopobiosis may contribute to the dynamics of a variety of inflammatory diseases. Overall, it seems that many more chronic, non-communicable, inflammatory diseases may have a microbial component than are presently considered, and may be treatable using bactericidal antibiotics or vaccines. PMID:25940667

Antimicrobial activity of ProRoot MTA in contact with blood

PubMed Central

Farrugia, C.; Baca, P.; Camilleri, J.; Arias Moliz, M. T.

2017-01-01

Dental materials based on Portland cement, which is used in the construction industry have gained popularity for clinical use due to their hydraulic properties, the interaction with tooth tissue and their antimicrobial properties. The antimicrobial properties are optimal in vitro. However in clinical use contact with blood may affect the antimicrobial properties. This study aims to assess whether antimicrobial properties of the Portland cement-based dental cements such as mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) are also affected by contact with blood present in clinical situations. ProRoot MTA, a Portland cement-based dental cement was characterized following contact with water, or heparinized blood after 1 day and 7 days aging. The antimicrobial activity under the mentioned conditions was assessed using 3 antimicrobial tests: agar diffusion test, direct contact test and intratubular infection test. MTA in contact with blood was severely discoloured, exhibited an additional phosphorus peak in elemental analysis, no calcium hydroxide peaks and no areas of bacterial inhibition growth in the agar diffusion test were demonstrated. ProRoot MTA showed limited antimicrobial activity, in both the direct contact test and intratubular infection test. When aged in water ProRoot MTA showed higher antimicrobial activity than when aged in blood. Antimicrobial activity reduced significantly after 7 days. Further assessment is required to investigate behaviour in clinical situations. PMID:28128328

The bactericidal activity of β-lactam antibiotics is increased by metabolizable sugar species.

PubMed

Thorsing, Mette; Bentin, Thomas; Givskov, Michael; Tolker-Nielsen, Tim; Goltermann, Lise

2015-10-01

Here, the influence of metabolizable sugars on the susceptibility of Escherichia coli to β-lactam antibiotics was investigated. Notably, monitoring growth and survival of mono- and combination-treated planktonic cultures showed a 1000- to 10 000-fold higher antibacterial efficacy of carbenicillin and cefuroxime in the presence of certain sugars, whereas other metabolites had no effect on β-lactam sensitivity. This effect was unrelated to changes in growth rate. Light microscopy and flow cytometry profiling revealed that bacterial filaments, formed due to β-lactam-mediated inhibition of cell division, rapidly appeared upon β-lactam mono-treatment and remained stable for up to 18 h. The presence of metabolizable sugars in the medium did not change the rate of filamentation, but led to lysis of the filaments within a few hours. No lysis occurred in E. coli mutants unable to metabolize the sugars, thus establishing sugar metabolism as an important factor influencing the bactericidal outcome of β-lactam treatment. Interestingly, the effect of sugar on β-lactam susceptibility was suppressed in a strain unable to synthesize the nutrient stress alarmone (p)ppGpp. Here, to the best of our knowledge, we demonstrate for the first time a specific and significant increase in β-lactam sensitivity due to sugar metabolism in planktonic, exponentially growing bacteria, unrelated to general nutrient availability or growth rate. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the nutritional influences on antibiotic sensitivity is likely to reveal new proteins or pathways that can be targeted by novel compounds, adding to the list of pharmacodynamic adjuvants that increase the efficiency and lifespan of conventional antibiotics.

Bactericidal effect of bovine lactoferrin and synthetic peptide lactoferrin chimera in Streptococcus pneumoniae and the decrease in luxS gene expression by lactoferrin.

PubMed

León-Sicairos, Nidia; Angulo-Zamudio, Uriel A; Vidal, Jorge E; López-Torres, Cynthia A; Bolscher, Jan G M; Nazmi, Kamran; Reyes-Cortes, Ruth; Reyes-López, Magda; de la Garza, Mireya; Canizalez-Román, Adrian

2014-10-01

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is responsible for nearly one million child deaths annually. Pneumococcus causes infections such as pneumonia, otitis media, meningitis, and sepsis. The human immune system includes antibacterial peptides and proteins such as lactoferrin (LF), but its activity against pneumococcus is not fully understood. The aim of this work was to evaluate the bactericidal effect of bovine lactoferrin (bLF) and the synthetic LF-peptides lactoferricin (LFcin17-30), lactoferrampin (LFampin265-284), and LFchimera against S. pneumoniae planktonic cells. The mechanism of damage was also investigated, as well as the impact of these peptides on the transcription levels of genes known to encode important virulence factors. S. pneumoniae planktonic cells were treated with bLF, LFcin17-30, LFampin265-284 and LFchimera at different time points. The viability of treated planktonic cells was assessed by dilution and plating (in CFU/ml). The interaction between LF and LF-peptides coupled to fluorescein was visualized using a confocal microscope and flow cytometry, whereas the damage at structural levels was observed by electron microscopy. Damage to bacterial membranes was further evaluated by membrane permeabilization by use of propidium iodide and flow cytometry, and finally, the expression of pneumococcal genes was evaluated by qRT-PCR. bLF and LFchimera were the best bactericidal agents. bLF and peptides interacted with bacteria causing changes in the shape and size of the cell and membrane permeabilization. Moreover, the luxS gene was down-regulated in bacteria treated with LF. In conclusion, LF and LFchimera have a bactericidal effect, and LF down-regulates genes involved in the pathogenicity of pneumococcus, thus demonstrating potential as new agents for the treatment of pneumococcal infections.

Blood biochemical and cellular changes during decompression and simulated extravehicular activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jauchem, J. R.; Waligora, J. M.; Johnson, P. C. Jr

1990-01-01

Blood biochemical and cellular parameters were measured in human subjects before and after exposure to a decompression schedule involving 6 h of oxygen prebreathing. The exposure was designed to simulate extravehicular activity for 6 h (subjects performed exercise while exposed to 29.6 kPa). There were no significant differences between blood samples from subjects who were susceptible (n = 11) versus those who were resistant (n = 27) to formation of venous gas emboli. Although several statistically significant (P less than 0.05) changes in blood parameters were observed following the exposure (increases in white blood cell count, prothrombin time, and total bilirubin, and decreases in triglycerides, very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and blood urea nitrogen), the changes were small in magnitude and blood factor levels remained within normal clinical ranges. Thus, the decompression schedule used in this study is not likely to result in blood changes that would pose a threat to astronauts during extravehicular activity.

Periowave demonstrates bactericidal activity against periopathogens and leads to improved clinical outcomes in the treatment of adult periodontitis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Street, Cale N.; Andersen, Roger; Loebel, Nicolas G.

2009-02-01

Periodontitis affects half of the U.S. population over 50, and is the leading cause of tooth loss after 35. It is believed to be caused by growth of complex bacterial biofilms on the tooth surface below the gumline. Photodynamic therapy, a technology used commonly in antitumor applications, has more recently been shown to exhibit antimicrobial efficacy. We have demonstrated eradication of the periopathogens Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans in vitro using PeriowaveTM; a commercial photodisinfection system. In addition, several clinical studies have now demonstrated the efficacy of this treatment. A pilot study in the U.S. showed that 68% of patients treated with PeriowaveTM adjunctively to scaling and root planing (SRP) showed clinical attachment level increase of >1 mm, as opposed to 30% with SRP alone. In a subsequent larger study, a second PeriowaveTM treatment 6 weeks after initial treatment led to pocket depth improvements of >1.5 mm in 89% of patients. Finally, in the most recent multicenter, randomized, examiner-blinded study conducted on 121 subjects in Canada, PeriowaveTM treatment produced highly significant gains in attachment level (0.88 mm vs. 0.57 mm; p=0.003) and pocket depth (0.87 mm vs. 0.63 mm; p=0.01) as compared to SRP alone. In summary, PeriowaveTM demonstrated strong bactericidal activity against known periopathogens, and treatment of periodontitis using this system produced significantly better clinical outcomes than SRP alone. This, along with the absence of any adverse events in patients treated to date demonstrates that PDT is a safe and effective treatment for adult chronic periodontitis.

Synthesis of Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with Antibacterial Activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campillo Gloria, E.; Ederley, Vélez; Gladis, Morales; César, Hincapié; Jaime, Osorio; Oscar, Arnache; Uribe José, Ignacio; Franklin, Jaramillo

2017-06-01

The synthesis of nanomaterials is currently one of the most active in nanoscience branches; especially those help improve the human quality life. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are an example of this as it is known to have inhibitory and bactericidal effects. In this work, we report the synthesis of silver nanoparticles by chemical reduction method of silver nitrate (AgNO3) from aqueous solution, using a mix of polivinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) - Aloe Vera as reducing agent and for stabilization and control of particle size. Silver nanoparticles obtained were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), UV-visible spectroscopy and measurements using Zetasizer Nano ZS were applied to size estimation. The existence of surface plasmon resonance peak at λmax ~ 420 nm is evidence of silver nanoparticles formation. It was possible to standardize an appropriate protocol for the evaluation of bactericidal activity of the nanoparticles, for mesophilic microorganisms. Bactericidal activity above 90% against these kinds of bacteria was demonstrated.

Conjugation Approach To Produce a Staphylococcus aureus Synbody with Activity in Serum.

PubMed

Lainson, John C; Fuenmayor, Mariana Ferrer; Johnston, Stephen Albert; Diehnelt, Chris W

2015-10-21

Synbodies show promise as a new class of synthetic antibiotics. Here, we explore improvements in their activity and production through conjugation chemistry. Maleimide conjugation is a widely used conjugation strategy due to its high yield, selectivity, and low cost. We used this strategy to conjugate two antibacterial peptides to produce a bivalent antibacterial peptide, called a synbody that has bactericidal activity against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The synbody was prepared by conjugation of a partially d-amino acid substituted synthetic antibacterial peptide to a bis-maleimide scaffold. The synbody slowly degrades in serum, but also undergoes exchange reactions with other serum proteins, such as albumin. Therefore, we hydrolyzed the thiosuccinimide ring using a mild hydrolysis protocol to produce a new synbody with similar bactericidal activity. The synbody was now resistant to exchange reactions and maintained bactericidal activity in serum for 2 h. This work demonstrates that low-cost maleimide coupling can be used to produce antibacterial peptide conjugates with activity in serum.

A functional whole blood assay to measure viability of mycobacteria, using reporter-gene tagged BCG or M.Tb (BCGlux/M.Tb lux).

PubMed

Newton, Sandra; Martineau, Adrian; Kampmann, Beate

2011-09-14

Functional assays have long played a key role in measuring of immunogenicity of a given vaccine. This is conventionally expressed as serum bactericidal titers. Studies of serum bactericidal titers in response to childhood vaccines have enabled us to develop and validate cut-off levels for protective immune responses and such cut-offs are in routine use. No such assays have been taken forward into the routine assessment of vaccines that induce primarily cell-mediated immunity in the form of effector T cell responses, such as TB vaccines. In the animal model, the performance of a given vaccine candidate is routinely evaluated in standardized bactericidal assays, and all current novel TB-vaccine candidates have been subjected to this step in their evaluation prior to phase 1 human trials. The assessment of immunogenicity and therefore likelihood of protective efficacy of novel anti-TB vaccines should ideally undergo a similar step-wise evaluation in the human models now, including measurements in bactericidal assays. Bactericidal assays in the context of tuberculosis vaccine research are already well established in the animal models, where they are applied to screen potentially promising vaccine candidates. Reduction of bacterial load in various organs functions as the main read-out of immunogenicity. However, no such assays have been incorporated into clinical trials for novel anti-TB vaccines to date. Although there is still uncertainty about the exact mechanisms that lead to killing of mycobacteria inside human macrophages, the interaction of macrophages and T cells with mycobacteria is clearly required. The assay described in this paper represents a novel generation of bactericidal assays that enables studies of such key cellular components with all other cellular and humoral factors present in whole blood without making assumptions about their relative individual contribution. The assay described by our group uses small volumes of whole blood and has already been

Stem bark extract and fraction of Persea americana (Mill.) exhibits bactericidal activities against strains of bacillus cereus associated with food poisoning.

PubMed

Akinpelu, David A; Aiyegoro, Olayinka A; Akinpelu, Oluseun F; Okoh, Anthony I

2014-12-30

The study investigates the in vitro antibacterial potentials of stem bark extracts of Persea americana on strains of Bacillus cereus implicated in food poisoning. The crude stem bark extracts and butanolic fraction at a concentration of 25 mg/mL and 10 mg/mL, respectively, exhibited antibacterial activities against test isolates. The zones of inhibition exhibited by the crude extract and the fraction ranged between 10 mm and 26 mm, while the minimum inhibitory concentration values ranged between 0.78 and 5.00 mg/mL. The minimum bactericidal concentrations ranged between 3.12 mg/mL-12.5 mg/mL and 1.25-10 mg/mL for the extract and the fraction, respectively. The butanolic fraction killed 91.49% of the test isolates at a concentration of 2× MIC after 60 min of contact time, while a 100% killing was achieved after the test bacterial cells were exposed to the butanolic fraction at a concentration of 3× MIC after 90 min contact time. Intracellular protein and potassium ion leaked out of the test bacterial cells when exposed to certain concentrations of the fraction; this is an indication of bacterial cell wall disruptions by the extract's butanolic fraction and, thus, caused a biocidal effect on the cells, as evident in the killing rate test results.

Keeping the blood flowing—plasminogen activator genes and feeding behavior in vampire bats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tellgren-Roth, Åsa; Dittmar, Katharina; Massey, Steven E.; Kemi, Cecilia; Tellgren-Roth, Christian; Savolainen, Peter; Lyons, Leslie A.; Liberles, David A.

2009-01-01

The blood feeding vampire bats emerged from New World leaf-nosed bats that fed on fruit and insects. Plasminogen activator, a serine protease that regulates blood coagulation, is known to be expressed in the saliva of Desmodus rotundus (common vampire bat) and is thought to be a key enzyme for the emergence of blood feeding in vampire bats. To better understand the evolution of this biological function, we studied the plasminogen activator (PA) genes from all vampire bat species in light of their feeding transition to bird and subsequently mammalian blood. We include the rare species Diphylla ecaudata and Diaemus youngi, where plasminogen activator had not previously been studied and demonstrate that PA gene duplication observed in Desmodus is not essential to the vampire phenotype, but relates to the emergence of predominant mammalian blood feeding in this species. Plasminogen activator has evolved through gene duplication, domain loss, and sequence evolution leading to change in fibrin-specificity and susceptibility to plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. Before undertaking this study, only the four plasminogen activator isoforms from Desmodus were known. The evolution of vampire bat plasminogen activators can now be linked phylogenetically to the transition in feeding behavior among vampire bat species from bird to mammalian blood.

Hydrothermal fabrication of ZSM-5 zeolites: biocompatibility, drug delivery property, and bactericidal property.

PubMed

Guo, Ya-Ping; Long, Teng; Song, Zhen-Fu; Zhu, Zhen-An

2014-04-01

The bone graft-associated infection is widely considered in orthopedic surgery, which may lead to implant failure, extensive bone debridement, and increased patient morbidity. In this study, we fabricated ZSM-5 zeolites for drug delivery systems by hydrothermal method. The structure, morphology, biocompatibility, drug delivery property, and bactericidal property of the ZSM-5 zeolites were investigated. The ZSM-5 zeolites have mordenite framework inverted-type structure and exhibit the disk-like shape with the diameter of ∼350 nm and thickness of ∼165 nm. The biocompatibility tests indicate that human bone marrow stromal cells spread out well on the surfaces of the ZSM-5 zeolites and proliferate significantly with increasing culture time. As compared with the conventional hydroxyapatite particles, the ZSM-5 zeolites possess greater drug loading efficiency and drug sustained release property because of the ordered micropores, large Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface areas, and functional groups. For the gentamicin-loaded ZSM-5 zeolites, the sustained release of gentamicin minimizes significantly bacterial adhesion and prevents biofilm formation against Staphylococcus epidermidis. The excellent biocompatibility, drug delivery property, and bactericidal property of the ZSM-5 zeolites suggest that they have great application potentials for treating implant-associated infections. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Correlations between functional activity of animal blood lymphocytes and change in solar activity].

PubMed

Karnaukhova, N A; Sergievich, L A

1999-01-01

It is shown that increase of Solar activity as measurement of the intensity of solar radio emissions at frequency of 2804 MHz leads to the reducing of the functional activity of immunocompetent cells in animal blood defining by parameter alpha.

Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Activities of Makaluvamine Analogs

PubMed Central

Nijampatnam, Bhavitavya; Nadkarni, Dwayaja H.; Wu, Hui; Velu, Sadanandan E.

2014-01-01

Streptococcus mutans is a key etiological agent in the formation of dental caries. The major virulence factor is its ability to form biofilms. Inhibition of S. mutans biofilms offers therapeutic prospects for the treatment and the prevention of dental caries. In this study, 14 analogs of makaluvamine, a marine alkaloid, were evaluated for their antibacterial activity against S. mutans and for their ability to inhibit S. mutans biofilm formation. All analogs contained the tricyclic pyrroloiminoquinone core of makaluvamines. The structural variations of the analogs are on the amino substituents at the 7-position of the ring and the inclusion of a tosyl group on the pyrrole ring N of the makaluvamine core. The makaluvamine analogs displayed biofilm inhibition with IC50 values ranging from 0.4 μM to 88 μM. Further, the observed bactericidal activity of the majority of the analogs was found to be consistent with the anti-biofilm activity, leading to the conclusion that the anti-biofilm activity of these analogs stems from their ability to kill S. mutans. However, three of the most potent N-tosyl analogs showed biofilm IC50 values at least an order of magnitude lower than that of bactericidal activity, indicating that the biofilm activity of these analogs is more selective and perhaps independent of bactericidal activity. PMID:25767719

Recombinant Protein Truncation Strategy for Inducing Bactericidal Antibodies to the Macrophage Infectivity Potentiator Protein of Neisseria meningitidis and Circumventing Potential Cross-Reactivity with Human FK506-Binding Proteins

PubMed Central

Bielecka, Magdalena K.; Devos, Nathalie; Gilbert, Mélanie; Hung, Miao-Chiu; Weynants, Vincent; Heckels, John E.

2014-01-01

A recombinant macrophage infectivity potentiator (rMIP) protein of Neisseria meningitidis induces significant serum bactericidal antibody production in mice and is a candidate meningococcal vaccine antigen. However, bioinformatics analysis of MIP showed some amino acid sequence similarity to human FK506-binding proteins (FKBPs) in residues 166 to 252 located in the globular domain of the protein. To circumvent the potential concern over generating antibodies that could recognize human proteins, we immunized mice with recombinant truncated type I rMIP proteins that lacked the globular domain and the signal leader peptide (LP) signal sequence (amino acids 1 to 22) and contained the His purification tag at either the N or C terminus (C-term). The immunogenicity of truncated rMIP proteins was compared to that of full (i.e., full-length) rMIP proteins (containing the globular domain) with either an N- or C-terminal His tag and with or without the LP sequence. By comparing the functional murine antibody responses to these various constructs, we determined that C-term His truncated rMIP (−LP) delivered in liposomes induced high levels of antibodies that bound to the surface of wild-type but not Δmip mutant meningococci and showed bactericidal activity against homologous type I MIP (median titers of 128 to 256) and heterologous type II and III (median titers of 256 to 512) strains, thereby providing at least 82% serogroup B strain coverage. In contrast, in constructs lacking the LP, placement of the His tag at the N terminus appeared to abrogate bactericidal activity. The strategy used in this study would obviate any potential concerns regarding the use of MIP antigens for inclusion in bacterial vaccines. PMID:25452551

Antibacterial activity of DLC films containing TiO2 nanoparticles.

PubMed

Marciano, F R; Lima-Oliveira, D A; Da-Silva, N S; Diniz, A V; Corat, E J; Trava-Airoldi, V J

2009-12-01

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films have been the focus of extensive research in recent years due to their potential applications as surface coatings on biomedical devices. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) in the anatase crystalline form is a strong bactericidal agent when exposed to near-UV light. In this work we investigate the bactericidal activity of DLC films containing TiO2 nanoparticles. The films were grown on 316L stainless-steel substrates from a dispersion of TiO2 in hexane using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The composition, bonding structure, surface energy, stress, and surface roughness of these films were also evaluated. The antibacterial tests were performed against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and the results were compared to the bacterial adhesion force to the studied surfaces. The presence of TiO2 in DLC bulk was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. As TiO2 content increased, I(D)/I(G) ratio, hydrogen content, and roughness also increased; the films became more hydrophilic, with higher surface free energy and the interfacial energy of bacteria adhesion decreased. Experimental results show that TiO2 increased DLC bactericidal activity. Pure DLC films were thermodynamically unfavorable to bacterial adhesion. However, the chemical interaction between the E. coli and the studied films increased for the films with higher TiO2 concentration. As TiO2 bactericidal activity starts its action by oxidative damage to the bacteria wall, a decrease in the interfacial energy of bacteria adhesion causes an increase in the chemical interaction between E. coli and the films, which is an additional factor for the increasing bactericidal activity. From these results, DLC with TiO2 nanoparticles can be useful for producing coatings with antibacterial properties.

Capture stress and the bactericidal competence of blood and plasma in five species of tropical birds.

PubMed

Matson, Kevin D; Tieleman, B Irene; Klasing, Kirk C

2006-01-01

In wild birds, relatively little is known about intra- or interspecific variation in immunological capabilities, and even less is known about the effects of stress on immune function. Immunological assays adaptable to field settings and suitable for a wide variety of taxa will prove most useful for addressing these issues. We describe a novel application of an in vitro technique that measures the intrinsic bacteria-killing abilities of blood. We assessed the capacities of whole blood and plasma from free-living individuals of five tropical bird species to kill a nonpathogenic strain of E. coli before and after the birds experienced an acute stress. Killing invasive bacteria is a fundamental immune function, and the bacteria-killing assay measures constitutive, innate immunity integrated across circulating cell and protein components. Killing ability varied significantly across species, with common ground doves exhibiting the lowest levels and blue-crowned motmots exhibiting the highest levels. Across species, plasma killed bacteria as effectively as whole blood, and higher concentrations of plasma killed significantly better. One hour of acute stress reduced killing ability by up to 40%. This assay is expected to be useful in evolutionary and ecological studies dealing with physiological and immunological differences in birds.

Butterfly extracts show antibacterial activity

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Extracts of several British butterfly species were tested and shown to possess powerful bactericidal activity against the gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). The active compounds were identified as hydroxylated pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) related to loline with nitrogen at C-...

In vitro bactericidal activity of blue light (465 nm) phototherapy on meticillin-susceptible and meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius.

PubMed

Schnedeker, Amy H; Cole, Lynette K; Lorch, Gwendolen; Diaz, Sandra F; Bonagura, John; Daniels, Joshua B

2017-10-01

Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is the most common cause of bacterial skin infections in dogs. Meticillin-resistant infections have become more common and are challenging to treat. Blue light phototherapy may be an option for treating these infections. The objective of this study was to measure the in vitro bactericidal activity of 465 nm blue light on meticillin-susceptible Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MSSP) and meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP). We hypothesized that irradiation with blue light would kill MSSP and MRSP in a dose-dependent fashion in vitro as previously reported for meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In six replicate experiments, each strain [MSSP, n = 1; MRSP ST-71 (KM1381) n = 1; and MRSA (BAA-1680) n = 1] were cultivated on semisolid media, irradiated using a 465 nm blue light phototherapeutic device at the cumulative doses of 56.25, 112.5 and 225 J/cm 2 and incubated overnight at 35°C. Controls were not irradiated. Colony counts (CC) were performed manually. Descriptive statistics were performed and treatment effects assessed using the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney rank-sum test. Bonferroni-corrected rank-sum tests were performed for post hoc analysis when significant differences were identified. There was a significant decrease in CC with blue light irradiation at all doses for MRSA (P = 0.0006) but not for MSSP (P = 0.131) or MRSP (P = 0.589). Blue light phototherapy significantly reduced CC of MRSA, but not of MSSP or MRSP. The mechanism for the relative photosensitivity of the MRSA isolate is unknown, but is hypothesized to be due to an increased concentration of porphyrin in S. aureus relative to S. pseudintermedius, which would modulate blue light absorption. © 2017 ESVD and ACVD.

[Physical activity and blood pressure. An epidemiological brief review of primary preventive effects of physical exercise activities].

PubMed

Marti, B

1992-04-07

The relation between physical exercise and blood pressure as well as the risk of hypertension has been investigated extensively during recent years. Cross-sectional studies on exercising and physically fit subjects have shown that endurance capacity (i. e. maximum aerobic capacity) is inversely related to resting blood pressure. However, not all physical activities are associated with lower blood pressure levels; e.g. swimming, weight lifting and competitive cross-country skiing were found to be related to elevated blood pressure values in some studies. Population-based investigations reveal a trend towards lower blood pressure values in physically habitually active persons, with the difference between active and inactive subjects not exceeding 5 mmHg. Three epidemiological cohort studies have consistently demonstrated that sedentary, unfit persons have a 20 to 50% higher prospective risk of hypertension, as compared to exercising, physically fit persons. Some intervention studies with normotensive subjects show a reduction in resting blood pressure of 5 to 10 mmHg at best after several months of aerobic training, while other studies show no effect. At least two factors could be responsible for these somewhat inconsistent observations: 1. exercise intensity may act as an 'effect modifier', since vigorous to maximally hard exercise rather increases than lowers resting blood pressure, 2. in statistical analysis on the effect of physical training on blood pressure, it is crucial whether concomitant changes in body weight and body composition are taken into account: any adjustment for changes in body composition will substantially reduce the magnitude of 'exercise-induced' reductions in blood pressure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Activity-based costs of blood transfusions in surgical patients at four hospitals.

PubMed

Shander, Aryeh; Hofmann, Axel; Ozawa, Sherri; Theusinger, Oliver M; Gombotz, Hans; Spahn, Donat R

2010-04-01

Blood utilization has long been suspected to consume more health care resources than previously reported. Incomplete accounting for blood costs has the potential to misdirect programmatic decision making by health care systems. Determining the cost of supplying patients with blood transfusions requires an in-depth examination of the complex array of activities surrounding the decision to transfuse. To accurately determine the cost of blood in a surgical population from a health system perspective, an activity-based costing (ABC) model was constructed. Tasks and resource consumption (materials, labor, third-party services, capital) related to blood administration were identified prospectively at two US and two European hospitals. Process frequency (i.e., usage) data were captured retrospectively from each hospital and used to populate the ABC model. All major process steps, staff, and consumables to provide red blood cell (RBC) transfusions to surgical patients, including usage frequencies, and direct and indirect overhead costs contributed to per-RBC-unit costs between $522 and $1183 (mean, $761 +/- $294). These exceed previously reported estimates and were 3.2- to 4.8-fold higher than blood product acquisition costs. Annual expenditures on blood and transfusion-related activities, limited to surgical patients, ranged from $1.62 to $6.03 million per hospital and were largely related to the transfusion rate. Applicable to various hospital practices, the ABC model confirms that blood costs have been underestimated and that they are geographically variable and identifies opportunities for cost containment. Studies to determine whether more stringent control of blood utilization improves health care utilization and quality, and further reduces costs, are warranted.

Bactericidal micron-thin sol-gel films prevent pin tract and periprosthetic infection.

PubMed

Qu, Haibo; Knabe, Christine; Burke, Megan; Radin, Shula; Garino, Jonathan; Schaer, Thomas; Ducheyne, Paul

2014-08-01

Orthopedic injuries constitute the majority of wounds sustained by U.S. soldiers in recent conflicts. The risk of infection is considerable with fracture fixation devices. In this pilot study, we examined the use of unique bactericidal micron-thin sol-gel films on fracture fixation devices and their ability to prevent and eradicate infections. External fixation was studied with micron-thin sol-gel coated percutaneous pins releasing triclosan and inserted medially into rabbit tibiae. A total of 11 rabbits received percutaneous pins that were either uncoated or sol-gel/triclosan coated. Internal fracture fixation was also studied using sol-gel coated intramedullary (IM) nails releasing vancomycin in the intramedullary tibiae. Six sheep received IM nails that were coated with a sol-gel film that either contained vancomycin or did not contain vancomycin. All animals were challenged with Staphylococcus aureus around the implant. Animals were euthanized at 1 month postoperative. Rabbits receiving triclosan/sol-gel coated percutaneous pins did not show signs of infection. Uncoated percutaneous pins had a significantly higher infection rate. In the sheep study, there were no radiographic signs of osteomyelitis with vancomycin/sol-gel coated IM nails, in contrast to the observations in the control cohort. Hence, the nanostructured sol-gel controlled release technology offers the promise of a reliable and continuous delivery system of bactericidals from orthopedic devices to prevent and treat infection. Reprint & Copyright © 2014 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Patient Blood Management in Europe: surveys on top indications for red blood cell use and Patient Blood Management organization and activities in seven European university hospitals.

PubMed

Bruun, M T; Pendry, K; Georgsen, J; Manzini, P; Lorenzi, M; Wikman, A; Borg-Aquilina, D; van Pampus, E; van Kraaij, M; Fischer, D; Meybohm, P; Zacharowski, K; Geisen, C; Seifried, E; Liumbruno, G M; Folléa, G; Grant-Casey, J; Babra, P; Murphy, M F

2016-11-01

Patient Blood Management (PBM) in Europe is a working group of the European Blood Alliance with the initial objective to identify the starting position of the participating hospitals regarding PBM for benchmarking purposes, and to derive good practices in PBM from the experience and expertise in the participating teams with the further aim of implementing and strengthening these practices in the participating hospitals. We conducted two surveys in seven university hospitals in Europe: Survey on top indications for red blood cell use regarding usage of red blood cells during 1 week and Survey on PBM organization and activities. A total of 3320 units of red blood cells were transfused in 1 week at the seven hospitals. Overall, 61% of red cell units were transfused to medical patients and 36% to surgical patients, although there was much variation between hospitals. The organization and activities of PBM in the seven hospitals were variable, but there was a common focus on optimizing the treatment of bleeding patients, monitoring the use of blood components and treatment of preoperative anaemia. Although the seven hospitals provide a similar range of clinical services, there was variation in transfusion rates between them. Further, there was variable implementation of PBM activities and monitoring of transfusion practice. These findings provide a baseline to develop joint action plans to further implement and strengthen PBM across a number of hospitals in Europe. © 2016 International Society of Blood Transfusion.

Bactericidal activity of TiO[sub 2] photocatalyst in aqueous media. Toward a solar-assisted water disinfection system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wei, C.; Lin, W.Y.; Zainal, Z.

Irradiation of suspensions of Escherichia coli ([approximately] 10[sup 6] cells/mL) and TiO[sub 2] (anatase) with UV-visible light of wave-lengths longer than 380 nm resulted in the killing of the bacteria within minutes. Oxygen was found to be a prerequisite for the bactericidal properties of the photocatalyst. Bacterial killing was found to adhere to first-order kinetics. The rate constant was proportional to the square root of the concentration of TiO[sub 2] and proportional to the incident light intensity in the range [approximately] 180- [approximately] 1660 [mu]E s[sup [minus]1] m[sup [minus]2]. The trends in these simulated laboratory experiments were mimicked by outdoormore » tests conducted under the summer noonday sun in Texas. The implications of these results as well as those of previous investigations in terms of practical applicability to solar-assisted water treatment and disinfection at remote sites are discussed relative to water technologies currently considered as viable as alternatives to chlorination. 24 refs., 8 figs.« less

Characterization of diverse subvariants of the meningococcal factor H (fH) binding protein for their ability to bind fH, to mediate serum resistance, and to induce bactericidal antibodies.

PubMed

Seib, Kate L; Brunelli, Brunella; Brogioni, Barbara; Palumbo, Emmanuelle; Bambini, Stefania; Muzzi, Alessandro; DiMarcello, Federica; Marchi, Sara; van der Ende, Arie; Aricó, Beatrice; Savino, Silvana; Scarselli, Maria; Comanducci, Maurizio; Rappuoli, Rino; Giuliani, Marzia M; Pizza, Mariagrazia

2011-02-01

Neisseria meningitidis is a commensal of the human nasopharynx but is also a major cause of septicemia and meningitis. The meningococcal factor H binding protein (fHbp) binds human factor H (fH), enabling downregulation of complement activation on the bacterial surface. fHbp is a component of two serogroup B meningococcal vaccines currently in clinical development. Here we characterize 12 fHbp subvariants for their level of surface exposure and ability to bind fH, to mediate serum resistance, and to induce bactericidal antibodies. Flow cytometry and Western analysis revealed that all strains examined expressed fHbp on their surface to different extents and bound fH in an fHbp-dependent manner. However, differences in fH binding did not always correlate with the level of fHbp expression, indicating that this is not the only factor affecting the amount of fH bound. To overcome the issue of strain variability in fHbp expression, the MC58ΔfHbp strain was genetically engineered to express different subvariants from a constitutive heterologous promoter. These recombinant strains were characterized for fH binding, and the data confirmed that each subvariant binds different levels of fH. Surface plasmon resonance revealed differences in the stability of the fHbp-fH complexes that ranged over 2 orders of magnitude, indicating that differences in residues between and within variant groups can influence fH binding. Interestingly, the level of survival in human sera of recombinant MC58 strains expressing diverse subvariants did not correlate with the level of fH binding, suggesting that the interaction of fHbp with fH is not the only function of fHbp that influences serum resistance. Furthermore, cross-reactive bactericidal activity was seen within each variant group, although the degree of activity varied, suggesting that amino acid differences within each variant group influence the bactericidal antibody response.

Discovery of cofactor-specific, bactericidal Mycobacterium tuberculosis InhA inhibitors using DNA-encoded library technology.

PubMed

Soutter, Holly H; Centrella, Paolo; Clark, Matthew A; Cuozzo, John W; Dumelin, Christoph E; Guie, Marie-Aude; Habeshian, Sevan; Keefe, Anthony D; Kennedy, Kaitlyn M; Sigel, Eric A; Troast, Dawn M; Zhang, Ying; Ferguson, Andrew D; Davies, Gareth; Stead, Eleanor R; Breed, Jason; Madhavapeddi, Prashanti; Read, Jon A

2016-12-06

Millions of individuals are infected with and die from tuberculosis (TB) each year, and multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains of TB are increasingly prevalent. As such, there is an urgent need to identify novel drugs to treat TB infections. Current frontline therapies include the drug isoniazid, which inhibits the essential NADH-dependent enoyl-acyl-carrier protein (ACP) reductase, InhA. To inhibit InhA, isoniazid must be activated by the catalase-peroxidase KatG. Isoniazid resistance is linked primarily to mutations in the katG gene. Discovery of InhA inhibitors that do not require KatG activation is crucial to combat MDR TB. Multiple discovery efforts have been made against InhA in recent years. Until recently, despite achieving high potency against the enzyme, these efforts have been thwarted by lack of cellular activity. We describe here the use of DNA-encoded X-Chem (DEX) screening, combined with selection of appropriate physical properties, to identify multiple classes of InhA inhibitors with cell-based activity. The utilization of DEX screening allowed the interrogation of very large compound libraries (10 11 unique small molecules) against multiple forms of the InhA enzyme in a multiplexed format. Comparison of the enriched library members across various screening conditions allowed the identification of cofactor-specific inhibitors of InhA that do not require activation by KatG, many of which had bactericidal activity in cell-based assays.

CsMAP34, a teleost MAP with dual role: A promoter of MASP-assisted complement activation and a regulator of immune cell activity.

PubMed

Li, Mo-Fei; Li, Jun; Sun, Li

2016-12-23

In teleost fish, the immune functions of mannan-binding lectin (MBL) associated protein (MAP) and MBL associated serine protease (MASP) are scarcely investigated. In the present study, we examined the biological properties both MAP (CsMAP34) and MASP (CsMASP1) molecules from tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis). We found that CsMAP34 and CsMASP1 expressions occurred in nine different tissues and were upregulated by bacterial challenge. CsMAP34 protein was detected in blood, especially during bacterial infection. Recombinant CsMAP34 (rCsMAP34) bound C. semilaevis MBL (rCsBML) when the latter was activated by bacteria, while recombinant CsMASP1 (rCsMASP1) bound activated rCsBML only in the presence of rCsMAP34. rCsMAP34 stimulated the hemolytic and bactericidal activities of serum complement, whereas anti-CsMAP34 antibody blocked complement activities. Knockdown of CsMASP1 in C. semilaevis resulted in significant inhibition of complement activities. Furthermore, rCsMAP34 interacted directly with peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) and enhanced the respiratory burst, acid phosphatase activity, chemotactic activity, and gene expression of PBL. These results indicate for the first time that a teleost MAP acts one hand as a regulator that promotes the lectin pathway of complement activation via its ability to recruit MBL to MASP, and other hand as a modulator of immune cell activity.

[Influence of corynebacteria metabolites on antagonistic activity of H2O2 producing lactobacilli].

PubMed

Bukharin, O V; Sgibnev, A V

2012-01-01

Study combined influence of Corynebacterium genus bacteria metabolites and H2O2 producing lactobacilli on survival rate of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus acidophilus. The ability to inhibit catalase of the test strains used and to reduce bactericidal effect of hydroxyl radical were determined in corynebacteria. H2O2 containing metabolites were obtained by cultivating lactobacilli in mineral medium, the amount of H2O2 was determined by oxidation of TMB by peroxidase. Bactericidal effect of lactobacilli metabolites for test strains treated by corynebacteria metabolites was evaluated by seeding results. Results. Inhibitio by corynebacteria metabolites of S. aureus catalase activity by 30-40% and E. coli catalase activ ity by 40-70% was shown. A reduction of bactericidal effect of hydroxyl radicals by corynebacteria metabolites by 30-35% for S. aureus, 38-42% for E. coli and 70-73% for L. acidophilus was noted. The enchantment of bactericidal effect of lactobacilli after treatment of the test strain by corynebacteria metabolites against S. aureus and E. coli manifested by reduction of the numbe of viable cells by 2-3 lg CFU. For L. acidophilus the bactericidal effect oflactobacilli metabolite in the same conditions reduced, and that led to the increase ofviability by 2-4 lg PFU. A conclusion on the possibility of regulation by associative bacteria the manifestations of antagonistic activity of H2O2 producing dominant microorganisms is made based on the data obtained.

Simultaneous pharmacodynamic analysis of the lag and bactericidal phases exhibited by beta-lactams against Escherichia coli.

PubMed Central

Li, R C

1996-01-01

Antibiotic-bacterium interactions are complex in nature. In many cases, bacterial killing does not commence immediately after the addition of an antibiotic, and a lag period is observed. Antibiotic permeation and/or the intermediate steps that exist between antibiotic-receptor binding and expression of cell death are two major possible causes for such lag period. This study was primarily designed to determine the relationship, if any, between antibiotic concentrations and the lag periods by a modeling approach. Short-term time-kill studies were conducted for amoxicillin, ampicillin, penicillin-G, oxacillin, and dicloxacillin against Escherichia coli. In conjunction with the use of a saturable rate model to describe the concentration-dependent killing process, a first-order induction (initiation) rate constant was used to characterize the delay in bacterial killing during the lag period. For all of the beta-lactams tested, parameters describing the bactericidal effect suggest that amoxicillin and ampicillin were much more potent than oxacillin and dicloxacillin. The induction rate constant estimates for both ampicillin and amoxicillin were found to relate linearly to concentrations. Nevertheless, these induction rate constant estimates were lower for penicillin-G, oxacillin, and dicloxacillin and increased nonlinearly with concentrations until an apparent plateau was observed. These findings support the hypothesis that the permeation process is potentially a rate-limiting step for the rapid bactericidal beta-lactams such as ampicillin and amoxicillin. However, as suggested by previous observations of the various morphological changes induced by beta-lactams, the contribution of the steps following antibiotic-receptor complex formation to the lag period might be significant for the less bactericidal antibiotics such as oxacillin and dicloxacillin. Findings from the present modeling approach can potentially be used to guide future bench experimentation. PMID:8891135

Enhancement of bactericidal effects of sodium hypochlorite in chiller water with food additive grade calcium hydroxide.

PubMed

Toyofuku, Chiharu; Alam, Md Shahin; Yamada, Masashi; Komura, Miyuki; Suzuki, Mayuko; Hakim, Hakimullah; Sangsriratanakul, Natthanan; Shoham, Dany; Takehara, Kazuaki

2017-06-16

An alkaline agent, namely food additive grade calcium hydroxide (FdCa(OH) 2 ) in solution at 0.17%, was evaluated for its bactericidal efficacies in chiller water with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) at a concentration of 200 ppm total residual chlorine. Without organic material presence, NaOCl could inactivate Salmonella Infantis and Escherichia coli within 5 sec, but in the presence of fetal bovine serum (FBS) at 0.5%, the bactericidal effects of NaOCl were diminished completely. FdCa(OH) 2 solution required 3 min to inactivate bacteria with or without 5% FBS. When NaOCl and FdCa(OH) 2 were mixed at the final concentration of 200 ppm and 0.17%, respectively, the mixed solution could inactivate bacteria at acceptable level (10 3 reduction of bacterial titer) within 30 sec in the presence of 0.5% FBS. The mixed solution also inhibited cross-contamination with S. Infantis or E. coli on chicken meats. It was confirmed and elucidated that FdCa(OH) 2 has a synergistic effect together with NaOCl for inactivating microorganisms.

Ebselen and analogs as inhibitors of Bacillus anthracis thioredoxin reductase and bactericidal antibacterials targeting Bacillus species, Staphylococcus aureus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

PubMed

Gustafsson, Tomas N; Osman, Harer; Werngren, Jim; Hoffner, Sven; Engman, Lars; Holmgren, Arne

2016-06-01

Bacillus anthracis is the causative agent of anthrax, a disease associated with a very high mortality rate in its invasive forms. We studied a number of ebselen analogs as inhibitors of B. anthracis thioredoxin reductase and their antibacterial activity on Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The most potent compounds in the series gave IC(50) values down to 70 nM for the pure enzyme and minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) down to 0.4 μM (0.12 μg/ml) for B. subtilis, 1.5 μM (0.64 μg/ml) for S. aureus, 2 μM (0.86 μg/ml) for B. cereus and 10 μg/ml for M. tuberculosis. Minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) were found at 1-1.5 times the MIC, indicating a general, class-dependent, bactericidal mode of action. The combined bacteriological and enzymological data were used to construct a preliminary structure-activity-relationship for the benzoisoselenazol class of compounds. When S. aureus and B. subtilis were exposed to ebselen, we were unable to isolate resistant mutants on both solid and in liquid medium suggesting a high resistance barrier. These results suggest that ebselen and analogs thereof could be developed into a novel antibiotic class, useful for the treatment of infections caused by B. anthracis, S. aureus, M. tuberculosis and other clinically important bacteria. Furthermore, the high barrier against resistance development is encouraging for further drug development. We have characterized the thioredoxin system from B. anthracis as a novel drug target and ebselen and analogs thereof as a potential new class of antibiotics targeting several important human pathogens. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization of Mechanical and Bactericidal Properties of Cement Mortars Containing Waste Glass Aggregate and Nanomaterials

PubMed Central

Sikora, Pawel; Augustyniak, Adrian; Cendrowski, Krzysztof; Horszczaruk, Elzbieta; Rucinska, Teresa; Nawrotek, Pawel; Mijowska, Ewa

2016-01-01

The recycling of waste glass is a major problem for municipalities worldwide. The problem concerns especially colored waste glass which, due to its low recycling rate as result of high level of impurity, has mostly been dumped into landfills. In recent years, a new use was found for it: instead of creating waste, it can be recycled as an additive in building materials. The aim of the study was to evaluate the possibility of manufacturing sustainable and self-cleaning cement mortars with use of commercially available nanomaterials and brown soda-lime waste glass. Mechanical and bactericidal properties of cement mortars containing brown soda-lime waste glass and commercially available nanomaterials (amorphous nanosilica and cement containing nanocrystalline titanium dioxide) were analyzed in terms of waste glass content and the effectiveness of nanomaterials. Quartz sand is replaced with brown waste glass at ratios of 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% by weight. Study has shown that waste glass can act as a successful replacement for sand (up to 100%) to produce cement mortars while nanosilica is incorporated. Additionally, a positive effect of waste glass aggregate for bactericidal properties of cement mortars was observed. PMID:28773823

Characterization of Mechanical and Bactericidal Properties of Cement Mortars Containing Waste Glass Aggregate and Nanomaterials.

PubMed

Sikora, Pawel; Augustyniak, Adrian; Cendrowski, Krzysztof; Horszczaruk, Elzbieta; Rucinska, Teresa; Nawrotek, Pawel; Mijowska, Ewa

2016-08-18

The recycling of waste glass is a major problem for municipalities worldwide. The problem concerns especially colored waste glass which, due to its low recycling rate as result of high level of impurity, has mostly been dumped into landfills. In recent years, a new use was found for it: instead of creating waste, it can be recycled as an additive in building materials. The aim of the study was to evaluate the possibility of manufacturing sustainable and self-cleaning cement mortars with use of commercially available nanomaterials and brown soda-lime waste glass. Mechanical and bactericidal properties of cement mortars containing brown soda-lime waste glass and commercially available nanomaterials (amorphous nanosilica and cement containing nanocrystalline titanium dioxide) were analyzed in terms of waste glass content and the effectiveness of nanomaterials. Quartz sand is replaced with brown waste glass at ratios of 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% by weight. Study has shown that waste glass can act as a successful replacement for sand (up to 100%) to produce cement mortars while nanosilica is incorporated. Additionally, a positive effect of waste glass aggregate for bactericidal properties of cement mortars was observed.

Cpa, the Outer Membrane Protease of Cronobacter sakazakii, Activates Plasminogen and Mediates Resistance to Serum Bactericidal Activity▿

PubMed Central

Franco, A. A.; Kothary, M. H.; Gopinath, G.; Jarvis, K. G.; Grim, C. J.; Hu, L.; Datta, A. R.; McCardell, B. A.; Tall, B. D.

2011-01-01

Cronobacter spp. are emerging neonatal pathogens in humans, associated with outbreaks of meningitis and sepsis. To cause disease, they must survive in blood and invade the central nervous system by penetrating the blood-brain barrier. C. sakazakii BAA-894 possesses an ∼131-kb plasmid (pESA3) that encodes an outer membrane protease (Cpa) that has significant identity to proteins that belong to the Pla subfamily of omptins. Members of this subfamily of proteins degrade a number of serum proteins, including circulating complement, providing protection from the complement-dependent serum killing. Moreover, proteins of the Pla subfamily can cause uncontrolled plasmin activity by converting plasminogen to plasmin and inactivating the plasmin inhibitor α2-antiplasmin (α2-AP). These reactions enhance the spread and invasion of bacteria in the host. In this study, we found that an isogenic cpa mutant showed reduced resistance to serum in comparison to its parent C. sakazakii BAA-894 strain. Overexpression of Cpa in C. sakazakii or Escherichia coli DH5α showed that Cpa proteolytically cleaved complement components C3, C3a, and C4b. Furthermore, a strain of C. sakazakii overexpressing Cpa caused a rapid activation of plasminogen and inactivation of α2-AP. These results strongly suggest that Cpa may be an important virulence factor involved in serum resistance, as well as in the spread and invasion of C. sakazakii. PMID:21245266

[Antibacterial activity of sulopenem, a new parenteral penem antibiotic].

PubMed

Inoue, E; Komoto, E; Taniyama, Y; Mitsuhashi, S

1996-04-01

Sulopenem, a new penem antibiotic, was compared with other antibiotics with regard to in vitro antibacterial and bactericidal activities, stabilization against beta-lactamases, and effect on the release of lipopolysaccharide from Gram-negative bacteria. The results are summarized as follows. 1. Sulopenem showed more potent activities than other antibiotics against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria except Pseudomonas aeruginosa. 2. Sulopenem showed potent bactericidal activities (MIC/MBC) against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Time kill studies against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae and Citrobacter freundii showed potent bactericidal activities of sulopenem. 3. Sulopenem was found to possess a stronger activity than other antibiotics against beta-lactamase-producing strains except P. aeruginosa and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. 4. In particular, sulopenem was found to be more stable to the hydrolysis by various beta-lactamases produced by Gram-negative bacteria than any other antibiotics tested. Vmax/Km values of sulopenem were smaller than those of cefotiam for all tested beta-lactamases, which reflected a broad antibacterial spectrum of sulopenem. 5. E. coli ML4707 exposed to sulopenem and imipenem released less endotoxin than did controls at all concentration ranges tested. In contrast, the strain exposed to ceftazidime at bacteriostatic concentrations released a large amount of endotoxin.

Domination of volumetric toughening by silver nanoparticles over interfacial strengthening of carbon nanotubes in bactericidal hydroxyapatite biocomposite.

PubMed

Herkendell, Katharina; Shukla, Vishnu Raj; Patel, Anup Kumar; Balani, Kantesh

2014-01-01

In order to address the problem of bacterial infections in bone-substitution surgery, it is essential that bone replacement biomaterials are equipped with bactericidal components. This research aims to optimize the content of silver (Ag), a well-known antibacterial metal, in a multiwalled carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced hydroxyapatite (HA) composite, to yield a bioceramic which can be used as an antibacterial and tough surface of bone replacement prosthesis. The bactericidal properties evaluated using Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis indicate that CNT reinforcement supports growth of Gram negative E. coli bacteria (~8.5% more adhesion than pure HA); but showed a strong decrease of Gram positive S. epidermidis bacteria (~diminished to 66%) compared to that of pure HA. Small amounts of silver (2-5wt.%) already show a severe bactericidal effect when compared to that of HA-CNT (by 30% and ~60% respectively). MTT assay confirmed enhanced biocompatibility of L929 cells on HA-4wt.% CNT (~121%), HA-4wt.% CNT-1wt.% Ag (~124%) sample and HA-4wt.% CNT-2wt.% Ag (~100%) when compared to that of pure HA. The samples with higher silver content showed decreased biocompatibility (77% for HA-4wt.% CNT-5wt.% Ag sample and 73% for HA-4wt.% CNT-10wt.% Ag). Though reinforcement of 4wt.% CNT has shown an increase of fracture toughness by ~62%, silver reinforcement has shown enhancement of up to 244% (i.e. 3.43 times). Accordingly, isolation of toughening contribution indicates that volumetric toughening by silver dominates over interfacial strengthening contributed by CNTs towards enhanced fracture toughness of potential HA-Ag-CNT biocomposites. © 2013.

Activity of the de novo engineered antimicrobial peptide WLBU2 against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in human serum and whole blood: implications for systemic applications.

PubMed

Deslouches, Berthony; Islam, Kazi; Craigo, Jodi K; Paranjape, Shruti M; Montelaro, Ronald C; Mietzner, Timothy A

2005-08-01

Cationic amphipathic peptides have been extensively investigated as a potential source of new antimicrobials that can complement current antibiotic regimens in the face of emerging drug-resistant bacteria. However, the suppression of antimicrobial activity under certain biologically relevant conditions (e.g., serum and physiological salt concentrations) has hampered efforts to develop safe and effective antimicrobial peptides for clinical use. We have analyzed the activity and selectivity of the human peptide LL37 and the de novo engineered antimicrobial peptide WLBU2 in several biologically relevant conditions. The host-derived synthetic peptide LL37 displayed high activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa but demonstrated staphylococcus-specific sensitivity to NaCl concentrations varying from 50 to 300 mM. Moreover, LL37 potency was variably suppressed in the presence of 1 to 6 mM Mg(2+) and Ca(2+) ions. In contrast, WLBU2 maintained its activity in NaCl and physiologic serum concentrations of Mg(2+) and Ca(2+). WLBU2 is able to kill P. aeruginosa (10(6) CFU/ml) in human serum, with a minimum bactericidal concentration of <9 microM. Conversely, LL37 is inactive in the presence of human serum. Bacterial killing kinetic assays in serum revealed that WLBU2 achieved complete bacterial killing in 20 min. Consistent with these results was the ability of WLBU2 (15 to 20 microM) to eradicate bacteria from ex vivo samples of whole blood. The selectivity of WLBU2 was further demonstrated by its ability to specifically eliminate P. aeruginosa in coculture with human monocytes or skin fibroblasts without detectable adverse effects to the host cells. Finally, WLBU2 displayed potent efficacy against P. aeruginosa in an intraperitoneal infection model using female Swiss Webster mice. These results establish a potential application of WLBU2 in the treatment of bacterial sepsis.

Activity of the De Novo Engineered Antimicrobial Peptide WLBU2 against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Human Serum and Whole Blood: Implications for Systemic Applications

PubMed Central

Deslouches, Berthony; Islam, Kazi; Craigo, Jodi K.; Paranjape, Shruti M.; Montelaro, Ronald C.; Mietzner, Timothy A.

2005-01-01

Cationic amphipathic peptides have been extensively investigated as a potential source of new antimicrobials that can complement current antibiotic regimens in the face of emerging drug-resistant bacteria. However, the suppression of antimicrobial activity under certain biologically relevant conditions (e.g., serum and physiological salt concentrations) has hampered efforts to develop safe and effective antimicrobial peptides for clinical use. We have analyzed the activity and selectivity of the human peptide LL37 and the de novo engineered antimicrobial peptide WLBU2 in several biologically relevant conditions. The host-derived synthetic peptide LL37 displayed high activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa but demonstrated staphylococcus-specific sensitivity to NaCl concentrations varying from 50 to 300 mM. Moreover, LL37 potency was variably suppressed in the presence of 1 to 6 mM Mg2+ and Ca2+ ions. In contrast, WLBU2 maintained its activity in NaCl and physiologic serum concentrations of Mg2+ and Ca2+. WLBU2 is able to kill P. aeruginosa (106 CFU/ml) in human serum, with a minimum bactericidal concentration of <9 μM. Conversely, LL37 is inactive in the presence of human serum. Bacterial killing kinetic assays in serum revealed that WLBU2 achieved complete bacterial killing in 20 min. Consistent with these results was the ability of WLBU2 (15 to 20 μM) to eradicate bacteria from ex vivo samples of whole blood. The selectivity of WLBU2 was further demonstrated by its ability to specifically eliminate P. aeruginosa in coculture with human monocytes or skin fibroblasts without detectable adverse effects to the host cells. Finally, WLBU2 displayed potent efficacy against P. aeruginosa in an intraperitoneal infection model using female Swiss Webster mice. These results establish a potential application of WLBU2 in the treatment of bacterial sepsis. PMID:16048927

Photobactericidal activity of methylene blue derivatives against vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp.

PubMed

Wainwright, M; Phoenix, D A; Gaskell, M; Marshall, B

1999-12-01

The toxicities and phototoxicities of methylene blue and its two methylated derivatives were measured against one standard and three vancomycin-resistant pathogenic strains of Enterococcus spp. Each of the compounds was bactericidal and the derivatives exhibited photobactericidal activity on illumination at a 'light' dose of 6.3 J/cm(2) against one or more of the strains. Increased bactericidal and photobactericidal activity in the methylated derivatives is thought to be due to their higher hydrophobicities allowing greater interaction with the bacterial cell wall. In addition, the derivatives exhibited higher inherent photosensitizing efficacies.

Blood selenium concentrations and enzyme activities related to glutathione metabolism in wild emperor geese

USGS Publications Warehouse

Franson, J. Christian; Hoffman, David J.; Schmutz, Joel A.

2002-01-01

In 1998, we collected blood samples from 63 emperor geese (Chen canagica) on their breeding grounds on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta (YKD) in western Alaska, USA. We studied the relationship between selenium concentrations in whole blood and the activities of glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase in plasma. Experimental studies have shown that plasma activities of these enzymes are useful biomarkers of selenium-induced oxidative stress, but little information is available on their relationship to selenium in the blood of wild birds. Adult female emperor geese incubating their eggs in mid-June had a higher mean concentration of selenium in their blood and a greater activity of glutathione peroxidase in their plasma than adult geese or goslings that were sampled during the adult flight feathermolting period in late July and early August. Glutathione peroxidase activity was positively correlated with the concentration of selenium in the blood of emperor geese, and the rate of increase relative to selenium was greater in goslings than in adults. The activity of glutathione reductase was greatest in the plasma of goslings and was greater in molting adults than incubating females but was not significantly correlated with selenium in the blood of adults or goslings. Incubating female emperor geese had high selenium concentrations in their blood, accompanied by increased glutathione peroxidase activity consistent with early oxidative stress. These findings indicate that further study of the effects of selenium exposure, particularly on reproductive success, is warranted in this species.

Titania nanotube arrays as interfaces for blood-contacting implantable devices: a study evaluating the nanotopography-associated activation and expression of blood plasma components.

PubMed

Smith, Barbara S; Popat, Ketul C

2012-08-01

The constant exposure of implantable biomaterials such as titanium and titanium alloys to blood-introducesserious and ongoing concerns regarding poor blood-material interactions. To date, all blood-contacting materials have been shown to initiate immunological events in the form of inflammation, thrombosis, fibrosis and infection; potentially leading to complete implant failure. Material surfaces that provide biomimetic cues such as nanoscale architectures have been shown to elicit improved cellular interaction; and thus, may provide possible solutions for enhancing blood-compatibility. However, limited information exists about the thrombogenicityof nanoscalesurface architectures. In this study, we have evaluated the efficacy of titania nanotube arrays as interfaces for blood contacting devices by investigating the thrombogenic effects using whole blood plasma. Thus, platelet/leukocyte adhesion, activation and interaction, morphology, complement activation, contact activation, platelet release reaction, fibrinogen expression and material cytotoxicity were evaluated to determine the in vitro thrombogenicity. The results presented here indicate a decrease in thrombogenic effects of titania nanotube arrays as compared to biomedical grade titanium after 2 hours of contact with whole blood plasma. This work shows the improved blood-compatibility of titania nanotube arrays, identifying this specific nanoarchitecture as a potentially optimal interface for promoting the long-term success of blood contacting biomaterials.

Antimicrobial strategies centered around reactive oxygen species - bactericidal antibiotics, photodynamic therapy and beyond

PubMed Central

Vatansever, Fatma; de Melo, Wanessa C.M.A.; Avci, Pinar; Vecchio, Daniela; Sadasivam, Magesh; Gupta, Asheesh; Chandran, Rakkiyappan; Karimi, Mahdi; Parizotto, Nivaldo A; Yin, Rui; Tegos, George P; Hamblin, Michael R

2013-01-01

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can attack a diverse range of targets to exert antimicrobial activity, which accounts for their versatility in mediating host defense against a broad range of pathogens. Most ROS are formed by the partial reduction of molecular oxygen. Four major ROS are recognized comprising: superoxide (O2•−), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), hydroxyl radical (•OH), and singlet oxygen (1O2), but they display very different kinetics and levels of activity. The effects of O2•− and H2O2 are less acute than those of •OH and 1O2, since the former are much less reactive and can be detoxified by endogenous antioxidants (both enzymatic and non-enzymatic) that are induced by oxidative stress. In contrast, no enzyme can detoxify •OH or 1O2, making them extremely toxic and acutely lethal. The present review will highlight the various methods of ROS formation and their mechanism of action. Antioxidant defenses against ROS in microbial cells and the use of ROS by antimicrobial host defense systems are covered. Antimicrobial approaches primarily utilizing ROS comprise both bactericidal antibiotics, and non-pharmacological methods such as photodynamic therapy, titanium dioxide photocatalysis, cold plasma and medicinal honey. A brief final section covers, reactive nitrogen species, and related therapeutics, such as acidified nitrite and nitric oxide releasing nanoparticles. PMID:23802986

Enhanced bactericidal effect of enterocin AS-48 in combination with high-intensity pulsed-electric field treatment against Salmonella enterica in apple juice.

PubMed

Martínez Viedma, Pilar; Sobrino López, Angel; Ben Omar, Nabil; Abriouel, Hikmate; Lucas López, Rosario; Valdivia, Eva; Martín Belloso, Olga; Gálvez, Antonio

2008-12-10

The effect of the broad spectrum cyclic antimicrobial peptide enterocin AS-48 combination with high-intensity pulsed-electric field (HIPEF) treatment (35 kV/cm, 150 Hz, 4 micros and bipolar mode) was tested on Salmonella enterica CECT 915 in apple juice. A response surface methodology was applied to study the bactericidal effects of the combined treatment. The process variables were AS-48 concentration, temperature, and HIPEF treatment time. While treatment with enterocin AS-48 alone up to 60 microg/ml had no effect on the viability of S. enterica in apple juice, an increased bactericidal activity was observed in combination with HIPEF treatments. Survival fraction was affected by treatment time, enterocin AS48 concentration and treatment temperature. The combination of 100 micros of HIPEF treatment, 30 microg/ml of AS-48, and temperature of 20 degrees C resulted in the lowest inactivation, with only a 1.2-log reduction. The maximum inactivation of 4.5-log cycles was achieved with HIPEF treatment for 1000 micros in combination with 60 microg/ml of AS-48 and a treatment temperature of 40 degrees C. Synergism between enterocin AS-48 and HIPEF treatment depended on the sequence order application, since it was observed only when HIPEF was applied in the presence of previously-added bacteriocin. The combined treatment could improve the safety of freshly-made apple juice against S. enterica transmission.

Human Lysozyme Synergistically Enhances Bactericidal Dynamics and Lowers the Resistant Mutant Prevention Concentration for Metronidazole to Helicobacter pylori by Increasing Cell Permeability.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaolin; Jiang, Anmin; Yu, Hao; Xiong, Youyi; Zhou, Guoliang; Qin, Meisong; Dou, Jinfeng; Wang, Jianfei

2016-10-28

Metronidazole (MNZ) is an effective agent that has been employed to eradicate Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori ). The emergence of broad MNZ resistance in H. pylori has affected the efficacy of this therapeutic agent. The concentration of MNZ, especially the mutant prevention concentration (MPC), plays an important role in selecting or enriching resistant mutants and regulating therapeutic effects. A strategy to reduce the MPC that can not only effectively treat H. pylori but also prevent resistance mutations is needed. H. pylori is highly resistant to lysozyme. Lysozyme possesses a hydrolytic bacterial cell wall peptidoglycan and a cationic dependent mode. These effects can increase the permeability of bacterial cells and promote antibiotic absorption into bacterial cells. In this study, human lysozyme (hLYS) was used to probe its effects on the integrity of the H. pylori outer and inner membranes using as fluorescent probe hydrophobic 1- N -phenyl-naphthylamine (NPN) and the release of aspartate aminotransferase. Further studies using a propidium iodide staining method assessed whether hLYS could increase cell permeability and promote cell absorption. Finally, we determined the effects of hLYS on the bactericidal dynamics and MPC of MNZ in H. pylori . Our findings indicate that hLYS could dramatically increase cell permeability, reduce the MPC of MNZ for H. pylori , and enhance its bactericidal dynamic activity, demonstrating that hLYS could reduce the probability of MNZ inducing resistance mutations.

Rapid and reliable determination of the halogenating peroxidase activity in blood samples.

PubMed

Flemmig, Jörg; Schwarz, Pauline; Bäcker, Ingo; Leichsenring, Anna; Lange, Franziska; Arnhold, Jürgen

2014-12-15

By combining easy and fast leukocyte enrichment with aminophenyl-fluorescein (APF) staining we developed a method to quickly and specifically address the halogenating activity of the immunological relevant blood heme peroxidases myeloperoxidase and eosinophil peroxidase, respectively. For leukocyte enrichment a two-fold hypotonic lysis procedure of the blood with Millipore water was chosen which represents a cheap, fast and reliable method to diminish the amount of erythrocytes in the samples. This procedure is shown to be suitable both to human and murine blood micro-samples, making it also applicable to small animal experiments with recurring blood sampling. As all types of leukocytes are kept in the sample during the preparation, they can be analysed separately after discrimination during the flow cytometry analysis. This also holds for all heme peroxidase-containing cells, namely neutrophils, eosinophils and monocytes. Moreover additional parameters (e.g. antibody staining) can be combined with the heme peroxidase activity determination to gain additional information about the different immune cell types. Based on previous results we applied APF for specifically addressing the halogenating activity of leukocyte peroxidases in blood samples. This dye is selectively oxidized by the MPO and EPO halogenation products hypochlorous and hypobromous acid. This approach may provide a suitable tool to gain more insights into the immune-physiological role of the halogenating activity of heme peroxidases. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Constitutive innate immunity is a component of the pace-of-life syndrome in tropical birds.

PubMed

Irene Tieleman, B; Williams, Joseph B; Ricklefs, Robert E; Klasing, Kirk C

2005-08-22

We studied the relationship between one component of immune function and basal metabolic rate (BMR), an indicator of the 'pace-of-life syndrome', among 12 tropical bird species and among individuals of the tropical house wren (Troglodytes aedon), to gain insights into functional connections between life history and physiology. To assess constitutive innate immunity we introduced a new technique in the field of ecological and evolutionary immunology that quantifies the bactericidal activity of whole blood. This in vitro assay utilises a single blood sample to provide a functional, integrated measure of constitutive innate immunity. We found that the bactericidal activity of whole blood varied considerably among species and among individuals within a species. This variation was not correlated with body mass or whole-organism BMR. However, among species, bacteria killing activity was negatively correlated with mass-adjusted BMR, suggesting that species with a slower pace-of-life have evolved a more robust constitutive innate immune capability. Among individuals of a single species, the house wren, bacteria killing activity was positively correlated with mass-adjusted BMR, pointing to physiological differences in individual quality on which natural selection potentially could act.

The effect of polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride (PHMG) derivatives introduced into polylactide (PLA) on the activity of bacterial enzymes.

PubMed

Walczak, Maciej; Richert, Agnieszka; Burkowska-But, Aleksandra

2014-11-01

The present study was aimed at investigating bactericidal properties of polylactide (PLA) films containing three different polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride (PHMG) derivatives and effect of the derivatives on extracellular hydrolytic enzymes and intracellular dehydrogenases. All PHMG derivatives had a slightly stronger bactericidal effect on Staphylococcus aureus than on E. coli but only PHMG granular polyethylene wax (at the concentration of at least 0.6 %) has a bactericidal effect. PHMG derivatives introduced into PLA affected the activity of microbial hydrolases to a small extent. This means that the introduction of PHMG derivatives into PLA will not reduce its enzymatic biodegradation significantly. On the other hand, PHMG derivatives introduced into PLA strongly affected dehydrogenases activity in S. aureus than in E. coli.

Characterizing biological variability in livestock blood cholinesterase activity for biomonitoring organophosphate nerve agent exposure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Halbrook, R.S.; Shugart, L.R.; Watson, A.P.

1992-09-01

A biomonitoring protocol, using blood cholinesterase (ChE) activity in livestock as a monitor of potential organophosphate nerve agent exposure during the planned destruction of US unitary chemical warfare agent stockpiles, is described. The experimental design included analysis of blood ChE activity in individual healthy sheep, horses, and dairy and beef cattle during a 10- to 12-month period. Castrated and sexually intact males, pregnant and lactating females, and adult and immature animals were examined through at least one reproductive cycle. The same animals were used throughout the period of observation and were not exposed to ChE-inhibiting organophosphate or carbamate compounds. Amore » framework for an effective biomonitoring protocol within a monitoring area includes establishing individual baseline blood ChE activity for a sentinel group of 6 animals on the bases of blood samples collected over a 6-month period, monthly collection of blood samples for ChE-activity determination during monitoring, and selection of adult animals as sentinels. Exposure to ChE-inhibiting compounds would be suspected when all blood ChE activity of all animals within the sentinel group are decreased greater than 20% from their own baseline value. Sentinel species selection is primarily a logistical and operational concern; however, sheep appear to be the species of choice because within-individual baseline ChE activity and among age and gender group ChE activity in sheep had the least variability, compared with data from other species. This protocol provides an effective and efficient means for detecting abnormal depressions in blood ChE activity in livestock and can serve as a valuable indicator of the extent of actual plume movement and/or deposition in the event of organophosphate nerve agent release.« less

A peptidoglycan recognition protein from Sciaenops ocellatus is a zinc amidase and a bactericide with a substrate range limited to Gram-positive bacteria.

PubMed

Li, Mo-Fei; Zhang, Min; Wang, Chun-Lin; Sun, Li

2012-02-01

Peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs) are a family of innate immune molecules that recognize bacterial peptidoglycan. PGRPs are highly conserved in invertebrates and vertebrates including fish. However, the biological function of teleost PGRP remains largely uninvestigated. In this study, we identified a PGRP homologue, SoPGLYRP-2, from red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) and analyzed its activity and potential function. The deduced amino acid sequence of SoPGLYRP-2 is composed of 482 residues and shares 46-94% overall identities with known fish PGRPs. SoPGLYRP-2 contains at the C-terminus a single zinc amidase domain with conserved residues that form the catalytic site. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis detected SoPGLYRP-2 expression in multiple tissues, with the highest expression occurring in liver and the lowest expression occurring in brain. Experimental bacterial infection upregulated SoPGLYRP-2 expression in kidney, spleen, and liver in time-dependent manners. To examine the biological activity of SoPGLYRP-2, purified recombinant proteins representing the intact SoPGLYRP-2 (rSoPGLYRP-2) and the amidase domain (rSoPGLYRP-AD) were prepared from Escherichia coli. Subsequent analysis showed that rSoPGLYRP-2 and rSoPGLYRP-AD (i) exhibited comparable Zn(2+)-dependent peptidoglycan-lytic activity and were able to recognize and bind to live bacterial cells, (ii) possessed bactericidal effect against Gram-positive bacteria and slight bacteriostatic effect against Gram-negative bacteria, (iii) were able to block bacterial infection into host cells. These results indicate that SoPGLYRP-2 is a zinc-dependent amidase and a bactericide that targets preferentially at Gram-positive bacteria, and that SoPGLYRP-2 is likely to play a role in host innate immune defense during bacterial infection. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sex and storage affect cholinesterase activity in blood plasma of Japanese quail

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hill, E.F.

1989-01-01

Freezing at -25?C had confounding effects on cholinesterase (ChE) activity in blood plasma from breeding female quail, but did not affect ChE activity in plasma from males. Plasma ChE activity of control females increased consistently during 28 days of storage while both carbamate- and cidrotophos-inhibited ChE decreased. Refrigeration of plasma at 4?C for 2 days had little effect of ChE activity. Plasma ChE activity was averaged about 34% higher in breeding males than in females. Extreme caution should be exercised in use of blood plasma for evaluation of anti ChE exposure in free-living birds.

NOS3 genotype-dependent correlation between blood pressure and physical activity.

PubMed

Kimura, Tomomi; Yokoyama, Tetsuji; Matsumura, Yasuhiro; Yoshiike, Nobuo; Date, Chigusa; Muramatsu, Masaaki; Tanaka, Heizo

2003-02-01

Endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation plays an important role in reduction of blood pressure and is mediated through release of nitric oxide (NO), which is generated by constitutively expressed endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3). Exercise also augments NO release and has been recommended for primary prevention and improvement of hypertension, but individual responses are highly variable. We therefore postulated that genetic polymorphisms of NOS3 might interact with physical activity level to differentially influence blood pressure level. We genotyped 832 healthy Japanese (mean age of 54.4+/-8.6 years, 372 men and 460 women) for a polymorphism of NOS3 in intron 4 (ecNOS4a/b), using the polymerase chain reaction method, and scored their habitual physical activity level by using the rate of energy expenditure per resting metabolic rate through an interview according to a semiquantitative assessment method. Only in the subjects who had the rarer a allele (aa+ba type), systolic blood pressure was found to be inversely correlated with physical activity level (P for linear trend=0.0496, for interaction=0.0071). Eventually, this polymorphism was significantly associated with the prevalence of systolic hypertension only in the subjects who were in the lowest tertile of physical activity level (OR=2.4, 95% CI, 1.1 to 5.6, P for interaction=0.0474). In the present study, we found a significant interaction between the genotype and physical activity level on systolic blood pressure. These results might allow a better understanding of the mechanism to improve hypertension by exercise and to thereby reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Association of physical activity and physical fitness with blood pressure profile in Gujarati Indian adolescents.

PubMed

Shaikh, Wasim A; Patel, Minal C; Singh, S K

2011-01-01

The current study was conducted to determine how physical activity level and physical fitness affects the blood pressure profile of Gujarati Indian adolescents so as to help in developing preventive strategies for the local population as ethnic differences exist in the aetiopathogenesis of hypertension. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 485 Gujarati Indian adolescent boys and girls of age group 16-19 years. Physical activity level was assessed using Johnson Space Center/NASA Physical Activity Rating Scale and VO2 max was used to assess the physical fitness. Body composition was assessed in terms of Body Mass Index, Fat Mass Index and Waist Circumference. Blood Pressure was measured by oscillometry. One-way ANOVA was used to study if any significant differences (P<0.05) existed in the blood pressure profile between the high, moderate and low physical activity groups. Pearson's correlation coefficient was determined to assess the relationship between VO2 max and blood pressure profile. In girls, physical activity level was not found to have a significant effect on the blood pressure profile. In boys, systolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure were found to be significantly higher in Moderate Physical Activity Group as compared to Low Physical Activity Group. PVO2 max was found to have a significant negative correlationship with SBP, DBP and MAP in girls and a significant negative correlationship with SBP, PP and MAP in boys. It could thus be concluded that a better physical fitness rather than a higher physical activity level could keep the blood pressure in check in the Gujarati Indian adolescents.

Antimicrobial activity of wild mushroom extracts against clinical isolates resistant to different antibiotics.

PubMed

Alves, M J; Ferreira, I C F R; Martins, A; Pintado, M

2012-08-01

This work aimed to screen the antimicrobial activity of aqueous methanolic extracts of 13 mushroom species, collected in Bragança, against several clinical isolates obtained in Hospital Center of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Portugal. Microdilution method was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). MIC results showed that Russula delica and Fistulina hepatica extracts inhibited the growth of gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Morganella morganni and Pasteurella multocida) and gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, Enterococcus faecalis, Listeria monocytogenes, Streptococcus agalactiae and Streptococcus pyogenes) bacteria. A bactericide effect of both extracts was observed in Past. multocida, Strep. agalactiae and Strep. pyogenes with MBC of 20, 10 and 5 mg ml⁻¹, respectively. Lepista nuda extract exhibited a bactericide effect upon Past. multocida at 5 mg ml⁻¹ and inhibited Proteus mirabilis at 20 mg ml⁻¹. Ramaria botrytis extract showed activity against Enterococcus faecalis and L. monocytogenes, being bactericide for Past. multocida, Strep. agalactiae (MBCs 20 mg ml⁻¹) and Strep. pyogenes (MBC 10 mg ml⁻¹). Leucopaxillus giganteus extract inhibited the growth of E. coli and Pr. mirabilis, being bactericide for Past. multocida, Strep. pyogenes and Strep. agalactiae. Fistulina hepatica, R. botrytis and R. delica are the most promising species as antimicrobial agents. Mushroom extracts could be an alternative as antimicrobials against pathogenic micro-organisms resistant to conventional treatments. © 2012The Authors Journal of Applied Microbiology © 2012 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Endothelial Dysfunction and Blood Viscosity Inpatients with Unstable Angina in Different Periods of a Solar Activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parshina, S. S.; Tokaeva, L. K.; Dolgova, E. M.; Afanas'yeva, T. N.; Strelnikova, O. A.

The origin of hemorheologic and endothelial defects in patients with unstable angina (comparing with healthy persons) is determined by a solar activity period: the blood viscosity increases in a period of high solar activity in the vessels of small, medium and macro diameters, a local decompensate dysfunction of small vessels endothelium had been fixed (microcirculation area). In the period of a low solar activity there is an increase of a blood viscosity in vessels of all diameters, generalized subcompensated endothelial dysfunction is developed (on the background of the III phase blood clotting activating). In the period of a high solar activity a higher blood viscosity had been fixed, comparing with the period of a low solar activity.

Effect of amino acid substitution in the staphylococcal peptides warnericin RK and PSMα on their anti-Legionella and hemolytic activities.

PubMed

Marchand, Adrienne; Augenstreich, Jacques; Loiseau, Clémence; Verdon, Julien; Lecomte, Sophie; Berjeaud, Jean-Marc

2015-07-01

Warnericin RK from Staphylococcus warneri and PSMα from Staphylococcus epidermidis are anti-Legionella peptides which were differently classified in a previous study according to their mode of action. Indeed, warnericin RK is highly hemolytic with a bactericidal mode of action, whereas PSMα is poorly hemolytic with a bacteriostatic mode of action toward L. pneumophila. In order to find anti-Legionella peptides which are not hemolytic, a collection of peptides varying in sequence from warnericin RK to PSMα were designed and synthesized, and their anti-Legionella activities, in terms of growth inhibition, permeabilization, and bactericidal effect, as well as their hemolytic activities, were measured and compared. The results showed that some residues, at position 14 for both peptides for instance, were of major importance for bactericidal and hemolytic activities.

Various DC-driven point-to-plain discharges as non-thermal plasma sources and their bactericidal effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khun, Josef; Scholtz, Vladimír; Hozák, Pavel; Fitl, Přemysl; Julák, Jaroslav

2018-06-01

The appearance of several types of ballast serial impedance-stabilized DC-driven electric corona discharges in the point-to-plane configuration is described. In addition to well-known corona discharges, new ones were observed, namely curved transient spark, interrupted channel and branched transient spark. Their properties are described by volt-ampere characteristics and UV-vis emission spectra. Their bactericidal ability for two bacterial species is also given.

NMDA Receptor Activity in Circulating Red Blood Cells: Methods of Detection.

PubMed

Makhro, Asya; Kaestner, Lars; Bogdanova, Anna

2017-01-01

Abundance and activity of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) in circulating red blood cells contributes to the maintenance of intracellular Ca 2+ in these cells and, by doing that, controls red cell volume, membrane stability, and O 2 carrying capacity. Detection of the NMDA receptor activity in red blood cells is challenging as the number of its copies is low and shows substantial cell-to-cell heterogeneity. Receptor abundance is reliably assessed using the radiolabeled antagonist ([ 3 H]MK-801) binding technique. Uptake of Ca 2+ following the NMDA receptor activation is detected in cells loaded with Ca 2+ -sensitive fluorescent dye Fluo-4 AM. Both microfluorescence live-cell imaging and flow cytometry may be used for fluorescence intensity detection. Automated patch clamp is currently used for recording of electric currents triggered by the stimulation of the NMDA receptor. These currents are mediated by the Ca 2+ -sensitive K + (Gardos) channels that open upon Ca 2+ uptake via the active NMDA receptor. Furthermore, K + flux through the Gardos channels induced by the NMDA receptor stimulation in red blood cells may be detected using unidirectional K + ( 86 Rb + ) influx.

Platelet-derived growth factor inhibits platelet activation in heparinized whole blood.

PubMed

Selheim, F; Holmsen, H; Vassbotn, F S

1999-08-15

We previously have demonstrated that human platelets have functionally active platelet-derived growth factor alpha-receptors. Studies with gel-filtered platelets showed that an autocrine inhibition pathway is transduced through this tyrosine kinase receptor during platelet activation. The physiological significance of this inhibitory effect of platelet-derived growth factor on gel-filtered platelets activation is, however, not known. In the present study, we investigated whether platelet-derived growth factor inhibits platelet activation under more physiological conditions in heparinized whole blood, which represents a more physiological condition than gel-filtered platelets. Using flow cytometric assays, we demonstrate here that platelet-derived growth factor inhibits thrombin-, thrombin receptor agonist peptide SFLLRN-, and collagen-induced platelet aggregation and shedding of platelet-derived microparticles from the platelet plasma membrane during platelet aggregation in stirred heparinized whole blood. The inhibitory effect of platelet-derived growth factor was dose dependent. However, under nonaggregating conditions (no stirring), we could not demonstrate any significant effect of platelet-derived growth factor on thrombin- and thrombin receptor agonist peptide-induced platelet surface expression of P-selectin. Our results demonstrate that platelet-derived growth factor appears to be a true antithrombotic agent only under aggregating conditions in heparinized whole blood.

RHB-104 triple antibiotics combination in culture is bactericidal and should be effective for treatment of Crohn's disease associated with Mycobacterium paratuberculosis.

PubMed

Alcedo, Karel P; Thanigachalam, Saisathya; Naser, Saleh A

2016-01-01

Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) has been implicated as an etiological agent of Crohn's disease (CD), a debilitating chronic inflammatory bowel disease. Clarithromycin (CLA), clofazimine (CLO), rifabutin (RIF) and other antibiotics have been used individually or in combinations with other drugs to treat mycobacterial diseases including CD. The treatment has varied by regimen, dosage, and duration, resulting in conflicting outcomes and additional suffering to the patients. RHB-104, a drug formula with active ingredients composed of (63.3 %) CLA, (6.7 %) CLO, and (30 %) RIF, has been recently subjected to investigation in an FDA approved Phase III clinical trial to treat patients with moderate to severe CD. In this study, we determined the efficacy of RHB-104 active ingredients against MAP strains isolated from the blood, tissue, and milk of CD patients. Based on fluorescence quenching technology using the Bactec MGIT Para-TB medium, we determined the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of CLA, CLO, RIF individually and in dual and triple combinations against 16 MAP clinical strains and 19 other mycobacteria. The MIC of all drugs against 35 different mycobacteria ranged between 0.25-20 μg/mL. However, the MIC of RHB-104 active ingredients regimen was the lowest at 0.25-10 μg/mL compared to the MIC of the other drugs at 0.5-20 μg/mL. The components of RHB-104 active ingredients at their individual concentrations or in dual combinations were not effective against all microorganisms compared to the triple combinations at MIC level. The MIC of CLA-CLO, CLA-RIF, and CLO-RIF regimens ranged between 0.5-1.25 μg/mL compared to 0.25 μg/mL of bactericidal effect of the triple combination. The data clearly demonstrated that lower concentrations of the triple combination of RHB-104 active ingredients provided synergistic anti-MAP growth activity compared to individual or dual combinations of the drugs. Consequently, this is favorable and

Effect of Caffeine on near Maximal Blood Pressure and Blood Pressure Recovery in Physically-Active, College-Aged Females

PubMed Central

CONNAHAN, LAURA E.; OTT, CHRISTOPHER A.; BARRY, VAUGHN W.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine how caffeine affects exercise blood pressure (BP) and active and passive recovery BP after vigorous intensity exercise in physically active college-aged females. Fifteen physically active, ACSM stratified low-risk females (age (y): 23.53 ± 4.07, weight (kg): 60.34 ± 3.67, height (cm): 165.14 ± 7.20, BMI (kg/m2): 22.18 ± 1.55) participated in two Bruce protocol exercise tests. Before each test participants consumed 1) a placebo or 2) 3.3 mg·kg−1 of caffeine at least one hour before exercise in a counterbalanced double-blinded fashion. After reaching 85% of their age-predicted maximum heart rate, BP was taken and participants began an active (i.e. walking) recovery phase for 6 minutes followed by a passive (i.e. sitting) recovery phase. BP was assessed every two minutes in each phase. Recovery times were assessed until active and passive BP equaled 20 mmHg and 10 mmHg above resting, respectively. Participants completed each test 1–2 weeks a part. Maximal systolic and diastolic blood pressures were not significantly different between the two trials. Active recovery, passive recovery, and total recovery times were all significantly longer during the caffeine trial than the placebo trial. Furthermore, the time to reach age-predicted maximum heart rate was significantly shorter in the placebo trial than the caffeine trial. While caffeine consumption did not significantly affect maximal blood pressure, it did affect active and passive recovery time following vigorous intensity exercise in physically active females. Exercise endurance also improved after consuming caffeine in this population. PMID:28344739

Effect of Caffeine on near Maximal Blood Pressure and Blood Pressure Recovery in Physically-Active, College-Aged Females.

PubMed

Connahan, Laura E; Ott, Christopher A; Barry, Vaughn W

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine how caffeine affects exercise blood pressure (BP) and active and passive recovery BP after vigorous intensity exercise in physically active college-aged females. Fifteen physically active, ACSM stratified low-risk females (age (y): 23.53 ± 4.07, weight (kg): 60.34 ± 3.67, height (cm): 165.14 ± 7.20, BMI (kg/m 2 ): 22.18 ± 1.55) participated in two Bruce protocol exercise tests. Before each test participants consumed 1) a placebo or 2) 3.3 mg·kg -1 of caffeine at least one hour before exercise in a counterbalanced double-blinded fashion. After reaching 85% of their age-predicted maximum heart rate, BP was taken and participants began an active (i.e. walking) recovery phase for 6 minutes followed by a passive (i.e. sitting) recovery phase. BP was assessed every two minutes in each phase. Recovery times were assessed until active and passive BP equaled 20 mmHg and 10 mmHg above resting, respectively. Participants completed each test 1-2 weeks a part. Maximal systolic and diastolic blood pressures were not significantly different between the two trials. Active recovery, passive recovery, and total recovery times were all significantly longer during the caffeine trial than the placebo trial. Furthermore, the time to reach age-predicted maximum heart rate was significantly shorter in the placebo trial than the caffeine trial. While caffeine consumption did not significantly affect maximal blood pressure, it did affect active and passive recovery time following vigorous intensity exercise in physically active females. Exercise endurance also improved after consuming caffeine in this population.

Structure-function characterization and optimization of a plant-derived antibacterial peptide.

PubMed

Suarez, Mougli; Haenni, Marisa; Canarelli, Stéphane; Fisch, Florian; Chodanowski, Pierre; Servis, Catherine; Michielin, Olivier; Freitag, Ruth; Moreillon, Philippe; Mermod, Nicolas

2005-09-01

Crushed seeds of the Moringa oleifera tree have been used traditionally as natural flocculants to clarify drinking water. We previously showed that one of the seed peptides mediates both the sedimentation of suspended particles such as bacterial cells and a direct bactericidal activity, raising the possibility that the two activities might be related. In this study, the conformational modeling of the peptide was coupled to a functional analysis of synthetic derivatives. This indicated that partly overlapping structural determinants mediate the sedimentation and antibacterial activities. Sedimentation requires a positively charged, glutamine-rich portion of the peptide that aggregates bacterial cells. The bactericidal activity was localized to a sequence prone to form a helix-loop-helix structural motif. Amino acid substitution showed that the bactericidal activity requires hydrophobic proline residues within the protruding loop. Vital dye staining indicated that treatment with peptides containing this motif results in bacterial membrane damage. Assembly of multiple copies of this structural motif into a branched peptide enhanced antibacterial activity, since low concentrations effectively kill bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus pyogenes without displaying a toxic effect on human red blood cells. This study thus identifies a synthetic peptide with potent antibacterial activity against specific human pathogens. It also suggests partly distinct molecular mechanisms for each activity. Sedimentation may result from coupled flocculation and coagulation effects, while the bactericidal activity would require bacterial membrane destabilization by a hydrophobic loop.

Structure-Function Characterization and Optimization of a Plant-Derived Antibacterial Peptide

PubMed Central

Suarez, Mougli; Haenni, Marisa; Canarelli, Stéphane; Fisch, Florian; Chodanowski, Pierre; Servis, Catherine; Michielin, Olivier; Freitag, Ruth; Moreillon, Philippe; Mermod, Nicolas

2005-01-01

Crushed seeds of the Moringa oleifera tree have been used traditionally as natural flocculants to clarify drinking water. We previously showed that one of the seed peptides mediates both the sedimentation of suspended particles such as bacterial cells and a direct bactericidal activity, raising the possibility that the two activities might be related. In this study, the conformational modeling of the peptide was coupled to a functional analysis of synthetic derivatives. This indicated that partly overlapping structural determinants mediate the sedimentation and antibacterial activities. Sedimentation requires a positively charged, glutamine-rich portion of the peptide that aggregates bacterial cells. The bactericidal activity was localized to a sequence prone to form a helix-loop-helix structural motif. Amino acid substitution showed that the bactericidal activity requires hydrophobic proline residues within the protruding loop. Vital dye staining indicated that treatment with peptides containing this motif results in bacterial membrane damage. Assembly of multiple copies of this structural motif into a branched peptide enhanced antibacterial activity, since low concentrations effectively kill bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus pyogenes without displaying a toxic effect on human red blood cells. This study thus identifies a synthetic peptide with potent antibacterial activity against specific human pathogens. It also suggests partly distinct molecular mechanisms for each activity. Sedimentation may result from coupled flocculation and coagulation effects, while the bactericidal activity would require bacterial membrane destabilization by a hydrophobic loop. PMID:16127062

Extended low-resolution structure of a Leptospira antigen offers high bactericidal antibody accessibility amenable to vaccine design

PubMed Central

Tseng, Andrew; Suguiura, Igor Massahiro de Souza; McDonough, Sean P; Sritrakul, Tepyuda; Li, Ting; Lin, Yi-Pin; Gillilan, Richard E

2017-01-01

Pathogens rely on proteins embedded on their surface to perform tasks essential for host infection. These obligatory structures exposed to the host immune system provide important targets for rational vaccine design. Here, we use a systematically designed series of multi-domain constructs in combination with small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to determine the structure of the main immunoreactive region from a major antigen from Leptospira interrogans, LigB. An anti-LigB monoclonal antibody library exhibits cell binding and bactericidal activity with extensive domain coverage complementing the elongated architecture observed in the SAXS structure. Combining antigenic motifs in a single-domain chimeric immunoglobulin-like fold generated a vaccine that greatly enhances leptospiral protection over vaccination with single parent domains. Our study demonstrates how understanding an antigen’s structure and antibody accessible surfaces can guide the design and engineering of improved recombinant antigen-based vaccines. PMID:29210669

Dynamics of erythrocyte count, hemoglobin, and catalase activity in rat blood in hypokinesia, muscular activity and restoration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taneyeva, G. V.; Potapovich, G. M.; Voloshko, N. A.; Uteshev, A. B.

1980-01-01

Tests were conducted to prove that muscular exertion (in this instance swimming) of different duration and intensity, as well as hypodynamia, result in an increase of hemoglobin and number of red blood cells in peripheral blood rats. Catalase activity increased with an increase in the duration of swimming, but only up to 6 hr; with 7-9 hr of swimming as well as in hypodynamia, catalase activity decreased. It was also observed that under hypodynamia as well as in 3, 5 and 6 hr exertion (swimming) the color index of blood decreased. Pressure chamber treatment (for 8 min each day for one week), alternating a 2 min negative pressure up to 35 mm Hg with 1 min positive pressure, increased the erythrocyte count and hemoglobin content.

Blood pressure, excess weight and level of physical activity in students of a public university.

PubMed

Martins, Maria do Carmo de Carvalho e; Ricarte, Irapuá Ferreira; Rocha, Cláudio Henrique Lima; Maia, Rodrigo Batista; Silva, Vitor Brito da; Veras, André Bastos; Filho, Manoel Dias de Souza

2010-08-01

High blood pressure, excess weight and sedentary lifestyle are important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, and they are closely associated. To evaluate the nutritional status, level of physical activity and blood pressure levels of students of Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, Brazil. Cross-sectional study with a sample of 605 students (46.1% males and 53.9% females), with a mean age of 21.7 ± 3.7 years. The nutritional status was classified according to body mass index (BMI), and central adiposity according to waist circumference (WC). The level of physical activity was evaluated using the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Elevated blood pressure was defined as systolic blood pressure > 140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg. The prevalence of elevated blood pressure was 9.7%, and was higher among men. Excess weight (BMI > 25 kg/m(2)) was found in 18.2% of the students, with overweight and obesity rates of 15.2% and 3%, respectively. Abdominal obesity was found in 2.4% of the students regardless of gender, and sedentary lifestyle in 52%. The mean blood pressure increased with increasing BMI and WC. No association was found between the levels of physical activity and blood pressure. An association of increased body weight and waist circumference with higher blood pressure levels was observed among the participants. Instruments for an early assessment of the cardiovascular risk and preventive advice should be established for these young individuals.

Engagement in Pleasant Leisure Activities and Blood Pressure: A 5-Year Longitudinal Study in Alzheimer Caregivers.

PubMed

Mausbach, Brent T; Romero-Moreno, Rosa; Bos, Taylor; von Känel, Roland; Ziegler, Michael G; Allison, Matthew A; Mills, Paul J; Dimsdale, Joel E; Ancoli-Israel, Sonia; Losada, Andrés; Márquez-González, María; Patterson, Thomas L; Grant, Igor

2017-09-01

Elevated blood pressure is a significant public health concern, particularly given its association with cardiovascular disease risk, including stroke. Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer disease has been associated with physical health morbidity, including higher blood pressure. Engagement in adaptive coping strategies may help prevent blood pressure elevation in this population. This 5-year longitudinal study examined whether greater participation in pleasant leisure activities was associated with reduced blood pressure in caregivers. Participants were 126 in-home spousal Alzheimer's caregivers (M [SD] age = 74.2 [7.9] years) that completed five yearly assessments. Linear mixed-effects models analysis was used to examine the longitudinal relationship between pleasant leisure activities and caregivers' blood pressure, after adjusting for demographic and health characteristics. Greater engagement in pleasant leisure activities was associated with reduced mean arterial blood pressure (B = -0.08, SE = 0.04, p = .040). Follow-up analyses indicated that engagement in activities was significantly associated with reduced diastolic (B = -0.07, SE = 0.03, p = .030) but not systolic blood pressure (B = -0.10, SE = 0.06, p = .114). In addition, mean arterial blood pressure was significantly reduced when caregiving duties ended because of placement of care recipients in nursing homes (B = -3.10, SE = 1.11, p = .005) or death of the care recipient (B = -2.64, SE = 1.14, p = .021). Greater engagement in pleasant leisure activities was associated with lowered caregivers' blood pressure over time. Participation in pleasant leisure activities may have cardiovascular health benefits for Alzheimer's caregivers.

Abnormalities in the cellular phase of blood fibrinolytic activity in systemic lupus erythematosus and in venous thromboembolism

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moroz, L.A.; MacLean, L.D.; Langleben, D.

1986-09-15

Fibrinolytic activities of whole blood and plasma were determined by /sup 125/I-fibrin radiometric assay in 16 normal subjects, and in 11 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 14 with progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS), 23 with venous thromboembolic disease, and 20 patients awaiting elective surgery. Mean whole blood and plasma activities for patients with PSS, and for those awaiting elective surgery, were similar to normal values, as was the mean plasma activity in patients with SLE. However, mean whole blood activity in SLE was significantly decreased compared with normals (p less than 0.05), with mean plasma activity accounting for 44% ofmore » mean whole blood activity (compared with 17% in normal subjects), representing a 67% decrease in mean calculated cellular phase activity in SLE, when compared with normals. Since the numbers of cells (neutrophils, monocytes) possibly involved in cellular activity were not decreased, the findings suggest a functional defect in fibrinolytic activity of one or more blood cell types in SLE. An additional finding was the participation of the cellular phase as well as the well-known plasma phase of blood in the fibrinolytic response to thromboembolism.« less

Disclosure of the quackery: testing of the bactericidal action of products based on the "hydronic" technology ("informed glass") on ATCC strains of Enterococcus faecalis, Salmonella enteritidis and Candida albicans.

PubMed

Aleksandar, Racz; Josip, Cipriš; Olivera, Petrak

2011-01-01

To disclose a quackery called "revitalisation of tired water by hydronic technology", scientific experiments have been conducted with drinking water kept in "ordinary, everyday-use" drinking glasses and so-called 'informed' glasses, a patent-protected product supposed to have an effect on the "structure, vitality and memory of water". Drinking "informed" water is claimed to have a wide range of positive revitalising health effects (blue informed glass), to facilitate weight loss (red informed glass) and to have a stress-relieving action (green informed glass). Allegedly, by the use of the "orgon methodology", information is coded into the glass, which action is additionally enforced by the addition of the "magic life" symbol - a specially designed energy condenser which, together with the selected information, is permanently introduced into the liquid contained in the glass. Since the manufacturer claimed the products to have a broad bactericidal action, regardless of the external conditions and completely independent from additional factor that would lead to the activation of the system, the efficacy of the informed drinking glass was tested using standardised, microbiological tests. Respecting the principle of a single-blind test for each of 5 samples of each type of the informed glass, growth reduction factor (RF) (difference log cfu/ml - colony per unit/ml of control glass and log cfu/ml of each informed glass) was determined after 0,2,4,6 and 8 h in spring water experimentally contaminated with standardised ATCC strains of two types of bacteria and one yeast. The results showed a statistically significant bactericidal action of the blue informed glass with all strains-Enterococcus faecalis (RF 0.62/0.76), Salmonella enteritidis (RF 0.87/0.97), and Candida albicans (RF 0.5/0.60) - as opposed to the red and green glasses where this effect was negligible (RF < 0.1). However, when the tests were repeated in complete darkness, none of the three informed glasses

Antibacterial, cytotoxicity and anticoagulant activities from Hypnea esperi and Caulerpa prolifera marine algae.

PubMed

Selim, Samy; Amin, Abeer; Hassan, Sherif; Hagazey, Mohamed

2015-03-01

Extracts from 2 algal species (Hypnea esperi and Caulerpa prolifera) from Suez Canal region, Egypt were screened for the production of antibacterial compounds against some pathogenic bacteria. The bacteria tested included Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Aeromonas hydrophila, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus. Algal species displayed antibacterial activity. The methanolic extracts showed variable response by producing various zones of inhibition against studied bacteria. The tested Gram-negative bacteria were less affected by studied algal extracts than Gram-positive bacteria. We determined some biopotentials properties such as cytotoxicity and anticoagulant activity of most potent algal active extracts. The secondary metabolites of only Hypnea esperi algal extract effectively prevented the blood clotting to the extent of 120 seconds. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) indicated that all potent tested algal extract C inhibits Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus. Minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was between 1 and 1.4mg/ml. The algal isolates from Egypt have been found showing promising results against infectious bacteria instead of some synthetic antibiotics.

Activated Monocytes Enhance Platelet-Driven Contraction of Blood Clots via Tissue Factor Expression.

PubMed

Peshkova, Alina D; Le Minh, Giang; Tutwiler, Valerie; Andrianova, Izabella A; Weisel, John W; Litvinov, Rustem I

2017-07-11

Platelet-driven reduction in blood clot volume (clot contraction or retraction) has been implicated to play a role in hemostasis and thrombosis. Although these processes are often linked with inflammation, the role of inflammatory cells in contraction of blood clots and thrombi has not been investigated. The aim of this work was to study the influence of activated monocytes on clot contraction. The effects of monocytes were evaluated using a quantitative optical tracking methodology to follow volume changes in a blood clot formed in vitro. When a physiologically relevant number of isolated human monocytes pre-activated with phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) were added back into whole blood, the extent and rate of clot contraction were increased compared to addition of non-activated cells. Inhibition of tissue factor expression or its inactivation on the surface of PMA-treated monocytes reduced the extent and rate of clot contraction back to control levels with non-activated monocytes. On the contrary, addition of tissue factor enhanced clot contraction, mimicking the effects of tissue factor expressed on the activated monocytes. These data suggest that the inflammatory cells through their expression of tissue factor can directly affect hemostasis and thrombosis by modulating the size and density of intra- and extravascular clots and thrombi.

Use of blood-pool imaging in evaluation of diffuse activity patterns in technetium-99m pyrophosphate myocardial scintigraphy.

PubMed

Cowley, M J; Mantle, J A; Rogers, W J; Russell, R O; Rackley, C E; Logic, J R

1979-06-01

It has been suggested that diffuse Tc-99m pyrophosphate precordial activity may be due to persistent blood-pool activity in routine delayed views during myocardial imaging. To answer this question, we reviewed myocardial scintigrams recorded 60--90 min following the injection of 12--15 mCi of Tc-99m pyrophosphate for the presence of diffuse precordial activity, and compared these with early images of the blood pool in 265 patients. Diffuse activity in the delayed images was identified in 48 patients: in 20 with acute myocardial infarction and in 28 with no evidence of it. Comparison of these routine delayed images with early views of the blood pool revealed two types of patterns. In patients with acute infarction, 95% had delayed images that were distinguishable from blood pool either because the activity was smaller than the early blood pool, or by the presence of localized activity superimposed on diffuse activity identical to blood pool. In those without infarction, 93% had activity distribution in routine delayed views matching that in the early blood-pool images. The usefulness of the diffuse TcPPi precordial activity in myocardial infarction is improved when early blood-pool imaging is used to exclude persistence of blood-pool activity as its cause. Moreover, it does not require additional amounts of radioactivity nor complex computer processing, a feature that may be of value in the community hospital using the technique to "rule out" infarction 24--72 hr after onset of suggestive symptoms.

Percutaneous external fixator pins with bactericidal micron-thin sol-gel films for the prevention of pin tract infection.

PubMed

Qu, Haibo; Knabe, Christine; Radin, Shula; Garino, Jonathan; Ducheyne, Paul

2015-09-01

Risk of infection is considerable in open fractures, especially when fracture fixation devices are used to stabilize the fractured bones. Overall deep infection rates of 16.2% have been reported. The infection rate is even greater, up to 32.2%, with external fixation of femoral fractures. The use of percutaneous implants for certain clinical applications, such as percutaneous implants for external fracture fixation, still represents a challenge today. Currently, bone infections are very difficult to treat. Very potent antibiotics are needed, which creates the risk of irreversible damage to other organs, when the antibiotics are administered systemically. As such, controlled, local release is being pursued, but no such treatments are in clinical use. Herein, the use of bactericidal micron-thin sol-gel films on metallic fracture fixation pins is reported. The data demonstrates that triclosan (2,4,4'-trichloro-2'-hydroxydiphenylether), an antimicrobial agent, can be successfully incorporated into micron-thin sol-gel films deposited on percutaneous pins. The sol-gel films continuously release triclosan in vitro for durations exceeding 8 weeks (longest measured time point). The bactericidal effect of the micron-thin sol-gel films follows from both in vitro and in vivo studies. Inserting percutaneous pins in distal rabbit tibiae, there were no signs of infection around implants coated with a micron-thin sol-gel/triclosan film. Healing had progressed normally, bone tissue growth was normal and there was no epithelial downgrowth. This result was in contrast with the results in rabbits that received control, uncoated percutaneous pins, in which abundant signs of infection and epithelial downgrowth were observed. Thus, well-adherent, micron-thin sol-gel films laden with a bactericidal molecule successfully prevented pin tract infection. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Eculizumab treatment and impaired opsonophagocytic killing of meningococci by whole blood from immunized adults.

PubMed

Konar, Monica; Granoff, Dan M

2017-08-17

Eculizumab, a humanized anti-complement C5 monoclonal antibody (mAb) for treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, blocks the terminal complement pathway required for serum bactericidal activity (SBA). Because treated patients are at >1000-fold increased risk of meningococcal disease, vaccination is recommended; whether vaccination can protect by opsonophagocytic activity in the absence of SBA is not known. Meningococci were added to anticoagulated blood from 12 healthy adults vaccinated with meningococcal serogroup B and serogroup A, C, W, Y vaccines. Bacterial survival was measured after 3-hour incubation in the presence of eculizumab or control complement factor D inhibitor ACH-4471, which blocks the complement alternative pathway (AP) and is in phase 2 development for treatment of PNH. In the absence of inhibitors, colony formation units (CFUs) per milliliter in blood from all 12 immunized subjects decreased from ∼4000 at time 0 to sterile cultures at 3 hours. In the presence of eculizumab, there was a >22-fold increase in geometric mean CFUs per milliliter (90 596 and 114 683 CFU/mL for serogroup B and C strains, respectively; P < .0001 compared with time 0). In the presence of ACH-4471, there was a >12-fold decrease (23 and 331 CFU/mL, respectively; P < .0001). The lack of meningococci killing by blood containing eculizumab resulted from inhibition of release of C5a, a C5 split product needed for upregulation of phagocytosis. The results provide an explanation for the large number of cases of meningococcal disease in immunized patients being treated with eculizumab and suggest that vaccination may provide better protection against meningococcal disease in patients treated with an AP-specific inhibitor. © 2017 by The American Society of Hematology.

Plasma-deposited tetraglyme surfaces greatly reduce total blood protein adsorption, contact activation, platelet adhesion, platelet procoagulant activity, and in vitro thrombus deposition.

PubMed

Cao, Lan; Chang, Mark; Lee, Chi-Ying; Castner, David G; Sukavaneshvar, Sivaprasad; Ratner, Buddy D; Horbett, Thomas A

2007-06-15

The ability of tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether (tetraglyme) plasma deposited coatings exhibiting ultralow fibrinogen adsorption to reduce blood activation was studied with six in vitro methods, namely fibrinogen and von Willebrand's factor adsorption, total protein adsorption, clotting time in recalcified plasma, platelet adhesion and procoagulant activity, and whole blood thrombosis in a disturbed flow catheter model. Surface plasmon resonance results showed that tetraglyme surfaces strongly resisted the adsorption of all proteins from human plasma. The clotting time in the presence of tetraglyme surfaces was lengthened compared with controls, indicating a lower activation of the intrinsic coagulation cascade. Platelet adhesion and thrombin generation by adherent platelets were greatly reduced on tetraglyme-coated materials, compared with uncoated and Biospan-coated glass slides. In the in vitro disturbed blood flow model, tetraglyme plasma coated catheters had 50% less thrombus than did the uncoated catheters. Tetraglyme-coated materials thus had greatly reduced blood interactions as measured with all six methods. The improved blood compatibility of plasma-deposited tetraglyme is thus not only due to their reduced platelet adhesion and activation, but also to a generalized reduction in blood interactions. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Intracellular activity of clinical concentrations of phenothiazines including thioridiazine against phagocytosed Staphylococcus aureus.

PubMed

Ordway, Diane; Viveiros, Miguel; Leandro, Clara; Arroz, Maria Jorge; Amaral, Leonard

2002-07-01

The effect of thioridazine (TZ) was studied on the killing activity of human peripheral blood monocyte derived macrophages (HPBMDM) and of human macrophage cell line THP-1 at extracellular concentrations below those achievable clinically. These macrophages have nominal killing activity against bacteria and therefore, would not influence any activity that the compounds may have against intracellular localised Staphylococcus aureus. The results indicated that whereas TZ has an in vitro minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against the strains of S. aureus of 18, 0.1 mg/l of TZ in the medium completely inhibits the growth of S. aureus that has been phagocytosed by macrophages. The latter concentration was non-toxic to macrophages, did not cause cellular expression of activation marker CD69 nor induction of CD3+ T cell production of IFN-gamma, but blocked cellular proliferation and down-regulated the production of T cell-derived cytokines (IFN-gamma, IL-5). These results suggest that TZ induces intracellular bactericidal activities independent of the capacity to generate Type 1 responses against S. aureus.

The development of bactericidal yeast strains by expressing the Pediococcus acidilactici pediocin gene (pedA) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PubMed

Schoeman, H; Vivier, M A; Du Toit, M; Dicks, L M; Pretorius, I S

1999-06-15

The excessive use of sulphur dioxide and other chemical preservatives in wine, beer and other fermented food and beverage products to prevent the growth of unwanted microbes holds various disadvantages for the quality of the end-products and is confronted by mounting consumer resistance. The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of controlling spoilage bacteria during yeast-based fermentations by engineering bactericidal strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To test this novel concept, we have successfully expressed a bacteriocin gene in yeast. The pediocin operon of Pediococcus acidilactici PAC1.0 consists of four clustered genes, namely pedA (encoding a 62 amino acid precursor of the PA-1 pediocin), pedB (encoding an immunity factor), pedC (encoding a PA-1 transport protein) and pedD (encoding a protein involved in the transport and processing of PA-1). The pedA gene was inserted into a yeast expression/secretion cassette and introduced as a multicopy episomal plasmid into a laboratory strain (Y294) of S. cerevisiae. Northern blot analysis confirmed that the pedA structural gene in this construct (ADH1P-MFa1S-pedA-ADH1T, designated PED1), was efficiently expressed under the control of the yeast alcohol dehydrogenase I gene promoter (ADH1P) and terminator (ADH1T). Secretion of the PED1-encoded pediocin PA-1 was directed by the yeast mating pheromone alpha-factor's secretion signal (MFa1S). The presence of biologically active antimicrobial peptides produced by the yeast transformants was indicated by agar diffusion assays against sensitive indicator bacteria (e.g. Listeria monocytogenes B73). Protein analysis indicated the secreted heterologous peptide to be approximately 4.6 kDa, which conforms to the expected size. The heterologous peptide was present at relatively low levels in the yeast supernatant but pediocin activity was readily detected when intact yeast colonies were used in sensitive strain overlays. This study could lead to the

The feed gas composition determines the degree of physical plasma-induced platelet activation for blood coagulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bekeschus, Sander; Brüggemeier, Janik; Hackbarth, Christine; Weltmann, Klaus-Dieter; von Woedtke, Thomas; Partecke, Lars-Ivo; van der Linde, Julia

2018-03-01

Cold atmospheric (physical) plasma has long been suggested to be a useful tool for blood coagulation. However, the clinical applicability of this approach has not been addressed sufficiently. We have previously demonstrated the ability of a clinically accepted atmospheric pressure argon plasma jet (kINPen® MED) to coagulate liver incisions in mice with similar performance compared to the gold standard electrocauterization. We could show that plasma-mediated blood coagulation was dependent on platelet activation. In the present work, we extended on this by investigating kINPen®-mediated platelet activation in anticoagulated human donor blood ex vivo. With focus on establishing high-throughput, multi-parametric platelet activation assays and performing argon feed gas parameter studies we achieved the following results: (i) plasma activated platelets in heparinized but not in EDTA-anticoagulated blood; (ii) plasma decreased total platelet counts but increased numbers of microparticles; (iii) plasma elevated the expression of several surface activation markers on platelets (CD62P, CD63, CD69, and CD41/61); (iv) in platelet activation, wet and dry argon plasma outperformed feed gas admixtures with oxygen and/or nitrogen; (v) plasma-mediated platelet activation was accompanied by platelet aggregation. Platelet aggregation is a necessary requirement for blood clot formation. These findings are important to further elucidate molecular details and clinical feasibility of cold physical plasma-mediated blood coagulation.

Mechanism of platelet activation induced by endocannabinoids in blood and plasma.

PubMed

Brantl, S Annette; Khandoga, Anna L; Siess, Wolfgang

2014-01-01

Platelets play a central role in atherosclerosis and atherothrombosis, and circulating endocannabinoids might modulate platelet function. Previous studies concerning effects of anandamide (N-arachidonylethanolamide) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) on platelets, mainly performed on isolated cells, provided conflicting results. We therefore investigated the action of three main endocannabinoids [anandamide, 2-AG and virodhamine (arachidonoylethanolamine)] on human platelets in blood and platelet-rich plasma (PRP). 2-AG and virodhamine induced platelet aggregation in blood, and shape change, aggregation and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) secretion in PRP. The EC50 of 2-AG and virodhamine for platelet aggregation in blood was 97 and 160 µM, respectively. Lower concentrations of 2-AG (20 µM) and virodhamine (50 µM) synergistically induced aggregation with other platelet stimuli. Platelet activation induced by 2-AG and virodhamine resembled arachidonic acid (AA)-induced aggregation: shape change, the first platelet response, ATP secretion and aggregation induced by 2-AG and virodhamine were all blocked by acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) or the specific thromboxane A2 (TXA2) antagonist daltroban. In addition, platelet activation induced by 2-AG and virodhamine in blood and PRP were inhibited by JZL184, a selective inhibitor of monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL). In contrast to 2-AG and virodhamine, anandamide, a substrate of fatty acid amidohydrolase, was inactive. Synthetic cannabinoid receptor subtype 1 (CB1) and 2 (CB2) agonists lacked stimulatory as well as inhibitory platelet activity. We conclude that 2-AG and virodhamine stimulate platelets in blood and PRP by a MAGL-triggered mechanism leading to free AA and its metabolism by platelet cyclooxygenase-1/thromboxane synthase to TXA2. CB1, CB2 or non-CB1/CB2 receptors are not involved. Our results imply that ASA and MAGL inhibitors will protect platelets from activation by high endocannabinoid levels, and that

Antioxidant Effect of Melatonin on the Functional Activity of Colostral Phagocytes in Diabetic Women

PubMed Central

Fagundes, Danny L. G.; Calderon, Iracema M. P.; França, Eduardo L.

2013-01-01

Melatonin is involved in a number of physiological and oxidative processes, including functional regulation in human milk. The present study investigated the mechanisms of action of melatonin and its effects on the functional activity of colostral phagocytes in diabetic women. Colostrum samples were collected from normoglycemic (N = 38) and diabetic (N = 38) women. We determined melatonin concentration, superoxide release, bactericidal activity and intracellular Ca2+ release by colostral phagocytes treated or not with 8-(Diethylamino) octyl-3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate hydrochloride (TMB-8) and incubated with melatonin and its precursor (N-acetyl-serotonin-NAS), antagonist (luzindole) and agonist (chloromelatonin-CMLT). Melatonin concentration was higher in colostrum samples from hyperglycemic than normoglycemic mothers. Melatonin stimulated superoxide release by colostral phagocytes from normoglycemic but not hyperglycemic women. NAS increased superoxide, irrespective of glycemic status, whereas CMTL increased superoxide only in cells from the normoglycemic group. Phagocytic activity in colostrum increased significantly in the presence of melatonin, NAS and CMLT, irrespective of glycemic status. The bactericidal activity of colostral phagocytes against enterophatogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) increased in the presence of melatonin or NAS in the normoglycemic group, but not in the hyperglycemic group. Luzindole blocked melatonin action on colostrum phagocytes. Phagocytes from the normoglycemic group treated with melatonin exhibited an increase in intracellular Ca2+ release. Phagocytes treated with TMB-8 (intracellular Ca2+ inhibitor) decreased superoxide, bactericidal activity and intracellular Ca2+ release in both groups. The results obtained suggest an interactive effect of glucose metabolism and melatonin on colostral phagocytes. In colostral phagocytes from normoglycemic mothers, melatonin likely increases the ability of colostrum to protect against EPEC

Soya bean tempe extracts show antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus cells and spores.

PubMed

Roubos-van den Hil, P J; Dalmas, E; Nout, M J R; Abee, T

2010-07-01

Tempe, a Rhizopus ssp.-fermented soya bean food product, was investigated for bacteriostatic and/or bactericidal effects against cells and spores of the food-borne pathogen Bacillus cereus. Tempe extract showed a high antibacterial activity against B. cereus ATCC 14579 based on optical density and viable count measurements. This growth inhibition was manifested by a 4 log CFU ml(-1) reduction, within the first 15 min of exposure. Tempe extracts also rapidly inactivated B. cereus spores upon germination. Viability and membrane permeability assessments using fluorescence probes showed rapid inactivation and permeabilization of the cytoplasmic membrane confirming the bactericidal mode of action. Cooked beans and Rhizopus grown on different media did not show antibacterial activity, indicating the unique association of the antibacterial activity with tempe. Subsequent characterization of the antibacterial activity revealed that heat treatment and protease addition nullified the bactericidal effect, indicating the proteinaceous nature of the bioactive compound. During fermentation of soya beans with Rhizopus, compounds are released with extensive antibacterial activity against B. cereus cells and spores. The results show the potential of producing natural antibacterial compounds that could be used as ingredients in food preservation and pathogen control. © 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2009 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Inhibition of lipid A-mediated type I interferon induction by bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI).

PubMed

Azuma, Masahiro; Matsuo, Aya; Fujimoto, Yukari; Fukase, Koichi; Hazeki, Kaoru; Hazeki, Osamu; Matsumoto, Misako; Seya, Tsukasa

2007-03-09

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a major constituent of the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria, consists of polysaccharides and a lipid structure named lipid A. Lipid A is a typical microbial pattern molecule that serves as a ligand for Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). TLR4 signals the presence of lipid A to recruit adaptor molecules and induces cytokines and type I interferon (IFN) by activating transcription factor, NF-kappaB or IRF-3. Here we showed that chemically synthesized TLR4-agonistic lipid A analogues but not antagonistic lipid A activate IFN-beta promoter in TLR4-expressing HEK293 cells. The amplitude of IFN-beta promoter activation was in parallel with that of NF-kappaB. LPS-binding protein (LBP) was required for efficient IFN-beta induction in this system, and this LBP activity was antagonized by bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI). Thus, we first show that BPI blocks the TLR4 responses by exogenous administration of BPI to lipid A-sensitive cells. Although the functional mechanism whereby extra-cellular BPI modulates the intra-cellular signal pathways selected by the TLR adaptors, MyD88 and TICAM-1 (TRIF), remains unknown, we infer that the lipid A portion of LPS participates in LBP-amplified IFN-beta induction and that BPI binding to LPS leads to inhibition of the activation of NF-kappaB and IFN-beta by LPS or agonistic lipid A via TLR4 in an extrinsic mode. BPI may serve as a therapeutic potential against endotoxin shock by acting as a regulator for the MyD88- and TICAM-1 pathways in the LPS-TLR4 signaling.

Liver failure induces a systemic inflammatory response. Prevention by recombinant N-terminal bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein.

PubMed Central

Boermeester, M. A.; Houdijk, A. P.; Meyer, S.; Cuesta, M. A.; Appelmelk, B. J.; Wesdorp, R. I.; Hack, C. E.; Van Leeuwen, P. A.

1995-01-01

The observed increased susceptibility of patients with fulminant hepatic failure for local and systemic infections has been hypothesized to be due to a failure for the hepatic clearance function and subsequent leaking of endogenous endotoxins into the systemic circulation. However, experimental evidence for such a systemic inflammation during liver failure due to endogenous endotoxemia is lacking. Therefore, we designed a study to clarify whether circulating endotoxins due to liver failure could lead to the development of systemic inflammations. In a rat model for liver failure induced by a two-thirds partial hepatectomy, we evaluated the course of circulating tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-6, changes in blood chemistry and hemodynamics, and histopathological changes in the lungs. Partially hepatectomized animals, but not sham-operated animals, demonstrated cardiac failure, increased levels of creatinin and urea, metabolic acidosis, high plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-6, and an influx of PMNs in the lungs-together indicating the development of a systemic inflammatory response. Continuous infusion of recombinant N-terminal bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (rBPI23), a well described endotoxin-neutralizing protein, prevented these inflammatory reactions. Ex vivo experiments with rat plasma samples confirmed the presence of circulating endotoxins in partially hepatectomized rats as opposed to those treated with rBPI23. Thus, our results indicate that the early phase of liver failure induces a systemic inflammatory response triggered by circulating endotoxins, which can be prevented by perioperative infusion of rBPI23. Images Figure 2 PMID:7485405

Antimicrobial activity of polyhexamethylene guanidine phosphate in comparison to chlorhexidine using the quantitative suspension method.

PubMed

Vitt, A; Sofrata, A; Slizen, V; Sugars, R V; Gustafsson, A; Gudkova, E I; Kazeko, L A; Ramberg, P; Buhlin, K

2015-07-17

Polyhexamethylene guanidine phosphate (PHMG-P) belongs to the polymeric guanidine family of biocides and contains a phosphate group, which may confer better solubility, a detoxifying effect and may change the kinetics and dynamics of PHMG-P interactions with microorganisms. Limited data regarding PHMG-P activity against periodontopathogenic and cariogenic microorganisms necessitates studies in this area. Aim is to evaluate polyhexamethylene guanidine phosphate antimicrobial activity in comparison to chlorhexidine. Quantitative suspension method was used enrolling Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus acidophilus. Both tested antiseptics at their clinically-used concentrations, of 0.2% (w/v) and 1% (w/v), correspondingly provided swift bactericidal effects against S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, E. coli and C. albicans, A. actinomycetemcomitans and P. gingivalis with reduction factors higher than 6.0. Diluted polyhexamethylene guanidine phosphate and chlorhexidine to 0.05% continued to display anti-bacterial activity and decreased titers of standard quality control, periopathogens to below 1.0 × 10(3) colony forming units/ml, albeit requiring prolonged exposure time. To achieve a bactericidal effect against S. mutans, both antiseptics at all concentrations required a longer exposure time. We found that a clinically-used 1% of polyhexamethylene guanidine phosphate concentration did not have activity against L. acidophilus. High RF of polyhexamethylene guanidine phosphate and retention of bactericidal effects, even at 0.05%, support the use of polyhexamethylene guanidine phosphate as a biocide with sufficient anti-microbial activity against periopathogens. Polyhexamethylene guanidine phosphate displayed bactericidal activity against periopathogens and S. mutans and could potentially be applied in the management of oral

Whole Blood Activation Results in Altered T Cell and Monocyte Cytokine Production Profiles by Flow Cytometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crucian, Brian E.; Sams, Clarence F.

2001-01-01

An excellent monitor of the immune balance of peripheral circulating cells is to determine their cytokine production patterns in response to stimuli. Using flow cytometry, a positive identification of cytokine producing cells in a mixed culture may be achieved. Recently, the ability to assess cytokine production following a whole-blood activation culture has been described. In this study, whole blood activation was compared to traditional PBMC activation and the individual cytokine secretion patterns for both T cells, T cell subsets and monocytes was determined by flow cytometry. RESULTS: For T cell cytokine assessment (IFNg/IL-10 and IL-21/L-4) following PMA +ionomycin activation: (1) a Significantly greater percentages of T cells producing IFNgamma and IL-2 were observed following whole-blood culture and (2) altered T cell cytokine production kinetics were observed by varying whole blood culture times. Four-color analysiS was used to allow assessment of cytokine production by specific T cell subsets. It was found that IFNgamma production was significantly elevated in the CD3+/CD8+ T cell population as compared to the CD3+/CD8- population following five hours of whole blood activation. Conversely, IL-2 and IL-10 production were Significantly elevated in the CD3+/CD8- T cell population as compared to the CD3+/CD8+ population. Monocyte cytokine production was assessed in both culture systems following LPS activation for 24 hours. A three-color flow cytometric was used to assess two cytokines (IL-1a/IL-12 and TNFa/IL-10) in conjunction with CD14. Nearly all monocytes were stimulated to produce IL-1a, IL-12 and TNFa. equally well in both culture systems, however monocyte production of IL-10 was significantly elevated in whole blood culture as compared to PBMC culture. IL-12 producing monocytes appeared to be a distinct subpopulation of the IL-1a producing set, whereas IL-10 and TNFa producing monocytes were largely mutually exclusive. IL-10 and TNFa producing

Antibacterial and antifungal activities from Siamese crocodile blood.

PubMed

Leelawongtawon, Ratree; Siruntawineti, Jindawan; Chaeychomsri, Win; Sattaponpan, Chisanucha

2010-12-01

To evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of the Siamese crocodile blood against bacteria and fungi. Thirty Siamese crocodile blood samples including freeze dried whole blood (FDWB), fresh serum (FS), and freeze dried serum (FDS) were evaluated for antimicrobial susceptibility and MIC values against ATCC-registered strains of nine bacterial species and two fungal species and one fungus isolated from a clinical specimen, by using the standard broth microdilution method and a modified resazurin microtiter plate assay. The result showed that FS (80 mg/ml) and FDS (100 mg/ml) inhibited Gram negative bacteria including Enterobacter aerogenes ATCC 13048, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 27736, Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 13311 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 with the susceptibility rate at 23.30%, 10.00%, 40.00%, 70.00%, and 86.67%, respectively for FS, and 30.00%, 10.00%, 43.33%, 76.67% and 90.00%, respectively for FDS. The MIC and MBC were in the range of 12.50-100.00 mg/ml and 25.00-100.00 mg/m1 respectively. FS and FDS also inhibited Cryptococcus neoformans 250309 and Aspergillus niger with the susceptibility rate at 90.00% and 80.00%, respectively for FS and 100.00% and 83.33%, respectively for FDS. The MIC was in the range of 25.00-100.00 mg/ml. However, FS and FDS did not inhibit Gram positive bacteria and did not kill fungi. FDWB (100 mg/ml) could neither inhibit bacteria nor fungi. FS and FDS from Siamese crocodile exhibited potential antibacterial and antifungal activities.

Arginase activity in peripheral blood of patients with intestinal schistosomiasis, Wonji, Central Ethiopia.

PubMed

Getaneh, A; Tamrat, A; Tadesse, K

2015-07-01

Morbidity and mortality caused by schistosomiasis usually results from immunopathology. But the underlying mechanisms are not yet clearly understood. Th2-type immune response is thought to be dominant during chronic schistosomiasis, and upregulation of arginase-I is one component of this milieu. A cohort study was conducted to assess arginase activity in peripheral blood of humans with intestinal schistosomiasis in Wonji-Shoa Sugar Estate, Central Ethiopia. Laboratory-confirmed 30 Schistosoma mansoni-infected patients and 18 apparently healthy controls were recruited. Faecal egg count was carried out by Kato-Katz technique. Plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from whole blood. Activity of arginase in plasma and PBMC lysates was measured, and results were compared with that of controls. Twenty-one of 30 patients had light infection, whereas moderate and heavy intensity infections were observed in eight and only one patient(s), respectively. A significant increase in both PBMC (patients: 59.96 + 82.99, controls: 25.44 + 24.6 mU/mg protein, P < 0.0001) and plasma (patients: 1.61 + 2.19, controls: 0.31 + 0.73 mU/mL plasma, P < 0.0001) arginase activity was observed during human S. mansoni infection. Arginase activity increases in peripheral blood of patients with intestinal schistosomiasis. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein in the reproductive system of male mice may be involved in the sperm-oocyte fusion.

PubMed

Li, Kun; Liu, Yue; Xia, Xiaoyu; Wang, Li; Lu, Meige; Hu, Yanqin; Xu, Chen

2013-08-01

Bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) is a 455-residue (∼55 kDa) protein found mainly in the primary (azurophilic) granules of human neutrophils. BPI is an endogenous antibiotic protein that belongs to the family of mammalian lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding and lipid transport proteins. Its major function is to kill Gram-negative bacteria, thereby protecting the host from infection. In addition, BPI can inhibit angiogenesis, suppress LPS-mediated platelet activation, increase DNA synthesis, and activate ERK/Akt signaling. In this study, we found that Bpi was expressed in the testis and epididymis but not in the seminal vesicles, prostate, and solidification glands. BPI expression in the epididymis increased upon upregulation of testosterone, caused by injection of GNRH. In orchidectomized mice, BPI expression was significantly reduced, but its expression was restored to 30% of control levels in orchidectomized mice that received supplementary testosterone. The number of sperm fused per egg significantly decreased after incubation with anti-BPI antiserum. These results suggest that BPI may take part in the process of sperm-oocyte fusion and play a unique and significant role in reproduction.

Bioprotective properties of Dragon's blood resin: in vitro evaluation of antioxidant activity and antimicrobial activity.

PubMed

Gupta, Deepika; Gupta, Rajinder K

2011-02-17

Food preservation is basically done to preserve the natural characteristics and appearance of the food and to increase the shelf life of food. Food preservatives in use are natural, chemical and artificial. Keeping in mind the adverse effects of synthetic food preservatives, there is a need to identify natural food preservatives. The aims of this study were to evaluate in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Dragon's blood resin obtained from Dracaena cinnabari Balf f., with a view to develop safer food preservatives. In this study, three solvents of varying polarity were used to extract and separate the medium and high polarity compounds from the non-polar compounds of the Dragon's blood resin. The extracts were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against the food borne pathogens. The antioxidant activities of the extracts were assessed using DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging, FRAP, metal chelating and reducing power assays. Total phenolics, flavonoids and flavonols of extracts were also estimated using the standard methods. Phytochemical analysis of extracts revealed high phenolic content in CH(2)Cl(2) extract of resin. Free radical scavenging of CH(2)Cl(2) extract was found to be highest which is in good correlation with its total phenolic content. All test microorganisms were also inhibited by CH(2)Cl(2) extract. Our result provide evidence that CH(2)Cl(2) extract is a potential source of natural antioxidant compounds and exhibited good inhibitory activity against various food borne pathogens. Thus, CH(2)Cl(2) extract of Dragon's blood resin could be considered as possible source of food preservative.

Structure-anti-MRSA activity relationship of macrocyclic bis(bibenzyl) derivatives.

PubMed

Sawada, Hiromi; Onoda, Kenji; Morita, Daichi; Ishitsubo, Erika; Matsuno, Kenji; Tokiwa, Hiroaki; Kuroda, Teruo; Miyachi, Hiroyuki

2013-12-15

We synthesized a series of macrocyclic bis(bibenzyl) derivatives, including riccardin-, isoplagiochin- and marchantin-class structures, and evaluated their antibacterial activity towards methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (anti-MRSA activity). The structure-activity relationships and the results of molecular dynamics simulations indicated that bis(bibenzyl)s with potent anti-MRSA activity commonly have a 4-hydroxyl group at the D-benzene ring and a 2-hydroxyl group at the C-benzene ring in the hydrophilic part of the molecule, and an unsubstituted phenoxyphenyl group in the hydrophobic part of the molecule containing the A-B-benzene rings. Pharmacological characterization of the bis(bibenzyl) derivatives and 2-phenoxyphenol fragment 25, previously proposed as the minimum structure of riccardin C 1 for anti-MRSA activity, indicated that they have different action mechanisms: the bis(bibenzyl)s are bactericidal, while 25 is bacteriostatic, showing only weak bactericidal activity. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antibacterial activity of combination of synthetic and biopolymer non-woven structures.

PubMed

Bhullar, Sukhwinder K; Özsel, Burcak Kaya; Yadav, Ramesh; Kaur, Ginpreet; Chintamaneni, Meena; Buttar, Harpal S

2015-12-01

Fibrous structures and synthetic polymer blends offer potential usages in making biomedical devices, textiles used in medical practices, food packaging, tissue engineering, environmental applications and biomedical arena. These products are also excellent candidates for building scaffolds to grow stem cells for implantation, to make tissue engineering grafts, to make stents to open up blood vessels caused by atherosclerosis or narrowed by blood clots, for drug delivery systems for micro- to nano-medicines, for transdermal patches, and for healing of wounds and burn care. The current study was designed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of woven and non-woven forms of nano- and macro-scale blended polymers having biocompatible and biodegradable characteristics. The antimicrobial activity of non-woven fibrous structures created with the combination of synthetic and biopolymer was assessed using Gram-negative, Gram-positive bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus vulgaris, Escherichia coli and Enterobacter aerogenes using pour plate method. Structural evaluation of the fabricated samples was performed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Broad spectrum antibacterial activities were found from the tested materials consisting of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with chitosan and nylon-6 combined with chitosan and formic acid. The combination of PVA with chitosan was more bactericidal or bacteriostatic than that of nylon-6 combined with chitosan and formic acid. PVA combination with chitosan appears to be a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent.

Physical activity modifies the associations between genetic variants and blood pressure in European adolescents.

PubMed

de Moraes, Augusto César Ferreira; Fernández-Alvira, Juan Miguel; Carvalho, Heráclito Barbosa; Meirhaeghe, Aline; Dallongeville, Jean; Kafatos, Anthony; Marcos, Ascensión; Molnar, Dénes; Manios, Yannis; Ruiz, Jonatan R; Labayen, Idoia; Widhalm, Kurt; Breidenassel, Christina; Gonzalez-Gróss, Marcela; Moreno, Luis A

2014-11-01

We hypothesized that physical activity and sedentary behavior could modify the associations between known genetic variants blood pressure-associated genes in European adolescents. Meeting current physical activity recommendations (≥ 60 minutes/day) was able attenuate the deleterious effect of the NOS3 rs3918227 polymorphism on systolic blood pressure in European adolescents. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Secretory phospholipase A2 activity in blood serum: the challenge to sense.

PubMed

Alekseeva, A S; Korotaeva, A A; Samoilova, E V; Volynsky, P E; Vodovozova, E L; Boldyrev, I A

2014-11-07

Excess levels of secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) is known to contribute to several inflammatory diseases including vascular inflammation correlating with coronary events in coronary artery disease. Thus a method to monitor sPLA2 activity in blood serum is urgently needed. Such method is still a challenge since existing fluorescent probes do not allow to monitor sPLA2 activity directly in blood serum. Here we analyze and overcome barriers in sPLA2 sensing methodology and report a fluorescent probe and a kinetic model of its hydrolysis by sPLA2. New probe is designed with a fluorophore and a quencher not interfering binding to the enzyme. At the same time phospholipid matrix bearing the probe promotes efficient initial quenching of the fluorophore. Kinetic model of probe hydrolysis takes into account signal change due to the side processes. The probe and the kinetic model applied together prove the concept that the activity of sPLA can be measured directly in blood serum. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Whole blood flow cytometry measurements of in vivo platelet activation in critically-Ill patients are influenced by variability in blood sampling techniques.

PubMed

Rondina, Matthew T; Grissom, Colin K; Men, Shaohua; Harris, Estelle S; Schwertz, Hansjorg; Zimmerman, Guy A; Weyrich, Andrew S

2012-06-01

Flow cytometry is often used to measure in vivo platelet activation in critically-ill patients. Variability in blood sampling techniques, which may confound these measurements, remains poorly characterized. Platelet activation was measured by flow cytometry performed on arterial and venous blood from 116 critically-ill patients. We determined how variability in vascular sampling site, processing times, and platelet counts influenced levels of platelet-monocyte aggregates (PMA), PAC-1 binding (for glycoprotein (GP) IIbIIIa), and P-selectin (P-SEL) expression. Levels of PMA, but not PAC-1 binding or P-SEL expression, were significantly affected by variability in vascular sampling site. Average PMA levels were approximately 60% higher in whole blood drawn from an arterial vessel compared to venous blood (16.2±1.8% vs. 10.7±1.2%, p<0.05). Levels of PMA in both arterial and venous blood increased significantly during ex vivo processing delays (1.7% increase for every 10 minute delay, p<0.05). In contrast, PAC-1 binding and P-SEL expression were unaffected by processing delays. Levels of PMA, but not PAC-1 binding or P-SEL expression, were correlated with platelet count quartiles (9.4±1.6% for the lowest quartile versus 15.4±1.6% for the highest quartile, p<0.05). In critically-ill patients, variability in vascular sampling site, processing times, and platelet counts influence levels of PMA, but not PAC-1 binding or P-SEL expression. These data demonstrate the need for rigorous adherence to blood sampling protocols, particularly when levels of PMA, which are most sensitive to variations in blood collection, are measured for detection of in vivo platelet activation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparative study of the bactericidal effects of 5-aminolevulinic acid with blue and red light on Propionibacterium acnes.

PubMed

Choi, Myoung-Soon; Yun, Sook Jung; Beom, Hee Ju; Park, Hyoung Ryun; Lee, Jee-Bum

2011-07-01

Propionibacterium acnes naturally produces endogenous porphyrins that are composed of coproporphyrin III (CPIII) and protoporphyrin IX (PpIX). Red light alone and photodynamic therapy (PDT) improve acne vulgaris clinically, but there remains a paucity of quantitative data that directly examine the bactericidal effects that result from PDT on P. acnes itself in vitro. The purpose of this study was to measure the difference of bactericidal effects of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-PDT with red and blue light on P. acnes. P. acnes were cultured under anaerobic conditions and divided into two groups (ALA-treated group and control group), and were then illuminated with blue (415 nm) and red (635 nm) lights using a light-emitting diode (LED). The cultured P. acnes were killed with both blue and red LED light illumination. The efficacy increased with larger doses of light and a greater number of consecutive illuminations. We demonstrated that red light phototherapy was less effective for the eradication of P. acnes than blue light phototherapy without the addition of ALA. However, pretreatment with ALA could enhance markedly the efficacy of red light phototherapy. © 2010 Japanese Dermatological Association.

The Impact of 200 Meter Breast Stroke Swimming Activity on Blood Glucose Level of The Student

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syahrastani, S.; Badri, H.; Argantos, A.; Yuniarti, E.

2018-04-01

Blood sugar in the human body is very important, as it is a source of energy for humans. Fasting blood sugar needs to be recognized, because it is an indicator of a person’s health. The research that has been done aims to determine the effect of physical activity on fasting blood sugar. This research is a quasi-experimental research. The research was conducted on 15 students of FIK UNP Padang, who have passed the swimming course. Blood was taken before and after doing physical exercise activity of 200 meter breaststroke swimming. Data collection was conducted with tests and measurements. The data analysis technique used inference statistics with t test formula, with α = 0.05. From the results it is obtained that there is a very significant impact on blood sugar levels after 200 meters breaststroke swimming activity with p <0.05

Rapid Eradication of Listeria monocytogenes by Moxifloxacin in a Murine Model of Central Nervous System Listeriosis▿

PubMed Central

Grayo, Solène; Lott-Desroches, Marie-Catherine; Dussurget, Olivier; Respaud, Renaud; Fontanet, Arnaud; Join-Lambert, Olivier; Singlas, Eric; Le Monnier, Alban

2008-01-01

Listeriosis is a rare but life-threatening infection. A favorable outcome is greatly aided by early administration of antibiotics with rapid bactericidal activity against Listeria monocytogenes. Moxifloxacin, a new-generation fluoroquinolone with extended activity against gram-positive bacteria, has proved its effectiveness in vitro against intracellular reservoirs of bacteria. The efficacies of moxifloxacin and amoxicillin were compared in vivo by survival curve assays and by studying the kinetics of bacterial growth in blood and organs in a murine model of central nervous system (CNS) listeriosis. We combined pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic approaches to correlate the observed efficacy in vivo with plasma and tissue moxifloxacin concentrations. Death was significantly delayed for animals treated with a single dose of moxifloxacin compared to a single dose of amoxicillin. We observed rapid bacterial clearance from blood and organs of animals treated with moxifloxacin. The decrease in the bacterial counts in blood and brain correlated with plasma and cerebral concentrations of antibiotic. Moxifloxacin peaked in the brain at 1.92 ± 0.32 μg/g 1 hour after intraperitoneal injection. This suggests that moxifloxacin rapidly crosses the blood-brain barrier and diffuses into the cerebral parenchyma. Moreover, no resistant strains were selected during in vivo experiments. Our results indicate that moxifloxacin combines useful pharmacokinetic properties and rapid bactericidal activity and that it may be a valuable alternative for the treatment of CNS listeriosis. PMID:18573932

Calcium and Zinc Containing Bactericidal Glass Coatings for Biomedical Metallic Substrates

PubMed Central

Esteban-Tejeda, Leticia; Díaz, Luis A.; Prado, Catuxa; Cabal, Belén; Torrecillas, Ramón; Moya, José S.

2014-01-01

The present work presents new bactericidal coatings, based on two families of non-toxic, antimicrobial glasses belonging to B2O3–SiO2–Na2O–ZnO and SiO2–Na2O–Al2O3–CaO–B2O3 systems. Free of cracking, single layer direct coatings on different biomedical metallic substrates (titanium alloy, Nb, Ta, and stainless steel) have been developed. Thermal expansion mismatch was adjusted by changing glass composition of the glass type, as well as the firing atmosphere (air or Ar) according to the biomedical metallic substrates. Formation of bubbles in some of the glassy coatings has been rationalized considering the reactions that take place at the different metal/coating interfaces. All the obtained coatings were proven to be strongly antibacterial versus Escherichia coli (>4 log). PMID:25056542

Enhanced Cellular Internalization: A Bactericidal Mechanism More Relative to Biogenic Nanoparticles than Chemical Counterparts.

PubMed

Kumari, Madhuree; Shukla, Shatrunajay; Pandey, Shipra; Giri, Ved P; Bhatia, Anil; Tripathi, Tusha; Kakkar, Poonam; Nautiyal, Chandra S; Mishra, Aradhana

2017-02-08

Biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles for enhanced antimicrobial activity has gained a lot of momentum making it an urgent need to search for a suitable biocandidate which could be utilized for efficient capping and shaping of silver nanoparticles with enhanced bactericidal activity utilizing its secondary metabolites. Current work illustrates the enhancement of antimicrobial efficacy of silver nanoparticles by reducing and modifying their surface with antimicrobial metabolites of cell free filtrate of Trichoderma viride (MTCC 5661) in comparison to citrate stabilized silver nanoparticles. Nanoparticles were characterized by visual observations, UV-visible spectroscopy, zetasizer, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Synthesized particles were monodispersed, spherical in shape and 10-20 nm in size. Presence of metabolites on surface of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles was observed by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The antimicrobial activity of both silver nanoparticles was tested against Shigella sonnei, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) by growth inhibition curve analysis and colony formation unit assay. Further, it was noted that internalization of biosynthesized nanoparticles inside the bacterial cell was much higher as compared to citrate stabilized particles which in turn lead to higher production of reactive oxygen species. Increase in oxidative stress caused severe damage to bacterial membrane enhancing further uptake of particles and revoking other pathways for bacterial disintegration resulting in complete and rapid death of pathogens as evidenced by fluorescein diacetate/propidium iodide dual staining and TEM. Thus, study reveals that biologically synthesized silver nanoarchitecture coated with antimicrobial metabolites of T. viride was more potent than their

Pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin and ceftiofur in plasma, interstitial fluid, and gastrointestinal tract of calves after subcutaneous injection, and bactericidal impacts on representative enteric bacteria.

PubMed

Foster, D M; Jacob, M E; Warren, C D; Papich, M G

2016-02-01

This study's objectives were to determine intestinal antimicrobial concentrations in calves administered enrofloxacin or ceftiofur sodium subcutaneously, and their impact on representative enteric bacteria. Ultrafiltration devices were implanted in the ileum and colon of 12 steers, which received either enrofloxacin or ceftiofur sodium. Samples were collected over 48 h after drug administration for pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic analysis. Enterococcus faecalis or Salmonella enterica (5 × 10(5) CFU/mL of each) were exposed in vitro to peak and tail (48 h postadministration) concentrations of both drugs at each location for 24 h to determine inhibition of growth and change in MIC. Enrofloxacin had tissue penetration factors of 1.6 and 2.5 in the ileum and colon, while ciprofloxacin, an active metabolite of enrofloxacin, was less able to cross into the intestine (tissue penetration factors of 0.7 and 1.7). Ceftiofur was rapidly eliminated leading to tissue penetration factors of 0.39 and 0.25. All concentrations of enrofloxacin were bactericidal for S. enterica and significantly reduced E. faecalis. Peak ceftiofur concentration was bactericidal for S. enterica, and tail concentrations significantly reduced growth. E. faecalis experienced growth at all ceftiofur concentrations. The MICs for both organisms exposed to peak and tail concentrations of antimicrobials were unchanged at the end of the study. Enrofloxacin and ceftiofur achieved intestinal concentrations capable of reducing intestinal bacteria, yet the short exposure of ceftiofur in the intestine may select for resistant organisms. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Comparative antimicrobial activity, in vitro and in vivo, of soft N-chloramine systems and chlorhexidine.

PubMed Central

Selk, S H; Pogány, S A; Higuchi, T

1982-01-01

Antimicrobial activity of the following four new N-chloramine compounds was evaluated: two chlorinated simple amino acids, a chlorinated half-ester of succinic acid, and a chlorinated half-ester of glutaric acid. For comparison, the known bactericidal agents 3-chloro-4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolidinone and chlorhexidine were evaluated by the same procedure. The contact germicidal efficiency screen was used to examine the in vitro bactericidal activity of all six compounds in the absence and presence of 5% horse serum or 5% Triton X-100. The four new compounds were found to have greater germicidal activity than the other compounds tested and to exhibit low toxicity and skin irritation values. The in vivo bactericidal activity was evaluated in two studies. In the occlusion test, three of the four new compounds plus chlorhexidine diacetate were tested. The N-chloramines were significantly superior to chlorhexidine in preventing the expansion of the normal flora under occlusion. In the scrub test, a gloved-hand wash method was used to compare the antimicrobial effect of a 1% solution of the chlorinated half-ester of succinic acid in triacetin with that of a commercial germicidal hand wash containing 4% chlorhexidine gluconate. The two preparations exhibited essentially the same hand-degerming activity. PMID:6805433

Bioprotective properties of Dragon's blood resin: In vitro evaluation of antioxidant activity and antimicrobial activity

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Food preservation is basically done to preserve the natural characteristics and appearance of the food and to increase the shelf life of food. Food preservatives in use are natural, chemical and artificial. Keeping in mind the adverse effects of synthetic food preservatives, there is a need to identify natural food preservatives. The aims of this study were to evaluate in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Dragon's blood resin obtained from Dracaena cinnabari Balf f., with a view to develop safer food preservatives. Methods In this study, three solvents of varying polarity were used to extract and separate the medium and high polarity compounds from the non-polar compounds of the Dragon's blood resin. The extracts were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against the food borne pathogens. The antioxidant activities of the extracts were assessed using DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging, FRAP, metal chelating and reducing power assays. Total phenolics, flavonoids and flavonols of extracts were also estimated using the standard methods. Results Phytochemical analysis of extracts revealed high phenolic content in CH2Cl2 extract of resin. Free radical scavenging of CH2Cl2 extract was found to be highest which is in good correlation with its total phenolic content. All test microorganisms were also inhibited by CH2Cl2 extract. Conclusions Our result provide evidence that CH2Cl2 extract is a potential source of natural antioxidant compounds and exhibited good inhibitory activity against various food borne pathogens. Thus, CH2Cl2 extract of Dragon's blood resin could be considered as possible source of food preservative. PMID:21329518

Anti-Salmonella activity of medicinal plants from Cameroon.

PubMed

Nkuo-Akenji, T; Ndip, R; McThomas, A; Fru, E C

2001-06-01

To evaluate the effects of herbal extracts derived from plants commonly prescribed by traditional practitioners for the treatment of typhoid fever. A cross sectional study. Departments of Life Sciences and Chemistry, University of Buea, Cameroon. Methanol extracts of plant parts commonly used in Cameroon for the treatment of typhoid fever. Antimicrobial activity was tested using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assays. Methanol extracts of plant parts commonly used in Cameroon for the treatment of typhoid fever were tested for antibacterial activity against Salmonella typhi, S. paratyphi and S. typhimurium. The formulations used were: 1) Formulation A comprising Cymbogogon citratus leaves, Carica papaya leaves, and Zea mays silk. 2) Formulation B comprising C. papaya roots, Mangifera indica leaves, Citrus limon fruit and C. citratus leaves. 3) C. papaya leaves. 4) Emilia coccinea whole plant. 5) Comelina bengalensis leaves. 6) Telfaria occidentalis leaves. 7) Gossypium arboreum whole plant. Antimicrobial activity was tested using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assays. Generally, Formulation A elicited inhibitory activity at a lower range of 0.02 to 0.06 mg/ml. Similarly, Formulation B elicited bacterial activity at the lowest range of 0.06 to 0.25 mg/ml. C. bengalensis leaves on the other hand, showed the lowest activity with a concentration range of 0.132 to 2.0 mg/ml and 1 to 4 mg/ml in MIC and MBC assays respectively. S. paratyphi was most sensitive to the formulations (concentration range of 0.02 to 1 mg/ml in both MIC and MBC assays) while S. typhimurium was the least sensitive and concentrations of up to 4 mg/ml were required to be bactericidal. It is concluded that plant extracts with low MIC and MBC values (1 mg/ml and lower) may contain compounds with therapeutic activity.

Acute effects of electromagnetic stimulation of the brain on cortical activity, cortical blood flow, blood pressure and heart rate in the cat: an evaluation of safety.

PubMed Central

Eyre, J A; Flecknell, P A; Kenyon, B R; Koh, T H; Miller, S

1990-01-01

The influence of repeated high intensity electromagnetic stimulation of the brain on cortical activity, cortical blood flow, blood pressure and heart rate has been investigated in the cat, to evaluate the safety of the method. The observations have been made in preparations under propofol anaesthesia before, during and after periods of anoxia. Electromagnetic stimulation of the brain evoked activity in descending motor pathways and was recorded by activity in the median nerve and by muscle twitches. Following repeated series of high intensity stimulation there were no systematic changes in somatosensory evoked potentials or background EEG, nor were there signs of epileptogenic activity during electromagnetic stimulation, before, during or after periods of anoxia. No systematic changes in cortical blood flow, blood pressure or heart rate were observed during electromagnetic stimulation, before or after periods of anoxia. In conclusion, no acute adverse consequences following electromagnetic stimulation in the normal and anoxic cat brain were demonstrated. PMID:2380732

Antineutrophil cytoplasm autoantibodies against bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein in inflammatory bowel disease.

PubMed Central

Walmsley, R S; Zhao, M H; Hamilton, M I; Brownlee, A; Chapman, P; Pounder, R E; Wakefield, A J; Lockwood, C M

1997-01-01

BACKGROUND: Bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI), a constituent of primary neutrophil granules, is a potent natural antibiotic and an antineutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA) antigen in cases of vasculitis in which the target antigen is neither myeloperoxidase (MPO) nor proteinase-3 (PR3). AIM: To investigate BPI as a possible target antigen for ANCAs in inflammatory bowel disease. METHODS: ANCAs were detected by routine immunofluorescence (IIF) and solid phase enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) performed for antibodies to the purified neutrophil granule proteins; MPO, PR3, cathepsin-G, lactoferrin, and BPI in serum samples from 88 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (36 with Crohn's disease, 52 with ulcerative colitis). Thirty patients with bacterial enteritis acted as controls. RESULTS: Significantly more patients with ulcerative colitis were ANCA positive by IIF (60%) than patients with Crohn's disease (28%) or infectious enteritis (23%) (p < 0.001). IgG anti-BPI antibodies were present in 29% of patients with ulcerative colitis, 14% of patients with Crohn's disease, and 23% of patients with infectious enteritis, occurring in 44% of those patients with inflammatory bowel disease who were ANCA positive by IIF. Antibodies to other ANCA antigens were rare. The presence of ANCAs was not related to either disease activity or extent; presence of anti-BPI antibodies was significantly related to both a lower serum albumin concentration (p = 0.001) and a higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p = 0.02) in patients with ulcerative colitis, and to colonic involvement in patients with Crohn's disease (p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: BPI is a significant minority target antigen for ANCAs in inflammatory bowel disease that seems related to colonic Crohn's disease and disease activity in ulcerative colitis. Anti-BPI antibodies occur in infectious enteritis. PMID:9155585

Chronic exposure to dim light at night suppresses immune responses in Siberian hamsters.

PubMed

Bedrosian, Tracy A; Fonken, Laura K; Walton, James C; Nelson, Randy J

2011-06-23

Species have been adapted to specific niches optimizing survival and reproduction; however, urbanization by humans has dramatically altered natural habitats. Artificial light at night (LAN), termed 'light pollution', is an often overlooked, yet increasing disruptor of habitats, which perturbs physiological processes that rely on precise light information. For example, LAN alters the timing of reproduction and activity in some species, which decreases the odds of successful breeding and increases the threat of predation for these individuals, leading to reduced fitness. LAN also suppresses immune function, an important proxy for survival. To investigate the impact of LAN in a species naive to light pollution in its native habitat, immune function was examined in Siberian hamsters derived from wild-caught stock. After four weeks exposure to dim LAN, immune responses to three different challenges were assessed: (i) delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH), (ii) lipopolysaccharide-induced fever, and (iii) bactericide activity of blood. LAN suppressed DTH response and reduced bactericide activity of blood after lipopolysaccharide treatment, in addition to altering daily patterns of locomotor activity, suggesting that human encroachment on habitats via night-time lighting may inadvertently compromise immune function and ultimately fitness.

Contact Activation of Blood Plasma and Factor XII by Ion-exchange Resins

PubMed Central

Yeh, Chyi-Huey Josh; Dimachkie, Ziad O.; Golas, Avantika; Cheng, Alice; Parhi, Purnendu; Vogler, Erwin A.

2011-01-01

Sepharose ion-exchange particles bearing strong Lewis acid/base functional groups (sulfopropyl, carboxymethyl, quarternary ammonium, dimethyl aminoethyl, and iminodiacetic acid) exhibiting high plasma protein adsorbent capacities are shown to be more efficient activators of blood factor XII in neat-buffer solution than either hydrophilic clean-glass particles or hydrophobic octyl sepharose particles ( FXII→surfaceactivatorFXIIa; a.k.a autoactivation, where FXII is the zymogen and FXIIa is a procoagulant protease). In sharp contrast to the clean-glass standard of comparison, ion-exchange activators are shown to be inefficient activators of blood plasma coagulation. These contrasting activation properties are proposed to be due to the moderating effect of plasma-protein adsorption on plasma coagulation. Efficient adsorption of blood plasma proteins unrelated to the coagulation cascade impedes FXII contacts with ion-exchange particles immersed in plasma, reducing autoactivation, and causing sluggish plasma coagulation. By contrast, plasma proteins do not adsorb to hydrophilic clean glass and efficient autoactivation leads directly to efficient activation of plasma coagulation. It is also shown that competitive-protein adsorption can displace FXIIa adsorbed to the surface of ion-exchange resins. As a consequence of highly-efficient autoactivation and FXIIa displacement by plasma proteins, ion-exchange particles are slightly more efficient activators of plasma coagulation than hydrophobic octyl sepharose particles that do not bear strong Lewis acid/base surface functionalities but to which plasma proteins adsorb efficiently. Plasma proteins thus play a dual role in moderating contact activation of the plasma coagulation cascade. The principal role is impeding FXII contact with activating surfaces but this same effect can displace FXIIa from an activating surface into solution where the protease can potentiate subsequent steps of the plasma coagulation cascade. PMID

Of Men Not Mice: Bactericidal/Permeability-Increasing Protein Expressed in Human Macrophages Acts as a Phagocytic Receptor and Modulates Entry and Replication of Gram-Negative Bacteria

PubMed Central

Balakrishnan, Arjun; Schnare, Markus; Chakravortty, Dipshikha

2016-01-01

Macrophages as immune cells prevent the spreading of pathogens by means of active phagocytosis and killing. We report here the presence of an antimicrobial protein, bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) in human macrophages, which actively participates in engulfment and killing of Gram-negative pathogens. Our studies revealed increased expression of BPI in human macrophages during bacterial infection and upon stimulation with various pathogen-associated molecular patterns, viz., LPS and flagellin. Furthermore, during the course of an infection, BPI interacted with Gram-negative bacteria, resulting in enhanced phagocytosis and subsequent control of the bacterial replication. However, it was observed that bacteria which can maintain an active replicating niche (Salmonella Typhimurium) avoid the interaction with BPI during later stages of infection. On the other hand, Salmonella mutants, which cannot maintain a replicating niche, as well as Shigella flexneri, which quit the endosomal vesicle, showed interaction with BPI. These results propose an active role of BPI in Gram-negative bacterial clearance by human macrophages. PMID:27822215

Antimicrobial and antiparasitic activities of three algae from the northwest coast of Algeria.

PubMed

Ghania, Aissaoui; Nabila, Belyagoubi-Benhammou; Larbi, Belyagoubi; Elisabeth, Mouray; Philippe, Grellier; Mariem, Benmahdjoub; Khadidja, Kerzabi-Kanoun; Wacila, Benguedda-Rahal; Fawzia, Atik-Bekkara

2017-11-22

The objective of this study was to investigate the biological activities of Algerian algae, Sargassum vulgare, Cladostephus hirsutus and Rissoella verruculosa. Antimicrobial activity of the crude extracts and their fractions was assessed using the disc diffusion assay, the minimum inhibitory concentration and the minimum bactericidal concentration. Antiparasitic activity was studied in vitro against the blood stream forms of Trypanosoma brucei brucei and the intraerythrocytic stages of Plasmodium falciparum. Ethyl acetate (EA) fractions of the three tested algae showed more potent antimicrobial activity against S. aureus (7-14.5 mm) and B. cereus (7-10.75 mm), MIC values ranged from 0.9375 to 7.5 mg mL -1 and MBC values > 15 mg mL -1 . Concerning the antiparasitic activity, EA factions of S. vulgare (IC 50  = 9.3 μg mL -1 ) and R. verruculosa (IC 50  = 11.0 μg mL -1 ) were found to be more effective against T. brucei brucei, whereas the three EA fractions were little active against P. falciparum.

Bactericidal activity of OPC-67683 against drug-tolerant Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

PubMed

Saliu, Oluwabunmi Y; Crismale, Catina; Schwander, Stephan K; Wallis, Robert S

2007-11-01

There is an urgent need for drugs that hasten sterilization in tuberculosis; however, we presently lack indicators of this activity to guide early drug development. We previously described a novel in vitro assay to study mycobacterial phenotypic drug tolerance, in which sterilizing activity could be assessed. OPC-67,683 is a novel imidazooxazole that accelerates sterilization in the mouse tuberculosis model. The present study was conducted to determine the activity of OPC-67,683 in the in vitro tolerance model using drug-tolerant clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains. Tolerance was assessed in Bactec radiometric culture as: (i) delayed decline in growth index during 14 days of drug exposure; (ii) shorter time to positivity of subcultures following drug exposure. Four isolates were selected from among 16 surveyed, based on delayed killing by isoniazid and OPC-67,683. Unlike isoniazid and rifampicin, whose rates of killing were concentration-independent, OPC-67,683 showed concentration-dependent effects that, at the highest dose levels tested (1.0 microg/mL), were superior to isoniazid and equal to rifampicin. The sterilizing activity of OPC-67683 against drug-tolerant M. tuberculosis in the Bactec model is consistent with its activity in mice. Further studies are warranted to examine the effects of OPC-67683 on mycobacterial persistence in tuberculous patients and to determine the biological basis of tolerance in the model.

[Antibacterial and anti-hemolysin activities of tea catechins and their structural relatives].

PubMed

Toda, M; Okubo, S; Ikigai, H; Shimamura, T

1990-03-01

Among catechins tested, (-)epigallocatechin (EGC), (-)epicatechin gallate (ECg), (-) epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio cholerae O1 classical Inaba 569B and El Tor Inaba V86. S. aureus was more sensitive than V. cholerae O1 to these compounds. EGCg showed also a bactericidal activity against V. cholerae O1 569B. Pyrogallol showed a stronger antibacterial activity against S. aureus and V. cholerae O1 than tannic and gallic acid. Rutin or caffein had no effect on them. ECg and EGCg showed the most potent anti-hemolysin activity against S. aureus alpha-toxin, Vibrio parahaemolyticus thermostable direct hemolysin (Vp-TDH) and cholera hemolysin. Among catechin relatives, only tannic acid had a potent anti-hemolysin activity against alpha-toxin. These results suggest that the catechol and pyrogallol groups are responsible for the antibacterial and bactericidal activities, while the conformation of catechins might play an important role in the anti-hemolysin activity.

Development of a Blood Pressure Measurement Instrument with Active Cuff Pressure Control Schemes.

PubMed

Kuo, Chung-Hsien; Wu, Chun-Ju; Chou, Hung-Chyun; Chen, Guan-Ting; Kuo, Yu-Cheng

2017-01-01

This paper presents an oscillometric blood pressure (BP) measurement approach based on the active control schemes of cuff pressure. Compared with conventional electronic BP instruments, the novelty of the proposed BP measurement approach is to utilize a variable volume chamber which actively and stably alters the cuff pressure during inflating or deflating cycles. The variable volume chamber is operated with a closed-loop pressure control scheme, and it is activated by controlling the piston position of a single-acting cylinder driven by a screw motor. Therefore, the variable volume chamber could significantly eliminate the air turbulence disturbance during the air injection stage when compared to an air pump mechanism. Furthermore, the proposed active BP measurement approach is capable of measuring BP characteristics, including systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), during the inflating cycle. Two modes of air injection measurement (AIM) and accurate dual-way measurement (ADM) were proposed. According to the healthy subject experiment results, AIM reduced 34.21% and ADM reduced 15.78% of the measurement time when compared to a commercial BP monitor. Furthermore, the ADM performed much consistently (i.e., less standard deviation) in the measurements when compared to a commercial BP monitor.

Bactericidal effect of Nd:YAG laser irradiation in endodontics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aun, Carlos E.; Barberini, Alexandre F.; Camargo, Selma C. C.; Silva Kfouri, Luciana; Lorenzetti Simionato, Maria R.

1999-05-01

The success of endodontic therapy is based on the elimination of bacterial colonization from the endodontic system and periapical tissues. Recent studies have been showing the bactericidal effect of laser in root canal treatment. The propose of the study is to evaluate the effect of Nd:YAG laser irradiation in contaminated root canal treatment. The propose of the study is to evaluate the effect of Nd:YAG laser irradiation in contaminated root canals from upper central incisor. For the experiment 12 teeth were selected, respect at the apical third, sterilized, and 10 μm Streptococcus sanguis liquid culture were inoculated in the root canals. The laser test groups were irradiated with Nd:YAG laser at standard setting of 15Hz, 100mj and 1,5 W for 10, 20 and 30 seconds each in slow helicoidal movements from the apex to the top using a 300 micrometers fiber. After the procedure the specimens were placed in Tryptic Soy Agar, the number of colony forming units was evaluated. The experiment showed a significant reduction on viability of Streptococcus sanguis at the respective time of 20 and 30 seconds.

In Vitro Antibacterial Activity of AZD0914, a New Spiropyrimidinetrione DNA Gyrase/Topoisomerase Inhibitor with Potent Activity against Gram-Positive, Fastidious Gram-Negative, and Atypical Bacteria

PubMed Central

Bradford, Patricia A.; Otterson, Linda G.; Basarab, Gregory S.; Kutschke, Amy C.; Giacobbe, Robert A.; Patey, Sara A.; Alm, Richard A.; Johnstone, Michele R.; Potter, Marie E.; Miller, Paul F.; Mueller, John P.

2014-01-01

AZD0914 is a new spiropyrimidinetrione bacterial DNA gyrase/topoisomerase inhibitor with potent in vitro antibacterial activity against key Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Streptococcus agalactiae), fastidious Gram-negative (Haemophilus influenzae and Neisseria gonorrhoeae), atypical (Legionella pneumophila), and anaerobic (Clostridium difficile) bacterial species, including isolates with known resistance to fluoroquinolones. AZD0914 works via inhibition of DNA biosynthesis and accumulation of double-strand cleavages; this mechanism of inhibition differs from those of other marketed antibacterial compounds. AZD0914 stabilizes and arrests the cleaved covalent complex of gyrase with double-strand broken DNA under permissive conditions and thus blocks religation of the double-strand cleaved DNA to form fused circular DNA. Whereas this mechanism is similar to that seen with fluoroquinolones, it is mechanistically distinct. AZD0914 exhibited low frequencies of spontaneous resistance in S. aureus, and if mutants were obtained, the mutations mapped to gyrB. Additionally, no cross-resistance was observed for AZD0914 against recent bacterial clinical isolates demonstrating resistance to fluoroquinolones or other drug classes, including macrolides, β-lactams, glycopeptides, and oxazolidinones. AZD0914 was bactericidal in both minimum bactericidal concentration and in vitro time-kill studies. In in vitro checkerboard/synergy testing with 17 comparator antibacterials, only additivity/indifference was observed. The potent in vitro antibacterial activity (including activity against fluoroquinolone-resistant isolates), low frequency of resistance, lack of cross-resistance, and bactericidal activity of AZD0914 support its continued development. PMID:25385112