scholarly journals Isolation of Environmental Clostridium Difficile from a Veterinary Teaching Hospital

2000 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 449-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Scott Weese ◽  
Henri R. Staempfli ◽  
John F. Prescott
Keyword(s):  
Clostridium Difficile ◽  
Teaching Hospital ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Sodium Taurocholate ◽  
Fecal Contamination ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Large Animal ◽  
High Animal ◽  
Nosocomial Disease

An environmental survey of a veterinary teaching hospital for the presence of Clostridium difficile was performed using contact plates and cycloserine-cefoxitin-fructose with 0.1% sodium taurocholate agar. Clostridium difficile was isolated from 24 of 381 sites (6.3%). Growth was obtained from 4.5% (9/202) of sites sampled in the Large Animal Clinic, from 8.1% (13/160) of sites within the Small Animal Clinic, and from 20% (2/10) of sites sampled elsewhere. Fourteen of 21 strains tested produced toxins in vitro. A geographic association was found with areas in the large animal clinic where nosocomial C. difficile diarrhea in horses had previously been diagnosed. Several other sites with a potential for nosocomial transmission of the organism were identified. Areas from which C. difficile was isolated tended to be areas with high animal traffic, with increased chance of fecal contamination, and with rough, difficult to clean surfaces. This study documents the prevalence of this organism in the environment and its potential role in nosocomial disease.

scholarly journals High in vitro activity of fidaxomicin against Clostridium difficile isolates from a university teaching hospital in China

2018 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 411-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing-Wei Cheng ◽  
Qi-Wen Yang ◽  
Meng Xiao ◽  
Shu-Ying Yu ◽  
Meng-Lan Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clostridium Difficile ◽  
Teaching Hospital ◽  
Vitro Activity ◽  
University Teaching ◽  
In Vitro Activity

Extracorporeal Application of a Gel-Entrapment, Bioartificial Liver: Demonstration of Drug Metabolism and Other Biochemical Functions

1993 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
pp. 441-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott L. Nyberg ◽  
Ken Shirabe ◽  
Madhusudan V. Peshwa ◽  
Timothy D. Sielaff ◽  
Paul L. Crotty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Concentrations ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Rabbit Model ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Glucose Production ◽  
Rat Hepatocytes ◽  
Bioartificial Liver ◽  
Large Animal ◽  
Gel Entrapment

Metabolic activity of a gel-entrapment, hollow fiber, bioartificial liver was evaluated in vitro and during extracorporeal hemoperfusion in an anhepatic rabbit model. The bioartificial liver contained either 100 million rat hepatocytes (n = 12), fibroblasts (n = 3), or no cells (n = 7) during hemoperfusion of anhepatic rabbits. Eight other anhepatic rabbits were studied without hemoperfusion as anhepatic controls, and three sham rabbits served as normal controls. Albumin production rates (mean ± SEM) were similar during in vitro (17.0 ± 2.8 μg/h) and extracorporeal (18.0 ± 4.0 μg/h) application of the hepatocyte bioartificial liver. Exogenous glucose requirements were reduced (p < 0.01) and euglycemia was prolonged (p < 0.001) in anhepatic rabbits treated with the hepatocyte bioartificial liver. The maximum rate of glucose production by the hepatocyte bioartificial liver ranged from 50-80 μg/h. Plasma concentrations of aromatic amino acids, proline, alanine, and ammonia were normalized in anhepatic rabbits during hepatocyte hemoperfusion. Gel-entrapped hepatocytes in the bioartificial liver performed sulfation and glucuronidation of 4-methylumbelliferone. P450 activity was demonstrated during both in vitro and extracorporeal application of the BAL device by the formation of 3-hydroxy-lidocaine, the major metabolite of lidocaine biotransformation by gel-entrapped rat hepatocytes. In summary, a gel-entrapment, bioartificial liver performed multiple hepatocyte-specific functions without adverse side effects during extracorporeal application in an anhepatic, small animal model. With its potential for short term support of acute liver failure, scale-up of the current bioartificial liver device is indicated for further investigations in large animal, preclinical trials.

scholarly journals Small Animal Models for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B, and Tuberculosis: Proceedings of an NIAID Workshop

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramesh Akkina ◽  
Daniel L. Barber ◽  
Moses T. Bility ◽  
Karl-Dimiter Bissig ◽  
Benjamin J. Burwitz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Hepatitis B ◽  
Complex Dynamics ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Large Animal ◽  
Hepatitis Viruses ◽  
Large Animal Models ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Small Animal Models

The main advantage of animal models of infectious diseases over in vitro studies is the gain in the understanding of the complex dynamics between the immune system and the pathogen. While small animal models have practical advantages over large animal models, it is crucial to be aware of their limitations. Although the small animal model at least needs to be susceptible to the pathogen under study to obtain meaningful data, key elements of pathogenesis should also be reflected when compared to humans. Well-designed small animal models for HIV, hepatitis viruses and tuberculosis require, additionally, a thorough understanding of the similarities and differences in the immune responses between humans and small animals and should incorporate that knowledge into the goals of the study. To discuss these considerations, the NIAID hosted a workshop on ‘Small Animal Models for HIV, Hepatitis B, and Tuberculosis’ on May 30, 2019. Highlights of the workshop are outlined below.

scholarly journals Conifers Phytochemicals: A Valuable Forest with Therapeutic Potential

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (10) ◽  
pp. 3005
Author(s):  
Kanchan Bhardwaj ◽  
Ana Sanches Silva ◽  
Maria Atanassova ◽  
Rohit Sharma ◽  
Eugenie Nepovimova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Fungal Infections ◽  
Cell Damage ◽  
Cancer Growth ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Antioxidant Effects

Conifers have long been recognized for their therapeutic potential in different disorders. Alkaloids, terpenes and polyphenols are the most abundant naturally occurring phytochemicals in these plants. Here, we provide an overview of the phytochemistry and related commercial products obtained from conifers. The pharmacological actions of different phytochemicals present in conifers against bacterial and fungal infections, cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are also reviewed. Data obtained from experimental and clinical studies performed to date clearly underline that such compounds exert promising antioxidant effects, being able to inhibit cell damage, cancer growth, inflammation and the onset of neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, an attempt has been made with the intent to highlight the importance of conifer-derived extracts for pharmacological purposes, with the support of relevant in vitro and in vivo experimental data. In short, this review comprehends the information published to date related to conifers’ phytochemicals and illustrates their potential role as drugs.

scholarly journals Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Metformin in Cervical Cancer

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2545
Author(s):  
Ya-Hui Chen ◽  
Po-Hui Wang ◽  
Pei-Ni Chen ◽  
Shun-Fa Yang ◽  
Yi-Hsuan Hsiao
Keyword(s):  
Cervical Cancer ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Anticancer Effects ◽  
Clinical Benefits ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Cervical cancer is one of the major gynecologic malignancies worldwide. Treatment options include chemotherapy, surgical resection, radiotherapy, or a combination of these treatments; however, relapse and recurrence may occur, and the outcome may not be favorable. Metformin is an established, safe, well-tolerated drug used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes; it can be safely combined with other antidiabetic agents. Diabetes, possibly associated with an increased site-specific cancer risk, may relate to the progression or initiation of specific types of cancer. The potential effects of metformin in terms of cancer prevention and therapy have been widely studied, and a number of studies have indicated its potential role in cancer treatment. The most frequently proposed mechanism underlying the diabetes–cancer association is insulin resistance, which leads to secondary hyperinsulinemia; furthermore, insulin may exert mitogenic effects through the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) receptor, and hyperglycemia may worsen carcinogenesis through the induction of oxidative stress. Evidence has suggested clinical benefits of metformin in the treatment of gynecologic cancers. Combining current anticancer drugs with metformin may increase their efficacy and diminish adverse drug reactions. Accumulating evidence is indicating that metformin exerts anticancer effects alone or in combination with other agents in cervical cancer in vitro and in vivo. Metformin might thus serve as an adjunct therapeutic agent for cervical cancer. Here, we reviewed the potential anticancer effects of metformin against cervical cancer and discussed possible underlying mechanisms.

scholarly journals Specificity of the HIV-1 Protease on Substrates Representing the Cleavage Site in the Proximal Zinc-Finger of HIV-1 Nucleocapsid Protein

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1092
Author(s):  
János András Mótyán ◽  
Márió Miczi ◽  
Stephen Oroszlan ◽  
József Tőzsér
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Zinc Finger ◽  
Cleavage Site ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Binding Mode ◽  
Interaction Energies ◽  
Vitro Assay ◽  
Hiv 1

To explore the sequence context-dependent nature of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) protease’s specificity and to provide a rationale for viral mutagenesis to study the potential role of the nucleocapsid (NC) processing in HIV-1 replication, synthetic oligopeptide substrates representing the wild-type and modified versions of the proximal cleavage site of HIV-1 NC were assayed as substrates of the HIV-1 protease (PR). The S1′ substrate binding site of HIV-1 PR was studied by an in vitro assay using KIVKCF↓NCGK decapeptides having amino acid substitutions of N17 residue of the cleavage site of the first zinc-finger domain, and in silico calculations were also performed to investigate amino acid preferences of S1′ site. Second site substitutions have also been designed to produce “revertant” substrates and convert a non-hydrolysable sequence (having glycine in place of N17) to a substrate. The specificity constants obtained for peptides containing non-charged P1′ substitutions correlated well with the residue volume, while the correlation with the calculated interaction energies showed the importance of hydrophobicity: interaction energies with polar residues were related to substantially lower specificity constants. Cleavable “revertants” showed one residue shift of cleavage position due to an alternative productive binding mode, and surprisingly, a double cleavage of a substrate was also observed. The results revealed the importance of alternative binding possibilities of substrates into the HIV-1 PR. The introduction of the “revertant” mutations into infectious virus clones may provide further insights into the potential role of NC processing in the early phase of the viral life-cycle.

Small animal Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 5-5
Author(s):  
Alex Gough
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Congestive Heart Failure ◽  
Pulmonary Oedema ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Lung Ultrasound ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Shock Index ◽  
Cardiogenic Pulmonary Oedema ◽  
The Impact

Summary In this month's Small Animal Review, we summarise three recently published papers from other veterinary journals. The papers for this issue explore the impact of open registries on inbreeding, in the working Australian Kelpie population particularly, and the impact of vehicle trauma on the canine shock index, as well as the potential role for lung ultrasound in monitoring for cardiogenic pulmonary oedema in dogs being treated for left-sided congestive heart failure.

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