scholarly journals Efficacy of adjuvant intrastromal and combination of intrastromal and intracameral voriconazole in Aspergillus fumigatus-induced moderate fungal keratitis in rabbits

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-9
Author(s):  
Dyah Tjintya Sarika ◽  
Melva Louisa ◽  
Anna Rozaliyani ◽  
Evelina ◽  
Made Susiyanti

BACKGROUND There is no in vivo evidence for the effectiveness of adjuvant intrastromal and combination of intrastromal and intracameral voriconazole (VCZ) for treating Aspergillus fumigatus keratitis. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of both agents against it.  METHODS A randomized, masked, controlled experimental study was conducted on 11 albino New Zealand white rabbits in which moderate fungal keratitis was induced by inoculating spores of A. fumigatus to the cornea. The rabbits were allocated into 3 groups: 50 μg/0.1 ml intrastromal VCZ injection, 50 μg/0.1 ml intrastromal VCZ and intracameral VCZ injections, and topical VCZ (control). The treatment was given 5 days after inoculation. Epithelial defect, infiltrate size, corneal ulcer depth, and hypopyon were evaluated clinically. Histopathological and mycological examinations were also done 14 days after treatment.  RESULTS All rabbits in the adjuvant treatment groups demonstrated a tendency of a better clinical response with decreasing size of epithelial defect (p = 0.679) and infiltrate (p = 0.755) than in the control group. Direct microscopy, corneal culture, and chop corneal tissue culture were still positive in most of the rabbits from all groups. Histopathological examination showed an increase of inflammatory cells after treatment in all groups, especially in rabbits which were inoculated with A. fumigatus spores in both eyes.  CONCLUSIONS An adjuvant combination of intrastromal and intracameral VCZ showed a tendency of better clinical response for A. fumigatus-induced moderate fungal keratitis in rabbits. 

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 256-260
Author(s):  
Sianiwati Goenharto ◽  
I Ketut Sudiana ◽  
Sherman Salim ◽  
Elly Rusdiana ◽  
Sri Wahjuni

Aim: This study aimed to predict the potential inflammation in lungs caused by exposure to methyl methacrylate (MMA; in silico study) and assess inflammation in lungs in response to MMA inhalation in mice (in vivo study). Materials and Methods: In silico and in vivo studies were performed using 24 mice divided into a control group (0 ppm MMA) and five treatment groups, which were exposed to 150 ppm MMA for 40, 80, 120, 160, and 200 min, respectively. Lung tissues were harvested and examined with a light microscope at 400×. Results: In silico studies confirmed the existence of one activation bond between MMA and the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR- 4), namely, His 228, with a MolDock score of –43.677 kcal/mol. Microscopic examination of lungs confirmed that a greater number of inflammatory cells were found in the treatment group than in the control group and symptoms of inflammation were clearly observable after 120 min of exposure. Conclusion: Thus, inflammation occurring due to MMA interaction with TLR-4 receptors can be predicted in silico and exposure to 150 ppm MMA for more than 120 min can cause lung inflammation in mice.


2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 250
Author(s):  
A. E. PAPALOIS (Α.Ε. ΠΑΠΑΛΟΗΣ)

A brief overview is presented of the key steps involved in designing a research animal experiment, with reference to resources that specifically address each topic of discussion in more detail. After an idea for a research project is conceived, a thorough review of the literature and consultation with experts in that field are pursued to refine the problem statement and to assimilate background information that is necessary for the experimental design phase. Other practical considerations include defining the necessary control groups, randomly assigning animals to control/treatment groups, determining the number of animals needed per group, evaluating the logistics of the actual performance of the animal experiments and identifying the most appropriate statistical analyses and potential collaborators experienced in the area of study. Also important concerns are anaesthesia, trial dosages of molecules-elements, definition of surgical procedures, sham experiments as control group and cost per experiment. Other factors are probable or expected timeframe for completion of experiments, sufficient financing, pathology and final histopathological examination, specific indicators or values necessary for the evaluation of the results and the origin of the research protocol (doctoral thesis, master or research interests). All of these factors are critical to designing an experiment that will generate scientifically valid and reproducible data, which should be considered the ultimate goal of any scientific investigation.


AMB Express ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Masarra M. Sakr ◽  
Walid F. Elkhatib ◽  
Khaled M. Aboshanab ◽  
Eman M. Mantawy ◽  
Mahmoud A. Yassien ◽  
...  

AbstractFailure in the treatment of P. aeruginosa, due to its broad spectrum of resistance, has been associated with increased patient mortality. One alternative approach for infection control is quorum quenching which was found to decrease virulence of such pathogen. In this study, the efficiency of a recombinant Ahl-1 lactonase formulated as a hydrogel was investigated to control the infection of multidrug resistant (MDR) P. aeruginosa infected burn using a murine model. The recombinant N-acylhomoserine lactonase (Ahl-1) was formulated as a hydrogel. To test its ability to control the infection of MDR P. aeruginosa, a thermal injury model was used. Survival rate, and systemic spread of the infection were evaluated. Histopathological examination of the animal dorsal skin was also done for monitoring the healing and cellular changes at the site of infection. Survival rate in the treated group was 100% relative to 40% in the control group. A decrease of up to 3 logs of bacterial count in the blood samples of the treated animals relative to the control group and a decrease of up to 4 logs and 2.3 logs of bacteria in lung and liver samples, respectively were observed. Histopathological examination revealed more enhanced healing process in the treated group. Accordingly, by promoting healing of infected MDR P. aeruginosa burn and by reducing systemic spread of the infection as well as decreasing mortality rate, Ahl-1 hydrogel application is a promising strategy that can be used to combat and control P. aeruginosa burn infections.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (Supplement_6) ◽  
pp. vi72-vi73
Author(s):  
Xiang-rong Ni ◽  
Jing Wang ◽  
Fu-rong Chen ◽  
Hai-ping Cai ◽  
Yan-jiao Yu ◽  
...  

Abstract OBJECTIVE Temozolomide (TMZ), is the first line chemotherapeutic drug for glioma. Previous studies have suggested that interferon (IFN) and levetiracetam (LEV) could respectively reverse the resistance of TMZ by down-regulating MGMT expression. This study, we aim to investigate the therapeutic effect of a cocktail chemotherapy regimen combining TMZ, LEV, IFN in vivo. METHODS Glioma cell lines U251 and SKMG-4 (MGMT protein expression positive), U138 and GSC-1(MGMT protein expression negative) were used for producing xenograft tumors. The xenograft tumors were established by subcutaneously injecting 1×106 glioma cells into female BALB/C nude mice and divided into 5 treatment groups: Control, TMZ, TMZ+IFN, TMZ+LEV, TMZ+LEV+IFN. The treatment with TMZ (50 mg/kg, i.p.), IFN (2×105 IU, s.c.), LEV (150 mg/kg, i.p.) once a day for five consecutive days and xenograft tumors were measured every two days. RESULTS We identified that U138, U251, SKMG-4 tumor growth among TMZ, TMZ+IFN, TMZ+LEV, TMZ+LEV+IFN were all significantly inhibited (P< 0.05), compared with the control. As for U251 and SKMG-4, tumor killing effect of all 4 treatment groups were not different (P > 0.05). In the treatment of mice bearing U138 glioma, the tumor weight of TMZ+LEV+IFN (0.2688±0.1169 g) group was the lowest and significantly lower than that of TMZ+LEV (0.6574±0.08174g, P=0.0261), TMZ+IFN(0.6108±0.07317 g, P=0.0381), and TMZ (0.9054±0.07154 g, P=0.0017) group. Glioma stem cells GSC-1 was highly resistant to TMZ, tumor volume of TMZ group was not different from control group (P >0.05). While compared with TMZ (1.993±0.1274 g) group, in TMZ+IFN (1.506±0.1223g, P=0.0203), TMZ+LEV (1.178±0.1807g, P=0.0042), and TMZ+LEV+IFN (1.049±0.2171 g, P=0.0038) groups, GSC-1 tumor growth were significantly inhibited(P< 0.05). CONCLUSION Our data demonstrate that both IFN and LEV can sensitize TMZ effect on glioma in vivo, even for MGMT(+) tumors, and TMZ-LEV-IFN cocktail regimen seems the best. Key words: glioma, TMZ, LEV, IFN


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 384
Author(s):  
Hang Yeon Jeong ◽  
Tae Ho Lee ◽  
Ju Gyeong Kim ◽  
Sueun Lee ◽  
Changjong Moon ◽  
...  

We previously reported that 3-pentylcatechol (PC), a synthetic non-allergenic urushiol derivative, inhibited the growth of Helicobacter pylori in an in vitro assay using nutrient agar and broth. In this study, we aimed to investigate the in vivo antimicrobial activity of PC against H. pylori growing in the stomach mucous membrane. Four-week-old male C57BL/6 mice (n = 4) were orally inoculated with H. pylori Sydney Strain-1 (SS-1) for 8 weeks. Thereafter, the mice received PC (1, 5, and 15 mg/kg) and triple therapy (omeprazole, 0.7 mg/kg; metronidazole, 16.7 mg/kg; clarithromycin, 16.7 mg/kg, reference groups) once daily for 10 days. Infiltration of inflammatory cells in gastric tissue was greater in the H. pylori-infected group compared with the control group and lower in both the triple therapy- and PC-treated groups. In addition, upregulation of cytokine mRNA was reversed after infection, upon administration of triple therapy and PC. Interestingly, PC was more effective than triple therapy at all doses, even at 1/15th the dose of triple therapy. In addition, PC demonstrated synergism with triple therapy, even at low concentrations. The results suggest that PC may be more effective against H. pylori than established antibiotics.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guifeng Wang ◽  
Ning Ma ◽  
Feng He ◽  
Shosuke Kawanishi ◽  
Hatasu Kobayashi ◽  
...  

Taurine (2-aminoethane-sulfonic acid) is a type of amino acids and has numerous physiological and therapeutic functions, including anti-inflammation. However, there are few studies on the anticancer action of taurine. Our previous studies have demonstrated that taurine exhibits an apoptosis-inducing effect on human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells in vitro. In this study, we have investigated whether taurine has an anticancer effect, using azoxymethane (AOM)/sulfate sodium (DSS)- induced mouse model for colon carcinogenesis. All mice, except those in control group, received a single intraperitoneal injection of AOM and DSS in the drinking water for 7 days twice, with 1-week interval. After the first DSS treatment, mice were given distilled water (model group) or taurine in the drinking water (taurine group) ad libitum. No tumor was observed in the control group. Taurine significantly suppressed AOM+DSS-induced tumor formation. Histopathological examination revealed AOM/DSS treatment induced colon cancer in all mice (8/8, 100%), and taurine significantly inhibited the progression of colon cancer (4/9, 44.4%). Taurine significantly attenuated cell proliferation in cancer tissues detected by Ki-67 staining. Taurine significantly increased the levels of an apoptosis marker cleaved caspase-9 and tumor suppressor protein PTEN. This is the first study that demonstrated that taurine significantly reduced carcinogenicity in vivo using AOM/DSS-induced colon cancer mouse model.


2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Camargo Rodrigues ◽  
Roberta Brunelli ◽  
Heloísa Selistre de Araújo ◽  
Nivaldo Antonio Parizotto ◽  
Ana Claudia Muniz Renno

AbstractThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of 780-nm laser therapy on the expression of genes related to muscle healing.Sixty-three rats were distributed into three groups: 1) injured control group (CG), 2) injured treatment group at 10 J/cmAt day 7, G10 presented a smaller necrosis area compared to CG and G50. Fourteen days post-surgery, G10 and G50 presented a smaller amount of inflammatory cells and a better tissue organization compared to CG. On day 21, G10 and G50 showed better muscle structure than the control. A significantly decreased COX-2 expression was observed in groups G10 and G50 at day 7 compared to the control animals. No difference was found among the experimental groups after 14 days, but G50 presented statistically higher COX-2 down-regulation at day 21. VEGF expression decreased in the first period analyzed in both treatment groups, increased after 14 days in G10, and increased after 21 days in G50. Both irradiated groups had a higher MyoD expression in all the evaluated periods and myogenin levels increased after 14 days in both treatment groups and in G10 after 21 days.780-nm laser therapy had positive effects during muscle regeneration through the gene expression modulation related to the inflammatory process and the new muscle fibers formation, in both fluencies used in the present study, but the fluence of 10 J/cm


2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 988-1003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamed Karimian ◽  
Mehran Fadaeinasab ◽  
Soheil Zorofchian Moghadamtousi ◽  
Maryam Hajrezaei ◽  
Maryam Zahedifard ◽  
...  

Background: Tanacetum polycephalum L. Schultz-Bip is a member of the Asteraceae family. This study evaluated the chemopreventive effect of a T. polycephalum hexane extract (TPHE) using in in vivo and in vitro models. Methods and Results: Five groups of rats: normal control, cancer control, TPHE low dose, TPHE high dose and positive control (tamoxifen) were used for the in vivo study. Histopathological examination showed that TPHE significantly suppressed the carcinogenic effect of LA7 tumour cells. The tumour sections from TPHE-treated rats demonstrated significantly reduced expression of Ki67 and PCNA compared to the cancer control group. Using a bioassay-guided approach, the cytotoxic compound of TPHE was identified as a tricyclic sesquiterpene lactone, namely, 8β- hydroxyl- 4β, 15- dihydrozaluzanin C (HDZC). Signs of early and late apoptosis were observed in MCF7 cells treated with HDZC and were attributed to the mitochondrial intrinsic pathway based on the up-regulation of Bax and the down-regulation of Bcl-2. HDZC induced cell cycle arrest in MCF7 cells and increased the expression of p21 and p27 at the mRNA and protein levels. Conclusion: This results of this study substantiate the anticancer effect of TPHE and highlight the involvement of HDZC as one of the contributing compounds that act by initiating mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis.


2015 ◽  
Vol 83 (9) ◽  
pp. 3590-3600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirjam Urb ◽  
Brendan D. Snarr ◽  
Gabriella Wojewodka ◽  
Mélanie Lehoux ◽  
Mark J. Lee ◽  
...  

Airway colonization by the moldAspergillus fumigatusis common in patients with underlying lung disease and is associated with chronic airway inflammation. Studies probing the inflammatory response to colonization withA. fumigatushyphae have been hampered by the lack of a model of chronic colonization in immunocompetent mice. By infecting mice intratracheally with conidia embedded in agar beads (Af beads), we have established anin vivomodel to study the natural history of airway colonization with liveA. fumigatushyphae. Histopathological examination and galactomannan assay of lung homogenates demonstrated that hyphae exited beads and persisted in the lungs of mice up to 28 days postinfection without invasive disease. Fungal lesions within the airways were surrounded by a robust neutrophilic inflammatory reaction and peribronchial infiltration of lymphocytes. Whole-lung cytokine analysis from Af bead-infected mice revealed an increase in proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines early in infection. Evidence of a Th2 type response was observed only early in the course of colonization, including increased levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4), elevated IgE levels in serum, and a mild increase in airway responsiveness. Pulmonary T cell subset analysis during infection mirrored these results with an initial transient increase in IL-4-producing CD4+T cells, followed by a rise in IL-17 and Foxp3+cells by day 14. These results provide the first report of the evolution of the immune response toA. fumigatushyphal colonization.


2009 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 757-762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shigeki Nakamura ◽  
Katsunori Yanagihara ◽  
Nobuko Araki ◽  
Koichi Yamada ◽  
Yoshitomo Morinaga ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Clarithromycin is a 14-member lactone ring macrolide with potent activity against Haemophilus influenzae, including ampicillin-resistant strains. We evaluated the in vivo efficacy of clarithromycin at 40 mg/day and 100 mg/day for 3 days in the treatment of a murine model of pneumonia using a macrolide-resistant H. influenzae strain, which was also ampicillin resistant. The MIC of clarithromycin was 64 μg/ml. The viable bacterial counts in infected tissues after treatment with 100 mg clarithromycin/kg of body weight were lower than the counts obtained in control and 40-mg/kg clarithromycin-treated mice. The concentrations of macrophage inflammatory protein 2 (MIP-2) and interleukin 1β (IL-1β) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples from mice treated at both concentrations were lower than in the control group. Pathologically, following infection, clarithromycin-treated mice, particularly at a dose of 100 mg/kg, showed lower numbers of neutrophils in alveolar walls, and inflammatory changes had apparently improved, whereas large aggregates of inflammatory cells were observed within the alveoli of control mice. In addition, we demonstrated that clarithromycin has bacteriological effects against intracellular bacteria at levels below the MIC. Our results indicate that clarithromycin may be useful in vivo for macrolide-resistant H. influenzae, and this phenomenon may be related to the good penetration of clarithromycin into bronchoepithelial cells. We also believe that conventional drug susceptibility tests may not reflect the in vivo effects of clarithromycin.


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