Utility of bile esculin azide agar for screening of stool samples for vancomycin resistant enterococci from patients with gut colonization

Background: Due to increased prevalence of vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE) in hospital settings as an important nosocomial pathogen, microbiology laboratories should be prepared with test protocol for prompt detection and reporting of these resistant organisms. This helps in appropriate treatment of patients without delay and implementation of infection control measures in order to prevent spread of such infections. With this background present study was conducted to demonstrate utility of bile esculin azide agar with vancomycin (BEAV) for screening of enterococci for vancomycin drug resistance.Methods: Over a period of one year 200 stool samples were collected from hospitalized patients in a tertiary care hospital. Samples were inoculated on bile esculin azide agar with vancomycin (6ug/ml) to screen for vancomycin drug resistance in enterococci isolated from stool samples. Vancomycin drug resistance was confirmed by agar dilution method.Results: Out of 200 stool samples collected from hospitalized patients, 13 (6.5%) samples showed growth on bile esculin azide agar with vancomycin (6 µg/ml). Of these 13 isolates, 12 (92.3%) isolates were confirmed as VRE by agar dilution method and demonstrated minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of ≥32 µg/ml and all 12 isolates were identified as E. faecium. One (7.7%) isolate grown on BEAV was identified as E. gallinarum and showed MIC value of 8 µg/ml.Conclusions: Present study recommends use of bile esculin azide agar with vancomycin (6 µg/ml) as a screening medium for isolation of VRE from stool samples which usually carries mixed commensal flora of gastrointestinal tract

Development and validation of analytical methods for the simultaneous estimation of Nimorazole and Ofloxacin in tablet dosage form

Two simple, rapid, accurate and precise spectrophotometric methods have been developed for simultaneous estimation of Nimorazole and Ofloxacin from tablet dosage form. Method І involves formation of ‘simultaneous equations’ at 304 nm (λ max of Nimorazole) and 287.5 nm (λ max of Ofloxacin); while Method ІІ involves, formation of ‘Absorbance ratio equation’ at 301(isoabsorptive point) and 287.5 nm (λ max of Ofloxacin) using distilled water as a solvent. The linearity was observed in the concentration range of 5 - 25 μg/ml for Nimorazole and 2 - 10 μg/ml for Ofloxacin. The results of analysis have been validated statistically and by recovery studies and were found satisfactory

Toxicity Profile Study of Antihypertensive Drug Prazosin in Pregnant Wistar Rats

The purpose of this research is to investigate and assess the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of Prazosin HCL in pregnant rats. Prazosin (PZ) was administered to the animals intraperitoneally (IP) at dosages of 5, 15, and 25 mg/kg/body weight for single dose (14-day) toxicity tests. The following parameters have been examined for evaluating genotoxicity: bone marrow micronucleus assay, peripheral blood micronucleus assay, DNA damage is measured using the metaphase chromosomal analysis, DNA damage is measured using the DNA fragmentation test, and cytotoxicity is measured using a histological analysis. The results obtained clearly demonstrate that PZ induced hazardous responses at the higher dose in the hepatocytes, as evidenced by DNA damage, and increased DNA fragmentation in pregnant rats. Observing that PZ significantly increased DNA strand breakage and structural chromosomal aberrations in bone marrow cell lines is also fascinating. As a result, it is thought to be genotoxic to bone marrow and mouse hepatocyte cells. The current study showed that Prazosin had significant genotoxic effects in pregnant rats at the matching hepatotoxic dose level

Case Study On Rubella Virus

The infection caused by Rubella virus is also known by the name of German measles. The number of birth defects might develop in the fetus of a rubella virus infected woman during the early stage of pregnancy. These defects are termed as congenital rubella syndrome (CRS).There is also possibility that the infection due to virus can lead to abortions. The study was conducted to find out the cases of CRS among the pregnant women. A combined vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella was licensed for use for the first time in the year 1971 in the United States. The report from the data collected in the various studies have proved the rubella infection to be the cause for about 3-5 percent of all suspected CRS cases in India. A questionnaire was prepared and pregnant women as well as female of child-bearing age were asked about the rubella vaccination. In the research survey, more than 1000 females were involved in different areas and age-groups. It was concluded that very less or negligible data is available related to awareness about the routine immunization among the common people of India. Thus, it is required to conduct more research in this field and make people more and more aware about the harmful effects of not being vaccinated at the proper age. Indians need to collect reliable and accurate data to prioritize and tackle the serious consequences of CRS. &nbsp

Extracellular RNA in viral-host interactions:Thinking outside the cell

Small RNAs and their associated RNA interference (RNAi) pathways underpin diverse mechanisms of gene regulation and genome defense across all three kingdoms of life and are integral to virus-host interactions. In plants, fungi and many animals, an ancestral RNAi pathway exists as a host defense mechanism whereby viral double-stranded RNA is processed to small RNAs that enable recognition and degradation of the virus. While this antiviral RNAi pathway is not generally thought to be present in mammals, other RNAi mechanisms can influence infection through both viral- and host-derived small RNAs. Furthermore, a burgeoning body of data suggests that small RNAs in mammals can function in a non-cell autonomous manner to play various roles in cell-to-cell communication and disease through their transport in extracellular vesicles. While vesicular small RNAs have not been proposed as an antiviral defense pathway per se, there is increasing evidence that the export of host- or viral-derived RNAs from infected cells can influence various aspects of the infection process. This review discusses the current knowledge of extracellular RNA functions in viral infection and the technical challenges surrounding this field of research. This article is categorized under: Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches &gt; Regulatory RNAs RNA in Disease and Development &gt; RNA in Disease Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches &gt; RNAi: Mechanisms of Action.</p

Tracking Vancomycin MIC Creep: A Five Year Analysis

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a known human pathogen capable of causing community and hospital acquired infections worldwide. Treatment options available for MRSA infections are limited, with vancomycin being one of the most common drugs used. It is described in the literature that vancomycin can be ineffective against MRSA isolates with MIC values between 1-2 mg/litre. This slow and steady shift of vancomycin MIC values towards higher side over a period of time is known as “MIC creep”. The present retrospective study was carried out over five year period from January 2019 to June 2023. Staphylococcus aureus isolates from all clinical samples isolated during study period were included in the study. MIC50, MIC90, geometric mean MIC values were determined and analysed using Microsoft Excel. In the present study, the prevalence of MRSA was high (79.6%) in pus and tissue samples followed by blood sample (9.7%). Most of the MRSA isolates (55.80%) in present study exhibited vancomycin MIC of 1 µg/ml, there is no increasing trend of MIC values over a five year period. MIC creep is a slow and steady process which is multifactorial in origin. Regular monitoring of vancomycin MIC trend is advisable as vancomycin is the first-line treatment for culture proven severe infection with MRSA

Re-establishing Responsiveness in a Case of Refractory Metastatic Rectal Cancer with a Personalized de novo Combination Regimen

Introduction: Encyclopedic Tumor Analysis (ETA) is multi-analyte, molecular and functional interrogation to identify latent vulnerabilities in solid tumors which can then be targeted in organ- and label-agnostic combination treatment regimens.Case Presentation: We describe here a case of metastatic rectal cancer in a 61-year-old male who was progressed on all prior Standard of Care (SoC) treatment modalities including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. We addressed disease recurrence via personalized therapy guided by ETA which revealed characteristic molecular heterogeneity in primary and metastatic lesions in terms of single nucleotide variations (SNVs) and gene copy number variations (CNVs).  Notably, a novel TBL1XR1 (Exon1) – PIK3CA (Exon 2) gene fusion was identified in the tumor along with gene copy number gains in TERT, IGF-1R, MYC, FGFR1 and EGFR genes.Conclusion: ETA based molecular analysis with synchronous in vitro chemo-sensitivity profiling strategy helped to define de novo combinatorial therapy regimen of targeted and cytotoxic drugs which countered disease progression at each instance and led to the durable regression of primary as well as metastatic lesions

Immunomodulating activity of Celosia argentea Linn aerial parts

Aerial parts of Celosia argentea Linn. (Amaranthaceae) were extracted with 70 % ethanol and water to produce respective extracts. These extracts were screened for delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH), neutrophil adhesion test and cyclophosphamide-induced myelosuppression to assess the effect on immunity in Swiss albino mice at the dose of 50 and 100 mg/kg, i.p. Results showed significant immunomodulating activity of aqueous extract.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Phytochemical Investigation & Diuretic Activity of Tecoma Stans Leaf Extract

Tecoma stans leaves were collected, dried, and processed to obtain a Hydroethanolic extract using percolation. The extract was then administered to adult male Wistar rats in varying doses (250 mg/kg, 375 mg/kg, and 500 mg/kg) to evaluate its diuretic activity over 14 days. Furosemide, a standard diuretic drug, served as the positive control. Urine volume, pH, and diuretic index were measured on days 1st, 7th, and 14th. Histopathological examinations of kidney and liver tissues were conducted post-experiment. Additionally, molecular docking studies were performed to understand the binding interactions of the extract's bioactive compounds with target proteins.The study demonstrated that the Hydroethanolic extract of Tecoma stans significantly increased urine output in a dose-dependent manner. The highest dose (500 mg/kg) produced a diuretic index of 4.80 and a Lipschitz value of 0.65 on the 14th day, indicating potent diuretic activity comparable to the standard drug furosemide. Histopathological analysis revealed no adverse effects on the kidneys and liver. Molecular docking studies suggested strong binding affinities of the extract's bioactive compounds with diuretic target proteins.Tecoma stans leaf extract exhibits significant diuretic activity, suggesting its potential as a natural alternative for managing body fluids. Further research is warranted to isolate specific bioactive compounds and elucidate their mechanisms of action