BM-MSCs alleviate diabetic nephropathy in male rats by regulating ER stress, oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptotic pathways

Introduction: Diabetic nephropathy (DN), a chronic kidney disease, is a major cause of end-stage kidney disease worldwide. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have become a promising option to mitigate several diabetic complications.Methods: In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) in a rat model of STZ-induced DN. After the confirmation of diabetes, rats were treated with BM-MSCs and sacrificed at week 12 after treatment.Results: Our results showed that STZ-induced DN rats had extensive histopathological changes, significant upregulation in mRNA expression of renal apoptotic markers, ER stress markers, inflammatory markers, fibronectin, and intermediate filament proteins, and reduction of positive immunostaining of PCNA and elevated P53 in kidney tissue compared to the control group. BM-MSC therapy significantly improved renal histopathological changes, reduced renal apoptosis, ER stress, inflammation, and intermediate filament proteins, as well as increased positive immunostaining of PCNA and reduced P53 in renal tissue compared to the STZ-induced DN group.Conclusion: In conclusion, our study indicates that BM-MSCs may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of DN and provide important insights into their potential use as a novel therapeutic approach for DN

Bluetongue in Europe and Romania in the last years

Beginning with 2006, in Europe had been a lot of Bluetongue (BT) outbreaks evolving like hemorrhagic disease in ruminants, caused by bluetongue virus (BTV). This paper reviews an epidemiological situation of this disease in Europe and in Romania in the last years with all health and economic problems that followed the outbreaks. For the first time described in 1905 in Merino sheep from South Africa, BTV is an Arbovirus isolated from wild and domestic ruminants, with sublinical to fatal symptoms of disease. The name Bluetongue derived from necrosis, cell injuries with vascular thrombosis, oedema, haemorrhages that make the tongue cyanotic, with a blue colour. By historically point of view BTV is known to be prevalent in tropical and subtropical areas between 35̊ S and 45̊ N, but many outbreaks were than reported in further northwards, an emergence may be caused by climate changes, when a high temperature contributes to both distribution and competence of certain species of Culicoides midges, known to be the insect vector of BT disease. With the exception of Antarctica BTV was been isolated on every continent. From 1,400 species of Culicoides throught the world, only about 30 species have been discovered to be competent biological vectors. There are more regions in Europe believed previously to be not a risk for bluetongue evolution but the situation since 2006 demonstrates the contrary

Evaluation of Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Bacteria Isolated from Biofilm in Meat Processing Units

The aim of this study was to assess the hygiene of pork, beef, and poultry carcasses and to determine the phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility of the bacteria embedded in the biofilm formed on the carcasses kept in cooling chambers for at least three days. The level of hygiene was assessed by determining the total aerobic colony count (TACC) and the Enterobacteriaceae level in different sampling points of the carcasses, along with the detection of E. coli and Pseudomonas spp. embedded in the biofilm. Furthermore, the E. coli and Pseudomonas spp. isolates were tested for antimicrobial resistance profiles. A total of 130 samples collected from pork, beef, and poultry from processing units were analyzed to determine the total aerobic colony count as well as to measure the level of Enterobacteriaceae found on the carcasses. The antimicrobial susceptibility of 44 Escherichia coli and eight Pseudomonas spp. strains isolated from the carcasses were assessed using the Vitek 2 system using two different cards. Overall, the regulatory limits for the TACC were exceeded in 7.6% of the samples, and 65% of the samples exceeded the regulatory limits for Enterobacteriaceae levels. The antimicrobial susceptibility tests of the E. coli isolates analyzed with the AST-GN27 card revealed the highest resistance to be that towards ampicillin (76.1%), followed by cefazolin (71.4%), amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (61.9%), nitrofurantoin (52.3%), cefoxitin (47.6%), tetracycline (38.1%), piperacillin, norfloxacin (19%), trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole (11.9%), cefotaxime (9.5%), ceftazidime, cefazolin, amikacin, gentamicin, and ciprofloxacin (4.7%). However, all of the isolates were sensitive to piperacillin-tazobactam and imipenem. Thirty-two (61.5%; 95% CI 47.9–73.5) out of fifty-two isolates exhibited multidrug resistance, resulting in the expression of 10 resistance profiles. The findings of this study highlight serious hygienic and sanitary deficiencies within the meat processing units and demonstrate that the resulting meat can harbor Multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas spp., both of which pose a serious public health risk. However, further research with a larger number of samples is required to reach thorough results

Chemical and Microbiological Air Quality in a Municipal Solid Waste Landfill and Its Surroundings, in South-Eastern Romania

The aim of this study was to assess the microbiological and chemical air quality in a municipal solid waste landfill and its inhabited surroundings, in a particular context in which Romania struggles with the incapacity to comply with its environmental commitments. The research was conducted on a landfill near the capital Bucharest between November 2018 and September 2019. To evaluate the chemical (oxygen, carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and carbon monoxide–MX6 iBrid™ Détector multigas) and microbiological (airborne bacteria and fungi–aspiration method) parameters, eight sampling points were established, located both on the perimeter of the landfill and within its surroundings. CO and CH4 were not detected in any of the sampling points, during the study period; O2 was in normal values 20.09–21.05%; CO2 had a maximum average concentration of 620 ± 215; H2S had values between 0.1 and 5.0 ppm only in the sampling points inside the landfill; NH3 was present only once in a single sampling point with values between 1.0 and 3.0 ppm. The microbiological results provide an overview of the total plate count and total fungal count, with no significant differences between the level of contamination inside the landfill and within its surroundings (p > 0.05). Ten bacterial species and fungi from six genera have been identified. It was also found that the number of microorganisms in the air was significantly lower during the winter, spring and early summer months compared with the late summer and autumn months (p < 0.05)

High honey bee losses in the winter of 2016-2017 in Timiș county, Romania

Beginning with November 2016 beekeepers from Timiș county reported bee colonies losses. During the winter months the situation became more the situation has become more severe, increasing losses of bee families. From November 2016, untill February 2017 were been received samples of dead bees from 23 different apiaries in Timiș county. The dead honey bees were analized in the way to discover what kind of causes produced all these losses. Was also proceeded to analyze the bacterial flora from bees intestine. Bacteriological examination of bees intestine and the cultivation on special medium of culture emphasized rich cultures of Paenibacillus larvae subsp. larvae (Bacillus larvae), etiologic agent for American foulbrood. These bacteria were been isolated from bee intestine in samples provided from 18 apiaries (78.26%). There are many causes of high degree of bee mortality in winter 2016-2017 but the isolation of Paenibacillus larvae subsp. larvae maybe was one of them

Study on antimicrobial activity in different types of honey

Many times when it is studied the therapeutic effect of honey appears an important question regarded to which type of honey is suitable for medical purpose and which type has the best antibacterial effect. In this study were been analyzed six samples of honey from different botanical origins, including unifloral (Acacia honey, Lime honey, Cole honey), and multifloral types (forest honey from low altitude, from high altitude and field honey) obtained direct from beekeepers localized in unpolluted areas from the Western part of Romania. Was been evaluated the pH from honey samples, microbiological characteristics (standard plate count or SPC) and antibacterial activity (method of growth inhibition) in some pathogen microorganisms cultures from Pseudomonas Spp (Pseudomonas aeruginosa), Enterobacteria (Escherichia coli), Bacillus Spp (Bacillus subtilis), Staphylococcus Spp (Staphylococcus aureus). Also it was performed a study for bacterial, fungal or yeast organisms detection in all six honey samples. The count of aerobic mesophilic bacteria, mold and yeast registered low values, being absent from honey samples pathogen bacteria like Coliform bacteria, Shigella, Salmonella, Proteus and Clostridium species. After measuring of the size of zone diameter of inhibition (ZDI) for evaluate the honey antibacterial activity, the highest value was obtained in forest honey from high altitude (39 mm) and the lowest value in the case of Cole honey (11 mm) in the case of undiluted samples. All dilutions of honey samples registered lower values of ZDI than those undiluted. All these results, correlated with many others from many studies demonstrate once again that this natural and ancient product is so valuable by medical point of view and anytime can be used like alternative methods of treatments

The Behavior of Some Bacterial Strains Isolated from Fallow Deer Compared to Antimicrobial Substances in Western Romania

(1) Background: The resistance levels of Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Pseudomonas spp., Staphylococcus spp., etc., isolated from the nasal cavity and the rectum of Dama dama deer from three hunting grounds in Western Romania were assessed. (2) Methods: The analysis was completed using the diffusimetric method, compliant with CLSI reference standards, and with Vitek-2 (BioMérieux, France), on 240 samples. (3) Results: The results were statistically analyzed (by one-way ANOVA) revealing that in four of the ten E. coli strains isolated from animals, 87.5% (p E. coli strains were resistant to cephalexin (100%); seven strains were resistant to cephalothin and ampicillin; six were resistant to cefquinome and cefoperazone; five were resistant to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid; and four were resistant to ceftiofur. However, E. coli was sensitive to amikacin (100%). The most efficient structures were beta-lactams, amikacin, and imipenem, to which all 47 strains studied (100%) were sensitive, followed by nitrofurantoin, to which 45 strains (95.7%) were sensitive, neomycin, to which 44 strains (93.6%) were sensitive, ceftiofur, to which 43 strains (91.5%) were sensitive, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and marbofloxacin, to which 42 strains (89.4%) were sensitive. (4) Conclusions: In wild animal populations, where a human presence is frequently reported, including a constant presence of domestic animals, despite the perceived low risk of emerging resistance to antimicrobials, resistance is likely to develop frequently

Microbial biofilm in human health - an updated theoretical and practical insight

The term biofilm designates an aggregate of microorganisms belonging to one or more species which adhere to various surfaces but also to each another. These microbial communities are included and interconnected within an organic structure known as slime, composed of protein substances, polysaccharides, and DNA

Diversity of Monofloral Honey Based on the Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Potential

This study aimed to investigate the antioxidant profile and the antimicrobial activity of four different types of monofloral honey (manuka (MH), brassica rapeseed (BH), acacia (AH), and linden honey (LH)) against some bacterial/fungal ATCC strains and some multidrug-resistant strains isolated from chronic otitis in dogs. For the characterisation of the antioxidant profile of each honey, we extracted the honey samples by hydroalcoholic extraction and analysed them in terms of total polyphenols (TPC), total flavonoids (TFC), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) using the spectrophotometric method. The antimicrobial activity was determined using the microdilution method at concentrations of 10%, 15%, and 20%, with the results expressed in OD (optical density) calculated as BIR% (bacterial inhibition rate)/MIR% (mycelial inhibition rate). The antioxidant characterisation of the analysed honey samples showed the highest antioxidant activity and concentrations of TPC and TFC in MH, followed by LH. MH was proven to be the most effective on most clinical isolates concerning the antimicrobial activity in comparison with BH, AH, and LH. Except for B. cepacia and P. vulgaris, all the clinical isolates were sensitive to the antibacterial activity of honey. Regarding the ATCC strains, MH 10% was the most effective in inhibiting all the strains tested except for P. aeruginosa. In conclusion, the efficacy classification in our study was MH > BH > AH > LH