Preincubation of Candida albicans strains with amphotericin B reduces tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-6 release by human monocytes.

The release of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) by human monocytes stimulated with whole heat-killed Candida albicans CA3 (a clinical isolate) and CA2 (a germ tube-negative mutant) either treated or not treated with amphotericin B was investigated. The optimal release of the cytokines was observed at 24 h of incubation of the yeasts with the monocytes for both TNF-alpha and IL-6. The levels ranged from 10,500 to 19,000 U/ml for TNF-alpha and from 350 to 460 pg/ml for IL-6. Germ tube-negative mutant CA2 induced the release of TNF-alpha at levels significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those induced by clinical isolate CA3, while no major differences were observed between the two strains with regard to their capacity to induce the release of IL-6. In all instances, preincubation of the yeasts with a sublethal concentration of amphotericin significantly reduced cytokine production. These results suggest that drug-induced alterations of fungal outer structures may affect the interactions between the yeasts and the monocytes, resulting in a reduced level of secretion of cytokines

Rosaramicin: antibacterial activity against both anaerobic and aerobic Gram positive and Gram negative microrganisms

The Authors studied in vitro antibacterial activity of rosaramicin, a new macrolide antibiotic on 59 strains of anaerobic microrganism and 93 strains of both aerobic and facultative ones.For both groups of germs comparison was made against erythromycin and clindamycin. Rosaramicin shoed a good antibacterial activity as its MIC values in almost all cases are easily attainable in therapy