Isolation, genotyping and antimicrobial susceptibility of pathogenic Escherichia coli serotypes in ready to eat foods

NO ABSTRACT AVAILABLEIn this study, pathogenic Escherichia coli serotypes (E. coli O157:H7, O26, O111) and their molecular proximity and antimicrobial susceptibility were investigated in RTE foods. A total of 240 samples; consist of 105 stuffed mussel, 56 meatless cig kofte, 54 Russian salad, 25 cheese halva, were analyzed. The conventional culture and serotyping methods for determination of the organisms were performed and further confirmation by PCR was carried out. Confirmed E. coli O157 isolates were genotyped by the enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus(ERIC)-PCR. Antibacterial susceptibility testing of the isolates was performed by disc diffusion method. E. coli was detected in 7 (2.9 %) of 240 samples, including 3 (5.5%) Russian salad, 3 (2.8%) stuffed mussel, 1 (4 %) cheese halva. Two isolates from Russian salad, 1 from stuffed mussel and 1 from cheese halva were identified as E. coli O157 . In addition, stuffed mussel isolate was found to carry stx1 ve hlyA genes whereas one Russian salad isolate carried the stx1 gene. E. coli isolates were found to be resistant to amoxycillin/clavulonic acid, gentamicin and ciprofloxacin, at the rate of 29%, 14% and 29 %, respectively. Only one (14 %) isolate from stuffed mussel was classified as multidrug resistant to three antimicrobials. Furthermore, the isolates, related to O157 and O157:H7, presented different ribotypes in this study. The results provide useful data for the development of public health policy concerning the potential presence of pathogenic antimicrobial resistant E. coli serotypes in RTE foods. Strict surveillance of RTE foods at retail points for emerging pathogens, their antimicrobial resistance patterns and the potential likelihood of cross-contamination is required

Isolation, genotyping and antimicrobial susceptibility of pathogenic Escherichia coli serotypes in ready to eat foods

NO ABSTRACT AVAILABLEIn this study, pathogenic Escherichia coli serotypes (E. coli O157:H7, O26, O111) and their molecular proximity and antimicrobial susceptibility were investigated in RTE foods. A total of 240 samples; consist of 105 stuffed mussel, 56 meatless cig kofte, 54 Russian salad, 25 cheese halva, were analyzed. The conventional culture and serotyping methods for determination of the organisms were performed and further confirmation by PCR was carried out. Confirmed E. coli O157 isolates were genotyped by the enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus(ERIC)-PCR. Antibacterial susceptibility testing of the isolates was performed by disc diffusion method. E. coli was detected in 7 (2.9 %) of 240 samples, including 3 (5.5%) Russian salad, 3 (2.8%) stuffed mussel, 1 (4 %) cheese halva. Two isolates from Russian salad, 1 from stuffed mussel and 1 from cheese halva were identified as E. coli O157 . In addition, stuffed mussel isolate was found to carry stx1 ve hlyA genes whereas one Russian salad isolate carried the stx1 gene. E. coli isolates were found to be resistant to amoxycillin/clavulonic acid, gentamicin and ciprofloxacin, at the rate of 29%, 14% and 29 %, respectively. Only one (14 %) isolate from stuffed mussel was classified as multidrug resistant to three antimicrobials. Furthermore, the isolates, related to O157 and O157:H7, presented different ribotypes in this study. The results provide useful data for the development of public health policy concerning the potential presence of pathogenic antimicrobial resistant E. coli serotypes in RTE foods. Strict surveillance of RTE foods at retail points for emerging pathogens, their antimicrobial resistance patterns and the potential likelihood of cross-contamination is required

DNA adducts in fish following an oil spill exposure

On 12 December 1999, one third of the load of the Erika tanker, amounting to about 10,000 t crude oil flowed into sea waters close to the French Atlantic Coast. This oil contained polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAC) that are known to be genotoxic. Genotoxic effects induce DNA adducts formation, which can thus be used as pollution biomarkers. Here, we assessed the genotoxic impact of the “Erika” oil spill by DNA adducts detection in the liver of immature fishes (Solea solea) from four locations of the French Brittany coasts. Two months after the spill, a high amount of DNA adducts was found in samples from all locations, amounting to 92–290 DNA adduct per 109 nucleotides. Then total DNA adduct levels decreased to reach about 50 adducts per 109 nucleotides nine months after the spill. In vitro experiments using human cell cultures and fish liver microsomes evidence the genotoxicity of the Erika fuel. They also prove the formation of reactive species able to create DNA adducts. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo DNA adducts fingerprints are similar, thus confirming that DNA adducts are a result of the oil spill

Ongoing under-reporting of clinically relevant safety data in phase II studies of tyrosine kinase inhibitors

status: publishe

Ethanol production from xylose by pichia stipitis NRRL Y-7124 in a stirred tank bioreactor

The ethanol production by Pichia stipitis was evaluated in a stirred tank bioreactor using semidefined medium containing xylose (90.0 g/l) as the main carbon source. Experimental assays were performed according to a 22 full factorial design to evaluate the influence of aeration (0.25 to 0.75 vvm) and agitation (150 to 250 rpm) conditions on ethanol production. In the studied range of values, the agitation increase and aeration decrease favored ethanol production, which was maximum (26.7 g/l) using 250 rpm and 0.25 vvm, conditions that gave a volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient (kLa value) of 4.9 h-1. Under these conditions, the ethanol yield factor, ethanol productivity, and the process efficiency were 0.32 g/g, 0.32 g/l.h, and 63%, respectively. These results are promising and contribute to the development of a suitable process for ethanol production from xylose by Pichia stipitis.The authors gratefully acknowledge Santander, Fapesp, Capes, and CNPq (Brazil)

Migrating the SNP array-based homologous recombination deficiency measures to next generation sequencing data of breast cancer

The first genomic scar-based homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) measures were produced using SNP arrays. As array-based technology has been largely replaced by next generation sequencing approaches, it has become important to develop algorithms that derive the same type of genomic scar scores from next generation sequencing (whole exome “WXS”, whole genome “WGS”) data. In order to perform this analysis, we introduce here the scarHRD R package and show that using this method the SNP array-based and next generation sequencing-based derivation of HRD scores show good correlation (Pearson correlation between 0.73 and 0.87 depending on the actual HRD measure) and that the NGS-based HRD scores distinguish similarly well between BRCA mutant and BRCA wild-type cases in a cohort of triple-negative breast cancer patients of the TCGA data set

The novel KV7 channel activator URO-K10 exerts enhanced pulmonary vascular effects independent of the KCNE4 regulatory subunit.

KV7 channels exert a pivotal role regulating vascular tone in several vascular beds. In this context, KV7 channel agonists represent an attractive strategy for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Therefore, in this study, we have explored the pulmonary vascular effects of the novel KV7 channel agonist URO-K10. Consequently, the vasodilator and electrophysiological effects of URO-K10 were tested in rat and human pulmonary arteries (PA) and PA smooth muscle cells (PASMC) using myography and patch-clamp techniques. Protein expression was also determined by Western blot. Morpholino-induced knockdown of KCNE4 was assessed in isolated PA. PASMC proliferation was measured by BrdU incorporation assay. In summary, our data show that URO-K10 is a more effective relaxant of PA than the classical KV7 activators retigabine and flupirtine. URO-K10 enhanced KV currents in PASMC and its electrophysiological and relaxant effects were inhibited by the KV7 channel blocker XE991. The effects of URO-K10 were confirmed in human PA. URO-K10 also exhibited antiproliferative effects in human PASMC. Unlike retigabine and flupirtine, URO-K10-induced pulmonary vasodilation was not affected by morpholino-induced knockdown of the KCNE4 regulatory subunit. Noteworthy, the pulmonary vasodilator efficacy of this compound was considerably increased under conditions mimicking the ionic remodelling (as an in vitro model of PAH) and in PA from monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertensive rats. Taking all together, URO-K10 behaves as a KCNE4-independent KV7 channel activator with much increased pulmonary vascular effects compared to classical KV7 channel activators. Our study identifies a promising new drug in the context of PAH

Rationale and design of the Multidisciplinary Approach to Novel Therapies in Cardiology Oncology Research Trial (MANTICORE 101 - Breast): a randomized, placebo-controlled trial to determine if conventional heart failure pharmacotherapy can prevent trastuzumab-mediated left ventricular remodeling among patients with HER2+ early breast cancer using cardiac MRI

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>MANTICORE 101 - Breast (Multidisciplinary Approach to Novel Therapies in Cardiology Oncology Research) is a randomized trial to determine if conventional heart failure pharmacotherapy (angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or beta-blocker) can prevent trastuzumab-mediated left ventricular remodeling, measured with cardiac MRI, among patients with HER2+ early breast cancer.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>One hundred and fifty-nine patients with histologically confirmed HER2+ breast cancer will be enrolled in a parallel 3-arm, randomized, placebo controlled, double-blind design. After baseline assessments, participants will be randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio to an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (perindopril), beta-blocker (bisoprolol), or placebo. Participants will receive drug or placebo for 1 year beginning 7 days before trastuzumab therapy. Dosages for all groups will be systematically up-titrated, as tolerated, at 1 week intervals for a total of 3 weeks. The primary objective of this randomized clinical trial is to determine if conventional heart failure pharmacotherapy can prevent trastuzumab-mediated left ventricular remodeling among patients with HER2+ early breast cancer, as measured by 12 month change in left ventricular end-diastolic volume using cardiac MRI. Secondary objectives include 1) determine the evolution of left ventricular remodeling on cardiac MRI in patients with HER2+ early breast cancer, 2) understand the mechanism of trastuzumab mediated cardiac toxicity by assessing for the presence of myocardial injury and apoptosis on serum biomarkers and cardiac MRI, and 3) correlate cardiac biomarkers of myocyte injury and extra-cellular matrix remodeling with left ventricular remodeling on cardiac MRI in patients with HER2+ early breast cancer.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>Cardiac toxicity as a result of cancer therapies is now recognized as a significant health problem of increasing prevalence. To our knowledge, MANTICORE will be the first randomized trial testing proven heart failure pharmacotherapy in the prevention of trastuzumab-mediated cardiotoxicity. We expect the findings of this trial to provide important evidence in the development of guidelines for preventive therapy.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov: <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01016886">NCT01016886</a></p