Rifampin in Experimental Endocarditis Due to Staphylococcus aureus in Rabbits

Rifampin possesses unique activity against Staphylococcus aureus. It is the most active antistaphylococcal antibiotic currently available and has been shown to be particularly effective in eradicating S. aureus from abscess cavities in experimental infections. However resistance develops rapidly in vitro and in vivo when large numbers of organisms (106-107) are present, and use of combination therapy has been recommended. The use of combination therapy is complicated by the finding that in vitro the addition of rifampin may reduce (antagonize) the bactericidal effect of the β-lactam antibiotics. This study examines the in vivo effect of treatment with a β-Iactam agent (cloxacillin), rifampin, or the combination on the eradication of S. aureus from cardiac vegetations in experimental endocarditis. Five different dosage combinations of the β-lactam agent and rifampin were administered for a three-day period, and an attempt was made to correlate peak serum bactericidal titers with results of quantitative cultures of vegetations after therapy. In two of five regimens the combination of rifampin and cloxacillin produced enhanced efficacy in vivo (synergism); in two regimens the effect was no greater than the effect of either drug alone (indifference), and in one regimen the combination was less effective than either single-drug regimen alone (antagonism). Peak serum bactericidal titers often were predictive of the in vivo effect when high doses of cloxacillin were used but were not consistently predictive of in vivo results when rifampin was the agent responsible for the major therapeutic effect. Rifampin-resistant strains did not emerge in animals receiving combination therapy but were isolated from vegetations from several animals receiving rifampin alon

Recenti sviluppi in materia di diritto e religione nella Repubblica Ceca e in Slovacchia

Le novit\ue0 in materia di rapporti tra Stato e chiese nella Repubblica Cec

The Postantibiotic Effect in the Treatment of Experimental Meningitis Caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in Rabbits

The relevance of a postantibiotic effect in the treatment of pneumococcal meningitis was evaluated in a rabbit model. After administration of a single intravenous bolus of ampicillin at various dosages, such an effect was observed in all animals. The duration of this effect in vivo (2.5-18 hr) was consistently longer than that in vitro (1-4.3 hr); however, in rabbits the postantibiotic effect was eliminated by the administration of intravenous plus intracisternal β-lactamase. In an assessment of the potential therapeutic benefit of the postantibiotic effect, the efficacy of two regimens of treatment with different intervals between doses was compared. One group of animals received ampicillin every 4 hr and another every 12 hr. With sufficiently high doses, drug concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid exceeded the minimal bactericidal concentration for most of the 4-hr interval but for only about one-third of the 12-hr interval. The rate of cure was similar for the two regimens and approximated 100% when peak drug concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid exceeded the minimal bactericidal concentration by at least 10-fol

Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Agents in the Therapy for Experimental Pneumococcal Meningitis

An increased inflammatory mass in the subarachnoid space during bacterial meningitis may correlate with a poor outcome of disease. Using a rabbit model of pneumococcal meningitis, we sought to reduce this inflammatory process. The ability of the pneumococcal cell wall to cause death and to generate leukocytosis and abnormal chemistry in cerebrospinal fluid was prevented when animals were treated with inhibitors of the cyclooxygenase pathway of arachidonate metabolism. Bacterial lysis by ampicillin led to release of cell wall that caused a significant, transient increase in meningeal inflammation. This inflammatory burst was also prevented by administering cyclooxygenase inhib-itors concurrently with the antibioti

Two cases of inferior vena cava duplication with their CT findings and a review of the literature

Duplication of the inferior vena cava (IVC) is the most common anomaly to affect the vena cava. Variations in the IVC are diagnosed in routine dissection studies, in retroperitoneal surgeries, or in computerised tomography (CT) sections ordered for various reasons. In this paper we present two cases of a double IVC together with the CT findings. The duplication might have occurred during embryological development. Although venous anomalies are rare, they have particular importance with respect to the interruptions that may occur during retroperitoneal and thoracic surgery or in the treatment of thrombo-embolic disease

Karakteristik Morfologi Famili Arcidae Di Perairan Yang Berbeda (Karangantu Dan Labuan, Banten)

Kekerangan adalah organisme laut yang kosmopolit, mendiami substrat perairan dan bersifat sedenter(bivalvia) sehingga organisme tersebut sangat rentan terpengaruh oleh Perubahan lingkungan. DiPerairan Indonesia terdapat beberapa jenis kekerangan. Salah satunya pusat penyebaran danpenangkapan kekerangan di Indonesia adalah Perairan Karangantu dan Labuan, Provinsi Banten. Jeniskekerangan yang dominan di perairan tersebut adalah famili Arcidae. Kondisi lingkungan perairan yangberbeda akan mempengaruhi morfologi dari setiap spesies kekerangan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untukmengidentifikasi morfologi pada famili Arcidae di Perairan Karangantu dan Labuan. Metode penelitianyang digunakan adalah deskriptif komparatif dengan teknik survei. Lokasi penelitian yang dipilih yaituPerairan Karangantu dan Labuan, masing-masing dua stasiun. Setiap stasiun memiliki karakteristikkondisi lingkungan yang berbeda, seperti daerah Muara Sungai dan daerah industri. Sampel kerangdiambil dengan metode sapuan menggunakan alat tangkap kerang (garuk). Sampel dari setiap spesiesditangkap sebanyak 25 individu/stasiun. Setiap spesies memiliki karakteristik morfologi yang berbeda,walaupun beberapa individu memiliki kesamaan ciri morfologi antara satu stasiun dengan stasiun lainnya.Potensi sumberdaya kekerangan di Perairan Karangantu yaitu A. granosa dan A. antiquata, sedangkan diPerairan Labuan yaitu A. granosa, A. scapha dan B. barbata. Secara umum potensi sumberdayakekerangan di provinsi Banten yaitu A. granosa dengan ukuran cangkang terbesar di Perairan La

Data mining experiments on the Angiotensin II-Antagonist in Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation (ANTIPAF-AFNET 2) trial: ‘Exposing the invisible’

Aims: The aims of this study include (i) pursuing data-mining experiments on the Angiotensin II-Antagonist in Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation (ANTIPAF-AFNET 2) trial dataset containing atrial fibrillation (AF) burden scores of patients with many clinical parameters and (ii) revealing possible correlations between the estimated risk factors of AF and other clinical findings or measurements provided in the dataset. Methods: Ranking Instances by Maximizing the Area under a Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) Curve (RIMARC) is used to determine the predictive weights (Pw) of baseline variables on the primary endpoint. Chi-square automatic interaction detector algorithm is performed for comparing the results of RIMARC. The primary endpoint of the ANTIPAF-AFNET 2 trial was the percentage of days with documented episodes of paroxysmal AF or with suspected persistent AF. Results: By means of the RIMARC analysis algorithm, baseline SF-12 mental component score (Pw = 0.3597), age (Pw = 0.2865), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (Pw = 0.2719), systolic blood pressure (Pw = 0.2240), and creatinine level (Pw = 0.1570) of the patients were found to be predictors of AF burden. Atrial fibrillation burden increases as baseline SF-12 mental component score gets lower; systolic blood pressure, BUN and creatinine levels become higher; and the patient gets older. The AF burden increased significantly at age >76. Conclusions: With the ANTIPAF-AFNET 2 dataset, the present data-mining analyses suggest that a baseline SF-12 mental component score, age, systolic blood pressure, BUN, and creatinine level of the patients are predictors of AF burden. Additional studies are necessary to understand the distinct kidney-specific pathophysiological pathways that contribute to AF burden. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2016