bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Persistent Impairment of Hippocampal Neurogenesis in Young Adult Rats Following Early Postnatal Alcohol Exposure
Authors: Klintsova Anna Y. , Helfer Jennifer L. , Calizo Lyngine H. , Dong Willie K. , Goodlett Charles R. , Greenough William T. 
Published: October 2007

Background:  Prenatal alcohol exposure can cause damage to the developing fetus with outcomes including growth deficiency, facial dysmorphology, brain damage, and cognitive and behavioral deficits. Smaller brains in children with FASD have been linked both with reduced cell proliferation in the developing CNS and with apoptotic cell loss of postmitotic neurons. Prenatal alcohol exposure in rodents during the period of brain development comparable to that of the first and second trimesters of human pregnancy persistently alters adult neurogenesis. Long‐term effects of alcohol exposure during the third trimester equivalent, which occurs postnatally in the rat, on adult neurogenesis have not been previously reported. The goal of this study was to examine the effect of postnatal binge‐like alcohol exposure on cell proliferation and neurogenesis in hippocampal dentate gyrus during adolescence and young adulthood.Methods:  Male Long‐Evans rat pups were assigned to 3 groups: alcohol‐exposed (AE), sham‐intubated (SI) or suckle control (SC). AE pups received ethanol in a milk formula in a binge manner (2 feedings, 2 hours apart, total dose 5.25 g/kg/day) on postnatal days (PD) 4–9. BrdU was injected every other day on PD30–50. Animals were perfused either on PD50 to examine cytogenesis and neurogenesis in hippocampal dentate gyrus at the end of BrdU injections or on PD80 to evaluate new cell survival. Dorsal hippocampal sections were immunostained for BrdU, a marker for proliferating cells, Ki67, endogenous marker of proliferation, and NeuN, a marker for mature neurons.Results:  Binge‐like alcohol exposure on PD4–9 significantly reduced the number of mature neurons in adult hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) both on PD50 and PD80, without altering cumulative cytogenesis on PD50. In addition, the number of new neurons, that were generated between PD30 and 50, was further reduced after 30 days of survival in all 3 groups (SC, SI, and AE).Conclusions:  These observations suggest that early postnatal binge alcohol exposure results in long‐term deficits of adult hippocampal neurogenesis, providing a potential basis for the deficits of hippocampus‐dependent behaviors reported for this model.
Acetaldehyde Increases Endogenous Adiponectin and Fibrogenesis in Hepatic Stellate Cells But Exogenous Adiponectin Inhibits Fibrogenesis
Authors: Potter James J. , Mezey Esteban 
Published: October 2007

Background:  Adiponectin has antifibrogenic properties. Acetaldehyde, the principal metabolite of ethanol, is known to stimulate the expression of type I collagen genes and the production of type I collagen by wild‐type (wt) but not by obese gene (ob/ob) stellate cells. The aim of this study was to determine the expression of adiponectin in activated stellate cells obtained from wt and ob/ob mice and to determine the effects of acetaldehyde on adiponectin in relation to the expression of type I collagen.Methods:  Stellate cells were isolated from wt and ob/ob mice by perfusion of the portal vein and cultured. Cell adiponectin was visualized by immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy and determined by radioimmunoassay and by western blot. Adiponectin mRNA and α1(I) collagen mRNA were determined by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction.Results:  Adiponectin levels were similar in wt and ob/ob stellate cells. Adiponectin receptor 2 mRNA (AdipoR2 mRNA) and AdipoR2 immunoprotein were higher in ob/ob than in wt stellate cells (p < 0.01). Acetaldehyde (200 μM) increased adiponectin both in wt and in ob/ob stellate cells (p < 0.05), but increased AdipoR2 immunoprotein only in ob/ob stellate cells (p < 0.01). However, in the presence of leptin, acetaldehyde decreased adiponectin in ob/ob stellate cells (p < 0.01). Acetaldehyde enhanced α1(I) collagen mRNA in wt (p < 0.05), but decreased it in ob/ob stellate cells (p < 0.01). Leptin abrogated the effect of acetaldehyde in decreasing α1(I) collagen mRNA in ob/ob stellate cells (p < 0.01). Adiponectin inhibited α1(I) collagen mRNA in the basal state in wt stellate cells or when enhanced by acetaldehyde.Conclusions:  Adiponectin and adiponectin receptor are present in activated stellate cells. Adiponectin has a negative regulatory role on the enhancing effect of acetaldehyde on fibrogenesis in alcoholic liver disease.
Healthy and Safe School Environment, Part I: Results From the School Health Policies and Programs Study 2006
Authors: Jones Sherry Everett , Fisher Carolyn J. , Greene Brenda Z. , Hertz Marci F. , Pritzl Jane 
Published: October 2007

ABSTRACTBackground:  Policies set at the state, district, and school levels can support and enhance a healthy and safe school environment.Methods:  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducts the School Health Policies and Programs Study every 6 years. In 2006, computer‐assisted telephone interviews or self‐administered mail questionnaires were completed by state education agency personnel in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and among a nationally representative sample of school districts (n = 461). Computer‐assisted personal interviews were conducted with personnel in a nationally representative sample of elementary, middle, and high schools (n = 1025).Results:  Most districts had adopted a policy on the inspection and maintenance of school facilities and equipment, and most schools had inspected and provided appropriate maintenance for each type of school facility and equipment during the 12 months preceding the study. Nearly all districts and schools had a comprehensive crisis preparedness, response, and recovery plan. Nearly all districts and schools prohibited tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drug use; fighting; weapons use; and weapon possession; but when students broke rules related to those behaviors, punitive measures were taken more often than provision of supportive services. Most schools did not reschedule outdoor activities to avoid times when the sun was at peak intensity, nor did they encourage the use of sunscreen before going outside.Conclusions:  To provide students with a truly healthy and safe school environment in which learning can take place, more schools need to promote a positive school climate and reduce violence, injuries, and the use of tobacco, alcohol, and other substances. States and districts need to continue to provide policy and technical assistance in support of school efforts.
Faculty and Staff Health Promotion: Results From the School Health Policies and Programs Study 2006
Authors: Eaton Danice K. , Marx Eva , Bowie Sara E. 
Published: October 2007

ABSTRACTBackground:  US schools employ an estimated 6.7 million workers and are thus an ideal setting for employee wellness programs. This article describes the characteristics of school employee wellness programs in the United States, including state‐, district‐, and school‐level policies and programs.Methods:  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducts the School Health Policies and Programs Study every 6 years. In 2006, computer‐assisted telephone interviews or self‐administered mail questionnaires were completed by state education agency personnel in 49 states plus the District of Columbia and among a nationally representative sample of school districts (n = 445). Computer‐assisted personal interviews were conducted with personnel in a nationally representative sample of elementary, middle, and high schools (n = 873).Results:  During the 2 years preceding the study, 67.3% of states provided assistance to districts or schools on how to develop or implement faculty and staff health promotion activities or services. Although nearly all schools offered at least 1 health promotion service or activity, few schools offered coordinated activities and services within a comprehensive employee wellness program. During the 12 months preceding the study, none of the health screenings were offered by more than one third of schools; only a few of the health promotion activities and services were offered by more than one third of schools; about one third of schools offered physical activity programs, employee assistance programs, and subsidies or discounts for off‐site health promotion activities; and only 1 in 10 schools provided health‐risk appraisals for faculty and staff.Conclusions:  More schools should implement comprehensive employee wellness programs to improve faculty and staff health behaviors and health status.
Resveratrol Modulates Phagocytosis of Bacteria through an NF-κB-Dependent Gene Program
Authors: Iyori Mitsuhiro , Kataoka Hideo , Shamsul Haque Mohammad , Kiura Kazuto , Yasuda Motoaki , Nakata Takashi , Hasebe Akira , Shibata Ken-ichiro 
Published: October 2007

ABSTRACT

Many studies have shown that the pharmacological effects of resveratrol, a phytoalexin polyphenolic compound, include protective effects against cancer and inflammation as well as enhancement of stress resistance. In this study, we examined whether resveratrol affected the phagocytosis of bacteria by macrophages and the activation of the transcription factor NF-κB after stimulation with or without the ligand FSL-1 for Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2). Phagocytosis of
Escherichia coli
and of
Staphylococcus aureus
by THP-1 cells and RAW264.7 cells was inhibited by resveratrol in a dose-dependent manner regardless of stimulation with FSL-1. The NF-κB activity in HEK293 cells stably expressing TLR2 was also inhibited by resveratrol after stimulation with FSL-1. Resveratrol also inhibited both the translocation of p65 of NF-κB into nuclei in the transfectant and tumor necrosis factor alpha production by THP-1 cells or RAW264.7 cells. It has recently been reported that TLR-mediated signaling pathways lead to the upregulation of mRNAs of phagocytic receptors, including scavenger receptors and C-type lectin receptors. This study also demonstrated that FSL-1 induced the upregulation of mRNAs of phagocytic receptors such as macrophage scavenger receptor-1, CD36, DC-SIGN, and Dectin-1 and that the FSL-1-induced upregulation of their mRNAs was inhibited by resveratrol. In addition, it was found that the expression of DC-SIGN in HEK293 cells stably expressing DC-SIGN was reduced by resveratrol and that the phagocytic activity was significantly inhibited by resveratrol. Thus, this study suggests that resveratrol inhibited bacterial phagocytosis by macrophages by downregulating the expression of phagocytic receptors and NF-κB activity.
Inhibition of Quorum Sensing-Controlled Virulence Factor Production in
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
by South Florida Plant Extracts
Authors: Adonizio Allison , Kong Kok-Fai , Mathee Kalai 
Published: October 2007

ABSTRACT

Quorum sensing (QS) is a key regulator of virulence and biofilm formation in
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
and other medically relevant bacteria. Aqueous extracts of six plants,
Conocarpus erectus
,
Chamaesyce hypericifolia
,
Callistemon viminalis
,
Bucida buceras
,
Tetrazygia bicolor
, and
Quercus virginiana
, were examined in this study for their effects on
P. aeruginosa
virulence factors and the QS system.
C. erectus
,
B. buceras
, and
C. viminalis
caused a significant inhibition of LasA protease, LasB elastase, pyoverdin production, and biofilm formation. Additionally, each plant presented a distinct effect profile on the
las
and
rhl
QS genes and their respective signaling molecules, suggesting that different mechanisms are responsible for efficacy. Extracts of all plants caused the inhibition of QS genes and QS-controlled factors, with marginal effects on bacterial growth, suggesting that the quorum-quenching mechanisms are unrelated to static or cidal effects.
Complex Class 1 Integrons with Diverse Variable Regions, Including
aac
(
6
′)-
Ib
-
cr
, and a Novel Allele,
qnrB10
, Associated with IS
CR1
in Clinical Enterobacterial Isolates from Argentina
Authors: Quiroga María Paula , Andres Patricia , Petroni Alejandro , Soler Bistué Alfonso J. C. , Guerriero Leonor , Vargas Liliana Jordá , Zorreguieta Angeles , Tokumoto Marta , Quiroga Cecilia , Tolmasky Marcelo E. , Galas Marcelo , Centrón Daniela 
Published: October 2007

ABSTRACT

Transferable quinolone resistance has not previously been reported in Argentina. Here we describe three complex class 1 integrons harboring the novel allele
qnrB10
in a unique region downstream of
orf513
, one of them also containing
aac
(
6
′)-
Ib
-
cr
within the variable region of integrons. The three arrays differed from
bla
CTX-M-2
-bearing integrons, which are broadly distributed in Argentina.
Molecular Epidemiology and Mechanisms of Carbapenem Resistance in
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Isolates from Spanish Hospitals
Authors: Gutiérrez O. , Juan C. , Cercenado E. , Navarro F. , Bouza E. , Coll P. , Pérez J. L. , Oliver A. 
Published: October 2007

ABSTRACT

All (236)
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
isolates resistant to imipenem and/or meropenem collected during a multicenter (127-hospital) study in Spain were analyzed. Carbapenem-resistant isolates were found to be more frequently resistant to all β-lactams and non-β-lactam antibiotics than carbapenem-susceptible isolates (
P
< 0.001), and up to 46% of the carbapenem-resistant isolates met the criteria used to define multidrug resistance (MDR). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed remarkable clonal diversity (165 different clones were identified), and with few exceptions, the levels of intra- and interhospital dissemination of clones were found to be low. Carbapenem resistance was driven mainly by the mutational inactivation of OprD, accompanied or not by the hyperexpression of AmpC or MexAB-OprM. Class B carbapenemases (metallo-β-lactamases [MBLs]) were detected in a single isolate, although interestingly, this isolate belonged to one of the few epidemic clones documented. The MBL-encoding gene (
bla
VIM-2
), along with the aminoglycoside resistance determinants, was transferred to strain PAO1 by electroporation, demonstrating its plasmid location. The class 1 integron harboring
bla
VIM-2
was characterized as well, and two interesting features were revealed:
intI1
was found to be disrupted by a 1.1-kb insertion sequence, and a previously undescribed aminoglycoside acetyltransferase-encoding gene [designated
aac(6′)-32
] preceded
bla
VIM-2
. AAC(6′)-32 showed 80% identity to AAC(6′)-Ib′ and the recently described AAC(6′)-31, and when
aac(6′)-32
was cloned into
Escherichia coli
, it conferred resistance to tobramycin and reduced susceptibility to gentamicin and amikacin. Despite the currently low prevalence of epidemic clones with MDR, active surveillance is needed to detect and prevent the dissemination of these clones, particularly those producing integron- and plasmid-encoded MBLs, given their additional capacity for the intra- and interspecies spread of MDR.
In Vitro and In Vivo Antibacterial Activities of DC-159a, a New Fluoroquinolone
Authors: Hoshino Kazuki , Inoue Kazue , Murakami Yoichi , Kurosaka Yuichi , Namba Kenji , Kashimoto Yoshinori , Uoyama Saori , Okumura Ryo , Higuchi Saito , Otani Tsuyoshi 
Published: October 2007

ABSTRACT

DC-159a is a new 8-methoxy fluoroquinolone that possesses a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity, with extended activity against gram-positive pathogens, especially streptococci and staphylococci from patients with community-acquired infections. DC-159a showed activity against
Streptococcus
spp. (MIC
90
, 0.12 μg/ml) and inhibited the growth of 90% of levofloxacin-intermediate and -resistant strains at 1 μg/ml. The MIC
90
s of DC-159a against
Staphylococcus
spp. were 0.5 μg/ml or less. Against quinolone- and methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
strains, however, the MIC
90
of DC-159a was 8 μg/ml. DC-159a was the most active against
Enterococcus
spp. (MIC
90
, 4 to 8 μg/ml) and was more active than the marketed fluoroquinolones, such as levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and moxifloxacin. The MIC
90
s of DC-159a against
Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis
, and
Klebsiella pneumoniae
were 0.015, 0.06, and 0.25 μg/ml, respectively. The activity of DC-159a against
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
was eightfold more potent than that of levofloxacin. The MICs of DC-159a against
Chlamydophila pneumoniae
were comparable to those of moxifloxacin, and DC-159a was more potent than levofloxacin. The MIC
90
s of DC-159a against
Peptostreptococcus
spp.,
Clostridium difficile
, and
Bacteroides fragilis
were 0.5, 4, and 2 μg/ml, respectively; and among the quinolones tested it showed the highest level of activity against anaerobic organisms. DC-159a demonstrated rapid bactericidal activity against quinolone-resistant
Streptococcus pneumoniae
strains both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, DC-159a showed faster killing than moxifloxacin and garenoxacin. The bactericidal activity of DC-159a in a murine muscle infection model was revealed to be superior to that of moxifloxacin. These activities carried over to the in vivo efficacy in the murine pneumonia model, in which treatment with DC-159a led to bactericidal activity superior to those of the other agents tested.
The PhoQ-Activating Potential of Antimicrobial Peptides Contributes to Antimicrobial Efficacy and Is Predictive of the Induction of Bacterial Resistance
Authors: Kindrachuk Jason , Paur Nicole , Reiman Carla , Scruten Erin , Napper Scott 
Published: October 2007

ABSTRACT
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are among the leading candidates to replace antibiotics which have been rendered ineffective by the evolution of resistant bacterial strains. Concerns do exist, however, that the therapeutic administration of AMPs may also select for resistant strains but with much more dire consequences, as these peptides represent an endogenous and essential component of host immune defense. The recent demonstration that AMPs function as ligands for the bacterial sensory kinase PhoQ for the initiation of virulence and adaptive responses lends credence to these concerns. While the ability to serve as PhoQ ligands suggests that the therapeutic administration of AMPs could (i) exacerbate infections by promoting bacterial virulence and (ii) select resistant mutants by encouraging adaptive behaviors, it also provides a rational basis for AMP selection and optimization. Here, we demonstrate that derivatives of a representative AMP have differential abilities to serve as PhoQ ligands and that this correlates with the ability to induce bacterial adaptive responses. We propose that PhoQ-activating potential is a logical parameter for AMP optimization and introduce a novel strategy for the treatment of minimal bactericidal concentration data that permits the discrimination and quantification of the contributions of PhoQ-activating potential and direct antimicrobial activity to net antimicrobial efficiency.
Differential Activities of Newer Antifungal Agents against
Candida albicans
and
Candida parapsilosis
Biofilms
Authors: Katragkou Αspasia , Chatzimoschou Athanasios , Simitsopoulou Maria , Dalakiouridou Maria , Diza-Mataftsi Eudoxia , Tsantali Chaido , Roilides Emmanuel 
Published: October 2007

ABSTRACT

The activities of voriconazole, posaconazole, caspofungin, and anidulafungin against
Candida albicans
and
Candida parapsilosis
biofilms were evaluated. In contrast to planktonic cells, the MICs for voriconazole and posaconazole for the biofilms of the two species were high (≥256 and >64 mg/liter, respectively) but relatively low for the echinocandins caspofungin and anidulafungin (≤1 and ≤2 mg/liter, respectively).
Comparative Antianaerobic Activities of Doripenem Determined by MIC and Time-Kill Analysis
Authors: Credito Kim L. , Ednie Lois M. , Appelbaum Peter C. 
Published: October 2007

ABSTRACTAgainst 447 anaerobe strains, the investigational carbapenem doripenem had an MIC50of 0.125 μg/ml and an MIC90of 1 μg/ml. Results were similar to those for imipenem, meropenem, and ertapenem. Time-kill studies showed that doripenem had very good bactericidal activity compared to other carbapenems, with 99.9% killing of 11 strains at 2× MIC after 48 h.
In Vitro Activity of DC-159a, a New Broad-Spectrum Fluoroquinolone, Compared with That of Other Agents against Drug-Susceptible and -Resistant Pneumococci
Authors: Clark Catherine , Smith Kathy , Ednie Lois , Bogdanovich Tatiana , Dewasse Bonifacio , McGhee Pamela , Appelbaum Peter C. 
Published: October 2007

ABSTRACT
DC-159a yielded MICs of ≤1 μg/ml against 316 strains of both quinolone-susceptible and -resistant pneumococci (resistance was defined as a levofloxacin MIC ≥4 μg/ml). Although the MICs for DC-159a against quinolone-susceptible pneumococci were a few dilutions higher than those of gemifloxacin, the MICs of these two compounds against 28 quinolone-resistant pneumococci were identical. The DC-159a MICs against quinolone-resistant strains did not appear to depend on the number or the type of mutations in the quinolone resistance-determining region. DC-159a, as well as the other quinolones tested, was bactericidal after 24 h at 2× MIC against 11 of 12 strains tested. Two of the strains were additionally tested at 1 and 2 h, and DC-159a at 4× MIC showed significant killing as early as 2 h. Multistep resistance selection studies showed that even after 50 consecutive subcultures of 10 strains in the presence of sub-MICs, DC-159a produced only two mutants with maximum MICs of 1 μg/ml.
Failure of Current Cefepime Breakpoints To Predict Clinical Outcomes of Bacteremia Caused by Gram-Negative Organisms
Authors: Bhat Sunil V. , Peleg Anton Y. , Lodise Thomas P. , Shutt Kathleen A. , Capitano Blair , Potoski Brian A. , Paterson David L. 
Published: October 2007

ABSTRACT

For commonly encountered gram-negative bacilli, a MIC of cefepime of 8 μg/ml or less was defined by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute as “susceptible” prior to the commercial release of the antibiotic. We assessed 204 episodes of bacteremia caused by gram-negative organisms for which patients received cefepime (typically 1 to 2 g every 12 h) as the primary mode of therapy. The cefepime MIC breakpoint derived by classification and regression tree (CART) software analysis to delineate the risk of 28-day mortality was 8 μg/ml. Patients infected with gram-negative organisms treated with cefepime at a MIC of ≥8 μg/ml had a mortality rate of 54.8% (17/31 died), compared to 24.1% (35/145 died) for those treated with a cefepime MIC of <8 μg/ml. The rate of mortality for those treated with a cefepime MIC of 8 μg/ml was 56.3% (9/16 died), compared to 53.3% (8/15 died) for those treated with cefepime at a MIC of >8 μg/ml. A multivariable analysis including severity of illness indices showed that treating patients with bacteremia due to gram-negative organisms with a cefepime MIC of ≥8 μg/ml was an independent predictor of mortality (
P
≤ 0.001). There was no significant difference in outcome according to the dosage regimen utilized. Pharmacodynamic assessments that were presented previously would suggest that cefepime treatment (particularly a dosage of 1 g every 12 h) has a low probability of target attainment associated with successful in vivo outcome when the cefepime MIC is ≥8 μg/ml. It would appear reasonable, based on pharmacodynamic and clinical grounds, to lower the breakpoints for cefepime in countries where the cefepime dosage of 1 to 2 g every 12 h is the licensed therapy for serious infections, so that organisms with a cefepime MIC of 8 μg/ml are no longer regarded as susceptible to the antibiotic.