The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective role of pharmacological preconditioning on antioxidant enzymes using A(1) and A(3) adenosine receptor agonists in the recovery of the isolated myocardium after cardioplegic ischemia. Two different modes of preconditioning were studied: isolated rat hearts were perfused with A(1) receptor agonist 2-chloro-N(6)-cyclopentyladenosine (C...

The genetic composition and antibiotic sensitivities of 50 clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus obtained from various clinics in the Republic of Georgia were characterized. S. aureus strains ATCC 700699 and ATCC 29737 were included as reference standards in all analyses. All 52 strains had identical 16S rRNA profiles. In contrast, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) identified 20 dist...

Antonio F Garćia Maŕin, Gerhard Heinzel, Roland Schilling, Albrecht Rüdiger, Vinzenz Wand, Frank Steier, Felipe Guzmán Cervantes, Andreas Weidner, Oliver Jennrich, Francisco J Meca Meca and K. Danzmann 1 Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik (Albert-Einstein-Institut), Callinstrasse 38, D-30167 Hannover, Germany 2 ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands 3 Universidad de Alcalá de Henares Ctra. d...

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has emerged as a serious threat to public health, causing both hospital and community-associated infections. The gold standard for MRSA detection is the amplification of the mecA gene that codes for the production of the altered penicillin-binding protein (PBP2a) responsible for classical methicillin resistance. This work determined the nature of meth...

Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of mastitis in dairy cattle. This study estimated the herd prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staph. aureus (MRSA) among US dairy herds by testing bulk tank milk (BTM) samples using genotypic and phenotypic methods. A nationally representative sample of 542 operations had BTM cultured for Staph. aureus, and 218 BTM samples were positive upon initial cultu...

Staphylococcus aureus is a main cause of bovine mastitis and a major pathogen affecting human health. The emergence and spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become a significant concern for both animal health and public health. This study investigated the incidence of MRSA in milk samples collected from dairy cows with clinical mastitis and characterized the MRSA iso...

UNLABELLED Cefoxitin is a potent inducer of the mecA regulatory system. It is being recommended for detection of methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) when using disk diffusion testing. The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of cefoxitin disc diffusion test to characterize MRSA and compare it with oxacillin agar screening and detection of mecA gene by PCR. MATERIAL...

Staphylococcus saprophyticus is a uropathogenic bacterium that causes acute uncomplicated urinary tract infections, particularly in female outpatients. We investigated the dissemination and antimicrobial susceptibilities of 101 S. saprophyticus isolates from the genitourinary tracts of patients in Japan. Eight of these isolates were mecA positive and showed beta-lactam resistance. Pulsed-field ...

Adenosine, a purine nucleoside, acts as a regulatory molecule, by binding to specific G-protein-coupled A(1), A(2A), A(2B), and A(3) cell surface receptors. We have recently demonstrated that adenosine induces a differential effect on tumor and normal cells. While inhibiting in vitro tumor cell growth, it stimulates bone marrow cell proliferation. This dual activity was mediated through the A3 ...

Reports of oxacillin-susceptible mecA-positive Staphylococcus aureus strains are on the rise. Because of their susceptibility to oxacillin and cefoxitin, it is very difficult to detect them by using routine phenotypic methods. We describe two such isolates that were detected by chromogenic medium and confirmed by characterization of the mecA gene element.