BACKGROUND N-type Ca2+ channels (Ca(v)2.2) play an important role in the transmission of pain signals to the central nervous system. ω-Conotoxin (CTx)-MVIIA, also called ziconotide (Prialt®), effectively alleviates pain, without causing addiction, by blocking the pores of these channels. Unfortunately, CTx-MVIIA has a narrow therapeutic window and produces serious side effects due to the poor r...

OBJECTIVES To characterize plasmids encoding extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) from a recent UK collection of clinical Escherichia coli isolates. METHODS The isolates comprised 118 ESBL producers referred from 54 laboratories. Plasmids were transferred by electroporation, and their incompatibility groups, associated addiction systems and resistance genes with the flanking genetic environ...

Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX) is a rare inborn lipid-storage disease leading to a progressive multisystem disease. CTX with autosomal recessive inheritance is caused by a defect in the CYP27A1 gene. Hallmark clinical manifestations of CTX include bilateral cataracts, chronic diarrhea, tendon xanthomas, and neurologic dysfunction. CTX is a rare disorder, which is supposed to be under-diag...

Twelve isolates of Enterobacteriaceae (1 of Klebsiella pneumoniae, 8 of Escherichia coli, 1 of Proteus mirabilis, and 2 of Proteus vulgaris) classified as extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producers according to the ESBL screen flow application of the BD-Phoenix automatic system and for which the cefotaxime MICs were higher than those of ceftazidime were collected between January 2001 and...

Among 603 isolates of Enterobacteriaceae collected between June and November 2003 from three university hospitals within Korea, bla(CTX-M-3), bla(CTX-M-15), bla(CTX-M-14), and bla(CTX-M-9) were detected in 41 isolates of species from five different genera of Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Citrobacter freundii, Enterobacter spp., and Serratia marcescens.

CTX-M-type beta-lactamases are increasing among US Enterobacteriaceae isolates. Of 2,165 non-Typhi Salmonella isolates submitted in 2007 to the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System, 100 (4.6%) displayed elevated MICs (≥2 mg/L) of ceftriaxone or ceftiofur. Three isolates (serotypes Typhimurium, Concord, and I 4,5,12:i:-) contained bla(CTX-M-5), bla(CTX-M-15), and bla(CTX-M-55/57),...

INTRODUCTION The aim of this study was to detect the prevalence of the extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-encoding CTX-M gene in Escherichia coliisolates. METHODS Phenotypic screening of 376 E. coli isolates for ESBL was conducted using disk diffusion. ESBL-producing isolates were tested using PCR and specific primers. The bla(CTX-M) cluster was identified using the RFLP method, and its ...

OBJECTIVE The aim of the study reported here was to investigate the protective effect of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog (GnRHa) against cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced gonadotoxicity. METHODS Eighty Fischer 344 rats were divided randomly into four groups (20 per group). One group received normal saline, one GnRHa, one CTX, and one GnRHa+CTX. Several parameters were used to observe the o...

OBJECTIVES CTX-M extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) are emerging worldwide. Fast and reliable detection techniques may become mandatory for implementing proper treatment and infection control measures. Here, a bla(CTX-M)-specific LightCycler real-time PCR (LC-PCR) assay based on hybridization probes was developed. METHODS Urine samples positive for Gram-negative bacilli as revealed by ...

CTX-M-15 type β-lactamase has the ability to hydrolyse cefotaxime, a third generation cephalosporin. The infections caused by multidrug resistant strains, especially CTX-M-15 producing strains are being treated with carbapenem group of β-lactam antibiotics. The objective of the study was to know if cefotaxime in combination with doripenem (carbapemen antibiotic) at very low concentration, inhib...