conclusions though antibiotics are rarely indicated, they are often still used to treat rtis. the resulting increase in bacterial resistance, the lack of treatment efficacy, and drug-related side effects all underscore the need for alternative strategies to manage recurrent rtis. this article uses a typical pediatric case study to review central issues in the diagnosis and management of recurre...

The medicinal plants are of great use in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, agricultural and food industry. The efficacy of some herbal products is beyond doubt, the most recent examples being Silybum marianum (Linn.) Gaertn (Silymarin), Artemisia annua Linn. (Artemesinin) and Taxus baccata Linn.(taxol). Randomized, controlled trials have proved the efficacy of some established remedies, for instance Zi...

The bacterial extract OM-89 used for the prevention and treatment of recurrent urinary tract infections constitutes an effective immunostimulant in vitro and in vivo. Here we demonstrate that OM-89 shows mitogenic properties towards murine spleen cell cultures from LPS responder and non-responder mice. In macrophages the extract induces the translocation of NF-kappaB into the cell nucleus and R...

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is considered a fatal disease. Three cats with dry form FIP were treated with Polyprenyl Immunostimulant. Two of the three cats are still on treatment and are alive and well 2 years after diagnosis. The third cat survived 14 months but was treated for only 4.5 months. Further studies are necessary to assess the potential of the Polyprenyl Immunostimulant.

Treatment of bone-marrow-derived macrophages with nanogram quantities of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or with the synthetic bacterial lipopeptide analogue N-palmitoyl-(S)-[2,3-bis(palmitoyloxy)-(2RS)-propyl] (Pam3)Cys-Ala-Gly results in a change of ADP-ribosylation of a cytosolic 33 kDa protein. The immunostimulant-induced change is both dose- and time-dependent. It is not observed in mac...

Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) constitute a major healthcare burden in children throughout the world. They tend to be recurrent, often causing multiple episodes of illness within a single year. Immature immune system, the presence of genetic and environmental factors and exposure to pathogens make young children highly susceptible to RTIs. These infections are still treated with antibiotic...

Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS; endotoxin) is a potent immunostimulant that can induce an acute inflammatory response comparable to a bacterial infection. Experimental observations demonstrate that this biological response can be either blunted (tolerance) or augmented (potentiation) with repeated administration of endotoxin. Both phenomena are of clinical relevance. We show that a four-dime...

Studies have shown that CpG oligodeoxyribonucleotides (ODN) protect mice from various bacterial pathogens, including Burkholderia pseudomallei and Francisella tularensis live vaccine strain (LVS), when administered before parenteral challenge. Given the potential to develop CpG ODN as a pre-treatment for multiple bacterial biological warfare agents, we examined survival, histopathology, and cyt...

Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS; endotoxin) is a potent immunostimulant that can induce an acute inflammatory response comparable to a bacterial infection. Experimental observations demonstrate that this biological response can be either blunted (tolerance) or augmented (potentiation) with repeated administration of endotoxin. Both phenomena are of clinical relevance. We show that a four-dime...

A bacterial strain isolated from intestines of hybrid catfish (Clarias gariepinus Male × Clarias macrocephalus Female) exhibited an in vitro inhibitory effect on a fish pathogen, Aeromonas hydrophila TISTR 1321. By using the 16S rDNA sequence analysis, it was identified as Lactobacillus plantarum C014. To examine whether L. plantarum C014 had potential for use as an immunostimulant and biocontr...