Clinical features and recurrence of Corynebacterium kroppenstedtii infection in patients with mastitis.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have investigated the differences in clinical features of patients with mastitis following Corynebacterium kroppenstedtii infection, and most focused on the bacterial antimicrobial susceptibility, detection methods and therapy. METHODOLOGY: There were 133 patients with mastitis infected by C. kroppenstedtii between August 2016 and September 2019. C. kroppenstedtii was identified using mass spectrometry. The demographics, clinical diagnosis, laboratory test results of different types of mastitis combined with bacillus infection, and the effects of different treatments in reducing recurrence were compared. RESULTS: The incidence of pus following C. kroppenstedtii infection was higher in patients with non-granulomatous lobular mastitis (NGLM; 56.6%) than in those with granulomatous lobular mastitis (GLM; 33.3%; χ2 = 7.072, p = 0.008). While C-reactive protein (CRP) was higher in the GLM group (12.50 mg/L) than in the NGLM group (6.05 mg/L; Z = - 2.187, p = 0.029). Treatment with local lavage (triamcinolone acetonide) and antibiotics (cefuroxime) showed a recurrent rate of 25.9% in C. kroppenstedtii infection. CONCLUSION: Increased pus, large masses, and an elevated CRP level may occur in patients with mastitis infected by C.kroppenstedtii. These clinical features may guide the determination of the bacterial infection in patients with mastitis. Combining an antibiotic with a triamcinolone acetonide lavage, preferably cefuroxime, may reduce the recurrence.

"Pincer movement": Reversing cisplatin resistance based on simultaneous glutathione depletion and glutathione S-transferases inhibition by redox-responsive degradable organosilica hybrid nanoparticles.

The therapeutic efficacy of cisplatin has been restricted by drug resistance of cancers. Intracellular glutathione (GSH) detoxification of cisplatin under the catalysis of glutathione S-transferases (GST) plays important roles in the development of cisplatin resistance. Herein, a strategy of "pincer movement" based on simultaneous GSH depletion and GST inhibition is proposed to enhance cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Specifically, a redox-responsive nanomedicine based on disulfide-bridged degradable organosilica hybrid nanoparticles is developed and loaded with cisplatin and ethacrynic acid (EA), a GST inhibitor. Responding to high level of intracellular GSH, the hybrid nanoparticles can be gradually degraded due to the break of disulfide bonds, which further promotes drug release. Meanwhile, the disulfide-mediated GSH depletion and EA-induced GST inhibition cooperatively prevent cellular detoxification of cisplatin and reverse drug resistance. Moreover, the nanomedicine is integrated into microneedles for intralesional drug delivery against cisplatin-resistant melanoma. The in vivo results show that the nanomedicine-loaded microneedles can achieve significant GSH depletion, GST inhibition, and consequent tumor growth suppression. Overall, this research provides a promising strategy for the construction of new-type nanomedicines to overcome cisplatin resistance, which extends the biomedical application of organosilica hybrid nanomaterials and enables more efficient chemotherapy against drug-resistant cancers.

The Role of miRNAs in the Resistance of Anthracyclines in Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review.

Breast cancer has been reported as the most common cancer in women globally, with 2.26 million new cases in 2020. While anthracyclines are the first-line drug for breast cancer, they cause a variety of adverse reactions and drug resistance, especially for triple-negative breast cancer, which can lead to poor prognosis, high relapse, and mortality rate. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to be important in the initiation, development and metastasis of malignancies and their abnormal transcription levels may influence the efficacy of anthracyclines by participating in the pathologic mechanisms of breast cancer. Therefore, it is essential to understand the exact role of miRNAs in the treatment of breast cancer with anthracyclines. In this review, we outline the mechanisms and signaling pathways involved in miRNAs in the treatment of breast cancer using anthracyclines. The role of miRNA in the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of breast cancer patients is discussed, along with the involvement of miRNAs in chemotherapy for breast cancer.

The Influence of EGCG on the Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Bisoprolol and a New Method for Simultaneous Determination of EGCG and Bisoprolol in Rat Plasma.

Background and Aim: Research has shown that green tea catechins may influence the activity of drug metabolizing enzymes and drug transporters. We examined whether epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) affected the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of bisoprolol in rats. Methods: A sensitive, specific liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was established for the quantitative determination of EGCG and bisoprolol. The pharmacokinetic parameters of EGCG and bisoprolol in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were analyzed using non-compartmental methods with the aid of the computer program WinNolin. Blood pressure (BP) of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) was monitored by the tail-cuff method. Bisoprolol was given as single doses of 10 mg/kg with or without EGCG 100 mg/kg by gavage or by intravenous injection. Results: Intake of EGCG with bisoprolol by gavage significantly reduced the Cmax (mean Cmax from 2012.31 to 942.26 ng/mL, P < 0.05) and increased the Tmax (mean Tmax from 0.5 to 0.83 h, P < 0.01) for bisoprolol. After intravenous injection, EGCG significantly increased the apparent volume of distribution of bisoprolol (mean Vz/F from 1629.62 to 2473.27 mL/Kg, P < 0.05) and tended to increase the clearance. The absolute bioavailability of bisoprolol was reduced from 92.04 to 66.05% in rats when bisoprolol was administered with EGCG. Heart rate reduction was less in SHRs when EGCG was given by gavage with bisoprolol whereas BP reduction occurred more rapidly. Conclusion: This study showed that the simultaneous administration of EGCG by gavage at a dose of 100 mg/kg was associated with decreased Cmax and increased Tmax of bisoprolol, and the Vz/F of bisoprolol was increased when administered with EGCG by intravenous injection in SD rats. Moreover, the early heart rate reduction with bisoprolol was attenuated and BP reduction occurred earlier when EGCG was given with bisoprolol by gavage in SHRs.

Risk Factors for Coronary Artery Lesionsin Kawasaki Disease Independent of Antibiotic Use in Chinese Children.

Objectives: To study the impact of antibiotics used in Kawasaki disease (KD) with coronary artery lesions (CAL) and identify independent risk factors. Methodology: This study reviewed the records of 287 KD patients between the years 2016 and 2020. Patients were grouped by their outcome, the CAL group, and a no-coronary artery lesions (NCAL) group, and stratified by the use of antibiotics. We collected clinical and laboratory data before the intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment. Results: The two groups of KD patients with and without CAL were compared. The results showed that there are significant differences between groups which were erythrocyte count (p = 0.045) and hemoglobin (p = 0.005), red blood cell-specific volume (p = 0.001), immature granular cells percentage (p = 0.006), total protein (p = 0.045), albumin (p = 0.041), alkaline phosphatase (p = 0.023), and chlorine (p = 0.006). After multivariate logistic regression, neutrophil granulocyte percentage (odds ratio [OR] = 1.200, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.008-1.428, p = 0.040), lymphocyte percentage (p = 0.028, OR = 1.243, 95% CI: 1.024-1.508, p = 0.028) and total protein (OR = 4.414, 95% CI: 1.092-17.846, p = 0.037) were found to be independent risk factors for CAL. After analyzing the cases with a history of antibiotic use, multivariate analysis showed no indicators were considered independent risk factors for CAL. Conclusion: Neutrophil granulocyte percentage, Lymphocyte percentage and total protein were independent risks for CAL in KD without antibiotics use history. The use of antibiotics affected physiological indicators of KD patients.