Antimicrobial Susceptibility Patterns of Bacterial Isolates from Blood Culture of Pediatric Patients with Suspected Sepsis at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Mymensingh, Bangladesh.

Sepsis is a serious, life-threatening condition, occurring when an infectious agent invades the body, resulting in systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Neonates and children are among the most vulnerable population groups of developing sepsis because of their weak immune barrier. Despite major advances in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of bacterial infections, invasive infections followed by sepsis remain one of the leading causes of childhood mortality. The aim of this study was to identify bacterial agents and antimicrobial resistance patterns of aerobic bacteria among children suspected of having sepsis. This cross-sectional descriptive type of observational study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology, Mymensingh Medical College, Bangladesh from March 2021 to February 2022. Blood samples were collected from pediatric patients, suspected of having sepsis referred from inpatient facility of department of Neonatology and Pediatrics, Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MMCH). Blood samples were inoculated into BacT/ALERT PF Plus bottles followed by sub-culture of positive samples in blood agar, MacConkey agar and chocolate agar plates. Isolated bacteria were identified by routine biochemical tests. Antimicrobial resistance pattern of all isolated bacteria was seen by disk diffusion method. MIC of vancomycin by agar dilution method was determined for isolated S. aureus and Coagulase negative Staphylococci (CoNS). The prevalence of pediatric sepsis was 31.82% with highest isolation rate 35.55% among neonates. The isolation rate of gram-positive bacteria was 62.50% where S. aureus was the most common isolate 32.15% followed by CoNS 30.36%. Out of 21 gram-negative bacteria, Pseudomonas spp. was the most frequent isolate 7(33.33%), all of which were resistant to cefuroxime, ceftriaxone and ceftazidime along with all klebsiella and Acinetobacter isolates. Out of 18 S. aureus isolates, 94.44%, 88.89% and 66.67% were resistant to Azithromycin, Penicillin-G and Ciprofloxacin respectively. The MIC of Vancomycin by agar dilution method was observed <2µg/ml against all isolated S. aureus and CoNS. All the Gram-positive isolates were sensitive to Linezolid and Vancomycin. Early detection of bacteria followed by antimicrobial susceptibility test can help by selection of appropriate antibiotic and prevent spread of infection.

Effect of zymosan on feed passage in the digestive tract in chicks.

1. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether zymosan, which is a component of fungi, affects feed passage through the digestive tract in chicks (Gallus gallus).2. Intraperitoneal (IP) injection of 2.5 mg zymosan significantly reduced the crop-emptying rate and this effect was similar to that of 100 µg lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Zymosan affected phenol red transit from the proventriculus.3. Zymosan significantly affected the gene expression of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), IL-6, IL-8 and histidine decarboxylase in various regions of the digestive tract.4. The present study suggested that zymosan retarded feed passage through the digestive tract in chick and interleukins and histamine may be participating in this process.

Effects of toll-like receptor-7 agonists on feeding behaviour, voluntary activity, cloacal temperature and crop emptying in chicks.

1. The purpose of the present study was to determine if an intraperitoneal injection of two toll-like receptor-7 (TLR7) agonists, imiquimod and resiquimod, affect feed intake, voluntary activity, cloacal temperature, crop-emptying rate, plasma corticosterone (CORT) and glucose concentrations, and splenic gene expression of cytokines in chicks (Gallus gallus). 2. Although intraperitoneal injection of 100 µg imiquimod significantly increased splenic gene expression of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), IL-6, IL-8, and interferon-γ (IFN-γ), it did not affect feed intake, voluntary activity, cloacal temperature, crop-emptying rate or plasma constituents. 3. Intraperitoneal injection of 100 µg resiquimod significantly decreased feed intake, voluntary activity, cloacal temperature, crop-emptying rate and increased plasma corticosterone concentrations. 4. Intraperitoneal injection of resiquimod significantly increased splenic gene expression of IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, IFN-γ, and tumour necrosis factor-like cytokine 1A. 5. The results showed that activation of TLR7 is associated with anorexia, hypoactivity, hypothermia, disturbance of feed passage in the digestive tract and the response to stress in chicks.

Physiological responses to central and peripheral injection of polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid in chicks.

1. The purpose of the present study was to determine if intracerebroventricular (ICV) and intraperitoneal (IP) injection of polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly I:C), a viral mimetic that binds to toll-like receptor-3 (TLR3), affects food intake, voluntary activity, cloacal temperature, plasma corticosterone (CORT) and glucose concentrations, and crop emptying rate in chicks (Gallus gallus). 2. Both ICV and IP injection of poly I:C significantly decreased food intake. 3. IP but not ICV injection of poly I:C significantly suppressed voluntary activity, whereas ICV injection decreased time spent sitting. Both ICV and IP injection of poly I:C significantly increased plasma CORT and glucose concentration. Neither ICV nor IP injection of poly I:C significantly affected cloacal temperature. 4. In addition, ICV injection of poly I:C significantly reduced crop emptying rate, whereas IP injection had no effect. 5. These results suggested that central TLR3 is related to anorexia, stress response and retardation of crop emptying while peripheral TLR3 is related to anorexia, change in behaviour and stress responses during viral infection in chicks.

Effect of l-tryptophan and its metabolites on food passage from the crop in chicks.

l-tryptophan (l-Trp), an essential amino acid, is well known as a precursor of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and melatonin. In mammals, l-Trp itself has been reported to suppress gastric emptying in mammals. In addition, 5-HT and melatonin are found in the gastrointestinal tract and affect food passage from the digestive tract in mammals. While the function of these factors in mammals is documented, there is little knowledge on their function in the digestive tract of birds. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to determine if l-Trp and its metabolites affect the crop emptying rate in chicks (Gallus gallus). We also investigated the effects of kynurenic acid (KYNA) and quinolinic acid (QA), which are metabolites of the kynurenine pathway for l-Trp. Oral administration of l-Trp significantly reduced the crop emptying rate in chicks. Among the metabolites, intraperitoneal injection of 5-HT and melatonin significantly reduced the crop emptying rate, whereas KYNA and QA had no effect. The present study suggests that l-Trp, 5-HT, and melatonin inhibit the movement of food in the digestive tract and thereby affect the utilization of nutrients in the diet of chicks.

Lipopolysaccharide reduces food passage rate from the crop by a prostaglandin-independent mechanism in chickens.

1. We examined the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a component of Gram-negative bacteria, on food passage in the digestive tract of chickens (Gallus gallus) in order to clarify whether bacterial infection affects food passage in birds. 2. Food passage in the crop was significantly reduced by intraperitoneal (IP) injection of LPS while it did not affect the number of defecations, suggesting that LPS may affect food passage only in the upper digestive tract. 3. Similar to LPS, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), one of the mediators of LPS, also reduced crop-emptying rate in chickens while it had no effect on the number of defecations. 4. Pretreatment with indomethacin, which is an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase (COX), a prostaglandin synthase, had no effect on LPS-induced inhibition of crop emptying. 5. IP injection of LPS did not affect the mRNA expression of COX2 in the upper digestive tract of chickens. 6. It is therefore likely that LPS and PGE2 reduced food passage rate in the crop by a prostaglandin-independent pathway in chickens.

Increased survival of patients with end-stage hepatocellular carcinoma due to intake of ONCOXIN®, a dietary supplement.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Treatment and management of patients with end-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a formidable challenge to contemporary branches of medical sciences. The study presented here was conducted to assess the utility of nutrient supplement, if any, for management of patients with end-stage HCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 19 patients with end-stage HCC (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer [BCLC] staging D) were provided with ONCOXIN® for 3 months. Another 10 patients with end-stage HCC (BCLC stage D) with similar clinical conditions received conservative management, but they did not give consent for taking ONCOXIN® (non-ONCOXIN® group). All patients of both groups were followed on regular basis until their death. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The results were expressed as mean and standard deviation. Comparison between groups was performed using Student's t-test or the Mann-Whitney U test. For categorical data, Chi-square or Fisher exact test was applied. RESULTS: All patients of the control group (non-ONCOXIN® group) (10 of 10 patients) died within 2 months after study commencement. On the other hand, 10 of 19 patients receiving ONCOXIN® died within 2 months (less than 53% patients) after the start of taking ONCOXIN® (P < 0.05, compared with patients of non-ONCOXIN® group). Five more patients died within 5 months after the start of intake of ONCOXIN®. Four patients receiving ONCOXIN® survived for more than 6 months after study commencement. CONCLUSIONS: Although this is a preliminary report, it inspires considerable optimism about safety and efficacy of a food supplement for management of patients with end-stage HCC.

Central injection of urocortin-3 but not corticotrophin-releasing hormone influences the ghrelin/GHS-R1a system of the proventriculus and brain in chicks.

Ghrelin, the endogenous ligand for growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a (GHS-R1a), stimulates food intake in mammals centrally and peripherally. In contrast, central injection of ghrelin inhibits feeding in neonatal chicks (Gallus gallus), which is thought to be mediated by the corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) system, indicating that the mechanisms underlying ghrelin's action are different in chicks and mammals. However, the interaction between the ghrelin system and the CRH system has not been fully clarified in chicks. In the present study, we examined the effect of intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of CRH and urocortin-3 (UCN-3), a CRH family peptide and an endogenous ligand for the CRH type-2 receptor (CRH-R2), on synthesis and secretion of ghrelin in chicks. Intracerebroventricular injection of UCN-3 but not CRH increased plasma ghrelin concentration (P < 0.05), diencephalic mRNA expression of ghrelin, and GHS-R1a (P < 0.05) and tended to decrease ghrelin (P = 0.08) and GHS-R1a (P = 0.10) mRNA expression in the proventriculus. Moreover, ICV injection of UCN-3 tended to increase diencephalic mRNA expression of CRH-R2 (P = 0.08) and CRH had no effect on it. In addition, ICV injection of CRH but not UCN-3 increased plasma corticosterone concentration (P < 0.05) and decreased the diencephalic mRNA expression of CRH-R1 (P < 0.05). These results clearly indicate that the roles of the CRH system for the ghrelin system are divided. The present study suggests that UCN-3 is mainly involved in the ghrelin system in chicks perhaps through the CRH-R2.

Screening of Ethanol, Petroleum Ether and Chloroform Extracts of Medicinal Plants, Lawsonia inermis L. and Mimosa pudica L. for Antibacterial Activity.

Organic extracts (ethanol, petroleum ether and chloroform) of two medicinal plants Lawsonia inermis L. and Mimosa pudica L. were proven for antibacterial properties against 15 Gram-positive and Gram-negative human pathogenic bacteria. Among the three types of extracts tested, ethanol extract was found to possess maximum antibacterial activity. The diameter of the zone of inhibition of bacterial growth showed that Gram-negative bacteria are more sensitive than Gram-positive bacteria to plant extracts. Between the two plants species studied, Lawsonia inermis extract showed more antibacterial activity compared to Mimosa pudica extract.

Molecular mass concentrations for a powdered SRM sample using a quantitative single particle analysis.

In a quantitative single particle analysis, named the low-Z particle EPMA, number concentration data for chemical species encountered in aerosol sample are provided. However, it will be more useful if mass concentration data can be obtained from single particle analysis; i.e., the single particle analysis data for weight fractions of chemical species can be complementarily used in combination with the bulk analysis data, for more clearly understanding the behavior of airborne aerosols. In order to investigate how reliably mass concentration data can be obtained from the low-Z particle EPMA technique, a potassium feldspar powdered standard reference material (SRM), of which elemental weight fractions are well defined by various bulk analytical techniques, was analyzed using the low-Z particle EPMA technique. In this work, it is demonstrated that weight fractions of major elements in the powdered SRM sample obtained by the low-Z particle EPMA are within 8% to the certified values obtained by bulk analytical techniques, although the single particle and bulk analyses employ different approaches. Further, it is shown that the quantitative single particle analysis, i.e., low-Z particle EPMA, can provide molecular mass concentration data for chemical species, which is not easy to obtain using bulk analysis.

Pygomelia or supernumerary limbs in a crossbred calf.

A crossbred (Sindhi x local indigenous) calf that was 12 days old was admitted to the Teaching Veterinary Hospital, Chittagong Government Veterinary College, Bangladesh, with two accessory hind limbs attached to the pelvic region in between the hind legs. This was clinically identified as a congenital anomaly popularly called pygomelia. The pygomelia was successfully corrected by surgical excisions.