Antimicrobial susceptibility of bacteraemic isolates of Salmonella enterica serovar typhi and paratyphi infection in Pakistan from 2017-2020.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the antibacterial susceptibility pattern of bacteraemia isolates of Salmonella enterica serovar typhi and paratyphi. METHODS: The retrospective descriptive observational study was conducted at the Microbiology section of Dow Diagnostic Research and Reference Laboratory, and comprised blood culture reports from January 1, 2017, to Dec 30, 2020, which were screened for the presence of Salmonella typhi and paratyphi growth The frequency of the isolates and their antibiotic resistance patterns were analysed. Data was analysed using SPSS 20. RESULTS: Of the 174,190 blood culture samples, 62,709(36%) were positive for bacterial growth. Salmonella were isolated in 8,689(13.8%) samples of which 8,041(92.5%) were Salmonella typhi, 529(6%) were Salmonella paratyphi A and 119(1.3%) were Salmonella paratyphi B. There was a drastic increase in resistance to third-generation cephalosporin in Salmonella typhi from 71(12.8%) in 2017 to 1,420(71%) in 2018, 2,850(74.6%) in 2019 and 1,251(77%) in 2020. All isolates were sensitive to meropenem and azithromycin. CONCLUSIONS: A high number of extensively drug-resistant typhoid cases due to Salmonella typhi were found. All isolates were sensitive to meropenem and azithromycin.

Distribution of the invasive pathogenic isolates in blood culture with their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern in a diagnostic laboratory in Karachi.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequent bacterial pathogens causing blood stream infections in various age brackets, and to discover their antibiotic susceptibility pattern. METHODS: The retrospective, descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted at the microbiology laboratory of Patel Hospital, Karachi, and comprised positive blood culture bacterial isolates analysed between July 1, 2018, and June 30, 2019. Standard microbiological techniques were employed for the identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Data was analysed using SPSS 20. RESULTS: Of the 3450 specimen, 1243(36%) were positive; 668(53.7%) from male and 575(46.3%) from female subjects, and 771(62%) were gram-positive whereas 472(38%).were gram-negative. Salmonella typhi was the most common pathogen 139(11.1) among gram-negative organisms, followed by Acinetobacter species 103(8.2%), Escherichia coli 96(7.7%) and Klebsiella species 42(3.4%). Among gram-positive bacteria, the predominant isolates were staphylococcus epidermidis 650(52%), staphylococcus aureus 67(5.4%) and enterococci 28(2.3%). Linezolid (99.8%), vancomycin (99%) and chloramphenicol (69%) were found to be the most sensitive antibiotics among gram-positive cocci. Meropenem (60%), amikacin (46%) and gentamicin (40%) were the most sensitive antibiotics for multidrug resistant gram-negative bacteria. CONCLUSIONS: The identification of frequent bacterial pathogens in blood cultures of patients may guide clinicians in proper empirical selection of antibiotics in patients with bacteraemia.

Effect of Caesalpinia bonduc Polyphenol Extract on Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats in Attenuating Hyperglycemia by Upregulating Insulin Secretion and Inhibiting JNK Signaling Pathway.

Caesalpinia bonduc has been used in herbal medicines for the treatment of a wide range of diseases from decades. The present study has explored the remedial potential and underlying mechanism of polyphenol extract of Caesalpinia bonduc in alloxanized diabetic rats. HPLC/MS analysis confirmed the presence of phenolics in considerable concentrations in Caesalpinia bonduc extract. Administration of different doses (250 and 500 mg/kg) of CPP extract to hyperglycemic rats for 8 weeks restored blood and serum glucose, insulin, glycosylated hemoglobin, leptin, amylin, and carbohydrate metabolizing enzymes level towards normal compared to alloxanized diabetic group. The effect of CPP extract on various genes such as Pdx-1, Ins-1, ngn-3, GLUT-4, and IRS-1 in insulin signaling pathway and Traf-4, Traf-6, and Mapk-8 in MAPK downstream JNK cascade was examined through qRT-PCR to access the core molecular mechanism involved in CPP-induced recovery of diabetes. Results have revealed that CPP extract reduced oxidative stress in pancreatic ß cells by restoring free radical scavenging potential, reducing the mRNA expression of Mapk-8, Traf-4, and Traf-6, and increasing the Pdx-1, Ins-1, ngn-3, GLUT-4, and IRS-1 expression ensuing regeneration of ß cells and subsequent insulin release from pancreas. The results obtained in this study recommend that CPP extract may be a promising therapeutic restorative agent in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.