Correlation among Singlet-Oxygen Quenching, Free-Radical Scavenging, and Excited-State Intramolecular-Proton-Transfer Activities in Hydroxyflavones, Anthocyanidins, and 1-Hydroxyanthraquinones.

Singlet-oxygen (1O2) quenching, free-radical scavenging, and excited-state intramolecular proton-transfer (ESIPT) activities of hydroxyflavones, anthocyanidins, and 1-hydroxyanthraquinones were studied by means of laser, stopped-flow, and steady-state spectroscopies. In hydroxyflavones and anthocyanidins, the 1O2 quenching activity positively correlates to the free-radical scavenging activity. The reason for this correlation can be understood by considering that an early step of each reaction involves electron transfer from the unfused phenyl ring (B-ring), which is singly bonded to the bicyclic chromen or chromenylium moiety (A- and C-rings). Substitution of an electron-donating OH group at B-ring enhances the electron transfer leading to activation of the 1O2 quenching and free-radical scavenging. In 3-hydroxyflavones, the OH substitution at B-ring reduces the activity of ESIPT within C-ring, which can be explained in terms of the nodal-plane model. As a result, the 1O2 quenching and free-radical scavenging activities negatively correlate to the ESIPT activity. A catechol structure at B-ring is another factor that enhances the free-radical scavenging in hydroxyflavones. In contrast to these hydroxyflavones, 1-hydroxyanthraquinones having an electron-donating OH substituent adjacent to the O-H---O═C moiety susceptible to ESIPT do not show a simple correlation between their 1O2 quenching and ESIPT activities, because the OH substitution modulates these reactions.

[Emergence of linezolid-resistant Enterococcus faecalis strains from two inpatients in a pediatric ward].

We report herein on the isolation of three linezolid-resistant Enterococcus faecalis strains in 2011 from two pediatric inpatients at Kitasato University Hospital, Japan. Three linezolid resistant strains were isolated from two patients who shared the same room of a pediatric inpatient ward. Two linezolid resistant strains were isolated from patient A who had been treated with a total of 17,600mg of linezolid during 60 days of hospitalization (strains 1 and 2). The linezolid resistant E. faecalis persisted through the time that the patient had been discharged from the hospital. Another linezolid resistant strain was isolated from patient B who had no history of linezolid administration. The resistant strain in patient B phased out spontaneously. The minimum inhibitory concentration of linezolid in these strains ranged from 8.0 to 16.0 microg/mL. PCR amplification of the chromosomal gene encoding domain V of the 23S rRNA and subsequent nucleotide sequencing revealed that all the strains had at least one G2576T mutation. The pulse-field-gel electrophoretograms of the DNA treated with the SmaI restriction enzyme showed an identical profile suggesting that they were derived from a single resistant strain. These results suggested that the resistant strain occurred in patient A and was transmitted to patient B within the inpatient ward.

Clinical usefulness of multiplex PCR lateral flow in MRSA detection: a novel, rapid genetic testing method.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with exogenous cassette DNA containing the methicillin-resistant gene mecA (SCCmec) poses a problem as a drug-resistant bacterium responsible for hospital- and community-acquired infections. The frequency of MRSA detection has recently been increasing rapidly in Japan, and SCCmec has also been classified more diversely into types I-V. A rapid test is essential for early diagnosis and treatment of MRSA infections, but detection by conventional methods requires at least two days. The newly developed multiplex PCR lateral flow method allows specific amplification of femA to detect S. aureus, mecA to detect SCCmec, and kdpC to detect SCCmec type II; moreover, PCR products can be evaluated visually in about 3 h. In the present study, we developed a PCR lateral flow method for MRSA using this method and investigated its clinical usefulness in the detection of MRSA. The results showed a diagnostic concordance rate of 91.7% for MRSA and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus between bacteriological examination and PCR lateral flow, and a high level of specificity in PCR lateral flow. In addition, a higher detection rate for S. aureus using the same sample was observed for PCR lateral flow (70.2%) than for bacteriological tests (48.6%). The above results show that PCR lateral flow for MRSA detection has high sensitivity, specificity, and speed, and its clinical application as a method for early diagnosis of MRSA infections appears to be feasible.