RESUMEN
The choice of antimicrobial agents for the treatment of gonorrhoea is critical in areas where the prevalence of drug resistance is high. This study aimed to evaluate the antibiotic treatment of gonorrhoea in endemic areas. During 1999-2004, all Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections (n = 90) were evaluated. Patients' medical records and antibiotic treatment regimens were retrospectively reviewed if their isolates were viable (n = 65). In vitro antimicrobial susceptibility of N. gonorrhoeae isolates was performed. Urethritis (89%) and pelvic inflammatory disease (42%) were the most common presentations among men (n = 53) and women (n = 12), respectively. Of 54 patients with uncomplicated N. gonorrhoeae infection, 32 of them received appropriate antibiotics, including cefuroxime (n = 20), ceftriaxone (n = 10), ciprofloxacin (n = 1) and azithromycin (n = 1) during follow-ups. Among 65 patients, 53.8% were notified to the health authority. Check-ups of other sexually transmitted diseases were carried out in only 46% of patients. Not all isolates were susceptible to penicillin, 96.9% were resistant to tetracycline and 86% were resistant to ciprofloxacin. Ceftriaxone, cefixime, spectinomycin and azithromycin were active in vitro against all isolates. In conclusion, It is crucial to develop treatment guidelines according to regional antimicrobial resistances and educational programmes to improve clinical care for genital gonococcal diseases.
Asunto(s)
Antiinfecciosos/uso terapéutico , Farmacorresistencia Bacteriana Múltiple , Enfermedades Endémicas/prevención & control , Gonorrea/tratamiento farmacológico , Adolescente , Adulto , Antiinfecciosos/farmacología , Niño , Femenino , Estudios de Seguimiento , Gonorrea/epidemiología , Gonorrea/microbiología , Hospitales de Enseñanza , Humanos , Masculino , Pruebas de Sensibilidad Microbiana , Persona de Mediana Edad , Neisseria gonorrhoeae/efectos de los fármacos , Neisseria gonorrhoeae/aislamiento & purificación , Estudios Retrospectivos , Vigilancia de Guardia , Taiwán , Resultado del Tratamiento , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Beta-carotene in vegetables and nutritional products is analyzed using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with liquid chromatography (LC) to improve the speed of analysis and to reduce the consumption of organic solvents. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of this analytical method for beta-carotene determinations in vegetables and nutritional products are approximately 10% and 5%, respectively. The amount of beta-carotene was found to vary from 0.35 +/- 0.05 ppm to 76.5 +/- 6.9 ppm for several vegetables in Taiwan. This method was linear over the range of 0.4-40 ppm with correlation coefficients higher than 0.997. The experimentally determined level of beta-carotene in nutritional products varied from 3.8 +/- 0.2 ppm to 24.6 +/- 1.1 ppm following SPME-LC. The recoveries of beta-carotene for these measurements following SPME were all higher than 97% +/- 2% (n = 3). The detection limits of beta-carotene for this method were from 0.027 to 0.054 ppm. Conventional solvent extractions take approximately 4-6 h for extraction and reconcentration but SPME takes approximately 1 h. From several tens to hundreds of milliliters, organic solvents can be saved using SPME. SPME provides better analyses on beta-carotene than conventional solvent extraction for nutritional products in terms of speed, precision, simplicity, and solvent consumption.
Asunto(s)
Cromatografía Liquida/métodos , Análisis de los Alimentos/métodos , Microextracción en Fase Sólida/métodos , beta Caroteno/análisis , Bebidas/análisis , Suplementos Dietéticos/análisis , Estabilidad de Medicamentos , Concentración de Iones de Hidrógeno , Modelos Lineales , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Sensibilidad y Especificidad , Factores de Tiempo , Verduras/químicaRESUMEN
A geometric method based on Langmuir kinetics has been derived to determine adsorption and desorption kinetic constants. In the conventional procedure, either the adsorption kinetic constant (k(a)c) or desorption kinetic constant (k(d)c) is found from kinetic experiments and the other is calculated by their correlation with the equilibrium constant, i.e, k(d)c = Kcon/k(a)c, where Kcon has been known from equilibrium studies. The determined constants (Kcon, k(a)c, k(d)c), if based only on the conventional procedure, may not be accurate due to their mathematical dependence. Therefore, the objectives of this study are applying a geometric approach to directly determine Langmuir kinetic constants and describe adsorption behavior. In this approach, both adsorption kinetic constant (k(a)g) and desorption kinetic constant (k(d)g) are obtained only from data of kinetic experiments, and a geometric equilibrium constant (Kgeo) is calculated by Kgeo = k(a)g/k(d)g. The deviation between Kgeo and Kcon can prove the accuracy of k(a)g and k(d)g which were determined by this method. This approach was applicable to selenate, selenite and Mg2+ adsorption onto SiO2 regardless of whether the adsorbate formed inner- or outer-sphere complexes. However, this method showed some deviation between Kcon and Kgeo for Mn2+ adsorption because of the formation of surface Mn(II)-hydroxide clusters, which was inconsistent with the basic assumption of this method of monolayer adsorption.
Asunto(s)
Adsorción , Matemática , Óxido de Aluminio , Cinética , Magnesio/química , Manganeso/química , Ácido Selénico , Compuestos de Selenio/química , Sensibilidad y Especificidad , Dióxido de Silicio/química , Selenito de Sodio/químicaRESUMEN
Cordyceps sinensis contains a factor that stimulates corticosteroid production in the animal model. However, it is not known whether this drug acts directly on the adrenal glands or indirectly via the hypothalamus-pituitary axis. In the present study, we used primary rat adrenal cell cultures to investigate the pharmacological function of a water-soluble extract of Cordyceps sinensis (CS) and the signaling pathway involved. Radioimmunoassay of corticosterone indicated that the amount of corticosterone produced by adrenal cells is increased in a positively dose-dependent manner by CS, reaching a maximum at 25 microg/ml. This stimulating effect was seen 1 h after CS treatment and was maintained for up to 24 h. Concomitantly, the lipid droplets in these cells became small and fewer in number. Immunostaining with a monoclonal antibody, A2, a specific marker for the lipid droplet capsule, demonstrated that detachment of the capsule from the lipid droplet occurs in response to CS application and that the period required for decapsulation is inversely related to the concentration of CS applied. The mechanism of CS-induced steroidogenesis is apparently different from that for ACTH, since intracellular cAMP levels were not increased in CS-treated cells. However, combined application with calphostin C, a PKC inhibitor, completely blocked the effect of CS on steroidogenesis, suggesting that activation of PKC may be responsible for the CS-induced steroidogenesis.
Asunto(s)
Corteza Suprarrenal/efectos de los fármacos , Corticosterona/biosíntesis , Medicamentos Herbarios Chinos/farmacología , Lípidos , Corteza Suprarrenal/citología , Corteza Suprarrenal/metabolismo , Hormona Adrenocorticotrópica/farmacología , Animales , Tamaño de la Célula , Células Cultivadas , AMP Cíclico/análisis , Naftalenos/farmacología , Proteína Quinasa C/antagonistas & inhibidores , Proteína Quinasa C/fisiología , Ratas , Transducción de Señal/fisiologíaRESUMEN
Basilar artery occlusion developed in a 34 year old woman 2 months after adopting unusual neck postures during yoga practice. On angiography, her basilar artery was filled with intraluminal clot while the vertebral arteries were normal. We postulate that a severe reduction in blood flow and possibly an intimal tear triggered thrombosis of the vertebral artery and that the final stroke mechanism was artery-to-artery embolism.
Asunto(s)
Arteriopatías Oclusivas/etiología , Arteria Basilar , Ejercicio Físico , Yoga , Adulto , Arteriopatías Oclusivas/diagnóstico , Angiografía Cerebral , Femenino , Humanos , Imagen por Resonancia MagnéticaRESUMEN
Two patients developed podophyllin intoxication following ingestion of a broth of the Chinese herb guijiu. The neurological manifestations are described and the pathology of the peripheral neuropathy is fully documented with ultrastructural and quantitative studies.
Asunto(s)
Encefalopatías/inducido químicamente , Encéfalo/fisiopatología , Medicina Tradicional China , Enfermedades del Sistema Nervioso/fisiopatología , Neurotoxinas , Nervio Óptico/fisiopatología , Fitoterapia , Podofilino/envenenamiento , Adulto , Encéfalo/efectos de los fármacos , Encéfalo/patología , Encefalopatías/patología , Encefalopatías/fisiopatología , Estudios de Seguimiento , Hong Kong , Humanos , Masculino , Neuronas Motoras/fisiología , Enfermedades del Sistema Nervioso/inducido químicamente , Enfermedades del Sistema Nervioso/patología , Conducción Nerviosa , Neuronas Aferentes/fisiología , Nervio Óptico/efectos de los fármacos , Nervio Óptico/patología , Nervios Periféricos/efectos de los fármacos , Nervios Periféricos/fisiopatologíaAsunto(s)
Vértebras Cervicales/diagnóstico por imagen , Enfermedad de Descompresión/complicaciones , Enfermedades Profesionales/etiología , Radiculopatía/etiología , Osteofitosis Vertebral/etiología , Terapia por Acupuntura , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Mielografía , Enfermedades Profesionales/diagnóstico por imagen , Enfermedades Profesionales/terapia , Radiculopatía/diagnóstico por imagen , Radiculopatía/terapia , Osteofitosis Vertebral/diagnóstico por imagen , Osteofitosis Vertebral/terapiaRESUMEN
The stem of the pineapple plant contains, in addition to a number of proteases, particularly bromelain, a non-proteolytic component which is responsible for the complete bridement of experimental burns by an "enzymatic dissection" between the viable native and the non-viable denatured burn tissue. With very little scraping, using a tongue depressor, all of the eschar can be removed and a bed suitable for grafting results. This "Escharase" has a molecular weight of 45,000 daltons and is a trimer made up of three identical subunits weighing 15,000 daltons each; it has an isoelectric point of pH 6.04 and has no hydrolytic enzyme activity against normal protein substrates or various glycosaminoglycan substrates. It can be concentrated by membrane ultrafiltration in a molecular weight range between 30,000 and 50,000 daltons and be purified by isoelectric focusing. The biological activity of the Escharase is not dependent on sulfhydryl groups nor upon the contaminating bromelain activity. The Escharase activity varies enormously from preparation to preparation, but the ultrafiltration procedure tends to concentrate Escharase activity to a fairly constant amount.