Antibacterial prophylaxis with ciprofloxacin for patients with multiple myeloma and lymphoma undergoing autologous haematopoietic cell transplantation: a quasi-experimental single-centre before-after study.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to study whether ciprofloxacin prophylaxis reduces infectious complications in patients undergoing autologous haematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT). METHODS: This is a quasi-experimental, retrospective, before-after study. We compared the incidence of bacterial-related complications among 356 patients with multiple myeloma (MM) (n = 202) and lymphoma (n = 154) who underwent AHCT with (n = 177) or without (n = 179) ciprofloxacin prophylaxis between 03/2007 and 10/2012 and between 10/2012 and 07/2016, respectively, at a single centre. RESULTS: Febrile neutropaenia, bacteraemia, and pneumonia were significantly more common among patients who underwent AHCT during the second study period and did not receive antibacterial prophylaxis compared with patients who underwent AHCT during the first study period and received antibacterial prophylaxis (89.9% (161/179) vs. 83.1% (147/177), difference 6.9%, 95% CI 0-14.1%, P = 0.002; 15.1% (27/179) vs. 4.5% (8/177), difference 10.6%, 95% CI 4.4-16.9%, p < 0.0001; 12.3% (22/179) vs. 6.2% (11/177), difference 6.1%, 95% CI 0-12.3%, p = 0.04, respectively). The number-needed-to-treat to prevent one episode of bacteraemia, pneumonia, and febrile neutropaenia was 8.6, 8.5, and 13.7, respectively. Patients with ciprofloxacin prophylaxis had higher rates of ciprofloxacin-resistant bacteraemia (62.5% (5/8) vs. 18.5% (5/27), difference 44%, 95% CI 7-70%, p = 0.01). In multivariate analysis, ciprofloxacin prophylaxis significantly decreased the odds of bacteraemia (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.07-0.52; p < 0.0001) and pneumonia (OR 0.37, 95% CI 0.16-0.85, p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: According to our single-centre experience, patients with MM and lymphoma undergoing AHCT may benefit from antibacterial prophylaxis with ciprofloxacin.

Antifungal activity of extracts and isolated compounds from Buchenavia tomentosa on Candida albicans and non-albicans.

AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the antifungal activity of Buchenavia tomentosa extract and bioactive compounds on six Candida species. MATERIALS & METHODS: The antimicrobial activity of extract was evaluated using standard strains and clinical isolates. Cytotoxicity was tested in order to evaluate cell damage caused by the extract. Extract was chemically characterized and the antifungal activity of its compounds was evaluated. RESULTS: Extract showed antifungal activity on Candida species. Candida non-albicans were more susceptible than Candida albicans. Low cytotoxicity for extract was observed. The isolated compounds presented antifungal activity at least against one Candida spp. and all compounds presented antifungal effect on Candida glabrata. CONCLUSION: Extracts from Buchenavia tomentosa showed promising antifungal activity on Candida species with low cytotoxicity. Gallic acid, corilagin and ellagic acid showed promising inhibitory activity on Candida glabrata.

Ação de potenciais hidrogeniônicos no crescimento e produtividade de sálvia (Salvia officinalis L. ) / Action of potentials of hydrogen on growth and productivity of sage (Salvia officinalis L. )

O potencial hidrogeniônico (pH) do solo é um parâmetro que indica o nível de acidez ou alcalinidade do mesmo. Sabe-se que as plantas respondem de diferentes maneiras às mudanças no pH dos solos. Poucos artigos relacionam o crescimento e produtividade de plantas medicinais à variação do pH dos solos. O objetivo deste experimento foi avaliar o efeito de diferentes potenciais hidrogeniônicos, em solo Latossolo Vermelho Distroférrico, no crescimento e produção de sálvia. Com o auxílio de curva de neutralização da acidez do solo foram aplicadas diferentes doses de CaCO3 para atingir pH de 4,5; 5,0; 5,5; 6,0 e 6,5. O experimento foi conduzido em casa de vegetação durante 18 meses, perfazendo as fases de semeadura, transplantio e três cortes. Os parâmetros avaliados foram altura de plantas, massa seca de folhas, raízes e da parte aérea (soma das massas secas das folhas, ramos e caule), área foliar e volume das raízes. O crescimento e produção das plantas de sálvia foram diretamente afetados com a variação do pH do solo. A manutenção de pH > 5,0 foi suficiente para aumentar significativamente a área foliar, a massa seca das folhas e da parte área das plantas de sálvia em 52,2 por cento, 60,5 por cento e 42,4 por cento, respectivamente, e não afetou o desenvolvimento das raízes de sálvia cultivadas em solos com diferentes pHs.

The soil potential of hydrogen (pH) is a parameter that indicates the acidity or alkalinity level. Plants are known to react differently to changes in the soil pH. Few studies have related growth and productivity of medicinal plants to the soil pH variation. The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of different potentials of hydrogen in Oxisol on sage growth and productivity. With the aid of a soil acidity neutralization curve, different CaCO3 levels were applied to reach pH values of 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0 and 6.5. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse during 18 months, covering sowing, transplanting and three-pruning phases. Plant height, leaf, root and shoot dry matter (sum of leaf, branch and stem dry matter), leaf area and root volume were evaluated. Sage growth and productivity were directly affected by the soil pH variation. The maintenance of pH > 5.0 was enough to significantly increase leaf area, and leaf and shoot dry matter of sage plants at 52.2 percent, 60.5 percent and 42.4 percent, respectively, and did not affect root development of sage plants grown in soils presenting different pH levels.

Hypothalamic and zona incerta neurons expressing hypocretin, but not melanin concentrating hormone, project to the hamster intergeniculate leaflet.

The hypocretins (Hcrt; also known as orexins) and melanin-concentrating hormone comprise distinct families of neuropeptides synthesized in cells located in the lateral hypothalamus and adjacent areas. The Hcrts are thought to modulate food intake and sleep/wake patterns in mammals. Melanin-concentrating hormone has a well-documented role in energy metabolism. A moderate plexus of Hcrt immunoreactive terminals has been described in the hamster intergeniculate leaflet, part of the circadian rhythm system. This study investigated the origin of Hcrt-immunoreactive terminals in the intergeniculate leaflet and determined whether melanin-concentrating hormone neurons also project to the intergeniculate leaflet. The tracer, cholera toxin beta-subunit, was injected into the intergeniculate leaflet of the golden hamster. Double-label fluorescent immunohistochemistry for cholera toxin beta-subunit and Hcrt or melanin-concentrating hormone was then performed to identify retrogradely labeled cells also containing immunoreactive peptide. Most cholera toxin beta-subunit-labeled cells were detected in the medial zona incerta and sub-incertal zone, with few observed in the lateral hypothalamus. Hcrt-immunoreactive cells were abundant and found largely in the lateral hypothalamus and adjacent nuclei. Melanin-concentrating hormone cells were also abundant in the medial zona incerta, in close proximity to cholera toxin beta-subunit-labeled cells, but ventral to them. Cells containing both cholera toxin beta-subunit and Hcrt-immunoreactive, were present in the dorsal aspect of the lateral hypothalamus. The number observed was small, < or = 1% of the total number of Hcrt cells counted in the hamster. No cholera toxin beta-subunit-immunoreactive cells also contained melanin-concentrating hormone and no melanin-concentrating hormone-immunoreactive processes were evident in the intergeniculate leaflet. The results show that a small number of lateral hypothalamus cells containing Hcrt-immunoreactivity project to the intergeniculate leaflet, but they are scattered rather than collected into a discrete group. At the present time there is no information regarding the function of these cells, although they may contribute to the regulation of sleep/arousal, circadian rhythmicity, or vestibulo-oculomotor function.