Beneficial effects of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) on the ischaemia-reperfusion injury in rat skin flaps.

BACKGROUND: Reperfusion injury is a phenomenon that occurs when tissues are subjected to ischaemia for a variable period of time, after which they are reperfused. Many factors have been implicated in the cause of reperfusion injury including free radicals and neutrophils. Caffeic acid (3,4-dihydroxycinnamic acid) phenethyl ester (CAPE) is an active component of propolis from honeybee; it has anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties, and protective effects against ischaemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. We investigated the effects of CAPE on the survival of skin flaps in the rat. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighteen Wistar rats were used, and randomly divided into three groups (n=6 rats each group): the control group (Group 1), ethanol group (Group 2), and CAPE group (Group 3). A caudally based rectangular flap, 3x10 cm in size, was elevated on the back of the rat, according to the method described by Khouri and colleagues. The flap was sutured back into its original place. In the control group, saline 0.2 ml/day was given intraperitoneally (i.p.). Five percent ethanol 0.2 ml/day was administered i.p. in the ethanol group, and CAPE 50 micromol/kg/day i.p. in the CAPE group. To observe the effects of CAPE, levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured from extracted skin tissue. Flap viability was evaluated seven days after the initial operation, measuring necrotic areas of flaps and total flap areas. RESULTS: MDA and NO levels were significantly decreased in CAPE group; and however, GSH, GSH-Px, and SOD enzyme activities were significantly increased in CAPE group. We believed that the CAPE had beneficial effects to improve the survival of skin flaps since it has antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, and protective effects against I/R injury.

Effect of mesalazine, metronidazole and gentamicin on bacterial translocation in experimental colitis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: In inflammatory bowel disease it has been established that enteric microorganisms are present in the final stage of the active inflammatory process. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of mesalazine, and metronidazole-gentamicin combination, on bacterial translocation in an animal colitis model. METHODS: Fifty rats were stratified into five groups. The control group (group NC) was given only 2 mL saline enema and the remaining four groups were given 2 mL acetic acid enema. Group CC was the diseased control group. The treatment regimens started on the fifth day: mesalazine enema in group MesC, metronidazole-gentamicin in group MGC, and mesalazine + metronidazole + gentamicin in group MesMGC. After death on day 10, 2.5-cm colonic segments from all groups were weighed separately. In all rats, histopathological scoring was done, and samples from feces, blood, liver and spleen underwent microbiological analyses. RESULTS: For all diseased rats, both mean weight loss and colonic segment weight/bodyweight ratio was significantly higher than that in the sham group. As compared with other groups, body and colonic segment changes as well as histopathological scoring in rats receiving mesalazine enema either solely or in combination with the antibiotics were lower. No bacterial growth was found in the blood, liver and spleen of the rats in the control group while enteric bacteria, mainly Escherichia coli (35%) were the most common bacteria translocated to that in the latter. Antibiotic combination, alone or in combination with mesalazine was effective in reducing the bacterial translocation while mesalazine administration did not properly influence its regression. CONCLUSIONS: Gram-negative enteric bacteria, predominantly E. coli, was the most common bacteria isolated in bacterial translocation occurring in acetic acid-induced colitis. This trial showed that mesalazine alone did not incorporate the reduction of infectious events, despite its beneficial effect on inflammatory changes in experimental colitis. Metronidazole and gentamicin combination given intraperitoneally was more effective than topical mesalazine in decreasing bacterial translocation.

Linezolid and quinupristin/dalfopristin resistance in vancomycin-resistant enterococci and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus prior to clinical use in Turkey.

The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro antimicrobial activity of recently licensed quinupristin/dalfopristin and linezolid which have not yet been in clinical use in Turkey against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) strains isolated from various clinical specimens by using the Etest. The results showed that all MRSA strains were fully susceptible to both the new compounds. All strains were inhibited by 1 mg/l quinupristin/dalfopristin (mode MIC 0.38 mg/l) and by 3 mg/l linezolid (mode MIC 1.5 mg/l). Four strains of Enterococcus faecium showed an increase of resistance of 2-3 mg/l to quinupristin/dalfopristin (susceptible mode MIC 0.38 mg/l). With linezolid, all strains except two fell within the range 0.75-2.0 mg/l.

The effect of antibiotic and probiotic combination therapy on secondary pancreatic infections and oxidative stress parameters in experimental acute necrotizing pancreatitis.

INTRODUCTION: Ciprofloxacin and meropenem have effects on intestinal bacteria that are responsible for pancreatic infection, and on the basis of recent data it has been argued that probiotics, especially those used in the food industry, could improve efforts to prevent and treat secondary pancreatic infections by inhibiting bacterial translocation. AIMS: To evaluate the effects of probiotic treatment alone or in combination with early administration of two different antibiotics on serum amylase, pancreatic histopathology, bacterial translocation, and oxidative markers. METHODOLOGY: Acute pancreatitis was induced in rats with 3% sodium taurocholate (1 mL/kg intraductally), except in group VI (sham group). After the stabilization period, the rats were divided into seven groups (n = 20) randomly. At hour 6 after injection, group I rats received probiotic Saccharomyces boulardii (25 mg/d orally q.d.), group II received meropenem (60 mg/kg intraperitoneally b.i.d.), group III received ciprofloxacin (40 mg/kg intraperitoneally b.i.d.), group IV received the same dose of probiotic plus meropenem, and group V received probiotic plus ciprofloxacin. Treatment was not given to group VI (sham group) and group VII (pancreatitis group). At hour 48 after induction, specimens were collected. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Although histopathologic scores in treatment groups were found to be lower than in group VII, the difference was statistically significant only in group V (p < 0.001). In evaluation of oxidative stress, we found that MDA levels decreased and SOD levels increased in treatment groups in comparison with levels in group VII. Probiotic treatment alone reduced bacterial translocation. Probiotic-antibiotic combination therapy was shown to improve histopathologic scores and oxidative parameters.