Intranasal treatment with bacteriophage rescues mice from Acinetobacter baumannii-mediated pneumonia.

AIM: With the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria, finding alternative agents to treat antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections is imperative. MATERIALS & METHODS: A mouse pneumonia model was developed by combining cyclophosphamide pretreatment and Acinetobacter baumannii challenge, and a lytic bacteriophage was evaluated for its therapeutic efficacy in this model by examining the survival rate, bacterial load in the lung and lung pathology. RESULTS: Intranasal instillation with bacteriophage rescued 100% of mice following lethal challenge with A. baumannii. Phage treatment reduced bacterial load in the lung. Microcomputed tomography indicated a reduction in lung inflammation in mice given phage. CONCLUSION: This research demonstrates that intranasal application of bacteriophage is viable, and could provide complete protection from pneumonia caused by A. baumannii.

[Effect of huangqi and dangshen extraction on angiogenesis in Matrigel implant of mice].

AIM: To study the inhibitory effect of huangqi and dangshen extraction (SQ) on angiogenesis induced by b-FGF. METHODS: Matrigel implant assay was used. Matrigel(500 microL) containing b-FGF and heparin was injected subcutaneously into the abdomens of mice and harvested 5 d later. The amount of hemoglobin and micro-vascular area present in the implant were measured and compared. The mice were given different dosage of SQ (experimental group) or the same volume of glucose (vehicle group) once a day by intraperitoneal injection. Inhibitory experiment started 3 d before Matrigel implant and continued until the end of study. RESULTS: SQ in lower dosage (< or = 50% V/V) increased hemoglobin content and micro-vascular area in Matrigel implant while SQ in higher dosage (> or = 60%, V/V) reduced hemoglobin content and micro-vascular area in Matrigel implant. The effect of enhance ment and inhibition was in a limited concentration-effect manner. CONCLUSION: SQ in different dosage has different effects on angiogenesis. We should use different dosage in different purpose.

[Inhibitory effect of huangqi and dangshen extraction with pacilitaxel on metastasis and angiogenesis on mouse Lewis lung carcinoma model].

AIM: To study enhance effect of huangqi and dangshen extraction (Shenqi) on pacilitaxel inhibitory metastasis and angiogenesis on mouse Lewis lung carcinoma model. METHODS: Lewis lung carcinoma cells were inoculated into right hind footpad of C57BL/6 mice. Six hour after tumor inoculated, the mice were randomly divided into 3 groups.Shenqi (paclitaxel plus Shenqi) or paclitaxel was intraperitoneally injected in two group since the second day of the establishment of animal model. The third group simply administered with normal saline was set as placebo-control. Tumor volume, quantitation of microvessel density (MVD) in inoculated tumor, the number of metastasis in the lungs and survival analysis were compared in 3 groups. RESULTS: Paclitaxel plus Shenqi can effectively reduced MVD in inoculated tumor and the number of lung metastasis as compared with other two group (P<0.05). The survival time of Shenqi group was also significantly longer (P<0.05). Tumor volume was no statistical difference in three group (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Shenqi can amplify the paclitaxel effect of anti-angiogenesis and anti-metastasis, enhances the survival time of mice bearing LLC, might has possible therapeutic applications in the treatment of lung cancer.

Efficacy and tolerability of moxifloxacin in patients with respiratory tract infections treated in general practice: Results of a post-marketing surveillance study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the efficacy, safety and tolerability of oral moxifloxacin in patients with respiratory tract infections (RTIs) treated by attending physicians in routine clinical practice in China. METHODS: This was an open-label, prospective, uncontrolled, post-marketing surveillance study that was undertaken between November 2002 and July 2003. Altogether, 855 patients with RTIs were treated with moxifloxacin. Data were collected by 257 physicians throughout China. Symptoms of RTI (fever, cough, purulent sputum, dyspnoea, thoracic pain, nasal obstruction, nasal secretion and headache), together with auscultatory findings, were assessed at baseline and at follow-up visits, and classified as 'absent', 'mild' or 'severe' by the attending physician. RESULTS: Moxifloxacin produced significant improvements in 70.7% of patients after only 3 days of treatment. In 91.7% of patients, symptoms were improved after 5 days of treatment; 76.1% of patients recovered after 7 days and 84.7% recovered after 10 days of treatment. The mean +/- SD time until recovery was 5.1 +/- 2.6 days. Assessment of treatment efficacy by the physicians was 'good' or 'very good' for 89.2% of patients. In 87.3% of cases, physicians rated patients' acceptance of therapy with moxifloxacin as 'good' or 'very good'. The tolerability of moxifloxacin therapy was rated as 'good' or 'very good' for 88.8% of patients. Very few adverse events (4.1% of patients) were reported with moxifloxacin; most of them involved mild CNS disorders and gastrointestinal disturbances. CONCLUSIONS: Moxifloxacin was shown to be an effective and well tolerated treatment for this group of patients with RTIs and was highly rated by both physicians and patients because of rapid symptom improvement and good tolerability.

[Cost analysis of Shenqi Fuzheng injection on reducing adverse effects during chemotherapy].

OBJECTIVE: The goals of this work was to analyse the cost of Shenqi Fuzheng injection-an extraction of a Chinese traditional herbs on reducing adverse effects in lung cancer patients during chemotherapy. METHODS: In a randomized cross-over trial, each patient completed two identical cisplatin-based chemotherapy cycles, one with Shenqi Fuzheng injection, another without Shenqi Fuzheng injection. Adverse effects and change scores of quality of life (QOL) during chemotherapy were compared in tow cycles. The direct cost dealing with adverse effect and cost-effectiveness analysis were taken. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty were enrolled with 123 of whom were evaluable. The patient characteristics were well balanced between the two groups. The chemotherapy cycles with Shenqi Fuzheng injection spent 220.5 more Chinese yuan, but the adverse effect of leukopenia, thrombocytopenia and vomiting were slight different and the change of score of several QOL domains showed significant better as compared to those in another cycle. CONCLUSION: Shenqi Fuzheng injection could reduce the severity of toxicity related to chemotherapy and improve the QOL of patients and had some benefits in terms of cost-effectiveness.