[Comparison of single incision robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy with and without extraperitoneal special channel device].

Objective: To compare the clinical effects of single-incision robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RARP) with and without extraperitoneal special channel device. Methods: The clinical data of 70 patients who had undergone RARP in the Robotic Minimally Invasive Surgery Center of Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital from September 2020 to February 2021 were analyzed retrospectively, including 29 cases who were operated on without special channel device (group A) and 41 cases with special channel device (group B). All operations were performed by robot-assisted single-incision retrograde bladder neck exfoliation via extraperitoneal approach in patients by the same operator. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, the bladder neck urethral anastomosis time, postoperative hospital stay, postoperative exhaust time, positive rate of incisal margin, indwelling time of urinary catheter, retention rate of postoperative erectile function, satisfaction rate of immediate postoperative urine control, positive rate of postoperative lymph node pathology, incision length, treatment cost and the rate of prostate specific antigen (PSA)lower than 0.2 µg/L at 6 weeks after operation were compared between the two groups. Results: All 70 cases were operated successfully. The difference of age[ (68.9±3.9) vs (69.4±5.4) years], preoperative PSA level[14.1(6.3, 19.8)vs13.7(5.8, 18.1)µg/L], prostate volume[44.8(30.7,172.6)vs 56.3(40.9,163.4)ml ] of the two groups was not statistically significant(all P>0.05). The difference of operation time [ (59.1±18.5) vs (59.6±18.0) min ], intraoperative blood loss [93(66,198)vs 95(68,203) ml ], bladder neck urethral anastomosis time [ (12.6±1.3) vs (13.7±2.8) min ], postoperative hospital stay [ (8.1±2.3) vs (9.1±1.3) d], postoperative exhaust time [ (1.4±0.6) vs (1.3±0.6) d], positive rate of incisal margin (20.7% vs 19.5%), indwelling time of the urinary catheter after operation [ (6.8±1.5) vs (7.1±2.0) d ], the retention rate of postoperative erectile function (31.0% vs 27.0%), the satisfaction rate of immediate postoperative urine control (79.3% vs 75.6%), the positive rate of postoperative lymph node pathology (17.2% vs 14.6%), the length of incision [ (5.1±0.5) vs (6.1±0.4) cm ], the rate of PSA lower than 0.2 µg/L at 6 weeks after operation (86.2% vs 83.0%) of the two groups was not statistically significant(all P>0.05). The operation cost of group A[(62 000±4 000) yuan]was lower than group B[(68 000±4 000) yuan] (P<0.05). Conclusion: Extraperitoneal non-special channel device single-incision RARP is safe and feasible.

Mechanisms of quorum sensing and strategies for quorum sensing disruption in aquaculture pathogens.

In many countries, infectious diseases are a considerable threat to aquaculture. The pathogenicity of micro-organisms that infect aquaculture systems is closely related to the release of virulence factors and the formation of biofilms, both of which are regulated by quorum sensing (QS). Thus, QS disruption is a potential strategy for preventing disease in aquaculture systems. QS inhibitors (QSIs) not only inhibit the expression of virulence-associated genes but also attenuate the virulence of aquaculture pathogens. In this review, we discuss QS systems in important aquaculture pathogens and focus on the relationship between QS mechanisms and bacterial virulence in aquaculture. We further elucidate QS disruption strategies for targeting aquaculture pathogens. Four main types of QSIs that target aquaculture pathogens are discussed based on their mechanisms of action.

Antifungal activity of a novel compound from Burkholderia cepacia against plant pathogenic fungi.

AIMS: To investigate antifungal activity of a novel compound (named as CF66I provisionally) against plant pathogenic fungi, mainly including Fusarium sp., Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, Rhizoctonia solani, etc. METHODS AND RESULTS: Minimal inhibition concentrations (MIC) and minimal fungicidal concentrations (MFC) of CF66I for each fungi were determined using serial broth dilution method. The data demonstrated MIC ranged from 2.5 to 20.0 microg ml(-1) and MFC were shown at levels of < or =7.5 microg ml(-1) except Fusarium sp. With reverse microscopy, profound morphological alterations of fungal cells were observed after exposure to CF66I. Conidiospores were completely inhibited, and protoplasm aggregated to form chalamydospores because of the changes of cell permeability. Some chalamydospores were broken, suggesting the compound probably possessed strong ability of damaging the cell wall. In addition, CF66I was investigated for its antifungal stability against Curvularia lunata. The results showed CF66I kept strong fungi-static activity over-wide pH range (pH 4-9) and temperature range (from -70 to 120 degrees C). CONCLUSIONS: The compound CF66I exhibited strong and stable broad-spectrum antifungal activity, and had a significant fungicidal effect on fungal cells. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Results from prebiocontrol evaluations performed to date are probably useful in the search for alternative approaches to controlling serious plant pathogens.

Isolation and characterization of a novel Burkholderia cepacia with strong antifungal activity against Rhizoctonia solani.

Strain CF-66 with strong antifungal activity against Rhizoctonia solani was isolated from compost samples. It is clearly demonstrated that strain CF-66 is belonging to Burkholderia cepacia complex by the morphological and biochemical tests and 16S rDNA sequence. The B. cepacia complex consists of a group of bacteria currently organized into nine genomovars, among them genomovar II and genomovar III, contain the highly epidemic strains. However, it was known that strain CF-66 is not a member of genomovar II or III of the B. cepacia complex by species-specific polymerase chain reaction assay. In this study, the antifungal compound CF66I produced by strain CF-66 was purified and characterized. Based on the nuclear magnetic resonance, GC-MS spectral and infrared spectral data, CF66I was confirmed to have amide bonds, alpha-methyl fatty acid, bromine, and some structural units such as CH(2)CH(2)O. CF66I is stable to high temperature, proteolytic enzymes, and organic solvents. CF66I inhibit the growth of a variety of plant pathogenic fungi and pathogenic yeast, whereas bacterial cells are unaffected. CF66I mainly reduced hyphal extension rates in a dose-dependent manner and induced severe change in cell morphology that resulted in swelled and formed very short hyphae with multiple branches.

Biodegradation of an endocrine-disrupting chemical, di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, by Bacillus subtilis No. 66.

A bacterial strain capable of rapidly degrading di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) was isolated from soil and identified as Bacillus subtilis. The organism also utilized di-butyl phthalate, di-ethyl phthalate, di-pentyl phthalate, di-propyl phthalate, and phthalic acid as sole carbon sources; and their biodegradation ratio was over 99%, when the incubation was performed for 5 days at 30 degrees C. The microorganism degraded di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate and di-butyl phthalate through the intermediate formation of mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate and mono-butyl phthalate, which were then metabolized to phthalic acid and further by a protocatechuate pathway, as evidenced by oxygen uptake studies and GC-MS analysis. The decontamination of soil polluted with di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate by B. subtilis was investigated. Experimental results showed that the strain could degrade about 80% of 5 mM DEHP simply by adding 8% culture medium to soil, indicating that the degradation can occur even when other organisms are present.

Immobilization of Candida krusei cells producing phytase in alginate gel beads: an application of the preparation of myo-inositol phosphates.

Cells of Candida krusei capable of producing phytase were immobilized in Ca-alginate gel beads and used for the preparation of myo-inositol phosphates. The immobilization yield was increased about 5-fold after the beads were treated for 96 h at pH 4.0, 4 degrees C. The increased yield was retained, even after 1 month, when the cells were kept at this temperature and pH. No shift in the pH optima of phytase of the immobilized cells was observed, compared with that of free cells. However, the optimum temperature for the enzyme of the immobilized cells was 55 degrees C, which was 15 degrees C higher than that of free cells. The degradation characteristics of the phytate in immobilized cells packed in a glass column (i.d. 1.2 cm, length 20 cm) were investigated. The variation in the composition of the products results from a change in the flow rate of phytate solution (5 mM). At a flow rate of 1.30 ml/min, a mixture of myo-inositol-2-monophosphate, myo-inositol-1,2,5-triphosphate and myo-inositol-1,2,5,6-tetrakisphosphate was produced, in which the latter two were physiologically active. Also, it was found by NMR analysis that the enzyme of this strain produced only one isomer of each of the inositol phosphates, with the exception of myo-inositol pentakisphosphate. Therefore, the pure isomers were easily isolated using ion-exchange chromatography.

Fasting limits norepinephrine release with myocardial ischemia and reperfusion.

INTRODUCTION: Fasting for 24 hours improves functional recovery and reduces injury due to global ischemia and reperfusion. Since fasting affects catecholamine kinetics, and norepinephrine (NE) release has been implicated as a mediator of dysrhythmias and injury with myocardial ischemia, we hypothesized that fasting would limit NE release following ischemia and reperfusion as a mechanism of its beneficial effects. METHODS: Hearts were isolated and perfused from rats either fed normally or fasted for 24 hours. Following baseline perfusion, hearts were subjected to 20 minutes of ischemia followed by reperfusion. Hemodynamics (developed and end-diastolic pressure) and dysrhythmias were monitored, and creatine kinase release on reperfusion was measured as a marker of cellular injury. NE tissue content was assessed prior to ischemia and NE release was measured upon reperfusion with and without blockade of the uptake1 carrier using desipramine. RESULTS: The release of NE was reduced by fasting (0.52+/-0.14 vs. 1.47+/-0.15 nmol/gdw, p<0.001) associated with a reduction in dysrhythmias, lower creatine kinase release, and lower end-diastolic pressure on reperfusion. However, fasting did not reduce NE tissue stores prior to ischemia. Desipramine also reduced NE release on reperfusion and limited the frequency of dysrhythmias, but did not alter ischemic injury. CONCLUSIONS: Fasting limits NE release after ischemia and reperfusion, an effect not due to lower NE stores. Lower NE release, either by fasting or blockade of the uptake1, carrier, significantly reduces the frequency of dysrhythmias. However, the amount of NE release, per se, does not alter ischemic injury, suggesting that the infarct limiting effect of fasting is not mediated by lower NE release.