Spiropiperidyl rifabutins: expanded in vitro testing against ESKAPE pathogens and select bacterial biofilms.

The expanded microbiological evaluation of a series of rifastures, novel spiropiperidyl rifamycin derivatives, against clinically relevant ESKAPE bacteria has identified several analogs with promising in vitro bioactivities against antibiotic-resistant strains of Enterococcus faecium and Staphylococcus aureus. Thirteen of the rifastures displayed minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) below 1 µg/ml against the methicillin- and vancomycin-resistant forms of S. aureus and E. faecium (MRSA, VRSA, VRE). Aryl-substituted rifastures 1, 11, and 12 offered the greatest bioactivity, with MICs reaching ≤0.063 µg ml-1 for these human pathogens. Further analysis indicates that diphenyl rifasture 1 had greater antibiofilm activity against S. aureus and lower cytotoxicity in mammalian HEK cells than rifabutin.

The effect of paratuberculosis on milk yield--A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Bovine paratuberculosis is a disease characterized by chronic granulomatous enteritis causing protein-losing enteropathy. Adverse effects on animal productivity are key drivers in the attempt to control paratuberculosis at the farm level. Economic models require an accurate estimation of the production effects associated with paratuberculosis. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the effect of paratuberculosis on milk production. A total of 20 effect estimates from 15 studies were included in the final meta-analysis. Substantial between-study heterogeneity was observed. Subgroup analysis by case definition and study design was carried out to investigate heterogeneity. The majority of between-study variation was attributed to studies that defined cases on serology. Calculation of a pooled effect estimate was only appropriate for studies that defined cases by organism detection. A reduction in milk yield, corrected for lactation number and herd of origin of 1.87 kg/d, equivalent to 5.9% of yield, was associated with fecal culture or PCR positivity in individual cows.

Strong in vitro activities of two new rifabutin analogs against multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Two new rifabutin analogs, RFA-1 and RFA-2, show high in vitro antimycobacterial activities against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. MIC values of RFA-1 and RFA-2 were ≤0.02 µg/ml against rifamycin-susceptible strains and 0.5 µg/ml against a wide selection of multidrug-resistant strains, compared to ≥50 µg/ml for rifampin and 10 µg/ml for rifabutin. Molecular dynamic studies indicate that the compounds may exert tighter binding to mutants of RNA polymerase that have adapted to the rifamycins.

New rifabutin analogs: synthesis and biological activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The synthesis, structure, and biological evaluation of a series of novel rifamycin derivatives, Rifastures (RFA) with potent anti-tuberculosis activity are presented. Some of these derivatives showed higher in vitro activity than rifabutin and rifampicin against not only Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains but also against MAC and Mycobacterium kansasii.

NMR spectroscopic analysis of new spiro-piperidylrifamycins.

New spiro-piperidylrifamycin derivatives are presented. These compounds were synthesized from the reaction of 3-amino-4-iminorifamycin S and enantiomerically pure 4-piperidones, which generate diasteroisomeric rifabutin analogues with a new stereocentre at the spiranic carbon. The (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra of these new compounds, and also the configuration of the new stereogenic centres, were assigned using 2D NMR spectroscopic techniques. A preliminary study of the (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra of the starting compounds rifamycin S, 3-amino-4-iminorifamycin S and the related rifabutin was also carried out and as a result, their previously published (13)C NMR data were corrected.