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Integron was recognized as mobile elements responsible for the emergence and diffusion of antibiotic resistance, virulence and pathogenicity. The existence of resistant integron in pathogens may consequently lead to the increasing number of clinical failures in bacterial mediated diseases, as well as the expenses. In this study, a total of 22 clinical pathogens (including E. faecalis, S. aureus, K. pneumoniae, Enterobacter, P. aeruginosa and Acinetobacter) were subjected to the identification of class 1-class 3 integrons and drug resistant gene cassettes by high flux LAMP method. According to the results, the clinical isolates were screened as carrying class 1 integron with dfrA12-orfF-aadA2 cassette array, class 1 integron with dfrA17-aadA5 cassette array, class 1 integron with aadA2 cassette, class 1 integron with bla VIM2 cassette, class 1 and class 2 integron with dfrA1-sat1-aadA1 and dfrA12-orfF-aadA2 cassette arrays simultaneously, which was accordantly with the previous data. The optimized high flux LAMP assay was proceeded in water bath at 65 °C for 60 min and determined by naked eye, with the time consumption restricted within 2.5 h. Prior to conventional PCR method, the high flux LAMP assay was demonstrated as a highly-specific and highly-sensitive method. This study offered a valid LAMP method in resistance integrons detection for laboratory use, which was time-saving and easy-determination., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Two Bacteria were isolated from heavy metal contaminated soil with high concentration of total chromium (ca. 2300 mg/L) showed their significant ability of chromate reduction. The bacteria were identified as Ochrobactrum sp. and Microbacterium sp., and were designed as Ochrobactrum sp. strain 71 and Microbacterium sp. strain 73, respectively according to their 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The ability of the two isolates to reduce hexavalent chromium in actively growing cells as well as in resting cells was examined. The results showed both strains were able to reduce Cr(VI) to trivalent chromium Cr(III) very rapidly when grown in LB medium containing chromate (in the form of K2Cr2O7, 5 mg/L and 50 mg/L). Reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) in the phosphate buffer containing chromate was insignificant when using resting cells collected from exponential growth phase. However, when supplemented with electron donor (ex. acetate, citrate or NADH), resting cells also showed significant ability to reduce Cr(VI) to Cr(III). Reduction of the toxic Cr(VI) to the less toxic Cr(III) is a promising bioremedial process in detoxification of Cr(VI)-contaminated environment. Therefore, traits of chromate reduction by these two indigenous isolates showed significant potential in helping in situ Cr(VI) bioremediation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most frequent endocrinopathy in women of reproductive age. It is difficult to treat PCOS because of its complex etiology and pathogenesis. Here, we characterized the roles of gut microbiota on the pathogenesis and treatments in letrozole (a nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor) induced PCOS rat model. Changes in estrous cycles, hormonal levels, ovarian morphology and gut microbiota by PCR-DGGE and real-time PCR were determined. The results showed that PCOS rats displayed abnormal estrous cycles with increasing androgen biosynthesis and exhibited multiple large cysts with diminished granulosa layers in ovarian tissues. Meanwhile, the composition of gut microbiota in letrozole-treated rats was different from that in the controls. Lactobacillus, Ruminococcus and Clostridium were lower while Prevotella was higher in PCOS rats when compared with control rats. After treating PCOS rats with Lactobacillus and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from healthy rats, it was found that the estrous cycles were improved in all 8 rats in FMT group, and in 6 of the 8 rats in Lactobacillus transplantation group with decreasing androgen biosynthesis. Their ovarian morphologies normalized. The composition of gut microbiota restored in both FMT and Lactobacillus treated groups with increasing of Lactobacillus and Clostridium, and decreasing of Prevotella. These results indicated that dysbiosis of gut microbiota was associated with the pathogenesis of PCOS. Microbiota interventions through FMT and Lactobacillus transplantation were beneficial for the treatments of PCOS rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We previously demonstrated that vancomycin treatment increased acquisition of eDNA and enhanced biofilm formation of drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus through a cidA-mediated autolysis mechanism. Recently we found that such enhancement became more significant under a higher glucose concentration in vitro. We propose that besides improper antibiotic treatment, increased glucose concentration environment in diabetic animals may further enhance biofilm formation of drug-resistant S. aureus. To address this question, the diabetic mouse model infected by vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA) was used under vancomycin treatment. The capacity to form biofilms was evaluated through a catheter-associated biofilm assay. A 10- and 1000-fold increase in biofilm-bound bacterial colony forming units was observed in samples from diabetic mice without and with vancomycin treatment, respectively, compared to healthy mice. By contrast, in the absence of glucose vancomycin reduced propensity to form biofilms in vitro through the increased production of proteases and DNases from VRSA. Our study highlights the potentially important role of increased glucose concentration in enhancing biofilm formation in vancomycin-treated diabetic mice infected by drug-resistant S. aureus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: Probiotics have previously been shown to reduce the severity of atopic disease in infants and children. However, the immunological changes induced by this treatment that might account for the clinical improvement are still unclear. In this study, we examined the effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus on the clinical symptoms and medication use among children with established allergic rhinitis. We also investigated the effect of probiotics on the white blood cell counts, red blood cell counts, platelet counts, eosinophil counts, and IgE antibody levels. Materials and Methods: Atopic children with current rhinitis received 4×109 colony forming units/g of L rhamnosus (n =98) or a placebo (n =100). Both were given this daily as a powder mixed with food or water. The SCORing Allergic rhinitis index (specific symptoms scores and symptom medication scores), which measures of the extent and severity of allergic rhinitis, was assessed for each patient at the five visits. These five scheduled visits were at 2 weeks before starting the treatment (Visit 0), at the beginning of the treatment (Visit 1), then 4 weeks (Visit 2), 8 weeks (Visit 3), and 12 weeks (Visit 4) after starting the treatment. The white blood cell, red blood cell, platelet, and eosinophil counts as well as the IgE antibody levels of the individuals were evaluated before and after 3 months of treatment. Results: The major outcome, indicating the efficacy of L rhamnosus treatment, was no reduction in rhinitis symptoms or drug scores. No significant statistical differences were found between baseline and 3 months for the probiotic and placebo groups when any immunological and blood cell variable was examined. Conclusions: Our data demonstrates that L rhamnosus treatment neither reduced rhinitis symptom scores nor altered immunological parameters in symptomatic children. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Bacterial infection a leading cause of death among patients with stroke, with elderly patients often presenting with more debilitating outcomes. The findings from our retrospective study, supported by previous clinical reports, showed that increasing age is an early predictor for developing fatal infectious complications after stroke. However, exactly how and why older individuals are more susceptible to infection after stroke remains unclear. Using a mouse model of transient ischaemic stroke, we demonstrate that older mice (>12 months) present with greater spontaneous bacterial lung infections compared to their younger counterparts (7–10 weeks) after stroke. Importantly, we provide evidence that older poststroke mice exhibited elevated intestinal inflammation and disruption in gut barriers critical in maintaining colonic integrity following stroke, including reduced expression of mucin and tight junction proteins. In addition, our data support the notion that the localized pro‐inflammatory microenvironment driven by increased tumour necrosis factor‐α production in the colon of older mice facilitates the translocation and dissemination of orally inoculated bacteria to the lung following stroke onset. Therefore, findings of this study demonstrate that exacerbated dysfunction of the intestinal barrier in advanced age promotes translocation of gut‐derived bacteria and contributes to the increased risk to poststroke bacterial infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]