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Complement activation is an important aspect of systemic lupus erythematosus. In this study we investigated the role of C3a/C3a receptor (R) signaling in brains of the lupus model, MRL/lpr mice, by treating the mice with C3aR antagonist (a) from 13 to 19 weeks of age. C3aR mRNA (0.2±0.027 versus 0.56±0.19) and protein (0.16±0.09 versus 0.63±0.19) expression was increased in MRL/lpr brains compared with MRL+/+ controls. Apoptosis, a key feature in lupus brain, was significantly reduced by C3aRa treatment, as assessed by DNA laddering, TUNEL staining and caspase3 activity (48% of MRL/lpr mice). mRNA expression of proinflammatory molecules that cause apoptosis, TNFα (0.33±0.07 versus 0.15±0.1), MIP2 (3.8±1.3 versus 1.7±0.6), and INFγ (4.8±1.0 versus 2.07±1.28) are reduced in MRL/lpr brains with C3aRa treatment. In line with these results, Western blotting demonstrates the significant increase in phosphorylation of survival molecules Akt and Erk, decrease in PTEN and reduced iNOS expression. INFγ receptor (R) and AMPA-GluR1 co-localized, and concomitant with reduced INFγR expression, AMPAGluR1 expression was also decreased by C3aR antagonist. All of these variables that modulate neuronal excitability and regulate synaptic plasticity are C3aR dependent in the MRL/lpr brains and suggest a potential therapeutic role for C3aR inhibition in CNS lupus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activity of metronidazole (MDZ) on and was studied and , using steel net cages implanted subcutaneously in rabbits. In cage fluids inoculated with alone, MDZ treatment resulted in MDZ concentrations increasing to the levels in uninoculated cage fluids with decreasing viable counts. In inoculated cage fluids MDZ treatment gave peak cage fluid concentrations of about 50% of those in uninoculated fluid. The viable counts were not affected , nor by MDZ when tested alone. Incubation of both species with MDZ resulted in lowered MDZ concentrations and reduced viable counts when the initial inoculum was about 10, but did not affect . , inoculation with both species before MDZ administration resulted in a slower and less pronounced reduction of viable counts during treatment than was observed in cages inoculated with this species alone. This could have been the result of a more pronounced penetration barrier inhibiting MDZ penetration into cage fluid. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

- The occurrence of bacteria and Ureaplasma urealyticum in the upper urinary tract was studied in 50 patients operated on for renal stones. Cultures were performed on voided urine, pelvic urine obtained during surgery and the stone. The chemical composition of the stones was analysed. Twenty-six stones were of metabolic origin and 24 infection-induced, i.e. composed of struvite and/or carbonate-apatite. Ureaplasma urealyticum was cultured from the upper urinary tract in 1 patient with metabolic stones, and in 7 with infection stones. In 4 of these 7 patients no other urease-producing micro-organism was detected, suggesting that Ureaplasma urealyticum may have been associated with stone formation in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The susceptibility of Bordetella pertussis to doxycycline, cinoxacin, nalidixic acid, norfloxacin, imipenem (N-formimidoyl-thienamycin), mecillinam and rifampicin was studied by agar and broth dilution. There were discrepancies between MICs registered on solid medium and in fluid medium. There seems to be a need for methodological studies on the antibiotic susceptibility of Bord. pertussis using different techniques. None of the compounds tested seemed to be realistic alternatives to the well documented erythromycin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The refractory period and the killing rate of -haemolytic streptococci after exposure to phenoxymethylpenicillin were tested in an model. -Haemolytic streptococci were injected into steel net chambers implanted subcutaneously on the backs of rabbits. The rabbits were treated with infusions of phenoxymethylpenicillin, either as a single dose to measure the refractory period or as repeated doses in order to measure the killing rate of streptococci. The peak concentration of phenoxymethylpenicillin in tissue chamber fluid occurred about 16–120min post infusion, and reached 0·4mg/l in infected and 0·6mg/l in uninfected tissue cage fluid. In the tissue cage fluid the phenoxymethylpenicillin concentration exceeded 0·03 mg/l, the MIC-value for the streptococcal strain used, for at least 6 h. After a single infusion there was a decline in viable count. The bacteria did not reach their original numbers until 60–70 h later. After the sixth infusion streptococci were no longer detectable in tissue cage fluid. There was a close correlation between viable counts before treatment and the time required for eradication of bacteria. L-phase variants of -haemolytic streptococci were not found when tissue cage fluid was plated on special media. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In an open trial, the efficacy of intravenously administered ceftazidime was evaluated in 106 adult patients with urinary or respiratory tract infections, soft tissue infections, osteitis and septicaemia. The most commonly isolated pathogens were Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas spp. and Staphylococcus aureus. Of 85 organisms isolated before treatment, 79% were cleared and 15% were cleared but later relapsed often because of the underlying conditions. Clinical cure was achieved in 70%, improvement occurred in 25% of the patients and 6% failed to respond. Marked increases in serum creatinine occurred in three patients with pre-existing renal impairment treated with ceftazidime in unmodified dosage. Exanthema, diarrhoea or local thrombophlebitis was noted in 13 patients. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The in-vitro effect of ampicillin, chloramphenicol, clindamycin, erythromycin, trimethoprim and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole against 152 strains of Bordetella pertussis was investigated. When tested against erythromycin, 96% of the isolated strains were inhibited by less than or equal to 1 mg/l. The other antibiotics did not inhibit the growth of Bord. pertussis at concentrations judged achievable in-vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nasal and sinus bacteriology have been investigated in healthy controls and in patients with acute maxillary sinusitis. Comparatively few healthy noses were sterile, and in controls the nasal bacterial flora commonly consisted mainly of staphylococci and diphtheroid rods. Nasal specimens from patients with sinusitis showed most common findings to be 'no growth,' pneumococci, Haemophilus influenzae and staphylococci in that order. In aspirated sinus secretions there was a predominance of pneumococci, 'no growth' and Haemophilus influenzae. Other bacteria were uncommon. Staphylococci were shown conclusively to be nasal contaminants. The same organisms were found in the nasal and sinus secretions of patients with sinusitis in only 64 percent, thus indicating that nasal samples are of low predictive value in reflecting sinus flora. It can be argued that in the individual patient with sinusitis it is more reliable to base therapy on the results of previous bacteriological investigations than on the individual bacteral findings in the nose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]