Mutation analyses of KRAS exon 1 comparing three different techniques: temporal temperature gradient electrophoresis, constant denaturant capillary electrophoresis and allele specific polymerase chain reaction

Pefloxacin plus metronidazole versus netilmicin plus metronidazole in the prevention of nosocomial infections during contaminated surgery. Surgical prophylaxis is widely used in contaminated surgery, especially colorectal surgery. In this clinical trial the efficacy of pefloxacin 800 mg i.v. slow infusion associated to metronidazole 500 mg i.v. 1-2 hours before surgery and then metronidazole alone after 6 and 12 hours versus netilmicin 200 mg i.m. associated to metronidazole 500 mg i.v. 1-2 hours before surgery and then both after 6 and 12 hours were evaluated in 97 patients suffering by colorectal surgery. Efficacy of prophylaxis in patients was evaluated in terms of appearance of post-surgical infections (abdominal, urinary, respiratory and wound infections). In pefloxacin + metronidazole group (53 patients), two cases of wound infections (3.8%) and three cases of respiratory infections (5.8%) were observed. In netilmicin + metronidazole group (44 patients), two cases of wound infections (4.9%), three cases of urinary infections (7%), three cases of respiratory infections (7.5%) and one case of intra-abdominal infection were observed. Our data confirmed that in colorectal surgery, the association pefloxacin, drug with microbiological and pharmacokinetics characteristics suitable for prophylaxis + metronidazole, active against anaerobes pathogens, prevents post-surgical infections as well as a reference association (netilmicin + metronidazole), with the advantage of a single administration.     

Oropharyngeal control of drinking in rats

Drinking was studied in water-deprived rats with chronic intragastric fistulas. Sham drinking, by which the ingested water was immediately lost through the open gastric fistula, was approximately four times greater than normal drinking. This proportion held across different levels of water deprivation, following 5-ml intragastric preloads of water or isotonic saline or ingestion of isotonic saline. The contribution of oropharyngeal controls in the normal drinking of rats is discussed and is compared with that of other species.     

The presence of Enterococcus, coliforms and E. coli in a commercial yeast manufacturing process

This study evaluated a typical commercial yeast manufacturing process for bacterial contamination. Product line samples of a commercial yeast manufacturing process and the corresponding seed yeast manufacturing process were obtained upstream from the final compressed and dry yeast products. All samples were analysed before (non-PI) and after preliminary incubation (PI) at 37 degrees C for 24 h. The PI procedure was incorporated for amplification of bacterial counts below the lower detection limit. Enterococcus, coliform and Escherichia coli counts were quantified by standard pour-plate techniques using selective media. Presence at all stages and progressive increases in counts of Enterococcus, coliforms and E. coli during processing in the commercial manufacturing operation suggested that the primary source of contamination of both compressed and dry yeast with these bacteria was the seed yeast manufacturing process and that contamination was amplified throughout the commercial yeast manufacturing process. This was confirmed by surveys of the seed yeast manufacturing process which indicated that contamination of the seed yeast with Enterococcus, coliforms and E. coli occurred during scale up of seed yeast biomass destined as inoculum for the commercial fermentation.     

A method for extraction and quantification of Ginkgo terpene trilactones

A method was developed for the extraction and quantification of pharmacologically active terpene trilactones (ginkgolides, bilobalide) from the tissues of Ginkgo biloba L. and pharmaceutical ginkgo products by RP-HPLC, based on the theory of terpene trilactones ionization. Four ginkgolides (GA, GB, GC, GJ) and bilobalide (BB) from both the ginkgo leaves and commercially available ginkgo extracts were quantitatively extracted by using this method. The recovery rate of the method was 97.5-100% with RSD of 1.2-2.8%. The detection limit was 0.05-0.1 microg, and the linear range was 0.1-12 microg. This detection limit represents a marked improvement over previously reported methods, suggesting the new method is a viable technique for routine analysis of ginkgo terpene trilactones in natural and commercial samples. The method reported by van Beek et al. in 1991 (van Beek, T. A.; Scheeren, H. A.; Rantio T.; Melger, W. C.; Lelyveld, G. P. J. Chromatogr. 1991, 543, 375-387.) was used as a reference method to monitor the accuracy of extraction and analysis in this study. SSI-MS technique was used to identify isolated target components. Carbohydrase treatment and solubility of terpene trilactones in various solvents were also discussed.