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Shigella spp. are water-borne pathogens responsible for mild to severe cases bacilli dysentery all around the world known as Shigellosis. The progressively increasing of antibiotic resistance among Shigella calls for developing and establishing novel alternative therapeutic methods. The present study aimed to evaluate a novel phage cocktail of lytic phages against extended spectrum beta lactamase isolates of Shigella species in an aquatic environment. The phage cocktail containing six novel Shigella specific phages showed a broad host spectrum. The cocktail was very stable in aquatic environment. The cocktail resulted in about 99% decrease in the bacterial counts in the contaminated water by several species and strains of Shigella such as Shigella sonnei, Shigella flexneri and Shigella dysenteriae. Achieving such a high efficiency in this in-vitro study demonstrates a high potential for in-vivo and in-situ application of this phage cocktail as a bio-controlling agent against Shigella spp. contamination and infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the infection of different animals and non-human primates with other members of Anelloviridae have already been reported there is no report about infection of animals with Torque teno midi virus/Small anellovirs (TTMDV/SAV). The aim of this study was to detect the virus in domestic village chickens. Blood samples were collected from 79 domestic village chickens in Isfahan. Blood samples of five adult laying hens and one cockerel were collected in three consecutive weeks (days 1, 8 and 14) as experimental chickens. Ten eggs were randomly collected from the eggs laid during days 12 to 17 and thin and thick egg whites and yolk samples were collected aseptically. After DNA extraction Nested-PCR was performed using SMAs/SMAr primers. In PCR, 431 bp and 441 bp products were detected. The detected bands were extracted and sequenced. Totally 26 out of 79 (32.9%) of the blood samples were positive for the virus. The frequency of the infection of the different parts of the eggs tested was 76%. For the first time TTMDV/SAV was detected in domestic village chickens which also vertically transmitted to eggs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To determine mRNA expression levels of Nav 1.8 in inflamed pulps of rats. Methodology Inflammation was induced by creating pulp exposures in rat incisors. Histopathological changes in the induced pulpitis were evaluated 1, 3, 7 and 10 days after exposure. Using real-time PCR, the relative mRNA expression levels of Nav 1.8 in the inflamed rat dental pulp was determined. Results At day 1, no inflammation was evident in the pulp tissue, whereas increased levels of inflammatory responses were identified at day 3 and day 7. No pulpal inflammation was evident in day 10 or in the control group. Nav 1.8 was expressed in the rat dental pulp and increased at day 3 and day 7. Time course study of dental pulp inflammation indicated that differences in relative mRNA expression levels of Nav 1.8 were correlated with the severity of inflammation. Conclusions Nav 1.8 channels seem to be expressed significantly more under a temporal control so as to be associated with a severity of inflammation during pulpitis. As Nav 1.8 has been considered to have a role in neuropathic pain, its expression within dental pulp may contribute to the pathophysiology of tooth pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is a major pathogen in hospital setting and in the community and causes a wide range of diseases. MRSA infection has recently become a serious problem in anti-microbial chemotherapy. The aim of the study was to detect and analyze the antibiotic diversity and isolation of methicillin resistance gene (mecA) of S. aureus isolated from Tehran hospitals as a rapid and reliable method. Patients and methods: We studied 585 isolates of staphylococcus spp. recovered from patients at 3 clinical centers in Tehran from October 2005 to October 2006. Antibiotic susceptibility test of isolates was achieved with 13 antibiotics by disc diffusion. The MIC of methicillin was also performed by broth micro dilution assay. PCR was used for detection of mecA gene. Results: Totally, 321 (54.7%) isolates were identified as S. aureus. 66, 65, 88, 88, 100, 41, 38, 41, 0, 40, 93, 20 and 64% of S. aureus isolates were resistant to kanamycin, cephotaxim, methicillin, oxacillin, ampicillin, erythromycin, clindamycin, sulphamethoxazole-trimethoprime, vancomycin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin and tetracycline, respectively. All MRSA and 63% of intermediate isolates carried mecA gene. Conclusion: In contrary to other studies in Iran, the prevalence of methicillin resistance is rising up in Tehran and most of MRSA isolates were resistance to 5 antibiotics at least. Vancomycin, chloramphenicol, gentamicin and clindamycin are the most effective antibiotics. All MRSA isolates had mecA gene with different expression. Detection of mecA gene is a rapid and reliable method for identification of MRSA isolates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]