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Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and phenotypes of macrolide, lincosamide, and streptogramın B (MLSB) resistance in Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from clinical samples and to assess the efficacy of mupirocin and fusidic acid against these isolates. Methods: Between January 2021 and December 2022, S. aureus strains isolated from clinical samples were identified by VITEK® MS (bioMérieux, France), and their antibiotic susceptibilities were determined using VITEK® 2 (bioMérieux, France). The disk approximation method was used to determine the MLSB resistance phenotypes using erythromycin (15 μg) and clindamycin (2 μg). For fusidic acid, a MIC of ≤1 mg/L was considered susceptible, and a MIC of >1 mg/L was considered resistant. The European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) 2020 guidelines were followed, with a MIC of ≤1 mg/L considered sensitive, a MIC of 2-256 mg/L indicating low-level resistance, and a MIC of >256 mg/L indicating high-level resistance for mupirocin. Results: The MLSB resistance phenotypes of the strains were as follows: 8.9% inducible (iMLSB), 4.6% chromosomal (cMLSB), 12.8% MS type, 0.8% L type, and 72.92% erythromycin and clindamycin sensitive were detected. Mupirocin resistance was detected 7.2% in 250 S. aureus strains, 14.3% in MRSA, and 2.1% in MSSA. Fusidic acid resistance was seen at 10.7% in 711 S. aureus strains, 20.1% in MRSA, and 5.5% in MSSA. Conclusion: When erythromycin resistance is detected in MRSA isolates, it is essential to determine macrolide resistance phenotypes with a simple and easy method such as the D-test and investigate clindamycin resistance for choosing appropriate antibiotics. Mupirocin resistance in S. aureus strains was higher in MRSA isolates than in MSSA isolates. It is noteworthy that fusidic acid resistance is frequently seen in both MRSA and MSSA isolates that are susceptible to erythromycin and clindamycin. In infections where fusidic acid is commonly used, it is necessary to monitor antibiotic susceptibilities closely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of macrolide antibiotics therapy in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) receiving endoscopic sinus surgery. Data Sources: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library. Review Methods: The electronic databases were comprehensively searched on June 2, 2022, for randomized controlled trials on macrolide antibiotics in the treatment of patients undergoing CRS endoscopic surgery. The primary outcome measures were the sinonasal outcome test (SNOT) score and the visual analog scale (VAS) score. The secondary outcome measures were the nasal endoscopy score (NES), the sinus computed tomography score, and adverse events. Results: A total of 8 studies were included, involving 606 patients who used macrolide for a long time. Meta‐analysis showed that no significant difference was observed in SNOT (standardized mean difference [SMD] = −0.13; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.38 to 0.13, I2 = 0%) and VAS (SMD = −0.10; 95% CI, −0.88 to 0.68, I2 = 81%) between the macrolide and placebo groups. However, macrolide outperformed the placebo in improving NES (SMD = −0.32; 95% CI, −0.62 to −0.03, I2 = 21%). The use of macrolide did not increase the incidence of adverse events. Conclusion: Long‐term use of macrolide after CRS surgery may not significantly improve the quality of life and disease severity of the patients but may play a role in improving postoperative NES in patients with CRS. There is still no sufficient evidence to determine whether the disease phenotype of CRS or the patient's race will affect the efficacy of long‐term use of macrolide after CRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most relevant and pathogenic groups among the rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM) is Mycobacterium abscessus complex (MABC) that includes three subspecies: M. abscessus subsp. abscessus, M. abscessus subsp. bolletii, and M. abscessus subsp. massiliense. The aim of this study was the analysis of prevalence of MABC among other non-tuberculous mycobacteria isolated from patients in the Malopolska Region of Poland, between 2018 and 2021, as well as determination of their subspecies and molecular mechanisms of resistance to macrolides and aminoglycosides. The incidence of MABC was 5,4% (12/223). Eight strains were classified as M. abscessus subsp. abscessus, three as M. abscessus subsp. massiliense and one M. abscessus subsp. bolletii. Molecular analysis showed resistance to macrolides for eight strains of M. abscessus subsp. abscessus associated with erm(41)T28 gene mutations. One strain of M. abscessus subsp. abscessus showed resistance to macrolides (two mutations simultaneously: in erm(41)T28 and rrl genes) and aminoglycosides (point mutation in rrs gene). One strain of M. abscessus subs. bolletii was resistant to macrolides (erm(41)T28 mutation), whereas presented no mutations for aminoglycosides. M. abscessus subsp. massiliense reveal no mutations. High clarithromycin resistance of M. abscessus, determines the urgent need for susceptibility-based treatment. Molecular determination of resistance mechanisms to aminoglycosides and macrolides enables fast and accurate targeted treatment implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotics, which hit the market with astounding impact, were once called miracle drugs, as these were considered the ultimate cure for infectious diseases in the mid-20th century. However, today, nearly all bacteria that afflict humankind have become resistant to these wonder drugs once developed to stop them, imperiling the foundation of modern medicine. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a surge in macrolide use to treat secondary infections and this persistent use of macrolide antibiotics has provoked the emergence of macrolide resistance. In view of the current dearth of new antibiotics in the pipeline, it is essential to find an alternative way to combat drug resistance. Antibiotic potentiators or adjuvants are non-antibacterial active molecules that, when combined with antibiotics, increase their activity. Thus, potentiating the existing antibiotics is one of the promising approaches to tackle and minimize the impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Several natural and synthetic compounds have demonstrated effectiveness in potentiating macrolide antibiotics against multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens. The present review summarizes the different resistance mechanisms adapted by bacteria to resist macrolides and further emphasizes the major macrolide potentiators identified which could serve to revive the antibiotic and can be used for the reversal of macrolide resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Española de Quimioterapia is the property of Sociedad Espanola de Quimioterapia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most significant global threats to human health in recent times, and it limits the achievement of several of the sustainable development goals. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is among the most essential multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of (MRSA) from different clinical samples to emphasise the suitable treatment. One hundred fifty different clinical samples were collected. All these samples were subjected to classical microbiological testing, which included culturing directly on mannitol salt agar and antibiotic susceptibility test (A.S.T). The results observed that only 32 out of 150 samples of MRSA isolates were identified using cefoxitin 30 (µg) as a screening antibiotic, as suggested by CLSI. These 32 MRSA isolates showed resistance toward penicillin and cefoxitin, high sensitivity against vancomycin, and moderate resistance against doxycycline and azithromycin. Considering the phenotyping resistance toward macrolide antibiotic groups, 10/32 (31.25%) showed S-phenotype, 18/32 (52.65%) showed R-phenotype, 4/32 (12.5%) showed D-phenotype while no MRSA isolated showed D+ phenotype. This study concludes that inducible clindamycin resistance of S. aureus (MRSA) increases the difficulty of treating S. aureus bacterial infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Unknown etiology. Background: Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is a gram-positive, anaerobic, spore-forming bacillus. It can lead to pseudomembranous colitis characterized by electrolyte disturbances, toxic megacolon, and septic shock. The risk of C. difficile infection is higher with use of certain classes of antibiotics, or when an antibiotic used for a long time. Azithromycin is a macrolide antibiotic known to be safe, with few adverse effects such as diarrhea, stomach pain, and constipation. Azithromycin is currently used for the treatment of acne, with different dosing regimens for patients who cannot receive traditional treatment based on practice guidelines. Case Report: A 41-year-old woman was treated with a course of azithromycin 500 mg by mouth 3 times weekly for 6 weeks for acne vulgaris. This was her second antibiotic course of acne treatment within 10 months. A few days after completion of the second azithromycin course, she presented to the clinic with worsening abdominal pain and frequent soft bloody stool. A complete blood count test, C. difficile toxin test, stool culture, and colonoscopy were ordered. She was diagnosed with C. difficile infection confirmed by C. difficile toxin and symptoms. Conclusions: Despite the safety profile of azithromycin, our patient was predisposed to a non-severe case of C. difficile-associated diarrhea, most likely due to the repeated course of the azithromycin regimen that was used to treat her acne vulgaris. This report highlights the importance of managing patients with acne vulgaris according to current practice guidelines, and to report a link between the use of azithromycin as an acne treatment and the occurrence of C. difficile colitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Glucose level is related to antibiotic resistance. However, underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. Methods: Since glucose transport is performed by phosphotransferase system (PTS) in bacteria, pts promoter-deleted K12 (Δpts-P) was used as a model to investigate effect of glucose metabolism on antibiotic resistance. Gas chromatographymass spectrometry based metabolomics was employed to identify a differential metabolome in Δpts-P compared with K12, and with glucose as controls. Results: Δpts-P exhibits the resistance to β-lactams and aminoglycosides but not to quinolones, tetracyclines, and macrolide antibiotics. Inactivated pyruvate cycle was determined as the most characteristic feature in Δpts-P, which may influence proton motive force (PMF), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and nitric oxide (NO) that are related to antibiotic resistance. Thus, they were regarded as three ways for the following study. Glucose promoted PMF and β-lactams-, aminoglycosides-, quinolones-mediated killing in K12, which was inhibited by carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone. Exogenous glucose did not elevated ROS in K12 and Δpts-P, but the loss of pts promoter reduced ROS by approximately 1/5, which was related to antibiotic resistance. However, NO was neither changed nor related to antibiotic resistance. Discussion: These results reveal that pts promoter regulation confers antibiotic resistance via PMF and ROS in Escherichia coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periodic assessment of bacterial contamination is necessary as it allows proper guidance in cases of eye infections through the use of appropriate antibiotics. Due to the extensive use of antibiotic treatment, many strains of the microbiota that cause infections are resistant to the usual ophthalmic antibiotics. The present study provides an updated assessment of the susceptibility of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria found on the ocular surface to the most commonly used antibiotic agents in patients undergoing cataract surgery. A total of 993 patients were included in the study with ages between 44 and 98 years old. Conjunctival cultures were collected 7 days before cataract surgery. The response of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria to various antibiotic classes, such as glycopeptides, cephalosporins, carbapenems, fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, phenicols, tetracyclines, rifamycins, macrolides and penicillins, was assessed. From the tested antibiotics, vancomycin had 97.8% efficacy on Gram-positive bacteria. In the cephalosporin category, we observed a high level of resistance of the cefuroxime for both Gram-positive and negative bacteria. Antibiotics that have more than 90% efficacy on Gram-positive bacteria are meropenem, imipenem, netilmicin, amikacin and rifampicin. On Gram-negative bacteria, we found 100% efficacy of all tested fluoroquinolones, i.e., aminoglycosides (except for tobramycin), doxycycline, azithromycin, clarithromycin and chloramphenicol. The current study illustrates patterns of increased resistance in certain bacteria present on the ocular surface to some of the commonly used antibiotics in ophthalmological clinical practice. One such revealing example is cefuroxime, which has been highly used as an intracameral antibiotic for the prevention of bacterial endophthalmitis after cataract surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apple proliferation, caused by 'Candidatus Phytoplasma mali', is one of the most important economic threats in the field of apple production. Especially at a young age, infected trees can be affected by excessive bud proliferation and general decline. The fruit quality is also significantly reduced by this disease. To investigate treatment options, we applied a clarithromycin chemotherapy to infected in vitro cultures of 'Golden Delicious'. With increasing concentrations of clarithromycin in the media, the phytoplasma load decreased rapidly after one month of treatment, but phytotoxicity led to a pronounced mortality at 40 mg/L, which was the highest dose used in our experiment. Out of 45 initial explants, we obtained one negative mericlone and two mericlones with a concentration of phytoplasma DNA at the detection limit of PCR. The culture propagated from the mericlone that tested negative remained phytoplasma-free after 18 months of subculturing. Our results suggest the applicability of macrolide antibiotics against phytoplasma infections in vitro; however, it might be challenging to find the threshold zone where the concentration is sufficient for pathogen elimination, but not lethal for the plant material of different cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) may affect the human microbiome via increased concentrations of uremic toxins such as urea and creatinine. Methods: We have profiled the oral microbiota in patients with CKD before and one week after kidney transplantation. Living kidney donors were also longitudinally tracked over a similar period, allowing direct comparison between a group undergoing transplant surgery alone (donors) (n=13) and a group additionally undergoing the introduction of immunosuppressive agents and the resolution of CKD (recipients) (n=45). Results: Transplantation was associated with a similar pattern of decreasing alpha diversity in the oral microbiome in recipients and donors via Kruskal-Wallis testing, within one week of transplantation. Amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) associated with Haemophilus parainfluenzae, Aggregatibacteria segnis, Peptostreptococcus and Actinobacillus were significantly decreased in recipients within a week of transplantation. Discussion: A reduction in ASVs in these genera could influence the risk of bacterial endocarditis, a rare but high-mortality kidney transplantation complication. A range of factors may drive the observed changes in oral microbiome including both factors associated with surgery itself and the decreases in salivary urea, administration of macrolide antibiotic immunosuppressants, and disruption to immune function that characterise kidney transplant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Traditional drug susceptibility testing cannot be performed in clinical laboratories due to the slow-growing characteristics of Mycoplasma genitalium when cultured in vitro. Sanger sequencing is the standard method for detecting drug resistance-associated mutations. It has been used in some laboratories to guide the choice of macrolide antibiotics for Mycoplasma genitalium infected patients. Furthermore, resistance to fluoroquinolone has become another emerging clinical challenge. Objective: Sequencing analysis can detect unknown mutations, but it is timeconsuming, requires professional analytical skills and the appropriate testing equipment. The main objective of this study was to establish a nested real-time PCR method for the simultaneous detection of 23S rRNA and parC genotypes in relation to the macrolide and fluoroquinolone resistance. Results: 105 MG-positive samples and 27 samples containing other pathogens were used for validation. The limit of the nested real-time PCR detection was 500 copies/reaction and there was no cross-reaction with Ureaplasma urealyticum, Mycoplasma hominis, Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Human papillomavirus, Herpes simplex virus, Candida albicans and Ureaplasma parvum, but the 23S rRNA assay cross-reacted with Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Compared with sequencing results, the sensitivity of 23S rRNA was 100% (95% CI; 93.3 -100), the specificity was 94.3% (95% CI; 79.4 - 99.0), the overall consistency was 98% (95% CI; 92.5 - 99.7) and kappa value was 0.96 (P < 0.001); the sensitivity of parC was 100% (95% CI; 93.4 - 100), the specificity was 89.7% (95% CI; 71.5 - 97.3) and the overall consistency was 96.9% (95% CI; 90.7 - 99.2) with a kappa value of 0.92 (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The results of this sensitive and rapid alternative for identifying resistant genotypes of Mycoplasma genitalium are intuitive and easy to interpret, especially for mixed MG populations. Although the relevant 23S rRNA primers need further adjustment, this reliable method would provide an effective diagnostic tool for the selection of antibiotics in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A piezoelectric sensor with a recognition layer based on magnetic carbon nanocomposites, including multi-walled carbon nanotubes, magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles, and polymer nanospheres with molecular imprints of erythromycin and azithromycin, obtained by the "core–shell" method, is developed. Silicon dioxide particles are used as cores, on the surface of which a shell molecularly imprinted with macrolides is synthesized by free radical polymerization or the sol–gel method. SiO2 particles are obtained by the Stober method by varying the ratio of reagents during the synthesis. The size of the cores and nanoparticles of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) is determined by atomic force microscopy, and the density and uniformity of the layer on the surface of magnetic carbon nanocomposites (MCNC) are determined by the piezoelectric quartz crystal microbalance method. The optimal ratio of the reagents (template : functional monomer : cross-monomer) is established by a spectrophotometric method during the synthesis of "core–shell" nanostructures by free radical polymerization. A thin shell of SiO2 with imprints of an antibiotic based on organosilicon compounds used in the synthesis of the core is formed by the sol–gel method on the surface of the silicon dioxide core. The sensor recognition layer is formed under the action of an external magnetic field. The dependence of the analytical signal of the sensor based on MIP@SiO2/MCNC on concentration is linear in the range 5–160 µg/mL for azithromycin and 10–160 µg/mL for erythromycin, and with a recognition layer based on SiO2@SiO2/MCNC, in the concentration range 20–400 µg/mL for erythromycin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clarithromycin is a very important macrolide antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections in human and veterinary medicine. This study reports the development and validation of cost‐effective, simple, precise, accurate, and robust high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for the determination of clarithromycin (CLA) in tablets. Reversed‐phase chromatography was conducted using a standard column at 55°C with ultraviolet detection at 215 nm. A mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile –2‐methyl‐2‐propanol –potassium phosphate buffer was used at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The proposed method displayed good linearity, precision, accuracy, robustness, and specificity. The present HPLC was compared with capillary electrophoresis and bioassay methods and the results indicated that there was no significant difference between these methods. Moreover, the obtained results demonstrated the validity of the isocratic HPLC, which allows reliable quantitation of CLA in pharmaceutical samples. Thus, it can be used as a substitute alternative methodology for the routine quality control of this medicine, in situations where other methods are less accessible in the laboratory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aseptic facial granuloma is a rare pediatric disease, presenting with asymptomatic facial nodules on the cheeks or the eyelids and may represent a form of granulomatous rosacea in children. In this retrospective case series, 12 children with aseptic facial granuloma were treated with oral macrolides (erythromycin or roxithromycin) resulting in a healing of the lesions within a mean treatment time of 5.25 months with no recurrences. The treatment was mainly well tolerated. Oral macrolides may be effective in the treatment of patients with aseptic facial granuloma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The currently recommended benzimidazole monotherapy is insufficiently effective to control infection with the soil-transmitted helminth Trichuris trichiura. Ivermectin-albendazole combination has shown promising, but setting-dependent efficacy, with therapeutic underperformance in Côte d'Ivoire. We evaluated whether moxidectin-albendazole could serve as an alternative to albendazole monotherapy in Côte d'Ivoire. Methods In this community-based, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group superiority trial, individuals aged 12–60 years were screened for T. trichiura eggs in their stool using quadruplicate Kato-Katz thick smears. Diagnostically and clinically eligible participants were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to receive single oral doses of moxidectin (8 mg) and albendazole (400 mg), ivermectin (200 µg/kg) and albendazole (400 mg), or albendazole (400 mg) and placebo. The primary outcome was proportion cured, ie, cure rate (CR), assessed at 2–3 weeks post-treatment. Safety endpoints were assessed pre-treatment and at 3 and 24 hours post-treatment. Results For the 210 participants with primary outcome data, we observed CRs of 15.3% in the moxidectin-albendazole arm and 22.5% in the ivermectin-albendazole arm, which did not differ significantly from the CR of 13.4% in the albendazole arm (differences: 1.8%-points [95% confidence interval: −10.1 to 13.6] and 9.1%-points [−3.9 to 21.8], respectively). Most common adverse events were abdominal pain (range across arms: 11.9%–20.9%), headache (4.7%–14.3%), and itching (5.8%–13.1%), which were predominantly mild and transient. Conclusions All therapies showed similar low efficacy in treating trichuriasis in Côte d'Ivoire. Alternative treatment options need to be evaluated, and further analyses should be conducted to understand the lack of enhanced activity of the combination therapies in Côte d'Ivoire. Clinical Trials Registration NCT04726969. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) is a bacterial species often associated with the occurrence of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). CAP refers to a specific kind of pneumonia that occurs in individuals who acquire the infection outside of a healthcare setting. It represents the leading cause of both death and morbidity on a global scale. Moreover, the declaration of S. pneumoniae as one of the 12 leading pathogens was made by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2017. Antibiotics like β-lactams, macrolides, and fluoroquinolones are the primary classes of antimicrobial medicines used for the treatment of S. pneumoniae infections. Nevertheless, the efficacy of these antibiotics is diminishing as a result of the establishment of resistance in S. pneumoniae against these antimicrobial agents. In 2019, the WHO declared that antibiotic resistance was among the top 10 hazards to worldwide health. It is believed that penicillin-binding protein genetic alteration causes β-lactam antibiotic resistance. Ribosomal target site alterations and active efflux pumps cause macrolide resistance. Numerous factors, including the accumulation of mutations, enhanced efflux mechanisms, and plasmid gene acquisition, cause fluoroquinolone resistance. Furthermore, despite the advancements in pneumococcal vaccinations and artificial intelligence (AI), it is not feasible for individuals to rely on them indefinitely. The ongoing development of AI for combating antimicrobial resistance necessitates more research and development efforts. A few strategies can be performed to curb this resistance issue, including providing educational initiatives and guidelines, conducting surveillance, and establishing new antibiotics targeting another part of the bacteria. Hence, understanding the resistance mechanism of S. pneumoniae may aid researchers in developing a more efficacious antibiotic in future endeavors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing global apprehension towards multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria necessitates the development of innovative strategies to combat these infections. Berberine (BER), an isoquinoline quaternary alkaloid derived from various medicinal plants, has surfaced as a promising antibiotic adjuvant due to its ability to enhance the effectiveness of conventional antibiotics against drug-resistant bacterial strains. Here, we overview the augmenting properties and mechanisms of BER as an adjunctive antibiotic against MDR bacteria. BER has been observed to exhibit synergistic effects when co-administered with a range of antibiotics, including β-lactams, quinolones, aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, macrolides, lincosamides and fusidic acid. The adjunctive properties of BER led to an increase in antimicrobial effectiveness for these antibiotics against the corresponding bacteria, a decrease in minimal inhibitory concentrations, and even the reversal from resistance to susceptibility sometimes. The potential mechanisms responsible for these effects included the inhibition of antibiotic efflux, the disruption of biofilm formation, the modulation of host immune responses, and the restoration of gut microbiota homeostasis. In brief, BER demonstrated significant potential as an antibiotic adjuvant against MDR bacteria and is a promising candidate for combination therapy. Further research is necessary to fully elucidate its mechanism of action and address the challenges associated with its clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uncontrolled Zn dendrites and undesirable side reactions such as Zn self‐corrosion and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) remain major challenges for the further development of aqueous Zn batteries (AZBs). In this study, macrolide antibiotics are proposed to be added to aqueous electrolyte, serving as Zn ionophores to modulate Zn2+ solvation structure, regulate Zn electrodeposition, and suppress undesirable parasitic reactions. Azithromycin (Azi), a representative macrolide antibiotic, is demonstrated to undergo bidentate coordination with Zn ions and remodel the solvation structure into [ZnAzi(H2O)4]2+. Meanwhile, the self‐corrosion and HER at the Zn anode side are significantly suppressed, evidenced quantitatively by the on‐line hydrogen production monitoring. Furthermore, the promotion of dense and uniform Zn electrodeposition by the ionophores is also confirmed. The repeated Zn plating/stripping test with 0.1 m Azi in electrolyte reaches a high cumulative capacity of 10 Ah cm−2 at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and an area capacity of 10 mAh cm−2. Moreover, the corresponding Zn‐V2O5 pouch cell achieves stable operation for 100 cycles without bulging caused by gas evolution. Thus, the electrolyte engineering approach presents a practically viable strategy for the development of AZBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Legionnaires' Disease is a pneumonia caused by Legionella spp., currently treated empirically with fluoroquinolones and macrolides. In this study, we aim to describe the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of environmental Legionella recovered in the south of Portugal. Methods: Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination of 57 Legionella isolates (10 Lp sg 1, 32, Lp sg 2-14 15 L. spp) was achieved by broth microdilution, as described by EUCAST, for azithromycin, clarithromycin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and doxycycline. Results: Fluoroquinolones were the most active antibiotic, displaying the lowest MIC values in contrast to doxycycline which had the highest. MIC90 and epidemiological cut-off (ECOFF) values were, respectively, 0.5/1 mg/L for azithromycin, 0.125/0.25 mg/L for clarithromycin, 0.064/0.125 mg/L for ciprofloxacin, 0.125/0.125 mg/L for levofloxacin and 16/32 mg/L for doxycycline. Discussion: MIC distributions were higher than reported by EUCAST for all antibiotics. Interestingly, two phenotypically resistant isolates with high-level quinolone resistance were identified. This is the first time that MIC distributions, lpeAB and tet56 genes have been investigated in Portuguese environmental isolates of Legionella. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapamycin is a macrolide antibiotic with antifungal, immunosuppressive, antitumor, and lifespan-extension activities etc. In order to increase its structural diversity, microbial transformation of rapamycin was conducted. More than 3 converted compounds were shown in the microbial conversion culture of rapamycin by Bacillus subtilis CGMCC7764. By extensive NMR and MS spectroscopic analyses, the major compound was identified as 43-O-(β-D-glucoside)-rapamycin. This compound has an inhibitory effect on tumour growth, and its activity is similar to rapamycin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives A decrease in community antibiotic consumption in Europe has been observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The magnitude of this decrease, how fast after the outbreak it occurred, whether it was sustained during the pandemic and whether the seasonal variation in antibiotic consumption was affected, have not yet been evaluated in detail. Methods Data on community antibiotic consumption were available from the European Surveillance of Antimicrobial Consumption Network for 28 EU/European Economic Area (EEA) countries between 2010 and 2021. Antibiotic consumption was expressed as DDDs per 1000 inhabitants per day (DID). The impact of the pandemic on antibiotic consumption was investigated using descriptive statistics and non-linear mixed changepoint models for quarterly and yearly data. Results The decrease in overall antibiotic consumption between 2019 and 2020 (−3.4 DID; −18.6%) was mainly due to a decrease in the consumption of penicillins [Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) code J01C] (−1.9 DID; −23.0%), other β-lactam antibacterials (J01D) (−0.6 DID; −25.8%) and macrolides, lincosamides and streptogramins (J01F) (−0.5 DID; −17.4%) and was sustained during 2021. The changepoint analysis of yearly data (28 countries) estimated a decrease of 3.3 DID in overall antibiotic consumption (J01) between 2019 and 2020. The analysis of quarterly data (16 countries) estimated a decrease in overall antibiotic consumption (J01) of 4.0 DID and a decrease in seasonal variation of 1.2 DID between the first and second quarters of 2020. Conclusions The changepoint analysis indicated a significant, sudden and steep decrease in community antibiotic consumption in the EU/EEA immediately after the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in Europe, as well as a decrease in its seasonal variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resistance, plasticity and heterogeneity of cancer cells, including glioblastoma (GB) cells, have prompted the investigation of various agents for possible adjuncts and alternatives to existing therapies. This includes a macrolide antibiotic, azithromycin (AZI). It possesses intriguing anticancer properties in a range of cancer models in vitro, such as antiproliferative, pro‐apoptotic, anti‐autophagy and anti‐angiogenic effects. In fact, AZI is renowned for its ability to eradicate cancer stem cells by inhibiting mitochondrial biogenesis and respiration. AZI‐containing regimens in cancer patients for different purposes have shown favourable (i.e., attributed to its antibacterial activity) and unfavourable outcomes. Whilst its direct anticancer effects have yet to be clinically proven. To that end, this review provides a summary of AZI anticancer studies and delineates its potential activities in overcoming the challenges of GB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isocembrol C(3)-ketoxime was synthesized regioselectively and the C—C bond was cleaved under the standard Beckmann fragmentation conditions. Subsequent hydrolysis of nitrile to give ω-hydroxy acid and cyclization on treatment with 2,2′-dipyridyl disulfide finalized the synthesis of 15-membered macrolide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The objective of this study was to determine the amount of twenty-three elemental impurities in Azithromycin API. A rapid, selective, precise, accurate and sensitive approach for detecting elemental impurities in Azithromycin API was developed and validated using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Background: Conventional analytical methods used in pharmacopoeia's are less sensitive and accurate to detect heavy metal impurities. Concerning this issue, a new inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry-based method was developed and validated as a different choice to investigate the Elemental impurities in an Azithromycin API sample. Materials and Methods: In the present research work, test samples were prepared with microwave supported acid digestion. Results: After a sequence of trails, the mixture of nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, and hydrogen peroxide (4 mL: 1 mL: 0.5 mL) with the accepted recovery range was chosen for the Azithromycin API's digestion. Conclusion: According to ICH and USP 233 guidelines, the proposed technique was successfully validated using ICP-MS for linearity, precision, accuracy, LOD, LOQ, and ruggedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de la Facultad de Medicina Humana is the property of Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Biomedicas de la Universidad Ricardo Palma and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Diyala Journal of Medicine is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This document summarizes a study on the effectiveness of spiramycin-based triple therapy for treating Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. The study compared this therapy to standard triple therapy and found that both had similar eradication rates of H. pylori and similar side effects. The study suggests that spiramycin is not more effective than other antibiotics for H. pylori eradication. Additionally, the combination therapy was found to be more cost-effective. [Extracted from the article]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a sporadic or familial neurodegenerative disease of insidious onset with progressive cognitive decline. Although numerous studies have been conducted or are underway on AD, there are still no effective drugs to reverse the pathological features and clinical manifestations of AD. Rapamycin is a macrolide antibiotic produced by Streptomyces hygroscopicus. As a classical mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor, rapamycin has been shown to be beneficial in a variety of AD mouse and cells models, both before the onset of disease symptoms and the early stage of disease. Although many basic studies have demonstrated the therapeutic effects of rapamycin in AD, many questions and controversies remain. This may be due to the variability of experimental models, different modes of administration, dose, timing, frequency, and the availability of drug-targeting vehicles. Rapamycin may delay the development of AD by reducing β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition, inhibiting tau protein hyperphosphorylation, maintaining brain function in APOE ε4 gene carriers, clearing chronic inflammation, and improving cognitive dysfunction. It is thus expected to be one of the candidates for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macrolide antibiotics, which are effective antimicrobial agents, are intensively used in human and veterinary medicine, as well as in agriculture. Consequently, they are found all over the world as environmental pollutants, causing harm to sensitive ecological communities and provoking a selection of resistant forms. A novel azithromycin derivative, which was used as hapten conjugate, ensured the group immunorecognition of six major macrolide representatives (105–41%), namely erythromycin, erythromycin ethylsuccinate, clarithromycin, roxithromycin, azithromycin, and dirithromycin in a competitive immunoassay based on anti-clarithromycin antibodies. The heterologous hapten-based ELISA format resulted in a 5-fold increase in sensitivity, with an IC50 value of 0.04 ng/mL for erythromycin. In this study, we proposed an underexploited strategy in an immunoassay field to significantly improve the detectability of analytes in environmental samples. Unlike most approaches, it does not require special enhancers/amplifiers or additional concentration/extraction procedures; instead, it involves analyzing a larger volume of test samples. A gradual volume increase in the samples (from 0.025 to 10 mL) analyzed using a direct competitive ELISA, immunobeads, and immunofiltration assay formats based on the same reagents resulted in a significant improvement (more than 50-fold) in assay sensitivity and detection limit up to 5 and 1 pg/mL, respectively. The suitability of the test for detecting the macrolide contamination of natural water was confirmed by the recovery of macrolides from spiked blank samples (71.7–141.3%). During 2022–2023, a series of natural water samples from Lake Onega and its influents near Petrozavodsk were analyzed, using both the developed immunoassay and HPLC-MS/MS. The results revealed no contamination of macrolide antibiotic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A meta‐analysis investigation was executed to measure the outcome of adjunctive prophylactic macrolides (APM) used at caesarean section (CS) on endometritis and surgical site wound infection (SSWI). A comprehensive literature inspection till February 2023 was applied and 1023 interrelated investigations were reviewed. The 10 chosen investigations enclosed 22 676 females with CS were in the chosen investigations' starting point, 14 034 of them were utilising APM, and 8642 were utilising control. Odds ratio (OR) in addition to 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to compute the value of the effect of APM used at CS on endometritis and SSWI by the dichotomous approaches and a fixed or random model. Adjunctive prophylactic macrolides had significantly lower SSWI (OR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.34–0.55, P <.001), and endometritis (OR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.20–0.60, P =.005) compared with those with control in females with CS. Adjunctive prophylactic macrolides had significantly lower SSWI, and endometritis compared with those with control in females with CS. However, care must be exercised when dealing with its values because of the low number of nominated investigations for the meta‐analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The post-treatment of recycling the fine photocatalyst nanoparticles restricts their application. In this study, a new photocatalytic material was synthesized by immobilizing the N-doped TiO2 and graphene oxide (GO) composite on polypropylene (PP) (N–TiO2/GO/PP) fibre sheet, and characterized based on X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The photocatalytic activity was evaluated using roxithromycin (ROX) as a typical antibiotic pollutant. XRD, Raman spectra and SEM images proved that N–TiO2/GO/PP fibre sheet was successfully synthesized. The photocatalytic degradation of 10 mg L−1 ROX can reach up to 90% and the degradation rate constant was 0.2299 h−1 in surface water with the application amount of TiO2/GO/PP fibre sheet of 24.6 cm × 2.7 cm and reaction time of 9 h under the irradiation of simulated sunlight. The application amount of TiO2/GO/PP fibre sheet, initial concentration of ROX and water matrix significantly affect the degradation of ROX. A low concentration of natural organic matter (NOM) slightly promoted the degradation of ROX, while a high concentration of NOM significantly inhibited the degradation of ROX. Alkaline condition (pH 8–9) is favourable for the photocatalytic degradation of ROX by TiO2/GO/PP fibre sheet. The photocatalytic reactivity of the TiO2/GO/PP fibre sheet showed no significant decrease after three runs. Two primary degradation products of ROX were identified and they showed lower ecotoxicity than ROX. The results demonstrate that the new synthesized TiO2/GO/PP fibre sheet shows promising application prospects in the treatment of antibiotics in wastewater and surface waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case report describes a 14-year-old male with signs and symptoms of drug-induced hepatotoxicity after receiving azithromycin and lisdexamfetamine dimesylate. The patient was admitted to the hospital and a liver biopsy revealed findings suggestive of drug-induced hepatitis. In this patient, it is unclear whether 1 agent individually or a combination of azithromycin and lisdexamfetamine was the cause of hepatitis. Although hepatotoxicity has been reported with azithromycin and other macrolide antibiotics in adults, such a condition has yet to be reported in pediatrics. In light of this report, providers should be aware of a potentially rare reaction of acute hepatitis when combining azithromycin and lisdexamfetamine in pediatric patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The management and control of gonorrhea are hampered by the widespread resistance to the diverse strains of Neisseria gonorrhea. Resistance to sulfonamides, penicillins, tetracyclines, macrolides, fluoroquinolones, and early cephalosporins has emerged rapidly. Purpose: This systematic review aimed to assess what antibiotics can be used as an alternative therapy for gonorrhea infections that are resistant to antibiotics. Methods: The study was conducted using the Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, and CENTRAL databases, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement guidelines. Risk of Bias for Randomized Trials (RoB2) was utilized to evaluate study quality. Results: This review included 28 articles from randomized controlled trials between 2013 and 2023, distributed across five nations. The studies included 2.380 patients and clinical isolates from men and women diagnosed with gonorrhea infection at various sites. Sample testing by treatment with alternative antibiotics. Discussion: Zoliflodacin, tigecycline, and ertapenem in single or dual therapy with ceftriaxone could be considered as a potential option in treating gonorrhea resistant to antibiotics. Gentamicin cannot be recommended to replace ceftriaxone as first-line therapy. Gepotidacin is effective for the Gyr A A92T mutation in gonorrhea infection. Summary: The effectiveness of these antibiotics, zoliflodacin, ceftriaxone, gentamicin, gepotidacin, solithromycin, tigecycline, and ertapenem is considered a solution to gonorrhea resistance. Researchers should study how to provide antibiotics with intervening multidrug efflux pumps to overcome gonococcal antimicrobial resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Objective: To investigate risk of aortic aneurysm or dissection in patients using oral fluoroquinolones compared to those using macrolides in real‐world clinical practice among a large US general population. Design: Retrospective cohort study design. Data Source: MarketScan commercial and Medicare supplemental databases. Patients: Adults patients with at least one prescription fill for fluoroquinolone or macrolide antibiotics. Intervention: Fluoroquinolone or macrolide antibiotics. Measurements and Main Results: The primary outcome was estimated incidence of aortic aneurysm or dissection associated with the use of fluoroquinolones compared with macrolides during a 60‐day follow‐up period in a 1:1 propensity score‐matched cohort. We identified 3,174,620 patients (1,587,310 in each group) after 1:1 propensity score matching. Crude incidence of aortic aneurysm or dissection was 1.9 cases per 1000 person‐years among fluoroquinolone users and 1.2 cases per 1000 person‐years among macrolide users. In multivariable Cox regression, compared with macrolides, the use of fluoroquinolones was associated with an increased risk of aortic aneurysm or dissection (aHR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.17–1.54). The association was primarily driven by a high incidence of aortic aneurysm cases (95.8%). Results of sensitivity (e.g., fluoroquinolone exposure ranging from 7 to 14 days (aHR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.26–1.71)) and subgroup analyses (e.g., ciprofloxacin (aHR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.07–1.49) and levofloxacin (aHR: 1.44; 95% CI: 1.19–1.52)) remained consistent with main findings. Conclusions: Fluoroquinolone use was associated with a 34% increased risk of aortic aneurysm or dissection compared with macrolide use among a general US population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raoultella planticola harboring genes that confer resistance to antimicrobials, such as carbapenems, have been associated with severe infections in immunocompromised patients. In this study, we reported the first whole genome sequence of a Brazilian isolate of R. planticola and the genomic context of antibiotic resistance markers. By whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of a carbapenem-resistant R. planticola isolate, RpHUM1, we found 23 resistance-encoding genes belonging to 9 classes of antibiotics (aminoglycosides, β-lactams, fluoroquinolones, fosfomycin, macrolides, phenicols, sulfonamides, tetracycline, and diaminopyrimidine derivatives) and 3 plasmids (RpHUM1pEaer-4382s, RpHUM1_pFDAARGOS_440, and RpHUM1pRSF1010). This isolate coharbored the genes blaKPC-2, which is carried by the plasmid RpHUM1pEaer-4382s, and blaNDM-1 and blaCTX-M-15 all located in the accessory genome. In addition, these genes were associated with, at least, one mobile genetic element. This comprehensive knowledge is of great importance for implementation of control measures to prevent the rapid dissemination of this neglected microorganism and their genetic resistance background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungichromin is a polyene macrolide antibiotic with potent killing activity against a broad range of agricultural pathogens and filamentous fungi and a wide range of potential applications. The production of fungichromin is still hampered by poor fermentation yield and high cost. In this study, the whole genome sequencing of fungichromin-producing Streptomyces sp. WP-1 was conducted, and the fungichromin biosynthetic gene cluster was identified. Comparative analysis revealed that the fungichromin biosynthetic gene cluster contains two regulatory genes, ptnF, and ptnR. The roles of ptnF and ptnR were determined through knockout and complementation. The yield of fungichromin was increased by overexpressing these two regulatory genes, as well as the crotonyl CoA reductase/carboxylase gene ptnB in Streptomyces sp. WP-1. The yield of fungichromin was increased to 8.5 g/L using a combination of genetic engineering and a medium optimization strategy, which is the highest fermentation titer recorded. Key points: • Confirmation of the positive regulation of ptnF and ptnR on fungichromin. • Improvement of fungichromin production by the construction of ptnF, ptnR, and ptnB overexpression strains. • Improvement of fungichromin production by the addition of soybean oil and copper ions at optimal concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Mycoplasma pneumoniae is known as a common cause of respiratory tract infections, especially in children. Regarding extrapulmonary manifestations, many dysfunctions have been linked to circulating IgM antibodies, including eye diseases and disorders. In this report, we aim to highlight the importance of considering Mycoplasma pneumoniae a potential etiological agent that can cause significant eye structures inflammation. Case presentation: We present a case of a 22-year-old male patient who arrived at the Emergency Department complaining of visual acuity decrement. Fundoscopic examination outlined a pale optic nerve, covered by pre-papillary infiltrates and peripheric inflammatory infiltrates, accompanied by signs of vasculitis. Investigations were performed and a multidisciplinary assessment was conducted. General antibiotic and antimycotic treatment and topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drops were administrated but his symptoms were aggravating, although it was continuously upgraded. Antibodies for Mycoplasma pneumoniae were determined with positive IgM and macrolide antibiotherapy was administrated, with favorable evolution. Conclusions: Mycoplasma pneumoniae should not be excluded as a possible cause of severe ocular inflammations, even in asymptomatic patients. The patient's management should include multidisciplinary assessment for an easier diagnosis in cases of uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ruminants enable the conversion of indigestible plant material into animal consumables, including dairy products, meat, and valuable fibers. Microbiome research is gaining popularity in livestock species because it aids in the knowledge of illnesses and efficiency processes in animals. In this study, we use WGS metagenomic data to thoroughly characterize the ruminal ecosystem of cows to infer positive and negative livestock traits determined by the microbiome. The rumen of cows from Argentina were described by combining different gene biomarkers, pathways composition and taxonomic information. Taxonomic characterization indicated that the two major phyla were Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes; in third place, Proteobacteria was highly represented followed by Actinobacteria; Prevotella, and Bacteroides were the most abundant genera. Functional profiling of carbohydrate-active enzymes indicated that members of the Glycoside Hydrolase (GH) class accounted for 52.2 to 55.6% of the total CAZymes detected, among them the most abundant were the oligosaccharide degrading enzymes. The diversity of GH families found suggested efficient hydrolysis of complex biomass. Genes of multidrug, macrolides, polymyxins, beta-lactams, rifamycins, tetracyclines, and bacitracin resistance were found below 0.12% of relative abundance. Furthermore, the clustering analysis of genera and genes that correlated to methane emissions or feed efficiency, suggested that the cows analysed could be regarded as low methane emitters and clustered with high feed efficiency reference animals. Finally, the combination of bioinformatic analyses used in this study can be applied to assess cattle traits difficult to measure and guide enhanced nutrition and breeding methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhodococcus equi is responsible for foal pneumonia worldwide, with a significant economic impact on the production and breeding of horses. In Chile, the first case was reported in 2000, and since then, its incidence has been increasing. Distinctive characteristics of R. equi as an intracellular pathogen in macrophages, emergence of virulence plasmids encoding surface lipoprotein antigens, and appearance of antibiotic resistance against macrolides and rifampicin have significantly complicated the treatment of R. equi pneumonia in foals. Therefore, in vitro susceptibility studies of first-line and newer antibiotics against R. equi are the first step to establishing effective treatments and optimizing new therapeutic options. The aim of the present study is to determine the susceptibility profile of fourteen strains of R. equi isolated from foals in Chile to several antibiotics of the macrolide group including azithromycin, amikacin, tildipirosin and gamithromycin as well as others such as rifampicin, doxycycline and ceftiofur. Identification of R. equi in collected isolates from foals in Chile has been performed by CAMP test and PCR based on detecting of the gene encoding the 16 S rRNA. The presence of genes encoding virulence plasmids was also determined using PCR. Results obtained have demonstrated presence of virulent R. equi strains in Chile. In vitro susceptibility pattern to different antibiotics has shown better results for doxycycline and rifampicin similar to previous studies performed. Current macrolides have been evaluated in order to consider alternative treatment options in a context of emerging resistance to classic macrolides and rifampicin, obtaining better results with gamithromycin (MIC range of 0.125 to 128 mg/ml) than with tildipirosin (MIC range of 16 to 128 mg/ml). An adequate diagnosis of bacterial susceptibility based on antibiograms is necessary to treat the Rhodococcus equi infection in foals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus isolates originated from bovine mastitis belonging to 37 herds in the northwest of Portugal. Moreover, genes encoding resistance markers in Staphylococcus aureus isolates were also evaluated. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed for aminosides (gentamicin, tobramycin, amikacin, and kanamycin), penicillins (methicillin), tetracyclines (tetracycline), macrolides (erythromycin), lincosamides (clindamycin and trime thopr im-su lfame thoxa zole), and glycopeptides (vancomycin) families of antibiotics by the disk diffusion method. The detection of aph(3!)-IIIa-, ant(4!)-Ia- and aac(6!)-aph(2")-, mecA-, tet(M)-, tet(K)-, erm(T)-, van(A)-, lnu(C)-, sal(A)-, vga(C)-, and dfrK-associated resistance genes were performed by polymerase chain reaction. In this study, a higher phenotypic resistance to tetracycline (75.0%), erythromycin (67.3%), and amikacin (42.3%) antibiotics were observed for the tested antibiotics. Moreover, the higher percentages of antibiotic resistance were detected for the ant(4!)-Ia- (63.5%), tet(M)- (57.7%), and aph(3!)-IIIa (30.8%)-related tested genes. Globally, obtained results suggest an alarming situation in Staphylococcus aureus bovine mastitis therapy in the northwest region of Portugal and could contribute for designing a new more specific Staphylococcus aureus therapy program supporting bovine mastitis disease control in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in a surge of publications seeking to understand the SARS-CoV-2 virus. A byproduct of the rush to understand COVID-19 has been the publication and subsequent retraction of papers promoting unfounded treatments, such as ivermectin—an anti-parasitic medication. This study aims to determine the impact retracted studies may have had on ivermectin prescription rates. TriNetX was used to gather anonymized patient data from 67 healthcare organizations both within the USA (36,711 patients; 91.6%) and abroad (3,266 patients; 8.14%) to obtain prescribing rates for ivermectin between April 2020–September 2022. Google Trends was used to gauge online interest in purchasing ivermectin in relation to prescribing rates. We found that ivermectin use largely increased following periods in which later-retracted journal articles were written touting its potential benefits. Multiple spikes in Google searches were observed, with the first three local peaks occurring within the first, second, and third publication 'clusters,' respectively. The maximum peak for searches occurred just one month after the maximum number of ivermectin prescriptions. This information is important for understanding how health-related misinformation spreads, and how to best minimize and counteract the impact of such misinformation in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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With the widespread use of macrolide antibiotics in China, common pathogens causing children's infections, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus (including Group A streptococcus, Group B streptococcus), Staphylococcus aureus, Bordetella pertussis, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae, have shown varying degrees of drug resistance. In order to provide such problem and related evidence for rational use of antibiotics in clinic, we reviewed the drug resistance of common bacteria to macrolides in children recent 20 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A natural product library consisting of the culture extracts of 814 actinomycete strains was screened for antifungal compounds that disrupt the cell integrity of plant pathogenic fungi using an adenylate kinase (AK) assay system. The culture extract of Streptomyces xanthocidicus strain S3 exhibited high AK activity against various plant pathogens. The active ingredients, AT-1 and AT-2, were isolated from the culture extract using a series of chromatographic procedures. Based on MS, UV, and NMR spectrometric analyses, the structures of AT-1 and AT-2 were determined as the pentaene macrolides, AB023a and takanawaene C. AB023a and takanawaene C displayed broad-spectrum antifungal activity against Aspergillus oryzae, Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum coccodes, C. gloeosporioides, C. orbiculare, Cylindrocarpon destructans, and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, showing minimum inhibitory concentrations of 1–32 μg/mL. Treatment of AB023a and takanawaene C successfully inhibited anthracnose development on pepper plants in a concentration-dependent manner without phytotoxicity. The disease control efficacy of both compounds was comparable to that of the commercial fungicide chlorothalonil. Collectively, these results suggest that the polyene macrolides produced by S. xanthocidicus strain S3 can be used as natural fungicides for plant disease control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flavobacterium species have emerged as a significant pathogen in aquaculture worldwide. Therefore, there is a need to investigate the occurrences of Flavobacterium species and their pathogenicity in aquaculture. In this study, gram-negative, short rod-shaped isolates of Flavobacterium tructae, positive for the flexirubin pigment test (30% KOH) and exhibiting gliding movement, were recovered from the caudal peduncle of farmed infected rainbow trout, Oncorhynchusmykiss, in the Indian Himalayan Region. The isolates were characterized by biochemical, 16S rRNA, phylogenetic analysis, and designated as laboratory strain RTFCPB 279 and submitted to NCBI (MT896143.1). Experimental infection of rainbow trout fingerlings with F.tructae RTFCPB 279 at 108 CFU mL−1 demonstrated clinical signs of disease progression, leading to nearly 50% cumulative mortality. The survival of the bacterium in blood serum, hemolytic activity, and biofilm formation were indirectly correlated with its virulence characteristics. The serum-enzyme assay showed a significant increase in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities in the liver of infected trout. The histopathological assessment of the gill, liver, kidney, spleen, and muscle tissues of rainbow trout collected from both natural and experimental infections showed several degenerative changes. The test bacterium was found to be sensitive to macrolides, phenicols, tetracycline, aminoglycosides, and folate pathway inhibitors, indicating the potential therapeutic use of these antibiotics. The lowest MICs of 4, 16, and 32 μg mL−1 were recorded against the FDA-approved erythromycin, oxytetracycline, and florfenicol, respectively. The study concludes that F.tructae RTFCPB 279 is an opportunistic pathogen and the correlation between environmental factors and infection dynamics of F.tructae may require further investigation to evaluate its actual risk in global aquaculture. The prudent use of erythromycin and oxytetracycline can help control the infection of F.tructae in rainbow trout culture. Highlights: • Flavobacterium tructae, an opportunistic pathogen in the flavobacteria group, was isolated from farmed rainbow trout in the Indian Himalayan Region. • In the experimental infections of rainbow trout fingerlings at a concentration of 108 CFU mL-1, the bacterium demonstrated moderate pathogenicity. Additionally, the bacterium exhibited in vitro biofilm formation and haemolytic activity. • Antimicrobial susceptibility assays demonstrated F. tructae's sensitivity to various antibiotic classes, including macrolides, phenicols, tetracycline, aminoglycosides, and folate pathway inhibitors. • Among the approved antibiotics for aquaculture, erythromycin, florfenicol, and oxytetracycline recorded the lowest minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against the bacterium [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One of the challenges in medicine has been the exaggerated use of antibiotics. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of antibiotic usage in children in Arak, Iran (2019-2020) to determine the factors related to antibiotic prescription and consumption in children. Methods: This was a population based, cross-sectional study conducted in Arak, the capital city of Markazi Province, Iran. Stratified random sampling was applied to recruit children who were up to five years old, and registered in the healthcare system between Jan. 2019 and Jan. 2020. A response rate of 85% was obtained from the subjects' parents. Face-to-face interviews were used to collect the data from the children's mothers. Univariate and adjusted linear regression analyses were applied to assess the determinants of antibiotic consumption in these children. Results: A total of 1483 children were enrolled in the study; most of them were boys with the mean age of 2.1±1.5 years old. The annual prevalence of antibiotic consumption in Arak was found to be 62.4% for at least one antibiotic. The most consumed antibiotic was azithromycin (24.2%). Among antibiotic groups, the most consumed group was macrolides (26.9%). Upon multiple logistic regression analyses, a lower consumption rate was observed among the younger children with older mothers, and children whose fathers had permanent jobs than other children groups. A higher consumption rate was observed among families with higher parity. Conclusion: The annual prevalence of antibiotic consumption in this study was very high, with the most consumed drug being azithromycin. We recommend that the use of antibiotics be reconsidered by drawing future healthcare policies, aiming at reducing the heavy antibiotics consumption in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]