Antibacterial Potential of Non-Tailed Icosahedral Phages Alone and in Combination with Antibiotics.

Non-tailed icosahedral phages belonging to families Fiersviridae (phages MS2 and Qbeta), Tectiviridae (PRD1) and Microviridae (phiX174) have not been considered in detail so far as potential antibacterial agents. The aim of the study was to examine various aspects of the applicability of these phages as antibacterial agents. Antibacterial potential of four phages was investigated via bacterial growth and biofilm formation inhibition, lytic spectra determination, and phage safety examination.

An Optimized Checkerboard Method for Phage-Antibiotic Synergy Detection.

Phage-antibiotic synergy is a promising therapeutic strategy, but there is no reliable method for synergism estimation. Although the time-kill curve assay is a gold standard, the method is not appropriate for fast and extensive screening of the synergy. The aim is to optimize the checkerboard method to determine phage-chemical agent interactions, to check its applicability by the time-kill curve method, and to examine whether the synergy can be obtained with both simultaneous and successive applications of these agents.

Virtual histology study of atherosclerotic plaque composition in patients with stable angina and acute phase of acute coronary syndromes without ST segment elevation.

Introduction: Rupture of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques is the cause of most acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Postmortem studies which compared stable coronary lesions and atherosclerotic plaques in patients who have died because of ACS indicated high lipid-core content as one of the major determinants of plaque vulnerability.

Objective: Our primary goal was to assess the potential relations of plaque composition determined by IVUS-VH (Intravascular Ultrasound -Virtual Histology) in patients with stable angina and subjects in acute phase of ACS without ST segment elevation.