Plasma Activation of a Breast Implant Shell in Conjunction With Antibacterial Irrigants Enhances Antibacterial Activity.

Background: Infection and capsular contracture are two of the most significant complications of breast-implant surgery. Both complications are associated with bacterial contamination of the implant surface. Plasma activation of the surface of a silicone breast implant changes its surface properties from water repelling (hydrophobic) to water absorbing (hydrophilic), thus making it possible for antibacterial irrigants to temporarily adsorb onto the implant surface.

() and the Circadian Control of Stomatal Aperture.

The endogenous circadian (∼24 h) system allows plants to anticipate and adapt to daily environmental changes. Stomatal aperture is one of the many processes under circadian control; stomatal opening and closing occurs under constant conditions, even in the absence of environmental cues. To understand the significance of circadian-mediated anticipation in stomatal opening, we have generated (specifically guard cell) Arabidopsis () plants in which the oscillator gene () was overexpressed under the control of the guard-cell-specific promoter, The plants showed a loss of ability to open stomata in anticipation of daily dark-to-light changes and of circadian-mediated stomatal opening in constant light.

Pigment Epithelium-Derived Factor Alleviates Tamoxifen-Induced Endometrial Hyperplasia.

Tamoxifen is a cornerstone component of adjuvant endocrine therapy for patients with hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer. Its significant adverse effects include uterine hyperplasia, polyps, and increased risk of endometrial cancer. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear.

Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonists for fertility preservation: unraveling the enigma?

Study Question: Can gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRH-a) preserve long-term fertility when administered prior to and concomitantly with chemotherapy?

Summary Answer: GnRH-a display a differential protective effect on fertility, depending upon the specific chemotherapy-induced mechanism of ovarian injury.

What Is Known Already: The role of GnRH-a in fertility preservation has been constantly debated and their use is considered experimental due to conflicting clinical evidence and paucity of data regarding their mechanism for ovarian protection.

Study Design, Size, Duration: In vivo model: 7-8 weeks old imprinting control region (ICR) mice were injected with GnRH-a (Leuprolide-acetate) or saline prior to and concomitantly with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin or saline and sacrificed at various time-points on a longitudinal follow-up; 24 h (n = 36), 1 week (n = 40), 1 month (n = 36) and 9 months (n = 66) post chemotherapy treatment.

Sensitization of Gram-negative bacteria to rifampin and OAK combinations.

While individually inefficient against Gram-negative bacteria, in-vitro combinations of rifampin and OAK were mutually synergistic since sub-minimal inhibitory concentrations of one compound have potentiated the other by 2-4 orders of magnitude. Synergy persisted in-vivo as single-dose systemic treatment of Klebsiella infected mice resulted in 10-20% versus 60% survival, respectively accomplished by individual and combined compounds. This outcome was achieved without drug formulation, rather, pharmacokinetic considerations have inspired the therapeutic regimen.

Hormonal regulation of pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) expression in the endometrium.

Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) is highly expressed in the female reproductive system and is subjected to regulation by steroid hormones in the ovary. As the uterine endometrium exhibits morphological and functional changes in response to estrogen (E2) and progesterone (P4), we aimed at characterizing the expression of PEDF in this component of the female reproductive tract and further at exploring the hormonal regulation of its expression. We found that PEDF is expressed in human and mouse endometrium.

Sensitization of gram-negative bacteria by targeting the membrane potential.

Toward generating new tools for fighting multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, we assessed the ability of a membrane-active peptide to sensitize gram-negative bacteria to various antibiotics. The mechanism for affecting inner and/or outer membrane functions was assessed by complementary biophysical methods (SPR, DSC, ITC). The implication of efflux pumps was examined using Acr-AB mutants, as tested with representative antibiotics, host defense peptides, and synthetic mimics.

Antibacterial properties of an oligo-acyl-lysyl hexamer targeting Gram-negative species.

Toward developing new tools for fighting resistance to antibiotics, we investigated the antibacterial properties of a new decanoyl-based oligo-acyl-lysyl (OAK) hexamer, aminododecanoyl-lysyl-[aminodecanoyl-lysyl](5) (α(12)-5α(10)). The OAK exhibited preferential activity against Gram-negative bacteria (GNB), as determined using 36 strains, including diverse species, with an MIC(90) of 6.2 μM.