Quantitative analysis of macrophage apoptosis vs. necrosis induced by cobalt and chromium ions in vitro.

The potential toxicity of metal ions in tissues surrounding metal-metal hip replacements is a cause for concern. Previous studies conducted in our laboratory demonstrated that Co(2+) and Cr(3+) induce TNF-alpha secretion in macrophages, as well as cell mortality. However, the degree of apoptosis and necrosis remained to be investigated.

Roxithromycin alone and in combination with sulphamethoxazole against Haemophilus influenzae.

Haemophilus influenzae is only moderately susceptible to erythromycin but previous studies in vitro and in vivo have shown that it is fully susceptible when erythromycin is combined with sulphonamides. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the activity of the new macrolide antibiotic roxithromycin was improved after combination with sulphamethoxazole. One hundred and eighty fresh clinical isolates of Haemophilus influenzae, comprising 74 ampicillin-susceptible, beta-lactamase negative, and 106 ampicillin-resistant, beta-lactamase positive, strains, were tested for their susceptibility to erythromycin, roxithromycin, sulphamethoxazole, erythromycin-sulphamethoxazole and roxithromycin-sulphamethoxazole in a fixed ratio of 1:19.