Two carbapenem-non-susceptible Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates, Z2554 and Z2110, were collected from a hospital in China and analysed by PFGE. K. pneumoniae Z2554 and Z2110 were genetically unrelated and showed resistance to ertapenem, and reduced susceptibility to imipenem and meropenem. Analysis of their b-lactamases indicated that K. pneumoniae Z2554 produced TEM-1 and CTX-M-14 b-lactamases, whilst Z2110 produced a plasmid-mediated AmpC b-lactamase, DHA-1, in addition to TEM-1 and CTX-M-14. SDS-PAGE analysis of the outer-membrane proteins (OMPs) revealed that both isolates lacked an OMP of~39 kDa (OmpK36), whilst Z2110 had an additional protein with an approximate molecular mass of 26 kDa. Analysis of the OMP-encoding genes demonstrated that the ompK35 sequence of K. pneumoniae Z2554 and Z2110 contained a number of silent mutations. In ompK36, several insertions and deletions of short DNA fragments (1-6 bp) were detected in both isolates. The Nterminal sequence of the~26 kDa protein band identified in Z2110 had no similarity to the sequence of OmpK36. Instead, it shared high similarity with hypothetical protein KPN_03267 originating from K. pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae MGH 78578. It was concluded that blactamase production combined with OmpK36 deficiency results in ertapenem resistance, and reduced imipenem and meropenem susceptibility, in K. pneumoniae Z2554 and Z2110. OmpK36 may play an important role in the resistance or reduced susceptibility to carbapenems in K. pneumoniae producing AmpC, extended-spectrum b-lactamase or broad-spectrum b-lactamase.

Curcumin can alleviate S. aureus-induced ALI through multiple pathways.

Constant-rate heating experiments using a fast x-ray camera (time resolution of 2.7 s) reveal detailed information about the thermal stability of La 62 Al 14 (Cu 5/6 Ag 1/6 ) 14 Ni 5 Co 5 (at.%) bulk metallic glass. Analyzing diffraction patterns in reciprocal space yields the thermal expansion of the amorphous alloy providing insight about the thermally activated relaxation effects and kinetics of the glass transition. The glass transition appears as a break in the value of the coefficient of volume thermal expansion. Furthermore, real space analysis based on reduced pair distribution function G(r) allows one to follow in-situ the changes in the local atomic structure of the amorphous material during constant-rate heating.

No abstract

Background: Curcumin, a polyphenolic compound derived from rhizomes of Curcuma spp., has been shown to possess potent anti-fibrotic properties. Here, we investigate the role of curcumin in modulating the profibrotic action of TGF-β in human proximal tubule cells (HK-2) and its underlying mechanisms. Methods: HK-2 cells were stimulated with 5 ng/ml TGF-β₁. The effects of curcumin on TGF-β₁-regulated gene expression and Smad phosphorylation were analyzed by RT-PCR, ELISA and Western blotting. Results:Curcumin inhibited TGF-β₁-induced plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) mRNA and protein expression. Curcumin suppressed not only TGF-β₁-induced Smad2 phosphorylation in a dose- and time-dependent manner, but also the nuclear accumulation of receptor-regulated Smads (R-Smad), Smad2 and Smad3. A serine/threonine protein phosphatase inhibitor (microcystin) could partly reverse the inhibitory effect of curcumin on Smad phosphorylation. Conclusions: Curcumin blocks the profibrotic actions of TGF-β on HK-2 cells through the down-regulation of the Smad signaling pathway, and curcumin may have some similar effect as serine/threonine protein phosphatases. Our findings suggest curcumin as a potential candidate for treatment of tubulointerstitial fibrosis.