sternon

Brucella abortus is a class III zoonotic bacterial pathogen able to survive and replicate inside host cells, including macrophages. Here we report a multidimensional transposon sequencing analysis to identify genes essential for Brucella abortus growth in rich medium and replication in RAW 264.7 macrophages. The construction of a dense transposon mutant library and mapping of 929,769 unique mini-Tn 5 insertion sites in the genome allowed identification of 491 essential coding sequences and essential segments in the B...

The brucellae are facultative intracellular pathogens causing brucellosis, an important zoonosis. Here, we review the nutritional, genetic, proteomic and transcriptomic studies on Brucella carbon uptake and central metabolism, information that is needed for a better understanding of Brucella virulence. There is no uniform picture across species but the studies suggest primary and/or secondary transporters for unknown carbohydrates, lactate, glycerol phosphate, erythritol, xylose, ribose, glucose and glucose/galactose, and routes for their incorporation to central metabolism, including an erythritol pathway feeding the pentose phosphate cycle...

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25 hospitalized patients, suffering from acute bronchopulmonary affections, received every 24 hours, one I.M. injection of 750 mg of tetracycline laurylsulfate (equivalent to 500 mg of tetracycline HCl). Positive clinical results were obtained in all cases. All isolated micro-organisms, sensitive in vitro to tetracycline, were eliminated by this treatment, which produces average tetracycline blood levels close to 2 µg/ml during 24 hours.

Several intracellular pathogens, such as Brucella abortus, display a biphasic infection process starting with a non-proliferative stage of unclear nature. Here, we study the cell cycle of B. abortus at the single-cell level, in culture and during infection of HeLa cells and macrophages. The localization of segregation and replication loci of the two bacterial chromosomes indicates that, immediately after being engulfed by host-cell endocytic vacuoles, most bacterial cells are newborn. These bacterial cells do not initiate DNA replication for the next 4 to 6 h, indicating a G1 arrest...

Varenicline orally administered nicotine acetylcholine receptor partial agonist is approved by the US FDA and the MEA for use as an aid to smoking cessation therapy. Varenicline is more effective than bupropion but does not reduce weight gain after cessation. The superiority of de varenicline on the nicotine is not demonstrated. Nausea is a frequent adverse effect. The long term safety of varenicline is unknown. The major weapons for smoking cessation are represented by the motivation of the patient and a long term psychotherapy...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Type 2 diabetes is a step by step process which, at the end, leads to insulin injections. This last step is accomplished in many cases with great delay which increases the risk of micro- and macro-vascular complications. Patients are often reluctant to accept insulin injections and clinicians frequently postpone insulin prescription for many reasons. Any method which could favour more insulin initiation is welcome and this is the case with inhaled insulin. Efficacy has been demonstrated in type 2 and type 1 patients as well as safety if indications are strictly followed by patients and physicians...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Pregabalin is a novel central nervous system (CNS) drug with no interaction at benzodiazepine or GABA receptor. Its mechanism of action is correlated with its high affinity for the alpha/delta submit of the voltage-dependant CNS calcium channel. Pregabalin is rapidly absorbed with at least 90% bioavailable irrespective of dose, does not bind to plasma proteins and is excreted virtually unchanged by the kidneys. Pharmacokinetics are linear and predictable across the therapeutic dose range (150-600 mg/ day). Pregabalin is indicated, like gabapentin, in the treatment of neuropathic pain syndromes like post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) and diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN)...

Omalizumab (Xolair) is the first representative of a new therapeutical class for severe allergic asthma. By neutralizing Ac IgE, omalizumab fulfils an anti-inflammatory action of which the effect has been shown beneficial in the treatment of severe allergic asthma and particularly in severe asthma for which the therapeutical arsenal is for the time being disappointing and associated to frequent side effects there where omalizumab is well tolerated.

Omalizumab (Xolair) is the first representative of a new therapeutical class, which will be soon available in severe allergic asthma. By neutralizing Ac IgE, omalizumab fulfils an anti-inflammatory action of which the effect has been shown beneficial in the treatment of severe allergic asthma and particularly in severe asthma for which the therapeutical arsenal is for the time being disappointing and associated to frequent side effects there where omalizumab is well tolerated.

Insulin detemir (Levemir) is a soluble long-acting human insulin analogue acylated with a 14-carbon fatty acid. Insulin detemir is 98-99% albumin bound in plasma. It has a more predictable glucose-lowering effect than NPH insulin or insulin glargin. There is a dose-response relationship, but at the dose of 0.4 units/kg (an average normal dose), the duration of action reaches nearly 24 h. Therefore, detemir, most often injected once per day at bedtime, seems to be the ideal basal insulin in the basal-prandial therapy for type 1 diabetic patients...

Insulin detemir (Levemir) is a soluble long-acting human insulin analogue acylated with a 14-carbon fatty acid. Insulin detemir is 98-99% albumin bound in plasma. It has a more predictable glucose-lowering effect than NPH insulin or insulin glargin. There is a dose-response relationship, but at the dose of 0.4 units/ kg (an average normal dose), the duration of action reaches nearly 24 h. Therefore, detemir, most often injected once per day at bedtime, seems to be the ideal basal insulin in the basal-prandial therapy for type 1 diabetic patients...

Most--but not all--epidemiological studies have demonstrated that omega-3 intake, either from nutrition or supplementation, reduces cardiovascular risk. A few intervention studies have shown a reduction of studden death in patients followed after a myocardial infarction. However EBM studies from the Cochrane Library do not confirm the real advantage of omega-3 in any group of subjects. Probably, the most interesting prescription of omega-3 supplementations would benefit to the patients after myocardial infarction, in addition to drugs that have proved their efficacy (aspirine, beta-blocker statin and ACE inhibitor)...

Bone pain and bone deformities are the most common manifestations of Paget's disease of bone, even if the diagnosis is nowadays most often made by chance following a routine measurement of serum alkaline phosphatase. Woven bone is formed following a marked increase in bone resorption due to a stimulation of osteoclast activity. Biphosphonates constitute the modern treatment of Paget's disease of bone. Tiludronate (Skelid), or better risedronate (Actonel), are administered orally every day during at least 2 months...

The endocannabinoid system plays a major role in the regulation of body energy by stimulation of the appetite in the hypothalamus and increase of fat accumulation in adipocytes. The blockade of the cannabinoid system (CB1) by the specific inhibitor (rimonabant) decreases food intake and adiposity in animals and in humans. Moreover rimonabant lowers tobacco addiction. Clinical studies (RIO-LIPIDS and RIO-EUROPE) have recently confirmed that rimonabant combined with a hypocaloric diet over 1 year, promoted significant decrease of body weight, waist circumference and improvement of dyslipidemia...

The endocannabinoid system plays a major role in the regulation of body energy by stimulation of the appetite in the hypothalamus and increase of fat accumulation in adipocytes. The blockade of the cannabinoid system (CB1) by the specific inhibitor (rimonabant) decreases food intake and adiposity in animals and in humans. Moreover rimonabant lowers tobacco addiction. Clinical studies (RIO-LIPIDS and RIO-EUROPE) have recently confirmed that rimonabant combined with a hypocaloric diet over 1 year, promoted significant decrease of body weight, waist circumference and improvement of dyslipidemia...

Dutasteride (Avodart), a novel dual 5-alpha reductase inhibitor is effective for the treatment of benign prostate hypertrophy, of more than 30 cc because the reduction of the level of dihydrotestosterone. By reducing prostatic volume, dutasteride improves moderate to severe symptoms and flow rate. It allows a reduction of disease progression by reducing the rate of acute urinary retention and need for surgery.

Obesity is now one of the major health problems in industrial countries as well as in developing world. Excess caloric intake and reduction of the physical activity are the main causes of obesity. This epidemic precedes a tremendous increase of type 2 diabetes, which is generally linked to weight excess. Obesity and type 2 diabetes are associated with morbidity and mortality and are very expensive for the social security. The important point is to define the risks linked to obesity taking into account the Body Mass Index and the importance of visceral obesity evaluated by waist measurement...