PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J M Scheftel

Publications and source records attributed to J M Scheftel.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Gram-positive bacterial sepsis in rat and tissue lipolytic activity on commercial parenteral fat emulsions.

To study the influence of a gram-positive sepsis on the metabolism of circulating lipids, fasted rats were injected with saline (control group) or with a suspension of heat-killed or live Staphylococcus aureus. 18 h later, body temperature was increased, while albuminemia and ketonemia were decreased in the group injected with heat-killed bacteria, as opposed to the control group. Passing from these groups to the group injected with live bacteria, more differences appeared: increase of triglyceridemia and free cholesterolemia; decrease of esterified cholesterol levels and especially of the in vitro activity of diaphragm, heart and adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase and of hepatic lipase. The decrease of lipolytic activities occurred whether they were measured on a fat emulsion containing long-chain or medium- and long-chain triglycerides. The fact that for the latter the activity was always higher than for the former suggests that the host infected with gram-positive bacteria would clear exogenous fat more easily in the case of medium-chain triglycerides.

Animals↗

[Identification of Staphylococcus aureus within 2 hours in blood culture broths].

Staphylococcus aureus identification is one of the priorities of the microbiological diagnosis of the staphylococcal infections. Current identification methods are carried out after a first step of colony isolation on agar media. We describe a fluorogenic method for S. aureus identification, which is directly applied to blood culture broths. This method uses a gel tube which allows an optimized microculture of the bacteria. 129 clinical samples of blood cultures (HEC) containing gram positive cocci in grapelike clusters (35 Vital bottles, 94 Bactec bottles), and 77 inoculated blood culture (HE) with collection strains of S. aureus are included in the study. Bacteria are concentrated and separated from other components of sample in the gel tube. Staphylococci are revealed during a microculture in the gel phase, by using a colorimetric substrate of their dehydrogenases. Then, staphylococci are recovered in an adapted culture medium containing human prothrombin and a fluorogenic substrate, which is specific for the staphylocoagulase. After 1 to 2 h incubation at 37 degrees C, a blue fluorescence shows the presence of S. aureus. Among the 40 HEC containing S. aureus the test is positive for 37 samples. For 3 cases, the test is not interpretable, due to non lysis red blood cells in the gel phase of the tube. No false positive result is observed for the HEC containing coagulase-negative staphylococci. Moreover, our method is positive with the 77 HE. 94.7% of tested samples (HEC and HE) show a fluorescence after only one hour and half. Sensibility and specificity are both 100%. We propose a rapid method for S. aureus identification directly applied to blood culture broths. This method saves 24 h, avoiding the isolation step on agar. Therefore, the treatment of staphylococcal infections and possible isolation measures could earlier set up.

Agar↗

Decreased lipolytic activity in tissues during infectious and inflammatory stress.

The clearance rate of endogenous and exogenous circulating lipids during the septic or inflammatory state remains a controversial subject. Thus, we have developed rat models of gram-negative and gram-positive sepsis and of sterile inflammation to study this problem. In addition to the febrile response, these stresses induced some of the following metabolic changes in the blood: decreased total protein, albumin, and ketone body levels and increased lactate, pyruvate, alanine, cholesterol, and triacylglycerol levels. The activities of heart, diaphragm, and adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase and of hepatic lipase decreased to differing extents depending on whether the enzyme substrate was a long-chain or a medium- and long-chain triglyceride-based emulsion. However, the latter emulsion was always hydrolyzed faster than the former. This observation suggests that, during infection/inflammation, the medium- and long-chain triglyceride-based emulsion would be cleared more quickly, would induce less hypertriglyceridemia, and would thus deliver lipid energy more rapidly than a traditional long-chain triglyceride-based emulsion.

Alanine↗

[Role of hygiene and bacteriological laboratories in the management of an epidemic of Enterobacter aerogenes multiresistant to antibiotics].

We describe a multiresistant Enterobacter aerogenes outbreak in an intensive care-unit. An epidemiology study based on phenotypic characters (species diagnosis and antibiotype) was completed by a genotypic study (pulsed field electrophoresis) to confirm bacterial clonality. The hygiene laboratory proposed numerous preventive measures to limit bacterial dispersion. We describe the role of bacteriologists, hygienists and medical staff to stop the bacterial dispersion.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗