Antimicrobial activity of prulifloxacin in comparison with other fluoroquinolones against community-acquired urinary and respiratory pathogens isolated in Greece

A randomized, controlled trial of prulifloxacin as conversion therapy after intravenous carbapenem in the treatment of acute pyelonephritis caused by third generation cephalosporin resistant pathogens: A pilot study

The efficacy of converting to oral fluoroquinolones after initial intravenous antibiotics for the treatment of acute pyelonephritis (APN) caused by the third-generation cephalosporin resistant Enterobacteriaceae (3-GCrEC) needs to be investigated. The objective was to compare the clinical and bacteriological outcome of oral prulifloxacin with intravenous ertapenem for the treatment of APN caused by 3-GCrEC. A pilot, randomized controlled trial of patients with APN caused by 3-GCrEC was conducted at two hospitals from August 2015 to December 2020. Any intravenous antimicrobial drug was initially permitted for empirical therapy. On day 4, adult patients (aged >18 years) with either non-bacteremic or bacteremic APN were eligible for the study if their infection was caused by 3-GCrEC susceptible to the study drugs. The patients were randomly assigned to receive either oral prulifloxacin or intravenous ertapenem. The total duration of antimicrobial therapy was 14 days. Of the 21 enrolled patients, 11 were treated with prulifloxacin, and 10 were treated with ertapenem. At the test of cure visit, there was no statistically significant difference between the patients with overall clinical success who were treated with prulifloxacin (90.9%) and those treated with ertapenem (100%, p = 0.999). In addition, there was no statistically significant difference in microbiological eradication between the prulifloxacin and ertapenem groups (100% vs. 100%, p = 0.999). The converting to oral prulifloxacin after intravenous antibiotics therapy appears to be an alternative option for treatment of APN caused by 3-GCrEC. A further large randomized controlled trial should be investigated.

Identifying environmental chemicals as agonists of the androgen receptor by using a quantitative high-throughput screening platform

The androgen receptor (AR, NR3C4) is a nuclear receptor whose main function is acting as a transcription factor regulating gene expression for male sexual development and maintaining accessory sexual organ function. It is also a necessary component of female fertility by affecting the functionality of ovarian follicles and ovulation. Pathological processes involving AR include Kennedy's disease and Klinefelter's syndrome, as well as prostate, ovarian, and testicular cancer. Strict regulation of sex hormone signaling is required for normal reproductive organ development and function. Therefore, testing small molecules for their ability to modulate AR is a first step in identifying potential endocrine disruptors. We screened the Tox21 10K compound library in a quantitative high-throughput format to identify activators of AR using two reporter gene cell lines, AR β-lactamase (AR-bla) and AR-luciferase (AR-luc). Seventy-five compounds identified through the primary assay were characterized as potential agonists or inactives through confirmation screens and secondary assays. Biochemical binding and AR nuclear translocation assays were performed to confirm direct binding and activation of AR from these compounds. The top seventeen compounds identified were found to bind to AR, and sixteen of them translocated AR from the cytoplasm into the nucleus. Five potentially novel or not well-characterized AR agonists were discovered through primary and follow-up studies. We have identified multiple AR activators, including known AR agonists such as testosterone, as well as novel/not well-known compounds such as prulifloxacin. The information gained from the current study can be directly used to prioritize compounds for further in-depth toxicological evaluations, as well as their potential to disrupt the endocrine system via AR activation.