Antibacterial and antifungal activity of methanolic extracts of Salix alba L. against various disease causing pathogens

The present study was aimed to manifest the antibacterial and antifungal activity of methanolic extracts of Salix alba L. against seven Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial pathogens e.g. Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus (1), S. aureus (2), Shigella sonnei, Escherichia coli (1), E. coli (2) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae and three fungal isolates from the air such as Aspergillus terreus, A. ornatus, and Rhizopus stolonifer. Two different serotypes of S. aureus and E. coli were used. The agar well-diffusion method results showed the dose-dependent response of plant extracts against bacterial and fungal strains while some organisms were found resistant e.g. E. coli (1), S. sonnei, A. terreus and R. stolonifer. The highest antibacterial activity was recorded at 17.000±1.732 mm from 100 mg/mL of leaves methanolic extracts against S. pyogenes while the activity of most of the pathogens decreased after 24 h of incubation. The highest antifungal activity was reported at 11.833±1.0 mm against A. ornatus at 50 mg/mL after 48 h of the incubation period. These experimental findings endorse the use of S. alba in ethnopharmacological formulations and suggest the use of methanolic extracts of the said plant to develop drugs to control the proliferation of resistant disease causing pathogenic microbes.

Evaluation of How Integrative Oncology Services Are Valued between Hematology/Oncology Patients and Hematologists/Oncologists at a Tertiary Care Center

Evidence regarding opinions on integrative modalities by patients and physicians is lacking. Methods. A survey study was conducted assessing how integrative modalities were valued among hematology/oncology patients and hematologists and oncologists at a major tertiary medical center. Results. 1008 patients and 55 physicians were surveyed. With the exception of support groups, patients valued nutrition services, exercise therapy, spiritual/religious counseling, supplement/herbal advice, support groups, music therapy, and other complimentary medicine services significantly more than physicians (P ≤ 0.05). Conclusion. With the exception of support groups, patients value integrative modalities more than physicians. Perhaps with increasing education, awareness, and acceptance by providers and traditional institutions, integrative modalities could be equally valued between patients and providers. It is possible that increased availability and utilization of integrative oncology modalities at tertiary hospital sites could improve patient satisfaction, quality of life, and other clinical endpoints.

Acute flaccid paraplegia: a rare complication of meningococcal meningitis

STUDY DESIGN

A case report of spinal cord dysfunction following meningococcal meningitis.

OBJECTIVES

To describe a rare complication of meningococcal meningitis.

SETTING

Spinal Unit, Armed Forces Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

METHODS

A young healthy male developed meningococcal meningitis followed by acute onset low thoracic flaccid paraplegia with complete motor and sensory loss and sphincter disturbance. He responded well to antibiotics but was not investigated for causes of paraplegia. While at home in a rural area, he developed pressure ulcers, anemia and depression. Magnetic resonance imaging of the whole spine and computed tomography scan of the brain performed after 4 and 10 weeks were normal.

RESULTS

The patient had a comprehensive rehabilitation at our institute. Recovery was complicated by ossification in the right thigh, which responded well to radiotherapy. At 1-year follow-up, the motor deficit and neurogenic bladder and bowel persisted and the patient remained wheelchair dependent for mobility.

CONCLUSION

Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain spinal cord damage after meningitis. These include spinal cord infarction; autoimmune-mediated inflammatory myelopathy and direct infection of the cord. Most probable cause of spinal cord dysfunction in this case was thoracic myelopathy.

Adenoviral vector containing wild-type p16 suppresses prostate cancer growth and prolongs survival by inducing cell senescence

It is estimated that there will be >184,500 new cases of prostate cancer and 42,000 prostate cancer deaths in the United States this year. In the majority of patients diagnosed with prostate cancer, the disease will be too advanced for cure with standard medical treatment. New therapeutic strategies against advanced prostate cancer are desperately needed. As alterations in tumor-suppressor gene p16 are common in prostate cancer, one novel approach is gene therapy using a replication-deficient, E1/E3-deleted adenovirus type 5 containing a p16 under the control of a truncated Rous sarcoma virus promoter (AdRSVp16). In vitro, PC-3 cells that had been stably transfected with p16 expression vector under the control of an inducible promoter had a 70% reduction in cell number compared with the parental and control vector-transfected PC-3 cells. Similarly, AdRSVp16 significantly inhibited the growth of PPC-1 and PC-3 prostate cancer cells in culture. Furthermore, PPC-1 tumors grown in nude mice treated by a single injection of AdRSVp16 had a marked reduction in tumor size compared with untreated control-treated or viral control-treated PPC-1 tumors. Animals bearing tumors treated with AdRSVp16 also had longer survival. Adenovirally mediated expression of transgene was detected in xenograft tumors for at least 2 weeks. Taken together, these results suggest that AdRSVp16 should be considered for prostate cancer gene therapy in human clinical trials.