Simple Method for Rapid Determination of Antibiotic Blood Levels

A simple method for the rapid determination of antibiotic blood levels is described. Results are readily obtainable within 4 to 6 hr. The reported procedure is based upon determination of the highest dilution of a patient's serum capable of inhibiting dextrose fermentation by a standardized inoculum of a staphylococcus strain or of an Escherichia coli strain, when colymycin or polymyxin are involved, as compared to previously determined endpoints in this regard of defined concentrations of the different antibiotics dissolved in normal human serum. Excellent correlation was observed with 36 serum specimens that contained different antimicrobial agents in varied concentrations when simultaneously assayed by the standard method and the subject procedure of this report.     

Development of a New, Combined Rapid Method Using Phage and PCR for Detection and Identification of Viable Mycobacterium paratuberculosis Bacteria within 48 Hours

The FASTPlaqueTB assay is an established diagnostic aid for the rapid detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from human sputum samples. Using the FASTPlaqueTB assay reagents, viable Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis cells were detected as phage plaques in just 24 h. The bacteriophage used does not infect M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis alone, so to add specificity to this assay, a PCR-based identification method was introduced to amplify M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis-specific sequences from the DNA of the mycobacterial cell detected by the phage. To give further diagnostic information, a multiplex PCR method was developed to allow simultaneous amplification of either M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis or M. tuberculosis complex-specific sequences from plaque samples. Combining the plaque PCR technique with the phage-based detection assay allowed the rapid and specific detection of viable M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis in milk samples in just 48 h.     

Computer Identification of Bacteria on the Basis of Their Antibiotic Susceptibility Patterns

A computer program utilizing a Baysean mathematical model was developed to identify bacteria solely on the basis of their antibiotic sensitivities. The model contains probability data on the antibiotic sensitivity patterns for 31 species of bacteria, which account for over 99% of all isolates submitted to our laboratory for testing. During a 4-month test period, antibiotic sensitivity data on 1,000 clinical isolates were processed by the program. The identification achieved by using the model was the same as that of the laboratory for over 86% of the isolates.     

用荧光标记O-I噬菌体快速检测食品源沙门氏菌

[目的]利用O-I噬菌体几乎可裂解沙门氏菌属细菌的特性建立快速检测食品中沙门氏菌的方法.[方法]用核酸荧光染料SYBR gold染料标记O-I噬菌体侵染100株试验菌及120份食品样品菌,荧光显微镜鉴定沙门氏菌;并测灵敏度.[结果]100株试验菌中40株沙门氏菌可见杆状荧光,而10株变形杆菌、20株志贺氏菌、20株大肠杆菌和10株葡萄球菌均无荧光;沙门氏菌检测灵敏度达10 CFU/100 μL;120份食品样品中沙门氏菌的O-I噬菌体检测与生化鉴定结果的阳性率分别为9.17%和10%,符合率为91.7%.[结论]试验表明用荧光标记的O-I噬菌体可以快速、直观、准确、大量地检测食品中沙门氏菌.     

Simple and Rapid Method for Detecting Biofilm Forming Bacteria

Biofilm forming bacteria play a vital role in causing infectious diseases and for enhancing the efficiency of the bioremediation process through immobilization. Different media and conditions have been reported for detecting biofilm forming bacteria, however, they are not quite rapid. Here, we propose the use of a simple medium which can be used for detecting biofilm former, and also provide a mechanism to regulate the expression of biofilm formation process.     

Detection of Genetic Markers of Fecal Indicator Bacteria in Lake Michigan and Determination of Their Relationship to Escherichia coli Densities Using Standard Microbiological Methods

Lake Michigan surface waters impacted by fecal pollution were assessed to determine the occurrence of genetic markers for Bacteroides and Escherichia coli. Initial experiments with sewage treatment plant influent demonstrated that total Bacteroides spp. could be detected by PCR in a 25- to 125-fold-higher dilution series than E. coli and human-specific Bacteroides spp., which were both found in similar dilution ranges. The limit of detection for the human-specific genetic marker ranged from 0.2 CFU/100 ml to 82 CFU/100 ml culturable E. coli for four wastewater treatment plants in urban and rural areas. The spatial and temporal distributions of these markers were assessed following major rain events that introduced urban storm water, agricultural runoff, and sewage overflows into Lake Michigan. Bacteroides spp. were detected in all of these samples by PCR, including those with <1 CFU/100 ml E. coli. Human-specific Bacteroides spp. were detected as far as 2 km into Lake Michigan during sewage overflow events, with variable detection 1 to 9 days postoverflow, whereas the cow-specific Bacteroides spp. were detected in only highly contaminated samples near the river outflow. Lake Michigan beaches were also assessed throughout the summer season for the same markers. Bacteroides spp. were detected in all beach samples, including 28 of the 74 samples that did not exceed 235 CFU/100 ml of E. coli. Human-specific Bacteroides spp. were detected at three of the seven beaches; one of the sites demonstrating positive results was sampled during a reported sewage overflow, but E. coli levels were below 235 CFU/100 ml. This study demonstrates the usefulness of non-culture-based microbial-source tracking approaches and the prevalence of these genetic markers in the Great Lakes, including freshwater coastal beaches.     

Method for Rapid Detection of Cyanogenic Bacteria

An agar plate method is described in which the production of hydrogen cyanide by as many as 50 microbial isolates per plate may be detected. Cyanide produced by the organisms reacts with copper(II) ethylacetoacetate and 4,4′-methylenebis-(N,N-dimethylaniline) in a paper disk suspended above the microbial colonies. Cell growth occurs in depressions in the agar surface, which allows separation of colonies and enhances sensitivity of hydrogen cyanide detection.     

Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Bacteria by Gas Chromatography

A gas chromatograph fitted with electron capture and flame ionization detectors was employed for the rapid detection of bacteria by analysis for their metabolic products. The presence of Proteus vulgaris, Streptococcus faecalis, S. liquefaciens, Escherichia coli B, Bacillus cereus, and B. popilliae was detected in 2 to 4 hr in media inoculated with less than 10(4) cells per ml, whereas a 7- to 12-hr growth period was required for the detection of products formed in cultures of Serratia marcescens, Aerobacter aerogenes, E. coli K-12, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella typhimurium. Metabolites elaborated by the equivalent of less than a single cell of B. cereus, S. faecalis, P. vulgaris, or E. coli B were sensed by the electron capture detector. The flame ionization detector was generally not as sensitive. Volatile metabolites were identified, and their concentrations were determined.     

Rapid Chromatic Detection of Bacteria by Use of a New Biomimetic Polymer Sensor

We present a new platform for visual and spectroscopic detection of bacteria. The detection scheme is based on the interaction of membrane-active compounds secreted by bacteria with agar-embedded nanoparticles comprising phospholipids and the chromatic polymer polydiacetylene (PDA). We demonstrate that PDA undergoes dramatic visible blue-to-red transformations together with an intense fluorescence emission that are induced by molecules released by multiplying bacteria. The chromatic transitions are easily identified by the naked eye and can also be recorded by conventional high-throughput screening instruments. Furthermore, the color and fluorescence changes generally occur in shorter times than the visual appearance of bacterial colonies on the agar. The chromatic technology is generic and simple, does not require identification a priori of specific bacterial recognition elements, and can be applied for detection of both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. We demonstrate applications of the new platform for reporting on bacterial contaminations in foods and for screening for bacterial antibiotic resistance.     

Determination of Antibiotic Susceptibility of Rickettsia by the Plaque Assay Technique

Plaque formation by various rickettsiae was completely inhibited by commercial antibiotic discs impregnated with tetracycline, chloramphenicol, nitrofurantoin, and erythromycin; partial inhibition was observed around discs containing nalidixic acid and sulfisoxazole, but no inhibition was seen around discs containing cephalothin, ampicillin, oxacillin, kanamycin, polymyxin B, streptomycin, or penicillin.     

Rapid Methods for Biochemical Testing of Anaerobic Bacteria

Rapid biochemical tests for nitrate, indole, gelatin, starch, esculin, and o-nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside were performed on 112 strains of anaerobic bacteria. All tests were incubated under aerobic conditions, and results were recorded within 4 h. The tests for nitrate, indole, and starch showed a 95% or greater correlation when compared to the standard biochemical tests. Tests for esculin and gelatin showed an agreement of 86 and 77%, respectively. PathoTec test strips for nitrate, indole, esculin, o-nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside, Voges-Proskauer, and urease were also tested and showed encouraging results.     

Rapid and Simple Method for the Most-Probable-Number Estimation of Arsenic-Reducing Bacteria

A rapid and simple most-probable-number (MPN) procedure for the enumeration of dissimilatory arsenic-reducing bacteria (DARB) is presented. The method is based on the specific detection of arsenite, the end product of anaerobic arsenate respiration, by a precipitation reaction with sulfide. After 4 weeks of incubation, the medium for the MPN method is acidified to pH 6 and sulfide is added to a final concentration of about 1 mM. The brightly yellow arsenic trisulfide precipitates immediately and can easily be scored at arsenite concentrations as low as 0.05 mM. Abiotic reduction of arsenate upon sulfide addition, which could yield false positives, apparently produces a soluble As-S intermediate, which does not precipitate until about 1 h after sulfide addition. Using the new MPN method, population estimates of pure cultures of DARB were similar to direct cell counts. MPNs of environmental water and sediment samples yielded DARB numbers between 10¹ and 10⁵ cells per ml or gram (dry weight), respectively. Poisoned and sterilized controls showed that potential abiotic reductants in environmental samples did not interfere with the MPN estimates. A major advantage is that the assay can be easily scaled to a microtiter plate format, enabling analysis of large numbers of samples by use of multichannel pipettors. Overall, the MPN method provides a rapid and simple means for estimating population sizes of DARB, a diverse group of organisms for which no comprehensive molecular markers have been developed yet.     

Antibiotic Disc Susceptibility Tests for Rapid Presumptive Identification of Gram-Negative Anaerobic Bacilli

A method for identification of gram-negative anaerobic bacilli is described. Based on differences in susceptibility to paper discs containing 10 mug of colistin, 60 mug of erythromycin, 1,000 mug of kanamycin, 1,000 mug of neomycin, 2 units of penicillin, and 15 mug of rifampin, these bacteria may be placed into five groups. Other tests such as colony morphology, production of pigment, growth in bile, esculin hydrolysis, and reaction on egg yolk-agar may be used for further identification. The susceptibility tests are rapid and simple to perform and are helpful in characterizing gram-negative anaerobic bacilli. They are not intended for use in predicting clinical effectiveness of the drugs utilized.     

Preparation of a Blood Culture Pellet for Rapid Bacterial Identification and Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing

Bloodstream infections and sepsis are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The successful outcome of patients suffering from bacteremia depends on a rapid identification of the infectious agent to guide optimal antibiotic treatment. The analysis of Gram stains from positive blood culture can be rapidly conducted and already significantly impact the antibiotic regimen. However, the accurate identification of the infectious agent is still required to establish the optimal targeted treatment. We present here a simple and fast bacterial pellet preparation from a positive blood culture that can be used as a sample for several essential downstream applications such as identification by MALDI-TOF MS, antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) by disc diffusion assay or automated AST systems and by automated PCR-based diagnostic testing. The performance of these different identification and AST systems applied directly on the blood culture bacterial pellets is very similar to the performance normally obtained from isolated colonies grown on agar plates. Compared to conventional approaches, the rapid acquisition of a bacterial pellet significantly reduces the time to report both identification and AST. Thus, following blood culture positivity, identification by MALDI-TOF can be reported within less than 1 hr whereas results of AST by automated AST systems or disc diffusion assays within 8 to 18 hr, respectively. Similarly, the results of a rapid PCR-based assay can be communicated to the clinicians less than 2 hr following the report of a bacteremia. Together, these results demonstrate that the rapid preparation of a blood culture bacterial pellet has a significant impact on the identification and AST turnaround time and thus on the successful outcome of patients suffering from bloodstream infections.     

Rapid Methods for High-Throughput Detection of Sulfoxides

Enantiopure sulfoxides are prevalent in drugs and are useful chiral auxiliaries in organic synthesis. The biocatalytic enantioselective oxidation of prochiral sulfides is a direct and economical approach for the synthesis of optically pure sulfoxides. The selection of suitable biocatalysts requires rapid and reliable high-throughput screening methods. Here we present four different methods for detecting sulfoxides produced via whole-cell biocatalysis, three of which were exploited for high-throughput screening. Fluorescence detection based on the acid activation of omeprazole was utilized for high-throughput screening of mutant libraries of toluene monooxygenases, but no active variants have been discovered yet. The second method is based on the reduction of sulfoxides to sulfides, with the coupled release and measurement of iodine. The availability of solvent-resistant microtiter plates enabled us to modify the method to a high-throughput format. The third method, selective inhibition of horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase, was used to rapidly screen highly active and/or enantioselective variants at position V106 of toluene ortho-monooxygenase in a saturation mutagenesis library, using methyl-p-tolyl sulfide as the substrate. A success rate of 89% (i.e., 11% false positives) was obtained, and two new mutants were selected. The fourth method is based on the colorimetric detection of adrenochrome, a back-titration procedure which measures the concentration of the periodate-sensitive sulfide. Due to low sensitivity during whole-cell screening, this method was found to be useful only for determining the presence or absence of sulfoxide in the reaction. The methods described in the present work are simple and inexpensive and do not require special equipment.The growing demand for green catalytic processes has increased the utilization of enzymes as industrial biocatalysts for the synthesis of fine chemicals (6, 19, 20). As a consequence, there is a continuous search for novel or improved biocatalysts. In order to find an appropriate candidate for a process, various sources of enzymes must be screened for activity (23). Therefore, a sensitive, reproducible, accurate, and simple high-throughput screening method is a key prerequisite for the development of biocatalytic processes on an industrial scale (32, 39).Screening systems are divided into three different classes. The first class contains assays applicable to testing growing or resting microbial colonies for enzymatic activity directly on agar plates (23), for example, detection of epoxide hydrolase activity on butane oxide by use of safranin O. Oxidation of the 1,2-diol product by Escherichia coli modified the membrane potential and led to accumulation of the red dye in the colonies producing active enzyme (34). In another study, the spontaneous oxidation of substituted catechols to brown-red quinones was used to screen random libraries of whole cells expressing toluene monooxygenases (TMOs) for regioselective oxidation of substituted phenols (12, 30). The positive clones produced a red halo around the cells. These assays are high-throughput, simple procedures but often require a tailored substrate with a chromophore, such as bromonaphthol or azo-dye (23).The second class includes chromogenic and fluorogenic assays applicable in microtiter plates or microarray formats (23). Microtiter plates in 96- or 384-well format are particularly well suited for spectroscopic reading using either UV-visible or fluorescence plate readers. This class may be subdivided into the following four groups: (i) enzyme-coupled assays, such as the determination of dehydrogenase activity through formation of NADH from NAD and an absorbance change at a wavelength of 340 nm; (ii) assays using chromogenic and fluorogenic substrates, such as various synthetically labeled substrates that are commercially available for the determination of hydrolytic activity produced by lipases, phosphatases, glycosidases, amidases, etc.; (iii) assays using chromogenic and fluorogenic sensors, such as widely used pH indicators (16), that may be applied in any reaction that includes a change in pH; and (iv) microarray assays using a solid support, enabling screening of thousands of samples. The high-throughput potential of these methods was demonstrated by profiling of 40 different esterases and lipases across 35 different fluorogenic ester substrates, using only 50 μl of each enzyme solution and a submilligram quantity of each substrate for over 7,000 tests (2).The third class of enzymatic assays rely on product detection by instruments and include gas chromatography (GC), high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry, and infrared radiation assays that have been adapted for high throughput (22, 23, 33). Such assays require expensive and sophisticated equipment, but they allow working directly with the substrate of interest and are rapidly adapted once the instrument is available (23).Various chemical substances can be synthesized by bacteria and fungi, among which are the chiral sulfoxides (5, 10, 11, 24, 36). As natural products, chiral sulfoxides possess a wide range of biological activities, from flavor and aroma precursor activities to antimicrobial properties. In addition, they are efficient auxiliaries that lead to essential asymmetric transformations (3, 11). Furthermore, one of the most significant applications of chiral sulfoxides is in the pharmaceutical industry (3). The world''s best-selling antiulcer drug, (S)-omeprazole, is a chiral sulfoxide (11, 14). Although there have been numerous reports on chemical and biological methods for synthesizing chiral sulfoxides, little information exists about rapid high-throughput assays for sulfoxide determination. In this study, four colorimetric or fluorometric procedures were evaluated and adapted for screening of whole-cell libraries containing variants of TMOs. Three of the four methods were exploited successfully to a high-throughput format using 96-well microtiter plates, whereas one method was not suitable due to low sensitivity. The method based on acid activation of omeprazole proved very efficient, but no positive variants were found, whereas the one based on selective inhibition of horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase (HLADH), originally reported by Sprout and Seto (28), was useful for detecting mutants with high activity and enantioselectivity in the oxidation of methyl p-tolyl sulfide.     

A Rapid and Simple Method for the Determination of Picogram Levels of 3-Methoxytyramine in Brain Tissue Using Liquid Chromatography with Electrochemical Detection

Abstract: A rapid and simple technique using solvent extraction, ion-pairing extraction, and high pressure liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection has been developed for the determination of 3-methoxytyramine in striata of rats killed by microwave irradiation. The method is specific and reproducible (coefficient of variation among replications, ±4%); recovery of authentic 3-methoxytyramine added to the samples is 45–50%. 3-Methoxytyramine levels found with this technique in rat striata were 15 ± 1.7 ng/g. The method has a sensitivity of about 0.2 pmol per brain sample. Monoamine oxidase inhibition with pargyline increased 3-methoxytyramine levels in rat striata, while catechol- O -methyltransferase inhibition with 3',4'-dihydroxy-2 methylpropiophenone completely depleted 3-methoxytyramine. The effects of nomifensine, quipazine, caroxazone, piribedil, and D-amphetamine were also examined. The 3-methoxytyramine concentrations in the brains of animals killed by decapitation or by microwave irradiation were compared.     

Simple and Rapid Block Face Alignment Methods for the Ultramicrotome

Light from the fluorescent lamp on an ultramicrotome can be reflected from a mirror located beneath the knife face 50 that the knife and edge can he imaged on the block face. It is well known that this image can be used to accurately align the block face to the knife edge and cutting direction. A method is described of pre-aligning the lamp, stereomicroscope, knife, and the mirror, which is fixed with respect to the knife face, 80 that a bright reflection of the knife face on the block face is obtained only when the block face is brought close to alignment. This initial alignment is an extremely rapid procedure, and is followed by slower, more accurate manipulation of the block and knife for precise alignment.

The mirror, easily mounted to a Porter-Blum MT-2 ultramicrotome knife holder, is very simple in design and readily adaptable to any ultramicrotome. Methods to permit small movements of the block for the MT-1 and MT-P ultramicrotomes are also descrihed.     

Detection of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Using mecA/nuc Genes and Antibiotic Susceptibility Profile of Malaysian Clinical Isolates

The aim of this study is to compare methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) detection methods and to generate antibiogram profile of S. aureus clinical isolates from two teaching hospitals in Malaysia including three reference isolates from American Type Culture Collection (ATCC). The mecA/nuc gene PCR amplification, spot inoculation test and oxacillin disc diffusion test were applied to compare its MRSA detection abilities. No disagreement between the three methods was observed. From 29 bacterial isolates (including the ATCC strains) tested, 19 isolates were confirmed as S. aureus with 14 isolates exhibiting multidrug-resistance. All isolates are still susceptible to vancomycin as indicated by the E-test result. Current biochemical tests are comparable with the molecular detection method for MRSA used in this study while multidrug-resistance traits are present in both MRSA and MSSA clinical isolates. Presently, mupirocin seems to be the best alternative for vancomycin against multidrug-resistant S. aureus infections in Malaysia. Susceptibility profile of 19 S. aureus isolates acquired from two teaching hospitals and ATCC towards 16 selected antibiotics was analyzed and an antibiogram was generated. Findings also indicated resistance against many of the available antibiotics and thus an urgent need to search for alternative antibiotics.     

106例宫颈炎患者支原体检测及抗生素敏感性分析

目的：对本地区宫颈炎患者解脲脲原体（Uu）和人型支原体（Mh）进行监测,分析抗生素敏感情况,为临床诊疗提供实验依据。方法：无菌采集宫颈炎患者宫颈分泌物,用支原体培养、鉴定、药敏试剂盒进行培养和药敏试验。结果：支原体总检出率为71.70%。Uu检出率为52.83%,Uu合并Mh检出率16.04%,Mh检出率为2.83%。56例单纯Uu株体外抗生素敏感性显示：对四环素族多西环素100%、美满霉素98.21%高度敏感;对大环内酯类敏感性不一：克拉霉素96.43%,阿奇霉素91.07%,交沙霉素76.79%,红霉素67.86%,罗红霉素32.14%;对喹诺酮类如加替沙星83.93%较敏感,而对左氧氟沙星,司帕沙星敏感性差;对克林霉素和甲砜霉素不敏感;17例Uu合并Mh的抗生素敏感性为：美满霉素100%,多西环素100%,交沙霉素88.23%,加替沙星64.7%,对左氧氟沙星、司帕沙星、红霉素、阿奇霉素、克拉霉素,罗红霉素、甲砜霉素、克林霉素均不敏感。3株单纯Mh例数少未做统计。结论：宫颈炎患者中支原体检出率较高,其中单纯Uu检出率较Uu、Mh混合阳性率高,对四环素类、大环内酯类族中的多数抗生素敏感,治疗选择余地大。Uu、Mh混合敏感性抗生素种类少,应优先选择四环素类抗生素治疗。