Objective To evaluate the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization in infants at neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) by active surveillance cultures (ASC) and the effects of mupirocin decolonization on MRSA infection. Methods Neonates adimitted to NICU of Ruian People's Hospital of Zhejiang Province, China between October 1, 2013 and September 30, 2014 underwent ASC within 24 hours of admission (ASC group). The samples from nasal vestibule and umbilicus were cultured for MRSA, and positive cultures were considered as MRSA colonization. These with negative cultures underwent repeated culture of MRSA by ASC at the 1st and 2nd week after NICU admission. Neonates admitted to NICU between October 1, 2014 and September 30, 2015 with MRSA colonization based on ASC were decolonized with mupirocin at both nasal vestibule and umbilicus twice daily for five consecutive days (decolonization group). Culture samples were obtained one day and one week after decolonization to repeat ASC. ASC was stopped if the subsequent culture was negative twice successively; and a second mupirocin decolonizaton was performed if the culture was positive. Chi-square test was used to compare the rates of colonization and infection between the two groups. Results (1) MRSA colonization and infection in ASC group: MRSA colonization rates within 24 hours, and in the 1st and 2nd week after NICU admission in ASC group were 2.2% (9/418), 3.7% (15/402) and 3.6% (13/361), respectively. Compared with those without MRSA colonization, neonates with MRSA colonization had a higher incidence of MRSA infection [13.5% (5/37) vs 3.7% (14/381), χ2=7.524, P=0.006]. (2) MRSA colonization and infection in decolonization group: MRSA colonization rates within 24 hours, and at the 1st and 2nd week after NICU admission in decolonization group were 2.8% (12/435), 2.9% (12/414) and 1.3% (5/373), respectively. The MRSA colonization rate at the 2nd week was significantly lower than that in ASC group (χ2=3.919, P=0.048). Twenty-nine cases had MRSA colonization, among which, 27 cases were decolonized once and two cases were decolonized twice, and all were successful. The rate of MRSA infection in decolonization group was 2.1% (9/435), which was significantly lower than in ASC group [4.5% (19/418)] (χ2=4.118, P=0.042). Conclusions Rate of MRSA colonization is high at NICU. Mupirocin can decolonize MRSA carriage and reduce MRSA infection in neonates.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is an epithelial cell growth factor that can stimulate intestinal development, repair the damage of epidermal cells as well as reduce the incidence of pathogen infection and diarrhea. In order to produce a recombinant Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) expressing porcine epidermal growth factor (pEGF), we constructed a recombinant vector stably expressing pEGF in L. plantarum strains. First, L. plantarum strain Lp-1 was isolated from intestinal contents of piglets. Then the functional domain of pEGF, M6 precursor protein signal peptide (SP) and super strong constitutive promoter (SCP) were connected with the backbone plasmid pIAβ8 to construct the recombinant vector that was transformed into Lp-1 by electroporation. Afterwards, pEGF was expressed in Lp-1 and detected by Tricine-SDS-PAGE and ELISA. After orally irrigated early-weaned BALB/c mice with the recombinant L. plantarum every morning and late afternoon for 10 consecutive days, body weight, villous height and crypt depth in the intestine were measured to examine the influence of the recombinant bacteria on the intestinal development of early-weaned mice in vivo. Finally, the results of our experiments demonstrated that pEGF was successfully expressed in Lp-1 and the molecular weight of pEGF was 6 kDa. In addition, the recombinant pEGF can enhanced the daily gain and exerted significance influence (P < 0.05) to the small intestinal morphology of early-weaned BALB/c mice. In conclusion, pEGF could be expressed in L. plantarum and the recombinant pEGF possesses good biological activity.
Animals ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; biosynthesis ; Genetic Vectors ; Intestines ; microbiology ; Lactobacillus plantarum ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Plasmids ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Protein Precursors ; Protein Sorting Signals ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; Swine

Objective To compare the effect of different flow rate of oxygen inhalation on relieving scapuledynia after laparoscopic cholecystectomy(LC) with carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum. Methods 100 patients adopted LC were divided into the 2 L/min group (n=50), the 4 Ldmin group (n=50), both re-ceived oxygen inhalation 6 hours after LC. The incidence and degree of scapulodynia and the blood- gas analysis were analyzed. Results The incidence of scapulodynia after LC in the 4 L/min group was signifi-cantly lower than that of 2 L/min group. PaCO2,PaO2 and pH in the 4 L/min group were different from those of the 2 L/min group. Conclusions Increasing flow rate of oxygen inhalation can relieve incidence and degree of scapulodynia after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.