BACKGROUND: The selection of identification (ID) system of enterococci depends mainly on the accuracy of ID system, cost of operation and convenience of testing. Commercial ID kits are easy to use but too expensive. The aim of the study was to develop a simple system for the identification of species of enterococci which are frequently isolated from clinical specimens. METHODS: Eight conventional biochemical tests selected for the simple ID method were hemolysis pattern, NaCl-esculin hydrolysis, tellurite tolerance, arginine dihydrolase, acid from arabinose, raffinose and methyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside, and pigment production. Ninety one consecutive strains of enterococci from clinical specimens isolated during the period of April 1988 were tested by the simple ID method, and API rapid ID 32 STREP. RESULTS: Simple ID method with 15 ID codes was established to identify 13 species of enterococci. Among the 91 isolates tested, 88 (96.7%) were identified to the species level of enterococci by simple ID method. CONCLUSIONS: The simplified conventional ID method is simple, reliable and economical. Further modification may improve the accuracy of the enterococcal species identification system.
Arabinose ; Arginine ; Hemolysis ; Hydrolysis ; Raffinose

No abstract available.
Adenosine ; Allopurinol ; Glutathione ; Humans ; Insulin ; Organ Preservation Solutions ; Periodontal Ligament ; Raffinose

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to develop an accurate, convenient, and easy microplate system for the identification of enterococcal species from clinical specimens. METHODS: The microplate identification method was composed of twelve biochemical tests and identification programs. The tests comprised in microplate were initially screened by a two-tube method, NaCl-esculin hydrolysis and pyrrolidonyl-beta-naphthylamide test; arginine dihydrolase, acid production from mannitol, sorbitol, sucrose, arabinose, raffinose, methyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside, and ribose in the microplate; and pigment production and hemolytic pattern in blood agar plate. The performance of the microplate for identifying enterococci to the species level was evaluated in comparison with conventional reference tests and commercial kits. RESULTS: Among the 111 clinical isolates of Enterococcus species, the microplate system correctly identified 100% to genus level, and 91.0% to species level. All of E. casseliflavus, E. durans, and E. hirae were correctly identified by the microplate. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for identification of Enterococcus species were as follows: 100% and 96.7% in E. faecium, 93.5% and 100% in E. faecalis, 100% and 97.2% in E. raffinosus, and 33.3% and 98.1% in both E. avium and E. gallinarum. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that the microplate method offers a simple, cost-effective, rapid, and accurate identification system for the identification of most clinical isolates of Enterococcus species.
Agar ; Arabinose ; Arginine ; Enterococcus* ; Hydrolysis ; Mannitol ; Raffinose ; Ribose ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sorbitol ; Sucrose

This study investigated the effects of soyoligosaccharide consumption on feces bifidobacteria proliferation and feces lipid profiles in Korean young women. Eight healthy young women (25 - 34 years) were fed 15 g/day of soyoligosaccharide solution, containing 3 g of oligosaccharide as form of raffinose and starchyose, for 15 days with their habitual meals. Soyoligosaccharde intake increased the numbers of fecal total bacteria significantly until 10 days (p < 0.05) and the numbers of fecal bifidobactreia were significantly increased until 15 days (p < 0.05). The fecal pH was significantly decreased (p < 0.05) by soyligosaccharide intake. Fecal lipid concentration showed the trend to increse, especially fecal triglyceride level was significantly increased by soyoligosaccharide intake (p < 0.05). The water contents of feces, the amount of feces, evacuation frequency and taking time to evacuation were not affected by soyoligosaccharide intake. The color of feces changed to yellow-brown, and hardness of stool and effort to evacuation were reduced by soyoligosaccharide intake. These results suggest that soyoligosaccharide intake (3 g/day) in young women improved the gut microflora and fecal lipid profile. Therefore, soyoligosaccharide has a potential to be used as one of the promising prebiotics, and controlled trials with larger sample sizes and longer duration are need to be studied further.
Bacteria ; Feces ; Female ; Hardness ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Meals ; Prebiotics ; Raffinose ; Sample Size ; Triglycerides ; Water

A total of 78 Shigella sonnei strains isolated from 1994 to 1999 in Daegu were screened by biochemical test, antimicrobial susceptibility test, plasmid profiling, and epidemiologic analysis. Among them, 26 representative strains with different properties were selected and their molecular epidemiological characteristics were studied. Among the 78 strains, two strains did not ferment raffinose and another two strains did not produce colicin. The 26 selected strains were differentiated into 15 plasmid profiles, 11 antimicrobial, 14 enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequencebased PCR (ERIC-PCR) pattern, 10 pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PEGE) pattern types. When all of the typing methods were combined, the strains could be differentiated into 15 types. However, significant correlation among different testing methods was not observed. PEGE analysis indicated that all the strains tested were related despite minor genotypic and phenotypic differences. Our data could not address whether these genetic diversity of strains is due to different circulating strains originated from a number of clone or due to minor genetic variation.
Clone Cells ; Consensus ; Daegu* ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Genetic Variation ; Molecular Epidemiology* ; Plasmids ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Raffinose ; Shigella sonnei* ; Shigella*

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effective method of preserving composite facial allograft so as to attenuate ischemic injury.

METHODSThe composite facial allografts were harvested from dog, perfused and preserved with 4 degrees C physiological sodium chloride and UW solution respectively. Immediately after the removal of the flap, after 12, 24, 48 h of preservation, MTT assay was used to determine the viability of several kinds of tissue, including skin, mucosa, muscle, bleed vessel, nerve and gland. The results of the two groups were compared in term of viability percentage. The pathology of several tissues were observed after 24 and 48 h of storage.

RESULTSThe viability percentage of every tissue conserved in UW solution for 48 hours was more than 75%. There was significant difference between physiological sodium chloride group and UW group (P < 0.05). Some changes, including Porous arrangement of fibers in connective tissue of skin and mucosa, hyalinization of tissue around the hair follicle and edema of cell in hair follicle, enlargement of space between muscle bundles and unclearness of boundary of acinus could be seen in physiological sodium chloride group while no significant change in UW group.

CONCLUSIONSUW solution could be considered as preservation solution for composite facial allograft.

Adenosine ; Allopurinol ; Animals ; Dogs ; Face ; Female ; Glutathione ; Insulin ; Male ; Organ Preservation Solutions ; Raffinose ; Tissue Preservation ; methods ; Transplantation, Homologous

BACKGROUND: In liver transplantation, an increase of serum potassium [K+] after reperfusion is related to components of the preservation solution. However, the histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate (HTK) solution, which is now popularly used, has a twelve times lower [K+] as compared to the UW solution. This retrospective study was performed to compare the use of the UW solution with the HTK solution for changes in the serum [K+] during the early reperfusion period in liver transplantation recipients. METHODS: Anesthesia medical records of 366 liver transplant patients were reviewed and patients were enrolled in one of the two groups; recipients who received a transplanted liver preserved with the UW solution (UW group), and recipients received a liver preserved with the HTK solution (HTK group). Serum [K+] changes 5 min before, 5 min after, and 20 min after reperfusion for recipients in each group were compared. RESULTS: In the UW group, [K+] increased 5 min after reperfusion and decreased 20 min after reperfusion as compared to [K+] 5 min before reperfusion (3.93, 4.07, and 3.76 mM in 5 min before, 5 min after, and 20 min after reperfusion respectively; P < 0.001). In the HTK group, [K+] significantly decreased 5 min and 20 min after reperfusion as compared to [K+] 5 min before reperfusion (4.12, 3.79, and 3.75 mM; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: When the HTK solution was used, the serum [K+] 5 min after reperfusion decreased as compared to the [K+] before reperfusion and didn't further decrease until 20 min after reperfusion.
Adenosine ; Allopurinol ; Anesthesia ; Glucose ; Glutathione ; Humans ; Insulin ; Liver ; Liver Transplantation ; Mannitol ; Medical Records ; Organ Preservation Solutions ; Potassium ; Potassium Chloride ; Procaine ; Raffinose ; Reperfusion ; Retrospective Studies ; Transplants

BACKGROUND: To access the accuracy and clinical usefulness of microplate identification (ID) system for the identification of Enterobacteriaceae, we compared microplate ID system with API 20E(bioMerieux, Etoile, France). METHODS: Ninety-two cultures of Enterobacteriaceae and one isolate of Aeromonas species were simultaneously identified by microplate ID system and the API 20E. Twenty biochemical tests used in microplate ID system were lactose, sucrose, and H2S in Kligler's iron agar media; indole, sucrose, raffinose, arabinose, trehalose, adonitol, dulcitol, sorbitol, cellibiose, methy-red, phenylalanine deaminase, ornithine decarboxylase, lysine decarboxylase, arginine dihydrolase, urease, and citrate in microplate; and oxidase test. The identification was obtained by considering percent likelihood(% ID), modal frequency and ID score method. RESULTS: Among the 92 cultures of Enterobacteriaceae and one isolate of Aeromonas species, agreement rate of identification according to the % ID between microplate ID system and API 20E were 90.3% to the species level and 97.8% to the genus level. CONCLUSIONS: For the identification of clinical Enterobacteriaceae isolates, the microplate ID system compares favorably with API 20E in identification accuracy and have the advantage of costsaving and easy to use.
Aeromonas ; Agar ; Arabinose ; Arginine ; Citric Acid ; Enterobacteriaceae* ; Galactitol ; Iron ; Lactose ; Lysine ; Ornithine Decarboxylase ; Oxidoreductases ; Phenylalanine ; Raffinose ; Ribitol ; Sorbitol ; Sucrose ; Trehalose ; Urease

The effects of oxygen partial pressure on cryopreservation of the cells with organ preservation solution were explored. Hypoxic UW solution was made by purging the UW solution with argon. The pig proximal tubule epithelial cells (LLC-PK1 cells) were cryopreserved in hypoxic UW solution (Ar-UW group) or standard UW solution (UW group) at 4 degrees C for 48 h. Trypan blue staining and LDH detection were performed to evaluate the injury of the cells. The results showed that the oxygen partial pressure in Ar-UW group was significantly declined from 242+/-6 mmHg to 83+/-10 mmHg. After cryopreservation at 4 degrees C for 48 h, LDH leakage rate and Trypan blue-stained rate in Ar-UW group were (11.3+/-3.4)% and (10.5+/-4.7)%, respectively, which were significantly lower than in UW group [(49.5+/-6.9)% and (47.6+/-9.3)% respectively, both P<0.01]. It was concluded that lower oxygen partial pressure of UW solution was more beneficial to the cryopreservation of LLC.
Adenosine ; Allopurinol ; Cell Hypoxia ; Cell Line ; Cryopreservation ; Cryoprotective Agents ; Epithelial Cells/*cytology ; Glutathione ; Insulin ; Kidney Tubules, Proximal/cytology ; Organ Preservation Solutions ; Oxygen/pharmacology ; Raffinose ; Swine ; Tissue Preservation/methods

In order to explore the method to prepare hypoxia UW solution and the stability and preservation of hypoxia UW solution, UW solution was purged by argon or air for 15 min or 60 at a flow rate of 0.8 or 2 L/min, and the oxygen partial pressure of UW solution was detected. The hypoxia UW solution was exposed to the air or sealed up to preserve by using different methods, and the changes of oxygen partial pressure was tested. The results showed that oxygen partial presure of 50 mL UW solution, purged by argon for 15 min at a flow rate of 2 L/min, was declined from 242+/-6 mmHg to 83+/-10 mmHg. After exposure to the air, oxygen partial pressure of hypoxia UW solution was gradually increased to 160+/-7 mmHg at 48 h. After sealed up by the centrifuge tube and plastic bad filled with argon, oxygen partial pressure of hypoxia UW solution was stable, about 88+/-13 mmHg at 72 h. It was concluded that oxygen of UW solution could be purged by argon efficiently. Sealed up by the centrifuge tube and plastic bag filled with argon, oxygen partial pressure of UW solution could be stabilized.
Adenosine/chemical synthesis ; Allopurinol/chemical synthesis ; Anoxia ; Glutathione/chemical synthesis ; Insulin/chemical synthesis ; Organ Preservation/*methods ; Organ Preservation Solutions/*chemical synthesis ; Oxygen/*analysis ; Partial Pressure ; Raffinose/chemical synthesis