Adipose tissue is no longer considered to be an inert tissue that stores fat. This tissue is capable of expanding to accommodate increased lipids through hypertrophy of existing adipocytes and by initiating differentiation of pre-adipocytes. Adipose tissue metabolism exerts an impact on...

This work, describes for the first time, a simple biosensing design to yield an ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensor for a cancer biomarker detection, miRNA-155, with linear response down to the attomolar range. MiRNA-155 was selected for being overexpressed in breast cancer. The biosensor was assembled in two stages: (1) the immobilization of the anti-miRNA-155 that was thiol modified on an Au-screen printed electrode (Au-SPE), followed by (2) blocking the areas of non-specific binding with mercaptosuccinic acid. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and electrochemical techniques including cyclic voltammetry (CV), impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) confirmed the surface modification of these devices and their ability to hybridize successfully and stably with miRNA-155. The final biosensor provided a sensitive detection of miRNA-155 from 10 aM to 1.0 nM with a low detection limit (LOD) of 5.7 aM in real human serum samples. Good results were obtained in terms of selectivity towards breast cancer antigen CA-15.3 and bovine serum albumin (BSA). Raw fluid extracts from cell-lines of melanoma did not affect the biosensor response (no significant change of the blank), while raw extracts from breast cancer yielded a positive signal against miRNA-155. This simple and sensitive strategy is a promising alternative for simultaneous quantitative analysis of multiple miRNA in physiological fluids for biomedical research and point-of-care (POC) diagnosis.

This synopsis summarizes the key chemical and bacteriological characteristics of β-lactams, penicillins, cephalosporins, carbanpenems, monobactams and others. Particular notice is given to first-generation to fifth-generation cephalosporins. This review also summarizes the main resistance mechanism to antibiotics, focusing particular attention to those conferring resistance to broad-spectrum cephalosporins by means of production of emerging cephalosporinases (extended-spectrum β-lactamases and AmpC β-lactamases), target alteration (penicillin-binding proteins from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and membrane transporters that pump β-lactams out of the bacterial cell.

Antibiotics have been intensively used over the last decades in human and animal therapy and livestock, resulting in serious environmental and public health problems, namely due to the antibiotic residues concentration in wastewaters and to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This study aimed to access the contribution of some anthropological activities, namely urban household, hospital and a wastewater treatment plant, to the spread of antibiotic resistances in the treated wastewater released into the Mondego River, Coimbra, Portugal. Six sampling sites were selected in the wastewater network and in the river. The ampicillin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae of the water samples were enumerated, isolated and phenotypically characterized in relation to their resistance profile to 13 antibiotics. Some isolates were identified into species level and investigated for the presence of class A and class C -lactamases. Results revealed high frequency of resistance to the -lactam group, cefoxitin (53.5%), amoxicillin/clavulanic acid combination (43.5%), cefotaxime (22.7%), aztreonam (21.3) cefpirome (19.2%), ceftazidime (16.2%) and to the non--lactam group, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazol (21.1%), tetracycline (18.2%), followed by ciprofloxacin (14.1%). The hospital effluent showed the higher rates of resistance to all antibiotic, except two (chloramphenicol and gentamicin). Similarly, higher resistance rates were detected in the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent compared with the untreated affluent. Regarding the multidrug resistance, the highest incidence was recorded in the hospital sewage and the lowest in the urban waste. The majority of the isolates altogether are potentially extended-spectrum -lactamases positive (ESBL⁺) (51.9%), followed by AmpC⁺ (44.4%) and ESBL⁺/AmpC⁺ (35.2%). The most prevalent genes among the potential ESBL producers were bla_OXA (33.3%), bla_TEM (24.1%) and bla_CTX-M (5.6%) and among the AmpC producers were bla_EBC (38.9%), bla_FOX (1.9%) and bla_CIT (1.9%). In conclusion, the hospital and the WWTP activities revealed to have the highest contribution to the spread of multidrug resistant bacteria in the study area. Such data is important for future management of the environmental and public health risk of these contaminants. This is the first embracing study in the water network of Coimbra region on the dissemination of antibiotic resistance determinants. Moreover, it is also the first report with the simultaneous detection of multiresistant bacteria producers of AmpC and ESBLs -lactamases in aquatic systems in Portugal.

Antibacterial activities of novel Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Ionic Liquids (API–ILs) based on ampicillin anion [Amp] have been evaluated. They showed growth inhibition and bactericidal properties on some sensitive bacteria and especially some Gram-negative resistant bacteria when compared to the [Na][Amp] and the initial bromide and chloride salts. For these studies were analysed the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBIC) against sensitive Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Klebsiella pneumoniae (clinically isolated), as well as sensitive Gram positive Staphylococcus Aureus ATCC 25923, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Enterococcus faecalis and completed using clinically isolated resistent strains such as E. coli TEM CTX M9, E. coli CTX M2 and E. coli AmpC MOX. From the obtained MIC values of studied API–ILs and standard [Na][Amp] were derived RDIC values (relative decrease of inhibitory concentration). High RDIC values of [C₁₆Pyr][Amp] especially against two resistant Gram-negative strains E. coli TEM CTX M9 (RDIC >1000) and E. coli CTX M2 (RDIC >100) point clearly to a potential promising role of API–ILs as antimicrobial drugs in particular against resistant bacterial strains.