Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been detected in the microbiota of wildlife, yet little is known about the origin and impact within the ecosystem. Due to the shortage of nonepizootic surveillance, there is limited understanding of the natural prevalence and circulation of AMR bacteria in the wild animal population, including avian species. In this surveillance study, feces from wild birds in proximity to the River Cam, Cambridge, England, were collected and Pseudomonas spp. were isolated. Of the 115 samples collected, 24 (20.9%; 95% CI, 12.6%‒29.2%) harbored Pseudomonas spp. of which 18 (75%; 95% CI, 58%‒92%) had a multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index greater than 0.2. No Pseudomonas spp. isolate in this study was pansusceptible. Resistance was found among the 24 isolates against ciprofloxacin (87.5%; 95% CI, 74.3%‒100%) and cefepime (83.3%; 95% CI, 68.4%‒98.2%), both of which are extensively used to treat opportunistic Pseudomonas spp. infections. The prevalence of Pseudomonas spp. in the wild bird feces sampled during this study is greater than previous, similar studies. Additionally, their multidrug resistance profile provides insight into the potential risk for ecosystem contamination. It further highlights the importance of a One Health approach, including ongoing surveillance efforts that help to develop the understanding of how wildlife, including avifauna, may contribute and disperse AMR across the ecosystem.

Background: The pathophysiology of bipolar disorder is largely unknown; however, recent studies have suggested that metabolic dysfunction, particularly at the mitochondrial level, may represent a previously unexplored pathway. Lithium carbonate, valproic acid, and a combination of these represent the mainstay of treatment for bipolar disorder; however, the mechanisms underpinning the drugs’ clinical efficacy are not well characterised. At present, such mechanistic studies use concentrations which widely differ from the known bioavailability, thus, there is a need to establish the effect of lithium carbonate, valproic acid, and combination therapy at physiologically relevant doses. Methods: Human astrocytoma 1321N1 cells were treated for 4, 24, and 48 hours. The MTT method was used to detect cytotoxicity upon drug treatment. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was quantified by dichlorofluorescin diacetate fluorescence. Results: Upon H2O2-induced cellular stress, cell viability was significantly reduced; however, lithium exhibited a protective effect. In the absence of the stressor, the drugs had no negative effect on 1321N1 cellular viability. All the drug treatments exhibited protection against H2O2-induced ROS accumulation with lithium, bringing it closer to the control baseline. Conclusion: The findings contribute to the understanding of the drugs’ biological effects, particularly as oxidative stress reducers. Furthermore, it highlights the need for research using comparable physiologically relevant models. This may advance the discovery of diagnostic biomarkers and new research approaches to the diagnosis of bipolar disorder.