The MICs of rabeprazole sodium (RPZ), a newly developed benzimidazole proton pump inhibitor (PPI), against 133 clinical Helicobacter pylori strains revealed a higher degree of activity than the another two PPIs, lansoprazole and omeprazole. Time-kill curve assays of RPZ, when combined with amoxicillin, clarithromycin, or metronidazole, disclosed that synergistic effects were demonstrated in combination with each antibiotic examined. Moreover, no apparent antagonistic effect appeared among all of the strains tested.It is well known that Helicobacter pylori is associated with gastric disorders, such as gastritis, and the gastric or duodenal ulcer (2,5,8,15,21). The combination chemotherapy, i.e., amoxicillin (AMC) plus clarithromycin (CAM) or metronidazole (MNZ) with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) is now widely recommended for eradication chemotherapy (1,3,4,6,9,13,14,16 ATPase, and preliminary studies demonstrate that RPZ produces a potent and long-lasting inhibition of gastric acid secretion and a low level of hypergastrinemia (3,17,20). A novel RPZ demonstrating a chemical structure of C 18 H 20 N 3 SNa with a molecular weight of 381.43, as shown in Fig. 1, was developed in 1997 and has been proven to be effective against H. pylori strains, like other PPIs, such as lansoprazole (LPZ) and omeprazole (OPZ) (11,19). It has been demonstrated to act as an irreversible noncompetitive inhibitor of the enzyme urease that is an important virulence factor of pathogenicity of gastric H. pylori (17,20). The in vivo evaluation study of RPZ has recently been reported (18). However, no in vitro data has been available to date concerning the interaction studies of RPZ in combination with some kinds of antibiotics. Therefore, we tried to evaluate its bactericidal activity when combined with an antibiotic compound against H. pylori strains by the time-kill curve assay (10). We at first determined the in vitro activities of RPZ and its thioether (TH) derivative, RPZ-TH, together with OPZ and LPZ.The 133 H. pylori strains tested were recent clinical isolates from different patients with chronic gastritis and gastric and/or duodenal ulcer during the 2 years between April 1996 and March 1998, at the Central Clinical Laboratories, Shinshu University Hospital, Matsumoto, Japan. In addition, two reference strains, H. pylori NCTC 11637 and NCTC 11916, were also included in this study. All of the strains examined were preserved in Microbank (Pro-Lab Diagnostic, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada) vials in a deep freezer at Ϫ83°C.The antimicrobials and PPIs used were as follows: AMC from Meiji Seika Kaisha, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan; CAM from Taisho Pharmaceuticals, Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan; MNZ from Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan; RPZ and its derivative, RPZ-TH, from Eisai Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd, Tokyo, Japan; LPZ from Takeda Chemical Industries, Ltd., Osaka, Japan; and OPZ from Astra Japan Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.In determining the MICs, twofold serial dilutions of each drug were made in 50 l of brucella broth (BBL Microbiology Systems Inc., Cockey...

A physical map of the Enterococcus faecium ATCC19434 chromosome was constructed by NotI, I-CeuI and Sse8387I. The chromosome was a circular DNA of 2600 kb in size, and contained six rRNA operons (rrn). The locations and orientations of the six rrn operons and 24 different determinants were mapped. Genomes of three additional E. faecium strains were also analyzed by I-CeuI digestion, and the genome sizes were found to vary from 2550 to 2995 kb. We further investigated the genome sizes and number of rrn operons in four E. faecalis, one E. avium, and one E. durans strains. The genome sizes were larger than E. faecium: 3000^3250 kb in E. faecalis, 3445 kb in E. avium, and 3070 kb in E. durans. E. avium and E. durans contained six rrn operons as in E. faecium, but all the E. faecalis strains possessed four rrn operons. ß

An Ambler class A ␤-lactamase gene, bla CIA-1 , was cloned from the reference strain Chryseobacterium indologenes ATCC 29897 and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21. The bla CIA-1 gene encodes a novel extended-spectrum ␤-lactamase (ESBL) that shared 68% and 60% identities with the CGA-1 and CME-1 ␤-lactamases, respectively. bla CIA-1 -like genes were detected from clinical isolates. In addition to the metallo-␤-lactamase IND of Ambler class B, C. indologenes has a class A ESBL gene, bla CIA-1 , located on the chromosome.

BackgroundPasteurella species, widely known as indigenous orgganisms in the oral and gastrointestinal floras of many wild and domestic animals, are important pathogens in both animals and humans. Human infections due to Pasteurella species are in most cases associated with infected injuries following animal bites. We encountered a rare case of dual infections caused by different two Pasteurella species occurred in a previously healthy 25-year-old female sustaining injury by a dog-bite.MethodologyExudates from the open wound of her dog-bite site, together with the saliva of the dog were submitted for bacteriological examination. Predominantly appearing grayish-white smooth colonies with almost the same colonial properties but slightly different glistening grown on chocolate and sheep blood agar plates were characterized morphologically by Gram's stain, biochemically by automated instrument using Vitek 2 system using GN cards together with commercially available kit system, ID-Test HN-20 rapid panels, and genetically by sequencing the 16S rRNA genes of the organism using a Taq DyeDeoxy Terminator Cycle Sequencing and a model 3100 DNA sequencer instrument.ResultsThe causative isolates from the dog-bite site were finally identified as P. canis and P. dagmatis from the findings of the morphological, cultural, and biochemical properties together with the comparative sequences of the 16S rRNA genes. Both the isolates were highly susceptible to many antibiotics and the patient was successfully treated with the administration of so-called the first generation cephalosporin, cefazolin followed by so-called the third generation cephalosporin, cefcapene pivoxil. The isolate from the dog was subsequently identified as P. canis, the same species as the isolate from the patient.ConclusionsTo the best of our knowledge, this was the second report of a dual infection with Pasteurella species consisting of P. dagmatis and P. canis resulting from a dog-bite, followed by the first report of dual infections due to P. dagmatis and P. multocida in 1988. Our isolate finally identified as P. dagmatis was misidentified as P. pneumotripica by means of the Vitek 2 system. The species name "P. dagmatis" was not included in the database of the system. It is also important for routine clinical microbiology laboratories to know the limitation of the automated Vitek 2 system for the accurate identification of Pasteurella species especially P. dagmatis. It should be emphasized that there still exists much room for improvement in Vitek 2 system. Significant improvement of Vitek 2 system especially in the identification of Pasteurella species is urgently desired.

Background: Helicobacter pylori has now been widely recognized as a causative agent of gastroduodenal diseases. The development of safer anti- H. pylori compounds is desirable due to the antibiotic-resistant strains emerged to date.Methods: We successfully developed the compounds of Rice-fluid derived from unpolished, polished, and usually cooked Japanese rice, and investigated their in vitro antibacterial activities by means of the Time-Kill-Curve methods against various species of bacteria including H. pylori strains.Results: All of the compounds revealed keen bactericidal activities against H. pylori, followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae and Campylobacter jejuni strains, but failed to affect the viability of other bacterial species investigated including staphylococci, enterococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and other gram-negative rods belonging to the family Enterobacteraceae. The bactericidal activities were demonstrated to be time- and concentration-dependent.Conclusions: The compounds of Rice-fluid are considered to be potentially new and safe therapeutic regimens against H. pylori infections. The mechanism of their bactericidal activities against H. pylori strains remains to be elucidated.