The first medical cure of Acanthamoeba keratitis was obtained by use of propamidine isethionate. Since then, it has been the basic drug recommended for use in treatment. Because some Acanthamoeba strains have been reported to be resistant to propamidine and propamidine was found to be only weakly cysticidal, superior homologs such as butamidine, pentamidine, hexamidine, heptamidine, octamidine, and nonamidine were tested for their amoebicidal effects on two Acanthamoeba strains isolated from patients with keratitis. Trophozoicidal and cysticidal efficiencies were found to be increased from propamidine to nonamidine; i.e., when the alkyl chain connecting the two benzene rings in their molecular structures was elongated, in comparison with propamidine, hexamidine and octamidine were the most amoebicidal molecules. As a result of these data, a kinetic study carried out on propamidine, hexamidine, and octamidine demonstrated that the amoebicidal effects resulted from two events: the diffusion of molecules through the plasma membrane or the double wall of trophozoites or cysts, respectively, and the lethal effects of molecules on amoebic protoplasm. The diffusion kinetics were increased when the alkyl chain was elongated, i.e., with an increase in the lipophilic properties of molecules. In contrast, the lethal effect kinetics were found to be unchanged by this elongation, indicating that they originated from the cationic surface-active properties induced by the protonated amidine groups attached to each benzene ring, which themselves remained unchanged from one molecule to the other. These results strongly advocate the immediate replacement of propamidine by hexamidine in the medical treatment of Acanthamoeba keratitis; in France, 0.1% hexamidine eyedrops are available (Desomedine). The results also advocate clinical investigations on the efficiency and toxicity of octamidine, which appears to be the most amoebicidal diamidine in vitro.Acanthamoeba keratitis is a serious and potentially devastating corneal infection generally seen in soft contact lens wearers. The responsible amoeba has been detected in the human cornea in two forms: as fragile trophozoites and as resistant dormant cysts. The medical treatment of this ocular infection remains very difficult because of the lack of antiamoebic drugs effective against cysts, which are responsible for frequent and serious recurrences.Since the first medical cure reported in 1985 (16), propamidine isethionate, an antimicrobial agent belonging to the diamidine family, has been the basic drug recommended for use in treatment, which includes the use of topical neomycin sulfate and various imidazoles (2,5,7,8,15). Unfortunately, propamidine is poorly cysticidal and the resistance of some Acanthamoeba strains has been reported (6, 10). In the present study, superior homologs of propamidine were tested for their amoebicidal effects both on trophozoites and cysts with the intent of finding whether some of them are more amoebicidal and, especially, cysticidal than propamidine. At...

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This article describes the potential interest in physical and forensic anthropology of the microscopic analysis of residues of putrefaction fluid, a calcified deposit frequently found associated with bone rests. Its sampling and analysis seem straightforward and relatively reproducible. Samples came from archeological material (Monterenzio Vecchia, an Etruscan necropolis from the north of Italy dated between the fifth and third century B.C.; body rests of Agnès Sorel, royal mistress died in 1450 A.D.; skull and grave of French King Louis the XI and Charlotte of Savoy dated from 1483 A.D.). All samples were studied by direct optical microscope and scanning electron microscopy. Many cytological, histological, and elemental analysis were possible, producing precious data for the identification of these remains and, in some cases, the cause of death.

A modification of the FAUST technique allowed a highly regular recovery of Taenia saginata eggs from sewage sludge, as well as their quantification. Despite the low viability (8%) noted, the viable T. saginata egg level remains high (20 106/ha) and offers a serious risk for cattle even after a 3-week "no-grazing" period.

The majority of dental carie studies over the course of historical period underline mainly the prevalence evolution, the role of carbohydrates consumption and the impact of access to dietary resources. The purpose of the present investigation was to compare population samples from two archaeological periods the Chacolithic and Middle Age taking into account the geographical and socio economical situation. The study concerned four archaelogical sites in south west France and population samples an inlander for the Chalcolithic Age, an inlander, an costal and urban for the Middle Age. The materials studied included a total of 127 maxillaries, 103 mandibles and 3316 teeth. Data recorded allowed us to display that the Chalcolithic population sample had the lowest carie percentage and the rural inlander population samples of Middle Age the highest; in all cases molars were teeth most often affected. These ones differences could be explained according to time period, carious lesions were usually less recorded in the Chalcolithic Age than the Middle because of a lesser cultivation of cereals like in les Treilles Chacolithic population sample. In the Middle Age population samples, the rural inland sample Marsan showed the highest frequency of caries and ate more cereal than the coastal Vilarnau and the poor urban St Michel population samples, the first one ate fish and Mediterranean vegetal and fruits and the second one met difficulties to food access, in both cases the consumption of carbohydrates was lesser than Marsan population sample who lived in a geographical land convice to cereals cultivation.