Norfloxacin suppresses Leptospira-induced inflammation through inhibiting p65 and ERK phosphorylation and NLRP3 inflammasome activation

Systemic ciprofloxacin treatment of multidrug-resistant Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans in severe periodontitis

An adult periodontitis patient treated with mechanical/surgical therapy experienced gingival necrosis and granulomas post-treatment. Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, a tissue-invasive pathogen, was recovered and multidrug-resistant but susceptible to ciprofloxacin. Systemic ciprofloxacin eliminated A. actinomycetemcomitans with marked clinical improvement. Ciprofloxacin may be prescribed for A. actinomycetemcomitans periodontal infection unresponsive to the common amoxicillin-metronidazole treatment.

The ameliorative effects of topical gemifloxacin alone or in combination with clobetasol propionate on imiquimod-induced model of psoriasis in mice

Psoriasis is a lifelong immune-driven skin condition characterized by excessive epidermal overgrowth and inflammatory cell infiltration. Gemifloxacin is a fourth-generation fluoroquinolone with improved immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties that are believed to possess an attractive role in psoriasis via suppressing the production of cytokines, chemokines, and eosinophil and neutrophil chemotaxis. The aim of this research is to investigate the ameliorative effects of prolonged topical gemifloxacin (GMF) alone and combined with clobetasol propionate (CLO) on an imiquimod (IMQ)-induced mouse model of psoriasis. Forty-eight Swiss albino mice were divided into six groups of eight. All groups except the negative controls got 62.5 mg of IMQ 5% topically for 8 days. Mice in the control group (controls) got Vaseline instead. Following the induction in the IMQ 5% group, mice in treatment groups CLO 0.05, GMF 1%, GMF 3%, and CLO + GMF obtained clobetasol propionate 0.05%, GMF 1% and 3%, and a combination of both, respectively, for an additional 8 days, rendering the experiment 16 days long. Our results revealed that gemifloxacin alleviated erythematous, thickened, and scaly psoriatic lesions and inhibited the tissue level of inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-8, IL-17A, IL-23, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). The anti-inflammatory effect also occurred by hindering nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling and reversing histopathological problems. Gemifloxacin acts effectively in mitigating psoriasis-associated lesions and restricting NF-κB-mediated inflammation, recommending gemifloxacin as a promising adjuvant candidate for additional studies on the long-term treatment of autoimmune and autoinflammatory dermatoses like psoriasis.

The pyroptosis mechanism of ototoxicity caused by unconjugated bilirubin in neonatal hyperbilirubinemia

When activated by unconjugated bilirubin (UCB), inflammatory mediators such as IL - 18 and TNF contribute to the neurotoxicity and ototoxicity observed in severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. However, in cell and molecular level, the regulation and mechanism of UCB-induced ototoxicity are remained unclear. In this study, 7-day-old mammary rats were exposed to various concentrations of UCB to imitate the infant auditory damage. The auditory brainstem response result (ABR) indicated severe hearing loss, which occurred with increasing concentration. Morphological analysis of organotypic cochlear cultures treated with different concentrations of UCB indicated that auditory nerve fibers (ANF) were demyelinated and the density of spiral ganglion neurons (SGN) were decreased. In addition, HEI-OC1 cells treated with different concentrations of UCB showed severe necrosis by Flow Cytometry. The morphologic feature of pyroptosis has been observed by scanning electronic microscope. Cleaved Caspase-1, GSDMD and NLRP3 expression were significantly increased in cochlear explants with UCB-induced. To further clarify the molecular mechanism of UCB-induced inner ear cell pyroptosis, specific inhibitors of pyroptosis were applied, the protein associated with pyrotosis such as Cleaved Caspase-1, GSDMD, ASC, IL-18 and NLRP3 were significantly lower than the group with UCB alone. All the data above indicated that ERK /NLRP3/GSDMD signaling pathway involved in UCB-induced ototoxicity.