Low dose of carvacrol prevents rat pancreas tissue damage after L-arginine application, while higher doses cause pancreatic tissue impairment.

Carvacrol (5-isopropyl-2-methylphenol) is a biologically active monoterpene phenol abundantly present in the essential oils of many Lamiaceae aromatic/ethnomedicinal plants. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the damaging effect of carvacrol to rat pancreatic tissue, but also to assess its possible ameliorative impact on pancreatic damage induced by L-arginine. The toxic and beneficial (in a dose of 10 mg/kg) properties of carvacrol were assessed by measuring serum α-amylase and lipase activities, tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and pathohistological changes in pancreatic tissue.

Physicochemical and biochemical parameters in milk of Serbian breastfeeding women.

Background/aim: This study was undertaken to determine the changes and relationships between some important milk constituents as well as physical, rheological, and biochemical parameters of milk obtained from Serbian breastfeeding mothers.

Materials And Methods: Physicochemical and biochemical parameters and the concentrations of vitamins, uric acid, and minerals were determined during the three periods of lactation covering colostrum, transitional, and mature milk collected from 67 mothers who had a term-pregnancy.

Results: Large interindividual variations regarding many parameters were found between mothers at the same period of lactation, but the average values were mostly in the expected and recommended ranges.

Antioxidant and proapoptotic effects of anthocyanins from bilberry extract in rats exposed to hepatotoxic effects of carbon tetrachloride.

Aims: The aim of this research was to determine the hepatoprotective effects of anthocyanins from bilberry extract in rats exposed to carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) by monitoring the parameters of oxidative stress and apoptosis, and by performing the histopathological and morphometric analyses.

Main Methods: Animals were divided into four groups: Group I (0.9% NaCl-10days), Group II (bilberry extract, 75mg/kg-10days), Group III (0,9% NaCl-9days, and on the tenth day CCl4-2ml/kg), Group IV (bilberry extract, 75mg/kg-10days and on the tenth day CCl4-2ml/kg).

Immunosuppressive medication adherence in kidney transplant patients.

Objectives: To assess the degree of immunosuppressive medication adherence in kidney transplant patients (KTPs) and to determine if there is a difference in the rate of adherence to tacrolimus (Tac), cyclosporine (CsA) and sirolimus (Sir).

Subjects And Methods: From a total of 63 KTPs treated at the Clinic of Nephrology, Clinical Centre Niš, Serbia, 60 participated in the study by responding to questionnaires. They were divided into the adherence group (n = 43) and the nonadherence group (n = 17) according to their degree of adherence which was measured using a validated survey form, the simplified medication adherence questionnaire.

Lentiviral-mediated correction of MPS VI cells and gene transfer to joint tissues.

Joint disease in mucopolysaccharidosis type VI (MPS VI) remains difficult to treat despite the success of enzyme replacement therapy in treating other symptoms. In this study, the efficacy of a lentiviral vector to transduce joint tissues and express N-acetylgalactosamine-4-sulphatase (4S), the enzyme deficient in MPS VI, was evaluated in vitro and the expression of beta-galactosidase was used to evaluate transduction in vivo. High viral copy number was achieved in MPS VI fibroblasts and 4-sulphatase activity reached 12 times the normal level.