Publications by authors named "Marin Tota"

To explore the interaction effects of ciprofloxacin and ampicillin with nickel on the growth of bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus strain ATCC 29213, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 were used. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined for nickel, ciprofloxacin and ampicillin, and the checkerboard method was used to assess their cumulative effects on bacterial growth. The interactions between the metal and antibiotics were assessed by the fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC).

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Periodontitis is a common oral disease affecting the tooth-supporting tissues. Bacteria have been long viewed as the main causative factor in its development; however, many investigations have proved that aberrant immune and inflammatory response and the resulting misbalance between the damage caused by reactive oxygen species and the antioxidant capacity of tissues may be an underlying factor in disease progression that reduces healing potential. The objective of the current trial is to assess the outcomes of the addition of hyaluronic acid (HA) to standard non-surgical periodontal therapy (NST) on some major oxidative stress markers in saliva.

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The presence of nickel could modify bacterial behavior and susceptibility to antimicrobial agents. Adhesion and biofilm formation on orthodontic archwires can be a source of bacterial colonization and possible health hazards. was subjected to exposure and adaptation to various sub-inhibitory concentrations of nickel.

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To analyze iron- and gender-dependent mechanisms possibly involved in pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) in this study we evaluated the effects of iron overload (IO) on iron status and lipid peroxidation processes (LPO) in tissues of female and male DA rats during chronic relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, a well-established MS animal model. Rats were treated by iron sucrose (75mg/kg bw/day) or with saline solution during two weeks before the sensitization with bovine brain homogenate in complete Freund's adjuvant. Clinical signs of EAE were monitored during 29 days.

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Environmental impact of natural gas facility near Molve (Podravina, Croatia) was assessed using hares (Lepus europaeus Pallas) as biomonitors. Elevated levels of heavy metals in the environment lead to their accumulation in different tissues of hares. The authors have tested accumulation and distribution of several metals in hare liver, kidney, and muscle tissues.

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To investigate the effects of air pollution related with the gasoline/petrochemical industry the expression of metallothionein I (MT-I) mRNA and tissue metals were analyzed in organs of mice, exposed to gasoline (G) vapor in laboratory conditions. Control groups consisted of intact mice and of those exposed in the metabolic chamber to fresh air. The data obtained by RT-PCR and inductively coupled plasma spectrometry have shown that exposure to G vapor leads to upregulation of MT-I mRNA in organs that receive a strong respiratory and olfactory input or participate in gasoline degradation and elimination (lungs, brain, kidney and liver).

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Metallothioneins (MTs) are small, cysteine-rich proteins which have been implicated in various forms of stress providing cytoprotective action against oxidative injury, DNA damage and apoptosis. Owing to their high affinity for physiological metals, such as zinc and copper MTs are also critical components of regulatory proteins involved in cell growth and multiplication, as well as in the maintenance of immune homeostasis. To elucidate the role of MTs in the pathomechanisms of autoimmune CNS disorders we estimated the expression of MT I+II proteins and the content of free Zn ions in the brain, spinal cord and in the liver early in the course of chronic relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (CR-EAE) pathogenesis, i.

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Objectives: Compared to the Dark Agouti (DA), the Albino Oxford (AO) rat strain exhibits lower susceptibility to the induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Here, we investigated the potential contribution of the heavy metal-binding proteins metallothioneins (MTs) I/II to these effects.

Methods: Rats were immunized with bovine brain homogenate emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant or only with complete Freund's adjuvant.

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The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of olive oil (00) enriched diet on the lipid content of mice brain during the early phase of liver regeneration and to test a relationship of these changes with calcium content. C57BI mice were fed over 21 days with diet enriched with olive oil, containing predominantly oleic acid (18:1n-9). The animals were one-third partially hepatectomised (pHx) under aether anaesthesia.

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To elucidate the role of metallothioneins (MTs) in the pathomechanisms of autoimmune CNS disorders we estimated the expression of MTs I+II and the tissue concentrations of Zn²+ and Cu²+ in the brain, spinal cord (SC) and in the liver during the periods of attacks and remissions in chronic relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (CR-EAE). Disease was induced in the genetically susceptible Dark Agouti (DA) rats by subcutaneous injection of bovine brain homogenate in CFA. Control rats were treated with CFA.

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To elucidate the role of iron in the pathomechanisms of autoimmune CNS disorders, we estimated the tissue concentrations of Fe(2+) in the brain, spinal cord, and liver in the chronic relapsing form of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). The disease was induced in Dark Agouti (DA) strain of rats, by subcutaneous injection of bovine brain homogenate in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). Control rats consisted of unsensitized rats and of rats treated with CFA or saline.

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The influence of dietary fats on cellular alpha-tocopherol and retinol uptake in iron overload is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a high-iron diet on the retinol and alpha-tocopherol levels in mice fed olive oil- and corn oil-enriched diets. Mice were fed for 3 weeks a standard mouse chow (the control group) and diets enriched with 5% by weight of corn oil or olive oil.

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To better elucidate previous results showing that partial hepatectomy noticeably changes the tissue content of zinc, calcium, magnesium, and iron(II) ions in regenerating the liver, thymus, and spleen, we report on the correlation of these metal tissue kinetics in these organs with the expression of metallothionein-I+II (MT-I+II) proteins and MT-I mRNA in early postoperative period (1, 2, 6, 12, and 24 h) after one-third hepatectomy (pHx). The results showed that 2 h after pHx the regenerating liver accumulated Zn2+, Ca2+, Mg2+, and Fe2+ ions while decreasing the concentration of all these metals in the spleen and of Zn2+ in the thymus. On the 24th h, a new high accumulation of Zn2+ and Ca2+ was seen in the regenerating liver and of Zn2+, Ca2+, and Fe2+ in the spleen.

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The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of high dietary Fe on liver antioxidant status in mice fed a corn-oil-enriched diet. Male Balb/c mice were fed for 3 wk with a standard diet enriched with 5% by weight of corn oil with adequate Fe (FCO diet) or supplemented with 1% carbonyl Fe (FCOFe diet). The control group was fed a standard diet.

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Liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy (pHx) is a well-defined process, which involves the concerted action of extra- and intracellular factors resulting in induction of cell replication and its inhibition at the time when the entire liver mass is restored. Concomitantly, the breakdown of previously maintained tolerance and the exposure of self-antigens lead to the activation of preimmune and immune repertoires, which participate in surveillance against aberrant cells and the re-establishment of previous morphostasis. Because, in these events, important biological function might have tissue minerals that are affecting the structural integrity and enzyme activities, transduction signals, transcription and replication factors during cell proliferation and apoptosis, as well as the development and maintenance of immune functions and cytokine production, in this study we analyzed tissue dynamics of zinc, iron, magnesium, and calcium in the liver, thymus, spleen, and submandibular gland in intact and pHx mice on the 1st, 2nd, 7th, and 15th d after one-third pHx, using microwave digestion and inductivity coupled plasma spectrometry.

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