Cardiorespiratory fitness mediates cortisol and lactate responses to winter and summer marches.

Background: The influence of homeostatically regulated physiological processes, including cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max), on the response to physical stressors such as acclimatisation and marching, remains understudied. We aimed to investigate the effects of summer and winter acclimatisation and marching on cortisol levels and blood lactate, to gain insight into the role of these physiological processes in the stress response.

Methods: Two groups of young Europeans, classified as poor (PCF; n=9) and good physical condition (GCF; n=21), based on a VO2MAX threshold of 40 mL O2/ kg/min, underwent 2-h March (6-7 km/h) in winter (5˚C) and summer (32˚C).

Correlation of local and systemic expression of survivin with histopathological parameters of cutaneous melanoma.

Background/aim: Survivin is a multifunctional protein abundantly expressed in tumors of various types, including melanoma. There are still sparse data regarding relationship of melanoma cell survivin expression with accepted histopathological characteristics as well as serum concentration. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of local tumor survivin expression (primary tumor and metastatic lesions) and serum concentration with clinical and histopathological parameters in melanoma patients.

Influence of dental filling material type on the concentration of interleukin 9 in the samples of gingival crevicular fluid.

Background/aim: Several cytokines and lymphokines (IL1β, ENA78, IL6, TNFα, IL8 and S100A8) are expressed during dental pulp inflammation. Analysis of gingival crevicu-lar fluid (GCF) offers a non-invasive means of studying gen-eral host response in oral cavity. Although GCF levels of various mediators could reflect the state of inflammation both in dental pulp and gingiva adjacent to a tooth, GCF samples of those without significant gingivitis could be inter-preted as reflection of pulpal process.

Nitric oxide synthase inhibitors partially inhibit oxidative stress development in the rat brain during sepsis provoked by cecal ligation and puncture.

IOxidative stress development in different brain structures and the influence of nitric oxide (NO) overproduction during sepsis was investigated using male Wistar rats. Rats were subjected to cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) or were sham-operated. To evaluate the source of NO production, 30 min before the operation septic and control animals were treated with single intraperitoneal doses of NO synthase (NOS) inhibitors: L-NAME and aminoguanidine (AG) (10, 30 or 90 mg/kg) and 7-nitroindazole (7-NI) (30 mg/kg).

The effect of inhibition of nitric oxide synthase on aluminium-induced toxicity in the rat brain.

The goal of the present study was to examine the effectiveness of a non-specific nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) to modulate the toxicity of aluminium chloride (AlCl3). Rats were killed at 3 h and at 30 days after treatments and the striatum was removed. Nitrite, superoxide, superoxide dismutase activity, malondialdehyde and reduced glutathione were determined.

Oxidative stress in rat kidneys due to 3,4-methylenedioxymetamphetamine (ecstasy) toxicity.

Aim: The mechanism of MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine)-induced toxicity is believed to be, in part, due to enhanced oxidative stress. As MDMA is eliminated via the kidney, the aim of this study was to investigate whether MDMA created conditions of oxidative stress within rat kidney.

Methods: Adult male Wistar rats were divided into three groups, control treatment (water), acute MDMA administration (single oral dose: 5, 10, 20 or 40 mg/kg body weight) and subacute MDMA administration (5, 10, or 20 mg/kg body weight per day during 14 days).