Serum cholinesterase activity and proteosynthetic function of liver in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is associated with a lot of changes in intermediary metabolism and several authors reported on higher frequency of liver diseases in patients with diabetes.

Aim Of The Study: Was to establish the changes of blood serum cholinesterase, prealbumin and albumin, parameters which are accepted as an index of liver proteosynthetic function, in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Patients And Methods: The study group consisted of 207 patients with diabetes mellitus (83 patients with type I and 124 patients with type II diabetes mellitus).

Serum laboratory markers for noninvasive diagnosis and monitoring of liver fibrogenesis in patients with chronic liver diseases.

Progressive hepatic fibrosis with the development of cirrhosis is a feature of almost all chronic liver diseases. Liver biopsy remains to be the gold standard for the diagnosis and staging of liver fibrosis. Laboratory tests for noninvasive diagnosis of liver fibrosis have been studied extensively in the past years.

[Qualitative characteristics of selected species of the genus Echinacea Moench].

The paper examined the effect of production-technological conditions in relation to the ontogenetic stage of plants in three different species of the genus Echinacea Moench., comparing the species Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea atrorubens, and Echinacea pallida. It also examined the differences in the content of essential oil in different plant organs and evaluated the representation of individual components in the essential oils of the species under study at the stage of the optimal maturity for collection.

[Changes in the relative levels of fatty acids in blood and myocardium in the Prague breed of rats with hereditary hypercholesteremia after administration of slow calcium channel blockers].

The present paper describes the effect of six-week oral administration of verapamil and diltiazem (1 mg.kg-1 of weight two times daily in 12 hour intervals) on the content of fatty acids of the serum and myocardium of PHHC rats. A cholesterol diet changes the content of fatty acids of the serum and myocardium of PHHC rats in comparison with control rats without the cholesterol diet.

[Modification of the composition of the hypertrophic myocardium by beta adrenergic blockade].

Adaptation of the rabbit heart to volume load of the left ventricle is characterized by hypertrophic growth. This process involves an increase in the mass and changes in the composition of the myocardium. In the fifth week after perforation of the aortic valve an increase in phospholipid content and in mitochondria and a decrease in protein content was observed in the myocardium.

Zearalenone production in wheat cultivars infected with the fungusFusarium graminearum Schwabe.

In wheat plants of the eultivars "Danubia", "Agra", "Selekta" and "Jubilejna" the fungusFusarium graminsarum Schwabe produced toxic metabolite zearalenone/F-2/ which simultaneously influenced the development of plants characterized by a lower germinating capacity, a reduced growth rate and a higher production of side branches. The presence ofFusarium graminearum was confirmed only in infected plants after plating of organs (root, stem base, stem) and soil on agar medium. The mycotoxin production is dependent on the pathogen development in host plants.

[Phospholipids in the human myometrium in various stages of contraction before and during labor].

A detailed analysis of the myometrium showed that the physical state of phospholipids--fluidity--depends on the ratio of their individual components and changes in relation to the state of contractile activity. The results indicate that before term of labor changes in the fluidity of myometrial phospholipids as well as increased availability of arachidonic acid for prostaglandin synthesis can induce preterm onset of contractile activity. Possibilities of affecting these mechanisms, which belong to the many potential factors inducing preterm labor, are discussed.