Publications by authors named "W Markiewicz"

This study analysed the influence of montelukast (MON), a cysteinyl leukotriene receptor antagonist, and nifedipine, an L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channel blocker, on the contractility of the porcine uterine smooth muscle. Myometrial strips were collected from the sexually immature (n=8), cyclic (12-14 days of the oestrous cycle; n=8) and pregnant (27-28 days of pregnancy; n=8) gilts and stimulated with a) MON or nifedipine at concentrations of 10-8-10-4 M and b) increasing concentrations of nifedipine after previous administration of MON at a concentration of 10-4 M. The changes in the tension, amplitude and frequency of contractions were determined with the Hugo Sachs Elektronik equipment for measuring isometric contractions.

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Introduction: Bisphenols, as endocrine disruptors, may cause a wide range of health problems in humans, but so far, not all of them have been confirmed in animals, including pigs. Since animals are also exposed to bisphenols, we hypothesised that these substances may have an effect on uterine contractility in pigs. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate the effect of the most-used bisphenol, bisphenol A (BPA), and a selected analogue, bisphenol F (BPF), on the contractile activity of the pig uterus.

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Quercetin is a polyphenolic flavonoid occurring in leaves, stems, flowers and fruits of many plants. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is used as a natural therapeutic agent with a broad spectrum of activities (antioxidant, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antibacterial and antiviral). Moreover, quercetin affects function of the reproductive tract, however the knowledge of this activity is still fragmentary.

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This study was aimed at disclosing the influence of intravesically instilled guanethidine (GUA) on the distribution, relative frequency and chemical coding of both the urinary bladder intramural sympathetic nerve fibers and their parent cell bodies in the caudal mesenteric ganglion (CaMG) in juvenile female pigs. GUA instillation led to a profound decrease in the number of perivascular nerve terminals. Furthermore, the chemical profile of the perivascular innervation within the treated bladder also distinctly changed, as most of axons became somatostatin-immunoreactive (SOM-IR), while in the control animals they were found to be neuropeptide Y (NPY)-positive.

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Definitions of biological medicinal products (BMPs) vary depending on the source. BMPs are manufactured using complex biological/biotechnological processes involving living cell lines, tissues and organisms such as microorganisms, plants, humans and even animals. Advances in modern biotechnological methods and genetic engineering have made it possible to search for new drugs with a targeted effect and simultaneous reduction of adverse effects, which has resulted in BMPs dynamically increasing their share in the pharmaceutical market.

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