Synthesis and characterization of some new bishydrazones derived from isatin.

Unlabelled: The scientific literature states that isatin and its derivatives exhibit antibacterial, antifungal, anticonvulsant, cytotoxic and anti-HIV activities. The aim of our study was to enlarge the number of isatin derivatives.

Material And Method: We synthesized some new hydrazones and then, the corresponding bishydrazones using salicylaldehyde.

Flow cytometry-based quantification of cytokine levels in AML patients plasma and cell culture supernatants.

Aim: Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) have been found to support leukemic cell survival; however, the mechanisms responsible are far from being elucidated yet. The main aim of the current study is to identify particular cytokine/chemokine patterns of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells, and, on a longer term, to correlate them with the patient outcome and response to therapy. Therefore, the influence of BMSCs on in vitro modulation of cytokine secretion (IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, IL-10, IFN-gamma, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-2) by AML cells as well as the AML cells supportive capacity of BMSCs-derived soluble factors was investigated.

Nutrigenomics in postgenomic era.

The last years modified major our conceptions about nutrition. These revolutionary changes were produced by implementation of new techniques of functional genomics. The nutrigenomics and nutrigenomics provide powerful approaches to unravel the complex relationships between bioactive molecules, genetic polymorphisms and biological system and can give rise to personalized nutrition and dietary recommendations.

Anti-TNF-alpha therapies in chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma are chronic diseases in which inflammation of the airways leads to progressive transient airway obstruction and TNF-alpha plays an important pro-inflammatory role.

Objective: To assess the plausibility of anti-TNF-alpha therapies playing an anti-inflammatory role in asthma and COPD.

Methods: Scientific rationale of TNF-alpha targeting in asthma and COPD was assessed individually and the available data on the use of anti-TNF-alpha in each disease were reviewed.

Synthesis and antituberculosis action of some new pyruvic acid derivatives.

Unlabelled: The present paper studies the synthesis and activity of 12 new azoic derivatives against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Material And Method: In order to obtain new antituberculosis substances, we studied 6 thiadiazolic derivatives and 6 triazolic derivatives of pyruvic acid and we observed the influence of the different radical groups inserted in the molecule on their antituberculosis activity. For this study we developed a simple method to obtain the new derivatives.

In vitro antimicrobial activity and chemical composition of the essential oil of Foeniculum vulgare Mill.

Unlabelled: In our study, four samples of volatile oil from Foeniculum vulgare, cultivated in different pedoclimatic conditions, were investigated for their antimicrobial activity and chemical composition.

Material And Methods: Organisms. Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Candida albicans were included in the report.

Clinical and pathological aspects of epithelial hyperplasia.

In many cases, the oral health status indicates the general status of the body. 90% of the disorders of the body also manifest at the level of the oral cavity, which means that the dentist can draw the attention of a certain health problem. Diabetes mellitus is associated with a high prevalence of the lesions of the oral mucous, especially lichen planus, recurrent aphthous stomatitis or oral candidiasis.

The influence of leukotriene receptors' antagonists on experimentally induced ulcer in rats.

Aim: Gastric mucosal cells synthesize a large number of eicosanoids (including leukotrienes) which are distinctively involved in ulcerogenesis. This experimental study investigated the effect of 4 leukotriene receptors' antagonists on indomethacin(IND)-induced ulcer in rats.

Material And Methods: Animals were divided into six groups (of 8 rats each) which received as follows: group I (control)--saline; group II--IND 20 mg/kg p.

Modulatory role of bivalent cations on reward system.

Bivalent cations (Ca, Mg, Zn, Mn etc.) modulate activity of reward system (RS). At physiologic levels they may influence all components of RS.

Adipokines involvement in lung function.

The last two decades brings many data about white adipose tissue capacity to secrete hormones, named adipokines, which could mediate the relationship between obesity and lung diseases. In this paper we presented some data about adipokines involvement on pulmonary function, with special emphasis on leptin, adiponectin, tumor necrosis factor alpha, vascular endothelial growth factor, resistin, hepatocyte growth factor, interleukin-6, angiotensinogen and apelin.

Somatostatin analogs for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis therapy.

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a potentially lethal disease characterized by diffuse multifocal fibrosis. SOM230 (also known as pasireotide), a somatostatin analog, is a potential antifibrotic therapy in early evaluative phase.

Objective: Evaluation of data on the role of somatostatin receptors in pulmonary fibrosis and of in vivo and in vitro SOM230 antifibrotic activities.

Immunohistochemical markers in the study of gallbladder premalignant lesions and cancer.

Aim: The aim of the study was to perform a comparative analysis of proliferative and apoptotic activity as well as of microvascular density (MVD) in metaplasia, dysplasia and gallbladder carcinoma.

Material And Method: There were investigated 10 cases of chronic cholecystitis associating premalignant lesions and 5 cases of gallbladder carcinoma developed on a chronic cholecystitis background. The immunohistochemical (IHC) staining was made using Ki-67, p53 and CD34 antibodies, and the streptavidin-biotin method.

Contractile effects of angiotensinogen and its multiple metabolization pathways on vessel walls.

The contractile effects of angiotensinogen (Aogen) and its metabolization pathways were studied on rat renal vein (RRV), rat pulmonary artery (RPA) and human umbilical vein (HUV) rings. Experiments were made in the presence or in the absence of pepstatin A (a renin inhibitor, 10 microM), captopril (an ACE inhibitor, 10 microM), chymostatin (a chymase inhibitor, 10 microM), amastatin (an aminopeptidase-A and -M inhibitor) or losartan (a specific AT1 blocker, 10 microM). On all rings, Aogen-induced contractions were reduced by pepstatin A or captopril, amplified by amastatin and blocked by losartan.

Th1 and Th2 cytokine response in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and health care workers occupationally exposed to M. tuberculosis.

Unlabelled: Aiming to detect reliable markers indicating protection from or susceptibility to tuberculosis infection, we investigated both Th1/Th2 cytokines and total IgE plasma levels in health care workers occupationally exposed to M. tuberculosis, in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and in healthy persons.

Material And Method: The study groups have included 15 health care workers in close contact with TB patients, patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis at diagnosis and after treatment (12 advanced and 10 moderate TB, of which 6 had also pleurisy) and 20 healthy volunteers.

Relaxing effects of adrenomedullin in rat mesenteric resistance arteries.

Unlabelled: Exogenous adrenomedullin (ADM) is hypotensive in very small doses, through direct vasodilation of resistance arteries. In different region this is variably mediated by ADM and CGRP receptors. Mechanisms involve ADM effects upon smooth muscle to increase cAMP and to activate K+ channels, plus stimulation of endothelial NO release and inhibition of sympathetic noradrenaline release.

Relationship between osteopontin and vascular calcifications in type 2 diabetic patients.

Aim: To measure circulating osteopontin levels in a cohort of type 2 diabetic patients and to determine whether osteopontin could be associated with lower limb arteries calcifications, either intimal (atherosclerotic) or medial (mediacalcinosis).

Methods: Osteopontin was measured in 60 patients with type 2 diabetes who were subdivided in three groups: group 1 (n=19) was characterized by the absence of peripheral vascular calcifications on plain soft tissue radiograms; group 2 (n=18) presented intimal calcifications without mediacalcinosis; in group 3 (n=23), mediacalcinosis was the dominant pattern.

Results: Osteopontin levels were significantly higher in patients with mediacalcinosis (558 ng/ml [140-2289], median [range]) than in subjects without vascular calcifications (337 [134-841], P = 0.

Extragastric manifestations of Helicobacter pylori infection.

The role of Helicobacter pylori (HP) in some digestive diseases (gastritis, ulcer, gastric cancer, MALT lymphoma) is well known. It has been suggested relatively recently that infection with HP can be involved in various extra-digestive conditions: respiratory disorders (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis, lung cancer, pulmonary tuberculosis, bronchial asthma); vascular disorders (ischaemic heart disease, stroke, primary Raynaud phenomena, primary headache); autoimmune disorders (Sjogren syndrome, Henoch-Schonlein purpura, autoimmune thrombocytopenia, autoimmune thyroiditis, Parkinson's disease, idiopathic chronic urticaria, rosacea, alopecia areata); other disorders (iron deficiency anaemia, growth retardations, liver cirrhosis). Case studies, small patient series and non-randomized trials that have shown a beneficial effect of HP eradication in different conditions are not convincing.

In vitro study of staphylococci susceptibility to gatifloxacin.

Unlabelled: Gatifloxacin is in a class of drug called fluoroquinolone antibiotics. It eliminates bacteria that cause many infections, such as pneumonia and bronchitis, sinus, respiratory tract and urinary tract infections and sexually transmitted diseases. Gatifloxacin ophthalmic solution is used to treat bacterial conjunctivitis.

The effects of dietary flaxseed supplementation on lipid metabolism in streptozotocin-induced diabetic hamsters.

Unlabelled: Vascular complications, such as atherosclerosis, represent an important cause of morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary flaxseed supplementation, a rich source of lignans, a-linolenic acid and soluble fiber mucilage on serum and hepatic lipid concentrations in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in hamsters.

Methods: Twenty-four male Golden Syrian hamsters were used in this experiment; diabetes was induced in half of them by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg body weight), and both diabetic and control groups were divided in 2 subgroups, one fed standard diet, and one fed standard diet supplemented with flaxseed (15%), for 20 weeks.

Relaxation and polarization of precontracted rat aortic smooth muscle by sodium nitrite and an L-type channel blocker.

Unlabelled: Membrane potential (MP) is essential for smooth muscle (SM) contraction, mainly by determining the activity of L-type Ca2+ channels (Ca(L)). Although a widely used SM model, there are few electrophysiology studies in rat aorta.

Aim: We investigated the mechanism of SM relaxation induced by NaNO2 in comparison with a Ca(L) blocker.

Method for protein tagging in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Tagging is a useful method for the investigation of proteins. It allows the localization of the proteins in the cell, their purification in order to investigate their function and the determination of their expression. The aim of the present study was to tag the Rad32 protein of fission yeast (which is the homologue of Mre11 protein from humans) at its N-terminus.

Mechanical ventilation in vascular coma patients.

Vascular coma is one of the leading complications in patients suffering cerebrovascular accidents and it is therefore entirely appropriate that we should consider what critical care has to offer in this devastating disease process. Vascular coma patients need ventilatory assistance; Intubation and mechanical ventilation represent a life saving intervention. As critical care is subjected to progressive changes, careful definition of the role of mechanical ventilation, its types, and the ability of such a form of life sustaining support to affect patient outcome in multi-sided directions is mandatory.

Adenosquamous cervical carcinoma morphological characteristics.

Adenosquamous carcinomas range between 5-25% of cervical cancers and are composed by an admixture of malignant squamous and glandular elements. The aim of our study was to identify some common characteristics and to evaluate the correlation between the degrees of differentiation of the two components. We analyzed 15 cases diagnosed in a 6 years period.

Computer-aided identification of renal corpuscle elements in RGB and HLS color images.

Unlabelled: The qualitative and quantitative changes in the structure of the renal corpuscle allow the assessment of the glomerular involvement degree, defining each type of glomerulonephritis. Recently, several works dedicated to glomerulonephritis focus on the quantitative investigation, achieved by digital (numerical) image processing, where the identification of the interest elements is a key stage.

Objectives: The aim of the study was the elaboration of a technique for constructing reliable color models in the RGB and HLS spaces for each element of the structure of the renal corpuscle.

Flaxseed supplementation in hyperlipidemic patients.

Unlabelled: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of daily consumption of dietary flaxseed (as a source of linolenic acid, LNA) on plasma lipid concentrations in mildly hyperlipidemic patients.

Methods: 40 hyperlipidemic patients with plasma total cholesterol greater than 240 mg/dL were distributed in 3 groups: 10 patients who received hypo-lipidic diet (diet group), 10 patients who received hypo-lipidic diet plus statins (diet+HL group), 20 patients who received hypo-lipidic diet plus 20 g ground flax-seeds/day (diet+flax group). Body mass index (BMI), serum total cholesterol (TC), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG) and cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio were measured at the beginning and after 60 days of treatment.