Immune Components of Liver Damage Associated with Connective Tissue Diseases.

Autoimmune connective tissue diseases are associated with liver abnormalities and often have overlapping pathological and clinical manifestations. As a result, they can present great clinical challenges and evoke questions about diagnostic criteria for liver diseases. Moreover, discriminating between liver involvement as a manifestation of connective tissue disease and primary liver disease can be challenging since they share a similar immunological mechanism.

Diagnostic markers in the structures of human biological liquids.

Introduction: To date, morphology research in laboratory diagnostics has referred only to cell tissues and excluded biological fluids. Our new technology is based on the study of structures of biological fluids formed during transition from liquid to solid state by dehydration under special conditions. These structures are formed due to the special "mosaic" configuration of molecules and microaggregates of the substance (protein and others) dissolved in the studied fluids.

On maximum human life span: interdisciplinary approach about its limits.

Background: This is a theoretical approach on the question on how much maximally may extend the life of human individual. The starting point of this work was the biological consideration of two changes in human characteristics which took place during the last century up to now, namely human beings lived remarkably longer and are becoming taller.

Methods: Demography data and Gompertz deduced mathematics, either related to growth or survival, were the two columns on which the basis of this study has been supported.

Bio-liquid morphological analysis.

Information is presented on the new scientific line in medicine and biology: bio-liquid morphology. The interdisciplinary character of the given research area is emphasized. The problems and prospects of bio-liquid morphological analysis development both in applied and fundamental aspects are discussed.

[Correction of intestinal dysbacteriosis in elderly patients with the use of bifidobacterin introduced by different routes].

The results of the correction of disturbances in intestinal microflora in elderly patients with the use of bifidumbacterin in the form of powder or suppositories are presented. The effectiveness of the rectal administration of bifidumbacterin (by microinjections through an enema or in suppositories) is shown in comparison with the oral administration of the preparation. The administration of bifidumbacterin in suppositories for 15 days resulted in decreased content of hemolytic Escherichia below the threshold of determination in all examined patients.

On the antiatherogenity of calcium channel blockers: studies in proliferating vascular smooth muscle cells on age sensitivity, dose dependent inhibitory effect, and time of action.

We study the effect of diltiazem on cultured vascular smooth muscle cells from humans and rats, paying special attention to its activity in relation to the concentrations applied, incubation times after addition and the capacity to act against the mitogenic activity of insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). The mitotic activity was measured by means of bromodeoxyuridine DNA incorporation. Smooth muscle cells from old individuals showed a dose-dependent regression of the inhibitory level but not those from the young subjects, which showed a remarkable inhibition of mitosis at all concentrations tested.

Immunology of Early and Late Ontogenesis.

Immunological interrelations are one of the most important factors, forming all the periods of ontogenetic body development. At early ontogenesis in the organism of mammals, including humans, the immunological tolerance is induced to own (self) antigens that prevents the development of autoimmune reactions in adult life. The system of immune recognition reaches its fine discriminative capacity in mammals and humans on the background of recognition of self HLA class I (CTL of CD8(+) phenotype) or class II (T helpers of CD4(+) phenotype).

Ageing and longevity are related to growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-1 secretion.

Background: It is known that the growth process is related to an individual's life-span, but the role of growth hormone (GH) secretion in human ageing remains unknown.

Objective: This study has focussed on the influence of GH on ageing parameters and on its relationship with human longevity.

Methods: To deal with the first issue, we compared ageing parameters of young (up to 39) and old (over 70) individuals having similar insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) blood levels.

Age-related loss of proliferative activity of human vascular smooth muscle cells in culture.

This work studied the proliferation activity in cultures of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) from individuals of different ages. The cells derived from arteries of 12 donors of both sexes from 45 to 91 years of age. The main parameter considered was the 'proliferation rate' (cells grown per day in the different culture passages) taking into account the age of the donor.

Phenotypic changes in vascular smooth muscle cells during aging: insulin effect on migration.

We examined the mechanisms by which insulin may be atherogenic during aging. We postulated that an increase in insulin secretion during aging produces growth factor effects on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), promoting these cells to synthesize collagen and to migrate. We have previously demonstrated that insulin stimulates collagen synthesis and release in senescent VSMCs that were obtained from a human organism with high levels of insulin secretion.

Insulin stimulates collagen synthesis in vascular smooth muscle cells from elderly patients.

The process of aging results in an increase in collagen in arterial walls, but the blood levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) decrease remarkably as adults age. There is an almost simultaneous increase in insulin secretion, particularly in obese individuals. It is not known if, under these hormonal conditions, the enrichment of collagen in the arterial wall is due to insulin.

Bone density, vitamin D nutrition, and parathyroid hormone levels in women with dementia.

Objective: To determine whether patients with dementia have reduced bone mass, altered vitamin D, or parathyroid hormone status.

Design: Survey.

Setting: University hospital outpatient department.

Prevalence of dementia among patients referred to an aged care assessment team and associated stress in their carers.

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of dementia among patients referred to an aged care assessment team and to compare levels of burden and psychological morbidity between carers of cognitively normal persons and carers of people with dementia, in this population. Validated cognitive tests were administered to participants drawn from a random sample of all persons referred to the North West Hospital Aged Care Assessment Team, and diagnoses of dementia were made according to ICD-10 criteria. Available carers were assessed for psychological morbidity and burden with the General Health Questionnaire and the Zarit Family Burden Interview.

Altered heat pain thresholds and cerebral event-related potentials following painful CO2 laser stimulation in subjects with fibromyalgia syndrome.

A decrease in mechanical pressure pain thresholds, particularly over pre-designated tender points, is one of the defining characteristics of fibromyalgia syndrome (FS); however, changes in thermal pain sensitivity have not been investigated. The present study examined heat pain thresholds and cerebral event-related potentials following CO2 laser stimulation in 10 subjects with FS and 10 age-matched control volunteers. The results indicate that patients with FS exhibit a significant reduction in heat pain threshold when tested on the dorsal surface of the hand.

Beta A4(25-35) modulates substance P effect on rat skin microvasculature in aged rats: pharmacological manipulation using SEC-receptor ligands.

The primary constituent of the senile plaque core in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the beta-amyloid protein (beta A4). A discrete 11 amino acid fragment of the beta A4, beta A4(25-35), has been implicated in mediating in vitro neurotoxicity and an inflammatory response surrounding senile plaques in AD via interaction with the Serpin Enzyme Complex (SEC) receptor. Substance P (SP), a neuropeptide of the tachykinin family and a major mediator of neurogenic inflammation, shows sequence homology to beta A4(25-35) and has been shown to protect against the neurotoxicity of beta-amyloid.

Effects of ageing on sensory nerve function in rat skin.

Human studies have shown an age-related decrease in modulation of skin vascular reactivity by sensory nerves that correlates with a decline in wound repair efficacy. Using a vacuum-induced blister model in the rat hind footpad, we have investigated age-related changes in pre- and post-terminal activity of primary afferents involved in skin neurovascular function. Changes in local skin blood flow were monitored using a laser Doppler flowmeter.

Sex-related and age-related differences in platelet function in vitro: influence of hematocrit.

Even minor changes in the sodium citrate concentration of citrated plasma from young probands due to diverse hematocrit values were found to affect platelet functional activity following in vitro stimulation. There were no differences between men and women in the platelet aggregation and TXB2 production of young probands with similar hematocrit values. Platelets from elderly persons virtually failed to respond to such changes in plasma sodium citrate.

Arachidonic acid production by Mortierella alpina grown on solid substrates.

Mortierella alpina grown in solid state fermentations on cereal substrates gave up to 16% lipid in the final biomass. Arachidonic was at 50% of total fatty acids, with a yield of 36 mg/g of original substrate. Microbial lipid production was successfully scaled up to use 5-kg dry substrate batches.

In vivo inhibition of the rat primary antibody response to antigenic stimulation by somatostatin.

Somatostatin inhibits in vitro lymphocyte proliferative responses from a variety of species including human, mouse and rat. The immunoinhibitory effects of somatostatin are thought to involve binding to specific cell surface somatostatin receptors on immunocompetent cells. This report describes an in vivo immunoinhibitory effect of somatostatin on the rat popliteal lymph node lymphocyte primary antibody response to sheep red blood cell (SRBC) stimulation.

Effect of lipid autoperoxidation on the activity of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (Ca2+-Mg2+)ATPase reconstituted into egg yolk phosphatidylcholine bilayers.

The activity of (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)ATPase reconstituted into egg yolk phosphatidylcholine liposomes is reduced when the lipid has been oxidized before the reconstitution procedure. It is suggested that the reversible decrease in activity is caused by a decrease of the lipid bilayer thickness due to the shortening of lipid acyl chains during autoperoxidation; the irreversible decrease in the activity is caused by chemical reactions of the enzyme SH groups with the lipid autoperoxidation products.

Skin vascular reactivity to the neuropeptide substance P in rats with peripheral mononeuropathy.

A compression neuropathy model that produces pain-related behaviour in rats was used to investigate changes in skin vascular reactivity in the innervated area. Neuropathy was produced by 4 ligatures tied loosely around the common sciatic nerve. Vascular reactivity was assessed via perfusion of the neuropeptide substance P (SP) over the base of a blister raised on the rat foot pad.