7 research outputs found
Kidney Transplantation: A Chance for Life
Kidney transplantation has grown increasingly popular as a treatment option for patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) because it results in a better quality of life and a longer survival rate than dialysis. One of the benefits of transplantation is that patients are no longer restricted by the limits imposed by the specifics of their disease.Tens of thousands of patients worldwide are waiting for organ transplants; their fate is determined by the development of transplantology in the respective region of the world, as well as by the legislation that regulates the legal foundations of this science and practice. The problem with donations should be raised and discussed in order to direct the public's attention to it. National policy makers and health-care authorities must face the problem and adapt the health-care system to meet the current transplant needs
Forest vegetation diversity of Slivenska Mountain (eastern Stara planina, Bulgaria)
This study deals with the diversity of forest vegetation in the Slivenska Mountain (Eastern Stara planina) and presents a contemporary classification scheme for the identified syntaxa. A total of 137 relevés were collected and analyzed using specialized software (JUICE 7.0 and PC-ORD Version 4). As a result, forest vegetation is classified into 10 associations, 3 subassociations, 4 variants and 5 communities They belong to 7 alliances, 5 orders and 3 classes: Carpino-Fagetea sylvaticae, Quercetea pubescentis and Alno glutinosae-Populetea albae. The recorded 18 distinguished vegetation groups show a relatively high diversity of forest plant communities of the study area
Surface Functionalization of Cotton Fabric with Fluorescent Dendrimers, Spectral Characterization, Cytotoxicity, Antimicrobial and Antitumor Activity
Poly(propylenimine) dendrimers from first and third generations modified with 1,8-naphthalimide units and their Zn(II) complexes have been investigated by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. These dendrimers have been deposited on a cotton cloth by the extraction method, producing yellow-colored textile materials. They have been characterized by defining their color coordinates L*a*b*, XYZ and xy. The antimicrobial activity of dendrimers has been investigated in vitro against model gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and yeasts. Being deposited onto the surface of cotton fabric, the studied dendrimers reduced bacterial growth and prevented the formation of bacterial biofilm. Anticancer and cytotoxicity activities have also been performed against HeLa and Lep-3 human tumor cell lines as model systems
Аntimicrobial and anticancer activity of new poly(propyleneamine) metallodendrimers
The synthesis, EPR characterisation and biological
evaluation of two new metallodendrimers, i.e. a
poly(propyleneamine) dendrimer functionalized at the external
surface with 4-bromo-1,8-naphthalimide and conjugated
with Cu(II) and Zn(II), was performed with the aimto evaluate
their antimicrobial and anticancer activity. The antimicrobial
activity was investigated in meat-peptone broth against bacteria
B. subtilis and P. aeruginosa, and the yeast C. lipolytica.
The results showed that the compounds inhibited effectively
the tested pathogens even after their deposition on a textile
fabric. Anticancer activity was investigated against three human
permanent cell lines from non-small cell lung cancer
(A549), triple negative breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) and
carcinoma of the uterine cervix (HeLa) in the c = 0.01–
30 μM concentration range. The results suggest that these
compounds are promising for application in biomedicine as
anticancer drugs in the design of new effective preparations.
The antimicrobial and anticancer activity may be related to the
peculiar structural and dynamical properties revealed for the
Cu(II) complexes, by a computer aided analysis of the electron
paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra. This analysis indicated
the formation, at the lowest Cu(II) concentrations, of a
flexible rhombic Cu-N4 coordination with the internal amino
groups of the dendrimer, which transformed into a Cu2-N4
coordination already at 0.25 equiv. of Cu(II)
Neuroprotective Effects of Myrtenal in an Experimental Model of Dementia Induced in Rats
There is growing attention on natural substances capable of stimulating the cholinergic system and of exerting antioxidant effects, as potential therapeutic agents in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The aim of the present study is to evaluate the expected neuroprotective mechanisms of myrtenal (M) in an experimental model of dementia in rats. Dementia was induced in male Wistar rats by scopolamine (Sc) administration (0.1 mg/kg for 8 days and 20.0 mg/kg on day 9). The animals were divided into 5 groups (1) Controls; (2) Sc; (3) Sc + Myrtenal (40 mg/kg), (4) Sc + Galantamine (1 mg/kg); (5) Sc + Lipoic acid (30 mg/kg). Changes in recognition memory and habituation were evaluated via the Novel Object Recognition and Open Field tests. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, ACh levels, and changes in oxidative status of the brain were measured biochemically. The histological changes in two brain regions—cortex and hippocampus, were evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively. Myrtenal improved recognition memory and habituation, exerted antioxidant effects and significantly increased ACh brain levels. Histologically, the neuroprotective capacity of myrtenal was also confirmed. For the first time, we have demonstrated the neuroprotective potential of myrtenal in an experimental model of dementia. Our study provides proof-of-concept for the testing of myrtenal, in association with standard of care treatments, in patients affected by cognitive decline