MODERN THERAPEUTIC PERSPECTIVES IN THE TREATMENT OF SUDDENLY INSTALLED DEAFNESS

Introduction. Sudden hearing loss constitutes a medical emergency requiring immediate clinical and laboratory tests, as well as an adequate and quickly established treatment. According to literature data, sudden hearing loss is a major health problem because of the urban noise exposure, but especially by increasing the number of cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases, immune diseases and neurological diseases. In the literature are cited multiple causes of disease, but studies show that the pathogenesis is determined only in 10-15% of cases. The diagnosis of sudden hearing loss is one of exclusion, that can't be set until after the elimination of the causal factors possible. The main theories aetio-pathogenic include vascular cause and noise exposure. Matherial and method. A significant number of studies support the idea that inflammatory responses are intimately associated with vascular trauma and noise exposure. Inflammation, however, is a normal adaptive response aimed at restoring tissue functionality and homeostasis after infection, tissue injury and even stress under sterile conditions, and suppressing it could have unintended negative consequences. Therefore, an appropriate approach to prevent or ameliorate hearing loss should involve improving the resolution of the inflammatory process in the cochlea rather than inhibiting this phenomenon. Results and conclusions. The resolution of inflammation is not a passive response but rather an active, highly controlled and coordinated process. Inflammation by itself produces specialized pro-resolving mediators with critical functions, including essential fatty acid derivatives (lipoxins, resolvins, protectins and maresins), proteins and peptides such as annexin A1 and galectins, purines (adenosine), gaseous mediators (NO, H2S and CO), as well as neuromodulators like acetylcholine and netrin-1. In this review article, the authors describe recent advances in the understanding of the resolution phase of inflammation and highlight therapeutic strategies that might be useful in preventing inflammation-induced cochlear damage

The Assessment of the Type of Substrate and LEDs’ Irradiation Influence on Garden Cress Sprouts (<i>Lepidium sativum</i> L.)

In the current context of climate change and life on Earth, the purpose of this paper is to establish the effects of different light treatments (i.e., LEDs—white, blue, red, and sunlight) and two different substrates (i.e., gauze and biochar) on garden cress sprouts. In this respect, sprouts’ fresh weight and fresh length were statistically analyzed. In the case of the fresh weight, the results indicated that the most suitable substrate for better growth is biochar under all of the light treatments, with a 5.78% weight increase. On the other hand, the highest particular value regarding weight was obtained for gauze substrate under sunlight treatment, with a 4.08% weight increase compared to biochar substrate and sunlight treatment. Furthermore, red LED and biochar used as substrate improved the development of short radicles, with a decrease in length of 94.80% compared to gauze substrate and red LED treatment. The effect of LED irradiation was completed with biochemical analyses concerning polyphenols, flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity. Results suggest that blue LED is the most suitable source of artificial light to promote the accumulation of secondary metabolites, with a 9.88% higher concentration of flavonoids compared to the other light variants (2.22 ± 0.40 mg rutin equivalent/g fresh weight) and 37.98% higher concentration of polyphenols compared to the other light variants (2.76 ± 1.05 mg gallic acid equivalent/g fresh weight) in garden cress sprouts. The illumination with white LED produced the highest effect concerning antioxidant activity, with a 37.60% higher free radical scavenging activity

Methods of Obtaining Extracts from <i>Hedera helix</i> L. Leaves and Evaluation of the Total Saponins Content

Hedera helix L. is known for its therapeutic properties, such as analgesic, anti-inflammatory, expectorant activity. It is currently known that the characteristic therapeutic effects of ivy extracts are induced by phytocompunds, such as: saponins (hederagenin, α and β-hederin, hederacoside B and C), phytosterols (sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol), flavonoids, falcarinol, falcarinone, scopoline, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, phytoestrogens [1]. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the total saponin content of Hedera helix L. leaves extracts obtained by both conventional, and unconventional methods. The commercial fresh leaves of Hedera helix L. were purchased from Hofigal SA, Romania. The following reagents used for testing were α-hederin, hederagenin, and hederacoside C at purity ≥98% (HPLC), DMSO were purchased from Sigma Aldrich. The chemical composition of the obtained extracts was analyzed by HPLC-MS/MS, and the total saponin content was evaluated [2,3]. Our study indicated an optimal method for obtaining Hedera helix L. leaves extract with an enriched saponin content

In Vitro Antibacterial Activity of Some Plant Essential Oils against Four Different Microbial Strains

This study evaluates the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of five essential oils (EO): pine oil, thyme oil, sage oil, fennel oil, and eucalyptus essential oils. To identify the chemical composition of the essential oils, we used gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). EO are predominantly characterized by the presence of monoterpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated monoterpenes, except in the case of fennel essential oil which contains phenylpropanoids as its main components. The antimicrobial activity of the EO was highlighted on four standard microbial strains (two Gram-negative strains-Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853; one Gram-positive strain Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, and one yeast strain-Candida albicans ATCC 10231). Antimicrobial activity was assessed by measuring the diameter of the inhibition zone, and by determining the values of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum concentration of biofilm eradication (MCBE). Analyzing the diameter values of the inhibition zones we observed increased efficiency of thyme essential oil, which showed the highest values for all tested microbial species. The results of tests performed in a liquid confirm the high sensitivity of the standard strain Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 to the action of all essential oils, the lowest values of MIC being recorded for sage and thyme essential oils. For the most essential oils tested in this study, the MCBE values are close to the MIC values, except for the pine EO which seems to have stimulated the adhesion of the yeast strain at concentrations lower than 5%. The study highlights the antimicrobial activity of the tested essential oils on Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains

Essential Oils as Antimicrobial Active Substances in Wound Dressings

Wound dressings for skin lesions, such as bedsores or pressure ulcers, are widely used for many patients, both during hospitalization and in subsequent treatment at home. To improve the treatment and shorten the healing time and, therefore, the cost, numerous types of wound dressings have been developed by manufacturers. Considering certain inconveniences related to the intolerance of some patients to antibiotics and the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and curative properties of certain essential oils, we conducted research by incorporating these oils, based on polyvinyl alcohol/ polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVA/PVP) biopolymers, into dressings. The objective of this study was to study the potential of a polymeric matrix for wound healing, with polyvinyl alcohol as the main material and polyvinyl pyrrolidone and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) as secondary materials, together with additives (plasticizers poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and glycerol), stabilizers (Zn stearate), antioxidants (vitamin A and vitamin E), and four types of essential oils (fennel, peppermint, pine, and thyme essential oils). For all the studied samples, the combining compatibility, antimicrobial, and cytotoxicity properties were investigated. The obtained results demonstrated a uniform morphology for almost all the samples and adequate barrier properties for contact with suppurating wounds. The results show that the obtained samples containing essential oils have a good inhibitory effect on, or antimicrobial properties against, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, and Candida albicans ATCC 10231. The MTT assay showed that the tested samples were not toxic and did not lead to cell death. The results showed that the essential oils used provide an effective solution as active substances in wound dressings

Treatment of Knee Osteochondral Fractures

Osteochondral lesions (OCLs) that are frequently encountered in skeletally immature and adult patients are more common than once thought, and their incidence rate is rising. These lesions can appear in many synovial joints of the body, such as the shoulder, elbow, hip, and ankle, occurring most often in the knee. The term osteochondral lesion includes a vast spectrum of pathologies such as osteochondritis dissecans, osteochondral defects, osteochondral fractures, and osteonecrosis of the subchondral bone. When considering this, the term osteochondral fracture is preserved only for an osteochondral defect that combines disruption of the articular cartilage and subchondral bone. These fractures commonly occur after sports practice and are associated with acute lateral patellar dislocations. Many of these lesions are initially diagnosed by plain radiographs; however, a computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can add significant value to the diagnosis and treatment. Treatment methods may vary depending on the location and size of the fracture, fragment instability, and skeletal maturity. The paper reports a 14-year-old boy case with an osteochondral fracture due to sports trauma. The medical approach involved an arthrotomy of the knee, drainage of the hematoma, two Kirschner wires (K-wires) for temporary fixation to restructure anatomic alignment, and a titanium Herbert screw fixing the fracture permanently. The patient had a favorable postoperative outcome with no residual pain, adequate knee stability, and a normal range of motion. The mobility of the knee was fully recovered

Bone Cements Used for Hip Prosthesis Fixation: The Influence of the Handling Procedures on Functional Properties Observed during In Vitro Study

The failure of hip prostheses is a problem that requires further investigation and analysis. Although total hip replacement is an extremely successful operation, the number of revision surgeries needed after this procedure is expected to continue to increase due to issues with both bone cement types and cementation techniques (depending on the producer). To conduct a comparative analysis, as a surgeon prepared the bone cement and introduced it in the body, this study&rsquo;s team of researchers prepared three types of commercial bone cements with the samples mixed and placed them in specimens, following the timeline of the surgery. In order to evaluate the factors that influenced the chemical composition and structure of each bone cement sample under specific intraoperative conditions, analyses of the handling properties, mechanical properties, structure, and composition were carried out. The results show that poor handling can impede prosthesis&ndash;cement interface efficacy over time. Therefore, it is recommended that manual mixing be avoided as much as possible, as the manual preparation of the cement can sometimes lead to structural unevenness

Additives Imparting Antimicrobial Properties to Acrylic Bone Cements

PMMA bone cements are mainly used to fix implanted prostheses and are introduced as a fluid mixture, which hardens over time. The problem of infected prosthesis could be solved due to the development of some new antibacterial bone cements. In this paper, we show the results obtained to develop four different modified PMMA bone cements by using antimicrobial additives, such as gentamicin, peppermint oil incorporated in hydroxyapatite, and silver nanoparticles incorporated in a ceramic glass matrix (2 and 4%). The structure and morphology of the modified bone cements were investigated by SEM and EDS. We perform experimental measurements on wettability, hydration degree, and degradation degree after immersion in simulated body fluid. The cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT assay using the human MG-63 cell line. Antimicrobial properties were checked against standard strains Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans. The addition of antimicrobial agents did not significantly affect the hydration and degradation degree. In terms of biocompatibility assessed by the MTT test, all experimental PMMA bone cements are biocompatible. The performance of bone cements with peppermint essential oil and silver nanoparticles against these two pathogens suggests that these antibacterial additives look promising to be used in clinical practice against bacterial infection