Bone Quality Assessment in Individuals of Different Age, Gender and Body Constitution

The concept of bone quality describes the sets of the characteristics of the osseous tissue that influence bone strength. The aim was to explore the influence of anthropometric parameters and age on the parameters of the bone architecture and bone mineral properties in the lumbar vertebral bone of men and women. Vertebral bone samples underwent bone histomorphometry, bone densitometry and atomic absorption spectrometry. Men have greater values of the bone volume and thicker bone trabeculae in relation to women, which indicates that vertebral bone architecture is better preserved in men than in women. Age is the best predictor of changes that affect bone architecture and bone mineral properties. Bone mineral density value and calcium concentration are both negatively predicted by age, but positively predicted by boda mass index. Such result supports the opinion that low body mass index is associated with conditions of bone deficit such are osteopenia and osteoporosis

I mozak ima spol

Mozak je složen organ i različita morfologija mozga muškaraca i žena kontinuirana je tema koja izaziva velik interes. Nebrojeno puta postavili smo si pitanje zašto se djevojčice više vole igrati lutkama, a dječaci autima? Zašto žene i muškarci različito reagiraju u istim stresnim situacijama? Jesu li žene emotivnije od muškaraca? Psihološka istraživanja ponašanja, percepcije i pamćenja potvrđuju da zaista postoje očigledne razlike u funkcioniranju mozga žena i muškaraca. Te se razlike mogu pripisati utjecaju genetike, hormona i okoline. Muškarci i žene ne pokazuju razliku kad je u pitanju ispitivanje inteligencije, ali je činjenica da mnoge stvari rade drugačije i koriste različite dijelove mozga prilikom rješavanja problema. Spolne razlike u građi mozga mogu imati utjecaj na proces učenja, govora. Poznavanje spolnih razlika može biti korisno za postavljanje dijagnoza i liječenje nekih neuroloških bolesti. Mnoga istraživanja spolnih razlika, pogotovo istraživanja u području omjera sive i bijele tvari te veličine najveće komisure mozga, korpusa kalozuma, daju oprečne rezultate koji prvenstveno ovise o metodi istraživanja. No postoje područja mozga, poput hipotalamusa i pojedinih dijelova kore mozga, gdje je spolni dimorfizam vrlo jasno izražen i definiran. Ovaj rad je prikaz dosadašnjih istraživanja i utvrđenih morfoloških razlika mozga kod žena i muškaraca

The brain has sex

Mozak je složen organ i različita morfologija mozga muškaraca i žena kontinuirana je tema koja izaziva velik interes. Nebrojeno puta postavili smo si pitanje zašto se djevojčice više vole igrati lutkama, a dječaci autima? Zašto žene i muškarci različito reagiraju u istim stresnim situacijama? Jesu li žene emotivnije od muškaraca? Psihološka istraživanja ponašanja, percepcije i pamćenja potvrđuju da zaista postoje očigledne razlike u funkcioniranju mozga žena i muškaraca. Te se razlike mogu pripisati utjecaju genetike, hormona i okoline. Muškarci i žene ne pokazuju razliku kad je u pitanju ispitivanje inteligencije, ali je činjenica da mnoge stvari rade drugačije i koriste različite dijelove mozga prilikom rješavanja problema. Spolne razlike u građi mozga mogu imati utjecaj na proces učenja, govora. Poznavanje spolnih razlika može biti korisno za postavljanje dijagnoza i liječenje nekih neuroloških bolesti. Mnoga istraživanja spolnih razlika, pogotovo istraživanja u području omjera sive i bijele tvari te veličine najveće komisure mozga, korpusa kalozuma, daju oprečne rezultate koji prvenstveno ovise o metodi istraživanja. No postoje područja mozga, poput hipotalamusa i pojedinih dijelova kore mozga, gdje je spolni dimorfizam vrlo jasno izražen i definiran. Ovaj rad je prikaz dosadašnjih istraživanja i utvrđenih morfoloških razlika mozga kod žena i muškaraca.The brain is a complex organ and different morphology of the brain of men and women is an ongoing topic of great interest. Many times we set a question why girls prefer to play with dolls and boys with cars? Why men and women react differently to the same stressful situations? Are women more emotional than men? Psychological research of behavior, perception and memory, found that the obvious differences in brain function of women and men do indeed exist. These differences can be attributed to genetics, hormones and environment. Men and women do not show a difference when it comes to intelligence testing, but the fact is that many things they do differently and use different parts of the brain when solving problems. Sex differences in the brain structure may influence the process of learning and speech. Knowledge of gender differences can be helpful in making the diagnosis and treatment of certain neurological diseases. Many studies of gender differences, especially studies on the ratio of gray and white matter and the size of the largest commissure of the brain, the corpus callosum, show conflicting results, which primarily depend on the method of research. However, there are areas of the brain, such as the hypothalamus and certain parts of the brain cortex, where the sexual dimorphism is very clearly expressed and defined. This paper outlines previous research and established morphological differences of the brain between women and men

Muscle Loss in Elderly

Aging is associated with loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength and endurance. The aim of this study was to determinate age related changes in human muscles with different function and location in the body (vastus lateralis muscle and intercostal internus muscle). Our results suggest that age related muscle atrophy affect both human skeletal muscles. Also, the results showed the increase in percentage of muscle fibers with high oxidative activity during aging

Immunohistochemical Analysis of the Human Psoas Major Muscle with Regards to the Body Side and Aging

The aim of our study was to explore the age related changes of the fibre type composition of the human psoas major muscle. Moreover, we wanted to compare the fibre type composition of the left and right muscle. Muscle samples were collected from 15 young and 15 old males. Type I, IIA and IIX muscle fibres were typed using myosin heavy chain identification. The serial transverse sections were analysed using a light microscope. Results of our study showed that the age-related atrophy affected all three fibre types. Type IIA fibres were affected most profoundly while type I fibres were affected most weakly. The percentage of the different fibre types did not change during aging. There were no differences in the fibre type composition between the left and right muscle. Human psoas major muscle undergoes normal aging changes with the atrophy of all three fibre types, whereas atrophy most profoundly affects type IIA fibres. No differences in the fibre type composition between the left and right muscle point to the equal engagement of both legs in normal everyday activities of human

Expression of myogenic regulatory factors in rat skeletal muscles after denervation

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate expression of myogenic regulatory factors MyoD and myogenin during denervation in fast and slow rat skeletal muscles of different rat strains (Wistar and Sprague-Dawely). Material and Methods: Immunohistochemical andWestern blot analyses were performed on tibialis anterior and soleus muscles. Results: Immunohistochemical analysis of tibialis anterior and soleus muscles during denervation demonstrated that both myonuclei and satellite cells were activated.Western blot analysis showed a significant upregulation of MyoD and myogenin proteins in m. tibialis anterior at all time points of denervation, except on 60th day for MyoD. In m. soleus during denervation Western blot analysis showed upregulation of MyoD and myogenin in first 14 days, and there was no expression after that period. Conclusion: Our results indicate that MyoD and myogenin protein expression during denervation is muscle type specific. The role of MyoD and myogenin in adult muscle is potentially also important in orchestrating an adaptive response of existing muscle fibers during denervation

Effect of Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment on Myogenic Transcriptional Factors in Regenerating Rat Masseter Muscle

Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment was shown to be beneficial as an additional treatment for ischemic muscles in crush injuries and ischemia-reperfusion injuries. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of hyperbaric oxygen treatment on transcriptional myogenic factors during muscle regeneration. Those factors (MyoD, myf5, myogenin, mrf4) are essential for determination and differentiation of skeletal muscle tissue and together with several other factors control gene expression during myogenesis. The process of regeneration in rat masseter muscle was provoked with injection of local anesthetic bupivacaine hydrochloride. Following injection, the animals were treated once daily in hyperbaric chamber from one to ten days and than sacrificed. Immunohistochemical and Western blot analysis of frozen masseter muscle samples showed a transient upregulation of myoD and myogenin transcriptional factors in the muscles of hyperbaric oxygen treated rats and of rats that have not been treated after the injury. HBO treatment had no effect on the expression of MyoD and myogenin transcriptional factors in the regenerating rat masseter muscle