Review on Prostaglandin and Oxytocin Activity in Preterm Labor

The principal difference between term and preterm labor is how they are activated. It has been proposed that term labor results from physiological activation of the common terminal pathway, whereas preterm labor is a pathological condition caused by multiple etiologies that activate one or more of the components of this pathway. Increased uterine contractility at preterm labor results from activation and stimulation of the myometrium. Myometrium is stimulated by increased concentrations of prostaglandins and oxytocin. Increased production of stimulatory prostaglandins by intrauterine tissues is generally considered a central component of the cascade of events leading to preterm parturition. Prostaglandins act to mediate cervical ripening and to stimulate uterine contractions and indirectly to increase fundally dominant myometrial contractility by up regulation of gap junctions, oxytocin and arginine vasopressin receptors and synchronizations of contractions. The authors tried to explain the role and influence of oxytocin in human parturition, as well as the novel therapy in inhibiting the contractions in preterm labor. The selective oxytocin inhibitor was tested in vitro on human myometrium and decidua by the author of this article among the first in the world

Measurement of the Electromagnetic Field in Dentistry

The aim of this study was to measure the magnetic field in dentistry together with simultaneous substraction of direct ground component of the magnetic field. The research instrument used to measure the power of the magnetic field was of our own design. It measures the magnetic field by the Hall sensor that is powered with 5 to 10 V and is integrated in one chip together with preamplifier. The sensor output is differential (Q1-Q2) and proportionate to measurement values of magnetic induction. As the values of alternate fields in a laboratory setting are small the differential output voltage should be increased by about 100 times. Our study samples consisted of instruments currently available in dentistry: halogen lamps, polymerizing lamps, amalgam mixers, micromotors and dental chairs. On the basis of our study results and statistical analysis the following conclusions are made magnetic field spreads through space in ISOTROPIC manner. The greatest frequency obtained at the smallest distance was 100 kHz. The sensitivity of the measurement instrument was 0.0001 μT and the majority of instruments produce magnetic radiation higher than 4o G. The power of the magnetic field decreases with increasing distance from the source. The investigated instruments produce a relatively mild magnetic field. The instruments with stronger magnetic fields are located far enough from the persons on whom they act. The newly produced instrument acts on their environment by smaller magnetic fields

Review on Prostaglandin and Oxytocin Activity in Preterm Labor

The principal difference between term and preterm labor is how they are activated. It has been proposed that term labor results from physiological activation of the common terminal pathway, whereas preterm labor is a pathological condition caused by multiple etiologies that activate one or more of the components of this pathway. Increased uterine contractility at preterm labor results from activation and stimulation of the myometrium. Myometrium is stimulated by increased concentrations of prostaglandins and oxytocin. Increased production of stimulatory prostaglandins by intrauterine tissues is generally considered a central component of the cascade of events leading to preterm parturition. Prostaglandins act to mediate cervical ripening and to stimulate uterine contractions and indirectly to increase fundally dominant myometrial contractility by up regulation of gap junctions, oxytocin and arginine vasopressin receptors and synchronizations of contractions. The authors tried to explain the role and influence of oxytocin in human parturition, as well as the novel therapy in inhibiting the contractions in preterm labor. The selective oxytocin inhibitor was tested in vitro on human myometrium and decidua by the author of this article among the first in the world

Serum IgA, IgG, IgM and Salivary IgA in Recurrent Aphthous Ulceration

Radial immunodiffusion technique was used to estimate salivary immunoglobulin A, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for estimation of serum IgA, IgG and IgM in 30 patients with acute recurrent aphthous ulceration (RAU) and during remission period compared to 30 healthy controls. Significantly elevated level of salivary IgA (p < 0.05) was found in patients with minor RAU when compared to the control group. Serum IgA level was elevated in patients with minor acute RAU when compared to the controls (p < 0.05). Serum immunoglobulin level of IgG and IgM showed no differences between patients with either minor or major recurrent aphthous ulceration and controls

Plasma Cholinesterase Activity in Patients with Uterine Cervical Cancer during Radiotherapy

The objectives of this study were to investigate: 1) the activity of pseudocholinesterase (PChE) in patients with uterine cervical cancer in different stages (uterine cervical carcinoma in stages II b and III and recurrent cervical carcinoma in stages III and IV a,b) and to compare it to the enzyme activity in patients with benign tumour of the uterus, and 2) the effects of radiotherapy on enzyme activity in those patients with uterine cervical carcinoma for which the chosen treatment was radical radiotherapy. Thirty patients with uterine cervical carcinoma in stages II b and III (Group A), sixteen patients with recurrent cervical carcinoma in stages III and IV a,b (Group B) and thirty-eight patients with benign tumours of the uterus (control, Group C) were evaluated and their PChE activity was determined prior to any treatment (pre-therapy enzyme activity). All eighty-four patients were free of any liver disease. The results have shown that the patients of Group A had the pre-therapy PChE activity practically identical to those in group C, but patients of Group B had significantly lower values of PChE with respect to enzyme activities of Groups A and C (p< 0.001).That is to say, PChE activity was influenced by the extent to which the malignancy had spread. Radical radiotherapy (up to 8 weeks in doses higher than 50 Gy into point A; average 80 Gy) which was the chosen treatment only for patients from group A did not cause a significant inhibition of PChE activity in any patients in comparison with their control values. With regard to the role of PChE in hydrolysis of succinylcholine, our results about the influence of the malignant disease and the radiotherapy on PChE activity are clinically significant

Circulating Platelet Aggregates and Progression of Visual Field Loss in Glaucoma

The aim of the study was to assess a relationship between circulating platelet aggregates (CPA) and progression of visual field loss in primary open-angle glaucoma patients. CPA was determined in 27 patients with open-angle glaucoma with nonprogressive visual field loss and 15 patients with open-angle glaucoma and progression of visual field loss. Intraocular pressure (IOP) under topical therapy was <18 mmHg in all patients. CPA in glaucoma patients with progression of visual field loss was not significantly higher than those without visual field progression (p=0.59). In conclusion, our study shows that increased platelet aggregability is not solely responsible for progression of visual field loss in glaucoma patients, and indicates the role of IOP in the pathogenesis of visual field loss

Influence of War Circumstances on Tumor Morphological Characteristics in Patients with Breast Cancer

The influence of war circumstances on tumor morphological characteristics in patients with breast cancer has not been studied up to now. The aim of this study is to investigate if war circumstances have influenced breast cancer incidence. The study covered both the patients in which during a period of observation a breast cancer was diagnosed as well as those who died of the same disease in the same period. Three sources of data were used: 1) The archives of the Oncology and Radiotherapy Center of the University Hospital »Split« (UHS): hospital data of 768 patients were reviewed. The war sample consisted of 380 patients aged 59.4±12.1 (31 to 86) (including 5 males), whereas the pre-war sample was made up of 388 patients aged 58.4±12.7 (19 to 88) (including 3 males); 2) Register of death of the Pathology Department of UHS with 162 analyzed persons whose death was caused by breast cancer in the six-year period between 1988 and 1993. The list of 162 dead patients included 79 people who died from breast cancer diagnosed in that period (1988–1993) and another 83 people that had been diagnosed before that period; 3) The biopsy register of the Pathology Department of UHS with 851 breast biopsies performed between 1988 and 1993. Breast cancer is predominantly a female illness (99.1%). The war circumstances influenced the of T, N and M rate. The rate of N2, N3, M1 were conspicuously higher in the war period. There were significantly more malignant histological diagnoses found in new patients and also significantly more patients died due to breast cancer. Stress and other war circumstances undoubtedly have a negative impact on the numerous markers of breast cancer which we have proved in this study

The Effect of Tooth Loss on the TM-joint Articular Eminence Inclination

The inclination between the posterior wall of the articular eminence and the referential plane (Frankfurt line) was measured on 137 dry skull specimens (78 with complete dental arches and 59 edentulous). Both left and right joints were measured using direct craniometric method. The results were compared with respect to the loss of teeth, side and sex. A large range of measured values of the eminence inclination shows great individual differences, so that the mean values can have only orientational significance. The mean value of eminence inclination for all measured specimens was 61.9 angular degree. The difference between the two groups established upon dental status is very small and without any statistical significance (P > 0.05). The right joint shows a slightly steeper eminence inclination compared to the left one, but without any statistical significance (P > 0.05). Asymmetry between the right and left joint appears almost as a rule, while maximum measured differences reach up to 33°, with mean absolute difference of 6.9°. The group of edentulous specimens shows a greater symmetry and less differences between the left and right joint, which indicates that different bimechanical conditions in the joint, due to tooth loss might lead to remodellation of the articular eminence.The eminence inclination was significantly steeper in male specimens in all subgroups (P < 0.001), which confirms sexual dimorphism

The Effect of Tooth Loss on the TM-joint Articular Eminence Inclination

The inclination between the posterior wall of the articular eminence and the referential plane (Frankfurt line) was measured on 137 dry skull specimens (78 with complete dental arches and 59 edentulous). Both left and right joints were measured using direct craniometric method. The results were compared with respect to the loss of teeth, side and sex. A large range of measured values of the eminence inclination shows great individual differences, so that the mean values can have only orientational significance. The mean value of eminence inclination for all measured specimens was 61.9 angular degree. The difference between the two groups established upon dental status is very small and without any statistical significance (P > 0.05). The right joint shows a slightly steeper eminence inclination compared to the left one, but without any statistical significance (P > 0.05). Asymmetry between the right and left joint appears almost as a rule, while maximum measured differences reach up to 33°, with mean absolute difference of 6.9°. The group of edentulous specimens shows a greater symmetry and less differences between the left and right joint, which indicates that different bimechanical conditions in the joint, due to tooth loss might lead to remodellation of the articular eminence.The eminence inclination was significantly steeper in male specimens in all subgroups (P < 0.001), which confirms sexual dimorphism

Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate-Diaphorase (NADPH-d) Histochemistry Detecting NOS in Healthy and Chronically Inflamed Pulp

The aim of this study was to examine the expression of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d) activity in human dental pulps and determine whether there are changes of the activity in chronically inflamed pulp tissue. Nineteen pulps with clinical diagnosis of chronic pulpitis were collected during endodontic treatment. The healthy controls were obtained from teeth extracted for orthodontic therapy. The clinical diagnosis was confirmed by histological analysis. Healthy pulps showed stratified odontoblasts in peripheral parts, while in central area there was normal connective tissue. Chronically inflamed pulps showed less expressed stratification of odontoblasts and infiltration of lymphocytes, polymorphonuclear leukocytes, plasma cells and mastocytes. NADPH-d granular reactivity was assessed semi quantitatively under the light microscope by a single observer and scored on an intensity scale from negative reaction to very strong reaction. In healthy human pulps, NADPH-d activity was strong to very strong in odontoblastic layer. Endothelial cells and Schwann cells showed strong NADPH-d reactivity, while the other parts of central area were weakly positive. Similar distribution of reactivity was expressed also in chronically inflamed pulp; moderate to strong reaction was observed in stromal area as result of positive reaction in inflammatory cells and endothelial cells of abundant newly formed capillaries