Protective Effect of Melatonin on Acute Pancreatitis

Melatonin, a product of the pineal gland, is released from the gut mucosa in response to food ingestion. Specific receptors for melatonin have been detected in many gastrointestinal tissues including the pancreas. Melatonin as well as its precursor, L-tryptophan, attenuates the severity of acute pancreatitis and protects the pancreatic tissue from the damage caused by acute inflammation. The beneficial effect of melatonin on acute pancreatitis, which has been reported in many experimental studies and supported by clinical observations, is related to: (1) enhancement of antioxidant defense of the pancreatic tissue, through direct scavenging of toxic radical oxygen (ROS) and nitrogen (RNS) species, (2) preservation of the activity of antioxidant enzymes; such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), or glutathione peroxidase (GPx), (3) the decline of pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis α (TNFα) production, accompanied by stimulation of an anti-inflammatory IL-10, (4) improvement of pancreatic blood flow and decrease of neutrophil infiltration, (5) reduction of apoptosis and necrosis in the inflamed pancreatic tissue, (6) increased production of chaperon protein (HSP60), and (7) promotion of regenerative process in the pancreas. Conclusion. Endogenous melatonin produced from L-tryptophan could be one of the native mechanisms protecting the pancreas from acute damage and accelerating regeneration of this gland. The beneficial effects of melatonin shown in experimental studies suggest that melatonin ought to be employed in the clinical trials as a supportive therapy in acute pancreatitis and could be used in people at high risk for acute pancreatitis to prevent the development of pancreatic inflammation

Prevalence of the Onodi cell in the Polish adult population: an anatomical computed tomography study

Background: Onodi cell is a posterior ethmoid air cell with the optic canal bulging into it; the common position of the bulge is into the sphenoid sinus, usually immediately posterior to the posterior ethmoid air cells. Variable pneumatization patterns lead to various structures of lamellae and sinuses occasionally exposing important nerves and vessels, such as the optic and vidian nerves, internal carotid artery and cavernous sinus. In clinical practice, special imaging techniques are used to navigate through the paranasal sinuses and hence avoid injury to these structures. This study is aimed to determine the prevalence of the Onodi cell in the Polish population and compare it with other reported occurrences. Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis of 296 computed tomography (CT) scans of patients treated in Cracow, Poland, using a Siemens Somatom Sensation 16 spiral CT scanner. No contrast medium was administered. Results: The Onodi cell was found in 31 out of the 296 patients, or approximately 10.5%, consistent with the majority of research reporting on Onodi variants. Additionally, there was one presentation of a bilateral Onodi cell in a male patient. No statistically significant difference was found between the male and female populations with a positive identification of the variant (p = 0.095, Chi2 test). Conclusions: This study helped approximate the Onodi variant prevalence of 10.47%, falling within a commonly reported range 8-14%. This gives clinicians and surgeons a better understanding of this variant's structure and significance, and therefore an opportunity to improve treatment outcomes and research

History of atopic dermatitis – a short review from ancient to modern medicine

Atopic dermatitis is one of the most common inflammatory skin diseases. The clinical hallmark of the disease, providing the most important clue for diagnosis, is intense itching of the skin. The history of dermatology is one of the most interesting elements in the history of medicine. Atopic dermatitis is a disease whose “medical entity” has been established relatively recently. A particularly fascinating aspect is the way in which the disease has been recognized as one of the greatest plagues of modern medicine. The article presents selected issues in the evolution of knowledge on the pathogenesis and treatment of atopic dermatitis. The profiles of the most famous dermatologists who have made a particularly valuable contribution to understanding the phenomenon of atopic dermatitis are outline: Jean-Louis Alibert, Ernest Henri Besnier, Ferdynand von Hebra, Marion Baldur Sulzberger. An analysis of subsequent milestones in the history of atopic dermatitis points, optimistically, to the increasingly targeted and effective treatment of the disease