Kolageni elastin u jetri štakora otrovanih živinim kloridom

Intoxication of rats with mercuric chloride (0.5 mg Hg/kg of body weight, daily for 10 weeks) increased the hepatic contents of soluble and insoluble collagen and elastin. The increase was associated with elevated serum aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase activities, and decreased total protein level in serum. Inflammatory changes were found in the liver. An increase in the fibrous protein content suggests that inflammatory reaction to mercuric chloride can result in hepatic fibrosis.Trovanje štakora živinim kloridom (0,5 mg Hg/kg tjelesne težine na dan tijekom deset tjedana) imalo je za rezultat povećan sadržaj topljivog i netopljivog kolagena i elastina u jetri. Povećanje je dovedeno u vezu s povišenim aktivnostima aminotransferaze i alkalne fosfataze u serumu, i sa smanjenim nivoom ukupnog proteina u serumu. U jetri su zamijećene upalne promjene. Povišen sadržaj vlaknastog proteina upućuje na to da upalna reakcija na živin klorid može dovesti do fibroze jetre

Relationship of circulating hyaluronic Acid levels to disease control in asthma and asthmatic pregnancy.

Uncontrolled asthma is a risk factor for pregnancy-related complications. Hyaluronic acid (HA), a potential peripheral blood marker of tissue fibrosis in various diseases, promotes eosinophil survival and plays a role in asthmatic airway inflammation as well as in physiological processes necessary to maintain normal pregnancy; however the level of circulating HA in asthma and asthmatic pregnancy is unknown. We investigated HA levels in asthmatic patients (N = 52; asthmatic pregnant (AP) N = 16; asthmatic non-pregnant (ANP) N = 36) and tested their relationship to asthma control. Serum HA level was lower in AP than in ANP patients (27 [24.7-31.55] vs. 37.4 [30.1-66.55] ng/mL, p = 0.006); the difference attenuated to a trend after its adjustment for patients' age (p = 0.056). HA levels and airway resistance were positively (r = 0.467, p = 0.004), HA levels and Asthma Control Test (ACT) total score inversely (r = -0.437, p = 0.01) associated in ANP patients; these relationships remained significant even after their adjustments for age. The potential value of HA in the determination of asthma control was analyzed using ROC analysis which revealed that HA values discriminate patients with ACT total score >/=20 (controlled patients) and <20 (uncontrolled patients) with a 0.826 efficacy (AUC, 95% CI: 0.69-0.97, p = 0.001) when 37.4 ng/mL is used as cut-off value in ANP group, and with 0.78 efficacy (AUC, 95% CI: 0.65-0.92, p = 0.0009) in the whole asthmatic cohort. In conclusion circulating HA might be a marker of asthma control, as it correlates with airway resistance and has good sensitivity in the detection of impaired asthma control. Decrease of HA level in pregnancy may be the consequence of pregnancy induced immune tolerance

Selenium toxicity but not deficient or super-nutritional selenium status vastly alters the transcriptome in rodents

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Protein and mRNA levels for several selenoproteins, such as glutathione peroxidase-1 (Gpx1), are down-regulated dramatically by selenium (Se) deficiency. These levels in rats increase sigmoidally with increasing dietary Se and reach defined plateaus at the Se requirement, making them sensitive biomarkers for Se deficiency. These levels, however, do not further increase with super-nutritional or toxic Se status, making them ineffective for detection of high Se status. Biomarkers for high Se status are needed as super-nutritional Se intakes are associated with beneficial as well as adverse health outcomes. To characterize Se regulation of the transcriptome, we conducted 3 microarray experiments in weanling mice and rats fed Se-deficient diets supplemented with up to 5 μg Se/g diet.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There was no effect of Se status on growth of mice fed 0 to 0.2 μg Se/g diet or rats fed 0 to 2 μg Se/g diet, but rats fed 5 μg Se/g diet showed a 23% decrease in growth and elevated plasma alanine aminotransferase activity, indicating Se toxicity. Rats fed 5 μg Se/g diet had significantly altered expression of 1193 liver transcripts, whereas mice or rats fed ≤ 2 μg Se/g diet had < 10 transcripts significantly altered relative to Se-adequate animals within an experiment. Functional analysis of genes altered by Se toxicity showed enrichment in cell movement/morphogenesis, extracellular matrix, and development/angiogenesis processes. Genes up-regulated by Se deficiency were targets of the stress response transcription factor, Nrf2. Multiple regression analysis of transcripts significantly altered by 2 μg Se/g and Se-deficient diets identified an 11-transcript biomarker panel that accounted for 99% of the variation in liver Se concentration over the full range from 0 to 5 μg Se/g diet.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study shows that Se toxicity (5 μg Se/g diet) in rats vastly alters the liver transcriptome whereas Se-deficiency or high but non-toxic Se intake elicits relatively few changes. This is the first evidence that a vastly expanded number of transcriptional changes itself can be a biomarker of Se toxicity, and that identified transcripts can be used to develop molecular biomarker panels that accurately predict super-nutritional and toxic Se status.</p

A 2-Port, Space-Saving, Maintenance-Friendly Pneumatic Probe for Velocity Measurements

This paper presents the concept, design and experimental results of tests, in laboratory conditions, of a 2-port, space-saving pneumatic probe. The main features of the probe are a result of restrictions imposed by the functioning environment: a limited space for probe installation, the possibility of processing only two output signals and requirements for simplicity and reliability of the probe. A cylindrical shape of the probe tip is proposed as a general concept, similar to the classic, cylindrical, 3-port probe. The main difference arises in using only two pressure signals: one from the overpressure zone on the front side of the cylinder and another, from the underpressure zone on the back side. After performing an appropriate calibration procedure, it is possible to measure the flow velocity and correct the pressure difference obtained by means of a velocity coefficient kv. This paper also presents an analysis of the kv coefficient uncertainty to evaluate the quality of measurements

Kolageni elastin u jetri štakora otrovanih živinim kloridom

Intoxication of rats with mercuric chloride (0.5 mg Hg/kg of body weight, daily for 10 weeks) increased the hepatic contents of soluble and insoluble collagen and elastin. The increase was associated with elevated serum aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase activities, and decreased total protein level in serum. Inflammatory changes were found in the liver. An increase in the fibrous protein content suggests that inflammatory reaction to mercuric chloride can result in hepatic fibrosis.Trovanje štakora živinim kloridom (0,5 mg Hg/kg tjelesne težine na dan tijekom deset tjedana) imalo je za rezultat povećan sadržaj topljivog i netopljivog kolagena i elastina u jetri. Povećanje je dovedeno u vezu s povišenim aktivnostima aminotransferaze i alkalne fosfataze u serumu, i sa smanjenim nivoom ukupnog proteina u serumu. U jetri su zamijećene upalne promjene. Povišen sadržaj vlaknastog proteina upućuje na to da upalna reakcija na živin klorid može dovesti do fibroze jetre

Psychosocial Burden of Itch among Renal Transplant Recipients

Itch is the most common symptom of chronic dermatoses. Moreover, itch may be associated with systemic disorders. Chronic kidney disease—associated itch (CKD-aI) may affect up to 20% of renal transplant recipients (RTR). The aim of the study was to assess psychosocial burden of itch in RTR. The study was performed on a group of 129 RTR, out of which 54 (41.9%) experienced itch in the previous 3 days. A specially designed questionnaire assessing anxiety, depression, stigmatization, and quality of life was used. Results: Patients suffering from itch in the previous 3 days achieved significantly higher scores in GAD-7 (p p p p = 0.004), and HADS Anxiety (p < 0.001). Severity of itch correlated positively with HADS, stigmatization scale, and GAD-7. Itch in RTR was associated with higher incidence of depression assessed with BDI (OR 3.7). Moreover, higher prevalence of anxiety was found among patients suffering from CKD-aI, assessed with HADS A and GAD-7 (OR 2.7 and OR 4.8, respectively) The results of our study clearly demonstrate that itch among RTR is a significant burden. Higher prevalence of depression and anxiety in this groups indicate the necessity of addressing itch relief as a part of holistic approach to patients after renal transplantation