Comparison of high -performance thin layer chromatography/UV-densitometry and UV-derivative spectrophotometry for determination of trimetazidine in pharmaceutical formulation

New methods for assaying trimetazidine dihydrochloride on the basis of thin layer chromatography and spectrophotometry are proposed and compared in the paper. In HPTLC/UV-densitometry, separation is achieved by using a mobile phase composed of ammonia-methanol (30:70, V/V) on silica gel HPTLC plates F254. Quantification using a non-linear calibration curve is accomplished by densitometric detection at 230 nm. Derivative spectrophotometric determination of trimetazidine dihydrochloride is carried out from the fourth derivative of the absorbance at 233 nm in peak-zero mode. Statistical comparison led to the conclusion that there is no significant difference between the two studied methods and, moreover, that they demonstrate satisfactory accuracy and precision for routine applications

Assessment of left ventricle diastolic function in myocardial infarction patients treated with primary angioplasty

Background: More than 5% of patients over the age of 65 have been found to develop heart failure, and over half of them preserve normal left ventricular systolic function. In the last few years, diastolic heart failure has become a serious clinical and epidemiological problem. Methods: This prospective study was carried out on 99 patients. Patients were evaluated up to three months after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Evaluation was performed three times: within the first 24 hours after primary PCI, on day seven after PCI and at three months after PCI. We analyzed the relationship between the severity of left ventricle diastolic dysfunction and atherosclerosis risk factors, infarction site, maximum levels of cardiac biomarkers such as troponin I, CPK and CK-MB, CRP protein levels, angioplasty effectiveness, reperfusion time, TIMI and TMPG grade. Results: Most patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with primary PCI demonstrated left ventricle diastolic dysfunction on the first day of myocardial infarction. Levels of cardiac biomarkers were significantly higher in patients with restrictive filling pattern. The inflammatory response (CRP levels) was found to have an important role in the development of diastolic abnormalities. There was a close relationship between diastolic and systolic function. Average values of left ventricular ejection fraction in patients with restrictive filling pattern were significantly lower than in those with impaired relaxation (44.7 vs. 52.7%; p < 0.001) and normal filling (54.2%; p = 0.002). Conclusions: More than half of patients with a first STEMI have left ventricle diastolic dysfunction within the first day after PCI, and these abnormalities are still present three months after PCI. Time and effectiveness of reperfusion, CRP level, troponin I, max, CPK max and CK-MB max levels as well as left ventricular ejection fraction have an important influence on the development of diastolic dysfunction. Infarct extension contributes significantly to the process

Medications of medieval monastery medicine

Herbal medicine has accompanied man since the dawn of time. For various ailments and health problems, help was sought in the surrounding nature. Ancient civilizations have greatly contributed to the development of phytotherapy, identifying and describing numerous species of medicinal plants. Plant raw materials have become the foundation of medieval medicine. The revival in herbal medicine has been observed since the sixth century with the emergence of monasteries, where the gardens in which the medicinal plants were grown were established. Monastic schools were also established, monks broadened their skills by studying and copying ancient books, preparing medicines of natural origin according to secret prescriptions used to heal the sick. Although the Middle Ages are often considered dark ages, many achievements of the then phytotherapy have been recorded on the pages of history and a man use them to this day

Systemic oxidoreductive balance in patients without clinical manifestation of atherosclerosis

Introduction. Oxidative stress plays an important role in atherosclerosis, but numerous clinical trials have not confirmed a favourable effect of antioxidant supplementation. We aimed to determine the oxidative stress parameters in patients without clinical manifestation of vascular disease. Material and methods. Forty-eight patients were divided into two groups in relation to the presence or absence of clinically silent signs of atherosclerosis (ankle-brachial index &lt; 0.9, intima-media thickness ≥ 0.9 mm, the presence of carotid atherosclerotic plaques, silent ischaemia in a treadmill stress test or focal myocardial contractility found in echocardiography). Plasma concentrations of: retinol, ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol and uric acid, as well as the products of oxidative DNA damage repair: 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2’-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) in blood leucocytes and urine, and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxo-Gua) in urine. Results. Patients with signs of subclinical atherosclerosis had lower blood concentration of alpha- tocopherol, and a non-significantly greater urine concentration of 8-oxoGua. Women had significantly greater blood concentration of ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol, as well as lower level of retinol and uric acid. They also had greater leucocyte concentration of 8-oxodG. Plasma concentration of alpha-tocopherol 30.34 μM distinguished patients with and without signs of subclinical atherosclerosis. Conclusions. Oxidative stress has clinical importance in the early stages of atherosclerosis and may be helpful in predicting its subclinical stage. Women had higher level of antioxidant defence, which explains their natural protection against early atherosclerosis development. Further studies are needed to determine the usefulness of tocopherol determination as a biomarker for atherosclerosis risk evaluation

A massive gross haematuria in an 85-year-old patient with acquired haemophilia A

The authors herein present a case report of an 85-year-old female patient with massive gross haematuria in the course of acquired haemophilia A. Acquired haemophilia in the geriatric population is a rare but severe bleeding disorder. It is caused by suddenly appearing autoantibodies that interfere with coagulation factor VIII activity. The diagnosis of acquired haemophilia should be considered in any patient who presents with bleeding and a prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT)

Assessment of the prevalence of nootropic drugs by elderly patients in geriatric practice

So-called nootropics include a diverse group of drugs whose idea is to improve brain function. They are quite commonly accepted among the elderly. Although currently available data from the literature do not show unequivocally the efficacy of these drugs, in practice a large number of patients are in practice. These drugs are prescribed to patients fairly commonly and the range of indications for their use is wide and non-specific. This publication presents the mechanism of action of these nootropic drugs, historical outline of their use and epidemiological data on their use in elderly patients on the basis of patients treated in the Department of Geriatrics of Medical University in Bydgoszcz

Spontaneous recanalisation of the superficial femoral artery following angioplasty of the femoral artery in a patient with disseminated atherosclerosis : a case report

We present a case of a 51-year-old male with multivessel coronary artery disease and disseminated peripheral arterial disease (PAD) who underwent coronary angioplasty, followed by angioplasty with stent implantation of the left superficial iliac artery and right femoral artery. Thirty days later the patient was admitted for elective angioplasty of the previously closed superficial right femoral artery; however, angiography showed that the artery was patent with a residual stenosis which narrowed the vessel lumen by 10%. We believe that spontaneous recanalisation of this artery was caused by multiple factors, including cessation of smoking, physical training, pharmacological therapy and previous angioplasty of the right femoral arter

Pulmonary artery dilatation during normal pregnancy

Background: During pregnancy the cardiovascular system undergoes complex alterations; however, there have been few studies concerning pulmonary artery behaviour during gestation. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in the pulmonary artery diameter (PAD) during gestation, with respect to left ventricular (LV) load and remodelling, as well as to systemic vascular resistance (SVR). Methods: It was a prospective cohort study, which included 69 consecutive healthy outpatient women with a singleton pregnancy. Echocardiography and ultrasonography of the uterine arteries were performed at two visits (V1 and V2) during pregnancy, and only echocardiography at one visit postpartum. Results: Pulmonary artery diameter increased in all women, from 20.0 mm at V1 to 22.7 mm at V2 (p &lt; 0.001), and it returned to the reference range postpartum (19.5 mm; p &lt; 0.001 vs. V2). Echocardiography did not reveal any other abnormalities, including the signs of intracardiac shunt or right ventricular pressure overload. During V2, PAD positively correlated with the following echocardiographic parameters: LV end-diastolic diameter (r = 0.386; p = 0.002), LV end-systolic diameter (r = 0.345 p = 0.006), LV end-diastolic volume (r = 0.308; p = 0.016), LV mass (r = 0.459; p &lt; 0.001), left atrial area (r = 0.334; p = 0.009), LV cardiac output (r = 0.338; p = 0.011), and aortic diameter (r = 0.369; p = 0.003). Furthermore, there was a negative linear correlation between PAD and SVR (r = –0.307; p = 0.025) and pulsatility index (r = –0.318; p = 0.012). Conclusions: Our study shows pulmonary artery dilatation in healthy pregnant women without any other abnormal echocardiographic findings. These changes in PAD are associated with volume overload and low vascular resistance, and during postpartum they usually subside

Dwie bransolety ze starszego okresu epoki brązu z kujawskiej części Torunia i Brudzynia na Pałukach w świetle badań archeologicznych i archeometalurgicznych

The article presents two metal bracelets found separately but both associated with the manufacturing phase of the early Bronze Age. The lack of data on the original contexts for the finding of both features significantly limits the scope of their cultural interpretation. Therefore, the features might have come from grave goods, treasures, or they could simply have been lost.The artefact found in Toruń (Kujawy part) is from the artillery training area, although it shows analogies in its manufacturing style to features representing the Tumulus culture (proto-Lusatian); it was in fact found in a settlement of the Trzciniec culture, where such funerary artefacts are only sporadically listed as part of metal treasure hoards. On the other hand, the feature found in Brudzyń, in the district of Żnin, suggests a fairly large number of close similarities with the funerary treasures and grave goods found in the Kujawy, Wielkopolska (Greater Poland) and Śląsk (Silesia) regions. The feature was found in the zone where the influences of the Tumulus culture and the Trzciniec culture once overlapped. The results of archaeo-metallurgical expert appraisal indicate that both features represent body ornamentation but can be associated with separate  metallurgical traditions. While there is no doubt that the bracelet from Brudzyń is a bronze product made in a workshop following the south-western style of Tumulus culture, the feature from Toruń might be an example of a local (“Trzciniec”) product, though having the aesthetic features characteristic of Tumulus metal artwork. Based on the results of the archaeo-metallurgical analysis for the artefact from Brudzyń, a virtual model of the process of pouring metal into a casting mould was produced.W artykule zaprezentowano dwie luźno znalezione bransolety metalowe, obie łączone z fazą wytwórczości starszego okresu epoki brązu. Artefakt z Torunia, mimo, że znajduje analogie w wytwórczości kultury mogiłowej, to jednak został znaleziony w przestrzeni środowiska osadniczego kultury trzcinieckiej, w którym tego rodzaju ozdoby południowo-zachodniej proweniencji notowane są sporadycznie. Z kolei wyrób z Brudzynia, znaleziony w strefie zazębiającego się osadnictwa kultur mogiłowej i trzcinieckiej, to okaz mający bliskie i dość liczne analogie w skarbach i wyposażeniu grobów Kujaw, Wielkopolski i Śląska. Wyniki ekspertyzy archeometalurgicznej, wskazują, że prezentowane okazy można wiązać z technologicznie różnymi tradycjami wytwórczości brązowniczej. O ile raczej nie ma wątpliwości, że bransoleta z Brudzynia jest kolejnym wyrobem powstałym w warsztacie „mogiłowym”, o tyle ta z Torunia może być przykładem lokalnego („trzcinieckiego”) produktu mającego cechy stylistyki mogiłowej