Simultaneous detection of vaccinal and field infectious bursal disease viruses in layer chickens challenged with a very virulent strain after vaccination

Infectious bursal disease virus is an important poultry pathogen. It is distributed worldwide and causes significant economic losses. In this study, a system was adopted for the simultaneous monitoring of vaccine and virulent strains using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). After the decay of maternal antibodies, chickens were vaccinated at the age of 37 days with a virus of intermediate virulence and challenged at 5, 10 and 14 days post vaccination (dpv). The challenge was done with IBDV strain CH/99. Sequencing of the hypervariable region of VP2 has shown that CH/99 belongs to the very virulent group of viruses. The vaccine virus could be found in the bursa of Fabricius, spleen, thymus and bone marrow until 24 dpv. The CH/99 challenge virus was found in the bursa and lymphoid organs when chickens were challenged at 5 and 10 dpv. When challenge was performed at 14 dpv, the pathogenic virus could not be found in the bursa and other lymphoid organs

Pulse low-intensity electromagnetic field as prophylaxis of heterotopic ossification in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury

Background/Aim. Heterotopic ossification (HO) is an important complication of head and spinal cord injuries (SCI). Pulse low-intensity electromagnetic field (PLIMF) therapy increases blood flow to an area of pain or inflammation, bringing more oxygen to that area and helps to remove toxic substances. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of PLIMF as prophylaxis of HO in patients with SCI. Methods. This prospective random control clinical study included 29 patients with traumatic SCI. The patients were randomly divided into experimental (n = 14) and control group (n = 15). The patients in the experimental group, besides exercise and range of motion therapy, were treated by PLIMF of the following characteristics: induction of 10 mT, frequency of 25 Hz and duration of 30 min. Pulse low-intensity electromagnetic field therapy started in the 7th week after the injury and lasted 4 weeks. The presence or absence of HO around the patients hips we checked by a plane radiography and Brookers classification. Functional capabilities and motor impairment were checked by Functional Independent Measure (FIM), Barthel index and American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment class. Statistic analysis included Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Shapiro-Wilk test, Mann Whitney Exact test, Exact Wilcoxon signed rank test and Fischer Exact test. Statistical significance was set up to p < 0.05. Results. At the end of the treatment no patient from the experimental group had HO. In the control group, five patients (33.3%) had HO. At the end of the treatment the majority of the patients from the experimental group (57.14%) moved from ASIA-A to ASIA-B class. Conclusion. Pulse low-intensity electromagnetic field therapy could help as prophylaxis of HO in patients with traumatic SCI

Evaluation of ergonomic risks during dental work

Aim: The purpose was to assess ergonomic risk level in dentistry, which may contribute to manifestation of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). Methods and Materials: The study included ten dentists, postgraduate students, mean age (33 ± 3.4). Participants were asked to perform typical dental examination in standing and sitting positions. The surface electromyography (EMG) was recorded during dental work from both left and right shoulder muscles: descendent trapezius muscle (T); back muscles: erector spinae muscle (ES); and neck muscles: sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) and splenius capitis muscle (SC). Results: High muscles forces, greater than 21% of the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), which could be indicative of high risk, particularly occurred in muscles SC on both sides of the body in the sitting position. The medium risk level occurred in the same muscles on both sides in standing position. Left and right T muscles were under medium ergonomic risk level in both, sitting and standing working positions. SCM muscles on the left and right side of the body in both working positions were under low risk level, lower than 10% of the MVC. In sitting position, medium risk level occurred in ES muscles on both body sides, while in standing position the risk was low. Conclusion: Dentists are exposed to ergonomic risk. By combining both sitting and standing position the risk can be reduced

ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF MILES’ OPERATION- WHAT HAS CHANGED?

Lisfranc was probably the first to excise the rectum for cancer. He performed operation using perineal approach in 1826. This operation came into common use fifty years later. Czerny did the first combined abdominoperineal resection in attempt to finish excision he could not complete from below. Some fifteen years later Ernest Miles described the planned, one stage abdominoperineal resection.Miles name has become a synonym for this combined procedure, creating a radical change in the philosophy of resection and en bloc lymphadenectomy.In the beginning of twenty-century abdominoperineal resection became golden standard in the treatment of rectal cancer. Reconstructive operations, introduction of stapling devices and better understanding of potential tumor spread, reduced indications for Miles operation.Surgical treatment of rectal cancer made progress in the past 100 years. Miles was the first in line. Without his theory of perirectal lymphatic spread recurrence rate would be still as high as 95%

Effect of mebendazole on fibrosarcoma in hamsters

Purpose: To investigate the effect of mebendazole on an in vivo solid tumor model of fibrosarcoma in hamsters.Methods: 24 Syrian golden hamsters of both sexes with the approximate body  weight of 100g were randomly distributed in 2 experimental and 2 control groups, with 6 animals in each group. BHK-21/C13 cells (2 x 106) in 1 mL Glasgow Minimum Essential Medium (GMEM) were injected subcutaneously into the back of each animal in 3 groups. The experimental groups were treated with mebendazole  (460 mg/kg) via a gastric tube on a daily basis, immediately after tumor inoculation. In addition, one experimental group received deoxycholic acid 20 mg/kg once a day. After 2 weeks, when the tumors were approximately 1 - 2 cm in the control group, all the animals were sacrificed, and their blood collected for laboratory analysis. The tumors were excised, their weight and diameters measured, and the volumes  calculated. The tumor samples were histopathologically assessed and the main organs toxicologically analyzed. Images were taken and processed by an imaging software, and Ki-67-positive cells in the tumor samples were quantified.Results: Mebendazole diminished tumor mitosis from 18.5 ± 3.02 to 13.5 ± 3.45 (p < 0.05), vasculature and tissue penetration, and increased necroses in tumor  slices. Tumor volume and weight were insignificantly attenuated. Toxicity was not observed.Conclusion: Mebendazole might be an effective non-toxic agent in sarcoma therapy.Keywords: Mebendazole, Hamsters, BHK-21/C13 cells, Fibrosarcoma therapy,  Tumor mitosi

Samoprijavljene alergije na lijekove kod kirurških bolesnika u Srbiji

History of drug allergy is of major concern during perioperative period. Medical records usually lack documents confirming the stated allergy. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of self-reported drug allergies and their characteristics in adult Serbian surgical population, and to analyze their influence on drug prescription during perioperative period. The study enrolled patients scheduled for general surgery during a one-year period at a tertiary care hospital. They were questioned using a structured questionnaire about the existence of drug allergy and its nature. Medical records were examined after discharge to assess medical prescription during hospitalization. Of 1126 patients evaluated during the study period, 434 (38.5%) reported a total of 635 drug reactions. The most common allergy claim was to antibiotics (68%), nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (16.4%) and iodine (3.9%). Women, urban residents and herbal drug consumers were more likely to state an allergy. The majority of reported reactions were cutaneous (72%) and respiratory (34%), while anaphylaxis was reported by 3.2% of patients. Only 38 (8.7%) patients had previously undergone any allergology testing. Retrospective chart review revealed that 26 (6%) patients were administered the drug to which they had reported allergic reaction in the past, with no adverse effects. Drug allergies are frequently self-reported in surgical population in Serbia, which is in contrast to a very low rate of explored and documented allergies. In order not to deny an effective treatment or postpone a surgery, health care practitioners should pay more attention to an accurate classification of adverse drug reactions.Podatak o alergiji na lijekove je od velikog značenja u perioperacijskom razdoblju, a medicinska dokumentacija obično ne sadrži dokumente koji potvrđuju prijavljenu alergiju. Cilj ovoga istraživanja bio je ispitati učestalost i značajke samoprijavljenih alergija na lijekove od strane odraslih kirurških bolesnika u Srbiji i analizirati utjecaj takvog anamnestičkog podatka na propisivanje lijekova u perioperacijskom razdoblju. Studija je obuhvatila bolesnike podvrgnute elektivnim kirurškim intervencijama iz područja opće kirurgije tijekom jednogodišnjeg razdoblja u tercijarnoj zdravstvenoj ustanovi. Oni su ispitivani primjenom strukturiranog upitnika o postojanju alergija i njihovoj naravi. Medicinska dokumentacija je pregledana nakon otpusta iz bolnice kako bi se ispitalo propisivanje lijekova tijekom hospitalizacije. Od 1126 bolesnika evaluiranih tijekom studije, 434 (38,5%) ih je prijavilo ukupno 635 reakcija na lijekove. Najčešće samoprijavljene alergijske reakcije su bile na antibiotike (68%), nesteroidne protuupalne lijekove (16,4%) i jodni kontrast (3,9%). Samoprijavljivanje alergija je bilo češće kod žena, stanovnika urbanih područja i korisnika biljnih lijekova. Većinu prijavljenih reakcija su činile kožne (72%) i respiracijske (34%), dok je anafilaksu prijavilo 3,2% bolesnika. Samo 38 (8,7%) bolesnika je nakon reakcije podvrgnuto nekom alergološkom testiranju. Pregled povijesti bolesti je pokazao da je 26 (6%) bolesnika tijekom hospitalizacije primilo lijek na koji su prijavili alergijsku reakciju u prošlosti, što nije bilo praćeno neželjenim učincima. Samoprijavljivanje alergija na lijekove je veoma često kod kirurških bolesnika u Srbiji, što je u suprotnosti s niskom stopom ispitanih i dokumentiranih alergija. Kako se bolesnicima ne bi uskratila učinkovita terapija ili odlagala operacija, zdravstveni radnici bi trebali više pozornosti posvetiti preciznoj klasifikaciji neželjenih reakcija na lijekove

Changes in mouse thymus after exposure to tube-restraint stress

The thymus is the primary lymphoid organ involved in the regulation of the immune and endocrine systems. It is particularly sensitive to various types of stress, which induce its atrophy. This study deals with the effect of repeated restraint stress on the weight, proliferation and apoptosis of the thymus in mice. During restraint, the animals were placed in 50-mL conical plastic tubes for 2 h every day for either 10 or 20 consecutive days. A significant reduction in thymus weight along with decreased cellularity and pronounced atrophy of the cortical part of the thymus was observed in animals exposed to repeated tube-restraint stress for 10 and 20 consecutive days. The observed changes in the thymus were the same, regardless of the number of days of exposure to stress. These findings provide a more comprehensive view of repeated tube-restraint, with special emphasis on its duration on stress-induced thymus atrophy. The presented findings could serve as a basis for further studies aimed at identifying the mechanisms responsible for the adaptive response of the thymus after repeated exposure to stress

Effects of a combined thymol and carvacrol application on rat kidney damage parameters after L-arginine application

Thymol and carvacrol are two frequently abundant volatile monoterpene phenols found as constituents of different, widely used medicinal plants mainly belonging to the Lamiaceae family. The two compounds were previously proven to possess a large number of pharmacological/toxicological activities, including the nephroprotective activity. The present study aims to evaluate the nephroprotective potential of the two mentioned monoterpenes in L-arginine-induced rat kidney damage model. The potentials of thymol and carvacrol to alleviate kidney impairment were investigated using a different serum (urea, creatinine, sodium, potassium) and homogenate (neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin-NGAL) parameters that reflect kidney tissue damage. Significant rat kidney damage, increased serum urea, creatinine, sodium and potassium levels, as well as NGAL tissue activity, followed the application of L-arginine (3.5 g/kg). Thymol (10 mg/kg), carvacrol (10 mg/kg) or their combination (1:1, w/w, 10 mg/kg) application prior to L-arginine reduced the kidney tissue damage based on the determined values of the previously mentioned parameters. The activity of the combination of the two monoterpenes was found to be more pronounced than the activity of the individual ones at the same total dose. These differences were clearly visible in the urea and potassium serum levels and in the NGAL tissue activity obtained from the corresponding experimental groups. Such greater nephroprotective potential of the combination of the two compounds could be attributed to a possible synergistic effect of the two volatile phenols, since they were proven alone to both possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-apoptotic, etc. activities

Association among resistin, adenylate cyclase-associated protein 1 and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in patients with colorectal cancer: a multi-marker approach, as a hallmark of innovative predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine

Background: Elevated concentrations of resistin have been reported in colorectal cancer (CRC), but its interactions with adenylate cyclase-associated protein 1 (CAP-1) are largely unexplored. We investigated resistin plasma concentration, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) resistin messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), and CAP-1 mRNA levels in CRC patients, as well as the impact of resistin gene polymorphism rs1862513 on the examined markers. We also explored associations of resistin with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and predictive potential of our parameters for CRC. Methods: Eighty-six patients with CRC and 75 healthy adults were included. Commercial ELISA kit was used for obtaining resistin’s concentrations, while polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was applied for evaluation of resistin and CAP-1 mRNA levels and rs1862513 polymorphism. Results: Plasma resistin and CAP-1 mRNA levels were higher in CRC patients (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05, respectively), while resistin mRNA levels were lower (p < 0.001). Negative association existed among plasma resistin and HDL-C concentrations (ρ = − 0.280; p < 0.05). A model including age, body-mass index, HDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and plasma resistin concentrations as independent predictors of CRC showed very good diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.898). We found no associations of rs1862513 with the examined markers. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated increased plasma resistin and CAP-1 mRNA levels, implying their possible interaction in CRC. The association among plasma resistin and HDL-C might indicate that HDL-C is involved in alterations of resistin’s secretion process. As a hallmark of personalized medicine, multi-marker approach in determination of resistin-related parameters might be useful for prediction and prevention of CRC development

Efekat suplementacije propolisom i N-acetilcisteinom na raspodelu lipoproteinskih supklasa i aktivnosti paraoksonaze 1 u osoba sa akutnom respiratornom infekcijom

Background:Propolis and N-acetylcysteine have positiveimpact on respiratory tract health. Also, it has been sug-gested that they have beneficial effects on serum lipid andoxidative stress status, but the available data are limitedand mostly gained from animal models. In this study weevaluated the effects of propolis and N-acetylcysteine sup-plementation (PropoMucil®) on lipid status, lipoproteinsubclasses distribution and paraoxonase 1 activity in sub-jects with acute respiratory infection.Methods:Twenty subjects with acute respiratory infectionwere included. PropoMucil®granules for oral solution (80mg of dry propolis extract and 200 mg of N-acetylcysteine)were administered tree times per day for ten days. Serumlipid profile, paraoxonase 1 activity and low-density andhigh-density lipoprotein size and subclasses distributionwere assessed at baseline and after supplementation.Results:Following ten days of supplementation lipid statusremained unchanged, but a significant increase of low-density lipoprotein particle size and proportion of high-den-sity lipoprotein 3a particles were found (P<0.05).Moreover, supplementation with PropoMucil®significantlyimproved high-density lipoprotein particles distribution, particularly in those who smoke. There was a moderateincrease of paraoxonase 1 activity, but without statisticalsignificance.Conclusions:The presented study demonstrated that short-term supplementation with PropoMucil®has beneficialeffects on low-density and high-density lipoprotein sub-classes distribution and paraoxonase 1 activity in subjectswith acute respiratory infection particularly in those whosmoke.Uvod: Propolis i N-acetilcistein pozitivno utiču na zdravlje disajnih puteva. Takođe, sugeriše se da oni imaju blagotvorno dejstvo na lipidni i oksidativno-stresni status, ali podaci su ograničeni i dobijeni uglavnom na životinjskim modelima. U ovom istraživanju, procenili smo kombinovani efekat propolisa i N-acetilcisteina (PropoMucil®) na status lipida, raspodelu supklasa lipoproteina i aktivnost paraoksonaze 1 kod pacijenata sa akutnom respiratornom infekcijom (ARI). Metode: Uključeno je 20 ispitanika sa akutnom respiratornom infekcijom. Oralni rastvor praška PropoMucil® (80 mg suvog ekstrakta propolisa i 200 mg N-acetilcisteina) je aplikovan 3 puta dnevno tokom 10 dana. Serumski lipidni profil, aktivnost praoksonaze 1 i veličina i raspodela supfrakcija lipoproteina niske gustine i lipoproteina visoke gustine su određeni pre i nakon suplementacije. Rezultati: Nakon deset dana suplementacije, lipidni status je ostao nepromenjen, ali je utvrđeno značajno povećanje veličine lipoproteina niske gustine i relativnog udela lipoproteina visoke gustine 3a (P <0,05). Pored toga, suplementacija PropoMucil®-om značajno je poboljšala distribuciju lipoproteinskih čestica visoke gustine, posebno kod pacijenata koji puše. Došlo je do umerenog porasta aktivnosti paraoksonaze 1, ali bez statističke značajnosti. Zaključak: Studija je pokazala da kratkotrajna suplementacija PropoMucil®-om ima korisne efekte na distribuciju supklasa lipoproteina niske i visoke gustine i aktivnost paraoksonaze 1 kod ispitanika sa akutnom respiratornom infekcijom, posebno kod onih koji puše