The use of morphometric and fractal parameters to assess the effects of 5-fluorouracil, interferon and dexamethasone treatment on colonic anastomosis healing: an experimental study in rats

Adjuvant chemotherapy and steroid therapy have been demonstrated to interfere with the wound healing process. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of 5-fluorouracil, interferon, and dexamethasone, on the healing of colon anastomosis by assessing morphometric and fractal parameters of the colonic wall. An experimental anastomosis of the ascending colon was performed in 60 male Wistar rats, which were then randomly assigned to four groups. On the second to sixth post-operative days, the rats were administered 5-fluorouracil, interferon-α, dexamethasone, or 0.9% NaCl solution as a control. Macroscopic, histomorphometric and microbiological evaluation was performed in order to assess healing of the anastomosis. In three animals from the dexamethasone group, there was leakage of anastomosis; adhesion formation was highest in the interferon group, and significantly higher than in the control and 5-fluorouracil groups. Histomorphometric parameter alterations were most pronounced on the seventh and fourteenth post-operative days in all treatment groups, with submucosal thickness the most affected parameter. Connective tissue fractal dimension was significantly decreased in those animals treated with interferon and dexamethasone. All three pharmaceutical agents impaired healing of anastomosis, and promoted infection in the anastomosis and skin wound sites. As dexamethasone induced both morphometric and macroscopic alterations, it was considered the most detrimental in this study. (Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica 2011; Vol. 49, No. 1, pp. 80–89

Impact of Common Mistletoe (Viscum album L.) on Scots Pine Forests—A Call for Action

Common mistletoe is increasingly mentioned as contributing not only to the decline of deciduous trees at roadside and in city parks, but to conifers in stands. The presence of Viscum in fir stands has been known for many years, but since 2015 has also been the cause of damage to pine. In 2019, mistletoe was observed on 77.5 thousand hectares of Scots pine stands in southern and central Poland. Drought resulting from global climate change is implicated as an important factor conducive to weakening trees and making them more susceptible to the spread of mistletoe and other pests. This paper presents an overview of the latest information on the development of this semi-parasitic plant in Poland, its impact on tree breeding traits and raw material losses, as well as current options for its prevention and eradication

Artykuł oryginalnyOcena przydatności kwestionariusza aktywności ruchowej Paffenbargera w badaniach klinicznych u chorych z niewydolnością wieńcową leczonych metodą angioplastyki

Background: The association between frequency, intensity and duration of physical activity and the risk of cardiovascular disease has been investigated in several studies. Out of many methods used for assessment of physical activity, a questionnaire seems to be a simple and affordable method of assessing the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the number of clinical studies investigating the usefulness of physical activity questionnaires is limited. Aim: To analyse the usefulness of Paffenbarger Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ) in assessment of the correlation between the magnitude of physical activity-related energy expenditure and physical capacity assessed with treadmill exercise test (ET), risk of early onset of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and selected haemodynamic parameters in patients with CAD. Methods: The study group consisted of 211 patients aged 34-79 years (mean 59) with CAD, with or without previous myocardial infarction (MI). All patients were surveyed using PPAQ at the time of PCI and then 6 months later together with ET and echocardiography. Results: There was a significant correlation between the value of activity-related weekly energy expenditure assessed with the PPAQ and selected parameters of ET (duration: r = 0.2966, p 0.05). Thirty-seven patients with MACE had a trend towards a lower value of average weekly energy expenditure than the remaining 174 patients (2690.71 vs. 3206.06 kcal/week, NS). Conclusions: High values of correlation coefficients between the questionnaire results and some variables of ET and echocardiography examination make the PPAQ a useful tool in clinical studies.Wstęp: Spośród wielu narzędzi badawczych służących pomiarom aktywności ruchowej, istotnej z punktu widzenia ryzyka wystąpienia niewydolności wieńcowej, najprostszymi i najtańszymi są kwestionariusze. Liczba publikacji naukowych na temat ich wykorzystania w badaniach klinicznych jest znikoma. Cel: Analiza przydatności kwestionariusza aktywności ruchowej Paffenbarger Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ) do oceny związku pomiędzy wielkością wydatku energetycznego związanego z aktywnością ruchową a: tolerancją wysiłkową (próba wysiłkowa), ryzykiem wystąpienia powikłań sercowo-naczyniowych (złożony punkt końcowy, ZPK) i parametrami hemodynamicznymi serca (UKG) u pacjentów z chorobą niedokrwienną serca, po przebytym zawale lub bez zawału w wywiadzie, przed angioplastyką i 6 miesięcy po niej. Metody: Zbadano 211 chorych w wieku 34&#8211;79 lat (średnio 59 &#177; 9) z ostrym zawałem oraz z rozpoznaną wcześniej chorobą niedo- krwienną serca, po przebytym zawale lub bez zawału w wywiadzie. U wszystkich pacjentów wykonano koronarografię, a następnie angioplastykę naczyń wieńcowych z implantacją stentu lub bez implantacji. Badania wykonano dwukrotnie &#8211; podczas hospitalizacji związanej z zabiegiem i 6 miesięcy po zabiegu. Oceniano poziom tolerancji wysiłkowej na podstawie testu wysiłkowego na bieżni (czas testu, MET, VO2 max, HR spoczynkowe, HR max) i wybrane wskaźniki funkcji lewej komory serca (LVEDD, LVESD, EF%, LVM, LVMI). Oceny poziomu i rodzaju aktywności ruchowej dokonano na podstawie kwestionariusza PPAQ. Oszacowano wartość całkowitego tygodniowego wydatku energetycznego (kcal/tydzień) oraz dokonano jego kategoryzacji: Ł 999, 1000&#8211;1999, 2000&#8211;2999, ł 3000 kcal/tydzień. Zbadano zależność pomiędzy wielkością tego wydatku a wystąpieniem ZPK. Wyniki: Po zabiegu angioplastyki wykazano wzrost tolerancji wysiłkowej (czas testu 5,82 vs 7,48 min, p < 0,0001; MET 7,57 vs 9,18, p < 0,0001; VO2 max 29,23 vs 34,79 ml, p < 0,0001; HR max 123 vs 132 uderzeń/min, p < 0,0001), poprawę funkcji lewej komory serca (istotna zmiana jedynie w zakresie EF% &#8211; 51,64 vs 52,45%, p < 0,01) oraz zwiększenie całkowitego wydatku energetycznego związanego z aktywnością ruchową (3120,13 vs 3139,18 kcal/tydzień, NS), przy czym wydatek energetyczny związany z aktywnością rekreacyjną zarówno przed, jak i po zabiegu mieścił się w obszarze wysiłków lekkich (< 4 MET), nie przekraczając 2000 kcal/tydzień. Wykazano zależności pomiędzy wielkością tygodniowego wydatku kalorycznego a parametrami testu wysiłkowego (czas trwania testu r = 0,2966, p < 0,0001; MET r = 0,2221, p < 0,001; VO2 max r = 0,3075, p < 0,0001; HR spoczynkowe r = 0,1615, p < 0,01; HR max r = &#8211;0,1475, p < 0,01) i badania UKG (LVESD r = 0,2346, p < 0,0001). Porównano wyniki 37 chorych, u których wystąpił ZPK, z wynikami 174 chorych, u których nie stwierdzono ZPK. Wyniki analizy porównawczej tygodniowego wydatku kalorycznego i analizy obejmującej rodzaj wysiłku oraz jego charakter okazały się korzystniejsze dla grupy chorych bez ZPK (3206,06 vs 2690,71 kcal/tydzień, p = 0,1506). Wniosek: Kwestionariusz PPAQ wykazuje korelacje ze wskaźnikami próby wysiłkowej i badania echokardiograficznego, co czyni go przydatnym w badaniach klinicznych

Synergy, Additivity, and Antagonism between Cisplatin and Selected Coumarins in Human Melanoma Cells

(1) Cisplatin (CDDP) is used in melanoma chemotherapy, but it has many side effects. Hence, the search for natural substances that can reduce the dose of CDDP, and CDDP-related toxicity, is highly desired. Coumarins have many biological properties, including anticancer and antiproliferative effects. (2) An in vitro 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay on two human melanoma cell lines (FM55P and FM55M2) examined the antitumor properties of CDDP and five naturally occurring coumarins (osthole, xanthotoxin, xanthotoxol, isopimpinellin, and imperatorin). The antiproliferative effects produced by combinations of CDDP with the coumarins were assessed using type I isobolographic analysis. (3) The most potent anticancer properties of coumarins were presented by osthole and xanthotoxol. These compounds were characterized by the lowest median inhibitory concentration (IC50) values relative to the FM55P and FM55M2 melanoma cells. Isobolographic analysis showed that for both melanoma cell lines, the combination of CDDP and osthole exerted synergistic and additive interactions, while the combination of CDDP and xanthotoxol exerted additive interactions. Combinations of CDDP with xanthotoxin, isopimpinellin, and imperatorin showed antagonistic and additive interactions in two melanoma cell lines. (4) The combination of CDDP and osthole was characterized by the most desirable synergistic interaction. Isobolographic analysis allows the selection of potential candidates for cancer drugs among natural substances

Polygonogram and isobolographic analysis of interactions between various novel antiepileptic drugs in the 6-Hz corneal stimulation-induced seizure model in mice.

Pharmacotherapy with two antiepileptic drugs in combination is usually prescribed to epilepsy patients with refractory seizures. The choice of antiepileptic drugs in combination should be based on synergistic cooperation of the drugs with respect to suppression of seizures. The selection of synergistic interactions between antiepileptic drugs is challenging issue for physicians, especially, if 25 antiepileptic drugs are currently available and approved to treat epilepsy patients. The aim of this study was to determine all possible interactions among 5 second-generation antiepileptic drugs (gabapentin (GBP), lacosamide (LCM), levetiracetam (LEV), pregabalin (PGB) and retigabine (RTG)) in the 6-Hz corneal stimulation-induced seizure model in adult male albino Swiss mice. The anticonvulsant effects of 10 various two-drug combinations of antiepileptic drugs were evaluated with type I isobolographic analysis associated with graphical presentation of polygonogram to visualize the types of interactions. Isobolographic analysis revealed that 7 two-drug combinations of LEV+RTG, LEV+LCM, GBP+RTG, PGB+LEV, GBP+LEV, PGB+RTG, PGB+LCM were synergistic in the 6-Hz corneal stimulation-induced seizure model in mice. The additive interaction was observed for the combinations of GBP+LCM, GBP+PGB, and RTG+LCM in this seizure model in mice. The most beneficial combination, offering the highest level of synergistic suppression of seizures in mice was that of LEV+RTG, whereas the most additive combination that protected the animals from seizures was that reporting additivity for RTG+LCM. The strength of interaction for two-drug combinations can be arranged from the synergistic to the additive, as follows: LEV+RTG > LEV+LCM > GBP+RTG > PGB+LEV > GBP+LEV > PGB+RTG > PGB+LCM > GBP+LCM > GBP+PGB > RTG+LCM

The use of morphometric and fractal parameters to assess the effects of 5-fluorouracil, interferon and dexamethasone treatment on colonic anastomosis healing: an experimental study in rats

Adjuvant chemotherapy and steroid therapy have been demonstrated to interfere with the wound healing process. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of 5-fluorouracil, interferon, and dexamethasone, on the healing of colon anastomosis by assessing morphometric and fractal parameters of the colonic wall. An experimental anastomosis of the ascending colon was performed in 60 male Wistar rats, which were then randomly assigned to four groups. On the second to sixth post-operative days, the rats were administered 5-fluorouracil, interferon-&lt;i&gt;&amp;#945;&lt;/i&gt;, dexamethasone, or 0.9% NaCl solution as a control. Macroscopic, histomorphometric and microbiological evaluation was performed in order to assess healing of the anastomosis. In three animals from the dexamethasone group, there was leakage of anastomosis; adhesion formation was highest in the interferon group, and significantly higher than in the control and 5-fluorouracil groups. Histomorphometric parameter alterations were most pronounced on the seventh and fourteenth post-operative days in all treatment groups, with submucosal thickness the most affected parameter. Connective tissue fractal dimension was significantly decreased in those animals treated with interferon and dexamethasone. All three pharmaceutical agents impaired healing of anastomosis, and promoted infection in the anastomosis and skin wound sites. As dexamethasone induced both morphometric and macroscopic alterations, it was considered the most detrimental in this study. &lt;i&gt;(Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica 2011; Vol. 49, No. 1, pp. 80&amp;#8211;89