Interaction of biomaterial containing calcium hydroxyapatite/poly-l-lactide with simulated body fluid

The purpose of biomaterials is to replace a part or a function of the body in a safe, physiologically and economically acceptable way. The process of the reconstruction of bone defects has always been a big problem in orthopedics and maxillofacial surgery. Since hydroxyapatite (HAp) was detected as a component, the predominant constituent and the integral element of Mammalian bones, the development of the phospate ceramics as potential materials for implantation was enabled. This study investigated whether and in which way biomaterial calcium hydroxyapatite/poly-L-lactide (HAp/PLLA) interacts with the ionic composition of the human plasma. The simulated body fluid (SBF) is an artificial fluid that has the ionic composition and ionic concentration similar to the human blood plasma. HAp/PLLA was incubated for 1, 2, 3 and 5 weeks in SBF. The surfaces of both treated and untreated materials were analyzed on a scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and were also exposed to the energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), while SBF was submitted to the measuring of pH and electrical conductivity. However, our results indicate that the degradational changes of the material HAp/PLLA in SBF start from the surface of the treated material and that observed changes are the consequence of dissolution of its polymer component and the precipitation of the material similar to hydroxyapatite on its surface. This material shows good characteristics that place it among good candidates for the application in orthopedics and maxillofacial surgery

Osteogenic activity in a mice subcutaneous implant of porous hydroxyapatite/poly-L-lactide loaded with bone marrow cells

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) is biomaterial widely used in the regeneration of bone tissue. Addition of osteogenic cells to HAp implants may accelerate the bone repair process. The aim of this study was to investigate how the bone marrow cells (BMCs) loading of porous hydroxyapatite/poly-L-lactide (HAp/PLLA) act to ectopic osteogenesis. In this purpose HAp/PLLA with and without BMCs was subcutaneously implanted into BALB/c mice. As a control served implants from both types which weren’t implanted. Three weeks after implantation, histological analysis of implants was done. It was observed significant resorption and induction of collagenogenesis in implanted biomaterials. The structure of new bone was seen in implants loaded with bone marrow cells

Divertikul debelog crijeva u psa - prikaz slučaja

The objectives of the current case report are to describe and report the diagnostics and surgical treatment of colonic diverticulum in a dog. A 13-year-old intact male Labrador retriever, suffering from the inability to defecate for 10 days, was diagnosed with a mass between the colon and the urinary bladder, filled with faeces. The diagnosis of a colonic diverticulum was obtained using plain abdominal radiography, ultrasonography, cystography and irigography. Native and contrast abdominal radiography and ultrasonography detected an abdominal mass with a diameter of 9 cm, filled with faeces, connected to the descending colon, and an enlarged prostatic gland. The dog was treated surgically with orchiectomy, exploratory celiotomy, partial resection of the colonic diverticulum wall, followed by reconstruction of the colon using the wall of the colonic diverticulum as a flap. The dog defecated 24 hours after surgery. On the 5th postoperative day, a wound infection was observed (redness, serous discharge from the ventral midline wound). The functional outcome was satisfactory. To the best of our knowledge, such a case report has not been reported before.Cilj rada bio je prikazati dijagnostiku i kirurško liječenje divertikula debelog crijeva u psa. Mužjak u dobi od 13 godina pasmine labrador retriver, tijekom 10 dana nije mogao defecirati. Psu je dijagnosticirana tvorba između kolona i mokraćnog mjehura, ispunjena fecesom. Abdominalnom radiografijom, ultrazvukom, cistografijom i irigografijom postavljena je dijagnoza divertikula kolona. Nativna i kontrastna abdominalna radiografija i ultrazvuk otkrili su abdominalnu masu promjera 9 cm, ispunjenu fecesom i povezanu sa silaznim kolonom, kao i uvećanu prostatu. U psa je učinjena orhiektomija, eksploratorna celiotomija i parcijalna resekcija stijenke divertikula kolona, te rekonstrukcija debelog crijeva, upotrebom stijenke crijevnog divertikula kao preklopa. Nakon 24 sata pas je defecirao. Petog dana poslije kirurškog zahvata primijećena je infekcija rane (crvenilo, serozni iscjedak iz ventralnog srednjeg dijela rane). Funkcionalni ishod bio je zadovoljavajući. Prema nama dostupnim podacima ovakav slučaj dosad nije prikazan

Crystal structure of dipeptidyl peptidase III from the human gut symbiont Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron

Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron is a dominant member of the human intestinal microbiome. The genome of this anaerobe encodes more than 100 proteolytic enzymes, the majority of which have not been characterized. In the present study, we have produced and purified recombinant dipeptidyl peptidase III (DPP III) from B. thetaiotaomicron for the purposes of biochemical and structural investigations. DPP III is a cytosolic zinc-metallopeptidase of the M49 family, involved in protein metabolism. The biochemical results for B. thetaiotaomicron DPP III from our research showed both some similarities to, as well as certain differences from, previously characterised yeast and human DPP III. The 3D-structure of B. thetaiotaomicron DPP III was determined by X-ray crystallography and revealed a two-domain protein. The ligand-free structure (refined to 2.4 Å) was in the open conformation, while in the presence of the hydroxamate inhibitor Tyr-Phe-NHOH, the closed form (refined to 3.3 Å) was observed. Compared to the closed form, the two domains of the open form are rotated away from each other by about 28 degrees. A comparison of the crystal structure of B. thetaiotaomicron DPP III with that of the human and yeast enzymes revealed a similar overall fold. However, a significant difference with functional implications was discovered in the upper domain, farther away from the catalytic centre. In addition, our data indicate that large protein flexibility might be conserved in the M49 family

RELAPSING POLYCHONDRITIS – CASE REPORT

Ponavljani polihondritis (PP) rijetka je progresivna sustavna upalna bolest u kojoj recidivirajuće epizode upale hrskavičnih struktura konačno dovode do razaranja hrskavica uha, nosa i dišnog sustava. Bolest može zahvatiti zglobove, oči, slušni i krvožilni sustav. U oko 30% bolesnika s PP-om nalazi se druga reumatska ili autoimunosna odnosno maligna bolest poput karcinoma debelog crijeva, pluća, dojke ili limfoma. Etiologija i patogeneza PP-a su poznate. Nema specifičnoga laboratorijskog parametra za PP. Dijagnoza PP-a temelji se na kliničkim kriterijima. Liječi se glukokortikoidima, a u novije vrijeme i primjenom bioloških lijekova. Tijek bolesti obilježen je povratnim akutnim epizodama hondritisa različitih struktura. Prognoza bolesnika s PP-om posljednjih nekoliko godina je bolja zahvaljujući sve boljem konzervativnom i kirurškom liječenju. U radu smo prikazali bolesnika u kojeg je PP dijagnosticiran unutar četiri tjedna od početka simptoma, a primjena glukokortikoida bila je učinkovita.Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare systemic inflammatory disease in which recurrent episodes of cartilage inflammation result in destruction of ears, nose and tracheobronchal tract. The joints, eyes, audiovestibular system and cardiovascular system can also be involved. About 30% of patients with RP have coexisting autoimmune disease, or malignant disease like colon, breast, and lung carcinoma, or malignant lymphoma. Pathogenesis is still unknown, and there is no consistent laboratory parameter specific for RP, which makes the diagnosis mainly clinical. Glucocorticoids are a mainstay of medical treatment of RP, whereas newer studies show positive effects of biological therapy. The course of RP is characterized by recurrent episodes of cartilage inflammation, and the prognosis has been recently improved because of improved medical and surgical treatment. We present a case of a patient with RP who was diagnosed 1 month after the development of first symptoms and responded well to glucocorticoid therapy

RELAPSING POLYCHONDRITIS – CASE REPORT

Ponavljani polihondritis (PP) rijetka je progresivna sustavna upalna bolest u kojoj recidivirajuće epizode upale hrskavičnih struktura konačno dovode do razaranja hrskavica uha, nosa i dišnog sustava. Bolest može zahvatiti zglobove, oči, slušni i krvožilni sustav. U oko 30% bolesnika s PP-om nalazi se druga reumatska ili autoimunosna odnosno maligna bolest poput karcinoma debelog crijeva, pluća, dojke ili limfoma. Etiologija i patogeneza PP-a su poznate. Nema specifičnoga laboratorijskog parametra za PP. Dijagnoza PP-a temelji se na kliničkim kriterijima. Liječi se glukokortikoidima, a u novije vrijeme i primjenom bioloških lijekova. Tijek bolesti obilježen je povratnim akutnim epizodama hondritisa različitih struktura. Prognoza bolesnika s PP-om posljednjih nekoliko godina je bolja zahvaljujući sve boljem konzervativnom i kirurškom liječenju. U radu smo prikazali bolesnika u kojeg je PP dijagnosticiran unutar četiri tjedna od početka simptoma, a primjena glukokortikoida bila je učinkovita.Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare systemic inflammatory disease in which recurrent episodes of cartilage inflammation result in destruction of ears, nose and tracheobronchal tract. The joints, eyes, audiovestibular system and cardiovascular system can also be involved. About 30% of patients with RP have coexisting autoimmune disease, or malignant disease like colon, breast, and lung carcinoma, or malignant lymphoma. Pathogenesis is still unknown, and there is no consistent laboratory parameter specific for RP, which makes the diagnosis mainly clinical. Glucocorticoids are a mainstay of medical treatment of RP, whereas newer studies show positive effects of biological therapy. The course of RP is characterized by recurrent episodes of cartilage inflammation, and the prognosis has been recently improved because of improved medical and surgical treatment. We present a case of a patient with RP who was diagnosed 1 month after the development of first symptoms and responded well to glucocorticoid therapy

Ethnopharmacological therapies in the treatment of diabetes in Serbia

The use of ethnopharmacological therapies is a part of human tradition. For centuries, they have been used in the treatment of diabetes, as well as other illnesses. The aim of this study was to examine the frequency of traditional medicine use in Serbia. The study was conducted as an online survey in February 2018. 130 people were surveyed, 55.38 % of which were people diagnosed with diabetes. The most commonly used herbal substituents were M. piperita L. (21 %), traditional herbal mixtures designed to regulate the primary and secondary diabetes complications (15%), M. chamomilla L. (13 %) and pharmaceutical supplements based on traditional recipes (10 %). 100 % of people with diabetes adhere to contemporary pharmacotherapy, while 25.86 % of people without diabetes do not use pharmacotherapy, but exclusively traditional medicine. There is no significant difference between the diabetic population that uses traditional medicine (51.34 %) and the one who does not (48.61 %), whereas in non-diabetic population the difference is significant (p < 0.05) so that 87.93 % of them regularly use medicinal herbs. More women than men use ethnopharmacological treatments (p < 0.05). The age of the respondents and their education also have an impact on the choice of therapy, so ethnopharmacological approaches are the most often used by faculty educated people aged 30 to 50 years. Moreover, people pay attention to the quality of supplements they use, i.e. 57.96 % of people buy them in pharmacies, 29.55 % with certified sellers, and only 12.49 % at the local market