Probability of exposure to the wild measles virus in adult population - Estimation from seroepidemiology and historical data

Vaccination against measles is one of the most effective public health interventions which has saved millions of lives and interrupted circulation of the natural virus in the population. However, it is widely accepted that the immunity after vaccination can wane, especially in those who have had no contact with the virus. This study aimed to classify the particular birth cohorts of adults with regard to their exposure to the wild measles virus in the population with a long history of mandatory vaccination. We introduced two methods. In the first, we estimated the probability of exposure to the wild virus through an analysis of antibody levels from the Immunologic Survey performed in the Slovak Republic in 2018, while the second was based on historical epidemiological data. Both methods resulted in similar estimations. Cohorts born in Slovakia before 1964 can be considered to be cohorts in which most people were exposed to the wild measles virus. Cohorts born after 1977 can be designated as cohorts that most likely did not come into the contact with the wild virus. Cohorts born between 1965 and 1976 are composed of a mixture, with a decreasing proportion of people exposed to the wild virus with increasing year of birth. The proposed methods can help identify potential immunity gaps in the adult population. They can be applied in other countries with high measles vaccination coverage to estimate the probability of exposure to the wild measles virus in particular birth cohorts.

Quantification of Waning Immunity After Measles Vaccination-Evidence From a Seroprevalence Study

We aimed to quantify rates of waning immunity after measles vaccination from seroprevalence data collected in a study of a population with high vaccination coverage and a fixed vaccination schedule. Data were collected during a national survey (the Immunological Survey) carried out in the Slovak Republic in 2018. The average rate of waning immunity against measles after the first dose of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine (ages 1.5-10 years) was 9.7% per year from the geometric mean titer value of 2,634 mUI/mL. The average waning rate after the second dose of MMR vaccine (ages 10-33 years) was significantly lower: 4.8% per year from the lower geometric mean titer of 1,331 mUI/mL. This decline in antibody levels suggests that vaccine-induced protection may be compromised and results in an increase in the proportion of seronegative/borderline individuals. These outcomes may provide a valuable source for critical assessment of direct and indirect effects of MMR vaccination.

Overweight and Fertility: What We Can Learn from an Intergenerational Mouse Obesity Model

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of being overweight on the ability to conceive, fertilization rate, and in vivo development of embryos in regularly cycling, spontaneously ovulating, and naturally mated female mice. The study was based on statistical analysis of data collected during 14 experiments with identical design, performed on 319 control and 327 obese mice, developed in an intergenerational model of obesity induction which eliminates the impact of aging and high-fat feeding. Six-week-old mice with a vaginal sperm plug were slaughtered on embryonic days 2, 3, or 4, and the flushed contents of the oviducts and uteri were assessed by stereomicroscopy. The results showed no association between being overweight and the proportion of ovulating or fertilized females. On the other hand, a strong association was found between being overweight and ovulation yield. On embryonic day 2, significantly higher numbers of eggs were recovered from the oviducts of fertilized obese mice. Maternal overweight status was also associated with higher developmental capacities of preimplantation embryos. In conclusion, contrary to studies based on the high-fat-diet model, in female mice fed regular chow, being overweight was associated with an increased ovulation quota and higher developmental rate of fertilized oocytes. Being overweight did not impact ability to conceive. On the other hand, as documented in our previous studies, the quality of oocytes and blastocysts recovered from overweight mice developed in an intergenerational model of obesity was low.

Dental Care and Education Facing Highly Transmissible SARS-CoV-2 Variants: Prospective Biosafety Setting: Prospective, Single-Arm, Single-Center Study

With the arrival of the highly transmissible Omicron variants (BA.4 and BA.5), dentistry faces another seasonal challenge to preserve the biosafety of dental care and education. With the aim of protecting patients, students, teachers and healthcare professionals, this paper introduces a prospective sustainable biosafety setting for everyday dental care and education. The setting developed by dental clinicians, epidemiologists, and teachers of dentistry consists of a combination of modern technologies focused on the air-borne part of the viral pathway. The introduced biosafety setting has been clinically evaluated after 18 months of application in the real clinical environment. The protocol has three fundamental pillars: (1) UVC air disinfection; (2) air saturation with certified virucidal essences with nebulizing diffusers; (3) complementary solutions including telehealth and 3D printing. A pseudonymous online smart form was used as the evaluation method. The protocol operates on the premise that everybody is a hypothetical asymptomatic carrier. The results of a clinical evaluation of 115 patient feedbacks imply that no virus transmission from patient to patient or from doctor to nurse was observed or reported using this protocol, and vice versa, although nine patients retrospectively admitted that the clinic visit is likely to be infectious. Despite these promising results, a larger clinical sample and exposition to the current mutated strains are needed for reliable conclusions about protocol virucidal efficiency in current dental environments.

Pretreatment Levels of Chromogranin A and Neuron-specific Enolase in Patients With Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasia

BACKGROUND/AIM

Chromogranin A (CgA) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) are applied in the diagnosis of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs), especially non-functional ones. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive values of CgA and NSE in long-term survival.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Our retrospective analysis included 65 patients with histologically verified gastroenteropancreatic NEN between 2005 and 2019. We performed bivariate and multivariable analyses to evaluate the relationship between CgA and NSE values before histological assessment and overall survival. Distribution of time-to-event was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and modelled by Cox regression models.

RESULTS

Elevated NSE levels prior to histology were significantly associated with worse survival (HR=1.13, p=0.004) and were associated with low-differentiated NENs (r_s=0.321, p=0.0338). CgA was associated with well-differentiated tumors (r_s=0.233), but not significantly.

CONCLUSION

Pretreatment serum levels of NSE can serve as a valuable additional predictor of long-term survival in patients with NEN.

The role of subtotal and total gastrectomy in the treatment of gastric cancer

The optimal procedure for the lower third gastric adenocarcinoma is still an open question. We performed an analysis of the long-term survival of patients after subtotal (SG) or total gastrectomy (TG) on 164 enrolled patients. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were performed in order to identify characteristics associated with long-term survival. Survival was significantly affected by the number of positive lymph nodes (LN). Patients who have undergone TG had a higher number of total removed LN. The adjusted hazard ratio for the TG group suggests a partial superiority of TG over SG for patients with curative intent. Our data support the importance of extended LN dissection.

Diagnostic ipsilateral central neck dissection may reduce undertreatment of initially low-risk papillary thyroid cancer

Although small papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) patients are considered as low-risk population, approximately 5-20% of these patients relapse after surgery. The objective of this single-center retrospective study was to identify risk factors, which could help to distinguish patients who would need additional treatment after surgery. A total of 268 patients (39 men, 229 women, median age 49 years) underwent surgery between 2007-2015, and fulfilled inclusion criteria: tumor size ≤20 mm, absence of metastatic lymph nodes (LN) in the lateral neck compartment (LC), and absence of local invasion. Total thyroidectomy was performed in 252 cases, in 221 cases with central neck compartment (CC) dissection. The outcome - a more aggressive disease - was defined as the presence of metastases in the LNLC or in distant organs found during follow-up. A median follow-up was 117 months. Overall, 41 patients experienced the outcome with a median time-to-event of 18 months. Male gender (OR=2.2, p=0.049), extra-thyroidal extension ETE (OR=2.61, p=0.015), and metastases in LNCC (OR=4.21, p<0.001) were associated with worse outcome. Multivariable analysis and stratification according to ETE revealed an effect modification with a higher effect of the positive LNCC on the outcome among patients without ETE than in those with ETE. Our findings advocate placing greater emphasis on the role of LNCC metastases in the absence of ETE. In clinically node-negative tumors intraoperative examination of CC on the side of the tumor followed by CC dissection if metastatic lymphadenopathy is present could play an important role in the stratification of patients with small-size PTC.

Omega-3 fatty-acids modulate symptoms of depressive disorder, serum levels of omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6/omega-3 ratio in children. A randomized, double-blind and controlled trial

Omega-3 fatty acids (FA) are a promising adjuvant therapy for depressive disorder (DD) in adults. The objective of this single-centre, randomized, double-blind and controlled study was to compare the efficacy of an omega-3 FA fish oil emulsion with a control oil emulsion alongside the standard treatment for depression in children and adolescents suffering from DD or mixed anxiety depressive disorder (MADD) and to analyse serum fatty acid levels and omega-6/omega-3 FA ratio before and after the intervention. 60 children were randomised 1:1 to the intervention (Om3) or active comparator (Om6) groups. Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) ratings were performed at the baseline, every 2 weeks for a 12-week intervention period. Significant reductions in CDI scores were observed after 6 and 12 weeks of intervention in the Om3 group and in the DD subgroup compared to the Om6 and MADD subgroup. Ratio of omega-6/omega-3 decreased in Om3 but not in Om6 from 24.2/1 to 7.6/1 after 6 weeks, EPA, omega-6/omega-3 ratio, but not DHA, correlated with severity symptoms at the baseline. An omega-3 fatty acid rich fish oil emulsion may be an effective adjuvant supplement during the treatment of depressive disorders in children. Trial registration: ISRCTN 81655012.

RADIATION MACULOPATHY AFTER ONE-DAY SESSION STEREOTACTIC RADIOSURGERY IN PATIENTS WITH CILIARY BODY AND CHOROIDAL MELANOMA

INTRODUCTION

Nowadays radiotherapy is the standard treatment care for patients with uveal melanoma. In Slovakia the only one option is a one-day session stereotactic radiosurgery at linear accelerator LINAC. Irradiation of surrounding tissues of the eye and orbit causes radiation complications. One of the most serious and vision-threatening is the radiation retinopathy, which divides into maculopathy and peripheric retinopathy. The clinical signs include microanerysms, teleangiectases, hard exsudates, cotton wool spots and macular edema, neovascularisation, and vitreous hemorrhage. Radiation macular edema can be classified by optical coherence tomography into cystoid or noncystoid edema. On fluorescein angiography macular edema is divided into non-ischemic and ischemic, while the latter means usually irreversible loss of the visual acuity. This paper is focused on risk factors of radiation retinopathy although it strongly influences functional result of radiotherapy and preservation of the visual acuity.

PURPOSE

By means of bivariate and multivariate analysis to determine the association of radiation dose and other variables with the development of radiation maculopathy.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The retrospective analysis of 168 patients with ciliary body or choroidal melanoma who performed one-day session stereotactic radiosurgery on a linear accelerator LINAC in a period 2007-2016.

RESULTS

The prevalence of the radiation maculopathy was 29% with the median time from the irradiation to maculopathy 16 months. Median radiation dose on the macula was 37 Gy. Variables statistically significantly associated with the maculopathy were: radiation dose (p = 0.0016), postequatorial location of the tumor (p = 0.0271) and better visual acuity before treatment (p = 0.0007). The tumor touch of the macula was strongly associated with the visual acuity in the bivariate analysis (p = 0.0006), thus it could be omitted from the final model.

DISCUSSION

The radiation dose on a macula is the key determinant for radiation-induced maculopathy, according to other authors and our study approvingly. Other variables were related to proximity of the tumor to the macula, so the radiation dose on the macula was higher indirectly. Better visual acuity before treatment as a risk factor for maculopathy can be a consequence of: a) earlier diagnostics of tumor with proximity to the posterior pole, b) lower enucleation rate; frequency of the enucleation was 1.6 higher in patients without maculopathy. Naturally, on enucleated eyes maculopathy was not diagnosed. Five patients underwent intravitreal application of the bevacizumab as a treatment of the radiation maculopathy, without improvement of the visual acuity.

CONCLUSION

Radiation complications can be vision and eye threatening. Radiation maculopathy is a consequence of higher radiation dose on the macula. The treatment modalities of radiation maculopathy are rather ineffective.

Rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis) ameliorates the CCl4-induced injury to mitochondrial respiratory function and energy production in rat liver

The rooibos tea (RT) is a source of valuable dietary dihydrochalcones  aspalathin, and nothofagin and other polyphenols. Many in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that RT flavonoids have strong antioxidant effect and significantly reduce oxidative stress. We investigated the antioxidant activity and protective effect of an aqueous extract of RT on the liver mitochondria oxidative phosphorylation in rats with carbon tetrachloride-induced (CCl4-induced) liver damage. Mitochondrial respiration and ATP production was determined amperometrically using a Clark-type oxygen electrode. We found significantly decreased parameters of oxidative phosphorylation in the group having received CCl4 for 10 weeks. Simultaneous administration of RT increased oxygen uptake stimulated with ADP, and the rate of ATP generation in the mitochondria of rats, both having been impaired in rats treated with CCl4 only. Treatment with RT significantly decreased CCl4-induced elevated enzyme levels, improved capacity of the respiratory chain and energy production, presumably due to its potent and direct antioxidant activity, including inhibition of mitochondrial lipid peroxidation. Improved histological features support the view of antioxidant and membrane-stabilizing activity of RT. This fact may play a significant role in the protection of the liver from injury caused by known toxins, and from subsequent development of steatosis and fibrosis..

Support of medication adherence by community pharmacists in Czech and Slovak Republics: a questionnaire survey study

Introduction: Intervention of pharmacists in medication adherence can meaningfully contribute to achieving therapeutic outcomes. Exploring the real-life readiness and opportunities of pharmacists may result in the adoption of measures, which could be seen through improvement of patients’ adherence to pharmacotherapy.

Aim: The aim of the paper was to make a survey on community pharmacists’ potential in medication adherence support in its connectivity to technical and personnel factors, which underline the capacities of pharmacies in dealing with medication adherence.

Methods: The questionnaire survey was conducted from October to December 2014 and involved 158 pharmacists from 117 Czech (CZ) and 41 Slovak (SK) community pharmacies. The structured questionnaire surveyed both technical and personnel factors, including provision of consultancy services related to medication adherence. Non-adherence risk reduction was evaluated by adopting Morisky Scale modified from the pharmacist’s perspective. Questionnaires outcomes were summarised in contingency tables and analyzed for associations between respective categorical variables using χ2 or exact tests and association coefficients. All results are reported as significant at P≤0.05.

Results: The average score of adherence support (CZ/SK 1.95/1.93) was significantly higher as compared to that of persistence or concordance (P<0.001). Reduction of non-adherence risk reached the score of a medium degree (P=0.73, average 2.29 in CZ and 2.22 in SK). These findings were significantly associated with personnel capacities (provision of consultancy, preference for the use of recommended procedures in CZ (P<0.001), number of years of practice in SK (P=0.029)), while significant association with technical equipment (consultancy room) in the SK (P=0.037).

Conclusion: The pharmaceutical care is developing towards the improvement of medication adherence in both countries - assuming a medium degree of adherence support. Further progress may be observed in strengthening the pharmacists’ personnel capacities, and accelerated mainly using information technologies, i.e. through technical capacities.

Fibrinogen Levels Are Associated with Lymph Node Involvement and Overall Survival in Gastric Cancer Patients

BACKGROUND/AIM

Combination of perioperative chemotherapy with gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy improves long-term survival in patients with gastric cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of preoperative levels of CRP, albumin, fibrinogen, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and routinely used tumor markers (CEA, CA 19-9, CA 72-4) for lymph node involvement.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study was conducted in 136 patients who underwent surgery between 2007 and 2015. Bivariable and multivariable analyses were performed in order to identify important characteristics associated with the risk of lymph node involvement. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and log-rank tests were used to compare overall survival.

RESULTS

Lymph node involvement was significantly affected by preoperative fibrinogen (p=0.008) and albumin (p=0.023). Poor clinical condition, T and N staging and fibrinogen level above 3.5 g/l were significantly associated with worse overall survival.

CONCLUSION

Preoperative fibrinogen and albumin levels are significantly associated with lymphoid metastases in patients with gastric cancer.

Changes in mitochondrial properties may contribute to enhanced resistance to ischemia-reperfusion injury in the diabetic rat heart

Diabetes mellitus, besides having deleterious effects, induces cardiac adaptation that may reduce the heart's susceptibility to ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. This study aimed to investigate whether changes in mitochondrial properties are involved in the mechanisms of increased resistance of the diabetic heart to IR. Adult male Wistar rats were made diabetic by a single dose of streptozotocin (65 mg·kg^-1, i.p.), and on the day 8, Langendorff-perfused hearts were subjected to 30 min global ischemia and 40 min reperfusion. Baseline preischemic parameters in the diabetic hearts did not differ markedly from those in the nondiabetic controls, except for lower left ventricular developed pressure, higher mitochondrial membrane fluidity, and protein levels of manganese superoxide dismutase. On the other hand, diabetic hearts showed significantly better post-IR functional restoration and reduced arrhythmogenesis associated with lower reactive oxygen species production as compared with healthy controls. IR decreased membrane fluidity in both experimental groups; however, it led to a complete recovery of mitochondrial Mg²⁺-ATPase activity in diabetics in contrast to its reduction in nondiabetics. These findings indicate that the heart may become adapted to diabetes-induced alterations that might increase its tolerance to an ischemic insult. Preserved mitochondrial function might play a role in the mechanisms of the heart's resistance to IR injury in diabetics.

Emulsified omega-3 fatty-acids modulate the symptoms of depressive disorder in children and adolescents: a pilot study

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of mood disorders in children is a growing global concern. Omega-3 fatty acids (FA) are emerging as a promising adjuvant therapy for depressive disorder (DD) in paediatric patients. The primary objective of this pilot, single-centre, randomized, double-blind controlled study was to compare the efficacy of an Omega-3 FA fish oil emulsion with a control oil emulsion alongside standard treatment for depressive symptoms in children and adolescents suffering from depressive disorder (DD) and mixed anxiety depressive disorder (MADD).

METHODS

38 children (12 patients were treated and diagnosed for at least 1 month before enrolment, 26 patients were first-time diagnosed as DD) aged 11-17 years were randomised 1:1 to the intervention (Omega-3 FA, 19 patients) or active comparator (Omega-6 FA, 19 patients) groups. Children's depression inventory (CDI) ratings were performed at baseline, every 2 weeks for a 12-week intervention period and at 4-week post-intervention. 35 patients (17 in Omega-3 and 18 in Omega-6 groups) who completed the whole intervention period were evaluated. Patients from Omega-3 group were stratified according to diagnosis into two subgroups (DD-10/17 and mixed anxiety depressive disorder (MADD)-7/17 patients) and in the Omega-6 group into DD-10/18 and MADD-8/18 patients. Groups were evaluated separately. Differences between-groups were tested with the Student´s t test or non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test. Two-way ANOVA with repeated measures and Friedman test were used to analyse the Treatment effect for response in CDI score. p < 0.05 was considered significant in all statistical analyses.

RESULTS

Significant reductions in CDI scores in 35 analysed patients who completed 12 weeks intervention were observed after 12 weeks of intervention only in the Omega-3 group (p = 0.034). After stratification to depressive disorder and mixed anxiety depressive disorder subgroups, the DD subgroup receiving the Omega-3 FA fish oil showed statistically greater improvement (score reduction after 8 week treatment of -9.1 CDI, p = 0.0001) when compared to the MADD subgroup (score reduction after 8 week treatment -4.24 CDI, p = 0.271).

CONCLUSIONS

CDI scores were reduced in the Omega-3 group and the depression subgroup had greater improvement than the mixed depressive/anxiety group. An Omega-3 fatty acid rich fish oil emulsion may be an effective adjuvant supplement during the treatment of depressive disorders in children. Trial registration ISRCTN81655012.

Cardioprotection induced by remote ischemic preconditioning preserves the mitochondrial respiratory function in acute diabetic myocardium

A 2×2 factorial design was used to evaluate possible preservation of mitochondrial functions in two cardioprotective experimental models, remote ischemic preconditioning and streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus, and their interaction during ischemia/reperfusion injury (I/R) of the heart. Male Wistar rats were randomly allocated into four groups: control (C), streptozotocin-induced diabetic (DM), preconditioned (RPC) and preconditioned streptozotocin-induced diabetic (DM+RPC). RPC was conducted by 3 cycles of 5-min hind-limb ischemia and 5-min reperfusion. DM was induced by a single dose of 65 mg/kg streptozotocin. Isolated hearts were exposed to ischemia/reperfusion test according to Langendorff. Thereafter mitochondria were isolated and the mitochondrial respiration was measured. Additionally, the ATP synthase activity measurements on the same preparations were done. Animals of all groups subjected to I/R exhibited a decreased state 3 respiration with the least change noted in DM+RPC group associated with no significant changes in state 2 respiration. In RPC, DM and DM+RPC group, no significant changes in the activity of ATP synthase were observed after I/R injury. These results suggest that the endogenous protective mechanisms of RPC and DM do preserve the mitochondrial function in heart when they act in combination.

Stimulation of mitochondrial ATP synthase activity - a new diazoxide-mediated mechanism of cardioprotection

Pharmacological preconditioning by diazoxide and a model of experimental streptozotocin-induced acute diabetes mellitus (STZ-DM) provided similar levels of cardioprotection assessed as limiting myocardial infarct size. The aim was to explore the possibility of existence of another in vitro mechanism, which could be contributory to cardioprotection mediated by diazoxide treatment. Mitochondrial membrane fluidity and ATP synthase activity in isolated heart mitochondria were determined under the influence of two factors, STZ-DM condition and treatment with diazoxide. Both factors independently increased the ATP synthase activity (p<0.05), as no interaction effect was observed upon the combination of STZ-DM with diazoxide. On the other hand, the mitochondrial membrane fluidity was significantly increased by STZ-DM only; no significant main effect for diazoxide was found. Based on the results from measurements of enzyme kinetics, we assume a direct interaction of diazoxide with the molecule of ATP synthase stimulated its activity by noncompetitive activation. Our present work revealed, for the first time, that cardioprotection induced by diazoxide may not be caused exclusively by mitochondrial K(ATP) opening, but presumably also by a direct interaction of diazoxide with ATP synthase, although the mechanisms for achieving this activation cannot be fully delineated.

Effect of antihypertensive agents - captopril and nifedipine - on the functional properties of rat heart mitochondria

OBJECTIVES

Investigation of acute effect on cellular bioenergetics provides the opportunity to characterize the possible adverse effects of drugs more comprehensively. This study aimed to investigate the changes in biochemical and biophysical properties of heart mitochondria induced by captopril and nifedipine antihypertensive treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Male, 12-week-old Wistar rats in two experimental models (in vivo and in vitro) were used. In four groups, the effects of escalating doses of captopril, nifedipine and combination of captopril + nifedipine added to the incubation medium (in vitro) or administered per os to rat (in vivo) on mitochondrial ATP synthase activity and membrane fluidity were monitored.

RESULTS

In the in vitro model we observed a significant inhibitory effect of treatment on the ATP synthase activity (P<0.05) with nonsignificant differences in membrane fluidity. Decrease in the value of maximum reaction rate Vmax (P<0.05) without any change in the value of Michaelis-Menten constant Km, indicative of a noncompetitive inhibition, was presented. At the in vivo level, we did not demonstrate any significant changes in the ATP synthase activity and the membrane fluidity in rats receiving captopril, nifedipine, and combined therapy.

CONCLUSION

In vitro kinetics study revealed that antihypertensive drugs (captopril and nifedipine) directly interact with mitochondrial ATP synthase. In vivo experiment did not prove any acute effect on myocardial bioenergetics and suggest that drugs do not enter cardiomyocyte and have no direct effect on mitochondria.

Participation of heart mitochondria in myocardial protection against ischemia/reperfusion injury: benefit effects of short-term adaptation processes

Acute streptozotocin diabetes mellitus (DM) as well as remote ischemic preconditioning (RPC) has shown a favorable effect on the postischemic-reperfusion function of the myocardium. Cardioprotective mechanisms offered by these experimental models involve the mitochondria with the changes in functional properties of membrane as the end-effector. The aim was to find out whether separate effects of RPC and DM would stimulate the mechanisms of cardioprotection to a maximal level or whether RPC and DM conditions would cooperate in stimulation of cardioprotection. Experiments were performed on male Wistar rats divided into groups: control, DM, RPC and DM treated by RPC (RPC+DM). RPC protocol of 3 cycles of 5-min hind limb ischemia followed by 5-min reperfusion was used. Ischemic-reperfusion injury was induced by 30-min ischemia followed by 40-min reperfusion of the hearts in Langendorff mode. Mitochondria were isolated by differential centrifugation, infarct size assessed by staining with 1 % 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride, mitochondrial membrane fluidity with a fluorescent probe DPH, CoQ(9) and CoQ(10) with HPLC. Results revealed that RPC as well as DM decreased the infarct size and preserved mitochondrial function by increasing the mitochondrial membrane fluidity. Both used models separately offered a sufficient protection against ischemic-reperfusion injury without an additive effect of their combination.

Association of p53 and p21 polymorphisms with prostate cancer

Cell cycle deregulation is common in human cancer. Alterations of the tumor-suppressor gene p53 and its downstream effector p21 have been indicated in the development of numerous human malignancies. Therefore, we hypothesize that the p53 codon 72 polymorphism, either on its own or in combination with p21 (C98A and C70T) polymorphisms, modifies the risk of prostate cancer within the Slovak population, and no previous studies have investigated these gene-gene interactions in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer in the Slovak population. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism was used to determine the p53 and p21 genotypes in subjects comprising 300 prostate cancer patients and 446 healthy individuals. These 3 polymorphisms individually did not correlate with the prostate cancer risk. Conversely, the interaction between the p53 and p21 polymorphisms significantly decreased the risk of prostate cancer, with the odds ratio (OR) being 0.49 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.27-0.86; P<0.05] for subjects carrying the p53 codon 72 arginine (Arg)/proline (Pro)+Pro/Pro and p21 C98A CA genotypes compared to the combined reference genotypes p53 codon 72 Arg/Arg and p21 C98A CC. Neither the p53 genotypes nor the p21 genotypes showed statistically significant differences in Gleason score or serum prostate-specific antigen levels (P>0.05). A decreased risk of prostate cancer association with the p21 C98A CA genotype (OR=0.58; 95% CI, 0.36-0.93; P<0.05) in non-smokers compared to the non-smokers with the p21 C98A CC genotype was observed. Smokers carrying the p53 codon 72 Pro/Pro genotype were not at any significant risk of prostate cancer (OR=2.97; 95% CI, 0.51-17.15) compared to the non-smokers with the Arg/Arg genotype. Taken together, to the best of our knowledge this is the first study to show that a combination of the variant genotypes of p53 codon 72 and p21 C98A may modify the prostate cancer risk within the Slovak population.

An Effect of Oak-Wood Extract (Robuvit®) on Energy State of Healthy Adults-A Pilot Study

The purpose of our study was to examine the psychological benefits of the treatment with Robuvit® (Horphag Research Ltd.) – polyphenolic extract obtained from the wood of oak Quercus robur – on the healthy elderly individuals using energy subscale scores of the Activation – Deactivation Adjective Check List. Analysis was focused on the comparison of pre-post treatment effect of Robuvit on symptoms of fatigue. In the total group of volunteers, significant increase of average question scores was found in three of four subscales of feelings (energy, tiredness, and tension) after 4 weeks of Robuvit administration. Effects of extract were observed mainly after stratification of total group of volunteers according to the level of feeling at the pre-treatment questionnaire. Our results demonstrate positive effect of Robuvit on mental and energy level in healthy human without any unwanted side effects. © 2015 The Authors Phytotherapy Research Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Relation between carbonic anhydrase IX serum level, hypoxia and radiation resistance of head and neck cancers]

BACKGROUND

Hypoxia of locally advanced head and neck cancers is one of the main causes of their radiation resistance that presents clinically as a persistence of residual tumor disease after radiation therapy. Therefore, detection of tumor hypoxia could be an important predictor of treatment efficacy. Carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX) is a protein, coded by a homonymous gene, the expression of which increases in tumor tissues at hypoxic conditions. Hence, CA IX represents an endogenic marker of tumor hypoxia, identifiable in tumor tissues, and its soluble extracellular domain can also be detected in body fluids of the patient. The primary endpoint of this study was to explore whether a correlation exists between CA IX serum level and the residual tumor disease after therapy. The secondary endpoint was to find out how the serum concentration of CA IX changes during the course of fractionated radiation therapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The presented prospective monocentric clinical study evaluated a population of 30 patients with locally advanced squamous cell head and neck cancers, treated by radiation therapy or concurrent chemo radiation therapy with a curative intent. The serum concentration of the soluble form of CA IX was examined from a venous blood sample, using sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The blood samples were obtained before the treatment initiation, in the middle of radiation therapy, at the time of finishing radiation therapy and six weeks after the treatment completion.

RESULTS

We found a substantial variability in the CA IX levels measured in the examined population, ranging 0- 1,696 pg/ ml. We found no significant changes in the mean value of CA IX concentration during the course of radiation therapy and after the treatment completion. In 11 patients (36.7%), the treatment resulted in complete remission of the disease. In these patients, lower average pretreatment levels of CA IX were noted when compared to patients with persistence of residual tumor disease (37.57 vs 77.47; p = 0.154).

CONCLUSION

The results indicate that serum level of CA IX in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancers does not change significantly during the course of fractionated radiation therapy. The relation between CA IX serum level and residual tumor disease after radiation therapy requires verification on a larger population of patients.

Variation in N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2), smoking and risk of prostate cancer in the Slovak population

N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) is an enzyme involved in the biotransformation of xenobiotics, mainly aromatic and heterocyclic amines and hydrazines, all of which represent an important class of carcinogens found in tobacco smoke. Polymorphism in NAT2 gene is reported to be associated with susceptibility to various types of cancer. This study investigated the relationship between the NAT2 polymorphism and the risk of prostate cancer with reference to the link between cigarette smoking and the xenobiotic-metabolizing enzyme NAT2. Overall, 281 cases and 395 controls from Slovakia were studied using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. We found no statistically significant association between NAT2 genotypes and prostate cancer risk (slow acetylation vs. rapid acetylation: OR 1.13; 95 % CI 0.83-1.55). We report here a statistically significant correlation between the NAT2*5C/NAT2*6A slow acetylator genotype and the risk for developing prostate cancer (OR 2.91; 95 % CI 1.43-5.94; p = 0.003) when compared with the rapid phenotype. Smokers with NAT2 rapid phenotype had a five percent (5 %) reduced risk of prostate cancer compared with non-smokers carrying the rapid acetylator genotype. The association was reversed among smokers and non-smokers with NAT2 slow phenotype. On the basis of the foregoing, we conclude that the NAT2 phenotypes whether alone or in association with smoking do not correlate with susceptibility to prostate cancer within the Slovak population.

Involvement of membrane fluidity in endogenous protective processes running on subcellular membrane systems of the rat heart

Membrane fluidity is a widely recognized biophysical variable that provides information about structural organization of the subcellular membranes exhibiting physical characteristics of liquid crystals. The term "fluidity" reflects in this case the tightness in packing of acyl parts of the membrane phospholipid molecules, a feature that may influence considerably the molecular mobility and via that also the sensitivity and reactivity of membrane-bound transporters, receptors and enzyme systems. Data presented in this review are aimed to demonstrate the substantial role of changes in membrane fluidity occurring in the processes associated with endogenous protection observed in cardiac sarcolemma and mitochondria in diverse pathologies, particularly in diabetes and hypertension.

Dual influence of spontaneous hypertension on membrane properties and ATP production in heart and kidney mitochondria in rat: effect of captopril and nifedipine, adaptation and dysadaptation

This study deals with changes, induced by hypertension and its treatment, in the function and properties of mitochondria in the heart and kidneys. Male, 16-week-old hypertensive rats were allocated to 3 groups: (i) animals treated daily for 4 weeks with captopril (CAP, 80 mg·(kg body mass)(-1), n = 45), (ii) animals treated with CAP + nifedipine (NIF, 10 mg·kg(-1), n = 45), or (iii) untreated hypertensive controls (n = 96). Wistar rats (n = 96) were used as normotensive controls. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), heart rate (HR), and heart mass / body mass (HW/BW) ratio were measured at the beginning and end of the experiments; measurements for mitochondrial Mg(2+)-ATPase activity, O(2)-consumption (QO(2)), respiratory control index (RCI), ADP/O, oxidative phosphorylation rate (OPR), conjugated diene content (CD), and membrane fluidity (MF) were also taken at different time intervals. In the heart, elevated SBP, HR, and HW/BW accompanied increased QO(2), OPR, and Mg(2+)-ATPase activity, indicating an adaptive response to hypertension-induced increase in the energy demands of the myocardium. Treatments with CAP or with CAP + NIF were very similar in their prevention of increase in SBP, HR, HW/BW, and the rise in OPR (all p < 0.05-0.01). In the kidneys, hypertension induced a drop in OPR; however, antihypertensive therapy aggravated the resulting energy deficiency, whereby treatment with CAP + NIF was more detrimental than treatment with CAP alone. Heart and kidney mitochondria exhibited negligible changes in CD and moderately increased MF, which was more potentiated by treatment with CAP alone than with CAP + NIF.