Extracardiac adult-type rhabdomyoma-Report of two cases in dogs

This report describes the cytologic, histopathologic, and immunohistochemical features of adult-type rhabdomyoma located within the subcutaneous tissue in a 14-year-old female Border Collie (thigh) and a 13-year-old male Mongrel (flank). In both cases, fine-needle aspiration biopsy revealed cluster-forming, epithelial-like polygonal cells with abundant foamy cytoplasm, and moderate to marked anisocytosis and anisokaryosis; therefore, an epithelial tumor was suspected. After surgical excision, tumors underwent histopathologic examination with additional immunohistochemistry. Both tumors were well-demarcated and located within the subcutaneous tissue in the vicinity of the cutaneous muscle. The tumor mass consisted of densely packed round or polygonal cells with distinct vacuolation of the cytoplasm. Tumor cells expressed vimentin, desmin, and NSE and were cytokeratin and α-SMA negative. Based on histologic features and immunophenotyping, adult-type rhabdomyoma was diagnosed in both cases. This study highlights that the cytologic features of rhabdomyoma can be misleading and may suggest an epithelial tumor.

Microvascular nose reconstruction after extended tumor resection

<b>Introduction:</b> The nose is the central and probably the most important organ of the face. In view of the three-dimensional shape and variety of tissues, reconstructive surgery after tumor resection in this anatomical region requires the surgeon's knowledge of anatomy. <br><b>Materials and Method:</b> In the years 2010-2019, 48 patients were treated in the Oncological and Reconstructive Surgery Clinic for extended nasal tumors, which required the use of free microvascular flaps after resection for functional and aesthetic supply of anatomical structures of the nose. <br><b>Results:</b> In 48 patients, a total of 92 free microvascular flaps were used for nasal reconstruction including: radial forearm free flap in 24 patients, radial forearm free flap with radial bone in 14 patients, auricular free flap in 16 patients, radial forearm free flap in combination with auricle free flap in 7 patients, double auricular free flap in 6 patients, radial forearm free flap in combination with double auricular free flap in 4 patients. Total necrosis of the free flap was noted in 4 cases, partial in 6 patients. <br><b>Conclusions:</b> The presented surgical techniques using microvascular free flaps constitute a recognized method of treatment and should be used in everyday surgeon practice. The results demonstrated in this article allow to obtain optimal functional and aesthetic effects.

The impact of a single whole body cryostimulation treatment on selected skin properties of healthy young subjects

INTRODUCTION

Systemic cryotherapy is a popular treatment involving a short stay in a cryogenic chamber at a temperature below -100 °C. This leads to a number of physiological reactions, some of them also observed in the skin. The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of a single cryogenic treatment on selected skin characteristics (skin pH, level of hydration and TEWL - Transepidermal Water Loss) in young, healthy people.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Skin characteristics in 77 young people (23.63 ± 1.36 years) were assessed. In the study, 43 women and 33 men who took part in a one-time treatment (-120 °C) lasting 3 min. Measurements were made on the forearm skin and (in men) on the face twice: before and immediately after the procedure.

RESULTS

Initial differences in hydration of the stratum corneum and TEWL were observed between the group of women and men. After one treatment, the examined characteristics of the forearm skin did not change, and an unfavorable increase in TEWL in men was indicated in the facial area.

CONCLUSIONS

A single stay in the cryogenic chamber, while maintaining the correct methodology of the treatment, is safe for the skin. The changes taking place depend on the body surface area tested, which indicates that the skin on the limbs and on the face reacts differently to the cryogenic stimulus.

The effect of vitamin D supplementation on the muscle damage after eccentric exercise in young men: a randomized, control trial

Background

Vitamin D contributes to the optimal functioning of muscles. This study was designed to determine the modulating effect of vitamin D supplementation on the degree of muscle cell damage caused by eccentric exercise in young men.

Methods

60 male volunteers (20–24 years old) taking part in this study were divided in two groups - with suboptimal (S) and optimal (O;) 25(OH)D plasma levels. These groups were randomly subdivided into groups with vitamin D supplementation (experimental: SE and OE) and controls (SC and OC). Before the supplementation (Test I) and after 3 months (Test II), participants were subjected to two rounds of eccentric exercise tests on a declined treadmill (running speed corresponded 60% VO2peak determined in each subject in incremental exercise test). During each test, blood samples used for determination of 25(OH)D, Il-1β, myoglobin (Mb) levels and CK, LDH activity were taken at three timepoints: before the test, 1 h and 24 h after it ended.

After distribution normality testing (Saphiro-Wilk test), statistical analyses were performed. Non-parametric: Kruskal-Wallis test and the Wilcoxon test were applied, and the Dunn-Bonferroni test as a post-hoc test.

Results

In all groups, after 3 months, higher concentrations of 25(OH)D were indicated (SE p = 0.005; SC p = 0.018; OE p = 0.018; OC p = 0.028). SE and SC groups showed higher baseline concentrations of Il-1β and significantly higher concentrations of this interleukin after 1 h compared to groups with an optimal 25(OH)D level. After supplementation, the SE group reacted with a similar jump in concentration of Il-1β as the OC and OE groups. The change after 1 h after exercise in Test II was significantly different from that from Test I (p = 0.047) in SE group. Lower Mb concentrations indicated 1 h after exercise in Test II for SC and SE groups were indicated. CK activity did not differentiate the studied groups. Plasma calcium and phosphate disorders were also not indicated.

Conclusions

The study has shown that vitamin D doses determined from the plasma concentration of 25(OH)D of individuals to match their specific needs can significantly reduce muscle cell damage induced by eccentric exercise.

Alterations of aorta intima and media transcriptome in swine fed high-fat diet over 1-year follow-up period and of the switch to normal diet

BACKGROUND AND AIM

We previously showed that 12-month high-fat diet (HFD) in pigs led to fattening and increased artery intima-media-thickness, which were partly reversed after 3-month return to control diet (CD). The aim of this study was to decipher underlying mechanism of action by using transcriptomic analyses of intima and media of aorta.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Thirty-two pigs were divided into three groups: CD for 12 months; HFD for 12 months; switch diet group (regression diet; RD): HFD for 9 months followed by CD for 3 months. After 12 months, RNA was isolated from aorta intima and media for nutrigenomic analyses. HFD significantly affected gene expression in intima, while RD gene expression profile was distinct from the CD group. This suggests that switch to CD is not sufficient to correct gene expression alterations induced by HFD but counteracted expression of a group of genes. HFD also affected gene expression in media and as for intima, the expression profile of media of pigs on RD differed from that of these on CD.

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed nutrigenomic modifications induced by long-term HFD consumption on arterial intima and media. The return to CD was not sufficient to counteract the genomic effect of HFD.

Method for detection of hydrogen peroxide in HT22 cells

We have proposed a new method which can be applied in assessing the intracellular production of hydrogen peroxide. Using this assay we have examined the hydrogen peroxide generation during the L-glutamate induced oxidative stress in the HT22 hippocampal cells. The detection of hydrogen peroxide is based on two crucial reagents cis-[Cr(C₂O₄)(pm)(OH₂)₂]⁺ (pm denotes pyridoxamine) and 2-ketobutyrate. The results obtained indicate that the presented method can be a promising tool to detect hydrogen peroxide in biological samples, particularly in cellular experimental models.

Effect of dietary lignocellulose on ileal and total tract digestibility of fat and fatty acids in broiler chickens

The study was conducted to determine the effect of a lignocellulose supplemented diet on apparent ileal and total tract digestibility of fat and fatty acids (FA) in broiler chickens. A total of 48 21-day-old male Ross 308 chickens were divided into four treatment groups (n = 12) with six replicates per treatment. From 21 to 42 days of age, the broilers were fed experimental diets varied in the amount of lignocellulose: 0%, 0.25%, 0.5% and 1%. Total excreta were gathered during the last 3 days of the feeding trial and digesta was collected from the ileum at 42 days of the bird age. Digestibility was determined by the indicator method. The ether extract content in diet/digesta/excreta was determined by the gravimetric method, and fatty acid methyl esters were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Fat digestibility measured to the end of the small intestine and in the whole gastrointestinal tract in birds was high and exceeded 90% and 87% respectively. Addition of lignocellulose (1%) increased (p < 0.05) ileal fat digestibility but had no significant effect on total tract fat digestion. Absorption of total fatty acids (TFA) as well as myristic (C14:0), palmitoleic (C16:1) and α-linolenic (C18:3n-3) acids, estimated by both methods, was significantly higher in birds fed the diets supplemented with lignocellulose, especially at a dose of 1%. Total tract absorption of some dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (C20:2, C20:4n-6) was significantly lower from diet supplemented with 0.5% and 0.25% lignocellulose. There was observed a decrease in apparent digestibility of fat and most examined fatty acids, when measured between terminal ileum and total gastrointestinal tract. The results suggest that lignocellulose can affect digestion and FA absorption in broilers but, as the effect of lignocellulose was not studied previously, further investigations are necessary to confirm the results of the present experiment.

[Mitochondrial diseases]

Perturbations of mitochondrial function, which may be caused by mutations in both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, cause many human diseases. We describe the most frequent mitochondrial diseases, especially those caused by mutations in the nuclear genome, attempts to treat these diseases and possible ways of preventing the transmission of diseases caused by mutations in mitochondrial DNA to successive generations.

[The role of reactive oxygen species and mitochondria in aging]

Aging is a biological phenomenon concerning all living multicellular organisms. Many studies have been conducted to identify the mechanisms underlying this process. To date, multiple theories have been proposed to explain the causes of aging. One of them is the free radical theory which postulates that reactive oxygen species (ROS), extremely reactive chemical molecules, are the major cause of the aging process. These free radicals are mainly produced by the mitochondrial respiratory chain as a result of electron transport and the reduction of the oxygen molecule. Toxic effects of ROS on cellular components lead to accumulation of oxidative damage which causes cellular dysfunction with age. The free radical theory has been one of the most popular theories of aging for many years. Scientific research on different model organisms aiming to verify the theory has produced abundant data, supporting the theory or, on the contrary, suggesting strong evidence against it. At present, the free radical theory of aging is no longer considered to be true.

Involvement of the monoaminergic system in the antidepressant-like activity of chromium chloride in the forced swim test

Bio-metal chromium(III) is a crucial microelement for the proper functioning of living organisms. Previous preclinical and clinical studies reported its potential antidepressant properties. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of antidepressants and noradrenergic and dopaminergic receptor antagonists on chromium chloride (CrCl₃) activity in the forced swim test (FST) in mice and rats. Imipramine (5 mg/kg), fluoxetine (5 mg/kg) and reboxetine (5 mg/kg) but not bupropion (1 mg/kg), administered jointly with CrCl₃ at a dose of 6 mg/kg, reduced the immobility time in the FST in mice. The reduction of the immobility time induced by the active dose (12 mg/kg) of CrCl₃ was completely abolished by propranolol (2 mg/kg, β-adrenoceptor antagonist), SCH 23390 (0.5 mg/kg, a dopamine D₁ receptor antagonist), and partially by prazosin (1 mg/kg, an α₁-adrenoceptor antagonist), yohimbine (1 mg/kg, an α₂-adrenoceptor antagonist) and sulpiryd (50 mg/kg, a dopamine D₂/D₃ receptor antagonist) administration. The locomotor activity was significantly reduced by CrCl₃ + reboxetine treatment, which did not influence the reboxetine enhancement of the antidepressant-like effect of CrCl₃ in the FST. Moreover, CrCl₃ at a dose of 32 mg/kg (although not at 12 mg/kg) significantly reduced the immobility and enhanced the climbing (but not swimming) time in the FST in rats, which indicates the involvement of the noradrenergic pathway in this effect. The present study indicates that the antidepressant-like activity of chromium in the FST is dependent (although to a different extent) on the noradrenergic, dopaminergic and serotonin systems.

Adventitial lymphatics and atherosclerosis

Lymphatic vessels are important in reverse cholesterol transport and play a crucial role in regression of atherosclerotic plaque in experimental animal models. Therefore, we attempted to analyze adventitial microcirculation including lymphatic vessels and adventitial macrophages in large human arteries in various stages of atherosclerosis. Eighty-one arterial segments of large arteries (iliac arteries and abdominal aortas) were obtained from deceased organ donors. Lymphatic vessels were identified using anti-LYVE-1 and anti-D2-40/podoplanin immunohistochemical staining. Adventitial blood vessels and macrophages were visualized using anti-CD-31 and anti-CD-68. Intimal thickness was measured under 100x magnification with an Olympus BX 41 light microscope using the visual mode analySIS 3.2 software. Lymphatic vessels were counted in each cross section of the examined arteries, and adventitial blood vessels (CD31+) were counted using the "hot spot" method. Statistical analysis was performed with Statistica 9.1 PL software (StatSoft, Cracow, Poland). Mann-Whitney, F-Cox, Chi-square, and Spearman's correlation tests were performed and the differences were considered significant at p < 0.05. Lymphatic and blood vessels in the adventitia of examined arteries were identified and quantified. Significant positive correlations were found between the number of adventitial lymphatics (LYVE-L +) and intimal thickness (r = 0.37; p < 0.05) as well as with age of the subjects (r = 0.3; p < 0.05). Thus, lymphatic vessels are present in the adventitia of large arteries in humans and the number of adventitial lymphatic vessels increases with progression of atherosclerosis as assessed by intimal thickness.

Ohmic Contact to n-GaN with TiN Diffusion Barrier

The formation of n-GaN/Ti ohmic contacts with TiN diffusion barriers has been investigated by electrical measurements, x-ray diffraction and SIMS. It has been shown that the onset of the ohmic behaviour is associated with the thermally induced phase transformation of Ti into TiN at the GaN/Ti interface. It is suggested that the process is accompanied by an increase in the doping level in the semiconductor subcontact region. The presence of a TiN barrier is found to inhibit excessive decomposition of GaN and to confine the reaction between n-GaN and Ti.

Ni/Si-Based Ohmic Contacts to p- and n-Type GaN

Ni/Si-based ohmic contact scheme for GaN, based on the solid-phase regrowth (SPR) mechanism have been developed. Using Mg and Si as dopant species, ohmic contacts with a resistivity of ∼1*10-3Ωcm2 to p-GaN (p≈3*1017 cm-3) and n-GaN (n≈2*1017cm-3), respectively, have been obtained. SIMS, XRD, and RBS analysis show in as-deposited contacts, an initial reaction at GaN/Ni interface, leading to the formation of an Ni-Ga-N layer. The ohmic behavior of contacts, observed after annealing at 400°C, is accompanied by structural transformations in the contact region: i) the decomposition of Ni-Ga-N layer and ii) the growth of NiSi compound.

Advanced GaSb/InGaAsSb/AlGaAsSb 2-2.4µm Photovoltaic Detectors

This paper reports on the design and fabrication of GaSb/n-InxGal1−xAsySb1−y/p-AlxGal−xAsySb1−y heterojuction photodetectors operating in the 2 - 2.4 µm wavelength region. Device structures were grown by LPE and fabricated as mesa-type diodes by RIE etching in CC14/H2 plasma. For mesa passivation a surface treatment in (NH42S water solution was carried out. The photodiodes structures are characterized by differential resistance RoA=400 ωcm2. Measured detectivity is in the range 3.1010 - 2. 1011 cmHz1/2/W, in dependence on the active area and cutoff wavelength.

[Prognostic indices in liver cirrhosis and transplant assessment]

In view of growing disproportion between the number of organ donors and recipients awaiting transplantation the issue of an appropriate allocation of organs is becoming more and more important. The Child-Turcotte-Pugh Scale (CTP), which has been used for many years, has proved limited in many aspects. Hence, MELD Score (Model for End-Stage Liver Disease) was first introduced in the US in 2002 and later on in numerous other countries. This has led to a decrease in mortality among patients waiting for a liver transplant. Research into constructing new prognostic scales or improving the old ones are being continued. Various modifications of both MELD and CTP score have been evaluated. In this article we review recently tested scores and discuss their potential applications.

Ising quantum Hall ferromagnet in magnetically doped quantum wells

We report on the observation of the Ising quantum Hall ferromagnet with Curie temperature T(C) as high as 2 K in a modulation-doped (Cd,Mn)Te heterostructure. In this system field-induced crossing of Landau levels occurs due to the giant spin-splitting effect. Magnetoresistance data, collected over a wide range of temperatures, magnetic fields, tilt angles, and electron densities, are discussed taking into account both Coulomb electron-electron interactions and s-d coupling to Mn spin fluctuations. The critical behavior of the resistance "spikes" at T-->T(C) corroborates theoretical suggestions that the ferromagnet is destroyed by domain excitations.

[The value of the head-up tilt table test for with unexplained syncope in children and young adolescents]

Syncope occurs in about 15% of children and young adolescents. The diagnosis of syncope of unknown origin is frequently difficult. In 1986, Kenny et al. introduced the Head-up Tilt Table Test (HUT), which enables to reproduce syncope. The aim of the study was to evaluate HUT in diagnosis of syncope in children and young adolescents. Ninety five children and young adolescents (57 females, 38 males, age range 7-18 years) with recurrent syncope of unexplained etiology were referred for HUT. The study group was divided into two subgroups: A--with history consistent with vasovagal syncope (VVS) and B--with non-characteristic symptoms for VVS. HUT was performed according to the Westminster protocol. The patient was tilted at 60 degree for 45 min. or until syncope occurred. Positive response to HUT was 36%. Negative outcome occurred in 59%. Non-diagnostic HUT was observed in 5%. The vasodepressive type of VVS was recognised in 35%, cardioinhibitory in 12% and mixed in 53%. In group A positive response of HUT occurred in 65% of pts., negative in 31%. In group B positive HUT was observed in 4% of pts. and negative in 89%.

CONCLUSIONS

1. In children and young adolescents head-up tilt test is a very useful diagnostic method. 2. In patients referred for the head-up tilt test the history of syncope should be taken into consideration.

Effects of site and size of septum lesions on feeding and drinking behavior in the cat

Lesions involving most of the septum caused in cats a reduction in drinking milk and eating cereal. Only the lesions involving a part of the posterior one-third of the septum increased consumption of milk and solid food. Changes of drinking behavior were usually more pronounced and permanent. In some cases the normal ratio of drunk fluids to solid food eaten was disturbed, that is either the amount of the consumed milk or cereal changed; in some animals these changes were more or less parallel. Increase or abolition of effects caused by lesions involving areas playing a similar or an opposite role in these functions were observed very often. This indicates how important it is in such investigations to produce precise lesions of strictly determined site and size.