•Cocoa polyphenols (CPs) suppressed hepatotoxicity and inflammation in CCl4-intoxicated mice.•Cocoa extract (CE) and epicatechin (EC) improved glucose metabolism after imbalance induced by CCl4 ...intoxication.•CPs are involved in the early stage of antifibrotic and anticarcinogenic effects in the liver.•CPs affected beneficial regulation of subcellular redox state caused by CCl4 intoxication.
The therapeutic effects of cocoa polyphenols on acute carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-intoxicated mice were investigated. After determining polyphenols profile in the cocoa extract (CE), CE at a dose of 34.5 mg/kg and epicatechin (EC) at a dose of 2.24 mg/kg were intraperitoneally (i.p.) administered to BALB/cN mice following CCl4 treatment. CE and EC post-treatments suppressed hepatotoxicity and inflammation, ameliorated serum markers of liver injury, returned blood lactate and glucose levels to normal, stimulated synthesis and storage of liver glycogen, and modulated glucose metabolism imbalance induced by CCl4. Cocoa polyphenols also exhibited early stage antifibrotic and anticarcinogenic effects. They affected beneficially the mitochondrial functionality acting on dysfunction in mitochondrial respiration caused by CCl4 and antioxidants regulation at subcellular levels.
Among available papers published on the given subject over the last century, various terms have been used as synonyms for one, now generally accepted—osteoarthritis, in some countries called “wear ...and tear” or “overload arthritis”. The opsolent terms—hypertrophic arthritis, degenerative arthritis, arthritis deformans and osteoarthrosis—sought to highlight the dominant clinical signs of this ubiquitous, polymorph disease of the whole osteochondral unit, which by incidence and prevalence represents one of the leading chronic conditions that cause long-term pain and incapacity for work. Numerous in vitro and in vivo research resulted in broadened acknowledgments about osteoarthritis pathophysiology and pathology on both histological and cellular levels. However, the cause of osteoarthritis is still unknown and is currently the subject of a hypothesis. In this paper, we provide a review of recent findings on biological phenomena taking place in bone tissue during osteoarthritis to the extent useful for clinical practice. Choosing a proper radiological approach is a conditio sine qua non to the early diagnosis of this entity.
Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease of bone mass loss and deterioration of the bone structure leading to increased susceptibility to fracture, generally associated with risk factors that include ...hormonal imbalance, increased oxidative stress and chronic inflammation.
Nutritional factors and certain lifestyle reduce the risks of occurrence of osteoporosis and are part of a number of national and international prevention recommendations. Recent reports based on molecular mechanisms of dietary polyphenols have highlighted the benefits in their prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Polyphenols can protect bone health through reduction of oxidative stress because they act as antioxidants, reduction of inflammation by proinflammatory signaling, modulation of osteoblastogenesis, osteoclastogenesis, and osteoimmunological action.
This review reports about some important bioactive polyphenol sources and describes their action against osteoporosis based on in vitro and in vivo studies.
•Dietary polyphenols (DPs) reduce bone loss through antioxidative and anti-inflammatory actions.•DPs reduce oxidative stress, enhancing osteoblastogenesis and suppressing osteoclastogenesis.•DPs improve bone structure by regulation of different molecular signaling.•Fruit and vegetables rich in polyphenols may be used as an effective remedy in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.
Molecular network of the osteogenic BMPs and extracellular inhibitors maintains homeostasis of the skeletal tissues. It is important to determine relationship between BMP-2, -4 and -7 and their ...inhibitors: gremlin, follistatin, chordin and noggin, during normal osteogenesis. To determine their expression pattern we conducted investigation by inducing ectopic bone formation in rats. The results shown that levels of the BMP-2 and BMP-4 expression in chondrocytes are similar to noggin and follistatin. The latter BMPs and inhibitors have increased levels of the expression at day 14th of the osteogenesis, which suggests their important roles in early phases of the chondrogenesis. Gremlin and chordin have shown increased levels of expression in late phase of chondrogenesis, which suggests their important role in regulation of the osteogenesis initiation. In this study, BMPs and inhibitors have the highest levels of the expression at 21st day in the osteocytes, which suggests their strong interactions in osteogenesis.
To examine the feasibility and possible effect of an 8-week exercise program on sleep quality, insomnia and psychological distress in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Twenty-four individuals ...with MS were recruited into a controlled pre-post feasibility study and divided into 2 groups: exercise (
= 13; Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS): 1.0-7.5) and a related control group with no exercise (
= 11; EDSS: 1.0-7.0). The exercise group performed combined upper limb, lower limb and breathing exercises in a controlled group (2d/week, 60 min/session) for 8 weeks. Participants were administered measures to evaluate sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI), insomnia severity (Insomnia Severity Index, ISI), psychological distress (Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation-Outcome Measure, CORE-OM) and additionally impact of fatigue (Modified Fatigue Impact Scale, MFIS) after 8-weeks.
Insomnia severity measured with ISI (
(1;22)=5.95,
= 0.023,
= 0.213, 90% CI = 0.02-0.42) and psychological distress measured with the CORE-OM (
(1;22)=4.82,
= 0.039,
= 0.179, 90% CI = 0.01-0.40) showed statistically significant group-by-time interaction. Sleep quality measured with the PSQI showed statistically significant group-by-time interaction only in an aspect of daytime sleep dysfunction (
(1;22)=5.33,
= 0.031,
= 0.195, 90% CI = 0.01-0.40). The fatigue impact measured with the MFIS showed statistically significant group-by-time interaction in physical (
(1;22)=6.80,
= 0.016,
= 0.236, 90% CI = 0.02-0.44) and cognitive aspects (
(1;22)=9.12
= 0.006,
= 0.293, 90% CI = 0.05-0.49), and total score (
(1;22)=11.29,
= 0.003,
= 0.339, 90% CI = 0.08-0.52).
Our 8-week program reduced insomnia severity, psychological distress and some aspects of fatigue (physical; cognitive; total), and improved sleep quality in an aspect of daytime sleep dysfunction in a small group of individuals with MS. Good feasibility and significant positive changes from baseline warrant further exploratory work.
Pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) is major contributor to maternal death in developing countries. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is the most potent vasoconstriction agent known and its serum levels are ...increased in PIH. Therefore it is important to elucidate maternal and neonatal factors which influence endothelin-1 serum levels. 100 pathological pregnancies and 88 controls were analyzed for blood endothelin-1 and their anthropometric and clinical data were collected. In maternal blood ET-1 levels were strongly predicted by diagnosis, therapy and BMI, while umbilical cord ET-1 levels were strongly predicted by gestational age, therapy and delivery termination. Positive correlation between BMI and ET-1 levels suggest that obese pregnant women have increased risk for cardiovascular diseases. Inverse relationship between Apgar and umbilical ET-1 indicates that ET-1 could be considered as a prognostic marker in cases of neonatal asphyxia.
Zdenko KriŽan (1915 - 2005), physician, anatomist and teacher, is an important academic figure of the 20th century, especially in the South Slavic area. He participated in the founding of three ...anatomical institutes and directed their work. During the years of his career he was teaching and he did scientific research. Prof. KriŽan is author of three compendia of anatomy for Medicine and Dentistry students. The results of his anatomical research, mainly in the area of the head skeleton and blood vessels, were published in national and international scientific journals. This article is a rewiew of prof. KriŽan's biography data.
Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM), pneumothorax (PNX) and subcutaneous emphysema are rare complications of COVID-19 pneumonia. In this paper we describe 3 cases of COVID-19 pneumonia complicated by ...SPM with or without PNX. Patient 1 was a 56-year-old woman whose medical history was significant for chronic leukemia. She presented with typical clinical signs of COVID-19 pneumonia and after 2 weeks of hospitalization she developed SPM and subcutaneous emphysema. The management of pneumomediastinum (PNM) was conservative and follow-up computed tomography showed resolution of PNM. Patient 2 was a 67-year-old man presenting with fever, cough and dyspnea. Computed tomography pulmonary angiography was performed after 2 weeks of hospitalization and showed bilateral peripheral consolidations together with massive PNM and right-sided PNX. Thoracic drainage catheter was inserted in his right chest. Despite all supportive care, the patient succumbed to illness. Patient 3 was a 74-year-old man who was admitted to our hospital with COVID-19 pneumonia and spontaneous right-sided PNX. A thoracic drainage catheter was inserted immediately and then removed after ten days which has led to progression of subcutaneous emphysema, PNX and newly diagnosed PNM. Patient was carefully monitored for the next 2 weeks. Follow-up chest x-ray showed regression of PNM and PNX. SPM, PNX and subcutaneous emphysema are rare complications of COVID-19 pneumonia. Increased alveolar pressure and diffuse alveolar injury in severe COVID-19 pneumonia may make the alveoli more prone to rupturing which leads to gas dissemination along the peribronchovascular sheath to the mediastinum. Most cases of SPM and PNX resolve with conservative management.
Hrskavično tkivo je posebna vrsta potpornog tkiva zbog optimalnih biomehaničkih
svojstava koja su rezultat specifične biokemijske strukture međustanične tvari. Tri vrste hrskavice
– hijalina, ...fibrozna i elastična – razlikuju se u građi međustanične tvari i zbog toga u fizikalnim
svojstvima. Elastičnosti i čvrstoći zglobne hrskavice, odnosno mogućnosti znatne reverzibilne
mehaničke deformacije, značajno pridonose kolagena vlakanca, lučno raspoređena u
svim njezinim slojevima. Hrskavica je avaskularna i nema osjetnu inervaciju. Prehrana zglobne
hrskavice i posljedično njezina vitalnost direktno ovise o djelovanju biomehaničkih sila koje
osiguravaju difuziju hranjivih tvari u hrskavicu iz sinovijalne tekućine. Zbog potonjih činjenica u
početnim stadijima degeneracije hrskavice izostaju simptomi upale i bol. Progresijom degenerativnih
promjena svakodnevno biomehaničko opterećenje na kritično stanjenu hrskavicu dovodi
do njenog nestajanja, što u konačnici ima za posljedicu disfunkciju zgloba kakva je u
osteoartritisu.
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