Via Medica Journals
Not a member yet
55128 research outputs found
Sort by
Silymarin protected the cerebral tissue from endoplasmic reticulum stress
Get PDFBackground: Our aim is to explore silymarin’s protective effects against endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress via protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) modulation, and elucidate potential enriched pathways through in silico analysis of silymarin-associated PERK protein interactors in cerebral ischemia- reperfusion (IR) injury.Materials and methods: 30 rats were categorized into three groups: sham, IR, and IR + silymarin. Cerebral IR damage was not induced. Only the MCA was identified and clamped without further intervention. The sham group received only physiological serum intravenously. In the IR group, rats were exposed to 2 hours ischemia and then 3 hours of reperfusion. In the IR + silymarin group the rats received 1 μg/kg silymarin intravenously (i.v.) before induction of cerebral IR. Cerebral tissues were processed for histological tissue preparation. Hematoxylineosin and PERK immunostaining were applied. In Cytoscape software, we imported and integrated the silymarin and PERK protein-protein interaction networks generated from the STITCH and STRING databases, respectively. Subsequently, Reactome pathway annotation was performed for this intersected network.Results: In the sham group, neurons were large and round with oval nuclei, and no histopathological changes were observed. In the IR group, neurons and neuroglial cells showed degeneration with pyknotic nuclei, apoptotic bodies, dilated and congested cerebral capillaries, and numerous vacuoles. After silymarin treatment, the IR + silymarin group showed a restoration of normal histology, with more regular neural and neuroglial cells and decreased vessel dilation and congestion. PERK immunoexpression was mainly negative in the sham group, increased in the IR group, and decreased again in the IR + silymarin group. Upon intersecting the interactors of silymarin and PERK, 17 common proteins were identified. Reactome pathway analysis revealed potential impacts of these proteins on key pathways including immune and cytokine signaling, apoptosis, estrogen signaling, and extracellular matrix degradation.Conclusions: Silymarin’s targeting of PERK offers a promising approach to alleviate ER stress and potentially modulate multiple critical pathways in cerebral ischemia reperfusion, serving as a comprehensive therapeutic strategy for managing cerebral IR injury
Delayed development of inferior mesenteric vein in human foetuses
Get PDFBackground: The superior mesenteric vein appears as a fusion between irregularly-shaped slits of the midgut mesentery tissue at 5–6 weeks. In contrast, there has been no report identifying when and how the inferior mesenteric vein (IMV) develops. So we aimed to find the human initial IMV.Materials and methods: We examined 1) sagittal histological sections of seven human foetuses with 45–75 mm crown rump length or CRL (10–12 weeks); 2) horizontal sections of 15 foetuses with 70–155 mm CRL (12–18 weeks); and 3) horizontal sections of 12 late-term foetuses with 225–328 mm CRL (28–41 weeks).Results: In the mesentery of the descending colon-rectum, the initial IMV lumen opened at 10–12 weeks of gestation, but the vein was difficult to trace upward to the anterior surface of the left adrenal. At 13–14 weeks, irrespective of whether it accompanied a colic artery, the IMV ran medially along the adrenal and it sometimes became thick near the pancreatic head. Earlier than the IMV, the middle colic vein appeared at the left aspect of the pancreatic head. Until late-term after establishment of the dorsal mesogastrium fusion with the mesocolon transversum, the IMV provided a peritoneal fold at the duodenojejunal junction.Conclusions: Venous drainage via the IMV was much delayed, possibly because, in early and midterm foetuses, an ongoing fusion of the midgut mesentery and a changing topographical relation among the abdominal viscera interfered with the venous flow. Instead, well-developed lymphatics seemed to be responsible for the drainage of the left-sided colon
Anthropometric analysis of external nose in young adults
Get PDFBackground: Anthropometric analysis of the midface is essential, especially for rhinoplasty surgeons, medical aesthetics, medical jurisprudence, and anthropology. The aim of this study was to provide data to describe the anthropometricdimensions of the nose and face among Caucasian young adults in order to establish reference values.
Materials and methods: The study was conducted among 289 Polish students (115 men and 174 women). The mean age in the study group was 20.44 ± 1.93 years. In this study, 10 linear measurements of the face and nose were determined, and seven indices were calculated, including facial index and nasal index. The prevalence of facial and nasal types was determined. The dimensions and indices were compared in both sexes. The results obtained were compared to those of other authors on Caucasian groups including Polish populations in similar age ranges. Statistical analysis was performed. The level of statistical significance was taken as p < 0.05.
Results: The most common face type in the study group was hyperleptoprosopic (a very narrow face) and leptoprosopic (a narrow face) 32.17%, 31.30% in the female group and 32.76%, 29.31%, in the male group, respectively. The most common nose type was leptorrhine (a narrow nose), 74.76%. All measured linear dimensions were greater in men except for nasal root width. Similar results were obtained among indices with the exception of nasal length index.
Conclusions: The results of the obtained measurements can be used by surgeons when planning reconstructive, corrective and cosmetic nasal surgery to ensure an aesthetically pleasing appearance
Psychological features of cyberbullying in adolescents
No full textIntroduction: The article is devoted to the study of the socio-psychological features of cyberbullying in adolescents, namely the determination of the factors that cause this phenomenon, and the study of the nature of their relationships.
Material and methods: The study was used socio-demographic questionnaire, the European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire (ECIP-Q), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Pochebut’s aggression questionnaire, the UCLA Loneliness Scale, and the Lie Scale from the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised (EPQ-R); Google Forms.
Discussion: However, the presence of siblings acts as a protective factor, reducing victimization. Emotional aggression and the experience of aggression on the Internet turned out to be direct predictors of aggression during cyberbullying. In particular, certain types of online activity or behavior significantly increased the risk of the aggressor’s role in cyberbullying. At the same time, emotional aggression and self-perception of behavior on the Internet are particularly highlighted as strong factors of influence.
Results: Thus, the results of the study suggest that both personal and contextual factors play a crucial role in determining how people express themselves in cyberbullying — as victims or as aggressors.
Conclusions: The protective role of siblings in the context of cyberbullying must be taken into account when developing prevention strategies for this phenomenon. Understanding adolescent cyberbullying and its psychological features is important to develop effective strategies to counteract this phenomenon and provide psychological support for victims and aggressors
Fasting Serum Irisin is Low in Gestational Diabetes but Significantly Correlates with Glucose Level after Oral Challenge with Glucose
No full textObjective: To ascertain the role of serum irisin in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and to compare it with a control group. Materials and methods: Pregnant women, irrespective of their gestational age, were recruited according to World Health Organization (WHO) 2013 criteria [GDM; n = 50, age: 28 (25.0, 32.0) years; body mass index (BMI): 27.01 kg/m2, median and normal glucose tolerance (NGT); n = 50, age: 27.0 (22.0, 29.0) years, median] and were studied for fasting irisin along with insulin indices. Glucose was measured by glucose oxidase method, irisin by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and insulin by chemiluminescent immunoassay, whereas insulin indices were calculated using the homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) model. Results: Serum irisin levels (pg/mL) were lower in GDM than NGT [7.14 (1.13, 15.93) vs. 8.61 (2.88, 34.33), p = 0.055]. Comparison of irisin levels between GDM and NGT mothers showed no significant differences (p = 0.132, p = 0.243, p = 0.194, respectively, for the first, second, and third trimesters). The fasting glucoseinsulin ratio (FGIR) was statistically similar between the study groups. Irisin significantly and positively correlated with both one- [r = 0.399, p = 0.004] and 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) [r = 0.474, p = 0.001] in GDM mothers whereas it was significantly and inversely correlated with BMI [r = –0.281, p = 0.048] in NGT mothers. Irisin found to be an independent predictor of GDM by multivariate logistic regression (OR = 1.05; p = 0.012). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that serum irisin is lower in GDM than NGT, but it is not statistically different. However, it is an independent predictor of GDM
A clinical retrospective study — the investigation of folic acid concentration in caucasian cancer patients
No full textIntroduction. Folates are one of the essential coenzymes for the proper synthesis, stability, and repair of DNA, playing a crucial role in renewing the population of rapidly dividing cells. Folates may act as a “double-edged sword”. Folate in the diet may reduce the risk of cancer. However, folates may contribute to the progression of precancerous conditions or cancer. The study’s primary objective was to evaluate the frequency of folic acid deficiency (FAD) in cancer patients and determine clinical factors associated with FAD.
Material and methods. Retrospective data were analyzed from 150 consecutive Caucasian cancer patients admitted to a major oncology hospital for cancer treatment. Folic acid (FA) plasma concentration, cancer and treatment type, histology, staging, comorbidities, nutritional status, body composition, and medical history of ailments were recorded.
Results. FAD was diagnosed in 18% of cancer patients. FAD was significantly more frequent in women than in men (81.5 vs. 18.5%; p = 0.028), in squamous cell carcinoma p < 0.001, in patients undergoing radiotherapy p < 0.001 and in dysphagic patients p = 0.011. The anthropometric and biochemical data analysis had no significant relationship with the occurrence of FAD.
Conclusions. FAD is more common in women with cancer than in men, regardless of the nutritional status determined by anthropometric or biochemical methods. Gender may play a role when assessing micronutrient status. Nutritional guidelines for cancer patients should include screening for micronutrient deficiencies. Further studies are needed to determine the role, dosage, and duration of FA supplementation recommended for specific cancer diagnoses and gender.
