The present study was carried out to evaluate the renoprotective antioxidant effect of Spirulina platensis on gentamicin-induced acute tubular necrosis in rats. Albino-Wistar rats, (9male and 9 female), weighing approximately 250 g, were used for this study. Rats were randomly assigned to three equal groups. Control group received 0,9 % sodium chloride intraperitoneally for 7 days at the same volume as gentamicin group. Gentamicin group was treated intraperitoneally with gentamicin, 80 mg/kg daily for 7 days. Gentamicin+spirulina group received Spirulina platensis 1000 mg/kg orally 2 days before and 7 days concurrently with gentamicin (80 mg/kg i.p.). Nephrotoxicity was assessed by measuring plasma nitrite concentration, stabile metabolic product of nitric oxide with oxygen. Plasma nitrite concentration was determined by colorimetric method using Griess reaction. For histological analysis kidney specimens were stained with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) stain. Plasma nitrite concentration and the level of kidney damage were significantly higher in gentamicin group in comparison both to the control and gentamicin+spirulina group. Spirulina platensis significantly lowered the plasma nitrite level and attenuated histomorphological changes related to renal injury caused by gentamicin. Thus, the results from present study suggest that Spirulina platensis has renoprotective potential in gentamicin-induced acute tubular necrosis possibly due to its antioxidant properties.

The lithium ions concentration in human serum and saliva was determined using dry-slide technology Vitros 250 Analyser (Ortho Clinical Diagnostic) and atomic absorption spectrometry Perkin Elmer 403 (AAS). We analyzed lithium ions in 100 serum and saliva specimens of patients after oral administration of lithium carbonate (3 x 300 mg) Jadran, Galen Laboratory Rijeka. Saliva and blood were taken 2 and 12 hours after the last dose. At the same time lithium ions at samples of blood and saliva were determined with both methods which showed high level of correlation. The mean difference of lithium ions between saliva and serum was statistically significant for p<0.05 using t student test. At saliva we got constant of elimination Kel = 0.02(-1)h and elimination half life (t(1/2)) was t(1/2)=34.6 h. For serum was t(1/2)= 24 h what means that lithium ions elimination is slower from saliva then from serum. That is the reason why probably concentration at saliva is higher then at serum. Lithium elimination is two compartment pharmacokinetic model where important part of compartment are saliva and salivary glands. At a certain point in medical treatment it could be expected to use controlled determination of lithium ions in saliva with serum as control.

The present study evaluated the impact of the angiographically documented collaterals on regional myocardial perfusion measured by 201thallium scintigraphy in patients with a chronic total occlusion. The study included 60 patients with chronic total occlusion who underwent rest-stress myocardial perfusion scintigraphy and coronary angiography. All patients had angiographic evidence of coronary collaterals. Patients were divided into two groups: group one had well-developed coronary collateral vessels (n=35) and group II had poor coronary collateral development (n=25). Patients with chronic total occlusion had severe and extensive stress-induced myocardial perfusion defects regardless of the grade of angiographic coronary collaterals. The perfusion defects in the group with good collaterals were predominantly reversible, suggesting that coronary collaterals preserved myocardial viability in the regions subtended by a total coronary occlusion. A significant correlation between good collaterals with complete protection and poor collaterals with no protection was noted. Our results demonstrate a protective effect of collaterals on myocardial perfusion during coronary occlusion. The effective angiographic collaterals may prevent resting regional wall motion abnormalities but do not appear to protect against stress-induced perfusion defect.

Cervical dysplasia, a premalignant lesion that can progress to cervical cancer, is caused primarily by a sexually transmitted infection with an oncogenic strain of the human papillomavirus (HPV). The HPV infections are treated through destroying the clinical lesions: laser, cryotherapy, podophyllin... The hope is that by causing local tissue inflammation that the body will be stimulated to mount an antibody response and thereby prevent recurrence. In contrast to other prevention approaches, vaccines can reduce susceptibility in uninfected partners by stimulating the immune system. Aloe vera has also been reported to retard tumour growth and stimulate the immune response to viruses. A list of possible actions of propolis includes: antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, antithrombotic and immunomodulatory. Research on the possible role of some B vitamins in preventing cancer began in the last few decades, but however this complex have an influence on immune status. The aim of our study is to try to treat the HPV infection as confirmed cause of neoplastic transformation with some herbal therapy and interferon and to try define the guidelines in the management of the HPV positive patients. Goal of this paper is to search for evidence of efficacy of any treatment for HPV infection of the cervix mostly in woman with no concomitant CIN. Fifty five woman affected by HPV genital infection were enrolled in the study from September 2005 to April 2006. Patients were classified according to the results of the HPV testing prior and after the therapy. Patients were randomized into two groups: the first group was HPV positive woman treated with other than recommended therapy (n=20), (control group); the second group was pharmacologically treated with intravaginal administration of an interferon and aloe vera-propolis in recommended scheme (n=35) with treatment of the possible fungal or bacterial genital infection prior to the specific therapy. The almost same therapy was recommended to the male partner. Patients from the second group used B complex during the therapy. Patients were retested for the HPV presence after three or six month from therapy depend of the presence bacterial or fungal genital coinfection. Three months after applied therapy HPV infection was still present in more than 90% of the patients in the first group. In the second group treated according to the recommended therapy scheme HPV infection disappeared in 71.42% of the patients after three months and in 100% of patients after six months. Samples of the cervical smear for the HPV analysis were being taken during routine gynecological examinations, by using sticks with cotton, taken from the Digene Specimen Collection Kit, from the whole surface of a portion, and by mild rotating moves from the outer cervical entrance. Our results suggest that the combination of interferon and herbal therapy with B complex is effective, atraumatic and simple non-surgical treatment of HPV infection. Since prospective efficacy trials will take several years to complete, considering alternative approaches is also worthwhile.

We perform first-principles calculations aimed at investigating the role of a heteroatom such as N in the chemical and long-range van der Waals (vdW) interactions for a flat adsorption of several pi-conjugated molecules on the Cu(110) surface. Our study reveals that the alignment of the molecular orbitals at the adsorbate-substrate interface depends on the number of heteroatoms. As a direct consequence, the molecule-surface vdW interactions involve not only pi-like orbitals which are perpendicular to the molecular plane but also sigma-like orbitals delocalized in the molecular plane.

In this study we investigated by means of density functional theory calculations the adsorption geometry and bonding mechanism of a single thymine (C$_5$H$_6$N$_2$O$_2$) molecule on Cu(110) surface. In the most stable energetic configuration, the molecular plane is oriented perpendicular to substrate along the $[1\bar{1}0]$ direction. For this adsorption geometry, the thymine molecule interacts with the surface via a deprotonated nitrogen atom and two oxygen ones such that the bonding mechanism involves a strong hybridization between the highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMOs) and the d-states of the substrate. In the case of a parallel adsorption geometry, the long-range van der Waals interactions play an important role on both the molecule-surface geometry and adsorption energy. Their specific role was analyzed by means of a semi-empirical and the seamless methods. In particular, for a planar configuration, the inclusion of the dispersion effects dramatically changes the character of the adsorption process from physisorption to chemisorption. Finally, we predict the real-space topography of the molecule-surface interface by simulating scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images. From these simulations we anticipate that only certain adsorption geometries can be imaged in STM experiments.

The PI3K/AKT pathway plays a central role in regulating cellular growth and survival. This pathway is activated by signals derived from various receptors and is tightly regulated through the action of several phosphatases, including SHIP and PTEN, which hydrolyze the PI3K product PIP3, and the recently identified PHLPP, which directly dephosphorylates AKT. Hyperactivation of the PI3K/AKT pathway has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many types of cancer, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and B-cell lymphoma. In addition, gene expression profiling and real-time RT/PCR analysis have recently shown differential expression of PHLPP mRNA in CLL subsets classified according to the presence of the 13q14 abnormality, with many CLL cases demonstrating absent PHLPP expression altogether. These findings prompted us to compare the levels of PHLPP expression in primary CLL B-cells (n=17) with normal tonsillar B-cells (n=4) and various lymphoma cell lines, including the diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL) DHL-4, DHL-6, DHL-8, DHL-10, WSU, Toledo, Ly1, Ly3, Ly7 and Ly18, the Burkitt’s lymphoma BJAB and the prolymphocytic leukemia MEC1. Immunoblotting analysis revealed abundant and uniform expression of PHLPP in normal B-cells and in 7 out of 12 investigated lymphoma cell lines. Higher levels were observed in the BJAB, Ly1 and Ly18 cell lines, whereas PHLPP was undetectable in the DLBCL cell lines WSU and Toledo. Remarkably, PHLPP was either not expressed or was expressed at markedly reduced levels in all of the investigated CLL samples, with levels of expression ranging from 0 to 10% of the levels in normal B-cells. In contrast, the levels of expression of the phosphatase SHIP were relatively similar between CLL and normal B-cells. To determine what are the consequences of reduced PHLPP expression on signaling through AKT in malignant B-lymphocytes, we downregulated PHLPP in BJAB and DHL-4 cells by RNA interference. A significant reduction in the levels of PHLPP was achieved in both cell lines, which amounted to 20–40% of the levels in cells transfected with the control siRNA. Immunoblotting analysis of protein extracts from cells transfected with PHLPP and control siRNA did not show a difference in AKT phosphorylation on Ser473 and Thr308, indicating that a reduction in PHLPP expression is not sufficient to augment basal AKT activity. To determine the effects of PHLPP downregulation on agonist-induced AKT activation, we investigated phosphorylation on Ser473 and Thr308 in BJAB and DHL-4 cells stimulated through the B-cell receptor. In both cell lines downregulation of PHLPP resulted in more than a 50% increase in BCR-induced AKT phosphorylation. In contrast, phosphorylation of other signaling molecules that are also activated by BCR crosslinking, such as PLCγ2 and ERK, appeared unaffected by PHLPP downregulation. These data confirm the functional relevance of PHLPP in AKT regulation in B-lymphoid cells and implicate reduced or absent PHLPP expression in CLL B-cells as a potential determinant of BCR-induced AKT signaling in CLL.