Impact of vanadium complexes treatment on the oxidative stress factors in wistar rats plasma.

THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE CLINICAL EFFICACY OF VANADIUM COMPLEXES ON TRIGLYCERIDES (TG), TOTAL CHOLESTEROL (CHOL), URIC ACID (UA), UREA (U), AND ANTIOXIDANT PARAMETERS: nonenzymatic (FRAP-ferric reducing ability of plasma, and reduced glutathione-GSH) and enzymatic (glutathione peroxidase-GPx, catalase-CAT, and GPx/CAT ratio) activity in the plasma of healthy male Wistar rats. Three vanadium complexes: [VO(bpy)(2)]SO(4)·2H(2)O, [VO(4,4'Me(2)bpy)(2)]SO(4)·2H(2)O, and Na[VO(O(2))(2)(bpy)]·8H(2)O are administered by gavage during 5 weeks in two different diets such as control (C) and high fatty (F) diets. Changes of biochemical and antioxidants parameters are measured in plasma. All three vanadium complexes statistically decrease the body mass growth in comparison to the control and fatty diet. In plasma GSH was statistically increased in all vanadium complexes-treated rats from control and fatty group in comparison to only control group. Calculated GPX/CAT ratio was the highest in the control group in comparison to others.

[Helicobacter pylori--does it only cause gastroduodenal disease?]. / Helicobacter pylori w chorobach górnego odcinka przewodu pokarmowego--czy tylko?

Helicobacter pylori is a human pathogen that can be found all over the world. It is responsible for the following diseases of gastrointestinal tube: gastritis, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, gastric cancer, gastric lymphomas, Menetier disease. Some research has been done recently trying to identify the connection between H. pylori infection and idiopathic Parkinson's Disease morbidity. Some of them show that people with this neurological disease are more likely to have ulcers and also seropositivity in the direction of H. pylori. The direct influence of H. pylori infection on Parkinson Disease is not known but the following relations are suggested: H. pylori may produce toxins that damage substantia nigra in brain; possible cross reaction of h. pylori antibodies with dopaminergic neurons; indirect influence of antacids containing aluminium used to alleviate the symptoms of ulcers. Investigations of the reasons for idiopathic parkinson disease draw attention to the influence of food factors. Some researches show that there is a relation between the frequency of eating certain foods and the parkinson disease morbidity. We have numerous techniques that allow us to diagnose h. pylori infection. Those techniques have different sensitivity, accuracy, invasiveness and costs, which determines their usefulness in clinical diagnostics. Approach to eradication of bacteria is still discussed because H. pylori infection doesn't always lead to health problems. Polish Working Group on Helicobacter pylori, called by the National Consultant's Team on Gastroenterology explained clearly when eradication is advisable and when it can be waived.

[Alcohol sclerotherapy for benign solitary thyroid nodules]. / Przezskórna alkoholowa sklerotyzacja lagodnych guzków tarczycy.

The introduction of new diagnostic methods for the evaluation of solitary thyroid nodules allows for unquestionable differentiation between malignant and benign lesions in most cases. It makes therapeutic procedure other than surgical therapy possible. One of the procedures is the percutaneous alcohol sclerotherapy (PSA). It is the most commonly used for the treatment of thyroid cysts and autonomous thyroid nodules. PSA was first proposed by Livraghi in 1990 as possible therapy for autonomously functioning thyroid nodules. This method is based on the administration of a limited amount of sterile alcohol into the thyroid nodule under direct ultrasonografic control. The application of PSA according to the worked out procedure gives a permanent remission of thyroid cysts in most cases and the 85-100% decrease of thyroid nodule volume. In the case of "toxic" and "pretoxic" type of nodules, a normalization of serum FT3, FT4 and TSH level occurs. Scintigraphy shows recovery of extranodular uptake of radionuclide and effacement of previously hot area of thyroid scintiscan. The following complications were observed after PSA: pain of the injection site, local hematoma, fever, sinus tachycardia, transient dysphonia. The intensity of these complications is generally low.