PROTEOLYTIC ACTIVITY IN THE HEART OF RATS WITH HYPERHOMOCYSTEINEMIA.

OBJECTIVE: The aim: To investigate the distribution of proteolytic activity and cytokine profile in the heart of rats with hyperhomocysteinemia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: A total of 60 albino non-linear male rats was used in the study. Hyperhomocysteinemia was induced by intragastric administration of DL-homocysteine thiolactone. Total proteolytic activity was measured using casein as a substrate. To determine the activity of metal-dependent and serine proteases, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, and phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride were used. The level of matrix metalloproteinases, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1, and cytokines was studied by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Results: It was found an increase in the total proteolytic activity in the heart of young, adult, and old animals. In addition, the redistribution of proteolytic activity was revealed - the portion of metal-dependent enzymes increased in all groups while the percentage of serine proteases decreased in the old animals with hyperhomocysteinemia. The state of mild inflammation, evidenced by the increased level of some pro-inflammatory cytokines, was found in the heart of young and old animals with hyperhomocysteinemia. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: The pathogenesis of hyperhomocysteinemia is accompanied by a change in the proteolytic activity in the heart as well as a change in the cytokine profile.

Morphofunctional status of cardio-vascular system of rats with arterial hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: The aim: Was to clarify the general patterns of structural changes in the left ventricular myocardial capillaries in rats with spontaneous arterial hypertension. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: Experiments were conducted on 50 ISIAH (inherited stress-induced arterial hypertension) line rats with arterial hypertension: juvenile young (45-day) and sexually mature (100-day) rats, as well as intact animals of the corresponding age. While extracted from the experiment rats of all experimental groups had their arterial pressure measured using a plethysmograph. Electron microscopic examination of the left ventricular myocardium and morphometric study of volumetric and quantitative densities, cross-section area, and form factor of micropinocytotic vesicles were conducted. RESULTS: Results: In sexually mature rats with arterial hypertension, a high level of pressure is maintained. In 45-day-old rats with arterial hypertension in endothelial cells of myocardial blood capillaries there is a hyperactivation of biosynthetic processes (euchromatic nucleus, large-sized mitochondria, ER canals, Golgi complex), which may be a manifestation of reactive processes in response to a non-stable increase in arterial pressure. In the 100-day rats with arterial hypertension, the mosaic of the ultrastructure of the myocardium blood vessels is preserved, but destructively-dystrophic changes become more expressive and involve not only the organelles but also the integrity of the endothelial cell itself. Destructively-dystrophic processes in rat capillaries are accompanied by compensatory and adaptive ones. This is manifested by activation of the transport of substances, both transendothelial and paracellular, and quantitative density of micropinocytotic vesicles increases statistically significantly. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: In myocardial capillaries of young (45-day) arterial hypertension rats, compensatory and adaptive changes are manifested by activation of biosynthetic processes in endothelial cells following a slight increase in micropinocytotic vesicles quantitative density and signs of destructive-dystrophic processes (minor edema and lysis of endothelial cell cytoplasm). In sexually mature (100-day) arterial hypertension rats in the blood capillaries of the myocardium, the destructive-degenerative changes increase is accompanied by preservation of signs of compensatory processes. Reducing the number of capillaries is offset by an increase in the number of micropinocytotic vesicles.

The influence of drug treatment on cardio-vascular system of the rats with congenital hypothyroidism.

OBJECTIVE: Introduction: In the treatment of hypothyroidism substitution therapy with L-thyroxine is used, it is also advisable to use the metabolites with membrane-stabilizing properties that normalize the metabolism in the body, for example, calcitonin, which significantly reduces the depth of the dystrophic phenomena in the myocardium. The aim was to study the patterns of structural changes in the left ventricular myocardial capillaries of rats with congenital hypothyroidism in combinative drug therapy with L-thyroxine and calcitonin. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: 30 white Wistar line rats were used as experimental animals: 10 with treatment and 10 without as well as control - 10 intact Wistar line rats of the same age. Mercazolil was used to inhibit thyroid gland in order to model congenital hypothyroidism. After birth, the rats received L-thyroxine at a dose of 10 µg / kg per os daily, calcitonin at a dose of 1.0 MU / kg per day intramuscularly, then with mother's milk, later by themselves for 100 days. The arterial pressure was measured in all experimental groups during extraction from the experiment by plethysmograph, their left ventricular myocardium was examined under electron microscope and micropinocytotic vesicles in their cells were studied morphometrically. RESULTS: Results: In rats with congenital hypothyroidism, for which L-thyroxin drug in combination with calcitonin was used as a substitution therapy, after pharmacological correction, in general there is no pronounced heteromorphism of the ultrastructure of the left ventricular myocardial blood capillaries, which was characteristic for animals without pharmacological correction. The analysis showed normalization of the content of free thyroxine in blood plasma and blood pressure of rats with congenital hypothyroidism after complex substitution therapy. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: In rats with congenital hypothyroidism, which received L-thyroxine and calcitonin at birth, the myocardium capillaries generally remain intact and have morphological and functional characteristics similar to intact animals, which is the theoretical basis for the need for calcitonin to be used in substitution therapy in hypothyroidism.

Prevalence of health care-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance of the responsible pathogens in Ukraine: Results of a multicenter study (2014-2016).

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to obtain the first national estimates of the current prevalence and incidence and death of health care-associated infections (HAIs) of all types in acute care hospitals in Ukraine. METHODS: Prospective surveillance was conducted from January 2014 to December 2016 in 17 hospitals. Surveillance case definitions were derived from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Healthcare Safety Network HAI case definitions. The identification and antimicrobial susceptibility of cultures were determined using a automated microbiology analyzer. Some antimicrobial susceptibility tests used Kirby-Bauer antibiotic testing. RESULTS: Of 97,340 patients, 10,986 (11.3%) HAIs were observed. The most frequently reported HAI types were surgical site infections (60%), respiratory tract infections (pneumonia and lower respiratory tract, 18.4%), bloodstream infections (10.2%), and urinary tract infections (9.5%). Death during hospitalization was reported in 9.7% of HAI cases. The most common organism reported was Escherichia coli, accounting for 21.8% of all organisms, followed by Staphylococcus aureus (18.4%), Enterococcus spp (15.7%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12.4%). Antimicrobial resistance among the isolates associated with HAIs showed that 42.1% and 3.6% of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp isolates were ß-lactam (oxacillin)- and glycopeptide (teicoplanin)-resistant, respectively. Meticillin resistance was reported in 39.2% of S aureus isolates. CONCLUSIONS: HAIs and increasing antimicrobial resistance present a significant burden to the Ukraine hospital system. Infection control priorities in hospitals should include preventing surgical site infections, respiratory tract infections (which also include PNEU and LRTI), bloodstream infections, and urinary tract infections, as well preventing infections due to antimicrobial-resistant pathogens.

Morphofunctional status of cardio-vascular system of rats with congenital hypothyreosis.

OBJECTIVE: Introduction: There is an increasing number of cases of congenital hypothyroidism. One of the most common complications of hypothyroidism is damage to the cardiovascular system, which in 30-50% of patients leads to the development of arterial hypertension. The aim: studying the features of the ultrastructure of myocardial capillaries in mature rats with hypothyroidism. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: Experiments were conducted on 40Wistar line rats with congenital hypothyroidism: juvenile young (45-day) and sexually mature (100-day) rats, as well as intact animals of the corresponding age. While extracted from the experiment rats of all experimental groups had their arterial pressure measured using a plethysmograph while the development of hypothyroidism was controlled by the immune-enzymatic method. Electron microscopic examination of the left ventricular myocardium and morphometric study of volumetric and quantitative densities, cross-section area, and form factor of micropinocytotic vesicles were conducted. RESULTS: Results: In the sexually mature rats with congenital hypothyroidism the quantitative density of the capillaries in the myocardium decreases. Activation of transcytosis is accompanied by significant violations of vesiculation. Some of the endothelial cells of experimental animals contain a moderate amount of transport vesicles, while others are overfilled with these structures and desquamate into the lumen. In older rats with congenital hypothyroidism there is a further dilution of capillaries, the development of hypoxic state in them, mucinous edema of interstitial space, decrease of biosynthetic and transport processes activity. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: In young (45-day) rats with congenital hypothyroidism the direction and expressiveness of compensatory processes is to enhance the transcytosis processes. Dystrophicdestructive changes are manifested by apoptosis in some endothelial cells, decrease in the number of biosynthetic organelles, lysis and edema of their cytoplasm. In sexually mature (100-day) rats with congenital hypothyroidism destructively-dystrophic processes in the blood capillaries of the myocardium are approximately balanced with compensatory-adaptive.