Preparation and characterization of 45S5 bioactive glass-based scaffolds loaded with PHBV microspheres with daidzein release function.

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) microsphere loaded 45S5 bioactive glass (BG) based scaffolds with drug releasing capability have been developed. PHBV microspheres with a mean particle size 4 ± 2 µm loaded with daidzein were obtained by oil-in-water single emulsion solvent evaporation method and applied to the surface of BG scaffolds by dip coating technique. The morphology, in vitro bioactivity in simulated body fluid (SBF), mechanical properties and drug release kinetics of microsphere loaded scaffolds were studied. The microspheres were shown to be homogeneously dispersed on the scaffold surfaces. It was confirmed that hydroxyapatite crystals homogeneously grew not only on the surface of the scaffold but also on the surface of the microspheres within 3 days of immersion in SBF. The daidzein release from the microsphere loaded scaffolds lasted almost 1 month and was determined to be diffusion controlled. The microsphere loaded BG scaffolds with daidzein releasing capability obtained in this study are a candidate for bone tissue engineering. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 1765-1774, 2017.

Innovative method for recovery and valorization of hydroxytyrosol from olive mill wastewaters.

The nutritional properties of olive oil can be attributed to its oleic acid and phenolic compounds content, acting as natural oxidants to prevent human diseases. In particular, hydroxytyrosol has an anti-inflammatory action similar to omega 3 fatty acids from fish oil. The olive oil production was conducted by two extraction procedures: first, a two-phase extraction giving extra-virgin olive oil and humid pomace, second, a three-phase working process of humid pomace, obtaining another minimum quantity of extra-virgin olive oil, 'dry' pomace devoid of polyphenols, and mill wastewaters rich in anti-oxidant compounds. The aim of this processing was to employ water to extract the highest concentration of polyphenols from humid pomace and convey them in oil mill wastewaters for extraction. Processed olives were 37,200 kg, pomace deprived of polyphenols was equal to 20,400 kg and processing was performed with 500 kg of olives per hour. This method offers advantages of using cheap equipment and technical simplicity.

11C-hydroxytryptophan uptake and metabolism in endocrine and exocrine pancreas.

UNLABELLED: Determination of the residual ß-cell mass using noninvasive tools might help to follow up the efficacy of new treatments in both type 1 (insulin-dependent) and type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus, including islet transplantation. ß-cells are neuroendocrine cells that can take up and metabolize the serotonin precursor 5-hydroxytryptophan. The serotonin pathway may therefore be an attractive target for the development of an imaging tracer for residual ß-cell mass. The aim of this study was to evaluate the uptake mechanism and the retention of the PET tracer (11)C-hydroxytryptophan in endocrine and exocrine pancreas in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: The exocrine human pancreas carcinoma cell line (PANC-1) and the endocrine human insulinoma cell line (CM) were applied for in vitro (11)C-hydroxytryptophan accumulation/efflux experiments and blocking studies using inhibitors of key enzymes and transporters involved in the serotonin pathway. Animal experiments were performed on normal Wistar rats and on rats pretreated with the monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor clorgyline. After intravenous injection of (11)C-hydroxytryptophan, a 60-min dynamic PET scan was acquired followed by an ex vivo biodistribution study. Autoradiography and hematoxylin-eosin staining were performed on the dissected pancreas to localize the radioactivity within the pancreatic tissue. RESULTS: (11)C-hydroxytryptophan accumulated rapidly in both endocrine CM cells and exocrine PANC-1 cells. In the exocrine cells, a rapid efflux of radioactivity was observed, whereas most radioactivity remained trapped in the endocrine cells. PET images showed clear accumulation of (11)C-hydroxytryptophan in the pancreas in both animal groups, but with a significant 3-fold higher retention of the radiopharmaceutical in clorgyline-treated animals. Ex vivo biodistribution studies confirmed the results obtained by PET. Autoradiographs did not discriminate between the exocrine and endocrine pancreas in control animals, whereas autoradiographs showed intense radioactive spots colocalized with the islets of Langerhans in clorgyline-treated animals. CONCLUSION: (11)C-hydroxytryptophan is trapped in ß-cells but not in exocrine pancreatic cells. ß-cell selectivity can be strongly enhanced by inhibition of MAO-A. This observation offers perspectives for the development of a more selective PET tracer for ß-cell mass, based on an (11)C-hydroxytryptophan derivative with increased resistance toward degradation by MAO-A.

Increased Expression of ATP-sensitive K+ Channels Improves the Right Ventricular Tolerance to Hypoxia in Rabbit Hearts

ATP-sensitive K+ channels (KATP) are major component of preventing ischemia-reperfusion injury. However, there is little information regarding to the expressional difference of K(ATP) and its function between left and right ventricles. In this study, we measured the lactate dehydrogenase release of rabbit heart slices in vitro and determined the difference of the K(ATP) expression at the both ventricles by measuring the level of K(ATP)-forming Kir6.2 (OcKir6.2) mRNA using in situ hybridization. The hearts were preconditioned with 15 min hypoxia and reoxygenated for 15 min before a hypoxic period of 60 min, followed by reoxygenation for 180 min. With hypoxic preconditioning (100% N2) with 15 min, left ventricles (LV) showed higher release of LDH comparing with right ventricles (RV). Adding KATP blocker glibenclamide (10 microM) prior to a hypoxic period of 60 min, hypoxic preconditioning effect of RV was more abolished than LV. With in situ hybridization, the optical density of OcKir6.2 was higher in RV. Therefore, we suggest that different K(ATP) expression between LV and RV is responsible for the different response to hypoxia and hypoxic preconditioning of rabbit hearts.

An eco-compatible process for the depuration of wastewater from olive mill industry.

Olive mill wastewater (OMW) is the by-product of olive oil industrial production. It is characterized by a dark brownish color and a strong odor and is considered one of the most polluted agricultural wastes. In this paper we briefly describe an innovative procedure for the depuration of olive mill wastewater. With this procedure it is also possible to recover valuable substances such as phenolic compounds which have important commercial applications: they can be used in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and as antiviral, antioxidant and antitumor agents. The proposed OMW treatment uses two different packed vegetable matrices which remove most of the pollutant substances by absorption. After filtration of OMW on the matrices the pollutant load of the waste is greatly reduced: the organic content (COD) is reduced more than 80% and the phenol compounds are completely removed.

[Contemporary state of occupational psychophysiologic selection in Ukraine].

The authors considered contemporary state of occupational psychophysiologic selection in Ukraine, stressed problems of using efficiency parameters as external criteria of occupational selection, suggested methodic approach to considering structure of relationships between psychophysiologic functions in designing key rules of occupational psychophysiologic selection. The authors specified structural and functional scheme of organizing governmental system for occupational psychophysiologic selection.

Deep Venous Thrombosis in the Lower Extremity: Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of catheter-directed thrombolysis in treating symptomatic deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in lower limbs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-six consecutive patients (16 male and 10 female; mean age, 55 years) with lower extremity DVT underwent thrombolytic therapy. The duration of symptoms was 1 -90 (mean, 17) days: 20 days or less in 16 cases (acute DVT) and less than 20 days in ten (chronic DVT). Catheter-directed infusions of urokinase were administered via ipsilateral popliteal veins, and angioplasty or stent placement was performed after the thrombolytic procedure. Oral medication of warfarin continued for six months, and for the evaluation of venous patency, follow-up ultrasonography was performed. The total dose of infused urokinase was 1,750,000 -10,000,000 (mean 4, 84,000) IU, and the total procedural time was 25 -115 (mean, 64) hours. RESULTS: Lysis was complete in 16 cases (62%, all acute DVT), partial in five (19%, chronic DVT), and failed in five (19%, chronic DVT). Eight patients with venous stenosis and two with occlusion were treated by means of angioplasty (n=4) or Wallstent placement (n=6). Minor bleeding occurred in six cases and major complications in two (one of pulmonary embolism, and one of multiorgan failure). CONCLUSION: Catheter-directed thrombolysis with urokinase is effective for the treatment of DVT in lower limbs.

A Case of Transcatheter Alcohol Ablation of the Septum in a Patient of Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) is characterized by inappropriate myocardial hypertrophy that occurred in the absence of an obvious cause for the hypertrophy and dynamic left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, caused by asymmetrical septal hypertrophy and systolic anterior motion of the anterior mitral leaflet. The pathophysiological abnormality in HOCM is diastolic dysfunction, abnormal stiffness of the left ventricle with resultant impaired ventricular filling and impaired vasodilator reserve (perhaps related to the thickened and narrowed small intramural coronary arteries found in HOCM). During the early course of this progressive disease, treatment consists of negative inotropic drugs. Surgery has been the only therapeutic option in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy who are resistant to drug treatment and sequential pacemaker therapy. We describe a novel catheter-based technique that may replace surgical myocardial reduction. The technique is interventional infarction of a portion of the interventricular septum by the infusion of alcohol into a selectively catheterized septal artery.

Occurrence of poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate in Spirulina species.

Several strains of photoautotrophically grown Spirulina spp. contained poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) at concentrations never exceeding a few milligrams per gram of dry weight. Under mixotrophic growth conditions in the presence of acetate, PHB reached values greater than 2.5% of dry weight. With pyruvate, no significant effect on PHB accumulation was obtained.