[Risk factors for bacterial vaginosis - a 3-year study in four medical centers].

BACKGROUND: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common infection of the lower genital tract among women of reproductive age. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of BV and the important etiological agent Gardnerella vaginalis in Bulgarian patients of different age groups, as well as, the risk factors forBV METHODS: One thousand five hundred and twenty-three (1523) women aged 16 to 45 years without previous antimicrobial therapy were included in this study. The methods used were: scoring of Gram staining of vaginal smear and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for G. vaginalis. RESULTS: Positive for BV according to the microscopic examination criteria were 47.80% from the 1523 tested women. In 88.87% from the positive samples G. vaginalis was detected using PCR, thus demonstrating high comparability of the both methods and the leading role of G. vaginalis. The most affected with BV is the age group of 21-25 years (33.21% of all subjects with BV). The most important detected risk factors were: smoking (more than 55% with BV), single marital status (only 15% with BV are married), more than I sexual partner (more than 36% had changed the sexual partner), early onset of sexual activity (75% of B V asocciated subjects started their sexual activity by the age 15-18 years). CONCLUSIONS: The established early age for aquiring BV among Bulgarian women is very important and alarming sign. This is the first study on the etiological role of G. vaginalis and on the risk factors for BV in Bulgaria.

Comparative studies on catecholamine content and glycogen phosphorylase activity in the myocardium of spontaneously hypertensive and normotensive rats.

Myocardial noradrenaline (NA) and adrenaline (A) concentrations as well as phosphorylase (PHOS) activity in spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and normotensive Wistar (NWR) rats 1.5, 3, 6, 12 and 18 months of age were assayed. Myocardial hypertrophy as determined by the heart/body weight ratio in 1.5 month old SHR preceded the onset of hypertension. The arterial blood pressure (ABP) of SHR was significantly elevated from month 3 onward attaining a maximum level at month 12. The concentrations of A and NA, and activity of PHOS "a" in SHR were lower than in NWR between months 3 and 12. The differences were marked in SHR 3 months of age, and corresponded to the ABP changes. An age-dependent decrease in A, NA and PHOS "a" in SHR was observed. The data suggest a role of catecholamines in the development of cardiac hypertrophy via regulation of metabolism.

Effect of calcium blocking agent verapamil on blood pressure, ventricular contractility, parathyroid hormone, calcium and phosphorus in plasma, catecholamines, corticosterone and plasma renin activity in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

In four-month-old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) the effect of a calcium blocking agent verapamil on blood pressure, ventricular contractility indices, parathyroid hormone (PTH), plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma and adrenal corticosterone content and catecholamines in hypothalamus, myocardium and adrenal gland was evaluated. Calcium and phosphorus in plasma were also determined. Verapamil treatment resulted in a significant decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and a reduction in maximum left ventricular pressure. Verapamil exerted a negative inotropic effect, evaluated by a decrease in dP/dt max and dP/dt neg. PRA was elevated, calcium tended to decrease, and no changes in PTH and phosphorus were found. The hypotensive effect of verapamil in SHR was accompanied by a decrease in plasma and adrenal corticosterone content, and a fall in catecholamine concentration in adrenal glands and myocardium.

[Pregnanediol and pregnanetriol levels in the urine of rats after thymectomy]. / Nivo na pregnandiol i pregnantriol v urinata na plukhove sled timektomiia.

The authors examined arterial blood pressure and excretion of pregnanetriol and pregnanediol in urine of adult male rats of Westar strain under normal conditions and after thymectomy. There was an elevation of arterial blood pressure after 45th day of thymectomy. Excretion of pregnanediol was increased on the 30th day, but that of pregnanetriol on the 60th day after removal of the gland. The increased excretion of both progesterone metabolites was connected with increased renal function, which probably played pathogenic role in postthymectomized hypertensive reaction.

[Changes in adrenocortical activity in grown rats following thymectomy]. / Promeni v aktivnostta na nadbubrechnata kora u vuzrastni plukhova sled timektomiia.

The authors measured arterial blood pressure by direct and indirect method in 80 adult rats and examined: content of ascorbic acid and cholesterol and the activity of alkaline and acid phosphatase in adrenals after thymectomy. The indices were followed in dynamics on the 15, 30, 45, 60 and 90th day after thymectomy. The established changes, manifested by a reduced concentration of the ascorbic acid and cholesterol in the early period of the experiment and the increased phosphatase activity during the whole period were interpreted as a manifestation of elevated adrenal activity after thymectomy. Activation of the adrenal cortex preceded the hypertensive reaction.