IMPORTANCE OF ZINC CONCENTRATION IN SEMINAL FLUID OF MEN DIAGNOSED WITH INFERTILITY.

The prevalence and importance of male infertility make it a serious worldwide medical and social problem. The aim of this study was to determine if there were any significant differences in zinc concentrations in seminal fluid in men diagnosed with infertility compared to control group, and if there were, to determine how it affected the number and percentage of sperm cells with normal motility and morphology. A case-control study was conducted in the Osijek-Baranja County from January 2014 to June of 2015. The study included 276 subjects referred to biochemistry laboratory of the Osijek University Hospital Centre, 100 (36.2%) of them with low sperm count confirmed by spermiogram after 3 months. Semen samples were processed according to the World Health Organization criteria, and zinc concentrations were determined using spectrophotometry and direct colorimetry without deproteinization on a chemistry analyzer (Olympus AU 680, Beckman Coulter, Tokyo, Japan). Study results showed the men with low sperm count to be significantly older (Mann Whitney U test: p=0.013) and to have lower zinc levels (χ2-test: p<0.001). Further analysis included 100 (36.2%) patients with low sperm count. In the group of infertile men, those with low sperm count had higher zinc levels compared to men with azoospermia (Mann Whitney U test: p=0.036), suggesting a connection between lower zinc level in seminal fluid and male fertility. Zinc as a biological marker and an antioxidant affects sperm count, motility and morphology. Zinc supplemental therapy could improve seminal parameters in patients diagnosed with low sperm count. Dietary habits of the subjects differ regionally, and future research could make a solid foundation for complementary approach to treatment of male infertility.

IN SEARCH FOR REAL-TIME NONINVASIVE ASSESSMENT OF MUSCLE FATIGUE DURING EXERTION: CAN DISPERSION OF HIGH-RESOLUTION MUSCLE ELECTRIC ACTIVITY DATA PROVIDE NEW INSIGHTS?

- Paralumbar muscle performance and fatigue were evaluated by measuring electromagnetic activity during entire body vibration (EBV) in 44 healthy subjects. Physical fitness of subjects was estimated on a 5-degree scale. Electric activity was recorded in 200 seconds with 1 kHz sampling on the Biopac Student Lab during EBV. Data were used to produce time series for two vectors of the phase space and spatial axis: X (left-right), Y (up-down) and Z (ventral-dorsal). Time series were evaluated by calculating fractal dimension by the R/S algorithm. Movement of the electric field along the Y-axis showed changes (up-down) extracted in the first and second quarter of the measurement (p=0.02 and p=0.03, respectively). These changes were not specific for gender but showed dependence on subject age and fitness. The fractal dimension values by the R/S algorithm were larger in female subjects. Results suggested the electric field changes during EBV in the up-down direction to contain information on muscular performance and fatigue, not dependent on gender, but on the age and degree of overall physical fitness.

Cathepsin D and its prognostic value in neuroepithelial brain tumors.

Expression of Cathepsin D (Cath D) in some primary neuroepithelial brain tumors and its prognostic value were studied. The research included 65 samples of human primary neuroepithelial brain tumors. There were 50 glial tumors (10 diffuse astrocytomas (DA), 15 anaplastic astrocytomas (AA), 25 glioblastomas (GB), 15 embryonic tumors (15 medulloblastomas (MB) as well as 5 samples of normal brain tissue. Immunohistochemical method was applied to monitor diffuse positive reaction in the cytoplasm of brain tumor cells, endothelial cells and tumor stromal cells and showed diffuse positive reaction for Cath D in the cytoplasm of brain tumor cells, endothelial cells and stromal cells in all analyzed samples of DA, AA, GB and MB as well as in microglial cells, neurons and in endothelial cells in all analyzed samples of normal brain tissue. Qualitative analysis of Cath D expression in the cytoplasm of brain tumor cells and endothelial cells as well as the percentage of brain tumor cells, endothelial cells and stromal cells immunopositive for Cath D showed that there was difference between analyzed brain tumor groups, but according to statistical tests the difference was not statistically significant. Survival correlated with the percentage of stromal cells immunopositive for Cath D. Survival prognosis was influenced by the percentage of stromal cells immunopositive for Cath D and tumor grade. The obtained results singled out the percentage of stromal cells immunopositive for Cath D as an independent parameter. The results of this research on the prognostic value of Cath D in some primary brain tumors of neuroepithelial origin indicate that there is real possibility to use Cath D as an independent prognostic factor in human glioma progression and thus open up possibilities for further scientific research.

Benign blue naevus of the lungs.

Blue naevus is a dark blue, gray or black lesion consisted of dermal melanocytes and usually found on face, scalp, or on the dorsum of hands and feet. Two well defined histologic and clinical variants, designated as "common" and "cellular", have been recognised. An unusual case of accidentally detected common blue naevus of the lungs has been reported. The specimen of lung tissue was taken during autopsy of a 62-year old woman who died of myocardial infarction. Microscopic analysis revealed the area containing melanocytes filled with melanin pigment.

Evaluation of influences of the Viennese Anatomical School on the work of the Croatian Anatomist Jelena Krmpotic-Nemanic.

OBJECTIVE: This paper tries to evaluate the connections between the Viennese Anatomical School and the Croatian Anatomist Jelena Krmpotic-Nemanic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 17 papers written by Professor Jelena Krmpotic-Nemanic in the last decade of her life were chosen for analyses. According to their themes they could be divided into three groups: ones which evaluate the anatomical terminology, ones which research the development of anatomical structures, and ones which describe the anatomical variations. Mentioned papers were analysed through their topics, methods of research and cited references. RESULTS: Analyses of the mentioned papers revealed the indirect link between the Viennese Anatomical School and the Professor Jelena Krmpotic-Nemanic, through her mentor Professor Drago Perovic, regarding the themes and the methods of her anatomical researches. It has also showed her preference for Austrian and German anatomical textbooks and atlases, primarily ones published in Vienna and Jena, rather than English and American ones. Finally, her direct connections with the Viennese Institute for the History of Medicine and the Viennese Josephinum Wax Models Museum were emphasized. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Mentioned indirect and direct influences of the Viennese Anatomical School on the work of Professor Jelena Krmpotic-Nemanic were critically appraised.

Do Thebesian veins and arterioluminal vessels protect against myocardial edema occurrence?

Thebesian veins, arteriosinusoidal and arterioluminal vessels drain blood from heart muscle into the chambers. Thebesian veins are reported common in atria and right ventricle, but scarce in the left ventricle. Since the left ventricle may be less prone to edema due to its intermittent cycle of perfusion, it is here proposed that Thebesian veins prevent myocardial edema. This is in concordance with reports that Thebesian veins are common at the ventricle apex and at papillary muscles base, regions prone to edema due to distance to the coronary sinus. Thebesian veins can act as local reducers of venous hydrostatic pressure that correct small differences in fluid filtration and maintain contractility. By analogy, arterioluminal and arteriosinusoidal vessels might act as regulators of local arteriolar pressure. All these vessels reduce capillary fluid filtration in otherwise healthy tissue surrounding ischemic lesions in coronary patients and other situations that lead to edema.

Analysis of fibroblast growth factor influence on growth and developmental potential of rat foetuses in the in vitro culture model.

The fibroblast growth factor's (FGF) influence on the growth and differentiation of 8- and 9- day-old rat foetus has been studied, whereas foetuses were grown in an in vitro culture model. Proliferation was analysed by the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). It was established that the usage of FGF in the first period of the culture lowers the growth no matter the foetus age at the moment of culturing and no matter whether it is a medium with or without a serum. If FGF is applied in the second culture period, it also lowers the growth, however younger foetuses in the in vitro culture model are more sensible to FGF negative influence. When FGF was applied in a lower concentration the growth of whole foetuses was improved in the in vitro culture model, which shows that the FGF influence on growth depends on the concentration. Stereological analyses have been done and showed that, in the in vitro culture model, FGF has no influence on proliferating cartilage tissue, but it stimulates the survival of nervel tissue cells. It has been shown that the quantitative research of growth processes in cultivated foetuses can precisely be done by combining classic methods of measuring whole foetus diameters and analysing the expression of proliferating antigen.

Analysis of the feeding sites for some horse flies (Diptera, Tabanidae) on a human in Croatia.

The landing patterns of horse flies on the human body were observed in Croatia. A total of 386 horse flies belonging to 22 species were sampled. The five most commonly collected species were used in the analysis. The stochastic linear connection is tight among the landings of the species Tabanus bromius, Tabanus maculicornis, Tabanus tergestinus, and Philipomyia graeca on the human body regions (matrix R). The preferred feeding area for these four species was the lower leg, whereas for the species Haematopota pluvialis it was the head and neck. Of the total number of horse flies that landed 44.81% were on the lower leg. Only 0.26% landed on the forearm. Chi-square analysis indicated non random landing patterns on human by these horse flies.

Can arteries of skeletal muscles act as a circulatory bottleneck during heavy exercise?

It is generally assumed that almost no pressure gradient exists in the aorta and large arteries. This holds truth in rest, but during heavy exercise, when the resistance of arterioles in active skeletal muscles is diminished, the remaining resistance of large and small arteries might become significant and limit the maximal perfusion rate. To describe this idea better, a simplified model of vasculature based on the textbook data on circulation are described. The model suggests that the mean arterial pressure (MAP) acts as a hydrostatic pressure reserve that backups sudden changes in the local flow demands. During exercise, reduced resistance in arterioles changes the pressure profile along the arterial tree, making the pressure gradient along arteries more important and arteries become the circulatory bottleneck. Adequately high MAP and the shear stress arterial dilatation are both needed to allow sufficient flow through them. For a normal adult person, the model predicts that a hydrostatic pressure reserve allows almost sixfold increase in arterial flow before it is exhausted. A reduced resistance in arteries (shorter, more elastic arteries) can be expected in a young person, while in an atherosclerotic hypertensive person, reduced hydrostatic pressure reserve and the shear stress responsiveness would compromise the skeletal muscle performance during exercise.

Adherence ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains isolated from patients with cystic fibrosis to two different epithelial cell lines.

The ability of 59 wild-type strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to adhere to the HeLa and Buffalo Green Monkey Kidney (BGMK) cells was investigated. Twenty strains were isolated from sputa of cystic fibrosis patients, while 19 strains were isolated from tracheal aspirates and 20 from bronchial secretions of patients without cystic fibrosis, and they were used as a control group of strains. The statistically significant difference between adherence ability of strains was observed (p < 0.01). While most of the tracheal and bronchial isolates were hyperadhesive (51-110 bacteria per cell) most of the cystic fibrosis isolates adhered poorly to the HeLa and BGMK cells (1-10 bacteria per cell). The bacterial binding to the cells was blocked when bacteria were incubated at 80 degrees C for 20 min before the adherence assay. These results indicate that alginate is not involved in the adherence of P. aeruginosa to the used epithelial cell lines, and, because of that, mucoid strains isolated from persistently colonized cystic fibrosis patients showed poor adherence ability.