The Association Between Three Adipocytokines (Adiponectin, Resistin and Visfatin) And Thyroid Status in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Autoimmune Thyroiditis.

Autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) are the most common endocrinological diseases worldwide. Relation between these diseases explains several hypotheses. One of them is influence of some adipocytokines. This study evaluated association between three adipocytokines (adiponectin, resistin and visfatin) and thyroid and glycid status in patients with DM2 and AIT compared to the control group (CG). The group consisted of four subgroups: patients with DM2 without thyreopathies, patients with AIT on substitution therapy without diabetes and prediabetes, patients with DM2 and AIT on substitution therapy and healthy subjects as the CG. We investigated parameters of thyroid and glucose metabolism and serum levels of three adipocytokines. The mean level of resistin in the group of patients with diabetes and thyroiditis was significantly higher than in patients with thyroiditis without diabetes and than in the CG. We found a weak negative correlation between visfatin and fasting glucose levels in patients with thyroiditis without diabetes. We detected a weak negative correlation between resistin and glycated haemoglobin and a weak negative correlation between visfatin and thyroid gland volume in patients with diabetes without thyroiditis. In the CG we determined a weak positive correlation between visfatin and free thyroxin. Our results are consistent with several studies, which confirmed association between AIT and adipocytokines.

[Image analysis in the differential diagnosis of renal parenchyma lesions]. / Der Beitrag der Bildanalyse für die Differenzialdiagnose der fokalen Nierenparenchymveränderungen.

PURPOSE: Visual analysis of echo intensity is of importance for the differential diagnosis of focal renal lesions. Quantification of the echo intensity and of other parameters might help with differential diagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 145 patients with focal renal lesions, digitized images were evaluated (40 angiomyolipomas [group A], 70 renal cell carcinomas [group B], 20 pseudo-tumors [group C] and 15 other focal lesions in group D). With Photoshop®, the average grayscale values of the lesion (defined as echo intensity focal, EF) and its variance s2 (as expression of the inhomogeneity focal, IF) were measured. These measurements were compared to the renal cortex (echo intensity renal cortex=ER, inhomogeneity renal renal cortex=I R). Other calculated parameters: Echo intensity quotient, echo intensity index, inhomogeneity quotient and inhomogeneity index. RESULTS: Angiomyolipomas had a higher echo intensity quotient EQ and echo intensity index EI than renal cell carcinomas, pseudo-tumors and other lesions (p<0.001). Pseudo-tumors had a lower inhomogeneity quotient than angiomyolipomas (p<0.001), renal cell carcinomas (p<0.05). Echo intensity quotient EQ≥2.0 and echo intensity index EI≥0.5 were typical for angiomyolipomas with a sensitivity of 96.4 % and a specificity of 97.3 % for tumors<3 cm. CONCLUSION: Quantitative echo intensity measurements enhance the differential diagnosis of focal renal lesions. The differentiation of typical angiomyolipomas to other lesions could be improved.

[The quantitative measurement of the echogenicity of the renal parenchyma]. / Die quantitative Messung der Echogenität des Nierenparenchyms.

The qualitative assessment of the echogenicity of the renal cortex and the medulla is one of the most important diagnostic criteria in the assessment of diffuse renal parenchymal disease. It is of interest to complete this assessment by quantitative data. The echogenicity of the cortex and medulla was quantitatively analysed in digitized images. The coefficient of variation of repeated measurements was 0.83% and the coefficient of variation made by two different individuals was 2.03%. The influence of furosemide on the echogenicity of the renal parenchyma was measured in 4 healthy adults. The echogenicity of the renal cortex is after 3 and 6 min significantly increased, while the echogenicity of the medulla remained unchanged. Our study shows that a precise measurement of echogenicity in renal parenchyma is possible. Under the influence of furosemide there will be a significant increase in the echogenicity of the renal cortex.

Stobadine protects against ischemia-reperfusion induced morphological alterations of cerebral microcirculation in dogs.

Vascular diseases of the CNS are a major medical, social and economic problem. From the number of causes leading to nervous malfunction and damage, ischemia is most prominent. Thus, neuronal protection from ischemic damage may provide significant preventive and treatment potential. This study was designed to test possible protective effects of stobadine in a canine model of global cerebral ischemia. Seven minute ischemia was induced by four vessel ligation and maintained using a controlled systemic hypotension. Stobadine pretreated animals were infused with 2 mg/kg stobadine 30 minutes prior to ischemia, while control animals received vehicle. After a 24 hour reperfusion phase, animals were perfusion-fixed and evaluated using electron microscopy. Stobadine pretreated dogs showed much less damage to both endothelial lining and pericapillary structures of the blood-brain barrier. This included preservation of cellular shape of the endothelium, patency of microvessels, lack of intraluminal blebs material, near normal cytoplasmic osmiophilia, decreased thickness of endothelial basement membrane, significantly less edema of astrocyte end-feet, and preservation of fine mitochondrial structure compared to the control group. Ischemic neuronal changes were observed less frequently in the stobadine pretreated group. In summary, we conclude that stobadine protects both cerebral microcirculation and neurons from injury induced by global cerebral ischemia and reperfusion.

[Carnosine in patients with type I diabetes mellitus]. / Karnozín u pacientov s diabetes mellitus typu I.

Examination of carnosine in patients with diabetes mellitus type I, showed that the plasma levels of carnitine were non significantly increased compared to the levels in healthy population, while the levels in red cells were decreased Lowered levels of carnosine in red cells could point out similar deficit in other cells. Due to low levels in cells carnosine is less available for metabolic processes, like antioxidant reactions and its participation in antioxidants defense reactions is limited non-enzymatic glycosylation of proteins. Therefore it should be supplemented. (Tab. 1, Fig. 1, Ref. 15.)

Effects of stobadine on survival, histopathologic outcome and acid-base status after global brain ischemia in dogs.

Present study is designed to examine an effect of Stobadine, a new cell-protective agent with antiarrhythmic properties, on survival, electron microscopic changes in microvasculatory bed of selected brain areas and acid-base parameters of arterial blood after global brain ischemia and reperfusion. Forty dogs (weighting 6 to 15 kg) were anesthetized using pentobarbital i.v. (5%, 35 mg/kg). An intubation and controlled ventilation was performed. One catheter was placed into v. femoralis (for drug administration), another to a. femoralis (for blood samples) and third one into the left common carotid artery (continuous brain blood feeding pressure measurement). Each dog underwent an surgical obstruction of principal brain-supplying arteries and immediate administration of hypotensive agent (Arfonad, 0.062%) resulting in 7 minutes lasting global brain ischemia (brain feeding pressure 1.0-1.5 kPa). If survived, animals were killed at one (perfusion-fixed for electron microscopy) or three days after ischemia. Ultrastructural changes were evaluated at 24 hour of recirculation (control and S2 groups only). Vehicle or 1, 2 or 5 mg/kg of Stobadine (group S1, S2, S5 resp.) i.v. was given 30 minutes prior to ischemia. Significantly longer survival was observed in group S2 (8 of 11 until 72 hour) as compared to control group (none of 7, p < 0.005 by Student's t-test). The ultrastructural changes of blood-brain barrier structures were none or minimal in S2 (single damage type), but in control group three major types of capillary damages has appeared at 24 hour after insult. They include intravascular coagulopathy (type I), no-reflow (type II) phenomenon with astrocyte edema, and capillary necrosis (type III) finally. Stobadine pretreated animals experienced hypercapnia, elevated arterial O2 and slight deeper acidemia (depending on dosage) as compared to control group. Respiratory compensation of metabolic acidosis was present in control group, but lacking in all stobadine pretreated animals. Stobadine at 2 mg/kg improves survival (Student p < 0.005, Mantel-Cox p < 0.05, Fischer p = 0.004). Stobadine has a protective effect on neurons and structures of blood-brain barrier (endothel, astrocytes, basement membrane) seen in electron microscope.

[Twenty-second conference of the Czechoslovak Demographic Society: "The Demographic Position of Czechoslovakia within Europe and the World"]. / XXII. demograficka konference CSDS "Demograficke Postaveni Ceskoslovenska v Ramci Evropy a Sveta".

PIP: This is a collection of short papers presented at a conference held in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in 1991. The focus of the conference was on the demographic changes that have occurred in Czechoslovakia since World War II and their relationship to such changes in the rest of Europe and elsewhere in the world. Essay topics include fertility trends; contraceptive prevalence, including abortion rates; living standards and health care; and changes in the age structure. Some data for selected countries are included for comparison. (SUMMARY IN ENG AND RUS)^ieng