Histo-blood group antigen expression and proliferative activity of fibroblasts treated with dental monomers.

The present work is focused on examining the effect of the structurally similar dental monomers bis-GA and bis-GMA on the expression of histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs) in comparison with fibroblast vitality and proliferation. The fibroblast cell line McCoy-Plovdiv was cultivated in a serum-free medium and was treated with both monomers. Cell vitality was measured by the crystal violet test. Mitotic index and cell morphology were assessed. An immunocytochemical technique was applied to follow the expression of proliferative antigens PCNA and Ki-67 and of HBGA. The expression level of HBGA was measured by an improved pixel selection algorithm with proprietary software. The lowest concentration of 2.5 micromol/L did not significantly affect morphology, vitality, or proliferation activity. Interestingly, the quantitative analysis revealed augmented expression of HBGA B at 2.5 micromol/L. The higher concentrations of the dental monomers reduced cell vitality and mitotic indices and altered proliferative antigen expression. Bis-GA proved to be more toxic than bis-GMA and caused more prominent alterations including greater enhancement of HBGA B expression. We present novel evidence for altered expression of proliferative antigens and enhanced expression of HBGA B in fibroblasts treated with dental monomers bis-GA and bis-GMA suggesting that these substances affect cell morphology, proliferative activity, and antigenic profile.

Occurrence of aminoglycoside-modifying-enzyme genes aac(6')-aph(2"), aph(3'), ant(4') and ant(6) in clinical isolates of Enterococcus faecalis resistant to high-level of gentamicin and amikacin.

The genes coding for 4 aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes AAC(6')-APH(2"), APH(3'), ANT(4') and ANT(6) were determined in 44 Slovak clinical isolates of Enterococcus faecalis with high-level resistance to gentamicin (HLGR, collection 1) and 48 E. faecalis isolates with resistance to amikacin (AR, collection 2). The occurrence of spotted genes was (collection 1 vs. collection 2): aac(6)-aph(2") 81.8 vs. 8.3 %, ant(4') 52.3 vs. 81.3 %, aph(3') 50 vs. 56.3 % and ant(6) 6.8 vs. 4.2 %, the most frequent combinations of genes in the HLGR collection were aac(6')-aph(2") + ant(4') and aac(6')-aph(2") + aph(3). In contrast, the aph(3') + ant(4') gene profile was predominant in AR isolates. None of the isolates contained all four AGME genes simultaneously.

[Factors of virulence and mechanisms of resistance to aminoglycosides in clinical isolates of Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium with high-level gentamicin resistance]. / Faktory virulencie a mechanizmy rezistencie voci aminoglykozidom u klinických izolátov Enterococcus faecalis a Enterococcus faecium rezistentných voci vysokým hladinám gentamicínu.

Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium are grampositive commensal bacteria that may become pathogenic under the selection pressure. In view of natural resistance and effective mechanisms of genetic transfer, the treatment of enterococcal diseases is rather complicated. Aminoglycosides are clinically relevant antimicrobials that are frequently prescribed in practice since having good pharmacokinetics and showing synergism with beta-lactam and glycopeptides. One of the major mechanisms involved in aminoglycoside resistance is inactivation of the antibiotic agent by aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes (AGMEs) differing in the capacity for inactivation of specific types of aminoglycosides. The factors of virulence are also involved in enterococcal pathogenicity but their role in the pathogenesis of infectious diseases remains unclear. Production of beta-hemolysin (Hly), gelatinase (Gel), and aggregation substance (AS), and synthesis of enterococcal surface protein (Esp) are among the most frequently studied potential virulence factors.

Terguride in parkinsonism. A multicenter trial.

Terguride is an ergoline derivative with mixed agonistic/antagonistic dopaminergic activity. This led to a paradoxical suggestion that it is effective in the treatment of both schizophrenia and parkinsonism. A total of 65 in- or outpatients with parkinsonism mostly of vascular or idiopathic etiology were included in a 4-week, open, multicenter trial. Terguride was administered under an increasing dose schedule which was leveled off according to the clinical response. Mostly because of nausea, vomiting, and lack of improvement 25% of inpatients and 61% of outpatients were removed from the study. The average daily dose at the end of the trial was 4.2 mg, ranging from 1.0 to 5.5 mg. The average Simpson and Angus scale total score and performance in the Spiral Drawing Task improved significantly during the trial by 20% and 38% respectively. The following adverse effects were noted most frequently throughout the study (including those who withdrew): constipation (occurred in 42% of all ratings performed during the trial) drowsiness and nausea (16% each). Adverse circulatory effects were negligible. Psychotic symptoms, including depression, confusion, hallucinations, and paranoid syndrome, each occurred in 1 patient, i.e., at a lower rate than with other dopaminergic drugs. Scotopic electroretinograms in a subsample of 7 patients showed a significant transitory decrease in the B-wave amplitude at the end of the 1st week and a subsequent return to pretreatment values.

Comparative pharmacokinetics of four platinum cytostatics in rats.

The time-course of plasma and red blood cells platinum concentration was investigated after the administration of cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum II (cisplatinum), cis-dichlorodiammine-trans-dihydroxyplatinum IV (oxoplatinum), cis-dichloro-trans-dihydroxy-bis-isopropylamine-platinum IV (CHIP) and cis-diammine-1,1-cyclobutanedicarboxylate-platinum II (CBDCA) to male Wistar rats. A physiologically based three-compartment open model was used for pharmacokinetic evaluation. This model provides an estimation of free and protein-bound platinum time-courses from the total platinum species decrease. The total plasma clearance of total platinum increased in the order cisplatinum, CHIP, oxoplatinum and CBDCA. Plasma half-live of gamma-phase, which probably represents the elimination of protein-bound platinum species is similar (51-72 h) in all drugs under study and is longer than that of 131I-HSA (33 h). The platinum concentration in red blood cells shows plateau for all complexes studied at long time intervals and its elimination is very slow.

Changes in electroretinogram and serum potassium during L-DOPA treatment in parkinsonism.

The relationship of L-DOPA plasma level, parameters of ERG and severity of extrapyramidal symptoms after a single dose of L-DOPA was investigated in 11 patients suffering from parkinsonism of idiopathic or arteriosclerotic origin. After a drug-free night, each patient received his/her usual morning dose of L-DOPA. In the subsequent 3 h, the ERG recordings, blood levels and clinical ratings of extrapyramidal symptoms significantly dropped after a delay of 60 min in relation to the occurrence of the peak plasma L DOPA level. The initial "b" wave amplitudes as well as initial serum potassium values were abnormally high. There was a statistically significant correlation between the decrease of "b" wave amplitude (delta "b") and the potassium "normalization index" (i.e. the ratio between the observed decrease of serum potassium and the pretreatment difference from the middle normal potassium value). A definite interpretation of the data cannot be provided until more knowledge about the origin of "b" wave of ERG is available. It can be concluded tentatively that dopaminergic processes influence electrophysiological reactivity of the retina.