In vitro assessment of the impact of nickel on the viability and steroidogenesis in the human adrenocortical carcinoma (NCI-H295R) cell line.

Nickel is a ubiquitous environmental pollutant, which has various effects on reproductive endocrinology. In this study, human adrenocortical carcinoma (NCI-H295R) cell line was used as an in vitro biological model to study the effect of nickel chloride (NiCl2) on the viability and steroidogenesis. The cells were exposed to different concentrations (3.90; 7.80; 15.60; 31.20; 62.50; 125; 250 and 500 microM) of NiCl2 and compared with control group (culture medium without NiCl2). The cell viability was measured by the metabolic activity assay. Production of sexual steroid hormones was quantified by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Following 48 h culture of the cells in the presence of NiCl2 a dose-dependent depletion of progesterone release was observed even at the lower concentrations. In fact, lower levels of progesterone were detected in groups with higher doses (>/=125 microM) of NiCl2 (P<0.01), which also elicited cytotoxic action. A more prominent decrease in testosterone production (P<0.01) was also noted in comparison to that of progesterone. On the other hand, the release of 17beta-estradiol was substantially increased at low concentrations (3.90 to 62.50 microM) of NiCl2. The cell viability remained relatively unaltered up to 125 microM (P>0.05) and slightly decreased from 250 microM of NiCl2 (P<0.05). Our results indicate endocrine disruptive effect of NiCl2 on the release of progesterone and testosterone in the NCI-H295R cell line. Although no detrimental effect of NiCl2 (

[Complete molar pregancy with development of non-metastatic persistent trophoblastic diseaseA case report, reflection of rules of care and decision-making processes Forensic responsibility and the position of doctor in the general gynecologic and obstetric outpatient practice]. / Mola hydatidosa completa s prechodem do nemetastázující perzistující trofoblastické nemociKazuistika, poucení a úvaha nad pravidly dispenzarizace a rozhodovacích mechanismu Forenzní zodpovednost a postavení spádového gynekologa.

OBJECTIVE: To define the forensic responsibility and the position of doctor in the general gynecologic and obstetric outpatient practice in care of the complete molar pregancy. DESIGN: Case report and review article. SETTING: General gynecologic and obstetric outpatient practice Velké Mezirící; Sanatorium REPROMEDA, Centre of reproductive medicine and preimplantation genetics, Brno; Histopatology department of Hospital Jihlava. CASE REPORT: The changing clinical presentation of complete molar pregnancy with development of non-metastatic gestational trophoblastic disease: management. Subsequent early pregnancies outcome following complete hydatiform molar pregnancy. DISCUSSION: Discussed are the forensic responsibility and the position of doctor in the general gynecologic and obstetric outpatient practice with the collaboration of Trophoblastic Disease Center based on the detail expert knowledges: rules of care and decision-making processes and potential controversies, the pitfalls of the histopathologic diagnosis, the genetics of complete hydatiform mole: new lights on a disease, outpatient follow-up and possibility and the risks of the subsequent pregnancy. CONCLUSION: The conclusion is trying to guide quickly a doctor in the general gynecologic and obstetric outpatient practice in the decision-making processes through the crossings of any situation of the complete molar pregnancy and outpatient follow-up, alternatively with the collaboration of Trophoblastic Disease Center.

[Status of bone mineral density after the long-standing application of contraception Depo-Provera]. / Stav kostní minerální denzity po mnohaleté aplikaci antikoncepce Depo-Provery.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess bone mineral density (BMD) on a cohort of women who used depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) (Depo-Provera) contraception uninterruptedly between 3 and 10 years. DESIGN: Retrospective study with review of the literature. SETTINGS: Office gynecology Velké Mezirící; Osteocentrum Brno; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital Nové Mesto na Morave. METHODS: The study included 21 healthy women aged between 26 and 43 years (the mean age 31 years) who started long-term continual application of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) in contraception (Depo-Provera) (the mean time of using 7 years, range 3-10 years). The women underwent lumbar spine, hip, femoral neck and forearm BMC (g) (bone mass content), BMD (g/cm2)(bone mass density), T-score, PR (%) (peak reference), Z-score, AM (%)(age matched) evaluation using Hologic dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Age of women, time of application of Depo-Provera and body mass index (BMI) were collected. Randomly from this cohort of users DMPA (n = 11) were determined levels of serum folicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol (E2), mostly shortly before next application of DMPA. RESULTS: At average 7 years of treatment, as compared to baseline, the mean BMD of DMPA users was in total lumbar spine AM (age matched) 96.48%, total hip AM 100%, femoral neck AM 97.62%, total forearm (radius+ulna) AM 99.81%. Concentrations of serum estradiol varied from 94.3-294 pmol/l (25.7-80.1 pg/ml) with average level 190.3 pmol/l(51.9 pg/ml), seen in the early follicular phase. CONCLUSION: There are probably several reasons, but not at least, why mean bone loss even after long use of DMPA is low. The loss of BMD is more pronounced during the first 2 years of use DMPA and its fall subsequently gradually stabilises due to new balance between extrinsic and intrinsic factors that influence bone resorption and formation. After the two years bone loss in DMPA users nears under 1% per year and practically copies level of physiological bone loss. Another hypothetical compensation mechanisms of bone remodelling in the hypoestrogenic time during DMPA use may be reason of higher levels of BMD 4-5 years after discontinuing the use of contraceptive injections than that of nonusers (rebound phenomenon).

Involvement of the transcription factor STAT1 in the regulation of porcine ovarian granulosa cell functions treated and not treated with ghrelin.

The aim of our in vitro experiments was to study the role of the transcription factor STAT1 and the hormone ghrelin in controlling porcine ovarian function. The effects of treatment with ghrelin (0, 1, 10, 100 ng/ml), transfection-induced overexpression of transcription factor STAT1, and their combination on apoptosis (expression of apoptosis-related peptides caspase-3, BAX and anti-apoptotic peptide BCL2), proliferation (expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigene PCNA, proliferation-associated protein kinase MAPK/ERK1,2) and release of the hormones progesterone (P(4)), prostaglandin F (PGF) and oxytocin (OXT) in cultured porcine ovarian granulosa cells was evaluated using RIA, immunocytochemistry and SDS-PAGE-western immunoblotting. It was found that ghrelin, when given alone, increased the expression of proliferation-associated PCNA and MAPK/ERK1,2, decreased the accumulation of apoptosis-related substances caspase-3, BAX, BCL2, decreased P(4), and increased PGF and OXT release. Ghrelin tended to promote accumulation of STAT1 in both control and transfected cells, although in transfected cells ghrelin at 1 ng/ml decreased STAT1 accumulation. Transfection of porcine granulosa cells by a gene construct encoding STAT1 promoted the expression of STAT1 and apoptosis-related-BAX but the expression of BCL2 did not, and decreased the accumulation of proliferation-associated MAPK/ERK1,2 but not that of PCNA. It also promoted PGF and OXT but not P(4) release. Overexpression of STAT1 reversed the effect of ghrelin on STAT1, PCNA, PGF, OXT (from stimulatory to inhibitory), BCL2, P(4) (from inhibitory to stimulatory), prevented ghrelin effect on caspase-3 and BAX, but did not affect ghrelin's effect on MAPK/ERK1,2 expression. These results suggest that ghrelin directly affects porcine ovarian cells function - stimulates proliferation, inhibits apoptosis and affects secretory activity. Furthermore, they demonstrated the involvement of the transcription factor STAT1 in controlling these functions, the promotion of some markers of apoptosis (BAX), inhibition of some markers of proliferation (MAPK/ERK1,2) and stimulation of PGF release. Finally, the obtained data failed to demonstrate that STAT1 is involved in mediating the action of ghrelin on ovarian cell functions.

Nickel seminal concentrations in various animals and correlation to spermatozoa quality.

In this study, the concentration of nickel in stallion, bull, ram, boar and fox semen, and its relation with spermatozoa quality was analyzed. The concentration of nickel in semen was 0.20 mg kg(-1) in stallion, 0.12 mg kg(-1) in bull, 0.31 mg kg(-1) in ram, 0.06 mg kg(-1) in boar and 0.36 mg kg(-1) in fox. Seminal nickel concentration was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in foxes than that in bulls and significantly higher (P < 0.01) in rams and foxes in comparison with boars. Evaluation of total pathological spermatozoa revealed the highest number in stallions followed by rams, bulls, boars and foxes. In bull, ram and boar semen, separated flagellum, flagellum torso and knob-twisted flagellum were predominant. Knob-twisted flagellum, separated flagellum and flagellum torso were found in increased number in stallion semen and broken flagellum in fox semen. Correlation analysis in bulls indicated a high positive correlation between seminal nickel and separated flagellum (r = 0.76) and medium positive correlation between nickel and flagellum torso (r = 0.62), and in rams a high positive correlation between nickel and separated flagellum (r = 0.77). Medium positive correlation was found between nickel and separated flagellum (r = 0.43) and between nickel and other pathological spermatozoa (r = 0.45) in boars.

Purification and some properties of thiosulfate dehydrogenase from Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans.

Thiosulfate dehydrogenase was purified from Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans using three purification steps. The purification procedure involved ammonium sulfate fractionation, ion-exchange chromatography, and gel permeation chromatography. Specific activity of the purified enzyme (after IEC) was 3.26 nkat/mg, and yield of the enzyme was 78%. The purity of the enzyme was checked by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The enzyme is a tetramer composed of four probably identical subunits of relative molecular weight 45,000. The pH optimum of the enzyme reaction in the direction of substrate oxidation was found to be 3.0. The isoelectric point of the enzyme was 8.3. Enzyme activity was found to be particularly sensitive to the histidine-selective reagent diethylpyrocarbonate. Reagents selective for arginine, cysteine, and tryptophane had no effect on enzyme activity.

Pain management in children with burn injuries.

Thermic injury is always associated with pain. The objective of authors was to create algorithm of analgesia for children with burn injuries during pre-hospitalization and hospitalization.

[Early empiric antibiotic therapy of infectious complications in patients with neutropenia]. / Casná empirická antibiotická lécba infekcních komplikací u nemocných s neutropenií.

Aggressive chemotherapy used at present for the treatment of malignant haematological diseases leads to prolonged aplasia of the bone marrow with the possible development of fulminant infectious complications. Treatment of these complications must be started immediately when they are detected, i.e. as a rule without knowing the bacteriological finding at the time. The objective of the present work was to assess by analysis of 376 positive bacteriological findings from hospitalized patients with neutropenia and 141 findings of immunocompromised patients in their homes a combination of antibiotics for empirical treatment of infectious complications which developed during hospitalization or treatment at home.

[Myelodysplastic syndrome with severe thrombocytopenia and economic aspects of therapy]. / Myelodysplastický syndrom s tezkou trombocytopenií ekonomické aspekty lécby.

On the example of a 66-year-old man the authors describe the atypical course of myelodysplastic syndrome of the type of refractory anaemia with dominating thrombocytopenia, manifested by massive haemorrhage, mostly into the digestive tract. In view of the increasing number of patients with this diagnosis, the authors attempted to elaborate the approximate costs of treatment of the condition in a medical department.