Altered tissue electrical properties in women with breast cancer--preliminary observations.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: In the United States, breast cancer (BC) is the most common non-skin cancer. In Poland, it is estimated that the number of new breast cancer cases affects about 13,500 women each year. There are many methods for nutritional status assessment. One of them is bioimpedance analysis (BIA). Direct bioimpedance measures (resistance, reactance, phase angle (PA)) determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) detectf changes in tissue electrical properties. The study was conducted to investigate whether there are any tissue electrical differences in patients with breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The direct bioimpedance measures determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) were performed on 34 patients with BC and 34 healthy volunteers. The measurements were made with ImpediMed bioimpedance analysis SFB7 BioImp v1.55 (Pinkenba Qld 4008, Australia). RESULTS: Reactance and resistance at 50 kHz was found to be significantly greater in patients with BC than in the control group (53.59° ± 1.53 vs. 47.26° ± 1.25, respectively, p=0.0031; 603.24° ± 15.38 ohm vs. 515.87° ± 11.48 ohm, respectively, p=0.00004). CONCLUSION: Pre-surgical patients diagnosed with BC have altered tissue electrical properties. Further observations of a larger patient group would be valuable to calculate survival, validate the prognostic significance of PA, and monitor nutritional and therapeutic interventions in this patient population.

Pattern of road traffic injuries in Lublin County, Poland.

BACKGROUND: Road traffic injury patients admitted to 35 hospitals in Lublin region. OBJECTIVE: To describe the pattern of road traffic injuries in Lublin county, Poland. METHODS: Review of medical records for the period from January 2004 to December 2005. RESULTS: Pedestrians accounted for the largest share of the Road traffic crash (RTC) injury cases (35.8%) and 46.4% of deaths. The highest mortality was observed in motorcycle occupants (7.1%) and victims with abdominal injuries (9.8%). Vulnerable road users represented 71.4% of all RTC deaths, with mortality 5.8%. Early transfers accounted for 82.5% of cases. Mortality in early transfers is 4 times higher than in late transfers. CONCLUSIONS: Poland ranks as one of the worst European countries in terms of severity and fatal outcomes of road traffic injuries. Groups of road users in Poland at the highest risk are pedestrians, cyclists, children and young male drivers. The highest mortality rate occurs among road users affected by multiple trauma and head/vertebral column injuries. Alleviation of consequences of road traffic injuries in Poland may be achieved by coordinated efforts and collective responsibility of government, central level agencies, rescue team members and community groups.

Enhanced glutamatergic transmission reduces the anticonvulsant potential of lamotrigine but not of felbamate against tonic-clonic seizures.

The efficacy of lamotrigine and felbamate against maximal electroshock (MES)-induced seizures was assessed under conditions mimicking the pharmacoresistance associated with an increased excitatory neurotransmission. N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), but not kainate applied at subconvulsive dose, reduced the activity of lamotrigine against MES-induced seizures increasing its ED50 value from 4.3 (3.2-5.6) to 6.1 (5.2-7.2) mg/kg (p < 0.001). This effect was reversed by co-application of an NMDAreceptor antagonist D-(E)-2-amino-4-methyl-5-phosphono-3-pentenoic acid (CGP 40116) at 0.1 mg/kg [4.5 (3.7-5.6) vs. 6.1 (5.2-7.2) mg/kg; p < 0.001]. The anticonvulsive action of felbamate was altered by neither NMDAnor kainate. In conclusion, the data presented here indicate that felbamate, but not lamotrigine, effectively prevents generalized tonic-clonic seizures, also when NMDA-mediated neurotransmission is enhanced. The impaired antiepileptic potential of lamotrigine might be restored in such scenario by the co-administration of a very low dose of NMDA receptor antagonist.

Adenosine A1 receptors and the anticonvulsant potential of drugs effective in the model of 3-nitropropionic acid-induced seizures in mice.

The role of adenosine A1 receptors in the activity of drugs and substances protecting against seizures evoked by mitochondrial toxin, 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NPA) was studied in mice. Non-selective A1/A2 adenosine receptor antagonist, aminophylline and selective A1 adenosine receptor antagonist, 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX) diminished the anticonvulsive effects of diazepam, phenobarbital, valproate and gabapentin. In contrast, A1/A2 adenosine receptor antagonist, 8-(p-sulfophenyl)theophylline (8pSPT) not penetrating via blood-brain barrier was ineffective. Aminophylline and DPCPX but not 8pSPT also reversed the protective action of A1/A2 adenosine receptor agonist, 2-chloroadenosine (2-CADO) and selective A1 adenosine receptor agonist, R-N6-phenylisopropyloadenosine (R-PIA), against 3-NPA-evoked convulsions. Obtained results suggest that the central adenosine A1 receptor stimulation may play a role in the anticonvulsive potential of diazepam, phenobarbital, valproate and gabapentin in a novel model of 3-NPA-evoked seizures. Moreover, concomitant application of aminophylline with these drugs may reduce their clinical antiepileptic efficacy, especially among patients suffering from seizures related to the disturbances of mitochondrial respiratory chain.