Expression of E-cadherin, beta-catenin and Ki-67 antigen and their reciprocal relationships in mammary adenocarcinomas in bitches

In progression of tumours, resulting from, i.e., release of cells from the parental tumour and development of metastases, expression of cell adhesion molecules (CAM) plays a significant role. CAM, including E-cadherin and the linked to it beta-catenin, determine the extent of adhesion between normal and neoplastically altered cells. Moreover, the unbound form of beta-catenin in a cell nucleus may affect the rate of cell proliferation This study aimed at demonstrating intensity and localisation of E-cadherin and beta-catenin expression as related to expression of the proliferation-associated antigen, Ki-67 in mammary adenocarcinomas of bitches. The study was performed on 35 cases of the above mentioned tumours. On paraffin sections immunohistochemical reactions were performed using monoclonal antibodies directed against E-cadherin, beta-catenin and Ki-67 antigen. In the studies a membranous expression of E-cadherin, a cytoplasmic-nuclear expression of beta-catenin and nuclear expression of Ki-67 antigen were demonstrated. Statistical calculations using Spearman's test demonstrated a pronounced positive correlation between expression of beta-catenin and Ki-67 antigen and absence of correlation between expression of E-cadherin and Ki-67 antigen. No correlation could be detected between expression intensities of E-cadherin and beta-catenin.     

Supplementation of the cultivation media with B-group vitamins enhances lovastatin biosynthesis by Aspergillus terreus

The impact of the supplementation of cultivation media with B-group vitamins on the biosynthesis of lovastatin (mevinolinic acid) by Aspergillus terreus ATCC20542 was investigated. A hypothesis was formulated that as the biosynthesis of lovastatin requires a high throughput of coenzymes in the cells, the application of its precursors in the form of B-group vitamins might positively influence the process. In a nitrogen-deficient medium the B-group vitamins, both single, especially nicotinamide, pyridoxine and calcium D-pantothenate, and a mixture of thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine, calcium d-pantothenate and nicotinamide increased the efficiency of lovastatin biosynthesis. The vitamin supplementation also increased both volumetric and specific production rates of mevinolinic acid, especially before 80 h of the process, when no lactose limitation had been observed yet.     

Comparative spermatology of selected polyclad flatworms (platyhelminthes)

Sperm ultrastructure of four acotylean (Idioplana atlantica, Armatoplana leptalea, Styloplanocera fasciata, Melloplana ferruginea) and three cotylean polyclads (Pseudoceros bicolor, Phrikoceros mopsus, Enchiridium evelinae) was investigated. All spermatozoa are biflagellate, exhibiting a 9+"1" axoneme pattern. All acotylean axonemes originate and extend within the sperm shaft, and once exiting the shaft, remain attached to it. The flagella of all cotylean spermatozoa exit the shaft immediately and remain free. Structures shared by all species include: an elongated nucleus, in acotyleans located only in the posterior part of the shaft, whereas in cotyleans it extends along the entire sperm body; mitochondria along with small and large dense bodies arranged in a specific pattern; and a ring of microtubules that extends along the entire sperm shaft just beneath the cell membrane. A unique spermatozoon has been found in E. evelinae, where round vesicle-like structures fill the anterior part of the nucleus, and a different type of large dense bodies is present. The spermatozoa of all studied species exhibit numerous characters (axoneme/flagella position, distribution and position of large and small dense bodies, of mitochondria, presence of nuclear vesicles) that may be of phylogenetic value at the family and higher taxonomic levels.     

Bone mineral density and bone turnover in hyperprolactinaemia of various origins

INTRODUCTION: Osteopenia and osteoporosis because of hyperprolactinaemia caused by prolactinoma may be followed by an increased risk of fracture. There are no data on the bone effects of functional hyperprolactinaemia. The aim was to assess the influence of hyperprolactinaemia of various origins on bone turnover and density in different skeletal sites. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was carried out in 75 women (aged 30.53 +/- 7.8): Group I--32 women with prolactinoma and Group II--43 women with functional hyperprolactinaemia. Both groups of patients were subdivided into those with hypogonadism and those with normal gonadal function. The control group consisted of 29 healthy women aged (33.59 +/- 4.7). In all subjects PRL and bone turnover markers (BAP, OC, ICTP) were studied. BMD measurements (lumbar spine, forearm, proximal femur and total body) were carried out using DXA. RESULTS: Higher PRL concentrations were observed in patients than in controls. The values of bone turnover markers (BAP, ICTP) were shown to be higher in patient groups and subgroups than in controls. In patients with prolactinoma lumbar spine BMD was lower than in patients with functional hyperprolactinaemia and controls. Total body BMD was also lower, albeit to a lesser extent. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperprolactinaemia caused by prolactinoma in women influences bone metabolism unfavourably, more by the impact on the activity of bone turnover markers than on BMD. This provides an opportunity for earlier assessment of bone metabolism disturbances before the BMD changes can be observed. Functional hyperprolactinaemia does not determine such a harmful effect on bone metabolism as hyperprolactinemia due to prolactinoma.     

Chaotic behavior of semigroups related to the process of gene amplification-deamplification with cell proliferation

In the last few years there has been a renewed interest in infinite systems of differential equations, similar to the classical birth-and-death system of population dynamics, due to their r?le in modelling the evolution of drug resistance in cancer cells. In [J. Banasiak, M. Lachowicz, Topological chaos for birth-and-death models with proliferation, Math. Models Methods Appl. Sci. 12 (6) (2002) 755] such systems were shown to generate a chaotic dynamics under, however, very restrictive assumptions on the growth of coefficients. In this paper, using recently developed concept of subspace chaos [J. Banasiak, M. Moszyński, A generalization of Desch-Schappacher-Webb criteria for topological chaos with applications, Discrete Contin. Dyn. Syst. - A 12 (5) (2005) 959], we show that for a linear growth of the coefficients, which are more acceptable from biological point of view, the dynamics of these systems is chaotic in some subspaces of the original state space.     

The evaluation of skin disinfection efficacy and its influence on prevalence of surgical site infections in patients subjected to laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is "the method of choice" in the treatment of cholelithiasis and its' complications. LC is not devoid of complications, among others, surgical site infection (SSI) but as a result of minimalisation of surgical trauma and immunosuppression after surgery, percentage of SSI is lower than after conventional cholecystectomy. Skin disinfection carried out before operation is thought to minimalise risk of infective complications after LC. 150 patients who had laparoscopic cholecystectomy carried out, were included in prospective study. Efficacy of skin disinfection was based on microbiological assessment including swabs from the umbiliculus before and after skin disinfection, and samples of exsudate or discharge from surgical site (if any). There were 133 (88.6%) patients with positive result of the umbilical swab before the disinfection of the skin, whereas 26 (17.3%) patients had bacteria isolated from the umbilical swab after the disinfection. Among these 26 patients in 19 (73.1%) cases the same species of bacteria were isolated before and after skin disinfection. Among 19 patients with inefficient skin dissinfection in 2 cases we observed SSI. In one of them the same strains of bacteria were isolated from umbilical swab and surgical site. Analysis of drug sensitivity of these isolates showed strict correlation. There were 16 cases of SSI in the whole group and it's rate was 10,6%. Skin disinfection before LC is not fully efficient. Inefficiency of skin disinfection does not increase risk of SSI. Skin dissinfection reduce microbial flora but does not protect from SSI provoked by these microbials.     

Retinylamine Benefits Early Diabetic Retinopathy in Mice

Recent evidence suggests an important role for outer retinal cells in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Here we investigated the effect of the visual cycle inhibitor retinylamine (Ret-NH₂) on the development of early DR lesions. Wild-type (WT) C57BL/6J mice (male, 2 months old when diabetes was induced) were made diabetic with streptozotocin, and some were given Ret-NH₂ once per week. Lecithin-retinol acyltransferase (LRAT)-deficient mice and P23H mutant mice were similarly studied. Mice were euthanized after 2 (WT and Lrat^−/−) and 8 months (WT) of study to assess vascular histopathology, accumulation of albumin, visual function, and biochemical and physiological abnormalities in the retina. Non-retinal effects of Ret-NH₂ were examined in leukocytes treated in vivo. Superoxide generation and expression of inflammatory proteins were significantly increased in retinas of mice diabetic for 2 or 8 months, and the number of degenerate retinal capillaries and accumulation of albumin in neural retina were significantly increased in mice diabetic for 8 months compared with nondiabetic controls. Administration of Ret-NH₂ once per week inhibited capillary degeneration and accumulation of albumin in the neural retina, significantly reducing diabetes-induced retinal superoxide and expression of inflammatory proteins. Superoxide generation also was suppressed in Lrat^−/− diabetic mice. Leukocytes isolated from diabetic mice treated with Ret-NH₂ caused significantly less cytotoxicity to retinal endothelial cells ex vivo than did leukocytes from control diabetics. Administration of Ret-NH₂ once per week significantly inhibited the pathogenesis of lesions characteristic of early DR in diabetic mice. The visual cycle constitutes a novel target for inhibition of DR.     

High occurrence of rare inland halophytes on post‐mining sites in western Ukraine

Rare inland halophytic vegetation including the associations Salicornietum prostratae, Spergulario marginatae‐Suaedetum prostratae, Puccinellietum limosae, com. Puccinellietum limosae – a variant of Aster tripolium subsp. pannonicus and Astero pannonici‐Bolboschoenetum compacti have been found on 3 localities in the Drohobych region of western Ukraine. These are isolated (‘island’) localities, almost unknown until today. Halophytes grew there on salted sites in the vicinity of the old salt industry. Species of halophytes previously not known from this region were discovered: Aster tripolium subsp. pannonicus, Bolboschoenus maritimus, Gypsophila paniculata, Limonium gmelinii, Lotus tenuis, Puccinellia distans, Sonchus palustris, Suaeda prostrata, Trifolium fragiferum var. bonannii, Triglochin maritima, Typha laxmannii and Zannichellia palustris subsp. pedicellata. The occurence of these plants strictly depends on the presence of salt in the soil and they are endangered by shrinkage of salted sites following the termination of the salt industry in Drohobych region.