Decrease of wheat flour allergenicity via lactic acid fermentation

Results of the research on the lowering of allergenicity of wheat flour fermented using homo- and heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria and mixed cultures with yeast were discussed. The gliadins’ immunoreactivity was measured using the indirect non-competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. The biggest decrease of the immunoreactivity of gliadin fraction was observed in the case of fermentation performed with the use of mixed cultures of lactic acid bacteria and yeast. This way of wheat flour modification seems to be promising, because fermentation is a natural process causing not only lowering of the allergenicity, but also improving organoleptic and nutritional values of obtained products.     

Impact of cardiac resynchronisation therapy on adaptation of circulatory and respiratory systems to exercise assessed by cardiopulmonary exercise test in patients with chronic heart failure

BACKGROUND: Cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) has become a valuable therapeutic tool in patients with advanced chronic heart failure (CHF). The search for optimal methods for the assessment of CRT efficacy is still underway. AIM: To evaluate the impact of implantation of CRT devices in patients with CHF on adaptation of circulatory and respiratory systems to maximal exercise assessed by cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPX) and 6-minute walking tests (6MWT). METHODS: We investigated 27 patients (22 males, 5 females, 61.2+/-9.1 years) with a CRT device implanted due to advanced CHF, which resulted from ischaemic or dilated cardiomyopathy. All patients before implantation underwent echocardiography, CPX with expired gas analysis and 6MWT. Investigations were repeated at 3-6 months after CRT implantation. In CPX we evaluated peak oxygen uptake (peak VO2), oxygen pulse, maximal minute ventilation-carbon dioxide production (VE/VCO2 (max)), and its slope (VE/VCO2 slope) and VE/VO2 slope, VO2 in anaerobic threshold (AT), and cardiac and respiratory reserve. In 6MWT we evaluated walking distance and heart rate and blood pressure response to exercise. RESULTS: We noted statistically higher mean peak VO2 after CRT implantation in the studied group: 11.34+/-3.38 vs. 14.56+/-3.99 ml/kg/min (p<0.0001) and 1.01 +/-0.44 vs. 1.4+/-0.55 l/min (p=0.003) and higher values of expired CO2: 1.00+/-0.43 vs. 1.43+/-0.67 l/min (p=0.004). The O2 pulse rose from 9.65+/-3.39 to 13.23+/-5.43 ml/beat (p=0.015). We also observed a significant reduction of VE/VCO2 slope from 42.34+/-13.35 before CRT to 34.77+/-6.04 after CRT (p=0.0196) and a significant decrease of VE/VO2 slope from 41.32 +/-15.46 to 34.01+/-6.27 (p=0.037). VE/VCO2 (max) fell from 58.02+/-15.86 to 50.1+/-13.14 (p=0.009). Patients estimated their dyspnoea on the Borg scale at peak exercise at 4.75+/-0.75 points before CRT and at 3.67+/-1.15 points (p=0.002) after CRT. Patients could walk a longer distance during 6MWT than before CRT (367+/-154.9 vs. 231.1+/-170.3 m, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac resynchronisation therapy improves exercise tolerance measured by means of CPX and 6MWT, improves respiratory system efficiency and restores its adaptive mechanisms during exercise in patients with advanced CHF. Better exercise adaptation after CRT may be objectively measured with CPX parameters, and correlates with improvement of clinical symptoms. CPX seems to be a very helpful tool in assessing the results of CRT.     

RF ablation in a patient with recurrent post-infarction ventricular tachycardia requiring multiple cardioverter-defibrillator interventions

A case of a 51 year old patient with a history of myocardial infarction (MI) and recurrent ventricular tachycardia (VT) is presented. Three months after MI the patient underwent coronary angioplasty and one year later received prophylactic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) due to complex ventricular arrhythmias, detected on Holter ECG monitoring, and depressed left ventricular ejection fraction. Later on the patient started to experience palpitations and ICD shocks during physical activity (cycling). Interrogation of the ICD memory showed appropriate shocks due to slow (160 betas/min) VT. The device was reprogrammed and new antitachycardia pacing (ATP) algorithms were enabled, however, it occurred proarrhythmic due to the ATP-induced acceleration of VT rate. Finally, in April 2005 he received 37 appropriate ICD shocks during a few hours. The patient was selected for RF ablation and underwent successful procedure with the use of the electro-anatomical CARTO mapping system.     

First heart sound and opening snap in patients with mitral valve disease. Phonocardiographic and pathomorphologic study

Patients with exercise angina >2 months (n:13) showed significantly lower SigmaST elevation during 120 s balloon coronary occlusion than those with =<2 months (n:7), or those with angina at rest <=2 days (n:8) but similar to patients with angina at rest >2 days (n:7). These results underscore the importance of the kind and duration of angina in limiting the extent of ischemia during coronary occlusion.     

Subacute thyroiditis in woman presenting with thyrotropin-secreting pituitary adenoma

Thyrotropin secreting tumors constitute 0,9 to 2,8% of all pituitary tumors. Thus, it is very rare tumor of this endocrine gland. Standards of the diagnosis of TSH-omas are based on me lack of inhibition of TSH levels in the presence of increased free thyroid hormones and abnormal, neoplastic intrasellar or parasellar mass. The additional criterion is lack of response of TSH after TRH stimulation. The proper treatment is surgical excision (selective adenomectomy) by the transsphenoidal route. In this paper we report the case presenting TSH-oma and consecutive subacute thyroiditis.     

Gentamicin affects melanogenesis in normal human melanocytes

Background: Aminoglycoside antibiotics, including gentamicin, despite their ability to induce adverse effects on pigmented tissues, remain valuable and sometimes indispensable for the treatment of various infections. It is known that gentamicin binds to melanin biopolymers, but the relation between this drug affinity to melanin and its toxicity is not well documented. The aim of this work was to examine the impact of gentamicin on viability and melanogenesis in HEMa-LP (light pigmented) and HEMn-DP (dark pigmented) normal human melanocytes.

Methodology/principal findings: The effect of gentamicin on cell viability was determined by 4-[3-(4-iodophenyl)-2-(4-nitrophenyl)-2H-5-tetrazolio]-1,3-benzene disulfonate (WST-1) assay; melanin content and tyrosinase activity were measured spectrophotometrically. It has been demonstrated that gentamicin induces concentration-dependent loss in melanocytes viability. The application of antibiotic in concentration of 10?mM causes higher reduction in viability of the light pigmented melanocytes (by about 74%) when compared with the dark pigmented ones (by about 62%). The value of the concentration of a drug that produces loss in cell viability by 50% (EC₅₀) for both cell lines was found to be ～7.5?mM. It has been shown that gentamicin causes inhibition of tyrosinase activity and reduces melanin content in light pigmented melanocytes significantly more than in the dark pigmented cells.

Conclusion/significance: We have found that gentamicin modulates melanization process in melanocytes in vitro, what may explain the potential role of melanin biopolymer in the mechanisms of undesirable toxic effects of this drug in vivo, as a result of its accumulation in pigmented tissues. We have also stated that the melanogenesis process in light pigmented melanocytes is more sensitive to the inhibitory effect of gentamicin than in the dark pigmented cells.     

“Cerebral small vessel disease and other influential factors of cognitive impairment in the middle-aged: a long-term observational cohort PURE-MIND study in Poland”

GeroScience - A complex picture of factors influencing cognition is necessary to be drawn for a better understanding of the role of potentially modifiable factors in dementia. The aim was to assess...