Effect of chromium on the insulin resistance in patients with type II diabetes mellitus

INTRODUCTION: Chromium deficiency in diabetic patients is a debatable problem. The prevailing opinion suggests the presence of low serum concentrations in such patients and therefore an early, long-term addition of chromium to the standard therapy is recommended. PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of chromium on the insulin resistance in diabetic patients with type II diabetes mellitus. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We have studied a total of 34 overweight patients with type II diabetes mellitus, who were distributed in two study sub-groups--patients with very good metabolic control and patients with bad control. For sixty days the patients of both groups received 30 microg of chromium picolinate as food additive. We measured the serum concentration of chromium (using atom-absorption methods), immune-reactive insulin and the insulin resistance index at baseline and at the end of the two-month period. RESULTS: The serum concentrations of chromium was significantly lower in diabetic patients than in the healthy individuals used as controls (2.18 +/- 0.87 nmol/l versus 4.03 +/- 0.96 nmol/l; p < 0.001). We found a significant decrease of the immune-reactive insulin and the insulin resistance index after a two-month application of chromium 30 microg daily (1 tablet of chrome picolinate). The effects of this trace element are analysed in the light of an improved first phase of secretion of insulin or facilitated post-receptor insulin sensibility as a way of potentiating the insulin action. CONCLUSION: Chromium included early in the complex therapy of diabetes is beneficial in the reduction of the degree of insulin resistance.     

Surgical treatment of bronchobiliary fistulas due to complicated echinococcosis of the liver: case report and literature review

Echinococcosis still remains a widespread disease associated with the development of a number of complications. The present study presents three patients, successfully treated surgically of bronchobiliary fistulas--in two of the patients the fistulas were due to complicated echinococcosis of the liver, and in the third patient the fistula was a result of a hepatic abscess which developed in a residual cavity after echinococcectomy. The patients were discharged from hospital in good health. The authors consider thoracophrenotomy to be the method of choice in the surgical treatment of patients with bronchobiliary fistulas; it allows performance of echinococcectomy and elimination of the bronchobiliary fistula. The results are discussed in relation to relevant data in literature.     

Blood-gas and acid-base profile in dogs with severe pancreatitis

A number of systemic disorders develop in the clinical course of acute pancreatitis. Among these important are the respiratory disorders occurring in 35-55% of the patients. They develop in the first hours after onset of pancreatitis and are the cause of death in 60% of the severe forms of acute pancreatitis. We studied the changes in the arterial blood oxygen status and acid-base status in experimentally induced severe acute pancreatitis in dogs. The animals were divided into two groups--one receiving sandostatin treatment and the other without treatment. Quickly progressing acute arterial hypoxemia was observed in the dogs with severe acute pancreatitis. Hypoxemia development was delayed by administration of sandostatin.     

High Archaea diversity in Varvara hot spring, Bulgaria

The phylogeny of the latest recognized domain, Archaea, is still complicated and it is largely based on environmental sequences. A culture independent molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed high Archaea diversity in a terrestrial hot spring, village Varvara, Bulgaria. A total of 35 archaeal operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belonging to three of the classified five Archaea phyla were identified. Most of the sequences were affiliated with the phylum Crenarchaeota (23), grouped in four branches. The rest of the sequences showed highest similarity to the unidentified archaeal clones (9), Euryarchaeota (2), and "Korarchaeota " (1). Eight (23%) of the sequenced 16S rDNAs didn't have known close relatives and represented new and diverse OTUs, four of them forming a new archaeal subgroup without close described sequences or culturable relatives. A sequence affiliated with "Korarchaeota " showed low similarity (90%) to the closest neighbor and both sequences formed unique branch in this phylum. Consequently, the constructed archaeal libraries are characterized by (1) high proportion of OTUs representing uncultivated archaeal phylogroups, (2) the abundance of novel phylotype sequences, (3) the presence of high proportions of Crenarchaeota phylotypes unrelated to cultivated organisms and (4) the presence of a sequence only distantly related to "Korarchaeota " phylum.     

Aggregation behavior and in vitro biocompatibility study of octopus-shaped macromolecules based on tert-butylcalix[4]arenes

A series of products based on tert-butylcalix[4]arene have been synthesized by anionic polymerization of ethylene oxide. The resulting products are amphiphilic octopus-shaped macromolecules, consisting of a hydrophobic calix[4]arene core and four arms of hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide) chains. In aqueous solutions the polyoxyethylated tert-butylcalix[4]arenes were found to self-associate above certain CMC determined by dye solubilization technique. The light scattering study reveals that the polyoxyethylated tert-butylcalix[4]arenes form aggregates of narrow size distribution and hydrodynamic diameters ranging from about 155 to 245nm and aggregation numbers from tens to hundreds macromolecules per particle depending on the degree of polymerization of the PEO chains. An in vitro biocompatibility study showed that the tested compounds are practically devoid of intrinsic cytotoxic and hemolytic effects and moreover they failed to modulate the mitogen-induced interleukin-2 release from the human T-lymphocyte cell line Jurkat E6-1. Taken together the excellent in vitro biocompatibility profile and the favorable physicochemical characteristics of the tested polyoxyethylated calix[4]arenes give us reason to consider them as promising for further evaluation as drug delivery platforms.     

Circulating miR-618 Has Prognostic Significance in Patients with Metastatic Colon Cancer

The present study evaluated the prognostic role of circulating miRNA-618 in patients with metastatic colon cancer (mCC) and whether miR-618 gene rs2682818 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) are associated with colon cancer susceptibility and expression levels of mature miR-618. In total, 104 patients with mCC before starting the chemotherapy were investigated. The expression status of circulating miR-618 in mCC was evaluated by quantitative PCR. TaqMan PCR assay was used for rs2682818 SNP genotyping. miR-618 was overexpressed in serum of mCC patients. Patients with high and intermediate expression of miR-618 had a significantly longer mean overall survival (OS) of 21 months than patients with low expression—16 months. In addition, multivariate Cox regression analysis confirmed the association between high/intermediate levels of miRNA-618 and longer OS, HR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.30–0.86, p = 0.012. miR-618 rs2682818 SNP significantly decreased the risk of colon cancer susceptibility in both heterozygous codominant (AC vs. CC, OR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.17–0.88, p = 0.024) and overdominant (AC vs. CC + AA, OR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.16–0.85, p = 0.018) genetic models. Our data suggest that circulating miRNA-618 could be useful as a prognostic biomarker in mCC. Patients harboring AC rs2682818 genotype have a decreased risk for colon cancer in comparison with patients with CC and AA genotypes.     

Efficacy of marker vaccine candidate CP7_E2alf in piglets with maternally derived C-strain antibodies

Marker vaccines offer the possibility to differentiate classical swine fever (CSF) infected from CSF vaccinated animals based on serology and their implementation will ensure free trade with pigs. Therefore, new generations of promising marker vaccines have been developed, among them the chimeric vaccine CP7_E2alf. However, in populations previously vaccinated with live attenuated vaccines like the C-strain, passive immunity through maternal antibodies can interfere with efficacy of CP7_E2alf vaccination. Therefore, the efficacy of CP7_E2alf was examined in piglets from sows vaccinated once intramuscularly with C-strain vaccine 4 weeks before farrowing. Thus, these piglets were vaccinated intramuscularly with CP7_E2alf at the age of 5 or 8 weeks. Subsequently, the piglets and their mock-vaccinated littermate controls were challenged 2 weeks post vaccination with highly virulent Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) strain “Koslov”.     

Psychosomatic correlates of coronary heart disease during the socio-economic crisis of post-communist Bulgaria

Post-communist Bulgaria has experienced the full impact of a socioeconomic disaster. Under prolonged and powerful stress the human body may exhaust its adaptive potential and a variety of pathophysiological symptoms may occur. The cardiovascular system is most vulnerable to stress. The aim of this study is to analyze the role of psychological factors correlating with Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) during the transition period in post-communist Bulgaria. A case-control epidemiological study was performed. 306 cases of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and 210 controls were studied. Analysis of patients’ records was made and a direct face-to-face interview was carried out. The study covers a 15-year transition period lasting from 1989 until 2005. The interview questions are based on W. Zung’s standardized self-evaluation tests of anxiety and depression (Self Rating Depression Scale — SDS, 1965, SAS-Self Rating Anxiety Scale, 1976) and on a test of aggression, as a part of the Minnesota Multiphase personality inventory, adapted from A.A. Krilov and F. Korozi’s FPI test. Average levels of anxiety and depression appear to be higher among patients suffering from coronary heart diseases than in control group members. Levels of aggression do not show a direct correlation with coronary heart disease. Both groups demonstrate symptoms of psychological disturbances caused, most probably, by the socio-economic instability of the transition period. In conclusion, certain socioeconomic factors significantly increase the level of anxiety and depression in the respondents. The AMI patients are considerably more anxious and depressed than the controls. The results provide evidence that high levels of anxiety and depression may correlate to and be interpreted as a potential risk factor for coronary heart disease.