5 articles
Nitric oxide (NO) is a gaseous molecule that is a biological mediator that carries out important regulation of physiological processes necessary for the functioning of tissues. We hypothesized that nonspecific inhibition of all isoforms of NOs would cause pancreatic damage and created a model of experimental pancreatitis based on NOs inhibition. Along with the study of the mechanisms of development of chronic pancreatitis, the search for medicines to treat and inhibit the progression of this disease continues.
To study the protective effect of glutargin on the pancreas of rats with chronic pancreatitis induced by a blocker of NOs.
The work was carried out on 21 laboratory white male Wistar rats weighing 180-230 g. Chronic pancreatitis was induced by intraperitoneal administration of the NOs blocker - N-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) (Sigma-Aldrich, USA) at a dose of 40 mg/kg of body weight. Rats in group I (n = 7) were injected with L-NNA for 12 days, rats in group II (n = 7) were injected intraperitoneally with glutargin 20 mg/kg, after 20 minutes they were injected with L-NNA - within 12 days. Rats of the control group (n = 7) were injected intraperitoneally with 0.9% NaCl solution. The rats were euthanized on the 45th day and biochemical and morphological studies were carried out.
After the introduction of the NOs blocker, deterioration of the general condition of the animals was determined, a sharp increase in the level of nitrites/nitrates to 80.22±19.91 μmol/l, control 32.61±4.55 μmol/l (р < 0.05); protein-bound hydroxyproline (PBH) to 215.21±22.01μmol/l, control 178.67±26.39 μmol/l, (p < 0.05); free hydroxyproline (FH) to 14.74±1.84 μmol/l, control 9.96±0.71 μmol/l, (p < 0.05); malondialdehyde (MDA) to 5.67±0.88 nmol/ml, control 3.62±0.13, (р < 0.05). Pronounced structural changes with stasis of formed blood elements in the vessels, focal accumulation of leukocytes in the parenchyma, dystrophy of acinar cells and fibrosis in the atrophy zone were determined in the pancreas of rats. Administration of glutargin contributed to the restoration of general behavioral reactions of rats, normalization of MDA – 4.81±0.15 nmol/ml, control 4.50±0.23, (p > 0.05); ceruloplasmin (CP) – 591.71±68.07 mg/ml, control – 663.25±34.05 mg/ml, (p > 0.05); PBH 183.62±5.98 μmol/l, control – 179.28±9.19 μmol/l, (p > 0.05); FH – 9.44±1.13 μmol/l, control – 9.96±0.71 μmol/l, (p > 0.05) and prevented the development of pronounced structural changes in the pancreas.
In chronic pancreatitis induced by a NOs blocker, glutargin can prevent chronic pancreatitis by normalizing collagen metabolism, inhibiting oxidative stress, and severity of pancreatic parenchymal damage.
Oral lichen planus is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology, characterized by recurrent lesions, presenting as reticular lesions, sometimes accompanied by atrophic, erosive, and/or ulcerative areas. Despite being one of the most common conditions affecting the oral mucosa, oral lichen planus remains an ailment with undefined etiology and unclear pathogenesis, imprecise management, and uncertain premalignant potential.
A narrative literature review study was conducted. A bibliographic search was carried out in databases such as PubMed, Hinari, SpringerLink, the National Center of Biotechnology Information, and Medline. Articles published from 1990 to 2023 were selected using various combinations of keywords: “oral lichen planus,” and “epidemiology,” “etiology,” “pathogenesis,” “symptoms,” “management,” “histopathology,” and “malignant transformation.” After processing the data from these databases, 475 full articles were found. The final bibliography comprised 50 relevant sources, considered representative of the materials published on the topic of this synthesis article.
Oral lichen planus is an inflammatory condition associated with T-cell-mediated immune dysfunction. Triggers include autoimmune responses to local antigens, microorganisms, and stress. The disease results from a complex interplay of host factors, lifestyle, and environmental factors leading to T-cell-mediated immune dysregulation. Diagnosis of oral lichen planus is based on clinical features (multiple, bilateral, symmetrically distributed lesions, occurring most commonly on the buccal mucosa, dorsal tongue surface, and gingiva), histopathological findings (predominantly lymphocytic band-like infiltrate in the lamina propria, presence of apoptotic cells in the basal cell layer, absence of epithelial dysplasia), and immune-related changes (deposition of fibrinogen along the basement membrane zone, presence of granular fluorescent deposits containing IgA, IgG, and IgM in colloid bodies).
Oral lichen planus is a chronic inflammatory condition mediated by T-cells in response to various extrinsic antigens, modified autoantigens, or superantigens, with periods of remission and relapse and the potential for malignant transformation. The etiology and pathogenesis of this condition are complex, diagnosis relies on clinical features, histopathological findings, and immunological data, patient treatment is symptomatic, and the potential for malignant transformation varies. Nevertheless, prospective studies with large sample sizes, adequate treatment duration, and long-term follow-up are needed.
In the last years the high prevalence of the tic disorder and Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) was confirmed. The available therapies can temporarily suppress the tics, but not eliminate them definitively, that implies a strict individual assessment of the risks and benefits for every patient. The recent scientific studies confirmed the efficiency of some diagnostic and therapeutic options, and infirmed the other ones. Thus, a qualitative analysis and adjustment of the recommendations to the actual conditions and possibilities of the Republic of Moldova (RM) is required.
All the guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of GTS and tic disorders were found in the PubMed database. The articles containing the keywords „Tourette diagnosis“, „Tourette treatment“, „tic diagnosis“ or „tic treatment“ and published after 2021 were selected. The availability in RM of the medications recommended by the international guidelines was verified on the site of the Medicines and Medical Devices Agency of RM. The final text includes the qualitative analysis and synthesis of the recommendations, adapted to the conditions and possibilities of RM.
The diagnosis of tics needs only clinical observation, and usually other investigations are not indicated. It is extremely important to identify patients whose tics do not need treatment, but just monitoring and informing about their nature. There are three main therapeutic methods directed against tics: behavioural therapy, pharmacotherapy, and, in some particular cases, neurosurgical approach (deep brain stimulation). The first two methods are available in RM. The efficiency of other tics treatment had been not confirmed yet. A particular attention is paid to the management of the specific comorbidities of GTS and tics.
The diagnosis of tics is based on the recognition of their clinical manifestations and precise anamnesis. Only some patients with tics need treatment but all of them should be informed about the tics’ nature, causes and evolution. The behavioural therapy could be effective in some patients, while in others would be more convenient the pharmacotherapy or the combination of both. The neurosurgical treatment (deep brain stimulation) is reserved to severe tics, that are resistant to other therapies.
Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a common disease with a complex pathogenesis, characterized by difficulties in its diagnosis and treatment.
To determine the main pathogenetic links of clinical and morphological forms of CP, markers of disease progression, to develop a diagnostic algorithm and principles of treatment of patients.
210 patients with CP were examined, who were divided into 4 groups: I - obstructive, II - calcifying, III - fibrous-parenchymal, IV – CP, complicated by pseudocyst. Instrumental, functional, morphological, biochemical, immunological, microbiological methods were used. To study the main morphological and biological changes in the pancreas during the development of CP and to study the effectiveness of the proposed treatment, we conducted experimental studies on 45 laboratory white Wistar male rats weighing 180-230 g.
Imbalance of the immune system, oxidative stress, toxic-metabolic disorders, and diseases of the biliary system are important in the development of various forms of CP. However, there are differences in the severity of these changes. The most pronounced activity of fibrotic processes in the pancreas is typical for patients with a long course of the disease and in the presence of complications (pseudocyst). The most unfavorable course and prognosis are seen in the calcifying form of CP. The markers of CP progression are the value of the calcification coefficient of 0.5-1.0, the translocation of DNase I from the cytoplasm to the nucleus of the acinar cell, the activation of collagen formation, the increase in the level of fibrosis activators (TGF-β1, TNF-a), and the intensification of lipid peroxidation processes. An early marker of apoptosis is the translocation of DNase I from the cytoplasm to the nucleus of an acinar cell.
The developed diagnostic algorithm allows assessing the pathophysiological features of functional and organic disorders of the pancreas, predicting the course of the disease and choosing the optimal treatment. The proposed treatment of patients with CP effectively reduces the severity of pain and oxidative stress, normalizes the cytokine profile, improves the general condition and quality of life of patients.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia and chronic prostatitis are the most common conditions in men, the frequency of which varies with age. Chronic prostatitis (infectious or inflammatory) has a frequency of 8-35% in patients aged 20-50 years, reaching a maximum of 60-70% in those aged over 50 years.
Materials for the study served the medical literature regarding benign prostatic hyperplasia and chronic inflammation, published in the local and international scientific journals. Scientific databases like Cochrane Library, Medline, Scopus, Medicus, NCBI, PubMed, Google Scholar were used to find the necessary articles. Research methods – analysis, synthesis, systematization, and description.
After analyzing the available data, a review of the literature was conducted which highlighted both the strong and weak points of the historical medical approaches to addressing benign prostatic hyperplasia, as well as the ontogenetics and anatomical characteristics of the prostate gland. This included examining the incidence rates, concepts of causation and development, principles of diagnosis and classification of benign prostatic hyperplasia. The review also revealed the pros and cons of using mini-invasive treatment strategies versus traditional transvesical approaches in treating this condition, as well as the ongoing and significant socioeconomic impact in underdeveloped countries.
There remains the issue of reducing intra- and post-operative complications after benign prostatic hyperplasia surgery, especially a voluminous one, which imposes itself as a very critical problem in the development of an effective treatment strategy. For the first time, a problem was described by assessing the particularities of some biochemical criteria at local surgical site and in blood serum, histological - at the level of nodular prostatic hyperplasia and at the border of the surgical site. This requires a complex correlational study to assess the biochemical, histological and immunohistochemical parameters, including the evaluation of the associations or coexistence of benign prostatic hyperplasia and chronic prostatitis.