Genetic Structure of the Root Vole Microtus oeconomus: Resistance of the Habitat Specialist to the Natural Fragmentation of Preferred Moist Habitats.

Climate-related changes have a severe impact on wetland ecosystems and pose a serious challenge for wetland-dependent animals as their preferred habitats decline, lose spatial continuity, and appear as isolated islands in the landscape. In this paper, we studied the effects of long-term habitat changes (drying out and fragmentation of wet non-forest habitats) on the genetic structure of the population of the root vole Microtus oeconomus, a species preferring moist habitats. We intended to check what barriers and what distances affected its genetic isolation on a local scale. The study was conducted in the area of Kampinoski National Park in central Poland (Europe). DNA variability of 218 root vole individuals was assessed by genotyping nine microsatellite loci. Despite its spatial fragmentation, the studied population did not seem to be highly structured, and isolation through distance was the main differentiating factor. Even a distance of several kilometres of unfavourable natural habitats and unfavourable terrain did not exclude the exchange of genes between subpopulations. Our results suggest that the genetic effects of the fragmentation of wetlands have been considerably compensated (delayed) due to the migratory abilities of this species. Our study does not provide clear results on the impact of anthropogenic barriers but suggests that such barriers may have a much stronger effect than natural barriers.

An assessment of non-volant terrestrial vertebrates response to wind farms--a study of small mammals.

The majority of studies on the effects of wind energy development on wildlife have been focused on birds and bats, whereas knowledge of the response of terrestrial, non-flying vertebrates is very scarce. In this paper, the impact of three functioning wind farms on terrestrial small mammal communities (rodents and shrews) and the population parameters of the most abundant species were studied. The study was carried out in southeastern Poland within the foothills of the Outer Western Carpathians. Small mammals were captured at 12 sites around wind turbines and at 12 control sites. In total, from 1200 trap-days, 885 individuals of 14 studied mammal species were captured. There was no difference in the characteristics of communities of small mammals near wind turbines and within control sites; i.e. these types of sites were inhabited by a similar number of species of similar abundance, similar species composition, species diversity (H' index) and species evenness (J') (Pielou's index). For the two species with the highest proportion in the communities (Apodemus agrarius and Microtus arvalis), the parameters of their populations (mean body mass, sex ratio, the proportion of adult individuals and the proportion of reproductive female) were analysed. In both species, none of the analysed parameters differed significantly between sites in the vicinity of turbines and control sites. For future studies on the impact of wind turbines on small terrestrial mammals in different geographical areas and different species communities, we recommend the method of paired 'turbine-control sites' as appropriate for animal species with pronounced fluctuations in population numbers.

[Application of atomic force microscopy (AFM) in ophthalmology]. / Zastosowanie mikroskopii sil atomowych (AFM) w okulistyce.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) allows to examine surface of different biological objects in the nearly physiological conditions at the nanoscale. The purpose of this work is to present the history of introduction and the potential applications of the AFM in ophthalmology research and clinical practice. In 1986 Binnig built the AFM as a next generation of the scanning tunnelling microscope (STM). The functional principle of AFM is based on the measurement of the forces between atoms on the sample surface and the probe. As a result, the three-dimensional image of the surface with the resolution on the order of nanometres can be obtained. Yamamoto used as the first the AFM on a wide scale in ophthalmology. The first investigations used the AFM method to study structure of collagen fibres of the cornea and of the sclera. Our research involves the analysis of artificial intraocular lenses (IOLs). According to earlier investigations, e.g. Lombardo et al., the AFM was used to study only native IOLs. Contrary to the earlier investigations, we focused our measurements on lenses explanted from human eyes. The surface of such lenses is exposed to the influence of the intraocular aqueous environment, and to the related impacts of biochemical processes. We hereby present the preliminary results of our work in the form of AFM images depicting IOL surface at the nanoscale. The images allowed us to observe early stages of the dye deposit formation as well as local calcinosis. We believe that AFM is a very promising tool for studying the structure of IOL surface and that further observations will make it possible to explain the pathomechanism of artificial intraocular lens opacity formation.

Plasma adiponectin in patients with acute myocardial infarction treated with percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: Even up-to-date reperfusion therapy using primary percutaneous intervention (PCI) in acute myocardial infarction does not result in improvement of the left ventricular (LV) function in all patients. Cellular myoblasty, a novel method using mononuclear bone marrow cells (BMC), can be applied in the infarcted myocardium area to stimulate regeneration and to limit the organ damage. However, the impact of intracoronary BMC administration on the effect of PCI is not clear. AIM: To assess angiographic outcomes in patients with anterior myocardial infarction and LV dysfunction, undergoing intracoronary BMC administration after a successful primary PCI. METHODS: The study group consisted of 40 patients (mean age 56.2 years) with LV ejection fraction below 40%, in whom 20 ml of BMC were administered to the infarct-related artery (IRA) distally to the occlusion. The control group comprised 25 age- and sex-matched patients with similar values of LV ejection fraction undergoing bare metal stenting of IRA without BMC administration. Quantitative coronary angiography was performed 6 months later to assess IRA patency. RESULTS: The reference diameter of the stented artery decreased in the study group from 3.22 +/- 0.28 mm to 3.16 +/- 0.18 mm (p < 0.05) and in the control group from 3.22 +/- 0.31 mm to 3.15 +/- 0.28 mm (p < 0.082); also in the area of the implanted stent the diameter decreased from 3.57 +/- 0.21 mm to 2.96 +/- 0.79 mm in the study group vs. 3.48 +/- 0.22 mm to 3.01 +/- 0.35 mm in the control group. For lumen diameter measured 10 mm distally to the stent, the diameter loss was similar in both groups. In 6 patients from the BMC treated group and in 3 patients from the control group there was asymptomatic lumen reduction > 70% (NS). CONCLUSION: The results of our study show that BMC administration into IRA is safe. The degree of lumen loss in the stent area was larger in the BMC group than in the control group. There was no significant difference in the lumen change distally to the stent; the artery diameter loss in both groups was similar, and the improvement in LV ejection fraction was greater in the BMC-treated group.

Role of kinin B2 receptor signaling in the recruitment of circulating progenitor cells with neovascularization potential.

Reduced migratory function of circulating angiogenic progenitor cells (CPCs) has been associated with impaired neovascularization in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Previous findings underline the role of the kallikrein-kinin system in angiogenesis. We now demonstrate the involvement of the kinin B2 receptor (B(2)R) in the recruitment of CPCs to sites of ischemia and in their proangiogenic action. In healthy subjects, B(2)R was abundantly present on CD133(+) and CD34(+) CPCs as well as cultured endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) derived from blood mononuclear cells (MNCs), whereas kinin B1 receptor expression was barely detectable. In transwell migration assays, bradykinin (BK) exerts a potent chemoattractant activity on CD133(+) and CD34(+) CPCs and EPCs via a B(2)R/phosphoinositide 3-kinase/eNOS-mediated mechanism. Migration toward BK was able to attract an MNC subpopulation enriched in CPCs with in vitro proangiogenic activity, as assessed by Matrigel assay. CPCs from cardiovascular disease patients showed low B(2)R levels and decreased migratory capacity toward BK. When injected systemically into wild-type mice with unilateral limb ischemia, bone marrow MNCs from syngenic B(2)R-deficient mice resulted in reduced homing of sca-1(+) and cKit(+)flk1(+) progenitors to ischemic muscles, impaired reparative neovascularization, and delayed perfusion recovery as compared with wild-type MNCs. Similarly, blockade of the B(2)R by systemic administration of icatibant prevented the beneficial effect of bone marrow MNC transplantation. BK-induced migration represents a novel mechanism mediating homing of circulating angiogenic progenitors. Reduction of BK sensitivity in progenitor cells from cardiovascular disease patients might contribute to impaired neovascularization after ischemic complications.

Supramolecular structure of human aortic valve and pericardial xenograft material: atomic force microscopy study.

Pericardial tissue (bovine or porcine), chemically stabilized with glutaraldehyde (GA), is widely used in cardiovascular surgery in the form of bioprosthetic valves. GA reacts with tissue proteins and creates inter- and intra-molecular cross-links, resulting in improved durability. However, tissue calcification and mechanical damage are still unresolved problems. The purpose of this study was to examine the surface topography of normal human aortic valve and GA-stabilized porcine pericardium tissue in order to gain comparative insight into supramolecular structure of both tissues. The analysis was focused on morphologic evaluation of collagen constituents of the tissues. Atomic force microscopy working in the contact mode in air was employed in the study. Considerable diversity in the spatial orientation of collagen fibrils for the human aortic valve and pericardial tissue were observed. It was found that different forms of collagen fibril packing, i.e. dense and "in phase" or loose, could have an impact on the collagen D-banding pattern. Stabilization with GA introduced significant changes in the surface topography of collagen fibrils and in their spatial organization on the tissue surface. Strong disturbance in the fibril's D-spacing was observed. It was also suggested, that the observed structural changes at the supramolecular level might make an important contribution to the progressive damage and calcification of the tissue. The presented results demonstrate that the AFM method can be useful for non-destructive structural characterization of heart valves and bioprosthetic heart valve material.

Prognostic value of troponin I after elective percutaneous coronary interventions.

BACKGROUND: A mild and asymptomatic increase in the troponin level following elective percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) has been widely reported, however, the prognostic role of this finding has not yet been well established.Aim. To assess prognostic value of troponin I level increase following elective PCI. METHODS: The study group consisted of 90 consecutive patients who underwent elective PCI in our institution. Troponin I level (normal values <0.1 ug/L) was assessed at baseline and 12 as well as 24 hours after the procedure. In addition, CK-MB level was measured 12 and 24 hours following PCI. Left ventricular (LV) systolic performance was assessed echocardiographically at baseline and after 12 months. The incidence of major adverse coronary events (MACE) during one-year follow-up was also evaluated. RESULTS: An increase in troponin I level >0.1 ug/L was observed in 66 (73%) patients; of whom, 8 patients had a marked (>1.0 ug/L) increase of troponin I, with a concomitant significant elevation of the CK-MB level. Patients with a positive troponin test developed systolic LV abnormalities more often than patients with a normal troponin I level following PCI (p<0.001). There were 10 MACE in the troponin-positive group and 2 in the troponin-negative patients (NS). Seven MACE occurred in patients with marked increase in troponin I level (>1.0 ug/L) which was significantly more often than in the troponin-negative patients (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A mild increase in troponin I level following elective PCI was frequent and did not predict poor outcome, however, was associated with the development of LV systolic impairment. A marked (>1.0 ug/L) increase in troponin I level identified patients at risk of MACE. An increase in troponin I level was similar following various types of PCI.

The pro- and anti-inflammatory markers in patients with acute myocardial infarction and chronic stable angina.

The aim of this study was to assess the plasma levels of VEGF and interleukin-10 in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and stable chronic angina (SA) and correlate the values with traditional CHD risk factors, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and established inflammatory marker hsCRP. Fifty patients with AMI and 30 with SA were enrolled. IL-10 levels in AMI patients were lower than in SA patients (9.81 +/- 5.0 versus 22.63 +/- 8.38 pg/ml, p < 0.00001). IL-10 levels were lower in AMI and SA patients with multiple CHD risk factors than in patients < or = 2 risk factors (SA: 19.48 +/- 2.94 versus 23.77 +/- 2.94 pg/ml; p < 0.005; AMI: 8.64 +/- 4.43 versus 11.85 +/- 4.09 pg/ml; p < 0.05) and patients with AMI and single-vessel than with multi-vessel disease (8.45 +/- 3.86 versus 10.72 +/- 3.95 pg/ml; p < 0.05). VEGF levels in AMI patients were higher than in SA patients (312.0 +/- 67.0 versus 221.0 + /- 50 pg/ml; p < 0.005). VEGF levels were higher in AMI patients with multi-vessel disease than in patients with single-vessel disease (348.74 +/- 45.23 versus 252.05 +/- 21.12 pg/ml; p < 0.005), with LVEF <40% and Killip class III-IV than in patients with LVEF >40% and Killip class I-II (338.8 +/- 51.59 versus 271.8 +/- 50.51 pg/ml; p < 0.005 and 340.71 +/- 52.94 versus 275.45 +/- 49.48 pg/ml; p < 0.05, respectively) and with chest pain > 6 h versus < 6 h (330.03 +/- 58.58 versus 292 +/- 57.53 pg/ml; p < 0.05). HsCRP concentrations in AMI patients were higher than in SA (1.24 +/- 0.47 versus 0.42 +/- 0.14; p < 0.0001). HsCRP was correlated with IL-10 (r = -0.413; p < 0.05) and VEGF (r = 0.319; p < 0.05). Acute myocardial infarction is associated with elevated VEGF levels and decreased concentration of IL-10. There is a significant correlation between levels of inflamatory markers and CHD risk factors and the function of the left ventricle on admission.

Cytomegalovirus infection in acute myocardial infarction. Is there a causative relationship?

BACKGROUND: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection has been suggested to play an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Whether CMV may be involved in the development of acute myocardial infarction (MI) has not yet been established. AIM: To asses the prevalence of active or latent CMV infection in patients with angina or acute MI. METHODS: The study group consisted of 158 subjects divided into three groups: group I - 70 patients (49 males, mean age 57.1+/-10.4 years) with acute MI, group II - 40 patients (21 males, mean age 59.1+/-7.9 years) with stable angina, and group III - 48 healthy controls (18 males, mean age 54.9+/-12.1 years). Anti-CMV IgM and IgG antibody titre in blood serum was measured in all subjects. In those in whom anti-CMV antibodies were present, quantitative polimerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) was performed in order to detect DNA of CMV in peripheral blood mono-nuclear cells (PBMC) and in serum. RESULTS: Anti-CMV IgM antibodies were not detected in any of the subjects. A positive result of anti-CMV IgG test was present in 60 (85.7%) patients from group I, 34 (85%) patients from group II, and 15 (31.5%) control subjects. The mean IgG antibody concentration was 72.2+/-13.6 aU/ml, 74.23+/-12.8 aU/ml and 19.57+/-3.56 aU/ml, respectively (p<0.001). In patients from group I, a significantly higher prevalence of serum DNA CMV was noted than in the remaining groups. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease have a significantly higher anti-CMV antibody titre than healthy subjects. The active form of infection is significantly more prevalent in patients with acute MI than in patients with stable angina.