Effect of Beer Consumption on Methylation and Redox Metabolism.

To investigate the influence of beer consumption on levels of homocysteine (HCY), vitamin B6, B12, folic acid (FA), dimethylglycine (DMG), betaine (BET) and other selected markers. One hundred and sixteen male volunteers were enrolled in the study. A one-month period of alcohol abstinence was followed by a one month when participants drank 830 mL of alcoholic beer every day. After that phase, one month of alcohol abstinence followed. At the beginning and after every phase blood samples were taken and analysed. Ninety-three participants completed the study. After the phase of alcohol consumption, uric acid (UA) (p<0.0001), antioxidative capacity (AOC) (p=0.02), superoxide dismutase (SOD) (0.025), glutathione reductase (GRH) (0.0001), total cholesterol (p<0.0001), HDL-cholesterol (p<0.0001), Apolipoprotein-AI (ApoAI) (p<0.0001), LDL-cholesterol (p<0.039) and Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) (p<0.009) increased, while vitamin B12 (p=0.0001) and fibrinogen (p<0.0001) decreased. Other tested parameters (DMG, BET, vitamin B6 and FA) did not show any significant changes. UA changes and changes in AOC were statistically significantly correlated (r=0.52, p<0.0001). HCY, DMG and BET levels did not show any statistically significant changes after beer consumption, whereas some markers of redox metabolism increased (UA, AOC, SOD and GRH). A statistically significant correlation denotes the dependence of UA and AOC changes in connection with beer consumption.

Creatine Kinase and Myoglobin Levels as Indicators of Perioperative Muscle Damage during Open- and Mini-Invasive Stabilization of Thoracic and Lumbar Spine Fracture - a Prospective Randomized Study.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY In this randomized prospective study, we monitored and compared perioperative changes in skeletal muscle enzymes blood levels in open and mini-invasive stabilization of thoracolumbar spine fractures. The established hypothesis was to confirm higher blood levels of muscle enzymes in open stabilization. MATERIAL AND METHODS This study included 38 patients with the mean age of 46.4 years. 19 injuries were managed in an open procedure and 19 procedures were mini-invasive. Venous blood was taken intermittently at short intervals to determine the levels of skeletal muscle enzymes. The catalytic concentration of creatine kinase was determined via an enzymatic UV-test, and the concentration of myoglobin via electro-chemiluminescent immunoassay. Enzyme levels were processed statistically. The Wilcoxon test was used. RESULTS The median increase in the values of both enzymes is higher in the mini-invasive method than in the open method in both the surgery phase for the injury and in the extraction phase. The median increase in the values of both enzymes is higher in both methods for the primary procedure phase compared to the extraction phase. All results are statistically significant at p of <0.05. All tests were calculated using the MATLAB Statistics Toolbox. DISCUSSION A very surprising finding, when testing the hypothesis of the levels increasing mainly in open stabilization, was confirming the opposite. Both enzymes were higher in the mini-invasive approach to stabilising the spine after the injury, but also after the extraction. This contradicts the available literature. However, this can be explained by the methodology of enzyme levels determination in the previously published studies. We believe that this phenomenon can be partially caused by an iatrogenic mini-compartment of muscles in the postoperative period, absence of wound drainage, but also by higher muscle contusion when inserting bolts through the tubes via small incisions, when the tubes penetrate to the entry points relatively violently and the muscles in this area are affected more than in the classical skeletization. CONCLUSIONS Analysis of biochemical changes in open and mini-invasive surgery did not confirm the hypothesis that levels of creatine kinase and myoglobin enzymes increase especially in open stabilization. On the contrary, they were statistically significantly higher in mini-invasive procedures. Key words: creatine kinase, myoglobin, muscle enzymes, spine fracture, spine surgery, miniinvasive surgery.

NGAL, albumin and cystatin C during cisplatin therapy.

Cisplatin is a commonly used chemotherapeutic drugs. It is known for its nephrotoxic side effects with an increased risk of acute kidney injury. Finding of clinically feasible cisplatin nephrotoxicity markers is of importance. In our study, we compared neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in serum and urine, the estimated glomerular filtration rate (based on serum cystatin C) and urine albumin as markers of nephrotoxicity. The study involved 11 men and 9 women (mean ± SD age 58.2±9.5 years) with different malignancies treated with cisplatin in four cycles of chemotherapy (I - IV). Samples 0-4 were taken before, immediately after, in 3, 6 and 24 hours after administering chemotherapy. We detected significant increase of ACR in Sample 2 (p=0.03) and decrease of eGFR in Sample 4 (p=0.03) up to 24 hours after cisplatin administration in the first chemotherapy cycle only. When cumulative effect of cisplatin was assessed, significantly increased values of urine albumin (vs cycle I) were found in Sample 0 (p=0.00058), 1 (p=0.00256), 2 (p=0.00456), 3 (p=0.00006) and 4 (p=0.00319) in cycles II to IV. We found a correlation between values of urine NGAL and urine albumin (r=0.68, p<0.0001). In conclusion, urine albumin was the only measured marker that consistently and statistically significantly increased after cisplatin containing chemotherapy cycles.

Prognostic role of serum C-reactive protein in patients with advanced-stage NSCLC treated with pemetrexed.

Pemetrexed is an intravenously administered antifolate cytostatic agent targeting several folate-dependent enzymatic pathways, widely used in the treatment of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It has been previously demonstrated that the superiority of pemetrexed is limited to patients with non-squamous histology. Aside from the non-squamous histology, there is still no available molecular biomarker predicting treatment efficacy of pemetrexed-based chemotherapy. The aim of our retrospective study was to evaluate the association of baseline serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) with outcomes in a large cohort of patients with non-squamous NSCLC treated with pemetrexed. Clinical data of 325 patients were analysed. Serum samples were collected within one week before the initiation of treatment. The median progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for patients with high CRP was 2.1 and 9.5 compared to 4.2 and 20.5 months for those with normal CRP (p=0.002 and p<0.001, respectively). The multivariable Cox proportional hazards model revealed that serum CRP (HR=1.46, p=0.002) was significantly associated with PFS and also with OS (HR=1.95, p<0.001). In conclusion, the study results suggest that pretreatment serum CRP is associated with poor outcome of non-squamous NSCLC patients treated with pemetrexed.

Serum albumin is a strong predictor of survival in patients with advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer treated with erlotinib.

Molecular targeted therapy based on tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), directed at epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is one of the novel effective agents in management of advanced-stage of Non Small Cell Lung cancer (NSCLC). However several candidate predictors have been extensively studied, apart from activating EGFR gene mutations, no reliable biochemical or molecular predictors of response to erlotinib have been validated. The aim of our retrospective study was to evaluate the association of baseline serum albumin with outcomes in a large cohort of patients with advanced-stage NSCLC treated with erlotinib. Clinical data of 457 patients with locally-advanced (III B) or metastatic stage (IV) NSCLC treated with erlotinib were analysed. Serum samples were collected and the measurement was performed one day before the initiation of erlotinib treatment. Before the treatment initiation, low albumin was (<35 g/l) measured in 37 (8.1%) patients and normal albumin (≥ 35 g/l) was measured in 420 (91.9%). The median PFS and OS for patients with low serum albumin was 0.9 and 1.9 months compared to 1.9 and 11.4 months for patients with normal serum albumin (p=0.001 and p<0.001). The multivariate Cox proportional hazards model revealed that EGFR mutation status (HR=2.50; CI: 1.59-3.92; p<0.001) and pretreatment serum albumin (HR=1.73; CI: 1.21-2.47; p=0.003) were significant independent predictive factors for PFS, whereas EGFR mutation status (HR=3.14; CI: 1.70-5.81; p<0.001), stage (HR=1.48; CI: 1.09-2.02; p=0.013), ECOG PS (HR=1.77; CI: 1.37-2.29; p<0.001) and pretreatment serum albumin (HR=4.60; CI: 2.98-7.10; p<0.001) were significant independent predictive factors for OS. In conclusion, the results of present retrospective study indicate that pretreatment hypoalbuminemia is associated with poor outcome of NSCLC patients treated with erlotinib. Based on these results, measuement of serum albumin is an objective laboratory method feasible for estimation of prognosis of patients with advanced-stage NSCLC.

Betaine increases the butyrylcholinesterase activity in rat plasma.

The physiological function of butyrylcholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.8, BChE) is not clearly understood, but a role was suggested in the fat utilization process, resulting in positive correlation between plasma triglyceride (TG) levels and BChE activity. Consequently we tested the hypothesis that regular intake of betaine, a natural compound intervening in the liver TG metabolism could influence the BChE activity. The BChE activity was estimated spectrophotometrically in plasma of rats fed with betaine enriched standard (B) or high-fat diet (HFB). The results confirmed decreased TG plasma levels after betaine treatment independently on the type of diet (0.15+/-0.03 (B) vs. 0.27+/-0.08 (control) mmol/l; p=0.003 and 0.13+/-0.03 (HFB) vs. 0.27+/-0.08 (control) mmol/l; p=0.005). The BChE activity increased significantly with betaine administration, however the change was more distinct in the HFB group (0.84+/-0.34 (HFB) vs. 0.22+/-0.04 (control) O.D./min/mg; p<0.001 and 0.41+/-0.11 (B) vs. 0.22+/-0.04 (control) O.D./min/mg; p=0.001). In conclusion, betaine intake led to elevated BChE activity in plasma and this effect was potentiated by the HF diet. Since betaine is in general used as a supplement in the treatment of liver diseases accompanied by TG overload, its impact on the BChE activity in the role of the liver function marker should be taken into account.

Effect of exercise on markers of vascular health in renal transplant recipients.

The cornerstone of cardiovascular risk management is lifestyle intervention including exercise which could exert favorable impact also in renal transplant recipients. Nevertheless, reliable assessment of the effect of lifestyle interventions is complicated and the available data in this population are not consistent. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of physical activity on selected laboratory markers of vascular health including circulating stem cells, endothelial progenitor cells, microparticles, and plasma asymmetric dimethyl arginine in renal transplant recipients. Nineteen men and 7 women were recruited in 6-month program of standardized and supervised exercise. Control group consisted of 23 men and 13 women of similar age and body mass index not included into the program. One year after the transplantation, the main difference between intervention and control group was found in the change of endothelial progenitor cells (p=0.006). Surprisingly, more favorable change was seen in the control group in which endothelial progenitor cells significantly increased compared to the intervention group. The explanation of this finding might be a chronic activation of reparative mechanisms of vascular system in the population exposed to multiple risk factors which is expressed as relatively increased number of endothelial progenitor cells. Therefore, their decrease induced by exercise might reflect stabilization of these processes.

[Tumour-stroma interactions in urothelial cancer]. / Tumor-Stroma-Interaktionen im Harnblasenkarzinom.

BACKGROUND: The histopathological structure of malignant tumours involves two essential compartments - the tumour parenchyma with the actual transformed cells, and the supportive tumour stroma. The latter consists of specialized mesenchymal cells, such as fibroblasts, macrophages, lymphocytes and vascular cells, as well as of their secreted products, including components of the extracellular matrix, matrix modifying enzymes and numerous regulatory growth factors and cytokines. In consequence, the tumour stroma has the ability to influence virtually all aspects of tumour development and progression, including therapeutic response. AIM: In this article we review the current knowledge of tumor stroma interactions in urothelial carcinoma and present various experimental systems that are currently in use to unravel the biological basis of these heterotypic cell interactions. RESULTS: For urothelial carcinoma, an extensive tumour stroma is quite typical and markers of activated fibroblasts correlate significantly with clinical parameters of advanced disease. Another clinically important variable is provided by the stromal expression of syndecan-1. CONCLUSION: Integration of markers of activated stroma into clinical risk evaluation could aid to better stratification of urothelial bladder carcinoma patients. Elucidation of biological mechanisms underlying tumour-stroma interactions could provide new therapeutical targets.

Two cases of spuriously elevated cerebrospinal glucose concentration.

We present two cases of spuriously high cerebrospinal fluid glucose concentration with approximately normal blood glucose concentrations. The cause of these abnormal findings was the use of inappropriate collection tubes during the pre-analytical phase. Whilst no patient harm was identified following this error, significant time and effort were expended by both laboratory and clinical staff to explain the cause of these findings.

[Regular exercise training decreases asymmetric dimethylarginine after kidney transplantation]. / Casný pohybový rezim snizuje asymetrický dimetylarginin po transplantaci ledviny.

BACKGROUND: Levels of the endogenous nitric oxide synthase inhibitor asymmetric dimethylarginine are elevated in patients undergoing kidney transplantation and may contribute to vascular complications. In this study we tested the hypothesis that elevated asymmetric dimethylarginine can be reduced in patients after kidney transplantation by early regular physical exercise. Selected cytokines and metabolic parameters were also analysed. METHODS: Plasma samples for analysis of asymmetric dimethylarginine, adiponectin, leptin, soluble leptin receptor, resistin, visfatin, CRP, TNFα and selected metabolic parameters were obtained from randomly selected sixty eight patients after kidney transplantation who agreed to participate in a supervised aerobic exercise program for six months. Samples were collected before the training began (one month after surgery with stabilized graft function) and at six months after initiation. Sixty transplant patients matched for age, sex, HLA typing, duration of previous dialysis, history of cardiovascular disease and immunosupression regimen who did not exercise regularly and did not participate in the training program were examined as controls. RESULTS: There were no differences in elevated asymmetric dimethylarginine levels between both groups before the training program began. After six months of exercise, asymmetric dimethylarginine concentration in the exercising group I significantly decreased (3.5 ± 0.45 vs 2.11 ± 0.35 µmol/L, P < 0.01) and was also significantly lower comparing to non-exercising group II (2.11 ± 0.23 vs 3.25 ± 0.34 µmol/L, P < 0.01). We found significant changes in exercising group I: adiponectin (15.4 ± 6.6 vs 22.3 ± 6.2 mg/mL, P < 0.01), leptin (51.3 ± 11.2 vs 20.3 ± 9.2 ng/L, P < 0.01), soluble leptin receptor (24.6 ± 8.4 vs 46.1 ± 11.4 U/mL, P < 0.01), resistin (20.8 ± 10.1 vs 14.6 ± 6.4 mg/mL, P < 0.025) and visfatin (1.8 ± 0.2 vs 1.2 ± 0.01 ng/mL, P < 0.05). Blood lipids, HbA1c, CRP and TNFα were also affected by the training program. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated asymmetric dimethylarginine level, selected adipocytokines and proinflammatory cytokines in patients after kidney transplantation were significantly influenced by early regular exercise. This regimen may decrease cardiovascular risk in patients after kidney transplantation.

Signaling molecules for early detection of adverse interactions during mechanical ventilation in animal models.

AIM: The early identification of adverse interactions during mechanical ventilation, investigated by multiplexed immunoanalysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty piglets (average age 7 weeks, weight 23 kg) were intubated and divided into groups: A, spontaneously breathing; B, protectively ventilated; C, ventilated with injurious strategy; D, ventilated with lung disability. At the 1st hour (time-1) and 12th hour (time-2) of the study, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), intercellular cell adhesion molecules (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecules (VCAM-1), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and interleukin-6 (Il-6) were analyzed in the blood. RESULTS: The injurious ventilated group C exhibited an increase in both cell adhesion molecules (p<0.01), TNF-alpha and BNP (p<0.05) at time-1, and at time-2 further increases (p<0.05). In group D, an increase in ICAM-1 and BNP (p<0.05) at time-1, and increases in Il-6 and ICAM-1 (p<0.05) at time-2, with notable decreases in urine output were observed. Overall, the lung damage correlated with TNF-alpha (r=0.904), Il-6 (r=0.740), and ICAM-1 (r=0.756) levels. CONCLUSION: All five monitored molecules quickly and reliably signaled adverse interactions.

Ischemia-reperfusion injury in kidney transplantation from non-heart-beating donor--do antioxidants or antiinflammatory drugs play any role?

BACKGROUND: Ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) is a serious problem of transplanted kidneys from a non-heart-beating donor (NHBD). IRI is probably the main cause of primary disfunction or delayed graft function. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the reduction of IRI by intravenous application of antioxidants or immunosuppressives to the recipient before the kidney transplantation in an experimental model. METHOD: Piglets weighing between 20-25 kg were used (n=45) for the experiment. Intravenous application of multivitamins (GI) and a combination of immunosuppressives (GII) was tested one hour before the kidney transplantation from the NHBD. In control group (GIII) simple NHBD modelling was used. Plasma levels of malondiadehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) were assessed at intervals of 0, 20, 60 and 120 minutes after the kidney transplantation. Concentrations of both MDA and GSH were also assessed in the transplanted kidney before and 120 minutes after transplantation. RESULTS: A permanent increase in MDA plasma concentrations occurred in GIII. In GI and GII, after a transient increase in MDA plasma levels within the first 20 minutes after reperfusion, it decreased permanently (p<0.05, p<0.01). MDA plasma levels were not significantly different between GI and GII groups, but both groups differed from GIII (p<0.001). GSH plasma levels and tissue concentrations of MDA and GSH were not statistically significant in any group in the course of the experiment. CONCLUSION: Intravenous application of multivitamins or immunosuppressives before kidney transplantation could have a significant influence on the immediate function of transplanted kidneys from a NHBD (Tab. 3, Fig. 1, Ref. 13). Full Text (Free, PDF) www.bmj.sk.

[Ischemia-reperfusion injury in kidney transplantation from non-heart beating donor--do antioxidants or antiinflammatory drugs play any role?]. / Ischemicko-reperfuzní poskození ledvin transplantovaných z nebijícího dárce (NHBD)--mají antioxidanty nebo protizánetlivé léky význam v jeho prevenci?

BACKGROUND: Ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) represents a serious problem of transplanted kidneys from a non-heart-beating donor (NHBD). It is probably the main cause of primary a function or delayed graft function. The aim of the experimental study was to demonstrate on an experimental model the possibilities of reduction of IRI by intravenous application of antioxidants or immunosuppressives to the recipient before the kidney transplantation. METHOD: Piglets weighing between 20-25 kg were used (N = 45) for the experiment. Intravenous application of multivitamins (GI) and a combination of immunosuppressives (GII) was tested one hour before the kidney transplantation from the NHBD. As a control a group (GIII) with simple NHBD modelling was used. At intervals of 0, 20, 60 and 120 minutes after the kidney transplantation, plasma levels of malondiadehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) were assessed. Before and 120 minutes after transplantation tissue concentrations of both factors were assessed in the transplanted kidney. RESULTS: A permanent increase in MDA plasma concentrations occurred in GIII. In GI and GII, after a temporary increase of MDA plasma levels in the first 20 minutes after reperfusion, there was their permanent decrease then. (p < 0.05, resp. p < 0.01). The differences in the MDA plasma levels of GI and GII groups did not reach statistical significance. The both groups differed from GIII (p < 0.001). GSH plasma levels and also tissue concentrations of MDA and GSH were not statistically significant in any group in the course of the experiment. CONCLUSION: Intravenous application of multivitamins or immunosuppressives before kidney transplantation could have a significant influence on the immediate function of transplanted kidneys from a NHBD.

Asymmetric dimethylarginine and the effect of folate substitution in children with familial hypercholesterolemia and diabetes mellitus type 1.

A recently discussed cardiovascular risk factor, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), is known to act as an endogenous inhibitor of endothelial nitric oxide synthase. The aim of this study was to establish 1) the relationship between ADMA and ultrasonographically or biochemically determined endothelial dysfunction in children, and 2) the effect of folate supplementation on these parameters. The study cohort included 32 children with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), 30 with diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM1) and 30 age-matched healthy children as the control group. Furthermore, twenty-eight randomly selected FH and DM1 children were re-examined after 3-months supplementation with folic acid. Baseline levels of ADMA and oxidized low density lipoproteins (oxLDL) were significantly higher in FH group than in DM1 and healthy children. Children in DM1 group had significantly lower concentration of homocysteine, but ADMA levels were normal. Folic acid supplementation significantly lowered homocysteine and hsCRP levels in both FH and DM1 group; however, ADMA and oxLDL concentrations remained unaltered. In conclusion, ADMA and oxLDL appear to be associated with endothelial dysfunction in children with FH. Administration of folic acid did not influence these markers in both FH and DM1 children.

Effect of white wine consumption on oxidative stress markers and homocysteine levels.

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of regular daily consumption of white wine on oxidative stress and cardiovascular risk markers. Forty-two healthy male volunteers consumed 375 ml of white wine daily. Each participant provided three venous blood samples (before wine consumption, following the wine consumption period and again a month later). Levels of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, reduced glutathione, total antioxidant capacity, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, apolipoprotein A I, apolipoprotein B, triglycerides, paraoxonase 1, C-reactive protein, homocysteine, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) were measured. Immediately following the month of white wine consumption there was a significant increase in HDL-cholesterol (p<0.0001), paraoxonase 1 (p<0.001), glutathione peroxidase (p<0.001) and reduced glutathione (p<0.01) levels, a decrease in superoxide dismutase activities (p<0.0001), and a decrease in oxidation protein products (p<0.001) and TBARS (p<0.05) concentrations. However, there was also a clear increase in homocysteine (p<0.0001) after a month of white wine consumption. The results of our non-placebo controlled trial suggest that regular daily white wine consumption is associated not only with both antioxidative and antiatherogenic effects but also with a potentially proatherogenic increase of homocysteine concentrations.

Does the administration of antioxidants as scavengers of reactive oxygen species in kidney transplantation really have sense?

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to evaluate the degree of ischemia reperfusion syndrome (IRS) in serious ischemic insult of a kidney transplant and to try to mitigate the production of reactive oxygen substances (ROS) and inflammatory response. METHODS: The study was performed on 14 white pigs (20 kg). The pigs were divided in couples using a negative cross-matching and the couples were divided into the two groups. Each animal from the compatible couple was a donor/recipient of a kidney to/from the counterpart. Group II (TxII) received the intravenous antioxidants. Group I (TxI) was a control group. L-ascorbic acid 125 mg, selenium 4.4 mg, tocoferol 50 mg and N-acetyl-cysteine 200 mg were used as the antioxidants. They were applied intravenously to the TxII animals for 20 minutes before reperfusion of a kidney transplant. A serious ischemic insult was created by the left kidney hilum's cross-clamping for 30 min before donation. After the kidneys' removal, the left ones were flushed with Histidine Tryptophan Ketoglutarate (HTK) preservation solution and transplanted after the 1.5 hour (in the meantime stored in melted ice). Venous blood samples were taken for the assessment of malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathioneperoxidase (GSHPx), antioxidative capacity of plasma (AOC), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and tumor-necrosis factor alfa (TNFalfa) prior to the nefrectomy, before application of ROS scavengers (TxII), and during the 120-minute period after the transplantation (TxL+TxII). RESULTS: There wasn't a significant difference neither in production of MDA, nor in the levels of GSH, GSHPx, AOC, IL6 and TNFalfa between the TxI and TxII groups. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our results, we cannot conclude that the intravenous application of ROS scavengers in given combination and amount, administered to the recipient in the period just before transplantation, is a useful protective mechanism against kidney damage during IRS (Fig. 3, Ref. 17). Full Text (Free, PDF) www.bmj.sk.

Immunosuppresive agents have an influence on ischemia-reperfusion injury in kidneys procured from a non-heart-beating donor: experimental study.

Ischemic-reperfusion injury (IRI) has a considerable influence on the function of kidneys from non-heart-beating donors (NHBD) after transplantation. IRI is accompanied by a marked inflammatory reaction with the production of reactive oxygen species and of the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha. The effect on the development of ischemic-reperfusion injury of early treatment of the donor with mycophenolate mofetil and tacrolimus was monitored in an animal model of a NHBD. The study demonstrated that the combination of the two immunosuppressives reduced the production in the NHBD kidney of tumor necrosis factor alpha, an indicator of the degree of inflammatory reaction after reperfusion, to a considerable extent but not of malondialdehyde or reduced glutathione. Pre-treatment of marginal donors with these immunosuppressants may improve the immediate function of transplanted kidneys by reducing cytokine production.

Can ischemia-reperfusion syndrome in transplanted kidneys procured from non-heart-beating donors be influenced by adding selenium into the reperfusion solution? An experimental study.

Ischemia-reperfusion syndrome significantly influences the function of a kidney transplanted from a non-heart-beating donor (NHBD). An animal model of NHBD was used to monitor the influence of the exogenous addition of selenium in the perfusion solution (HTK, Custodiol) on the generation of free oxygen radicals between 0 and 120 minutes after transplantation of the NHBD organ. During this interval, the malondialdehyde concentration, an indicator of free oxygen radicals in the venous blood of the transplanted kidney, significantly decreased. The augmentation of the anti-oxidant capacity of the preservation solution might represent a possible improvement in the function of kidneys transplanted from NHBDs.

[Chromium as an essential element]. / Chrom jako biogenní prvek.

Chromium was known for many years to be an element causing allergic reactions and having neurotoxic and carcinogenic effects. These effects can be observed especially in the case of hexavalent chromium. Only a little more than four decades ago trivalent chromium has been known as an essential element with relation to glycide and lipid metabolism. And only during several last years this chromium function has been revealed on a molecular level. After absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, chromium is most likely transported to cells bound to the plasma protein transferrin. Insulin initiates chromium transport into the cells where it is bound to the oligopeptide apochromodulin. This oligopeptide combined with four chromium(III) atoms forms chromodulin, which is important for amplifying the insulin signalling effect. After binding to insulin-activated receptor, chromodulin increases tyrosine kinase activity by one order. This enzyme forms a part of intracellular portion of insulin receptor. Chromium supplementation in people with chromium deficiency can improve glucose tolerance and some lipid metabolism parameters. The supplementation is indicated in persons with impaired glucose tolerance both in preclinical and manifested stadium of type 2 diabetes mellitus where increased lost of chromium in urine was documented. In these patients, chromium deficiency can participate in insulin resistance and hyperlipidaemia. Chromium is usually applied in the form of organic compounds: yeast extract or chromium(III) picolinate. Cr(III) picolinate can be reduced to compounds of Cr(II) in the cells which can then produce free hydroxyl radical in the so called Fenton reaction.