The Experimental Study of the Performance of Nano-Thin Polyelectrolyte Shell for Dental Pulp Stem Cells Immobilization.

Carious is the most frequent disease of mineralized dental tissues which might result in dental pulp inflammation and mortality. In such cases an endodontic treatment is the only option to prolong tooth functioning in the oral cavity; however, in the cases of severe pulpitis, especially when complicated with periodontal tissue inflammation, the endodontic treatment might not be enough to protect against tooth loss. Thus, keeping the dental pulp viable and/or possibility of the reconstruction of a viable dental pulp complex, appears to become a critical factor for carious and/or pulp inflammation treatment. The nowadays technologies, which allow handling dental pulp stem cells (DPSC), seem to bring us closer to the usage of dental stem cells for tooth tissues reconstruction. Thus, DPSC immobilized within nano-thin polymeric shells, allowing for a diffusion of produced factors and separation from bacteria, may be considered as a cover system supporting technology of dental pulp reconstruction. The DPSC were immobilized using a layer-by-layer technique within nano-thin polymeric shells constructed and modified by nanostructure involvement to ensure the layers stability and integrity as well as separation from bacterial cells. The cytotoxity of the material used for membrane production was assessed on the model of adherent cells. The performance of DPSC nano-coating was assessed in vitro. Membrane coatings showed no cytotoxicity on the immobilized cells. The presence of coating shell was confirmed with flow cytometry, atomic force microscopy and visualized with fluorescent microscopy. The transfer of immobilized DPSC within the membrane system ensuring cells integrity, viability and protection from bacteria should be considered as an alternative method for dental tissues transportation and regeneration.

Suppressive effect of cadmium on high potassium-induced hyperpolarization in snail neurons.

Some molluscan ganglion cells were hyperpolarized by an excess of external K, contrary to expectations by the Nernst equation. The membrane resistance of the cells was markedly decreased with the hyperpolarization. This phenomenon was considered to represent a result of the summated IPSP's elicited by the presynaptic inhibitory fibers which were primarily depolarized by high K. We examined the effect of Cd in low pH saline on the membrane potential of snail ganglion cells in order to analyze this phenomenon further. Since Cd has been reported to block Ca channels, it might prevent neurotransmitter release from the presynaptic ending. In pH 8 control saline, the excess of K (22 mM) caused significant hyperpolarization and an evident decrease in membrane resistance, and these changes were not modified much after 1mM Cd addition. In pH 6.5 and 5 saline, the high K-induced hyperpolarization was markedly suppressed or even changed to depolarization by 1 mM Cd. The resistance change was also decreased in low pH Cd saline. Cadmium exerted a greater effect at rather higher concentrations. The results obtained suggest that the high K-induced hyperpolarization is due to the release of inhibitory neurotransmitter.

Transgenic potato plants expressing soybean beta-1,3-endoglucanase gene exhibit an increased resistance to Phytophthora infestans.

Soybean beta-1,3-endoglucanase represents a model system for studies on early plant responses to infection by fungal pathogens, and it has been implicated in the release of elicitors from fungal cell walls. In the present study, potato plants were transformed with the soybean beta-1,3-endoglucanase cDNA via Agrobacterium delivery system. The transfer of the gene into potato genome was confirmed by (i) PCR amplification, (ii) Northern blot analyses, and (iii) an increase in the activity of beta-1,3-endoglucanase in transgenic plants. The transformation resulted in an increased resistance of selected transgenic plants to infection by Phytophthora infestans, an important pathogen.

[Anorexia nervosa in a young man: a case report]. / Jadlowstret psychiczny u mlodego mezczyzny--opis przypadku.

The paper describes a case of a young man with anorexia nervosa. We try to explain our difficulties in diagnosis and treatment of this patient. Most of them were connected with comorbidity of anorexia nervosa (depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive behaviour).

[Chronic depression and marital relations]. / Przewlekla depresja a relacje w malzenstwie.

Authors analyzed the relation between dysfunctional marital interactions and chronic depressive symptoms.

[Premorbid adjustment of 100 hospitalized adolescent patients]. / Przystosowanie przedchorobowe 100 hospitalizowanych pacjentów mlodziezowych.

Premorbid adjustment of 100 hospitalized adolescent patients and its correlation with some clinical variables was assessed and compared with a group of 100 healthy adolescents. The hospitalized group of patients was divided into four diagnostic subgroups according to the diagnostic criteria of ICD 9: psychoses, neuroses, conduct and personality disorders and anorexia nervosa. The following assessment tools were used: Premorbid Adjustment Scale in Polish adaptation of A. Grzywa, List of demographic variables, List of Organic Risk Factors, Inventory of Developmental Psychopathology and the Brief Psychiatric Research Scale (BPRS). SPSS was used to analyze the results. The results confirmed the hypothesis of different levels of premorbid adjustment in hospitalized and healthy adolescents as well as in hospitalized adolescents and original control group of the research of A. Grzywa. Contrary to our expectations and data from the literature premorbid adjustment was lowest in the group of patients with conduct disorders and not as was expected in the group of psychotic adolescents. It was also confirmed that the differences in the level of premorbid adjustment between the group of hospitalized adolescents and control groups were smaller in the period of early childhood than in later developmental periods. Pronounced difficulties in adjustment were observed in all diagnostic subgroups in the period of late adolescence.

[Family characteristics, organic risk factors, psychopathological picture and premorbid adjustment of hospitalized adolescent patients]. / Cechy rodziny a obciazenia organiczne, obraz psychopatologiczny i przystosowanie przedchorobowe hospitalizowanych pacjentów mlodziezowych.

The relation of some family characteristics such as cohesion and adaptability with organic risk factors, developmental psychopathology, clinical picture and premorbid adjustment was assessed in the group of 100 hospitalized adolescent patients and families. We found correlation between: some of organic risk factors (pathology of neonatal period, pathology of early childhood), some of indicators of developmental psychopathology (eating disorders, conduct disorders), some of clinical signs (mannerism, grandiosity, hostility, suspciousness, disturbances of content of thinking), premorbid adjustment, and variables related to families, described before. We think that biological variables characterizing child (pathology of neonatal period, pathology of early childhood) have an influence on some family characteristics as independent variable. General system theory and circular thinking support these conclusions. In order to verify them, it is necessary to undertake further investigations, based on other methodology, using this results as preliminary findings.

[A case of tongue neoplasm in a 15-year old patient treated with immunosuppressants for renal insufficiency]. / Przypadek raka jezyka u 25-letniego pacjenta poddanego leczeniu immunosupresyjnemu z powodu niewydolnosci nerek.

The case of lingual cancer in the 25-years old man treated in 2nd ENT Department Silesian Medical Academy in Zabrze was presented in this paper. The patient has been treated from 1989 due to chronic pyelonephritis finished with the renal insufficiency. In 1991 the renal graft was performed and in 1993 graftectomy due to its rejection. In 1991-1993 the long-term immunosuppression was taking including medicines like Cyclosporin, Imuran, Azatioprin and Encorton. The aim of this study was to consider the influence of immunosuppression therapy on lingual cancer appearance in our patient.

[Air pollution by formaldehyde in some Polish cities]. / Zanieczyszczenie powietrza atmosferycznego formaldehydem w niektórych miastach Polski.

On the basis of won studies and the results reported by selected Sanitary-Epidemiological Stations the pollution of atmospheric air with formaldehyde was evaluated. All air samples were obtained by the aspiration method continuously during 24 hours. In the samples formaldehyde was determined by the colorimetric method with chromotropic acid. The obtained results showed that in the highly industrialized parts of the country excessive air contamination was present. The highest proportions of the results exceeding acceptable level were noted in Lódz--67.8%, and in Silesian cities, such as Dabrowa Górnicza--88.0%, Dzierzoniów--22.7%, Rybnik--39.0%, Wodzislaw--31.0%, Walbrzych--65%. In urban areas, even with high traffic intensity, no significantly excessive concentrations of formaldehyde in air were found. The proportion of results above the acceptable value was from 0.3 to 9.0%.

[A method of mutagenic activity testing for coal tar in atmospheric dust]. / Metoda oznaczania aktywnosci mutagennej substancji smolowych zawartych w pylach powietrza atmosferycznego.

For assessing of the environmental contamination with potentially carcinogenic mutagens the possibility of the measurement of the mutagenic activity of the substances absorbed on dust suspended in air would be important. These substances include at least several hundreds of organic compounds. Only a small part of them have been studied in detail, and, on the other hand, it is known that at least a score of them are carcinogenic. Additionally, the presence of some of them can change significantly the action of other ones. Because of that, the effects of a mixture of these substances should be studied as a whole. The fact that the discussed contaminants are present in the air and can be transported over great distances causes that they are dangerous to man both directly (when inhaled) and trough contamination of water, soil and food. Parallel use in the described method of two cross-bred strains of fruit flies made possible separate assessment of the activity of mutagens and promutagens requiring activation in presence of cytochrome P 450. The use of the eukaryotic organism in which mutations are observed in many cells in one individual (about 2500) enables reliable data to be obtained about the degree of human health risk.

[Mutagenic activity of atmospheric dust in Warsaw]. / Aktywnosc mutagenna pylów powietrza atmosferycznego w Warszawie.

The results are presented of the studies of the mutagenic activity of dust samples in atmospheric air in Warsaw in the heating and non-heating seasons. Dust samples were obtained with a Staplex-type device continuously during 24 hours. The dust collected on the filters was extracted with cyclohexane. The devaporized and dried extract, that is the so called tar substances, were the material for further studies. The mutagenic activity of the studied samples was determined using a modification of the test of somatic mutation and recombination (SMART) on Drosophila melanogaster. The cross-bred strain mwh x ORR: flr3/TM3, Ser specially prepared for the research of WAA was used. The dust in atmospheric air of Warsaw showed mutagenic activity which was higher in samples taken in the heating season.

[Determination of the mutagenic activity of cyclohexane extract of atmospheric air dust and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on various strains of Drosophila melanogaster]. / Oznaczanie aktywnosci mutagennej ekstraktu cykloheksanowego pylu powietrza atmosferycznego i wielopierscieniowych weglowodorów aromatycznych (wwa) przy uzyciu róznych szczepów Drosophila, Melanogaster.

Using the test of somatic mutation and recombination (SMART) the mutagenic activity was studied in two cross-breed Drosophila melanogaster strains. In the strain mwh x ORR;flr3/TM3, Ser the concentration of cytochrome P-450-associated enzymes necessary faetivation of many promutagens, e.g. benzo(a)pyrene is many times higher. Cyclohexane extracts of atmospheric dust and certain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were studied separately or in combination of two different ones. The study showed that: reliable results of the determinations of the mutagenicity of various polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were obtained only with the strain with high activity of enzymes activating promutagens, that is strain OR;flt3/TM3,Ser; mixtures of promutagens in concentrations of several mmols can show lower mutagenicity than the most mutagenic component of the mixture given separately. This could be the cause of stopped rise of the dose-response curve; an overwhelming majority of mutations in studies of tar substances is not due to the action of strongly acting promutagens among the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons studied here, including BaP.

The targeting nanothin polyelectrolyte shells in system with immobilized bacterial cells for antitumor factor production.

Development of anticancer treatment strategies is ongoing considering still inadequate efficiency of existing anticancer therapeutics. Moreover, the lack of therapeutic agents selectivity against the tumor cells requires further investigations into novel anticancer strategies. The use of pathogenic microorganisms producing an oncolytic agent may be an approach for apoptotic therapy in cancer treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the targeting efficiency of Bacillus subtilis bacterial cells coated with modified polyelectrolyte shells applied to protect the bacterial cells from potential host immune response as well as to enhance the tumor-targeting efficiency. The shells were modified with transferrin to increase affinity toward the target tumor cells. The impact of bacterial cells coated with unmodified or modified nanothin shells on human leukemia cells was evaluated in vitro. It was observed that the bacterial cells coated with modified shells with incorporated transferrin exhibited stronger lethal impact on leukemia cells as compared to bacterial cells with unmodified shell coating. Applied modified membrane conformation allowing for functioning of encapsulated microorganisms may find potential use in local antitumor treatment purposes.

Suitability of polyelectrolyte shells modified with fullerene derivate for immunoisolation of cells. Experimental study.

The polymeric permiselective membranes application for immunoisolation of cells separating the transplanted cells from the host immunological system may eliminate immunosuppressive therapy during transplantation. The suitability of polyelectrolyte modified nanocoatings for immunoisolation of cells was assessed. The polymeric shells modified with incorporated fullerene derivate were applied for encapsulation of human T-lymphocyte cell line Jurkat or rat pancreatic islets of Langerhans using layer-by-layer technique. Hydroxylated fullerene was incorporated to the polyelectrolyte shell for hydrophility increase as well as for layer stability improvement. Evaluation with AFM, FTIR, fluorescence microscopy confirmed the nanocoating presence on the encapsulated cells. It was observed that polylysine-polyethyleneimine membrane with incorporated fullerenol allowed for encapsulated cells functioning in vitro. Membrane conformation applied for encapsulation of pancreatic rat islets allowed for glucose level decline during xenotransplantation into mice. The elaborated nanocoating may be recommended as the possible alternative to the space consuming microencapsulation for biomedical purposes.

Association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms of selected genes involved in the response to DNA damage and risk of colon, head and neck, and breast cancers in a Polish population.

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in genes involved in DNA-damage-induced responses are reported frequently to be a risk factor in various cancer types. Here we analysed polymorphisms in 5 genes involved in DNA repair (XPD Asp312Asn and Lys751Gln, XRCC1 Arg399Gln, APE1 Asp148Glu, NBS1 Glu185Gln, and XPA G-4A) and in a gene involved in regulation of the cell-cycle (CCND1 A870G). We compared their frequencies in groups of colon, head and neck, and breast cancer patients, and 2 healthy control groups: (1) matched healthy Polish individuals and (2) a NCBI database control group. Highly significant differences in the distribution of genotypes of the APE1, XRCC1 and CCND1 genes were found between colon cancer patients and healthy individuals. The 148Asp APE1 allele and the 399Gln XRCC1 allele apparently increased the risk of colon cancer (OR = 1.9-2.3 and OR = 1.5-2.1, respectively). Additionally, frequencies of XPD genotypes differed between healthy controls and patients with colon or head and neck cancer. Importantly, no differences in the distribution of these polymorphisms were found between healthy controls and breast cancer patients. The data clearly indicate that the risk of colon cancer is associated with single-nucleotide polymorphism in genes involved in base-excision repair and DNA-damage-induced responses.