The Effect of Short-Term Physical Activity on the Oxidative Stress in Rats with Different Stress Resistance Profiles in Cerebral Hypoperfusion.

Oxidative stress associated with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion is one of the fundamental factors leading to neurodegenerative diseases. To prevent oxidative stress, physical activity is effective. Physical exercise enables development of rehabilitation techniques that can progressively increase patients' stress resistance. We determined the oxidative stress dynamics in experimental hypoperfusion and modeled rehabilitation measures, comparing sex and stress resistance levels. The experiment was performed on 240 Wistar rats of both sexes over a period of 90 days. Based on behavioral test results obtained using the open field test, the rats were divided into active animals with predicted higher stress resistance (HSR) and passive animals with predicted lower stress resistance (LSR). TBA (thiobarbituric acid) plasma concentration of the active products (malondialdehyde-MDA), blood plasma (NO-X) concentration, and L-citrulline (LC) concentration were determined spectrophotometrically at the corresponding wave length (nm). The intensity of oxidative stress was evaluated using the chemoluminscent method to determine the blood plasma antioxidant activity on the BCL-07 biochemoluminometer. This study revealed two stages of oxidative stress: a less pronounced phase covering the first days after surgery and a main one, which starts from the month after the operation to 3 months. Female sex and a high initial level of stress resistance reduced the severity of oxidative stress. Physical activity commencing a week after the surgery resulted in "reloading" the adaptive mechanisms and slowed the onset of the main stage, leading to a decrease in the free-radical process in all studied subgroups and the greater blood plasma (NO)-X decrease in the male animals. Future neuropharmacological intervention most likely will be able to determine the pathophysiology mechanism of chronic brain hypoperfusion and potentially extending adaptive responses.

Crohn's disease of the vulva: A tough diagnosis (a case report of a 47 y.o. patient).

Extraintestinal symptoms of Crohn's disease may occur in the eye, the urinary system, on the skin, or subcutaneous fat. We report the case of a 7-year diagnostic search of isolated vulvar Crohn's disease in a 47-year-old woman. The disease is characterized by gradual formation of pronounced bilateral asymmetric labial hypertrophy.

Utility of microscopic techniques and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for the diagnosis of vaginal microflora alterations.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of Nugent score, wet mount microscopy, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test developed in Russia for bacterial vaginosis (BV) diagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred Caucasian women were enrolled in this study. Three vaginal samples were taken from each participant: 1 for PCR analysis, 1 for Nugent score evaluation, and 1 for wet mount microscopy. The smears for microscopy were air-dried and sent to Femicare, Tienen, Belgium, for blinded analysis by microscopy. Multiplex real-time PCR was performed using primers and probes targeting Gardnerella vaginalis, Atopobium vaginae, Lactobacillus species, and total quantity of bacterial DNA (16SrRNA gene). RESULTS: Agreement among the 3 methods was 72 (73.5%) of 98 samples. Agreement between Nugent score and PCR results was 77 (78.6%) of 98 samples; between wet mount microscopy and PCR, 81 (82.65%) of 98 samples; between wet mount microscopy and Nugent score, 84 (85.7%) of 98 samples. The sensitivity and specificity of the methods studied were as follows: 75% (21/28) and 97.1% (68/70) for Nugent score, 96.4% (27/28) and 94.3% (66/70) for wet mount microscopy, 92.8% (26/28) and 85.7% (60/70) for PCR, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that wet mount microscopy is a superior method for BV diagnosis. The PCR test under study showed a high sensitivity and can be used for discrimination between normal flora and BV.