Obtaining Wisent early blastocyst in vitro is a basic for protection and creation of biodiversity for this threatened species.

Wisent, or European bison (Bison bonasus), is listed as "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and is therefore protected by international law. For the first time, a Wisent embryo has been obtained in vitro. This procedure creates a new opportunity to protect and increase Wisent reproductive potential and thereby opens new possibilities for the establishment of a controlled and broad reserve of the gene pool.

Effects of high hydrostatic pressure on Campylobacter jejuni in poultry meat.

Campylobacter jejuni inactivation by high pressure processing (HPP) in poultry meat (chicken breast) was investigated. The pressure was created by high hydrostatic pressure piston-cylinder food processor. Contaminated with C. jejuni (108 CFU g-1) samples of ground poultry meat were hermetically sealed in a polyamide-polyethylene bags and exposed to HPP for 9 different combinations of pressure (200 MPa, 300 MPa and 400 MPa) and time (5 min, 10 min and 15 min). Quantitative bacteriological analysis was carried out in order to determine the number of surviving C. jejuni cells. The obtained results showed that C. jejuni is relatively sensitive to high pressure treatment as compared to other food-borne pathogens. The loss of C. jejuni viability increased in a dose- and time-dependent manner. On the basis of the results, D-values were calculated. For reduction C. jejuni in poultry meat by 6 log units (6D-values), considered as sufficient for consumer protection, the application of 300 MPa for 8.73 min, or 400 MPa for 4.37 min is needed. The linear regression equations, which has been calculated on the basis of this study, allows to determine the degree of C. jejuni reduction in poultry meat for any selected duration of pressurization in a given pressure range.

Genetic deficiency of heme oxygenase-1 impairs functionality and form of an arteriovenous fistula in the mouse.

Vascular access dysfunction contributes to patient morbidity during maintenance hemodialysis. In this study we determined if knockout of heme oxygenase-1 predisposed to malfunction of arteriovenous fistulas. After three weeks, all fistulas in wild type mice were patent whereas a third of the fistulas in knockout mice were occluded and these exhibited increased neointimal hyperplasia and venous wall thickening. Heme oxygenase-1 mRNA and protein were robustly induced in the fistulas of the wild type mice. In the knockout mice there was increased PAI-1 and MCP-1 expression, marked induction of MMP-2 and MMP-9, but similar expression of PDGF alpha, IGF-1, TGF-beta1, VEGF, and osteopontin compared to wild type mice. We conclude that heme oxygenase-1 deficiency promotes vasculopathic gene expression, accelerates neointimal hyperplasia and impairs the function of arteriovenous fistulas.

Deficiency of heme oxygenase-1 impairs renal hemodynamics and exaggerates systemic inflammatory responses to renal ischemia.

Heme oxygenase-1 may exert cytoprotective effects. In this study we examined the sensitivity of heme oxygenase-1 knockout (HO-1(-/-)) mice to renal ischemia by assessing glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and cytokine expression in the kidney, and inflammatory responses in the systemic circulation and in vital extrarenal organs. Four hours after renal ischemia, the GFR of HO-1(-/-) mice was much lower than that of wild-type mice in the absence of changes in renal blood flow or cardiac output. Eight hours after renal ischemia, there was a marked induction of interleukin-6 (IL-6) mRNA and its downstream signaling effector, phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (pSTAT3), in the kidney, lung, and heart in HO-1(-/-) mice. Systemic levels of IL-6 were markedly and uniquely increased in HO-1(-/-) mice after ischemia as compared to wild-type mice. The administration of an antibody to IL-6 protected against the renal dysfunction and mortality observed in HO-1(-/-) mice following ischemia. We suggest that the exaggerated production of IL-6, occurring regionally and systemically following localized renal ischemia, in an HO-1-deficient state may underlie the heightened sensitivity observed in this setting.

Mobile telecare system for intensive insulin treatment and patient education. First applications for newly diagnosed type 1 diabetic patients.

The aim of the work was to develop and to evaluate the clinical efficiency of a mobile telecare system implementing teleconsultations based on the continuous transmission of patient-collected data directly to the physician and to the clinic. The developed TeleMed system consists of the patients' and the diabetologist's mobile units, the diabetologist's clinic and home workstations and the clinical server. The evaluation of the system was performed on a group of 13 newly diagnosed type 1 diabetic patients, during a single-arm study with 3-days run-in period, including a one-day intensive educational program, and 3-week study period, when the intensive insulin treatment was conducted without visits of patients to the clinic. The MBG dropped from 7.2 +/- 1.7 mmol/L before the study to 6.1 +/- 1.0 mmol/L in the third week of the study (P = 0.02) and the J-index from 30.2+/-19.2 to 19.7+/-7.7 (P = 0.04). Hemoglobin A1c decreased from 11.8 +/- 3.3% to 8.6 +/- 1.2% (P = 0.0002) in one month. The total daily insulin dose declined from 39.9 +/- 8.5 U to 20.0 +/- 9.6 U (P = 0.000006). The number of hypoglycemia episodes per patient per day decreased by 66% (P = 0.08) and the number of hyperglycemia episodes was reduced by 47% (P < 0.0001). The TeleMed facilitates not only efficient realization of the intensive insulin treatment but also successful remote patient training and education. No formal patient satisfaction study was done. However, some of the findings indicate that the application of the developed system increases patient self-confidence and quality of life.

[Extraperitoneal inguinal endometriosis]. / Zaotrzewnowa endometrioza w dole pachwinowym.

The case report of the very rare, extraperitoneal endometriosis in the inguinal localisation in 40-year-old woman. Clinical diagnosis was confirmed by histological examination of the removed endometriotic focus. The main patient's complain was the pain in the groin during menses often accompanied with the feeling of dumbness of the ipsilateral leg. During menses the palpable tumor enlarged and was painful. The surgical excision of the tumor with broad margins is the best method of treatment. In differential diagnosis one should consider entrapped inguinal hernia as well as displaced ovary.

[Surgical treatment of ovarian tumors in girls in the materials of the 2nd Department and Gynecological Clinic of the Medical Academy in Wroclaw]. / Leczenie operacyjne guzów jajnika u dziewczat na materiale II Katedry i Kliniki Ginekologii AM we Wroclawiu.

Between 1987 and 1998 44 young women (average age 17.4) were operated for ovarian tumours at the 2nd Clinic and Department of Academy of Medicine in Wroclaw. Bilateral changes were observed in 6 patients. In one case a malignant tumour was diagnosed. The most frequent benign tumours were teratoma adultum (30%) and cystis paraovarialis (22%) the type of surgical intervention depended on the size of the tumour and on the degree of destruction of the ovarian tissue. Since 1995 the clinic carries out surgical laparoscopy particularly prefened modality in case of young women. During that time, 16 of 21 patients aged up to 21, had their ovarian tumours enucleated by means of the laparoscopic method.

[Surgical treatment in a case of partial vaginal obliteration coexisting with hematometra, hematocolpos and other congenital defects]. / Postepowanie chirurgiczne w przypadku czesciowego braku pochwy wspólistniejacego z haematometra i haematocolpos oraz innymi wadami rozwojowymi.

A case history of 12 years old girl with transverse vaginal septum occurring with hematometra, hematocolpos and other congenital defects is presented. Operation was carried out twice because of vaginal prosthetic appliance after the first operation. The reoperation was done 6 months after the previous one and artificial vagina recanalised.

[Gonadal dysgenesis in own material]. / Dysgenezja gonad w materiale wlasnym.

Eleven patients with Turner syndrome and 6 with pure gonadal dysgenesis were examined. Diagnosis was made on the base of clinical and cytogenetic examination. All patients had primary amenorrhea and underdevelopment of primary, secondary and tertiary sexual features. Hormonal estimations revealed elevated FSH serum concentration in women with Turner syndrome and with pure gonadal dysgenesis (46, XY) vs. to patients with 46, XX. Estradiol and Progesterone levels were low in all cases. All women were treated with estrogens and progestational agents in sequential manner with good results. We did not observe significant phenotypic differences between patients with monosomie X and patients with structural abnormalities within chromosome X and mosaicism.

Patterns of nuclear proto-oncogene expression during induced differentiation and proliferation of human B chronic lymphocytic leukaemia cells.

Phorbol ester-induced differentiation of human B-chronic lymphocytic leukaemic cells was found to be preceded by a rapid transient induction in expression of the c-jun proto-oncogene, which paralleled that of c-fos. Induced expression of c-myc but not of c-fos/c-jun proto-oncogenes was markedly higher in a proliferating variant leukaemic cell population compared with that seen in typical lymphocytic leukaemia cells. These data suggest that the c-fos/c-jun nuclear oncogenes play a role in induced differentiation, whilst c-myc is more important in the proliferative response of B lymphocytes.

[Short-term subcutaneous infusion of insulin using a portable insulin pump in the treatment of diabetes mellitus]. / Zastosowanie krótkotrwalych podskórnych wlewów insuliny za pomoca przenosnych dozowników insuliny w leczeniu cukrzycy.

The authors evaluated the effectiveness of treatment by means of constant subcutaneous insulin infusions (CPWI) in patients with diabetes staying in hospital. The infusions were made by means of portable insulin pumps (Microjet Bolus 1, Microjet Bolus 2 and Promedos E 1). The therapy was applied in a group of 15 patients with diabetes admitted to hospital because of symptoms of uncontrolled diabetes, among them 3 patients with diabetes freshly diagnosed. After 2-3 days of infusions 12 patients had glycaemia level approached to the physiological level. Only in one case of diabetes with significant resistance to insulin, the physicians were not able to control the diabetes. After 4-9 days of CPWI, patients who had been given conventional insulin injection had their insulin day demand reduced by 11-33%. In 4 cases the insulin demand had been established by means of Biostator GCIIS, after the introduction of the pumps the demand decreased by 40 +/- 5%, when the open loop system was applied. The above results suggest that the use of constant subcutaneous insulin infusion by means of a dosimeter may be recommended as a method of determining day demand for insulin, significantly shortening hospitalization period in patients with uncontrolled diabetes.

[Treatment of diabetes mellitus type 1 by long-term infusion of insulin]. / Leczenie cukrzycy typu 1 dlugotrwalymi wlewami insuliny.

In the article the authors evaluate the portable insulin pump, a prototype designed at the Institute of Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and also Promedos E1 pump produced by Siemens in the therapy of patients with diabetes type 1 brittle. Two patients underwent therapy by means of continuous intravenous insulin infusions (CDWI) for two months, two other patients--(CPWI) for about five years. The authors made an evaluation of the two methods by counting mean blood glucose, value M according to Schlichtkrull and determining the level of glycosylated haemoglobin. By continuous infusions of insulin, the authors achieved better diabetes control than with the previous conventional therapy.

[Effect of insulin sensitivity on the occurrence of early-morning hyperglycemia in patients treated with insulin]. / Wplyw insulinowrazliwosci na wystepowanie wczesnorannej hiperglikemii u chorych na cukrzyce leczonych insulina.

The study was aimed at elucidation of the effect of insulin-sensitivity on the occurring of the dawn phenomenon. Diabetic patients were investigated in whom the fasting glycaemia was often higher than 17 mmol/l (300 mg%). In all patients the euglycaemic state was maintained by a continuous i.v. infusion of insulin using a micropump and a changing infusion of glucose using Biostator. A slight increase in the insulin-sensitivity was seen in the early morning in 3 patients in whom the glucose consumption during the constant insulin infusion was 4 mg/min/kg b.w. Among 7 patients with lower glucose consumption in 6 a markedly low insulin-sensitivity was seen at down. The investigations allow to assume that the dawn phenomenon occurs mainly in patients with uncompensated diabetes which induces changes in insulin-sensitivity.