ADIPONECTIN AS A SERUM MARKER OF ADIPOSE TISSUE DYSFUNCTION IN WOMEN WITH POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME: CORRELATION WITH INDICATORS OF METABOLIC DISTURBANCES.

Adipose tissue is a major store of energy for the human body. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients are more prone to abnormal production of some regulatory proteins secreted from the adipose tissue. This study aims to investigate serum levels of adiponectin and their correlation with metabolic and endocrine indices in PCOS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study was conducted on 61 women with PCOS and 17 healthy women whose age and body mass index (BMI) were matched. Adiponectin serum levels were assessed and correlated with parameters of metabolic and hormonal disturbances. RESULTS: In PCOS women, serum levels of insulin, HOMA-IR, testosterone, LH, and LH/FSH were significantly higher, while SHBG was lower than in healthy women. Lower adiponectin was observed in both PCOS groups compared to the control group. Serum levels of adiponectin correlated inversely with BMI (r=- 0.56; p<0.001),WC(r = -0.452;p<0.001), insulin levels (r= - 0.409; p<0.001), HOMA-IR (r= -0.368; p<0.001), and free androgen index (FAI) (r= - 0.53; p<0.001). A positive correlation was found between adiponectin and LH (r= 0.35; p<0.001), LH/FSH ratio (r= 0.33; p<0.001) and SHGB (r= 0.51; p<0.001). Serum adiponectin levels are decreased in women with PCOS compared to the control group. The decrease in adiponectin concentration indicates its potential role in metabolic disorders in the pathogenesis of PCOS, as well as in the development and progression of insulin resistance in PCOS patients.

Prognostic Value Estimation of Monoamines Systemic Level in Retinopathy of Prematurity in Experiment.

The aim of the investigation was to study a systemic level of L-DOPA, dopamine, and norepinephrine, and assess their prognostic value in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) development on an experimental disease model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The investigation was carried out on infant Wistar rats (n=36) divided into a study group (rat infants with experimental ROP, n=17) and a control group (n=19). The animals of both groups were sacrificed on days 14, 21-23, and on days 28-30. The choice of the indicated periods corresponded to the key stages of ROP development in an experiment and was based on the findings of our previous histological studies. Dopamine, L-DOPA, and norepinephrine levels in infant rat blood plasma samples were determined. RESULTS: On day 14 of the experiment (the period corresponds to the pathological neovascularization induction in the applied model and preclinical ROP in children), mean L-DOPA level in infant rats with ROP (0.31 ng/ml) was significantly decreased compared to that in the controls (0.42 ng/ml) (p≤0.01). On days 21-23 of the experiment (the period corresponds to the growth of pathological extraretinal neovascularization in the applied model and ROP stage 3 in children) the systemic level of L-DOPA was still statistically reduced in the study group (0.87 ng/ml) compared to the control group (1.53 ng/ml) (p≤0.01). On days 28-30 of the experiment (the period corresponds to the regress of neovasculature in the applied model and a spontaneous ROP regress stage in children) the L-DOPA level in blood plasma in the study group (0.33 ng/ml) showed an insignificant upward tendency in reference to the controls (0.21 ng/ml). Mean dopamine and norepinephrine levels had no difference in the groups under study of infant rats within all follow-up periods. CONCLUSION: Low systemic level of L-DOPA at the preclinical stage of experimental ROP should be considered as a laboratory prognostic criterion of a developing pathological process; it will enable to use the criterion when working out the measures to optimize the existing screening system for the disease in children.

Quantitative determination of ruscogenin in Ruscus species by densitometric thin-layer chromatography.

A densitometric t.l.c. method of quantitative determination of ruscogenin was elaborated. After separation with the aid of t.l.c., the colourless ruscogenin spots were located with the aid of a p-dimethyl-aminobenzaldehyde solution and were submitted to densitometry. It was found that under the selected conditions a linear dependence exists between the betaI% value and lgC within the range of 0.5--10 mug ruscogenin. The determination of ruscogenin is done in the presence of the remaining components of the sample. The method is free of any systematic error. The method was applied in the determination of the ruscogenin content of the above-ground and underground part of Ruscus aculeatus and R. hypoglossum, extracts of the same plants, and capsules with further to the R. aculeatus extract also contained bioflavonoids. It was found that the content of ruscogenin in the underground and the above-ground parts of R. hypoglossum is 0.14 and 0.10%, respectively, while for R. aculeatus the respective values are 0.12 and 0.08%. The extract contains 1.6% ruscogenin, and the capsules 0.09 mg each.

Clinical data from one year follow-up of victims of the radiation accident with 60Co in Bulgaria.

A severe radiation accident occurred on 14 June 2011 in an industrial irradiation facility for medical equipment sterilization in Bulgaria. Five people were exposed for 5-10 min to a 60Co source containing 137 TBq. The Emergency Department of the National Centre of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection (NCRRP), Bulgaria, put into practice the plans for providing medical care in radiation accidents and the procedures developed for assessment of injury severity, the decision-making algorithm regarding subsequent treatment, and the therapy for persons affected. The activities performed for initial assessment of the severity of injury of irradiated patients were published in 2012. Based on predictive assessments of the severity of radiation damage, it was decided that the victims required hospitalization at a specialized hematology clinic. Percy Hospital in Paris was chosen for this purpose. The aim of this report is to present the results of 1-y follow-up for three of the victims. Sadly, 1 mo after the accident, Patient 4 died from a heart attack. The medical opinion was that this was not a direct outcome of the irradiation. Patient 5 was only followed up for 4 mo (118 d) because medical follow-up is voluntary, and despite repeated calls, the patient did not respond. Medical examinations by a physician as well as hematology and biochemical tests were performed using standard laboratory methods. The obtained results were compared to the victims' personal reference limits obtained from annual health monitoring. After the accident, the recovery to normal content of peripheral blood cells was observed in all victims. Nevertheless, there were observed cases of thrombocytopenia, granulocytopenia, and leucocytopenia at various times after exposure. During the period of observation, morphological changes in red blood cells such as anisomicrocitosis, macrocytes, megalocytes, and polychromatic erythrocytes were demonstrated. During the 1-y observation period, all victims showed immediate hematopoietic recovery within 2 mo after irradiation. Slight hypocellularity of bone marrow was noted at the end of the year.

Initial medical diagnosis of patients severely irradiated in the accident with 60Co in Bulgaria.

A severe radiation accident occurred on Tuesday, 14 June 2011 in an industrial irradiation facility. Five people were exposed for 5-10 min to (60)Co source (137 TBq-3710 Ci). This accident was the first one in Bulgaria, in which the whole-body irradiation doses exceeded 1 Gy and suggested the development of acute radiation syndrome (ARS). This report discusses the diagnostic features of ARS and the use of the METREPOL concept and its diagnostic criteria in assessing the severity of radiation damage. The results used in this study show that injury assessment based only on prodromal symptoms is burdened with a serious error. The probable reasons are at least two: one is the unwillingness of victims to be diagnosed as involved in radiation emergency, which could reflect on their working status, and the other is the slight manifestation of symptoms due to the specific geometry of irradiation. The European Guideline for Medical Management of ARS is a good basis for an early diagnosis of radiation injury.

Opiate receptor binding in the brain of rat during stress.

Two types of opioid receptors were studied in the brain of rats: Delta (for endogenous opiate) and mu (for exogenous opiates). 3H derivates: D-Ala2-enkephalin and Naloxone were used as labeled ligands. The results obtained were calculated by computer program for automatic estimation of the data using approximation equations. An increase of binding delta receptors is observed in both types of stress (2-8 times), while to the mu receptors the binding is less effective mainly after irradiation. These data suggest that a close interaction exists between sympathoadrenal system and opioid mechanisms during stress.

Three cases of hemoglobin O Arab.

Three new cases of Hb 0 Arab in two families are reported from districts of Bulgaria, where a carrier state of this abnormal hemoglobin has not been established so far. One of the propositi is a double heterozygote for Hb 0 Ar/beta(0)-thalassemia. His father is a simple heterozygote for Hb 0 Ar with clear-cut cytomorphological stigmata, indicating hemoglobinosis. The second propositus, according to clinical and laboratory data is also a double heterozygote for Hb 0 Ar and beta(0)-thalassemia. The carriers investigated are of Bulgarian nationality. Their territorial origin supportsthe thesis that the gene mutation for Hb 0 Arab most probably has taken place out of the present boundaries of Bulgaria.