Journal of Applied Biomedicine, 2007 (vol. 5), issue 4
Original Research Article
Impact of hypertension, smoking and liver affection on endothelial dysfunction and subsequent vascular damage in Saudi middle aged males
Khalid O. Abulnaja
J Appl Biomed 5:179-188, 2007 | DOI: 10.32725/jab.2007.024 
Endothelial dysfunction is one of the mechanisms linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. To assess the impact of hypertension, smoking and past history of schistosomiasis on endothelial dysfunction and vascular damage in Saudi middle aged males who don't exercise regularly, the levels of soluble adhesion molecules E-selectin, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, biomarkers of the activation of inflammatory cascades during the development of vascular injury, were determined. Plasma levels of sVCAM-1, sICAM-1 and sE-selectin were found to be elevated as a result of hypertension and/or cigarette smoking compared to normal counterparts. These results demonstrated...
Heterochromatin density in the course of cell "dedifferentiation" represented by blastic transformation of human mature T lymphocytes
Karel Smetana, Petra Otevřelová, Ivan Kalousek
J Appl Biomed 5:189-193, 2007 | DOI: 10.32725/jab.2007.025
The present study was undertaken to provide more information on the heterochromatin density in central and peripheral nuclear regions during "cell dedifferentiation" represented by blastic transformation of mature T lymphocytes. Heterochromatin was visualized using a simple cytochemical method for the demonstration of DNA followed by computer-assisted densitometry of digitised images. The results indicated that the blastic transformation was accompanied by a marked and significant decrease in the heterochromatin density at the nuclear membrane. Thus, this nuclear peripheral region seems to be important not only for cell differentiation but also dedifferentiation...
Degenerative action on mice and rat testes of polyspermine and its complexes with RNase A
Josef Matoušek, Milan Tománek, Francesca Vottariello, Manuela Morbio, Giovanni Gotte, Massimo Libonati
J Appl Biomed 5:195-207, 2007 | DOI: 10.32725/jab.2007.026
A significant aspermatogenic activity, ascertained by microscopic studies of seminiferous tubules and interstitial tissue, and by the observation of the entrance of immunity and fibrocytic cells in mice injected with polyspermine (PS) or polyspermine conjugated to monomeric or dimeric RNase A (PS-RNase A or PS-dimeric RNase A, respectively), was found either in mice injected or in non-injected testes. Polyspermine and its complexes with RNase A destroyed all spermatogenic and intertestitial tissue, including Leydic cells, as well as their ability to secrete testosterone. The total loss of spermatogenic activity in injected testes is irreversible because...
Reviews
The antimutagenic and cytoprotective effects of amifostine: the role of p53
Diana Grochová, Jana Šmardová
J Appl Biomed 5:171-178, 2007 | DOI: 10.32725/jab.2007.023
Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are the basic approaches in cancer treatment, but these procedures are often associated with a number of undesirable side effects worsening the quality of life of the patient. In recent years a number of protective compounds capable of reducing or eliminating these side effects have been extensively investigated (for example: dexrazoxan, mesna, glutathion or N-acetylcystein). One of these compounds is amifostine (WR-2721), a broad-spectrum cytoprotective drug, selectively protecting normal tissues from the toxic effects of therapy, while the malignant tissues are subject to the anti-tumour effects of the treatment. In...