The effect of melatonin on body mass and behaviour of rats during an exposure to microwave radiation from mobile phone

Background and Objectives: Abnormal arterial stiffness (AS) is a major complication in end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients treated by dialysis. Our study aimed to determine the significance of AS for survival of prevalent dialysis patients, as well as its association with cardiovascular parameters or vascular calcification promoters/inhibitors or both and AS. Materials and Methods: The study involved 80 adult hemodialysis patients. Besides standard laboratory analyses, we also determined promoters and inhibitors of vascular calcification (bone biomarkers): serum levels of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), soluble Klotho, intact parathormone (iPTH), 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, osteoprotegerin, sclerostin, AS measured as ankle carotid pulse wave velocity (acPWV), Ankle Brachial Index (ABI), and vascular calcification (VC) score. Patients were monitored for up to 28 months. According to the median acPWV value, we divided patients into a group with acPWV ≤ 8.8 m/s, and a group with acPWV > 8.8 m/s, and the two groups were compared. Results: Values for bone biomarkers were similar in both groups. Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), central systolic and diastolic brachial blood pressure, heart rate, and pulse pressure were higher in the group with acPWV > 8.8 m/s than in the group with acPWV ≤ 8.8 m/s. The mortality was higher for patients with acPWV > 8.8 m/s at any given time over 28 months of follow-up. In multivariable analysis, predictors of higher acPWV were age >60.5, higher pulse rate, and higher central systolic or brachial diastolic blood pressure. Conclusions: According to our results, we advise the measurement of acPWV preferentially in younger dialysis patients for prognosis, as well as intervention planning before the development of irreversible changes in blood vessels. In addition, measuring central systolic blood pressure seems to be useful for monitoring AS in prevalent hemodialysis patients.

Background: Increased oxidative stress is a hallmark of end-stage renal disease. Hemodialysis (HD) patients lacking glutathione transferase M1 (GSTM1) enzyme activity exhibit enhanced oxidative DNA damage and higher mortality rate than those with active GSTM1 enzyme. To our knowledge, this is the first study to use the vitamin E-bonded membranes (VEM) in patients with homozygous GSTM1 gene deletion, and we aimed to determine the effect of VEM on oxidative and inflammatory status in HD patients with homozygous GSTM1 gene deletion. Methods: GSTM1 genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 170 chronic HD patients. Those with GSTM1-null genotype were randomized and 80 were included in the study. Forty of them were dialyzed for three months with VEM, while the other forty were dialyzed with high-flux same-surface polysulfone dialyzers. Markers of protein and lipid oxidative damage and inflammation (thiol groups, malondialdehyde (MDA), Interleukin-6 (IL-6)), together with plasma antioxidant activity (glutathione peroxidase (GPX), superoxide dismutase (SOD)) were determined. Results: Seventy-five patients finished the study. There were no differences at baseline in markers of protein and lipid oxidative damage, inflammation and plasma antioxidant activity. After three months of therapy, GPX, MDA, and thiol groups increased significantly in both groups, but without statistical significance between groups. SOD and C reactive protein (CRP) did not change significantly during the three-month period. IL-6 increased in the control group, and at the same time, decreased in the VEM group, but without statistical significance. Hemoglobin (Hb) value, red blood cells, erythropoiesis resistance index (ERI), serum ferritin and iron did not change significantly within or between groups. Regarding other laboratory parameters, proteins, albumins, triglycerides, serum phosphorus, serum bicarbonate and Kt/V showed significant improvements within groups but with no significant difference between groups. Conclusions: Our data shows that therapy with VEM over three months had no benefit over standard polysulfone membrane in decreasing by-products of oxidative stress and inflammation in dialysis patients lacking GSTM1 enzyme activity.

The aim of this study is to find out characteristics of tactics of attack of teams which play in the finals of the Champions League by analyzing competition activities and also to use comparative analysis for the same competition in two competition seasons and point to the potential tendencies in tactical preparation of teams for the very end of the competition. The analysis involved quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals in seasons 2015/2016 and 2016/2017, i.e. 13 matches in each season. The tactical action was analyzed by monitoring variables that describe the ways of beginning, realization and completion of successful attacks, but also the overall characteristics of play when a team was in ball possession (scope, success and speed of passing the ball). Results of this study showed that that there are no significant differences in tactical demonstration of teams that play the final round of the competition in two competition seasons. The application of continuous attacks is dominant, beginning by cutting a pass and winning "the second ball" on the opponent's half, while the final pass is in most cases the centre and back lateral passing. However, significant difference was discovered only in efficiency during the passing game, which was significantly greater in the 2016/2017 season (p=0.013) and partially in the longer ball possession also in the 2016/2017 season. The kind of analysis in the field of football tactics is valuable because it provides a possibility to define the criteria for achieving results on the highest level, but to predict potential tendencies in developing offensive football tactics.

Introduction. The autologous radio-cephalic arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the best vascular access for patients on chronic hemodialysis. In some patients with inadequate blood vessels, it is necessary to create proximal AVF, or arteriovenous grafts. High percentage of primary graft failure is noted in cases where diameters of the brachial artery and the basilic vein are insufficient. The aim of this work was to introduce a new surgical technique for arteriovenous creation in patients with inadequate blood diameter. Case outline. The authors have proposed implantation of brachio-basilic polytetrafluoroethylene AV forearm loop graft in two acts. In the first act, the native brachio-basilic AVF was created in the distal region of the arm by side-to-end anastomosis. Three to four weeks after the first act, significant dilatation of brachial artery and basilic vein was noted (confirmed by the use of color duplex sonography technique). During the second act, polytetrafluourethylene graft was implanted by end-to-end anastomosis on the dilated basilica vein. Conclusion. AV graft that was created in two acts has sufficient blood flow without early or late complications. Primary patency was 30 months and secondary patency was 50 months. As an original method in the current literature, we recommend it in different clinical settings when there are no better alternatives for vascular access.

The complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are well known and one of them is diabetic chronic kidney disease (DCKD). Over time, it has become clear that patients with T2DM can have nondiabetic chronic kidney diseases (NDCKD), especially those that affect the glomeruli. Clinical indicators for identifying DCKD from NDCKD with high sensitivity and specificity have not yet been identified. Therefore, kidney biopsy remains the golden standard for DCKD diagnosis in patients with T2DM. Despite some indications for kidney biopsy, criteria for a biopsy differ between countries, regions, and doctors. The aim of the study was to analyze the biopsy findings in our T2DM population and the justification of the biopsy according to widely accepted criteria. This single center retrospective study analyzed data from 74 patients with T2DM who underwent kidney biopsy from January 2014 to January 2021. According to the biopsy data, we categorized31 patients in the DN group, patients with typical diabetic glomerulopathy, 11 patients in the mixed group, patients who had pathohistological elements for both DN and non-DN glomerulopathy, and 32 patients in the non-DN group, patients with primary glomerulopathy not linked with DM. In the non-DN and mixed groups, the most frequent glomerulopathy was mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis, including IgA and non-IgA forms, found in 10 patients, and membranous nephropathy (MN) in 10 patients. We analyzed several parameters and only the amount of proteinuria was found to be significantly linked to biopsy findings related to DN. With the existing criteria for kidney biopsy, we managed to detect changes in the kidneys in about half of our patients with T2DM. These patients required specific treatment, different from that which we use for DCKD patients.