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ABSTRACT: This study included 11 adult patients (seven men and four women) who had been surgically treated for pulmonary aspergilloma in the Republic of Croatia within two years. Mycological analysis was positive for Aspergillus genus in five samples of surgically removed tissue. A. fumigatus was isolated in three and A. versicolor in two samples. Their mycotoxigenic potency was determined by thin layer chromatography. A. fumigatus strains were found to produce aflatoxin B1 (AFB), and two of them aflatoxin G1. A. versicolor strains produced AFB1 and sterigmatocystin. Neither isolated Aspergillus strain produced aflatoxin G2 or ochratoxin A. Fungal growth and production of mycotoxins are the consequences of interaction of fungus, host and environment. One has also to take into consideration that the production of mycotoxins in vitro does not reflect what these fungi may produce in human organisms.
Human & Experimental Toxicology 02/2004; 23(1):15-9. · 1.77 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The authors present the case of three patients from the same family in whom hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) or Rendu-Osler-Weber syndrome was diagnosed. The disease is rare and occurs with multiple telangiectases of the skin and mucosa, and pulmonary arteriovenous fistulae. The clinical status of our patients included multiple telangiectases of the skin and mucosa, recurrent epistaxis, exertion dyspnea and cyanosis. Polycythemia and hypoxemia were observed in the blood. The clinical status and conventional radiological examination of the thoracic region, with the suspicion of arteriovenous (A-V) fistulae, pointed to HHT. A-V fistulae were confirmed by pulmonary angiography. The pulmonary A-V fistulae were operated in all three patients and diagnosis was confirmed by histopathological examination of the operated samples. Clinical improvement was observed after the operation and cyanosis, dyspnea, hypoxemia and polycythemia disappeared.
Collegium antropologicum 07/2000; 24(1):241-7. · 0.61 Impact Factor
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N Jelovac,
P Sikiric,
R Rucman,
M Petek,
D Perovic,
A Marovic,
T Anic,
S Seiwerth,
S Mise,
B Pigac,
B Duplancie,
B Turkovic,
G Dodig,
I Prkacin,
D Stancic-Rokotov,
I Zoricic,
G Aralica,
B Sebecic,
T Ziger, Z Slobodnjak
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ABSTRACT: A novel gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 with different beneficial activities and anticonvulsant effect interacting with GABAergic system could improve diazepam efficacy coadministered (10 microg/kg, 10 ng/kg i.p.) with diazepam (5.0 mg/kg i.p.) twice daily for 10 days, since diazepam chronic medication would otherwise predispose for diazepam- tolerance/withdrawal development (shorter latency to convulsion after convulsant). In diazepam chronically treated mice, it attenuated diazepam tolerance (provoked by later acute administration of diazepam together with convulsant) and postponed physical dependence/withdrawal effects (provoked by later administration of isoniazid). In tolerance assay, at 42 h after the end of conditioning regimen, shorter preconvulsive latencies than in healthy (non-diazepam conditioned) mice following isoniazid (800 mg/kg i.p.) (as hallmark of tolerance) were observed if diazepam (5.0 mg/kg i.p.) was again given acutely to mice previously conditioned with diazepam alone (use of picrotoxin 3.0 mg/kg i.p., as convulsant, with acute application of diazepam in previously diazepam conditioned mice did not lead to tolerance hallmark). This was completely avoided in diazepam+BPC 157 10 microg or diazepam+BPC 157 10 ng chronically treated animals. In physical dependence assay (isoniazid challenge assessed at 6, 14, 42 and 72 h after conditioning medication), when compared to diazepam non-conditioned healthy mice, in diazepam conditioned mice residual anticonvulsive activity was not present already at the earliest post-conditioning interval (i.e., not different latency to isoniazid-convulsions), whereas shorter preconvulsive latencies (as physical dependence/withdrawal hallmark) were noted in diazepam conditioned mice following isoniazid challenge at 42 h and at 72 h after end of conditioning treatment. In diazepam+BPC 157 10 microg- conditioned mice, a residual anticonvulsive activity (i.e., longer latency to isoniazid convulsion) was noted at 6 h post-conditioning, whereas shorter preconvulsive latencies appeared only at 72 h-post-conditioning period. In conclusion, taken together these data (lack of tolerance development (tolerance studies), prolonged residual anticonvulsive activity, and postponed physical dependence/withdrawal hallmark in diazepam+BPC 157 chronically treated mice) with common benzodiazepines tolerance/withdrawal knowledge, it could be speculated that BPC 157 acts favoring the natural homeostasis of the GABA receptor complex as well as enhancing the GABAergic transmission, and having a mechanism at least partly different from those involved in diazepam tolerance/withdrawal, it may be likely used in further therapy of diazepam tolerance and withdrawal.
The Chinese journal of physiology 10/1999; 42(3):171-9. · 0.56 Impact Factor
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P Sikirić,
S Seiwerth,
Z Grabarević,
R Rucman,
M Petek,
V Jagić,
B Turković,
I Rotkvić,
S Mise,
I Zoricić, [......],
M Hanzevacki,
B Artuković,
M Bratulić,
M Tisljar,
M Gjurasin,
P Miklić,
D Stancić-Rokotov, Z Slobodnjak,
N Jelovac,
A Marović
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ABSTRACT: The known effects of a novel stomach pentadecapeptide BPC157 (10 microg or 10 ng/kg), namely its salutary activity against ethanol (96%, i.g.)-induced gastric lesions (simultaneously applied i.p.) and in blood pressure maintenance (given i.v.), were investigated in rats challenged with a combination of N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME) (5 mg/kg i.v.), a competitive inhibitor of endothelium nitric oxide (NO)-generation and NO precursor, L-arginine (200 mg/kg i.v.) (D-arginine was ineffective). In the gastric lesions assay, NO agents were given 5 min before ethanol injury and BPC 157 medication. Given alone, BPC157 had an antiulcer effect, as did L-arginine, but L-NAME had no effect. L-NAME completely abolished the effect of L-arginine, whereas it only attenuated the effect of BPC 157. After application of the combination of L-NAME + L-arginine, the BPC157 effect was additionally impaired. In blood pressure studies, compared with L-arginine, pentadecapeptide BPC 157 (without effect on basal normal values) had both a mimicking effect (impaired L-NAME-blood pressure increase, when applied prophylactically and decreased already raised L-NAME values, given at the time of the maximal L-NAME-blood pressure increase (i.e., 10 min after L-NAME)) and preventive activity (L-arginine-induced moderate blood pressure decrease was prevented by BPC 157 pretreatment). When BPC 157 was given 10 min after L-NAME + L-arginine combination, which still led to a blood pressure increase, its previously clear effect (noted in L-NAME treated rats) disappeared. In vitro, in gastric mucosa from rat stomach tissue homogenates, BPC 157, given in the same dose (100 microM) as L-arginine, induced a comparable generation of NO. But, BPC 157 effect could not be inhibited by L-NAME, even when L-NAME was given in a tenfold (100 versus 1000 microM) higher dose than that needed for inhibition of the L-arginine effect. NO synthesis was blunted when the pentadecapeptide BPC 157 and L-arginine were combined. In summary, BPC 157 could interfere with the effects of NO on both gastric mucosal integrity and blood pressure maintenance in a specific way, especially with L-arginine, having a more prominent and/or particularly different effect from that of NO.
European Journal of Pharmacology 08/1997; 332(1):23-33. · 2.52 Impact Factor
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B Biocina,
Z Sutlić,
I Husedzinović,
I Rudez,
R Ugljen,
D Letica, Z Slobodnjak,
J Karadza,
V Brida,
T Vladović-Relja,
I Jelić
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ABSTRACT: Penetrating cardiothoracic war wounds are very common among war casualties. Those injuries require prompt and specific treatment in an aim to decrease mortality and late morbidity. There are a few controversies about the best modality of treatment for such injuries, and there are not many large series of such patients in recent literature.
We analysed a group of 259 patients with penetrating cardiothoracic war wounds admitted to our institutions between May 1991 and October 1992.
There were 235 (90.7%) patients with thoracic wounds, 14 (5.4%) patients with cardiac, wounds and in 10 (3.7%) patients both heart and lungs were injured. The cause of injury was shrapnel in 174 patients (67%), bullets in 25 patients (9.7%), cluster bomb particles in 45 patients (17.3%) and other (blast etc.) in 15 patients (6%). Patients, 69, had concomitant injuries of various organs. The initial treatment in 164 operated patients was chest drainage in 76 (46.3%) patients, thoracotomy and suture of the lung in 71 (43.2%) patients, lobectomy in 12 (7.3%) patients and pneumonectomy in 5 (3%) patients. Complications include pleural empyema and/or lung abscess in 20 patients (8.4%), incomplete reexpansion of the lung in 10 patients (4.2%), osteomyelitis of the rib in 5 patients (2.1%) and bronchopleural fistula in 1 patient (0.4%). Secondary procedures were decortication in 12 patients, rib resection in 5 patients, lobectomy in 2 patients, pneumonectomy in 4 patients, reconstruction of the chest wall in 2 patients and closure of the bronchopleural fistula in 1 patient. The cardiac chamber involved was right ventricle in 12 patients, left ventricular in 6 patients, right atrium in 7 patients, left atrium in 3 patients, ascending aorta in 2 patients and 1 patient which involved descending aorta, right ventricle and coronary artery (left anterior descending) and inferior vena cava, respectively. The primary procedure was suture in 17 patients (in 10 patients with the additional suture of the lung), suture + extraction of the foreign body in 4 patients, 2 of them with cardiopulmonary bypass. Complications were pericardial effusion in 6 patients, arrhythmia in 2 patients, myocardial infraction in 1 patient and migration of the foreign body in 1 patient. Patients, 7, died, five of the group with concomitant injuries, two of thoracic and one of cardiac injuries (5, 1.2 and 4.2%, respectively).
Penetrating cardiothoracic wounds are among the most serious injuries in war, either in combat or among civilians. In spite of their nature, they can be treated successfully with relatively low mortality and morbidity.
European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery 04/1997; 11(3):399-405. · 2.55 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: We report a rare case in which mechanical extrinsic erosion of the descending thoracic aorta resulted in perforation and periaortic hematoma formation in a 16-year-old girl. Five months before admission to our clinic, the patient had undergone surgical spondylosyndesis with inner vertebral fixation, for the correction of scoliosis. Subsequently, a screw on the fixator became loose, eroding and eventually perforating the wall of the descending aorta. The resultant lesion was at first misdiagnosed as a paravertebral abscess; extrinsic perforation of the descending aorta was suspected prior to operation, but was confirmed only upon surgical exploration. After evacuation of the hematoma, the 1.5-cm aortic perforation was closed directly with continuous sutures. Seven months later, the patient continues to do well.
Texas Heart Institute journal / from the Texas Heart Institute of St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital 02/1991; 18(2):136-9. · 0.65 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: In a 7-year period between 1981 and 1987, 53 patients with lung hamartoma comprising this study underwent surgery at the Clinic for Thoracal Surgery, Medical School, University of Zagreb. Their ages ranged from 20 to 74 years, with a mean of 51.9 years; a male/female ratio was 2.1:1. In 47 patients (88.7% of all cases), resection was limited to the enucleation of the hamartoma. Larger resections (like segmentectomies and lobectomies) became necessary because of the size and the central location of the lesions.
Lijec̆nic̆ki vjesnik 01/1990; 111(12):461-2.
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ABSTRACT: Twenty-nine patients with small-cell lung cancer undergoing surgery during a 5-year period at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb were reviewed. The radical surgical procedure was performed in 22 patients (73.9%). The median survival of these patients was 26.5 months. Two-year survival was 36.4% (eight of 22 patients) and in patients after radical surgery, the four-year survival rate was 18.2% (four of 22 patients). Three patients were alive at the time when this paper was written (60, 59, and 57 months after the initial diagnosis). It is concluded that the surgical therapy is an important part in the multi-disciplinary approach to the treatment of small-cell lung cancer with limited stage.
Lijec̆nic̆ki vjesnik 09/1989; 111(8):279-81.
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Acta chirurgica iugoslavica 02/1978; 25 Suppl 1:105-8.
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Lijec̆nic̆ki vjesnik 02/1976; 98(11):580-4.
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Lijec̆nic̆ki vjesnik 02/1976; 98(10):519-22.
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Plućne bolesti: casopis Udruzenja pneumoftiziologa Jugoslavije = the journal of Yugoslav Association of Phthisiology and Pneumology 39(3-4):215-7.
