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Biomedical subjects

M Nikolić

Publications and source records attributed to M Nikolić.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Rothmund-Thomson syndrome. The first case with plantar keratoderma and the second with coeliac disease.

We report two unusual patients with Rothmund-Thomson syndrome (RTS), a rare genodermatosis. The first patient is a 5-year-old girl with congenital poikiloderma, photosensitivity, plantar punctate keratoderma, stunted growth and severe mental retardation. Plantar keratoderma associated with RTS has been reported only once. The second patient is a 21-year-old female presenting with rounded "moon" face, trunk obesity, coeliac disease, short stature and mild mental retardation. This is the first case of RTS associated with coeliac disease.

Adult↗

Effect of salbutamol on innervated and denervated rat soleus muscle.

The objective of the present investigation was to perform a 14-day time-course study of treatment with salbutamol, a beta2 adrenoceptor agonist, on rat soleus muscle in order to assess fiber type selectivity in the hypertrophic response and fiber type composition. Male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: control (N = 10), treated with salbutamol (N = 30), denervated (N = 30), and treated with salbutamol after denervation (N = 30). Salbutamol was injected intraperitoneally in the rats of the 2nd and 4th groups at a concentration of 0.3 mg/kg twice a day for 2 weeks. The muscles were denervated using the crush method with pean. The animals were sacrificed 3, 6, 9, 12, and 14 days after treatment. Frozen cross-sections of soleus muscle were stained for myosin ATPase, pH 9.4. Cross-sectional area and percent of muscle fibers were analyzed morphometrically by computerized image analysis. Treatment with salbutamol induced hypertrophy of all fiber types and a higher percentage of type II fibers (21%) in the healthy rat soleus muscle. Denervation caused marked atrophy of all fibers and conversion from type I to type II muscle fibers. Denervated muscles treated with salbutamol showed a significantly larger cross-sectional area of type I muscle fibers, 28.2% compared to the denervated untreated muscle. Moreover, the number of type I fibers was increased. These results indicate that administration of salbutamol is able to induce changes in cross-sectional area and fiber type distribution in the early phase of treatment. Since denervation-induced atrophy and conversion from type I to type II fibers were improved by salbutamol treatment we propose that salbutamol, like other beta2 adrenoceptor agonists, may have a therapeutic potential in improving the condition of skeletal muscle after denervation.

Adrenergic beta-Agonists↗

Age-related skeletal muscle atrophy in humans: an immunohistochemical and morphometric study.

The aim of this study was to determine age-related changes in three human muscles with different function and location in the body. The cross sectional area and the percentage of fibers type I, type IIA and type IIX were studied in vastus lateralis, deltoideus and external intercostal muscle. Muscle samples were obtained from 30 male subjects, aged 20-80 years. Fiber types were defined immunohistochemically, using monoclonal antibodies specific for type I, type IIA and type IIX fibers. Cross sectional area of muscle fibers was analyzed morphometrically by computerized image analysis. All muscle fiber types (I, IIA, IIX) showed the reduction in the fiber size in all three examined muscles. In all muscles the proportion of type I and type IIA was changed, but not in type IIX. With increasing age results showed the increase in proportion of type I, while proportion of type IIA fibers decreased, with vastus lateralis muscle being the most affected. These results suggest that age-related muscle atrophy is not a general phenomenon, and does not affect all muscles equally.

Adult↗

Environmental factors, health-related habits, and serum selenium levels in cancer patients and healthy controls.

Previous studies conducted in Yugoslavia indicated that the concentration of selenium in soil, food items, and serum of the population is very low. The aim of the study was to investigate the possible relationship among environmental, health-related habits, nutrition, and selenium serum levels in cancer patients and the healthy population. The case-control study included a group of cancer patients and a matched group of healthy controls: 57 cancer patients and 41 healthy controls living in Stari Grad (an urban area of Belgrade), as well as 17 cancer patients and 13 healthy controls living in Barajevo (a rural community in the vicinity of Belgrade). The healthy controls were matched to cancer patients in sex and age; they were not blood related. The selenium serum levels were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Health-related habits and relevant dietary factors ("food frequency" method) that may influence the selenium serum levels were assessed by questionnaires. The differences in average values of selenium serum levels between the cancer patients and healthy controls were not significantly different, but both were below the lowest recorded in referential studies. A significant difference between the values obtained from urban and rural subgroups was noted. The most important factors that influenced the level of selenium included the residence place in the region with selenium deficiency (Barajevo), age, associated chronic diseases, and some dietary factors potentially related to the intake of selenium. The results obtained in this investigation pointed out that use of selenium supplementation in this area should be seriously considered.

Aged↗

Covalent glycoinositolphospholipid binding to hemoglobin: a new post-translational modification of Hb occurring in hyperinsulinism with concomitant hypoglycemia.

In this work a novel hitherto unrecognised minor hemoglobin (Hb) fraction, which we detected previously in hemolysates of erythrocytes exposed to a high concentration of insulin under hypoglycemic conditions, both in vivo and in vitro, is analysed. The modification of Hb in HbA1x was shown to be due the addition of glycoinositolphospholipid (GPI) to the C termini of both beta polypeptide chains. A structurally related minor Hb fraction was identified in erythrocytes exposed in vitro to insulin-mimetic agent, trypsin. To our knowledge this is the first demonstration of such a modification of Hb, as well as the first demonstration of post-translational GPI binding to proteins in response to insulin. The mechanism proposed for GPI-Hb formation is briefly described.

Binding Sites↗

Radiosensitivity of different aged human lymphocytes following electron irradiation in vitro.

Cytochalasin B-blocking micronucleus test and chromosomal aberration analysis were used in this study to estimate the yield of individual variability in radiation response of different aged human lymphocytes. Both analyses were performed in three groups of adults, aged 18-65 years, on two sampling times, following irradiation by therapeutical dose of 2 Gy e- in vitro. No statistically significant difference in the induced yield of exchange aberrations between individuals under consideration was found. The yield of total aberration data showed greater variability and was statistically significant in the oldest group against two other adult groups. Regarding to fixation times no statistically significant differences in the induced yield of chromosomal aberrations (exchanges as well as total aberrations) were observed. The study has shown a slight increase in spontaneously occurring micronuclei with age. Almost equal mean number of radiation induced micronuclei was observed in the groups of adults aged 18-20 and 45-55 years. The highest mean number was observed in the oldest group. Evident variation in number of radiation induced micronuclei among individuals from the same age group was observed. The results of micronuclei assay for all individuals under consideration show statistically significant difference in the yield of radiation-induced micronuclei regarding the second fixation time. This study has shown that cytochalasin-B blocking micronucleus test is more sensitive assay than chromosomal aberration analysis for the estimation of individual radiosensitivity.

Adolescent↗

[Specific hormone reactions to aircraft noise in pregnant women].

In order to find out if there is some specific hormonal reaction to JET aircraft noise, a group of eight pregnant women, living in a small suburban community near the airport "Beograd", were investigated. Pregnant women in the first three-months of pregnancy were exposed to the aircraft noise of 75-85 dB/A during 60 minutes, before and after that blood and urine samplers were taken for analyses. Those preliminary result of the level of cortisone, cortisol, testosterone and prolactin suggested that aircraft noise modified the hormonal reaction. Further investigation is needed in order to point out some other possibilities.

Aircraft↗

Dexamethasone suppression test in patients with Parkinson's disease.

The Dexamethasone Suppression Test (DST), supposed to effectively distinguish between endogenous and nonendogenous depression, was performed in a group of 34 patients with Parkinson's disease. Abnormal DST results were observed in 50% of the patients. The patients were clinically divided into subgroups of depressed and nondepressed parkinsonians. Abnormal DST results were significantly more frequent in depressed (75%) than in nondepressed parkinsonians (27.7%).

Depression↗

Failure of industrial noise to change the patterns of vanilmandelic acid and 17-hydroxycorticosteroids in the urine of the female weavers with hearing loss.

The field experiments were undertaken on two consecutive working days on seven female weavers with noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), and a control group of seven sewers with normal hearing. The first day, urine was collected during the shift (06:00-14:00 h) and at home (17:00-05:00 h) for measurements of 17-hydroxycorticosteroids (17-OH) levels. The following day, the procedure was repeated, but for vanilmandelic acid (VMA) analysis. No significant changes in the hormone levels were found, both concerning the different occupational noise exposure and the periods of a working day.

17-Hydroxycorticosteroids↗

Depression and Parkinson's disease: possible role of serotonergic mechanisms.

Depression is frequently encountered in Parkinson's disease and was seen to occur in 14 of 26 patients studied. The levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), the main metabolite of serotonin (5-HT), in CSF samples of the patients were significantly lower than in those of controls. However, within the group of patients the levels of 5-HIAA in CSF samples were significantly lower in the depressive subgroup compared with the non-depressive patients. Moreover, no correlation was recorded between motor disability and depression. The results indicate that disturbed 5-HT metabolism may possibly play a role in Parkinson's disease as a predisposing factor in the development of depression.

Aged↗

Cyclic nucleotides in cerebrospinal fluid of drug-free Parkinson patients.

Concentrations of cyclic nucleotides--adenosine-3',5'-monophosphate (c-AMP) and guanosine-3',5'-monophosphate (c-GMP)--were measured in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 17 drug-free Parkinson patients and 12 controls. No significant difference between the cyclic nucleotide contents (p greater than 0.05) in CSF of patients and controls was detected, nor was there a correlation between the content and the degree of neurological disability. Besides, no changes in the cyclic nucleotide contents were detected in the subgroups of patients according to the prominence of tremor or rigidity/akinesia as the main symptoms of the disease.

Cyclic AMP↗