Curcumin has anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, anticarcinogenic, and cardiovascular protective effects. Our study is aimed at evaluating the effects of pretreatment with curcumin nanoparticles (CCNP) compared to conventional curcumin (CC) on isoproterenol (ISO) induced myocardial infarction (MI) in rats. Fifty-six Wistar-Bratislava white rats were randomly divided into eight groups of seven rats each. Curcumin and curcumin nanoparticles were given by gavage in three different doses (100 mg/kg body weight (bw), 150 mg/kg bw, and 200 mg/kg bw) for 15 days. The MI was induced on day 13 using 100 mg/kg bw ISO administered twice, with the second dose 24 h after the initial dose. The blood samples were taken 24 h after the last dose of ISO. The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cardioprotective effects were evaluated in all groups. All doses of CC and CCNP offered a cardioprotective effect by preventing creatine kinase-MB leakage from cardiomyocytes, with the best result for CCNP. All the oxidative stress parameters were significantly improved after CCNP compared to CC pretreatment. CCNP was more efficient than CC in limiting the increase in inflammatory cytokine levels (such as TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1α, IL-1β, MCP-1, and RANTES) after MI. MMP-2 and MMP-9 levels decreased more after pretreatment with CCNP than with CC. CCNP better prevented myocardial necrosis and reduced interstitial edema and neutrophil infiltration than CC, on histopathological examination. Therefore, improving the bioactivity of curcumin by nanotechnology may help limit cardiac injury after myocardial infarction.

Curcumin from Curcuma longa is a nutraceutical compound reported to possess strong antioxidant activity that makes it a candidate for use in counteracting oxidative stress-induced damage. The effect of pre-treatment with curcumin nanoparticles (nC) compared to conventional curcumin (Cs) on blood pressure, electrocardiogram, and biological changes on isoproterenol (ISO)-induced myocardial infarction (MI) in rats had been investigated. The Cs doses of 150 and 200 mg/kg bw and all nC doses (100, 150 and 200 mg/kg bw) significantly reduced heart rate before ISO administration and prevented QRS complex enlargement after MI induction (p < 0.026). All doses of Cs and nC prevented prolongation of the QT and QT corrected (QTc) intervals, with better results for higher doses (p < 0.048). The nC solution had more significant results than Cs in all metabolic parameters assessed (lactate dehydrogenase, glycaemia, aspartate transaminase, and alanine transaminase, p < 0.009). nC was more efficient than Cs in limiting myocardial oxidative stress and enhancing antioxidative capacity (p < 0.004). Compared to Cs, nC better prevented myocardial damage extension, reduced interstitial oedema, and inflammation. Curcumin nanoparticles as compared to conventional curcumin exert better antioxidative effects. Moreover, nC better prevent cardiomyocytes damage, and electrocardiogram alterations, in the case of ISO-induced MI in rats.

We have investigated the cardio-protective effects of pretreatment with curcumin nanoparticles (CUN) compared to conventional curcumin (CUS) on the changes in oxidative stress parameters and inflammatory cytokine levels during induced acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in rats with diabetes mellitus (DM). DM was induced with streptozotocin, and AMI with isoproterenol. Eight groups of seven Wister Bratislava rats were included in the study. The N-C was the normal control group, AMI-C was the group with AMI, DM-C was the group with DM, and DM-AMI-C was the group with DM and AMI. All four groups received saline solution orally during the whole experiment. S-DM-CUS-AMI and S-DM-CUN-AMI groups received saline for seven days prior to DM induction and continued with CUS (200 mg/kg bw, bw = body weight) for S-DM-CUS-AMI and CUN for S-DM-CUN-AMI (200 mg/kg bw) for 15 days before AMI induction. The CUS-DM-CUS-AMI group received CUS (200 mg/kg bw), while the CUN-DM-CUN-AMI received CUN (200 mg/kg bw) for seven days prior to DM induction, and both groups continued with administration in the same doses for 15 days before AMI induction. CUS and CUN prevented elevation of creatine kinase, creatine kinase-MB, lactate dehydrogenase in all groups, with better results in the CUN (S-DM-CUN-AMI and CUN-DM-CUN-AMI groups). CUS and CUN significantly reduced serum levels of oxidative stress markers (malondialdehyde, the indirect assessment of nitric oxide synthesis, and total oxidative status) and enhanced antioxidative markers (total antioxidative capacity and thiols, up to 2.5 times). All groups that received CUS or CUN showed significantly lower serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, and interleukin-1β. The best antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects were obtained for the group that received CUN before DM induction (CUN-DM-CUN-AMI group). Pretreatment with CUN proved higher cardio-protective effects exerting an important antioxidative and anti-inflammatory impact in the case of AMI in DM.

Background: Establishing the diagnosis of COVID-19 and Pneumocystis jirovecii pulmonary coinfection is difficult due to clinical and radiological similarities that exist between the two disorders. For the moment, fungal coinfections are underestimated in COVID-19 patients. Case presentation: We report the case of a 52-year-old male patient, who presented to the emergency department for severe dyspnea and died 17 h later. The RT-PCR test performed at his admission was negative for SARS-CoV-2. Retesting of lung fragments collected during autopsy revealed a positive result for SARS-CoV-2. Histopathological examination showed preexisting lesions, due to comorbidities, as well as recent lesions: massive lung thromboses, alveolar exudate rich in foam cells, suprapleural and intra-alveolar Pneumocystis jirovecii cystic forms, and bilateral adrenal hemorrhage. The existing coinfection was identified after the autopsy. Establishing the diagnosis of this coinfection is difficult due to clinical and radiological similarities that exist between the two disorders. For the moment, fungal coinfections are underestimated in COVID-19 patients. Conclusion: COVID-19 and P. jirovecii coinfection should be considered, particularly in critically ill patients, and we recommend the systematic search for P. jirovecii in respiratory samples.

BackgroundWe aimed to demonstrate that DF stem cells from impacted molars and canines can be used to improve bone regeneration on titanium implants surfaces. This study highlights the presence of stem cells in DF, their potential to adhere and differentiate into osteoblasts on different types of titanium surfaces.ResultsIsolated cells from the harvested DF tissue from impacted canine/molars, expressed stem cells markers. Differentiation into bone cells was induced in presence or absence of BMP-2 and TGFβ1. The presence of growth factors until 28 days in medium maintained the cells in an earlier stage of differentiation with a lower level of specific bone proteins and a higher expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Influence of titanium implants with different bioactive coatings, hydroxyapatite (TiHA) and with silicatitanate (TiSiO2), and porous Ti6Al7Nb implants as control (TiCtrl), was studied in terms of cell adhesion and viability. Ti HA implants proved to be more favorable for adhesion and proliferation of DF stem cells in first days of cultivation. The influence of titanium coatings and osteogenic differentiation mediums with or without growth factors were evaluated. Additional BMP-2 in the medium did not allow DF stem cells to develop a more mature phenotype, leaving them in a pre-osteogenic stage. The best sustained mineralization process evaluated by immuno-cytochemical staining, scanning electron microscopy and Ca2+ quantification was observed for TiHA implants with a higher expression of ALP, collagen and Ca2+ deposition. Long term culturing (70 days) on titanium surfaces of DF stem cells in standard medium without soluble osteogenic inducers, indicated that HA coating is more favorable, with the acquisition of a more mature osteoblastic phenotype as shown by immunocytochemical staining. These findings demonstrated that even in absence of exogenous osteogenic factors, TiHA implants and in a lesser extent TiCtrl and TiSiO2 implants can induce and sustain osteogenic differentiation of DF stem cells, by their chemical and topographical properties.ConclusionsOur research demonstrated that DF stem cells have a spontaneous tendency for osteogenic differentiation and can be used for improving bone regeneration on titanium implants surfaces.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12896-015-0229-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background: The management of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection raises important challenges, still being the most common chronic infection worldwide in all age groups. In high-prevalence regions, paediatric patients need a specific focus, as the acquisition of the infection takes place in childhood. The objective of this study was to analyze the endoscopic and histopathologic changes of the gastric mucosa in H. pylori infected children. Material and Methods: A retrospective study was performed on consecutive paediatric patients, ranging from 0 to 18 years of age, who underwent an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGE) for a period of 5 years, regardless of their symptomatology. Endoscopy reports and histological slides were reviewed and clinical, endoscopic, and histologic data were recorded. Results: A total of 248 patients were included in the study, 82 (33.06%) of them being H. pylori infected. There was no difference in age and symptoms between the infected and noninfected group. A significant association was found between the H. pylori infection and histopathological parameters such as acute and chronic inflammatory infiltrate. The bacterial load influences the intensity of inflammation (p < 0.001). The chronic inflammation was predominant, only 23.2% of the patients displayed acute inflammation (p < 0.0001). The topographic distribution of inflammation was dominated by pangastritis (p = 0.04) with 58.6% of the patients presenting similar degrees of inflammation both in the antrum and corpus. Conclusion: Endoscopic features such as nodularity of the antral mucosa (p < 0.05) along with histological findings as lymphoid follicles (p < 0.05) are suggestive of H. pylori infection. However, the concordance between the endoscopic and histological diagnosis is still far from perfect (Cohen’s k coefficient = 0.42), maintaining the need for an invasive approach in children.

Introduction: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is an important acute disease of myocardial tissue, that occurs as a result of an imbalance between coronary blood supply and myocardial demand. Isoproterenol (ISO) is a synthetic catecholamine, a beta-adrenergic agonist that produces extensive biochemical, functional, and histological alterations in the heart, characteristic for AMI. The present study has been designed to identify the best dose of ISO that induces electrocardiogram (ECG) alterations, enzymatic reaction, and histopathological changes characteristic of AMI. Material and method: AMI was induced to Wistar-Bratislava white male rats, using three different subcutaneous doses of ISO (85 mg/kg bw, 100 mg/kg bw, and 150 mg/kg bw). ISO was administrated twice, with the second dose at 24h after the initial one. The ECGs were recorded at 24 hours after the last dose of ISO. Blood samples were collected for measurement of creatine kinase (CK), and CK-MB serum levels, and the hearts were excised and prepared for histopathologic examination. Results and discussions: All doses of ISO induced alterations in the ECG patterns such as increased heart rate and prolongation of QT and QTc intervals. Depression of the ST segment coupled with marked T wave inversion were observed at the doses of 100 mg/kg bw and 150 mg/kg bw of ISO. All doses of ISO induced an elevation of CK and CK-MB with highest levels observed for the dose of 150 mg/kg bw. Histopathologic examination revealed subendocardial AMI lesions for all doses tested. Conclusions: ISO in doses of 100 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg is useful for induction of infarct-like lesion on ECG, increased levels of myocardial necrosis enzymes and morphological changes characteristic for AMI.

The article reviews the intestinal ischemia theme on newborn and children. The intestinal ischemia may be either acute - intestinal infarction (by vascular obstruction or by reduced mesenteric blood flow besides the occlusive mechanism), either chronic.In neonates, acute intestinal ischemia may be caused by aortic thrombosis, volvulus or hypoplastic left heart syndrome.In children, acute intestinal ischemia may be caused by fibromuscular dysplasia, volvulus, abdominal compartment syndrome, Burkitt lymphoma, dermatomyositis (by vascular obstruction) or familial dysautonomia, Addison’s disease, situs inversus abdominus (intraoperative), burns, chemotherapy administration (by nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia). Chronic intestinal ischemia is a rare condition in pediatrics and can be seen in abdominal aortic coarctation or hypoplasia, idiopathic infantile arterial calcinosis.