Abstract:Objective: The prevalence of obesity is rising in a global fashion, placing this population at higher risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Current strategies for treatment of obesity are largely unsuccessful over the long term, since weight loss, even when achieved initially, is often followed by weight regain. More knowledge about the molecular and cellular mechanisms governing adipose tissue accumulation is needed to develop more effective preventative and therapeutic approaches to obesity. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted to investigate the macro-and microelements contents in the blood of experimental animals and assess their influence on the level of apoptotic cell death of blood leukocyte suspension in case of alimentary obesity, which was modelled on male, non-liner, white rats of around 3 months. Annexin V binding assays were performed by flow cytometry, the atomic absorption spectrophotometer was used to quantify micro-and macro-element contents.Results and Discussion: It was established a significant increase in leptin concentration at almost the same level of adiponectin. Experimental obesity was characterized by 2.1 times increasing of Annex+ cells percentage, while the level of PI+ cells remained within the control values. It was established the increasing of total calcium level, which exceeded by approximately 25.0 % of the control data. The same trend was marked on changes of ionized calcium level (p<0.05). So, alimentary obesity in rats is accompanied by the increasing of total and ionized calcium contents and decreasing of iron, magnesium and zinc contents. The combination of the dysmetabolism of investigated bioelements with the maximum effect of zinc affects the apoptotic cells' death at obesity. Conclusion: Changing of activity of effector caspase cascade components, including caspase -3 in case of diet-induced alimentary obesity, causes implementing of blood suspension leukocyte cells' death by apoptosis, and the initiation of apoptosis in this case depends on the body mass index and leptin concentration. The study showed that the combination of the dysmetabolism of investigated bioelements with the maximum effect of zinc affects the apoptotic cells' death at obesity.

Objective: As their proportion rises in the aging population, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis increasingly become significant health problems of the developed world, leading to reduced lifespan and substantial financial burdens, not the least because of complications and comorbidities associated with each disorder. This study investigates bone mineralization in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) complicated by Stage I chronic heart failure (CHF). Methods:The study group consisted of 41 patients of both sexes with CHF Stage I against the background of CHD that with no severe comorbidities that could have potentially caused changes in bone tissue. Bone mineral density was measured using dual-energy X-ray densitometry of lumbar region of spine and proximal right femur.Results: Structural and functional changes in the bone of the lumbar spine were found in 75.9% of the patients with Stage I CHF caused by CHD. Osteopenia was diagnosed in 64.4% of the patients, while osteosclerotic bone changes were less frequent and found in 11.5% of the patients. 75.8% of the patients had structural and functional changes in the proximal segment of the right femur bone. In men with Stage I CHF against the background of CHD osteopenia was more often diagnosed in the proximal segment of the right femur, while in women it was found in almost equal proportion in the spine and hip. Conclusions:In both sexes with I Stage CHF against the background of CHD were diagnosed changes in bone mineralization, with osteopenia being the prevailing diagnosis.

Background and aims: Diabetes mellitus (DM) represents a considerable public health issue, being one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in the modern societies. Chronic hyperglycemia is accompanied by significant physiological, biochemical, and histological changes, e.g. development of oxidative stress that affects the motor activity of the intestine. This study aimed to evaluate the indices of nitric oxide (NO) system in blood serum and colon tissue supernatant of rats with carrageenan-induced enterocolitis combined with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Material and methods: The total NOS activity was determined by monitoring the rate of conversion of L-arginine into citrulline. The total quantity of NO metabolites was assessed by evaluating their amount, which included nitrite ions that were initially present in the sample (NO2−) and nitrate ions reducted to nitrites (NO3−). Results: We found a significant increase in total NOS activity in colon tissue of all experimental groups vs. control animals (54.8, 30.6 and 79.2 % respectively). The total content of NO metabolites in colon tissue of all experimental groups also significantly increased (2.8, 1.9 and 3.4 times respectively) compared to the control animals. Conclusions: We observed activation of nitroxydergic process in blood serum and colon tissue of rats with carrageenan-induced enterocolitis. Nitroxydergic processes markedly intensified in rats with carrageenan-induced enterocolitis combined with diabetes mellitus.

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Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a severe complication of advanced liver disease associated with an extremely poor prognosis. HPS is diagnosed in 4-47% of patients with cirrhosis and in 15-20% of candidates for liver transplantation. In addition, severe hypoxia is associated with a high risk of complications of liver transplantation (a 30% chance during the first 90 days) and increases the gap between transplantation and improving arterial oxygenation. The pathogenesis of HPS is not fully understood, and no effective pharmacological treatment has been developed yet. Currently, the treatment of choice for HPS is orthotopic liver transplantation. Non-specific clinical criteria and the lack of standardized diagnostic criteria for determining HPS can lead to diagnostic errors. Portopulmonary hypertension and hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, also known as Osler-Weber-Rendu syndrome, are pulmonary complications of liver disease which should be differentially diagnosed from HPS.

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Abstract:Objective: This study aims to to investigate calcium metabolism indices and bone mineralization in patients with coronary heart disease complicated by stage II-A chronic heart failure. Materials and Methods: The study involved 33 men with coronary heart disease (CHD) complicated by Stage II-A chronic heart failure (according to the classification by N.D. Strazhesko, V.H. Vasilenko and G.F. Lung (1935). Bone mineral density was measured using dual energy x-ray densitometry of lumbar region of spine. The level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(ОН)D) has been detected by ELISA method using commercial Vitamin D3 screening kit (Switzerland). The level of ionized calcium was measuring by ion selective method using analyser of electrolytes AEK-01 (QuertiMed, Ukraine). Results and Discussion: Structural and functional changes of bone tissue of the lumbar spine have been found in 49,2 percent patients with coronary heart disease complicated by Stage II-A chronic heart failure, in particular, I stage of osteopenia -in 44,6 %, II stage of osteopenia -in 27,7 %, III stage of osteopenia -in 10,8 % and osteoporosis -in 16,9 %. It was established the same type of downward trend for BMD decreasing in L 1 of patients with different stages of osteopenia, but in case of osteoporosis mineralization decreased equally in all vertebrae. The analysis of calcium metabolism indices indicate that concentration of ionized calcium significantly decreased in patients with CHD complicated by Stage II-A chronic heart failure vs control (1.26±0.02 mmol/l) by 11.1 % (I stage of osteopenia), 18.3 % (II stage of osteopenia) and 31.7 % (III stage of osteopenia). Similar tendency was observed towards concentration of 25(ОН)D. Conclusion: In patients with CHD complicated by Stage II-A chronic heart failure we have established statistically significant decrease in serum level of ionized calcium and 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration. However, we didn't find the relationship between serum calcium, 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and bone mineral density. Structural and functional changes of bone tissue of the lumbar spine have been found in 49,2 percent patients with coronary heart disease complicated by Stage II-A chronic heart failure. It was established the same type of downward trend for BMD decreasing in L 1 of patients with different stages of osteopenia, but in case of osteoporosis mineralization decreased equally in all vertebrae.

Abstract:Objective: According to WHO, about 30 % of people in the world are overweight that allows to characterize this disease as a new non-infection "epidemic" of the XXI century. More than 500 million people in the world are overweight and 250 million are obese. There is a clear tendency to increasing of alimentary obesity among people with different age, sex and nationality. The aim of the study is to investigate the thioldisulfide homeostasis in liver tissue, adipose tissue and erythrocytes in the pathogenesis of experimental alimentary obesity. Materials and methods: 60 males, non liner, white rats around 3 months of age with alimentary obesity were examined during the study. Experimental obesity was modeled by administering of sodium glutamate to the feed mixture in a ratio of 0.6: 100.0 and adding high-calorie diet. The glutathione redoxsystem activity in erythrocytes, liver and adipose tissue were analyzed by the level of reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione peroxidase (GP) activity. Results and Discussion: The data indicate a decrease in GSH level within 14 days of the experiment in all investigated tissues. The same trend was observed in animals on 28 th day of the experiment: GSH index decreased in blood, adipose tissue and liver (P<0.05). The index of GSSG have increased on 28 th day of the experiment in all investigated tissues vs control group (P<0.05). The ratio of the reduced and oxidized forms of glutathione contents was much lower vs control group in all the studied tissues within 28 days of the experiment. During additional investigation of the activity of thiol-disulfide system enzymes it was found that reducing the concentration of GSH in rats with alimentary obesity was due to the lack of thiol-disulfide system enzymes activity: GP and GR, which take part in the regeneration of GSH from GSSG. Conclusion: experimental alimentary obesity is characterized by a reduced redox state in blood, adipose and liver tissues, which is determinative in increasing the free radical reactions and accumulation of highly toxic lipoperoxides in the tissue substrates.