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The genetic code defines nucleotide patterns that code for individual amino acids and their complementary, i.e., antisense, pairs. Peptides specified by the complementary mRNAs often bind to each other with a higher specificity and efficacy. Applications of this genetic code property in biomedicine are related to the modulation of peptide and hormone biological function, selective immunomodulation, modeling of discontinuous and linear epitopes, modeling of mimotopes, paratopes and antibody mimetics, peptide vaccine development, peptidomimetic and drug design. We have investigated sense-antisense peptide interactions and related modulation of the peptide function by modulating the effects of a-MSH on hepatoprotection with its antisense peptide LVKAT. First, transcription of complementary mRNA sequence of a-MSH in 3’→5’ direction was used to design antisense peptide to the central motif that serves as a-MSH pharmacophore for melanocortin receptors. Second, tryptophan spectrofluorometric titration was applied to evaluate the binding of a-MSH and its central pharmacophore motif to the antisense peptide, and it was concluded that this procedure represents a simple and efficient method to evaluate sense-antisense peptide interaction in vitro. Third, we showed that antisense peptide LVKAT abolished potent hepatoprotective effects of a-MSH in vivo.

Cilj: Cilj istraživanja bio je usporediti rezultate toalete nosnih šupljina proizvodom za nazalnu higijenu Sterimar u odnosu na nosnu toaletu fiziološkom otopinom ili izostanak uporabe ikakve lokalne toalete u bolesnika nakon operacije tumora selarne regije. Bolesnici i metode: Na temelju subjektivne ocjene bolesnika provedeno je istraživanje osam parametara na 90 bolesnika nakon transnazalne transsfenoidalne operacije hipofize u trajanju od 30 dana. Bolesnici su bili podijeljeni u 3 skupine: skupina koja je toaletu nosa provodila fiziološkom otopinom, skupina koja je upotrebljavala izotoniènu morsku vodu (Sterimar sprej) i treæa skupina bolesnika koji nisu provodili nikakvu toaletu nosnica. Rezultati: U periodu izmeðu 10. i 15. dana nakon detamponade u bolesnika koji su toaletu nosa provodili sprejem Sterimar zapaženo je statistièki znaèajno smanjena kolièina prednjeg i stražnjeg sluzavog iscjetka iz nosa, što je olakšalo disanje na nos i popravilo kvalitetu života. Rasprava i zakljuèak: Kod najveæeg broja bolesnika došlo je do poboljšanja analiziranog svojstva tijekom razdoblja ispitivanja u trajanju od 30 dana. To poboljšanje osobito se manifestiralo u skupini bolesnika koji su toaletu nosnih šupljina obavljali Sterimarom sa statistièki znaèajnim smanjenjem prednjeg i stražnjeg iscjetka iz nosa., Aim: In this research we are comparing the results of nasal packing with Sterimar solution to the results obtained with saline lavage or no local packing after transsphenoidal pituitary surgery. Patients and methods: This investigation was based on subjective assessment among 90 patients operated for transnasal transsphenoidal pituitary surgery. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to type of postoperative nasal care and follow up was 30 days. The first group used saline solution, the second group used isotonic sea water (Sterimar spray) and the third group did not use and nasal irrigation postoperatively. Results: Statistically significant improvement in decreased anterior and posterior nasal secretion was observed in Sterimar group of patients between day 10. And 15. Resulting in improved nasal breathing and quality of life in that period. Discussion and conclusion: Most patients had an improvement of the monitored feature during the period od 30 days. This improvement was most pronounced in the group of patients which have used Sterimar solution who had a statistically significant decrease of anterior and posterior nasal secretion.ijih st

Hitna stanja u alergologiji i kliničkoj imunologiji sve su češći medicinski javno zdravstveni problem u nas i u svijetu. Česte su alergijske reakcije od blagih simptoma kao što je svrbež do generaliziranih kožnih, gastrointestinalnih, respiratornih simptoma do anafilaksije i zatajenja kardiovaskularnog sustava. Pri tom su moguće reakcije na različite udisajne tvari, hranu i aditive u hrani, strane tvari (krv, lateks i drugo) te brojne poznate antigene i lijekove koji putem imunskih kompleksa i reakcija posredovanih oslobađanjem komplementa ili direktnim oslobađanjem histamina (opijati ili dekstran) te zbog modulatora metabolizma arahidonske kiseline (npr. NSAID) i drugo. NSAID često uzrokuju astmu, urtikarijski osip, angioedem i još 35 različitih dermatoloških reakcija, posebice kod primjene lijekova koji zahtijevaju hitan terapijski postupak. Reakcije od uboda insekata pojavljuju se ne samo s bolnim infiltratima, nego i diseminiranim osipima i edemom. Suvremene dijagnostičke metode, a posebice hitni terapijski postupci, sukladno internacionalnom k oncenzusu (npr. European Allergy White Paper) ukazuju na potrebu ujednačavanja stavova u kliničkoj praksi. Velik broj bolesnika se liječi zbog alergijskih kožnih bolesti neadekvatno, upućuje na testiranja često u fazi aktivne bolesti i kad su pod terapijom, a liječe se kortikosteroidima i antihistaminicima duže no što je potrebno. Suvremeno liječenje hitnih stanja zahtijeva izobraženu osobu, no svaki liječnik treba odgovarati za liječenje akutnih simptoma u svojoj ordinaciji i poznavati postupak za hitno liječenje točno određenim lijekovima. Anafilaktične reakcije su rijetke, ali svaki liječnik treba biti pripravan na najteže situacije i poznavati liječenje u hitnom postupku. U radu navodimo najčešće bolesti za koje je potreban hitan postupak liječenja, a u fazi regresije bolesti dijagnostički postupci., Emergencies in allergology and clinical immunology are quite common and pose a public health problem in Croatia and worldwide. Allergic reactions ranging from mild symptoms such as pruritus to generalized skin eruptions, gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms to anaphylaxis with cardiovascular emergencies are very common. Reaction develops to inhalant substances, food and food ingredients, various foreign substances (blood, latex, etc.) and many other well known antigens and drugs which are frequent causes of anaphylactic reactions, asthma, generalized urticaria, angioedema. There are 35 different skin reactions induced by drugs through immune complexes, complement mediated reactions and direct histamine liberation (by opiates or dextran) and modulators of arachidonic acid metabolism (such as NSAID). Along with painful infiltrates, insect venom allergy manifests with disseminated exanthema and angioedema. Current diagnostic methods, especially therapeutic procedures for emergencies in concordance with the international consensus of the European Allergy White Paper, require the same procedure in clinical practice. Many patients with different allergic skin diseases are treated inappropriately, some are tested in active phase of the disease, during anti-allergic therapy, and some are administered corticosteroids and antihistamines longer than necessary. Sometimes, the treatment of emergencies requires a person experienced in intensive care medicine. However, any physician might be responsible for the treatment of acute symptoms in his office, and thus has to know the modalities and relevant drugs and treatment essentials. Anaphylactic reactions are rare, but every physician should be prepared for the worst. Due knowledge of the correct management should be a must for all of us. The most common emergencies require emergency treatment and diagnostic procedures upon disease regression.

Research over the past decade has indicated that melanocortin peptides are potent inhibitors of inflammation and a promising source of new anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective therapies. The purpose of the present paper is to compare protective effects of alpha-, beta-, and gamma-melanocyte stimulating hormone on acetaminophen induced liver lesions in male CBA mice. Acetaminophen was applied intragastrically in a dose of 150 mg/kg, and tested substances were applied intraperitoneally 1 hour before acetaminophen. Mice were sacrificed after 24 hours and intensity of liver injury was estimated by measurement of plasma transaminase activity (AST and ALT) and histopathological grading of lesions. It was found that alpha-, beta-, and gamma-MSH decrease intensity of lesions by both criteria in a dose-dependent manner.

Cilj ovog prospektivnog ispitivanja bio je ispitati djelotvornost profilaktičke primjene probiotika Acidosalusa® u žena s rekurentnim cistitisom. Acidosalus® je jedinstvena kombinacija Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus i bifidobakterija u visokim terapijskim koncentracijama živih bakterija spremnih za razmnožavanje. Sadrži nadalje vitamine B skupine, folnu kiselinu, lako topive laktate, kalij, željezo, fosfor, te ima mogućnost stvaranja antimikrobnih supstanci - mliječne i octene kiseline, diacetila, laktocidina, acidofilucina, acidocina i acidofilina. Ispitivanje je provedeno u Ambulanti za urogenitalne infekcije Klinike za infektivne bolesti „Dr. Fran Mihaljević“ u Zagrebu u razdoblju od 01.01.2006. do 31.12.2009. godine. Ispitivano je 117 bolesnica u dobi od 18 do 65 godina s dijagnozom rekurentnog cistitisa - s više od dvije epizode cistitisa u posljednjih 6, odnosno više od 3 epizode u posljednjih 12 mjeseci. Uvjeti za uključivanje su bili: prisutnost simptoma infekcije donjeg urotrakta (dizurija, polakizurija, urgencija), identičan mikrobiološki nalaz obriska rodnice i urinokulture, leukociturija, te ultrazvukom isključena abnormalnost mokraćnog sustava. Sve su bolesnice kroz 7 dana liječene adekvatnom antimikrobnom terapijom, a zatim su nasumce podijeljene u dvije skupine. U jednih je odmah po prestanku antimikrobne terapije primijenjena profilaksa s probiotikom Acidosalus® te su kroz najmanje tri mjeseca kontinuirano uzimale peroralno Acidosalus® uz istovremenu vaginalnu primjenu Acidosalus® vaginaleta kroz najmanje 7 dana. Planirana primjena profilakse bila je 3 mjeseca. Na kontroli 1-2 tjedna nakon završene sedmodnevne antimikrobne terapije, sve su bolesnice bile klinički i bakteriološki izliječene. Do kontrole 3 mjeseca nakon završene sedmodnevne antimikrobne terapije u skupini od ukupno 56 žena koje su primale profilaksu probiotikom rekurentne epizode cistitisa imalo je njih 3 (5,4%), a u skupini od ukupno 61 žene koje nisu primale profilaksu broj rekurentnih epizoda bio je 11 (18,3%). Tri mjeseca nakon završene 7-dnevne antimikrobne terapije uropatogene bakterije su dokazane češće u rodnici žena koje nisu primale profilaksu probiotikom (u 44 od ukupno praćenih 50 bolesnica - 88%) nego u žena koje su primale profilaksu probiotikom (u 18 od ukupno 53 bolesnica - 34%). Rezultati ove studije pokazuju da je profilaktička primjena mješovite kulture probiotika sadržane u medicinskom proizvodu Acidosalus® u žena s rekurentnim uroinfekcijama djelotvorna i sigurna. Ističemo važnost istovremene oralne i vaginalne primjene, čime se uspostavlja obnavljanje i poboljšanje funkcije autohtone mikroflore crijeva i rodnice, smanjuje rezervoar uropatogenih bakterija u crijevu i jača imunitet općenito., The aim of this prospective research was to investigate the efficacy of prophylactic use of probiotic Acidosalus® in women with recurrent cystitis. Acidosalus® is a unique combination of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus and bifidobacteria in high therapeutic concentrations of live bacteria ready for multiplication. It consists of group B vitamins, folic acid, highly soluble lactates, potassium, iron, phosphorus, and has the possibility to produce antimicrobial substances - lactic and acetic acid, diacetyl, lactocidine, acidophilucin, acidocin and acidophylin. The research was conducted at the Outpatient Department for Urogenital Infections of the University Hospital for Infectious Diseases „Dr. Fran Mihaljević“ in Zagreb in the period between 01.01.2006. until 31.12.2009. We investigated 117 patients aged between 18 and 65 years with diagnosed recurrent cystitis – more than two episodes of cystitis in the past 6, i.e. more than three episodes in the past 12 months. The inclusion criteria were as follows: presence of symptoms of lower urinary tract infection (dysuria, polakisuria, urgency), identical microbiological finding of cervical swab and urinary culture, leukocyturia, ultrasound excluded urinary tract abnormality. All patients received adequate antimicrobial therapy for 7 days and then were randomly divided into two groups. One group received Acidosalus® probiotic as a prophylaxis immediately after the end of antimicrobial therapy – and at least three months continuously received Acidosalus® orally with simultaneous vaginal administration of Acidosalus® vaginalettes for at least 7 days. Planned duration of prophylaxis was three months. Follow up visit performed 1-2 weeks after completion of seven day course of antimicrobial therapy showed that all patients were clinically and bacteriologically cured. Until the follow up visit three months after completed 7-day antimicrobial therapy, recurrent episodes of cystitis were recorded in 3 (5,4%) out of a total of 56 women who received probiotic prophylaxis and in 11 (18,3%) out of a total of 61 women who did not receive probiotic prophylaxis. Three months after completed 7-day course of antimicrobial therapy, uropathogen bacteria were more often detected in vagina of women who did not receive probiotic prophylaxis (in 44 out of a total of 50 monitored patients - 88%) than in women who did not receive probiotic prophylaxis (in 18 out of a total of 53 patients - 34%). The results of this study have shown that prophylactic use of mixed probiotic culture present in medicinal product Acidosalus® in women with recurrent urinary tract infections is efficient and safe. We would like to stress the importance of simultaneous oral and vaginal application, by which we achieve regeneration and improved function of autochthonous intestinal and vaginal microflora, reduce a reservoir of uropathogen bacteria in intestines and boost immunity in general.