Type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance (IR) are characterized by severe anomalies in genes expression rate including genes involved in insulin signal transduction. Post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression is crucial for many physiological processes and is mediated mainly by untranslated region (UTR). Present study concentrated on the search for correlation between single nucleotides polymorphisms in UTRs of the INSR, PIK3R1, PTPN1, and SLC2A4 genes and IR. 130 unrelated diabetic patients and 98 healthy controls were analyzed in present study. Genotyping was performed by multiplex minisequencing preceded by multiplex PCR. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) showed significant differences in genotype frequencies between analyzed groups. Statistical significance was received for rs3745551 located in 3'-UTR of the INSR and rs3756668 located in 3'-UTR of the PIK3R1 gene with higher number of G/G genotype in insulin resistant subjects. Furthermore, patients carrying G/G genotype of those SNPs displayed higher BMI value, higher fasting glucose and insulin levels and were more insulin resistant assessed by HOMA-IR and QUICKI. Present study provides evidence for association between SNPs in UTRs of the INSR and PIK3R1 genes and insulin resistant phenotype.

(Folia Morphol 2015; 74, 3: 365-371)

Objective:Heart rate recovery (HRR) is a recognised marker used in clinical practice for assessing the risk of sudden cardiac death. Physical exercise leads to an improvement in HRR and has a proven beneficial effect on erection quality (EQ) related to the activity of the autonomic nervous system in men with ischaemic heart disease (IHD). This paper evaluates the relationship between HRR and EQ in patients with IHD and erectile dysfunction (ED) who underwent cardiac rehabilitation.Methods:The main analysis was based on the Mann–Whitney U test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Spearman correlation coefficient, Pearson’s chi-square test, chi-square test, with the Yates correction and (if possible) parametric tests were used. This prospective, non-randomised intervention study included 124 men with IHD and ED [International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) scores of ≤21]. Of these, 89 patients underwent a 6-month cardiac rehabilitation phase III programme, whereas 35 did not. The results of the participants’ total IIEF-5 scores and their HRR, demographic and clinical data were analysed.Results:The results of the 89 rehabilitated patients (mean age: 60.44±9.29 years) and 35 controls (mean age: 61.43±8.81 years) were analysed. In the rehabilitated patients, the mean baseline IIEF-5 score was 13.15±5.76 (95% CI: 11.93–14.36) and HRR was 16.49±7.68/min (95% CI: 14.88–18.11). After cardiac rehabilitation, the parameters of ED and HRR improved significantly and were significantly higher than those of the controls; the mean IIEF-5 score of the rehabilitated group increased to 15.36±6.51 (95% CI: 13.99–16.73), while HRR increased to 21.40±7.25/min (95% CI: 19.88–22.93). A significant correlation was found between ∆HRR and ∆EQ (r=0.409791) as a result of the 6-month cardiac training programmeConclusion:Cardiac rehabilitation assessed by HRR has a sizable effect on autonomic balance in patients with IHD and ED, which plays a significant role in the mechanism of erection improvement.

This study aims at presenting histology of growing and mature antlers in red deer stag (Cervus elaphus). Growing antlers constitute a model organ for examining regeneration processes of tissues because they are the only mammalian appendages capable of regeneration. Histological study revealed that the tip of a growing antler consists of hairy skin, perichondrium, mesenchyme and chondroprogenitors area. By performing immunochistochemistry, we found that cell expressing Ki-67 and PCNA antigens were localized in basal layer of epidermis, skin glands and beneath their secretory sections, mesenchyme as well as within and in the vicinity of central blood vessels. Ultrastructurally, cells from chondroprogenitors zone have chondroblast-like morphology and take part in producing of collagen fibres followed by the process of cartilage mineralization. However, mature antlers also consist of lamellar osseous tissue.

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