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Background/Aim. Myocardial bridges (MB) are narrower or wider fascicles of the atrial or ventricular muscle fibres which form a "bridge" either across the main trunks of coronary arteries or their major subepicardial branches. The aim of this research was to determine and present the exact frequency, morphological, morphometric and histological characteristics of the MB in the level of anterior interventricular branch (AIB) in human fetal hearts. Methods. The study was performed on 63 human fetal hearts. Images of the analyzed hearts were captured with a digital camera and afterwards morphometrically evaluated with ImageJ. Characteristic cases of the MB were dissected, sampled and further routinely processed for the subsequent histological analysis. Finally, the obtained morphometric data were statistically analyzed. Results. The presence of the MB on the AIB was proven histologically and under the magnifying glass. Myocardial bridges were found in 53.97% of the hearts. The percentage of the hearts with only one MB detected on AIB 88.24% was significantly higher than the percentage of the hearts with two MBs on the AIB (11.76%) (p < 0.001). Conclusion. We suggest that the MBs are just one anatomical variation of the fetal period as well as of adulthood.

Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) represents a chronic tubulointerstitial nephropathy which is followed by the progression of kidney fibrosis to end-stage kidney failure. The critical involvement of poisons in food (aristolochic acid (AA), ochratoxin, and heavy metals) and selenium deficiency are among nutritive factors which contribute to the pathogenesis of BEN, due to reactive oxygen species (ROS) liberation and/or decreased antioxidative defence system. The aim of the study is to distinguish a possible systemic and local origin of ROS through the measurement of xanthine oxidase (XO) activity in urine and plasma, along with the determination of the oxidative changes in lipids and proteins. The study included 50 patients with BEN and 38 control healthy subjects. We noted increased levels of both thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs) in the plasma of patients with BEN, compared to the control group (p<0.001). The urinary levels of AOPPs were higher in patients with BEN in comparison to the control (p<0.001). The specific activity of XO was significantly lower in plasma and urine in BEN samples, compared to controls (p<0.005). Based on these results, we hypothesize that XO might not be considered a direct systemic or local contributor to ROS production in BEN, most probably because of the diminished kidney functional tissue mass and/or AA-induced changes in purine nucleotide conformation. The increased AOPP and TBARS level in both plasma and urine in BEN may predict ROS systemic liberation with toxic local effects.