The aim of this study was to investigate changes in serum nitric oxide (NO) concentration in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) patients and its use as potential biomarker in differential diagnosis of ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) and in disease activity assessment. In 60 patients of both genders - 30 with ulcerative colitis and 30 with Crohn's disease - and 30 controls serum nitric oxide concentration was determined by measuring nitrite concentration, a stable metabolic product of NO with oxygen. Conversion of nitrates (NO3-) to nitrites (NO2-) was done with elementary zinc. The nitrite concentration was determined by classic colorimetrical Griess reaction. Median serum NO concentration was statistically different (p=0,0005) between UC patients (15.25 µmol/L; 13.47 - 19.88 µmol/L), CD patients (14.54 µmol/L; 13.03 -16.32 µmol/L) and healthy controls (13.29 µmol/L; 12.40 - 13.92 µmol/L). When active UC and CD patients were compared with inactive UC and CD patients respectively a significant difference in serum NO level was found (p=0.0005). With a cut-off level of 17.39 µmol/L NO had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 100% in discriminating between active and inactive UC patients. With cut-off value of 14.01 µmol/L serum NO level had a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 69% in distinguishing between patients with active CD and inactive CD. Serum NO concentration is a minimally invasive and rapid tool for discriminating between active and inactive IBD patients and could be used as useful biomarker in monitoring of disease activity in IBD patients.

Introduction: Poor glycemic control, assessed by higher glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, is associated with greater risk of diabetic complications. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the association of triglyceride - to - HDL cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio and triglyceride glucose (TyG) index with HbA1c and to evaluate their potential role as predictors of glycemic control in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2). Patients and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Health Center Banovici and included a total of 113 patients with DM2 classified according to their HbA1c values in two groups: DM2 HbA1c <7% - DM2 patients with good glycemic control (n=39) and DM2 HbA1c ≥7% - DM2 patients with poor glycemic control (n=74). Anthropometric, biochemical parameters and blood pressure values were measured, while TG/HDL-C ratio and TyG index were calculated. Results: TG/HDL-C ratio and TyG index were significantly higher in DM2 HbA1c≥7% compared to DM2 HbA1c<7% group (p=0.003 and p<0.001; respectively). Both TG/HDL-C ratio and TyG index were positively associated with HbA1c levels (Rho=0.29; p=0.002; Rho=0.37; p<0.001; respectively). In linear regression analysis TG/HDL-C ratio and BMI, and also TyG index and BMI were significantly independently associated with HbA1c even after controlling for age, gender, diabetes duration and smoking. When we stratified patients according to BMI values, independent association between TG/HDL-C ratio and HbA1c remained significant only in normal weight subjects (OR 0.21; 95%CI: 0.05-0.37; β=0.65; p=0.017), while independent association between TyG index and HbA1c remained significant only in overweight and obese subjects (OR 0.063; 95%CI: 0.01- 0.12; β=0.24; p =0.027). Conclusion: TG/HDL-C ratio might be a useful predictor of glycemic control in normal weight, and TyG index in overweight and obese patients with DM2.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS). It is characterized by loss of myelin, the fatty tissue that surrounds and protects nerve fibres allowing them to conduct electrical impulses. Recent data indicate that oxidative stress (OS) plays a major role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this study was to estimate level of serum total antioxidative capacity in patients with multiple sclerosis. Our cross-sectional study included 33 patients with MS and 24 age and sex matched control subjects. All our patients had a Poser criteria for definite diagnostic categories of multiple sclerosis. Serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was measured by quantitative colorimetric determination, using Total antioxidant Capacity-QuantiCromAntioxidant Assay Kit (BioAssay systems, USA; DTAC-100). Mean serum TAC in multiple sclerosis group of patients was 119.2 mM Trolox equivalents and was significantly lower (p<0.001) compared to the control group of subjects (167.1 mM Trolox equivalents). Our results showed that oxidative stress plays an important role in pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis. This finding, also, suggests the importance of antioxidants in diet and therapy of MS patients.

Nitric oxide (NO), a neurotransmitter and a free radical, has been purported to be involved in numerous neurological diseases. We investigated the serum nitric oxide concentration in 30 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), in 30 patients with epilepsy and in 30 control subjects. The aim was also to determine whether a statistically significant difference in serum NO concentrations exists between the groups of interest. The total serum nitric oxide concentration was measured using the Griess reaction after reducing nitrates to nitrites with elemental zinc. In the group multiple sclerosis, the mean NO concentrations were X ± SEM = 31.02 ± 1.79 μmol/l, in the control group X ± SEM = 25.31 ± 1.44 μmol/l and in the group epilepsy X ± SEM = 22.51 ± 1.28 μmol/l. Student's t test showed a statistically significant difference between subjects with multiple sclerosis and the control group (p = 0.013), as well as between the groups multiple sclerosis and epilepsy (p = 0.0002). This data confirms that NO may play an important role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis, whereas its role in epilepsy still remains unclear.

The present study was carried out to evaluate the renoprotective antioxidant effect of Spirulina platensis on gentamicin-induced acute tubular necrosis in rats. Albino-Wistar rats, (9male and 9 female), weighing approximately 250 g, were used for this study. Rats were randomly assigned to three equal groups. Control group received 0,9 % sodium chloride intraperitoneally for 7 days at the same volume as gentamicin group. Gentamicin group was treated intraperitoneally with gentamicin, 80 mg/kg daily for 7 days. Gentamicin+spirulina group received Spirulina platensis 1000 mg/kg orally 2 days before and 7 days concurrently with gentamicin (80 mg/kg i.p.). Nephrotoxicity was assessed by measuring plasma nitrite concentration, stabile metabolic product of nitric oxide with oxygen. Plasma nitrite concentration was determined by colorimetric method using Griess reaction. For histological analysis kidney specimens were stained with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) stain. Plasma nitrite concentration and the level of kidney damage were significantly higher in gentamicin group in comparison both to the control and gentamicin+spirulina group. Spirulina platensis significantly lowered the plasma nitrite level and attenuated histomorphological changes related to renal injury caused by gentamicin. Thus, the results from present study suggest that Spirulina platensis has renoprotective potential in gentamicin-induced acute tubular necrosis possibly due to its antioxidant properties.