The study presents the epidemiological features of patients treated with renal replacement therapy (RRT) in Serbia from 1997 to 2009 and compares the results of hemodialysis treatment in 1999 and 2009. Epidemiological data were obtained from the National Registry of RRT patients and data on hemodialysis treatment from special surveys conducted in 1999 and 2009. Within the period 1997-2009 the incidence of patients on RRT increased from 108 to 179 per million population (pmp), prevalence rose from 435 to 699 pmp, while mortality rate fell from 20.7% to 16.7%. The frequency of patients with glomerulonephritis decreased, while that of patients with diabetes and hypertensive nephropathy increased. In late 2009 there were 5208 patients receiving RRT in Serbia. Within the examined period new hemodialysis and reverse osmosis equipment were purchased, high-flux dialyzers with synthetic membranes were increasingly used and the number of patients receiving hemodiafiltration increased to 17.6%. Kt/V greater than 1.2 was recorded in 16% of the patients in 1999 but 52% in 2009. Options for correction of anemia and mineral disorders have also improved. The percentage of patients with HbsAg (13.8% vs. 4.8%) as well as anti-hepatitis C virus antibodies positive patients (23.2% vs. 12.7%) was significantly lower in 2009 than in 1999. Both the incidence and prevalence of RRT patients in Serbia are rising continuously, while the mortality rate is falling. More favorable conditions for dialysis treatment have brought about significant improvement in the results over the last 10 years.

While pregnancy is associated with adjustments in cardiovascular function, the morphology of the vascular system during pregnancy has been generally viewed as being very stable. However, recently we have demonstrated that pregnancy remodels the aorta and the carotid artery. In the present study, we assessed the morphological characteristics of the guinea-pig femoral artery during different stages of pregnancy using light and electron microscopy. There were no significant differences between external and internal diameters, wall thickness, total cross-sectional area and cross-sectional areas of lumen, intima, media, and adventitia of femoral arteries from non-pregnant and early-, mid- and late-pregnant guinea-pigs (n = 8-10). In previous studies, we have shown that the morphology of vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells in the aorta and the carotid artery may be altered by pregnancy. Therefore, to test this possibility we measured diameters as well as cross-sectional areas of femoral arterial muscle and endothelial cells using electron microscopy. These parameters, at the electron microscopy level, were also not significantly changed by pregnancy (n = 8-10). It is concluded that the morphology of the guinea-pig femoral artery is not altered during pregnancy. In this regard, this study demonstrated that pregnancy-induced vascular remodelling varies between blood vessels that undergo the same functional alterations. Therefore, this may suggest that pregnancy-induced changes in blood flow through different vascular beds are not the most important factor involved in vascular remodelling observed during pregnancy. Rather, it is possible that haemodynamic-independent factors regulate pregnancy-mediated structural changes of the vascular wall.

The ovaries and the uterine as well as vaginal mucous membranes of 80-, 180-and 365-day-old intact female rats and females neonatally treated with a single dose of oestrogen and repeated doses of human chorionic gonadotropin (D+/ were studied. Numerous follicles, interstitial cells and corpora lutea (CL) were Key words: Rat, ovary, uterus, vagina, oestrogen, hCG The progressive decline of regular oestrous cycles and ovulatory functions with advancing age in female rats has been well documented in previous studies (Pantic and Lovren, 1981;Ennis and Davies, 1982;Nass et al., 1984). In female rats and mice, neonatal oestrogen treatment induces changes in the reproductive tract that may persist throughout the animals life (Pantic, 1981). These changes include a persistent rather than cyclic oestrus. During persistent oestrus, circulating oestradiol is present from many large ovarian follicles, but the luteinizing hormone surge mechanism is inhibited and ovulation does not occur (Leung, 1978;Pantic and Lovren, 1981).Studies on abnormalities of the reproductive tract indicate that oestrogens have inhibitory effects on ovarian steroidogenesis (Groen-Clevant, 1981;Wada et al., 1984). The uterus and vagina are also dependent on the effect of hormones administered to neonates (Ennis and Davies, 1982;Keys and King, 1989).In this paper, attention is focused on the ovarian follicles and interstitial tissue and on the properties of uterus and vagina in adult rats neonatally treated with oestrogen and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).

Within experimental, human and veterinary medicine, more and more attention has been paid to experimental animals. One of them being the small green monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops sabeus). The small green monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops sabeus) has a shod muzzle, small teeth, and is mostly of gray-greenish color; the lower pan of its neck, chest, belly and inner sides of its thoracic limbs being whitish. Its total length is about 110 cm, the tail being 50 cm long. On its head, on both sides, there are white hairs directed towards the neck, reminiscent of whiskers. The monkeys have large buccal sacs. The extremities and tail are more gray than the rest of the body. The skin of the face, ears and fore limbs is black. The digits are very long, whilst the thumb short. Cell cultures from the small green monkey are used for the cultivation of poliovirus in the manufacture of vaccines against poliomyelitis. In addition, kidney cultures from the same monkey serve for detection of the virus in biological material. This was the main reason that prompted us to undertake a study of one part of the monkey's cardiosvascular system and thus contribute to a better understanding of the structure of its body

In illegal hunting it is often possible only on the basis of morphological characteristics to determine the animal species. By the method of comparison there was performed the forensic analysis of roe deer and sheep osteological features. For the purpose of investigating the shoulder blade (Scapula) and shoulder bone (Humerus) comparative characteristics, there were used 6 shoulder blades and 6 shoulder bones of roe deer and 8 shoulder blades and 8 shoulder bones of sheep. After the skin, muscles, arterial, venous and lymphatic vessels as well as nerves were removed from the bones, they were thermally treated in an autoclave. Subsequently, the bones were placed in 3% solutioin of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for bleaching and degreasing. Then they were air dried and then photographed. Shoulder blade (Scapula) is a bone plate (Ossa plana) roughly triangular in shape. Scapular spine (Spina scapulae) is much more prominent in roe deer with acromion blade in the form of spike, while in sheep it is shorter and ends with acrimion at a right angle. Shoulder blade cup (Cavitas glenoidalis) in roe deer is round in shape, and in sheep it is oval. Tuberculum supraglenoidale and Processus coracoideus in sheep are more and in roe deer less developed. Shoulder bone (Humerus) in roe deer is relatively long, slender bone with proximal convexity turned cranially in regard to the same bone in sheep, which is stronger and heavier. Tuberculum majus in roe deer is less developed, and in sheep it is in a form of solid bone protuberance. Tuberculum minus and Tuberositas deltoidea in sheep are more developed than in roe deer. At medial condyle (Condylus medialis) in sheep there is shallow and wide groove, while in roe deer it is deeper and narrower. On the basis of morphological differences of roe deer and sheep bones, it can be determined with certainty which animal spesies they belong to.