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Objective. The treatment outcome of chronic HCV infection is influenced by numerous host and viral factors (age, sex, stage of fibrosis, immune response, viral load, genotype, etc.). The aim of this study was to estimate the association between the most important predictive factors and the response to therapy in patients with chronic HCV infection. Methods. Our study included 76 patients with chronic HCV hepatitis, who were treated at Clinic for Infectious Diseases in Kragujevac. The treatment was carried out for 24/48 weeks, depending on the genotype of the virus. Results. HCV infection is more common in men, but we did not confirm the association between the age and gender of patients and the treatment outcome. The most common risk factor in patients with a favorable response (SVR and ETR) was the intravenous use of psychoactive substances, whereas blood transfusion and dialysis were the leading risk factors for patients with unfavorable response (NR/RR). The serum aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase were lower in the SVR and ETR group of patients. The low level of basal viremia was registered in the group of patients with sustained virological response, while the highest values were recorded in the NR/RR group of patients. The most frequent HCV genotype was genotype 1, presented in a high percentage in both groups, the patients with favorable and the ones with unfavorable responses to the therapy. The presence of genotype 2 was observed only in patients with an unfavorable response to the therapy. The highest percentage of patients with absence of fibrosis was found in the group of patients with a favorable response. Conclusion. The results of our study show that a positive response to treatment was achieved in almost 90 % of patients with chronic HCV infection. Viral load, genotype and stage of fibrosis were associated with treatment outcome in chronic HCV patients. Our study has not confirmed the association between age, sex or biochemical parameters and therapy response.

Potentilla reptans L. belongs to the least studied of the plants from Rosaceae family, Potentilla genus. There are no data on cytotoxicity of P. reptans extracts, though traditionaly it was used as anti-inflammatory and antiinfective. The aim of these studies was to investigate potential antitumor activity of aqueous extracts (rhizome and aerial parts) of P. reptans on 4T1 mouse breast cancer cell line._Aqueous extracts of rhizome and aerial parts of P. reptans were tested for cytotoxicity by the MTT colorimetric assay on 4T1 cancer cell line in concentration range 100-800 mu g/mL. Aqueous extracts of P. reptans rhizome and aerial parts show concentration dependent cytotoxic effect in the range of tested concentrations. IC50 value of P. reptans rhizome extract was 280.51 +/- 1.16 mu g/mL. IC50 value of P. reptans aerial parts extract was 310.79 +/- 1.22 mu g/mL. The significant difference in cytotoxicity among tested concentrations was observed. Aqueous extracts of P. mptans rhizome and aerial parts demonstrated weak cytotoxic activity on 4T1 mouse breast cancer cell line, which is in correlation with current cytotoxicity data for aqueous herbal extracts. Rhizome extract of P. reptans has slightly higher antitumor activity than aerial parts extract. The results represent the first report on cytotoxicity for this plant and further research on human cell lines is indicated.

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Kvasci su organizmi koji se u zadnje vrijeme sve više koriste kao eksperimentalni model za proučavanje eukariotskih stanica. Lako se uzgajaju, a i sama manipulacija njima je jednostavna. Genom kvasca je velikim dijelom homologan s humanim, zbog čega se saznanja dobivena proučavanjem građe i metabolizma kvasaca mogu primijeniti i na humane stanice. Lipidi u stanicama imaju tri bitne uloge ; pohranjuju energiju, sastojci su staničnih membrana i služe kao glasničke molekule u staničnoj signalizaciji. Neutralni lipidi, lipidi koji ne hidroliziraju, odnosno njihovi pojedini predstavnici sudjeluju u sve tri uloge. Najvažniji i najzastupljeniji neutralni lipidi kvasaca su: slobodne masne kiseline, steroli (ergosterol, lanosterol, zimosterol...), ugljikovodik skvalen, triacilgliceroli, diacilgliceroli, monoacilgliceroli i sterolni esteri. Za dokazivanje i određivanje neutralnih lipida kvasaca mogu se koristiti razne metode, ali se još uvijek najviše koristi kromatografija. Kromatografske tehnike koje se koriste su: tankoslojna kromatografija, HPLC i plinska kromatografija. Odabir kromatografije za analizu ovisi o prirodi uzorka i karakteristikama same tehnike.

Izvod: Chelidonium majus L. (Papaveraceae) u tradicionalnoj medicini ima primenu u lečenju širokog spektra različitih bolesti. Farmakološka svojstva ove biljke predmet su velikog broja in vitro i in vivo istraživanja, kao i kliničkih studija. Međutim, najveći broj istraživanja, naročito antitumorskog dejstva, usmeren je na ispitivanje biološke aktivnosti pojedinačno izolovanih alkaloida i flavonoida. Antitumorsko dejstvo celog ekstrakta nije dovoljno ispitano. U ovoj disertaciji opisano je direktno citotoksično dejstvo ekstrakta na humanim tumorskim ćelijskim linijama dojke (MDA-MB-231, MCF7), kolona (HCT116, SW480) i pluća (A549, H460) i diferencijalna citotoksičnost u odnosu na normalne ćelije, fibroblaste (MRC-5). Opisano je i indirektno antitumorsko dejstvo, odnosno uticaj ekstrakta na sposobnost migracije i radiosenzitivnost malignih ćelija. Ispitivani ekstrakt Chelidonium majus pokazuje vremenski- i dozno-zavisan citotoksični efekat na svim ispitivanim tumorskim ćelijskim linijama, uz dobru selektivnost prema ovim malignim ćelijama u odnosu na zdrave, netransformisane ćelije (fibroblaste). Analiza protočnom citometrijom pokazala je da ekstrakt uzrokuje zastoj u G2/M fazi ćelijskog ciklusa, kao i da indukuje apoptozu, što je potvrđeno određivanjem proteina uključenih u apoptozu i analizom morfoloških promena, karakterističnim za ovaj proces na A549 ćelijama. Utvrđeno je sinergističko dejstvo ekstrakta i doksorubicina, zavisno od tumorske ćelijske linije koja se tretira i od primenjene doze doksorubicina. Ekstrakt je inhibirao migraciju A549, HCT116 i MDA-MB 231 ćelija i povećao osetljivost ove tri ćelijske linije na γ-zračenje, čime je pokazano da ispoljava i indirektna antitumorska dejstva. Dobijeni rezultati pokazuju da ekstrakt ispoljava direktno i indirektno antitumorsko dejstvo u in vitro uslovima, te bi ovaj potencijal trebalo ispitati u in vivo sistemu. Abstract: Chelidonium majus L. (Papaveraceae) is widely used in alternative medicine for treatment of various disorders. The pharmacological properties of the plant were the subject of numerous in vitro and in vivo investigations as well as clinical studies. However, most research, especially of antitumor activity, were focused on the assessment of biological activities of isolated alkaloids and flavonoids, while there are only a few studies that examine properties of the whole extract In this dissertation ethanol extract of Chelidonium majus was evaluated for its anti-cancer properties on six human cancer cell lines: breast (MDA-MB-231, MCF7), colon (HCT116, SW480) and lung (A549, H460) tumor cell lines and differential cytotoxicity as compared to normal cells, fibroblasts (MRC -5) was estimated. Also, indirect antitumor activity, i.e. effect on migration and radiosensitivity of cancer cells were investigated. Chelidonium majus extract showed selective time- and dose-dependent increase of cytotoxicity in all six cell lines, with individual cell line sensitivities. Extract promoted cell cycle arrest and induced apoptosis, as demonstrated by flow cytometric analysis of apoptosis-related proteins and by assessment of morphological changes typical for apoptosis. Cotreatment with doxorubicin enhanced cytotoxicity of the drug. Inhibitory effect on migration was shown with non-toxic extract concentration on A549, HCT116 and MDA-MB 231 cells. Also, pretreatment with low concentrations of extract increased sensitivity of these cell lines to γ-radiation. These results indicate possible usefulness of Chelidonium majus crude extract in antitumor therapy, whether through its direct cytotoxic effect, by prevention of metastasis, or as adjuvant therapy. Therefore, this potential should be examined in the in vivo system.