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Malignant neoplasms are among the most common diseases and are responsible for the majority of deaths in the developed world. In contrast to men, available data show a clear upward trend in the incidence of lung cancer in women, making it almost as prevalent as breast cancer. Women might be more susceptible to the carcinogenic effect of tobacco smoke than men. Furthermore, available data indicate a much more frequent mutation of the tumor suppressor gene-p53 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) female patients compared to males. Another important factor, however, might lie in the female sex hormones, whose mitogenic or carcinogenic effect is well known. Epidemiologic data show a correlation between hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or oral contraceptives (OCs), and increased mortality rates due to the increased incidence of malignant tumors, including lung cancer. Interestingly, two types of estrogen receptors have been detected in lung cancer cells: ERα and ERβ. The presence of ERα has been detected in tissues and non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cell lines. In contrast, overexpression of ERβ is a prognostic marker in NSCLC. Herein, we summarize the current knowledge on the role of estrogens in the etiopathogenesis of lung cancer, as well as biological, hormonal and genetic sex-related differences in this neoplasm.

Falls are a serious health problem in older adults. A limited number of studies assessed their multifactorial nature in geriatric ward patients. The aim of this study is to explore health, functional and nutritional correlates of experiencing fall(s) in the previous year by older inpatients. A cross-sectional study of patients admitted to the department of geriatrics was conducted. A &ldquo, faller status&rdquo, was defined based on positive history of falls in the previous 12 months. Health, functional and nutritional factors associated with falls were evaluated, and multivariable logistic regression analysis models were built. A total of 358 patients (median age 82 (IQR 76&ndash, 86) years, 77.9% women) were recruited, 43.9% of whom reported falls. The &ldquo, fallers&rdquo, presented with a significantly higher number of chronic diseases, higher prevalence of Parkinson&rsquo, s disease, peripheral arterial disease, chronic osteoarthritis, more frequently reported urinary incontinence and were dependent on others for daily living activities. They had significantly worse results for the assessment of gait, balance and frailty status. The Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form scores and the mean value of serum albumin were significantly lower in the fallers&rsquo, group. Parkinson&rsquo, s disease (OR = 2.82, CI&mdash, 1.07&ndash, 7.45, p = 0.04) and osteoarthritis (OR = 2.08, CI&mdash, 1.02&ndash, 4.23, p = 0.04) were the main variables for the outcome prediction, according to the direct multivariable logistic regression analysis. Our findings suggest that Parkinson&rsquo, s disease and osteoarthritis are the main predictors independently associated with a history of falls in patients admitted to the geriatric ward, although the influence of some factors may be underestimated due to the tendency of not taking the history of falls in very frail, functionally dependent and bedridden individuals.

No true preliminary work has been performed and published on the use of the bipolar cautery devices for transection of the stomach when performed as a part of the sleeve gastrectomy or gastric wedge resection. The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility and safety of substitution of linear surgical stapling devices for use of a bipolar electrosurgical sealing instrument in the performance of a totally robotic partial gastrectomy (TRPG). Ten female pigs were assigned to an intervention or control group. Intervention included TRPG with a robotic bipolar tissue coagulation device. In the control group, TRPG was performed using the staplers. Assessed outcomes included presence of the intraoperative and postoperative bleeding or leak and features of the sections from the stapled line or sutured line. Mean operating time was (130 ± 31 min) and (87 ± 23 min) in the study and control groups (p = 0.03). Intraoperative gastroscopy revealed slow bleeding associated with the staple line in 3/5 control pigs; oozing was not appreciated in any of the study pigs (0/5). No leak was detected during intraoperative gastroscopy. No major complications were suspected postoperatively or identified at postmortem exam in either group. Mean injury width was (1.12 ± 0.93 mm) in the control group with greater mean injury width (7.88 ± 3.73 mm) in the study group (p = 0.001). Mean depth of ulceration was (0.99 ± 0.94 mm) in the control group, with greater mean ulceration depth (2.25 ± 0.84 mm) in the study group (p = 0.002). The study showed the technical feasibility of performing stapler-less gastric wedge resection. The electrocautery alone failed to demonstrate the technical feasibility which was obtained with the concomitant use of a tissue clamp and a suture.

The cardiovascular effects of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone are generally attributed to their modulatory action on lipid and glucose metabolism. However, no ex vivo studies suggest that circulating androgen levels influence the activation and reactivity of blood platelets - one of the main components of the haemostasis system directly involved in atherosclerosis. The levels of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone and oestradiol in plasma from men and women aged from 60 to 65 years were measured by LC-MS; the aim was to identify any potential relationships between sex steroid levels and the markers of platelet activation (surface membrane expression of GPII/IIIa complex and P-selectin) and platelet reactivity in response to arachidonate, collagen or ADP, monitored with whole blood aggregometry and flow cytometry. The results of the ex vivo part of the study indicate that the concentrations of testosterone and its reduced form, dihydrotestosterone are significantly negatively associated with platelet activation and reactivity. These observations were confirmed in an in vitro model: testosterone and dihydrotestosterone significantly inhibited platelet aggregation triggered by arachidonate or collagen. Our findings indicate that testosterone and dihydrotestosterone are significant haemostatic steroids with inhibitory action on blood platelets in older people.

Background: During the last few years there has been a growing interest in research focused on the metabolism of steroid hormones despite that the study of metabolic hormone pathways is still a difficult and demanding task because of low steroid concentrations and a complexity of the analysed matrices. Thus, there has been an increasing interest in the development of new, more selective and sensitive methods for monitoring these compounds in biological samples. Methods: A lot of bibliographic databases for world research literature were structurally searched using selected review question and inclusion/exclusion criteria. Next, the reports of the highest quality were selected using standard tools (181) and they were described to evaluate the advantages and limitations of different approaches in the measurements of the steroids and their metabolites. Results: The overview of the analytical challenges, development of methods used in the assessment of the metabolic pathways of steroid hormones, and the priorities for future research with a special consideration for liquid chromatography (LC) and capillary electrophoresis (CE) techniques have been presented. Moreover, many LC and CE applications in pharmacological and psychological studies as well as endocrinology and sports medicine, taking into account the recent progress in the area of the metabolic profiling of steroids, have been critically discussed. Conclusion: The latest reports show that LC systems coupled with mass spectrometry have the predominant position in the research of steroid profiles. Moreover, CE techniques are going to gain a prominent position in the diagnosis of hormone levels in the near future.

Background Ischemic stroke (IS) is still one of the major issues in medicine. Still, early diagnosis and misdiagnosis remain the main barriers for proper patient treatment and follow-up. Exploring new potential diagnostic biomarkers for IS is relevant to decrease patient morbidity and the occurrence of poststroke diseases. Biomedical analysis could bring new light to the background of IS and—in such a way—propose new bioanalytical tools for the early diagnosis, prognostication, and monitoring of IS. Materials and Methods This research aimed to present a discussion on the employment of biogenic amines (BAs), as well as their precursory amino acids and main metabolites, as a new panel of biomarkers for IS. Preliminary patient data were presented and the patients were described with respect to their clinical history and examination records, as well as scientific data gained from the liquid extraction-capillary electrophoresis determination of BAs in the patients' urine samples. Results The results showed the potential of BA screening using the developed sample preparation and analysis methods in urine during IS, and this will be further studied on a more numerous group of patients with IS to reveal the usefulness of BAs as a new panel of biomarkers for early IS diagnosis and prognostication. Conclusions To our best knowledge, this methodology for the first time has been used for the simultaneous analysis of multiple small molecular biomarkers. In addition, the factors that might influence the determination of BAs in real samples were pointed out.

CelSporadyczna Choroba Creutzfeldta-Jakoba (sCJD) jest rzadką śmiertelną chorobą neurodegeneracyjną mózgu o niestałym obrazie klinicznym. Jej właściwe rozpoznanie nadal pozostaje wyzwaniem. Początkowe objawy są niejasne i różnią się pomiędzy wyodrębnionymi postaciami klinicznymi sCJD. Celem pracy jest prezentacja różnorodności objawów i trudności diagnostycznych w sCJD na podstawie opisu przypadków dwóch pacjentek, na pewnym etapie choroby badanych przez psychiatrów.MetodaOpisy przypadków zostały opracowane na podstawie dostępnej dokumentacji medycznej.WynikiPrzypadek postaci ataktycznej sCJD pacjentki A. P. jest przykładem prezentacji klinicznej sCJD sugerującym neurologiczne tło choroby już na początku objawów i poprawnie skierowanym przez psychiatrę do oddziału neurologicznego, gdzie zdiagnozowano prawdopodobną sCJD. Kontrastem jest wariant Heidenhaina pacjentki I.W., nieprawidłowo rozpoznany jako zaburzenie dysocjacyjne, znany z literatury z nastarczania trudności diagnostycznych nawet neurologom. U obydwu kobiet, diagnozę sCJD potwierdzono w badaniu autopsyjnym.WnioskiWe wszystkich przypadkach objawów wzrokowych o nieznanej etiologii, nawet, jeżeli początkowo wykluczone zostanie podłoże neurologiczne i okulistyczne, sCJD powinna być wzięta pod uwagę w diagnostyce różnicowej.

A new diagnostic and prognostic biomarker may be of value in the diagnostic panel, especially among cancer diseases. The aim of the study was to evaluate the osteopontin (OPN) level measurable in the tumour tissue in females with diagnosed breast cancer after mastectomy, and to confirm its suitability to serve as a prognostic biomarker of the cancer.The OPN tissue levels and the classical risk factors were determined in twelve females. Tissue samples were collected and analysed by the capillary gel electrophoresis technique after previous appropriate preparation of the samples. A comparison between the OPN average values in the tissue of healthy versus cancer patients after mastectomy was performed using statistical univariate tests (ANOVA, t-test) and multivariate analysis (principal component analysis, PCA). The results demonstrate that the median values of the OPN in the tumour centre cancer tissue (10.940 μg/g; within the range of 3.772-23.648) are significantly higher compared to healthy cells (5.173 μg/g; within the range of 0.838- 17.583). Moreover, the increased tissue OPN level was correlated with the cancer stage.In this study osteopontin is presented as a possible candidate for a breast cancer biomarker. Further research is needed to obtain information on cancer signalling by means of the OPN threshold, and indication of its advanced stage.

Otitis media with effusion is a leading cause of conductive hearing loss in children. Myringotomy and insertion of tympanostomy tubes is the accepted form of treatment. Recently, several studies utilizing laser myringotomy have been published, but few of them present late results. The objective of this study was to compare late results of the treatment with laser and classical myringotomy. A clinical effectiveness trial was conducted in three groups of children: (1) 37 children treated with laser myringotomy (ML), (2) 29 children treated with laser myringotomy and the insertion of tympanostomy tubes (ML+V) and (3) 43 children treated with classical myringotomy and the insertion of tympanostomy tubes (MC+V). All types of surgery were performed under general anesthesia because adenoidectomy and/or tonsillectomy was done at the same time. The results of treatment were assessed on the basis of the otoscopic examination (recurrences of effusion, condition of the tympanic membrane, and audiological examination (pure-tone audiometry, tympanometry and DPOAE). The minimum follow-up period was 1 year. The recurrence rate was lowest in the ML+V (11%) group, and highest in the ML group (36%). The difference between ML+V and MC+V was not significant. Permanent changes in the tympanic membrane were observed in 8% of the ears after ML, 19% after ML+V and 31% after MC+V. The difference was significant between the ML and MC+V groups. PTA was significantly higher in the MC+V group than in the control group of otologically healthy children. Mean amplitudes of DPOAE, measured in treated children with normal tympanometry results, were significantly lower than in the control group, but within the normal range. The use of CO(2) laser during myringotomy has no negative effect on the function of the cochlea. Healing of the tympanic membrane after laser myringotomy was uneventful with a low percentage of permanent sequelae.

The aim of this study was to investigate the utility of pulmonary rehabilitation for improving of exercises efficiency, dyspnea, and quality of life of patients with lung cancer during chemotherapy. After the enrollment selection, the study included 20 patients with newly diagnosed advanced lung cancer and performance status 0–2. There were 12 patients randomly allocated to the pulmonary rehabilitation group and another 8 constituted the control group that did not undergo physical rehabilitation. Both groups of patients had continual cycles of chemotherapy. Data were analyzed before and after 8 weeks of physical rehabilitation, and before and after 8 weeks of observation without rehabilitation in controls. The inpatient rehabilitation program was based on exercise training with ski poles and respiratory muscle training. We found a tendency for enhanced mobility (6 Minute Walk Test: 527.3 ± 107.4 vs. 563.9 ±64.6 m; p > 0.05) and a significant increase in forced expired volume in 1 s (66.9 ± 13.2 vs. 78.4 ± 17.7 %predicted; p = 0.016), less dyspnea (p = 0.05), and a tendency for improvement in the general quality of life questionnaire after completion of pulmonary rehabilitation as compared with the control group. This report suggests that pulmonary rehabilitation in advanced lung cancer patients during chemotherapy is a beneficial intervention to reduce dyspnea and enhance the quality of life and mobility.

The effect of pH on the excised skin permeability towards two model lipophilic compounds was studied in the range of pH 1.0-10.0 and 1.0-12.0, for hydrocortisone and testosterone, respectively. Suspensions of the model compounds in appropriate buffers (0.1-0.2 M) were applied to the intact skin, delipidized skin, skin pretreated with Azone or sodium lauryl sulfate solution and the percutaneous penetration was observed for 28 h. Within the studied pH range, up to pH 11.0 no change in the penetration through the skin and skin accumulation was observed for both compounds. Significant, 3-4-fold, increase of penetration of testosterone was noted only at pH 12.0, however the change was neither fast not progressing with time. None of the pretreatment procedure influenced the observed relationship between pH and skin permeability. It is concluded that the lipoidal route of penetration is not affected by solutions at pH within the range 1.0-11.0.

In this study the nasal cycle in newborns was assessed using acoustic rhinometry with miniprobe (RHIN 2100). Enrolled in the study were 67 newborns aged 2 to 4 days. Each subject was assessed for 3 h, examinations taking place every 30 min. At least six measurements, three from each nostril, were taken at each examination. The miniprobe RHIN 2100 (SR Electronics ApS) was used for evaluation of nasal geometry. The minimal cross-sectional area (MCA) and the total volume of the anterior 45 mm (VOL45) were calculated and used for statistical analysis. The mean volume of MCA and VOL45 in the examined group of children was 0.08 cm3 and 1.19 cm3 respectively. Nasal cycle was assessed by constructing the plots of acoustic rhinometry parameters MCA or VOL45 for time and statistically using Pearson's correlation coefficients. Most of the examined infants (70-85%) showed no significant fluctuations in nasal patency.

The effect of short warm breaks (from 15 min to 5 h) during chilling of three chilling-sensitive species (tomato, maize and soybean) was investigated. Injuries, intensity of net photosynthesis and antioxidant enzyme activity were measured. Throughout chilling treatment, plants were warmed by transferring them during the last few hours of the light phase from chilling temperature (5 °C for tomato and maize, 2 °C for soybean) to 20 °C. After warming, seedlings were moved back to chilling conditions. Warm breaks of 5 h almost entirely prevented the appearance of injuries, as measured by changes in leakage of electrolytes and tissue water content, during 12 days of chilling. Even a 15-min warm break ensured a significant decrease in injuries in chilled maize seedlings compared to continuously chilled seedlings. Inhibition of gas exchange and fluorescence in seedlings of two maize genotypes differing in chilling resistance was, to a small extent, prevented by 1-h warm breaks, while 4-h warm breaks reduced inhibition significantly. The length of the warm break (1 or 4 h) had no influence on changes in SOD activity compared to continuously chilled plants, but warm breaks of 4 h produced a significant increase in CAT activity. The possible influence of an alternative pathway in preventing injuries is discussed. Zusammenfassung Der Einflus kurzer warmer Phasen (5 Std. bis 15 Min.) wahrend der Kuuhlephase auf drei kuhleempfindliche Arten (Tomate, Mais und Sojabohne) wurden untersucht. Schaden, Intensitat der Netto-Photosynthese und antioxidierender Enzymaktivitat wurden gemessen. Wahrend der Kuhlebehandlung wurden die Pflanzen erwarmt, indem sie in den letzten Stunden der Belichtungsphase von den Kuhletemperaturen (5 °C fur Tomate und Mais, 2 °C fur Sojabohnen) unter eine Temperatur von 20 °C verbracht wurden. Nach dem Aufwarmen der Samlinge wurden sie unter die Kuhlebedingungen zuruckgebracht. 5 h Warmeunterbrechungen vermieden nahezu vollstandig das Auftreten von Beschadigungen, wie eine Messung der Anderungen im Austritt von Elektrolyten und dem Gewebewassergehalt wahrend der 12 Stunden Kuhle zeigten. Selbst 15-Min. Warmeunterbrechung sicherten eine signifikante Abnahme der Schadigungen von gekuhlten Maissamlingen im Vergleich zu ununterbrochen gekuhlten Pflanzen. Der Gasaustausch und die Fluoreszensinhibierung von zwei Maisgenotypensamlingen mit unterschiedlicher Kuhleresistenz waren in einem geringen Ausmas vermindert bei 1 h Warmunterbrechung; lediglich 4 h Warmunterbrechung erwies sich als gunstig. Die Lange der Warmunterbrechungen (1 oder 4 h) hatte keinen Einflus auf Anderungen in der SOD-Aktivitat im Vergleich zu kontinuierlich gekuhlten Pflanzen; Verlangerungen bis zuf vier Stunden Warmunterbrechungen fuhrten zu einer signifikanten Zunahme der CAT-Aktivitat. Eine mogliche Einwirkung alternativer Wege in der Verhinderung von Schaden wird diskutiert.

The evaluation of the relationships between the hormones involved in the urogenital tract cancer, including bladder, kidney, prostate, and testis, could prove important from diagnostic point of view. The determination of the steroid hormone profiles may likely provide a biomarker for discrimination of hormone-related diseases, as well as for differentiation of healthy volunteers from patients with cancer. The aim of the study was to demonstrate the changes in the steroid hormone profile (comprising corticosteroids, androgens and progesterone) in the urine of patients with the urogenital tract cancer versus urine from healthy subjects. A reliable analytical method based on liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry was successfully applied to determine the urinary profiles of 6 endogenous steroids: cortisol, cortisone, corticosterone, testosterone, epitestosterone and progesterone for 92 urogenital tract cancer patients and 100 healthy controls. The obtained data was further evaluated by in-depth chemometric analysis, including the applied standardized Kennard-Stone's algorithm to pre-process the data. Mann-Whitney U test revealed statistically significant (p

Purpose Because limited audit/feedback of health status information has yielded mixed results, we evaluated the effects of a sustained program of audit/feedback on patient health and satisfaction. Methods We conducted a group-randomized effectiveness trial in which firms within Veterans Administration general internal medicine clinics served as units of randomization, intervention, and analysis. Respondents to a baseline health inventory were regularly mailed the 36-Item Short Form (SF-36) and, as relevant, questionnaires about six chronic conditions (ischemic heart disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression, alcohol use, and hypertension) and satisfaction with care. Data were reported to primary providers at individual patient visits and in aggregate during a 2-year period. Results Baseline forms were mailed to 34,050 patients; of the 22,413 respondents, 15,346 completed and returned follow-up surveys. Over the 2-year study, the difference between intervention and control groups (as measured by difference in average slope) was –0.26 (95% confidence interval [CI]: –0.79 to 0.27; P = 0.28) for the SF-36 Physical Component Summary score and –0.53 (95% CI: –1.09 to 0.03; P = 0.06) for the SF-36 Mental Component Summary score. No significant differences emerged after adjusting for deaths. There were no significant differences in condition-specific measures or satisfaction between groups after adjustment for provider type, panel size, and number of intervention visits, or after analysis of patients who completed all forms. Conclusion An elaborate, sustained audit/feedback program of general and condition-specific measures of health/satisfaction did not improve outcomes. To be effective, such data probably should be incorporated into a comprehensive chronic disease management program.

This study aims to determine the influence of middle ear effusion and inserted tympanostomy tubes on the feasibility of recording and of the amplitude of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE). Effusion in the middle ear reduces the number of measurable responses and their amplitude in the whole range of frequencies from 0.5 to 8 kHz. These changes were more distinct in mucous than in serous effusion. There was an increase in the number of measurable responses and amplitude of DPOAE after surgery. Inserted tympanostomy tubes have no influence on the feasibility of DPOAE recording but reduce their amplitude in comparison to the control group.

We describe a technique for freezing and thawing human leukemic cells for cytogenetic studies. We studied 64 harvests on 26 cryopreserved samples from 20 individuals. Chromosome quality was best in the samples from patients with myeloid disturbances. Successful chromosome studies of approximately 50% of the samples were accomplished. Cryopreservation of leukemic cells is not a substitute for fresh material because the method produces relatively few metaphases and mediocre chromosome spreading and banding. However, when rigid and appropriate research objectives are applied, chromosome analysis of cryopreserved leukemic cells can be a viable alternative to analysis of fresh cells.

ContextAlthough they are preliminary and have undergone only limited peer review, research abstracts at scientific meetings may receive prominent attention in the news media. We sought to describe news coverage of abstracts, characterize the research, and determine subsequent full publication in the medical literature.MethodsWe searched Lexis-Nexis to identify news stories printed in the 2 months following 5 scientific meetings held in 1998 (12th World AIDS Conference, American Heart Association, Society for Neuroscience, American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the Radiological Society of North America). We searched MEDLINE and contacted authors to determine subsequent publication in the medical literature within 3-3.5 years of the meetings.ResultsA total of 252 news stories reported on 147 research abstracts (average, 50 per meeting); 16% of the covered abstracts were nonhuman studies, 24% randomized trials, and 59% observational studies. Twenty-one percent of the human studies were small (ie, involving

Mopidamol (RA-233), a derivative of dipyridamole, is a phosphodiesterase inhibitor that has been shown previously to limit progression of malignancy in certain experimental animal models and in a pilot study in humans. RA-233 plus chemotherapy was compared with chemotherapy alone in a 5-year double-blind trial involving 719 patients with advanced carcinomas of the lung and of the colon. RA-233 treatment was associated with a statistically significant prolongation of survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (N-SCLC) limited to one hemithorax and with reduction in mean plasma fibrogen concentration. RA-233 was not toxic. The favorable effects on survival could not be explained by any factor other than the RA-233 treatment. In other tumor categories tested, no differences in survival were observed. These results suggest that RA-233 is useful in the treatment of N-SCLC of limited extent. They also suggest that therapeutic intervention aimed at modified intracellular pathways might constitute a novel investigative approach to the treatment of cancer.

Background Despite warfarin's marked efficacy, not all eligible patients receive it for stroke prevention in AF. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the association between prescriber and/or patient characteristics and subsequent prescription of warfarin for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods Observational studies conducted in the US using multivariate analysis to determine the relationship between characteristics and the odds of receiving warfarin for stroke prevention were identified in MEDLINE, EMBASE and a manual review of references. Effect estimates of prescriber and/or patient characteristics from individual studies were pooled to calculate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals. Results Twenty-eight studies reporting results of 33 unique multivariate analyses were identified. Warfarin use across studies ranged from 9.1%-79.8% (median = 49.1%). There was a moderately-strong correlation between warfarin use and year of study (r = 0.60, p = 0.002). Upon meta-analysis, characteristics associated with a statistically significant increase in the odds of warfarin use included history of cerebrovascular accident (OR = 1.59), heart failure (OR = 1.36), and male gender (OR = 1.12). Those associated with a significant reduction in the odds of warfarin use included alcohol/drug abuse (OR = 0.62), perceived barriers to compliance (OR = 0.87), contraindication(s) to warfarin (OR = 0.81), dementia (OR = 0.32), falls (OR = 0.60), gastrointestinal hemorrhage (OR = 0.47), intracranial hemorrhage (OR = 0.39), hepatic (OR = 0.59), and renal impairment (OR = 0.69). While age per 10-year increase (OR = 0.78) and advancing age as a dichotomized variable (cut-off varied by study) (OR = 0.57) were associated with significant reductions in warfarin use; qualitative review of results of studies evaluating age as a categorical variable did not confirm this relationship. Conclusions Warfarin use has increased somewhat over time. The decision to prescribe warfarin for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation is based upon multiple prescriber and patient characteristics. These findings can be used by family practice prescribers and other healthcare decision-makers to target interventions or methods to improve utilization of warfarin when it is indicated for stroke prevention.

The following types of superoxide dismutase (SOD) have been found in the leaves of Vicia faba: one isoenzyme of Mn-SOD and four isoenzymes of Cu/Zn-SOD. The treatments of roots with boiling water caused an increase of SOD activity in the leaves. The highest increase was measured after 5 s of the treatment. It was accompanied by a significant increase in catalase activity. Analysis of cell fractions' revealed an increase of SOD activity in the plastids and mitochondria isolated from the leaves of those plants whose roots were heat-treated. However, there was no distinct change of SOD activity in the cytosolic fraction. The possibility of an electric wave intervention inducing oxidative stress in the leaves is discussed.