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Institution

University of Rijeka

EducationRijeka, Croatia
About: University of Rijeka is a education organization based out in Rijeka, Croatia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Tourism. The organization has 3471 authors who have published 7993 publications receiving 110386 citations. The organization is also known as: Rijeka University & Sveučilište u Rijeci.


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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Rutin exerts stronger protection against nitrosative stress and hepatocellular damage but has weaker antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities and antifibrotic potential than quercetin, which may be attributed to the presence of a rutinoside moiety in position 3 of the C ring.
Abstract: To investigate the mechanisms underlying the protective effects of quercetin-rutinoside (rutin) and its aglycone quercetin against CCl4-induced liver damage in mice. BALB/cN mice were intraperitoneally administered rutin (10, 50, and 150 mg/kg) or quercetin (50 mg/kg) once daily for 5 consecutive days, followed by the intraperitoneal injection of CCl4 in olive oil (2 mL/kg, 10% v/v). The animals were sacrificed 24 h later. Blood was collected for measuring the activities of ALT and AST, and the liver was excised for assessing Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, GSH and protein concentrations and also for immunoblotting. Portions of the livers were used for histology and immunohistochemistry. Pretreatment with rutin and, to a lesser extent, with quercetin significantly reduced the activity of plasma transaminases and improved the histological signs of acute liver damage in CCl4-intoxicated mice. Quercetin prevented the decrease in Cu/Zn SOD activity in CCl4-intoxicated mice more potently than rutin. However, it was less effective in the suppression of nitrotyrosine formation. Quercetin and, to a lesser extent, rutin attenuated the inflammation in the liver by down-regulating the CCl4-induced activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and cyclooxygenase (COX-2). The expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was more potently suppressed by rutin than by quercetin. Treatment with both flavonoids significantly increased NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase (HO-1) expression in injured livers, although quercetin was less effective than rutin at an equivalent dose. Quercetin more potently suppressed the expression of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) than rutin. Rutin exerts stronger protection against nitrosative stress and hepatocellular damage but has weaker antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities and antifibrotic potential than quercetin, which may be attributed to the presence of a rutinoside moiety in position 3 of the C ring.

121 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present waste and circularity indicators for Croatia, analyses national policies, targets, achievements and EU recommendations, and proposes the measures which would accelerate Croatia's path towards circular economy, resource efficiency, reduction of marine litter in the Adriatic and bio economy.

121 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Investigations on vitamin D status and VDR polymorphisms of affected subjects could contribute to explain “unusual behavior” of SARS-CoV-2 spreading and a tremendous variety of COVID-19 clinical presentations and outcomes.
Abstract: TO THE EDITOR: The recent outbreak and rapid spreading of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are a global threat and primary concern worldwide, with a still uncertain outcome. With the lack of effective therapy, chemoprevention, and vaccination, focusing on the immediate repurposing of existing drugs gives hope of curbing the pandemic. Here, I underline that so far there are no reports on the vitamin D status among affected persons. On the other hand, a large number of well-established data showed antiviral effects of vitamin D, which can interfere directly with viral replication, but also can act in an immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory way (7). The latter effects could be crucial for their assumptive beneficial effects during SARS-CoV-2 infection, since it seems that SARS-CoV-2 initially uses immune evasion mechanisms, which in some patients is followed by immune hyperreaction and cytokine storm (1), as a common pathogenic mechanism of acute respiratory disease syndrome (ARDS) and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) development, regardless of the etiological factor. In that sense, the protective effect of vitamin D has been reported in many conditions associated with pneumonia, cytokine hyperproduction, and ARDS (2, 8, 10), and vitamin D was recently proposed as a repurposed drug for influenza A H5N1 virus-induced lung injury (3). Additionally, some studies suggest the effectiveness of vitamin D as an adjuvant therapy along with antiretroviral agents in HIV-infected patients (5). Furthermore, vitamin D pretreatment was beneficial in animal models of ARDS, reducing lung permeability by modulation of renin-angiotensin system activity and ACE2 expression (9). The role of vitamin D in the context of viral infections is also supported by findings of certain vitamin D receptor gene (VDR) alleles that are associated with increased susceptibility to respiratory infections (6), as well as with the progression of HIV infection (4). Owing to the lack of specific treatment and urgency to act, these findings could be tentatively extrapolated to SARSCoV-2 infection, justifying the use of vitamin D as a possible adjuvant therapy. From the public health aspect, the recommendation of intensive supplementation as possible prophylaxis also could be considered. Given the good tolerability and safety of even high doses of vitamin D, this approach complies primum non nocere principle. Investigations on vitamin D status and VDR polymorphisms of affected subjects could contribute to explain “unusual behavior” of SARS-CoV-2 spreading and a tremendous variety of COVID-19 clinical presentations and outcomes.

120 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a 3D numerical model for transient analysis of processes after depassivation of reinforcement in concrete, which are relevant for calculation of corrosion rate, was used to investigate the influence of the concrete quality, cracking and water saturation in concrete on the current density.

120 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Peripheral blood lymphocytes of healthy pregnant women produce progesterone‐induced blocking factor (PIBF), which inhibits NK activity, which might contribute to low decidual NK activity during the first trimester of pregnancy.
Abstract: PROBLEM: During the first trimester of pregnancy, nonclassical (CD3 - , CD56 + , CD16 - , perforin [P] bright+ ) natural killer (NK) cells comprise the major decidual lymphocyte population. These cells, in spite of their high perforin content, exert a low cytolytic activity. Peripheral blood lymphocytes of healthy pregnant women produce progesterone-induced blocking factor (PIBF), which inhibits NK activity. PIBF-producing cells are likely to be present in decidua and might contribute to low decidual NK activity. METHOD OF STUDY: Decidual cells obtained from elective pregnancy termination were double labeled for CD56 and PIBF. We tested the effect of PIBF on perforin liberation by activated peripheral blood NK cells. RESULTS: Sixty percent of decidual lymphocytes were CD56 + and expressed PIBF at the same time. PIBF-treated and untreated peripheral blood NK cells were incubated with K-562 cells, and perforin content of target conjugated NK cells was detected with immunocytochemistry. PIBF treatment of peripheral blood lymphocytes significantly reduced lysis of K-562 cells. Among target bound lymphocytes in PIBF-treated samples, we found a significantly (P<0.01) higher rate of P + cells than in untreated samples. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that PIBF inhibits cytotoxicity of NK cells via a block of degranulation, and since decidual NK cells are PIBF + , it cannot be ruled out that this effect of PIBF contributes to low decidual NK activity.

119 citations


Authors

Showing all 3537 results

NameH-indexPapersCitations
Igor Rudan142658103659
Nikola Godinovic1381469100018
Ivica Puljak134143697548
Damir Lelas133135493354
D. Mekterovic11044946779
Ulrich H. Koszinowski9628127709
Michele Doro7943720090
Robert Zivadinov7352218636
D. Dominis Prester7036316701
Daniel Ferenc7022516145
Vladimir Parpura6422618050
Stipan Jonjić6222719363
Dario Hrupec6028813345
Alessandro Laviano5929814609
Tomislav Terzić5827110699
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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers from the Institution in previous years
YearPapers
202329
202279
2021636
2020707
2019622
2018564