Maria Savova - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Maria Savova
Trakia Journal of Science, 2015
PURPOSE: Тhe aim of this study was to comparatively evaluate rat experimental colitis resulting f... more PURPOSE: Тhe aim of this study was to comparatively evaluate rat experimental colitis resulting from administration of two different doses of trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) dissolved in different volumes of two ethanol concentrations. METHODS: TNBS was applied in the colon by a soft cannula at a depth of about 10 cm from anus. The first group (TNBS20) was treated with 20 mg TNBS dissolved in 0.4 ml of 40% ethanol solution. The second group (TNBS10) was treated with 10 mg TNBS dissolved in 0.25 ml of 50% ethanol solution. Тhe animals were sacrificed 24 hours after the treatment and the colon was examined macroscopically and histopathologically. RESULTS: There were no significant differences regarding the degree of hyperemia, total area of injury and thickening of the colon wall. The higher TNBS dose produced significantly more pronounced shortening of the colon and larger necrotic area. Histopathological evaluation showed similar degree of injuries in the two models. CONCLUSION: The two investigated models of TNBS-induced colitis were comparable according to the overall macroscopic and microscopic criteria for colitis evaluation.
Introduction: The effects of the endogenous hallucinogen N,N-dimethyltryptamine are poorly unders... more Introduction: The effects of the endogenous hallucinogen N,N-dimethyltryptamine are poorly understood and its medical significance is widely unknown. A small number of studies regarding its biochemical, pharmaceutical and physiological role have been conducted and the efficacy of its therapeutic potential is presently disregarded. How can scientists proceed in gaining insight into DMT and discovering possible medical uses of this substance? Materials and Methods: Published articles from 1964 to the present year have been reviewed and the outcome of the studies summarized. The results of drug action, therapeutic use and potential were investigated . Studies that appeared to have little medical purpose or those, which focus on the use of Ayahuasca, a South American ritual drink containing N,N-dimethyltryptamine and a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor of plant origin, have been excluded. Results: The research conducted between 1964 and 1987 seems to be an approach to understan...
Trakia Journal of Science
PURPOSE: Recently new roles for vitamin K, different from that in coagulation, have been proposed... more PURPOSE: Recently new roles for vitamin K, different from that in coagulation, have been proposed, including prevention of cardiometabolic diseases. It was the aim of the present work to evaluate the impact of vitamin K treatment on the changes in liver and pancreas of rats with experimentally induced metabolic syndrome. METHODS: Four groups of rats were used, as follows: one control group fed regular rat chow; one group fed high fat, high fructose (HFHF) diet for 12 weeks to induce a metabolic syndrome (MS) and two groups with MS treated with vitamin K1 and K2 respectively. At the end of the experiment, liver tissue and pancreatic were dissected out for morphological examination. RESULTS: All groups of rats fed HFHF diet expressed liver histological changes consistent with steatosis. These alterations were more pronounced in the groups treated with vitamin K2 and K1. The pancreatic tissue of the HFHF fed animals showed similar degree of lipomatosis irrespective of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: In rats with diet-induced MS, treatment with vitamin K1 and K2 did not produce the expected morphological evidence of improvement, even tended to aggravate the liver changes. These results disagreed with other effects of vitamin K that were established.
Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a disorder comprising central obesity, dyslipidemia, raised blood pres... more Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a disorder comprising central obesity, dyslipidemia, raised blood pressure, insulin resistance. The aim of the present study was to develop a cheap, easy and reproducible rat model of MS. 36 male Wistar rats were divided in 3 groups: a control group (C) receiving regular rat chow diet, a high-fat (HF) group receiving lard enriched rat chow and a high-fat high-fructose (HFHF) group receiving lard and fructose enriched rat chow. HF and HFHF groups had also 10% fructose in their drinking water. The duration of the study was 8 weeks. Body weights were measured weekly. At the end of the study insulin tolerance test (ITT) was performed. Liver and fat weight index were measured after sacrifice. Lipid biochemical parameters and insulin concentration in serum were determined. Liver triglycerides (TG) were measured. The oxidative stress in serum was assessed by thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARS). At the end of the study the animals did not differ in their bo...
Scripta Scientifica Medica
Scripta Scientifica Medica
Folia Medica
The metabolic syndrome is a socially important disorder of energy utilization and storage, recogn... more The metabolic syndrome is a socially important disorder of energy utilization and storage, recognized as a factor predisposing to the development of depression, anxiety and cognitive impairment in humans.In the present study we examined the effects of vitamin K2 on the behavior of rats with metabolic syndrome and looked for relationships with the effects on blood sugar.Male Wistar rats were divided in four groups: a control group on a regular rat chow, a metabolic syndrome (MS) group fed a high-fat high-fructose diet, a control group treated with vitamin K2 and a MS group treated with vitamin K2. Vitamin K2 was given by gavage. At the end of the study (after 10 weeks) behavioral tests were performed and fasting blood glucose was measured. Anxiety was determined using the social interaction test and depression was assessed by the Porsolt test. Memory effects were estimated by the object recognition test. Correlations between fasting blood glucose and behavioral performance were analy...
Folia Medica
Introduction: Vitamin K (VK) is a co-factor in the post-translational gamma glutamic carboxylatio... more Introduction: Vitamin K (VK) is a co-factor in the post-translational gamma glutamic carboxylation of Gla-proteins. VK-dependent coagulation factors are carboxylated in the liver by VK1. Osteocalcin and Matrix-Gla protein (MGP) are carboxylated in extrahepatic tissues by VK2. A model of VK deficiency would be suitable for studying extrahepatic Gla-proteins provided that severe bleeding is prevented. Aim: The aim of this work was to adapt an established protocol of vascular calcification by warfarin-induced inactivation of MGP as a calcification inhibitor, in an attempt to create a broader state of subclinical VK deficiency and to verify its safety. Materials and methods: Two consecutive experiments, each lasting 4 weeks, were required to modify the dosing schedule of warfarin and VK1 and to adapt it to the Wistar rats used. The original high doses of warfarin used initially had to be halved and the protective dose of VK1 to be doubled, in order to avoid treatment-induced hemorrhagi...
Calcified Tissue International
International Journal of Experimental Pathology
Folia Medica
The metabolic syndrome is a socially important disorder of energy utilization and storage, recogn... more The metabolic syndrome is a socially important disorder of energy utilization and storage, recognized as a factor predisposing to the development of depression, anxiety and cognitive impairment in humans.In the present study we examined the effects of vitamin K2 on the behavior of rats with metabolic syndrome and looked for relationships with the effects on blood sugar.Male Wistar rats were divided in four groups: a control group on a regular rat chow, a metabolic syndrome (MS) group fed a high-fat high-fructose diet, a control group treated with vitamin K2 and a MS group treated with vitamin K2. Vitamin K2 was given by gavage. At the end of the study (after 10 weeks) behavioral tests were performed and fasting blood glucose was measured. Anxiety was determined using the social interaction test and depression was assessed by the Porsolt test. Memory effects were estimated by the object recognition test. Correlations between fasting blood glucose and behavioral performance were analy...
European Neuropsychopharmacology, 2016
Methods and Findings in Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, 2009
Scripta Scientifica Medica, 2015
Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a disorder comprising central obesity, dyslipidemia, raised blood pres... more Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a disorder comprising central obesity, dyslipidemia, raised blood pressure, insulin resistance. The aim of the present study was to develop a cheap, easy and reproducible rat model of MS. 36 male Wistar rats were divided in 3 groups: a control group (C) receiving regular rat chow diet, a high-fat (HF) group receiving lard enriched rat chow and a high-fat high-fructose (HFHF) group receiving lard and fructose enriched rat chow. HF and HFHF groups had also 10% fructose in their drinking water. The duration of the study was 8 weeks. Body weights were measured weekly. At the end of the study insulin tolerance test (ITT) was performed. Liver and fat weight index were measured after sacrifice. Lipid biochemical parameters and insulin concentration in serum were determined. Liver triglycerides (TG) were measured. The oxidative stress in serum was assessed by thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARS). At the end of the study the animals did not differ in their body weights across the groups, but the fat index in both HF and HFHF groups was higher. Plasma TG and cholesterol were raised in both groups and the ratio cholesterol/ HDL-cholesterol was higher. Liver TG were elevated in HFHF rats. ITT revealed reduced insulin sensitivity in both experimental groups although serum insulin was elevated only in HFHF group. TBARS were increased in both HF and HFHF groups. Both models displayed most of the features of MS; the HFHF probably better reflects the 'cafeteria' diet and its unhealthy consequences.
Akusherstvo i ginekologii͡a, 2012
Diabetes mellitus is frequent during pregnancy and is associated with substantial risks both for ... more Diabetes mellitus is frequent during pregnancy and is associated with substantial risks both for the mother and the newborn. An adequate therapy ensures the normal course of pregnancy and delivery and postnatal development of the baby. Insulin, for its well known safety record, has long been considered the drug of first choice for achieving optimal glycemic control in pregnant women. Pregnancy is an indication for intensive insulin therapy. The pre-mixed insulins are not recommended due to their inability to provide the needed therapeutic flexibility during the different periods of pregnancy. The short acting insulin analogue aspart is currently registered for meal-time use in basal therapy with NPH insulin. The long-acting analogues glargine and detemir are still investigated clinically and for the moment are only used off label in pregnancy. Maternal hypoglycemia, the need of injection and the high cost are the main drawbacks of insulin therapy. Evidence has accumulated in recent ...
Trakia Journal of Science, 2015
PURPOSE: Тhe aim of this study was to comparatively evaluate rat experimental colitis resulting f... more PURPOSE: Тhe aim of this study was to comparatively evaluate rat experimental colitis resulting from administration of two different doses of trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) dissolved in different volumes of two ethanol concentrations. METHODS: TNBS was applied in the colon by a soft cannula at a depth of about 10 cm from anus. The first group (TNBS20) was treated with 20 mg TNBS dissolved in 0.4 ml of 40% ethanol solution. The second group (TNBS10) was treated with 10 mg TNBS dissolved in 0.25 ml of 50% ethanol solution. Тhe animals were sacrificed 24 hours after the treatment and the colon was examined macroscopically and histopathologically. RESULTS: There were no significant differences regarding the degree of hyperemia, total area of injury and thickening of the colon wall. The higher TNBS dose produced significantly more pronounced shortening of the colon and larger necrotic area. Histopathological evaluation showed similar degree of injuries in the two models. CONCLUSION: The two investigated models of TNBS-induced colitis were comparable according to the overall macroscopic and microscopic criteria for colitis evaluation.
Introduction: The effects of the endogenous hallucinogen N,N-dimethyltryptamine are poorly unders... more Introduction: The effects of the endogenous hallucinogen N,N-dimethyltryptamine are poorly understood and its medical significance is widely unknown. A small number of studies regarding its biochemical, pharmaceutical and physiological role have been conducted and the efficacy of its therapeutic potential is presently disregarded. How can scientists proceed in gaining insight into DMT and discovering possible medical uses of this substance? Materials and Methods: Published articles from 1964 to the present year have been reviewed and the outcome of the studies summarized. The results of drug action, therapeutic use and potential were investigated . Studies that appeared to have little medical purpose or those, which focus on the use of Ayahuasca, a South American ritual drink containing N,N-dimethyltryptamine and a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor of plant origin, have been excluded. Results: The research conducted between 1964 and 1987 seems to be an approach to understan...
Trakia Journal of Science
PURPOSE: Recently new roles for vitamin K, different from that in coagulation, have been proposed... more PURPOSE: Recently new roles for vitamin K, different from that in coagulation, have been proposed, including prevention of cardiometabolic diseases. It was the aim of the present work to evaluate the impact of vitamin K treatment on the changes in liver and pancreas of rats with experimentally induced metabolic syndrome. METHODS: Four groups of rats were used, as follows: one control group fed regular rat chow; one group fed high fat, high fructose (HFHF) diet for 12 weeks to induce a metabolic syndrome (MS) and two groups with MS treated with vitamin K1 and K2 respectively. At the end of the experiment, liver tissue and pancreatic were dissected out for morphological examination. RESULTS: All groups of rats fed HFHF diet expressed liver histological changes consistent with steatosis. These alterations were more pronounced in the groups treated with vitamin K2 and K1. The pancreatic tissue of the HFHF fed animals showed similar degree of lipomatosis irrespective of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: In rats with diet-induced MS, treatment with vitamin K1 and K2 did not produce the expected morphological evidence of improvement, even tended to aggravate the liver changes. These results disagreed with other effects of vitamin K that were established.
Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a disorder comprising central obesity, dyslipidemia, raised blood pres... more Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a disorder comprising central obesity, dyslipidemia, raised blood pressure, insulin resistance. The aim of the present study was to develop a cheap, easy and reproducible rat model of MS. 36 male Wistar rats were divided in 3 groups: a control group (C) receiving regular rat chow diet, a high-fat (HF) group receiving lard enriched rat chow and a high-fat high-fructose (HFHF) group receiving lard and fructose enriched rat chow. HF and HFHF groups had also 10% fructose in their drinking water. The duration of the study was 8 weeks. Body weights were measured weekly. At the end of the study insulin tolerance test (ITT) was performed. Liver and fat weight index were measured after sacrifice. Lipid biochemical parameters and insulin concentration in serum were determined. Liver triglycerides (TG) were measured. The oxidative stress in serum was assessed by thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARS). At the end of the study the animals did not differ in their bo...
Scripta Scientifica Medica
Scripta Scientifica Medica
Folia Medica
The metabolic syndrome is a socially important disorder of energy utilization and storage, recogn... more The metabolic syndrome is a socially important disorder of energy utilization and storage, recognized as a factor predisposing to the development of depression, anxiety and cognitive impairment in humans.In the present study we examined the effects of vitamin K2 on the behavior of rats with metabolic syndrome and looked for relationships with the effects on blood sugar.Male Wistar rats were divided in four groups: a control group on a regular rat chow, a metabolic syndrome (MS) group fed a high-fat high-fructose diet, a control group treated with vitamin K2 and a MS group treated with vitamin K2. Vitamin K2 was given by gavage. At the end of the study (after 10 weeks) behavioral tests were performed and fasting blood glucose was measured. Anxiety was determined using the social interaction test and depression was assessed by the Porsolt test. Memory effects were estimated by the object recognition test. Correlations between fasting blood glucose and behavioral performance were analy...
Folia Medica
Introduction: Vitamin K (VK) is a co-factor in the post-translational gamma glutamic carboxylatio... more Introduction: Vitamin K (VK) is a co-factor in the post-translational gamma glutamic carboxylation of Gla-proteins. VK-dependent coagulation factors are carboxylated in the liver by VK1. Osteocalcin and Matrix-Gla protein (MGP) are carboxylated in extrahepatic tissues by VK2. A model of VK deficiency would be suitable for studying extrahepatic Gla-proteins provided that severe bleeding is prevented. Aim: The aim of this work was to adapt an established protocol of vascular calcification by warfarin-induced inactivation of MGP as a calcification inhibitor, in an attempt to create a broader state of subclinical VK deficiency and to verify its safety. Materials and methods: Two consecutive experiments, each lasting 4 weeks, were required to modify the dosing schedule of warfarin and VK1 and to adapt it to the Wistar rats used. The original high doses of warfarin used initially had to be halved and the protective dose of VK1 to be doubled, in order to avoid treatment-induced hemorrhagi...
Calcified Tissue International
International Journal of Experimental Pathology
Folia Medica
The metabolic syndrome is a socially important disorder of energy utilization and storage, recogn... more The metabolic syndrome is a socially important disorder of energy utilization and storage, recognized as a factor predisposing to the development of depression, anxiety and cognitive impairment in humans.In the present study we examined the effects of vitamin K2 on the behavior of rats with metabolic syndrome and looked for relationships with the effects on blood sugar.Male Wistar rats were divided in four groups: a control group on a regular rat chow, a metabolic syndrome (MS) group fed a high-fat high-fructose diet, a control group treated with vitamin K2 and a MS group treated with vitamin K2. Vitamin K2 was given by gavage. At the end of the study (after 10 weeks) behavioral tests were performed and fasting blood glucose was measured. Anxiety was determined using the social interaction test and depression was assessed by the Porsolt test. Memory effects were estimated by the object recognition test. Correlations between fasting blood glucose and behavioral performance were analy...
European Neuropsychopharmacology, 2016
Methods and Findings in Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, 2009
Scripta Scientifica Medica, 2015
Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a disorder comprising central obesity, dyslipidemia, raised blood pres... more Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a disorder comprising central obesity, dyslipidemia, raised blood pressure, insulin resistance. The aim of the present study was to develop a cheap, easy and reproducible rat model of MS. 36 male Wistar rats were divided in 3 groups: a control group (C) receiving regular rat chow diet, a high-fat (HF) group receiving lard enriched rat chow and a high-fat high-fructose (HFHF) group receiving lard and fructose enriched rat chow. HF and HFHF groups had also 10% fructose in their drinking water. The duration of the study was 8 weeks. Body weights were measured weekly. At the end of the study insulin tolerance test (ITT) was performed. Liver and fat weight index were measured after sacrifice. Lipid biochemical parameters and insulin concentration in serum were determined. Liver triglycerides (TG) were measured. The oxidative stress in serum was assessed by thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARS). At the end of the study the animals did not differ in their body weights across the groups, but the fat index in both HF and HFHF groups was higher. Plasma TG and cholesterol were raised in both groups and the ratio cholesterol/ HDL-cholesterol was higher. Liver TG were elevated in HFHF rats. ITT revealed reduced insulin sensitivity in both experimental groups although serum insulin was elevated only in HFHF group. TBARS were increased in both HF and HFHF groups. Both models displayed most of the features of MS; the HFHF probably better reflects the 'cafeteria' diet and its unhealthy consequences.
Akusherstvo i ginekologii͡a, 2012
Diabetes mellitus is frequent during pregnancy and is associated with substantial risks both for ... more Diabetes mellitus is frequent during pregnancy and is associated with substantial risks both for the mother and the newborn. An adequate therapy ensures the normal course of pregnancy and delivery and postnatal development of the baby. Insulin, for its well known safety record, has long been considered the drug of first choice for achieving optimal glycemic control in pregnant women. Pregnancy is an indication for intensive insulin therapy. The pre-mixed insulins are not recommended due to their inability to provide the needed therapeutic flexibility during the different periods of pregnancy. The short acting insulin analogue aspart is currently registered for meal-time use in basal therapy with NPH insulin. The long-acting analogues glargine and detemir are still investigated clinically and for the moment are only used off label in pregnancy. Maternal hypoglycemia, the need of injection and the high cost are the main drawbacks of insulin therapy. Evidence has accumulated in recent ...