Introduction: Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by bone strength disorder and weakness of the entire skeleton causing the predisposition to fractures to grow. Identification of factors which may influence pathological fractures in postmenopausal women and determining which of the identified factors have the largest influence on the development of osteoporotic fractures. A retrospective study has included 400 postmenopausal women with newly diagnosed osteoporosis examined at the Institute of Rheumatology in Belgrade. We have examined demographic data and the following fracture risk factors: physical activity, menarche, menopause, fractures after the age of forty, osteoporotic fractures in the family, comorbidity: inflammatory rheumatic diseases, intestine diseases, chronic kidney insufficiency and endocrinopathy (hyperthyroidism and diabetes) and taking glucocorticoid therapy. The value of bone density has been measured using DXA method in the spine and hip, and the body mass index has been calculated based on the body height and weight. Logistic regression has been used as the method for analyzing the relation between binary results and potential predictors. Statistical hypotheses have been tested at the statistical significance level of 0.05. In the model of multivariate logistic regression, the significant predictors of osteoporotic fractures are as follows: older age (B = 0.13; p = 0.001), higher BMI values (B = 0.094; p = 0.022) and lower BMD values (hip) (B = -3.060; p = 0.023). Elderly overweight women with lower BMD values in the hip are more susceptible to fractures due to osteoporosis; therefore this subgroup of postmenopausal women is important for the application of the measures of primary and secondary prevention of osteoporotic fractures.

Dijagram toka studije predstavlja sastavni deo usklađenih standarda o izveštavanju (CONSORT). Preporučuje se njegova primena u izveštavanju ogleda sa klaster randomizacijom. Cilj rada je da se predstavi učestalost korišćenja dijagrama toka u klaster randomizovanim studijama u skladu sa standardima o izveštavanju. Urađeno je pretraživanje Medline-a i za analizu izdvojeno 474 studija sa klaster randomizacijom. Studije su pregledane u cilju otkrivanja upotrebe grafičkog prikaza, primene standarda o izveštavanju i vremena publikovanja studije. U zavisnosti od trajanja, studije su podeljene na one koje su prikazale završena istraživanja i one čije je izvođenje još uvek u toku. Učestalost dijagrama toka je bila statistički značajno veća u studijama koje su se pridržavale standarda (86,2%) u odnosu na studije koje nisu koristile CONSORT smernice (71,4%), i u studijama koje su prikazale završena istraživanja (81,2 %) u odnosu na studije koje su predstavljale pilot projekte (54,3%). Primena CONSORT-a je zabeležena u 145 (31%) literaturnih jedinica. Broj klaster randomizovanih studija dobijenih pretraživanjem MEDLINE-a niskom cluster randomized trial [ti] i cluster randomised trial [ti] i primena CONSORT-a u izveštajima klaster randomizovanih studija linearno rastu tokom vremena (p<0,001). Učestalost primene dijagrama toka je veća u izveštajima klaster randomizovanih studija koji su rađeni u skladu sa standardima o izveštavanju.

Meta-analiza je kvantitativna statistička analiza koja se koristi za sintezu i sumiranje rezultata istraživanja više studija. Da li su studije kvalitativno dovoljno slične da se kombinuju i da li postoji publikaciona pristrasnost? Grafički prikazi su moćno sredstvo koje može dati odgovor na ova pitanja. Cilj rada jeste da se predstavi učestalost korišćenja grafičkih tehnika za prikaz rezultat u meta-analizama opservacionih studija. Urađeno je pretraživanje Medline i izdvojeno je 473 meta-analiza studija slučaj-kontrola i kohortnih studija. Studije su pregledane u cilju otkrivanja upotrebe grafičkog prikaza i vrste grafikona, broja studija koje su obuhvaćene meta analizom i vremena objavljivanja date meta-anlize. Za analizu primarnih podataka korišćene su deskriptivne statističke metode i analitičke metode- hi kvadrat test. Kriterijum za statističku značajnost je bio p<0,05. 82% studija koje su uključene u analizu za prikaz rezutata su koristile forest plot. Kod meta-analiza sa manje od 30 opservacionih studija, 60% studija je koristilo forest plot a sa povećanjem broja studija njegova primena se smanjuje na 49%. Upotreba funnel plota sa povećanjem broja uključenih studija beleži porast primene sa 20% na 29%. Grafički prikazi u studijama objavljenim posle 2000. godine su statistički značajno učestaliji, p< 0,05. Učestalost korišćenja potvrđuje značaj grafičkih tehnika u meta-analizi i važno je ukazati na informacije koje su sadržane u grafikonima.

A combination of aspirin and ticlopidine has been proven to reduce the frequency of haemorrhagic and vascular complications after coronary artery stenting. Also, ticlopidine is often associated with hyperbilirubinemia and abnormal liver function test values. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlations between biochemical variables (serum total cholesterol levels, total bilirubin concentration, serum activities of alkaline phosphatase and alanine- ALT and aspartate- AST aminotransferases) of aspirin and ticlopidine administered alone and in combination. The experiment was conducted on white laboratory rats, type Wistar. Thirty-two rats were divided in four groups and they received one of the following treatments for three days: group I - control, saline (1 ml/kg, i.p.); group II - aspirin (50 mg/kg/day i.p.); group III - ticlopidine (125 mg/kg/day i.p.) and group IV - aspirin+ticlopidine combination (50 mg/kg/day+125 mg/kg/day i.p.). Biochemical variables were determined at once after taking the sample of blood. Relationship between two measured variables was determined by calculating linear correlation coefficient (r). Between total cholesterol level and AST activity in control group of rats was noticed negative and low correlation (r=-0,27); in group treated with aspirin negative, high and significant correlation (r=-0,86); in group treated with ticlopidine negative and low correlation (r=-0,24); and in group treated with aspirin+ticlopidine combination positive, high and significant correlation (r=0,79). Between other investigated variables were not noticed significant correlation in all treated groups. Based on obtained results it can be noticed that negative correlation between serum total cholesterol level and AST activity in control, aspirin and ticlopidine groups becomes positive and significant only after the treatment with aspirin+ticlopidine combination.

Anxiety disorders are very common illnesses that are reported in approximately one third to one quarter of the entire population during the lifetime. Many anxiety disorders are being reported early in life, they have chronic progress, and cause significant difficulties, interfere in daily life activities and create huge economical expenses. It has been evaluated that 46.6 billion dollars out of 147.8 billion dollars overall mental disorders expenses in US is being spent on anxiety disorders, while in European community those expenses exceed 41 billion Euros. In spite of that, pharmacoeconomical aspects of these illnesses so far drawn much less attention than so called large mental illnesses (schizophrenia, depression), and the reason for that is probably that earlier relatively cheep benzodiazepines were dominantly used in treating anxiety disorders. However, in newer times the anti-depressives became the first choice for anxiety disorders, especially those from the group of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). The increase of anxiety disorders prevalence and changes in modern pharmacotherapy create promising research conditions for starting the studies in area of pharmacoeconomics in the world, and in our country

Transition of xenobiotics from blood into brain tissue is limited by the blood-brain barrier (BBB), a very selective functional barrier that excludes penetration of various substances, while allowing essential nutrients to enter into CNS. Transport of drugs through the intact BBB depends of their physico-chemical characteristics, the way of drug application and of anatomical and functional integrity of the barrier. The aim of this work was to examine penetration of quinine and lysinacetylsalicilate in vivo through the rat BBB, after the intraarterial injection via the a. axillaris in the course to CNS. The
experiment was done on anaesthetized Wistar rats, body weight 200-300 g. Test animals received injection of quinine (25 mg/kg) or LAS (90 mg/kg). Blood from the left jugular vein and brain samples (brain stem, cerebellum, right and left cerebral hemispheres) were taken in four minutes period. Quinine concentrations in rat brain were higher than in blood (ratio between blood/brain concentration was <1) while LAS concentrations in blood were permanently higher, according to their liposolubility. Maximal concentration in the brain tissue of both drugs are time dependent which indicated the useness of an active transport

Considering its importance in cell replication and differentiation, programmed cell death, DNA transcription, function of hormones, biological membranes and immunological system, zinc probably has a major role in enabling a proper
function of different tissues, organs and organic system in general. As an essential micronutrient wich is directly involved in metabolizm of insulin, zinc play important role in pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus and its complications. On the other hand, low zinc absorption and hyperzincuria in diabetic animals and humans have indicated that diabetics are more susceptibile to zinc deficiency compared to healthy persons. Inasmuch as zinc plays an important role in syntesis, storage and secretion of insulin as well as conformational integrity of insulin in the hexameric form, zinc deficiency may adversely affect the ability of the islet Numerous studies suggested that urinary zinc excretion was higher in diabetes mellitus, probably as result of hyperglycemia. In contribution, there are findings about correlation between urinary zinc excretion and blood glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels in non-insulin dependent diabetic patients. Recent experimental investigations showed that zinc supplementation inhibited NF-kB activation in the pancreas and decreased the expression of inducibile nitric oxide synthase, a downstream target gene of NF-kB. The ability of zinc to modulate NF-kB activation in the diabetogenic pathway may be the key mechanism for zinc's protective effect and important criterion for choosing nutritional strategies for diabetes mellitus prevention.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared tuberculosis (TB) a global emergensy in recognition of its growing importance as public health problem. In response to this situation WHO in 1990 was developed new strategy and framework for effective TB control, wich was called „DOTS“. The aims of treatment of TB are: to cure the pation of TB, to prevent death from active TB or its late effects, to prevent relapse of TB, to decrease transmission of TB to others, and to prevent
the development of acqured drug resistance. Antituberculosis drugs (ATD) are antibiotics and synthetic drugs used in the
treatment of tuberculosis and other deases caused by microorganisms of the genus Mycobacterium. The essential ATD are:
isoniazid (H), rifampicin (R), pyrazinamid (Z), streptomycin (S), ethambutol (E), and thioacetazone (T). The reserve ATD
are: amikacin (Am), kanamycin (Km), capreomycin (Cm), ciprofloxacin (Cx), ofloksacin (O), cycloserine (Cs), ethionamide (Et), protionamide (Pt), and p-aminosalycilic acid (PAS). The regimen recommended for each patient depends on the
diagnostic category for each patient. There are several possible regimens. ATB treatment regimens consists of two phases:
an initial phase and a continuation phase

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of aspirin and ticlopidine, administered alone and in combination, on liver function parameters. The experiment was conducted on white laboratory rats, type Wistar. Thirty-two rats were divided in four groups and they recived one of the following treatments for 4 days: group I, control, saline (1 ml/kg, i.p.); group II, aspirin (50 mg/kg/day i.p.); group III, ticlopidine (125 mg/kg/day i.p.) and group IV, aspirin+ticlopidine combination (50 mg/kg/day+125 mg/kg/day i.p.). After the treatment the animals were anaesthetised with ether and blood for further analyses was taken by cardiopunction. The total cholesterol serum level was significantly increased only in ticlopidine group in comparison to control (p<0.01).Also, the serum activity of alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin concentration were significantly elevated only in ticlopidine treated group (p<0.001). Serum AST and ALT activities were not significantly elevated in all treating groups. On basis of the obtained results it can be noticed that the values of liver function parameters are greater in group treated with ticlopidine than in group treated with ticlopidine and aspirin combination.

Stress ulcer presents acute lesion of gastric mucosa, which resulted from influence of different stressors: trauma,
shock, burns, drugs administration, various irritants etc. Since pathogenesis of stress ulcer is not completely clarified, the
most adequate therapy for the patients which suffer from it, is not defined yet. Esomeprazole is a S-isomer of omeprazole
and is the first inhibitor of proton pump synthesized as an isomer. Our aim was to test effects of esomeprazole, given during
pretreatment and posttreatment period, on progress of alcohol induced stress ulcer lesions. We had experiments on sexually
mature Wistar rats weight 200-250 g. Alcohol stress was induced by intragastric administration of 1 mL 96% alcohol.
Alcohol stress produced massive submucosal lesions in glandular part of stomach. Macroscopic lesions were verified
histologicaly. Intragastric pretreatment administration of esomeprazole (20 mg/kg BW) significantly (p<0,001) reduced gastric lesions. Intragastric post-treatment administration of esomeprazole (20 mg/kg BW) did not reduce gastric lesions. Esomeprazole (20 mg/kg BW) administrated in pretreatment period of alcohol induced stress significantly decreased dimensions of stress ulcer lesions in rats, while the same dose administrated in posttreatment period did not cause that effect.