Central nervous system disorders after use of dolutegravir: evidence from preclinical and clinical studies

The evaluation of dolutegravir based on available preclinical and clinical studies reveals a risk of central nervous system (CNS) disorders associated with long-term use of the drug. The available literature on the pharmacokinetics of the drug, including its penetration of the blood-brain barrier, was reviewed, as well as clinical trials assessing the incidence of adverse effects in the CNS and the frequency of its discontinuation. This paper also summarizes the impact of factors affecting the occurrence of CNS disorders and indicates the key role of pharmacovigilance in the process of supplementing knowledge on the safety of drugs, especially those that are newly registered.

Long-term Administration of 3-Di-O-Tolylguanidine Modulates Spatial Learning and Memory in Rats and Causes Transition in the Concentration of Neurotransmitters in the Hippocampus, Prefrontal Cortex and Striatum

The sigma-1 and sigma-2 (σ₁ and σ₂) receptors are found in high concentrations in the brain, and their altered expression leads to a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders. 3-di-tolylguanidine (DTG) stimulates the activity of both of these receptors. We assessed the effects of administering DTG to adult male Sprague Dawley rats on learning and memory consolidation processes and on the levels of neurotransmitters in selected brain structures. Spatial learning and memory were evaluated in the water maze test. The DTG was administered orally at daily doses of 3 mg/kg (DTG3), 10 mg/kg (DTG10) or 30 mg/kg (DTG30) for 10 weeks before and during the water-maze test. After completion of the experiment, the concentration of monoamines and their metabolites as well as amino acids in structures involved in cognitive performance - the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and striatum - were determined using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The DTG10 group showed an improvement in memory processes related to the "new" platform location, whereas the DTG30 group was worse at finding the "old" platform location. Since the administration of DTG led to differences in dopaminergic transmission, it was assumed to influence memory processes in this way. Changes in histidine, serine, alanine, taurine, and glutamic acid levels in selected structures of the brains of rats with memory impairment were also observed. We conclude that long-term administration of DTG modulates spatial learning and memory in rats and changes the concentrations of neurotransmitters in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and striatum..

Assessment of the birth status of children born by elective caesarean section before and after 39 weeks of gestation following in vitro fertilization

The collected material presents 512 mothers with children whose pregnancies were ended by caesarean section at the Department of Obstetrics, Women's Diseases and Oncological Gynecology Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Warsaw in the years 2004-2016. The study group consisted of 362 mothers in pregnancies following in vitro fertilization and 150 mothers in spontaneous pregnancy, without the use of assisted reproductive technology. For the purposes of the project, only single pregnancies ending within weeks 37 to 41 of pregnancy were selected. Planned delivery by elective cesarean section (ECS) currently takes place after the 39th week of pregnancy, in line with current common recommendations. This is related to studies finding an overall better birth condition of newborns in the general population, and especially regarding the maturation of the lungs. Currently, there are no specific recommendations regarding cesarean section and the timing of delivery in pregnancies resulting from in vitro fertilization. The aim of this study was to assess the optimal time of an elective cesarean section at full term in an IVF pregnancy. Consistent with findings in the general population and prevailing recommendations, the expected result would be the better condition of the baby born by ECS following the 39th week of gestation. However, our statistical analysis of the collected material shows that the group delivered by ECS prior to the end of 39 weeks of pregnancy may have fewer respiratory system interventions and higher Apgar scores. Nevertheless, results lack statistical significance. In conclusion these findings may indicate a need for a bigger database.

Sigma receptors and neurological disorders

Sigma receptors were identified relatively recently, and their presence has been confirmed in the central nervous system and peripheral organs. Changes in sigma receptor function or expression may be involved in neurological diseases, and thus sigma receptors represent a potential target for treating central nervous system disorders. Many substances that are ligands for sigma receptors are widely used in therapies for neurological disorders. In the present review, we discuss the roles of sigma receptors, especially in the central nervous system disorders, and related therapies.

Stability of αB-crystallin gene expression in canine mammary gland neoplasms. Should it be considered as circulating tumor cell genetic marker?

αB-crystallin is a member of a small family of thermal shock proteins that protects cells from stress. Because of lack of its expression in peripheral blood leukocytes, it was proposed as a molecular marker of circulating tumor cells in canine mammary gland tumors. The aim of the present study was to determine if αB-crystallin shows stability of expression, what is the requirement for this type of marker. It was also assessed whether there is co-expression of αB-crystallin with the basal marker, cytokeratin 17. For this purpose, samples of various types of canine mammary gland tumors of epithelial origin, were selected. Using RT-qPCR, we have found αB-crystallin and cytokeratin 17 co-expression in benign and malignant canine mammary gland tumors. It has been demonstrated that the expression of αB-crystallin in tested neoplastic samples is not stable in comparison to the control group. Furthermore αB-crystallin overor down- expression was associated witch the same cytokeratin 17 pattern. αB-crystallin can be a marker of circulating tumor cells in the bloodstream, but for cancers in which basal marker expression occurs and thus not universal for all cancers originating from the mammary gland tissue.

Zebrafish: an animal model for research in veterinary medicine

The zebrafish (Danio rerio) has become known as an excellent model organism for studies of vertebrate biology, vertebrate genetics, embryonal development, diseases and drug screening. Nevertheless, there is still lack of detailed reports about usage of the zebrafish as a model in veterinary medicine. Comparing to other vertebrates, they can lay hundreds of eggs at weekly intervals, externally fertilized zebrafish embryos are accessible to observation and manipulation at all stages of their development, which makes possible to simplify the research techniques such as fate mapping, fluorescent tracer time-lapse lineage analysis and single cell transplantation. Although zebrafish are only 2.5 cm long, they are easy to maintain. Intraperitoneal and intracerebroventricular injections, blood sampling and measurement of food intake are possible to be carry out in adult zebrafish. Danio rerio is a useful animal model for neurobiology, developmental biology, drug research, virology, microbiology and genetics. A lot of diseases, for which the zebrafish is a perfect model organism, affect aquatic animals. For a part of them, like those caused by Mycobacterium marinum or Pseudoloma neutrophila, Danio rerio is a natural host, but the zebrafish is also susceptible to the most of fish diseases including Itch, Spring viraemia of carp and Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis. The zebrafish is commonly used in research of bacterial virulence. The zebrafish embryo allows for rapid, non-invasive and real time analysis of bacterial infections in a vertebrate host. Plenty of common pathogens can be examined using zebrafish model: Streptococcus iniae, Vibrio anguillarum or Listeria monocytogenes. The steps are taken to use the zebrafish also in fungal research, especially that dealing with Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans. Although, the zebrafish is used commonly as an animal model to study diseases caused by external agents, it is also useful in studies of metabolic disorders including fatty liver disease and diabetes. The zebrafish is also a valuable tool as a model in behavioral studies connected with feeding, predator evasion, habituation and memory or lateralized control of behavior. The aim of the present article is to familiarize the reader with the possibilities of Danio rerio as an experimental model for veterinary medicine.

Vertebral fractures: a hidden problem of osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a progressive skeletal disease, which in many cases remains silent and asymptomatic until a fracture occurs. Vertebral fractures are the earliest and most common osteoporotic fractures. The prevalence of vertebral fractures increases steadily with age, ranging between 20% for 50-year-old postmenopausal women to 64.5% for older women. The majority of vertebral fractures are not connected with severe trauma, and only one in three is diagnosed clinically. Usually vertebral fractures are associated with such clinical symptoms as back pain, posture change, loss of height, functional impairment, disability, and diminished quality of live. Women with the most severe vertebral fractures are the most likely to incur further fractures, with as much as 3.4 times the risk of hip fracture, and 12.6 times the risk of new vertebral fractures. Almost 20% of women will experience another fracture within 1 year after a vertebral fracture. Vertebral fractures are accompanied by increased mortality. The relative risk of death following vertebral fracture is almost 9 times higher. The most important purpose of osteoporosis management in postmenopausal women is prevention of the first vertebral fracture. Raloxifene (Evista) is the only SERM approved by the American FDA for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis. It is the first compound with selective estrogen agonist activity in bone and in the cardiovascular system, but with estrogen antagonist activity or no activity in reproductive tissues and breast. Raloxifene reduces the risk of positive estrogen receptor breast cancer, decreases total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, increases HDL cholesterol, does not increase the risk of endometrial cancer or cause bleeding and spotting. After 3 years of treatment Raloxifene reduces the risk of first vertebral fracture by 55%. The fracture risk within one year is reduced by as much as 68%. Continued observation has proved its sustained efficacy in the further reduction of fracture risk by 49% in the fourth year. Raloxifene treatment does not change the physiological structure of bone quality and does not cause fibrosis, osteomalacia or other toxic effects.

[FAI in hirsutism of women with polycystic ovary syndrome]

The free androgen index (FAI) was estimated and compared with intensiveness of hirsutism in ten anovulatory women of reproductive age referred for polycystic ovarian syndrome with LH/FSH ratio greater than 3.0. The control group consisted of five ovulatory women. The serum testosterone, SHBG, LH and FSH were measured by radioimmunoassay. The mean plasma level of hormones in the study group was following: T-5.8 +/- 1.9 nmol/l, SHBG - 51.0 +/- 18.0 nmol/l, LH - 18.5 +/- 6.0 mIU/ml, FSH - 5.0 +/- 1.2 mIU/ml, in comparison with the control group: T - 1.4 +/- 0.4 nmol/l, SHBG - 90.0 +/- 11.2 nmol/l, LH - 9.4 +/- 4.8 mIU/ml, FSH - 7.3 +/- 0.9 mIU/ml. FAI was calculated as T/SHBG ratio multiplied by 100. In contrast to the control group the seven times higher FAI did not accompany the intensiveness of hirsutism.