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Copyright of Folia Pharmaceutica Cassoviensia is the property of University of Veterinary Medicine & Pharmacy in Kosice and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Folia Pharmaceutica Cassoviensia is the property of University of Veterinary Medicine & Pharmacy in Kosice and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Folia Pharmaceutica Cassoviensia is the property of University of Veterinary Medicine & Pharmacy in Kosice and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The global pandemic caused by the SARS-COV2 virus persists. Coronaviruses causing COVID-19 disease interact with ACE-2 receptors and penetrate host cells by endocytosis. This process can lead to a rapid release of proinflammatory mediators, which is one of the factors responsible for the development of one serious complication of the disease, acute respiratory distress syndrome. The altered regulation of specific cytokines and growth factors that affect various physiological processes, such as immune responses, can exacerbate the progression of viral diseases and contribute to the pathogenesis of COVID-19 disease. The aim of this study was to compare relative expression of selected growth factors (IGF-1, FGF-2, VEGF-A) in plasma samples from patients with and without COVID-19 disease. To measure relative expression RT-qPCR was used. Our data showed that relative expressions of selected growth factors in 3 groups of patients (6 patients cured from the disease, 6 patients who succumbed to the disease, 6 COVID-19 negative patients) are altered. The relative expression of VEGF-A was increased in patients who died of COVID-19 disease. A decrease in the relative expression of FGF-2 was observed in patients who overcame the disease compared to patients who succumbed to the disease. Differences in relative expression of IGF-1 were very slight in all three patient groups. These changes all suggest the importance of examining specific growth factors and their levels in relation to the development of COVID-19 disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell therapy represents an innovative approach in treatment for many injuries. Stem cells can also be applied in dental treatment to regenerate bone tissue in the craniofacial region. It has been shown that vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) play an important role in this type of regeneration. However, due to complications such as pain, it is necessary to study the effect of pharmacotherapy used because of its potential influence on applied stem cells and subsequently molecular regenerative processes. The main goal of this work was to evaluate the effect of ibuprofen on human dental pulp stem cells (DPSC) in vitro and to identify relative mRNA expression levels of growth factors, VEGFA and HGF. DPSC in ninth passage was incubated with 300 µM ibuprofen for 24, 48, and 72 hr. Total RNA was extracted using phenol-chloroform extraction. The relative mRNA expression levels of VEGFA and HGF were measured by RT-qPCR method. Our preliminary data showed a significant increase in relative mRNA expression levels of VEGFA and HGF after influence of DPSC by ibuprofen at all time intervals. This suggests that the possible use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in parallel with cell therapy could be beneficial, but to confirm this phenomenon further research is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the pleiotropic extraskeletal effects of vitamin D have received more attention in addition to its well-known importance for bone health. Research suggests that vitamin D deficiency is as associated with the risk of developing various malignancies. Increased expression of vitamin D receptors and vitamin D metabolism enzymes is observed in cancer cells. There is growing evidence that vitamin D exhibits anticancer activity via different pathways, for example, inhibition of proliferation or induction of cell apoptosis. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of vitamin D (in the form of cholecalciferol) on viability and relative expression of apoptosis regulators BAX and Bcl-2 in human cervical cancer cell line HeLa. Experimental cultures in eighth passage were treated with 1300 nM and 130 nM cholecalciferol for 24 hr. Viability of the cells was analysed by flow cytometry and relative expression of BAX and Bcl-2 proteins by western blotting. Our preliminary results showed that viability of HeLa cells after cholecalciferol treatment did not change significantly compared to the control condition. The amount of BAX protein decreased more in cholecalciferol-treated cells compared to the control condition, but no significant difference was observed. HeLa cells treated with cholecalciferol also indicated slight alteration in Bcl-2 expression and BAX/Bcl-2 ratio without statistical significance. In conclusion, the treatment of HeLa cells with cholecalciferol at the used concentrations did not have a significant effect on the apoptotic signalling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significant increase in life expectancy seen in Slovakia in recent decades led to a change in the profile of patients being most frequently admitted in internal medicine wards. We intend to focus on the number of hospitalisations, mean age of deceased patients, and mortality rate by causes of death of patients admitted to an internal medicine ward. A retrospective study was done of patients managed in a Department of Internal Medicine between January 2010 and December 2020. Data were obtained from the database of the department. A total of 4,560 patients were included with 51.3% of them females. The outcomes of deceased patients were compared with nationwide data retrieved from the Health Statistics Yearbook of the Slovak Republic (2010-2020). The aim of this study was to analyse the demographic data, compare the hospitalised patients' characteristics, and predictors of mortality in patients. Results of this study could contribute to reducing complications and mortality rate and easier decision making about the best care for patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pregnancy and postpartum period are associated with demanding physical and psychological changes that often lead to the development of psychological disorders. Depression is diagnosed in more than one in six women after childbirth. However, the prevalence of postpartum depression can be much higher because many cases are undiagnosed. In the case of severe depression, the patient is switched to pharmacological treatment, with sertraline being the most commonly used for this diagnosis. A new drug used in the treatment of postpartum depression is brexanolone, which was registered by FDA in 2019. The advantage over conventional therapy is its rapid onset of action. The structure represents the neuroactive steroid - allopregnanolone, which acts as an agonist on the δ-subunit of the GABA receptor and improves the symptoms of postpartum depression. In addition to the registered brexanolone, another steroidal drug, zuranolone, is available in the third phase of the clinical trial. The steroid structure was chemically altered to improve bioavailability and create an oral dosage form. Another synthetic analogue of neuroactive allopregnanolone, known as ganaxolone, did not show a significant reduction in depressive symptoms in the second phase of the clinical trial compared to placebo. Nevertheless, it has great therapeutic potential in the treatment of various types of epilepsy.