Accumulation of those nanoparticles effect in increases of FRAP and glucose level up to 27% and 73%, respectively. This in turn suggests that iv administration of AuNPs may effect in serious medical complications. On the other site, the accumulation in the liver of about 50% of introduced particles to the rats body is promising for phototherapy and it opens "door" for drug transport to this organ.

Although the total “Timed-Up-and Go” test (TUG) performance time can characterize an age-related decline of general mobility, this result alone doesn’t give any detailed information about the test subtasks. The primary objective of the study was to identify in nursing home women a variable extracted from instrumented TUG (iTUG) that is the best predictor of age. The secondary objective was to assess whether this variable is associated with the results of the isometric knee extension peak torque (IKEPT); lower limb strength measured by the 30-s chair stand test (30sCST), and walking capacity measured by the 6-min walk test (6MWT). Twenty-six women (mean ± SD: age—85.8 ± 3.6 years; body weight—59.4 ± 12.3 kg; body height—151.0 ± 7.3 cm; BMI—26.0 ± 4.9 kg/m2) performed iTUG (while wearing a body-fixed inertial sensor) and functional tests. Total iTUG performance time significantly correlated with age (r = 0.484; p < 0.05), 30sCST (r = −0.593; p < 0.01), and 6MWT (r = −0.747; p < 0.001) but not with absolute nor relative IKEPT (p > 0.05). Additionally, the subjects’ age correlated with 30sCST (r = −0.422; p < 0.05), 6MWT (r = −0.482; p < 0.05), IKEPT (r = −0.392; p < 0.05) and IKEPT/FFM (r = −0.407; p < 0.05). Five out of 16 analyzed iTUG variables were significantly related to age, and multiple regression analysis showed the best correlation with the sit-to-stand vertical acceleration range (STSVAR) (r2 = 0.430; SEE = 3.041; β = −0.544 ± 0.245; B = −1.204 ± 0.543; p < 0.05). Moreover, STSVAR was significantly associated with %Fat (r = 0.415; p < 0.05), 30sCST (r = 0.519; p < 0.01), 6MWT (r = 0.585; p < 0.01) but not with absolute nor relative IKEPT (p > 0.05). The obtained results suggest that in the oldest old group of nursing home women an age-related decline in TUG performance is mainly associated with a reduction of “explosive” strength of lower limb muscles.

Frailty syndrome (FS) is an independent predictor of mortality in cardiovascular disease and is found in 15–74% of patients with heart failure (HF). The syndrome has a complex, multidimensional aetiology and contributes to adverse outcomes. Proper FS diagnosis and treatment determine prognosis and support the evaluation of treatment outcomes. Routine FS assessment for HF patients should be included in daily clinical practice as an important prognostic factor within a holistic process of diagnosis and treatment. Multidisciplinary team members, particularly nurses, play an important role in FS assessment in hospital and primary care settings, and in the home care environment. Raising awareness of concurrent FS in patients with HF patients and promoting targeted interventions may contribute to a decreased risk of adverse events, and a better prognosis and quality of life.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused more than 3 million deaths worldwide. Recently developed genetically engineered vaccines are the most critical solution for controlling the pandemic. Clinical trials on a large number of participants confirmed their safety and efficacy. However, with the growing number of vaccinated people, new infrequent adverse effects have been reported, not described in the medicinal product characteristics. We would like to report a case of acute pancreatic injury that occurred shortly after administering Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine (Comirnaty). The report points out the potential need for close monitoring of patients reporting abdominal pain after vaccination (unresponsive to standard oral painkillers) because such symptom can be associated with acute pancreatitis.

The search for drugs with anorectic activity, acting within the adrenergic system has attracted the interest of researchers. Partial α2-adrenoceptor agonists might offer the potential for effective and safe treatment of obesity. We compared the effectiveness and safety of α2-adrenoceptor ligands in reducing body mass. We also analyzed if antagonist and partial agonists of α2-adrenoceptor––yohimbine and guanfacine––act similarly, and determined which course of action is connected with anorectic activity. We tested intrinsic activity and effect on the lipolysis of these compounds in cell cultures, evaluated their effect on meal size, body weight in Wistar rats with high-fat diet-induced obesity, and determined their effect on blood pressure, heart rate, lipid profile, spontaneous locomotor activity, core temperature and glucose, as well as glycerol and cortisol levels. Both guanfacine and yohimbine showed anorectic activity. Guanfacine was much more effective than yohimbine. Both significantly reduced the amount of intraperitoneal adipose tissue and had a beneficial effect on lipid profiles. Decreased response of α2A-adrenoceptors and partial stimulation of α2B-receptors seem to be responsible for the anorectic action of guanfacine. The stimulation of α1-adrenoceptors by guanfacine is responsible for cardiovascular side effects but may also be linked with improved anorexic effect. α1-adrenoceptor blockade is connected with the side effects of yohimbine, but it is also associated with the improvement of lipid profiles. Guanfacine has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat hypertension and conduct disorder, but as it reduces body weight, it is worth examining its effectiveness and safety in models of obesity.

No abstract

The cardiovascular effects of alpha lipoic acid were evaluated in isolated rat hearts exposed to ischemia-reperfusion injury in vitro. Alpha-lipoic acid raised the level of sulfane sulfur playing an important role in the release of hydrogen sulfide. H2S was shown to prevent the post-reperfusion arrhythmias and to protect the cardiomyocytes from death caused by hypoxia. The activation of potassium ATP-sensitive channels (K(ATP) channels) is one of the most important mechanisms of action of hydrogen sulfide in the cardiovascular system. The aim of this study was to investigate whether alpha lipoic acid can prevent the occurrence of post-reperfusion arrhythmias in vitro using a Langendorff model of ischemia-reperfusion in rats affecting the K(ATP) channels. Alpha lipoic acid significantly improved post-reperfusion cardiac function (reducing incidence of arrhythmias), especially in a dose of 10(-7)M. These cardiovascular effects of this compound on the measured parameters were reversed by glibenclamide, a selective K(ATP) blocker. Alpha lipoic acid increased the level of sulfane sulfur in the hearts. This may suggest that the positive effects caused by alpha lipoic acid in the cardiovascular system are not only related to its strong antioxidant activity, and the influence on the activity of such enzymes as aldehyde dehydrogenase 2, as previously suggested, but this compound can affect K(ATP) channels. It is possible that this indirect effect of alpha lipoic acid is connected with changes in the release of sulfane sulfur and hydrogen sulfide.

Heart failure (HF) is a common complication of various cardiac diseases, and its incidence constantly increases. This is caused mainly by aging of populations and improvement in the treatment of coronary artery disease. As HF patients age, they tend to develop comorbidities, creating new problems for health-care professionals. Sarcopenia, defined as the loss of muscle mass and function, and cachexia, defined as weight loss due to an underlying illness, are muscle wasting disorders of particular relevance in the heart failure population, but they go mostly unrecognized. The coexistence of chronic HF and metabolic disorders facilitates the development of cachexia. Cachexia, in turn, significantly worsens a patient’s prognosis and quality of life. The mechanisms underlying cachexia have not been explained yet and require further research. Understanding its background is crucial in the development of treatment strategies to prevent and treat tissue wasting. There are currently no specific European guidelines or recommended therapy for cachexia treatment in HF (“cardiac cachexia”).