Smoking is one of the leading causes of death which can be prevented in the developed countries. Smoking begins mainly in adolescence. Smoking in early adolescence is known to be associated with an increased risk of later addiction. Also the growing popularity of e-cigarettes, which attract young people with a variety of flavors, and are still little associated with harmful effects on health, unlike regular cigarettes. Exposure to nicotine in young people can affect learning, memory and attention, and lead to increased impulsivity, mood disorders and drug dependence. Nicotine and its derivatives are harmful to the human body, causing a significant increase in blood pressure, deterioration of blood supply to the vessels and acceleration of atherosclerotic processes, it has a detrimental effect on the gastric mucosa, causing gastric disorders. In addition, smoking is associated with the risk of many cancers: oral cavity, larynx, esophagus, lung, pancreas, kidney, liver and bladder. Nicotine addiction causes many health, social and financial consequences for the individual and the community as a whole. Multiple nicotine addiction risk SNPs were found in the CHRNA5/A3/B4 gene cluster, with the best reported results for the risk allele derived from the non-synonymous SNP, rs16969968, in CHRNA5. Therefore, in the problem of addiction, including nicotine addiction, it seems important to know the neurobiological factors, including genetic ones, involved in these processes. This could lead to the development of new pharmacological and behavioral treatment strategies in the future.
Opioid receptors belong to the group of Gi and Go coupled receptors, inhibiting the activity of the neuron. Opioid receptors regulate reward and aversion. The opioid system contributes to self and species survival by promoting reward elicited by natural stimuli (such as food, sex and social interaction), regulating mood states and facilitating efficient coping with pain and stress. It is suggested that OPRM1 polymorphism is associated with alcohol consumption especially increased in the case of G alleles subjects than A-alleles homozygotes. In several studies, OPRM1 methylation was suspected to be predictive factor of opioid dependence in pain treatment. The relationship of postoperative or preoperative pain with methylation of some CpG sites in the OPRM1 promoter has also been demonstrated. It is known that OPRM1 SNPs provide changes in the structure of the MOR receptor, so by confirming the pharmacogenetic effects of OPRM1 polymorphisms and using these results to guide therapeutic decisions, patients can be prescribed treatment options with the best efficacy and greatest tolerance. Pharmacogenomics of OPRM1 can improve pain management by predicting individual response to pain medications before treatment and facilitate the development of new and more effective pain medications for post-operative pain.
Drug addiction is a common phenomenon that increases with the progress of the European integration process. Professional help to people addicted and under the influence of drugs or other psychoactive substances should be provided primarily by health care institutions. An important and interesting issue seems to be the assessment of how people who have the most frequent contact with addicts are prepared to provide help, what is their knowledge and attitude to the phenomenon of drug addiction and to people addicted to psychoactive substances. The material for the research was a questionnaire for people who have contact and / or work professionally with people addicted to psychoactive substances. A total number of 253 people who had professional contact with people addicted to psychoactive substances were examined, including 102 men and 151 women. The respondents most often acquired knowledge in the field of drug addiction through the mass media. The exception is the professional group of doctors, which was the only one to refer to professional literature. Contact with drug addicts was not worried by 68.6% of doctors, 68.4% of policemen, 45.9% of nurses and only 39.0% of teachers. Fear may be caused mainly by possible aggressive behavior, which is feared by 49.8% of the respondents, including 58.3% of women and 37.2% of men. When it comes to 90.1% of respondents, they believe that the cause of aggression is the lack of control over their emotions. The results of the work can be helpful in creating new, satisfying solutions to difficult situations and developing cooperation characterized by empathy and acceptance.
Introduction. The period of socio-professional adaptation is a time when the new employee often feels insecure and is accompanied by emotional tension. Already in the initial period of work, an employee develops a specific attitude towards the environment, which, at a later stage, influences professional development or motivation. Aim. The aim of the study is to assess the course of the process of social and professional adaptation among nurses who, after graduation, started their first job in hospital departments in the Lubuskie Voivodeship, as well as to characterize the adaptation process and factors influencing its effective course. Material and methods. The material for the research was collected by means of a proprietary questionnaire. The number of 118 people participated in the study. Results. There was a statistical dependence between the socio-professional adaptation process and the existence of procedures related to it. Then a relationship was noted between the procedures for the adaptation process and the presentation of the adaptation plan to the new employee. Statistically significant differences were demonstrated by analyzing the feeling of being ready to work independently depending on the duration of the adaptation period in a new workplace. Conclusion. The adaptation process is often ineffective and important elements, such as access to adaptation procedures, adaptation plan, employee final evaluation, are often overlooked. These elements have a statistically significant impact on the overall assessment of the adaptation process. The adaptation period is often too short, which translates into the lack of readiness to work for new employees.
Introduction: Addictive substances act on a number of neurotransmitter systems, and the end result of this action is the activation of the reward system in the brain. The cellular and neuronal mechanisms that underlie addiction have long been searched for. One of such neurotransmitters is dopamine, a catecholamine synthesized in neurons located mainly in the midbrain. Material and method: The available literature was reviewed on the Pubmed platform and from other sources. The analysis included original studies, reviews. The aim of the study was to review the literature on the relationship between the DRD2 gene and the occurrence of substance addiction. Discussion: This work presents several currently discussed biological mechanisms, especially at the molecular and genetic level, involved in the process of addiction to various psychoactive substances. They discovered the brain structures that are most at risk, as well as other neurotransmitter systems and receptor proteins through which they can exert their pathological effects. It has also been established that exposure to psychoactive substances causes significant changes in expression in over 100 genes (including genes for dopaminergic, serotonergic and signaling pathways). The DRD2 receptor (present, among others, in the nucleus accumbens) plays an important role in the reward system, in the transmission of information. The weakening of this conductivity is a significant risk factor for the onset of clinical features that are associated with reward system deficiency syndrome. The expression of the D2 receptor gene may take up to 2 isoforms: short D2S and long D2L. Conclusions: Further research at the molecular level may result in the modification of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy in terms of their personalization.
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