No abstract

The misuse of psychoactive substances is attracting a great deal of attention from the general public. An increase use of psychoactive substances is observed among young people who do not have enough awareness of the harmful effects of these substances. Easy access to illicit drugs at low cost and lack of effective means of routine screening for new psychoactive substances (NPS) have contributed to the rapid increase in their use. New research and evidence suggest that drug use can cause a variety of adverse psychological and physiological effects on human health (anxiety, panic, paranoia, psychosis, and seizures). We describe different classes of these NPS drugs with emphasis on the methods used to identify them and the identification of their metabolites in biological specimens. This is the first review that thoroughly gives the literature on both natural and synthetic illegal drugs with old known data and very hot new topics and investigations, which enables the researcher to use it as a starting point in the literature exploration and planning of the own research. For the first time, the conformational analysis was done for selected illegal drugs, giving rise to the search of the biologically active conformations both theoretically and using lab experiments.

No abstract

In 2012, alcohol liver disease resulted in 3.3 million—5.9% of global deaths. This study introduced whey protection capacity against chronic alcohol-induced liver injury. Rats were orally administered to 12% ethanol solution in water (ad libitum, average 8.14 g of ethanol/kg body weight (b.w.)/day) alone or combined with whey ( per os, 2 g/kg b.w./day). After 6-week treatment, chronic ethanol consumption induced significant histopathological liver changes: congestion, central vein dilation, hepatic portal vein branch dilation, Kupffer cells hyperplasia, fatty liver changes, and hepatocytes focal necrosis. Ethanol significantly increased liver catalase activity and glutathione reductase protein expression without significant effects on antioxidative enzymes: glutathione peroxidase (GPx), copper–zinc-containing superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) and manganese-containing superoxide dismutase (MnSOD). Co-treatment with whey significantly attenuated pathohistological changes induced by ethanol ingestion and increased GSH-Px and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) protein expression. Our results showed positive effects of whey on liver chronically exposed to ethanol, which seem to be associated with NF-κB-GPx signaling.

No abstract

Summary. The aim of our work was to optimize and apply simple high-performance liquid chromatography method with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV) for simultaneous determination of reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione in biological matrix (specifically, the rat liver tissue was used herein), since the ratio between oxidized and reduced glutathione forms (GSSG-GSH) has been recognized as an important biological marker of oxidatively depleted GSH in oxidative stress (OS)-associated diseases and poisonings. An isocratic chromatographic separation of GSH and GSSG (2.8 min and 6.3 min, respectively) was performed with the mobile phase consisted of sodium perchlorate solution (pH adjusted to 2.8) at flow rate of 1 mL min −1 , detection set at 215 nm, and column temperature of 40 °C. The method offers short run time, linearity in the range of 0.01-200 µM concentration for both compounds (R 2 = 1), low limits of detection and quantification (GSH: 0.18 µM and 0.56 µM, GSSG: 0.52 µM and 1.58 µM, respectively), precision, accuracy (bias < 2%), and high reproducibility.Through suitable sample handling, an overestimation of GSSG was prevented. High recovery (>99%) was achieved. The method was successfully applied for the analysis of GSH and GSSG in liver homogenates of Wistar rats intraperitoneally exposed to cadmium (Cd) (1 mg kg −1 CdCl2/21 days). Regardless of other Cd-mediated hepatotoxicity mechanisms, herein, we have exclusively interpreted/emphasized oxidative GSH depletion.The presented method is acceptable for a routine analysis of GSH and GSSG in biological matrix, while the calculated ratio GSSG-GSH is considered as a valuable OS marker.

SummaryWider implementation of laboratory information systems (LIS) in clinical laboratories in Serbia has been initiated ten years ago. The first LIS in the Railway Health Care Institute has been implemented nine years ago. Before the LIS was initiated, manual admission procedures limited daily output of patients. Moreover, manual entering of patients data and ordering tests on analyzers was problematic and time consuming. After completing tests, laboratory personnel had to write results in patient register (with potential errors) and provide invoices for health insurance organisation. First LIS brought forward some advantages with regards to these obstacles, but it also showed various weaknesses. These can be summarised in rigidity of system and inability to fulfil user expectation. After 4 years of use, we replaced this system with another LIS. Hence, the main aim of this paper is to evaluate advant ages of using LIS in laboratory of the Railway Health Care Institute and also to discuss further possibilities for its application. After implementing LIS, admission procedure has proven to be much faster. LIS enabled electronic requests, barcoded specimens prevent identification errors, bidirectional interface replaces redundant data entry steps, QC data are transferred automatically, results are electronically validated and automatically archived in data base, billing information is transferred electronically, and more. We also use some advanced options, like delta check, HIL feature, quality indicators and various types of reports. All steps in total testing process are drastically improved after the implementation of LIS, which had a positive impact on the quality of issued laboratory results. However, we expect development of some new features in the future, for example auto-verification and inventory management. On the example of the laboratory of the Railway Health Care Institute, we show that it is crucial that laboratory specialists have the main role in defining desirable characteristics of LIS which institution aims to buy. This paper suggests that the main feature of LIS should be the flexibility of system and capability of adjustment to user needs and requests.

The effects of fentanyl, ketamine and thalamonal on some biochemical parameters of ethanol-treated and untreated dogs, were studied. The study was carried out on mongrel dogs. The animals were divided into two main groups: one which had free access to food and to 12% (v/v) ethanol, instead of water, and a control group which had food and water ad libitum. The animals in both groups were exposed to the action of anaesthetics for 3 h. The results show that, under the given experimental conditions, the anaesthetics did not significantly change the investigated parameters of blood and liver, either in ethanol-treated or untreated dogs. However, the action of ethanol caused remarkable changes in almost all the investigated parameters. An increased content of cytochrome P450 caused by the action of ethanol suggests possible changes in the metabolism of anaesthetics, which should be of concern to anaesthetists when dealing with patients potentially intoxicated with ethanol.