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Congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) is a rare hereditary disease characterized by the development of hypoglycemia in both infants and adult patients. CHI may be induced by activating mutations in the glucokinase ( GCK ) gene, which encodes the human glucokinase enzyme. This form of the disease is characterized by considerable phenotypic heterogeneity and may vary in severity of its course. We present a familial case report of mild CHI caused by a novel variant, c.212T > C (p.Val71Ala), in the GCK gene in a 41-year-old mother and a 15-year-old daughter. The clinical picture of hypoglycemia in the patients was not pronounced, which makes this clinical case remarkable. Moreover, a variant of uncertain clinical significance, с.1903G > A (p.Ala635Thr), in the ABCC8 gene was detected, which may also have contributed to the course of the disease in these patients., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society.)

The effect of the selective μ 2 -opioid receptor agonist endomorphin-1 in reperfusion injury in male Wistar rats was studied in vivo and in vitro. The in vivo experiment included coronary artery occlusion (45 min) and reperfusion (120 min); in in vitro experiments, 45-min global ischemia of the isolated rat heart was followed by 30-min reperfusion. Endomorphin-1 was administered intravenously 5 min before in vivo reperfusion (at a dose 50 μg/kg) or added to the perfusion solution at the onset of reperfusion of the isolated heart (in a concentration of 152 nmol/liter). In vivo endomorphin-1 reduced the infarct size by 33% compared to the control group. In experiments on isolated heart, endomorphin-1 improved the contractile function during reperfusion and reduced the creatine kinase level in the coronary effluent. Hence, stimulation of cardiac μ 2 -opioid receptors increases heart tolerance to the pathogenic effects of reperfusion., (© 2024. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The left bundle branch block, nonischemic heart failure (HF) and female gender are the most powerful predictors of a super response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). It is important to identify super responders who can derive most benefits from CRT. We aimed to establish a predicting model that could be used for prognosis of a super response to CRT in short-term period., Methods: Patients with QRS ≥ 130 ms, New York Heart Association (NYHA) II-III class of HF, left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤ 35% and indications for CRT were included in the study. Before and 6 month after CRT the electrocardiography, echocardiography and cardiac scintigraphy were performed. The study's primary endpoint was the NYHA class improvement ≥ 1 and left ventricle end systolic volume decrease > 30% or LVEF improvement > 15% after 6 month CRT. Based on collected data, we developed a predictive model regarding a super response to CRT., Results: Of 49 (100.0%) patients, 32 (65.3%) had a super response to CRT. Patients with a super response were likelier to have a lower cardiac index (p = 0.007), higher rates of interventricular delay (IVD) (p = 0.003), phase standard deviation of left ventricle anterior wall (PSD LVAW) (p = 0.009) and ∆QRS (p = 0.02). Only IVD and PSD LVAW were independently associated with a super response to CRT in univariate and multivariate logistic regression. We created a logistic equation and calculated a cut-off value. The resulting ROC curve revealed a discriminative ability with AUC of 0.812 (sensitivity 90.62%; specificity 70.59%)., Conclusion: Our predictive model is able to distinguish patients with a super response to CRT., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethical approval: The study was carried out in accordance with the principles of Helsinki Declaration and with the standards of Good Clinical Practice. The study was approved by the Local Ethics Committee at Cardiology Research Institute (protocol № 163 dated November 08, 2017; protocol № 232 dated October 26, 2022). All included patients were from a registered study (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03667989). Informed consent: All participants provided written informed consent prior to study participation. Competing interests: The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: It has been reported that the mitochondrial respiratory dysfunction (MRD) is important mechanisms affecting the heart failure (HF) pathogenesis. We sought to evaluate the potential role of MRD of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in HF severity prediction in patients with cardioverter-defibrillator implantation indications., Methods: In this single-center study patients with HF of New York Heart Association (NYHA) I-III functional class (FC) and cardioverter-defibrillator implantation indications underwent transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and MRD assessment using PBMC. Mitochondrial respiration rate (MRR) indicators (pyruvate + malate + adenosine diphosphate; succinate + adenosine diphosphate; pyruvate + malate - adenosine diphosphate [V 4.1 ]; succinate - adenosine diphosphate) were calculated. Correlations between HF NYHA FC, TTE and MRR indicators were evaluated. Based on our data, we developed a risk model regarding HF severity., Results: Of 53 (100.0%) HF patients, 33 (62.3%) had mild exercise intolerance (1 st group) and 20 (37.7%) had moderate-to-severe exercise intolerance (2 nd group). Patients with mild exercise intolerance were likely to have a higher V 4.1 ( P < 0.001) values. V 4.1 was independently associated with moderate-to-severe exercise intolerance in univariate and multivariate logistic regression (OR = 0.932, 95% CI: 0.891-0.975, P < 0.001)., Conclusions: The severity of HF is associated with PBMC mitochondrial respiratory dysfunction in patients with cardioverter-defibrillator implantation indications. Our HF severity risk model including V 4.1 parameters is able to distinguish patients with mild and moderate-to-severe exercise intolerance. Further investigations of their predictive significance are warranted., (© 2024 JGC All rights reserved; www.jgc301.com.)

This prospective study aimed to investigate the ability of cardiac autonomic nervous system (CANS) activity assessment to predict appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) during long-term follow-up period. We enrolled patients with CAD and ICD implantation indications that included both secondary and primary prevention of sudden cardiac death. Before ICD implantation CANS was assessed by using heart rate variability (HRV), myocardium scintigraphy with 123 I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine ( 123 I-MIBG) and erythrocyte membranes β-adrenoreactivity (EMA). The study's primary endpoint was the documentation of appropriate ICD therapy. Of 45 (100.0%) patients, 15 (33.3%) had appropriate ICD therapy during 36 months follow-up period. Patients with appropriate ICD therapy were likely to have a higher summed 123 I-MIBG score delayed (p < 0.001) and lower 123 I-MIBG washout rate (p = 0.008) indicators. These parameters were independently associated with endpoint in univariable and multivariable logistic regression. We created a logistic equation and calculated a cut-off value. The resulting ROC curve revealed a discriminative ability with AUC of 0.933 (95% confidence interval 0.817-0.986; sensitivity 100.00%; specificity 93.33%). Combined CANS activity assessment is useful in prediction of appropriate ICD therapy in patients with CAD during long-term follow-up period after device implantation., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Objective : This study assessed the patterns and clinical significance of potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs) in patients with diseases of the cardiovascular system. Methods : Electronic health records (EHRs), established in 2018-2023, were selected using the probability serial nested sampling method ( n = 1030). Patients were aged 27 to 95 years (65.0% men). Primary diagnosis of COVID-19 was present in 17 EHRs (1.7%). Medscape Drug Interaction Checker was used to characterize pDDIs. The Mann-Whitney U test and chi-square test were used for statistical analysis. Results : Drug numbers per record ranged from 1 to 23 in T-List and from 1 to 20 in P-List. In T-List, 567 drug combinations resulted in 3781 pDDIs. In P-List, 584 drug combinations resulted in 5185 pDDIs. Polypharmacy was detected in 39.0% of records in T-List versus 65.9% in P-List ( p -value < 0.05). The rates of serious and monitor-closely pDDIs due to 'aspirin + captopril' combinations were significantly higher in P-List than in T-List ( p -value < 0.05). The rates of serious pDDIs due to 'aspirin + enalapril' and 'aspirin + lisinopril' combinations were significantly lower in P-List compared with the corresponding rates in T-List ( p -value < 0.05). Serious pDDIs due to administration of aspirin with fosinopril, perindopril, and ramipril were detected less frequently in T-List ( p -value < 0.05). Conclusions : Obtained data may suggest better patient adherence to 'aspirin + enalapril' and 'aspirin + lisinopril' combinations, which are potentially superior to the combinations of aspirin with fosinopril, perindopril, and ramipril. An abundance of high-order pDDIs in real-world clinical practice warrants the development of a decision support system aimed at reducing pharmacotherapy-associated risks while integrating patient pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and pharmacogenetic information.

Background: The high mortality rate of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains the most pressing issue of modern cardiology. Over the past 10 years, there has been no significant reduction in mortality among patients with AMI. It is quite obvious that there is an urgent need to develop fundamentally new drugs for the treatment of AMI. Angiotensin 1-7 has some promise in this regard., Objective: The objective of this article is analysis of published data on the cardioprotective properties of angiotensin 1-7., Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Google Scholar were used to search articles for this study., Results: Angiotensin 1-7 increases cardiac tolerance to ischemia/reperfusion and mitigates adverse remodeling of the heart. Angiotensin 1-7 can prevent not only ischemic but also reperfusion cardiac injury. The activation of the Mas receptor plays a key role in these effects of angiotensin 1-7. Angiotensin 1-7 alleviates Ca 2+ overload of cardiomyocytes and reactive oxygen species production in ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) of the myocardium. It is possible that both effects are involved in angiotensin 1-7-triggered cardiac tolerance to I/R. Furthermore, angiotensin 1-7 inhibits apoptosis of cardiomyocytes and stimulates autophagy of cells. There is also indirect evidence suggesting that angiotensin 1-7 inhibits ferroptosis in cardiomyocytes. Moreover, angiotensin 1-7 possesses anti-inflammatory properties, possibly achieved through NF-kB activity inhibition. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase, Akt, and NO synthase are involved in the infarct-reducing effect of angiotensin 1-7. However, the specific end-effector of the cardioprotective impact of angiotensin 1-7 remains unknown., Conclusion: The molecular nature of the end-effector of the infarct-limiting effect of angiotensin 1-7 has not been elucidated. Perhaps, this end-effector is the sarcolemmal K ATP channel or the mitochondrial K ATP channel., (© 2024 Société Française de Pharmacologie et de Thérapeutique. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that melatonin-containing food (FMT) consumption is associated with a better sleep schedule and cognitive and psychoemotional state in older adults. A cross-sectional study of 557 (79% females) older adults living in the community with a mean age of 68.9 ± 7.7, ranging from 50 to 90 years, was conducted. The study, conducted in May and September 2023 using a face-to-face interview, collected personal data and assessed FMT intake during the day (FMT day ) and for dinner (FMT dinner ), life satisfaction, positive and negative affect, depression severity, cognitive functions, and sleep characteristics. Multiple regression and logistic regression analysis, adjusted for co-factors, were used to assess the association between the studied indicators. Multiple regression analysis showed that older adults with higher FMT consumption are more satisfied with life (FMT dinner : β = 0.107; ∆ R 2 = 0.011; p = 0.020), have a lower level of depression (FMT day : β = -0.124; ∆ R 2 = 0.015; p = 0.003), and higher scores in positive affect (FMT day : β = 0.169; ∆ R 2 = 0.016; p = 0.007; FMT dinner : β = 0.136; ∆ R 2 = 0.019; p = 0.003). Logistic regression analysis showed that older adults with higher FMT consumption are less likely to have depression (FMT day : OR, 0.614; 95% CI, 0.436-0.864; p = 0.005; FMT dinner : OR, 0.671; 95% CI, 0.476-0.945; p = 0.023), and they perform better on logical thinking tests (FMT day : OR, 2.066; 95% CI, 1.131-2.204; p = 0.013; FMT dinner : OR, 1.887; 95% CI, 1.183-2.138; p = 0.033). A greater life satisfaction as well as a decrease in the cognitive impairment and psychoemotional state of older adults is associated with a higher consumption of melatonin-containing foods.

Coronary occlusion (45 min) and reperfusion (120 min) in male Wistar rats in vivo, as well as total ischemia (45 min) of an isolated rat heart followed by reperfusion (30 min) were reproduced. The selective δ 2 -opioid receptor agonist deltorphin II (0.12 mg/kg and 152 nmol/liter) was administered intravenously 5 min before reperfusion in vivo or added to the perfusion solution at the beginning of reperfusion of the isolated heart. The peripheral opioid receptor antagonist naloxone methiodide and δ 2 -opioid receptor antagonist naltriben were used in doses of 5 and 0.3 mg/kg, respectively. It was found that the infarct-limiting effect of deltorphin II is associated with the activation of δ 2 -opioid receptors. We have demonstrated that deltorphin II can improve the recovery of the contractility of the isolated heart after total ischemia., (© 2024. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Despite the unconditional success achieved in the treatment and prevention of AMI over the past 40 years, mortality in this disease remains high. Hence, it is necessary to develop novel drugs with mechanism of action different from those currently used in clinical practices. Studying the molecular mechanisms involved in the cardioprotective effect of adapting to cold could contribute to the development of drugs that increase cardiac tolerance to the impact of ischemia/reperfusion. An analysis of the published data shows that the long-term human stay in the Far North contributes to the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases. At the same time, chronic and continuous exposure to cold increases tolerance of the rat heart to ischemia/ reperfusion. It has been demonstrated that the cardioprotective effect of cold adaptation depends on the activation of ROS production, stimulation of the β2-adrenergic receptor and protein kinase C, MPT pore closing, and KATP channel.

Hypoxia (20 min) and reoxygenation (30 min) were simulated on isolated rat cardiomyocytes to evaluate the cytoprotective effect of selective δ 2 -opioid receptor agonist deltorphin II, opioid receptor antagonist naloxone methiodide, μ-opioid receptor antagonist CTAP, κ-opioid receptor antagonist nor-binaltorphimine, ε 1 -opioid receptor antagonist BNTX, and δ 2 -opioid receptors naltriben. Deltorphin II was administered 5 min before reoxygenation, antagonists were administered 10 min before reoxygenation. The cytoprotective effect of deltorphin II was assessed by the number of cardiomyocytes survived after hypoxia/reoxygenation, as well as by the lactate dehydrogenase content in the incubation medium. It has been established that the cytoprotective effect of deltorphin II occurs at a concentration of 64 nmol/liter and is associated with activation of δ 2 -opioid receptors., (© 2024. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

A comparative analysis of the infarct-limiting activity of δ- and κ-opioid receptors (OR) agonists was carried out on a model of coronary occlusion (45 min) and reperfusion (120 min) in male Wistar rats. We used selective δ 2 -OR agonist deltorphin II (0.12 mg/kg), δ-OR agonists BW373U86 and p-Cl-Phe DPDPE (0.1 and 1 mg/kg), selective agonists of δ 1 -OR DPDPE (0.1 and 0.969 mg/kg), κ 1 -OR U-50,488 (0.1 and 1 mg/kg), κ 2 -OR GR-89696 (0.1 mg/kg), and κ-OR ICI-199,441 (0.1 mg/kg). All drugs were administered intravenously 5 min before reperfusion. Deltorphin II, BW373U86 (1 mg/kg), p-Cl-Phe DPDPE (1 mg/kg), U-50,488 (1 mg/kg), and ICI-199,441 had a cardioprotective effect. The most promising compounds for drug development are ICI-199,441 and deltorphin II., (© 2024. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The use of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is associated with a mortality rate of 5%-7%. It is clear that there is an urgent need to develop new drugs that can effectively prevent cardiac reperfusion injury. ATP-sensitive K + (K ATP ) channel openers (KCOs) can be classified as such drugs., Results: KCOs prevent irreversible ischemia and reperfusion injury of the heart. K ATP channel opening promotes inhibition of apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, and stimulation of autophagy. KCOs prevent the development of cardiac adverse remodeling and improve cardiac contractility in reperfusion. KCOs exhibit antiarrhythmic properties and prevent the appearance of the no-reflow phenomenon in animals with coronary artery occlusion and reperfusion. Diabetes mellitus and a cholesterol-enriched diet abolish the cardioprotective effect of KCOs. Nicorandil, a KCO, attenuates major adverse cardiovascular event and the no-reflow phenomenon, reduces infarct size, and decreases the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias in patients with acute myocardial infarction., Conclusion: The cardioprotective effect of KCOs is mediated by the opening of mitochondrial K ATP (mitoK ATP ) and sarcolemmal K ATP (sarcK ATP ) channels, triggered free radicals' production, and kinase activation., (© 2023 Société Française de Pharmacologie et de Thérapeutique. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Timely referral of patients for genetic testing to rule out MEN1-associated primary PHPT is important factor in determining treatment strategy and prognosis. In the context of the limited availability of genetic testing, the search for clinical markers indicative of MEN1 gene mutations remains an extremely relevant task., Aim: To determine the diagnostic value of clinical features of primary PHPT in young patients for predicting the presence of MEN1 gene mutations., Materials and Methods: A single-center, prospective study was conducted at the Endocrinology Research Centre, involving 273 patients with PHPT in the period 2015-2022. Based on the results of genetic and laboratory tests, patients were divided into three groups: those with MEN1 gene mutations (MEN+ group, n=71), those without MEN1 gene mutations - isolated sporadic PHPT (MEN- group, n=158), and patients with PHPT and associated endocrine gland disorders - MEN-1 syndrome phenocopies (PHEN group, n=32). Subgroups of patients younger than 40 years of age were also identified. Comparative analysis was performed among the independent groups and subgroups, and logistic regression analysis was used to develop a mathematical model for predicting the probability of the presence of MEN1 gene mutation., Results: Patients in the MEN+ and MEN- groups were comparable by gender and age at manifestation, as well as calcium-phosphorus metabolism parameters and PHPT complications. In the PHEN group, PHPT manifested at older age compared to the other groups (p&lt;0.001 for all), with lower total calcium levels and a trend toward lower iPTH concentrations. The MEN+ group had a significantly higher frequency of multiglandular parathyroid (PG) involvement, PHPT recurrence, and positive family history compared to the MEN- and PHEN groups. Histologically, adenomas predominated in the PHEN and MEN- groups (92% and 94%, respectively), whereas hyperplasia of PGs were more common in the MEN+ group (49%). None of the PHEN patients had all three «classic» components of the MEN-1 syndrome, and the clinical course of PHPT was similar to that of the MEN- group. These differences were also observed in the subgroups of patients younger than 40 years, which formed the basis for the development of a mathematical model. The logistic regression equation for predicting the probability of the presence of the MEN1 gene mutation included eight predictors, with a diagnostic sensitivity of 96% and specificity of 98%., Conclusion: Based on the analysis performed, eight hereditary predictors of PHPT within the MEN-1 syndrome were identified. A mathematical model was developed to predict the presence of the MEN1 gene mutation in patients, which demonstrated high classification performance on the training dataset. Further refinement of the model will help improve the quality of medical care for patients with PHPT.

Adolescents are an at-risk group for circadian misalignment. The contribution of sleep-wake rhythm instability to the psychoemotional, cognitive, and weight disorders of adolescents has been studied in sufficient detail. At the same time, there is insufficient information about the association between chrononutrition indices and the well-being of adolescents. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between chrononutrition indices and academic achievement, psychoemotional state, and anthropometric indicators in adolescents. The study involved 12,759 students in grades 6-11 of secondary schools, aged 14.2 ± 1.7 years old; 57.2% of whom were girls. Participants provided personal data, frequency and time of meals during the day and at night, on weekdays and weekends, and completed the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale and the Yale Food Addiction Scale. There is a U-shaped association between eating mid-phase (EPFc), eating jetlag (EJL), and eating window (EW) with GPA, ZSDSI, and FA. At the same time, the frequency of night eating (NE) is linearly associated with the studied parameters. NE is the strongest predictor of ZSDSI ( β = 0.24), FA ( β = 0.04), and GPA ( β = -0.22). EPFc, EJL, and EW practically do not differ in the strength of their association with the studied indicators. ZSDSI is most closely associated with the chrononutrition indices. There is a weak negative association between BMI and EW ( β = -0.03) and NE ( β = -0.04). Thus, circadian eating disorders are more often observed in adolescents with poor academic performance, high levels of depression, and food addiction.

Landouzy-Dejerine myopathy (Facial-shoulder-shoulder myodystrophy) is a disease which causes weakness of the muscles of the shoulder girdle, back and hip muscles, which predisposes patients to an increased risk of injury and disability. The article presents a clinical observation of non-ischemic priapism, which developed as a result of perineal trauma with the formation of a fistula of the right cavernous body in a patient against the background of facial shoulder-shoulder myodystrophy. Methods for the differential diagnosis of this condition are also discussed.

The study aimed to assess clinical pharmacology patterns of prescribed and taken medications in older cardiovascular patients using electronic health records (EHRs) ( n = 704) (2019-2022). Medscape Drug Interaction Checker was used to identify pairwise drug-drug interactions (DDIs). Prevalence rates of DDIs were 73.5% and 68.5% among taken and prescribed drugs, respectively. However, the total number of DDIs was significantly higher among the prescribed medications ( p < 0.05). Serious DDIs comprised 16% and 7% of all DDIs among the prescribed and taken medications, respectively ( p < 0.05). Median numbers of DDIs between the prescribed vs. taken medications were Me = 2, IQR 0-7 vs. Me = 3, IQR 0-7 per record, respectively. Prevalence of polypharmacy was significantly higher among the prescribed medications compared with that among the taken drugs ( p < 0.05). Women were taking significantly more drugs and had higher prevalence of polypharmacy and DDIs ( p < 0.05). No sex-related differences were observed in the list of prescribed medications. ICD code U07.1 (COVID-19, virus identified) was associated with the highest median DDI number per record. Further research is warranted to improve EHR structure, implement patient engagement in reporting adverse drug reactions, and provide genetic profiling of patients to avoid potentially serious DDIs.

The analysis of experimental data demonstrates that platelets and neutrophils are involved in the no-reflow phenomenon, also known as microvascular obstruction (MVO). However, studies performed in the isolated perfused hearts subjected to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) do not suggest the involvement of microembolization and microthrombi in this phenomenon. The intracoronary administration of alteplase has been found to have no effect on the occurrence of MVO in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Consequently, the major events preceding the appearance of MVO in coronary arteries are independent of microthrombi, platelets, and neutrophils. Endothelial cells appear to be the target where ischemia can disrupt the endothelium-dependent vasodilation of coronary arteries. However, reperfusion triggers more pronounced damage, possibly mediated by pyroptosis. MVO and intra-myocardial hemorrhage contribute to the adverse post-infarction myocardial remodeling. Therefore, pharmacological agents used to treat MVO should prevent endothelial injury and induce relaxation of smooth muscles. Ischemic conditioning protocols have been shown to prevent MVO, with L-type Ca 2+ channel blockers appearing the most effective in treating MVO.

Food is an important source of melatonin (MT), which belongs to a group known as chronobiotics, a class of substances that affect the circadian system. Currently, no studies have been conducted on how the consumption of foods containing MT (FMT) is associated with indicators characterizing the human circadian system. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that FMT consumption is associated with chronotype and social jetlag. A total of 1277 schoolchildren and university students aged M (SD) 19.9 (4.1) years (range: 16-25 years; girls: 72.8%) participated in a cross-sectional study. Each participant completed an online questionnaire with their personal data (sex, age, height, weight, waist circumference, and academic performance) and a sequence of tests to assess their sleep-wake rhythm (the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire), sleep quality (the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), and depression level (the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale). Study participants also completed a modified food frequency questionnaire that only included foods containing MT (FMT). They were asked how many foods containing MT (FMT) they had eaten for dinner, constituting their daily serving, in the past month. The consumption of foods containing MT (FMT) during the day (FMT day ) and at dinner (FMT dinner ) was assessed using this test. Multiple regression analyses were performed to assess the association between the studied indicators. We found that higher FMT day values were associated with early chronotype ( β = -0.09) and less social jetlag ( β = -0.07), better sleep quality ( β = -0.06) and lower levels of depression ( β = -0.11), as well as central adiposity ( β = -0.08). Higher FMT dinner values were associated with a lower risk of central adiposity ( β = -0.08). In conclusion, the data obtained confirm the hypothesis that the consumption of foods containing MT (FMT) is associated with chronotype and social jetlag in adolescents and young adults.

Introduction: Currently, there are paucity of reports on the success of medical prevention of venous thromboembolic complications after urological procedures., Aim: To evaluate the efficiency of enoxaparin sodium for prevention of postoperative venous thromboembolic complications in urological patients., Materials and Methods: According to the medical records of 151 men and women aged 22 to 92 years old who were undergone to elective surgical treatment in April 2021, the results of the thrombin generation assay and ultrasound study of the inferior vena cava were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were divided into 6 study groups depending on the degree of risk of postoperative venous thromboembolism (very low, low, moderate, high, very high and extremely high). The data obtained during the thrombin generation assay in patients from different groups were compared with those in healthy volunteers (n=30, control group) and evaluated in dynamics. In addition, intergroup comparison was done., Results: All study participants prior to surgery had a significant increase in peak thrombin and endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) by 5-26% and 13.5-21.5%, respectively. The postoperative findings were as following: 1) one hour after the procedure, a significant (by 9-28.6%) decrease in the normal bleeding time (Lag time); 2) a significant increase in the peak thrombin by 4.8-10.6% 1 hour after surgery and by 11-40.2% at the end of the first postoperative week; 3) reducing the time to peak thrombin (ttPeak) by 13-15%; 4) increase in ETP. According to the ultrasonic data, all study participants had no signs of thrombosis of the inferior vena cava system., Conclusion: In urological patients requiring surgical treatment, before and after procedure, there is almost always a shift in the hemostasis towards the predominance of the blood coagulation system. Under such conditions, to prevent the development of postoperative VTE, it is expedient and pathogenetically justified to use enoxaparin sodium in a single dose of 0.4 ml or 4000 anti-Xa IU administered once a day s/c 24 hours before the procedure and till full activation of a patient.

Aim    To analyze the effect of the door-to-balloon time on treatment outcomes in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) depending on the duration of pre-hospital delay.Material ad methods    The study used data of the hospital registry of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in STEMI from 2006 through 2017. The analysis included 1333 patients. All patients were divided into two groups. The first group included 574 (43.1%) patients with the time from the pain syndrome onset to admission was ≤120 min. The second group consisted of 759 (56.9 %) patients with the time of pre-hospital delay exceeding 120 min. Results of the treatment were analyzed for each group depending on the door-to-balloon time, ≤60 min or &gt;60 min.Results    In the group of patients with the prehospital delay less than 120 min and the door-to-balloon time ≤60 min vs. patients with the door-to-balloon time &gt;60 min, the following was observed: decreased in-hospital mortality (1.3 % vs. 6.8 %, p=0.001), reduced incidence of major adverse cardiac effects (МАСЕ) (3.2 % vs. 8.3 %, p=0.008), and reduced incidence of the no-reflow phenomenon (3.9 % vs. 9.4 %, p=0.007). Also, immediate angiographic success of PCI was more frequently achieved in these patents (94.5 % vs. 87.5 %, p=0.003). In addition, in the group with the prehospital delay ≤120 min and the door-to-balloon time ≤60 min, a higher ejection fraction was noted at discharge from the hospital (48 [43; 51] % vs. 46 [42; 51] %, р=0.038). Comparison of treatment outcomes between the groups with different door-to-balloon time (≤60 min or &gt;60 min) and a prehospital delay &gt;120 min did not show any significant intergroup differences. According to a multivariate analysis, the door-to-balloon time ≤60 min did not predict in-hospital mortality. There was a strong correlation between the time of prehospital delay and the total time of myocardial ischemia (r=0.87; р&lt;0.001) while the correlation between the door-to-balloon time and the total time of myocardial ischemia was moderate (r=0.41; р&lt;0.001). At the same time, there was no correlation between the time of prehospital delay and the door-to-balloon time.Conclusion    In STEMI patients with a prehospital delay less than 120 min from the pain syndrome onset, a decrease in the door-to-balloon time was associated with better outcome of the hospital treatment. When the duration of prehospital delay was more than 120 min, a decrease in door-to-balloon time did not influence the treatment outcome. The time of prehospital delay strongly correlated with the total time of myocardial ischemia.

The signaling mechanism of the cardioprotective effect of deltorphin II was studied in models of coronary occlusion (45 min) and reperfusion (120 min) in male Wistar rats. We used the selective δ 2 -opioid receptor agonist deltorphin II (0.12 mg/kg), which was administered intravenously 5 min before reperfusion, the PI3K inhibitor wortmannin (0.025 mg/kg), the ERK1/2 blocker PD-098059 (0.5 mg/kg), the inhibitor JAK2 AG490 (3 mg/kg). All kinase blockers were administered 10 min before reperfusion. The infarct-limiting effect of deltorphin II is associated with the activation of PI3K and ERK1/2 and does not depend on JAK2., (© 2023. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Approximately 13% of the Russian population suffers from chronic kidney disease (CKD). Such a high prevalence of the disease, as well as the complexity and high cost of renal replacement therapy, explain the need for developing and implementing new approaches to treat patients at the pre-dialysis stages. The data collected in recent decades highlight the importance of gut microbiota in the progression of CKD. This review provides information about the microbiota composition in healthy individuals and patients with CKD and discusses the mechanisms of interaction in the intestine-kidney system. The article also presents the specifics of the violation of gut microbiota (GM) and correction thereof in CKD., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Indian Journal of Nephrology.)

We studied the presence of interstitial edema of the interatrial septum in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) with atrial fibrillation (n=23) or without rhythm disturbances (n=9). The intensity of the MRI signal of the interatrial septum, interventricular septum, and skeletal muscle by T2-weighted MRI and the enhancement index of interatrial septum (the ratio of the signal intensity of the interatrial septum to the signal intensity of the skeletal muscle) were evaluated. The enhancement index of interatrial septum ⩾2 was regarded as an MRI sign of myocardial edema. The enhancement index of interatrial septum in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation was 2.4 (2.21; 2.69) and was higher than in CHF patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and in CHF patients without arrhythmias and surpassed the control values (p<0.05), which indicates the presence of MRI signs of edema of the myocardium of the interatrial septum. The obtained data confirm the presence of myocardial edema of the interatrial septum in CHF patients and persistent form of atrial fibrillation, which expands the understanding of the pathogenesis of this condition., (© 2023. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

In male Wistar rats, coronary occlusion (45 min) and reperfusion (120 min) were modeled. Selective δ 2 -opioid receptor agonist (deltorphin II, 0.12 mg/kg) was administered intravenously 5 min before reperfusion; NO synthase inhibitor (L-NAME, 10 mg/kg), MPT pore blocker (atractyloside, 5 mg/kg), and protein kinase A inhibitor (H-89, 10 μg/kg) were administered intravenously 10 min before reperfusion. Deltorphin II administered before reperfusion led to a 2-fold decrease in the infarct size. The infarct-limiting effect of deltorphin II was associated with blockade of MPT pore. Protein kinase A and NO synthase were not involved in the cardioprotective effect of deltorphin II., (© 2023. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

In-hospital mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is 5-6%. Consequently, it is necessary to develop fundamentally novel drugs capable of reducing mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Apelins could be the prototype for such drugs. Chronic administration of apelins mitigates adverse myocardial remodeling in animals with myocardial infarction or pressure overload. The cardioprotective effect of apelins is accompanied by blockage of the MPT pore, GSK-3β, and the activation of PI3-kinase, Akt, ERK1/2, NO-synthase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, matrix metalloproteinase, the epidermal growth factor receptor, Src kinase, the mitoK ATP channel, guanylyl cyclase, phospholipase C, protein kinase C, the Na + /H + exchanger, and the Na + /Ca 2+ exchanger. The cardioprotective effect of apelins is associated with the inhibition of apoptosis and ferroptosis. Apelins stimulate the autophagy of cardiomyocytes. Synthetic apelin analogues are prospective compounds for the development of novel cardioprotective drugs.

Background: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) improves the outcome in patients with heart failure (HF). However, approximately 30% of patients are nonresponsive to CRT. The aim of this study was to determine the role of the left ventricular (LV) mechanical dyssynchrony (MD) and scar burden as predictors of CRT response., Methods: In this study, we included 56 patients with HF and the left bundle-branch block with QRS duration ≥ 150 ms who underwent CRT-D implantation. In addition to a full examination, myocardial perfusion imaging and gated blood-pool single-photon emission computed tomography were performed. Patients were grouped based on the response to CRT assessed via echocardiography (decrease in LV end-systolic volume ≥15% or/and improvement in the LV ejection fraction ≥5%)., Results: In total, 45 patients (80.3%) were responders and 11 (19.7%) were nonresponders to CRT. In multivariate logistic regression, LV anterior-wall standard deviation (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.5275; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1472-2.0340; p = 0.0037), summed rest score (OR 0.7299; 95% CI 0.5627-0.9469; p = 0.0178), and HF nonischemic etiology (OR 20.1425; 95% CI 1.2719-318.9961; p = 0.0331) were the independent predictors of CRT response., Conclusion: Scar burden and MD assessed using cardiac scintigraphy are associated with response to CRT.

One of the causes of acute kidney injury is the renal artery thrombosis. Clinical manifestations depend on the level of thrombus. This pathology is characterized by non-specific clinical manifestations in the early period, the complexity of differential diagnosis, often delayed verification of the diagnosis and unfavorable prognosis in case of prolonged (5-7 days) anuria. There is no generally accepted protocol for the diagnosis and treatment of renal artery thrombosis. To clarify the diagnosis, intravenous urography, radionuclide renography, and contrast-enhanced computed tomography are recommended. Until recently, patients with suspected renal artery thrombosis were treated with anticoagulant therapy and renal replacement therapy with hemodialysis, which is required constantly as renal function was usually irreversibly impaired. Surgical treatment is effective only in the first hours. The outcome is often unfavorable, the probability of hemorrhagic complications is high. Due to the rare frequency of detection and verification of renal infarction, no consensus has been reached regarding the diagnosis or treatment of this condition.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the inflammatory changes in the myocardium, based on endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) data in patients undergoing radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for idiopathic atrial fibrillation (AF). A total of 67 patients with idiopathic AF were enrolled in the study. Patients underwent the intracardiac examination, RFA of AF, and EMB with histological and immunohistochemical studies. The catheter-treatment effectiveness, and occurrence of early and late recurrences of atrial tachyarrhythmias, were assessed depending on the identified histological changes. Nine patients (13.4%) did not have any histological changes in the myocardium according to EMB. Fibrotic changes were detected in 26 cases (38.8%). Inflammatory changes according to the Dallas criteria were observed in 32 patients (47.8%). The follow-up period for patients averaged 19.3 ± 3.7 months. The effectiveness rates of primary RFA were 88.9% in patients with the intact myocardium, 46.2% in patients with fibrotic changes of varying severity, and 34.4% in patients with the presence of criteria for myocarditis. No early recurrence of arrhythmias was observed in patients with unchanged myocardia. The presence of inflammatory and fibrotic changes in the myocardium increased the rates of early and late arrhythmia recurrences and accordingly halved the effectiveness RFA of AF.

Background: Impaired cardiac sympathetic activity and mechanical dyssynchrony (MD) are associated with poor prognosis in patients with heart failure (HF) after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). The study aims to assess the significance of scintigraphic evaluation of cardiac sympathetic innervation and contractility in predicting response to CRT in patients with ischemic and non-ischemic chronic HF., Methods and Results: The study includes 58 HF patients, who were referred for CRT. Prior to CRT all patients underwent 123 I-metaiodobenzylguanidine ( 123 I-MIBG) imaging and gated myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) using a cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT) SPECT/CT device. At a one-year follow-up post-CRT, the delayed heart-to-mediastinum 123 I-MIBG uptake ratio was an independent predictor of CRT response in non-ischemic HF patients (OR 1.469; 95% CI 1.076-2.007, p = .003). In ischemic HF patients the MD index histogram bandwidth (HBW) obtained by CZT-gated MPI had a predictive value (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.001-1.112, p = .005) to CRT response., Conclusion: CRT response can be predicted by cardiac 123 I-MIBG scintigraphy, specifically by the heart-to-mediastinum ratio in non-ischemic HF and by the MD index HBW in ischemic HF. These results suggest the value of a potentially useful algorithm to improve outcomes in HF patients who are candidates for CRT., (© 2022. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to American Society of Nuclear Cardiology.)

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) of the heart leads to increased autophagic flux. Preconditioning stimulates autophagic flux by AMPK and PI3-kinase activation and mTOR inhibition. The cardioprotective effect of postconditioning is associated with activation of autophagy and increased activity of NO-synthase and AMPK. Oxidative stress stimulates autophagy in the heart during I/R. Superoxide radicals generated by NADPH-oxidase acts as a trigger for autophagy, possibly due to AMPK activation. There is reason to believe that AMPK, GSK-3β, PINK1, JNK, hexokinase II, MEK, PKCα, and ERK kinases stimulate autophagy, while mTOR, PKCδ, Akt, and PI3-kinase can inhibit autophagy in the heart during I/R. However, there is evidence that PI3-kinase could stimulate autophagy in ischemic preconditioning of the heart. It was found that transcription factors FoxO1, FoxO3, NF-κB, HIF-1α, TFEB, and Nrf-2 enhance autophagy in the heart in I/R. Transcriptional factors STAT1, STAT3, and p53 inhibit autophagy in I/R. MicroRNAs could stimulate and inhibit autophagy in the heart in I/R. Long noncoding RNAs regulate the viability and autophagy of cardiomyocytes in hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R). Nitric oxide (NO) donors and endogenous NO could activate autophagy of cardiomyocytes. Activation of heme oxygenase-1 promotes cardiomyocyte tolerance to H/R and enhances autophagy. Hydrogen sulfide increases cardiac tolerance to I/R and inhibits apoptosis and autophagy via mTOR and PI3-kinase activation., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The search for novel drugs for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction and reperfusion injury of the heart is an urgent aim of modern pharmacology. Opioid peptides could be such potential drugs in this area. However, the molecular mechanism of the infarct-limiting effect of opioids in reperfusion remains unexplored. The objective of this research was to study the signaling mechanisms of the cardioprotective effect of deltorphin II in reperfusion. Rats were subjected to coronary artery occlusion (45 min) and reperfusion (2 h). The ratio of infarct size/area at risk was determined. This study indicated that the cardioprotective effect of deltorphin II in reperfusion is mediated via the activation of peripheral δ 2 opioid receptor (OR), which is most likely localized in cardiomyocytes. We studied the role of guanylyl cyclase, protein kinase Cδ (PKCδ), phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3-kinase), extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2 (ERK1/2-kinase), ATP-sensitive K + -channels (K ATP channels), mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP), NO synthase (NOS), protein kinase A (PKA), Janus 2 kinase, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), the large conductance calcium-activated potassium channel (BK Ca -channel), reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cardioprotective effect of deltorphin II. The infarct-reducing effect of deltorphin II appeared to be mediated via the activation of PKCδ, PI3-kinase, ERK1/2-kinase, sarcolemmal K ATP channel opening, and MPTP closing.

Stress effects activate the processes of free radical oxidation in the organism, lead to hyper production of reactive radicals and oxidative stress, provoking the development of an inflammatory process in various parts of the gastrointestinal tract. Pectin polysaccharides together with the enzyme components of the endogenous antioxidant system contribute to the elimination of the imbalance between prooxidants and antioxidants in the tissues of stressed animals and have a gastroprotective and antidepressant-like effect. The aim of the research was to evaluate the gastroprotective, antioxidant and antidepressant-like effect of plum pectin orally administered to white laboratory mice before stressful exposure. Material and methods . In the experiment on white BALB/c mice weighing 20-25 g (90 males, 10 in each group), pectin isolated from fresh plum fruits in an artificial gastric environment was used. It was administered orally to mice 24 h before the onset of stress exposure or behavioral activity asessment. 50 animals were subjected to 5 h of water immersion stress. After this corticosterone concentration in blood plasma, and the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase in the tissue supernatants of the gastrointestinal tract were determined, and the condition of the gastric mucosa was also assessed. Behavioral activity of experimental mice (n=30) was assessed in the open field and forced swimming tests. Results . The stress effect was accompanied by an increase in plasma corticosterone concentration (more than 3 fold), in the activity of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase in the tissues of the stomach wall and small intestine (17.9-28.6%) and destructive damage in the gastric mucosa compared with the indices of intact animals. Preliminary oral administration of plum pectin to animals at a dose of 80 mg per 1 kg of body weight helped to reduce the level of corticosterone and the number of stress-induced hemorrhages on the gastric mucosa, normalized the activity of antioxidant enzymes and also decreased the immobility time of mice in the forced swimming test. Preliminary oral administration of plum pectin to animals at a dose of 80 mg per 1 kg of body weight prevented an increase in the activity of antioxidant enzymes, corticosterone in the blood and the development of stress-induced hemorrhages on the gastric mucosa, and reduced the time of immobility of mice in the forced swimming test. Conclusion . Plum fruit pectin pre-administered into mice before stress prevents stress-induced damage in the tissues of the gastrointestinal tract, contributing to an increase in the body's resistance to the stress factor. Plum pectin has an antioxidant, gastroprotective and antidepressant-like effect and can be used as an ingredient in functional foods that reduce the risk of inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract under stress., Competing Interests: The authors declare no overt and potential conflict of interest related to the publication of this article., (Copyright© GEOTAR-Media Publishing Group.)

We study 6000 author-publication observations to investigate predictors of early career success in six fields of economics. Concentrating on top researchers enables us to control for the effects of ability and effort, and focusing on the start of their careers minimizes distortions from reputation feedback. Our results reveal that the most important predictor for early career success is the ranking of an author's PhD granting institution, followed by his first placement. Our insights suggest that a counterfactual decrease in the Alma mater of a high ability author, who graduated from a top 10 university, by as little as 10 to 20 ranks, reduces his probability of getting a top 5 publication significantly by 13 percentage points. Lowering the ranking of his Alma mater by another 80 ranks decreases his chances of getting a top publication by a factor of three. Our findings suggest that the economics publication market values Alma mater signals, discounting newcomers graduating from- or working at lower ranked departments., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2022 Sergey V. Popov. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Intestinal microbiota is a topical subject of modern research. The maintenance of a healthy intestinal micro biota is an important component of homeostasis, and violations of its composition and functions, called dysbiosis, are associated with a number of diseases, including urinary tract infections. Antimicrobial therapy leads to significant changes in the intestinal microbiota and causes the possibility of urinary tract infection recurrence. In this regard, it is important to study methods of microbiota correction in order to restore its structural and functional integrity.

There are numerous studies which show that an early school start time has a negative impact on the sleep, well-being, and academic performance of students. There is not enough information on the association between school start time and eating disorders, however: the disruption of the circadian rhythm is known to be a risk factor for eating disorders. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between school start time (SST) and the sleep, well-being, academic performance, and eating behavior of children and adolescents. The study was conducted in April and May 2021 in two regions of Russia: the Komi Republic and Yekaterinburg. The online study involved the anonymous and voluntary participation of 6571 students in grades 6-11 (mean age: 14.5 ± 1.6 years, 60.1% female), who have morning classes. All participants were divided into three groups according to SST: 08:00 ( n = 3661), 08:30 ( n = 2020), and 09:00 ( n = 890). Each participant of the study indicated their place of residence, SST, age, sex, height, weight, academic performance, and filled out the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire, the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale, and the Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children. As a result of multiple regression analysis, it was shown that schoolchildren with SST of 09:00 wake up at a later time on school days ( B = 0.432; ΔR 2   = 0.039), sleep more ( B = 0.293; ΔR 2   = 0.004), have less pronounced social jetlag ( B = -0.223; ΔR 2   = 0.005) and sleep loss ( B = -0.292; ΔR 2   = 0.005), and higher academic performance ( B = 0.113; ΔR 2   = 0.003) than schoolchildren with SST of 08:00. As a result of logistic regression analysis, it was found that the frequency of the detection of food addiction is ~30% lower in schoolchildren with SST of 09:00 (OR = 0.690; 95% CI = 0.485-0.981) than in their peers with SST of 08:00. Thus, an overly early SST in Russia has a negative impact on the sleep function, academic performance, and eating behavior of children and adolescents.

Dermatomyositis is a rare systemic autoimmune disease characterized by primary damage of the skin and striated muscles with the development of chronic muscle weakness. Due to the polymorphic nature of the clinical picture, early diagnosis of dermatomyositis is challenging since patients may visit different specialists depending on predominating symptoms. This entails a late diagnosis and, as a result, the absence of necessary treatment. The article presents a clinical case of a late diagnosis of dermatomyositis, which resulted in the development of autoimmune myocarditis with complete atrioventricular block in a female patient.

Ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm is a life-threatening disease, which is difficult to detect prior to the occurrence of a catastrophe. Epidemiology patterns of ascending thoracic aortic dilations/aneurysms remain understudied, whereas the risk assessment of it may be improved. The electronic databases PubMed/Medline 1966-2022, Web of Science 1975-2022, Scopus 1975-2022, and RSCI 1994-2022 were searched. The current guidelines recommend a purely aortic diameter-based assessment of the thoracic aortic aneurysm risk, but over 80% of the ascending aorta dissections occur at a size that is lower than the recommended threshold of 55 mm. Moreover, a 55 mm diameter criterion could exclude a vast majority (up to 99%) of the patients from preventive surgery. The authors review several visualization-based and alternative approaches which are proposed to better predict the risk of dissection in patients with borderline dilated thoracic aorta. The imaging-based assessments of the biomechanical aortic properties, the Young's elastic modulus, the Windkessel function, compliance, distensibility, wall shear stress, pulse wave velocity, and some other parameters have been proposed to improve the risk assessment in patients with ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm. While the authors do not argue for shifting the diameter threshold to the left, they emphasize the need for more personalized solutions that integrate the imaging data with the patient's genotypes and phenotypes in this heterogeneous pathology.

Ischemic and reperfusion injuries of the heart underlie the pathogenesis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and sudden cardiac death. The mortality rate is still high and is 5-7% in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. The review is devoted to pharmacological approaches to limitation of ischemic and reperfusion injuries of the heart. The article analyzes experimental evidence and the clinical data on the effects of P2Y 12 receptor antagonists on the heart's tolerance to ischemia/reperfusion in animals with coronary artery occlusion and reperfusion and also in patients with AMI. Chronic administration of ticagrelor prevented adverse remodeling of the heart. There is evidence that sphingosine-1-phosphate is the molecule that mediates the infarct-reducing effect of P2Y 12 receptor antagonists. It was discussed a role of adenosine in the cardioprotective effect of ticagrelor., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022. The Korean Society of Cardiology.)

In the last 10 years, mortality from acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has not significantly decreased. This situation is associated with the absence in clinical practice of highly effective drugs capable of preventing the occurrence of reperfusion injury of the heart. Necroptosis inhibitors may become prototypes for the creation of highly effective drugs that increase cardiac tolerance to ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) and reduce the mortality rate in patients with AMI. Necroptosis is involved in I/R cardiac injury and inhibition of RIPK1 or RIPK3 contributes to an increase in cardiac tolerance to I/R. Necroptosis could also be involved in the development of adverse remodeling of the heart. It is unclear whether pre- and postconditioning could inhibit necroptosis of cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells. The role of necroptosis in coronary microvascular obstruction and the no-reflow phenomenon also needs to be studied. MicroRNAs and LncRNAs can regulate necroptotic cell death. Ca 2+ overload and reactive oxygen species could be the triggers of necroptosis. Activation of kinases (p38, JNK1, Akt, and mTOR) could promote necroptotic cell death. The interaction of necroptosis, apoptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis, and pyroptosis is discussed. The water-soluble necroptosis inhibitors may be highly effective drugs for treatment of AMI or stroke. It is possible that microRNAs may become the basis for creating drugs for treatment of diseases triggered by I/R of organs., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Previous studies show inconsistent results on the role of innervation imaging (with 123 I-mIBG) in predicting late atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after catheter ablation (CA). These studies included patients with paroxysmal AF and studied prognostic value of post-CA I-123-mIBG parameters. Current study investigated the ability of pre CA 123-I-mIBG imaging to predict late AF recurrence in patients with persistent AF., Methods: 123 I-mIBG cardiac imaging was performed before CA in 82 patients with persistent AF. Patient was followed for 12 months., Results: Multivariable analysis demonstrated that late heart-to-mediastinum ratio (H/M late ) and washout rate (WR) were independent predictors of AF recurrence. ROC-curve analysis data showed that H/M late <1.6 (sensitivity 73.53%, specificity 81.3%, AUC 0.792, P < .001) and WR > 25.11 (sensitivity 70.6%, specificity 70.8.3%, AUC 0.712, P < .001) indicate high probability of AF relapses during 12 months after CA., Conclusion: Pre-CA parameters of global cardiac sympathetic activity estimated by 123 I-mIBG scintigraphy are associated with late AF relapses in persistent AF patients with normal LVEF and absence of significant CAD., (© 2021. American Society of Nuclear Cardiology.)

Variants of the MYH7 gene have been associated with a number of primary cardiac conditions, including left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy (LVNC). Most cases of MYH7 -related diseases are associated with such variant types as missense substitutions and in-frame indels. Thus, truncating variants in MYH7 ( MYH7 tv) and associated mechanism of haploinsufficiency are usually considered not pathogenic in these disorders. However, recent large-scale studies demonstrated evidence of the significance of MYH7 tv for LVNC and gave rise to an assumption that haploinsufficiency may be the causal mechanism for LVNC. In this article, we present a family with isolated LVNC and a heterozygous splice variant of the MYH7 gene, analyze possible consequences of this variant and conclude that not all variants that are predicted truncating really act through haploinsufficiency. This study can highlight the importance of a precise assessment of MYH7 splicing variants and their participation in the development of LVNC.

Objective: The aim of the investigation was to determine the influence of such parametric characteristics of the stone such as size and volume on the duration of tulium laser disintegration of the urinary stone and to determine which of these parameters is more effective to use like prognostic criterion for the duration of the planned surgical intervention in the percutaneous nephrolithotripsy., Materials and Methods: Overall 52 patients (27 females and 25 males) with an average age of 56,9 (25-79) years participated in the present study. All patients underwent percutaneous nephrolithotripsy with disintegration of the kidney stone by thulium energy. Inclusion criteria were: stone size more or equal 2 cm, stone density >1100 HU. Exclusion criteria were: patients with a single kidney, urinary tract divertions, coagulopathy. The average operation time was 30 (15-100) minutes, with an average puncture time of 3.15 (1-10) minutes and lithotripsy time of 28 (14-98) minutes. To determine the volume we used the method of automatic lithometry according to CT data using the software: Vitrea ver. 4.1.52. The size of the stone was determined by the longest length in one of the plane. During the study it was found that the average size of the stone was 28.25 (20-58) mm and the average volume was 2579.4 (250-9990) mm3. To confirm our assumption, we decided to determine the dependence of the time of disintegration of the stone on the size and volume of the stone. For this purpose, we graphically presented the correlation of these parameters., Results: We have drawn 2 graphs reflecting the dependence of lithotripsy time parameters on the size and volume characteristics of the stone. As a result of comparing these parameters we found that size is a prognostically less reliable predictor of lithotripsy time, and is not characterized by a linear distribution, in contrast to the stone volume., Conclusions: Thereby, the main stereoscopic characteristic of a stone is a volume, which should be the primary guide in selecting the preferred method of treatment as well as in predicting the operative time and associated risks.

Aim      To evaluate efficacy and safety of the anticoagulant therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) during a 36-month follow-up after an interventional treatment.Material and methods  This study included 302 patients aged 29 to 81 years with various forms of AF. Catheter ablation (CA) of AF foci was performed for all patients. The patients were divided into 3 groups: group 1 with paroxysmal AF, group 2 with persistent AF, and group 3 with longstanding persistent AF. Two subgroups were isolated in each group, with effective and ineffective CA. Results of the follow-up were analyzed at 12, 24, and 36 months after discharge from the hospital. The follow-up interview recorded complaints of palpitation attacks, effectiveness of administered CA, compliance with the treatment, adverse clinical outcomes, including thromboembolic complications (TEC), bleeding, and hospitalizations.Results Efficacy of the interventional treatment for 36 months was 65.3 % in patients with paroxysmal AF, 59.7 % in patients with persistent AF, and 57.1 % in patients with longstanding persistent AF. Patients with paroxysmal AF and effective CA had no adverse events throughout the same period during the antithrombotic treatment (ATT). In contrast, the group with ineffective ablation had both TEC and hemorrhagic complications during the ATT. In the group with persistent AF and effective CA throughout the follow-up period, TECs were less frequent than in the group of ineffective ablations during the ATT treatment. Patients with longstanding persistent AF and effective CA throughout the follow-up period, had no TECs in contrast to patients with ineffective ablation during the ATT treatment. There were no fatal outcomes in patients with effective procedure.Conclusion      A successful CA procedure for AF provides a significant decrease in the risk of ischemic stroke. Furthermore, the invasive strategy does not increase the risk of major and minor bleedings.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is one of the main reasons of cardiovascular disease-related death. The introduction of percutaneous coronary intervention to clinical practice dramatically decreased the mortality rate in AMI. Adverse cardiac remodeling is a serious problem in cardiology. An increase in the effectiveness of AMI treatment and prevention of adverse cardiac remodeling is difficult to achieve without understanding the mechanisms of reperfusion cardiac injury and cardiac remodeling. Inhibition of pyroptosis prevents the development of postinfarction and pressure overload-induced cardiac remodeling, and mitigates cardiomyopathy induced by diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Therefore, it is reasonable to hypothesize that the pyroptosis inhibitors may find a role in clinical practice for treatment of AMI and prevention of cardiac remodeling, diabetes and metabolic syndrome-triggered cardiomyopathy. It was demonstrated that pyroptosis interacts closely with apoptosis and autophagy. Pyroptosis could be inhibited by nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor with a pyrin domain 3 inhibitors, caspase-1 inhibitors, microRNA, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin Ⅱ receptor blockers, and traditional Chinese herbal medicines.

Purpose: The concept of time perspective (TP) implies that a mental focus on past, present, or future affect a person makes decisions and take action. Inability to plan their life for a sufficiently long time perspective due to the COVID-19 pandemic appeared to have a pronounced impact on a human's lifestyle influencing their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, including eating behavior. This study tested two hypotheses: (a) that during COVID-19 isolation, the incidence rate of food addiction is increased, and (b) people with present TP are more likely exhibited signs of food addiction (FA)., Methods: The final study sample included 949 people, mean age 21.8 ± 7.8 years (range: 17-71 years, women: 78.3%). Each participant indicated their personal data and completed Yale Food Addiction Scale and the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory., Results: There was an increased incidence rate of FA (OR = 1.678, 95% CI = 1.324, 2.148, p = 0.000) during COVID-19 isolation. Individuals with balanced, future, and past positive TP were less likely to exhibit symptoms of FA. Persons with past negative, and present hedonistic TP were more likely to exhibit signs of FA., Conclusion: There was an increased incidence rate of FA during COVID-19 isolation. Persons with shortened time horizon are more likely to exhibit symptoms of FA., Level of Evidence: Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

While performing surgical treatment of the localized form of renal cell cancer by means of open or laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, renal warm ischemia is an important issue. Using renal warm ischemia allows to prevent parenchymal bleeding, to optimize conditions for resection of the tumor and to increase significantly the efficiency of hemostasis. However, an important problem is the probability of ischemic hypoxic damage of the remaining part of the kidney tissue during renal warm ischemia and renal functional impairment in the postoperative period., Aim: To compare nephroprotective activity of sodium fumarate, mannitol and furosemide using experimental model of 30- and 60-minute renal warm ischemia in rabbits., Materials and Methods: The experiments were carried out on 360 conventional male-rabbits of the "Chinchilla" breed weighed 2,6+/-0,3 kg which were allocated into 10 groups. The control group No1 included intact animals, the control group No2 included the rabbits in which renal artery was not clamped. For the animals from the trial groups (No3-No10) the experimental model of 30- and 60-minute renal warm ischemia was used. In groups No3 and No4 no drugs were provided. Other rabbits undergone renal warm ischemia with a protection by sodium fumarate (groups No5 and No6 - 1,5 ml/kg IV), lasix (groups No7 and No8 - 3,0 mg/kg IV) and mannitol (No9 and No10 - 1,0 g/kg IV). The influence of renal warm ischemia on the renal tissue ultrastructure and the levels of NGAL, Cystatin-C and creatinine in blood and urine were studied., Results: During experimental pharmacologically uncorrected 30-minute renal warm ischemia in animals, edema of the terminal part of microvilli of the proximal tubules epithelium, an increase of lysosome number in the hyaloplasm of epithelial cells, appearance of flaky content of medium electronic density in the lumens of distal tubules and collecting tubules, as well as sharp peak-like increase of NGAL and cystatin-C in blood and urine were observed. Increasing the time of ischemia up to 60 minutes was accompanied by more severe disturbances. In groups where sodium fumarate, lasix and mannitol were used the observed ultrastructural disturbances were expressed to lesser extent, whereas sodium fumarate demonstrated the best nephroprotective activity. After using mannitol the severity of disturbances was less than in the groups where mannitol, lasix or sodium fumarate were not given. Lasix and sodium salt of fumaric acid showed a higher nephroprotective activity. The best results were received in the animals received sodium fumarate., Conclusions: The studied drugs provided a nephroprotective effect regarding ischemia of rabbit kidney. The effect of sodium fumarate was the most pronounced, followed by furosemide and, to a lesser extent, mannitol. Use of sodium fumarate allows to protect and stimulate the kidney tissue effectively during oxygen deprivation under ischemic state.

In rats anesthetized with α-chloralose, coronary artery occlusion (45 min) and reperfusion (120 min) were modeled. The selective δ 2 -opioid receptor agonist deltorphin II was administered 5 min before reperfusion. Protein kinase C inhibitor chelerythrine, AMP-activated protein kinase inhibitor compound C, and ATP-sensitive K + channel blockers glibenclamide, 5-hydroxydecanoate, and HMR 1098 were administered 10 min before reperfusion. It was found that the infarct-limiting effect of deltorphin II is associated with activation of protein kinase C and opening of sarcolemmal ATP-sensitive K + channel., (© 2022. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Saliva plays multifunctional roles in oral cavity. Even though its importance for the maintenance of oral health has long been established, the role of saliva in food perception has attracted increasing attention in recent years. We encourage researchers to discover the peculiarity of this biological fluid and aim to combine the data concerning all aspects of the saliva influence on the sensory perception of food. This review presents saliva as a unique material, which modulates food perception due to constant presence of saliva in the mouth and thanks to its composition. Therefore, we highlight the salivary components that contribute to these effects. Moreover, this review is an attempt to structure the effects of saliva on perception of different food categories, where the mechanisms of salivary impact in perception of liquid, semi-solid, and solid foods are revealed. Finally, we emphasize that the large inter-individual variability in salivary composition and secretion appear to contribute to the fact that everyone experiences food in their own way. Therefore, the design of the sensory studies should consider the properties of volunteers' saliva and also carefully monitor the experimental conditions that affect salivary composition and flow rate., (© 2021 Scandinavian Division of the International Association for Dental Research. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)