Cisplatin and si-Notch 1-Folic Acid-Conjugated Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Prevent Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still a severe disorder with a high mortality and new effective therapies are urgently required. Our study aimed to explore the effect of combined cisplatin with conjugated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) on HCC. We prepared copolymer PCL-b-PPEEA and PEG-b-PCL-Pt(IV) to load drugs, while Pt(IV) MNP/siRNA nanoparticles were synthesized. The nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and Western blot analysis. Flow cytometry was determined to detect apoptosis of CD133 + SMMC7721 cells. Then cells were treated with Pt(IV) MNP/siRNA, MNP/siRNA or PBS, where the Notch1 and related gene expression were determined by RT-qPCR with clone formation detected by agarose assay. The synthesized nanoparticles were about 90 nm and absorbed by cancer cells with a high stability. Compared with the cisplatin, Pt(IV) MNP/siNotch1 nanoparticles exhibited enhanced cytotoxicity and downregu-lated expression of cisplatin-induced Notch1 and cancer stem cells. Moreover, the MNP/siNotch1 nanoparticles significantly suppressed the proliferation and clonal formation of CD133 + SMMC7721 cells. Co-delivery of cisplatin, si-Notch1 and folic acid conjugated MSN can inhibit the development of HCC, indicating that it might be a novel treatment approach for HCC in the future.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SEROTONINE, HISTAMINE AND THE BRAIN`S ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY IN PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSION AND ENDOCRINE DISORDERS

Introduction. Depression is a persistent mental state of sadness that can affect an individual`s thoughts, behavior, emotion and well-being. The electroencephalogram (EEG) is of great importance both for experimental neurophysiology and for clinical diagnosis. The purpose of our study was to establish if there is a connection between the values of serotonine, histamine and EEG in patients with depression and endocrine pathology based on the collected data. Materials and methods. We included 50 individuals diagnosed with depression from Endocrinology Clinic of Craiova, over a period of 2 years (2018-2020). Serotonine and histamine were measured in blood and urine/24 hours in all the sample. Electroencephalography was performed to this patients. Outcomes. In our study, 27 patients had mild depression, 17 had moderate depression and 6 had a severe disorder Also, the serotonine values were low (normal value 80-400 μg/L) in patients with depression and endocrine pathology. Conclusion. In patients with EEG abnormalities occure significant changes in the values of serotonine and histamine (increased urinary histamine and decreased serotonine levels).

A Review on Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Present Concern

Diabetes mellitus during pregnancy known as GDM is a severe disorder that develops during pregnancy and its prevalence is rapidly increasing all around the world. It arises due to two major metabolic defects; acute resistance of insulin and dysfunctioning of beta cells. Numerous organs are additionally associated with the pathological process of GDM. There are two types of factors that are associated with GDM that are modifiable and non-modifiable. GDM can cause serious long-term complications to both fetus and mother due to maternal hereditary proneness linked with the environment and fetoplacental aspects. The purpose of this manuscript is to audit GDM in detail and to provide a logical information with refreshed exploration from various angles.

Dyskeratosis Congenita: Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Buccal Mucosa on a Background of Lichen Planus – A Case Report During COVID-19 Pandemic

Dyskeratosis Congenita is a severe disorder that involves several systems in the human body and is well-known for its transmission hereditarily through generations. The triad of a) reticular atrophy of the skin with pigmentation b) dystrophy of the nails c) leukoplakia of the oral mucosa characterises this uncommon disorder, which most commonly affects men. One of the key reasons for premature death in this disease is malignant transformation within areas of mucosal hyperkeratosis. In Dyskeratosis Congenita, the simultaneous existence of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) with lichen planus and or lichenoid reactions in the mucosa of the oral cavity is a rare, stated condition. This report discusses a case of a Libyan male patient affected by Dyskeratosis Congenita that ended with buccal mucosal squamous cell carcinoma developed on a lichen planus background after thirty years of suffering at the age of 64.

Pre-eclampsia: Universal Screening or Universal Prevention for Low and Middle-Income Settings?

Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a severe disorder that affects up to 8% of all pregnancies and represents an important cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. The screening of the disease is a subject of studies, but the complexity and uncertainties regarding its etiology make this objective a difficult task. In addition, the costs related to screening protocols, the heterogeneity of the most affected populations and the lack of highly effective prevention methods reduce the potential of current available algorithms for screening. Thus, the National Specialized Commission of Hypertension in Pregnancy of the Brazilian Association of Gynecology and Obstetrics Federation (Febrasgo, in the Portuguese acronym) (NSC Hypertension in Pregnancy of the Febrasgo) considers that there are no screening algorithms to be implemented in the country to date and advocates that Aspirin and calcium should be widely used.

Cognitive Dysfunction in Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder which includes: positive symptoms, negative symptoms, cognitive symptoms, affective symptoms and aggressive symptoms. Cognitive disorder is the most severe disorder compared to other symptoms of schizophrenia because it can interfere with daily functions, including memory function, attention function, problem solving function, speech function and social skills.

Practical challenges of managing COVID-19 positive patients in the adult intensive care unit of a tertiary care teaching hospital of Ireland

On March 11th, 2020, the WHO (World Health Organization) announced the coronavirus disease (a respiratory tract infection) as a pandemic. It originally outbroke in Wuhan (China) and spread all around the world. It is caused by the beta coronavirus1 (Zoonotic Virus) a member of the severe acute metastasis syndrome-related coronavirus species (SARS-CoV-2) 2, 3. COVID-19 ranges in severity from asymptomatic or moderate to severe; a considerable percentage of patients develop a more severe disorder 1, depending on their co-morbidities.

Core dimensions of obsessive–compulsive disorder

Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic, and often severe, disorder that is associated with substantial distress and impairment. Sustained research efforts have led to a better understanding of the classification, aetiology, presentation, and treatment of OCD. Further, the clinical heterogeneity of OCD has led to efforts to identify meaningful subtypes of the disorder, based on age of onset, the presence of comorbid tics, or the focus of OCD symptoms. There is substantial support for a multi-dimensional model of OCD where symptoms are conceptualized as multiple overlapping dimensions, consisting of symmetry/ordering, contamination/cleaning, harm/aggression, or sexual/religious symptoms. Evidence suggests that these dimensions may have differential associations with a range of genetic, neural, and clinical factors. The multi-dimensional approach to OCD is thus a promising future direction for OCD research.