Psychedelic-related deaths in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (1997-2022).

Background: Psychedelic drugs are increasingly visible in society once more, but their risks and adverse effects have received less attention than perhaps they should. While fatalities associated with psychedelics appear rare, a systematic approach to characterising their aetiology is required to inform harm minimisation efforts.

Aims: This study aimed to analyse prevalence and characteristics of psychedelic-related deaths in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, between 1997 and 2022.

Investigation of self-treatment with lysergic acid diethylamide and psilocybin mushrooms: Findings from the Global Drug Survey 2020.

Background: Growing numbers of people are using psychedelics for personal psychotherapy outside clinical settings, but research on such use is scarce.

Aims: This study investigated the patterns of use, self-reported outcomes and outcome predictors of psychedelic 'self-treatment' of mental health conditions or specific worries/concerns in life.

Methods: We use data from the Global Drug Survey 2020, a large online survey on drug use collected between November 2019 and February 2020.

Psychedelic therapy for depressive symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Psychedelic therapy shows promise for Major Depressive Disorder, especially when treatment-resistant, as well as life-threatening illness distress. The objective of this systematic review, inclusive of meta-analysis, is to examine recent clinical research on the therapeutic effects of classic psychedelics on depressive symptoms.

Methods: Fourteen psychedelic therapy studies, utilising psilocybin, ayahuasca, or LSD, were systematically reviewed.

Adverse experiences resulting in emergency medical treatment seeking following the use of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).

Background: Recreational lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) use is growing in popularity amid increasing research interest on psychedelics and their possible therapeutic potential yet; the potent psychotropic effects of LSD may result in adverse reactions and behaviour.

Aims: This study aimed to investigate the 12-month incidence and nature of LSD-related adverse experiences resulting in emergency medical treatment (EMT) seeking in an international sample of people reporting LSD use.

Methods: We use data from the 2017 Global Drug Survey - a large anonymous online survey on patterns of drug use conducted between November 2016 and January 2017.

Adverse experiences resulting in emergency medical treatment seeking following the use of magic mushrooms.

Background: Psilocybin-containing mushrooms are used for recreational, spiritual, self-development and therapeutic purposes. However, physiologically relatively nontoxic, adverse reactions are occasionally reported.

Aims: This study investigated the 12-month prevalence and nature of magic mushroom-related adverse reactions resulting in emergency medical treatment seeking in a global sample of people reporting magic mushroom use.

Periodontitis and cardiometabolic disorders: The role of lipopolysaccharide and endotoxemia.

Lipopolysaccharide is a virulence factor of gram-negative bacteria with a crucial importance to the bacterial surface integrity. From the host's perspective, lipopolysaccharide plays a role in both local and systemic inflammation, activates both innate and adaptive immunity, and can trigger inflammation either directly (as a microbe-associated molecular pattern) or indirectly (by inducing the generation of nonmicrobial, danger-associated molecular patterns). Translocation of lipopolysaccharide into the circulation causes endotoxemia, which is typically measured as the biological activity of lipopolysaccharide to induce coagulation of an aqueous extract of blood cells of the assay.

Systemic Antibiotics Influence Periodontal Parameters and Oral Microbiota, But Not Serological Markers.

The use of systemic antibiotics may influence the oral microbiota composition. Our aim was to investigate in this retrospective study whether the use of prescribed antibiotics associate with periodontal status, oral microbiota, and antibodies against the periodontal pathogens. The Social Insurance Institution of Finland Data provided the data on the use of systemic antibiotics by record linkage to purchased medications and entitled reimbursements up to 1 year before the oral examination and sampling.

Genetic Profile of Endotoxemia Reveals an Association With Thromboembolism and Stroke.

Background Translocation of lipopolysaccharide from gram-negative bacteria into the systemic circulation results in endotoxemia. In addition to acute infections, endotoxemia is detected in cardiometabolic disorders, such as cardiovascular diseases and obesity. Methods and Results We performed a genome-wide association study of serum lipopolysaccharide activity in 11 296 individuals from 6 different Finnish study cohorts.

Ketamine's effect on inflammation and kynurenine pathway in depression: A systematic review.

Background: Ketamine is a novel rapid-acting antidepressant with high efficacy in treatment-resistant patients. Its exact therapeutic mechanisms of action are unclear; however, in recent years its anti-inflammatory properties and subsequent downstream effects on tryptophan (TRP) metabolism have sparked research interest.

Aim: This systematic review examined the effect of ketamine on inflammatory markers and TRP-kynurenine (KYN) pathway metabolites in patients with unipolar and bipolar depression and in animal models of depression.

Carotid artery calcification in panoramic radiographs associates with oral infections and mortality.

Aim: To study the prevalence of carotid artery calcification (CAC) in relation to apical and marginal periodontitis, subgingival dysbiotic bacterial species and serum and saliva immune responses against them. In addition, the aim was to analyse the association of CAC with angiographically verified coronary artery disease (CAD) and mortality.

Methodology: In the present random Parogene cohort, the patients had an indication for coronary angiography.

Mediators between oral dysbiosis and cardiovascular diseases.

Clinical periodontitis is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) through systemic inflammation as the etiopathogenic link. Whether the oral microbiota, especially its quality, quantity, serology, and virulence factors, plays a role in atherogenesis is not clarified. Patients with periodontitis are exposed to bacteria and their products, which have access to the circulation directly through inflamed oral tissues and indirectly (via saliva) through the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in systemic inflammatory and immunologic responses.

Salivary biomarkers in association with periodontal parameters and the periodontitis risk haplotype.

Genetic factors play a role in periodontitis. Here we examined whether the risk haplotype of MHC class III region BAT1-NFKBIL1-LTA and lymphotoxin-α polymorphisms associate with salivary biomarkers of periodontal disease. A total of 455 individuals with detailed clinical and radiographic periodontal health data were included in the study.

Premature prostaglandin F2alpha secretion causes luteal regression in GnRH-induced short estrous cycles in cyclic dairy heifers.

This study aimed to confirm that the luteolysis in normal-cycling dairy heifers seen during short estrous cycles induced with cloprostenol (Clp) and GnRH administered 24h apart is caused by a premature release of prostaglandin F(2alpha) (PGF(2alpha)). A further aim was to study the PGF(2alpha) release pattern more closely to determine whether it resembles the spontaneous release occurring during normal regression of the corpus luteum (CL) or whether PGF(2alpha) is continuously secreted after the induced ovulations, leading to short estrous cycles. Twenty-four Ayrshire heifers were allotted to four equally sized groups.