Risk perception of NSAIDs in South Dakota in comparison with Slovakia and Greece.

Aim: Adverse effects (ADRs) of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) represent a public health problem. To decrease the negative effect on the population, an improvement of risk awareness is crucial. We aimed to evaluate the risk perception and the use of NSAIDs in South Dakota in comparison with Slovakia and Greece.

Drug usage analysis in pregnant women.

Background: Drug usage in pregnant women is associated with a problem of possible negative influence on prenatal development. It is always necessary to judge the need for drug administration during pregnancy.

Objective: The aim of presented study was to analyse data about pregnant women hospitalized in the postpartum period.

Selenium in the prevention and subsidiary therapy of cancer of soft tissues.

Selenium as an antioxidant has attracted attention because of its anticancer activity. This review presents a view on selenium and its compounds exerting influence against cancer in the soft tissues. The results reveal a significant strong association between a low selenium level in blood and a cancer risk.

Risk perception of NSAIDs in hospitalized patients in Greece.

Background: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used analgesics worldwide in different syndromes. There is a relevant evidence about NSAIDs various adverse effects (AEs) on gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, renal, pulmonary, nervous systems. Many of these problems are preventable with respects to appropriate patient´s risk perception.

Naproxen and Diclofenac Attenuate Atorvastatin-induced Preconditioning of the Myocardium.

Statins reduce infarct size (IS) in ischemia-reperfusion injury of the myocardium. Inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) attenuates this benefit. We investigated the effect of two widely used non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with different degree of anti-COX-2 activity on atorvastatin-mediated preconditioning.

Long-term Treatment with Hesperidin Improves Endothelium-dependent Vasodilation in Femoral Artery of Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats: The Involvement of NO-synthase and K Channels.

Hesperidin is the most common flavonoid found in citrus fruits and is expected to exert vasodilation action relevant to its health benefits. The present study aimed to explore the effect of hesperidin on the vascular responses in normotensive and hypertensive rats and the involvement of NO-synthase and K channels. The 15-week-old Wistar and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were randomized to orally receive either hesperidin (50 mg/kg/day) or a corresponding volume of the water for 4 weeks.

Effect of sulodexide on vascular responses and liver mitochondrial function in diabetic rats.

This study investigates the effects of long-term treatment with sulodexide (SLX) on norepinephrine (NE)-induced contractions, acetylcholine(Ach)-induced relaxations, acute cyclooxygenase blockade by diclofenac (DIC) in isolated femoral arteries (FA) and the parameters of oxidative phosporylation in liver mitochondria. 15-weeks old Wistar rats were divided into four groups: control (C; injected with saline solution), treated control (C+SLX), diabetic (DM) and treated diabetic (DM+SLX). Diabetes was induced with a single i.

Analysis of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use in hospitalized patients and perception of their risk.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) belong to the most widely prescribed and used pharmacological agents worldwide. Data gathered in the last decade show increased incidence of thrombotic events during NSAID administration. Analysis of NSAID usage and assessment of risk for development of cardiovascular adverse effects is needed for improving patient safety.

Consumption of three strong opioids (morphine, oxycodone and fentanyl) in seven European countries during seven years (2003-2009).

Purpose: The aim was to analyse the consumption of selected strong opioid analgesics during a seven-year period of 2003-2009 in order to compare Slovak consumption with that in six other European countries and to determine our position.

Methods: Drug consumption data from the State Institute for Drug Control in Slovak Republic were used. As to the data from other countries, annual health statistics published on websites were used in comparison.

Vascular reactivity of arteria femoralis in adult and aged spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar-Kyoto rats.

Aim: The relationship of age and hypertension on endothelial dysfunction and increased responses to vasoconstrictor stimuli.

Background: Hypertension is a disease accompanied by endothelial dysfunction and is characterized by an impaired vascular reactivity and enhanced activity of sympathetic nervous system.

Materials And Methods: In our experiment, we used spontaneously hypertensive rats representing model of essential hypertension and the Wistar-Kyoto rats as normotensive strain.

Trends in vascular pharmacology research in the Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava.

Research in the Department of Pharmacology started to focus intensively on fetal circulation in the 60s. Results of experiments contributed to clarification of the conversion of fetal circulation type to the adult type: the mechanism of the ductus arteriosus closure, examination of fetal and neonatal pulmonary vessel responses. In the early 80s, increased attention was dedicated to fetal vascular endothelium, later on to vascular reactivity in relation to the endothelium in adult animals.

Protection of the vascular endothelium in experimental situations.

One of the factors proposed as mediators of vascular dysfunction observed in diabetes is the increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This provides support for the use of antioxidants as early and appropriate pharmacological intervention in the development of late diabetic complications. In streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes in rats we observed endothelial dysfuction manifested by reduced endothelium-dependent response to acetylcholine of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and aorta, as well as by increased endothelaemia.

Modified problem-based learning in pharmacology.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine differences between PBL as compared to modified PBL with special focus on acquiring EBM principles.

Methods: Two groups consisted of total 152 students (139 respectively). The use of EBM principles means integrating individual expertise with the best available external clinical evidence by using available data sources and national guidelines.

Sulodexide improves endothelial dysfunction in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats.

Diabetes mellitus is associated with many complications including retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy and angiopathy. Increased cardiovascular risk is accompanied with diabetes-induced endothelial dysfunction. Pharmacological agents with endothelium-protective effects may decrease cardiovascular complications.

Adverse drug reactions related to hospital admission in Slovak elderly patients.

The aims of the present study were: to evaluate the prevalence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) leading to hospitalization in elderly patients; to analyze the drugs which have been identified as having causal relationship with ADRs and to identify risk factors which predispose the patient to such ADRs. The study has been performed in 600 patients aged> or =65 years, hospitalized in a general hospital between 1 December 2003 and 31 March 2005. The ADRs recorded in patient's documentation as one of the reasons for hospital admission were evaluated.

Endothelaemia--a marker of vascular damage.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the amount of circulating endothelial cells (CECs) in patients with an advanced cardiovascular (CV) disease, compare the values with a control group and finally to ascertain if there are statistically significant differences within the studied patient groups.

Background: Endothelaemia has been intensively studied as a marker of vascular injury. Clinical studies have demonstrated an increased endothelaemia in patients at high CV risk but also in certain non-cardiovascular disorders.

Perception of drug risk in the database of Drug Information Centre in Bratislava.

Objective: The aim of the presented study was to analyse the types and quantity of inquiries received at Drug Information Centre in Bratislava during the period from May 1997 to May 2006. The study analyses also the profile of the users of the latter centre with focus on the perception of drug risk, adverse drug reactions, and drug interactions.

Background: The Drug Information Centre (Druginfo) was established in Slovak Republic as part of the Department of Pharmacology in May 1997.

Mathematical model indicates nonlinearity of noradrenaline effect on rat renal artery.

The aim of this work is to present the efficacy of a previously introduced computational procedure, developed for evaluation of vascular responsiveness. On this reason, as an example a common study of noradrenaline (NA) effect on a rat renal artery under in vitro conditions was arbitrarily selected. The response of the arterial segment to NA doses (0.

Polypharmacy in elderly hospitalised patients in Slovakia.

Objective: The aims of the present study were to: analyse the prevalence of polypharmacy in a group of older patients; evaluate the influence of hospital stay on the number of drugs taken; assess the most frequently prescribed pharmacological classes; identify risk factors that predisposed the patient to polypharmacy. Setting The study was carried out in the Department of Internal Medicine of a non-university general hospital.

Method: In the retrospective study, 600 patients aged 65 years or more were enrolled.

Trastuzumab in the adjuvant treatment of breast cancer.

Four large randomized trials to assess efficacy and toxicity of trastuzumab in adjuvant systemic therapy of breast cancer have been initiated. Results clearly demonstrate, that adjuvant treatment of trastuzumab significantly improves outcomes for women with HER2 positive breast cancer. The clinically most significant adverse events of trastuzumab are serious-infusion related reactions and cardiotoxicity.

Current opinions on the role of inhaled corticosteroids in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the main cases of mortality and morbidity of population worlwide. In spite of enormous efforts there are not pharmacological agents evidently influencing natural course of disease available. Besides looking for new drugs influencing the long term outcome of patients with COPD, there is also running the process of reevaluation of the role of several already established drug groups.

Genetic tests for predicting the toxicity and efficacy of anticancer chemotherapy.

The standard anticancer therapy based "on one size fits all" modality has been determined to be ineffective or to be the cause of adverse drug reactions in many oncologic patients. Most pharmacogenetic and pharmacogenomic studies so far have been focused on toxicity of anticancer drugs such as 6-mercaptopurine, thioguanine, irinotecan, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Variation in genes are known to influence not only toxicity, but also efficacy of chemotherapeutics such as platinum analogues, 5-FU and irinotecan.

Participation of reactive oxygen species in diabetes-induced endothelial dysfunction.

Objectives: In the present study, the relationship between diabetes-induced hyperglycemia, reactive oxygen species production and endothelium-mediated arterial function was examined. The effect of antioxidant on the reactive oxygen species induced damage was tested.

Methods: Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin (STZ), 3 x 30 mg/kg i.

Preparative production and separation of 2-acetamido-2-deoxymannopyranoside-containing saccharides using borate-saturated polyolic exclusion gels.

A new separation method based on the combination of exclusion and ion exchange chromatography in borate buffer was developed. It allows semi-preparatory and preparatory separation of isobaric N-acylhexosamines (C-2 epimers) and corresponding methyl glycosides (anomers and tautomers). Three types of polyolic gels were tested for these separations.