-
Therapeutic Advances in... 2022The term 'opioids' refers to both the natural compounds ('opiates') which are extracted from the opium poppy plant () and their semi-synthetic and synthetic derivatives.... (Review)
Review
The term 'opioids' refers to both the natural compounds ('opiates') which are extracted from the opium poppy plant () and their semi-synthetic and synthetic derivatives. They all possess relatively similar biochemical profiles and interact with the opioid receptors within the human body to produce a wide range of physiological effects. They have historically been used for medicinal purposes, their analgesic and sedative effects, and in the management of chronic and severe pain. They have also been used for non-medicinal and recreational purposes to produce feelings of relaxation, euphoria and well-being. Over the last decade, the emergence of an illegal market in new synthetic opioids has become a major global public health issue, associated with a substantial increase in unintentional overdoses and drug-related deaths. Synthetic opioids include fentanyl, its analogues and emerging non-fentanyl opioids. Their popularity relates to changes in criminal markets, pricing, potency, availability compared to classic opioids, ease of transport and use, rapid effect and lack of detection by conventional testing technologies. This article expands on our previous review on new psychoactive substances. We now provide a more in-depth review on synthetic opioids and explore the current challenges faced by people who use drugs, healthcare professionals, and global public health systems.
PubMed: 36532866
DOI: 10.1177/20451253221139616 -
Reviews of Environmental Contamination... 2017There are a number of mechanisms by which alkylmercury compounds cause toxic action in the body. Collectively, published studies reveal that there are some similarities... (Review)
Review
There are a number of mechanisms by which alkylmercury compounds cause toxic action in the body. Collectively, published studies reveal that there are some similarities between the mechanisms of the toxic action of the mono-alkyl mercury compounds methylmercury (MeHg) and ethylmercury (EtHg). This paper represents a summary of some of the studies regarding these mechanisms of action in order to facilitate the understanding of the many varied effects of alkylmercurials in the human body. The similarities in mechanisms of toxicity for MeHg and EtHg are presented and compared. The difference in manifested toxicity of MeHg and EtHg are likely the result of the differences in exposure, metabolism, and elimination from the body, rather than differences in mechanisms of action between the two.
Topics: Calcium; Ethylmercury Compounds; Glutathione; Humans; Methylmercury Compounds; Neurotransmitter Agents; Oxidative Stress
PubMed: 27161558
DOI: 10.1007/398_2016_1 -
Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2019Biodegradable polymers are promising materials for use in medical applications such as stents. Their properties are comparable to commercially available resistant metal... (Review)
Review
Biodegradable polymers are promising materials for use in medical applications such as stents. Their properties are comparable to commercially available resistant metal and polymeric stents, which have several major problems, such as stent migration and stent clogging due to microbial biofilm. Consequently, conventional stents have to be removed operatively from the patient's body, which presents a number of complications and can also endanger the patient's life. Biodegradable stents disintegrate into basic substances that decompose in the human body, and no surgery is required. This review focuses on the specific use of stents in the human body, the problems of microbial biofilm, and possibilities of preventing microbial growth by modifying polymers with antimicrobial agents.
PubMed: 31683612
DOI: 10.3390/nano9111548 -
The Korean Journal of Gastroenterology... May 2020The gut microbiota is part of the human body that is involved in body metabolism and the occurrence of various diseases. Detecting and analyzing their genetic... (Review)
Review
The gut microbiota is part of the human body that is involved in body metabolism and the occurrence of various diseases. Detecting and analyzing their genetic information (microbiome) is as important as analyzing human genes. The core microbiome, the key functional genes shared by all humans, helps better understand the physiology of the human body. Information on the gut microbiome of a diseased person can help diagnose and treat disease. The pancreatobiliary system releases functional antimicrobial substances, such as bile acids and antimicrobial peptides, which affect the gut microbiota directly. In response, the gut microbiota influences pancreatobiliary secretion by controlling the generation and emission of substances through indirect signaling. This crosstalk maintains homeostasis of the pancreatobiliary system secretion and microbiota. Dysbiosis and disease can occur if this fails to work properly. Bile acid therapy has been used widely and may affect the microbial environment in the intestine. An association of the gut microbiota has been reported in many cases of pancreatobiliary diseases, including malignant tumors. Traditionally, most pancreatobiliary diseases are accompanied by infections from the gut microbiota, which is an important target for treatment. The pancreatobiliary system can control its function through physical and drug therapy. This may be a new pioneering field in the study or treatment of the gut microbiota.
Topics: Animals; Bile Acids and Salts; Biliary Tract; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Intestines; Pancreas
PubMed: 32448854
DOI: 10.4166/kjg.2020.75.5.231 -
Frontiers in Sports and Active Living 2022We conducted an exploratory investigation of the relationship between personality and willingness towards performance enhancement and body modification in Norway. The...
We conducted an exploratory investigation of the relationship between personality and willingness towards performance enhancement and body modification in Norway. The study is based on Norwegian Monitor data from a cross-sectional survey of a nationally representative sample of 4,233 (females: 49.9%) persons aged 15 to 96 (45.92 ± 18.02) years. Data were collected using a questionnaire containing demographic questions and measures of physical appearance satisfaction, physical activity level, personality (five-factor model), and willingness towards performance enhancement (e.g., substances that improve creative thinking) and body modification (e.g., use of muscle-building substances). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analyses. We found that 62.2% and 50.1% of our sample were either willing to use or contemplating using substances that reduce memory failure and enhance physical fitness respectively. Our sample was most willing or contemplating tattooing (30.0%) and generally skeptical of the other body modification methods with willingness to use or contemplating using substances to enhance muscularity least accepted (3.9%). Higher fantasy/openness and lower agreeableness were associated with higher willingness towards both performance enhancement and body modification. Additionally, higher extraversion and lower control/conscientiousness predicted higher willingness towards body modification. Our findings corroborate previous indications that performance enhancement and body modification are now mainstream. They also underline the importance of personality traits in willingness towards these practices.
PubMed: 36619353
DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2022.906634 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2022Carbohydrates serve as important energy sources and structural substances for human body as well as for gut microbes. As evidenced by the advances in immunometabolism,... (Review)
Review
Carbohydrates serve as important energy sources and structural substances for human body as well as for gut microbes. As evidenced by the advances in immunometabolism, glucose metabolism and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) generation are deeply involved in immune cell activation, proliferation, and signaling transduction as well as trafficking and effector functions, thus contributing to immune response programming and assisting in host adaption to microenvironment changes. Increased glucose uptake, aberrant expression of glucose transporter 1 (.., GLU1), and abnormal glycosylation patterns have been identified in autoimmunity and are suggested as partially responsible for the dysregulated immune response and the modification of gut microbiome composition in the autoimmune pathogenesis. The interaction between gut microbiota and host carbohydrate metabolism is complex and bidirectional. Their impact on host immune homeostasis and the development of autoimmune diseases remains to be elucidated. This review summarized the current knowledge on the crosstalk of glucose metabolism and glycosylation in the host with intestinal microbiota and discussed their possible role in the development and progression of autoimmune diseases. Potential therapeutic strategies targeting glucose metabolism and glycosylation in modulating gut ecosystem and treating autoimmune diseases were discussed as well.
Topics: Adenosine Triphosphate; Autoimmune Diseases; Carbohydrates; Ecosystem; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Glucose; Glucose Transporter Type 1; Glycosylation; Humans
PubMed: 36203617
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.952398 -
Cureus Aug 2022Body packing consists of the concealment of substances (drugs and non-narcotics) or products inside the human body with the purpose of smuggling and may represent an...
INTRODUCTION
Body packing consists of the concealment of substances (drugs and non-narcotics) or products inside the human body with the purpose of smuggling and may represent an emergency due to the fatal risk of narcotic toxicity, intestinal obstruction, and visceral perforation. However, non-narcotic body packing, especially in developing countries, is under-evaluated. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate cases of body packers in Brazil as regards narcotic and non-narcotic contents.
METHODS
This retrospective study analyzes the medical records of body packers admitted from January 2015 to December 2019 at one of the main tertiary hospitals in central Brazil.
RESULTS
Ten cases of body packing were observed. We found that five patients carried drugs, while seven carried non-narcotic substances such as cell phones and accessories. All the patients were male, prisoners, and young adults. In six patients, there was gastrointestinal obstruction, and in three, there was acute narcotic intoxication. Abdominal radiography diagnosed eight of the cases. In nine of the cases, emergency laparotomy was required, but all patients successfully recovered.
CONCLUSION
There was a higher prevalence of body packing of non-narcotic content; however, diagnostic and surgical approaches were similar to those of narcotic content. Clinicians must be aware of both non-narcotic and narcotic body packing.
PubMed: 36120276
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.27894 -
Toxins Jul 2018Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a major cause of high morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Numerous CVD risk factors in CKD... (Review)
Review
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a major cause of high morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Numerous CVD risk factors in CKD patients have been described, but these do not fully explain the high pervasiveness of CVD or increased mortality rates in CKD patients. In CKD the loss of urinary excretory function results in the retention of various substances referred to as "uremic retention solutes". Many of these molecules have been found to exert toxicity on virtually all organ systems of the human body, leading to the clinical syndrome of uremia. In recent years, an increasing body of evidence has been accumulated that suggests that uremic toxins may contribute to an increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden associated with CKD. This review examined the evidence from several clinical and experimental studies showing an association between uremic toxins and CVD. Special emphasis is addressed on emerging data linking gut microbiota with the production of uremic toxins and the development of CKD and CVD. The biological toxicity of some uremic toxins on the myocardium and the vasculature and their possible contribution to cardiovascular injury in uremia are also discussed. Finally, various therapeutic interventions that have been applied to effectively reduce uremic toxins in patients with CKD, including dietary modifications, use of prebiotics and/or probiotics, an oral intestinal sorbent that adsorbs uremic toxins and precursors, and innovative dialysis therapies targeting the protein-bound uremic toxins are also highlighted. Future studies are needed to determine whether these novel therapies to reduce or remove uremic toxins will reduce CVD and related cardiovascular events in the long-term in patients with chronic renal failure.
Topics: Animals; Cardiovascular Diseases; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Heart; Humans; Toxins, Biological; Uremia
PubMed: 29997362
DOI: 10.3390/toxins10070287 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2023As emerging organic contaminants, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have aroused worldwide concern due to their environmental persistence, ubiquitous presence,... (Review)
Review
As emerging organic contaminants, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have aroused worldwide concern due to their environmental persistence, ubiquitous presence, bioaccumulation, and potential toxicity. It has been demonstrated that PFASs can accumulate in human body and cause multiple adverse health outcomes. Notably, PFASs have been detected in the semen of human, posing a potential hazard to male fecundity. This article reviews the evidence about the toxic effects of exposure to PFASs on male reproduction, focusing on the sperm quality. Epidemiological studies showed that PFASs, such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), were adversely associated with the semen parameters in humans, including sperm count, morphology and motility. Experimental results also confirmed that PFAS exposure led to testicular and epididymal damage, therefore impairing spermatogenesis and sperm quality. The mechanisms of reproductive toxicity of PFASs may be involved in blood-testosterone barrier destruction, testicular apoptosis, testosterone synthesis disorder, and membrane lipid composition alteration, oxidative stress and Ca influx in sperm. In conclusion, this review highlighted the potential threat of exposure to PFASs to human spermatozoa.
Topics: Male; Humans; Semen; Environmental Pollutants; Fluorocarbons; Spermatozoa; Testosterone
PubMed: 36891048
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1114463 -
Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2023Caffeine is a naturally occurring alkaloid found in various plants. It acts as a stimulant, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and even an aid in pain management, and is... (Review)
Review
Caffeine is a naturally occurring alkaloid found in various plants. It acts as a stimulant, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and even an aid in pain management, and is found in several over-the-counter medications. This naturally derived bioactive compound is the best-known ingredient in coffee and other beverages, such as tea, soft drinks, and energy drinks, and is widely consumed worldwide. Therefore, it is extremely important to research the effects of this substance on the human body. With this in mind, caffeine and its derivatives have been extensively studied to evaluate its ability to prevent diseases and exert anti-aging and neuroprotective effects. This review is intended to provide an overview of caffeine's effects on cancer and cardiovascular, immunological, inflammatory, and neurological diseases, among others. The heavily researched area of caffeine in sports will also be discussed. Finally, recent advances in the development of novel nanocarrier-based formulations, to enhance the bioavailability of caffeine and its beneficial effects will be discussed.
PubMed: 37630983
DOI: 10.3390/ph16081067