Inhibition of Myeloperoxidase Pro-Fibrotic Effect by Noscapine in Equine Endometrium.

Myeloperoxidase is an enzyme released by neutrophils when neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are formed. Besides myeloperoxidase activity against pathogens, it was also linked to many diseases, including inflammatory and fibrotic ones. Endometrosis is a fibrotic disease of the mare endometrium, with a large impact on their fertility, where myeloperoxidase was shown to induce fibrosis. Noscapine is an alkaloid with a low toxicity, that has been studied as an anti-cancer drug, and more recently as an anti-fibrotic molecule. This work aims to evaluate noscapine inhibition of collagen type 1 (COL1) induced by myeloperoxidase in equine endometrial explants from follicular and mid-luteal phases, at 24 and 48 h of treatment. The transcription of collagen type 1 alpha 2 chain (COL1A2), and COL1 protein relative abundance were evaluated by qPCR and Western blot, respectively. The treatment with myeloperoxidase increased COL1A2 mRNA transcription and COL1 protein, whereas noscapine was able to reduce this effect with respect to COL1A2 mRNA transcription, in a time/estrous cycle phase-dependent manner (in explants from the follicular phase, at 24 h of treatment). Our study indicates that noscapine is a promising drug to be considered as an anti-fibrotic molecule to prevent endometrosis development, making noscapine a strong candidate to be applied in future endometrosis therapies.

Burnout in Pharmacy professionals during COVID-19 outbreak.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant global impact on the economic, social, and public health sectors. The most severe consequences were felt firsthand in health systems and by their professionals, exposing them to greater physical and mental health risks, which need to be properly evaluated.  This study aims to assess burnout levels in pharmacy professionals in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We collected data (N = 250), from pharmacy professionals (mean age of 34.24 years) (SD=8.99) who worked in different areas during the pandemic period using the Burnout Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI). RESULTS: There was an increase in weekly working hours after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and a decrease in the number of rest days per month. Most participants believe that their health status after the start of the pandemic is a little worse (44.4%). According to the CBI, the dimension with the highest average value of the Burnout subscale is related to the customer/user dimension (53.07), followed by the Work (44.60) and Personal (44.22) dimension. CONCLUSIONS: The levels of Burnout of pharmacy professionals are more accentuated in the Burnout dimension related to the client/user and the average values ​​of the various Burnout subscales are higher in Pharmacy Technicians than in Pharmacists.

COVID-19 psychological impact: The role of perfectionism.

Psychological reactions to pandemics and their constraints depend heavily on personality. Although perfectionism is consistently associated to depression, anxiety and stress, its role in the pandemics' psychological impact has not been yet empirically studied. Our aim was to analyze the role of perfectionism in psychological distress during the pandemic of COVID-19, testing whether it is mediated by fear of COVID-19 and repetitive negative thinking/RNT. Participants (N = 413 adults; 269.2% women) were recruited from September until December 2020, via social networks. They completed self-report validated questionnaires to evaluate perfectionism dimensions (self-critical, rigid and narcissistic perfectionism), fear of COVID-19, RNT and psychological distress (sum of anxiety, depression and stress symptoms). As women had significantly higher levels of self-critical perfectionism, RNT, fear of COVID-19 and psychological distress, gender was controlled in mediation analysis. The three perfectionism dimensions correlated with RNT, fear of COVID-19 and psychological distress. The effect of self-critical perfectionism on psychological distress was partially mediated by fear of COVID-19 and RNT whereas the effect of rigid and narcissistic perfectionism was fully mediated. Perfectionism influences emotional and cognitive responses to the COVID-19 and therefore should be considered both in the prevention and psychological consequences of the pandemic.