Inflammasome Molecular Insights in Autoimmune Diseases.

Autoimmune diseases (AIDs) emerge due to an irregular immune response towards self- and non-self-antigens. Inflammation commonly accompanies these conditions, with inflammatory factors and inflammasomes playing pivotal roles in their progression. Key concepts in molecular biology, inflammation, and molecular mimicry are crucial to understanding AID development. Exposure to foreign antigens can cause inflammation, potentially leading to AIDs through molecular mimicry triggered by cross-reactive epitopes. Molecular mimicry emerges as a key mechanism by which infectious or chemical agents trigger autoimmunity. In certain susceptible individuals, autoreactive T or B cells may be activated by a foreign antigen due to resemblances between foreign and self-peptides. Chronic inflammation, typically driven by abnormal immune responses, is strongly associated with AID pathogenesis. Inflammasomes, which are vital cytosolic multiprotein complexes assembled in response to infections and stress, are crucial to activating inflammatory processes in macrophages. Chronic inflammation, characterized by prolonged tissue injury and repair cycles, can significantly damage tissues, thereby increasing the risk of AIDs. Inhibiting inflammasomes, particularly in autoinflammatory disorders, has garnered significant interest, with pharmaceutical advancements targeting cytokines and inflammasomes showing promise in AID management.

Link Between Diabetes and Alzheimer's Disease due to the Shared Amyloid Aggregation and Deposition Involving both Neurodegenerative Changes and Neurovascular Damages.

Diabetes and Alzheimer's disease are two highly prevalent diseases among the aging population and have become major public health concerns in the 21st century, with a significant risk to each other. Both of these diseases are increasingly recognized to be multifactorial conditions. The terms "diabetes type 3" or "brain diabetes" have been proposed in recent years to provide a complete view of the potential common pathogenic mechanisms between these diseases. While insulin resistance or deficiency remains the salient hallmarks of diabetes, cognitive decline and non-cognitive abnormalities such as impairments in visuospatial function, attention, cognitive flexibility, and psychomotor speed are also present. Furthermore, amyloid aggregation and deposition may also be drivers for diabetes pathology. Here, we offer a brief appraisal of social impact and economic burden of these chronic diseases and provide insight into amyloidogenesis through considering recent advances of amyloid-ß aggregates on diabetes pathology and islet amyloid polypeptide on Alzheimer's disease. Exploring the detailed knowledge of molecular interaction between these two amyloidogenic proteins opens new opportunities for therapies and biomarker development.

[Validation of a HPLC method for ochratoxin A determination]. / Validarea unei metode HPLC pentru determinarea ochratoxinei A.

Ochratoxin A is a mycotoxin produced by various species of Aspergillus and Penicillium. Ochratoxin A has been detected in cereals and cereal products, coffee beans, beer, wine, spices, pig's kidney and cow's milk. For ochratoxin A, a HPLC method was developed and validated. Ochratoxin A was determined by RP-HPLC, using a liquid chromatograph type HP 1090 Series II, equiped with a fluorescence detector. The analysis was performed with a Phenomenex column, type Luna C18(2) 100A (150 x 4.6 mm; 5 microm) with a mobile phase consisting of a mixture of acetonitrile/water/acid acetic (99/99/2), a flow of 0.7 mL/min. For detection, the wavelenght of excitation was 228 nm and wavelenght of emision was 423 nm. The calibration graph was linear in 6.25-50 ng/mL concentration range (r2 = 0,9991). The detection limits was 1.6 ng/mL and the quantification limit was 4.9 ng/mL. The method precision (RSD = 2.4975%) and the accuracy (recovery was 100.1%) were studied. The HPLC method was applyed for ochratoxin A from food samples with good results.

[Community pharmacy counseling. An important role in reducing and optimizing self-medication]. / Consilierea in farmacia comunitara. Rol important in reducerea si optimizarea automedicatiei.

UNLABELLED: The study was directed towards the evaluation of the use of analgesic drugs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and their combinations with other substances in a community pharmacy, with regard to the role of the pharmacist in patient counseling for the optimization of self-medication. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A group of 108 subjects, which repeatedly use drugs from the above-mentioned groups and have multiple pharmacy visitations, was divided into separate groups, according to the annual call frequencies and they received questionnaires with multiple questions, tailored according to the necessities of the study. RESULTS: The results demonstrated statistically significant differences between the patients that have medical prescriptions and those that employ self-medication (p < 0.05, ANOVA). From the group using initial self-medication, 75% were receptive to the counseling by the pharmacists and subsequently consulted a physician and 25% were non-compliant. For the assessment of the annual drug consumption (CM50), a quantal model for the quantitative evaluation was designed. The data were subjected to regression analysis, and it has been observed that a percentage of 10.7% from the general population uses repeatedly and regularly drugs from the groups taken in study.