Healthcare Professionals' Knowledge and Behaviors Regarding Drug-Dietary Supplement and Drug-Herbal Product Interactions.

Given the widespread use of dietary supplements (DS) and herbal products (HP), healthcare professionals (HCPs) will increasingly encounter patients who use these preparations with conventional drugs and who need their services to reduce the consequences of adverse therapeutic outcomes. The aim of our survey was to assess the knowledge and behaviors of HCPs regarding the risk of potential drug−dietary supplement (DDSIs) and drug−herbal product (DHPIs) interactions. This cross-sectional survey collected data via on paper-based questionnaire among general practitioners (GPs) (n = 105), specialty doctors (n = 87) and nurses (n = 154). The HCPs were mostly familiar with the interaction of doxycycline with magnesium (83%) and were least familiar with interaction of warfarin with glucosamine (14%). The results on DDSIs and DHPIs knowledge showed that GPs scored significantly higher than nurses (p < 0.001 and p = 0.003, respectively), while specialty doctors scored significantly higher than nurses only on DDSIs knowledge (p < 0.001). Only 28% of respondents reported that they often or always ask patients on drug therapy about the use of DS or HP, and 25% of respondents record such data in the medical documentation of patients. Our results showed that HCPs have sufficient knowledge about most major DDSIs and DHPIs, but insufficient knowledge about most moderate interactions. However, their overall knowledge and behavior regarding the risk of these interactions indicate the need for further continuing education and training.

Impact of atopic dermatitis on the quality of life of children and their families.

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most common chronic inflammatory skin disease, with a significant effect on the quality of life (QoL). This study aims to evaluate the impact of AD on the QoL of children and their parents and to identify predictors affecting their QoL. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted in Montenegro. It included 200 children with AD aged 5-16 years and their parents. The severity of disease was measured by the Three Item Severity (TIS) score, while QoL was assessed with the Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) and the Dermatitis Family Impact (DFI) questionnaire. RESULTS: The mean CDLQI score of the children affected by AD was 17.11 and the mean DFI score of their parents 19.86. There was a significant correlation between AD severity score assessed by a doctor (TIS) and both CDLQI and DFI scores (r=0.53 and r=0.27, respectively). A moderate positive correlation was observed between the QoL of children with AD and QoL of their parents (r=0.53). According to multiple linear regression, more impaired QoL of affected children was associated with more severe AD, younger parent's age and their lower educational level. Poorer QoL of parents was associated with female sex, younger age of children, more severe AD, lower educational level of parents and absence of a family history of atopic disease. CONCLUSIONS: The present study confirmed that AD has a large negative impact on QoL of both patients with AD and their families. More impaired QoL was associated with more severe AD.

Role of Myeloperoxidase in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a worldwide public health problem. Patients with CKD have a number of disorders in the organism, and the presence of oxidative stress and systemic inflammation in these patients is the subject of numerous studies. Chronic inflammation joined with oxidative stress contributes to the development of numerous complications: accelerated atherosclerosis process and cardiovascular disease, emergence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus, development of malnutrition, anaemia, hyperparathyroidism, and so forth, affecting the prognosis and quality of life of patients with CKD. In this review we presented the potential role of the myeloperoxidase enzyme in the production of reactive/chlorinating intermediates and their role in oxidative damage to biomolecules in the body of patients with chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease. In addition, we discussed the role of modified lipoprotein particles under the influence of prooxidant MPO intermediates in the development of endothelial changes and cardiovascular complications in renal failure.

[The significance of resistin concentration in metabolical diseases].

BACKGROUND/AIM: Adipose tissue secrets a number of hormonal active substances that play an important role in the development of various metabolic diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the resistin significance in patients with various forms of metabolic diseases. METHODS: The survey was conducted in a hospital in Laplje Selo, and included 102 patients suffering from diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease and renal insufficiency. All patients were verified and anthropometric characteristics and the basic hematological and biochemical analysis and resistin level were controlled. RESULTS: The average age of the patients, 69 (67.6%) men and 33 (32.4%) women, was 55 +/- 9.3 years. It was about two-thirds of smokers. The values of mean arterial blood pressure suggested that our patients had expressed hypertension, body mass index (28.5 +/- 3.4 kg/m2) pointed to excessive well-fed, the circumference of hips (100 +/- 10.8 cm), waist circumference (110 +/- 17.4 cm) and the ratio of hip/waist circumference (1.05 +/- 0.14) indicated a significant intra-abdominal distribution of fat tissue. More than one third of our patients had a certain form of cardiovascular diseases, renal failure was present almost in a fifth of patients, while diabetes mellitus was verified in 44.1% of the studied population. Significantly higher values of resistin concentrations were determined in patients with renal insufficiency and diabetes mellitus. In relation to the level of resistin, according to the number of metabolic diseases per patient, a statistically significant difference was achieved (F = 11.80, DF = 4.61, p < 0.001). Spearman correlation (r = 0.66, p < 0.001) found a statistically significant correlation between the number of diseases in one subject and the levels of resistin. CONCLUSION: In patients with diabetes mellitus and renal failure higher concentrations of resistin were recorded.

Antioxidant effects of some drugs on immobilization stress combined with cold restraint stress.

The aim of this work was to investigate the effect on antioxidant potential of some commonly used drugs (morphine, tramadol, bromocriptine, haloperidol and azithromycin) on immobilization stress (IS) combined with cold restraint stress (CRS) in the rat. After the drug treatment the animals were kept immobilized in the cold chamber at 4+/-0.3 degrees C for 3 hours and then decapitaed and the livers were extracted. The following parameters were determined in the liver homogenate: content of reduced glutathione, activities of catalase, xanthine oxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, peroxidase, and lipid peroxidation intensity. A battery of biochemical assays was used and the resulting data were statistically analyzed. Combined stress exhibited a prooxidative action (increased catalase activity, lowered content of reduced glutathione). Significantly enhanced catalase activity that was observed in all groups compared to the control indicates that the primary reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolite is hydrogen peroxide, which decomposes very rapidly (very high catalase activity), thus hindering formation of OH radicals as the most toxic ROS. None of the tested drugs showed a protective effect on combined IS and CRS. The intensity of lipid peroxidation did not change either in the combined stress or under additional influence of the drugs. Probably, under our experimental conditions, the time was not sufficiently long to observe damage of lipid membrane by ROS.

Antioxidant effects of some drugs on ethanol-induced ulcers.

The aim of this work was to investigate the antioxidant potential of some commonly used drugs (bromocriptine, haloperidol and azithromycin) on alcohol-induced ulcers in the rat. The following parameters were determined: content of reduced glutathione, activities of catalase, xanthine oxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, peroxidase, and lipid peroxidation intensity. A battery of biochemical assays were used and the resulting data was statistically analyzed. Alcohol stress caused gastric ulcerations and hemorrhages and changed all the examined parameters except glutathione peroxidase activity. All drugs reduced the ulcer index and hemorrhages, with azithromycin showing the strongest effects. The drugs in combination with alcohol showed different effects on biochemical parameters. Our results indicate that the gastroprotective effects of the investigated drugs on experimental lesions induced by 100% ethanol could not be correlated with their antioxidative properties.

Effects of various drugs on alcohol-induced oxidative stress in the liver.

The major aim of this work was to investigate how alcohol-induced oxidative stress in combined chemotherapy changes the metabolic function of the liver in experimental animals. This research was conducted to establish how bromocriptine, haloperidol and azithromycin, applied to the experimental model, affected the antioxidative status of the liver. The following parameters were determined: reduced glutathione, activities of glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, peroxidase, catalase, xanthine oxidase and lipid peroxidation intensity. Alanine transaminase was measured in serum. Alcohol stress (AO group) reduced glutathione and the activity of xanthine oxidase and glutathione peroxidase, but increased catalase and alanine transaminase activity. The best protective effect was achieved with the bromocriptine (AB1 group), while other groups had similar effects on the studied parameters.