Blockade of NMDA receptor subtype NR2B prevents seizures but not apoptosis of dentate gyrus neurons in bacterial meningitis in infant rats

BACKGROUND: Excitotoxic neuronal injury by action of the glutamate receptors of the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) subtype have been implicated in the pathogenesis of brain damage as a consequence of bacterial meningitis. The most potent and selective blocker of NMDA receptors containing the NR2B subunit is (R,S)-alpha-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-beta-methyl-4-(phenylmethyl)-1-piperid inepropanol (RO 25-6981). Here we evaluated the effect of RO 25-6981 on hippocampal neuronal apoptosis in an infant rat model of meningitis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae. Animals were randomized for treatment with RO 25-6981 at a dosage of either 0.375 mg (15 mg/kg; n = 28) or 3.75 mg (150 mg/kg; n = 15) every 3 h or an equal volume of sterile saline (250 μl; n = 40) starting at 12 h after infection. Eighteen hours after infection, animals were assessed clinically and seizures were observed for a period of 2 h. At 24 h after infection animals were sacrificed and brains were examined for apoptotic injury to the dentate granule cell layer of the hippocampus. RESULTS: Treatment with RO 25-6981 had no effect on clinical scores, but the incidence of seizures was reduced (P < 0.05 for all RO 25-6981 treated animals combined). The extent of apoptosis was not affected by low or high doses of RO 25-6981. Number of apoptotic cells (median [range]) was 12.76 [3.16–25.3] in animals treated with low dose RO 25-6981 (control animals 13.8 [2.60–31.8]; (P = NS) and 9.8 [1.7–27.3] (controls: 10.5 [2.4–21.75]) in animals treated with high dose RO 25-6981 (P = NS). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with a highly selective blocker of NMDA receptors containing the NR2B subunit failed to protect hippocampal neurons from injury in this model of pneumococcal meningitis, while it had some beneficial effect on the incidence of seizures

Manage epidemiological risk for HIV infection in the maritime transport and shipments

AIDS is a disease which is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus - HIV. Today HIV / AIDS is a global health, social and economic problem and a cause of high mortality. There are three main ways of HIV transmission: sexual transmission; blood and vertical. Lead is sexually transmitted - 87 percent in various forms of sexual intercourse without a condom. In particular, the use of services of prostitutes and nonuse of condom. Traveling abroad (mobile population) as economic migrants, on the occasion of trips, work, business trip, vacation is a vulnerable group for HIV / AIDS. Analyzing the spread of HIV / AIDS in the world and the country - 45% of new HIV infections occur in African Americans, 35% of whites and 17% for Hispanics. (10) our geographical location, the development of tourism, our status as a port city and describing the epidemiological risk for HIV among sailors and travelers have the need to study the epidemiology of HIV / AIDS in terms of shipping and transportation

Importans of the epidemiological control of insects and rodents for the navigation and limitation of infectious risk

The study of the characteristics of monitoring and control of epidemiologically significant insects and rodents in terms of navigation is a key to achieving effective ship‘s disinsection and deratisation (deratting). The success is a result of systematic and timely performed pest control. In international perspective ever closer the institutions work for the unification of these measures and the criteria for certification. In the contemporary conditions of globalization and intensive exchange of goods and passenger the vessels and vehicles can play an important role in the spread of infected rodents and insects in the world.Objective: To present to the medical and non-medical professionals related with navigation, the importance of bloodsucking insects and rodents for the spread of infectious diseases and to emphasize the importance of control measures against them to prevent „ship-associated infections`. Tasks: To present the targeted persons the specifics of control of insects and rodents in the vessels.Materials and Methods: The included teaching is consistent with the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005). They were studied historical materials, articles, epidemiological studies and analyzes of the WHO for the spread of communicable diseases. Manuals for anti-epidemic control and certification of vessels were used.Results and Discussion: Epidemiological significant rodents and insects can penetrate active or passive on vessels. They appear a risk factor for human health and the technical condition of the ship. It is essential the management, monitoring and actions related to pest control

Border health control in ports of the republic of Bulgaria and programmes for the management of infectious risk

According to the International Health Regulations as a risk for the public health are determined infectious diseases, radiation and chemical pollution. Urbanization and technological progress are a prerequisite for increasing the importance of these risks. The border crossing is facilitated, the area of spread of some infectious diseases expanded, they emerged new ones. We are witnesses of intensive migration of large groups of people without information about their health status. The system of medical control has as a basic order not to hinder the transport of goods and cargo, not to hinder people in their professional and personal trips. There remains the need to control the medical and health risk. Underway are several international projects and programs in this area. Inspectors carrying out border health control at the port of Varna actively participate in these activities. The trainings have aim to exchange experience, best practices and research for objectification of control. It must be optimization of administrative procedures, unification of issued international documents, a providing of ongoing training for border medical services, manning companies and ships` crews.Materials and methods: We used official documents of the WHO and the Republic of Bulgaria, working materials of international programs, official statistics RHI Varna for 2013 and 2014.Results and discussion: The border health control is essential for communicable disease surveillance - the preventing of import and spread of quarantine and especially dangerous infections, timely assessment and response to health risks for public health. It is done in accordance with the International Health Regulations (2005), Regulations on border crossings and border health control. Electronic systems are introduced for exchanging information, which requires good professional training of border medical services. The responsibility of seafarers increases because completing and bringing specific information into the electronic system. The importance of experience and communication between crews and medical services in order preparedness for rapid reaction grows. Realized are various education and training projects, optimized are health documents and protocols. It is necessary a development of target programs on particular problems of border health control to maintain the preparedness of seafarers and institutions for timely identification of health risks and adequate response

Sea epidemiology in teaching maritime medicine - prevention of infectious diseases, being subject to international health regulation and controlled by WHO

Naval Medicine is a scientific and practical direction with a complex interdisciplinary character and is a state policy in countries like Spain, Britain, Poland and the USA. Naval Medicine is defined as a system of scientific knowledge and practical activities, whose purpose is to protect and to gain in health of seafarers, life extension, prevent and treat diseases in humans. Sea epidemiology is a very important part of the medical disciplines. It is formed as a separate direction of epidemiology and as a section of maritime medicine in the 70s-90s of the twentieth century. During a trip the parasitic system, which interacts with the crew of the ships, operates completely differently than in conditions of residence on land, which requires specific approaches for the organization of prevention of infectious diseases during the journey and on land. The control of diseases, which are subject to the international health regulation, is an essential aspect of the marine epidemiology. In the directions for work on the implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005) in 2007 is said, that we should be ready for response in infectious diseases, which may arise as a result of sudden and rapid environmental and climatic changes as a result of industrial pollution and accidents that can put at risk millions of people in many countries and that is why they require measures of worldwide importance to be taken. The measures to protect public health are a significant section in the travel and the transport. Тhe management of infections by means of vaccine agents takes an important place in the system of actions. It finds systemic application in terms of maritime epidemiology as a tool for managing the infectious risk according to the number of vaccination avertible infections. Maritime training epidemiology should include the main sections of the general and private epidemiology in a constantly changing ecological and social environment of sea travel and transport

Effects of prolonged endotoxemia on liver, skeletal muscle and kidney mitochondrial function

INTRODUCTION: Sepsis may impair mitochondrial utilization of oxygen. Since hepatic dysfunction is a hallmark of sepsis, we hypothesized that the liver is more susceptible to mitochondrial dysfunction than the peripheral tissues, such as the skeletal muscle. We studied the effect of prolonged endotoxin infusion on liver, muscle and kidney mitochondrial respiration and on hepatosplanchnic oxygen transport and microcirculation in pigs. METHODS: Twenty anesthetized pigs were randomized to receive either endotoxin or saline infusion for 24 hours. Muscle, liver and kidney mitochondrial respiration was assessed. The cardiac output (thermodilution) and the carotid, superior mesenteric and kidney arterial, portal venous (ultrasound Doppler) and microcirculatory blood flow (laser Doppler) were measured, and systemic and regional oxygen transport and lactate exchange were calculated. RESULTS: Endotoxin infusion induced hyperdynamic shock and impaired the glutamate-dependent and succinate-dependent mitochondrial respiratory control ratio in the liver (glutamate, median (range) endotoxemia 2.8 (2.3–3.8) vs controls 5.3 (3.8–7.0); P < 0.001; succinate, endotoxemia 2.9 (1.9–4.3) vs controls 3.9 (2.6–6.3), P = 0.003). While the ADP added/oxygen consumed ratio was reduced with both substrates, the maximal ATP production was impaired only in the succinate-dependent respiration. Hepatic oxygen consumption and extraction, and the liver surface laser Doppler blood flow remained unchanged. Glutamate-dependent respiration in the muscle and kidney was unaffected. CONCLUSION: Endotoxemia reduces the efficiency of hepatic mitochondrial respiration but neither skeletal muscle nor kidney mitochondrial respiration, independent of regional and microcirculatory blood flow changes

Comparative characteristics of the epidemic process of the HIV infection in Europe, Bulgaria and the Varna region for the period 2008-2017

Повече от тридесет години, светът живее с глобалното предизвикателство за справяне с епидемията от ХИВ. (2) ХИВ/СПИН инфекцията остава в Европа като основен проблем за общественото здраве. България все още е към страните със слабо разпространение на ХИВ инфекцията, няма епидемия, но и отделните спорадични случаи са повод за тревога и изискват адекватни профилактични и противоепидемични мерки. Географското разположение на гр. Варна, развитието на туризма, статута ни на пристанищен град, наличието на много училища и ВУЗ ове с много млади хора, оформянето на възможни нови застрашени групи, характерни предимно за нашия регион (чуждестранни студенти и моряци) са част от факторите за разпространението на различни заболявания, вкл. и ХИВ/СПИН, което определя необходимостта от непрекъснат контрол и проследяване на развитието на заболяването.For over thirty years, the world has been living with the global challenge to tackle the HIV epidemic. HIV/ AIDS infection remains a major public health problem in Europe. Bulgaria is still among the countries with low prevalence of the HIV infection, no epidemic, but individual sporadic cases are a cause for concern and require adequate prophylactic and anti-epidemic measures. The geographical location of Varna, the development of tourism, our status as a port city, the presence of many schools and universities with many young people, the shaping of possible new threatened groups that are characteristic of our region (foreign students and sailors) are part of the factors for the spread of various diseases, incl. HIV / AIDS. All this determines the need for ongoing monitoring and follow-up of disease progression

Large expert-curated database for benchmarking document similarity detection in biomedical literature search

Document recommendation systems for locating relevant literature have mostly relied on methods developed a decade ago. This is largely due to the lack of a large offline gold-standard benchmark of relevant documents that cover a variety of research fields such that newly developed literature search techniques can be compared, improved and translated into practice. To overcome this bottleneck, we have established the RElevant LIterature SearcH consortium consisting of more than 1500 scientists from 84 countries, who have collectively annotated the relevance of over 180 000 PubMed-listed articles with regard to their respective seed (input) article/s. The majority of annotations were contributed by highly experienced, original authors of the seed articles. The collected data cover 76% of all unique PubMed Medical Subject Headings descriptors. No systematic biases were observed across different experience levels, research fields or time spent on annotations. More importantly, annotations of the same document pairs contributed by different scientists were highly concordant. We further show that the three representative baseline methods used to generate recommended articles for evaluation (Okapi Best Matching 25, Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency and PubMed Related Articles) had similar overall performances. Additionally, we found that these methods each tend to produce distinct collections of recommended articles, suggesting that a hybrid method may be required to completely capture all relevant articles. The established database server located at https://relishdb.ict.griffith.edu.au is freely available for the downloading of annotation data and the blind testing of new methods. We expect that this benchmark will be useful for stimulating the development of new powerful techniques for title and title/abstract-based search engines for relevant articles in biomedical research.Peer reviewe

Hyperoside as a UV Photoprotective or Photostimulating Compound—Evaluation of the Effect of UV Radiation with Selected UV-Absorbing Organic Compounds on Skin Cells

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a non-ionizing radiation, which has a cytotoxic potential, and it is therefore necessary to protect against it. Human skin is exposed to the longer-wavelength components of UV radiation (UVA and UVB) from the sun. In the present paper, we focused on the study of eight organic UV-absorbing compounds: astragalin, beta-carotene, 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone, 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone, hyperoside, 3-(4-methylbenzylidene)camphor, pachypodol, and trans-urocanic acid, as possible protectives of skin cells against UVA and UVB radiation. Their protective effects on skin cell viability, ROS production, mitochondrial membrane potential, liposomal permeability, and DNA integrity were investigated. Only some of the compounds studied, such as trans-urocanic acid and hyperoside, had a significant effect on the examined hallmarks of UV-induced cell damage. This was also confirmed by an atomic force microscopy study of morphological changes in HaCaT cells or a study conducted on a 3D skin model. In conclusion, hyperoside was found to be a very effective UV-protective compound, especially against UVA radiation. Commonly used sunscreen compounds such as 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone, 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone, and 3-(4-methylbenzylidene)camphor turned out to be only physical UV filters, and pachypodol with a relatively high absorption in the UVA region was shown to be more phototoxic than photoprotective