The prevalence of OTC drugs among students

Wstęp. Leki over the counter (OTC) wykorzystywane są do samoleczenia popularnych i niegroźnych chorób. Należy jednak pamiętać, że stosowanie wielu leków z tej grupy istotnie zwiększa ryzyko wystąpienia działań niepożądanych. Cel pracy. Ocena rozpowszechnienia stosowania leków OTC wśród studentów. Materiał i metody. Badanie przeprowadzono w 2014 roku za pomocą autorskiego kwestionariusza wśród 220 studentów kierunku fizjoterapii Akademii Wychowania Fizycznego Józefa Piłsudskiego w Warszawie, Filia Biała Podlaska. Wyniki. Wszyscy respondenci potwierdzili stosowanie leków bez recepty. Podczas zakupu leków OTC respondenci najczęściej kierowali się poradą farmaceuty 52,44% lub reklamą telewizyjną i radiową 34,96%, najrzadziej poradą lekarza 3,49%. Wnioski. Stosowanie leków z grupy OTC jest bardzo powszechnym zjawiskiem wśród młodych dorosłych. Najbardziej powszechnie leki z tej grupy to leki przeciwbólowe i przeciwgorączkowe oraz preparaty wielowitaminowe. Studenci podczas zakupu leków z grupy OTC najczęściej kierują się radą farmaceuty.Introduction. OTC drugs (over-the-counter) are mainly used for treatment of common and harmless diseases. However, it has to be noticed that use of OTC drugs considerably increases risk of side effects. Aim of the study. Evaluation of prevalence of OTC drugs among students was aim of the work. Material and method. The study was conducted in 2014 among 220 students of Physiotherapy at University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Józef Piłsudski Branch in Biała Podlaska using original questionnaire. Results. All respondents confirmed usage of OTC drugs. When purchasing OTC drugs, most of the respondents were advised by pharmacist 52.44% or by TV and radio advertisement 34.96%, least frequently they were guided by medical advice 3.49%. Conclusions. OTC drugs are very popular among young adults. Analgesics, antipyretics and multi-vitamin complex are the most common drug within this group. During purchase of OTC drugs, students are guided by pharmacist

Polyphenol extract from evening primrose pomace alleviates experimental colitis after intracolonic and oral administration in mice

Oenothera paradoxa (EP) preparations are commonly used in folk medicine to treat skin diseases, neuralgia, and gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. Several reports suggested that EP preparations exhibit potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities both in vitro and in vivo. Here, we aimed to characterize the action of EP pomace polyphenol extract in mouse model of colitis. We analyzed the composition of EP pomace polyphenol extract using reversed phase HPLC system and ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) system coupled with a quadrupole-time of flight (Q-TOF) MS instrument. Then, we used a well-established animal model of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis to determine the anti-inflammatory action of EP pomace polyphenol extract. We also investigated the effect of the EP pomace polyphenol extract on pro-inflammatory (IL-1β and TNF-α) cytokine mRNA levels and hydrogen peroxide concentration in the inflamed colon. Administration of EP pomace polyphenol extract significantly improved macroscopic and microscopic damage scores, as well as myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in TNBS-treated mice. The anti-inflammatory effect of the extract was observed after intracolonic and oral administration and was dose-dependent. Significant reduction of tissue hydrogen peroxide level after treatment with EP pomace polyphenol extract suggests that its therapeutic effect is a result of free radical scavenging. This novel finding indicates that the application of the EP pomace polyphenol extract in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) may become an attractive supplementary treatment for conventional anti-inflammatory therapy.The authors wish to thank Dr. Alicja Z. Kucharska from the Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences for determining the composition of polyphenolic compounds by UPLC-QTOF-MS. This study was supported by the bilateral cooperation between Poland and China, the Iuventus Plus program of the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education (0107/IP1/2013/72 to JF), and Medical University of Lodz (502-03/1-156-02/502-14-140 to M Sałaga and 503/ 1-156-04/503-01)

Endocannabinoids-related compounds in gastrointestinal diseases

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is an endogenous signalling pathway involved in the control of several gastrointestinal (GI) functions at both peripheral and central levels. In recent years, it has become apparent that the ECS is pivotal in the regulation of GI motility, secretion and sensitivity, but endocannabinoids (ECs) are also involved in the regulation of intestinal inflammation and mucosal barrier permeability, suggesting their role in the pathophysiology of both functional and organic GI disorders. Genetic studies in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or inflammatory bowel disease have indeed shown significant associations with polymorphisms or mutation in genes encoding for cannabinoid receptor or enzyme responsible for their catabolism, respectively. Furthermore, ongoing clinical trials are testing EC agonists/antagonists in the achievement of symptomatic relief from a number of GI symptoms. Despite this evidence, there is a lack of supportive RCTs and relevant data in human beings, and hence, the possible therapeutic application of these compounds is raising ethical, political and economic concerns. More recently, the identification of several EC-like compounds able to modulate ECS function without the typical central side effects of cannabino-mimetics has paved the way for emerging peripherally acting drugs. This review summarizes the possible mechanisms linking the ECS to GI disorders and describes the most recent advances in the manipulation of the ECS in the treatment of GI diseases

Oxidative Stress Does Not Influence Subjective Pain Sensation in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients

Oxidative stress (OS) has been proposed as a significant causative and propagating factor in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). Modulation of OS is possible through antioxidants and inhibition of oxidizing enzymes. Thirty-one IBD patients and thirty-two controls were included in the study. The aim was to examine the levels of OS in colonic tissue of IBD requiring surgical intervention and control group, and their association with pain intensity. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity, glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) levels, and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity as markers of antioxidant defense were determined. Cyclooxygenases activities (Total COX, COX-1 and COX-2) were measured as prooxidant enzymes. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) concentrations were measured to evaluate lipid peroxidation. Disease activity was assessed, and each subject filled out VAS and Laitinen’s pain assessment scales. Correlation between the OS, pain intensity, disease activity parameters, C-reactive protein (CRP), number of stools passed daily, disease duration, and dietary habits was investigated. No TAC differences were found between the groups. A significant decrease of SOD activity and GSH and GSSG levels was seen in IBD patients vs. controls, while GPX activity was diminished significantly only in CD patients. CAT and COX-1 activity was increased, and COX-2 significantly decreased in IBD. TBARS were significantly higher in CD patients compared to control group. No correlation was found between pain scores, inflammatory status, disease activity, disease duration, or dietary habits and OS markers. In our study, OS did not influence pain sensation reported by IBD patients