Varespladib and cardiovascular events in patients with an acute coronary syndrome: the VISTA-16 randomized clinical trial

IMPORTANCE: Secretory phospholipase A2(sPLA2) generates bioactive phospholipid products implicated in atherosclerosis. The sPLA2inhibitor varespladib has favorable effects on lipid and inflammatory markers; however, its effect on cardiovascular outcomes is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of sPLA2inhibition with varespladib on cardiovascular outcomes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A double-blind, randomized, multicenter trial at 362 academic and community hospitals in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, India, and North America of 5145 patients randomized within 96 hours of presentation of an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) to either varespladib (n = 2572) or placebo (n = 2573) with enrollment between June 1, 2010, and March 7, 2012 (study termination on March 9, 2012). INTERVENTIONS: Participants were randomized to receive varespladib (500 mg) or placebo daily for 16 weeks, in addition to atorvastatin and other established therapies. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary efficacy measurewas a composite of cardiovascular mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), nonfatal stroke, or unstable angina with evidence of ischemia requiring hospitalization at 16 weeks. Six-month survival status was also evaluated. RESULTS: At a prespecified interim analysis, including 212 primary end point events, the independent data and safety monitoring board recommended termination of the trial for futility and possible harm. The primary end point occurred in 136 patients (6.1%) treated with varespladib compared with 109 patients (5.1%) treated with placebo (hazard ratio [HR], 1.25; 95%CI, 0.97-1.61; log-rank P = .08). Varespladib was associated with a greater risk of MI (78 [3.4%] vs 47 [2.2%]; HR, 1.66; 95%CI, 1.16-2.39; log-rank P = .005). The composite secondary end point of cardiovascular mortality, MI, and stroke was observed in 107 patients (4.6%) in the varespladib group and 79 patients (3.8%) in the placebo group (HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.02-1.82; P = .04). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In patients with recent ACS, varespladib did not reduce the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events and significantly increased the risk of MI. The sPLA2inhibition with varespladib may be harmful and is not a useful strategy to reduce adverse cardiovascular outcomes after ACS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01130246. Copyright 2014 American Medical Association. All rights reserved

Genetic aspects of infertility and miscarriage -a review of literature

Abstract We present current data on the disturbance of reproductive function in men and women according to genetic causes. The purpose of this paper was to discuss the influence of heredity on sexual differentiation, gametogenesis, early stages of embryogenesis and implantation

Component composition of essential oil in the North American <i>Pinus</i> L. species introduced to the Southern Coast of Crimea

Background. Studying essential oils in conifers is of great scientific and practical interest due to their high bactericidal properties. Their volatiles play an important role in combating pathogenic microflora and removing harmful microorganisms from the air, thus benefiting human health. Conifers are highly effective as part of parklands and urban landscaping.Materials and methods. Pinus radiata D. Don, P. sabiniana Douglas and P. coulteri D. Don grown on the Southern Coast of Crimea were studied. Essential oil was extracted from pine needles by hydrodistillation on Ginsberg devices, and its component composition was analyzed using gas–liquid chromatography on a 6890N system with a 5973N mass selective detector.Results. Among the studied species, P. radiata manifested high essential oil content in needles: 0.15% on the wet weight basis (0.36%, dry weight). Under the conditions of the southern coast of Crimea, the major essential oil components in P. radiata were β-pinene (29.5% of the total essential oil), α-pinene (21.2%) and limonene (12.4%); in P. sabiniana, phenylethyl butyrate (20.5%), limonene (15.2%) and α-pinene (13.7%); in P. coulteri, β-pinene (11.6%), δ-cadinene (11.0%) and α-pinene (10.6%). In the essential oil of P. radiata monoterpenes dominated (74.9%); in P. sabiniana, monoterpenes (38.7%) and their derivatives − alcohols (25.3%) and esters (20.5%); in P. coulteri, sesquiterpenes (38.2%) and monoterpenes (28.8%).Conclusion. The essential oils of P. radiata and P. sabiniana under different climate conditions contained mostly monoterpenes (β-pinene in P. radiata, and α-pinene in P. sabiniana) and their derivatives. The component composition of P. coulteri essential oil was the most variable, with a general tendency towards the predominance of sesquiterpenes and diterpenes; the ratio between those groups and the qualitative composition of sesquiterpenes both varied

Anatomy, ploidy level, and essential oil composition of <i>Hyssopus officinalis</i> ʻNikitskiy Beliyʼ <i>in vitro</i> and <i>ex situ</i>

Background. Clonal micropropagation is a biotechnological method for plant multiplication. The existing data on the structure of organs in vitro, genetic stability, and essential oil composition are limited for Hyssopus officinalis L., so this study was aimead at investigating these aspects under a short period of in vitro culturing.Materials and methods. Plants of Hyssopus officinalis ʻNikitskiy Beliyʼ cultivated ex situ, in vitro and ex vitro were analyzed. Conventional methods were applied to study plant anatomy, ploidy level, and relative DNA content, as well as to extract and analyze essential oil. Statistical analysis was performed using the Past 4.03 software.Results. According to the results obtained, with 6-BAP introduced into MS nutrient medium in optimal concentrations (0.3– 0.5 mg/L), the general in vitro structure of leaf blades in the developed microshoots was similar to those in ex situ plants, while the qualitative and quantitative changes observed were induced by the effect of specific culturing conditions and plant rejuvenation. The analysis of the ploidy level and relative DNA content in the nuclei isolated from the leaf tissue cells of the microshoots ex vitro after adaptation revealed no changes compared to the ex situ leaf parameters. The mass fraction of essential oil and its component composition in the mother plants and ex vitro regenerants were similar.Conclusion. Cultivation of Hyssopus officinalis ʻNikitskiy Beliyʼ microshoots on MS nutrient medium with 6-BAP optimal concentrations promotes morphogenesis without significant deviations in the ploidy level, relative DNA content, essential oil yield, or its component composition. The developed protocol for clonal micropropagation of Hyssopus officinalis ʻNikitskiy Beliyʼ provides clones identical to the ex situ plants

Hot recombination of photogenerated ion pairs

The recombination dynamics of ion pairs generated upon electron transfer quenching of perylene in the first singlet excited state by tetracyanoethylene in acetonitrile is quantitatively described by the extended unified theory of photoionization/recombination. The extension incorporates the hot recombination of the ion pair passing through the level-crossing point during its diffusive motion along the reaction coordinate down to the equilibrium state. The ultrafast hot recombination vastly reduces the yield of equilibrated ion pairs subjected to subsequent thermal charge recombination and separation into free ions. The relatively successful fit of the theory to the experimentally measured kinetics of ion accumulation/recombination and free ion yield represents a firm justification of hot recombination of about 90% of primary generated ion pairs

Charge recombination in excited donor-acceptor complexes with two absorption bands

The dynamics of charge recombination in a photoexcited donor-acceptor complex comprising 1,2,4-trimethoxybenzene (electron donor) and tetracyanoethylene (electron acceptor) in several polar solvents (acetonitrile, valeronitrile, and octanonitrile) was studied in terms of the stochastic approach. The Gibbs energy of charge recombination and the reorganization energies of the medium and quantum and vibrational degrees of freedom were found by fitting the stationary absorption spectrum. The electronic couplings were determined by analyzing the time dependences of the population of the ionic state in acetonitrile. A comparison of the numerical simulation results with the experimental data showed that the nonstationary model under consideration quantitatively described the dynamics of charge recombination and its dependence on the carrier frequency of excitation pulses and the relaxation properties of solvents