Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess whether nebivolol treatment could have beneficial effects in the prevention of anthracyclines-induced cardiotoxicity. Patients and methods: Our prospective study included 60 women, mean age 52.6±13 years, with HER2 negative breast cancer, scheduled to undergo treatment with doxorubicin. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: the treatment group (n=30) which received nebivolol 5 mg once daily for the duration of chemotherapy and the control group (n=30) without treatment with nebivolol. Cytostatic treatment was performed with doxorubicin 70 mg/m² administered intravenously every 21 days for six cycles. The average cumulative dose of doxorubicin was 520±8 mg/m². Echocardiography was performed immediately before and after six cycles of doxorubicin therapy. Results: We found no significant differences between the two groups regarding baseline clinical and echocardiographic parameters. The two groups reached a similar cumulative dose of doxorubicin. No patient died during the study. None of the patients withdrew from chemotherapy. After six cycles of doxorubicin therapy, the left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, shortening fraction, and LV diameters changed, but not significantly. Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) detected in the control group a significant decrease of myocardial velocities, indicating a LV diastolic dysfunction. In the same group, speckle tracking imaging (STI) revealed a statistically significant alteration of the ventricular deformation, which means a decrease in LV systolic function. In the nebivolol treatment group, no significant alterations in the LV systolic and diastolic function were observed. Conclusion: The results of this study show the benefit of new echocardiographic imaging methods such as TDI and STI in the screening of early cardiac dysfunction induced by cytostatic treatment. Nebivolol treatment prevented the occurrence of anthracyclines-induced cardiomyopathy in the short term. In order to confirm these preliminary results, larger studies with a longer follow-up period are required.

Background and aim: The extract of ginger, obtained from the rhizome of Zingiber officinale, contains 6-gingerol, 6-shogaol, 8-gingerol, and 10-gingerol. It has many therapeutic effects such as being chemopreventive against stroke and heart diseases, malabsorption, bacterial infections, indigestion, and nausea, which have been observed since ancient times. The main aim of this study is to evaluate the polyurethane (PU) as a proper material for the hollow nanoparticles’ preparation. Methods: The PU nanoparticles were obtained by a spontaneous emulsification, in the presence of a nonionic surfactant, combined with an interfacial polyaddition process between an aliphatic diisocyanate and different mixtures of etheric and esteric polyols. The synthesis was done without any PU additives, such as catalysts, blowing agents, chains promoters, cross-linking agents, and stabilizers. Results: The particles present almost neutral pH values and low water solubility. They are heat resistant up to 280°C. Decreased irritation level was found in the assay of PU nanoparticles loaded with pure ginger extract (GE) on the murine skin tests than the irritation level recorded for pure GE. Conclusion: This research shows the reduced noxiousness of these PU nanoparticles and consequently the possibility of their use as a possible cardiovascular protector.

Background: The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and heart rate (HR) on in-hospital mortality in ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients, after primary percutaneous intervention (PCI). Patients and methods: The study included 294 patients admitted for STEMI. They were divided into five groups according to the SBP at admission: group I, <105 mmHg; group II, 105–125 mmHg; group III, 126–140 mmHg; group IV, 141–158 mmHg; and group V, ≥159 mmHg. Increased HR was defined as ≥80 beats per minute (bpm). In-hospital death was defined as all-cause death during admission and classified into cardiac and noncardiac death.
Results: Among the 294 patients admitted for STEMI, 218 (74%) were men. The mean age was 62±17 years. In-hospital mortality rate was 6% (n=18), with 11 (3.7%) deaths having cardiac causes. The highest mortality was registered in group I (n=9, 16%, P=0.018). Compared to the other groups, group I patients were older (P=0.033), more often smokers (P=0.026), and had a history of myocardial infarction (P=0.003), systemic hypertension (P=0.023), diabetes (P=0.041), or chronic kidney disease (P=0.0200). They more often had a HR ≥80 bpm (P=0.028) and a Killip class 3 or 4 at admission (P=0.020). The peak creatine phosphokinase-MB level was significantly higher in this group (P=0.005), while the angiographic findings more often identified as culprit lesions were the right coronary artery (P=0.005), the left main trunk (P=0.040), or a multivessel coronary artery disease (P=0.044). Multivariate analysis showed that group I patients had a significantly higher risk for both all-cause death (P=0.006) and cardiac death (P=0.003). Patients with HR ≥80 bpm also had higher mortality rates (P=0.0272 for general mortality and P=0.0280 for cardiac mortality). Conclusion: The present study suggests that SBP <105 mmHg and HR ≥80 bpm at admission of STEMI patients are associated with a higher risk of in-hospital death, even after primary PCI.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the serum levels of intracellular adhesion molecule (sICAM-1), and vascular cell adhesion molecule (sVCAM-1), in the first psychotic episode schizophrenia (SZ) patients, before and after six months of antipsychotic treatment. Patients and Methods: The study included 50 patients with a first hospitalization for SZ and 50 healthy control subjects that were patient-matched regarding age, gender, body mass index and smoking status. The evaluation included the presence of cardiovascular risk factors, measurements of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, body mass index, smoking status, ankle-brachial index, carotid intima-media thickness, and echocardiography. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) score was calculated for the patients. The plasma levels of fasting glucose, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 were determined at baseline in all subjects and after six months of antipsychotic treatment. Thirty patients (60%) were treated with olanzapine and 20 (40%) with risperidone. Results: The average age of patients experiencing their first episode of SZ was 29.7± 6.6 years, and 23 (46%) were men. The initial sICAM-1 levels of the patients were lower than those of the control group (P< 0.0001), and increased after treatment (P=0.02), but remained lower than in the healthy controls (P=0.026). The initial levels of sVCAM-1 levels were higher in the patients (P< 0.0001) and decreased after treatment (P< 0.0001) to values that were similar to those of the control group (P=0.39). The only independent predictor of a baseline BPRS over 120 was the baseline sVCAM-1 level (P< 0.0001). Antipsychotic treatment induced significant decreases in BPRS score (P< 0.0001), in systolic (P=0.005) and diastolic (P< 0.0001) blood pressure, in HDL-c (P=0.02), as well as significant increases in blood glucose (P< 0.01) and LDL-c (P< 0.001), with no differences between olanzapine and risperidone. Conclusion: In the patients experiencing an FEP of SZ, the levels of sICAM-1 were lower, while the levels of sVCAM-1 were higher than in the healthy control subjects. The antipsychotics used in the treatment of schizophrenia increased sICAM-1 and decreased sVCAM. The baseline level of sVCAM-1 was an independent predictor of a BPRS score > 120 at baseline.

Betulinic acid, a small molecule from pentacyclic triterpenes class, has been widely studied for its antitumor activity, revealing that it induces the apoptosis of tumor cells in a selective manner. In recent years, digoxin, a cardiac glycoside found particularly in the plant species Digitalis lanata, has drawn interest for its potential antitumor properties. The present study was designed to evaluate the antimelanoma potential of betulinic acid (BA), digoxin (DG), and their association (DG + BA). In vitro assessments were performed 24 h post-treatment on two human melanoma cell lines (SK-Mel-28 and RPMI-7951). In addition, the potential irritant effects of the test samples were evaluated using the chorioallantoic membrane of hen’s eggs. BA and DG exhibit a concentration-dependent cytotoxic activity, with the combination of the two having a more marked effect on the decrease in cell viability (~17% for SK-Mel-28 cells and ~23% for RPMI-7951 cells). Further, morphological changes (rounding of the cells and their separation from the plaque) and alterations in the nucleus and actin fibers (condensation of chromatin and actin fibers, formation of apoptotic bodies) were observed, indicating an apoptotic-like process. Moreover, no irritating effects were observed in ovo. As a result, DG + BA acid may have synergistic potential in the antitumor treatment of melanoma, but future studies are needed in order to clarify the biological mechanisms involved.

This review aims to explore the intricate relationship among epigenetic mechanisms, stress, and affective disorders, focusing on how early life experiences and coping mechanisms contribute to susceptibility to mood disorders. Epigenetic factors play a crucial role in regulating gene expression without altering the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) sequence, and recent research has revealed associations between epigenetic changes and maladaptive responses to stress or psychiatric disorders. A scoping review of 33 studies employing the PRISMA-S (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses—Statement) guidelines investigates the role of stress-induced epigenetic mechanisms and coping strategies in affective disorder occurrence, development, and progression. The analysis encompasses various stress factors, including childhood trauma, work-related stress, and dietary deficiencies, alongside epigenetic changes, such as DNA methylation and altered gene expression. Findings indicate that specific stress-related genes frequently exhibit epigenetic changes associated with affective disorders. Moreover, the review examines coping mechanisms in patients with bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder, revealing mixed associations between coping strategies and symptom severity. While active coping is correlated with better outcomes, emotion-focused coping may exacerbate depressive or manic episodes. Overall, this review underscores the complex interplay among genetic predisposition, environmental stressors, coping mechanisms, and affective disorders. Understanding these interactions is essential for developing targeted interventions and personalized treatment strategies for individuals with mood disorders. However, further research is needed to elucidate specific genomic loci involved in affective disorders and the clinical implications of coping strategies in therapeutic settings.