Medicina
-
Background and Objectives: Available studies confirm myocardial injury and its association with mortality in patients with COVID-19, but few data have been reported from echocardiographic studies. The aim of this study was to identify subclinical left ventricular dysfunction by global longitudinal strain (GLS) and its evolution in the short term in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Materials and Methods: Thirty-one consecutive noncritical patients admitted for COVID-19 were included. ⋯ Follow-up at 30 days showed an improvement in GLS values in patients with subclinical left ventricular dysfunction (-16.4 ± 2.07% vs. -13.2 ± 2.40%; p < 0.01), without changes in the normal GLS group. Conclusions: Subclinical left ventricular dysfunction is common in noncritical hospitalized patients with COVID-19 (one in every three patients), even with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction. This impairment tends to be reversible on clinical recovery.
-
Anxiety is a complex emotional state that can arise from the anticipation of a threatening event, and preoperative anxiety is a common experience among adult patients undergoing surgery. In adult patients, the incidence of preoperative anxiety varies widely across different surgical groups, and it can result in a variety of psychophysiological responses and problems. Despite its negative impact, preoperative anxiety often receives insufficient attention in clinical practice. ⋯ These personalized approaches could involve developing tools to identify individuals who are more likely to experience increased pain and may require additional analgesia. To address this, regular assessments of anxiety levels should be conducted during preoperative visits, and counseling should be provided to patients with high levels of anxiety. Identifying and addressing preoperative anxiety in a timely manner can help reduce its incidence and potential consequences.
-
Background: Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) is a rare genetic disorder where catecholamine causes bidirectional ventricular tachycardia, potentially leading to cardiac arrest. In patients undergoing surgery, sympathetic responses can be triggered in situations associated with surgical stimulations as well as high anxiety before the surgery, anesthetic maneuvers such as endotracheal intubation and extubation, and postoperative pain. Therefore, planning for surgery demands meticulous attention to anesthesia during the perioperative period in order to prevent potentially life-threatening arrhythmias. ⋯ Complete emergence was achieved after deep extubation, and the patient did not complain of pain or postoperative nausea and vomiting. Conclusions: Anesthesiologists should not only be able to plan and manage the catecholamine response during surgery but also anticipate and be prepared for situations that may lead to arrhythmias before and after the procedure. In certain cases, deep extubation can be beneficial as it reduces hemodynamic changes during the extubation process.
-
Background and Objectives: Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is mostly linked to inflammation and has been validated as a molecular target for treating inflammatory diseases. The present study aimed to identify novel compounds that could inhibit COX-2, which is associated with various diseases including inflammation, and in such a scenario, plant-derived biomolecules have been considered as attractive candidates. Materials and Methods: In the present study, physiochemical properties and toxicity of natural compounds/drugs were determined by SWISSADME and ProTox-II. ⋯ The direct interaction of picrocrocin with various crucial amino-acid residues like GLN203, TYR385, HIS386 and 388, ASN382, and TRP387 causes modifications in these residues, which ultimately attenuates the activity of COX-2 protein. Conclusions: The present study revealed that picrocrocin was the most effective biomolecule and could be repurposed via computational approaches. However, various in vivo and in vitro observations are still needed.
-
Background and Objectives: Cancer is the second-most-important deadly disease in the world, leading to severe socioeconomic consequences and posing a public threat. Consequently, breast and colorectal cancers are significant cancer types that affect women and men more commonly, respectively. Treatment failure or recurrent diseases frequently occur due to resistance, in addition to the side effects of the currently available anticancer agents. ⋯ Similarly, the expression of apoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, XIAP, Survivin, Bid, Bax, p53, Cytochrome C, PARP genes and mRNA was studied after herbal melanin treatment using real-time PCR, which revealed the downregulation of Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, XIAP and Survivin and the upregulation of Bid, Bax, p53, Cytochrome C and PARP apoptotic protein expression. Also, caspase 3 and 9 expressions were monitored after the treatment with herbal melanin, which revealed the upregulation of both the MDA-MB-231 and HCT 116 cell types. Conclusions: Overall, herbal melanin can be used as an alternative anticancer agent against the MDA-MB-231 and HCT 116 cell types.