Role of prostaglandin E2 in neurohumoral regulation of the cardiovascular system

The role of prostaglandin E in neurohumoral regulation of visceral functions is studied. Prostaglandin E₂ modulates cholinergic reflex reactions of the cardiovascular system and activates cardiovascular receptors related to unmyelinated fibers of the bulbar afferent system. The depressor effects of prostaglandin E₂ are fully expressed only when bulbar cardiovascular innervation is preserved. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 123, No. 5, pp. 538–541, May, 1997     

Trends in Injection Risk Behaviors among People Who Inject Drugs and the Impact of Harm Reduction Programs in Ukraine, 2007–2013

The study examined trends in injection risk behaviors among people who inject drugs (PWIDs) and assessed the impact of harm reduction programs in Ukraine during 2007–2013. We performed a secondary analysis of the data collected in serial cross-sectional bio-behavioral surveillance surveys administered with PWIDs in Ukraine in 2007, 2008, 2011, and 2013. Using data from 14 Ukrainian cities, we assessed short-term trends in injection risk behaviors with the Cochran-Armitage test for trend and multivariable logistic regression models, adjusted for age, sex, region, marital status, education level, occupation, age at injection drug use initiation, experience of overdose, and self-reported HIV status. The overall test for trend indicated a statistically significant decrease over time for sharing needle/syringe during the last injection (p?<?0.0001), sharing needle/syringe at least once in the last 30 days (p?<?0.0001), and using a common container for drug preparation (p?<?0.0001). The prevalence of injecting drugs from pre-loaded syringes was high (61.0%) and did not change over the study period. After adjusting for all significant confounders and comparing to 2007, the prevalence of sharing needle/syringe during the last injection was unchanged in 2008 (OR?=?1.06, 95% CI?=?0.92, 1.21), and declined in 2011 (OR?=?0.18, 95% CI?=?0.15, 0.22) and 2013 (OR?=?0.17, 95% CI?=?0.14, 0.21). Sharing needles/syringes in the last 30 days significantly decreased when compared to that in 2007 (2008: OR?=?0.81, 95% CI?=?0.74, 0.89; 2011: OR?=?0.43, 95% CI?=?0.38, 0.47; and 2013: OR?=?0.31, 95% CI?=?0.27, 0.35). The prevalence of using common instruments for drug preparation also decreased compared to that in 2007 (2008: OR?=?0.88, 95% CI?=?0.85, 0.91; 2011: OR?=?0.85, 95% CI?=?0.85, 0.90; and 2013: OR?=?0.74, 95% CI?=?0.71, 0.76). The observed reduction in the prevalence of injection risk behavior over time is encouraging. Our findings suggest that prevention programs in Ukraine have positive impact and provide support for governmental expansion of these programs.     

Synthesis and Anti-Platelet Activity of Thiosulfonate Derivatives Containing a Quinone Moiety

Thiosulfonate derivatives based on quinones were synthesized for studying “structure-activity relationship” compounds with an acylated and a free amino-group. Anti-platelet activity of the synthesized compounds was determined and the influence of substituents on the activity of the derivatives was assessed.     

Are Hamsters a Suitable Model for Evaluating the Immunogenicity of RBD-Based Anti-COVID-19 Subunit Vaccines?

Currently, SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding-domain (RBD)-based vaccines are considered one of the most effective weapons against COVID-19. During the first step of assessing vaccine immunogenicity, a mouse model is often used. In this paper, we tested the use of five experimental animals (mice, hamsters, rabbits, ferrets, and chickens) for RBD immunogenicity assessments. The humoral immune response was evaluated by ELISA and virus-neutralization assays. The data obtained show hamsters to be the least suitable candidates for RBD immunogenicity testing and, hence, assessing the protective efficacy of RBD-based vaccines.