The Academy of Medical Sciences is an organisation established in the UK in 1998. It is one of the four UK National Academies, the others being the British Academy, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society.Its mission is to advance biomedical and health research and its translation into benefits for society. The academy consists of a group of around 1200 Fellows elected from fields across the biomedical sciences. The academy seeks ultimately to advance medical science and improve health by investing in talented researchers, engaging people on health-related issues and providing expert impartial advice. As of December 2020[update] its president is Dame Anne Johnson.
This review analyzes the prevalence of childhood and adolescent obesity in the Russian Federation. Data from various regional studies are provided. In some regions, long-term obesity dynamics were studied. The history of studying the epidemiology of obesity in Russia spans more than thirty years. According to the data obtained, the prevalence of childhood obesity throughout the country remains high and continues to increase. In all regions where long-term trends were assessed, the prevalence of obesity has increased (maximum 15.8% in the Tyumen Region). Among children, obesity is recorded among boys more often (maximum 38.3% in St. Petersburg) compared to girls (maximum 37.4% in St. Petersburg).
BACKGROUND: The association of the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, depression, anxiety, and cognitive disorders with the deficit of neurotrophin-3 determines the prospect of creating drugs with a similar mechanism of action. Since the use of full-size neurotrophin-3 is limited by unsatisfactory pharmacokinetic properties, it is relevant to create low-molecular-weight mimetics of neurotrophin-3 that are active when administered systemically. A dimeric dipeptide mimetic of the 4th loop of neurotrophin-3, hexamethylenediamide bis(N--oxibutyryl-L-glutamyl-L-asparagine) GTS-302, which activates TrkC and TrkB receptors, has been developed at the V.V. Zakusov Research Institute of Pharmacology. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the spectrum of pharmacological activity of GTS-302. MATERIALS AND МETHODS: The pharmacological effects of GTS-302 were investigated following its intraperitoneal administration. The antidepressant-like activity of GTS-302 was studied in the forced swim test in mice after acute and 7-day administration. The anxiolytic and cognitive activity of the dipeptide were studied in the elevated plus maze test in mice and the novel object recognition test in rats after acute administration, respectively. The effect of GTS-302 on pain sensitivity was studied in the hot plate test in mice after acute administration. RESULTS: It was found that GTS-302 exhibits antidepressant-like activity after acute administration at doses of 0.5, 1.0, 5.0 and 10 mg/kg. After 7-day administration, the antidepressant-like activity of GTS-302 was more pronounced in terms of effect size and statistical significance. The dipeptide GTS-302 at doses of 1.0, 5.0 and 10.0 mg/kg showed anxiolytic and cognitive activity and did not affect pain sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: The pharmacological spectrum of the low-molecular-weight mimetic of neurotrophin-3, dipeptide GTS-302, revealed upon systemic administration includes a number of neuropsychotropic effects characteristic of the full-sized neurotrophin. This allows us to consider GTS-302 as a potential neuropsychotropic drug.
Effectiveness of the immune response in the form of the production of specific antibodies against immunogenic peptide constructs composed of conservative fragments of the hepatitis C virus envelope protein E2 depended on the adjuvants and carriers used in their preparations. The most effective formation of specific antibodies was observed in response to the injection of peptide constructs containing B- and T-epitopes of the E2 protein conjugated with a carrier with adjuvant properties, Immunomax. Antibodies obtained in response to immunization with conjugates of peptide constructs with Immunomax bound both hepatitis C virus envelope protein E2 and the heterodimer of envelope proteins E1E2.
Background: therapeutic drug monitoring represents one of the most promising tools in clinical practice to optimise antidepressant treatment. Nevertheless, little is still known regarding the relationship between clinical efficacy and serum/ plasma concentration of venlafaxine. The aim of study was to develop personalized approaches to prescribing venlafaxine for depression through therapeutic drug monitoring of minimum and maximum levels of the drug. Patients, Materials and Methods: 52 hospitalized patients with depression (F32 and F33 according to ICD-10) receiving venlafaxine were selected. Plasma concentrations of the drug and its active metabolite O-desmethylvenlafaxine were determined using a validated HPLC-MS method. The effects of potentially infiuencing factors was assessed using a multivariate linear regression model. Results: 73% and 67% of patients reached the venlafaxine active moiety concentrations within the recommended therapeutic range (previous and revised therapeutic ranges respectively). Plasma concentrations were dependent on age, weight, and CYP2D6 activity. Venlafaxine metabolism expressed as a metabolite-to-parent concentrations ratio was infiuenced by a combination of age, CYP2D6, and body mass index (BMI). We did not observe any significant difference in plasma concentrations between the patients with a single and two per day administration. Combining variables made an additive effect on plasma concentrations. Active moiety plasma concentrations were higher in older women. Conclusion: this study strongly suggests that monitoring could represent a more appropriate tool than the oral dosage to optimise the treatment with venlafaxine. Specifically, highest efficacy might be achieved in patients at active moiety levels around 400 ng/mL. Therapeutic drug monitoring of venlafaxine is recommended in clinical practice, especially in the elderly when beginning the pharmacotherapy.
Possible metabolites of progestin 16α, 17α-cyclohexaprogesterone 1, namely, 3α-hydroxy-, 3β-hydroxy-16α, 17α-cyclohexapregn-4-en-20-one, and 3α-hydroxy-16α, 17α-cyclohexa-5α-pregnan-20-one, were synthesized by reduction of the 3-keto group and subsequent Mitsunobu type inversion of configuration of the obtained alcohols. Study of the antiproliferative activity of the synthesized compounds and progestin 1 against MCF-7 and T47D cells in hormone-dependent breast cancer showed that the obtained steroids with a double bond in ring A retain the antiproliferative activity of progestin 1 with an IC50 of 22–34 µmol L−1, while the 5α-reduced analogs are practically inactive at doses up to 50 µmol L−1.
