University of Rijeka

About: University of Rijeka is a education organization based out in Rijeka, Croatia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Tourism. The organization has 3471 authors who have published 7993 publications receiving 110386 citations. The organization is also known as: Rijeka University & Sveučilište u Rijeci.

Unlicensed and off-label drug use in hospitalized children in Croatia: a cross-sectional survey

Abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and pattern of unlicensed and off-label drugs prescribed to hospitalized children at the Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital Rijeka, Croatia. A prospective cross-sectional study was performed on 1 day each month during a 12 month period and included all hospitalized children and adolescents. A total of 1,643 prescriptions for 198 different drugs were prescribed to 531 out of 691 (77%) hospitalized patients. Forty-six percent of the different drugs were prescribed in an unlicensed or off-label manner. Of all drug prescriptions, 25% were either unlicensed or off-label. Forty-eight percent of the patients received either an unlicensed or off-label drug. The most frequently prescribed off-label drugs were proton pump inhibitors. Unlicensed and off-label drug use is common. It is not illegal and may be clinically appropriate but is associated with a number of clinical, safety, and ethical issues. Regulatory authorities should use existing clinical evidence on the use of off-label and unlicensed drugs in decision making. Marketing authorization holders and national regulatory authorities should monitor for any safety concerns associated with unlicensed and off-label drug use and take appropriate measures as well as identify research priorities and mandate clinical studies to resolve important questions.

Protein misassembly and aggregation as potential convergence points for non-genetic causes of chronic mental illness

Abstract: Chronic mental illnesses (CMI), such as schizophrenia or recurrent affective disorders, are complex conditions with both genetic and non-genetic elements. In many other chronic brain conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia, sporadic instances of the disease are more common than gene-driven familial cases. Yet, the pathology of these conditions can be characterized by the presence of aberrant protein homeostasis, proteostasis, resulting in misfolded or aggregated proteins in the brains of patients that predominantly do not derive from genetic mutations. While visible deposits of aggregated protein have not yet been detected in CMI patients, we propose the existence of more subtle protein misassembly in these conditions, which form a continuum with the psychiatric phenotypes found in the early stages of many neurodegenerative conditions. Such proteinopathies need not rely on genetic variation. In a similar manner to the established aberrant neurotransmitter homeostasis in CMI, aberrant homeostasis of proteins is a functional statement that can only partially be explained by, but is certainly complementary to, genetic approaches. Here, we review evidence for aberrant proteostasis signatures from post mortem human cases, in vivo animal work, and in vitro analysis of candidate proteins misassembled in CMI. The five best-characterized proteins in this respect are currently DISC1, dysbindin-1, CRMP1, TRIOBP-1, and NPAS3. Misassembly of these proteins with inherently unstructured domains is triggered by extracellular stressors and thus provides a converging point for non-genetic causes of CMI.

Resolution of Liver Fibrosis by Isoquinoline Alkaloid Berberine in CCl4-Intoxicated Mice Is Mediated by Suppression of Oxidative Stress and Upregulation of MMP-2 Expression

Abstract: Liver fibrosis is the result of chronic liver injury, and it represents a widespread medical problem. The aim of this study is to investigate the antifibrotic activity of isoquinoline alkaloid berberine in carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced damage in mice. Hepatic fibrosis was induced by intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of CCl₄ (2 mL/kg, 20% v/v in olive oil) twice a week for 8 weeks. Berberine at the doses of 3 and 9 mg/kg and silymarin at the dose of 50 mg/kg were given i.p. once daily for the next 2 weeks. CCl₄ intoxication increased the levels of serum transaminases and induced oxidative stress in the liver. Hepatic fibrosis was evidenced by a massive deposition of collagen, which coincided with increased expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 and the activation of hepatic stellate cells. The high-dose berberine (9 mg/kg) ameliorated oxidative stress, decreased TNF-α and TGF-β1 expression, increased the levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, and stimulated the elimination of fibrous deposits. Berberine at the dose of 9 mg/kg exhibited stronger therapeutic activity against hepatic fibrosis than silymarin at the dose of 50 mg/kg. In vitro analyses show an important scavenging activity of berberine against oxygen and nitrogen reactive species. The results of this study suggest that berberine could ameliorate liver fibrosis through the suppression of hepatic oxidative stress and fibrogenic potential, concomitantly stimulating the degradation of collagen deposits by MMP-2.

Mass spectrometry based proteomics as foodomics tool in research and assurance of food quality and safety

Abstract: Background As a comprehensive discipline that studies food and nutrition, foodomics requires reliable qualitative and quantitative information about the food proteome component in order to extract new integrative information from the complex multivariable space of omics. This new information is necessary to achieve a higher level of understanding of processes in food science and technology, consequently new functions of food and improved markers of food quality and safety and completely transform concept of food safety. Scope and approach We are making an effort to present mass spectrometry (MS) based proteomic approaches that are being utilized in different proteomic studies, not necessarily in the field of foodomics, which are important and have the potential to advance this field. Current analytical capabilities of MS-based proteomics together with sample preparation procedures and quantification strategies, and recent technical developments were presented. Key findings and conclusions MS-based proteomics enables the analysis of different aspects of proteins and provides a variety of approaches for reliable quantification of individual proteins and/or food proteome. This is a complex field and its successful implementation requires a dedicated analyst, a thorough design of sample preparation procedure, the selection of an MS technique and approach, an adequate type of mass spectrometer, a thorough data analysis and validation. Improvements in the technology of mass spectrometers are continuously expanding capabilities of MS-based proteomics.