[An assessment of cigarette smoking, with the usage of cotinine level, on life satisfaction in patients with coronary heart disease]. / Wplyw palenia tytoniu, ocenianego na podstawie oznaczenia kotyniny, na satysfakcje z zycia chorych z choroba wiencowa.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of smoking, verified by the measurement of cotinine levels, on life satisfaction of patients with coronary artery disease. The questionnaire was answered by 36 patients (26 men and 10 women) aged from 48 to 7.6 (mean 63.5) years. The questions regarded the current attitude toward smoking, subjective self-assessment of health and life satisfaction while smoking and after cessation. Cantril's ladder has been used among others to assess life satisfaction. In order to verify the answers regarding current smoking cotinine (nicotine metabolite) serum, urine and saliva levels have been measured. There were 38.8% of current smokers in the studied group of patients after PTCA. The fact of current smoking was negated by 19.4% of smokers during medical exam. Objective verification of smoking is necessary in questionnaire studies on tobacco consumption. Measurement of cotinine in body fluids (serum, urine, saliva) may be useful in these cases. After cessation of smoking 93.9% respondents reported major subjective improvement in self-assessment of health. 54.5% of smokers admitted having been ashamed of the habit, and 60.6% the feeling of disturbing others while smoking. The increase of general life satisfaction measured by Cantril's ladder was observed in 94.7% of responders after cessation of smoking.

[Hazard for human health and life by unintentional use of synthetic sibutramine, which was sold as Chinese herbal product "meizitanc"]. / Zagroienie dla zdrowia i zycia ludzkiego przez nieswiadome zastosowanie syntetycznej sibutraminy, sprzedawanej jako chinski preparat ziolowy "meizitanc".

UNLABELLED: Problem of adulteration of herbal medicines with synthetic drugs is getting a common and dangerous phenomenon in Poland. The purpose of this study was the qualitative estimation of content of the Chinese herbal medicine for slimming "Meizitanc" as well as the estimation of hazard for human health and life. Twenty herbal packages which were secured by police in the 2006 year were investigated. The main ingredient of herbal medicine "Meizitanc" was sibutramine. The average mass of sibutramine hydrochloride in the "Meizitanc" capsule was about 10 mg. Additionally the trace amount of xylene and a starch were detected in the capsules. The presence of mentioned above substances were confirmed by different analytical methods like: gas chromatography with mass spectrometry GC/MS, thin layer chromatography TLC, high-pressure liquid chromatography HPLC/UV-DAD and infrared spectrometry IR. There were not determined any herbal-originated substances, which were mentioned on the packages. It was not found any pharmacologically active substance in one of the twenty examined packages. CONCLUSIONS: The medicine containing sibutramine should be used under the strict medical control. For safety of the patients all herbal products should be buy from authorized her

[Determination of nicotine and cotinine in human biological materials and their significance in toxicological studies]. / Problematyka oznaczania nikotyny i kotyniny w ludzkim materiale biologicznym w aspekcie badan toksykologicznych.

The aim of this study was the preparation of reliable procedure of the determination of nicotine and cotinine both in classic (serum, urine) and alternative biological materials (hair, saliva) and evaluation of their significance for clinical and forensic toxicology. Biological material samples (blood, urine, saliva) were taken from patients after Percutaneous Trans-luminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA). The determination of cotinine and nicotine concentration in the biological material should be optimized depending on the aim of analysis. Liquid-liquid extraction procedure and high performance liquid chromatography HPLC/UV-DAD are reliable, specific and relatively cheap. Serum and saliva are valuable biological materials which allow to determine temporary nicotine and cotinine content on the similar level of concentrations. In the near future it will be able to replace blood with saliva sample because of an easy and non-invasive way of sampling. Evaluation of cotinine concentration in urine allows to distinguish the passive from the active tobacco smokers. Hair analysis allows to control a nicotine abstinence as well as a long-term evaluation of the history of smoking. However usage of hair is limited because of difficulty with sampling. Interpretation of results in analysis of alternative materials (hair, saliva) pose a problem because of lack of sampling standardization and lack of standardization of final analysis method.

[An assessment of active and passive exposure to cigarette smoking among patients after percuteneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) with the usage of cotinine level in the serum, urine and saliva. Preliminary study]. / Ocena narazenia na czynne i bierne palenie tytoniu wsród chorych po zabiegach przezskórnej angioplastyki wiencowej (PTCA) za pomoca oznaczenia poziomu kotyniny w surowicy, moczu i slinie. Doniesienie wstepne.

UNLABELLED: The aim of the study was an objective assessment of active and passive exposure to cigarette smoke among patients after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). A questionnaire was answered by 24 patients (18 men and 6 women) aged 48 to 76 (av. 61.2) years. Cotinine (metabolite of nicotine) level was measured in blood, urine and saliva of the patients as objective verification of the questionnaire answers. CONCLUSIONS: 1. Among the PTCA patients 41.6% of them were active smokers. 2. 30% of smokers concealed the fact of active smoking. 3. We assume that smoking habit among the patients should be verified by measurement of cotinine in serum, saliva and urine. 4. The main motivations for smoking cessation were myocardial infarction, PTCA and hospitalizations. 5. All patients were aware of the harmful effects of smoking and were able to identify the main risks.

Carbon monoxide--a regulator of vascular tone in hypoxia?

Carbon monoxide is a side product of enzymatic degradation of heme--a reaction catalyzed by heme oxygenase (HO). There are three independent molecular forms (isozymes) of heme oxygenase in man. Isoforms HO-2 and HO-3 are constitutive. More detailed studied isoform HO-2 is especially abundant in the human brain. In contrast to isoforms: HO-2 and HO-3, isoform HO-1 is an inducible species of heme oxygenase. Seen in other tissues, expression of HO-1 is also manifested in the endothelium and smooth muscle of blood vessels. Accumulated experimental data indicate more and more clearly on the possible role of endogenous carbon monoxide in cell cytoprotection, and shows it as a probable factor participating in modulation of the vascular tonus in hypoxia.

Cocaine smuggling in the gastrointestinal tract resulting in mechanical pylorostenosis.

A 45-year-old male, body packer, who confessed to have swallowed 44 packages of cocaine in a total dose of approx. 360 g, was admitted to hospital because of clinical signs of acute intoxication with cocaine followed by ileus. The emergency surgical gastrotomy was initiated, and the conglomerate of Scotch tape and packages with cocaine were removed. Small rupture of one package of cocaine in a body packer stomach caused acute poisoning with cocaine, confirmed additionally by the presence of its metabolites in the urine. Mechanical pylorostenosis provoked by cocaine packages required emergency surgical operation.