The role and current status of heme iron preparations in people with iron depletion.

Iron deficiency is a common but underestimated condition in the population. Its correlate is far from only sideropenic anemia, but is due to the variety of involvement of this element in a number of bio-chemical reactions; several other possible clinical manifestations can be expected. Appropriately selected oral supplementation is often necessary. Here, we should carefully consider the possible ratio of expected benefits and potential risks of side effects, or interaction with dietary components or concomitant medications. The available preparations are not equivalent; they differ not only in atomically different amounts of iron but also, above all, in the form that determines the way in which the iron will be absorbed. This ultimately defines the rate of adjustment for depletion and the tolerability of a particular product.

The benefits of ascorbate to protect healthy cells in the prevention and treatment of oncological diseases.

Health status is determined by the balance of oxidants and antioxidants which protects healthy cells against the threat of internal and external risk factors. Antioxidants such as ascorbate (vitamin C, ascorbic acid) are of fundamental importance in this respect. Ascorbate neutralizes potential damage caused by cellular oxidative stress which may be the greatest risk of damage to healthy tissue. Cellular oxidative stress is mediated by external factors (e.g. psychological stress, physical exertion, drugs, various diseases, environmental pollution, preservatives, smoking, and alcohol) and internal factors (products of cellular metabolism including reactive oxygen species). When the products of oxidative stress are not sufficiently neutralized, healthy cells are at risk for both mitochondrial and DNA damage. In the short term, cell function may deteriorate, while an increased production of proinflammatory cytokines over time may lead to the development of chronic inflammatory changes and diseases, including cancer. Although pharmaceutical research continues to bring effective chemotherapeutic agents to the market, a limiting factor is often the normal tissue and organ toxicity of these substances, which leads to oxidative stress on healthy tissue. There is increasing interest and imperative to protect healthy tissues from the negative effects of radio-chemotherapeutic treatment. The action of ascorbate against the development of oxidative stress may justify its use not only in the prevention of carcinogenesis, but as a part of supportive or complementary therapy during treatment. Ascorbate (particularly when administered parentally at high doses) may have antioxidant effects that work to protect healthy cells and improve patient tolerability to some toxic radio-chemotherapy regimens. Additionally, ascorbate has demonstrated an immunomodulatory effect by supporting mechanisms essential to anti-tumor immunity. Intravenous administration of gram doses of vitamin C produce high plasma levels immediately, but the levels drop rapidly. Following oral vitamin C administration, plasma levels increase slowly to relatively low values, and then gradually decay. With an oral liposomal formulation, significantly higher levels are attainable than with standard oral formulations. Therefore, oral administration of liposomal vitamin C appears to be an optimal adjunct to intravenous administration. In this review, the basic mechanisms and clinical benefits of ascorbate as an antioxidant that may be useful as complementary therapy to chemotherapeutic regimens will be discussed.

Medical cannabis in the treatment of cancer pain and spastic conditions and options of drug delivery in clinical practice.

The use of cannabis for medical purposes has been recently legalised in many countries including the Czech Republic. As a result, there is increased interest on the part of physicians and patients in many aspects of its application. This mini review briefly covers the main active substances of the cannabis plant and mechanisms of action. It focuses on two conditions, cancer pain and spasticity in multiple sclerosis, where its effects are well-documented. A comprehensive overview of a few cannabis-based products and the basic pharmacokinetics of marijuana's constituents follows. The review concludes with an outline for preparing cannabis (dried inflorescence) containing drug dosage forms that can be produced in a hospital pharmacy.

The influence of vitamin-rich diet on the extent of lipoperoxidation in brain of mice during an acute post-insulin hypoglycaemia.

Antioxidatives are widely used and recommended in common clinical praxis, even though they may have negative impact on our health under some circumstances (i.e. N-acetylcysteine, vitamin E, risk of lung cancer etc.). Our aim was to evaluate the role of exogenous scavengers in prevention of induced oxidative stress in rodents. Male ICR mice were used and acute hypoglycaemia was induced with insulin. The mice were randomized into eight experimental groups, either pretreated by vitamin C or vitamin E or combinations with respective vehicles. Total malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) activity were measured in brain tissue samples. ANOVA with a post-hoc Duncan or Turkey׳s tests were used for statistical evaluation. A statistically significant increase in brain MDA was observed after insulin-induced severe hypoglycaemia relative to normoglycaemia. Animals pretreated with vitamins, both in monotherapy and in combination (both P<0.05), had significantly lower MDA values compared with animals without pretreatment. Importantly, significant differences were also observed after combination of vitamin C and E in GSHPx and SOD (both P<0.05).