The impact of lifetime substance use on psychiatric comorbidities and treatment seeking in patients with alcohol use disorders.

It is well-recognized that individuals with alcohol-related disorders often use other psychoactive substances; however, systematic research on this topic remains limited. The primary objective was to determine the prevalence of lifetime psychoactive substance use and describe the dependence between concurrent use of alcohol and other drugs on psychiatric comorbidities in the analyzed group. The secondary aim was to try to assess the frequency of seeking psychiatric treatment between individuals declaring the concurrent use of alcohol with other drugs and those declaring the use only alcohol. The study was designed as a retrospective cross-sectional analysis based on discharge reports from psychiatric patients admitted to the Regional Psychiatric Hospital in Olsztyn, Poland. 1015 cases were included and analyzed in the study. Data for the study were collected in specially designed monitoring cards from discharge reports including data from psychiatric examinations, especially anamnesis. The percentage of people declaring lifetime use of psychoactive substances was 17.6%. 2.8% of them were diagnosed with substance-related disorders (F11-19 according to ICD-10). The most frequently declared use was cannabis, followed by amphetamine-type substances, benzodiazepines and new psychoactive substances. In the group of people declaring the lifetime use of psychoactive substances, 13.4% were additionally diagnosed with mental disorders. It was, consequently, 8% in the group of people denying the lifetime use of psychoactive substances. People declaring lifetime use of psychoactive substances were significantly more likely to seek psychiatric treatment, i.e. they were admitted significantly more often on an emergency admission than on an elective one, these people were significantly more likely to have undergone psychiatric treatment in the past and were more often hospitalized in our center during the research period. People who concurrently use alcohol with other drugs significantly more often have psychiatric comorbidity than people who deny the use of other drugs. That group also visibly more often seeks psychiatric treatment than patients who deny taking psychoactive substances.

Life time use of illicit substances among adolescents and young people hospitalized in psychiatric hospital.

Adolescents are known to be particularly vulnerable, compared to children and adults, to initiation of substance use and progression to problematic use. This study aimed to examine the prevalence and type of illicit drug use in a population of adolescents and young adults who were hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital. The purpose of the study was also to find the link between age, sex, type of admission and particular mental disorders and using psychoactive substances at least once in a lifetime. A 12-month retrospective cross-sectional analysis of medical records compiled for adolescent and youth psychiatric patients who had been admitted to the Regional Psychiatric Hospital in Olsztyn, Poland, between October 1, 2018, and September 30, 2019, was conducted. After analyzing the available medical records, 506 cases were included and analyzed. Data for the study were collected in an Excel spreadsheet from discharge reports, including data from psychiatric examinations, especially anamnesis. Subsequently, statistical calculations were performed. Lifetime prevalence of any illicit substance use (34.0%) was common. The most frequently used drug was Cannabis (29.2%), the next New Psychoactive Substance-NPS (14.2%) and Amphetamine (13.0%). The higher number of people declaring to take illicit substances was proportional to the increasing age. Except for the group 10-15 years, the subject group was dominated by males. The highest, statistically significant percentage of patients who declared taking illicit substances in general, was found in people with diagnoses F20-F29 (schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders) (55%), additionally, we found a statistically significant association between NPS use and these diagnoses. Only in the group of patients diagnosed with eating disorders no one declared taking psychoactive substances. However, the correlation between taking illicit drugs and the subgroups with diagnosed psychiatric diseases should be treated with caution because of the small sample size in some cases. Our findings have shown the significant prevalence of the phenomenon in this population. These data highlight the need to explore this population at high risk carefully.

Analytically confirmed presence of psychoactive substances, especially new psychoactive substances in a group of patients hospitalized with mental and behavioural disorders due to the use of psychoactive substances diagnosis.

OBJECTIVES: The study assessed the presence of new psychoactive substances (NPS) in comparison to "classic" drugs in the group of newly admitted patients with mental and behavioral disorders due to the use of psychoactive substances diagnosis (section F11-19 according to ICD-10). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data from anamnesis and the blood and urine samples were collected from 116 patients diagnosed with mental and behavioral disorders due to psychoactive substance use. All of them expressed written informed consent. Analytical confirmation was obtained by highperformance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Liquid-liquid extraction was used for sample preparation. RESULTS: In the sample, 108 (93%) of 116 were positive for psychoactive substances (including 96 cases where >1 substance was found), 69% of individuals were tested positive for opioids and 67% for benzodiazepines. Eleven (9%) of 116 patient samples were positive for NPS. We detected 7 different substances. Six of them were synthetic cannabinoids: PB-22, MDMB-CHMICA, MMB-CHMICA, AB-CHMINACA, MMB-FUBINACA, THJ-2201 and one synthetic cathinone 3-CMC. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence and NPS profile (the predominance of synthetic cannabinoids) are similar in the group of people with addiction to psychoactive substances as in populations of people taking recreational drugs and the overdose patients admitted to the hospital. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2022;35(4):485-95.

The Characterization of Ground Raspberry Seeds and the Physiological Response to Supplementation in Hypertensive and Normotensive Rats.

This study aimed to evaluate the protective role of ground raspberry seeds (RBS) as a source of polyphenols and essential fatty acids on blood plasma enzymatic antioxidant status, lipid profile, and endothelium-intact vasodilation during physiological and pathological conditions. Young normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKYs) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) at ten weeks of age were fed with either a control diet or were supplemented with added 7% RBS for six weeks (n = 6). The main component of RBS was dietary fiber (64%) and the main polyphenols were ellagitannins (1.2%) and flavan-3-ols (0.45%). Irrespective of the rat model, ground RBS decreased liver enzyme aspartate aminotransferase (0.9-fold) and hydrogen peroxide scavenging capacity (Catalase, 0.9-fold). In supplemented SHRs, preincubation with inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) inhibitor 1400W, nonselective cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor indomethacin, selective COX-2 inhibitor NS-398, prostacyclin (PGI2) synthesis inhibitor tranylcypromine (TCP), thromboxane receptor (TP) antagonist SQ-29548, thromboxane synthesis inhibitor furegrelate, and 20-HETE synthesis inhibitor HET0016 induced the same relaxant response to acetylcholine as in the nonsupplemented control group. In supplemented WKYs, atherogenic index was decreased (0.8-fold), while iNOS and COX-2-derived PGI2 increased acetylcholine-induced vasodilation. These effects of ground RBS may constitute a potential mechanism for preventing cardiovascular diseases.

Phenolic Fractions from Dandelion Leaves and Petals as Modulators of the Antioxidant Status and Lipid Profile in an In Vivo Study.

Alcoholic leaf and petal fractions of Taraxacum officinale (dandelion) were previously demonstrated to exert in vitro antioxidant and antithrombotic activities in blood plasma and platelets. Eight-week-old male Wistar rats (n = 6) were supplemented for four weeks with dandelion fractions (694 mg/kg of diet = 11.9 ± 0.6 mg daily). Dandelion leaf and petal fractions, which delivered daily 4.10 ± 0.05 and 1.41 ± 0.07 mg l-chicoric acid, respectively, were shown to exert antioxidative actions, measured as decreased levels of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) in the spleen (≈0.8-fold, leaves and petals), brain (0.53-fold, leaves) and thoracic arteries (0.59-fold, petals). Moreover, petal fraction increased thiols in the blood plasma (1.58-fold), while leaf fraction decreased protein carbonylation levels (0.59-fold). Additionally, dandelion leaf fractions modified the lipid profile: decreased triglyceride (0.44-fold), total cholesterol (0.73-fold), lipoprotein combine index (0.32-fold) and the atherogenic index of plasma (0.62-fold). Dandelion fractions showed a beneficial decrease effect in the participation of cyclooxygenase products in the noradrenaline-induced vascular contractions of thoracic arteries. Meanwhile, only the dandelion leaf fraction augmented acetylcholine-induced vasodilation and upregulated KATP channels. The heart rate and blood pressure were not modified. Dandelion leaf and petal phenolic fractions, enriched with l-chicoric acid, are promising plant materials that may exert in vivo beneficial antioxidant effects.

Characteristics of psychiatric inpatients diagnosed with mental and behavioral disorders caused by psychoactive substances (F11-19 block), with a focus on NPS and psychiatric co-morbidities.

OBJECTIVES: This study analyzed the prevalence of new psychoactive substance (NPS) use in the analyzed group and compared demographic features and psychoactive substance profiles between the 2 subgroups (NPS users, non-NPS users). The secondary measure was used to determine the prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities in study group and to compare demographic features and psychoactive substance profiles between 2 subgroups (the F11-19 only diagnosed group and the F11-19 group with psychiatric comorbidities according to ICD-10). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A 12-month retrospective cross-sectional analysis of medical records compiled for adult psychiatric patients who had been admitted to the Regional Psychiatric Hospital in Olsztyn, Poland, in October 1, 2016 - September 30, 2017 was conducted. After analyzing the available medical records, 157 cases were included and analyzed. Data for the study were collected in a specially designed monitoring card from discharge reports, including data from psychiatric examinations, especially anamnesis. RESULTS: The most commonly declared psychoactive substances were amphetamine (AMF) - 54% and cannabinoids - 46%. The prevalence of NPS use in the study group was 34%. Inpatients taking NPS, as compared with non-NPS users, were younger and more often admitted to hospital through the Emergency Department. It was also found that NPS users more often took AMF or cannabinoids, and less frequently benzodiazepines (BDZ) or opioids. However, the taking of AMF, cannabinoids and BDZ was also age-dependent. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities in the study group was 9%. Inpatients with psychiatric comorbidities were older and took BDZ significantly more often than AMF. In addition, NPS use affects different groups, including a specific group as the analyzed sample, which shows a similar NPS use profile as different groups described in the literature. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2020;33(2):125-36.