Slow release oral morphine versus methadone for the treatment of opioid use disorder
ObjectiveTo assess the efficacy of slow release oral morphine (SROM) as a treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD).DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs).Data sourcesThree electronic databases were searched through 1 May 2018: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE and EMBASE. We also searched the following electronic registers for ongoing trials: ClinicalTrials.gov, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, Current Controlled Trials and the EU Clinical Trials Register.Eligibility criteria for selecting studiesWe included RCTs of all durations, assessing the effect of SROM on measures of treatment retention, heroin use…
Caffeine and cardiovascular diseases: critical review of current research.
Caffeine is a most widely consumed physiological stimulant worldwide, which is consumed via natural sources, such as coffee and tea, and now marketed sources such as energy drinks and other dietary supplements. This wide use has led to concerns regarding the safety of caffeine and its proposed beneficial role in alertness, performance and energy expenditure and side effects in the cardiovascular system. The question remains "Which dose is safe?", as the population does not appear to adhere to the strict guidelines listed on caffeine consumption. Studies in humans and animal models yield controversial results, which can be explained by population, type and dose of caffeine and low statistica…
Downregulation of myogenic microRNAs in sub-chronic but not in sub-acute model of daunorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy
Cardiac muscle-related microRNAs play important roles in cardiac development and disease by translational silencing of mRNAs, the dominant mechanism of microRNA action. To test whether they could be involved in daunorubicin-associated cardiomyopathy (DACM), we determined expression patterns of myomiRs in two distinct models of DACM. We used 10â12 weeks old male Wistar rats. In the sub-acute model, rats were administered with six doses of daunorubicin (DAU-A, 3Â mg/kg, i.p., every 48Â h). Rats were sacrificed two days after the last dose. In the sub-chronic model, anaesthetized rats were administered a single dose of daunorubicin (15Â mg/kg, i.v., DAU-C). Age-matched controls (CON) receive…