Trace Elements Levels in Major Depressive Disorder-Evaluation of Potential Threats and Possible Therapeutic Approaches

The multifactorial etiology of major depressive disorder (MDD) includes biological, environmental, genetic, and psychological aspects. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in metallomic studies in psychiatry, aiming to evaluate the role of chosen trace elements in the MDD etiology as well as the progression of symptoms. This narrative review aims to summarize the available literature on the relationship between the concentration of chosen elements in the serum of patients with MDD and the onset and progression of this psychiatric condition. The authors reviewed PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases searching for elements that had been investigated so far and further evaluated them in this paper. Ultimately, 15 elements were evaluated, namely, zinc, magnesium, selenium, iron, copper, aluminium, cadmium, lead, mercury, arsenic, calcium, manganese, chromium, nickel, and phosphorus. The association between metallomic studies and psychiatry has been developing dynamically recently. According to the results of current research, metallomics might act as a potential screening tool for patients with MDD while at the same time providing an assessment of the severity of symptoms. Either deficiencies or excessive amounts of chosen elements might be associated with the progression of depressive symptoms or even the onset of the disease among people predisposed to MDD.

Anticancer effect of terpenes: focus on malignant melanoma

Melanoma is a highly aggressive and life-threatening form of skin cancer that accounts for a significant proportion of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Although conventional cancer therapies, such as surgical excision, chemotherapy, and radiation, have been used to treat malignant melanoma, their efficacy is often limited due to the development of resistance and adverse side effects. Therefore, there is a growing interest in developing alternative treatment options for melanoma that are more effective and less toxic. Terpenes, a diverse group of naturally occurring compounds of plant origin, have emerged as potential anticancer agents due to their ability to inhibit tumor growth and induce apoptosis in cancer cells. In this review, the current understanding of the anticancer effects of terpenes (including, thymoquinone, β-elemene, carvacrol, limonene, α-pinene, β-caryophyllene, perillyl alcohol, taxol, betulinic acid, α-bisabolol, ursolic acid, linalool, lupeol, and artesunate) was summarized, with a special focus on their potential as therapeutic agents for malignant melanoma.

[Observations related to causes and treatment of iatrogenic esophageal injuries]

One hundred and nine patients were treated in the years 1974-1996 at the Clinic of Thoracic Surgery, Silesian Academy of Medicine, for oesophageal perforation. The group consisted of 72 (66%) men and 37 (34%) women aged 6-89, mean 43 years. In 80 (73%) patients the condition was caused by foreign bodies and endoscopic interventions attempting to remove them, in 9 (8%) by dilation in result of postburn stenosis, in 6 (5%) by trauma, in 8 (7%) by spontaneous rupture, in 6 (5.5%) by other reasons, like tumor or burn. The injury was found within cervical segment in 53 (49%) patients, within thoracic segment in 55 (50%) patients and within abdominal segment in 1 (1%) patients. Fifty seven (52%) patients were admitted sooner than 24 hours after oesophageal injury while 52 (48%) were admitted later than that. A total of 21 (19.3%) patients died, including 3 (5.2%) of the former group and 18 (34.6%) of the latter. Surgical closure of the oesophageal perforation was applied in 40 (37%) patients- of them 4 (10%) died. Four patients with late (exceeding 24 h) diagnosis of oesophageal perforation had thoracotomy and two-layer closure. All of them have survived.

[Surgical therapy results in patients with mediastinal cysts]

During the years 1968-1988 270 patients with tumors and mediastinal cysts were treated surgically. In 48 (17.8%) cysts were found (26 males, 22 females, age ranged 10-63 years, mean 40.1 years). In 24 pericardial cysts were found. In 24 the cysts derived from the forgut. 23 subjects (47.9%) were symptomless. In all the cysts were removed. Mortality was not seen. 47 patients are included in long-term observation.