Abstract. Naphazoline nitrate is a medicine with a number of side effects, which should be taken into account not only in therapeutic practice, but also when developing preventive measures in pharmaceutical production. The purpose of our work was to study the effect of naphazoline nitrate on redox processes and the duration of survival of bull spermatozoa. Bull semen samples were divided into groups: control – without adding naphazoline nitrate and experimental – with adding naphazoline nitrate. The respiratory activity of spermatozoa was determined by the polarographic method, reducing capacity – potentiometrically, succinate dehydrogenase activity – photometrically; sperm survival – visually. The respiratory activity of spermatozoa is significantly inhibited under the effect of all studied doses of naphazoline nitrate (η = 0.762 and 0.840) and the degree of effect for the highest dose reaches 85.5 %. The reducing capacity changes significantly, starting from a dose of 1/10 LD50 and above, the dose-indicator correlation is low, the dose of LD50 causes changes in the indicator by 229.0% with a change of charge of the medium. SDH activity significantly decreases under the effect of 1/10 LD50 and above, the dose-indicator correlation is moderate, the dose of LD50 causes changes in the indicator by 49.5 %. The substance affects the duration of survival only in the maximum dose, reducing the survival time by 18 %. Conclusion: The substance has the maximum effect on the respiratory activity of germ cells and on the reducing capacity, it has a lesser effect on the SDH activity and slightly affects the survival time. The dose-dependent nature of the effect of naphazoline nitrate on certain indicators of redox processes in spermatozoa confirms the prospects of using the latter as alternative test objects in studying the harmful effects of chemicals.

Keywords: naphazoline nitrate, bull spermatozoa, redox processes

УДК 616.514-036.12-02:616.8-008.615.1]-036.864

Introduction. Skin is the largest human organ. Its main functions are protective, excretory, receptory, thermoregulatory, respiratory, etc. Any metabolic disorders in our body, infectious and autoimmune diseases, toxic lesions, chronic renal diseases and those of gastrointestinal tract, diseases of the blood, liver, gall bladder can manifest as skin lesions, for example, in the form of chronic urticaria (CU). Nervous system also plays a significant role in the development of urticaria.
Objectives. Studying the prevalence of urticaria in adult patients, main causes of increased skin itching and rash, effect of stress on the frequency and severity of urticaria exacerbations and treatment effectiveness.
Materials and methods. The article presents the results of instrumental and laboratory methods of examination of urticaria patients, as well as comparison of the treatment effectiveness depending on the obtained research findings and stress test results. The study included 75 patients aged 18 and over. Patients in both groups underwent laboratory and instrumental examinations, stress testing (The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10)), and the UAS7-test for urticaria control. The main study included 63 patients with urticaria, who were divided into three groups (depending on the results of the stress test).
Conclusions. Nowadays CU is an important global problem. Due to constant itching, sleep disturbances, decrease in performance, cosmetic discomfort, the patients’ quality of life is getting worse. Timely diagnosis and prescription of treatment improves patients’ well-being and social adaptation. The research shows that stress exacerbates the course of CU. Patients with high and medium level of stress noticed expressed reduction in rash and itching when treatment included sedative medications. 

Factors influencing the urokinase-type plasminogen activator system play important roles in pathogenetic processes in Ph-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). In addition, the JAK2V617F mutation is a key determinant of outcomes in these diseases. This study evaluated complete blood count (CBC) parameters, the plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) 4G/5G polymorphism, and the JAK2V617F mutation in patients with Ph-negative MPNs, aiming to identify possible associations between them. We analyzed results from 56 patients newly diagnosed with Ph-negative MPNs— essential thrombocythemia (ET), polycythemia vera (PV), and primary myelofibrosis (PMF)—before treatment initiation. The CBC of 475 people from a diagnostic center database served as a population sample for comparison. In patients with Ph-negative MPNs, PAI-1 genotypes 4G/4G, 4G/5G, and 5G/5G were detected in 11  (19.6%), 29 (51.8%), and 16 (28.6%) cases, respectively. No significant differences in genotypedistribution were found among ET, PV, and PMF patients. PMF patients with the 4G/5G genotype had a higher white blood cell (WBC) count compared to those with the 5G/5G genotype (P = 0.027). The JAK2V617F mutation was found in 44 (78.6%) patients. ET patients with this mutation (n = 13) exhibited significantly higher counts of platelets (PLTs), red blood cells (RBCs), and WBCs compared to those without it. The PLT/RBC ratio was significantly higher in all disease categories compared to the population sample, with the highest ratios in ET patients. The PLT/WBC ratio in ET and PV patients was also higher than in the population sample (P < 0.05). This relative thrombocytosis is likely clonal in origin, associated with genes responsible for PLT quantitative parameters, JAK-STAT signaling pathway proteins, and factors in the uPA-uPAR-PAI-1/PAI-2 system. These genes share common loci in chromosomes (1p34.1-p34.3, 7q21.1-q21.3, 9p24.1, 19p13.11-p13.2, and 19q13.31-q13.32). Due to their close spatial proximity, these genes can form genetic complexes and mutually influence their expression levels, thereby contributing to the unique pathogenesis of these diseases.

UDC 616.89-008.45/.46/.47:616.12-008.3-073.96

Background.The purpose of our work was to reveal the dependence of changes in the cognitive sphere on the peculiarities of the daily profile of blood pressure (BP) and heart activity in patients with arrhythmias.

Materials and methods. We examined 139 patients with different clinical forms of arrhythmias. All of them underwent extended neuropsychological testing, a study of the daily BP profile and heart activity. Hemodynamic status was assessed by daily BP and ECG monitoring. Average daily, average daytime and nighttime systolic (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and heart rate (HR) were evaluated. The analysis of spectral indicators of heart rate variability was performed to assess the state of the autonomic nervous system. Correlations of hemodynamic indicators with the results of neuropsychological testing were determined.

Results. In patients with cognitive disorders (CD), there was an increase in SBP in all periods of the day, most pronounced in patients with moderate CD (p = 0.049). In patients with mild CD and without CD, there were no significant intergroup differences in the level of average daily, daytime and night SBP, DBP and pulse pressure (p > 0.05). Patients with moderate CD had significantly higher SBP and time index of SBP at the expense of average daytime and average night values of these indicators compared to those without CD (p < 0.05). During the active period of the day, time index of DBP was significantly higher in patients with moderate CD (p = 0.002) who also had an increase in average daily, daytime and night SBP variability compared to participants without CD (p = 0.041). The differences between the groups were not significant in terms of DBP variability (р = 0.07). In 61 (54 %) patients with CD, non-dipper SBP prevailed in the structure of disorders of the daily BP profile, with the highest indicators in moderate CD (55.6 %). The presence of adverse daily DBP profiles — night-peaker (6.2 %) and over-dipper (8.8 %), which prevailed in patients with moderate CD, is hidden behind normal indicators of the daily BP index. Increased average SBP24 (odds ratio (OR) = 3.26, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.45–5.35, p < 0.001), DBP24 (OR = 3.06, 95% CI: 1.41–4.79, p < 0.001), average HR24 (OR = 2.67, 95% CI: 1.32–4.14, p < 0.001), average SBP24 variability (OR = 2.13, 95% CI: 1.11–3.32, p < 0.001) are the main factors of central hemodynamic disorders that increase the risk of developing CD in patients with arrhythmias.

Conclusions.The identified associations between cognitive dysfunction, indicators of daily BP monitoring and heart activity are important in the context of their comprehensive accounting for optimizing an individualized approach to patient management and predicting the development of CD

UDC 616.36-003.826-06-008.9:616.98:578.834.1

The combination of metabolic-associated liver disease starting with liver steatosis (MASLD) and coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the clinic has not been sufficiently studied. We reviewed the literature on the combination of COVID-19 and liver steatosis in the Pubmed database and assessed the frequency of its manifestations in patients with COVID-19-associated community-acquired pneumonia of clinical group III by examining 22 inpatients aged 54.7±2.1 years. It was found that liver steatosis can either be a background condition or occur as a result of COVID-19 due to hepatocyte damage by the virus, excessive activation of the systemic inflammatory response, hypoxia, coagulopathy, endotheliitis, cardiac right ventricular failure, and drug-induced liver damage. Adverse effects on hepatocytes of high doses of glucocorticosteroids, azithromycin and several antiviral drugs have been described, which may be aggravated by taking them in combination with NSAIDs. Background liver disease is also important, as COVID-19 has been described to activate the persistence of hepatitis B and C viruses, and treatment of COVID-19 with massive doses of corticosteroids may affect viral replication. According to their own observations, 68% of inpatients with COVID-19-associated community-acquired pneumonia of clinical group III of mature age were diagnosed with MASLD, which was manifested by a heterogeneous structure with increased echogenicity (100%) with clear, even liver contours and non-expanded bile ducts and normal choledochus; moderate increase in liver size (92%), loss of liver vascular pattern (23%). At the same time, normal liver function tests and lipid metabolism were observed, moderate hyperglycaemia and a more pronounced inflammatory syndrome were noted. However, the course of pneumonia was more severe with lower oxygen saturation.