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Objectives: The purpose of the study was an assessment of concentration of advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), as a marker of oxidative stress, in patients with depression and the effect of antidepressant treatment on AOPP concentration.
Methods: Thirty-one patients hospitalized at Department of Adult Psychiatry, University of Medical Sciences in Poznań were studied. According to ICD-10 criteria, the first depressive episode was diagnosed in 5 patients, recurrent depressive disorder in 6 patients, and depression in the course of bipolar affective disorder in 20 patients. Patients were treated by the following antidepressants: venlafaxine (10), paroxetine (7), fluoxetine (5), clomipramine (4), citalopram (3), sertraline (1) and mianserine (1). Advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) levels were measured twice: before treatment and in remission on maintenance doses of drugs. Control group consisted of 18 healthy volunteers, age- and gender matched . Patients with diabetes, renal failure, peripherial vascular disease, status after myocardial infarction and hypertension were excluded from the study.
Results: There was no significant difference between depressed patients and healthy controls in the AOPP concentration before treatment. There was no correlation between AOPP levels and diagnosis, duration of illness, duration of the current episode and the age of illness' onset. After antidepressant treatment a significant decrease of AOPP concentration was .found.
Conclusions: The results of the study may confirm previous information suggesting a decrease of some markers of oxidative stress after antidepressant treatment.

Over the last two years psychoactive substances colloquially called "legal hights" have alarmingly gained in popularity in Poland. Salvinorin A, one of those substances, is an entheogenic compound which is extracted from the leaves of a perennial herb, Salvia divinorum. With its unique structure and mechanism of action different from other psychomimetic drugs, salvinorin A is considered to be the most potent, naturally occurring hallucinogen. This review surveys the current state of knowledge regarding the pharmacokinetics and pharmacological properties of salvinorin A; special emphasis is given to its potent psychotic activity. It also addresses the negative consequences of using Salvia divinorum products.

This is to review current clinical and experimental studies giving data about safety and efficacy of cerebrolysin (cere) in the therapy of mental and neurological disorders. Cere is a mixture of peptides and aminoacids of animal origin, which is used in the therapy of organic, metabolic and neurodegenerative brain diseases. Cere shows neurotrophic activity, which results from it's neuroprotective and neuroregenerative effects. Presented clinical studies concern Alzheimer disease (AD), vascular dementia (VaD), stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and two studies containing small groups of patients with Asperger syndrome, childhood autism and progressive supranuclear palsy. Here presented experimental studies suggest possible mechanisms of the drug's action.