Репозиторий Университета

© Saint Petersburg Pasteur Institute. All rights reserved. The review is devoted to the analysis of pertussis incidence of children in the age group of 5-7, as well as strategies of DTP immunization with the help of the drugs in foreign countries. Mass vaccination against pertussis began in the middle of the 20th century, which contributed to a reduction in incidence and mortality rate from this infection. However, in the last decade, there has been an opposite tendency of increasing incidence of patients among children under school age, school age and adults. Atypical forms of the disease and complications due to ARVI, respiratory mycoplasmosis and cytomegalovirus infections are described in the review. Various strategies for the use of whole-cell and acellular pertussis vaccines as part of DTP drugs are described, as well as the epidemiological effect of introducing an additional booster dose of vaccine to children under school age. The expediency of revaccination of children aged 6-7 in Russia is argued, which can help to reduce the overall incidence of pertussis. The research materials related to the study of the properties of acellular anti-pertussis vaccine, such as immunogenicity and safety in comparison with whole-cell vaccine, are analyzed. The main drugs and their composition, which are used to vaccinate children against pertussis, are described in the review. It is assumed, that the increase in the incidence among children and teenagers, with the appearance of atypical forms of pertussis, is associated with a number of factors, such as the spread of new genotypes of Bordetella pertussis bacterium, emerged from mutations, as well as short duration of immunity after vaccination with acellular drugs, in comparison with whole-cell, and the use of more modern methods of detecting the pathogen. The mechanisms of the immune response due to different types of pertussis vaccines are also reviewed. It is concluded, that revaccination of children aged 6-7 with an additional fifth dose of an acellular vaccine against pertussis, as part of the DTaP instead of the Td drug, which is regulated in the National Calendar of preventive vaccinations, will have a favorable effect on the epidemic situation with pertussis infection in Russia.

© 2018 Interregional public organization Association of infectious disease specialists of Saint-Petersburg and Leningrad region (IPO AIDSSPbR). All rights reservbed. The results of foreign and Russian author's researches about immunization of adult population are presented in article. The analysis of the vaccinal prevention state of infectious diseases in adults in different countries of the world (national guidance on adults immunization, coverage of preventive vaccinations, financing mechanisms) is given. The tasks of improving immunization in adult population of Russia are defined.

© 2018 Medical Education. All rights reserved. The aim of this study was to assess long-term effects of pneumococcal vaccination with 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) and 13-valent conjugate vaccine (PCV13) in patients with bronchial asthma. Methods. One hundred and three patients with mild to severe asthma were involved. They were randomly assigned to vaccination with PCV13, or PPV23, or PPV23 followed by PCV13, or vice versa. Clinical efficacy of vaccination was evaluated using number of asthma exacerbation a year before and 1 and 4 years after the vaccination; need in antibiotics a year before and 1 and 4 years after the vaccination; and number of hospitalizations due to asthma exacerbation a year before and 1 and 4 years after the vaccination. Results. In a year after vaccination, number of patients who had not experienced asthma exacerbation increased significantly in PPV23, PPV23/PCV13, and PCV13/PPV23 groups (p < 0.01 to p < 0.001). In 4 years after vaccination, number of patients without exacerbations increased significantly in PCV13/PPV23 group only (48.1%; p < 0.01). Number of patients who did not require hospitalization due to asthma exacerbation increased significantly in PCV13 group only (81.8%; p < 0.05). Conclusion. The authors proposed a hypothesis of impact of pneumococcal vaccines on immunopathogenesis of bronchial asthma. The authors consider vaccination against pneumococcus using PCV13 followed by PPV23 should be a part of the basic therapy of asthma.

© 2018 Media Sphera Publishing Group. All rights reserved. Objective - to evaluate the possible epidemiological and economic efficiency of pneumococcal vaccination in men with different chronic diseases. Material and methods. A prognostic (Markov) model was constructed based on the data available in the literature. The estimated efficiency of pneumococcal vaccination in reducing mortality, preventable diseases, and economic damage over a 5-year period was evaluated in able-bodied men. According to official statistics, the group at high risk for pneumonia in the Russian Federation includes 21,575,887 able-bodied men. The sources of data on the cost of the disease were governmental tariffs in the compulsory health insurance system in 2016 and those of vaccination cost were the results of competitive bidding for the procurement of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13). Results. The results of extrapolation of data from Russian and foreign studies in patients with chronic respiratory diseases, circulatory diseases, or diabetes mellitus showed a significant reduction in the risk of complications due to the underlying disease (RR=0.58; p<0.05), the number of hospitalizations (RR=0.02; p<0.05), and expected postvaccination mortality. The cost of vaccination in the assessed patient group was 25,869.5 million rubles. The use of PCV13 significantly reduces the number of exacerbations and, accordingly, hospitalizations, which saves about 14,359.9 million rubles in each subsequent year after vaccination. Thus, the total budget savings can reach 2,850.3 million rubles just during 2 years. A single dose of PCV13 will save at least 61,702 lives over 5 years. Conclusion. The results of this investigation suggest that pneumococcal vaccination has high epidemiological and clinical efficiency in able-bodied men with chronic diseases. This intervention reduces morbidity rates, the number of exacerbations and hospitalizations, as well as deaths in the vaccinated group, and it is a cost-effective investment in public health service.

© 2018, Media Sphera Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. Objective. To present the clinical history, vaccination status, features of the clinical picture, composition of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), results of laboratory and instrumental examinations of a patient with vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis (VAPP). Material and methods. In 2017, a child, aged 15 month, mistakenly vaccinated with the first dose of bivalent (types 1 & 3) polioviruses oral vaccine (OPV) was followed up. Results and conclusion. Clinical parameters of VAPP in the recipient of OPV are considered. Clinical features of disease caused by wild poliovirus and VAPP are compared. The disease was characterized by sudden onset, recurrence, short (2—4 days) period of progression of paresis, persistent residual effects, CSF protein-cell dissociation. It is emphasized that the occurrence of VAPP cases reflects primarily immunization defects.

© 2018 Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. background. Adrenocortical cancer (ACC) is a rare malignancy of the adrenal cortex. Therapeutic options for advanced ACC are limited. It is necessary to study new and more effective drug combinations and tumor biological targets. the purpose of the study was to determine the expression of somatostatin receptor subtypes 2A and (SSTR 2A and SSTR 5) using immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis of tumor tissue samples in patients with ACC, as well as to study the feasibility of using prolonged analogues of somatostatin in the treatment of advanced ACC. material and methods. The expression of SSTR 2A and SSTR 5 was analyzed using imunohistochemistry of tumor tissue samples from 20 patients with advanced ACC. results. The negative (0) IHC status of SSTR 2A and SSTR 5 was determined in 10 patients (50 %). A different staining intensity of SSTR 2A and SSTR 5 expression was found in tumor cells of 10 patients (50 %). The low SSTR expression was associated with low membrane immunoreactivity and high SSTR expression was associated with moderate and strong immunoreactivity. High level of somatostatin receptor expression was detected in 7 patients (35 %). Conclusion. The detection of SSTR 2A and SSTR 5 expression in tumor tissue of patients with advanced ACC, as well as the study of feasibility of using prolonged somatostatin analogs are promising in the treatment of patients with high receptor expression, however, further research is required.

© 2018 Publishing House of the Union of Pediatricians. All rights reserved. Background. There are limited data on the efficacy of long-term enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) in children with mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS). Objective. Our aim was to study the efficacy and safety of long-term ERT in children with MPS type I, II and VI. Methods. We analyzed the results of ERT with laronidase, idursulfase and galsulfase in children with MPS type I, II and VI admitted to the federal research center from January 2007 to November 2016. The response rate was assessed by the level of normalized urinary excretion of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) (the ratio of GAGs concentration to urine creatinine) recalculated in percent (%) exceedance of the upper limit of normal for the corresponding age. Data on the administered therapy and its results, including adverse events, is extracted from the medical records of in-patients. Results. The results of treatment (intravenous infusions, intervals between administrations from 4 to 10 days) were studied in 33 children (5 of them were girls) with MPS type I (n =4; laronidase at a dose of 0.58 mg/kg), II (n =26; idursulfase at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg), and VI (n =3; galsulfase at a dose of 1 mg/kg). A decrease in the normalized urinary excretion of GAGs from 376% (172; 791) to 54% (0; 146) exceedance of the upper limit of normal for the age (p <0.001) was noted in the course of ERT lasting (median) 27 (14; 41) months. A decrease in the normalized GAGs excretion below the upper limit of normal for the age was established in 12/33 (36%) patients. ERT-associated adverse events were identified in 12 patients; one case required a two-fold therapy interruption. The development of nephrotic syndrome in the course of ERT in patients with severe MPS II was first described. Conclusion. Long-term ERT in children with MPS type I, II and VI is characterized by acceptable efficacy and safety.

© 2017 Izdatel'stvo Meditsina. All rights reserved. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the neutralization test (NT) are often used to determine the level of seropositive population and to evaluate the immunogenicity of vaccines. ELISA provides information on the total pool of antiviral antibodies, while NT allows the antiviral protection level of a person to be estimated. It is assumed that the 1: 100 titer in ELISA and the 1: 10 titer in NT are protective. Obviously, the ratio of the total pool and virus neutralizing antibodies can vary as a result of natural immunization or vaccination. In this study, two methods were used to study the blood serum samples taken in a group of inhabitants of the Sverdlovsk region aged from 1 to 60 years. The samples were collected before immunization and 30 days after two immunizations with inactivated vaccines against tick-borne encephalitis of different manufacturers. Immunizations were performed either according to a standard scheme (30-day interval between immunizations), or according to an emergency scheme (14-day interval). It was shown that the data on the presence of antiviral antibodies in protective titers obtained by ELISA and NT were consistent in more than 85% of cases. The discrepancies between the data are due, in the first place, to the difference in the sensitivities of the two methods. The proportion of seropositive people according to NT data is always greater than that according to the results of ELISA. Nevertheless, among 174 children, about 5% of recipients after a double immunization were seropositive according to ELISA, but did not have neutralizing antibodies in protective titers.

© 2018 by the Serbian Biological Society. The aim of present study was to investigate the difference between α-linolenic acid (ALA, omega-3) and linoleic acid (LA, n-6) on the redox status and cardiac function of the isolated rat heart. ALA or LA were administered for 6 weeks by gavage to all animals, which were randomly divided into 4 groups: male rats treated with a linoleic acid (M-LA), dose of 7.3 mg/kg/day; female rats treated with a linoleic acid (F-LA), dose of 7.3 mg/kg/day; male rats treated with an α-linolenic acid (M-ALA), dose of 165 mg/kg/day; female rats treated with α-linolenic acid (F-ALA), dose of 165 mg/kg/day. Using the Langendorff technique, markers of heart function were evaluated: the maximum and minimum rates of pressure development in the left ventricle (LV; dp/dt max, dp/dt min), systolic and diastolic left ventricle pressure (SLVP, DLVP, respectively), heart rate (HR) and coronary flow (CF). We measured the concentrations of prooxidative markers: nitrites (NO2-), superoxide anion radicals (O2-) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), as well as the index of lipid peroxidation (TBARS) in the plasma and effluent. In the lysate, we measured the concentrations of reduced glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). ALA more negatively influenced the isolated rat heart, especially in females. In contrast, the administration of LA was linked to more prominent oxidative stress, while the application of ALA was associated with improved activity of the antioxidative defense system (with better values in males).

© 2018 Media Sphera Publishing Group. All rights reserved. The objective of the present study was to develop the diagnostic criteria for determining the positions of the participants of a road traffic accident inside the passenger car compartment based on the analysis of the characteristic features of vertebral lesions in the victims. The archival documents of forensic medical expertises were used to analyze the specific characteristics of fractured cervical vertebra in the victims of the accident inside the passenger car compartments including the drivers (n=92), the occupants of the forward (n=43) and rear (n=37) seats of the car. Localization and mechanisms behind the formation of vertebral lesions in the cervical part of the spinal column associated with the intra-compartment injury is of primary importance for the diagnostic purposes. The character of an injury to the cervical region gives evidence of the position of the driver and the occupants of the car inside the passenge r compartment at the moment of the accident. Injuries to the cervical, thoracic, and/or sacral vertebrae may be indicative of the seat (either driver's, forward or rear) occupied by the victim(s). The fractures of the sacral part of the vertebral column are of negligible value for the differential diagnostics between the positions of the driver and/or other victims because they equally frequently occur in the drivers and occupants of both the forward and rear seats. Nevertheless, the proposed criteria made it possible to construct the mathematical model in the form of the logistic regression equations and to use them for making the probabilistic predictions as regards the positions of the participants of a road traffic accident inside the passenger car compartment based on the selected combination of pathomorphological characteristics in the victims.

© Pushkareva M.V., Shevyreva M.P., Goncharuk N.N., May I.V., Andrishunas A.M., 2018. The article contains information on hazardous chemical wastes, reasons that cause their occurrence and accumulation in the environment as well as issues related to accumulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the environmental objects. The authors outline specific features of POPs and their possible influence on the environment and a human body; they also dwell on priority activities accomplished in the RF in relation to POPs after Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollution was ratified. Provisions of international law in the sphere of providing chemical safety are being consolidated now and operating bodies of Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions interact with each other in order to fix concentrations for chemicals which are persistent organic pollutants and to determine their low contents in wastes. The European Union countries and Canada have submitted their proposals on concentrations of 21 various chemicals in wastes for consideration by all the concerned parties. Scientific validity of the proposed concentrations has been analyzed; the analysis results are given in the article. Given the hazards caused by chemicals wastes that contain POPs for people and the environment, the authors suppose that additional research should be performed on substantiation of POPs safe concentrations in wastes. Taking into account national security and common provisions of international laws related to solving global, national, and regional tasks, the authors note that it is necessary to update legislation on state regulation in the sphere of providing chemical safety; they also give grounds and outline conceptual approaches to creation of the Federal Law "On chemical safety". The article gives a basic idea of this law; its purpose; an object of its regulation; people or economic entities whose activities are subject to its force; a place this law, when passed, is going to have in the RF federal legislation and a system of international agreements that are ratified by the RF. It should be noted that when the Federal Law "On chemical safety" is adopted, it will allow to reduce negative effects produced by hazardous chemical wastes on population and the environment and will have both medical and social-economic outcomes.

© 2018, Media Sphera Publishing Group. All rights reserved. The current national immunization calendar is intended for the pediatric population; the general concept of adult immunization is absent, which does not protect target groups under the conditions of the changing epidemic situation and the state of population immunity. Objective - to substantiate and design a national vaccine schedule for adults. Material and methods. The investigation was conducted using the data available in the Russian and foreign literature, the assessments of the epidemic situation among the adult population in the Russian Federation, and the authors’ own studies. Results. The draft national adult immunization calendar consisting of two sections was designed and substantiated. The first section includes information on immunization of different age groups; the second contains that on immunization of groups at epidemiological and social risks. Conclusions. The introduction of the national adult immunization calendar and improvements in the institutional framework of vaccination will achieve further reductions in morbidity and mortality rates in the country.

© 2018, Romanian Society for Pharmaceutical Sciences. All rights reserved. It has been reported that hepatitis B virus (HBV) is 10 times more infectious than hepatitis C virus (HCV) and 100 times more infectious than human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Although there are two approved and very effective antivirals that quickly reduce the viral load (HBV DNA) and the risk of liver damage, vaccination prevention still represents the ideal intervention to reduce the spread of the disease and to protect public health. A literature review of the studies published in English on hepatitis B vaccination coverage of healthcare professionals in Greece during the 2006-2016 period was conducted. The literature review highlighted 12 studies. Healthcare professionals’ vaccine rate ranged between 55% and 88%. Doctors had the higher vaccination rate among healthcare professionals and registered nurses compared to nurses’ aides (p < 0.05). Higher educational level, knowledge of hepatitis B and a positive attitude toward vaccines (p < 0.05) revealed as the variables that affect positively healthcare professionals to be vaccinated. Mandatory vaccination of professionals within a health policy with regard to vaccination, as well as the implementation of information programs for them, are two important interventions that may increase vaccination coverage rates.

© 2018 Park-media, Ltd.  Common marmosets are small New World primates that have been increasingly used in biomedical research. This report presents efficient protocols for assessment of the parameters of adaptive cell-mediated immunity in common marmosets, including the major subpopulations of lymphocytes and main markers of T- and B-cell maturation and activation using flow cytometry with a multicolor panel of fluorescently labelled antibodies. Blood samples from eight common marmosets were stained with fluorescently labeled monoclonal antibodies against their population markers (CD45, CD3, CD20, CD4, CD8) and lymphocyte maturation and activation markers (CD69, CD62L, CD45RO, CD107a and CD27) and analyzed by flow cytometry. Within the CD45 + population, 22.7±5.5% cells were CD3 - CD20 + and 67.6±6.3% were CD3 + CD20 - . The CD3 + subpopulation included 55.7±5.5% CD3 + CD4 + CD8 - and 34.3±3.7% CD3 + CD4 - CD8 + cells. Activation and maturation markers were expressed in the following lymphocyte proportions: CD62L on 54.0±10.7% of CD3 + CD4 + cells and 74.4±12.1% of CD3 + CD8 + cells; CD69 on 2.7±1.2% of CD3 + CD4 + cells and 1.2±0.5% of CD3 + CD8 + cells; CD45RO on 1.6±0.6% of CD3 + CD4 + cells and 1.8±0.7% of CD3 + CD8 + cells; CD107a on 0.7±0.5% of CD3 + CD4 + cells and 0.5±0.3% of CD3 + CD8 + cells; CD27 on 94.6±2.1% of CD3 + cells and 8.9±3.9% CD20 + cells. Female and male subjects differed in the percentage of CD3 + CD4 + CD45RO + cells (1.9±0.5 in females vs 1.1±0.2 in males; p < 0.05). The percentage of CD20 + CD27 + cells was found to highly correlate with animals' age (r = 0.923, p < 0.005). The basal parameters of adaptive cell-mediated immunity in naïve healthy marmosets without markers of systemic immune activation were obtained. These parameters and the described procedures are crucial in documenting the changes induced in common marmosets by prophylactic and therapeutic immune interventions.

© 2018 Interregional public organization Association of infectious disease specialists of Saint-Petersburg and Leningrad region (IPO AIDSSPbR). All rights reserved. Vaccination against pneumococcal infections by 13-va-lent conjugate vaccine (PCV13) can significantly reduce morbidity and mortality. The study has been aimed to evaluate the social and pharmacoeconomic aspects of PCV13 vaccination of 65-year-old patients with various risks of pneumococcal infection. Material and methods. Markov model with 5 and 15 years time horizon was used for the analysis from the position of the health care system. The analysis was carried out for 65-year-old citizens with low (absence of immunocompromized conditions and chronic diseases), moderate (patients with chronic diseases without immunodeficiency) and high (immunocompromized conditions) risk of pneumococcal infection as well as for the entire population of 65-year-old citizens, regardless of the risk level. In base-case assumption has been made that 1 dose of PCV13 should be administered for the patients from low and moderate risk groups and in the high-risk group 1 dose of PCV13 and in 8 weeks a dose of polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine (PPV23) should be given. The treatment and physician visit costs have been calculated using CHI rates for St. Petersburg in 2018. Vaccination cost was calculated using the auction price to purchase PCV13 and PPV23 in 2018. Results. Vaccination of 1 cohort of 65-year-old citizens in Russian Federation within 5 years will result in prevention of 2200 deaths, 3900 cases of invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD) and 48700 cases of community-acquired pneumonia. In 15 years prevention of about 4,3 thousand deaths, 6,6 thousand IPD and 101,1 thousand cases of CAP will be provided. Within 15-year horizon the cost-effectiveness ratio will be RUR 30,3, 82,4 and 410,0 thousand per QALY in high, moderate and low risk groups, respectively. Even if the time horizon is reduced to 5 years the PCV13 vaccination can be considered as an economically high-efficient intervention in moderate and high risk groups (cost-effectiveness ratio - RUR 279,2 and 221,7 thousand / QALY, respectively). In the 15-year-horizon noting the distribution of 65-year-olds by risk levels the cost-effectiveness ratio of PCV13 in population as a whole will be RUR 216,4 thousand / QALY. If moderate and high risk groups only are vaccinated, the average cost-effectiveness ratio will drop to RUR 67,6 thousand /QALY. At universal PCV13 vaccination of 65 years old in 5 year time horizon return of investment to the health care system budget will be 33.2% and at vaccination of persons with moderate and high risk return of investment will be 44.0%. With the assumption of vaccination during the planned physician visit (without additional visit) the return to the budget will be 46.8% and 60.9% for vaccination of all 65-year-olds and patients from the moderate and high risk groups, respectively. Conclusions. Vaccination of the 65-year-old persons against PCV13 pneumococcal infection in Russian Federation can be considered as a highly socially and economically effective intervention resulting in significant reduction of pneumococcal infection incidence and related mortality. The cost-effectiveness of vaccination is increasing along with the level of the risk. PCV13 vaccination of patients with moderate and high risk only provides a significant reduction in the burden for the health care budget in comparison with the vaccination of the entire population of 65-year-olds.

Background: The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a neuroprotective cytokine that promotes neurogenesis and angiogenesis in the brain. In animal models, it has been shown that environmental enrichment and exercise, two non-pharmacological interventions that are beneficial decreasing the progression of Alzheimer disease (AD) and depressive-like behavior, enhance hippocampal VEGF expression and neurogenesis. Furthermore, the stimulation of VEGF expression promotes neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity processes such as neurogenesis. It is thought that these VEGF actions in the brain, may underly its beneficial therapeutic effects against psychiatric and other neurological conditions.

Conclusion: In this review, evidence linking VEGF deficit with the development of AD as well as the potential role of VEGF signaling as a therapeutic target for cotinine and other interventions in neurodegenerative conditions are discussed.

Wild ducks are known to be able to carry avian influenza viruses over long distances and infect domestic ducks, which in their turn infect domestic chickens. Therefore, prevention of virus transmission between ducks and chickens is important to control the spread of avian influenza. Here we used a low pathogenic wild aquatic bird virus A/duck/Moscow/4182/2010 (H5N3) for prevention of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) transmission between ducks and chickens. We first confirmed that the ducks orally infected with H5N1 HPAIV A/chicken/Kurgan/3/2005 excreted the virus in feces. All chickens that were in contact with the infected ducks became sick, excreted the virus, and died. However, the ducks orally inoculated with 10⁴ 50% tissue culture infective doses of A/duck/Moscow/4182/2010 and challenged 14 to 90 days later with H5N1 HPAIV did not excrete the challenge virus. All contact chickens survived and did not excrete the virus. Our results suggest that low pathogenic virus of wild aquatic birds can be used for prevention of transmission of H5N1 viruses between ducks and chickens.

Wild ducks are known to be able to carry avian influenza viruses over long distances and infect domestic ducks, which in their turn infect domestic chickens. Therefore, prevention of virus transmission between ducks and chickens is important to control the spread of avian influenza. Here we used a low pathogenic wild aquatic bird virus A/duck/Moscow/4182/2010 (H5N3) for prevention of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) transmission between ducks and chickens. We first confirmed that the ducks orally infected with H5N1 HPAIV A/chicken/Kurgan/3/2005 excreted the virus in feces. All chickens that were in contact with the infected ducks became sick, excreted the virus, and died. However, the ducks orally inoculated with 10⁴ 50% tissue culture infective doses of A/duck/Moscow/4182/2010 and challenged 14 to 90 days later with H5N1 HPAIV did not excrete the challenge virus. All contact chickens survived and did not excrete the virus. Our results suggest that low pathogenic virus of wild aquatic birds can be used for prevention of transmission of H5N1 viruses between ducks and chickens.

Background: The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a neuroprotective cytokine that promotes neurogenesis and angiogenesis in the brain. In animal models, it has been shown that environmental enrichment and exercise, two non-pharmacological interventions that are beneficial decreasing the progression of Alzheimer disease (AD) and depressive-like behavior, enhance hippocampal VEGF expression and neurogenesis. Furthermore, the stimulation of VEGF expression promotes neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity processes such as neurogenesis. It is thought that these VEGF actions in the brain, may underly its beneficial therapeutic effects against psychiatric and other neurological conditions.

Conclusion: In this review, evidence linking VEGF deficit with the development of AD as well as the potential role of VEGF signaling as a therapeutic target for cotinine and other interventions in neurodegenerative conditions are discussed.