This study confirms previous findings from observational studies regarding the negative association between e-cigarette use and smoking cessation, but in a large cohort of smokers enrolled in an evidence-based treatment program. The implications of these findings are that concurrent use of e-cigarettes during a quit attempt utilizing cost-free evidence-based treatment (NRT plus behavioral counseling) does not confer any added benefit and may hamper successful quitting.

Apoptosis and autophagy are critical in normal skeletal muscle homeostasis; however, dysregulation can lead to muscle atrophy and dysfunction. Lipotoxicity and/or lipid accumulation may promote apoptosis, as well as directly or indirectly influence autophagic signaling. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a 16-week high-fat diet on morphological, apoptotic, and autophagic indices in oxidative and glycolytic skeletal muscle of female rats. High-fat feeding resulted in increased fat pad mass, altered glucose tolerance, and lower muscle pAKT levels, as well as lipid accumulation and reactive oxygen species generation in soleus muscle; however, muscle weights, fiber type-specific cross-sectional area, and fiber type distribution were not affected. Moreover, DNA fragmentation and LC3 lipidation as well as several apoptotic (ARC, Bax, Bid, tBid, Hsp70, pBcl-2) and autophagic (ATG7, ATG4B, Beclin 1, BNIP3, p70 s6k, cathepsin activity) indices were not altered in soleus or plantaris following high-fat diet. Interestingly, soleus muscle displayed small increases in caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9 activity, as well as higher ATG12-5 and p62 protein, while both soleus and plantaris muscle showed dramatically reduced Bcl-2 and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) levels. In conclusion, this work demonstrates that 16 weeks of high-fat feeding does not affect tissue morphology or induce a global autophagic or apoptotic phenotype in skeletal muscle of female rats. However, high-fat feeding selectively influenced a number of apoptotic and autophagic indices which could have implications during periods of enhanced muscle stress.

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The review of publications on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) «satellite» infections - hepatitis B and C was made. 1329 articles published in the last 10 years concerning the problem of HIV and hepatitis B and C co-infection were found in PubMed database. The problem of viral hepatitis in HIV-infected patients remains extremely relevant nowadays. Results of numerous European studies indicate that chronic hepatitis C is ranked fifth in the list of death causes of HIV-infected patients. Most researchers agree on a more severe course of chronic hepatitis C in HIV-infected patients. Viral hepatitis is found in 7 out of 10 HIV-infected patients. The problem of antiretroviral drugs hepatotoxicity is still not resolved. Hepatitis C viral load is generally higher in HIV-infected patients than that of HIV-negative, and the probability of progression to cirrhosis, liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma in HIV-infected patients is 3 times higher. So the problem of HIV and viral hepatitis co-infection requires a better understanding of co-infection treatment features, the definition of clear criteria for effectiveness and safety of therapy of HIV-infected patients co-infected with viral hepatitis B and C.