The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of microtubule depolymerization by colchicine on hyperalgesia mediated by transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) in a neuropathic pain model of chronic compression of the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) (hereafter termed CCD) in rat. Intrathecal administration of microtubule-depolymerizing agent, colchicine, attenuated the activated effect of 4alpha-phorbol 12, 13-didecanoate (4alpha-PDD, TRPV4 specific agonist) on mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia in CCD rats. This observation is in agreement with our in vitro experiments with DRG cells that showed a significant attenuation of 4alpha-PDD-activated Ca(2+)-influx and substance P (SP) release with the colchicine treatment. We conclude that microtubule depolymerization by colchicine can regulate pain sensitivity by depressing the hyperalgesia mediated by TRPV4.
Objective: To investigate the clinical application value of constraint-induced movement therapy for recovery of motor function in patients with unilateral spatial neglect after stroke. Methods: 42 cases of patients with unilateral spatial neglect after stroke were selected from April 2007 to April 2012 in our hospital, which were numbered according to the treatment sequence and randomly divided into two groups: control group (21 cases) which received conventional treatment and observation group (21 cases) which received constraint-induced movement therapy based on conventional treatment. The movement function parameters of two groups were statistically analyzed and compared. Results: 1) MAS scores (supine, supine healthy side-sitting bed, sitting, standing, sitting upper limb function, hand function, fine hand function, walking) in observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group, and the differences between groups were statistically significant (P < 0.05); 2) Corresponding parameters of Fugl-Meyer score and ADL score in observation group were significantly higher than those in control group, and differences between groups were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: In the treatment for patients with unilateral spatial neglect after stroke, constraint-induced movement therapy is safe, effective, and beneficial to improve motor function in patients, promote the prognosis and outcome, and enhance the patients’ life quality. It is worthy of promotion.
Aim: To observe the effects of stress on Glu uptake and NMDAR of hippocampus synaptosome in rats with different zinc status. Methods: Stress model was established by photoelectric stimulus. The behaviors of rats were tested in open-field case. 3 H -L-Glu was taken as radioligand to detect the NMDAR binding.Glu uptake was determined with radioimmunoassay. Results: Compared with CT rats, ZD rats performed less movement in open-field test, both Bmax of NMDAR and 3 H -L-Glu uptake of hippocampus in these rats were significantly decreased.Compared with corresponding non-stressed groups, the stressed groups appeared longer latency and less movement in open-field test.Increased Bmax of NMDAR and decreased 3 H -L-Glu uptake were observed in all stressed rats,but only in SZD rats these indices showed statistical difference. Conclusion: Abnormal behaviors of rats induced by photoelectric stress were observed in open-field test, which was more serious in zinc deficiency rats.It is supposed that the Glu-NMDAR pathway is involved in the process of stress reaction.As it shows in our experiment,the changes of Bmax of NMDAR and 3 H -L-Glu uptake of hippocampus synaptosome seems to be a part of the mechanisms of stress action.
AbstractBackground: While existing research has established a link between dietary habits and the incidence of intracranial aneurysms, the application of Mendelian randomization to explore this association remains largely uncharted. Methods: n our study, we analyzed a wide array of dietary factors using data from the IEU Open GWAS project, which included meat varieties (oily fish, pork, lamb/mutton, beef and poultry), vegetarian foods (both cooked and raw vegetables, along with fresh and dried fruits), cereal and the frequency of alcohol intake. We included pooled intracranial aneurysm GWAS data from a comprehensive dataset of 7,495 cases as well as 71,934 controls. In MR analysis, we employed multiple Mendelian randomization techniques such as weighted median, MR-Egger, and Inverse Variance Weighted methods and rigorously controlled the false discovery rates through the Bonferroni correction across ten dietary exposures. The study's robustness was further ensured by assessing heterogeneity and pleiotropy using Cochran's Q test and MR-Egger method, supplemented by leave-one-out and MR-PRESSO analyses, thus solidifying the validity of our findings. Results: Our analysis identified a significant association between cooked vegetables (OR: 2.296; 95% CI: 0.726 ~ 3.867; p = 0.0042) and an elevated risk of intracranial aneurysms. Besides, the initial analysis suggested a statistically significant association between the dried fruit (OR: 0.385; 95%CI: -1.842 ~ -0.067; p= 0.0350), frequency of alcohol intake (OR: 1.419; 95% CI: 0.039 ~ 0.661; p = 0.0276) and the risk of intracranial aneurysms. However, this significance was not sustained after applying the Bonferroni correction for multiple testing, indicating a need for cautious interpretation despite the initially promising findings. No causal links were found between intracranial aneurysms and other dietary intakes investigated in this study. Conclusion: This study identified a clear causal link between cooked vegetable intake and an increased risk of intracranial aneurysm, while suggesting a potential connection between the frequency of alcohol intake and the elevated risk, although this association did not reach statistical significance after multiple testing corrections. Conversely, no significant associations were observed between the risk of intracranial aneurysm and the consumption of various meats, cheese, and other fruits and vegetables.
Oxidative stress induces bone loss and osteoporosis, and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) may be used to combat these diseases due to its antioxidative property. Herein, oxidative stress in human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) was induced by H2O2, resulting in an adverse effect on their osteogenic differentiation. However, this H2O2-induced adverse effect was nullified when the cells were treated with EGCG. In addition, treatment of BM-MSCs with EGCG alone also resulted in the enhancement of osteogenic differentiation of BM-MSCs. After EGCG treatment, expressions of β-catenin and cyclin D1 were upregulated, suggesting that the Wnt pathway was involved in the effects of EGCG on the osteogenic differentiation of BM-MSCs. This was also confirmed by the fact that the Wnt pathway inhibitor, Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1), can nullify the EGCG-induced enhancement effect on BM-MSC's osteogenic differentiation. Hence, our results suggested that EGCG can reduce the effects of oxidative stress on Wnt pathway in osteogenic cells, which supported a potentially promising therapy of bone disorders induced by oxidative stress. Considering its positive effects on BM-MSCs, EGCG may also be beneficial for stem cell-based bone repair.
Using a robot hand to manipulate human's living limbs is the core technology to develop a humanoid nursing robot. The safety and comfort of the living tissues grasped by a robot hand need to be fully considered. In this paper, we study the biomechanical properties of the shank when a pair of flat-panel fingers exerts a grasping force on it. Two important parameters, the grasping force and the angle between two fingers, which have great impact on the limb's stress and strain distribution, are studied in the paper. The FE (Finite Element) model of a human shank is firstly built based on the 3D model reconstructed from the CT (Computed Tomography) scanning images. Then, the Stress and Strain distributions of the shank corresponding to different grasping forces and angles of fingers are analyzed. The analysis results can give an optimized solution for the structure design as well as the configuration of the robot hand in a nursing robot.
Surgical site infections (SSI) after acetabular fracture surgery are uncommon but devastating. It is still unknown which risk factors contribute to SSI. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the risk factors of SSI after acetabular fracture surgery.A total of 338 patients who underwent the acetabular fracture surgical procedure were studied retrospectively. Post-operative SSI developed in 16 patients. From the medical record, age, gender, body mass index (BMI), Injury Severity Score (ISS), active smokers, diabetes mellitus, causes of fracture, associated injuries, classification of the acetabular fracture, time from injury to operation, operative approaches, use of the Intra-Aortic Balloon Occlusion (IABO), operative time, surgical blood loss, and days in the intensive care unit (ICU) were extracted. Univariate and multivariable analysis were performed to determine the association between risk factors and infection.There were 10 males and six females in the infected group. According to the univariate analysis, the patients in whom SSI developed were more obese (higher BMI), more severely injured in terms of ISS, and had longer ICU stays. The operative time was longer, and estimated blood loss was larger in the infected group. Associated injuries such as Morel-Lavallée lesion, abdominal trauma, and urinary tract trauma were common in the infected group. Combined approaches and IABO were more commonly applied in the infected group. Multivariate analysis indicated that the operative time, Morel-Lavallée lesion, and abdominal trauma are the independent risk factors for SSI.To reduce the incidence of SSI in patients with acetabular fractures, special attention should be paid to the obese patients, Morel-Lavallée lesion, and concomitant abdominal trauma. Keeping the operative time short also reduces the risk of SSI. It is important to perform surgical intervention immediately after the infection occurs.
Despite multiple interventions, the incidence of chronic pain after mastectomy could be as high as 50% after surgery. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) before anesthesia induction in reducing chronic pain and to compare the effect of combined acupoint TEAS with that of single acupoint TEAS. A multicenter randomized clinical trial. The study was conducted at six medical centers in China from May 2016 to April 2018. Final follow-up was on October 26, 2018. Eligible patients were women scheduled for radical mastectomy under general anesthesia. Patients were randomly and equally grouped into sham control (n = 188), single acupoint (PC6, n = 198), or combined acupoints (PC6 and CV17, n = 190) TEAS groups using a centralized computer-generated randomization system. TEAS was applied for 30 min before anesthesia induction. The sham-operated control group received electrode attachment but without stimulation. Anesthesiologists, surgeons, and outcome assessors were blinded to the interventions. The primary endpoint was the incidence of chronic pain 6 months after surgery. Incidences were compared among the groups using the unadjusted χ2 test. Of the 576 randomized patients, 568 completed the trial. In the intention-to-treat analysis, post-mastectomy pain at 6 months was reported in 42 of 190 patients (22.1%) in the combined acupoints group, 65 of 188 patients (34.6%) in the sham-operated group (P = 0.007; relative risk [RR], 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.68, 0.52–0.89), and 72 of 198 patients (36.4%) in the single acupoint group (P = 0.002; RR, 95% CI: 0.72, 0.55–0.93). Remifentanil consumption during surgery and postoperative nausea and vomiting at 24 h after surgery were lower in the combined acupoint group than that in the sham-operated group. TEAS at combined acupoints before surgery was associated with reduced chronic pain 6 months after surgery. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT02741726. Registered on April 13, 2016.
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