Neuroscience letters
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Neuroscience letters · Mar 2010
Neonatal bladder inflammation alters activity of adult rat spinal visceral nociceptive neurons.
This investigation examined the effect of inflammation produced by intravesical zymosan during the neonatal period on spinal dorsal horn neuronal responses to urinary bladder distension (UBD) as adults. ⋯ Neonatal bladder inflammation alters subsequent effects of acute bladder inflammation on spinal dorsal horn neurons excited by UBD such that overall there is greater sensory neuron activation. This may explain the visceral hypersensitivity noted in this model system and suggest that impaired inhibitory systems may be responsible.
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Neuroscience letters · Mar 2010
Lack of genetic association of neutral endopeptidase (NEP) with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a condition that is characterized by severe pain and exaggerated neurogenic inflammation, which may develop after injury or surgery. Neurogenic inflammation is mediated by neuropeptides, such as calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and substance P (SP) that are released from nociceptors. Genetic factors may play a role in CRPS as was suggested by the occurrence of familial cases and several genetic association studies investigating mainly the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system. ⋯ To this end, we tested a GT-repeat polymorphism in the NEP promoter region as well as 18 tag-SNPs in six linkage disequilibrium (LD) blocks in the NEP gene region in 320 CRPS patients and 376 controls. No significant genetic association was observed. Thus, we conclude that the NEP gene does not seem to be a major risk factor for CRPS.
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Neuroscience letters · Mar 2010
Comparative StudyThe differential effects of equipotent doses of isoflurane and desflurane on hippocampal acetylcholine levels in young and aged rats.
The differential effects of age-adjusted equipotent doses of isoflurane (Iso) and desflurane (Des) on hippocampal acetylcholine (ACh) levels were examined using cerebral microdialysis in young (12-16 weeks old) and aged (16-18 months old) Fischer 344 rats. An 80min exposure to 1 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of isoflurane and desflurane produced similar maximal decreases in hippocampal ACh levels in both age groups: to 36.3+/-13.9% (Iso) and 28.6+/-12.9% (Des) of baseline in aged rats versus 32.5+/-18.7% (Iso) and 29.6+/-12.5% (Des) of baseline in young rats. Compared to isoflurane, the onset of this maximal decrease was delayed in both age groups with desflurane. ⋯ These data demonstrate that age-adjusted equipotent doses of isoflurane and desflurane produce similar maximal decreases in hippocampal ACh levels in a manner that is independent of age. However, compared to isoflurane, desflurane is associated with a slower decrease in and a faster restoration of hippocampal ACh levels following anesthesia in this rat model of aging. Hence, in the aged, the administration of age-adjusted equipotent doses of an inhalational anesthetic with low blood and tissue solubility, such as desflurane, may provide a viable pharmacotherapeutic strategy for minimizing the duration of the attenuation of hippocampal cholinergic outflow observed following anesthesia.