The International journal of neuroscience
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The role of satellite cells, a type of peripheral glia, in the paracrine mechanisms related to neuronal maintenance and plasticity in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) needs to be further investigated. This study employed immunohistochemistry and image analysis to investigate basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF, FGF-2) and S100Beta immunoreactivities in the DRG and sciatic nerve of the rat and mouse. Well-characterized antibodies against bovine (residues 1-24) and rat (residues 1-23) FGF-2 were employed. ⋯ Activated satellite cells of the axotomized DRG possessed increased amount of FGF-2 and S100Beta immunoreactivity as demonstrated by quantitative image analysis. The proximal stump of the lesioned rat sciatic nerve showed increased FGF-2 (residues 1-24 and 1-23) in the Schwann cells, myelin sheaths, and neuronal fibers, without changes in the level of S100Beta immunoreactivity. Results suggested a possible interaction between FGF-2 and S100Beta in activated satellite cells of the DRG, which might trigger paracrine actions in the axotomized sensory neurons.
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Comparative Study
Brain activation related to affective dimension during thermal stimulation in humans: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study.
The aim of this study was to identify the activated brain region that is involved with the affective dimension of thermal stimulation (not pain, but innocuous warming) using functional MR imaging. Twelve healthy, right-handed male subjects participated in the study. Thermal stimulation with two different temperatures of 41 degrees C and 34 degrees C was applied to the subjects using a fomentation pack, wrapped around the right lower leg of each subject. ⋯ The experimental results indicated that warm stimulation produced a significant increase of activation compared to thermal neutral stimulation in various regions such as contralateral insular, ipsilateral cerebellum, ipsilateral putamen, contralateral middle frontal gyrus, ipsilateral inferior frontal gyrus, contralateral postcentral gyrus, and contralateral paracentral lobule. The activated regions are known to be related to thermal sensory, affective/emotional awareness, cognitive functions, sensory-discrimination, and emotion/affective processing, and so on. These results suggest that an appropriate thermal stimulation can produce a positive emotion and activate emotion/affect related regions of the brain.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Peripheral joint cooling increases spinal reflex excitability and serum norepinephrine.
To understand better how reflex excitability is altered with peripheral joint cooling, the authors set out to determine whether a cryotherapy treatment applied to the ankle would increase plasma norepinephrine and result in a heightened H:M ratio. Twenty-two adults were admitted to the hospital on two occasions. During one admission, subjects had ice applied to their ankle and in the other admission a bag of room temperature marbles was applied. ⋯ Hmax, Mmax, and the H:M ratio were greater at 10 and 20 min post application and at 10 and 20 min post removal (p < .05). Elevated plasma norepinephrine suggests that peripheral cooling results in release of neurotransmitters from the central nervous system. Joint cooling has both peripheral and central effects.
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The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of hypothermia on the blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI) in chronically ethanol-treated rats. BBB permeability was measured using Evans blue (EB) dye. ⋯ The EB dye extravasation into the brain significantly increased in hypothermia and at 6 and 24 h after TBI. In ethanol-treated rats that were subjected to TBI, hypothermia led to a significant decrease in EB dye content in the brain at 24 h but not at 6 h after TBI when compared with TBI alone.
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Comparative Study
Technique for the administration of nitrous oxide/oxygen sedation to ensure psychotropic analgesic nitrous oxide (PAN) effects.
This past year the 160th anniversary of the discovery of nitrous oxide as an analgesic/psychotropic anesthetic by an American dentist, Horace Wells, was celebrated in Hartford, Connecticut, USA. This useful gas has been in continuous use longer than any other anesthetic agent and has withstood the test of time. ⋯ This article provides technique guidelines for the administration of nitrous oxide/oxygen sedation to maximize and to customize individual gas dosages for optimal psychotropic and analgesic efficacy. Titration will be discussed with the intent for this manuscript to enable the proper concepts for nitrous oxide/oxygen administration and to customize individual gas dosages to achieve optimal doses of nitrous oxide consistent with psychotropic analgesic nitrous oxide (PAN).