Biological research for nursing
-
Unaccustomed exercise, high-intensity dynamic sports activities, or the resumption of normal weight-bearing after a period of disuse can induce skeletal muscle injury, which activates an inflammatory response followed by muscle regeneration. Specific subsets of macrophages are involved in muscle regeneration. But the exact role of macrophage differentiation during muscle regeneration remains to be elucidated. ⋯ M-CSF-differentiated, LPS-stimulated macrophages may influence myogenesis and the early and terminal stages of muscle regeneration. This knowledge may aid in developing therapies that will directly expedite muscle repair and lead to faster rehabilitation and reduced rehabilitation costs.
-
Specific aims of this pilot study were to (a) determine the effect of a guided imagery (GI) intervention over an 8-week period on pain and pain disability in a sample of persons with chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) and (b) analyze the mediating effects of neuroendocrine and neuroimmune functioning on the effectiveness of GI on outcome variables. A simple interrupted time-series design (12-week period) was used. GI was introduced at Week 4 and used daily by 25 participants for the remaining 8 weeks. ⋯ Correlation coefficients between change scores of dependent variables and mediating variables were not significant. GI was effective in reducing pain intensity and pain disability over an 8-week period; however, the results did not support the expected effects of decreased HPA axis activation, improved immune-mediated analgesia, and reduced immune-mediated hyperalgesia in mediating these outcomes. These findings may be related to procedural and theoretical issues and limitations related to the study design.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Randomized crossover trial of kangaroo care to reduce biobehavioral pain responses in preterm infants: a pilot study.
Kangaroo care (KC), skin-to-skin contact between mother and infant, is a promising method for blunting pain responses. This crossover pilot tested KC effects on biobehavioral responses to heel stick in preterm infants (30-32 weeks' gestational age, 2-9 days old) measured by Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP) and salivary and serum cortisol. Mother-infant dyads were randomly assigned to KC heel stick (KCH) first or incubator heel stick (IH) first. ⋯ Study 1 showed no differences between KCH and IH. Study 2 showed lower PIPP scores at four time points during recovery (p < .05 to p < .001), lower salivary cortisol at the end of recovery (p < .05), and lower serum cortisol during heel stick for the KCH condition (p < .05) as well as clinically lower PIPP scores in the KCH condition during heel stick. Thirty minutes of KC before and throughout the heel stick reduced biobehavioral responses to pain in preterm infants.
-
Several clinical trials have failed to demonstrate a significant effect on outcome following human traumatic brain injury (TBI) despite promising results obtained in preclinical animal studies. These failures may be due in part to a misinterpretation of the findings obtained in preclinical animal models of TBI, a misunderstanding of the complexity of the human response to TBI, limited knowledge about the biological pathways that interact to contribute to good and bad outcomes after brain injury, and the effects of genomic variability and environment on individual recovery. ⋯ Gene expression profiling has the capability to identify biomarkers associated with response to TBI, elucidate complex genetic interactions that may play a role in outcome following TBI, and reveal biological pathways related to brain health. This review highlights the current state of the literature on gene expression profiling for neurological disease and discusses its ability to aid in unraveling the variable human response to TBI and the potential for it to offer treatment strategies in an area where we currently have limited therapeutic options primarily based on supportive care.
-
Rosiglitazone is a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ agonist. By inhibiting nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), it decreases tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) and has an anti-inflammatory effect. Endotoxin shock can induce the production of several inflammatory mediators such as TNF-α and IL-6, leading to multiple organ dysfunction and death. ⋯ Endotoxin shock significantly increased blood GOT, GPT, BUN, Cre, LDH, CPK, glucose, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels and HR, while also decreasing MAP. Rosiglitazone diminished the increase in HR, decreased the markers of organ injury (GOT, GPT, BUN, Cre, LDH, CPK, glucose) and inflammatory biomarkers (TNF-α, IL-6), and did not affect MAP after LPS. In conclusion, rosiglitazone ameliorated endotoxin shock-induced markers of organ injury and suppressed the release of TNF-α and IL-6 in conscious rats.