Rejected

Tendinopathy, a common disorder in man and horses, is characterized by pain, dysfunction, and tendon degeneration. Inflammation plays a key role in the pathogenesis of tendinopathy. Tendon cells produce proinflammatory molecules that induce pain and tissue deterioration. Currently used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are palliative but have been associated with adverse side effects prompting the search for safe, alternative compounds. This study determined whether tendon-derived cells' expression of proinflammatory cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE) could be attenuated by the combination of avocado/soybean unsaponifiables (ASU), glucosamine (GLU), and chondroitin sulfate (CS). ASU, GLU, and CS have been used in the management of osteoarthritis-associated joint inflammation. Tenocytes in monolayer and microcarrier spinner cultures were incubated with media alone, or with the combination of ASU (8.3 g/mL), GLU (11 g/mL), and CS (20 g/mL). Cultures were next incubated with media alone, or stimulated with interleukin-1 (IL-1; 10 ng/mL) for 1 h to measure COX-2 gene expression, or for 24 h to measure PGE production, respectively. Tenocyte phenotype was analyzed by phase-contrast microscopy, immunocytochemistry, and Western blotting. Tendon-derived cells proliferated and produced extracellular matrix component type I collagen in monolayer and microcarrier spinner cultures. IL-1-induced COX-2 gene expression and PGE production were significantly reduced by the combination of (ASU+GLU+CS). The suppression of IL-1-induced inflammatory response suggests that (ASU+GLU+CS) may help attenuate deleterious inflammation in tendons.

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is a rapidly evolving non-invasive imaging modality offering comprehensive, multiparametric assessment of cardiac structure and function in a variety of clinical situations. Cine imaging with CMR is the gold standard non-invasive imaging technique for the quantification of ventricular volumes and systolic function. It also affords superior visualisation of apical and right ventricular morphological abnormalities. In coronary artery disease, CMR stress perfusion imaging identifies functionally significant coronary artery disease with high sensitivity and specificity, and international guidelines recommend CMR perfusion imaging in patients with chest pain at intermediate-high risk of coronary disease. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging is the most sensitive imaging technique for identifying infarction/viability. In non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy, LGE imaging plays vital diagnostic and prognostic roles in a number of cardiomyopathies (eg, hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathies, and amyloidosis). In vivo tissue characterisation with CMR enables the identification of oedema/inflammation in acute coronary syndromes/myocarditis and the diagnosis of chronic fibrotic conditions (eg, in hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathy, aortic stenosis and amyloidosis). CMR T2* imaging uniquely offers non-invasive assessment of iron overload states, facilitating diagnosis and management. A multiparametric CMR approach also enables differentiation of cardiac masses/tumours and is a useful adjunct to echocardiography in the assessment of valve disease. The emergence of automated, inline, quantitative methodologies will expand the scope of CMR and reduce its cost in forthcoming years.

Visual disturbances are an uncommon pediatric chief complaint. Usually, after a complete ocular exam including visual acuity, most causes are benign and not life-threatening. Children with abnormal visual complaints who have underlying medical conditions, such as SLE or other autoimmune conditions, a recipient of a transplant, renal disease, and even eclampsia require closer scrutiny. We report a 10-year-old female with a history of systemic lupus erythematosus complicated by hypertension and cardiomyopathy secondary to lupus who presented to the emergency department with a history of vision loss and headache. Head computer tomography demonstrated findings of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES). PRES is a clinical disease associated with cranial radiological findings of heterogenous etiologies that is often reversible. Prompt recognition and treatment are important in preventing permanent damage, long term morbidity and even death.

Biologics used to treat moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis may cause injection site reactions (ISRs) characterized by erythema, edema, itch, and sometimes pain. The Federal Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) is a repository of spontaneous post-marketing reports of adverse events (AEs) that are reported to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Our objective was to perform a pharmacovigilance analysis of FAERS reports of ISRs associated with the use of subcutaneously administered biologic products approved to treat moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

Emergency department (ED) overcrowding is an important issue in healthcare worldwide. A small group of patients account for a disproportionate number of ED visits and a few studies have suggested that chronic pain (CP) sufferers may be part of that group. The aim of this study was to review all studies having examined the association between CP and frequent use of ED services.

and purpose: Although wet cupping therapy (WCT) is currently in use, clinical investigations of its efficiency are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short- and long-term effects of WCT on headache and disability associated with migraine.

Recent studies support the opinion that Central Sensitization (CS) plays an important role in the pathophysiology of many chronic pain conditions. CS refers to hyperexcitability of the central nervous system, which can result in pain hypersensitivity and other somatosensory symptoms. Recognition of CS-related symptomology is crucial in chronic pain evaluation and rehabilitation. The Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI) was created to evaluate symptoms which have been found to be associated with CS. The aim of the current study was the cross-cultural adaptation of the CSI into Greek (CSI-Gr).

Endoscopic tonsillectomy is associated with postoperative pain. Postoperative pain management remains to be improved in children. We aimed to investigate oxycodone preemptive analgesia in children undergoing endoscopic plasma total adenotonsillectomy.

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a chronic disorder of the trigeminal nerve characterized by repeated electrical shock-like sensations on one side of the face. It can cause severe pain in the face and disrupt or impair quality of life in patients. Options for the management of TN consist of pharmacological and surgical treatments, including Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS). GKRS has been used for TN for a long time because of its low rate of complications and high success rate. Moreover, GKRS can be of use for drug-resistant TN patients who are poor surgical candidates due to medical comorbidities, patients of older age, or patients who refuse invasive therapy. We reviewed the rationale, effects, safety, and current treatment policies of GKRS for TN in view of our institution's results and a review of the literature to date.

m-Trifluoromethyl-diphenyl diselenide [(m-CF-PhSe)] is an organoselenium molecule that displays multiple pharmacological actions, including the antinociceptive effect. The current study investigated the (m-CF-PhSe) restorative properties in models of acute and chronic inflammatory pain induced by complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). Male adult Swiss mice received an intraplantar injection of CFA in the hindpaw and 24 h (acute) or 14 days (subchronic) later they were treated with a single or repeated (m-CF-PhSe) schedule via intragastric route, respectively. The mechanical and thermal hypernociceptive behaviors were assessed by von Frey hair and hot plate tests. Samples of injected paw were collected to evaluate the tissue edema and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity while cerebral contralateral cortex samples were used to determine the inflammatory proteins content (subchronic protocol). The acute (m-CF-PhSe) administration (1 and 10 mg/kg) reduced the hypernociceptive behavior and both paw thickness and MPO activity induced by CFA injection. In the subchronic protocol, the repeated administration with a low effective dosage of (m-CF-PhSe) reduced the mechanical and thermal hypernociception as well as restored the edema and MPO activity in paw samples. In addition, the repeated treatment schedule mitigated the increase in TNF-α, IL-1β and COX-2 content in cerebral contralateral cortex induced by CFA injection. Collectively, these data showed that (m-CF-PhSe) presents anti-inflammatory properties, which could be mediated by an interplay between peripheral and central mechanisms of action, reinforcing the potential biological properties of the compound.