Comparison of Pain-Like behaviors in two surgical incision animal models in C57BL/6J mice

BACKGROUND

Management of pain post-surgery is crucial for tissue healing in both veterinary and human medicine. Overuse of some analgesics such as opioids may lead to addictions and worsen pain syndromes (opioid-induced hyperalgesia), while underuse of it may affect the welfare of the patient. Therefore, the importance of using surgery models in laboratory animals is increasing, with the goal of improving our understanding of pain neurobiology and developing safer analgesics.

METHODS

We compared the widely used plantar incision model with the laparotomy surgery model and measured pain-related behaviors using both spontaneous and evoked responses in female and male C57BL/6J mice. Additionally, we assessed conditioned place preference (CPP) and sucrose preference tests to measure pain-induced motivation for the analgesic ketoprofen and anhedonia-like behavior.

RESULTS

Laparotomized mice showed increased abdominal sensitivity while paw-incised mice showed increased paw thermal and mechanical sensitivity up to seven days post-surgery. Laparotomy surgery reduced all spontaneous behaviors in our study however this effect dissipated by 24 h post-laparotomy. On the other hand, paw incision only reduced the percentage of cage hanging in a sex-dependent manner at 6 h post-incision. We also showed that both surgery models increased conditioned place preference for ketoprofen while preference for sucrose was only reduced at 24 h post-laparotomy. Laporatomy, but not paw incision, induced a decrease in body weight at 24 h post-surgery. Neither surgery model affected fluid intake.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that post-surgery hypersensitivity and behavioral deficits may differ by the incision site. Furthermore, factors associated with the surgery including length of the incision, duration of the anesthesia, and the layers that received stitches may affect subsequent spontaneous behaviors. These findings may help to improve drug development or the choice of the effective analgesic, depending on the surgery type.

Rehabilitación virtual en la intervención de terapia ocupacional

Justificación: La rehabilitación se ha visto influenciado por los avances tecnológicos como una opción para el proceso de rehabilitación de personas en situación de discapacidad. Estos dispositivos permiten centrarse en una tarea en un entorno simulado, fenómeno que ha sido denominado Rehabilitación Virtual (RHV). En Chile esta técnica ha sido usada por Terapeutas Ocupacionales, no obstante, la evidencia científica nacional sobre su efectividad es escasa y la aplicación cada vez más frecuente. Metodología: Investigación cualita- tiva de carácter exploratorio con objetivo de comprender los fundamentos y protocolos de aplicación de la RHV desde la disciplina. Se analizaron tres entrevistas a Terapeutas Ocupacionales que utilizaron la RHV en instituciones privadas de Santiago de Chile, durante el año 2012, desde la perspectiva fenomenológica. Resultados: Se evidencia similitudes y diferencias respecto a la conceptualización teórica, implementación y metodología de trabajo, así como criterios de selección de participantes, consideraciones, ventajas y des- ventajas. Discusión: Se constató que el uso de consolas posee características favorables para ser utilizado como foco terapéutico, es altamente motivante y ofrece variadas posibilidades de acuerdo a cada consola. Así mismo, se corrobora que el carácter inmersión de la realidad virtual es un aspecto bien valorado por los beneficiarios y útil para el proceso de rehabilitación.

Cyclospora cayetanensis in three populations at risk in Guatemala

In 1996 and 1997, outbreaks of Cyclospora cayetanensis in North America were linked to Guatemalan raspberries. From April 1999 to April 2000, we undertook a survey for C. cayetanensis in raspberry farm workers, malnourished children, and human immunodeficiency virus and AIDS patients in Guatemala. Stool samples were analyzed using ethylacetate-formalin concentration, wet preparation, modified acid-fast staining method, and epifluorescence. Oocysts were found in 1.5% of the subjects, none of whom were raspberry farm workers.

Identification of 4-(N,N-dipropylamino)benzaldehyde as a potent, reversible inhibitor of mouse and human class I aldehyde dehydrogenase

As the physiologic roles for the different classes of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) enzymes are elucidated, the identification of specific, reversible inhibitors becomes of great pharmacologic interest. Previous structure-function studies identified dialkylamino substituted benzaldehyde compounds as a novel class of reversible inhibitors of class I ALDH. To examine further structural requirements for inhibition, we tested a series of 4-(N,N-dialkylamino)benzaldehyde analogs as inhibitors of propanal oxidation by mouse liver and human erythrocyte class I ALDH. 4-(N,N-dipropylamino)benzaldehyde (DPAB) was identified as the most potent, reversible inhibitor of propanal oxidation by class I ALDH in spectrophotometric enzyme assays. In kinetic studies, DPAB showed mixed-type inhibition with respect to the aldehyde substrates propanal, phenylacetaldehyde, benzaldehyde, and aldophosphamide. DPAB exhibited uncompetitive inhibition with respect to the cofactor NAD. Inhibition constants (Ki) for DPAB, estimated from Dixon plots, were 10 nM (propanal) and 77 nM (phenylacetaldehyde) for mouse ALDH and 3 nM (propanal) and 70 nM (phenylacetaldehyde) for human ALDH. These Ki values are 100-fold lower than those reported for class I specific inhibitors. At low (< 1 microM) DPAB concentrations, inhibition of propanal and aldophosphamide oxidation was > 75%, whereas inhibition of benzaldehyde (32%) and phenylacetaldehyde (19%) oxidation was reduced markedly. These results indicate that DPAB exhibits potent, reversible inhibition of mouse and human class I ALDH. The degree of inhibition was highly dependent on the structure of the aldehyde substrate.