Chronic Fluoxetine Microdialysis into the Medullary Raphe Nuclei of the Rat, but Not Systemic Administration, Increases the Ventilatory Response to CO2

Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985). Nov, 2004  |  Pubmed ID: 15273241

In conscious rats, focal CO2 stimulation of the medullary raphe increases ventilation, whereas interference with serotonergic function here decreases the ventilatory response to systemic hypercapnia. We sought to determine whether repeated administration of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor in this region would increase the ventilatory response to hypercapnia in unanesthetized rats. In rats instrumented with electroencephalogram-electromyogram electrodes, 250 or 500 microM fluoxetine or artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) was microdialyzed into the medullary raphe for 30 min daily over 15 days. To compare focal and systemic treatment, two additional groups of rats received 10 mg x kg(-1) x day(-1) fluoxetine or vehicle systemically. Ventilation was measured in normocapnia and in 7% CO2 before treatment (day 0), acutely (days 1 or 3), on day 7, and on day 15. There was no change in normocapnic ventilation in any treatment group. Rats that received 250 microM fluoxetine microdialysis showed a significant 13% increase in ventilation in wakefulness during hypercapnia on day 7, due to an increase in tidal volume. In rats microdialyzed with 500 microM fluoxetine, there were 16 and 32% increases in minute ventilation during hypercapnia in wakefulness and sleep on day 7, and 20 and 28% increases on day 15, respectively, again due to increased tidal volume. There was no change in the ventilatory response to CO2 in rats microdialyzed with aCSF or in systemically treated rats. Chronic fluoxetine treatment in the medullary raphe increases the ventilatory response to hypercapnia in an unanesthetized rat model, an effect that may be due to facilitation of chemosensitive serotonergic neurons.

Effective Anxiety Treatment Prior to Diagnostic Cardiac Catheterization

Holistic Nursing Practice. Mar-Apr, 2005  |  Pubmed ID: 15871589

Music therapy, massage, guided imagery, therapeutic touch, and stress management instruction have been used successfully to decrease patient anxiety prior to diagnostic cardiac catheterization, providing better patient outcomes. The anxiety experienced among patients may have various causes, including not feeling cared about as an individual, too much waiting time before the procedure begins, and physical discomfort. This review determines nursing interventions that may effectively reduce anxiety prior to diagnostic cardiac catheterization.

Medullary Serotonergic Neurones Modulate the Ventilatory Response to Hypercapnia, but Not Hypoxia in Conscious Rats

The Journal of Physiology. Jul, 2005  |  Pubmed ID: 15878953

Serotonergic neurones in the mammalian medullary raphe region (MRR) have been implicated in central chemoreception and the modulation of the ventilatory response to hypercapnia, and may also be involved in the ventilatory response to hypoxia. In this study, we ask whether ventilatory responses across arousal states are affected when the 5-hydroxytryptamine 1A receptor (5-HT1A) agonist (R)-(+)-8-hydroxy-2(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (DPAT) is microdialysed into the MRR of the unanaesthetized adult rat. Microdialysis of 1, 10 and 30 mM DPAT into the MRR significantly decreased absolute ventilation values(VE) during 7% CO2 breathing by 21%, 19% and 30%, respectively, in wakefulness compared to artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) microdialysis, due to decreases in tidal volume (VT) and not in frequency (f), similar to what occurred during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. The concentration-dependence of the hypercapnic ventilatory effect might be due to differences in tissue distribution of DPAT. DPAT (30 mM) changed room air breathing pattern by increasing f and decreasing VT. As evidenced by a sham control group, repeated experimentation and microdialysis of aCSF alone had no effect on the ventilatory response to 7% CO2 during wakefulness or sleep. Unlike during hypercapnia, microdialysis of 30 mM DPAT into the MRR did not change the ventilatory response to 10% O2. Additionally, 10 and 30 mM DPAT MRR microdialysis decreased body temperature, and 30 mM DPAT increased the percentage of experimental time in wakefulness. We conclude that serotonergic activity in the MRR plays a role in the ventilatory response to hypercapnia, but not to hypoxia, and that MRR 5-HT1A receptors are also involved in thermoregulation and arousal.

Ventilatory Effects of Muscimol Microdialysis into the Rostral Medullary Raphé Region of Conscious Rats

Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology. Oct, 2006  |  Pubmed ID: 16338178

We hypothesized that inhibition of the rostral medullary raphe region (MRR), a putative central chemoreceptor location, with the GABA(A) receptor agonist muscimol would decrease ventilatory responses to hypercapnia and hypoxia in conscious rats, and that its known effect at this site on body temperature might alter its effect upon these ventilatory responses. At ambient temperatures of 24.5-26.5 degrees C (Cool), microdialysis of 1mM muscimol into the MRR significantly decreased body temperature by approximately 0.5 degrees C, increased the ventilatory response to 7% CO(2) and decreased the response to 10% O(2). At ambient temperatures of 29.5-30.5 degrees C (Warm), 1 mM muscimol microdialysis no longer decreased body temperature and increased the ventilatory response to hypercapnia and to hypoxia. Muscimol did not significantly affect the VE/VO2 ratio at either temperature. Muscimol significantly increased the hypercapnic ventilatory responses in Cool and Warm conditions and the hypoxic response in Warm conditions, which indicates the presence of an inhibitory effect of rostral MRR neurons sensitive to muscimol. In the Cool condition the ventilatory response to hypoxia is inhibited but appropriately so for the lower VO2 .

Reflections of a Student Midwife

The Practising Midwife. Sep, 2008  |  Pubmed ID: 18833886

Does Patient Satisfaction with Foot Surgery Change over Time?

Foot (Edinburgh, Scotland). Jun, 2008  |  Pubmed ID: 20307415

The national podiatric surgery audit tool PASCOM has a key role in determining patient satisfaction with service received and outcomes. The study aim was to examine the effects of time after surgery on satisfaction scores, by undertaking a retrospective longitudinal study utilising the patient satisfaction questionnaire known as the PSQ-10. A secondary objective was to examine test-retest reliability, since this has not been previously reported.

A Review of Surgical Outcomes of the Lapidus Procedure for Treatment of Hallux Abductovalgus and Degenerative Joint Disease of the First MCJ

Foot (Edinburgh, Scotland). Dec, 2008  |  Pubmed ID: 20307439

The modified Lapidus procedure has been used to treat hallux abducto valgus and degenerative joint disease of the first metatarsocuneiform joint for many years. Historically, the Lapidus has been associated with poor satisfaction due to complications such as non-union. The aim of this study was to review the surgical outcomes of 18 patients using the validated Foot Health Status Questionnaire (FHSQ). The four domains within the FHSQ were all investigated. Pre and post operative angular measurements were also reviewed.

Midfoot Fusion Using a Locking Plate System: a Case Report

Foot (Edinburgh, Scotland). Sep, 2009  |  Pubmed ID: 20307475

BACKGROUND: Midfoot osteoarthrosis can impede daily activity and affect lifestyle, due to pain and footwear restrictions. A case is presented of an arthrodesis of the 2nd and 3rd metatarsocuneiform joints (MCJs), undertaken using a locking plate system, to treat painful degenerative changes that had been symptomatic for 6 months. CONCLUSION: Arthrodesis of the 2nd and 3rd MCJs using a locking plate system achieved adequate fusion and the presenting complaint was resolved. The patient was delighted with the surgical outcome.

Does Altered Oxygenation or Reactive Oxygen Species Alter Cell Turnover of BeWo Choriocarcinoma Cells?

Reproductive Biomedicine Online. Jan, 2009  |  Pubmed ID: 19146777

This study assessed the effect of 20 and 6% ambient oxygen (O(2)) or 5-50 micromol/l hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) on apoptosis, necrosis, proliferation and fusion of BeWo cells. The expression of p53, Mdm2 and Bax was assessed by western blotting. Apoptosis was increased in cells cultured in 6% O(2) tension and 50 micromol/l H(2)O(2) (P < 0.05, P < 0.01 by ADP:ATP ratio). In the same conditions, cell viability as estimated by the MTT assay was decreased (6% O(2) P < 0.01, 50 micromol/l H(2)O(2) P < 0.05). Human chorionic gonadotrophin secretion was decreased by culture in 6%O(2) and 50 micromol/l H(2)O(2) (P < 0.05). Cell fusion was also decreased by treatment with 50 micromol/l H(2)O(2) (P < 0.05). Treatment with 50 micromol/l H(2)O(2) was associated with increased expression of p53 and decreased expression of Mdm2 (P < 0.05). This study provides evidence that BeWo cell turnover is altered following exposure to hypoxia or ROS. It is concluded that BeWo cell culture is an appropriate model for investigating the regulation of trophoblast cell turnover. In addition, these data support a role for p53 in mediating altered trophoblast cell turnover in response to oxidative stress.

Coping and Coping Effectiveness in Relation to a Competitive Sport Event: Pubertal Status, Chronological Age, and Gender Among Adolescent Athletes

Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology. Jun, 2009  |  Pubmed ID: 19798995

An aim of this paper was to discover whether athletes of different pubertal status, chronological age, and gender reported distinct coping strategies in response to stress during a competitive event in their sport. A secondary aim was to examine pubertal status group, chronological age, and gender differences in coping effectiveness. Participants were adolescent athletes (n = 527), classified as beginning-pubertal (n = 59), midpubertal (n = 189), advanced-pubertal (n = 237), and postpubertal (n = 22). Findings revealed that there were small, but significant differences in how athletes of different pubertal status and chronological age coped. There were also significant differences between how athletes of different pubertal status perceived the effectiveness of their coping strategies. Interestingly, our results suggested that the relationship between pubertal status and coping and coping effectiveness is different from the relationship between chronological age and coping and coping effectiveness.

A Comparison of the Development of Audiovisual Integration in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Typically Developing Children

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Nov, 2010  |  Pubmed ID: 20354776

This study aimed to investigate the development of audiovisual integration in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Audiovisual integration was measured using the McGurk effect in children with ASD aged 7-16 years and typically developing children (control group) matched approximately for age, sex, nonverbal ability and verbal ability. Results showed that the children with ASD were delayed in visual accuracy and audiovisual integration compared to the control group. However, in the audiovisual integration measure, children with ASD appeared to 'catch-up' with their typically developing peers at the older age ranges. The suggestion that children with ASD show a deficit in audiovisual integration which diminishes with age has clinical implications for those assessing and treating these children.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Familiarization: What's Happening in Medical Schools in Wales?

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : ECAM. Jun, 2010  |  Pubmed ID: 18955309

Despite recommendations that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) familiarization should be offered to UK medical students, in Wales little such teaching was offered. We decided to assess medical students' knowledge of CAMs, perceived training needs in CAMs, their view of its role in the National Health Service (NHS) and current teaching given. Analysis of data from a questionnaire given to medical students and direct questioning of senior academic medical school staff in Cardiff and Swansea Medical Schools was carried out. The participants comprised 78 first year medical students in the undergraduate entry program in Cardiff and 58 first year medical students from the graduate entry program in Swansea. Senior academic medical school staff at Cardiff and Swansea Medical Schools were asked about current CAM teaching. Results revealed that 32% of undergraduate entry students (UGES) had previous knowledge of CAMs compared with 51% of graduate entry students (GES). Of the UGES, 62% believed they should be taught about CAM's compared with 94% of GES. Of UGES 31% felt that CAMs have a role in the NHS compared with 50% of GES. None of the students had received teaching about CAMs and little formal CAM teaching is currently included in the curricula at each site. The majority of medical students in Wales would like to receive CAM teaching and significant numbers support a role for CAMs in the NHS. Little formal teaching is currently provided.

Flow Cytometry Sorting of Recombinant Mycobacterial Species Yields Bacterial Clones with Enhanced Insert Expression

Clinical and Vaccine Immunology : CVI. Jan, 2011  |  Pubmed ID: 21068210

Recombinant mycobacteria hold promise as vectors for delivery of HIV-1 and other pathogen antigen inserts for inducing systemic and mucosal immune responses. In general, the immunogenicity of the recombinant mycobacterial insert is proportional to the level of insert expression. In this study, a novel flow cytometry-based assay has been developed to sort live recombinant mycobacterial mutants with high expression of foreign inserts and to enrich those sorted bacterial populations. Sorted recombinant mycobacterial clones expressed higher levels of the ovalbumin SIINFEKL epitope, and select sorted clones showed better immunogenicity than unsorted recombinant mycobacteria. Thus, flow cytometry-based sorting can isolate recombinant mycobacteria enriched for higher insert expression.

The P53 Inhibitor MDM2 Facilitates Sonic Hedgehog-mediated Tumorigenesis and Influences Cerebellar Foliation

PloS One. 2011  |  Pubmed ID: 21437245

Disruption of cerebellar granular neuronal precursor (GNP) maturation can result in defects in motor coordination and learning, or in medulloblastoma, the most common childhood brain tumor. The Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) pathway is important for GNP proliferation; however, the factors regulating the extent and timing of GNP proliferation, as well as GNP differentiation and migration are poorly understood. The p53 tumor suppressor has been shown to negatively regulate the activity of the Shh effector, Gli1, in neural stem cells; however, the contribution of p53 to the regulation of Shh signaling in GNPs during cerebellar development has not been determined. Here, we exploited a hypomorphic allele of Mdm2 (Mdm2(puro)), which encodes a critical negative regulator of p53, to alter the level of wild-type MDM2 and p53 in vivo. We report that mice with reduced levels of MDM2 and increased levels of p53 have small cerebella with shortened folia, reminiscent of deficient Shh signaling. Indeed, Shh signaling in Mdm2-deficient GNPs is attenuated, concomitant with decreased expression of the Shh transducers, Gli1 and Gli2. We also find that Shh stimulation of GNPs promotes MDM2 accumulation and enhances phosphorylation at serine 166, a modification known to increase MDM2-p53 binding. Significantly, loss of MDM2 in Ptch1(+/-) mice, a model for Shh-mediated human medulloblastoma, impedes cerebellar tumorigenesis. Together, these results place MDM2 at a major nexus between the p53 and Shh signaling pathways in GNPs, with key roles in cerebellar development, GNP survival, cerebellar foliation, and MB tumorigenesis.