The implementation of continuous ketamine infusions in Neuropathic Pain Syndrome

Neuropathic pain is a chronic condition with potential deleterious effects on the patients'’ quality of life. Pharmacological treatment does not always bring the expected effects and it often brings about adverse effects of the administered drugs. One of the causes for the intensification of pain is central sensitization. Numerous trials, both experimental and clinical prove the effectiveness of NMDA receptor blockers in preventing and diminishing central hypersensitivity and, as a result, diminishing the degree of pain sensations. Here we present a patient with neuropathic pain syndrome related to chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s disease, in which by cyclical intravenous ketamine infusions, significant and long-lasting pain alleviation has been achieved.Neuropathic pain is a chronic condition with potential deleterious effects on the patients'’ quality of life. Pharmacological treatment does not always bring the expected effects and it often brings about adverse effects of the administered drugs. One of the causes for the intensification of pain is central sensitization. Numerous trials, both experimental and clinical prove the effectiveness of NMDA receptor blockers in preventing and diminishing central hypersensitivity and, as a result, diminishing the degree of pain sensations. Here we present a patient with neuropathic pain syndrome related to chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s disease, in which by cyclical intravenous ketamine infusions, significant and long-lasting pain alleviation has been achieved

Vanadium compounds affect growth and morphology of human rhabdomyosarcoma cell line

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) cells were incubated with four vanadium compounds: cations BMOV and vanadyl sulphate, and anions ortho- and metavanadate. Growth inhibition of RMS cells in the culture was determined by two staining methods: with N-hexamethylpararosaniline (crystal violet = CV) or bromide 3-(4,5- dimethylthiazol-2)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium (MTT). After 48 h incubation with 10-40 μM for NaVO3 or 20-40 μM for the other three vanadium salts, the results were statistically significantly lower (0.001 < p < 0.01) as compared to the controls (without vanadium in the medium). A vanadium concentration higher than 40 μM resulted in cell destruction or death in all cells. A comparison with our previously obtained results showed the greatest sensitivity of rat hepatoma H 35-19 cells in comparison to four human cancer cell lines (A549, DU145, HTB, RMS). Investigations of human cancer cells demonstrated that the highest resistance to orthovanadate was characteristic of RMS (c.40 μM) and HTB (c. 20 μM). Electron microscopic examination showed pleomorphic nuclei with visible amounts of heterochromatin and large nucleoli, characteristic of RMS cells. Cells at various stages of differentiation were observed

Fast and reliable method to estimate global DNA methylation in plants and fungi with high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC)-ultraviolet detection and even more sensitive one with HPLC-mass spectrometry

Abstract: DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) methylation is one of the epigenetic modifications of DNA, acting as a bridge between genotype and phenotype. Thus, disruption of DNA methylation pattern has tremendous consequences for organism development. Current methods to determine DNA methylation suffer from methodological drawbacks like high requirement of DNA and poor reproducibility of chromatograms. Here we provide a fast and reliable method using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC)-ultraviolet (UV) detector and even more sensitive one with HPLC- mass spectrometry (MS) and we test this method with various plant and fungal DNA isolates. We optimized the preparation of the DNA degradation step to decrease background noise, we improved separation conditions to provide reliable and reproducible chromatograms and conditions to measure nucleotides in HPLC-MS. We showed that global DNA methylation level can be accurately and reproducibly measured with as little as 0.2 µM for HPLC-UV and 0.02 µM for HPLC-MS of methylated cytosine

Transdermal buprenorphine ameliorated pruritus complicating advanced hepatocellular cancer

Itch is a difficult to treat symptom that may accompany neoplastic disease. At least some of the itch symptoms are due to abnormal endogenous opioid synthesis in the liver. In the past opioid receptor antagonists were found useful to treat itch in such patients. However, their use is limited by the abstinence symptoms experienced by the patient. Another approach would be to use an opioid with high affinity and slow dissociation from the receptor not to allow endogenous opioids to interact with the opioid receptors. In this paper we describe a patient with severe itch due to hepatocellular cancer who responded to the treatment with buprenorphine.Itch is a difficult to treat symptom that may accompany neoplastic disease. At least some of the itch symptoms are due to abnormal endogenous opioid synthesis in the liver. In the past opioid receptor antagonists were found useful to treat itch in such patients. However, their use is limited by the abstinence symptoms experienced by the patient. Another approach would be to use an opioid with high affinity and slow dissociation from the receptor not to allow endogenous opioids to interact with the opioid receptors. In this paper we describe a patient with severe itch due to hepatocellular cancer who responded to the treatment with buprenorphine

The influence of nutrients on the increased risk of developing endometriosis

Diet and nutrition are fundamental to women's health. This condition is affected by both deficiencies and excesses of nutrients. Nutrition affects gene expression, susceptibility to disease through various mechanisms. It affects the expression of genes by changing them, and also affects various diseases, including endometriosis. This disease is quite common and often has a negative impact on women's quality of life

Prokinetics in palliative care

Prokinetyki to leki przyspieszające opróżnienie żołądka i pasaż jelitowy poprzez mechanizmy neurohumoralne. Obecnie stosowane prokinetyki to antagoniści receptora D2 - domperidon i metoklopramid, agoniści receptora 5-HT4 - cisaprid i metoklopramid oraz agonista receptora motyliny - erytromycyna. Wskazaniem do stosowania prokinetyków w opiece paliatywnej są nudności i wymioty spowodowane zastojem pokarmu w żołądku, refluks żołądkowo-przełykowy, czynnościowa niedrożność przewodu pokarmowego, zaparcia, gastropareza i zespół jelita drażliwego.Prokinetics accelerate gastric emptying and intestinal transit by interaction with neurohumoral pathways. Currently used prokinetics include: D2 receptor antagonists - domperidone and metoclopramide, 5-HT4 receptor agonists - cisapride and metoclopramide and motilin agonist - erythromycin. Indications for prokinetics in palliative care are nausea and vomiting caused by gastrostasis, gastro-oesophageal reflux, functional bowel obstruction, constipation, gastroparesis and irritable bowel syndrome

History of treatment of labor pains

Pain is both a mental and a physical condition. It is considered by many experts to be a serious health problem or even a disease one. WHO describes it as a multidimensional phenomenon consisting of sensory, physiological, affective, spiritual and behavioral factors. Childbirth has always been associated with severe pain. The pain of childbirth has been known for centuries and is presented in every possible way as a very unpleasant sensation, not only physical but also mental. Over the years, efforts have been made to develop the best possible methods of relieving labor pain. These include non-pharmacological, such as: acupuncture, TENS or hypnosis, and pharmacological: administration of opioids and inhalation anesthetics, ending with regional analgesia techniques such as: epidural, subarachnoid anesthesia, etc. The article presents the history of the treatment of labor pain

Application of Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) for pain relief

W niniejszym artykule omówiono zastosowanie niskoenergetycznego promieniowania laserowego w leczeniu zespołów bólowych. Autorki przedstawiły współczesne hipotezy tłumaczące mechanizmy oddziaływania promieniowania laserowego małej i średniej mocy na komórki oraz tkanki. Dokonano również analizy prób klinicznych, badających skuteczność analgetyczną biostymulacji laserowej. Zwrócono uwagę na przeciwwskazania do stosowania tego rodzaju zabiegów.This article reviews the use of Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) for pain relief. Authors present modern hypotheses explaining the mechanism of action of low and mid power laser irradiation effects in cells and tissues. In addition, article describes clinical trials studying analgesic action of laser biostimulation. The article also contains contrindications in applying such therapy

Biomarkers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in localized, surgically treated clear-cell renal cell carcinoma

Introduction. It has been suggested that the metastatic potential of neoplastic cells can be predicted on the basis of their biological features, including expression of proteins involved in the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). Therefore, the purpose of this work was to (1) evaluate the expression of EMT markers: ZEB2, vimentin, N-cadherin, TWIST, PTEN, survivin, E-cadherin, Ki-67 and GLUT-1, (2) assess mutation status of two genes: PIK3CA and KRAS, and (3) investigate the potential relationships between the studied biomarkers and clinicopathological factors in clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC).Material and methods. Tumor tissue samples (embedded in paraffin blocks) from 159 patients undergoing radical nephrectomy were analyzed. Proteins expression was evaluated immunohistochemically. DNA mutations were analyzed on DNA isolated from tumor tissue and amplified by real-time PCR detection using suitable fluorescent labeled TaqMan assays.Results. One hundred and seven men and 52 women of mean age of 63.1years were enrolled. Fifty four cancers at pTNM stage I–II and 98 at pTNM III–IV stage were diagnosed. There were 30 Fuhrman grade G1, 61 Fuhrman G2, 49 Fuhrman G3 and 19 Fuhrman G4 tumors. A negative correlation between ZEB2 (p = 0.047, r = –0.172) or E-cadherin expression (p = 0.027, r = –0.191) and TNM was observed. Positive association between grade and Ki-67 (p &lt; 0.001), survivin (p &lt; 0.001), vimentin (p &lt; 0.001) immunoreactivity and negative association between TWIST expression (p = 0.029) or PTEN expression (p = 0.013) were found. Ki-67 expression was positively correlated with survivin (p &lt; 0.001, r = 0.617), vimentin (p = 0.001, r = 0.251) and N-cadherin (p = 0,009, r = 0.207) immunoreactivity which can suggest tumor aggressiveness. TWIST was negatively correlated with E-cadherin (p &lt; 0.001, r = –0.284), vimentin (p &lt; 0.001, r = –0.297) and N-cadherin (p &lt; 0.002, r = –0.241). ZEB2 was not associated with ccRCC grade but was negatively correlated with E-cadherin (p = 0.055, r= –0.153) and PTEN (p = 0.006). GLUT-1 expression was inversely linked to E-cadherin expression (p = 0.022, r= –0.182). Mutations in PIK3CA and KRAS genes were not found in any of the studied ccRCC tumors.Conclusions. Low-grade tumors showed higher expression of ZEB2 and TWIST proteins than high-grade tumors, which can suggest that EMT in ccRCC begins at early stages of tumor development and, therefore, evaluation of these proteins, together with other biomarkers, may be useful for assessment of the tumor metastatic potential