Role of Neurotrophins in Orofacial Pain Modulation: A Review of the Latest Discoveries

Orofacial pain represents a multidisciplinary biomedical challenge involving basic and clinical research for which no satisfactory solution has been found. In this regard, trigeminal pain is described as one of the worst pains perceived, leaving the patient with no hope for the future. The aim of this review is to evaluate the latest discoveries on the involvement of neurotrophins in orofacial nociception, describing their role and expression in peripheral tissues, trigeminal ganglion, and trigeminal nucleus considering their double nature as “supporters” of the nervous system and as “promoters” of nociceptive transmission. In order to scan recent literature (last ten years), three independent researchers referred to databases PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science to find original research articles and clinical trials. The researchers selected 33 papers: 29 original research articles and 4 clinical trials. The results obtained by the screening of the selected articles show an interesting trend, in which the precise modulation of neurotrophin signaling could switch neurotrophins from being a “promoter” of pain to their beneficial neurotrophic role of supporting the nerves in their recovery, especially when a structural alteration is present, as in neuropathic pain. In conclusion, neurotrophins could be interesting targets for orofacial pain modulation but more studies are necessary to clarify their role for future application in clinical practice

Impact of gastrointestinal side effects on patients’ reported quality of life trajectories after radiotherapy for prostate cancer: Data from the prospective, observational pros-it CNR study

Radiotherapy (RT) represents an important therapeutic option for the treatment of localized prostate cancer. The aim of the current study is to examine trajectories in patients’ reported quality of life (QoL) aspects related to bowel function and bother, considering data from the PROState cancer monitoring in ITaly from the National Research Council (Pros-IT CNR) study, analyzed with growth mixture models. Data for patients who underwent RT, either associated or not associated with androgen deprivation therapy, were considered. QoL outcomes were assessed over a 2-year period from the diagnosis, using the Italian version of the University of California Los Angeles-Prostate Cancer Index (Italian-UCLA-PCI). Three trajectories were identified for the bowel function; having three or more comorbidities and the use of 3D-CRT technique for RT were associated with the worst trajectory (OR = 3.80, 95% CI 2.04–7.08; OR = 2.17, 95% CI 1.22–3.87, respectively). Two trajectories were identified for the bowel bother scores; diabetes and the non-Image guided RT method were associated with being in the worst bowel bother trajectory group (OR = 1.69, 95% CI 1.06–2.67; OR = 2.57, 95% CI 1.70–3.86, respectively). The findings from this study suggest that the absence of comorbidities and the use of intensity modulated RT techniques with image guidance are related with a better tolerance to RT in terms of bowel side effects

Effect of long-term treatment with melatonin against obesity related dysfunctions in obese mice.

The increasing incidence of obesity, leading to metabolic complications is now recognized as a major public health problem. The adipocytes are not merely energystoring cells, but they play crucial roles in the development of the so-called metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases due to the adipocyte-derived bioactive factors, such adipokines, cytokines and growth factors [1]. Most of adipokines, which affect whole-body homeostasis, are pro-inflammatory, whereas a small number of anti-inflammatory adipokines, including adiponectin exert beneficial actions on obese complications. The dysregulated production and secretion of adipokines seen in obesity is linked to the pathogenesis of various disease processes [2]. New emerging data showed that melatonin, pineal gland indoleamine, play an important role in body weight regulation and energy metabolism [3]. Lean and obese mice (ob/ob) received melatonin (100 mg/kg/day) or vehicle in drinking water for 8 weeks. In obese mice we observed a significant increase in fat depots and a deregulation of adipokines and cytokines fat expressions. In particular, we observed a significant reduction of adiponectin and an increase of resistin and visfatin at adipose tissue level. Melatonin administration for 8 weeks reduced fat accumulation and restored the correct adipokines expression, modulating in turn the vascular tone and homeostasis. These results indicate that melatonin counteracts some of the disrupting effects of obesity