Gender differences in pain and its relief

There is much evidence to suggest that gender is an important factor in the modulation of pain. Literature data strongly suggest that men and women differ in their responses to pain: they are more variable in women than men, with increased pain sensitivity and many more painful diseases commonly reported among women. Gender differences in pharmacological therapy and non-pharmacological pain interventions have also been reported, but these effects appear to depend on the treatment type and characteristics. It is becoming very evident that gender differences in pain and its relief arise from an interaction of genetic, anatomical, physiological, neuronal, hormonal, psychological and social factors which modulate pain differently in the sexes. Experimental data indicate that both a different modulation of the endogenous opioid system and sex hormones are factors influencing pain sensitivity in males and females. This brief review will examine the literature on sex differences in experimental and clinical pain, focusing on several biological mechanisms implicated in the observed gender-related differences. 

Antinociceptive effects of Curcumin-loaded PLGA vesicles

Curcumin is yellow polyphenol, extracted from the rhizomes of turmeric (Curcuma longa) and used in traditional medicine for many centuries in countries such as India and China (1). Curcumin demonstrated a wide range of pharmacological activities that include antitumor, anti-amyloid, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties and analgesia. At present, no data are reported in the literature on the antinociceptive effects induced by curcumin loaded in PLGA vesicles (PLGA-CURC) and we investigated first the effects of PLGA-CURC in acute models of pain after systemic and central administration. Male CD-1 mice (Harlan, Italy) weighing 25-30 g were used for all experiments. The research protocol was authorized by the Italian Ministry of Health, according to Legislative Decree 26/14. Subcutaneous injection of a dilute solution of formalin (1%, 20 μl/paw) into the mice hind paw evokes nociceptive behavioral responses, such as licking, biting the injected paw or both, which are considered indices of nociception (2). The nociceptive response shows a biphasic trend, consisting of an early phase occurring from 0 to 10 min after the formalin injection, due to the direct stimulation of peripheral nociceptors, followed by a late prolonged phase occurring from 15 to 40 min, that reflects the response to inflammatory pain. The total time (s) that the animal spent licking or biting its paw during the formalin-induced early and late phase of nociception was recorded. In the first series of experiments curcumin-vehicle, curcumin, blank-PLGA and curcumin-PLGA (0.045 mg curcumin/mg of nanoparticles, a generous gift of dr. A. Ranjan, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA) were administered i.v. at the dose of 20 mg/kg, in curcumin. In the second series of experiments curcumin-vehicle, curcumin, blank-PLGA and curcumin-PLGA were administered i.t. at doses of 5 and 25 g/mouse, in curcumin. The significance among the groups (P<0.05) was evaluated with ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post-hoc comparisons using GraphPad Prism 6.03 software. After i.v. treatment, ANOVA revealed no difference between groups in the early phase of the formalin test. On the contrary, in the late phase of the test i.v. curcumin-PLGA was able to strongly reduced the nociceptive behavior induced by formalin. After i.t. administration at the dose of 5 g/mouse, treatments did not change licking behavior induced by formalin neither in the early nor in the late phase of the test. After i.t. administration at the dose of 25 g/mouse, curcumin-PLGA was able to reduce licking activity - in confront to curcumin-vehicle and blank-PLGA treated animals - both in the early and in the late phase of the test. These data suggest that curcumin-PLGA may be developed as a medicine to treat pain, by warranting further rigorously conducted studies to define the long-term efficacy and safety. 1. P. Anand, S.G. Thomas, A.B. Kunnumakkara, C. Sundaram, K.B. Harikumar, B.Sung, S.T.Tharakan, K. Misra, I.K. Priyadarsini, K.N. Rajasekharan, B.B. Aggarwal, Biochem. Pharmacol. 2008, 76, 1590. 2. M. Colucci, F. Maione, M.C. Bonito, A. Piscopo, A. Di Giannuario, S. Pieretti, Pharmacol Res., 2008, 57, 419

The NASOROSSO (Rednose) Project: An Italian Study on Alcohol Consumption in Recreational Places

The Nasorosso project of the Italian Youth Department and the National Institute of Health, aimed to raise awareness about drinking and driving under the influence of alcohol among club goers with a series of initiatives. Within the framework of the project, blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was measured on 106,406 individuals before and after clubbing in 66 different recreational sites from 11 Italian provinces, over 16 months. Participating individuals were interviewed regarding sociodemographic and environmental characteristics and alcohol intoxicated people were offered to be taken home. The BAC median at the club entry was 0.26 g/L with 65.3% subjects showing a BAC value under the driving legal limit of 0.5g/L. At the exit from clubs, BAC median value rose to 0.44 g/L and subjects with BAC value under the legal limit decreased to 54.9%. Being male, aged between 18 and 34 years with a diploma, being a drinker and entering the disco with a BAC already beyond the legal limit predicted a BAC value beyond 0.5 g/L at exit from the recreational place. Conversely, being a driver, being a student and exiting from the disco before 4 a.m. reduced the probability of having a BAC higher than 0.5 g/L at the end of the night.  Health policies to prevent harmful use of alcohol in young people should continue to offer targeted information/ prevention; in order to steadily increase the awareness of the dangers and the damages of excessive use of alcohol

The NASOROSSO (Rednose) Project: An Italian Study on Alcohol Consumption in Recreational Places

The Nasorosso project of the Italian Youth Department and the National Institute of Health, aimed to raise awareness about drinking and driving under the influence of alcohol among club goers with a series of initiatives. Within the framework of the project, blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was measured on 106,406 individuals before and after clubbing in 66 different recreational sites from 11 Italian provinces, over 16 months. Participating individuals were interviewed regarding sociodemographic and environmental characteristics and alcohol intoxicated people were offered to be taken home. The BAC median at the club entry was 0.26 g/L with 65.3% subjects showing a BAC value under the driving legal limit of 0.5g/L. At the exit from clubs, BAC median value rose to 0.44 g/L and subjects with BAC value under the legal limit decreased to 54.9%. Being male, aged between 18 and 34 years with a diploma, being a drinker and entering the disco with a BAC already beyond the legal limit predicted a BAC value beyond 0.5 g/L at exit from the recreational place. Conversely, being a driver, being a student and exiting from the disco before 4 a.m. reduced the probability of having a BAC higher than 0.5 g/L at the end of the night.  Health policies to prevent harmful use of alcohol in young people should continue to offer targeted information/ prevention; in order to steadily increase the awareness of the dangers and the damages of excessive use of alcohol

Gender differences in pain and its relief

There is much evidence to suggest that gender is an important lactor in the modulation of pain. Literature data strongly suggest that men and women differ in their responses to pain: They are more variable in women than men, with increased pain sensitivity and many more painful diseases commonly reported among women. Gender differences in pharmacological therapy and non-pharmacological pain interventions have also been reported, but these cffccts appear to depend on the treatment type and characteristics. It is becoming very evident that gender differences in pain and its relief arise from an interaction of genetic, anatomical, physiological, neuronal, hormonal, psychological and social factors which modulate pain differently in the sexes. Experimental data indicate that both a different modulation of the endogenous opioid system and sex hormones are factors influencing pain sensitivity in males and females. This brief review will examine the literature on sex differences in experimental and clinical pain, focusing on several biological mechanisms implicated in the observed gender-related differences

L’attività dei Centri Antifumo italiani tra problematiche e aree da potenziare: i risultati di un’indagine svolta attraverso un questionario on-line

Introduzione. In Italia sono 295 i Servizi per la cessazione dal fumo di tabacco (Centri Antifumo - CA) afferenti al Servizio Sanitario Nazionale (SSN) censiti nel 2011 dall’Osservatorio Fumo, Alcol e Droga (OssFAD) dell’Istituto Superiore di Sanità. La presente indagine, condotta dall’OssFAD in collaborazione con i CA, è stata volta a rilevare alcune delle problematiche con le quali il personale dei CA si confronta per portare avanti la propria attività e le iniziative ritenute utili per migliorarla. Materiali e metodi. L’indagine è stata condotta dal 7 al 21 maggio 2012, mediante un questionario compilabile on-line composto da 5 brevi sezioni di domande con un totale di 38 items da completare. Il link al questionario on-line è stato inviato per e-mail a 322 indirizzi dei CA censiti nel 2011 dall’OssFAD. I dati raccolti sono stati elaborati statisticamente con il programma SPSS 20. Risultati. All’indagine hanno risposto 146 operatori dei CA (45,3%). Sebbene ci siano aspetti ormai consolidati dell’attività dei CA, sono ancora molte le criticità che gli operatori riscontrano nella loro attività. Le principali problematiche che influiscono in modo fondamentale/rilevante per la buona attività del centro sono le “Scarse o nulle risorse economiche” per il 60,7% del personale, “la mancanza di personale dedicato” per il 52,4% del personale; il “riconoscimento/mandato istituzionale del CA” per il 40,9% del personale. Tra le azioni ritenute più efficaci per facilitare l’accesso ai CA sono risultate la sensibilizzazione del personale sanitario (91%), in particolare dei medici di famiglia e l’inserimento delle prestazioni antitabagiche nei LEA (76,8%). Conclusioni. È auspicabile che l’attività dei CA riceva una maggiore attenzione, attraverso la dotazione di strutture, personale e finanziamenti adeguati a svolgere un importante ruolo nella tutela e promozione della salute