Search Results (12)

Anxiety disorders are closely associated with oxidative stress-mediated neuronal damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, and apoptosis. In this study, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum HY7715 in a mouse model of restraint stress-induced anxiety, and in neuronal cell models (HT-22 mouse hippocampal neuroblast cell and SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells). Oral administration of HY7715 (1 × 10⁹ CFU/kg/day) alleviated anxiety-like behaviors significantly, as shown by increased central exploration in the open field test and prolonged open-arm activity in the elevated plus maze. HY7715 reduced serum norepinephrine levels elevated by stress, and restored hippocampal expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, while suppressing pro-inflammatory (NF-κB, IL-6) and pro-apoptotic (BAX, caspase-3) markers. It also increased expression of mitochondrial regulatory genes (SIRT1, mTOR), and decreased that of cytochrome c, in brain tissue. Histological analysis revealed that HY7715 preserved neuronal integrity in the CA1 and CA3 hippocampal regions. In vitro, HY7715 attenuated oxidative stress-induced cytotoxicity, decreased intracellular ROS accumulation, maintained mitochondrial activity, and inhibited apoptosis of both neuronal cell types, showing greater efficacy than the strain type L. plantarum KCTC3108. These findings suggest that HY7715 exerts neuroprotective effects by modulating oxidative stress/apoptosis/mitochondrial pathways, and highlight its potential as a psychobiotic for stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders. Full article

Gyrophoric acid (GA) is a secondary metabolite of various lichens. It exhibits various biological activities in vitro, but only one study has been carried out in vivo. Because our previous study showed that GA stimulates neurogenesis in healthy rats, the current study aimed to explore the potential of GA during stress-induced depressive-like states in male Wistar rats. In the experiment, pregnant females were used. In the last week of pregnancy, females were subjected to restraint stress. After birth, progeny aged 60 days were stressed repeatedly. The males were divided into three groups: control animals (CTR; n = 10), males with a depression-like state (DEP; n = 10), and GA-treated animals (GA; n = 10). GA males were treated with GA (per os 10 mg/kg) daily for one month, starting from the 60th postnatal day. Our results indicate that GA acts as an antioxidant, as shown by a lowered ROS level in leukocytes (p < 0.01). Moreover, it prolonged the time spent in open arms in the elevated plus maze (p < 0.001). Concomitantly, the stimulation of proliferative activity in hippocampal regions was seen (hilus p < 0.01; subgranular zone p < 0.001) when compared with DEP males. Additionally, the number of mature neurons in the CA1 region of the hippocampus increased markedly (p < 0.01), indicating the role of GA in the maturation process of neurons. Thus, our study points to the potential anxiolytic/antidepressant activity of GA. However, future studies are needed in this complex area. Full article

Introduction: Postoperative management following primary cleft lip repair varies across institutions, cleft care teams, and individual surgeons. Postoperative precautions employed after cleft lip repair include dietary restrictions, pacifier limitations, and immobilization, with arm restraints long being used. Yet, restraint distress has led to the exploration of other forms of immobilization. Thus, this study aims to assess cleft lip scar quality and complication rates after postoperative immobilization with arm restraints versus hand mittens. Methods: A retrospective review of patients with unilateral cleft who underwent primary repair with the senior surgeon was done. Data on demographics, surgical characteristics, and immobilization utilized were gathered. A survey with pictures of postoperative scars were sent to laypeople who assessed scar quality with Modified Scar-Rating Scale scores for surface appearance, height, and color of the scar tissue. Statistical analysis was carried out for significance. Results: Twenty-eight patients with a unilateral cleft underwent arm restraints after primary lip repair, and twenty-seven utilized mittens. In total, 42 medical students completed the scar assessment. Photographs were taken an average of 23.9 (±5.8) and 28.2 (±11.9) months postoperatively in the restraint and mitten groups, respectively (p = 0.239). There were no statistically significant differences in scores between scar surface, height, color, or overall scar appearance. Complication rates were also similar between groups. Conclusions: Arm restraints appear to have no additional benefit relative to scar quality, as compared to mittens. Considering the arm restraints’ burden of care, mittens should be considered as a measure to protect the lip after primary repair. Full article

(1) Background: Pretreatment by Rad51-inhibitory substances such as gemcitabine followed by arterial chemotherapy using antineoplastic agents causing DNA crosslink might be more beneficial for patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancers than conventional treatments. The efficacy of arterial administration of DNA crosslinking agents with pretreatment of intravenous low-dose gemcitabine for patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer (LAPC or MPC) is evaluated. (2) Methods: A single-arm, single-center, institutional review board-approved prospective study was conducted between 2005 and 2015. Forty-five patients (23 LAPC, 22 MPC) were included. Patients received a weekly low dose of gemcitabine intravenously for three weeks followed by arterial administration of mitomycin C and epirubicin hydrochloride at tumor-supplying arteries on the fifth or sixth week. This treatment course was repeated at 1.5-to-2-month intervals. Overall survival (OS), local progression-free survival (LPFS), and therapeutic response were evaluated. LAPC or MPC were divided according to treatment compliance, excellent or poor (1 or 2), to subgroups L1, L2, M1, and M2. (3) Results: OS of LAPC and MPC were 23 months and 13 months, respectively. The OS of LAPC with excellent treatment compliance (subgroup L1, 10 patients) was 33 months with 31 months of LPFS, and four patients (40%) had a complete response (CR). The OS of the L1 subgroup was significantly longer than those of other subgroups L2, M1, and M2, which were 17 months, 17 months, and 8 months, respectively. As Grade 3 adverse effects, severe bone marrow suppression, interstitial pneumonitis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome were observed in six (13.0%), three (6.5%), and three (6.5%) patients, respectively. (4) Conclusions: Arterial DNA crosslinking with the systemic restraint of homologous recombination repair can be a new treatment option for LAPC. Full article

Collaborative semen collection in monkeys is a valuable tool in research, animal collection management, and conservation efforts. To obtain samples, monkeys are often restrained in open restraint chairs (ORC) with the “pole and collar” technique. While commonly used, this restraint is not tolerated by all individuals; some become anxious or aggressive towards the poles and people. In an effort to refine this procedure and improve welfare of the monkeys, we examined the use of a “closed box chair” (CBC), a clear, plexiglass box in which the monkey is trained to sit for sperm collection. The CBC does not require pole and collar, and although legs are secured, the arms and neck are not restrained. The use of CBCs has increased in recent years; however, there are few studies demonstrating its effects on scientific outcomes. We used positive reinforcement techniques to train 34 adult male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) to provide semen samples using either the ORC or the CBC. While all CBC monkeys (n = 14) were reliably trained for this procedure, only 75% of ORC (n = 20) males completed the training (p = 0.04). It took significantly less time to train animals in the CBC than the ORC (201.0 vs. 412.4 min; p <0.001). In a controlled subset, males restrained with ORC (n = 7) produced a significantly lower ejaculatory volume than those collected by CBC (n = 10) (297.6 µL vs. 522.1 µL respectively; p = 0.04) and had a lower concentration of sperm (186.0 × 10⁶/mL vs. 367.5 × 10⁶/mL respectively; p = 0.017), although there were no differences with respect to sperm motility (p = 0.15). Our data suggest the closed box chair technique reduces stress on the animals while enhancing semen quality, supporting the use of the CBC as an important refinement. Full article

Early life stress (ELS) is strongly associated with psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia in adulthood. To date, biological, behavioral, and structural aspects of ELS have been studied extensively, but their functional effects remain unclear. Here, we examined NeuroPET studies of dopaminergic, glutamatergic, and serotonergic systems in ELS animal models. Maternal separation and restraint stress were used to generate single or complex developmental trauma. Body weights of animals exposed to single trauma were similar to those of control animals; however, animals exposed to complex trauma exhibited loss of body weight when compared to controls. In behavioral tests, the complex developmental trauma group exhibited a decrease in time spent in the open arm of the elevated plus-maze and an increase in immobility time in the forced swim test when compared to control animals. In NeuroPET studies, the complex trauma group displayed a reduction in brain uptake values when compared to single trauma and control groups. Of neurotransmitter systems analyzed, the rate of decrease in brain uptake was the highest in the serotonergic group. Collectively, our results indicate that developmental trauma events induce behavioral deficits, including anxiety- and depressive-like phenotypes and dysfunction in neurotransmitter systems. Full article

Neuromuscular and sensorimotor degeneration caused by stroke or any other disease significantly reduce the physical, cognitive, and social well-being across the life span. Mostly, therapeutic interventions are employed in order to restore the lost degrees-of-freedom (DOF) caused by such impairments and automating these therapeutic tasks through exoskeletons/robots is becoming a common practice. However, aligning these robotic devices with the complex anatomical and geometrical motions of the joints is very challenging. At the same time, a good alignment is required in order to establish a better synergy of human-exoskeleton system for an effective intervention procedure. In this paper, a case study of an exoskeleton and shoulder joint alignment were studied through different size and orientation impairment models through motion capture data and musculoskeletal modeling in OpenSim. A preliminary result indicates that shoulder elevation is very sensitive to misalignment and varies with shoulder joint axes orientation; this is partly due to drastic displacement of the upper arm axes with respect to the shoulder joint origin during elevation. Additional study and analysis is required to learn any possible restraint on shoulder elevation that could potentially help in the exoskeleton development. Full article

Children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit uncontrollable disruptive behaviour during transfer to the operating room and operating table and at the induction of anaesthesia (sleep). This process often involves the physical restraining of children. These children are then lifted onto the operating table by healthcare staff after being anaesthetized. This predisposes children to fall risk and hospital staff to musculoskeletal injuries. We developed two concept mobility devices, IMOVE-I and -II, based on robotics systems comprising of restraint modules and multi-positional modality (sitting, supine, Trendelenburg). The aim was to intuitively secure children to facilitate the safe induction of sleep and ease of transfer onto operating tables upon sleep. IMOVE-I loads the child in standing position using a dual arm restraint module that is activated by trained healthcare staff. IMOVE-II loads the child in the sitting position by motivating the self-application of restraints. Opinions were obtained from 21 operating theatre healthcare staff with experience in the care of ASD children and parents with ASD children. The mean satisfaction rating of IMOVE-I was 5.62 (95% CI 5.00, 6.27) versus 8.10 (95% CI 7.64, 8.55) in IMOVE-II, p < 0.001. IMOVE-II is favoured over IMOVE-I in system operation and safety, ease of use and module functionality. Full article

Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) materials nowadays have attracted much attention in both retrofitting of aged infrastructure and developing of new structural systems attributed to the outstanding mechanical properties. Extensive studies have been performed on concrete-filled glass FRP (GFRP) tubes for the potential application in piling, poles, highways overhead sign structures and bridge components. The new hybrid member also provides an alternative solution for traditional transmission structures. However, the connection between concrete-filled GFRP tubes and cross arms has not been fully understood. In this paper, an experimental study and theoretical analysis were conducted on the behavior of cross arms inserted in concrete-filled circular GFRP tubular columns. Steel bars with a larger stiffness in comparison with GFRP tubes were selected here for the cross arm to simulate a more severe scenario. The structural responses of the system when the cross arms were subjected to concentrated loads were carefully recorded. Experimental results showed that the concrete-filled GFRP tubes could offer a sufficient restraint to the deformation of the cross arm. No visible cracks were found on the GFRP tube at the corner of the cross arm where the stress and strain concentrated. Theoretical solutions based on available theories and equations were adopted to predict the displacement of the cross arms and a good agreement was achieved between the prediction results and experimental findings. Full article

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that can happen after exposure to a traumatic event. Post-traumatic stress disorder is common among mental health disorders that include mood and anxiety disorders. Omega-3 fatty acids (OMGs) are essential for the maintenance of brain function and prevention of cognition dysfunctions. However, the possible effect of OMG on memory impairment induced by PTSD has not been studied. In here, such an effect was explored using a rat model of PTSD. The PTSD-like behavior was induced in animals using a single-prolonged stress (SPS) rat model of PTSD (2 h restraint, 20 min forced swimming, 15 min rest, 1–2 min diethyl ether exposure). The OMG was administered orally at a dose of 100 mg omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)/100 g body weight/day. Spatial learning and memory were assessed using the radial arm water maze (RAWM) method. Changes in oxidative stress biomarkers, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and brain derived neuroptrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus following treatments were measured. The results revealed that SPS impaired both short- and long-term memory (p < 0.05). Use of OMG prevented memory impairment induced by SPS. Furthermore, OMG normalized SPS induced changes in the hippocampus that reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG), GSH/GSSG ratios, the activity of catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and TBARSs levels. In conclusion, the SPS model of PTSD-like behavior generated memory impairment, whereas OMG prevented this impairment, possibly through normalizing antioxidant mechanisms in the hippocampus. Full article

Antidepressant-like effects of ethanolic extract of Hericium erinaceus (HE) mycelium enriched in erinacine A on depressive mice challenged by repeated restraint stress (RS) were examined. HE at 100, 200 or 400 mg/kg body weight/day was orally given to mice for four weeks. After two weeks of HE administration, all mice except the control group went through with 14 days of RS protocol. Stressed mice exhibited various behavioral alterations, such as extending immobility time in the tail suspension test (TST) and forced swimming test (FST), and increasing the number of entries in open arm (POAE) and the time spent in the open arm (PTOA). Moreover, the levels of norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) were decreased in the stressed mice, while the levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were increased. These changes were significantly inverted by the administration of HE, especially at the dose of 200 or 400 mg/kg body weight/day. Additionally, HE was shown to activate the BDNF/TrkB/PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β pathways and block the NF-κB signals in mice. Taken together, erinacine A-enriched HE mycelium could reverse the depressive-like behavior caused by RS and was accompanied by the modulation of monoamine neurotransmitters as well as pro-inflammatory cytokines, and regulation of BDNF pathways. Therefore, erinacine A-enriched HE mycelium could be an attractive agent for the treatment of depressive disorders. Full article

Albizzia julibrissin Durazz, a Chinese Medicine, is commonly used for its anti-anxiety effects. (−)-syringaresnol-4-O-β-d-apiofuranosyl-(1→2)-β-d-glucopyranoside (SAG) is the main ingredient of Albizzia julibrissin Durazz. The present study investigated the anxiolytic effect and potential mechanisms on the HPA axis and monoaminergic systems of SAG on acute restraint-stressed rats. The anxiolytic effect of SAG was examined through an open field test and an elevated plus maze test. The concentration of CRF, ACTH, and CORT in plasma was examined by an enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) kit while neurotransmitters in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of the brain were examined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). We show that repeated treatment with SAG (3.6 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly increased the number and time spent on the central entries in the open-field test when compared to the vehicle/stressed group. In the elevated plus maze test, 3.6 mg/kg SAG could increase the percentage of entries into and time spent on the open arms of the elevated plus maze. In addition, the concentration of CRF, ACTH, and CORT in plasma and neurotransmitters (NE, 5-HT, DA and their metabolites 5-HIAA, DOPAC, and HVA) in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of the brain were decreased after SAG treatment, as compared to the repeated acute restraint-stressed rats. These results suggest that SAG is a potential anti-anxiety drug candidate. Full article