Early adjunct treatment with topical lidocaine results in improved pain and function in a patient with complex regional pain syndrome.

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a pain disorder characterized by sensory, motor, trophic and autonomic dysfunction. The hallmark of the disorder is pain out of proportion of the inciting event. CRPS is difficult for clinicians to manage as there is no gold standard for diagnosis or treatment.

Second meiotic spindle integrity requires MEK/MAP kinase activity in mouse eggs.

ERK-type MAP kinase activity is required for normal first meiotic (MI) metaphase spindle dynamics and first polar body formation at the MI/MII transition, and for MII arrest until egg activation. MEK and MAPK, however, remain active until meiosis is completed and pronuclei form, but whether MEK/MAPK activity affects MII spindle function during egg activation has been unknown. Polarized light microscopy revealed that the MII spindle rapidly (within approximately 15 min) lost birefringence upon treatment of the egg with U0126, indicating decreased organization at the molecular level upon MEK inhibition.