The Emerging Pro-Algesic Profile of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid Type 4.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid type 4 (TRPV4) channels are Ca-permeable non-selective cation channels which mediate a wide range of physiological functions and are activated and modulated by a diverse array of stimuli. One of this ion channel's least discussed functions is in relation to the generation and maintenance of certain pain sensations. However, in the two decades which have elapsed since the identification of this ion channel, considerable data has emerged concerning its function in mediating pain sensations.

Hospital preparedness for mass gathering events and mass casualty incidents in Matera, Italy, European Capital of Culture 2019.

Introduction: Mass Casualty Incidents (MCI) may occur during Mass Gathering Events (MGE). A failure to prepare and train the health care system for potential MCI, can cause chaos and delays in the response, leading to an increased morbidity and mortality. Education and training of staff are crucial for preparedness.

Effect of cooking temperature on cooked pasta quality and sustainability.

Background: Everyday pasta cooking has a large environmental impact. The aims of this work were to assess the effect of cooking temperatures (T ) that were lower than the water boiling point (T ) on the main chemico-physical quality parameters of two pasta shapes (i.e.

Compound Dynamics and Combinatorial Patterns of Amino Acid Repeats Encode a System of Evolutionary and Developmental Markers.

Homopolymeric amino acid repeats (AARs) like polyalanine (polyA) and polyglutamine (polyQ) in some developmental proteins (DPs) regulate certain aspects of organismal morphology and behavior, suggesting an evolutionary role for AARs as developmental "tuning knobs." It is still unclear, however, whether these are occasional protein-specific phenomena or hints at the existence of a whole AAR-based regulatory system in DPs. Using novel approaches to trace their functional and evolutionary history, we find quantitative evidence supporting a generalized, combinatorial role of AARs in developmental processes with evolutionary implications.

Cradle-to-grave carbon footprint of dried organic pasta: assessment and potential mitigation measures.

Background: In several Environmental Product Declarations, the business-to-business carbon footprint (CF ) of durum wheat semolina dried pasta ranged from 0.57 to 1.72 kg carbon dioxide equivalent (CO ) kg .

Reducing the cooking water-to-dried pasta ratio and environmental impact of pasta cooking.

Background: During daily pasta cooking, the general consumer pays little attention to water and energy issues. The present study aimed to measure the cooking quality and environmental impact of a standard format of dry pasta by varying the water-to-dried pasta ratio (WPR) from 12 to 2 L kg .

Results: In the above WPR range, the cooked pasta water uptake (1.

The Dark Side of the Moon: The Right Ventricle.

The aim of this review article is to summarize current knowledge of the pathophysiology underlying right ventricular failure (RVF), focusing, in particular, on right ventricular assessment and prognosis. The right ventricle (RV) can tolerate volume overload well, but is not able to sustain pressure overload. Right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH), as a response to increased afterload, can be adaptive or maladaptive.

Aortic stenosis and non-cardiac surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Aortic stenosis (AS) poses a perioperative management dilemma to physicians looking after patients who require non-cardiac surgery. The objective of this review is to investigate mortality and adverse cardiovascular events in patients with and without AS who underwent non-cardiac surgery.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE for studies that evaluated mortality and adverse cardiovascular events in patients with and without AS who underwent non-cardiac surgery.

TRPV4: Molecular Conductor of a Diverse Orchestra.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid type 4 (TRPV4) is a calcium-permeable nonselective cation channel, originally described in 2000 by research teams led by Schultz (Nat Cell Biol 2: 695-702, 2000) and Liedtke (Cell 103: 525-535, 2000). TRPV4 is now recognized as being a polymodal ionotropic receptor that is activated by a disparate array of stimuli, ranging from hypotonicity to heat and acidic pH. Importantly, this ion channel is constitutively expressed and capable of spontaneous activity in the absence of agonist stimulation, which suggests that it serves important physiological functions, as does its widespread dissemination throughout the body and its capacity to interact with other proteins.

Isoflurane causes neocortical but not hippocampal-dependent memory impairment in mice.

Background: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of general anaesthesia induced by isoflurane with buprenorphine on hippocampus-dependent and neocortex-dependent memory, respectively, in mice, and in addition, to compare the effects of such anaesthesia on these memory processes with the effects induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration on the same memory processes.

Methods: To assess hippocampus-dependent memory, isoflurane (for 15 min) after buprenorphine injection, or LPS 100 μg/kg (intraperitoneally) was administered 24 h before or after fear conditioning. The effect of these treatments on hippocampus-dependent memory was assessed using contextual fear-conditioning tasks at day 4.

Peripheral orthopaedic surgery down-regulates hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor and impairs remote memory in mouse.

Peripheral orthopaedic surgery induces a profound inflammatory response. This includes a substantial increase in cytokines and, especially, in the level of interleukin (IL)-1β in the hippocampus, which has been shown to impair hippocampal-dependent memory in mice. We have employed two tests of contextual remote memory to demonstrate that the inflammatory response to surgical insult in mice also results in impairment of remote memory associated with prefrontal cortex (PFC).

Systemic inflammation enhances surgery-induced cognitive dysfunction in mice.

The activation of the immune system, by either lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration or surgical trauma, has been shown to be capable of affecting hippocampal function, causing memory impairment. Here, we examined the extent to which LPS-induced infection may aggravate impairment of memory function following orthopaedic surgery. Hippocampal memory function impairment was assessed using fear-conditioning tasks, while IL-1β levels in plasma and hippocampus were measured using ELISA.

Severe burn injury induces a characteristic activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 in spinal dorsal horn neurons.

We have studied scalding-type burn injury-induced activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in the spinal dorsal horn, which is a recognised marker for spinal nociceptive processing. At 5min after severe scalding injury to mouse hind-paw, a substantial number of phosphorylated ERK1/2 (pERK1/2) immunopositive neurons were found in the ipsilateral dorsal horn. At 1h post-injury, the number of pERK1/2-labelled neurons remained substantially the same.

Extracellular signal-regulated kinases in pain of peripheral origin.

Activation of members of the family of enzymes known as extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) is now known to be involved in the development and/or maintenance of the pain associated with many inflammatory conditions, such as herniated spinal disc pain, chronic inflammatory articular pain, and the pain associated with bladder inflammation. Moreover, ERKs are implicated in the development of neuropathic pain signs in animals which are subjected to the lumbar 5 spinal nerve ligation model and the chronic constriction injury model of neuropathic pain. The position has now been reached where all scientists working on pain subjects ought to be aware of the importance of ERKs, if only because certain of these enzymes are increasingly employed as experimental markers of nociceptive processing.

Role of interleukin-1beta in postoperative cognitive dysfunction.

Objective: Although postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) often complicates recovery from major surgery, the pathogenic mechanisms remain unknown. We explored whether systemic inflammation, in response to surgical trauma, triggers hippocampal inflammation and subsequent memory impairment, in a mouse model of orthopedic surgery.

Methods: C57BL/6J, knock out (lacking interleukin [IL]-1 receptor, IL-1R(-/-)) and wild type mice underwent surgery of the tibia under general anesthesia.

The impact of IL-1 modulation on the development of lipopolysaccharide-induced cognitive dysfunction.

Introduction: The impact of pro-inflammatory cytokines on neuroinflammation and cognitive function after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge remains elusive. Herein we provide evidence that there is a temporal correlation between high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB-1), microglial activation, and cognitive dysfunction. Disabling the interleukin (IL)-1 signaling pathway is sufficient to reduce inflammation and ameliorate the disability.

Role of transient receptor potential and acid-sensing ion channels in peripheral inflammatory pain.

Pain originating in inflammation is the most common pathologic pain condition encountered by the anesthesiologist whether in the context of surgery, its aftermath, or in the practice of pain medicine. Inflammatory agents, released as components of the body's response to peripheral tissue damage or disease, are now known to be collectively capable of activating transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1, transient receptor potential vanilloid type 4, transient receptor potential ankyrin type 1, and acid-sensing ion channels, whereas individual agents may activate only certain of these ion channels. These ionotropic receptors serve many physiologic functions-as, indeed, do many of the inflammagens released in the inflammatory process.

Sensitization of the transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 ion channel by isoflurane or sevoflurane does not result in extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 activation in rat spinal dorsal horn neurons.

Clinically relevant concentrations of isoflurane or sevoflurane sensitize transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 to several of its activators, including capsaicin. It has, moreover, been suggested these volatile general anaesthetics may augment nociceptive signalling arising from surgical procedures and thereby contribute to post-operative pain. To investigate this suggestion, we have studied intraplantar capsaicin injection-induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 in spinal dorsal horn neurons (which is a recognized marker of spinal nociceptive processing) in rat during isoflurane or sevoflurane anaesthesia after 60 min under anaesthesia.

Localization of the endocannabinoid-degrading enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase in rat dorsal root ganglion cells and its regulation after peripheral nerve injury.

Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is a degradative enzyme for a group of endogenous signaling lipids that includes anandamide (AEA). AEA acts as an endocannabinoid and an endovanilloid by activating cannabinoid and vanilloid type 1 transient receptor potential (TRPV1) receptors, respectively, on dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory neurons. Inhibition of FAAH activity increases AEA concentrations in nervous tissue and reduces sensory hypersensitivity in animal pain models.