Effect of Intraoperative Opioid Dose on Perioperative Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and Lymphocyte-to-Monocyte Ratio in Glioma.

Background: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) are inflammatory biomarkers. Until now, it is unknown the impact of opioid dosage on perioperative immunity in glioma patients. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of intraoperative opioid dosage on perioperative immune perturbations using NLR and LMR as inflammatory biomarkers and evaluate the correlation between inflammatory biomarkers and pathological grade of glioma.

Clinical Significance of Mean Platelet Volume Combined with Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio in Predicting the Therapeutic Effect of Splanchnic Neurolysis.

Introduction: In most cases of pain related to abdominal tumors, increasing the dosage of analgesics still makes the pain difficult to alleviate. Splanchnic neurolysis is a new treatment option. However, not all patients receiving splanchnic neurolysis treatment will achieve satisfactory results.

Intravenous Patient-Controlled Analgesia Versus Oral Opioid to Maintain Analgesia for Severe Cancer Pain: A Randomized Phase II Trial.

Background: Optimal analgesic maintenance for severe cancer pain is unknown. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IPCA) with continuous infusion plus rescue dose or bolus-only dose versus conventional oral extended-release morphine as a background dose with normal-release morphine as a rescue dose to maintain analgesia in patients with severe cancer pain after successful opioid titration.

Methods: Patients with persistent severe cancer pain (≥7 at rest on the 11-point numeric rating scale [NRS]) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment arms: (A1) IPCA hydromorphone with bolus-only dose where dosage was 10% to 20% of the total equianalgesic over the previous 24 hours (TEOP24H) administered as needed, (A2) IPCA hydromorphone with continuous infusion where dose per hour was the TEOP24H divided by 24 and bolus dosage for breakthrough pain was 10% to 20% of the TEOP24H, and (B) oral extended-release morphine based on TEOP24H/2 × 75% (because of incomplete cross-tolerance) every 12 hours plus normal-release morphine based on TEOP24H × 10% to 20% for breakthrough pain.

Dose of intra-operative opioids has no impact on recurrence or survival in primary liver cancer.

Background: Intra-operative use of opioid analgesics might have an impact on cancer recurrence and survival after surgery. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between the intra-operative fentanyl equivalents and survival outcomes in patients with primary liver cancer after receiving hepatectomy.

Methods: This was a retrospective single-center cohort study, and clinical data of 700 patients with primary liver cancer who underwent hepatectomy in Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital from September 2013 to August 2018 were reviewed.

Bone pain from spinal metastases: Iodine-125 brachytherapy.

Objectives: This study evaluated the analgesic efficacy and safety of CT-guided iodine-125 (I) brachytherapy in patients with spinal metastasis-induced pain who were not suitable to receive radiotherapy.

Methods: A cohort of 68 patients with spinal metastasis induced pain not fully relieved by opioids and did not receive external beam radiation therapy due to poor general status were enrolled and underwent CT-guided I brachytherapy for analgesic treatment.

Results: Patients were followed for 8 weeks after brachytherapy.

Gabapentin enhances the antinociceptive effect of intrathecal morphine in refractory cancer pain patients.

Purpose: Morphine infusion through Intrathecal Drug Delivery System (IDDS) is widely used to relieve refractory cancer pain. However, continuous escalation of morphine dose caused by opioid tolerance and/or progress of cancer was commonly observed. Combining morphine with medications of different analgesic mechanisms is applied to blunt the rate of morphine increase.

The combined analgesic effect of pregabalin and morphine in the treatment of pancreatic cancer pain, a retrospective study.

Background: Pregabalin is commonly used to relieve neuropathic pain. However, data are lacking on its efficacy for the treatment of chronic cancer pain. The purpose of this study was to determine the analgesic efficacy of pregabalin combined with morphine in the management of pancreatic cancer pain.

MiR-21 Participates in the PD-1/PD-L1 Pathway-Mediated Imbalance of Th17/Treg Cells in Patients After Gastric Cancer Resection.

Background: The programmed cell death-1/programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) pathway has been shown to be involved in trauma-induced immunosuppression and to influence CD4 T cell differentiation. MicroRNA (miR)-21 is a critical player in immune responses. However, it remains largely unknown whether miR-21 is regulated by PD-1 and influences CD4 T-cell lineage choice after gastric cancer resection.

Effects of Cannabinoid Type 2 Receptor Agonist AM1241 on Morphine-Induced Antinociception, Acute and Chronic Tolerance, and Dependence in Mice.

Unlabelled: Morphine is a potent opioid analgesic used to alleviate moderate or severe pain, but the development of drug tolerance and dependence limits its use in pain management. Previous studies showed that cannabinoid type 2 (CB) receptor ligands may modulate opioid effects. However, there is no report of the effect of CB receptor agonist on acute morphine tolerance and physical dependence.

Programmed death 1/programmed cell death-ligand 1 pathway participates in gastric surgery-induced imbalance of T-helper 17/regulatory T cells in mice.

Background: The T-helper 17 (Th17)/regulatory T (Treg) cell balance is essential for immune homeostasis. However, the effects of gastric surgery on this balance remain unclear. The aim of present study is to identify the influence of gastric surgery on Th17/Treg cell balance and the role of programmed death 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) pathway in this process.

Effects of coadministration of low dose cannabinoid type 2 receptor agonist and morphine on vanilloid receptor 1 expression in a rat model of cancer pain.

Morphine is widely used as an analgesic to treat moderate to severe pain, but chronic morphine use is associated with development of tolerance and dependence, which limits its analgesic efficacy. Our previous research has showed that nonanalgetic dose of a cannabinoid type 2 (CB2) receptor agonist reduced morphine tolerance in cancer pain. A previous study showed the colocalization of CB2 and transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) in human and rat dorsal root ganglia (DRG) sensory neurons.

XBP1 silencing decreases glioma cell viability and glycolysis possibly by inhibiting HK2 expression.

Glioma cells rely on glycolysis to obtain energy and sustain their survival under microenvironmental stress in vivo. The mechanisms of regulation of glycolysis in glioma cells are unclear. Signaling pathway mediated by the transcription factor X box-binding protein 1 (XBP1) is one of the most important pathways of unfolded protein response which is comprehensively activated in cancer cells upon the microenvironmental stress.

Inhibition of autophagy induced by quercetin at a late stage enhances cytotoxic effects on glioma cells.

Glioma is the most common primary brain tumor in the central nervous system (CNS) with high morbidity and mortality in adults. Although standardized comprehensive therapy has been adapted, the prognosis of glioma patients is still frustrating and thus novel therapeutic strategies are urgently in need. Quercetin (Quer), an important flavonoid compound found in many herbs, is shown to be effective in some tumor models including glioma.

miR-577 inhibits glioblastoma tumor growth via the Wnt signaling pathway.

microRNAs (miRNAs) are commonly altered in glioblastoma. Publicly available algorithms suggest the Wnt pathway is a potential target of miR-577 and the Wnt pathway is commonly altered in glioblastoma. Glioblastoma has not been previously evaluated for miR-577 expression.

Impact of autophagy inhibition at different stages on cytotoxic effect of autophagy inducer in glioblastoma cells.

Background/aims: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most malignant primary brain tumor with a poor prognosis. Combination treatment of autophagy inducer and autophagy inhibitor may be a feasible solution to improve the therapeutic effects. However, the correlation between them is unclear.

The roles of mitoferrin-2 in the process of arsenic trioxide-induced cell damage in human gliomas.

Background: Among glioma treatment strategies, arsenic trioxide (As2O3) has shown efficacy as a therapeutic agent against human gliomas. However, the exact antitumor mechanism of action of As2O3 is still unclear. Mitochondria are considered to be the major source of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are known to be associated with As2O3-induced cell damage.

Abbreviated levetiracetam treatment effects on behavioural and histological outcomes after experimental TBI.

Objective: Long-term prophylactic treatment with levetiracetam (LEV) has multiple neuroprotective effects in a traumatic brain injury (TBI) rat model. Although a rational time-frame of seizure prophylactic treatment with LEV for after TBI is not well established, clinical prophylaxis with LEV often includes treatment duration similar to clinical treatment guidelines with Phenytoin. Thus, this study investigated the effects of abbreviated LEV treatment on behavioural function and histological evidence of neuroprotection.

Developing a clinically relevant model of cognitive training after experimental traumatic brain injury.

Background: Following traumatic brain injury (TBI), clinical cognitive training paradigms harness implicit and explicit learning and memory systems to improve function; however, these systems are differentially affected by TBI, highlighting the need for an experimental TBI model that can test efficacy of cognitive training approaches.

Objectives: To develop a clinically relevant experimental cognitive training model using the Morris water maze (MWM) wherein training on implicitly learned task components was provided to improve behavioral performance post-TBI.

Methods: Eighty-one adult male rats were divided by injury status (controlled cortical impact [CCI]/Sham), non-spatial cognitive training (CogTrained/No-CogTrained), and extra-maze cues (Cued/Non-Cued) during MWM testing.

Association between the epidermal growth factor +61 G/A polymorphism and glioma risk: a meta-analysis.

Background: Gliomas account for almost 80% of primary malignant brain tumors. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is an interesting research candidate in which to look for genetic polymorphisms because of its role in mitogenesis and proliferation. Extensive studies have found that a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) +61 G/A (rs4444903) in the EGF gene is associated with the susceptibility of glioma, however, the results have been controversial.

Non-spatial pre-training in the water maze as a clinically relevant model for evaluating learning and memory in experimental TBI.

Explicit and implicit learning and memory networks exist where each network can facilitate or inhibit cognition. Clinical evidence suggests that implicit networks are relatively preserved after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Non-spatial pre-training (NSPT) in the Morris Water Maze (MWM) provides the necessary behavioral components to complete the task, while limiting the formation of spatial maps.

Neuroprotective, neuroplastic, and neurobehavioral effects of daily treatment with levetiracetam in experimental traumatic brain injury.

Background: Prophylactic treatment with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) has been recommended to prevent early seizure onset in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the potential neuroprotective and/or detrimental effects of prophylactic AED treatment on behavioral and cognitive function after TBI are not well studied.

Objective: To investigate the effects of a novel AED, levitiracetam (LEV), on behavioral and cognitive function after experimental TBI in rats.

YKL-40 expression in traumatic brain injury: an initial analysis.

YKL-40 (chitinase 3-like protein 1) is expressed in a broad spectrum of inflammatory conditions and cancers. We have previously reported that YKL-40 levels are elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of macaques and humans with lentiviral encephalitis, as well as multiple sclerosis (MS). The current study assessed temporal CSF YKL-40 levels in subjects with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI; Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] score View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Intravenous administration of arsenic trioxide encapsulated in liposomes inhibits the growth of C6 gliomas in rat brains.

Arsenic trioxide (ATO) is a potent anti-tumor agent used to treat acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), and more recently solid tumors including gliomas. However, the dose of ATO required to suppress gliomas is markedly higher than that used to treat APL, which leads to toxicity and undesirable side-effects, even though the local concentration of ATO in brains is relatively low after systemic administration. In an attempt to minimize the toxicity, enhance the penetrating activity across the blood-brain barrier, and reduce enzyme degradation, we prepared ATO encapsulated in liposomes, and investigated its therapeutic effect on C6 gliomas established in rat brains.

Enhanced radiation-induced cytotoxic effect by 2-ME in glioma cells is mediated by induction of cell cycle arrest and DNA damage via activation of ATM pathways.

Glioblastoma multiform is the most common malignant primary brain tumor in adults, but there remains no effective therapeutic approach. 2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME), which is a naturally occurring metabolite of 17beta-estradiol, was shown to enhance radiotherapeutic effect in certain tumors; however, whether 2-ME can also enhance the sensitivity of glioma cells to radiotherapy remains unknown. The present study, therefore, was to address this issue using two human glioma cell lines (T98G and U251MG).