Cytotoxic activity and subset populations of peripheral blood natural killer cells in patients with chronic pain.

Background: Chronic pain reportedly exerts complex effects on immune function. Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes that play a critical role in cellular and innate immunity. This study examined changes in the subset populations and cytotoxic activity of peripheral blood NK cells in patients with chronic pain.

Background anaesthetic agents do not influence the impact of arginine vasopressin on haemodynamic states and cerebral oxygenation during shoulder surgery in the beach chair position: a prospective, single-blind study.

Background: Administration of arginine vasopressin (AVP) is associated with reducing jugular venous (SjvO) and regional cerebral (rScO) oxygen saturation under propofol-remifentanil (P/R) anaesthesia. We determined whether background anaesthetics modulate the effect of AVP on cerebral oxygenation and haemodynamics.

Methods: We randomly allocated 60 adult patients scheduled for shoulder surgery in the beach chair position (BCP) into 4 groups, to receive either an intravenous bolus of saline (groups PR-S and SN-S) or 0.

Anti-allodynic effect of intrathecal processed Aconitum jaluense is associated with the inhibition of microglial activation and P2X7 receptor expression in spinal cord.

Background: For their analgesic and anti-arthritic effects, Aconitum species have been used in folk medicine in some East Asian countries. Although their analgesic effect is attributed to its action on voltage-dependent sodium channels, they also suppress purinergic receptor expression in dorsal root ganglion neurons in rats with neuropathic pain. In vitro study also demonstrated that the Aconitum suppresses ATP-induced P2X7 receptor (P2X7R)-mediated inflammatory responses in microglial cell lines.