Publications by authors named "Mao-Kai Chen"

Article Synopsis
  • Psychological stress triggers neuroinflammation, contributing to psychiatric disorders like PTSD and anxiety, and osthole from the herb Cnidium monnieri shows promise in combating these issues.
  • In a study with mice experiencing repeated social defeat stress (RSDS), osthole improved cognitive functions and reduced anxiety-like behaviors and social avoidance.
  • The treatment with osthole enhanced anti-inflammatory responses by upregulating heme oxygenase-1 and reversed the inhibition of PPARα expression, suggesting it may be a valuable herbal medicine for anxiety disorders and guiding future drug development.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Macrophages and microglia are highly versatile cells that can be polarized into M1 and M2 phenotypes in response to diverse environmental stimuli, thus exhibiting different biological functions. In the central nervous system, activated resident macrophages and microglial cells trigger the production of proinflammatory mediators that contribute to neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric disorders. Therefore, modulating the activation of macrophages and microglia by optimizing the inflammatory environment is beneficial for disease management.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Many tools have been developed to facilitate the insertion of the ProSeal laryngeal mask airway (LMA) insertion, which can be impeded by folding of its soft cuff. The aim of this study was to compare the efficiency of ProSeal LMA insertion guided by a soft, direct optical Foley Airway Stylet Tool (FAST) with the standard introducer tool (IT).

Methods: One hundred sixty patients undergoing general anesthesia using the ProSeal LMA as an airway management device were randomly allocated to either FAST-guided or IT-assisted groups.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The enlarged adenoid serves as a mechanical obstacle on the nasopharynx to intricate nasotracheal intubation. No matter what video or direct laryngoscopic techniques are applied, nasotracheal tube navigation from the nasal valve area through the nasal cavity to the nasopharynx is always blind; trauma is not uncommon. Here we report a case of unintended avulsed adenoids that plugged the tube tip while the nasotracheal tube blindly navigated through the nasopharyngeal space.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Epidural morphine in patient-controlled analgesia regimens controls postoperative pain well but easily induces pruritus and other epidural morphine-related side effects. With 90 pregnant American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status II females scheduled for elective cesarean delivery, the present study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety profile of patient-controlled antipruritus (PCP) use of intravenous nalbuphine-based regimens for attenuation of postoperative pruritus and related side effects in combination with epidural morphine patient-controlled analgesia with regard to the quality of postoperative pain management. Patients were randomly assigned to two nalbuphine groups (5 μg/kg/hour, Group N5 or 10 μg/kg/hour, Group N10) and bolus dose of 1.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: To determine if the intravenous co-administration of equal volumes of lidocaine and nalbuphine, with undiluted normal saline, prevents injection pain caused by nalbuphine.

Methods: Eighty adult patients who were scheduled for minor surgeries under general anesthesia delivered via a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) were enrolled in this prospective, randomized, single-blind clinical trial. In the saline group (control) (n = 40), 1 mL (10 mg) nalbuphine was diluted with 9 mL normal saline.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A young female patient scheduled for orthognathic surgery under general anesthesia encountered obstacles during nasotracheal intubation in which the cuff of the nasal endotracheal tube was linearly lacerated and the tube tip impacted against the retropharyngeal wall. Repeated episodes of the event happened rendering the intubation unsuccessful. A technique using modified glove fingers was applied, which successfully protected the cuff from shearing by the sharp nasal crista and redirected the tube tip away from the retropharyngeal wall.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF