Publications by authors named "Stefania G Cioato"

Background: Prone positioning is used for patients with ARDS undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation; its effectiveness in nonventilated awake patients is unclear. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the prone maneuver in decreasing the risk of intubation and increasing the odds of favorable events.

Methods: We prospectively evaluated 66 subjects with COVID-19-related moderate ARDS who were admitted to the ICU; treated with high-flow nasal cannula, noninvasive ventilation, a reservoir mask, or a nasal cannula; and subjected to awake prone maneuvers from March 1, 2020-August 30, 2020.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Anxiety disorders cause distress and are commonly found to be comorbid with chronic pain. Both are difficult-to-treat conditions for which alternative treatment options are being pursued. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), treadmill exercise, or both, on anxiety-like behavior and associated growth factors and inflammatory markers in the hippocampus and sciatic nerve of rats with neuropathic pain.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a single administration of IB-MECA, an A3 adenosine receptor agonist, upon the nociceptive response and central biomarkers of rats submitted to chronic pain models. A total of 136 adult male Wistar rats were divided into two protocols: (1) chronic inflammatory pain (CIP) using complete Freund's adjuvant and (2) neuropathic pain (NP) by chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve. Thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia was measured using von Frey (VF), Randal-Selitto (RS), and hot plate (HP) tests.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: Caffeine is extensively consumed as a psychostimulant drug, acting on A and A adenosine receptors blockade. Chronic exposure to caffeine during gestation and breast-feeding may be involved in infant rat's behavioral and biochemical alterations. Our goal was to evaluate the effect of chronic caffeine exposure during gestation and breast-feeding in the functionality of adenosine A receptors in infant rats at P14.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: This study assessed the effects of an acute stress model upon the long-term hyperalgesia induced by repeated morphine administration in neonatal rats. We also evaluated neurotrophins and cytokines levels; expressions of adenosine and acetylcholine receptors, and acetylcholinesterase enzyme at the spinal cord.

Material And Methods: Male Wistar rats were subjected to morphine or saline administration from P8 to P14.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Behavioral alterations, like mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia, and modulation of biomarkers in the peripheral and central nervous systems (CNS) are markers of chronic pain. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with exercise is a promising therapy for pain due to its neuromodulatory capacity.

Objective: To assess the individual effects of tDCS, exercise, and the two combined on the nociceptive response and BDNF, IL-1β, and IL-4 levels in the CNS structures of rats in a chronic pain model.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Our objective was to evaluate the Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) effect on facial allodynia induced by chronic constriction of the infraorbital nerve (CCI-ION) and on the brainstem levels of TNF-α, NGF, IL-10, and serum LDH in rats.

Methods: Rats were exposed to the CCI-ION model. Facial allodynia was assessed by von Frey filaments test at baseline, 3, 7, 10, and 14 days postsurgery and 24 hr and 7 days after the bimodal tDCS sessions for 20 min/day/8 days.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive method of brain stimulation suggested as a therapeutic tool for pain and is related to the reversal of maladaptive plasticity associated with chronic pain.

Objectives: This study investigated the effect of tDCS, a non-pharmacological therapy, on local mechanical hyperalgesia, and remote thermal hyperalgesia in rats submitted to orofacial inflammatory pain model, by facial von Frey and hot plate tests, respectively. In addition, we evaluated levels of BDNF, NGF, IL-10 and IL-6 in the brainstem and blood serum of these animals at 24 hours and 7 days after the end of tDCS treatment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The present study aimed to determine whether isoflurane interferes with the analgesic effects of acupuncture (Ac) and electroacupuncture (EA), using a neuropathic pain (NP) rat model. In total, 140 male Wistar rats were used; isoflurane-induced nociceptive response was evaluated using the von Frey test, serum calcium-binding protein β (S100β) levels and nerve growth factor (NGF) levels in the left sciatic nerve. The NP model was induced by chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve at 14 days after surgery.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To analyze the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of an adhesive resin containing indomethacin-loaded nanocapsules in rat model.

Design: Adhesive resin disks with or without indomethacin-loaded nanocapsules were subcutaneously implanted into right hind paw of rats. A week after surgical procedure, 2% formalin solution was intradermally injected into plantar surface of paw.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Melatonin is a neuroendocrine hormone that presents a wide range of physiological functions including regulating circadian rhythms and sleep, enhancing immune function, sleep improvement, and antioxidant effects. In addition, melatonin has received special attention in pain treatment since it is effective and presents few adverse effects. In this study, we evaluated the effect of acute dose of melatonin upon hyperalgesia induced by complete Freund's adjuvant in a chronic orofacial pain model in Sprague-Dawley rats.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Neuropathic pain (NP) is caused by an insult or dysfunction in the peripheral or central nervous system (CNS), the main symptoms being mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia. NP often shows insufficient response to classic analgesics and its management remains a challenge. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive method of cerebral stimulation and represents a promising resource for pain management.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: The aim was to assess the neuromodulation techniques effects (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation [rTMS] and deep intramuscular stimulation therapy [DIMST]) on pain intensity, peripheral, and neurophysiological biomarkers chronic myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) patients.

Design: Randomized, double blind, factorial design, and controlled placebo-sham clinical trial.

Setting: Clinical trial in the Laboratory of Pain and Neuromodulation at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (NCT02381171).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Neuropathic pain (NP) is a chronic pain modality that usually results of damage in the somatosensory system. NP often shows insufficient response to classic analgesics and remains a challenge to medical treatment. The transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive technique, which induces neuroplastic changes in central nervous system of animals and humans.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Disruption of the circadian system can lead to metabolic dysfunction as a response to environmental alterations. This study assessed the effects of the association between obesity and chronic stress on the temporal pattern of serum levels of adipogenic markers and corticosterone in rats. We evaluated weekly weight, delta weight, Lee index, and weight fractions of adipose tissue (mesenteric, MAT; subcutaneous, SAT; and pericardial, PAT) to control for hypercaloric diet-induced obesity model efficacy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Considering the importance of studies in animal models that are focused on systems involved in pain mechanisms, this investigation aimed to evaluate the effects of pharmacological treatments on the behavioral responses of younger animals. To this end, we evaluated the effect of an acute dose of fentanyl (FEN) or S(+)-ketamine (KET) at postnatal day 14 (P14) upon behavioral responses in the short- (P14), medium- (P30) and long-term (P60) using the open field (OF), elevated plus-maze (EPM) and formalin tests (FT) and tail-flick latency. Fourteen-day-old male Wistar rats were divided into three groups: control (CT), fentanyl (FEN) and S(+)ketamine (KET) groups for statistical analysis, it was performed two-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF