Epidural injection of varying doses of capsaicin alleviates inflammatory pain in rats via the TLR4/AKT/NF-κB pathway.

Background: Capsaicin (CAP) induces transient pain sensation by activating transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1). However, the initial neuronal excitation induced by CAP is followed by a prolonged refractory period, resulting in long-lasting analgesia. Although the effects of CAP on microglia in the dorsal root ganglion of neuropathic pain disorders have been reported, the regulatory pathways of CAP on microglia remain poorly defined.

Assessment of heavy metal contamination in surface sediments off the Dongying coast, Bohai Sea.

In this study, 214 surface sediment samples were collected from the offshore area of the Dongying coast and were analysed for heavy metals; particularly, their concentrations and pollution status were evaluated. The copper (Cu) and chromium (Cr) distributions were similar, their concentrations were the highest in the northeast areas and the Xiaoqing River estuary, where dominated by fine-grained sediments. Higher concentrations of lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As) were generally found in the offshore area of the study location, and the highest Cd concentration was observed in the Xiaoqing River estuary.

Cervical Transdural Discectomy with Laminoplasty for the Treatment of Multi-segment Cervical Spinal Stenosis Accompanied with Cervical Disc Herniation: Technical Note and Clinical Outcome.

Objective: To describe the surgical technique of cervical transdural discectomy with laminoplasty (CTDL) for the treatment of multi-segment cervical spinal stenosis (CSS) accompanied with cervical disc herniation (CDH) and investigate its surgical outcomes and complications.

Methods: This was a clinical study. Between 2012 and 2018, 31 patients (13 males and 18 females) with multi-segment CSS (over two cervical segments) accompanied with huge CDH and underwent CTDL were enrolled in this study.

Effects of epidural capsaicin on nociceptive threshold and neurological functions in rabbits.

Unlabelled: Capsaicin, as a principle active component of Chili peppers, is popularly consumed by many people around the world. Whether capsaicin-induced neuropathy alters the function of sensory neurons is still unknown.

Objective:   The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of epidural capsaicin on nociceptive threshold and neurological functions in a rabbit model.