In a Model of Neuroinflammation Designed to Mimic Delirium,Quetiapine Reduces Cortisol Secretion and Preserves Reversal Learning in the Attentional Set Shifting Task

Quetiapine, an atypical antipsychotic medication has lacked pre-clinical validation for its purported benefits in the treatment of delirium. This laboratory investigation examined the effects of quetiapine on the attentional set shifting task (ASST), a measure of cognitive flexibility and executive functioning, in a rodent model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) mediated neuroinflammation. 19 Sprague Dawley female rats were randomly selected to receive intraperitoneal placebo (N = 5), LPS and placebo (N = 7) or LPS and quetiapine (n = 7) and performed the ASST. We measured trials to criterion, errors, non-locomotion episodes and latency to criterion, serum cortisol and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels. TNF-α levels were not different between groups at 24 h. Cortisol levels in the LPS + Quetiapine group were reduced compared to LPS + Placebo (P < 0.001) and did not differ from the placebo group (P = 0.15). Analysis between LPS + Quetiapine and LPS + Placebo treated rats demonstrated improvement in the compound discrimination reversal (CD Rev1) (P = 0.016) and the intra-dimensional reversal (ID Rev2) (P = 0.007) discriminations on trials to criterion. LPS + Quetiapine treated rats had fewer errors than LPS + Placebo treated animals in the compound discrimination (CD) (P = 0.007), CD Rev1 (P = 0.005), ID Rev2 (P < 0.001) discriminations. There was no difference in non-locomotion frequency or latency to criterion between the three groups in all discriminations (P > 0.0167). We demonstrated preserved reversal learning, no effect on attentional set shifting and normalized cortisol levels in quetiapine-treated rats in this neuroinflammatory model of delirium. This suggests that quetiapine’s beneficial effects in delirium may be related to the preservation of reversal learning and potential downstream effects related to reduction in cortisol production.

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The Phone: Communication in the Age of COVID-19

In April, as the COVID-19 outbreak intensified in New York City, a radiation oncology was redeployed to an internal medicine service. In this submission, he discusses his experience updating families on the statuses of their loved ones over the phone during the outbreak.     

Biochanin A impedes STAT3 activation by upregulating p38δ MAPK phosphorylation in IL-6-stimulated macrophages

Inflammation Research - IL-6-induced STAT3 activation is associated with various chronic inflammatory diseases. In this study, we investigated the anti-STAT3 mechanism of the dietary polyphenol,...     

Percutaneous Radiofrequency Ablation of Appendicular Skeleton Chondroblastoma—an Experience from a Tertiary Care Cancer Center

PurposeTo evaluate safety and long-term efficacy of radiofrequency (RF) ablation in treatment of chondroblastoma.Materials and MethodsThis retrospective analysis comprised 27 consecutive patients with histopathologically proven chondroblastoma treated by RF ablation. The tumors were located in the proximal humerus (n = 6), proximal tibia (n = 8), proximal femur (n = 6), distal femur (n = 5), acromion process (n = 1), and lunate (n = 1). In 19 patients (70.3%), the tumor was in the weight-bearing area of the bone. Clinical response was assessed by comparing pain scores and functional assessment by Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score before and after ablation. Patients were followed for a minimum of 1 year to rule out complications and recurrence.ResultsTechnical success rate was 100%. Mean pain score before the procedure was 7.34 (range, 7–9); all patients experienced a reduction in pain, with 25 (92.6%) patients reporting complete pain relief at 6 weeks. Mean MSTS score before the procedure was 15.4, whereas mean MSTS score at 6 weeks after the procedure was 28.6, suggesting significant functional improvement (P < .0001). Two patients developed osteonecrosis and collapse of the treated bone. There were no recurrences.ConclusionsPercutaneous RF ablation is a safe and effective option for treating chondroblastoma of the appendicular skeleton.     

Study of serum VEGF levels in patients with severe dengue infection admitted in a tertiary care hospital in Kolkata

Dengue is the most common arboviral infection globally, but its pathogenesis is poorly explored. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has an essential role in the host defense against viral infection. However, not much information is available regarding its status in dengue patients from the eastern zone of India. In the present investigation, the level of VEGF was investigated for its possible utility as a dengue severity marker. Accordingly, confirmed dengue cases were enrolled during 2016-2018. Serum from all the study subjects was subjected to the standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test for VEGF analysis. In addition, we assessed the association of VEGF to dengue severity. The study revealed that VEGF titers (P < .0001) were significantly increased in severe dengue (SD) patients in contrast to those with a milder form of dengue. An association was obtained between VEGF and increased SGOT (r = 0.517 with P < .0001) while VEGF had a negative correlation with platelets in SD patients (r = −0.331 with P = .001). Enhanced VEGF titers along with decreased platelets had a good association with SD. The investigation revealed that high VEGF titers are novel indicators of dengue severity. However, our results must be verified in a study evaluating a larger number of dengue patients.