Fingertip and nasal tip thermal burn in crack cocaine user

Crack cocaine addiction is a public health problem in Brazil. It is an endemicdisease that affects rural and urban areas. The Ministry of Health has launchedemergency programs for the treatment of dependents and to combat drug trafficking.Recognition of dermatological signs of this disease is important because through themthe diagnosis can be suspected and early treatment of patients with crack cocaineaddiction be provided.     

Intermittent theta‐burst stimulation rescues dopamine‐dependent corticostriatal synaptic plasticity and motor behavior in experimental parkinsonism: Possible role of glial activity

Background : Recent studies support the therapeutic utility of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in Parkinson's disease (PD), whose progression is correlated with loss of corticostriatal long‐term potentiation and long‐term depression. Glial cell activation is also a feature of PD that is gaining increasing attention in the field because astrocytes play a role in chronic neuroinflammatory responses but are also able to manage dopamine (DA) levels. Methods : Intermittent theta‐burst stimulation protocol was applied to study the effect of therapeutic neuromodulation on striatal DA levels measured by means of in vivo microdialysis in 6‐hydroxydopamine‐hemilesioned rats. Effects on corticostriatal synaptic plasticity were studied through in vitro intracellular and whole‐cell patch clamp recordings while stepping test and CatWalk were used to test motor behavior. Immunohistochemical analyses were performed to analyze morphological changes in neurons and glial cells. Results : Acute theta‐burst stimulation induced an increase in striatal DA levels in hemiparkinsonian rats, 80 minutes post‐treatment, correlated with full recovery of plasticity and amelioration of motor performances. With the same timing, immediate early gene activation was restricted to striatal spiny neurons. Intense astrocytic and microglial responses were also significantly reduced 80 minutes following theta‐burst stimulation. Conclusion : Taken together, these results provide a first glimpse on physiological adaptations that occur in the parkinsonian striatum following intermittent theta‐burst stimulation and may help to disclose the real potential of this technique in treating PD and preventing DA replacement therapy‐associated disturbances. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society     

Catecholamine plasma levels following immune stimulation with rabies vaccine in dogs selected for their paw preferences

Epinephrine and norepinephrine plasma levels were assessed in dogs in relation to paw preference following an immune challenge with rabies vaccine. The results showed that both catecholamines increased after the vaccine administration, confirming the main role of the sympathetic nervous system in the modulation activity between the brain and the immune system. Moreover, ambidextrous dogs showed a significantly higher increase of epinephrine levels 8 days after immunization with respect to right- and left-pawed dogs, suggesting that the biological activity of this molecule could be key for a different immune response with regard to laterality.     

Endotoxinemia contributes to steatosis,insulin resistance and atherosclerosis in chronic hepatitis C: the role of pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress

Purpose

Endotoxin is a component of the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria that live in the intestine. Endotoxinemia is reported in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and in cirrhotic patients, causing various biological and clinical effects in the host. It is not known whether endotoxinemia occurs in chronic hepatitis C patients (CHC), therefore we evaluated the occurrence of endotoxinemia and its effect on inflammation, liver damage, insulin resistance (IR) and atherosclerosis.

Methods

Consecutive CHC patients assessed by liver biopsy were enrolled. Endotoxinemia was evaluated by LAL test. IR was estimated by HOMA-IR. Serum TNF-α, IL-8, adiponectin and MCP-1 were measured with ELISA tests. Oxidative stress was estimated by circulating IgG against malondialdehyde adducts with human serum albumin (MDA-HAS). Carotid atherosclerosis was assessed by ultrasonography.

Results

Endotoxinemia was found in 60% of the 126 patients enrolled. A serum level-dependent association between endotoxinemia, steatosis (p?<?0.001) and HOMA-IR (p?<?0.006) was observed. Patients with endotoxinemia showed significant increase in TNF-α and IL8 levels. TNF-α correlated with steatosis (p < ?0.001) and HOMA-IR (p?<?0.03), whereas IL8 correlated with steatosis (p?= ?<0.001), TNF-α (p?<?0.04) and atherosclerosis (p?<?0.01). The highest levels of endotoxinemia were associated with oxidative stress and a higher prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the independent factors associated with endotoxinemia were hepatic steatosis, HOMA-IR, IL8 and MDA-HAS.

Conclusions

Endotoxinemia occurs with high frequency in CHC patients and contributes to the development of hepatic steatosis, IR and atherosclerosis through increased pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress. Anti-endotoxin treatment could be of clinical relevance.

     

The port-hole method in the treatment of congenital nystagmus

The so-called "port-holes method" is a bilateral peripherical occlusion. It was used for the treatment of 38 cases of congenital nystagmus; the duration of treatment was 5 years. The method produces improvement of visual acuity and diminution of the nystagmus, evidenced by E.N.G. The method is of easy practice, and well-accepted by the children.     

Comparison of microtransducer and fiberoptic catheters for urodynamic studies

OBJECTIVE: To assess the validity and reproducibility of a fiberoptic transducer urodynamic catheter for urethral closure pressure profiles and leak point pressure determination, using a microtransducer catheter as the standard. METHODS: Ninety women without significant pelvic organ prolapse underwent urodynamic evaluations with both fiberoptic and microtransducer catheters. Maximal urethral closure pressures and "leak point pressures" were repeatedly measured by the two catheters and statistically compared. The order of catheter use was randomized. RESULTS: Significantly lower mean maximal urethral closure pressures were recorded by the fiberoptic system than by the microtransducer system (28.9 cmH(2)O +/- 17.3 versus 43.2 cmH(2)O +/- 24.9, P <.001). The fiberoptic catheter predicted microtransducer values for maximum urethral closure pressure only within a range of 27 cmH(2)O. Mean "leak point pressure" recorded by the fiberoptic catheters (66.9 cmH(2)O +/- 2.9) was not significantly different than that recorded by the microtransducer catheters (66.4 cmH(2)O +/- 2.9, P =.97). CONCLUSION: There is a significant difference between maximum urethral closure pressure values recorded by the microtransducer and fiberoptic catheter systems. No significant difference was found between the two systems in measurement of Valsalva "leak point pressure."