Lethal encephalitis in myeloid differentiation factor 88-deficient mice infected with herpes simplex virus 1

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), a large DNA virus from the Herpesviridae family, is the major cause of sporadic lethal encephalitis and blindness in humans. Recent studies have shown the importance of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in the immune response to HSV-1 infection. Myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) is a critical adaptor protein that is downstream to mediated TLR activation and is essential for the production of inflammatory cytokines. Here, we studied the relationship between MyD88 and HSV-1 using a purified HSV-1 isolated from a natural oral recurrent human infection. We observed the activation of TLR-2 by HSV-1 in vitro using Chinese hamster ovary cells stably transfected with a reporter gene. Interestingly, we found that only peritoneal macrophages from MyD88-/- mice, but not macrophages from TRL2-/- or from wild-type mice, were unable to produce tumor necrosis factor-alpha in response to HSV-1 exposure. Additionally, although TLR2-/- mice showed no enhanced susceptibility to intranasal infection with HSV-1, MyD88-/- mice were highly susceptible to infection and displayed viral migration to the brain, severe neuropathological signs of encephalitis, and 100% mortality by day 10 after infection. Together, our results suggest that innate resistance to HSV-1 is mediated by MyD88 and may rely on activation of multiple TLRs.     

Effect of ketotifen on the distribution and degranulation of uterine eosinophils in estrogen-treated rats

Eosinophil leukocytes migrate from the blood to the uterus under estrogen stimulation, redistribute through uterine extravascular compartment, degranulate in the organ, and release agents that are involved in several parameters of estrogen action. Agents that induce blood eosinopenia, block their migration to the uterus, interfere with their redistribution within the organ or modify their degranulation, selectively interfere with eosinophil-mediated responses to estrogen. The present study investigated whether ketotifen, an antiallergic agent that inhibits allergen-induced eosinophil degranulation, interferes with estrogen-induced eosinophil migration to the uterus and their subsequent degranulation. Ketotifen does not interfere with estrogen-induced eosinophil accumulation in the uterus, but decreases the proportion of eosinophils located in endometrium and inhibitis their degranulation. These results suggest that neither histamine, calcium or slow reacting substance of anaphilaxis are involved in eosinophil migration to the uterus. The inhibition by ketotifen of eosinophil degranulation may diminish eosinophil migration through extravascular compartment via a decrease in the release from degranulating eosinophils of enzymes required for this migration. It is possible that the inhibition by ketotifen of both, eosinophil degranulation and eosinophil motility through uterine extravascular compartment, interfere with eosinophil-mediated responses to estrogen or with other functions of these cells.     

Assessing attitudes towards online psychoeducational interventions: Psychometric properties of a Brief Attitudes Scale

Participant attitudes are an explanatory factor for attrition in online health-related interventions. However, its assessment prior to interventions start is uncommon, partly because proper measures are missing. This study presents the psychometric properties of a new scale measuring attitudes towards online psychoeducational interventions (OPIs). Structural validity, reliability and screening performance of the Online Psychoeducational Intervention – Brief Attitudes Scale (OPI-BAS) were studied in a sample of 157 dementia caregivers. Scale cut-off scores were derived to categorise the participants into ‘OPIs sympathisers’ or ‘non-sympathisers’. Groups were compared across sociodemographic and internet use variables. A parsimonious five-item version of OPI-BAS demonstrated good structural validity, with one factor explaining 63.3% of variance. Internal consistency of the scale was high (α = 0.85). OPI-BAS showed good screening performance in identifying individuals with either a preference to use conventional face-to-face or online psychoeducational interventions (area under the curve = 0.84). An optimal cut-off score of 20 was suggested by the receiver operating characteristic graph, providing good sensitivity (74%) and specificity (84%). No significant differences were found between groups on sociodemographic and internet use variables. Attitudes towards OPIs were overall positive, but face-to-face interventions were preferred. This study offers preliminary support to the psychometric quality of OPI-BAS. This short scale has practical applications for research and intervention.     

Sperm selection strategies and their impact on assisted reproductive technology outcomes

The application of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) has revolutionised the treatment of human infertility, giving hope to the patients previously considered incapable of establishing pregnancy. While semen analysis is performed to access whether a sample has an adequate number of viable, motile and morphologically normal sperm cells able to achieve fertilisation, sperm selection techniques for ART aim to isolate the most competent spermatozoon which is characterised by the highest fertilising potential. Based on the semen analysis results, the correct sperm selection technique must be chosen and applied. In this review, different sperm selection strategies for retrieving spermatozoa with the highest fertilising potential and their impact on ART outcomes are discussed. In addition, advantages and disadvantages of each method and the best suited techniques for each clinical scenario are described.     

Antidepressants and nose-to-brain delivery: drivers,restraints, opportunities and challenges

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Reproducibility of the items on the Stroke Specific Quality of Life questionnaire that evaluate the participation component of the International Classification of Functioning,Disability and Health

Purpose: To evaluate the reproducibility of the Stroke Specific Quality of Life (SS-QOL) items that address the participation component of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and analyse the correlation between the subscore of these 26 items and the total SS-QOL score.

Methods: Seventy-five stroke survivors participated in this study. Reproducibility was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC_2,1), standard error of measurement (SEM), minimum detectable change (MDC) and the Bland–Altman plot. The correlation between the subscore of the 26 items and the total SS-QOL score was analysed using Spearman’s correlation coefficients (rho) and simple linear regression. An alpha risk?≤?0.05 was considered for all analyses.

Results: The SS-QOL items that address the participation component of the ICF demonstrated excellent reliability (intra-rater ICC_2,1?=?0.96; inter-rater ICC_2,1?=?0.95). The SEM and MDC were adequate. The Bland–Altman plot demonstrated satisfactory agreement. A significant and strong correlation (rho?=?0.83) was found between the 26 SS-QOL items that address participation and the total SS-QOL score. Moreover, the evaluation of participation was found to explain 73% of the evaluation of health-related quality of life.

Conclusion: The 26 SS-QOL items that address the participation component of the ICF demonstrated adequate reproducibility. Thus, participation, which represents the social aspects of functionality, can be adequately evaluated with these items.

• Implications for Rehabilitation

• The 26 Stroke Specific Quality of Life items that address participation proved to be reproducible for the analysis of social participation following a stroke.

• The findings can lead to a better understanding of the social participation of individuals with chronic hemiparesis and assist in the establishment of adequate treatment for such individuals.

• The rehabilitation process can be directed towards more specific goals focused on the patient expectations, thereby contributing to greater humanization and effectiveness of treatment to improve social participation following a stroke.