PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the ulmus root-bark dressing on tissue regeneration in experimentally-induced pressure ulcers in rats. METHOD: A randomized pretest/post-test control group time-series study design was used. Thirty-three male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this study. The rats were anesthetized with 100mg/kg of ketamine. Pressure ulcers were induced at 140mmHg for three hours using a personally-designed pressing apparatus. For four weeks, the ulmus root-bark dressing was applied every other day in the experimental group (n=18) and a wet gauze dressing in the control group (n=15). For data analysis, the statistical program SPSS WIN 12 was used. The wounds were examined by light microscopy and electron microscopy. RESULT: There were significant statistical differences in the size of the pressure ulcers as time went by(p=0.006). It should be noted that there were no significant statistical differences in the number of capillaries. Using light microscopy the inflammatory infiltration and neovascularization in the dermis in the experimental group emerged densely in the early stages, but recovered rapidly at the latter stages. In addition, the reepithelization of the epidermis occurred earlier than in the control group. By electron microscopy, the cell organelles of the capillary endothelial cells and the basal lamina of capillaries in the experimental group showed a more rapid maturation during the latter stages, compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: According to this study, it can be concluded that the ulmus root-bark dressing is effective regarding the healing of pressure ulcers.
Animals ; Bandages ; Capillaries/ultrastructure ; Male ; *Phytotherapy ; Plant Bark ; Plant Roots ; Pressure Ulcer/*drug therapy/pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Regeneration ; Treatment Outcome ; *Ulmus

PURPOSE: The purpose was to test the effects of self-hand massage with aroma oil on daily cigarette use, smoking craving, and depression of female high school student smokers who are attempting to quit smoking. METHOD: A convenience sampling of a non-equivalent control group time series was used. Female high school student smokers were assigned either to smoking cessation lecture only or to an intervention that involved a smoking cessation lecture and self-hand massage with aroma oil for 4 weeks. Lavender, Peppermint, and Bergamotte essence oils were used for massage. RESULT: There was a significant change in daily cigarette use and depression between the groups at three different times. CONCLUSION: It is promising that self-hand massage with aroma oil can be an effective adjunctive to decrease daily cigarette use and depression of female high school student smokers who are attempting to quit smoking.
Depression* ; Female* ; Humans ; Lavandula ; Massage* ; Mentha piperita ; Oils ; Smoke* ; Smoking Cessation ; Smoking* ; Tobacco Products*

BACKGROUND: The effect of genistein on different types of cells has been investigated. However, its effect on the nervous system is still unclear. The aim of the present work is to explore the effect of genistein on rat neuroblastoma B35 cells. METHODS: The effect of genistein on the proliferation of B35 cells, its cytotoxicity, the cell-cycle distribution, the ultra-structural changes and the induction of apoptosis were determined using MTT assay, LDH assay, Flow-cytometric analysis, transmission electron microscopy and Hoechst staining, respectively. Furthermore, Real-time quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to examine the transcriptional and post-translational alterations of the G2/M cell-cycle arrest marker cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21(waf1/cip1) and the apoptosis-related genes after genistein treatment. RESULTS: Genistein significantly inhibits cell survival, slightly elevates the release of lactate dehydrogenase and induced apoptosis in B35 cells. Genistein increased the number of cells at S-phase and induced cells to accumulate at the G2/M phase. These G2/M arrested cells are associated with a marked up-regulation of p21(waf1/cip1) at both the mRNA and protein levels. We observed that genistein up-regulates pro-apoptotic Bax with concurrent down-regulation of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein. CONCLUSION: These observations suggest that the anticancer effect of genistein on B35 neuroblastoma cells is mediated through multiple cellular pathways including G2/M cell-cycle arrest and the induction of apoptosis.
Animals ; Apoptosis* ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Cycle Checkpoints* ; Cell Cycle* ; Cell Survival ; Down-Regulation ; Genistein* ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Nervous System ; Neuroblastoma* ; Phosphotransferases ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger ; Up-Regulation

No abstract available.
Compartment Syndromes

An 11-year-old, castrated male dog presented with a 3-month history of cough and depression. Auscultation revealed systolic murmur and thoracic radiographs showing enlargement of both the atrium and left ventricle. Echocardiography showed thickened mitral valve and moderate-to-severe left atrial enlargement. Additionally, M-mode echocardiography showed symmetric left ventricular wall thickening and systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve, while Doppler imaging revealed high velocity turbulent flow through the left ventricular outflow tract. Based on echocardiography, this case was diagnosed with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. After 5 months, the dog was clinically static in radiography and echocardiography.
Animals ; Auscultation ; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic ; Child ; Cough ; Depression ; Dogs ; Echocardiography ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Male ; Mitral Valve ; Radiography ; Systolic Murmurs

An 11-year-old, castrated male dog presented with a 3-month history of cough and depression. Auscultation revealed systolic murmur and thoracic radiographs showing enlargement of both the atrium and left ventricle. Echocardiography showed thickened mitral valve and moderate-to-severe left atrial enlargement. Additionally, M-mode echocardiography showed symmetric left ventricular wall thickening and systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve, while Doppler imaging revealed high velocity turbulent flow through the left ventricular outflow tract. Based on echocardiography, this case was diagnosed with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. After 5 months, the dog was clinically static in radiography and echocardiography.

Abnormal aggregation of α-synuclein is a key element in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy. α-synuclein aggregation spreads through various brain regions during the course of disease progression, a propagation that is thought to be mediated by the secretion and subsequent uptake of extracellular α-synuclein aggregates between neuronal cells. Thus, aggregated forms of this protein have emerged as promising targets for disease-modifying therapy for PD and related diseases. Here, we generated and characterized conformation-specific antibodies that preferentially recognize aggregated forms of α-synuclein. These antibodies promoted phagocytosis of extracellular α-synuclein aggregates by microglial cells and interfered with cell-to-cell propagation of α-synuclein. In an α-synuclein transgenic model, passive immunization with aggregate-specific antibodies significantly ameliorated pathological phenotypes, reducing α-synuclein aggregation, gliosis, inflammation, and neuronal loss. These results suggest that conformation-specific antibodies targeting α-synuclein aggregates are promising therapeutic agents for PD and related synucleinopathies.