The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of ethanol administration on the resistance of mice to Cryptococcus neoformans, IL-2 production of murine splenocytes, active systemic anaphylaxis induced by ovalbumin (OVA), serum TNF-alpha production, nitric oxide (NO) production by peritoneal machrophages and B16F10 melanoma colonization in lungs in mice. It was found that ethanol administration significantly inhibited the resistance of mice to C. neoformans infection, IL-2 production, active systemic anaphylaxis induction, serum TNF- alpha production and NO production. Ethanol administration significantly enhanced lung colonization when it was administered before i.v. melanoma inoculation. These results demonstrate that ethanol may play a critical role in tumorigenesis and immunoregulation as an immunomodulator.
Anaphylaxis* ; Animals ; Carcinogenesis ; Colon ; Cryptococcus neoformans ; Cytokines* ; Ethanol ; Interleukin-2 ; Lung ; Melanoma* ; Mice ; Nitric Oxide* ; Ovalbumin ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Biofeedback, Psychology* ; Electric Stimulation*

Capsaicin, the pungent principle of hot peppers, is a neurotoxin that depletes unmyelinated primary sensory neurons (polymodal nociceptors) of neuropeptides like tachykinins. However, the role of capsaicin-sensitive sensory nerve in the production of cytokines, penicillin V (PEV)-induced active fatal anaphylaxis and other immune responses is not yet fully established. Neonatal mice were pretreated s.c. with a single injection of 10 ug of capsaicin per mouse in volume of 20 ul within 5 days of age. Using 5-8 week old mice pretreated as neonates with capsaicin, the capsaicin- pretreated and vehicle-treated control mice were examined for various parameters of immune responses described above. For the induction of active fatal anaphylaxis with PEV, 8 week old mice pretreated as neonates and age-matched capsaicin- untreated control mice were sensitized i.p. with 500 ug of PEV-ovalbumin conjugate plus 2*10(9) B. pertussis and 1.0 mg alum and challenged i.v. with PEV-bovine serum albumin conjugate 14 days later. It was found that neonatal capsaicin-pretreatment significantly enhanced contact hypersensitivity to TNCB and hemagglutination response to SRBC, but significantly inhibited the proliferation response of rnurine splenocyte to Con A and LPS. Interestingly, neonatal capsaicin pretreatment significantly inhibited the intensity of PEV-induced active fatal anaphylaxis and decreased the mortality due to anaphylactic shock. It also significantly inhibited LPS- induced production of cytokines such as TNF-a, IL-1B, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-12. The capsaicin-pretreatment also resulted in an inhibition of the activation of NF-kB. Taken together, these data showed for the first time that neonatal capsaicin-pretreatment significantly inhibited an antibiotic (PEV)-induced anaphylaxis and production of various cytokines, and suggest that capsaicin-sensitive primary sensory nerve may play an important regulatory role in active fatal anaphylaxis and cytokine production, thus potentially presenting tools for immune intervention. In particular, the data presented also indicated the possibility to selectively down-modulate cytokine production and NF-kB activation may offer a broad application for therapeutic intervention in neuroimmunological diseases and other pathological situations.
Anaphylaxis ; Animals ; Capsaicin* ; Cytokines ; Denervation* ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Hemagglutination ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-12 ; Interleukin-6 ; Mice ; Mortality ; Neuropeptides ; NF-kappa B ; Penicillin V ; Sensory Receptor Cells ; Serum Albumin ; Tachykinins ; Whooping Cough

The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of acute administration of ethanol on production of cytokines such as IL-1j3, IL-2, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-a, induction of penicillin V-induced active fatal anaphylaxis, and resistence to Salmonel/a typhimurium infection in mice. Ethanol administration into mice was performed by intraperitoneal injection of 0.5 ml of 20 % ethanol for 3 consecutive days before induction of cytokines with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), Con A or Salmone/la injection. Serum levels of cytokines were measured by ELISA. It was found that ethanol administration significantly inhibited both the serum levels of all cytokines examined and the resistance of mice to S. typhimurium. However, ethanol administration failed to prevent penicillin-induced fatal anaphylaxis. Taken together, the present results may need new insights in the diagnosis and treatment of various immunologically-mediated diseases.
Anaphylaxis* ; Animals ; Cytokines* ; Diagnosis ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Ethanol ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-2 ; Interleukin-6 ; Interleukins ; Mice* ; Penicillin V* ; Penicillins* ; Salmonella Infections* ; Salmonella*

The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of treating female stress incontinence with a extraperitoneal laparoscopic Burch. We compared the operative data of laparoscopic Burch, open Burch and Raz`s suspension and we introduced our technique, hybrid of the laparoscopic Burch and Gittes` procedure which avoids traditional intracorporeal suturing entirely. Twenty patients underwent a laparoscopic Burch were compared with 15 open Burch and 21 Raz`s suspension during the same time period for anatomical stress incontinence. We did not use the application of balloon dissection and intracorporeal suturing but extracorporeal knot tying. The results showed that laparoscopic Burch operation could shorten the Foley catheter removal day and hospital day compared to other methods. There were no significant differences in operation time and the complications. Laparoscopic Burch operation offers a less invasive approach to surgical correction of stress urinary incontinence and a rapid return to normal activities. Further clinical assessment is necessary to evaluate the long-term feasibility.
Catheters ; Female* ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Urinary Incontinence*

This article reviewed the literatures which demonstrated correlations between therapeutic relationship variables and treatment outcomes in children and adolescents, and also examined factors which affect a positive therapeutic relationship. Results from this review revealed that a positive therapeutic relationship is essential for cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) with children and adolescents, and also indicated that the therapeutic effect is the most powerful when a therapist maintains a collaborative relationship. Finally, basic strategies for maintaining a collaborative relationship have been suggested. These include strategies such as ; 1) setting a goal for therapy focusing on enhanced motivation for therapy ; 2) facilitating the engagement of parents in the treatment process ; 3) creating a collaborative atmosphere ; 4) educating the client about therapy ; 5) liciting feedback ; 6) making creative and innovate modifications of traditional CBT methods ; and, 7) providing choices for the client.
Adolescent ; Atmosphere ; Child ; Humans ; Motivation ; Parents

No abstract available.
Animals ; Clone Cells* ; Cloning, Organism* ; DNA, Complementary* ; Leptin* ; Rats* ; Receptors, Leptin*

"Capsaicin, the pungent principle of hot peppers, is a neurotoxin that depletes primary sensory neurons of neuropeptides like tachykinin. The objectives of these experiment was to examine the effects of capsaicin on Salmonel/a typhimurium-induced production of cytokines such as TNF-a, IL-1B, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-12 and on production of nitric oxide in peritoneal macrophages. In addition, the effects of capsaicin on survival rates of S. typhimurium-infected mice and on nuclear transcription factor (NF-kB) activation were also investigated. Mice were pretreated with a single s.c. injection of 100 ug of capsaicin and were infected i.v. with S. typhimurium (5xO5/mouse) in 0.2 ml volume after capsaicin pretreatment. The serum cytokine levels were measured 30, 60, 120, 180 and 240 min after Salmonella infection, using ELISA kits. The activation of NF-B was also examined by gel shift assay in spleens, thymuses and brains of mice that had been pretreated with a single s.c. injection of 100 ug of capsaicin. It was found that Sa/mone/la infection induced the production of TNF-a, IL-1B, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-12, but capsaicin pretreatment inhibited the production of TNF-a, IL-1B, IL-10 and IL-12, but enhanced IL-6 production 120 min after Salmonella infection. Interestingly, the capsaicin pretreatment inhibited the activation of NF-kB in spleens and thymuses. There were no differences in the numbers of bacteria in livers, brains, spleens, kidneys and lungs between capsaicin- pretreated mice and the control animals in applied experimental conditions. Suprisingly, however, capsaicin pretreatment increased both the survival rates of Sa/mone//a-infected mice and production of nitric oxide by peritoneal macrophages compared with capsaicin-untreated control mice. Taken together, these results indicate that the capsaicin-sensitive primary sensory neurons may play an important modulatory role in the production of cytokine, nitric oxide and NF-B activation and the pathogenesis of salmonellosis."
Animals ; Bacteria ; Brain ; Capsaicin* ; Cytokines* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-12 ; Interleukin-6 ; Kidney ; Liver ; Lung ; Macrophages, Peritoneal ; Mice ; Neuropeptides ; NF-kappa B* ; Nitric Oxide* ; Salmonella Infections* ; Salmonella typhimurium ; Salmonella* ; Sensory Receptor Cells ; Spleen ; Survival Rate ; Tachykinins ; Thymus Gland ; Transcription Factors

It has been known that the interconnection between the gervous, endocrine and immune system are largely mediated through regulatory soluble factors such as neruopeptides, cytokines and hormones. Capsaicin, the pungent principle of hot peppers, is a neurotoxin that affects primary sensory neurons of the C and A-b type and depletes primary sensory neurons (polymodal nociceptors) of neuropeptides like tachykinin. In this study capsaicin was used to explore the possible role of the neruons on the expression of cellular and humoral immune responses and TNF-a prodcution. Mice were pretreated with s.c. injections in the neck region with a single dose of 100 u,g of capsaicin per mouse before immunization. ...continue...
Anaphylaxis* ; Animals ; Capsaicin* ; Carcinogenesis* ; Cytokines ; Immune System ; Immunity, Humoral ; Immunization ; Mice* ; Neck ; Neuropeptides ; Sensory Receptor Cells ; Tachykinins