A basilar artery dissection (BAD) is an extremely rare disease. It can lead to hemorrhage or infarction involving the brain stem, and is often associated with grave outcome. However, little is known about the pathophysiology of BAD, and its proper managements are yet in controversy. Herein, we report on two rare cases of basilar artery dissection from strenuous physical effort; one from sexual intercourse and another from defecation. The treatment modalities and the outcomes are also discussed.
Basilar Artery* ; Brain Stem ; Coitus* ; Defecation* ; Hemorrhage ; Infarction* ; Physical Exertion* ; Rare Diseases

A basilar artery dissection (BAD) is an extremely rare disease. It can lead to hemorrhage or infarction involving the brain stem, and is often associated with grave outcome. However, little is known about the pathophysiology of BAD, and its proper managements are yet in controversy. Herein, we report on two rare cases of basilar artery dissection from strenuous physical effort; one from sexual intercourse and another from defecation. The treatment modalities and the outcomes are also discussed.
Basilar Artery* ; Brain Stem ; Coitus* ; Defecation* ; Hemorrhage ; Infarction* ; Physical Exertion* ; Rare Diseases

BACKGROUND: There are many rating scales for assessment of geriatrics. But each of these scales were not sufficient to evaluate comprehensive geriatric assessment, physical and psychologic efforts for care. METHODS: We developed new scales to comprehensive geriatric assessment for care of geriatric patients. The Geriatrics Physical Support Scale(GPSS) evaluates physical effort consists of 10 areas and the Geriatrics Global Support Scale(GGSS) evaluates general condition of patients consist of 6 areas. Eighty probable and possible AD patients received the Clinical Dementia Rating Rating Scale(CDR), Korearn version of Mini-Mental State Examination(K-MMSE), Barthel Activity of Daily Living Index(B-ADL) GPSS, GGSS. We tested internal consistency, correlation among dementia rating scales. RESULTS: The GPSS correlated to CDR -0.63(p<0.01), B-ADL -0.90(p<0.01) and the GGSS correlated to CDR -0.60(p<0.01), B-ADL -0.75(p<0.01). The internal consistency were 0.69(GGSS), 0.92(GPSS). CONCLUSION: The Geriatrics Global Support Scale evaluate general condition of patients and the Geriatrics Physical Support Scale evaluate physical efforts needed for care of geriatric patients. These scales an also brief and easy rating scales to grade degree of caregiver`s burden.
Dementia ; Geriatric Assessment ; Geriatrics* ; Humans ; Physical Exertion ; Reproducibility of Results* ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVETo assess the effect of oxidative stress in development of acute high altitude response (AHAR) during the process of strong physical work at high altitude and its change after return to lower altitude.

METHODSNinety-six officers and soldiers of rapid entering into high altitude (3 700 m) with strong physical work were analyzed, all subjects were male, aged 18-35 years. According to the symptomatic scores of AHAR were divided into 3 groups: severe AHAR (group A, n = 24), mild AHAR (group B, n = 47) and without AHAR (group C, n = 25). Levels in serum 8-iso prostaglandinF2alpha(8-iso-PGF2alpha), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malonaldehyde (MDA) were measured at higher altitude stayed 50 d and after return to lower altitude (1 500 m) 12 h and 15 d, and 50 healthy volunteers (group D) at 1 500 m altitude served as controll.

RESULTSLevels of serum 8-iso-PGF2alpha and MDA [(9.53 +/- 0.47) microg/L, (8.91 +/- 0.39) micromol/L] were significantly higher in group A than those in group B [(8.34 +/- 0.42) microg/L, (7.31 +/- 0.32) micromol/L] , group C [(7.02 +/- 0.48) microg/L, (6.41 +/- 0.23) micromol/L] and group D [(5.13 +/- 0.56) microg/L, (5.48 +/- 0.33) micromol/L], (all P < 0.01), and serum SOD [(52.08 +/- 3.44) micro/ml] was significantly lower in group A than that in group B [62.27 +/- 2.54) micro/ml], group C [(71.99 +/- 3.35) micro/ml] and group D [(80.78 +/- 3.44) micro/ ml] (all P < 0.01), there were significant differences between group B and C, C and D (all P < 0.01). At altitude 3 700 m 50 d, AHAR scores was positively correlated with serum 8-iso-PGF2alpha and MDA (all P < 0.01), negatively correlated with SOD (P < 0.01). Serum 8-iso-PGF2alpha and MDA were negatively correlated with SOD (all P < 0.01). Levels of serum 8-iso-PGF2alpha and MDA were significantly higher at altitude of 3 700 m 50 d than those at altitude of 1 500 m 12 h,15 d in group D (all P < 0.01), and serum SOD was significantly lower than that at 1 500 m 12 h,15 d in group D (all P < 0.01), there were significantly difference between at 1 500 m 12 h and 15 d (all P < 0.01), there were no difference between at 15 d in group D (all P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe more serious of oxidative stress and oxidative/antioxidative imbalance, the more serious of AHAR, oxidative stress and oxidative/antioxidative imbalance may be involved in the development of AHAR. The changes were obviously improved after return to lower altitude 12 h, and recovered to normal after 15 d.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Altitude ; Altitude Sickness ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Oxidative Stress ; physiology ; Physical Exertion ; physiology ; Young Adult

Animals ; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide ; physiology ; Heart ; physiology ; Male ; Physical Exertion ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Transient global amnesia (TGA) is characterized by abrupt onset temporary dysfunction of anterograde and retrograde amnesia without other neurologic deficits. We encountered a 53-year-old man who developed recurrent TGA while working in a hot and humid machinery room (33degrees C and 64% relative humidity). Heat exposure and physical exertion may facilitate the leakage of cytokines into the systemic circulation so as to cause a cerebral endothelial insult. Functional insufficiency of the hippocampus and its connections caused by physical and environmental factors may be related to recurrent attacks.
Amnesia, Retrograde ; Amnesia, Transient Global* ; Cytokines ; Hippocampus ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Physical Exertion

OBJECTIVE: Accumulating evidence suggests that inflammation plays a role in the pathophysiology of major depression. The adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-sensitive P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) plays a crucial role in microglial activation caused by inflammation. The dye brilliant blue G (BBG) is a P2X7R antagonist. This study examined whether BBG shows antidepressant effects in an inflammation-induced model of depression. METHODS: We examined the effects of BBG (12.5, 25, or 50 mg/kg) on serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels after administering the bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 0.5 mg/kg) and the effects of BBG (50 mg/kg) on depression-like behavior in the tail-suspension test (TST) and forced swimming test (FST). RESULTS: Pretreatment with BBG (12.5, 25, or 50 mg/kg) significantly blocked the increase in serum TNF-alpha levels after a single dose of LPS (0.5 mg/kg). Furthermore, BBG (50 mg/kg) significantly attenuated the increase in immobility time in the TST and FST after LPS (0.5 mg/kg) administration. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that BBG has anti-inflammatory and antidepressant effects in mice after LPS administration. Therefore, P2X7R antagonists are potential therapeutic drugs for inflammation-related major depression.
Adenosine Triphosphate ; Animals ; Depression ; Inflammation ; Mice* ; Physical Exertion ; Receptors, Purinergic P2X7 ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha*

OBJECTIVES: This pre-clinical study was performed to assess the effects of ethaverine in the two kinds of behavioral models of depression in rats. METHODS: We observed the changes of the immobility time in the forced swimming test and the quantity of sucrose consumed in the chronic mild stress model, using ethaverine(20mg/kg) alone, imipramine(20mg/kg) alone, or ethaverine and imipramine concomitantly. RESULTS: In the forced swimming test, both single treatment and chronic treatment(for 7 days) with imipramine or ethaverine significantly reduced the immobility time, and concomitant chronic treatment with ethaverine potentiated the effect of imipramine. In the chronic mild stress model, both imipramine and ethaverine reversed the decreased sucrose consumption induced by 3-week stress and concomitantly treated ethaverine potentiated the effect of imipramine in the early phase of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that ethaverine can be used alone or concomitantly with other anti-depressants in the clinical situation.
Animals* ; Calcium Channels* ; Calcium* ; Depression* ; Imipramine ; Models, Animal* ; Physical Exertion ; Rats ; Sucrose

Depression is one of the most common disease, but the pathophysiologic mechanism of depression remains elusive. To elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms of depression, animal models of depression have been developed, and these models were used successfully to predict the clinical efficacy of new antidepressant drugs. However, it is not likely that current animal models imitate all aspects of depression and are reliable, because we can not evaluate emotional state of rodents verbally and rodents have very different behavioral responses compared with ours. Despite these difficulties, understanding the benefits and limitations of animal models is very important for an advance in basic and clinical research of depression. The first part of the review evaluates animal models of depression in relation with stress that may contribute, in part, to development of depression: chronic mild stress, chronic unpredictable stress, maternal separation. The second part describes the most widely used animal models to screen for potential antidepressant: learned helplessness model and forced swimming test.
Animals* ; Antidepressive Agents* ; Depression ; Helplessness, Learned ; Mass Screening* ; Models, Animal* ; Physical Exertion ; Rodentia

Chronic mild stress (CMS) has been reported to induce an anhedonic-like state in mice that resembles some of the symptoms of human depression. In the present study, we used a chronic mild stress animal model of depression and anxiety to examine the responses of two strains of mice that have different behavioral responsiveness. An outbred ICR and an inbred C57BL/6 strain of mice were selected because they are widely used strains in behavioral tests. The results showed that the inbred C57BL/6 and outbred ICR mice were similarly responsive to CMS treatment in sucrose intake test (SIT) and open field test (OFT). However, the two strains showed quite different responses in forced swimming test (FST) and novelty-suppressed feeding (NSF) test after 3 weeks of CMS treatment. Only C57BL/6 mice displayed the depression- and anxiety-like behavioral effects in response to CMS treatment in FST and NSF test. Our results suggest that there are differences in responsiveness to CMS according to the different types of strain of mice and behavioral tests. Therefore, these results provide useful information for the selection of appropriate behavioral methods to test depression- and anxiety-like behaviors using CMS in ICR and C57BL/6 mice.
Animals ; Anxiety* ; Depression* ; Humans ; Mice* ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Models, Animal* ; Physical Exertion ; Sucrose