Electroacupuncture decreases inflammatory pain through a pro-resolving mechanism involving the peripheral annexin A1-formyl peptide receptor 2/ALX-opioid receptor pathway.

The pro-resolving mechanism is a recently described endogenous process that controls inflammation. The present study evaluated components of this mechanism, including annexin 1 (ANXA1) and the formyl peptide receptor 2/ALX (FPR2/ALX) receptor, in the antihyperalgesic effect induced by electroacupuncture (EA) in an animal model of persistent peripheral inflammation. Male Swiss mice underwent intraplantar (i.pl.) injection with complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). Mechanical hyperalgesia was assessed with von Frey monofilaments. Animals were treated with EA (2-10 Hz, ST36-SP6) or subcutaneous BML-111 injection (FPR2/ALX agonist) for 5 consecutive days. In a separate set of experiments, on the first and fifth days after CFA injection, animals received i.pl. WRW4 (FPR2/ALX antagonist) or naloxone (non-selective opioid receptor antagonist) before EA or BML-111 injection. Paw protein levels of FPR2/ALX and ANXA1 were evaluated on the second day after CFA injection by western blotting technique. EA and BML-111 reduced mechanical hyperalgesia. I.pl. naloxone or WRW4 prevented the antihyperalgesic effect induced by either EA or BML-111. EA increased ANXA1 but did not alter FPR2/ALX receptor levels in the paw. Furthermore, i.pl. pretreatment with WRW4 prevented the increase of ANXA1 levels induced by EA. This work demonstrates that the EA antihyperalgesic effect on inflammatory pain involves the ANXA1/FPR2/ALX pro-resolution pathway. This effect appears to be triggered by the activation of FPR2/ALX receptors and crosstalk communication with the opioid system.

Aerobic exercise ameliorates survival, clinical score, lung inflammation, DNA and protein damage in septic mice.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Sepsis is a potentially deadly organic dysfunction, and one of the main causes of mortality in intensive care units (ICU). Aerobic exercise (AE) is a preventive intervention in the establishment of inflammatory conditions, such as chronic lung diseases, but its effects on sepsis remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of AE on health condition, mortality, inflammation, and oxidative damage in an experimental model of pneumosepsis induced by Klebsiella pneumoniae (K.p). METHODS: Animals were randomly allocated to Control; Exercise (EXE); Pneumosepsis (PS) or Exercise + Pneumosepsis (EPS) groups. Exercised animals were submitted to treadmill exercise for 2 weeks, 30 min/day, prior to pneumosepsis induced by K.p tracheal instillation. RESULTS: PS produced a striking decrease in the health condition leading to massive death (85%). AE protected mice, as evidenced by better clinical scores and increased survival (70%). AE alleviated sickness behavior in EPS mice as evaluated in the open field test, and inflammation (nitrite + nitrate, TNF-α and IL-1ß levels) in broncoalveolar fluid. Catalase activity, oxidative damage to proteins and DNA was increased by sepsis and prevented by exercise. CONCLUSION: Overall, the beneficial effects of exercise in septic animals encompassed a markedly improved clinical score and decreased mortality, along with lower inflammation markers, less DNA and protein damage, as well as preserved antioxidant enzyme activity. Neural network risk analysis revealed exercise had a considerable effect on the overall health condition of septic mice.

Role of the endocannabinoid system on the antihyperalgesic action of gabapentin in animal model of neuropathic pain induced by partial sciatic nerve ligation.

Gabapentin has antihyperalgesic action, decreasing central sensitization in neuropathic pain models; this effect depends on the mobilization of endogenous pain control pathways. This study aims to investigate the contribution of the endocannabinoid system to the antihyperalgesic action of gabapentin. Mus musculus Swiss, male, were submitted to PSL. On the 7th and 14th days post PSL, different groups were treated with CB1 receptor antagonist, AM281 via i.t. (2 µg/5 µl) or i.pl. (10 µg/20 µl) or CB2, AM630 via i.t. (5 µL i.t.) or (20 µL i.p.) and 15 min after gabapentin (30 mg / kg orally). Mechanical hyperalgesia was measured by the frequency of paw removal by the von Frey monofilament. Gabapentin demonstrated antihypernociceptive action, which was attenuated in animals pretreated with AM281 in both the i.t. and i.pl routes on the 7th and 14th days, differently from animals pretreated with AM630 that did not achieve a significant reduction with administration i.t. only on the 14th day with administration i.pl. The results show that endocannabinoid system contributes to the antihyperalgesic action of gabapetin in neuropathic pain by PSL, suggesting participation in the medullary and peripheral levels of CB1 receptors, and the peripheral performance of CB2 receptors.

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type I: Evidence for the CB1 and CB2 Receptors Immunocontent and Beneficial Effect of Local Administration of Cannabidiol in Mice.

Introduction: Complex regional pain syndrome type I (CRPS-I) is a debilitating neuropathic painful condition associated with allodynia, hyperalgesia, sudomotor and/or vasomotor dysfunctions, turning investigation of its pathophysiology and new therapeutic strategies into an essential topic. We aim to investigate the impact of ischemia/reperfusion injury on the immunocontent of CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptor isoforms in the paws of mice submitted to a chronic postischemia pain (CPIP) model and the effects of local administration of cannabidiol (CBD) on mechanical hyperalgesia. Methods: Female Swiss mice, 30-35 g, were submitted to the CPIP model on the right hind paw. Skin and muscle samples were removed at different periods for western blot analysis. Results: No changes in the immunocontent of CB1 and CB2 receptors in paw muscle tissues after ischemia-reperfusion were observed. CBD promoted an antihyperalgesic effect in both phases. AM281 reversed the effect of CBD, whereas ruthenium red abolished the late phase. Conclusion: Our results point to the possible beneficial effects of local administration of CBD in modulating CRPS-I in humans. As possible targets for CBD antihyperalgesia in this model, the contribution of cannabinoid receptor CB1, in addition to TRPM8 is suggested.

Electrical Stimulation of the Auricular Branch Vagus Nerve Using Random and Alternating Frequencies Triggers a Rapid Onset and Pronounced Antihyperalgesia via Peripheral Annexin A1-Formyl Peptide Receptor 2/ALX Pathway in a Mouse Model of Persistent Inflammatory Pain.

This study evaluated the antihyperalgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of percutaneous vagus nerve electrical stimulation (pVNS) by comparing the effects of alternating and random frequencies in an animal model of persistent inflammatory hyperalgesia. The model was induced by Freund's complete adjuvant (CFA) intraplantar (i.pl.) injection. Mice were treated with different protocols of time (10, 20, or 30 min), ear laterality (right, left or both), and frequency (alternating or random). Mechanical hyperalgesia was evaluated, and some groups received i.pl. WRW4 (FPR2/ALX antagonist) to determine the involvement. Edema, paw surface temperature, and spontaneous locomotor activity were evaluated. Interleukin-1ß, IL-6, IL-10, and IL4 levels were verified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. AnxA1, FPR2/ALX, neutrophil, M1 and M2 phenotype macrophage, and apoptotic cells markers were identified using western blotting. The antihyperalgesic effect pVNS with alternating and random frequency effect is depending on the type of frequency, time, and ear treated. The pVNS random frequency in the left ear for 10 min had a longer lasting antihyperalgesic effect, superior to classical stimulation using alternating frequency and the FPR2/ALX receptor was involved in this effect. There was a reduction in the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and an increase in the immunocontent of AnxA1 and CD86 in mice paw. pVNS with a random frequency in the left ear for 10 min showed to be optimal for inducing an antihyperalgesic effect. Thus, the random frequency was more effective than the alternating frequency. Therefore, pVNS may be an important adjunctive treatment for persistent inflammatory pain.

Evaluation of the effect of tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene polymorphism on the risk of peri-implantitis: a case-control study.

PURPOSE: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) is a proinflammatory cytokine, which promotes bone resorption and mediates the inflammatory response to infection. Because implant failures appear to cluster in subsets of individuals, this phenomenon may be related to gene polymorphisms. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between a specific polymorphism in the TNFalpha gene (allele 2 of TNFalpha(-308)) and peri-implantitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This case-control study included Caucasian nonsmoking Brazilian patients with implant-supported restorations. Oral epithelial cells were taken from patients with and without peri-implantitis to evaluate the frequencies of different alleles of the TNFalpha(-308) gene by polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Ninety patients (49 with peri-implantitis and 41 with healthy implants) were enrolled in this study. Polymorphism in allele 2 of TNFalpha(-308) was not associated with an increased risk for peri-implantitis (P = .8171), although 14.63% of the subjects in the control group carried allele 2 and 19.39% in the peri-implantitis group carried allele 2 (chi-squared = 0.708; P = .5202). CONCLUSION: Polymorphism of the TNFalpha(-308) gene was not associated with an increased risk of peri-implantitis in the population evaluated in this study.

Late Brain Involvement after Neonatal Immune Activation.

The neonatal immune system is still immature, which makes it more susceptible to the infectious agents. Neonatal immune activation is associated with increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier, causing an inflammatory cascade in the CNS and altering behavioral and neurochemical parameters. One of the hypotheses that has been studied is that neuroinflammation may be involved in neurodegenerative processes, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). We evaluate visuospatial memory, cytokines levels, and the expression of tau and GSK-3ß proteins in hippocampus and cortex of animals exposed to neonatal endotoxemia. C57BL/6 mice aging two days received a single injection of subcutaneous lipopolysaccharide (LPS). At 60,120, and 180 days of age, visual-spatial memory was evaluated and the hippocampus and cortex were dissected to evaluate the cytokines levels and expression of tau and GSK-3ß proteins. The animals exposed to LPS in the neonatal period present with visuospatial memory impairment at 120 and 180 days of age. Here there was an increase of TNF-α and IL-1ß levels in the hippocampus and cortex only at 60 days of age. Here there was an increase in the expression of GSK-3ß in hippocampus of the animals at 60, 120, and 180 days of age. In the cortex, this increase occurred in the 120 and 180 days of age. Tau protein expression was high in hippocampus and cortex at 120 days of age and in hippocampus at 180 days of age. The data observed show that neonatal immune activation may be associated with visuospatial memory impairment, neuroinflammation, and increased expression of GSK-3ß and Tau proteins in the long term.

Human papillomavirus-16 prevalence in gingival tissue and its association with periodontal destruction: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV)-16 is detected in normal oral mucosa and several oral lesions, including squamous cell carcinoma, condyloma acuminatum, verruca vulgaris, focal epithelial hyperplasia, and periodontal diseases. It was hypothesized that HPV may be involved in periodontal breakdown and that periodontal tissue acts as a reservoir for the virus. Therefore, in this study, the prevalence of HPV-16 in the gingival tissue of Brazilians with periodontal health or disease is investigated. METHODS: Fifty-six gingival samples from subjects with chronic periodontitis, 26 samples from subjects with gingivitis, and 22 samples from subjects with healthy peridontium were analyzed. Total DNA was extracted, and the presence of HPV-16 was assessed using a real-time polymerase chain reaction. Positive and negative controls were included in the reactions. RESULTS: HPV-16 was not detected in any of the 104 gingival samples evaluated; therefore, this virus showed no association with periodontal disease in this study. CONCLUSION: In the population studied, HPV-16 may not have participated in the pathogenesis of chronic periodontitis, and the gingival tissue did not act as a reservoir for this virus.