Clinical relevance of combined treatment with exercise in patients with chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled trial.

Low back pain is a widespread public health concern owing to its high prevalence rates according to the Global Burden of Diseases. This study aimed to investigate the effect of exercise alone or in combination with manual therapy and kinesiotherapy on pain sensitivity, disability, kinesiophobia, self-efficacy, and catastrophizing in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). A total of 55 participants were enrolled and randomly allocated to one of three groups: (1) exercise alone group (ET; n = 19), (2) exercise + manual therapy group (ETManual therapy; n = 18), and (3) exercise + kinesio tape group (ETkinesiotape; n = 18). The interventions consisted of core stabilization exercises (ET group), prior spinal manipulation with core exercises (ETManual therapy group), and combined application of kinesiotape plus core stabilization exercises (ETkinesiotape group). The primary outcome was disability. The secondary outcomes were pain sensitization, kinesiophobia, catastrophizing, and self-efficacy. Assessments were performed at baseline and at weeks 3, 6, and 12. All therapies applied achieved significant improvements over time after 12 weeks in all parameters analyzed. ETmanualtherapy showed the greatest changes in all variables, with significant differences from the rest of the interventions in Oswestry (ODI) (3 and 6 weeks, respectively). A clinically significant cutoff point was achieved for the ETmanualtherapy group in the ODI parameter (-54.71%, -63.16% and -87.70% at 3, 6, and 12 weeks, respectively). Manual therapy prior to the core exercise technique was the most effective approach to improve health-related functionality compared with exercise alone or exercise combined with kinesiotape in patients with CLBP.Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT05544890.

Evidence of oligodendrogliosis in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced Parkinsonism.

AIMS: Mice and nonhuman primates administered with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) represent elective experimental models of Parkinsonism, in which degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway is associated with prominent neuroinflammation, characterized by activated microglia and astrocytes in both substantia nigra (SN) and striatum. To date, it is unknown whether oligodendrocytes play a role in these events. METHODS: We performed a detailed qualitative and quantitative analysis of oligodendrocyte-associated changes induced by acute and chronic MPTP treatment, in the SN and striatum of mice and macaques respectively. Oligodendrocytes were immunolabelled by cell-specific markers and analysed by confocal microscopy. RESULTS: In both experimental models, MPTP treatment induces an increase in oligodendrocyte cell number and average size, as well as in the total area occupied by this cell type per tissue section, accompanied by evident morphological changes. This multifaceted array of changes, herein referred to as oligodendrogliosis, significantly correlates with the reduction in the level of dopaminergic innervation to the striatum. CONCLUSIONS: This event, associated with early damage of the dopaminergic neurone axons and of the complex striatal circuits of which they are part, may result in an important, although neglected, aspect in the onset and progression of Parkinsonism.

Sistemas de clasificación y predicción de riesgo de malignidad de las lesiones anexiales / Classification systems and prediction of risk of malignancy of the adnexal masses

El diagnóstico de una masa anexial es un problema frecuente en la consulta ginecológica. El principal objetivo de la evaluación de una masa anexial es el diagnóstico o exclusión de malignidad, dado que el cáncer de ovario es la neoplasia ginecológica más letal y que una cirugía inicial adecuada es uno de sus principales factores pronósticos. La evaluación ecográfica continúa siendo el mejor método para clasificar las masas anexiales. Si existe la sospecha de malignidad de la lesión, la paciente debe ser remitida a un centro especializado en ginecología oncológica. Sin embargo, si la sospecha es de benignidad, se puede optar por una actitud expectante o por un tratamiento quirúrgico conservador. El objetivo de este artículo es revisar los sistemas de clasificación de las lesiones anexiales más importantes y más ampliamente empleados, analizando su metodología y los resultados de su aplicación en los principales estudios de validación publicados hasta el momento

The diagnosis of an adnexal mass is a common problem in gynaecological consultation. The main objective of an adnexal mass evaluation is the diagnosis or exclusion of malignancy. This is the case because ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynaecological neoplasia and appropriate initial surgery is one of the main prognostic factors. Ultrasound scans continue to be the best method of classifying an adnexal mass. If there is any suspicion of a malignant tumour, the patient must be referred to a specialist gynaecological oncology centre. However, if there is any suspicion of a benign tumour, watchful waiting or minimally invasive surgery may be indicated. The objective of this article is to carry out a review of the most important and widely used classification systems of adnexal masses, analysing their methodology and the results of their application in the main validation studies published to date

IFN-γ signaling, with the synergistic contribution of TNF-α, mediates cell specific microglial and astroglial activation in experimental models of Parkinson's disease.

To through light on the mechanisms underlying the stimulation and persistence of glial cell activation in Parkinsonism, we investigate the function of IFN-γ and TNF-α in experimental models of Parkinson's disease and analyze their relation with local glial cell activation. It was found that IFN-γ and TNF-α remained higher over the years in the serum and CNS of chronic Parkinsonian macaques than in untreated animals, accompanied by sustained glial activation (microglia and astroglia) in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Importantly, Parkinsonian monkeys showed persistent and increasing levels of IFN-γR signaling in both microglial and astroglial cells. In addition, experiments performed in IFN-γ and TNF-α KO mice treated with MPTP revealed that, even before dopaminergic cell death can be observed, the presence of IFN-γ and TNF-α is crucial for microglial and astroglial activation, and, together, they have an important synergistic role. Both cytokines were necessary for the full level of activation to be attained in both microglial and astroglial cells. These results demonstrate that IFN-γ signaling, together with the contribution of TNF-α, have a critical and cell-specific role in stimulating and maintaining glial cell activation in Parkinsonism.

7-Nitroindazole down-regulates dopamine/DARPP-32 signaling in neostriatal neurons in a rat model of Parkinson's disease.

Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is involved in the regulation of diverse intracellular messenger systems in the brain. Nitric Oxide (NO) contributes to inducing signaling cascades that involve a complex pattern of phosphorylation of DARPP-32 (in Thr-34), which controls the phosphoproteins involved in neuronal activation. However, the role of NO in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease (PD) and its effect in striatal neurons have been scarcely explored. In the present work, we investigate the effects of a nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, 7-nitroindazole (7-NI) in the nigrostriatal pathway of striatal 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesioned rats. Our quantitative histological findings show that treatment with 7-NI significantly reduced 6-OHDA-induced dopaminergic damage in the dorsolateral striatum and Substantia Nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Moreover, 6-OHDA lesioned rats show a significant increase of nNOS(+) and Phospho-Thr34-DARPP-32(+) cells, accompanied by a consequent decrease of total DARPP-32(+) cells, which suggests an imbalance of NO activity in the DA-depleted striatum, which is also reflected in behavioral studies. Importantly, these effects are reverted in the group treated with 7-NI. These results show a clear link between the state of phosphorylation of DARPP-32 and parkinsonism, which is regulated by nNOS. This new evidence suggests a prominent role for nitric oxide in the neurotransmitter balance within the basal ganglia in the pathophysiology of experimental parkinsonism.

Nigral degeneration correlates with persistent activation of cerebellar Purkinje cells in MPTP-treated monkeys.

In the present work we analyze the cerebellum of chronic parkinsonian monkeys in order to clarify whether chronic mesencephalic depletion is associated with long term activation of the cerebellar neurons in chronic Parkinsonism. In our study, we observed a persistent activation of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum of chronic parkinsonian macaques, characterized by the expression of c-Fos, which correlated with dopaminergic degeneration. These results are compatible with the results observed in fMRI in Parkinson's disease patients, and may contribute to the understanding of additional alterations in the brain circuitry in Parkinsonism.

IFN-γ signaling, with the synergistic contribution of TNF-α, mediates cell specific microglial and astroglial activation in experimental models of Parkinson's disease.

To through light on the mechanisms underlying the stimulation and persistence of glial cell activation in Parkinsonism, we investigate the function of IFN-γ and TNF-α in experimental models of Parkinson's disease and analyze their relation with local glial cell activation. It was found that IFN-γ and TNF-α remained higher over the years in the serum and CNS of chronic Parkinsonian macaques than in untreated animals, accompanied by sustained glial activation (microglia and astroglia) in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Importantly, Parkinsonian monkeys showed persistent and increasing levels of IFN-γR signaling in both microglial and astroglial cells. In addition, experiments performed in IFN-γ and TNF-α KO mice treated with MPTP revealed that, even before dopaminergic cell death can be observed, the presence of IFN-γ and TNF-α is crucial for microglial and astroglial activation, and, together, they have an important synergistic role. Both cytokines were necessary for the full level of activation to be attained in both microglial and astroglial cells. These results demonstrate that IFN-γ signaling, together with the contribution of TNF-α, have a critical and cell-specific role in stimulating and maintaining glial cell activation in Parkinsonism.

MPTP administration increases plasma levels of acute phase proteins in non-human primates (Macaca fascicularis).

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the Substantia Nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Parkinsonian patients and animal models of PD show inflammatory phenomena such as microglial activation and cytokine production that could modulate the progression of the disease, since they play a crucial role in the degenerative process. Since acute phase proteins (APPs) are involved in a number of homeostatic alterations and inflammatory processes, we analyzed the levels of APPs in primates before and after treatment with MPTP. A significant increase in C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A (SAA) and haptoglobin (HP) levels after MPTP treatment. These results demonstrate that MPTP induces a systemic generalized inflammatory reaction after specific dopaminergic neurotoxicity insult, suggesting that the inflammatory process in Parkinsonism may affect other immune-inflammatory responses outside the brain.