Gasserian ganglion stimulation for refractory trigeminal neuropathic pain.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Painful trigeminal neuropathy is a complex clinical entity due to its severity and refractoriness to pharmacological and interventional management. We describe our experience in treating refractory painful trigeminal neuropathy (RPTN) with gasserian ganglion stimulation (GGS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six patients with RPTN were treated with GGS in our Unit between 2019 and 2022. The following data were collected: socio-demographic characteristics, triggering event, duration of the disease and treatment received prior to surgery, pre- and post-intervention visual analogue scale (VAS) score, follow-up time, and pre- and post-intervention functionality and quality of life. RESULTS: All patients were women who had received aggressive first-, second-, and third-line pharmacological, non-pharmacological, and interventional management before being referred for GGS. Patients reported a 50%-72% decrease in pain on VAS and improved functionality during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: GGS is a promising therapeutic alternative for patients with RPTN. Although the initial outcomes and experience are encouraging, RPTN is recommended on the basis of safety, reproducibility, and trends observed in clinical practice.

Genomic breed composition of pure registered Brazilian Gir.

INTRODUCTION: Gir is a Bos indicus breed originally from India, first imported to Brazil in 1850. High-performance Dairy Gir has been systematically selected in Brazil from its arrival. Since the major phenotypic difference between Gir in India and Brazil is a higher milk production in the former, it is speculated that Brazilian Gir was strategically crossed with Holstein or another Bos taurus to improve milk yield. This study evaluated the purity of Brazilian Gir breed stocks from BASA Farms in Brazil, trying to identify possible admixture events with other cattle breeds based on DNA analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The population included 1061 pure registered individuals genotyped using two commercial platforms with 37 k and 25 k SNPs. Admixture analysis was performed individually to estimate levels of genomic composition derived from six different reference populations, three indicine and three taurine breeds. RESULTS: A Gir ancestry of 99% or higher was found for 94.2% of the population, while the remaining showed levels of non-Gir ancestry up to 6.8%. Only five individuals were identified with possible taurine ancestry, all of them exhibiting levels lower than 2%. The remaining non-Gir ancestry identified was derived from indicine breeds. The levels of admixture observed in the population were from low to non-detectable. No consistent patterns of admixture were observed indicating sustained introgression of taurine lines as means of genetic improvement. CONCLUSION: According to these results, genetic improvement achieved by Brazilian Gir breeders is the result of within-breed selection methods applied intensively over the past five decades, rather than the result from sustained introgression.

Bos taurus haplotypes segregating in Nellore (Bos indicus) cattle.

Brazil is the largest exporter of beef in the world, and most of that beef derives from Nellore cattle. Although considered a zebu breed (Bos indicus), the history of Nellore cattle in Brazil is marked by the importation of bulls from India, the use of a Creole taurine (Bos taurus) maternal lineage to quickly expand the herds and backcrossing to Nellore bulls to recover zebu ancestry. As a consequence, the current Brazilian Nellore population carries an average taurine ancestry of approximately 1%. Although that percentage seems small, some taurine variants deviate substantially from that average, with the better-known cases being the PLAG1-Q haplotype involved with body size variation and the Guarani (PG ) polled variant producing hornless animals. Here, we report taurine haplotypes in 9074 Nellore animals genotyped for 539 657 imputed SNP markers. Apart from PLAG1-Q and PG , our analysis further revealed common taurine haplotypes (>3%) spanning genes related to immunity, growth, reproduction and hair and skin phenotypes. Using data from 22 economically important traits, we showed that many of the major QTL previously reported in the breed are at least partially driven by taurine haplotypes. As B. taurus and B. indicus haplotypes are highly divergent, presenting widely different sets of functional variants, our results provide promising targets for future scrutiny in Nellore cattle.

Association of missense variants in GDF9 with litter size in Entlebucher Mountain dogs.

In the past two decades, average litter size (ALS) in Entlebucher Mountain dogs decreased by approximately 0.8 puppies. We conducted a GWAS for ALS using the single-step methodology to take advantage of 1632 pedigree records, 892 phenotypes and 372 genotypes (173 662 markers) for which only 12% of the dogs had both phenotypes and genotypes available. Our analysis revealed associations towards the growth differentiation factor 9 gene (GDF9), which is known to regulate oocyte maturation. The trait heritability was estimated at 43.1%, from which approximately 15% was accountable by the GDF9 locus alone. Therefore, markers flanking GDF9 explained approximately 6.5% of the variance in ALS. Analysis of WGSs revealed two missense substitutions in GDF9, one of which (g.11:21147009G>A) affected a highly conserved nucleotide in vertebrates. The derived allele A was validated in 111 dogs and shown to be associated with decreased ALS (-0.75 ± 0.22 puppies per litter). The variant was further predicted to cause a proline to serine substitution. The affected residue was immediately followed by a six-residue deletion that is fixed in the canine species but absent in non-canids. We further confirmed that the deletion is prevalent in the Canidae family by sequencing three species of wild canids. Since canids uniquely ovulate oocytes at the prophase stage of the first meiotic division, requiring maturation in the oviduct, we conjecture that the amino acid substitution and the six-residue deletion of GDF9 may serve as a model for insights into the dynamics of oocyte maturation in canids.

Genomic clues of the evolutionary history of Bos indicus cattle.

Together with their sister subspecies Bos taurus, zebu cattle (Bos indicus) have contributed to important socioeconomic changes that have shaped modern civilizations. Zebu cattle were domesticated in the Indus Valley 8000 years before present (YBP). From the domestication site, they expanded to Africa, East Asia, southwestern Asia and Europe between 4000 and 1300 YBP, intercrossing with B. taurus to form clinal variations of zebu ancestry across the landmass of Afro-Eurasia. In the past 150 years, zebu cattle reached the Americas and Oceania, where they have contributed to the prosperity of emerging economies. The zebu genome is characterized by two mitochondrial haplogroups (I1 and I2), one Y chromosome haplogroup (Y3) and three major autosomal ancestral groups (Indian-Pakistani, African and Chinese). Phenotypically, zebu animals are recognized by their hump, large ears and excess skin. They are rustic, resilient to parasites and capable of bearing the hot and humid climates of the tropics. Many resources are available to study the zebu genome, including commercial arrays of SNP, reference assemblies and publicly available genotypes and whole-genome sequences. Nevertheless, many of these resources were initially developed to support research and subsidize industrial applications in B. taurus, and therefore they can produce bias in data analysis. The combination of genomics with precision agriculture holds great promise for the identification of genetic variants affecting economically important traits such as tick resistance and heat tolerance, which were naturally selected for millennia and played a major role in the evolution of B. indicus cattle.

Mannheimia haemolytica OmpP2-like is an amyloid-like protein, forms filaments, takes part in cell adhesion and is part of biofilms.

Mannheimia haemolytica causes respiratory disease in cattle. Amyloid proteins are a major component of biofilms; they aid in adhesion and confer resistance against several environmental insults. The amyloid protein curli is highly resistant to protease digestion and physical and chemical denaturation and binds Congo red (CR) dye. The purpose of this study was to characterize an approximately 50-kDa CR-binding amyloid-like protein (ALP) expressed by M. haemolytica. This protein resisted boiling and formic acid digestion and was recognized by a polyclonal anti-Escherichia coli curli serum, suggesting its relationship with amyloid proteins. Immunolabeling and transmission electron microscopy showed that antibodies bound long, thin fibers attached to the bacterial surface. Mass spectrometry analysis indicated that these fibers are M. haemolytica OmpP2-like proteins. The purified protein formed filaments in vitro, and antiserum against it reacted positively with biofilms. An in silico analysis of its amino acid sequence indicated it has auto-aggregation properties and eight amyloid peptides. Rabbit polyclonal antibodies generated against this ALP diminished the adhesion of ATCC 31612 and BA1 M. haemolytica strains to A549 human epithelial cells, indicating its participation in cell adhesion. ALP expressed by M. haemolytica may be important in its pathogenicity and ability to form biofilms.

The ever-evolving role of pathologists in the management of breast cancer with neoadjuvant treatment: recommendations based on the Spanish clinical experience.

PURPOSE: To compare the current international standards for neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NAST) protocols, and establish consensus recommendations by Spanish breast pathologists; and to look into the Spanish reality of defining pathological complete response in daily practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A modified Delphi technique was used to gain consensus among a panel of 46 experts with regard to important issues about NAST specimens, with the objective of standardize handling and analysis of these breast cancer specimens. In addition, a survey was conducted among 174 pathologists to explore the Spanish reality of post-NAST breast cancer specimens handling. RESULTS: Our survey shows that pathologists in Spain follow the same guidelines as their international colleagues and face the same problems and controversies. Among the experts, 94.1% agreed on the recommendation for a pre-treatment evaluation with a core needle biopsy, and 100% of experts agreed on the need of having properly indicated information for the post-NAST surgical specimens. However, only 82.7% of them receive properly labelled specimens and even less receive specimens where markers are identified and the degree of clinical/radiological response is mentioned. Among participants 59.9% were familiar with the residual cancer burden system for post-NAST response quantification, but only 16.1% used it regularly. CONCLUSIONS: Active participation on breast cancer multidisciplinary teams, optimal usage of core needle biopsy for timely and standardized procedures for the diagnostic analysis, and accurate diagnosis of pathological complete response and complete evaluation of the response to NAST need to become the standard practice when handling breast cancer specimens in Spain.

Dietary fat modulation of hepatic lipase variant -514 C/T for lipids: a crossover randomized dietary intervention trial in Caribbean Hispanics.

The hepatic lipase (LIPC) locus is a well-established determinant of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations, an association that is modified by dietary fat in observational studies. Dietary interventions are lacking. We investigated dietary modulation of LIPC rs1800588 (-514 C/T) for lipids and glucose using a randomized crossover design comparing a high-fat Western diet and a low-fat traditional Hispanic diet in individuals of Caribbean Hispanic descent (n = 42, 4 wk/phase). No significant gene-diet interactions were observed for HDL-C. However, differences in dietary response according to LIPC genotype were observed. In major allele carriers (CC/CT), HDL-C (mmol/l) was higher following the Western diet compared with the Hispanic diet: phase 1 (Western: 1.3 ± 0.03; Hispanic: 1.1 ± 0.04; P = 0.0004); phase 2 (Western: 1.4 ± 0.03; Hispanic: 1.2 ± 0.03; P = 0.0003). In contrast, HDL-C in TT individuals did not differ by diet. Only major allele carriers benefited from the higher-fat diet for HDL-C. Secondarily, we explored dietary fat quality and rs1800588 for HDL-C and triglycerides (TG) in a Boston Puerto Rican Health Study (BPRHS) subset matched for diabetes and obesity status (subset n = 384). In the BPRHS, saturated fat was unfavorably associated with HDL-C and TG in rs1800588 TT carriers. LIPC rs1800588 appears to modify plasma lipids in the context of dietary fat. This new evidence of genetic modulation of dietary responses may inform optimal and personalized dietary fat advice and reinforces the importance of studying genetic markers in diet and cardiometabolic health.

Accuracy of genomic predictions in Gyr (Bos indicus) dairy cattle.

Genomic selection may accelerate genetic progress in breeding programs of indicine breeds when compared with traditional selection methods. We present results of genomic predictions in Gyr (Bos indicus) dairy cattle of Brazil for milk yield (MY), fat yield (FY), protein yield (PY), and age at first calving using information from bulls and cows. Four different single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chips were studied. Additionally, the effect of the use of imputed data on genomic prediction accuracy was studied. A total of 474 bulls and 1,688 cows were genotyped with the Illumina BovineHD (HD; San Diego, CA) and BovineSNP50 (50K) chip, respectively. Genotypes of cows were imputed to HD using FImpute v2.2. After quality check of data, 496,606 markers remained. The HD markers present on the GeneSeek SGGP-20Ki (15,727; Lincoln, NE), 50K (22,152), and GeneSeek GGP-75Ki (65,018) were subset and used to assess the effect of lower SNP density on accuracy of prediction. Deregressed breeding values were used as pseudophenotypes for model training. Data were split into reference and validation to mimic a forward prediction scheme. The reference population consisted of animals whose birth year was ≤2004 and consisted of either only bulls (TR1) or a combination of bulls and dams (TR2), whereas the validation set consisted of younger bulls (born after 2004). Genomic BLUP was used to estimate genomic breeding values (GEBV) and reliability of GEBV (R2PEV) was based on the prediction error variance approach. Reliability of GEBV ranged from ∼0.46 (FY and PY) to 0.56 (MY) with TR1 and from 0.51 (PY) to 0.65 (MY) with TR2. When averaged across all traits, R2PEV were substantially higher (R2PEV of TR1 = 0.50 and TR2 = 0.57) compared with reliabilities of parent averages (0.35) computed from pedigree data and based on diagonals of the coefficient matrix (prediction error variance approach). Reliability was similar for all the 4 marker panels using either TR1 or TR2, except that imputed HD cow data set led to an inflation of reliability. Reliability of GEBV could be increased by enlarging the limited bull reference population with cow information. A reduced panel of ∼15K markers resulted in reliabilities similar to using HD markers. Reliability of GEBV could be increased by enlarging the limited bull reference population with cow information.

Study on frequency of dental developmental alterations in a Mexican school-based population.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to know the distribution of dental developmental alterations in the population requesting stomatological attention at the Admission and Diagnosis Clinic of our institution in Mexico City. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We reviewed the archives and selected those files with developmental dental alterations. Analyzed data were diagnoses, age, gender, location and number of involved teeth. RESULTS: Of the 3.522 patients reviewed, 179 (5.1%) harbored 394 developmental dental alterations. Of them, 45.2% were males and 54.8% were females with a mean age of 16.7 years. The most common were supernumeraries, dental agenesia and dilaceration. Adults were 30.7% of the patients with dental developmental alterations. In them, the most common lesions were agenesia and supernumeraries. Mesiodens was the most frequently found supernumerary teeth (14.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Our finding that 30.7% of the affected patients were adults is an undescribed and unusually high proportion of patients that have implications on planning and prognosis of their stomatological treatment.

Genome wide association study on early puberty in Bos indicus.

The aim of this study was to evaluate a genome wide association study (GWAS) approach to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with fertility traits (early puberty) in Nellore cattle (Bos indicus). Fifty-five Nellore cows were selected from a herd monitored for early puberty onset (positive pregnancy at 18 months of age). Extremes of this phenotype were selected; 30 and 25 individuals were pregnant and non-pregnant, respectively, at that age. DNA samples were genotyped using a high-density SNP chip (>777.000 SNP). GWAS using a case-control strategy highlighted a number of significant markers based on their proximity with the Bonferroni correction line. Results indicated that chromosomes 5, 6, 9, 10, and 22 were associated with the traits of interest. The most significant SNPs on these chromosomes were rs133039577, rs110013280, rs134702839, rs109551605, and rs41639155. Candidate genes, as well as quantitative trait loci (QTL) previously reported in the Ensembl and Cattle QTLdb databases, were further investigated. Analysis of the regions close to the SNP on chromosomes 9 and 10 revealed that four QTL had been previously classified under the reproduction category. In conclusion, we have identified SNPs in close proximity to genes associated with reproductive traits. Moreover, U6 spliceosomal RNA was present on three different chromosomes, which is possibly associated with age at first calving, suggesting that it might be a strong candidate for future studies.

Identification of a Hemagglutinin from Gallibacterium anatis.

Gallibacterium anatis has the ability to hemagglutinate rabbit erythrocytes; however, no bacterial component has yet been associated with this function. In the present work, a protein of approximately 65 kDa with hemagglutinating activity for glutaraldehyde-fixed chicken erythrocytes was purified by ion interchange chromatography from G. anatis F149(T) secreted proteins. The protein was recognized by a rabbit polyclonal serum against a hemagglutinin from Avibacterium paragallinarum. The 65 kDa purified protein presented identity with a G. anatis filamentous hemagglutinin by mass spectrometric analysis. As well, the bacterial surface of G. anatis was labeled by immune gold assays using a polyclonal serum against the 65-kDa protein. A similar protein was recognized in four other G. anatis strains by immunoblots using the same antiserum. The protein binds sheep or pig biotinylated fibrinogen, suggesting an interaction with basement membrane eukaryotic cells components, and the protein is present in G. anatis biofilms. Overall, the results suggest that the 65 kDa hemagglutinin is a common antigen and a potential virulence factor in G. anatis.

Genome-wide association with residual body weight gain in Bos indicus cattle.

Weight gain is a key performance trait for beef cat-tle; however, attention should be given to the production costs for better profitability. Therefore, a feed efficiency trait based on per-formance can be an interesting approach to improve performance without increasing food costs. To identify candidate genes and ge-nomic regions associated with residual body weight gain (RWG), we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) with 720 Nellore cattle using the GRAMMAR-Gamma association test. We identified 30 significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), especially on chromosomes 2, 8, 12, and 17. Several genes and quantitative train loci (QTLs) present in the regions identified were appointed; we highlight DMRT2 (doublesex and mab-3 related tran-scription factor 2), IFFO2 (intermediate filament family orphan 2), LNX2 (ligand of numb-protein X 2), MTIF3 (mitochondrial transla-tional initiation factor 3), and TRNAG-CCC (transfer RNA glycine anticodon CCC). The metabolic pathways that can explain part of the phenotypic variation in RWG are related to oxidative stress and muscle control.

A genomewide association mapping study using ultrasound-scanned information identifies potential genomic regions and candidate genes affecting carcass traits in Nellore cattle.

The aim of this study was to identify candidate genes and genomic regions associated with ultrasound-derived measurements of the rib-eye area (REA), backfat thickness (BFT) and rumpfat thickness (RFT) in Nellore cattle. Data from 640 Nellore steers and young bulls with genotypes for 290 863 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used for genomewide association mapping. Significant SNP associations were explored to find possible candidate genes related to physiological processes. Several of the significant markers detected were mapped onto functional candidate genes including ARFGAP3, CLSTN2 and DPYD for REA; OSBPL3 and SUDS3 for BFT; and RARRES1 and VEPH1 for RFT. The physiological pathway related to lipid metabolism (CLSTN2, OSBPL3, RARRES1 and VEPH1) was identified. The significant markers within previously reported QTLs reinforce the importance of the genomic regions, and the other loci offer candidate genes that have not been related to carcass traits in previous investigations.

Genome-wide association study for feedlot average daily gain in Nellore cattle (Bos indicus).

The genome-wide association study (GWAS) results are presented for average daily gain (ADG) in Nellore cattle. Phenotype of 720 male Bos indicus animals with information of ADG in feedlots and 354,147 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) obtained from a database added by information from Illumina Bovine HD (777,962 SNPs) and Illumina BovineSNP50 (54,609) by imputation were used. After quality control and imputation, 290,620 SNPs remained in the association analysis, using R package Genome-wide Rapid Association using Mixed Model and Regression method GRAMMAR-Gamma. A genomic region with six significant SNPs, at Bonferroni-corrected significance, was found on chromosome 3. The most significant SNP (rs42518459, BTA3: 85849977, p = 9.49 × 10(-8)) explained 5.62% of the phenotypic variance and had the allele substitution effect of -0.269 kg/day. Important genes such as PDE4B, LEPR, CYP2J2 and FGGY are located near this region, which is overlapped by 12 quantitative trait locus (QTLs) described for several production traits. Other regions with markers with suggestive effects were identified in BTA6 and BTA10. This study showed regions with major effects on ADG in Bos indicus in feedlots. This information may be useful to increase the efficiency of selecting this trait and to understand the physiological processes involved in its regulation.

Genomic selection and assisted reproduction technologies to foster cattle breeding

Genomics has been propagated as a “paradigm shifting” innovation in livestock during the last decade. The possibility of predicting breeding values using genomic information has revolutionized the dairy cattle industry and is now being implemented in beef cattle. In this paper we discuss how genomics is changing cattle breeding through genomic selection, and how this change is creating new ways to articulate assisted reproduction technologies with animal breeding. We also debate that the scientific community is still starting the long journey to reveal the functional aspects of the cattle genome, and that knowledge in this field is the frontier to a whole new venue for the development of novel applications in the livestock sector.(AU)

Genomic selection and assisted reproduction technologies to foster cattle breeding

Genomics has been propagated as a “paradigm shifting” innovation in livestock during the last decade. The possibility of predicting breeding values using genomic information has revolutionized the dairy cattle industry and is now being implemented in beef cattle. In this paper we discuss how genomics is changing cattle breeding through genomic selection, and how this change is creating new ways to articulate assisted reproduction technologies with animal breeding. We also debate that the scientific community is still starting the long journey to reveal the functional aspects of the cattle genome, and that knowledge in this field is the frontier to a whole new venue for the development of novel applications in the livestock sector.

Pharmacokinetics of anti-tuberculosis drugs in Venezuelan children younger than 16 years of age: supportive evidence for the implementation of revised WHO dosing recommendations.

OBJECTIVES: The World Health Organization (WHO) recently issued revised first-line antituberculosis (anti-TB) drug dose recommendations for children, with dose increases proposed for each drug. No pharmacokinetic data are available from South American children. We examined the need for implementation of these revised guidelines in Venezuela. METHODS: Plasma isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol concentrations were assessed prior to and at 2, 4 and 8 h after intake of TB drugs by 30 TB patients aged 1-15 years. The effects of dose in mg/kg, age, sex, body weight, malnutrition and acetylator phenotype on maximum plasma drug concentrations (Cmax) and exposure (AUC0-24) were determined. RESULTS: 25 patients (83%) had an isoniazid Cmax below 3 mg/l and 23 patients (77%) had a rifampicin Cmax below 8 mg/l. One patient (3%) had a pyrazinamide Cmax below 20 mg/l. The low number of patients on ethambutol (n = 5) precluded firm conclusions. Cmax and AUC0-24 of all four drugs were significantly and positively correlated with age and body weight. Patients aged 1-4 years had significantly lower Cmax and AUC0-24 values for isoniazid and rifampicin and a trend to lower values for pyrazinamide compared to those aged 5-15 years. The geometric mean AUC0-24 for isoniazid was much lower in fast acetylators than in slow acetylators (5.2 vs. 12.0, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: We provide supportive evidence for the implementation of the revised WHO pediatric TB drug dose recommendations in Venezuela. Follow-up studies are needed to describe the corresponding plasma levels that are achieved by the recommended increased doses of TB drugs.

Pathological findings in a sample of Mexican pediatric patients. Clinical and radiographic survey.

AIM: The findings of a clinical-radiological review of 467 children attending the Oral Diagnosis Clinic of the Facultad de Odontología, UNAM, Mexico, are presented. METHODS: All patients were clinically reviewed, clinical history was taken, and an orthopantomogram obtained by last year dentistry students. Patients and radiographs were then reviewed by the panel and all alterations in teeth, soft tissues and bone were recorded. RESULTS: Clinical and/or radiographic alterations were found in 132 (28.26%) children. The main alterations were developmental (75%) and inflammatory/infectious and traumatic (6.06% each). The most common entities were: supernumeraries (30.77%); hypodontia (29.7%); osteosclerotic lesions and microdontia (4.4% each). CONCLUSION: The data on the frequency of alterations in the pediatric population attending at our institution reinforce the importance of this kind of study in efforts to improve the quality of stomatologic services in the pediatric population.

The precursor of resolvin D series and aspirin-triggered resolvin D1 display anti-hyperalgesic properties in adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Resolution of inflammation is mediated by endogenous molecules with anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving activities and they have generated new possibilities for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Here, we have investigated the possible anti-hyperalgesic effects of two lipids, aspirin-triggered resolvin D1 (AT-RvD1) and its precursor, 17(R)-hydroxy-4Z,7Z,10Z,13Z,15E,17R,19Z-docosahexaenoic acid (17(R)HDoHE). EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: The anti-hyperalgesic effects of both lipid mediators were evaluated, using mechanical and thermal stimuli, at different time-points in adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats. Cytokine levels were measured, and immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR for pro-inflammatory mediators were also performed. KEY RESULTS: The precursor of resolvin D series, 17(R)HDoHE, given systemically, inhibited the development and the maintenance of mechanical hyperalgesia in acute inflammation. Such effects were likely to be associated with modulation of both NF-κB and COX-2 in dorsal root ganglia and spinal cord. 17(R)HDoHE was also effective against sub-chronic pain. Unexpectedly, repeated treatment with 17(R)HDoHE did not modify paw and joint oedema in the sub-chronic model, while joint stiffness was prevented. Notably, AT-RvD1 exhibited marked anti-hyperalgesic effects in acute inflammation when given systemically. The efficacy of long-term treatment with either 17(R)HDoHE or AT-RvD1 was partly related to decreased production of TNF-α and IL-1ß in rat hind paw. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Our findings provide fresh evidence for the anti-hyperalgesic properties of 17(R)HDoHE and its pro-resolution metabolite AT-RvD1. Such lipid mediators might be useful for treating pain associated with acute or chronic inflammation. LINKED ARTICLE This article is commented on by Xu and Ji, pp. 274-277 of this issue. To view this commentary visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-5381.2011.01348.x.