Nociceptors: Their Role in Body's Defenses, Tissue Specific Variations and Anatomical Update.

The human body is constantly under the influence of numerous pathological factors: both external and internal. These factors can be potentially harmful and are perceived as such with a specialized nervous system subunit: the nociceptive system. The functional unit of the nociceptive system is the nociceptor. Recent studies have shown that nociceptors play a crucial role in maintaining of defensive homeostasis (responsive, immune, behavioral). Nociceptors respond to potentially harmful stimuli within viscera, bones, muscles, skin and specialized sensory organs. They function as complex predictors of harm through formation of pain stimulus. Their function and structures vary within different tissues. This variability reflects the anatomical and pathological peculiarities of varying tissues. Nociceptors play a significant role in adaptive, protective and behavioral reactions. Their functional capabilities and vast spread throughout the body make them the main units of the body's defense system, allowing us to interact with the inner and outer environments.

Suicide and Suicide Attempts in Elderly Patients: An Epidemiological Analysis of Risk Factors and Prevention.

A number of elderly patients commit suicide due to the interaction of various factors, including, for example, feelings of loneliness, financial distress, alcohol abuse, chronic pain, progressive diseases, and personality disorders. The data from the EU countries with the highest rates of suicide and suicide attempts among people over 55 years of age warrant the consideration of new approaches to address this social problem. METHODS: PubMed and other databases, including Polish National data, were used for the analyses. RESULTS: The average European suicide-attempt rate is 18 per 100 thousand inhabitants. More cases of suicides were reported among those over 55 years of age. Suicide attempts from the year 2012 to 2014 and deaths in 2012 have been reviewed. The risk factors involved in these events, such as depression and social situations including loneliness, health condition, etc., have been discussed to suggest a plausible preventative approach for this important elderly problem. CONCLUSION: The psychophysiology of elderly persons affected by retirement, socio-economic changes, limited personal autonomy, loneliness, lack of support by the family, and diseases ultimately may lead elderly patients to commit suicide. Thus, financial freedom, family support (respect, love, and care), proper medications, psychological and psychiatric interventions may help the elderly avoid suicidal thoughts and prevent attempts.

Hypothetical Role of Growth Factors to Reduce Intervertebral Disc Degeneration Significantly through Trained Biological Transformations.

BACKGROUND: Given the evidence of little or no therapeutic benefit of injection-based growth factor therapies, it has been proposed that a naturally triggered uninterrupted blood circulation of the growth factors would be superior. OBJECTIVE: We seek to stimulate discussions and more research about the possibility of using the already available growth factors found in the prostate gland and endometrium by starting novel educable physiology, known as biological transformations controlled by the mind. METHODS: We summarized the stretch-gated ion channel mechanism of the cell membrane and offer several practical methods that can be applied by anyone, in order to stimulate and enhance the blood circulation of the growth factors from the seminal fluid to sites throughout the body. This study describes, in detail, the practical application of our earlier published studies about biological transformations. RESULTS: A previously reported single-patient case study has been extended, adding more from his personal experiences to continually improve this novel physiological training and extending the ideas from our earlier findings in detail. CONCLUSION: The biological transformation findings demonstrate the need for additional research to establish the benefits of these natural therapies to repair and rejuvenate tissues affected by various chronic diseases or aging processes.

The protective effect of piperine against isoproterenol-induced inflammation in experimental models of myocardial toxicity.

Myocardial infarction (MI) eventually exacerbates inflammatory response due to the release of inflammatory and pro-inflammatory factors. The aim of this study is to explore the protective efficacy of piperine supplementation against the inflammatory response in isoproterenol (ISO)-induced MI. Masson Trichome staining was executed to determine myocardial tissue architecture. Immunohistochemistry was performed for IL-6, TNF-α. RT-PCR studies were performed to ascertain the gene expression of IL-6, TNF-α, iNOS, eNOS, MMP-2, MMP-9, and collagen-III. Western blotting was performed to determine expression of HIF-1α, VEGF, Nrf-2, NF-ƙB, Cox-2, p-38, phospho-p38, ERK-1/2, phospho-ERK-1/2, and collagen-I. HIF-1α, VEGF, and iNOS expression were significantly upregulated with concomitant decline in eNOS expression in the heart myocardial tissue of rats received ISO alone whereas piperine pretreatment prevented these changes in ISO administered rats. Current results revealed ROS-mediated activation of MAPKs, namely, p-p38, p-ERK1/2 in the heart tissue of ISO administered group. Piperine pretreatment significantly prevented these changes in ISO treated group. NF-κB is involved in the modulation of gene expressions responsible for tissue repair. ISO-induced NF-κB-p65 expression was significantly reduced in the group pretreated with piperine and mitigated extent of myocardial inflammation. A significant increase in cardiac fibrosis upon ISO treatment was reported due to the increased hydroxyproline content, MMP-2 & 9 and upregulation of collagen-I protein compared to control group. All these cardiac hypertrophy markers were decreased in 'piperine pretreated ISO administered group' compared to group received ISO injection. Current findings concluded that piperine as a nutritional intervention could prevent inflammation of myocardium in ISO-induced MI.

Neurophysiology and Psychopathology Underlying PTSD and Recent Insights into the PTSD Therapies-A Comprehensive Review.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a well-known psychiatric disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. Pharmacodynamic and cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBT) have been used to treat patients with PTSD. However, it remains unclear whether there are concurrent changes in psychopathological and neurophysiological factors associated with PTSD patients. Past reports described those PTSD patients with efficient fatty acid metabolism, neurogenesis, mitochondrial energy balance could improve ability to cope against the conditioned fear responses and traumatic memories. Furthermore, cognitive, behavioral, cellular, and molecular evidence can be combined to create personalized therapies for PTSD sufferers either with or without comorbidities such as depression or memory impairment. Unfortunately, there is still evidence lacking to establish a full understanding of the underlying neurophysiological and psychopathological aspects associated with PTSD. This review has extensively discussed the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) of genetic factors to cause PTSD, the implications of inflammation, neurotransmitter genomics, metabolic alterations, neuroendocrine disturbance (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis), mitochondrial dynamics, neurogenesis, and premature aging related to PTSD-induced psychopathology and neurophysiology. In addition, the review delineated the importance of CBT and several pharmacodynamic therapies to mitigate symptomatology of PTSD.

Extensive tracheal resection in lung cancer and tuberculosis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Tracheal bifurcation resection remains the greatest challenge in airway reconstruction, especially with extensive lesions. Additionally, lung cancer and pulmonary tuberculosis comorbidity complicate the chemoradiotherapy treatment due to the TB reactivation. This case describes tracheal resection in a patient with both tuberculosis (TB) and lung cancer. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was diagnosed with right lung tuberculosis and upper lobe cancer with trachea invasion complicated by hemoptysis. A right pneumonectomy with circular trachea bifurcation resection was performed. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy were not administered to avoid TB reactivation. At 5.5 years post-surgery, there was cancer recurrence that was treated with radiation therapy. At 10 years post-surgery, an invasive squamous-cell carcinoma of a three-segment bronchus on the left was revealed. Radiation therapy and a course of chemotherapy were carried out with almost complete tumor regression. CONCLUSIONS: TB presence should not serve as a basis for the refusal of cancer treatment. Combined treatment may be recommended when the main infection focus in the pulmonary parenchyma is removed during surgery.