Sensory Integration Training and Social Sports Games Integrated Intervention for the Occupational Therapy of Children with Autism.

This paper presents a research design for an integrated intervention using sensory integration training fused with social sports games for the treatment of children with autism. This study used a multiple baseline cross-subject design in a single-subject experiment, with structured play as the independent variable and expressive language skills of children with autism spectrum disorders as the dependent variable, with three phases of intervention: baseline, intervention period, and maintenance period. The expressive language ability was examined in terms of both oral expression and gestural expression, where the intervention effect of the oral expression was analyzed in terms of four components: the total number of words, the total number of sentences, average sentence length, and vocabulary complexity of oral expression, and the intervention effect of the gestural expression was analyzed in terms of changes in the frequency of children's gestural expression behaviors. For the categories classified by sensory integration ability, there are corresponding specific training programs that combine various physical exercises and play equipment to train the various abnormal functions of children with autism. Stereotyped behavior is a repetitive, self-imposed, and purposeless physical action, usually in the form of continuous and repetitive movements, sounds, and so on. 4 times a week, 25 minutes each time, the activity of recognizing pictures and familiar objects is carried out first, and then the children choose the structured game model and the initiative to build and take turns with the researchers to build. Stereotypic behaviors cause a great deal of distress in the lives of children with autism, and it is necessary to explore how to implement positive and effective interventions. Subjects' play abilities developed after receiving effective critical response training. The subjects' practice and symbolic play showed good immediate and maintenance intervention effectiveness; their associative and functional play showed no significant intervention effectiveness. The enhancement of the sensory integration skills of children with autism through sensory integration training resulted in a relative reduction of stereotypic behavior about the stimulus-seeking function, which had a positive effect on the intervention of stereotypic behavior.

Analyzing Sportsman Intentions to Stay in a Team from Branding and Talent Management Perspective in China: Mediating Role of Player Recruitment Strategy, Sports Team Climate and Career Success / Analizar las intenciones de los deportistas de permanecer en un equipo desde la perspectiva de la marca y la gestión del talento en China: papel mediador de la estrategia de reclutamiento de jugadores, clima del equipo deportivo y éxito profesional

The most important goal of successful human resource management of a sports organization is to ensure the intention of the players to stay in the organization and to attract talented players from outside. The basic purpose of the current study is to explore the impact of sports employer branding orientation and talent management on players’ intention to stay along with the mediating impact of effective recruitment strategy, sports team climate and subjective career success. In other words, this study has been designed to understand the ways through which the retention and attraction levels of talented players can be increased. For this purpose, data has been collected from 394 players that are playing for different football clubs in China. The results indicate that player branding orientation has a positive but an insignificant impact on players’ intention to stay. However, the impact of the other independent variable i.e. talent management has a significant and positive impact on player intention to stay. As far as the mediating variables are considered, it has been found out in the results that all the mediating variables i.e. effective recruitment strategy, sports team climate and subjective career success have significant mediating impact in both cases i.e. in the relationship between sports employer branding orientation and player intention to stay; and in the relationship between talent management and player intention to stay. Various theoretical, practical and policy-making implications of this study have been thoroughly discussed by the researcher in the concluding sections.(AU)

Bexarotent Attenuated Chronic Constriction Injury-Induced Spinal Neuroinflammation and Neuropathic Pain by Targeting Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Phosphatase-1.

It is widely accepted that neuroinflammation in the spinal cord contributes to the development of central sensitization in neuropathic pain. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation plays a vital role in the development of neuroinflammation in the spinal cord. In this study, we investigated the effect of bexarotene (bex), a retinoid X receptor agonist, on MAPKs activation in chronic constriction injury (CCI)-induced neuropathic pain. The data showed that daily treatment with bex 50 mg/kg significantly alleviated CCI-induced nociceptive hypersensitivity in rats. Bex 50 mg/kg/day inhibited CCI-induced MAPKs (p38MAPK, ERK1/2, and JNK) activation and upregulation of proinflammatory factors (IL-1ß, tumor necrosis factor-α and IL-6). Bex also reversed CCI-induced microglia activation in the ipsilateral spinal cord. Furthermore, bex treatment significantly upregulated MKP-1 in the spinal cord. These effects were completely abrogated by MKP-1 inhibitor BCI. These results indicated that bex relieved CCI-induced neuroinflammation and neuropathic pain by targeting MKP-1. Therefore, bex might be a potential agent for the treatment of neuropathic pain. PERSPECTIVE: Bex could relieve neuropathic pain behaviors in animals by reversing MKP-1 downregulation and MAPKs activation in the spinal cord. Therapeutic applications of bex may be extended beyond cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

Methyl cinnamate alleviated CCI-induced upregualtion of spinal AMPA receptors and pain hypersensitivity by targeting AMPK.

Various studies proved spinal AMPA receptors were involved in the formation of neuropathic pain. In this study, we investigated the effect of methyl cinnamate (MC), a flavoring agent widely used in food and commodity industry, on CCI-induced upregulation of spinal AMPARs and pain hypersensitive behaviors. Results indicated that MC treatment dosage-dependently inhibited CCI-induced mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity. To further investigate the effect of MC after the formation of neuropathic pain, MC at the dosage of 100 mg/kg was administrated on day 7-14 on CCI rats. Results showed that MC treatment for seven days alleviated CCI-induced pain hypersensitivity after the formation of neuropathic pain. MC treatment reversed CCI-induced upregulation of GluR2, GluR3 and phosphorylation of GluR1. Further, MC dosage-dependently alleviated CCI-induced activation of mTOR and the downstream p70s6k. MC dosage-dependently induced activation of AMPK. All the MC-induced effects in CCI rats were completely reversed by Compound C, a AMPK inhibitor. These results meant MC treatment mitigated CCI-induced upregualtion of spinal AMPA receptors and pain hypersensitive behaviors through actviation of AMPK.

Icariin, a flavonoid with anti-cancer effects, alleviated paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain in a SIRT1-dependent manner.

Background One of the most common side effects of paclitaxel was dosage-dependently painful neuropathy. Various reports indicated that spinal neuroinflammation was involved in paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain. This study investigated the effect of icariin on paclitaxel-induced neuroinflammation and peripheral neuropathy in rats. Methods Two parts were included in this study. In part one, the effect of icariin on paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain was investigated. Mechanical thresholds were measured as primary outcomes. Production of proinflammatory factors (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1 ß, and interleukin-6), activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB(p65)) signal, and activation of astrocytes were detected as secondary outcomes. Spinal Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) expression, H4 acetylation, and NAD+ content were measured to investigate the effect of icariin on spinal SIRT1 signal pathway. In part two, the role of SIRT1 signal on icariin-induced effect in rats was investigated, and EX527, a SIRT1 inhibitor, was employed. Results The results showed paclitaxel treatment induced significant decrease in mechanical thresholds. Paclitaxel treatment also induced NF-κB(p65) activation and upregulation of proinflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6). Paclitaxel also induced astrocyte activation in the spinal cord. However, 100 mg/kg icariin treatment significantly alleviated paclitaxel-induced mechanical allodynia and spinal neuroinflammation. Furthermore, icariin treatment dosage-dependently reversed paclitaxel-induced SIRT1 downregulation and H4 acetylation. EX527, a selective SIRT1 inhibitor, completely reversed icariin-induced anti-neuroinflammation and anti-allodynia effects in paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain rats. Conclusions This meant that spinal SIRT1 activation was involved in icariin-induced effects in paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain rats. Icariin could be a potential agent for the treatment of paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain.

α-Asarone Alleviated Chronic Constriction Injury-Induced Neuropathic Pain Through Inhibition of Spinal Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in an Liver X Receptor-Dependent Manner.

BACKGROUND: Neuropathic pain is an intractable and complex disease. Recent studies have shown a close relationship between endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and neuropathic pain. Here, we investigated the effect of α-asarone, an ER stress inhibitor, on chronic constriction injury (CCI)-induced neuropathic pain. METHODS: Two parts were included in this study. In part 1, rats were assigned to 7 groups: the sham group, the sham + α-asarone 20 mg/kg group, the CCI group, the CCI + vehicle group, the CCI + α-asarone 5 mg/kg group, the CCI + α-asarone 10 mg/kg group, and the CCI + α-asarone 20 mg/kg group. After surgery, the rats were treated with α-asarone or normal saline daily. Pain thresholds were measured, and samples of the L3-6 spinal cord were taken for western blotting and immunofluorescence on day 7. In part 2, rats were intrathecally implanted with PE-10 tubes and divided into 4 groups: the CCI + α-asarone 20 mg/kg group, the CCI + α-asarone 20 mg/kg + vehicle group, the CCI + α-asarone 20 mg/kg + SR9243 group, and the CCI group. Five rats in each group were separated for behavioral tests 1 hour after intrathecal injection. The rest of them were killed for western blotting on day 7. RESULTS: In this study, CCI surgery significantly induced mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. CCI surgery significantly induced activation of ER stress (PERK-eIF2α, IRE1α, CHOP, and XBP-1s) in rats. However, treatment with 20 mg/kg of α-asarone significantly alleviated CCI-induced activation of ER stress. Behavioral results showed that daily treatment with 20 mg/kg of α-asarone significantly alleviated CCI-induced nociceptive behaviors, on day 7 (mechanical allodynia, P = .016, 95% confidence interval, 0.645-5.811; thermal hyperalgesia, P = .012, 95% confidence interval, 0.860-6.507). Furthermore, α-asarone induced upregulated expression of liver X receptor ß (LXRß) and downstream proteins in the spinal cord. The LXR antagonist SR9243 completely inhibited the anti-ER stress and antinociceptive effects of α-asarone in rats. CONCLUSIONS: α-Asarone relieved CCI-induced neuropathic pain in an LXR-dependent manner. α-Asarone may be a potential agent for treatment of neuropathic pain.

Endogenous CBS-H2S Pathway Contributes to the Development of CCI-Induced Neuropathic Pain.

Studies showed a complex relationship between hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and neuropathic pain. In this study, the relationship between endogenous CBS-H2S pathway in L4-6 spinal cord and neuropathic pain was explored. A total of 163 adult Kunming mice were used in this study. CBS expression and H2S formation in L4-6 spinal cord were detected in the development of neuropathic pain firstly. Then, effect of AOAA, an CBS inhibitor, on treatment of neuropathic pain by chronic construction injury surgery (CCI) was detected. Pain thresholds and activation of NF-κB(p65), ERK1/2 and CREB were measured as biomarks of neuropathic pain. Results showed that CCI surgery significantly upregulated protein expression of CBS and H2S formation. Correlation analysis showed pain thresholds had negative relationships with protein expression of CBS and H2S formation. Treatment with AOAA, a CBS inhibitor, inhibited CCI-induced upregulation of CBS expression and H2S formation (P < 0.05). Further, AOAA significantly decreased activation of NF-κB(p65), ERK1/2 and CREB pathway, and reversed CCI-induced allodynia (P < 0.05). This indicated that CBS-H2S pathway promoted the development of neuropathic pain. CBS-H2S pathway could be a promising target for treatment of neuropathic pain.

Involvement of AMPK/SIRT1 pathway in anti-allodynic effect of troxerutin in CCI-induced neuropathic pain.

Neuropathic pain was regarded as a main form of chronic pain condition that remains difficult to treat. Conventional pharmacotherapy for neuropathic pain responsed vary and side effects limited their compliance. These prompted us to find new alternatives. In this study, we investigated the effect of troxerutin on treatment of CCI-induced neuropathic pain. Results showed that troxerutin significantly reversed mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. In L4-6 spinal cord, troxerutin reduced the expression of INF-γ, IL-1ß, TNF-α, and activation of NF-κB(p65). Immunofluorescence results showed that troxerutin significantly inhibited microglia activation induced by CCI surgery. Further, troxerutin treatment significantly induced AMPK activation and inhibited CCI-induced SIRT1 decrease. However, AMPK inhibitor compound C and SIRT1 inhibitor EX527 inhibited analgesic effect of troxerutin in CCI mice. This demonstrated the involvement of AMPK/SIRT1 pathway in anti-allodynic effect of troxerutin in CCI mice. Troxerutin could be developed as a potential therapeutic agent for neuropathic pain.