Management of pudendal neuralgia using ultrasound-guided pulsed radiofrequency: a report of two cases and discussion of pudendal nerve block techniques.

Pudendal neuralgia is characterized by chronic pain or discomfort in the area innervated by the pudendal nerve, with no obvious cause. A successful pudendal nerve block is crucial for the diagnosis of pudendal neuralgia. Blind or fluoroscopy-guided pudendal nerve blocks have been conventionally used for diagnosis and treatment; however, ultrasound-guided pudendal nerve blocks were also reported recently. With regard to the achievement of long-term effects, although pulsed radiofrequency performed under fluoroscopic guidance has been reported, that performed under ultrasound guidance is not well reported. This report describes two cases of pudendal neuralgia that were successfully managed using ultrasound-guided pulsed radiofrequency and presents a literature review of pudendal nerve block techniques. However, in the management of chronic neuropathic pain, physicians should keep in mind that the placebo effect related to invasive approaches must not be neglected.

Effects of visibility and types of the ground surface on the muscle activities of the vastus medialis oblique and vastus lateralis.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of visibility and types of ground surface (stable and unstable) during the performance of squats on the muscle activities of the vastus medialis oblique (VMO) and vastus lateralis (VL). [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were 25 healthy adults in their 20s. They performed squats under four conditions: stable ground surface (SGS) with vision-allowed; unstable ground surface (UGS) with vision-allowed; SGS with vision-blocked; and UGS with vision-blocked. The different conditions were performed on different days. Surface electromyogram (EMG) values were recorded. [Results] The most significant difference in the activity of the VMO and VL was observed when the subjects performed squats on the UGS, with their vision blocked. [Conclusion] For the selective activation of the VMO, performing squats on an UGS was effective, and it was more effective when subjects' vision was blocked.

Methyl Gallate Suppresses Tumor Development by Increasing Activation of Caspase3 and Disrupting Tumor Angiogenesis in Melanoma.

Methyl gallate is a phenolic compound mainly found in medicinal plants. It has been reported to its anticancer activity in various tumors. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate the antitumor effect of methyl gallate in the melanoma mouse model and B16F10 cells. Our results showed that methyl gallate decreased cell viability and induced apoptosis by increasing the expression of cleaved caspase3 in B16F10 cells and prevented cell migration and tube formation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. In B16F10 cell-inoculated mice, methyl gallate not only decreased tumor volume by 30% but also significantly reduced tumor vessel density and pericyte coverage. Moreover, methyl gallate diminished by close to 50% the expression of cytokeratin and LYVE-1 in mouse right inguinal lymph nodes, indicating that methyl gallate could suppress metastasis. In conclusion, this study suggests that methyl gallate inhibits tumor development by inducing apoptosis and blocking tumor angiogenesis and metastasis and might be considered a therapeutic agent for melanoma.

Fucoxanthin Exerts Anti-Tumor Activity on Canine Mammary Tumor Cells via Tumor Cell Apoptosis Induction and Angiogenesis Inhibition.

Fucoxanthin is a carotenoid derived from brown algae. It is known to exhibit anticancer activity, including the promotion of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in several tumors. However, it remains unclear whether fucoxanthin exhibits anticancer activity against mammary gland tumors. In this study, we evaluated fucoxanthin activity against canine mammary tumor cells (CMT-U27) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to investigate its effect on cell viability, migration, tube formation, and angiopoietin 2 (Ang2) expression. Our results showed that fucoxanthin induced apoptosis via caspase activation in CMT-U27 cells. In rat aortic ring assay, fucoxanthin suppressed endothelial cell sprouting. Furthermore, fucoxanthin inhibited tube formation and migration in HUVECs. The number of migrated cells was assessed using CMT-U27 cells. The results demonstrated that fucoxanthin exerted anti-angiogenic activity on HUVECs and CMT-U27 cells by promoting Ang2 expression. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that fucoxanthin induced tumor cell death and inhibited angiogenesis, suggesting that fucoxanthin could be considered as a promising therapeutic agent for canine mammary gland tumors.

Anti-inflammatory effects of natural flavonoid diosmetin in IL-4 and LPS-induced macrophage activation and atopic dermatitis model.

Diosmetin, a citrus flavonoid, has a variety of therapeutic properties such as antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. However, the effect of diosmetin on atopic dermatitis (AD) development has not been reported. This study thus aims to investigate whether diosmetin possesses inhibitory effects on AD development. A dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced AD mouse model was used to evaluate the effects of diosmetin on AD development. Treatment with diosmetin significantly reduced the dermatitis score, thickness of epidermis and dermis and number of mast cells in comparison with the untreated group. Furthermore, immunohistochemical analysis using an anti-F4/80 antibody demonstrated that diosmetin significantly suppressed macrophage infiltration into the AD lesion. It was observed that the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-4 and IL-1ß) in skin lesion decreased in response to treatment with diosmetin. In addition, the anti-inflammatory effect of diosmetin was evaluated in LPS- or IL-4-induced a mouse macrophage cell line (raw 264.7). Diosmetin inhibited the production of nitric oxide and decreased the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Diosmetin not only suppressed the phosphorylation of MAP kinase (ERK 1/2, p38 and JNK) but the activation of JAK/STAT signaling. The mRNA analysis demonstrated that diosmetin also reduced the level of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1ß and IL-6. Collectively, these results demonstrate that diosmetin exhibits the inhibitory effect on AD, suggesting that diosmetin may be a potential therapeutic agent for this atopic disorder.

Successful Treatment of Rectus Femoris Calcification with Ultrasound-guided Injection: A Case Report.

Painful periarticular calcification most commonly occurs within the rotator cuff of the shoulder and rarely around the elbow, hip, foot, and neck. As acute inflammatory reaction develops, severe pain, exquisite tenderness, local swelling, and limitation of motion with pain occur. In case of calcific tendinitis of the shoulder, it can be easily diagnosed according to the symptoms and with x-ray. However, in lesions of the hip, as it is a rare location and usually involves pain in the posterolateral aspect of the thigh, which can simulate radicular pain from a lumbar intervertebral disc, it could be difficult to diagnose. Hence, physicians usually focus on lumbar lesions; therefore, misdiagnosis is common and leads to a delayed management. Here, we report the case of a 30-year-old female patient with calcific tendinitis of the rectus femoris that was successfully managed with ultrasound-guided steroid injection. This study offers knowledge about the rectus femoris calcification.