Effect of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia prophylaxis on hematologic toxicity in patients receiving chemoradiation for primary brain tumors.

PURPOSE: Diffuse gliomas are managed with radiation and temozolomide; however, this therapy often results in hematologic toxicities. Patients undergoing chemoradiation also risk contracting Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP), and frequently receive prophylaxis against PJP during treatment. Independent of chemoradiation, some PJP prophylaxis drugs have the potential to cause myelosuppression, which could require cessation of chemotherapy. Here, we evaluate differences in the frequency of hematologic toxicities during chemoradiation when patients receive PJP prophylaxis. METHODS: This retrospective chart review evaluated patients with primary brain tumors treated with radiation and concurrent temozolomide. Analyses were performed to assess the effect of the type of PJP prophylaxis on risk for neutropenia, lymphopenia, or thrombocytopenia and the severity of these adverse effects as defined using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events. RESULTS: Of the 217 patients included in this analysis, 144 received trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) and 69 received pentamidine. Of the patients who received TMP/SMX, 15.3% developed an absolute neutrophil count < 1500 cells/µL compared with 7.2% of patients receiving pentamidine (p = 0.10). Platelet count < 100,000/µL occurred in 18.1% of patients who received TMP/SMX and 20.3% of patients who received pentamidine (p = 0.70). No significant differences in lymphocyte counts between therapies were seen. Severity of hematologic toxicities were similar between PJP prophylaxis groups. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the type of PJP prophylaxis does not significantly affect the risk for hematologic toxicity in brain tumor patients receiving radiation and temozolomide. Additional studies are merited to evaluate the higher rate of neutropenia in patients on TMP/SMX observed in this study.

Effects of parental holding on pain response in young children during cystometry: A randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Cystometry is essential for evaluating bladder function. However, children may react negatively to the physical pain of urethral catheterization or anxiety and fear of an unfamiliar environment. These pain responses during the cystometry procedure may interfere with the cystometry procedure and make it difficult to interpret the cystometry result. In this regard, the International Children's Continence Society has advised performing cystometry while holding infants as an effective nonpharmacological pain management method, but there is insufficient evidence to support this. PURPOSE: This study aimed to analyze the effect of parental holding on reducing pain in children during cystometry. METHODS: This was an experimental study in a randomized controlled pre-post test design. A total of 64 participants aged 6-18 months were recruited. During cystometry, the participants in the experimental group were placed on the parent's laps and held in the parents' arms. The participants in the control group were laid down on the examination table. During the procedure, both groups of parents were allowed to touch their children in all ways except holding them and to use the pacifier if they wished. The behavioral (face, leg, activity, cry, consolability scale) and physiological (oxygen saturation and heart rate) pain responses were measured at three-time points (immediately, 3, and 10 min after urethral catheter insertion). RESULTS: Comparing the two groups, in the experimental group, the behavioral pain response at 3 min after urethral catheter insertion (t = -2.165, p = 0.034) and 10 min after (t = -3.155, p = 0.002) was decreased compared with that immediately after urethral catheter insertion. In addition, oxygen saturation increased more (t = 2.021, p = 0.048), and the heart rate decreased more (t = -2.033, p = 0.047) at 10 min than at 3 min after urethral catheter insertion in the experimental group. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that parental holding could reduce pain responses during cystometry in children. Further research is required to confirm the applicability and usefulness of parental holding during cystometry.

Factors Associated With Pain Perception and Management Among Paediatric Nurses and Nursing Students Using Virtual Children: A Comparative Study.

AIM: To identify and compare factors associated with pain perception and management among paediatric nurses and nursing students using virtual human technology. DESIGN: This study employed a comparative, cross-sectional design. METHODS: Fifty-one paediatric nurses from a tertiary hospital and 50 senior nursing students from a nursing college, both located in South Korea, participated in the study. Virtual vignettes, including scenarios with virtual children and their clinical information, were used to assess participants' pain perception and management. The virtual children, created from real face photos, varied in age (young/old), sex (boy/girl) and facial expressions (smile/grimace). Participants rated perceived pain scores and selected management choices for eight virtual vignettes, which were randomly presented. The Korean version of the Paediatric Nurses' Knowledge and Attitude Survey was completed along with demographic information. RESULTS: Both paediatric nurses and nursing students rated pain scores lower than the actual pain scores reported by virtual children. Nurses rated higher pain scores and accordingly selected more medication doses compared to students. Beyond pain-related knowledge, the facial expression of the virtual child influenced pain rating and medication choices, while age and sex had no effect. CONCLUSION: Nursing students were more sensitive to the facial expressions of virtual children when rating their pain compared to nurses. Future studies should explore how paediatric nurses' clinical experiences impact their assessment and management of child patient pain. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND PATIENT CARE: Paediatric nurses' knowledge of pain is inadequate, necessitating ongoing education in pain management. Both nurses and nursing students should self-reflect on their pain assessment practices to ensure unbiased care regardless of child patients' characteristics. IMPACT: Virtual human technology can be utilised to train nurses and students to identify and address any biases in their assessment of patients' pain perception. REPORTING METHOD: STROBE checklist, cross-sectional. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Digital face photos of four healthy children were used as the fundamental material for creating virtual children, with their parents' consent.

Development and Feasibility Evaluation of a Family-Centred Neonatal End-of-Life Care Protocol.

AIM: To develop a family-centred end-of-life care protocol and evaluate its feasibility. DESIGN: The draft protocol was created by integrating literature review results and existing protocols and interviewing bereaved parents. A Delphi study and an experts' review were conducted to refine the draft, followed by feasibility testing with neonatal intensive care unit nurses. RESULTS: A 71-item protocol based on an integrated end-of-life care model and the family-centred care concept was developed, comprising three sections: principal guidelines, communication during end-of-life care and five substeps (4, 17 and 71 items, respectively) according to changes in an infant's condition. The feasibility was confirmed by an increase in competency and a positive attitude towards infant end-of-life care participants who completed the protocol education. CONCLUSION: The protocol was feasible and improved nurses' competency and attitude in providing end-of-life care for infants and parents requiring support due to the loss of their infants. It can positively impact the well-being of parents who have experienced the loss of their infants in neonatal intensive care units and enhance family-centred care within the units. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: Application of the family-cantered end-of-life care could support infants' dying process and improve bereaved parents' quality of life in neonatal intensive care units. IMPACT: This study increased neonatal end-of-life nursing needs' awareness among nurses and parents during bereavement. It offered preliminary evidence regarding the feasibility of a neonatal end-of-life care protocol developed in this study. REPORTING METHOD: AGREE Reporting Checklist 2016. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: We interviewed bereaved parents to develop the draft protocol and involved neonatal care experts for the Delphi study and neonatal nurses (who would use the protocol) as feasibility test subjects. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This was a doctoral dissertation and did not require protocol registration as the feasibility test involved a single neonatal intensive care unit.

Lignin-based barrier restricts pathogens to the infection site and confers resistance in plants.

Pathogenic bacteria invade plant tissues and proliferate in the extracellular space. Plants have evolved the immune system to recognize and limit the growth of pathogens. Despite substantial progress in the study of plant immunity, the mechanism by which plants limit pathogen growth remains unclear. Here, we show that lignin accumulates in Arabidopsis leaves in response to incompatible interactions with bacterial pathogens in a manner dependent on Casparian strip membrane domain protein (CASP)-like proteins (CASPLs). CASPs are known to be the organizers of the lignin-based Casparian strip, which functions as a diffusion barrier in roots. The spread of invading avirulent pathogens is prevented by spatial restriction, which is disturbed by defects in lignin deposition. Moreover, the motility of pathogenic bacteria is negatively affected by lignin accumulation. These results suggest that the lignin-deposited structure functions as a physical barrier similar to the Casparian strip, trapping pathogens and thereby terminating their growth.

Improving Active Collaborative Clinical Learning Through a Mobile Application for Undergraduate Nursing Students.

Innovative teaching and learning strategies in pediatric clinical education are needed to ensure that learning outcomes are achieved efficiently and to improve students' satisfaction with the learning process. We developed a mobile application to enhance the clinical learning of nursing students during pediatric clinical practice and explored the participants' perceptions of the learning method. A mixed-method design and an online survey were used to assess participants' perceived achievement of learning objectives and satisfaction with the clinical practicum. Focus groups explored the participants' experience of using the application. The overall achievement of learning outcomes was 4.1 out of 5, and participants reported high satisfaction with the clinical practicum using the mobile application. Qualitative analysis of the transcripts revealed four major themes: (1) facilitation of collaborative learning through real-time interactions and communication; (2) engagement in active learning through an application; (3) a useful tool for enhancing critical thinking; and (4) the "curate's egg" nature of the application. The mobile application can be incorporated into the clinical education of nursing students to promote self-regulated learning and collaboration with faculty. Clear guidance on how to use the application in a clinical environment should be provided to students and preceptors to achieve better learning outcomes.

Sleep Quality of Family Caregivers of Children With Tracheostomies or Home Ventilators: A Scoping Review.

Family caregivers of children with tracheostomies or home ventilators are more likely to experience poor sleep quality when undertaking the full responsibility of caring for fragile children. This scoping review aimed to identify the sleep quality, related factors, and their impact on the health of family caregivers of children with tracheostomies or home ventilators. The included studies (N = 16) were retrieved through PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Embase, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Family caregivers' sleep were low in quality, frequently disturbed, and insufficient. Their sleep quality was related to fatigue, anxiety, depression, family functioning, and health-related quality of life. The sleep disturbing factors were classified as child, caregiver, or environment-related, which were mutually interrelated. This review emphasizes the need to develop nursing interventions to both improve the sleep quality of family caregivers and the health of children with tracheostomies or home ventilators based on an in-depth understanding of the family's context.

Factors Associated With Media Addiction in Korean Elementary School Children.

The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of media addiction and its associated factors in elementary school children based on the problem behavior theory. This cross-sectional study was a secondary data analysis using national data from the 10th Panel Study on Korean Children 2017, which included 1,078 families of third-grade students (8-9 years of age). Descriptive statistics were used to examine the prevalence of media addiction, and logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with media addiction. Prevalence of media addiction was 22.91% in this sample. Media addiction was significantly associated with general characteristics (gender, education level of mother, and time spent without parents), socialization (media use time), factors in the personal system (happiness), and factors in the perceived-environment system (parenting style). More comprehensive, tailored education may prevent elementary school children's media addiction. In addition, parents should participate in media addiction education with their children.

Psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Palliative Care Nursing Self-Competence scale for infant use.

BACKGROUND: Despite the significant advances in neonatal treatment and care over the past 30 years, palliative care in the neonatal intensive care unit has not been fully provided in South Korea. Neonatal nurses are essential professionals in palliative care as they are directly involved in the care, but there is little information on their palliative care competency because no assessment instrument is available in Korea. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to develop and test the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the Palliative Care Nursing Self-Competence scale for neonatal palliative care. METHODS: This scale for infant care was developed through parallel translation techniques and revised based on cognitive interviews. Survey data were then collected from 220 neonatal nurses who worked in 13 neonatal intensive care units in Korea. Internal consistency reliability, construct validity based on exploratory factor analysis, and criterion-related validity were tested. RESULTS: The final version of the scale included 40 items in five domains that explained 53.4% of the variance. Criterion-related validity was confirmed based on a positive correlation with the Korean version of the attitudes towards neonatal palliative care measurement tool. The Cronbach's alpha for the scale was 0.95. CONCLUSIONS: The Korean version of the Palliative Care Nursing Self-Competence scale for infant care has satisfactory construct validity and reliability to measure palliative care self-competence of neonatal nurses in Korea and evaluate an education program in future studies.

Sensorial saturation improves infants' procedure-related pain behaviour in the cardiac intensive care unit: A quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Painful procedures are unavoidable when providing critical care to infants in intensive care units. These adverse experiences during infancy can lead to later hyperalgesia and poor neurodevelopmental outcomes. Thus, appropriate interventions are required to relieve infant pain during these procedures. OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the effectiveness of sensorial saturation in reducing pain for infants during jugular central venous catheter removal procedures in intensive care units. METHODS: This study involved a quasi-experimental, repeated-measures design. Data were collected from participants sequentially recruited from April to June 2019 (control period) and July to September 2019 (experimental period). Participants included 78 infants younger than 1 year with congenital heart disease. The control group (n = 38) received a general nursing intervention using swaddling, a common child-care practice that consists of wrapping infants to restrict movements, whereas the experimental group (n = 40) received sensorial saturation using oral sugar, body massage, and verbal interaction. Infants' physiological reactions to procedural pain were measured by changes in heart rate, oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate. Infants' procedural pain and behavioural indicators were measured using the Modified Behavioural Pain Scale. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, χ2 tests, and repeated-measures analysis of variance. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the experimental group had lower heart rates (F = 53.15, p < .001), respiratory rates (F = 15.19, p < .001), and behavioural pain scores (F = 45.21, p < .001), both during and after the procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Sensorial saturation can be used as a nursing intervention in infants. Given the many invasive procedures that are part of infant clinical care, sensorial saturation may be a safe analgesic alternative. The findings of this study could lead to the development of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for the nonpharmacological management of acute pain in infants.

Comparison of factor structures of the Pittsburgh sleep quality index between mid- and late pregnancy among Korean women: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Sleep disturbance in pregnant women needs to be accurately assessed in a timely manner during pregnancy, to receive assessment-driven accurate intervention. This study aims to compare the factor structure of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) among women in mid- and late pregnancy and evaluate the psychometric features of the Korean version of the PSQI. METHODS: The survey questionnaire with the PSQI, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale, and pregnancy stress, was completed by 281 women in mid- or late pregnancy. Exploratory factor analysis determined the best factor structure of the PSQI, and the Pearson correlation coefficient examined a convergent validity with depressive symptoms and pregnancy stress. Internal consistency was examined using Cronbach's alpha. RESULTS: In both mid- and late-pregnancy women, a two-factor structure model was identified. However, each factor's different components were named differently. For women in mid-pregnancy, it was named "quantitative sleep quality" and "subjective sleep quality," and for those in later stages of pregnancy, they were named "perceived sleep quality" and "daily disturbance." The PQSI score showed a significantly positive correlation between depressive symptoms and pregnancy stress in mid- (r = 0.57 and r = 0.39, respectively), and late pregnancy (r = 0.48 and 0.28, respectively). The overall Cronbach's alpha for the PSQI was 0.63. CONCLUSIONS: The Korean version of the PSQI demonstrated excellent construct and convergent validity, making it suitable to assess the sleep quality of women in middle to late stages of their pregnancy. The PSQI was found to have a two-factor structure in the mid-and late pregnancy, but the components were different. As sleep quality changes with each gestational stage, factors affecting it during mid- and late pregnancy need to be separately examined. It will make it easier for medical professionals to provide pregnant women sleeping irregularly, with the right kind of intervention.

Sustained wood burial in the Bengal Fan over the last 19 My.

The Ganges-Brahmaputra (G-B) River system transports over a billion tons of sediment every year from the Himalayan Mountains to the Bay of Bengal and has built the world's largest active sedimentary deposit, the Bengal Fan. High sedimentation rates drive exceptional organic matter preservation that represents a long-term sink for atmospheric CO2 While much attention has been paid to organic-rich fine sediments, coarse sediments have generally been overlooked as a locus of organic carbon (OC) burial. However, International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 354 recently discovered abundant woody debris (millimeter- to centimeter-sized fragments) preserved within the coarse sediment layers of turbidite beds recovered from 6 marine drill sites along a transect across the Bengal Fan (∼8°N, ∼3,700-m water depth) with recovery spanning 19 My. Analysis of bulk wood and lignin finds mostly lowland origins of wood delivered episodically. In the last 5 My, export included C4 plants, implying that coarse woody, lowland export continued after C4 grassland expansion, albeit in reduced amounts. Substantial export of coarse woody debris in the last 1 My included one wood-rich deposit (∼0.05 Ma) that encompassed coniferous wood transported from the headwaters. In coarse layers, we found on average 0.16 weight % OC, which is half the typical biospheric OC content of sediments exported by the modern G-B Rivers. Wood burial estimates are hampered by poor drilling recovery of sands. However, high-magnitude, low-frequency wood export events are shown to be a key mechanism for C burial in turbidites.

An educational design and development project for pediatric heart transplant recipients and their families.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this project is to systematically derive and develop educational content for children who have undergone heart transplants and their families to improve the families' and caregivers' ability to manage child health in South Korea. DESIGN AND METHODS: This project developed educational content through the first three steps: "Analysis," "Design," and "Development" of the five steps outlined in the ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation) model. The educational contents were derived from an analysis of six literature reviews and six studies, seven websites, and interviews with six caregivers of children who have undergone a heart transplant. Based on these analyses, educational items were designed. When a draft of the education contents was developed, the content validity was validated by ten experts. RESULTS: Educational items were designed in nine major categories and 40 sub-categories. All contents were validated with a content validity index of at least 0.8 or higher and included in the education content for pediatric heart transplant families, with recommendations for further modification based on expert advice. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: This project is meaningful in that it has developed health management education contents suitable for the situation in South Korea through analyzing previous studies and educational contents of domestic and international medical centers as well as an in-depth interview with caregivers.

Developing an integrated curriculum for patient safety in an undergraduate nursing program: a case study.

BACKGROUND: Nursing students' practical training should begin when students can apply core knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to patient safety. This necessitates an integrated curriculum in nursing education that links practice to the theory concerning patient safety to enhance patient safety competencies and quality in nursing care. This study aimed to develop an integrated curriculum that incorporates patient safety factors in the existing curriculum to increase patient safety competencies in nursing students. METHOD: A case study approach was adopted to explain the development processes of a new curriculum integrating patient safety in the existing outcome-based curriculum of a nursing college. Based on the existing outcome-based curriculum of a nursing college, a four-step process was performed to integrate patient safety component, including quality improvement, into the curriculum: 1) literature review, 2) analysis of course syllabus, 3) selection of courses related to patient safety topics, and 4) development of evaluation tool. RESULTS: The integrated patient safety curriculum was based on six topics: patient safety principles, teamwork, communication, patient engagement, risk management and, quality improvement, and International Patient Safety Goals. Based on the characteristics of the course according to the level of students in each year, the curriculum was integrated to address patient safety topics in seven courses (four theoretical and three practical). A Patient safety Competency self-assessment checklist was developed for students to naturally acquire patient safety competencies in clinical settings. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that patient safety topics should be addressed in both theoretical and practical settings across the entire nursing curriculum per the continuity and sequence of education principles.

Cyclic Peptide Mimotopes for the Detection of Serum Anti-ATIC Autoantibody Biomarker in Hepato-Cellular Carcinoma.

Tumor-associated (TA) autoantibodies have been identified at the early tumor stage before developing clinical symptoms, which holds hope for early cancer diagnosis. We identified a TA autoantibody from HBx-transgenic (HBx-tg) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) model mouse, characterized its target antigen, and examined its relationship to human HCC. The mimotopes corresponding to the antigenic epitope of TA autoantibody were screened from a random cyclic peptide library and used for the detection of serum TA autoantibody. The target antigen of the TA autoantibody was identified as an oncogenic bi-functional purine biosynthesis protein, ATIC. It was upregulated in liver cancer tissues of HBx-tg mouse as well as human HCC tissues. Over-expressed ATIC was also secreted extracellularly via the cancer-derived exosomes, which might cause auto-immune responses. The cyclic peptide mimotope with a high affinity to anti-ATIC autoantibody, CLPSWFHRC, distinguishes between serum samples from HCC patients and healthy subjects with 70.83% sensitivity, 90.68% specificity (AUC = 0.87). However, the recombinant human ATIC protein showed a low affinity to anti-ATIC autoantibody, which may be incompatible as a capture antigen for serum TA autoantibody. This study indicates that anti-ATIC autoantibody can be a potential HCC-associated serum biomarker and suggests that autoantibody biomarker's efficiency can be improved by using antigenic mimicry to native antigens present in vivo.

Inhibitory effect of carvacrol on lipopolysaccharide-induced memory impairment in rats.

Neuroinflammation is an important process underlying a wide variety of neurodegenerative diseases. Carvacrol (CAR) is a phenolic monoterpene commonly used as a food additive due to its antibacterial properties, but it has also been shown to exhibit strong antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. Here, we sought to investigate the effects of CAR on inflammation in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects. In our study, lipopolysaccharide was injected into the lateral ventricle of rats to induce memory impairment and neuroinflammation. Daily administration of CAR (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg) for 21 days improved recognition, discrimination, and memory impairments relative to untreated controls. CAR administration significantly attenuated expression of several inflammatory factors in the brain, including interleukin-1ß, tumor necrosis factor-α, and cyclooxygenase-2. In addition, CAR significantly increased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA, and decreased expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) mRNA. Taken together, these results show that CAR can improve memory impairment caused by neuroinflammation. This cognitive enhancement is due to the anti-inflammatory effects of CAR medicated by its regulation of BDNF and TLR4. Thus, CAR has significant potential as an inhibitor of memory degeneration in neurodegenerative diseases.

Efficacy and safety of combination antifungal therapy in Korean haematological patients with invasive aspergillosis.

This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial assessed the efficacy, safety and tolerability of voriconazole+anidulafungin (combination) or voriconazole+placebo (monotherapy) for invasive aspergillosis (IA; NCT00531479). We present a post hoc analysis of Korean and non-Korean patients with IA (including baseline positive serum galactomannan [GM]). Immunocompromised patients ≥ 16 years with IA were randomised 1:1, combination or monotherapy, for ≥ 2 weeks' treatment. The primary endpoint was 6- and 12-week all-cause mortality (Korean modified intent-to-treat [mITT] population). Overall, 454 patients enrolled (Koreans: 56 [combination: 28, monotherapy: 28], non-Koreans: 398 [combination: 200, monotherapy: 198]). The mITT population comprised 40 Koreans (combination: 23; monotherapy: 17) and 237 non-Koreans (combination: 112; monotherapy: 125). Week 6 treatment difference in mortality rate between combination and monotherapy was -6.4% in non-Koreans. This reduction was more marked in Koreans (-22.4%). Week 12 difference in all-cause mortality between combination and monotherapy was -17.7% (Koreans) and -20.2% at Week 6 (Koreans; positive baseline GM). Week 6 mortality (Koreans [mITT]; baseline GM >0.5-2.0) was 0/13 (combination) and 2/6 (monotherapy). Serious adverse events were numerically higher for combination than monotherapy (Koreans: 57.1%, 46.4%; non-Koreans: 49.5%, 46.0%). In Koreans, combination therapy was associated with marginally better outcomes than monotherapy and more so than in non-Koreans.

The ethanolic extract of Aralia continentalis ameliorates cognitive deficits via modifications of BDNF expression and anti-inflammatory effects in a rat model of post-traumatic stress disorder.

BACKGROUND: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disease associated with that the experience of traumatic stress. The traumatic experience results in the development of a prolonged stress response that causes impaired memory function and increased inflammation in the hippocampus. Currently, antidepressants are the only approved therapy for PTSD. However, the efficacy of antidepressants in the treatment of PTSD is marginal. The ethanol extract of Aralia continentalis (AC) is traditionally used in oriental medicine, and has been showed to possess pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-atherosclerotic, and anti-diabetic effects. Nevertheless, the effects of AC on cognitive memory and its mechanism of action in PTSD remain unclear. Given the necessity of further treatment options for PTSD, we investigated the effect of AC on the spatial cognitive impairment caused by single prolonged stress (SPS) in a rat model of PTSD. METHODS: Male rats were treated with various intraperitoneal (i.p.) doses of AC for 21 consecutive days after inducing chronic stress with the SPS procedure. RESULTS: Cognitive impairment caused by SPS were inhibited after treatment with 100 mg/kg AC, as measured by the Morris water maze test and an object recognition test. Additionally, AC treatment significantly alleviated memory-related decreases in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA and protein levels in the hippocampus. Our results suggest that AC significantly inhibited the cognitive deficits caused by SPS via increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6, in the rat brain. CONCLUSIONS: AC reversed the behavioral impairments and inflammation triggered by SPS-derived traumatic stress and should be further evaluated as a potential therapeutic drug for PTSD.

Melatonin ameliorates cognitive memory by regulation of cAMP-response element-binding protein expression and the anti-inflammatory response in a rat model of post-traumatic stress disorder.

BACKGROUND: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an important psychological disease that can develop following the physical experience or witnessing of traumatic events. The psychopathological response to traumatic stressors increases inflammation in the hippocampus and induces memory deficits. Melatonin (MTG) plays critical roles in circadian rhythm disorders, Alzheimer's disease, and other neurological disorders. However, the cognitive efficiency of MTG and its mechanisms of action in the treatment of PTSD remain unclear. Thus, the present study investigated the effects of MTG on spatial cognitive impairments stimulated by single prolonged stress (SPS) in rats, an animal model of PTSD. Male rats received intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of various doses of MTG for 21 consecutive days after the SPS procedure. RESULTS: SPS-stimulated cognitive impairments in the object recognition task and Morris water maze were reversed by MTG treatment (25 mg/kg, i.p). Additionally, MTG significantly increased cognitive memory-related decreases in cAMP-response element-binding (CREB) protein and mRNA levels in the hippocampus. Our results also demonstrate that MTG significantly inhibited SPS-stimulated cognitive memory impairments by inhibiting the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the rat brain. CONCLUSION: The present results indicate that MTG can be beneficial for SPS-stimulated memory impairments via changes in CREB expression and proinflammatory mediators. Thus, MTG may be a prophylactic strategy for the prevention or mitigation of the progression of some features of the PTSD pathology.

Anti-stress effects of human placenta extract: possible involvement of the oxidative stress system in rats.

BACKGROUND: Human placenta hydrolysate (hPH) has been utilized to improve menopausal, fatigue, liver function. Its high concentration of bioactive substances is known to produce including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive activities. However, its mechanisms of stress-induced depression remain unknown. METHODS: The present study examined the effect of hPH on stress-induced depressive behaviors and biochemical parameters in rats. hPH (0.02 ml, 0.2 ml or 1 ml/rat) was injected intravenously 30 min before the daily stress session in male Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to repeated immobilization stress (4 h/day for 7 days). The depressive-like behaviors of all groups were measured by elevated plus maze (EPM) and forced swimming test (FST). After the behavior tests, brain samples of all groups were collected for the analysis of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d) staining. RESULTS: Treatment with hPH produced a significant decrease of immobility time in the FST compared to the controls. Additionally, hPH treatment elicited a slightly decreasing trend in anxiety behavior on the EPM. Furthermore, hPH increased the level of GPx protein in the hippocampus, and decreased the expression of NADPH-d in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that hPH has anti-stress effects via the regulation of nitric oxide (NO) synthase and antioxidant activity in the brain. These results suggest that hPH may be useful in the treatment of stress-related diseases such as chronic fatigue syndrome.