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Addressing health inequalities in times of austerity: implementation of a place-based approach in multitiered local government. Perspect Public Health 2024; 144:153-161. [PMID: 38676341 PMCID: PMC11103920 DOI: 10.1177/17579139241241194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
AIMS This article focuses on how local authorities in England are tackling wider determinants of health and inequalities in their population's outcomes while budgets for public services are diminishing. METHODS It reports the experience from one case study engaged in rolling out a devolved, place- and asset-based strategy over multiple tiers of local government. Relating these findings to relevant social theory, we draw out aspects of context and mechanisms of change. We offer plausible hypotheses for the experiences observed, which supports transferability and implementation of place-based strategies in other local authority areas struggling with similar challenges. RESULTS Findings highlight the importance of high-level and political buy-in, as well as the role of the COVID-19 pandemic as a potential catalyst to rollout. Creating the foundations for a new, place-based working was important for achieving coherence among partners around what local government was trying to achieve. These included investment in infrastructure, both relational and tangible inputs such as organisational and human resources, to establish the conditions for systemic change towards early intervention and prevention. CONCLUSION This study identified clear foundations for place-based action, plus enablers and barriers to significant transformation of practice towards asset-based approaches between local authorities, partners and the public.
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"Notice of major cleaning": A qualitative study of the negative impact of encampment sweeps on the ontological security of unhoused people who use drugs. Soc Sci Med 2023; 339:116408. [PMID: 37980786 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Unhoused people who use drugs in the United States are at risk for a variety of negative health outcomes. As the crisis of houselessness continues to impact major urban areas, a wave of punitive policies has been enacted to remove visible unhoused people from public spaces. There is reason to believe that harsh policies of encampment displacement will have negative immediate and downstream impacts on this community. METHODS Participant observation was conducted weekly or bi-weekly at unhoused encampments in Los Angeles County, USA over the course of two years (2021, 2022). Data were generated through the lens of ontological security theory via in-field jottings and comprehensive field notes. Formal, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 30 unhoused people who use drugs recruited primarily through peer-referral sampling at these same venues. Data were coded and analyzed thematically using the Template Analysis approach. Field notes were used to triangulate and further contextualize thematic analysis of interview data. RESULTS Encampment sweeps impacted nearly all participants and occurred multiple times at every visited field site. They were observed to occur both with and without the presence of police, but always resulted in the loss of the personal property of encampment residents. Sweeps occurred across seasons, hazardous weather, and without offers of alternative shelter. Participants described sweeps as impacting all aspects of their ontological security, including dismantling material and social constancy, disrupting routines of daily life and resource management, increasing feelings of surveillance, and potentially creating negative identity formation. CONCLUSIONS In both ethnographic observation and participant interviews, encampment sweeps were noted to be physically, psychologically, and socially destructive. Sweeps left participants feeling anger, loss, and hopelessness while further driving the societal marginalization of unhoused people who use drugs. Sweeps should be discontinued as they harm the capacity of unhoused people to improve their well-being.
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Understanding the dynamic relation between wastewater SARS-CoV-2 signal and clinical metrics throughout the pandemic. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 853:158458. [PMID: 36075428 PMCID: PMC9444583 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater surveillance (WWS) of SARS-CoV-2 was proven to be a reliable and complementary tool for population-wide monitoring of COVID-19 disease incidence but was not as rigorously explored as an indicator for disease burden throughout the pandemic. Prior to global mass immunization campaigns and during the spread of the wildtype COVID-19 and the Alpha variant of concern (VOC), viral measurement of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater was a leading indicator for both COVID-19 incidence and disease burden in communities. As the two-dose vaccination rates escalated during the spread of the Delta VOC in Jul. 2021 through Dec. 2021, relations weakened between wastewater signal and community COVID-19 disease incidence and maintained a strong relationship with clinical metrics indicative of disease burden (new hospital admissions, ICU admissions, and deaths). Further, with the onset of the vaccine-resistant Omicron BA.1 VOC in Dec. 2021 through Mar. 2022, wastewater again became a strong indicator of both disease incidence and burden during a period of limited natural immunization (no recent infection), vaccine escape, and waned vaccine effectiveness. Lastly, with the populations regaining enhanced natural and vaccination immunization shortly prior to the onset of the Omicron BA.2 VOC in mid-Mar 2022, wastewater is shown to be a strong indicator for both disease incidence and burden. Hospitalization-to-wastewater ratio is further shown to be a good indicator of VOC virulence when widespread clinical testing is limited. In the future, WWS is expected to show moderate indication of incidence and strong indication of disease burden in the community during future potential seasonal vaccination campaigns.
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Wastewater to clinical case (WC) ratio of COVID-19 identifies insufficient clinical testing, onset of new variants of concern and population immunity in urban communities. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 853:158547. [PMID: 36067855 PMCID: PMC9444156 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Clinical testing has been the cornerstone of public health monitoring and infection control efforts in communities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. With the anticipated reduction of clinical testing as the disease moves into an endemic state, SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance (WWS) will have greater value as an important diagnostic tool. An in-depth analysis and understanding of the metrics derived from WWS is required to interpret and utilize WWS-acquired data effectively (McClary-Gutierrez et al., 2021; O'Keeffe, 2021). In this study, the SARS-CoV-2 wastewater signal to clinical cases (WC) ratio was investigated across seven cities in Canada over periods ranging from 8 to 21 months. This work demonstrates that significant increases in the WC ratio occurred when clinical testing eligibility was modified to appointment-only testing, identifying a period of insufficient clinical testing (resulting in a reduction to testing access and a reduction in the number of daily tests) in these communities, despite increases in the wastewater signal. Furthermore, the WC ratio decreased significantly in 6 of the 7 studied locations, serving as a potential signal of the emergence of the Alpha variant of concern (VOC) in a relatively non-immunized community (40-60 % allelic proportion), while a more muted decrease in the WC ratio signaled the emergence of the Delta VOC in a relatively well-immunized community (40-60 % allelic proportion). Finally, a significant decrease in the WC ratio signaled the emergence of the Omicron VOC, likely because of the variant's greater effectiveness at evading immunity, leading to a significant number of new reported clinical cases, even when community immunity was high. The WC ratio, used as an additional monitoring metric, could complement clinical case counts and wastewater signals as individual metrics in its potential ability to identify important epidemiological occurrences, adding value to WWS as a diagnostic technology during the COVID-19 pandemic and likely for future pandemics.
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Municipal and neighbourhood level wastewater surveillance and subtyping of an influenza virus outbreak. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15777. [PMID: 36138059 DOI: 10.1101/2022.06.28.22276884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Recurrent influenza epidemics and pandemic potential are significant risks to global health. Public health authorities use clinical surveillance to locate and monitor influenza and influenza-like cases and outbreaks to mitigate hospitalizations and deaths. Currently, global integration of clinical surveillance is the only reliable method for reporting influenza types and subtypes to warn of emergent pandemic strains. The utility of wastewater surveillance (WWS) during the COVID-19 pandemic as a less resource intensive replacement or complement for clinical surveillance has been predicated on analyzing viral fragments in wastewater. We show here that influenza virus targets are stable in wastewater and partitions favorably to the solids fraction. By quantifying, typing, and subtyping the virus in municipal wastewater and primary sludge during a community outbreak, we forecasted a citywide flu outbreak with a 17-day lead time and provided population-level viral subtyping in near real-time to show the feasibility of influenza virus WWS at the municipal and neighbourhood levels in near real time using minimal resources and infrastructure.
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Municipal and neighbourhood level wastewater surveillance and subtyping of an influenza virus outbreak. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15777. [PMID: 36138059 PMCID: PMC9493155 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20076-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Recurrent influenza epidemics and pandemic potential are significant risks to global health. Public health authorities use clinical surveillance to locate and monitor influenza and influenza-like cases and outbreaks to mitigate hospitalizations and deaths. Currently, global integration of clinical surveillance is the only reliable method for reporting influenza types and subtypes to warn of emergent pandemic strains. The utility of wastewater surveillance (WWS) during the COVID-19 pandemic as a less resource intensive replacement or complement for clinical surveillance has been predicated on analyzing viral fragments in wastewater. We show here that influenza virus targets are stable in wastewater and partitions favorably to the solids fraction. By quantifying, typing, and subtyping the virus in municipal wastewater and primary sludge during a community outbreak, we forecasted a citywide flu outbreak with a 17-day lead time and provided population-level viral subtyping in near real-time to show the feasibility of influenza virus WWS at the municipal and neighbourhood levels in near real time using minimal resources and infrastructure.
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Molecular Profile of Early Stage Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma with Radiotherapy Resistance. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2019.11.129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Community exchange and time currencies: a systematic and in-depth thematic review of impact on public health outcomes. Public Health 2019; 180:117-128. [PMID: 31887608 PMCID: PMC7093815 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2019.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Austerity in government funding, and public service reform, has heightened expectations on UK communities to develop activities and resources supportive of population health and become part of a transformed place-based system of community health and social care. As non-monetary place-based approaches, Community Exchange/Time Currencies could improve social contact and cohesion, and help mobilise families, neighbourhoods, communities and their assets in beneficial ways for health. Despite this interest, the evidence base for health outcomes resulting from such initiatives is underdeveloped. STUDY DESIGN A systematic review. METHODS A literature review was conducted to identify evidence gaps and advance understanding of the potential of Community Exchange System. Studies were quality assessed, and evidence was synthesised on 'typology', population targeted and health-related and wider community outcomes. RESULTS The overall study quality was low, with few using objective measures of impact on health or well-being, and none reporting costs. Many drew on qualitative accounts of impact on health, well-being and broader community outcomes. Although many studies lacked methodological rigour, there was consistent evidence of positive impacts on key indicators of health and social capital, and the data have potential to inform theory. CONCLUSIONS Methodologies for capturing impacts are often insufficiently robust to inform policy requirements and economic assessment, and there remains a need for objective, systematic evaluation of Community Exchange and Time Currency systems. There is also a strong argument for deeper investigation of 'programme theories' underpinning these activities, to better understand what needs to be in place to trigger their potential for generating positive health and well-being outcomes.
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Trends in Incidence Rates for HPV-Related and HPV-Unrelated Squamous Cell Carcinomas of the Head and Neck in New Mexico American Indians, Hispanics, and Non-Hispanic Whites, 1995-2014. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2018.07.1218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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MK2 Pathway Mediates Radiation-Induced Tumor Inflammation and Is a Poor Prognostic Factor in Head and Neck Cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2018.06.124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Inhibition of MK2 Decreases Inflammatory Cytokine Production and Tumor Volumes in HPV-Positive and HPV-Negative Models of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2017.12.169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Improving postoperative pain control in paediatric tonsillectomy through use of a specialist information leaflet: Our experience in 43 patients. Clin Otolaryngol 2015; 40:733-6. [DOI: 10.1111/coa.12452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Phoenixin: A candidate pruritogen in the mouse. Neuroscience 2015; 310:541-8. [PMID: 26415767 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.09.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Revised: 09/21/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Phoenixin (PNX) is a 14-amino acid amidated peptide (PNX-14) or an N-terminal extended 20-residue amidated peptide (PNX-20) recently identified in neural and non-neural tissue. Mass spectrometry analysis identified a major peak corresponding to PNX-14, with negligible PNX-20, in mouse spinal cord extracts. Using a previously characterized antiserum that recognized both PNX-14 and PNX-20, PNX-immunoreactivity (irPNX) was detected in a population of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells and in cell processes densely distributed to the superficial layers of the dorsal horn; irPNX cell processes were also detected in the skin. The retrograde tracer, Fluorogold, injected subcutaneously (s.c.) to the back of the cervical and thoracic spinal cord of mice, labeled a population of DRG, some of which were also irPNX. PNX-14 (2, 4 and 8 mg/kg) injected s.c.to the nape of the neck provoked dose-dependent repetitive scratching bouts directed to the back of the neck with the hindpaws. The number of scratching bouts varied from 16 to 95 in 30 min, commencing within 5 min post-injection and lasted 10-15 min. Pretreatment of mice at -20 min with nalfurafine (20 μg/kg, s.c.), the kappa opioid receptor agonist, significantly reduced the number of bouts induced by PNX-14 (4 mg/kg) compared with that of saline-pretreated mice. Our results suggest that the peptide, PNX-14, serves as one of the endogenous signal molecules transducing itch sensation in the mouse.
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Single domain antibody against carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 6 (CEACAM6) inhibits proliferation, migration, invasion and angiogenesis of pancreatic cancer cells. Eur J Cancer 2014; 50:713-21. [PMID: 22918079 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2012.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2011] [Revised: 06/26/2012] [Accepted: 07/26/2012] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 6 (CEACAM6) is over-expressed in pancreatic cancer cells, and it is associated with the progression of pancreatic cancer. We tested a single domain antibody (sdAb) targeting CEACAM6, 2A3, which was isolated previously from a llama immune library, and an Fc conjugated version of this sdAb, to determine how they affect the pancreatic cancer cell line BxPC3. We also compared the effects of the antibodies to gemcitabine. Gemcitabine and 2A3 slowed down cancer cell proliferation. However, only 2A3 retarded cancer cell invasion, angiogenesis within the cancer mass and BxPC3 cell MMP-9 activity, three features important for tumour growth and metastasis. The IC50s for 2A3, 2A3-Fc and gemcitabine were determined as 6.5μM, 8μM and 12nM, respectively. While the 2A3 antibody inhibited MMP-9 activity by 33% compared to non-treated control cells, gemcitabine failed to inhibit MMP-9 activity. Moreover, 2A3 and 2A3-Fc inhibited invasion of BxPC3 by 73% compared to non-treated cells. When conditioned media that were produced using 2A3- or 2A3-Fc-treated BxPC3 cells were used in a capillary formation assay, the capillary length was reduced by 21% and 49%, respectively. Therefore 2A3 is an ideal candidate for treating tumours that over-express CEACAM6.
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Lack of synergistic interaction between the two mechanisms of action of tapentadol in gastrointestinal transit. Eur J Pain 2014; 18:1148-56. [DOI: 10.1002/j.1532-2149.2014.00461.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Zyklophin, a short-acting kappa opioid antagonist, induces scratching in mice. Neurosci Lett 2014; 563:155-9. [PMID: 24503508 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2014.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2013] [Revised: 01/10/2014] [Accepted: 01/15/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
It has been shown previously that norbinaltorphimine (norBNI) and 5'-guanidinonaltrindole (5'-GNTI), long-acting kappa opioid receptor (KOPR) antagonists, cause frenzied scratching in mice [1,2]. In the current study, we examined if zyklophin, a short-acting cyclic peptide KOPR antagonist, also elicited scratching behavior. When injected s.c. in the nape of the neck of male Swiss-Webster mice, zyklophin at doses of 0.1, 0.3 and 1mg/kg induced dose-related hindleg scratching of the neck between 3 and 15 min after injection. Pretreating mice with norBNI (20mg/kg, i.p.) at 18-20 h before challenge with zyklophin (0.3mg/kg) did not markedly affect scratching. Additionally, KOPR-/- mice given 0.3mg/kg of zyklophin displayed similar levels of scratching as wild-type animals. The absence of KOPR in KOPR-/- mice was confirmed with ex vivo radioligand binding using [(3)H]U69,593. Taken together, our data suggest that the presence of kappa receptors is not required for the excessive scratching caused by zyklophin. Thus, zyklophin, similar to the structurally different KOPR antagonist 5'-GNTI, appears to act at other targets to elicit scratching and potentially the sensation of itch.
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Nalfurafine prevents 5'-guanidinonaltrindole- and compound 48/80-induced spinal c-fos expression and attenuates 5'-guanidinonaltrindole-elicited scratching behavior in mice. Neuroscience 2009; 163:23-33. [PMID: 19524022 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2009.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2009] [Revised: 05/27/2009] [Accepted: 06/06/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The aims of the present study were to establish if nalfurafine, a kappa opioid agonist, inhibits compulsive scratching in mice elicited by the s.c. administration (behind the neck) of 5'-guanidinonaltrindole (GNTI), a kappa opioid antagonist; to assess if nalfurafine prevents c-fos expression provoked by GNTI or compound 48/80, two chemically diverse pruritogens; and to distinguish on the basis of neuroanatomy, those neurons in the brainstem activated by either GNTI-induced itch or formalin-induced pain (both compounds given s.c. to the right cheek). Pretreatment of mice with nalfurafine (0.001-0.03 mg/kg s.c.) attenuated GNTI (0.3 mg/kg)-evoked scratching dose-dependently. A standard antiscratch dose of nalfurafine (0.02 mg/kg) had no marked effect on the spontaneous locomotion of mice. Tolerance did not develop to the antiscratch activity of nalfurafine. Both GNTI and compound 48/80 provoked c-fos expression on the lateral side of the superficial layer of the dorsal horn of the cervical spinal cord and pretreating mice with nalfurafine inhibited c-fos expression induced by both pruritogens. In contrast to formalin, GNTI did not induce c-fos expression in the trigeminal nucleus suggesting that pain and itch sensations are projected differently along the sensory trigeminal pathway. Our data indicate that the kappa opioid system is involved, at least in part, in the pathogenesis of itch; and that nalfurafine attenuates excessive scratching and prevents scratch-induced neuronal activity at the spinal level. On the basis of our results, nalfurafine holds promise as a potentially useful antipruritic in human conditions involving itch.
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Abstract
1. This study examined interactions via common metabolism or via common pharmacodynamic pathways between frequently co-prescribed metoclopramide (a prokinetic) and morphine (an opioid analgesic). 2. In human liver microsomes, morphine 3-glucuronide and morphine 6-glucuronide formation had V(max) estimates of 6.2 +/- 0.07 and 0.75 +/- 0.01 (nmole min(-1) mg(-1) protein) and K(m) estimates of 1080 +/- 37 and 665 +/- 55 (microM), respectively. The in vitro K(i) for morphine 3-glucuronide formation in the presence of metoclopramide in human liver microsomes or recombinant uridine diphosphoglucuronosyltransferase 2B7 predicted a lack of in vivo interaction. 3. Morphine (2 mg kg(-1) subcutaneously) delayed gastrointestinal meal transit in mice, metoclopramide (10 mg kg(-1) subcutaneously) had no effect on meal transit, and metoclopramide did not alter this effect of morphine. 4. Morphine (2 or 5 mg kg(-1) subcutaneously) was antinociceptive in mice (hot plate test) and metoclopramide (10 mg kg(-1) subcutaneously) did not alter the antinociceptive effects of morphine. 5. Together, the data suggest a lack of interaction between morphine and metoclopramide.
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Naked oats: metabolisable energy yield from a range of varieties in broilers, cockerels and turkeys. Br Poult Sci 2008; 49:368-77. [DOI: 10.1080/00071660802094164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Electromagnetic millimeter wave induced hypoalgesia: frequency dependence and involvement of endogenous opioids. Bioelectromagnetics 2008; 29:284-95. [PMID: 18064600 DOI: 10.1002/bem.20389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Millimeter wave treatment (MMWT) is based on the systemic biological effects that develop following local skin exposure to low power electromagnetic waves in the millimeter range. In the present set of experiments, the hypoalgesic effect of this treatment was analyzed in mice. The murine nose area was exposed to MMW of "therapeutic" frequencies: 42.25, 53.57, and 61.22 GHz. MMWT-induced hypoalgesia was shown to be frequency dependent in two experimental models: (1) the cold water tail-flick test (chronic non-neuropathic pain), and (2) the wire surface test (chronic neuropathic pain following unilateral constriction injury to the sciatic nerve). Maximum hypoalgesic effect was obtained when the frequency was 61.22 GHz. Other exposure parameters were: incident power density = 13.3 mW/cm(2), duration of each exposure = 15 min. Involvement of delta and kappa endogenous opioids in the MMWT-induced hypoalgesia was demonstrated using selective blockers of delta- and kappa-opioid receptors and the direct ELISA measurement of endogenous opioids in CNS tissue. Possible mechanisms of the effect and the perspectives of the clinical application of MMWT are discussed.
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Letter to the Editor. J Intensive Care Soc 2007. [DOI: 10.1177/175114370700800140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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An antisense oligodeoxynucleotide to the mu opioid receptor attenuates cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization and reward in mice. Neuroscience 2006; 142:481-91. [PMID: 16893609 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2006.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2005] [Revised: 05/22/2006] [Accepted: 06/09/2006] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Numerous studies support a role for the endogenous opioid system in cocaine-influenced behavior. Few of these studies, however, selectively delineate a role for the mu opioid receptor (MOR) in this regard. This investigation examined if the MOR modulates cocaine-induced behavior in mice using a 17-base antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (AS ODN) directed against the MOR coding sequence 16-32. Specifically, cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization and conditioned reward were investigated. For the sensitization study, C57BL/6J mice received eight intermittent i.c.v. infusions of saline, mismatch oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) (20 microg/4 microl) or AS ODN (20 microg/4 microl) over 20 days. Mice also received concomitant once daily i.p. injections of saline (4 ml/kg) or cocaine (15 mg/kg) for 10 days. There was a 7-day withdrawal period, after which all mice were challenged with cocaine (15 mg/kg) to test for behavioral sensitization. For the conditioned place preference (CPP) study, mice received five i.c.v. infusions of mismatch ODN or MOR AS ODN (days 1-5). An unbiased counterbalanced conditioning procedure was used where mice were conditioned with saline (4 ml/kg, i.p.) and cocaine (15 mg/kg, i.p.) on alternate days for four sessions (days 3-6). Mice were tested on day 7 for CPP. Immediately following testing, [3H]DAMGO (D-Ala2, N-Me-Phe4, Gly-ol5-enkephalin) receptor binding to brain homogenates was conducted. MOR AS attenuated cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization and conditioned reward. MOR AS ODN also reduced [3H]DAMGO binding. Collectively, these findings implicate the MOR as playing an important neuromodulatory role in the behavioral effects of cocaine in mice.
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MESH Headings
- Analysis of Variance
- Animals
- Behavior, Animal
- Cocaine-Related Disorders/drug therapy
- Cocaine-Related Disorders/etiology
- Cocaine-Related Disorders/physiopathology
- Conditioning, Operant/drug effects
- Drug Administration Routes
- Drug Interactions
- Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)-/pharmacokinetics
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Morphine/pharmacology
- Narcotics/pharmacology
- Oligodeoxyribonucleotides, Antisense/therapeutic use
- Protein Binding/drug effects
- Radiography/methods
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/drug effects
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/genetics
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/physiology
- Reward
- Time Factors
- Tritium/pharmacokinetics
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Icilin evokes a dose- and time-dependent increase in glutamate within the dorsal striatum of rats. Amino Acids 2006; 30:307-9. [PMID: 16622598 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-005-0306-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2005] [Accepted: 12/01/2005] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Icilin, the peripheral cold channel agonist, activates TRPM8 and TRPA1, localized on dorsal root ganglia and trigeminal neurons in rats. Icilin precipitates immediate wet-dog shakes in this species, which are antagonized by centrally acting mu and kappa opioid agonists, implicating the central nervous system in the behavioral response. We studied the effect icilin has on glutamate levels in the dorsal striatum, a brain region involved in movement. Icilin (0.25, 0.5 and 0.75 mg/kg, i.p.) elicited a dose- and time-dependent increase in glutamate within the striatum, indicative of icilin's neurochemical effect in rats.
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N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonists and WIN 55212-2 [4,5-dihydro-2-methyl-4(4-morpholinylmethyl)-1-(1-naphthalenyl-carbonyl)-6H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-i,j]quinolin-6-one], a cannabinoid agonist, interact to produce synergistic hypothermia. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2002; 303:395-402. [PMID: 12235276 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.102.037473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
CB(1) cannabinoid receptors mediate profound hypothermia when cannabinoid agonists are administered to rats. Glutamate, the principal excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS), is thought to tonically increase body temperature by activating N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Because NMDA antagonists block cannabinoid-induced antinociception and catalepsy, intimate glutamatergic-cannabinoid interactions may exist in the CNS. The present study investigated the effect of two NMDA antagonists on the hypothermic response to WIN 55212-2 [4,5-dihydro-2-methyl-4(4-morpholinylmethyl)-1-(1-naphthalenyl-carbonyl)-6H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-i,j]quinolin-6-one], a selective cannabinoid agonist, in rats. WIN 55212-2 (1-10 mg/kg i.m.) produced dose-dependent hypothermia that peaked 60 to 180 min postinjection. Dextromethorphan (5-75 mg/kg i.m.), a noncompetitive NMDA antagonist, or LY 235959 [(-)-6-[phosphonomethyl-1,2,3,4,4a,5,6,7,8,8a-decahydro-isoquinoline-2-carboxylate]](1-4 mg/kg i.m.), a competitive and highly selective NMDA antagonist, evoked hypothermia in a dose-sensitive manner, suggesting that endogenous glutamate exerts a hyperthermic tone on body temperature. A dose of dextromethorphan (10 mg/kg) that did not affect body temperature by itself potentiated the hypothermic response to WIN 55212-2 (1, 2.5, or 5 mg/kg). The enhancement was strongly synergistic, indicated by a 2.7-fold increase in the relative potency of WIN 55212-2. Similarly, a dose of LY 235959 (1 mg/kg) that did not affect body temperature augmented the hypothermia associated with a single dose of WIN 55212-2 (2.5 mg/kg), thus confirming that NMDA receptors mediated the synergy. We have demonstrated previously that CB(1) receptors mediate WIN 55212-2-evoked hypothermia in rats. The present data are the first evidence that NMDA antagonists exert a potentiating effect on cannabinoid-induced hypothermia. Taken together, these data suggest that interactions between NMDA and CB(1) receptors produce synergistic hypothermia.
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Abstract
Several nicotinic agonists with the 6-chloro-3-pyridinyl moiety are potent insecticides (e.g., the neonicotinoids imidacloprid and thiacloprid) while others are candidate nonopioid and nonantiinflammatory analgesics (i.e., epibatidine and several heterocyclic analogs). This study examines the hypothesis for the first time that the neonicotinoid insecticides and their imine metabolites and analogs display analgesic (antinociceptive) activity or adverse toxic effects associated with their action on binding to the alpha 4 beta 2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) subtype. Seven 6-chloro-3-pyridinyl compounds were studied, i.e., imidacloprid and thiacloprid, the corresponding imines and an olefin derivative, a nitromethylene analog, and (+/-)-epibatidine. Like (-)-nicotine and carbachol, they all act as full agonists in the (86)rubidium ion efflux experiment with intact mouse fibroblast M10 cells stably expressing the alpha 4 beta 2 nicotinic AChR. Their agonist action is correlated with binding affinity to the alpha 4 beta 2 receptor from M10 cells. Imidacloprid, thiacloprid, and their imine analogs are not antinociceptive agents in mice by abdominal constriction and hot plate analgesic tests. Their agonist actions at the alpha 4 beta 2 receptor correlate instead with their toxicity. Surprisingly, the nitromethylene analog, a weak agonist, is as potent as (-)-nicotine in inducing antinociception, and the effect persists longer than that caused by (-)-nicotine. However, mecamylamine (1 mg/kg) prevents antinociception induced by (-)-nicotine but not by the nitromethylene analog. Interestingly, this nitromethylene neonicotinoid insecticide gives 80-100% mortality within 15 min at 3 mg/kg with mecamylamine pretreatment at 2 mg/kg, doses at which each agent alone gives no lethality. Therefore, analgesic and toxic effects of the nitromethylene analog differ in their mechanism of action from (-)-nicotine and (+/-)-epibatidine.
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Morphine inhibits mucosal antibody responses and TGF-beta mRNA in gut-associated lymphoid tissue following oral cholera toxin in mice. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2001; 167:3677-81. [PMID: 11564781 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.167.7.3677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the effect of morphine on the mucosal immune system using fragment cultures of ileal segments, Peyer's patches (PPs), and mesenteric lymph nodes. Mice were implanted s.c. with a morphine slow release pellet. Control groups received a naltrexone slow release pellet, a placebo pellet, or both a morphine and a naltrexone pellet. After 48 h, mice were orally immunized with cholera toxin (CT) and were boosted orally 1 wk later. Animals were sacrificed 1 wk after the booster immunization, and PPs, mesenteric lymph nodes, and ileal segments were cultured in 24-well plates for 12 days. Morphine resulted in a highly significant inhibition of CT-specific IgA and IgG production in fragment culture supernatants of all three tissues compared with placebo. Naltrexone blocked the reduction in Ab levels induced by morphine, indicating that the effect is opioid receptor mediated. Morphine did not significantly alter total IgA levels in any of the tissue culture supernatants. Morphine also inhibited CT-specific IgA and IgG levels in serum. By flow cytometry, morphine did not alter the lymphoid cell composition in PPs compared with placebo. The effect of morphine on TGF-beta, IL-5, and IL-6 mRNA expression in PPs and ileal segments was determined following oral immunization with CT. Morphine significantly decreased TGF-beta mRNA compared with that in the placebo group, and naltrexone blocked this effect. These results indicate that morphine inhibits Ag-specific IgA responses in gut-associated lymphoid tissue at least partially through the inhibition of TGF-beta, a putative IgA switch factor, in the gastrointestinal tract.
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Administration of mu-, kappa- or delta2-receptor agonists via osmotic minipumps suppresses murine splenic antibody responses. Int Immunopharmacol 2001; 1:2001-9. [PMID: 11606031 DOI: 10.1016/s1567-5769(01)00128-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Previously, our laboratory has shown that morphine given by implantation of a 75-mg slow-release pellet for 48 h suppresses murine splenic antibody responses to sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) in a plaque-forming cell (PFC) assay. However, the use of slow-release pellets for such studies is limited, as these pellets are only available in fixed doses and similar pellets for kappa and delta agonists have not been developed. In the present study, we investigated the feasibility of administering opioids via Alzet osmotic minipumps to assess their immunomodulatory effects. Groups of mice received minipumps dispensing morphine sulfate, which has primary activity at the mu opioid receptor; U50,488H, which is a kappa-selective agonist; deltorphin II, which is a delta2-selective agonist; or DPDPE, which has greater selectivity for delta1 than delta, receptors. Morphine, U50,488H and deltorphin II were all immunosuppressive, with biphasic dose-response curves exhibiting maximal (approximately 50%) suppression of the PFC response at doses of 0.5 to 2 mg/kg/day 48 h after pump implantation. Further, immunosuppression by morphine sulfate, U50,488H or deltorphin II was blocked by simultaneous implantation of a minipump administering the opioid receptor-selective antagonists CTAP (1 mg/kg/day), nor-binaltorphimine (5 mg/kg/day), or naltriben (3 mg/kg/day), respectively. DPDPE was inactive at doses lower than 10 mg/kg/day. We conclude that osmotic minipumps are a practical and useful way of administering opioids to study their effects on the immune system, and give further evidence that immunosuppression induced in vivo by opioid agonists is mediated not only via mu, but also via kappa and delta2 opioid receptors.
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MESH Headings
- 3,4-Dichloro-N-methyl-N-(2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-cyclohexyl)-benzeneacetamide, (trans)-Isomer/antagonists & inhibitors
- 3,4-Dichloro-N-methyl-N-(2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-cyclohexyl)-benzeneacetamide, (trans)-Isomer/pharmacology
- Analgesics, Opioid/antagonists & inhibitors
- Analgesics, Opioid/pharmacology
- Animals
- Antibody Formation/drug effects
- Depression, Chemical
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Female
- Immunosuppressive Agents/pharmacology
- Infusion Pumps
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C3H
- Morphine/antagonists & inhibitors
- Morphine/pharmacology
- Naltrexone/analogs & derivatives
- Naltrexone/pharmacology
- Neuroimmunomodulation
- Oligopeptides/antagonists & inhibitors
- Oligopeptides/pharmacology
- Osmosis
- Peptide Fragments
- Peptides/pharmacology
- Receptors, Opioid, delta/agonists
- Receptors, Opioid, delta/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptors, Opioid, kappa/agonists
- Receptors, Opioid, kappa/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/agonists
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/antagonists & inhibitors
- Somatostatin
- Spleen/drug effects
- Spleen/immunology
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Abstract
Cell biology is being inundated by an avalanche of data from the genomics and proteomics enterprises. The complexity and sheer volume of information threaten to overwhelm the ability of traditional cell biologists to grasp its implications and develop experimentally testable hypotheses. For this reason, some have begun to explore computational approaches towards organizing complex data into quantitative models. This requires communication and collaboration between the biological science community and and the physical and mathematical sciences communities. A recent meeting [The First International Symposium on Computational Cell Biology, Cranwell Resort, Lenox, MA, USA; 4-6 March 2001. Organizers: J.H. Carson, A. Cowan, and L.M. Loew (www.nrcam.uchc.edu/conference).] made a first attempt to bring these two communities together. Three feet of new snow fell during the meeting, but the 125 attendees, an unusual mixture of cell biologists, computer scientists, mathematicians, physicists, and engineers, were having too much fun defining the new field of computational cell biology to notice that they were literally snowed in.
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Comparison of pharmacological activities of buprenorphine and norbuprenorphine: norbuprenorphine is a potent opioid agonist. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2001; 297:688-95. [PMID: 11303059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Buprenorphine (BUP) is an oripavine analgesic that is beneficial in the maintenance treatment of opiate-dependent individuals. Although BUP has been studied extensively, relatively little is known about norbuprenorphine (norBUP), a major dealkylated metabolite of BUP. We now describe the binding of norBUP to opioid and nociceptin/orphanin FQ (ORL1) receptors, and its effects on [(35)S]guanosine-5'-O-(gamma-thio)triphosphate ([(35)S]GTP gamma S) binding mediated by opioid or ORL1 receptors and in the mouse acetic acid writhing test. Chinese hamster ovary cells stably transfected with each receptor were used for receptor binding and [(35)S]GTP gamma S binding. NorBUP exhibited high affinities for mu-, delta-, and kappa-opioid receptors with K(i) values in the nanomolar or subnanomolar range, comparable to those of BUP. NorBUP and BUP had low affinities for the ORL1 receptor with K(i) values in the micromolar range. In the [(35)S]GTP gamma S binding assay, norBUP displayed characteristics distinct from BUP. At the delta-receptor, norBUP was a potent full agonist, yet BUP had no agonist activity and antagonized actions of norBUP and DPDPE. At mu- and kappa-receptors, both norBUP and BUP were potent partial agonists, with norBUP having moderate efficacy and BUP having low efficacy. At the ORL1 receptor, norBUP was a full agonist with low potency, while BUP was a potent partial agonist. In the writhing test, BUP and norBUP both suppressed writhing in an efficacious and dose-dependent manner, giving A(50) values of 0.067 and 0.21 mg/kg, s.c., respectively. These results highlight the similarities and differences between BUP and norBUP, each of which may influence the unique pharmacological profile of BUP.
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The Seasonal Health Questionnaire: a preliminary validation of a new instrument to screen for seasonal affective disorder. J Affect Disord 2001; 64:89-98. [PMID: 11292523 DOI: 10.1016/s0165-0327(00)00208-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The main screening tool for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire, but its reliability and validity have been thrown into doubt by several studies. METHOD In this study we developed a new questionnaire, the Seasonal Health Questionnaire (SHQ), which is scored by computer to derive the four main operational criteria for diagnosis of SAD. A group of clinically diagnosed SAD patients was contrasted with a group of patients with recurrent non-seasonal depressive disorder using the SPAQ and the SHQ. RESULTS The SHQ could be completed without difficulty by patients with long histories of recurrent mood disorder. The SPAQ and the Rosenthal Criteria were the least specific of the criteria for identifying SAD - misclassifying many non-seasonal patients. CONCLUSIONS After further development the SHQ may be a more appropriate screening instrument for SAD. The SPAQ should no longer be used for this purpose as it gives misleadingly high estimates of prevalence.
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Development and validation of a sensitive analytical method for the simultaneous determination of buprenorphine and norbuprenorphine in human plasma. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2001; 51:147-51. [PMID: 11226822 DOI: 10.1016/s0939-6411(00)00135-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
A sensitive, specific, and robust capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method has been developed and validated for simultaneous determination of buprenorphine and its active metabolite, norbuprenorphine, in human plasma. Sample preparation involved a clean-up procedure using a Bond Elut Certify cartridge followed by derivatization with pentafluoropropionic anhydride. Separation was carried out on a HP-1 fused silica capillary column using helium as the carrier gas. Selected ion monitoring was used in the electron impact mode. Excellent linearity was found between 0.10 and 20.0 ng/ml with a limit of quantitation of 0.05 and 0.10 ng/ml for buprenorphine and norbuprenorphine, respectively. Interday and intraday assay precisions (%CV) and accuracies were within 15.0% for buprenorphine and norbuprenorphine, respectively. Recoveries were quantitative and concentration-independent. This method will be applied to pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic/bioequivalence studies of buprenorphine in humans.
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33
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Abstract
In a series of blind experiments, using the cold water tail-flick test (cTFT) as a quantitative indicator of pain, the hypoalgesic effect of a single exposure of mice to low power electromagnetic millimeter waves (MW) was studied. The MW exposure characteristics were: frequency = 61.22 GHz; incident power density = 15 mW/cm2; and duration = 15 min. MW treatment was applied to the glabrous skin of the footpad. Exposure of an intact murine paw to the MW resulted in a statistically significant hypoalgesia as measured in the cTFT. These mice were able to resist cold noxious stimulation in the cTFF more than two times longer than animals from the sham-exposed group. A unilateral sciatic nerve transection was used to deafferent the area of exposure in animals from one of the experimental groups. This surgery, conducted six days before the MW treatment, completely abolished the hypoalgesic effect of the exposure to MW. The results obtained support the conclusion that the MW-skin nerve endings interaction is the essential step in the initiation of biological effects caused by MW. Based on our past and present results we recommend that in order to obtain a maximum therapeutic effect, densely innervated skin areas (head, hands) need to be used preferentially for exposure to MW in clinical practice.
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Abstract
Based on a hypothesis of neural system involvement in the initial absorption and further processing of the millimeter electromagnetic waves (MW) signal, we reproduced, quantitatively assessed and compared the analgesic effect of a single MW treatment, exposing areas of skin possessing different innervation densities. The cold water tail flick test (cTFT) was used to assess experimental pain in mice. Three areas of exposure were used: the nose, the glabrous skin of the right footpad, and the hairy skin of the mid back at the level of T5-T10. The MW exposure characteristics were: frequency = 61.22 GHz; incident power density = 15mW/cm2; and duration = 15 min. The maximum hypoalgesic effect was achieved by exposing to MW the more densely innervated skin areas--the nose and the footpad. The hypoalgesic effect in the cTFT after MW exposure to the murine back, which is less densely innervated, was not statistically significant. These results support the hypothesis of neural system involvement in the systemic response to MW.
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Abstract
PURPOSE To find out if millimeter waves can decrease experimental pain response in mice using cold water tail flick test. MATERIALS AND METHODS Male Swiss albino mice (15 mice per group) were exposed to continuous millimeter waves at a frequency of 61.22 GHz with incident power densities (IPD) ranging from 0.15 to 5.0 mW/cm2 for 15 min or sham exposed. Latency of tail withdrawal in a cold water (1 +/- 0.5 degrees C) tail flick test was measured before the exposure (baseline) and then four times after the exposure with 15 min breaks. RESULTS The mean latency of the tail flick response in mice exposed to millimeter waves was more than twice that of sham-exposed controls (p<0.05). This effect was proportional to the power of millimeter waves and completely disappeared at an IPD level of < or = 0.5 mW/cm2. Pretreatment of mice with the opioid antagonist naloxone (1 mg/kg i.p.) blocked the effect of millimeter waves. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that the antinociceptive effect of millimeter waves is mediated through endogenous opioids.
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Partnering with African American churches to achieve better health: lessons learned during the Black Churches United for Better Health 5 a day project. JOURNAL OF CANCER EDUCATION : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR CANCER EDUCATION 2000; 15:164-167. [PMID: 11019765 DOI: 10.1080/08858190009528686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
African Americans (AAs) are at increased risk for many diseases, including cancer, but health promotion efforts often fail to reach them. Effective partnerships can be established with African American churches to deliver health-based interventions. In an NCI-funded study aimed at increasing fruit and vegetable consumption among rural AAs, investigators at three academic institutions and the North Carolina State Health Department partnered successfully with 50 churches to promote dietary change. This study adds to the increasing body of research in support of the African American church as an able partner in delivering health-based interventions. In conducting interventions and research through this channel, the health professional should gain support from regional secular associations; respect the power of the pastor; incorporate the strengths of the congregation; respect the mission of the church; establish open communication and develop trust; provide ample support and training to assure fidelity to interventions and integrity of data; and be patient and persevere.
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Fruit and vegetable consumption and prevention of cancer: the Black Churches United for Better Health project. Am J Public Health 1999; 89:1390-6. [PMID: 10474558 PMCID: PMC1508774 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.89.9.1390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 262] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study assessed the effects of the Black Churches United for Better Health project on increasing fruit and vegetable consumption among rural African American church members in North Carolina. METHODS Ten counties comprising 50 churches were pair matched and randomly assigned to either intervention or delayed intervention (no program until after the follow-up survey) conditions. A multicomponent intervention was conducted over approximately 20 months. A total of 2519 adults (77.3% response rate) completed both the baseline and 2-year follow-up interviews. RESULTS The 2 study groups consumed similar amounts of fruits and vegetables at baseline. AT the 2-year follow-up, the intervention group consumed 0.85 (SE = 0.12) servings more than the delayed intervention group (P < .0001). The largest increases were observed among people 66 years or older (1 serving), those with education beyond high school (0.92 servings), those widowed or divorced (0.96 servings), and those attending church frequently (1.3 servings). The last improvement occurred among those aged 18 to 37 years and those who were single. CONCLUSIONS The project was a successful model for achieving dietary change among rural African Americans.
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Suppression of pain sensation caused by millimeter waves: a double-blinded, cross-over, prospective human volunteer study. Anesth Analg 1999; 88:836-40. [PMID: 10195534 DOI: 10.1097/00000539-199904000-00029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED We conducted a double-blinded, randomized, cross-over, prospective trial to evaluate the pain relief effect of millimeter waves (MW) under experimental conditions. The cold pressor test was used as a model of tonic aching pain. Twelve healthy male volunteers were exposed to an active medical MW generator and to a disabled sham generator with at least 24 h between exposures. Characteristics of continuous-wave electromagnetic output from the active generator were: wavelength 7.1 mm, incident power density 25 +/- 5 mW/cm2, and duration of exposure 30 min. MW produced a significant (P < 0.05) suppression of pain sensation, with an average 37.7% gain in pain tolerance and a 49.3% increase in pain sensitivity range (the latter being the difference between pain tolerance and pain threshold values). Of the 12 volunteers, 7 (58.3%) reacted to the active MW generator with an increased pain tolerance, and the individual reactions varied from 120% to 315% comparison with their own preexposure levels. MW therapy can potentially be used as a supplementary or alternative treatment for pain relief. IMPLICATIONS Pain management is still a significant medical problem. In a double-blinded, experimental setting, we confirmed that low-intensity millimeter wave therapy can reduce pain sensitivity in healthy human volunteers and can potentially be used as a supplementary or alternative treatment for pain relief.
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Mutagenesis studies of human red opsin: trp-281 is essential for proper folding and protein-retinal interactions. Biochemistry 1998; 37:17487-94. [PMID: 9860863 DOI: 10.1021/bi982077u] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Human red and green opsins contain a strikingly large number of tryptophan residues. These tryptophans are highly conserved among all red and green opsins. To investigate possible roles of these tryptophans in folding and structure, we have systematically replaced each tryptophan of human red opsin. When expressed in COS cells, wild-type red opsin undergoes N-linked glycosylation, forms a light-sensitive pigment with absorption maximum at 560 nm upon reconstitution with 11-cis-retinal, and is transported to the plasma membrane. We used the extent of glycosylation, pigment generation, and intracellular localization of mutant red opsins as our criteria for assessing the effect of substitution. Replacement of eight tryptophans, Trp-59, Trp-90, Trp-149, Trp-152, Trp-183, Trp-191, Trp-195, and Trp-243, with Phe or Ala did not affect the wild-type phenotype significantly. However, replacement of Trp-5 and Trp-51 in the putative N-terminal domain and Trp-142, Trp-177, Trp-179, and Trp-281 in the transmembrane domain with Phe had profound effects, indicating that these substitutions affected red opsin folding. Judged by the severity of the effects, we propose that Trp-5, Trp-51, Trp-177, and Trp-281 are important for red opsin folding. Although substitution of Trp-281 with Phe and Cys did not permit normal glycosylation and transport, substitution with Tyr and His permitted these processes but resulted in blue-shifted pigment. Thus, polar aromatics appear to substitute for Trp-281 to allow red opsin folding. The large spectral shift indicates that Trp-281 is essential for the proper interaction of the protein with 11-cis-retinal.
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Abstract
In our previous studies, exposure of mice to millimeter waves (MW) increased the duration of anesthesia caused by either ketamine or chloral hydrate, and this effect was blocked by naloxone. To further characterize the biological effects of MW, we have chosen a new animal model of experimental itch. Male Swiss albino mice were injected s.c. in the rostral part of the back with the pruritogenic agent, compound 48/80, with or without naloxone pretreatment. After a 15-min exposure of mice to MW (frequency, 61.22 GHz; incident power density, 15 mW/cm2), the number of scratches of the injected site was counted for 90 min post-injection. MW inhibited the scratching activity of mice by more than 2 times in comparison with the sham-exposed controls (p<0.005). Pretreatment of animals with (-)-naloxone (0.1-1.0 mg/kg, i.p.) suppressed the antipruritic effect of MW in a dose-dependent manner, while the inactive enantiomer (+)-naloxone at 1 mg/kg did not alter the effect. These results suggest that MW trigger the release of opioids in exposed subjects.
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Aspartic acid conjugates of 2-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-N-methyl-N-[(1S)-1(3-aminophenyl)-2-(1-pyrrolidi nyl) ethyl]acetamide: kappa opioid receptor agonists with limited access to the central nervous system. J Med Chem 1996; 39:4478-82. [PMID: 8893842 DOI: 10.1021/jm960459x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Aspartic acid conjugates of 2-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-N-methyl-N-[(1S)-1-(3-aminophenyl)-2-(1-pyrrol idinyl) ethyl]acetamide (5) were synthesized and evaluated in mice for antinociceptive activity by intravenous and intracerebroventricular routes of administration. The intravenously-administered alpha-conjugate of L-Asp (2), its D-Asp diastereomer (3), and the beta -conjugate of L-Asp (4) were found to be 11-, 31-, and 40-fold, respectively, less effective than the parent ligand 1 (ICI 199,441) in producing central nervous system mediated antinociception in the mouse abdominal stretch assay. In addition, iv-administered 2 and 3 were found to also produce potent antinociception in the tonic phase of the mouse formalin assay, which is a model of tonic rather than acute pain. This study suggests that the attachment of a zwitterionic moiety to a position in the molecule that exhibits bulk tolerance is a viable strategy for the design of peripherally-selective and peripherally-active opioids.
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Pharmacological profiles of two bombesin analogues in cells transfected with human neuromedin B receptors. Eur J Pharmacol 1996; 306:307-14. [PMID: 8813645 DOI: 10.1016/0014-2999(96)00223-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
We examined the effect of two des-Met-bombesin analogues, [(CH3)2CHCO-His-Trp-Ala-Val-D-Ala-His-Leu-NHCH3] (ICI 216140) and [D-Phe6,des-Met14]bombesin(6-14) ethylamide (DPDM-bombesin ethylamide), on neuromedin B-induced Ca2+ and [3H]arachidonate release in BALB 3T3 cells transfected with human neuromedin B receptors. ICI 216140 and DPDM-bombesin ethylamide both stimulated Ca2+ mobilisation in a concentration-dependent manner but were less potent and efficacious than neuromedin B. BIM 23042 [D-Nal-Cys-Tyr-D-Trp-Lys-Val-Cys-Nal-NH2], a selective neuromedin B antagonist and [D-Arg1,D-Phe5,D-Trp7,9,Leu11]substance P, a broad-spectrum peptide receptor antagonist inhibited neuromedin B-, ICI 216140 and DPDM-bombesin ethylamide-induced Ca2+ release. Pretreatment of cells with either des-Met-bombesin analogue attenuated neuromedin B-induced Ca2+ elevations, suggesting similar agonist-sensitive Ca2+ pools. The pharmacological profiles revealed from the [3H]arachidonate assay were similar, although ICI 216140 was less potent and efficacious than DPDM-bombesin ethylamide. The data suggest that ICI 216140 and DPDM-bombesin ethylamide behave as agonists at the neuromedin B receptor, perhaps as a consequence of neuromedin B receptor overexpression.
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Opioid antagonists and antisera to endogenous opioids increase the nociceptive response to formalin: demonstration of an opioid kappa and delta inhibitory tone. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1996; 277:784-8. [PMID: 8627559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The present experiments explored the role of endogenous opioids in the behavioral response to a formalin-induced nociceptive stimulus in the rat. Flinching was taken as a measure of the intensity of the nociceptive stimulus after the administration of formalin into the dorsal surface of the paw of control animals, or in animals receiving i.p. administration of receptor-selective doses of opioid antagonists including naloxone, naltrindole (delta opioid antagonist), nor-binaltorphimine (kappa opioid antagonist) or beta-funaltrexamine (mu opioid antagonist). Additionally, antisera to [Leu5]enkephalin, [Met5]enkephalin and dynorphin A (1-13) (dynorphin) were administered intrathecally before formalin to explore the contribution of endogenous opioids in modulation of the flinching response. Formalin-induced flinching was increased significantly by naloxone, and receptor selective doses of naltrindole and nor-binaltorphimine, but not beta-funaltrexamine. Additionally, antisera to [Leu5]enkephalin and dynorphin also resulted in a significant increase in formalin-induced flinching, whereas antisera to [Met5]enkephalin had no effect. On the basis of significant increases in formalin-induced flinching produced by 1) receptor-selective doses of delta and kappa, but not mu, opioid antagonists and 2) antisera to [Leu5]enkephalin and dynorphin A, but not [Met5]enkephalin, these data suggest the presence of an opioid inhibitory tone which acts to limit the intensity of the pain signal. This tone appears to be mediated via activation of delta and kappa receptors, possibly by a [Leu5]enkephalin- and dynorphin-like substance, respectively.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)-
- Enkephalins/pharmacology
- Formaldehyde
- Immune Sera/immunology
- Male
- Naloxone/pharmacology
- Naltrexone/analogs & derivatives
- Naltrexone/pharmacology
- Narcotic Antagonists/pharmacology
- Opioid Peptides/physiology
- Pain/physiopathology
- Rats
- Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- Receptors, Opioid, delta/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptors, Opioid, delta/physiology
- Receptors, Opioid, kappa/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptors, Opioid, kappa/physiology
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5 A Day for better health--nine community research projects to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. Public Health Rep 1995; 110:68-79. [PMID: 7838947 PMCID: PMC1382077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the national objectives in "Healthy People 2000" is for members of the public to increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables to five or more servings daily. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) began a nationwide campaign to achieve this objective in 1991. As part of this campaign, the NCI funded nine research studies in 1993. These projects are implementing and evaluating community-based programs designed to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among different segments of the population in Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Washington. The settings for these projects include the Special Supplement Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC Programs), churches, worksites, and schools. The projects are led by multidisciplinary teams and entail extensive collaboration among academic, governmental, private sector, and voluntary agencies within each State. The projects represent a model public health paradigm for conducting this type of research.
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Ultrasound localization of screen detected impalpable breast tumours. JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OF EDINBURGH 1994; 39:353-4. [PMID: 7869290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Accurate localization of a tumour is imperative before excision biopsy for impalpable breast lesions seen on screening mammography. Ultrasound localization has the advantages of being simple, quick and noninvasive. In a 3-year period from September 1989, 185 women have required localization of a breast tumour prior to biopsy, 159 were performed using a wire localization technique and 26 (14%) were performed using ultrasound alone. Twenty-two out of the 26 were malignant lesions. The mean maximum diameter of tumour diagnosed by ultrasound compared to histological sample was 10.6 mm (8.5-12.7*) to 11.1 mm (8.9-13.3*) with a correlation of r = 0.87. In the malignant cases the mean maximum diameter of tissue excised was 63.0 mm (57.2-65.9*). Complete excision was obtained in 21 out of the 22 patients with malignant disease by one operation. Ultrasound alone has been used successfully as a means of preoperative localization in selected cases prior to excision biopsy of a breast tumour.
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Pharmacological analysis of receptors for bombesin-related peptides on guinea pig gallbladder smooth muscle. REGULATORY PEPTIDES 1994; 52:173-80. [PMID: 7800849 DOI: 10.1016/0167-0115(94)90051-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to characterize the receptor(s) for bombesin (BN) and its homologues (gastrin releasing peptide, GRP; neuromedin B, NMB; neuromedin C, NMC) in guinea pig gallbladder muscle strips. Dose-dependent contractions were induced by all peptides tested (potency: BN = GRP > NMC > NMB, but with similar efficacy: BN = GRP = NMC = NMB). The contractions were resistant to tetrodotoxin, atropine, phentolamine, and propranolol. BN tachyphylaxis (1 microM) abolished subsequent contractile responses to BN, GRP and NMC; and partially antagonized the response to NMB (66 +/- 7% inhibition). NMB tachyphylaxis (10 microM) markedly inhibited subsequent contractile responses to NMB (78 +/- 5%); and partially antagonized the contractile response to BN (36 +/- 4%), GRP (31 +/- 12%) and NMC (22 +/- 2%). At 1 microM, both [D-Phe6, Des-Met14]-BN(6-14) ethylamide and ICI 216, 140, two BN receptor antagonists, reduced the contractile actions of BN (82 +/- 4% and 59 +/-8% inhibition, respectively), GRP (75 +/- 11% and 45 +/- 5%), and NMC (73 +/- 9% and 51 +/- 6%) while having no marked effect on NMB contractions. Our pharmacological approaches (receptor tachyphylaxis and differential antagonism) provide support for two types of receptors for BN-like peptides on guinea pig gallbladder smooth muscle: a GRP-preferring receptor and a NMB-preferring receptor.
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5 a day for better health: a new research initiative. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN DIETETIC ASSOCIATION 1994; 94:32-6. [PMID: 8270753 DOI: 10.1016/0002-8223(94)92037-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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Abstract
We examined the profile of two bombesin (BN) antagonists, (CH3)2CHCO-His-Trp-Ala-Val-D-Ala-His-Leu-NHCH3] (ICI 216140) and [D-Phe6,des-Met14]BN(6-14)ethylamide (DPDM-BN EA), against neuromedin B-induced Ca2+ mobilization in the small cell lung cancer (SCLC) line NCI-H345. Neuromedin B (NMB), a BN-like peptide sharing sequence homology with ranatensin, elicited a concentration-dependent Ca2+ release (in part) from intracellular stores. Sequential addition of NMB attenuated Ca2+ mobilization. Desensitization occurred between BN and NMB; depletion of intracellular Ca2+ is a likely mechanism because thapsigargin stimulated Ca2+ release after a maximally desensitizing dose of NMB. ICI 216140 and DPDM-BN EA competitively inhibited BN-induced Ca2+ transients. In contrast, these compounds antagonized NMB-stimulated Ca2+ transients in a noncompetitive manner. The pharmacological profiles obtained support receptor heterogeneity for BN-like peptides on this SCLC line, underscoring the need for thorough examination of dose-response relationships when investigating effects of BN analogues on intact cells.
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Reserpinization severs the cooperative but not the oppositional interaction between D1 and D2 receptors. Neuropharmacology 1993; 32:515-7. [PMID: 8101637 DOI: 10.1016/0028-3908(93)90046-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine D1 and D2 receptors in rat brain interact synergistically to produce stereotypy and antagonistically to induce atypical jerking. This study showed that repeated reserpine treatment (5 daily injections of 1 mg/kg, s.c.), which depleted dopamine stores by 98%, rendered D1 and D2 receptors independent with respect to the production of stereotypy, i.e. either D1- or D2-selective agonists given alone induced stereotypy. In contrast, the atypical jerking induced by the D2 agonist, quinpirole, was still inhibited by the D1 agonist, SKF 82958, indicating that reserpine treatment did not render these two receptors independent with respect to initiation of this behavior.
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Naloxone causes apparent antinociception and pronociception simultaneously in the rat paw formalin test. Eur J Pharmacol 1993; 236:193-9. [PMID: 8319750 DOI: 10.1016/0014-2999(93)90589-a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Naloxone is known to decrease, increase or have no effect on nociceptive thresholds. Here, using two commonly accepted pain-related behaviors (licking and flinching) associated with injection of noxious formalin into a hind paw in rats, naloxone (0.1-1 mg/kg s.c.) simultaneously decreases and increases nociceptive responding in the same animal. Licking, which is reduced by naloxone, is enhanced by low doses but attenuated by high doses of morphine. However, although licking initially increases with a rise in formalin concentration, at higher concentrations the time spent licking the injected paw actually declines. By contrast, flinching, which is enhanced by naloxone, is only antagonized by morphine and increases linearly with formalin concentration. Both actions of naloxone can be interpreted in terms of a leftward shift in the formalin concentration-response curves. This study demonstrates that naloxone can increase formalin-induced flinching while simultaneously decreasing licking behavior. These findings suggest that, on its own, an unexpected decrease in a single nociceptive index may be an inadequate criterion for demonstrating antinociception.
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