Articles: function.
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Knee Osteoarthritis (KOA) is mainly characterized by pain. The assessment of KOA-related pain frequently focuses on different constructs subject to sources of bias or drawbacks, as the classical Pain at Rest (PAR). Movement-evoked pain (MEP), recently defined as 'pain during walking', emerges as a differential concept, since PAR and MEP are driven by different underlying mechanisms. Given the novelty of the MEP approach, its association with PAR or with different performance-based tests has not been studied in KOA yet. ⋯ This research elucidates the relevance of MEP, recently defined as 'pain during walking', through the analysis of its association with PAR and with functional performance (measured through four mobility tests) in knee osteoarthritis. The results from our study highlight the absence of either association or agreement between MEP and PAR, fact that supports and endorses the idea that both concepts measure and refer to different constructs in knee osteoarthritis.
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Acute renal dysfunction and subsequent acute renal failure after cardiac surgery are associated with high mortality and morbidity. Early therapeutic or preventive intervention is hampered by the lack of an early biomarker for acute renal injury. Recent studies showed that urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL or lipocalin 2) is upregulated early (within 1 to 3 h) after murine renal injury and in pediatric acute renal dysfunction after cardiac surgery. The authors hypothesized that postoperative urinary NGAL concentrations are increased in adult patients developing acute renal dysfunction after cardiac surgery compared with patients without acute renal dysfunction. ⋯ Patients developing postoperative acute renal dysfunction had significantly higher urinary NGAL concentrations early after cardiac surgery. Urinary NGAL may therefore be a useful early biomarker of acute renal dysfunction after cardiac surgery. These findings may facilitate the early detection of acute renal injury and potentially prevent progression to acute renal failure.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jul 2024
Comparative StudyComparative Gene Signature of Nociceptors Innervating Mouse Molar Teeth, Cranial Meninges, and Cornea.
The trigeminal ganglion (TG) collects afferent sensory information from various tissues. Recent large-scale RNA sequencing of neurons of the TG and dorsal root ganglion has revealed a variety of functionally distinct neuronal subpopulations, but organ-specific information is lacking. ⋯ Our study uncovers previously unknown differences in gene expression between sensory neuron subpopulations from the dental pulp, cornea, and dura mater and provides the basis for functional studies, including the investigation of ion channel function and their suitability as targets for tissue-specific analgesia.
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Chronic hip pain is one of the most common and difficult-to-treat causes of disability. Our study's primary aim was to investigate the effects of ultrasound and fluoroscopy-guided radiofrequency thermocoagulation of the femoral and obturator nerve articular branches on chronic hip pain, and the secondary aim was to determine its effects on hip function and quality of life. ⋯ We concluded that radiofrequency thermocoagulation application to the articular branches of the femoral and obturator nerves provides pain relief, hip function improvement, and better quality of life (better physical component scores but no improvement in mental component scores in SF-12) for up to 6 months in chronic hip pain.
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Metabolism is inextricably linked to every aspect of cellular function. In addition to energy production and biosynthesis, metabolism plays a crucial role in regulating signal transduction and gene expression. Altered metabolic states have been shown to maintain aberrant signaling and transcription, contributing to diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegeneration. ⋯ By linking metabolic disturbance of dorsal root ganglia to transcriptome reprogramming, this study enhances our understanding of the mechanisms underlying persistent nociceptive sensitization. These findings imply that impaired mitochondrial pyruvate oxidation may drive chronic pain, possibly by impacting transcriptomic regulation. Exploring these metabolite-driven mechanisms further might reveal novel therapeutic targets for intractable pain.