Cooling-Triggered Release of Celecoxib from Implantable Alginate-Soluplus Composite Devices.

Currently, on-demand treatment of pain (both chronic and acute) is primarily achieved using opioids that are delivered systemically. Unfortunately, these drugs are highly addictive; over 5 people per hour die from opioid abuse in the US alone. A safer, nonsystemic mechanism for pain relief is therefore needed.

TRPV1 Tunes Optic Nerve Axon Excitability in Glaucoma.

The transient receptor potential vanilloid member 1 (TRPV1) in the central nervous system may contribute to homeostatic plasticity by regulating intracellular Ca, which becomes unbalanced in age-related neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's and Huntington's. Glaucomatous optic neuropathy - the world's leading cause of irreversible blindness - involves progressive degeneration of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons in the optic nerve through sensitivity to stress related to intraocular pressure (IOP). In models of glaucoma, genetic deletion of TRPV1 ( ) accelerates RGC axonopathy in the optic projection, whereas TRPV1 activation modulates RGC membrane polarization.

Towards A Microbead Occlusion Model of Glaucoma for a Non-Human Primate.

Glaucoma is a group of optic neuropathies associated with aging and sensitivity to intraocular pressure (IOP). The disease causes vision loss through the degeneration of retinal ganglion cell neurons and their axons in the optic nerve. Using an inducible model of glaucoma, we elevated IOP in the squirrel monkey (Saimiri boliviensis) using intracameral injection of 35 μm polystyrene microbeads and measured common pathogenic outcomes in the optic projection.

Progression and Pathology of Traumatic Optic Neuropathy From Repeated Primary Blast Exposure.

Indirect traumatic optic neuropathy (ITON) is a condition that is often associated with traumatic brain injury and can result in significant vision loss due to degeneration of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons at the time of injury or within the ensuing weeks. We used a mouse model of eye-directed air-blast exposure to characterize the histopathology of blast-induced ITON. This injury caused a transient elevation of intraocular pressure with subsequent RGC death and axon degeneration that was similar throughout the length of the optic nerve (ON).

Rapid Repeat Exposure to Subthreshold Trauma Causes Synergistic Axonal Damage and Functional Deficits in the Visual Pathway in a Mouse Model.

We examined the effect of repeat exposure to a non-damaging insult on central nervous system axons using the optic projection as a model. The optic projection is attractive because its axons are spatially separated from the cell bodies, it is easily accessible, it is composed of long axons, and its function can be measured. We performed closed-system ocular neurotrauma in C57Bl/6 mice using bursts of 15 or 26-psi (pounds per square inch) overpressure air that caused no gross damage.

Antioxidants prevent inflammation and preserve the optic projection and visual function in experimental neurotrauma.

We investigated the role of oxidative stress and the inflammasome in trauma-induced axon degeneration and vision loss using a mouse model. The left eyes of male mice were exposed to over-pressure air waves. Wild-type C57Bl/6 mice were fed normal, high-vitamin-E (VitE), ketogenic or ketogenic-control diets.

Reduced frequency prenatal visits in midwifery practice: attitudes and use.

Recent research supports the use of reduced frequency prenatal visit schedules (RFVS) for women of low obstetric risk. However, for the RFVS to be widely adopted for use in practice, health care providers must implement and support its use. The purpose of this study was to explore midwives' attitudes toward and use of reduced frequency prenatal care visit schedules for the care of low-risk women.