Internal temperature increase during photothermal tumour ablation in mice using gold nanorods.

Laser ablation (LA) is gaining large acceptance in the treatment of tumor. One of the main risks of this treatment is damaging the healthy tissue around the tumor. Among the solutions proposed to improve the selectivity of the LA and to localize heating to tumor tissue, the use of gold nanoparticles is one of the most promising. The aim of this work is threefold: i) to measure the temperature increase within the tumor during plasmonic photothermal therapy using gold nanorods; ii) to investigate the influence of nanorods concentration and laser settings on both the intra-tumoral temperature and the tumor surface temperature; iii) and to establish the nanorods concentrations able to cause tumor resorption at a defined laser settings. Two sets of trials were performed: i) 16 mice were divided in four groups with different treatment time (i.e., 5 min, 2 min, 1 min, and 30s), with constant gold nanorods amount (i.e., 12.5 µg) and laser power (i.e., 3 W·cm(-2)); ii) 16 mice were divided in four groups treated with different amount of gold nanorods (i.e., control, 12.5 µg, 25 µg, 50 µg) for 5 min at 2 W·cm(-2). Results show significant differences between internal and surface temperatures. We also demonstrate that this temperature difference increases with nanoparticle concentrations, decreases with laser power, and is not influenced by treatment time. This information is critical to improve the theoretical models that will guide future study designs in sensitive orthotopic tumor models.

Effect of topical nasal azelastine on the symptoms of rhinitis, sleep, and daytime somnolence in perennial allergic rhinitis.

BACKGROUND: Recent data suggested that daytime somnolence in patients with allergic rhinitis was secondary to disrupted sleep caused by nasal congestion. Medications, which decreased congestion, would be expected to improve sleep and daytime somnolence. Previously, we demonstrated that nasal steroids improved all three symptoms. The effect of topical nasal antihistamines on these symptoms has yet to be studied. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this 8-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to determine whether topical nasal azelastine was effective at decreasing congestion, daytime somnolence, and improving sleep. METHODS: We recruited 24 subjects with perennial allergic rhinitis and randomized them in a double-blinded, crossover fashion, to receive placebo or azelastine two sprays BID, using Balaam's design. Questionnaires, daily diary, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale were used as tools. The last 2 weeks of each 4-week treatment period were summarized, scored, and compared by PROC MIXED in SAS. RESULTS: The analysis of the Rhinitis Severity Score showed significant improvement only of rhinorrhea in the azelastine group (P = .03). The symptom severity of nasal congestion and daytime somnolence was not significantly different between placebo and azelastine. Subjects considered azelastine effective at improving their sleep (P = .04), but daytime somnolence (P = .06) and congestion (P = .09) were not statistically improved. CONCLUSION: Azelastine is effective in reducing rhinorrhea and improving sleep quality. We were unable to demonstrate that azelastine can significantly reduce the severity of congestion or daytime somnolence.

Chondronecrosis of the hip. The protective role of the ossific nucleus in an animal model.

The presence of the ossific nucleus and its role in reducing the risk of ischemic necrosis in developmental dysplasia of the hip remains a matter of controversy. Ischemic necrosis of the pre-osseous capital femoral epiphysis, defined as chondronecrosis, was evaluated in a rabbit model. Histologic evidence of chondronecrosis after casting in maximum abduction was greater in 1-day-old New Zealand White rabbits before the radiographic appearance of the ossific nucleus, compared with 16-day-old New Zealand White rabbits with an ossific nucleus already present. This preliminary study supports the hypothesis that the ossific nucleus may decrease the risk of intracapsular compressive ischemic injury to the developing capital femoral epiphysis in a rabbit model.

Efficacy of a steroid nasal spray compared with an antihistamine nasal spray in the treatment of perennial allergic rhinitis.

Allergic rhinitis is a common disease with a lifetime prevalence of 20% among the United States population. The cost of medication alone to manage allergic rhinitis in the United States was estimated to be $3.1 billion. The two most commonly prescribed classes of medications are antihistamines and topical nasal steroids. The data on comparing the efficacy of a commonly used antihistamine (azelastine hydrochloride) with that of topical steroids, however, are conflicting. Therefore, the reported study was undertaken to determine the efficacy of azelastine with that of a topical nasal steroid (flunisolide) in treating patients for the symptoms of perennial allergic rhinitis. Forty-four subjects were enrolled in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study using Balaam's design. In one group, patients were treated with topical nasal corticosteroids or placebo. In the other group, patients were treated with the antihistamine nasal spray or placebo. Subjective data were collected by the use of questionnaires and a daily diary, which focused on nasal symptoms, sleep, and daytime sleepiness. The results demonstrated that the topical nasal corticosteroid performed superiorly to the antihistamine nasal spray in improving sleep, daytime sleepiness, sneezing, ocular and nasal pruritus, and nasal congestion. Thus, the topical nasal corticosteroid was found to be more effective than antihistamine nasal spray in reducing symptoms of allergic rhinitis. This study provides further support for the use of topical nasal corticosteroids as first-line treatment for perennial allergic rhinitis.

The contribution of the ossific nucleus to the structural stiffness of the capital femoral epiphysis: a porcine model for DDH.

The preosseous femoral head is thought to be vulnerable to compressive ischemic injury during the treatment of developmental dysplasia of the hip. The ossific nucleus has been proposed to increase the mechanical strength of the capital femoral epiphysis (CFE) and to decrease the risk of avascular necrosis. Sixty mixed-breed fetal and postgestational femoral head specimens were evaluated for structural stiffness in relation to the size of the ossific nucleus within the CFE. The structural stiffness of the CFE in the porcine model was found to increase exponentially with the size of the ossific nucleus. A finite-element model revealed that the presence of an ossific nucleus occupying 40% of the epiphyseal volume reduced the compressive strain in the region of the posterior-superior branch of the medial circumflex artery by an average of 54%. The results of this study support the hypothesis that the presence of the ossific nucleus may protect the CFE from compressive ischemic injury in the treatment of DDH.