Functional dissection of parabrachial substrates in processing nociceptive information.

Painful stimuli elicit first-line reflexive defensive reactions and, in many cases, also evoke second-line recuperative behaviors, the latter of which reflects the sensing of tissue damage and the alleviation of suffering. The lateral parabrachial nucleus (lPBN), composed of external- (elPBN), dorsal- (dlPBN), and central/superior-subnuclei (jointly referred to as slPBN), receives sensory inputs from spinal projection neurons and plays important roles in processing affective information from external threats and body integrity disruption. However, the organizational rules of lPBN neurons that provoke diverse behaviors in response to different painful stimuli from cutaneous and deep tissues remain unclear. In this study, we used region-specific neuronal depletion or silencing approaches combined with a battery of behavioral assays to show that slPBN neurons expressing substance P receptor ( NK1R) (lPBN NK1R) are crucial for driving pain-associated self-care behaviors evoked by sustained noxious thermal and mechanical stimuli applied to skin or bone/muscle, while elPBN neurons are dispensable for driving such reactions. Notably, lPBN NK1R neurons are specifically required for forming sustained somatic pain-induced negative teaching signals and aversive memory but are not necessary for fear-learning or escape behaviors elicited by external threats. Lastly, both lPBN NK1R and elPBN neurons contribute to chemical irritant-induced nocifensive reactions. Our results reveal the functional organization of parabrachial substrates that drive distinct behavioral outcomes in response to sustained pain versus external danger under physiological conditions.

Preoperative diffusion-weighted imaging value of rectal cancer: preoperative T staging and correlations with histological T stage.

PURPOSE: To assess the ability of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) for evaluating T stage and correlation with histological T stage of rectal cancer. METHOD: The diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of T2WI and DWI combined with T2WI for T stage were evaluated. Mean tumor apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was compared with histological T stage. RESULT: There were no significant differences in the diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity no matter what kind of T stage was concerned. The difference between ADC values and histological T stage were significantly different. CONCLUSION: DWI was useful for evaluating T stage of rectal cancer. The ADC may predict the histological grade.

Aggressive osteoblastoma of the temporal bone: a case report and review of the literature.

Osteoblastoma can take place in any part of the skeleton. Its occurrence in the calvarium is extremely rare. The aggressive form of osteoblastoma is a rare variant. To our knowledge, this is the second case of aggressive osteoblastoma arising in the temporal bone. We report an 18-year-old patient with aggressive osteoblastoma involving the left temporal bone. Computed tomography of temporal bone showed an osteolytic lesion with granular mineralization and mottled ossified density. Permanent histopathologic sections and immunohistochemical stains revealed an aggressive osteoblastoma.