In a previous study, children of a determined geographical zone, characterized by the abundance of mineral deposits in La Rioja, province of Argentina, were found to have altered phenotypic expression attributed to the HSR gene. This gene has been found to be associated to handedness, brain asymmetry, reading-writing abilities and susceptibility to schizophrenia. A hypothesis was raised considering the epigenetic regulation of the HSR gene and its susceptibility to environmental influences; trace elements abundant in this region could be exogenous factors involved in the altered expression attributed to this gene. Thus, the objective of the present work was to test in a cognitive lateralization and associate behavioural responses rat model, the possible biological effect of ZnTe as representative trace element on some spontaneous and natural behavioural responses simile to HSR expression of humans. ZnTe treatment (0.03 g/L-3 g/L) was applied in drinking water to pregnant mother animals along all gestation, delivery, weaning and preadolescent periods. Results showed that ZnTe treatment produced two opposing effects. On one hand, treated young rats displayed excitatory motor and selective motivated exploration responses in a behavioural automatic activity device, and on the other hand, impairments in motivated and lateralized behavioural display in a lateralized exploratory labyrinth. In other different test measuring defensive behaviour, natural defensive responses were attenuated in ZnTe treated rats. Biochemical determinations of the methylation patterns of DNA in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, showed that ZnTe treatment modified the ratio of non-methylated-to methylated cytosine, suggesting an epigenetic change on the same line to that observed in children in the previous study of this laboratory. In conclusion, the behavioural rat model used in the present study confirms some of the previous evidence found in humans.
Purpose: The aim of present study was to study the effect of
osteopathic manipulation on pain relief and quality of life improvement in
hospitalized oncology geriatric patients. Methods: A nonrandomized
controlled clinical trial was performed in the Oncology Rehabilitation Unit,
Milan, Italy, from September 2015 to March 2016. Twenty-three older cancer
patients were enrolled and allocated in 2 experimental groups: the study group
(OMT group, N = 12) underwent osteopathic manipulative treatment in addition to
physiotherapy, and the control group (PT group, N = 12) underwent only
physiotherapy. At enrollment (T0), 24 recruited oncology patients completed the
sociodemographic forms and were evaluated for pain intensity and quality of life
by an external examiner. All patients were revaluated every week (T1, T2, T3,
and T4) for pain intensity and at the end of the study treatment (T4) for
quality of life. A standard level of significance was set at α < .05.
Results: The 2 groups did not significantly differ in age
(P = .682), body mass index (P = .413), or
gender (P = 1). The osteopathic manipulative treatment added to
physiotherapy produced a significant reduction in Numeric Rating Scale (NRS)
scores both at T2 (P = .004) and T4 (P =
.002). The difference in quality of life improvements between T0 and T4 was not
statistically significant. NRS improved in the PT group at T4. Between-group
analysis of NRS and quality of life with the Mann-Whitney test did not show any
significant difference between the 2 treatments. Conclusions: Our
study showed a significant improvement in pain relief and a nonsignificant
improvement in quality of life in hospitalized geriatric oncology patients
during osteopathic manipulative treatment. Trial Registration:
Protocol registered on Clinicaltrials.gov
(NCT03142386).
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