The current study was performed to evaluate the antinociceptive and antiedematogenic properties of andrographolide isolated from the leaves of Andrographis paniculata using two animal models. Antinociceptive activity was evaluated using the acetic acid–induced writhing and the hot-plate tests, while antiedematogenic activity was measured using the carrageenan-induced paw edema test. Subcutaneous (s.c.) administration of andrographolide (10, 25, and 50 mg/kg) did not affect the motor coordination of the experimental animals but produced significant (p < .05) antinociceptive activity when assessed using both tests. However, 2 mg/kg naloxone failed to affect the 25 mg/kg andrographolide activity in both tests, indicating that the activity was modulated via nonopioid mechanisms. Furthermore, andrographolide showed significant (p < .05) antiedematogenic activity. In conclusion, the results obtained suggest that andrographolide has antinociceptive and antiedematogenic activities; it may be useful for treating pain and inflammation once human studies are conducted.

Prostate cancer is a leading malignancy in men, and prostatectomy is widely used for its treatment. Psychological distress and pain are commonly experienced in the perioperative period, and both can contribute to suppression of the immune response to cancer. This study evaluated perioperative pain, psychological distress, and immune function in men undergoing prostatectomy. Men were evaluated prior to surgery, 1 and 2 days postoperatively and 4–6 weeks postoperatively. Compared to cancer-free men, the prostatectomy group reported increased perceived stress, depression, confusion, and anxiety prior to surgery. During the 2 postoperative days, mood disturbance and anxiety persisted and were accompanied by mild elevations in pain and reduced vigor. At 4–6 weeks postoperative, mood, pain, and immune function were similar to those of the cancer-free group; however, the prostatectomy group continued to report significant elevations in anxiety. Natural killer cell activity (NKCA) was significantly reduced on Day 1 after prostatectomy, but by postoperative Day 2, NKCA returned to a level similar to that of the cancer-free group. The reduction in NKCA was not accompanied by changes in circulating immune cells, demonstrating that this reduction represented a functional change in NKCA. No correlations between immune variables and pain or psychological variables were found, suggesting that the postoperative reduction in NKCA was likely the result of the physical stress of the surgical experience. Suppression of immune defenses during the critical postoperative period can place cancer patients at risk for nascent tumor seeding. Additional interventions are needed to reduce this risk.

In this study, an ethanol extract of Turnera ulmifolia L. (EETU) and chlorpromazine (CPZ) were tested for their antimicrobial activity alone or in combination with conventional antibiotics against two strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli). The growth of neither E. coli strain was inhibited by the extract. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration values were ≥1 mg/ml for both the strains of E. coli. However, the extract did increase the antimicrobial effects of amikacin, neomycin, and tobramycin. A similar effect of CPZ on amikacin, kanamycin, and tobramycin indicated the involvement of an efflux system in the resistance to these aminoglycosides. Results suggest that extracts from T. ulmifolia could be used as a plant-derived natural product with resistance-modifying activity, constituting a new weapon against bacterial resistance to antibiotics.

Sleep fragmentation increases as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) progresses. Its effects on cognition, specifically vigilant attention, are profoundly important because vigilant attention is thought to be the first step in memory acquisition. To our knowledge, no one has experimentally studied the effect of sleep fragmentation on vigilant attention in persons with AD. Therefore, this study piloted an experimental method using sound (tones produced by an audiometer) to induce sleep fragmentation. Participants enrolled in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Memory Research Center ([MRC] n = 4) underwent one night of undisturbed and one of fragmented sleep. All participants tolerated the earphone needed for the tone-induced sleep fragmentation (TISF) method, and we were able to score awakenings in real time. However, only 50% of tones produced awakenings. The findings suggest that this experimental method is feasible for use in persons with mild AD. Based on the results, we will increase the duration, intensity, and frequency of tones delivered for optimal result.

This observational study used repeated measures over 24 hr to investigate ambulatory blood pressure (BP) and physical activity (PA) profiles in community-based individuals with heart failure (HF). The aims were to (a) compare BP dipping and PA between two groups of HF patients with different functional statuses, and (b) determine whether the strength of the association between ambulatory BP and PA varies by functional status in HF. Ambulatory BP was measured every 30 min with a SpaceLabs 90207; a Basic Motionlogger actigraph was used to measure PA minute-by-minute. Fifty-six participants (54% female, age 66.96 ± 12.35 years) completed data collection. Functional status was based on New York Heart Association (NYHA) ratings. Twenty-seven patients had no limitation of PA (NYHA Class I HF), whereas 29 had some limitation of PA but no discomfort at rest (NYHA Class II or III HF). Patients with Class I HF had a significantly greater degree of BP dipping than those with Class II/III HF after controlling for left ventricular ejection fraction. In a mixed-model analysis, PA was significantly related to ambulatory systolic and diastolic BP and mean arterial pressure. The strength of the association between PA and BP was not significantly different for the two groups of patients. These findings demonstrate differences between Class I and Class II/II HF in BP dipping status and ambulatory BP but not PA. Longitudinal research is recommended to improve understanding of the influence of disease progression on changes in 24-hr PA and BP profiles of patients with HF.

Background: No accepted standard exists to evaluate nonsleep-related activity in nursing facility residents where monitors are variously placed at the ankle, waist, wrist, thigh, or embedded in sheeting and set to record activity frequency. Objectives: To determine optimal placement of activity monitors by site—at the ankle, waist, or wrist for nursing facility residents. Methods: Nursing facility residents (N = 16) wore accelerometers at three sites: the nondominant ankle, waist, and wrist, while recording activity in three modes: frequency, duration, and intensity. Results: The natural log activity mean for each mode by site and time revealed no significant differences between the three sites for activity intensity, F(2, 62.78) = .15, p = .86; activity duration, F(2, 69.84) = .50, p = .61; and activity frequency, F(2, 70.04) = 1.25, p = .29. There were no significant site–time interactions. The natural log activity by site and mode indicated no significant differences by site for the 24-hr mean, F(2, 107.64) = .20, p = .82; activity median, F(2, 100.42) = .47, p = .63; and activity standard deviation, F(2, 108.69) = 1.5, p = .23. A significant difference was seen by site for the acceleration index, F(2, 106.32) = 9.57, p < .001. No significant site–mode interactions were found. Conclusions: Similarity between ankle, waist, or wrist sites when measuring activity by various modes, frequency, duration, or intensity, suggests the monitors measure nonsleep-related activity equally well at any of the sites.

The purpose of this study was to assess feasibility and acceptability of using a diaper pad for collection of in-home infant urinary samples and to test the accuracy of diaper pad extraction for 6-sulfatoxymelatonin and creatinine, which was used to correct assay results for urinary volume. To assess feasibility and acceptability, urine samples from 20 infants were collected over a 24-hr day using a cotton pad inserted in the diaper. The accuracy of diaper pad extraction was evaluated in the laboratory using urine samples collected from 11 adult volunteers and assayed using enzyme immunosorbent assay (EIA). Urine samples were divided, one aliquot was assayed without extraction, and one aliquot was instilled into a diaper pad, extracted, and assayed. Mothers found diaper pad collection acceptable and easy to perform. Of 144 infant urinary samples obtained in the home environment, 59% were usable for assay purposes, and the remaining either were contaminated with stool or were of insufficient volume. While creatinine values from diaper pad extracted and nonextracted samples were highly correlated (r² = .947), those of creatinine-corrected 6-sulfatoxymelatonin were not (r² = .216). Diaper pad collection procedures altered 6-sulfatoxymelatonin values. Implications for measurement of urinary biochemical substances and statistical analysis are discussed.

Excessive nocturnal urine volumes (UVs) predict almost double the death rate in older adults. Furthermore, sleep-depriving environments may increase nocturnal UVs in old age. Thus, a pilot study was designed to examine the effects of sleep-depriving lighting treatments on the 12-hr UV excretion in young adult rats (6 months, n = 6), middle-aged rats (12 months, n = 12), old rats (16 months, n = 6), and old-old rats (>20 months, n = 5). Each animal was exposed continuously to the treatments beginning with 7 days each of standard laboratory lighting conditions of on 12 hr/off 12 hr, then 7 days continuous dim lighting, and finally 7 days of continuous dim lighting plus sleep deprivation with a noxious noise. Age group and lighting condition treatments influenced 24-hr urine volume excretion (F (2, 29) = 2.41, p = .007, r² = .8193). During sleep deprivation, rest-phase 12-hr urine volume excretion increased in both the old and old-old rats (F (2, 5) = 7.79, p < .00001).