High Dilution of Dexamethasone in gestation and fetal development of mice

Background: Recently, the use of homeopathy in veterinary medicine has grown significantly, mainly for farm animal practice, because of its usefulness in organic production and low cost. There is a  wide range of veterinary products available in the  marketoften used in females. However, the effect of these products in the litter and derived products for human consummation is completely unknown. Aims: this  study sought to  develop an experimental model to study the putative effects of high diluted substances in newborns after chronic exposure of females. Methods: based on previous studies, the chosen test substance was dexamethasone 15cH; adult female Balb/c mice were divided into 4 groups: a) treated with PBS (control); b) treated with dexamethasone 15 cH; c) treated with dexamethasone 15cH + dexamethasone 4 mg/kg and d) treated with dexamethasone 4 mg/kg. All medicines were administered subcutaneously, 3 times a week, in females from the first day of pregnancy up to the 20th day after parturition (end of lactation period). TDevelopment of the offspring was evaluated daily  for 15 days after birth. Parameters evaluated were: female and offspring viability, number of newborns, time for eye opening, pinna opening, fur growth and postural reflex. Results: the group treated with dexamethasone 15cH  showed 39% increase in mortality rate 39 days after the beginning of treatment and 35% increase in fetal mortality at the end of gestation (p=0.0049). Females treated with dexamethasone 4mg/kg + dexamethasone 15cH showed 100% of fetal mortality. After parturition newborn survival in animals exposed to dexamethasone 4 mg/kg was higher than the control (p=0.0002). All other parameters of neonatal development were unchanged among groups. Conclusions: these data point to adverse effect when using high diluted dexamethasone during gestation detectable by this experimental model in Balb/c mice.

Interpretation of value dispositions of students attending Ukrainian educational and rehabilitation institutions in the context of the theory of archetypes

The article uses the theoretical and methodological standpoint of Gilbert Durand’s theory of archetypes to interpret ethnic archetypes of Ukrainians, which are manifested in the set of value dispositions of students attending educational and rehabilitation institutions. The authors substantiate the idea that the influence of archetypal determinants in children is manifested primarily in value dispositions that act as potentials for their future behaviour; they are the projection of the collective unconscious influence on the social morality of a particular society and the formation of universal prototypes that determine the living environment of each individual and the entire community, eventually affecting the construction of social reality. Based on the survey conducted among senior students of educational and rehabilitation institutions of Ukraine, it is empirically shown that the value structure of student youth is formed mostly regardless of their gender, reflecting the main national archetypes (freedom-loving Cossack society, cordocentrism, the concept of “fertile land”, peasantry character, the image of Goddess-Mother) and includes such traits of national character as democratic nature, opulence, thrift, diligence, religiosity and respect for women. The article demonstrates the analytical and interpretative value of the conceptual trichotomy “diurnal – dramatic nocturnal – mystical nocturnal” introduced by G. Durand for understanding the archetypal pre-conditions of students’ choices of priority values. The authors analyse the specific features of the value sphere of students with disabilities: when compared to children without disabilities, they show lower indicators for almost all value points. It is suggested that these differences are evidence of the lesser manifestation of archetypes and national character traits due to preferential focusing on health issues, the need to monitor and control physical condition increasingly, coordination of movements, etc. Because of this, in students with disabilities, the postural reflex, which belongs to the sphere of the diurnal influence, retains its activity after reaching physical maturity and often manifests itself in the unprecedented psychological vitality of people belonging to this category.

The role of postural control in physical activity

Background: Postural control concerns control of body position in space in two aspects: 1. stability that is understood as ability to maintain projection of center of gravity on support surface 2. orientation understood as proper relation of individual body segments towards each other and towards surrounding In pediatric physiotherapy different term is used that constitute synonym of postural control - it is postural reflex mechanism of which the most important factor is postural tone Aim of study: To determine relation between postural control and moderate physical activity in children? Material/Methods: Method used in the study encompasses physiotherapeutic assessment of postural control before and after two weeks period of moderate physical activity. It included multi-sport activities (with prevalence of activities with use of water equipment), that stimulate postural control. 23 children (11 girls and 12 boys) aged 7-16 were examined. Their postural control was assessed with use of two parameters: size of postural tone (Postural Tone Coefficient) and body stabilization (Body Stabilization Test). Obtained results were processed statistically Results: After two weeks of moderate physical activity, parameters that concern postural control were improved. In the statistical analyze improvement appears to be statistically significant on the level of p < 0,05. Conclusions: Moderate physical activity influences postural control improvement.

Abstract TP97: Experimental Stroke During Aging: Docosahexaenoic Acid Therapy Provides Robust Neuroprotection

Introduction: Recently we have shown that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is neuroprotective after experimental stroke in young rats. The purpose of this study was to determine whether treatment with DHA would be protective in aged rats after focal cerebral ischemia. Methods: Isoflurane/nitrous oxide-anesthetized normothermic (brain temperature 36-36.5 o C) male Sprague-Dawley aged rats (16-months old) received 2h middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) by poly-L-lysine-coated intraluminal suture. The behavioral function was evaluated during occlusion (60 min), and on days 1, 3 and 7 after MCAo; a grading scale of 0-12 was employed (0=normal and 12=maximal deficit). The agent (DHA, 5 mg/kg; n=6) or vehicle (saline; n=7) was administered i.v. at 3h after MCAo onset. The composite neuroscore comprises two different neurological tests, the postural reflex test and the forelimb placing test, to measure visual, tactile and proprioceptive stimuli, which were evaluated on days 1, 2, 3 and 7. High resolution ex vivo MRI using an 11.7T Bruker was performed on day 7. The core and penumbra were automatically identified using the Hierarchical Region Splitting method for penumbra identification. Histopathology and immunostaining were conducted after completion of MRI on day 7. Results: DHA treatment improved neurological scores on days 1 (by 18%), 2 (by 25%), 3 (by 22%) and 7 (by 36%). Total, cortical and subcortical lesion volumes computed from T2WI were significantly reduced by DHA treatment (by 62-75%). DHA treatment also reduced cortical, subcortical and total brain infarction (by 65- 80%). In addition, DHA therapy decreased ED-1 positive microglia/microphages (by 62%), GFAP-positive astrocytes (by 21%), and NeuN-positive neurons (by34%), and it increased SMI-71-positive vessels (by 46%) in the ischemic penumbra. Conclusion: DHA therapy is highly neuroprotective in aged rats following focal cerebral ischemia and has potential for the effective treatment of ischemic stroke in aged individuals.

Transneuronal Degeneration of Thalamic Nuclei following Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion in Rats

Objective.Postinfarction transneuronal degeneration refers to secondary neuronal death that occurs within a few days to weeks following the disruption of input or output to synapsed neurons sustaining ischemic insults. The thalamus receives its blood supply from the posterior circulation; however, infarctions of the middle cerebral arterial may cause secondary transneuronal degeneration in the thalamus. In this study, we presented the areas of ischemia and associated transneuronal degeneration following MCAo in a rat model.Materials and Methods.Eighteen 12-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to receive middle cerebral artery occlusion surgery for 1, 7, and 14 days. Cerebral atrophy was assessed by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium hydrochloride staining. Postural reflex and open field tests were performed prior to animal sacrifice to assess the effects of occlusion on behavior.Results.Myelin loss was observed at the lesion site following ischemia. Gliosis was also observed in thalamic regions 14 days following occlusion. Differential degrees of increased vascular endothelial growth factor expression were observed at each stage of infarction. Increases in myelin basic protein levels were also observed in the 14-day group.Conclusion.The present rat model of ischemia provides evidence of transneuronal degeneration within the first 14 days of occlusion. The observed changes in protein expression may be associated with self-repair mechanisms in the damaged brain.

Effects of Fourteen-Day Bed Rest on Trunk Stabilizing Functions in Aging Adults

Bed rest has been shown to have detrimental effects on structural and functional characteristics of the trunk muscles, possibly affecting trunk and spinal stability. This is especially important in populations such as aging adults with often altered trunk stabilizing functions. This study examined the effects of a fourteen-day bed rest on anticipatory postural adjustments and postural reflex responses of the abdominal wall and back muscles in sixteen adult men. Postural activation of trunk muscles was measured using voluntary quick arm movement and sudden arm loading paradigm. Measurements were conducted prior to the bed rest, immediately after, and fourteen days after the bed rest. Immediately after the bed rest, latencies of anticipatory postural adjustments showed significant shortening, especially for the obliquus internus and externus muscles. After a fourteen-day recuperation period, anticipatory postural adjustments reached a near to complete recovery. On the contrary, reactive response latencies increased from pre-bed-rest to both post-bed-rest measurement sessions. Results indicate an important effect of bed rest on stabilizing functions of the trunk muscles in elderly adults. Moreover, there proved to be a significant deterioration of postural reactive responses that outlasted the 14-day post-bed-rest rehabilitation.