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Aging is associated with an increase in stroke risk. Melatonin, a potent free radical scavenger and broad spectrum antioxidant, has been shown to counteract inflammation and apoptosis in brain injury. However, little is known on the possible protective effects of melatonin in aged individuals affected by brain ischemia. Also, using melatonin before or after an ischemic stroke may result in significantly different molecular outcomes. The objective of the present study was to compare the effects of pre-ischemia vs. post-ischemia melatonin administration in an ischemic lesion in the cortex and hippocampus of senescent Wistar rats. An obstruction of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) to 18-month-old animals was performed. In general, animals treated with melatonin from 24 h prior to surgery until 7 days after the surgical procedure (PrevT) experienced a significant decrease in the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), Bcl-2-associated death promoter (BAD), and Bcl-2-associated X protein (BAX) in both cortex and hippocampus, while hippocampal levels of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) increased. Treatment of animals with melatonin only after surgery (AT) resulted in similar effects, but to a lesser extent than in the PrevT group. In any case, melatonin acted as a valuable therapeutic agent protecting aged animals from the harmful effects of cerebral infarction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recently published data suggest that showing patients operated on for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis or kyphosis their preoperative and postoperative photographs may enhance their satisfaction and self-image as measured by Scoliosis Research Society Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire (SRS-22) scores. No data exist for adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery. The aim of this study is to determine the effect on patient postoperative satisfaction and self-image of showing adult deformity patients their preoperative and postoperative whole body photographs., Methods: This was a nonconcurrent prospective study. Patients operated on for ASD with a minimum 2-year postoperative follow-up who had preoperative full-body photographs taken by a professional photographer were included. Two follow-up visits were arranged 7 days apart. In the first visit, patients completed the SRS-22 questionnaire, and full-body standing photographs were taken. In the second visit, patients were asked to complete again questions 4, 6, 10, 14, 19 (self-image), 21, and 22 (satisfaction) of the SRS-22 after seeing their preoperative and postoperative full-body photographs., Results: Thirty patients (28 female) were included. The median age at surgery was 50 years (26-76). The median follow-up was 51 months (24-120). SRS-22 results at first visit were: activity 2.79 ± 0.75; self-image 2.71 ± 0.82; pain 2.53 ± 1.10; mental health 3.08 ± 0.77; satisfaction 3.46 ± 1.20; global 2.74 ± 0.72. SRS22 results at second visit were: self-image 2.9 ± 0.75; satisfaction 4.02 ± 0.97. After seeing the preoperative and final follow-up photographs, patients experienced an improvement in SRS-22 self-image ( P = .000) and satisfaction domains ( P = .011)., Conclusions: In patients operated on for ASD, showing preoperative and postoperative photographs improves patient satisfaction with surgery and self-image., Level of Evidence: 3., Clinical Relevance: Our results could be a starting point for introducing full-body clinical photographs as a routine clinical tool in adult deformity patients undergoing surgery., (This manuscript is generously published free of charge by ISASS, the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery. Copyright © 2020 ISASS.)

Aging increases oxidative stress and inflammation. Melatonin counteracts inflammation and apoptosis. This study investigated the possible protective effect of melatonin on the inflammatory and apoptotic response secondary to ischemia induced by blockade of the right middle cerebral artery (MCA) in aging male Wistar rats. Animals were subjected to MCA obstruction. After 24 h or 7 days of procedure, 14-month-old nontreated and treated rats with a daily dose of 10 mg/kg melatonin were sacrificed and right and left hippocampus and cortex were collected. Rats aged 2 and 6 months, respectively, were subjected to the same brain injury protocol, but they were not treated with melatonin. mRNA expression of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), Bcl-2-associated death promoter (BAD), Bcl-2-associated X protein (BAX), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), and sirtuin 1 was measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. In nontreated animals, a significant time-dependent increase in IL-1β, TNF-α, BAD, and BAX was observed in the ischemic area of both hippocampus and cortex, and to a lesser extent in the contralateral hemisphere. Hippocampal GFAP was also significantly elevated, while Bcl-2 and sirtuin 1 decreased significantly in response to ischemia. Aging aggravated these changes. Melatonin administration was able to reverse significantly these alterations. In conclusion, melatonin may ameliorate the age-dependent inflammatory and apoptotic response secondary to ischemic cerebral injury.

In a first experiment, embryo viability was estimated after recovery in the uterus or the oviduct of 70 Manchega ewes following a treatment of superovulation with decreasing doses of OVAGEN. Fewer viable embryos (5.6 +/- 0.9 vs. 8.3 +/- 0.8, P < 0.05) and more degenerative embryos (31.3% vs. 6.8%, P < 0.005) were obtained from the uterus than from the oviduct respectively. In a second experiment performed on 14 ewes, embryo viability was analyzed in relation to the follicular population estimated by ultrasonography (follicles > or = 2 mm) at the first FSH administration. Progesterone (P4) and oestradiol 17beta (E2) concentrations were also determined from the beginning of the superovulation treatment to the recovery of the embryos. The number of viable embryos (4.3 +/- 1.4) was positively correlated (r = 0.824) with of 2-4 mm diameter follicles (P < 0.05), and with E2 concentrations at -12 h (r = 0.891, P < 0.01) , 0 h (r = 0.943, P < 0.0001) and +24 h (r = 0.948, P < 0.05) from estrus detection. Prolonged high levels of E2 up to 72 h with low levels of P4 on days 3 and 4 after estrus had a negative (P < 0.05) effect on embryo viability. These results indicate that ovarian response to superovulatory protocols is related to the individual variations in the number of follicles of 2-4 mm at the start of FSH treatment, and that embryo viability is conditioned by the steroid patterns during the time spent in the genital tract of the super-ovulated ewes.