- Email: [email protected]
106. Neuropathic pain is attenuated by a cannabinoid mechanism of action
34
Abstracts / Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 22 (2008) 29–35
106. Neuropathic pain is attenuated by a cannabinoid mechanism of action Steven Kinsey *, Aron Lichtman
ing the labyrinth incorporates all three. Based on these preliminary findings, labyrinth research will be expanded to study at-risk populations.
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]
doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2008.04.109
Neural injury causes a range of symptoms, including increased sensitivity to normally painful stimuli (hyperalgesia), as well as inappropriate sensations of pain in response to typically non-painful stimuli (allodynia). Cannabinoids have long been used as therapeutic analgesics, and recent work has focused on the endogenous cannabinoid system in modulating stress, inflammation, and pain. Direct administration of endocannabinoids is problematical, because these proteins are rapidly degraded in vivo. For example, fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is one such enzyme that degrades the endocannabinoid anandamide. The drug URB597, a relatively selective FAAH inhibitor, increases concentrations of endocannabinoids. In the present study, chronic constrictive injury of the sciatic nerve (CCI), a common model of nerve injury, was used to test the hypothesis that neuronal pain is modulated by endogenous cannabinoids. Male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to CCI and tested for pain sensitivity. The CCI treatment resulted in hyperalgesia and allodynia in the ipsilateral hind paw, with no effect on the contralateral paw. The FAAH inhibitor URB597 attenuated both mechanical allodynia and acetoneinduced cold allodynia in the ipsilateral paw of mice subjected to CCI. These effects were entirely blocked by co-administration of the cannabinoid (CB1) antagonist SR141716, suggesting that the observed analgesic effects were at least partially modulated by a CB1 cannabinoid receptor mechanism. doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2008.04.108
107. Biobehavioral and spiritual responses of women in a labyrinth walking program M. Kay Sandor University of Texas Medical Branch, School of Nursing, USA E-mail: [email protected] Walking the labyrinth may have stress reduction health benefits similar to a sitting meditation practice. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the biobehavioral and spiritual responses in women to a program of labyrinth walking compared to a program of track walking at a slow pace. Women were randomly assigned to the groups. Biobehavioral and spiritual responses were measured at baseline (prior to program initiation), midway (1 month), and at the end of the walking program (2 months). The hypothesis was: women who participate in a labyrinth walking program will show decreased serum cortisol levels, decreased behavioral levels of stress (perceived stress, negative affect, anxiety, aggression, and depression), and increased positive affect and spiritual well-being when compared to women who participate in a track walking program. Twenty women ranging in age from 54 to 68 were enrolled. All participants reported work-related stress and/or caregiver stress at baseline. Women in the labyrinth walking group showed a significant decrease in state anxiety and verbal aggression compared to the track walking group. Both groups showed a significant decrease in serum cortisol levels, however, there were no significant differences between groups. Absolute change scores showed a decrease in state anxiety, verbal aggression, and perceived stress, as well as an increase in spiritual well-being over time in the labyrinth group. Few complementary or alternative interventions incorporate body, mind and spirit in an integrative, holistic health practice. Walk-
108. Effect of compassion meditation on autonomic, neuroendocrine and inflammatory pathway reactivity to psychosocial stress Thaddeus Pace a,b, Lobsang Tenzin Negi c, Daniel Adame d, Steven Cole e, Teresa Sivilli a, Timothy Brown f, Michael Issa a, Charles Raison a,b,* a
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, USA b Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, USA c Emory-Tibet Partnership, Department of Religion, Emory College, USA d Department of Health, Physical Education & Dance, Emory College, USA e Research Design Associates, Inc., USA f Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, USA * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] The widespread use of meditation as an intervention for medical and psychiatric conditions related to psychosocial stress highlights the need to evaluate mechanisms through which the benefits of practice might be conferred. To evaluate the effect of meditation on autonomic, neuroendocrine and inflammatory responses to psychosocial stress, 61 freshmen college students were randomized to six weeks of training in compassion meditation or to an active control condition consisting of a health discussion group. Upon completion of interventions participants were evaluated with a standardized laboratory psychosocial stressor (the Trier Social Stress Test [TSST]). Students randomized to compassion meditation demonstrated reduced heart rate responses to the TSST, but did not differ from controls in either interleukin (IL)-6 or cortisol (CORT) reactivity. Within the meditation group, however, practice time was correlated with reduced IL-6 responses to the TSST. Consistent with this, when high practice time and low practice time meditators (defined by median split) were compared to each other and to controls, students in the high practice time group had reduced TSST-induced heart rate and IL-6 responses, whereas students in the low practice time and control groups did not differ from each other. Students in the high practice time group also had less distress during the TSST. In all participants, TSST-induced heart rate and IL-6 responses were correlated. These findings suggest that compassion meditation may be of potential benefit to stressrelated emotional and physical disorders as a result of reducing autonomic and inflammatory pathway responses to psychosocial stress. doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2008.04.110
109. Repeated social defeat increases cytokine production by Porphyromonas gingivalis LPS-stimulated macrophages Michael Bailey a,*, Steven Kinsey b, Rebecca Allen c, David Padgett a, John Sheridan a a
Section of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA b Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA c Integrated Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]
Abstracts / Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 22 (2008) 29–35
106. Neuropathic pain is attenuated by a cannabinoid mechanism of action Steven Kinsey *, Aron Lichtman
ing the labyrinth incorporates all three. Based on these preliminary findings, labyrinth research will be expanded to study at-risk populations.
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]
doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2008.04.109
Neural injury causes a range of symptoms, including increased sensitivity to normally painful stimuli (hyperalgesia), as well as inappropriate sensations of pain in response to typically non-painful stimuli (allodynia). Cannabinoids have long been used as therapeutic analgesics, and recent work has focused on the endogenous cannabinoid system in modulating stress, inflammation, and pain. Direct administration of endocannabinoids is problematical, because these proteins are rapidly degraded in vivo. For example, fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is one such enzyme that degrades the endocannabinoid anandamide. The drug URB597, a relatively selective FAAH inhibitor, increases concentrations of endocannabinoids. In the present study, chronic constrictive injury of the sciatic nerve (CCI), a common model of nerve injury, was used to test the hypothesis that neuronal pain is modulated by endogenous cannabinoids. Male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to CCI and tested for pain sensitivity. The CCI treatment resulted in hyperalgesia and allodynia in the ipsilateral hind paw, with no effect on the contralateral paw. The FAAH inhibitor URB597 attenuated both mechanical allodynia and acetoneinduced cold allodynia in the ipsilateral paw of mice subjected to CCI. These effects were entirely blocked by co-administration of the cannabinoid (CB1) antagonist SR141716, suggesting that the observed analgesic effects were at least partially modulated by a CB1 cannabinoid receptor mechanism. doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2008.04.108
107. Biobehavioral and spiritual responses of women in a labyrinth walking program M. Kay Sandor University of Texas Medical Branch, School of Nursing, USA E-mail: [email protected] Walking the labyrinth may have stress reduction health benefits similar to a sitting meditation practice. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the biobehavioral and spiritual responses in women to a program of labyrinth walking compared to a program of track walking at a slow pace. Women were randomly assigned to the groups. Biobehavioral and spiritual responses were measured at baseline (prior to program initiation), midway (1 month), and at the end of the walking program (2 months). The hypothesis was: women who participate in a labyrinth walking program will show decreased serum cortisol levels, decreased behavioral levels of stress (perceived stress, negative affect, anxiety, aggression, and depression), and increased positive affect and spiritual well-being when compared to women who participate in a track walking program. Twenty women ranging in age from 54 to 68 were enrolled. All participants reported work-related stress and/or caregiver stress at baseline. Women in the labyrinth walking group showed a significant decrease in state anxiety and verbal aggression compared to the track walking group. Both groups showed a significant decrease in serum cortisol levels, however, there were no significant differences between groups. Absolute change scores showed a decrease in state anxiety, verbal aggression, and perceived stress, as well as an increase in spiritual well-being over time in the labyrinth group. Few complementary or alternative interventions incorporate body, mind and spirit in an integrative, holistic health practice. Walk-
108. Effect of compassion meditation on autonomic, neuroendocrine and inflammatory pathway reactivity to psychosocial stress Thaddeus Pace a,b, Lobsang Tenzin Negi c, Daniel Adame d, Steven Cole e, Teresa Sivilli a, Timothy Brown f, Michael Issa a, Charles Raison a,b,* a
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, USA b Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, USA c Emory-Tibet Partnership, Department of Religion, Emory College, USA d Department of Health, Physical Education & Dance, Emory College, USA e Research Design Associates, Inc., USA f Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, USA * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] The widespread use of meditation as an intervention for medical and psychiatric conditions related to psychosocial stress highlights the need to evaluate mechanisms through which the benefits of practice might be conferred. To evaluate the effect of meditation on autonomic, neuroendocrine and inflammatory responses to psychosocial stress, 61 freshmen college students were randomized to six weeks of training in compassion meditation or to an active control condition consisting of a health discussion group. Upon completion of interventions participants were evaluated with a standardized laboratory psychosocial stressor (the Trier Social Stress Test [TSST]). Students randomized to compassion meditation demonstrated reduced heart rate responses to the TSST, but did not differ from controls in either interleukin (IL)-6 or cortisol (CORT) reactivity. Within the meditation group, however, practice time was correlated with reduced IL-6 responses to the TSST. Consistent with this, when high practice time and low practice time meditators (defined by median split) were compared to each other and to controls, students in the high practice time group had reduced TSST-induced heart rate and IL-6 responses, whereas students in the low practice time and control groups did not differ from each other. Students in the high practice time group also had less distress during the TSST. In all participants, TSST-induced heart rate and IL-6 responses were correlated. These findings suggest that compassion meditation may be of potential benefit to stressrelated emotional and physical disorders as a result of reducing autonomic and inflammatory pathway responses to psychosocial stress. doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2008.04.110
109. Repeated social defeat increases cytokine production by Porphyromonas gingivalis LPS-stimulated macrophages Michael Bailey a,*, Steven Kinsey b, Rebecca Allen c, David Padgett a, John Sheridan a a
Section of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA b Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA c Integrated Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]