Receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) participates in the regulation of cellular stress and inflammatory responses, but its function in neuropathic pain remains poorly understood. This study evaluated the role of RIPK1 in neuropathic pain following inferior alveolar nerve injury. We developed a model using malpositioned dental implants in male Sprague Dawley rats. This model resulted in significant mechanical allodynia and upregulated RIPK1 expression in the trigeminal subnucleus caudalis (TSC). The intracisternal administration of Necrosatin-1 (Nec-1), an RIPK1 inhibitor, blocked the mechanical allodynia produced by inferior alveolar nerve injury The intracisternal administration of recombinant rat tumor necrosis factor-α (rrTNF-α) protein in naive rats produced mechanical allodynia and upregulated RIPK1 expression in the TSC. Moreover, an intracisternal pretreatment with Nec-1 inhibited the mechanical allodynia produced by rrTNF-α protein. Nerve injury caused elevated TNF-α concentration in the TSC and a TNF-α block had anti-allodynic effects, thereby attenuating RIPK1 expression in the TSC. Finally, double immunofluorescence analyses revealed the colocalization of TNF receptor and RIPK1 with astrocytes. Hence, we have identified that astroglial RIPK1, activated by the TNF-α pathway, is a central driver of neuropathic pain and that the TNF-α-mediated RIPK1 pathway is a potential therapeutic target for reducing neuropathic pain following nerve injury.

Objective: Hypertension can develop during childhood and adolescence, posing long-term risks for cardiovascular disease and premature mortality. This study aims to examine the relationship between genetic factors, as indicated by parental blood pressure, and children’s socioeconomic status and lifestyle habits, with a focus on their relationship to children’s blood pressure. Design and method: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) is a nationally representative health survey conducted in South Korea. From 2020 to 2022, blood pressure (BP) was measured using a manual auscultatory device (Greenlight 300) following the standard KNHANES protocol. Data from 1,931 children aged 6 to 18 years, with linked parental information, were included in the analysis. Household income, parental education levels, children’s lifestyle habits, and cardiometabolic factors were examined. Correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were employed to explore these relationships. Results: The systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) of children showed correlation coefficients of 0.21/0.18 and 0.21/0.19, respectively, with the SBP and DBP of mothers and fathers. When at least one parent had been diagnosed with hypertension, children’s SBP was 2.66 mmHg higher (P < 0.0001, t-test), and their DBP was 3.10 mmHg higher (P < 0.0001, t-test). In a multiple regression analysis across all age groups, age and sex of children showed a significant negative association with blood pressure, while children’s weight and parental blood pressure demonstrated a significant positive association. Although maternal education level showed a negative coefficient in the overall analysis, it was not statistically significant. However, a moderating effect was observed when stratified by age group, with a regression coefficient of -0.93 (P = 0.1068) in the 6–12 age group and -1.33 (P = 0.0382) in the 13–18 age group. Conclusions: Parental BP shows relatively stronger correlation with children’s BP compared to other factors. However, understanding the moderating effects of socioeconomic factors, such as parental education, is essential for developing effective intervention strategies to manage children’s BP and reduce long-term cardiovascular risks.

Few studies have examined the mechanisms underlying the development of trigeminal neuralgia involving the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain, leucine-rich repeat, and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3). The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the role of NLRP3 in the antinociceptive effects of botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) in trigeminal neuralgia. We used a trigeminal neuralgia animal model induced by injecting 1-acyl-2-lyso-sn-glycero-3-phosphate (LPA) into the trigeminal nerve root of rats. Rats treated with LPA showed a significant increase in the expression of NLRP3 in the trigeminal ganglion 9 days after LPA injection. Furthermore, the levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-18, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α increased on postoperative day 9. Subcutaneous administration of BTX-A (3 U/kg) in the vibrissa pad resulted in a significant attenuation of mechanical allodynia, and the antiallodynic effects lasted for 7 days. The upregulated NLRP3 expression in the trigeminal ganglion was suppressed 2 days after the injection of BTX-A. Moreover, the BTX-A injection significantly reduced the concentrations of IL-1β, IL-18, and TNF-α in the trigeminal ganglion. Intraganglionic injection of an NLRP3 inhibitor blocked mechanical allodynia and attenuated the upregulated cytokine concentrations in the LPA-treated rats. These results indicate that BTX-A induces its antinociceptive effects in the LPA-induced trigeminal neuralgia animal model by attenuating the NLRP3-cytokine pathway in the trigeminal ganglion.

Objective: Non-mercury sphygmomanometers are essential for international mercury reduction initiatives and sustainable surveys. This research compares an automated oscillometric device (OD) with a hybrid manual auscultatory device (AD) to determine an appropriate BP measurement device for children in the Korea National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (KNHANES). Design and method: In 2022, a survey of 251 children, evenly distributed by gender and age (6-12 and 13-18 years), was conducted following KNHANES protocols and BP measurement guidelines, with informed consent obtained from children and parents. The Microlife WatchBP Office AFIB® (OD) and Greenlight 300TM® (AD) were evaluated based on the 2018 Universal Standard guidelines (USG). To avoid memory bias, AD measurements were taken before OD. BP differences were calculated by subtracting AD values from OD values. Analysis of mean device differences by gender, age, and measurer was performed using Pearson’s correlation, Lin’s concordance correlation coefficients (CCC), and Bland-Altman plots with limits of agreement (LOA). Results: The BP differences (SBP/DBP) were 1.2 ± 6.3 / -0.7 ± 6.3 mmHg for boys and –0.8 ± 5.2 / -2.2 ± 5.8 mmHg for girls. The proportions of BP differences within ±10 mmHg were 90.1% (SBP) and 89.3% (DBP) for boys, and 93.8% (SBP) and 86.9% (DBP) for girls. Overall CCC for SBP and DBP were 0.79 and 0.60. For boys, CCCs were 0.76 (SBP) and 0.63 (DBP), while for girls, they were 0.77 (SBP) and 0.56 (DBP). In the 6-9 age group, CCCs were 0.80 (SBP) and 0.53 (DBP); in the 16-18 age group, they were 0.82 (SBP) and 0.68 (DBP). The LOA ranged from -11.34 to 11.66 mmHg for SBP and -13.31 to 10.42 mmHg for DBP, indicating broader variability in boys. Conclusions: The results obtained from OD aligned with those of the USG; however, the concordance rate was observed to be reduced in DBP relative to SBP, particularly in younger age groups. Given the importance of childhood BP for future health, further research should aim to establish a comprehensive database of BP measurements in children across all genders and ages.

Physical frailty may weaken structural brain integrity (SBI), which may lead to cognitive impairments. In this cross-sectional study, the number of final study participants was 2057 (700 men, 1357 women). The proportion of the frail men was 5.3% (n = 37), and the proportion of the frail women was 6.6% (n = 90). We used the Fried Frailty Phenotypes (FFP) to assess the physical frailty associated with SBI regarding cognitive impairments by sex. We performed multivariate linear and logistic regression to assess the associations between the FFP and SBI markers and probable mild cognitive impairment. The false discovery rate test using the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure was applied to fully adjusted models. Frail women had large white matter hyperintensities, low fractional anisotropy, and high mean diffusivity (β = 0.30, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.09 to 0.50; β = -0.28, 95% CI: -0.46 to -0.11; β = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.16 to 0.47). Frail men had a smaller thalamus and hippocampus (β = -0.36, 95% CI: -0.60 to -0.12; β = -0.47, 95% CI: -0.78 to -0.17). Compared with the opposite sex, white matter integrity was low in frail women, whereas gray matter integrity was low in frail men.

연구 목적: 본 연구 목적은 20대 여성을 대상으로 정서적 불안정성과 역기능적 섭식행동간의 관계를 확인하고, 부정정서 조급성의 매개효과를 검증하여 역기능적 섭식행동에 대한 효과적 예방 및 개입 전략에 기초 자료를 제공하고자 하였다.연구 방법: 정서적 불안정성이 역동적이고 일시적이라는 점을 고려하여 설문 조사와 함께 생태순간평가(EMA)를 통해 자료를 수집하였으며, 매개효과는 위계적 회귀분석과 bias corrected bootstrap 분석을 적용하였다.연구 내용: 정서적 불안정성은 정서적 섭식, 폭식행동 및 부정정서 조급성과 유의미한 정적 관계를 나타냈으며, 부정정서 조급성 또한 정서적 섭식 및 폭식행동과 유의미한 정적 관계를 보였다. 부정정서 조급성은 정서적 불안정성과 정서적 섭식 및 폭식행동을 부분 매개하였다.결론 및 제언: 본 연구의 결과는 폭식행동의 예방 및 치료하는데 있어 정서적 불안정성의 관리와 충동 통제와 관련된 어려움을 다루어야 할 필요성이 있음을 시사한다. 연구결과의 신뢰성 확보를 위해 후속 연구에서는 다층모형 분석을 활용한 정교한 분석이 필요함을 제언하였다.