Book review: Richard Lance Keeble and John Tulloch (eds), Global literary journalism: exploring the journalistic imagination

Reviews a new book on international literary journalism and includes critical commentary on the Australian field of literary journalism.

The complex effects of the slow-releasing hydrogen sulfide donor GYY4137 in a model of acute joint inflammation and in human cartilage cells

The role of hydrogen sulfide (H2 S) in inflammation remains unclear with both pro- and anti-inflammatory actions of this gas described. We have now assessed the effect of GYY4137 (a slow-releasing H2 S donor) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-evoked release of inflammatory mediators from human synoviocytes (HFLS) and articular chondrocytes (HAC) in vitro. We have also examined the effect of GYY4137 in a complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) model of acute joint inflammation in the mouse. GYY4137 (0.1-0.5 mM) decreased LPS-induced production of nitrite (NO2 (-) ), PGE2 , TNF-a and IL-6 from HFLS and HAC, reduced the levels and catalytic activity of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and reduced LPS-induced NF-?B activation in vitro. Using recombinant human enzymes, GYY4137 inhibited the activity of COX-2, iNOS and TNF-a converting enzyme (TACE). In the CFA-treated mouse, GYY4137 (50 mg/kg, i.p.) injected 1 hr prior to CFA increased knee joint swelling while an anti-inflammatory effect, as demonstrated by reduced synovial fluid myeloperoxidase (MPO) and N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) activity and decreased TNF-a, IL-1ß, IL-6 and IL-8 concentration, was apparent when GYY4137 was injected 6 hrs after CFA. GYY4137 was also anti-inflammatory when given 18 hrs after CFA. Thus, although GYY4137 consistently reduced the generation of pro-inflammatory mediators from human joint cells in vitro, its effect on acute joint inflammation in vivo depended on the timing of administration.

Participation of peripheral tachykinin NK(1) receptors in the carrageenan-induced inflammation of the rat temporomandibular joint

Temporomandibular disorders represent one of the major challenges in dentistry therapeutics. This study was undertaken to evaluate the time course of carrageenan-induced inflammation in the rat temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and to investigate the role of tachykinin NK(1) receptors. Inflammation was induced by a single intra-articular (i.art.) injection of carrageenan into the left TMJ (control group received sterile saline). Inflammatory parameters such as plasma extravasation, leukocyte influx and mechanical allodynia (measured as the head-withdrawal force threshold) and TNF alpha and IL-1 beta concentrations were measured in the TMJ lavages at selected time-points. The carrageenan-induced responses were also evaluated after treatment with the NK(1) receptor antagonist SR140333. The i.art. injection of carrageenan into the TMJ caused a time-dependent plasma extravasation associated with mechanical allodynia, and a marked neutrophil accumulation between 4 and 24 h. Treatment with SR140333 substantially inhibited the increase in plasma extravasation and leukocyte influx at 4 and 24 h, as well as the production of TNF alpha and IL-1 beta into the joint cavity, but failed to affect changes in head-withdrawal threshold. The results obtained from the present TMJ-arthritis model provide, for the first time, information regarding the time course of this experimental inflammatory process. In addition, our data show that peripheral NK(1) receptors mediate the production of both TNF alpha and IL-1 beta in the TMJ as well as some of the inflammatory signs, such as plasma extravasation and leukocyte influx, but not the nociceptive component. 2008 European Federation of Chapters of the International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydrogen peroxide is a novel mediator of inflammatory hyperalgesia, acting via transient receptor potential vanilloid 1-dependent and independent mechanisms

Inflammatory diseases associated with pain are often difficult to treat in the clinic due to insufficient understanding of the nociceptive pathways involved. Recently, there has been considerable interest in the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in inflammatory disease, but little is known of the role of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) in hyperalgesia. In the present study, intraplantar injection of H(2)O(2)-induced a significant dose- and time-dependent mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia in the mouse hind paw, with increased c-fos activity observed in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. H(2)O(2) also induced significant nociceptive behavior Such as increased paw licking and decreased body liftings. H(2)O(2) levels were significantly raised in the carrageenan-induced hind paw inflammation model, showing that this ROS is produced endogenously in a model of inflammation. Moreover, superoxide dismutase and catalase significantly reduced carrageenan-induced mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia, providing evidence of a functionally significant endogenous role. Thermal, but not mechanical, hyperalgesia in response to H(2)O(2) (i.pl.) Was longer lasting in TRPV1 wild type mice compared to TRPV1 knockouts. It is unlikely that downstream lipid peroxidation was increased by H(2)O(2). In conclusion, we demonstrate a notable effect of H(2)O(2) in mediating inflammatory hyperalgesia, thus highlighting H(2)O(2) removal as a novel therapeutic target for anti-hyperalgesic drugs in the clinic. (C) 2008 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Investigation of overweight and obesity management in a rural primary health care setting

<b>Background :</b> The rural region of interest has one main central medical clinic and several smaller outlying clinics. The services available for weight management include dietetic services, community-based groups and bariatric surgery. At present, no formal area specific referral pathway exists for the treatment of overweight and obesity.<br /><b>Aims &amp; rationale/Objectives :</b> To investigate general practitioners':<br />- assessment practices and experiences with overweight and obese clients<br />- experience of different treatment options for overweight and obesity<br />- perceived barriers to overweight and obesity management.<br /><b>Methods :</b> A self-administered survey will be sent to general practitioners within the region of interest. The survey was designed to investigate current methods of assessing overweight and obesity; treatment options; and perceived barriers to successful weight management. Participants will also be offered a brief interview to discuss the following topics; Usefulness of NHMRC's Overweight and Obesity Guidelines; barriers and frustrations of weight management, GP's and dietitian's roles in overweight and obesity treatment.<br /><b>Principal findings :</b> It is expected the principal findings will include details about methods used to determine overweight and obesity; factors considered when selecting patients for treatment; favoured treatment options of GPs; perceived barriers and frustrations of managing overweight and obese patients.<br /><b>Discussion :</b> Overweight and obesity are significant health issues in Australia, with recent data indicating more than 60% of Australian adults are affected (NHMRC, 2003). Studies have also suggested that the prevalence of overweight and obesity is higher in rural populations (Coulson, 2005). GPs have been recognised as an important contributor in the treatment of overweight and obesity (Campbell, 2000). There have been guidelines produced to assist GPs, however the extent to which guidelines are utilised or their perceived effectiveness have not yet been investigated.<br /><b>Implications : </b>It is thought that an investigation into current methods of assessing overweight and obesity; treatment options; and perceived barriers to successful weight management will provide valuable information to inform primary health care service provision and future quality improvement directions.<br /><b>Presentation type :</b> Poster<br /><b>Session theme :</b> Primary health care delivery<br />

Mark Oliphant’s adventures in atomic wonderland

Australian physicist Mark Oliphant came to hold two oppositional views, both pro and anti nuclear weapons research. This, together with the dimensions of his &lsquo;larger than life&rsquo; personality, impacted on his scientific reputation in the fall-out of Australia&rsquo;s &lsquo;McCarthyism&rsquo;. Despite his bullying the Americans into funding the A-Bomb project, the atomic juggernaut unleashed on the world caused Oliphant to rethink his role as a scientist. Oliphant clashed with American hegemony and the Menzies Government&rsquo;s duplication of the &lsquo;Reds under the Bed&rsquo; paranoia in Australia in the 1950s. His outspokenness on the danger of nuclear proliferation found him out of step with the changed political climate of the Cold War. Drawing on neglected archival material and using a Brechtian theatrical mode, my play Ion Man&rsquo;s Adventures in Atomic Wonderland investigates the tragic dimensions of a man who never fully understood, as Thomas Kuhn explained (The Structure of Scientific Revolutions), that scientific research is determined as much by politics and ideology as by the desire to understand the world.