Cláudia Mirian de Godoy Marques

Conductive Gel Increases the Small Tumor Treatment With Electrochemotherapy Using Needle Electrodes

The combination of chemotherapy drugs and high electric field treatment in local cancer is named electrochemotherapy. The European Standard Operation Procedure of Electrochemotherapy (ESOPE) provides guidelines for treatment of cutaneous and subcutaneous tumors. The electrochemotherapy of numerous tumors varying in sizes is more convenient using needle electrodes. However, ESOPE recommends that needle electrodes are applied to deeper tumors. The application of needle electrodes to treatment of superficial small tumors seems to be practical in electrochemotherapy. Plate electrodes and gel improve the electrochemotherapy efficacy. This technique provides electric field homogeneity in irregularly shaped tissue structures (bulk tumors). We propose an investigation of needle electrode and gel in electrochemotherapy of superficial tumors. In vivo experiment with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) spontaneous nodules in dog was used to validate the mathematical tissue model. The numerical model considers the tissue conductivity dependent on local electric field. Our studies demonstrated that conductive gel is important for effective treatment of superficial tumors with needle electrodes. The needle electrodes and gel presented reduction of medium current, increased the tumor-free margin, and improved the practical application in relation to plate electrode.

Mathematical Modeling of Melanoma Cell Migration with an Elastic Continuum Model for the Evaluation of the Influence of Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha on Migration

An elastic continuum mathematical model was implemented to study collective C8161 melanoma cell migration during a “scratch wound” assay, in control and under the influence of the proinflammatory cytokine tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). The model has four constants: force that results from lamellipod formation (F), adhesion constant between cells and extracellular matrix (ECM) (b), cell layer elasticity modulus (k), and growth rate (ρ). A nonlinear regression routine was used to obtain the parameters of the model with data from an experiment made with C8161 melanoma cells, with and without TNF-α. Coefficient of determination for both situations was and , respectively. The parameters values obtained were similar to the ones found in the literature. However, the adhesion constant value decreased with the introduction of TNF-α, which is not in accordance with expected since the presence of TNF-α is associated with an increased expression of integrins that would promote an enhanced adhesion among cells. The model was used in a study relating to the adhesion constant and cell migration, and the results suggested that cell migration decreases with higher adhesion, which is also not in accordance with expected. These differences would not occur if it was considered that TNF-α increases the elasticity modulus of the cell layer.

Influence of Spinal Manipulation on Autonomic Modulation and Heart Rate in Patients With Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy

Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of thoracic spinal manipulation (SM) on autonomic modulation and heart rate in patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy. Methods: The design of the study was quasi‐experimental. Participants were divided into 3 study groups: the asymptomatic group (n = 30), which received SM; the tendinitis group (TG, n = 30), which received SM; and the placebo group (PG, n = 30), which received placebo manipulation. Heart rate variability was analyzed with an electrocardiogram before and after intervention. For intragroup analysis, the paired Wilcoxon test was used to compare the means (pre vs post) of sex and age divided into 5 age groups. The Kruskal‐Wallis test was employed for analysis between the groups, and a significance level of 5% was adopted. Results: The TG demonstrated an increase in respiratory rate (mean of the selected intervals corresponding to parasympathetic activity) post intervention for both sexes (P = .04). Heart rate exhibited reduction post intervention in women in the TG (P = .05). The PG demonstrated an increase in respiratory rate post intervention for both sexes (female P = .01; male P = .02). In the age groups, only the PG presented any difference in the 40‐ to 50‐year and 50‐ to 60‐year age groups (P = .03) for the same variable. Heart rate exhibited a reduction post intervention in women in the PG (P = .01) and a reduction in the 50‐ to 60‐year age group (P = .04). No difference in the studied variables was observed in the asymptomatic group, and there were no differences among the groups. Conclusions: Upper thoracic SM does not directly influence autonomic modulation or heart rate.

Avaliação da modulação autonômica cardíaca no processo de enchimento da bexiga em mulheres com incontinência urinária: perspectiva da fisioterapia

Comparou-se o comportamento do sistema nervoso autonomo, por meio da variabilidade da frequencia cardiaca (VFC), durante as fases de enchimento vesical de mulheres com e sem incontinencia urinaria (IU). Aplicou-se o International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire - Short Form, para autodiagnostico de IU. Para analise da VFC utilizaram-se registros de eletrocardiograma (ECG), sendo 6 registros durante o enchimento vesical. Para quantificar a VFC utilizaram-se os metodos: dominio do tempo (milissegundos); frequencia (Hertz) e medidas nao lineares. A estes parâmetros aplicou-se transformacao logaritmica (Log). Na comparacao de medias de dados normais utilizou-se teste t e para os dados nao normais o teste de Mann-Whitney. Participaram 64 mulheres (64,8±6,73 anos), 33 com IU e 31 continentes. A variavel logaritmo da razao dos componentes LF e HF (LogLH/HF) foi significativamente maior (p<0,05) no grupo continente em todos os momentos do enchimento vesical. A capacidade volumetrica vesical foi significativamente maior nas mulheres continentes (p=0,0015). A analise no dominio da frequencia demonstrou reducao da funcao simpatica e aumento do parassimpatico nas mulheres incontinentes. As mulheres continentes apresentaram melhor balanco autonomico durante todo processo de enchimento vesical, em comparacao as incontinentes. A reducao da funcao simpatica, bem como o aumento da funcao parassimpatica nas incontinentes, pode ser reportada para uma diminuicao da capacidade de relaxamento do detrusor e um aumento das contracoes, ainda na fase de enchimento vesical, ambos associados a IU.