Objective To observe the difference in treament of thoracolumbar vertebral bodies fractures be- tween AF nail and Dick nail.Methods From March 1998 to March 2007,85 cases of thoracolumbar vertebral bod- ies fractures were followed up.20 cases were fixed with Dick nail,and 65 cases with AF nail.Results The mean,fol- low-up period was 12 months.By comparison of the operating rime,bleeding amount,the recovery rate of vertebral height,the reduction of Cobb angle and capacity of vertebral canal,AF nail was much better than Dick nail.But there was no marked difference in the recover of nerve function.Conclusion AF nail has more power to reduce vertebral height and is easier to set than Dick nail.It will be worthy of more and wider application in basic level hospitals.

The α4β2-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) is a ligand-gated ion channel that is distributed throughout the nervous system. It is involved in the regulation of various neurotransmitters including acetylcholine, dopamine, γ-aminobutyric acid, and norepinephrine. α4β2-nAChR plays an important role in learning, memory, cognition, attention, inflammation, and pain. A large number of studies have shown that α4β2-nAChR is an important therapeutic target for neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, depression, nicotine dependence, pain, etc. It is an important target in the early diagnosis and curative effect detection of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease. This review summarizes the role, mechanisms and related drug research advances on α4β2-nAChR ligand drugs in neurological diseases, as well as providing a theoretical basis for identifying and developing more suitable α4β2-nAChR-related compounds.

OBJECTIVETo examine the age, sex, and hemispheric differences in volume of the striatum by MRI in healthy adults.

METHODSThe volumes of the bilateral caudate nucleus and putamen were measured on MR images in 100 healthy right-handed adults (18-70 y).

RESULTSThe volume of bilateral caudate nucleus and putamen in healthy adults was (8.42 +/-0.88) cm(3) and (8.90 +/-0.89) cm(3), which were decreased with aging (for caudate nucleus r=-0.727, P<0.001; for putamen r=-0.709, P<0.001). The average annual shrinkage rate was 0.52 % in the caudate nucleus and 0.50 % in the putamen. There were no gender differences in the volume of the striatum, however, the age-related shrinkage of the striatum was more evident in men than that in women. The volume of the left caudate nucleus (t=4.43, P<0.001) and the putamen (t=4.88, P<0.001) was greater than that of its right counterpart.

CONCLUSIONBilateral age-related shrinkage of the striatum is found in healthy adults, which is more evident in men than that in women. In both sexes, significant leftward asymmetry in volume of the caudate nucleus and the putamen is found.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; China ; Corpus Striatum ; anatomy & histology ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Reference Values ; Sex Factors ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo establish a novel model of lumbar disc degeneration on the early stage in the rhesus monkey using percutaneous needle puncture guided by CT.

METHODS(1) Thirteen rhesus monkeys aged from 4 to 7 years, female 7 and male 6 were selected for establishing a model of the early stage of lumbar disc degeneration. (2)13 monkeys, 91 discs were divided into 3 groups: 64 discs from L1/2 to L5/6 were percutaneous punctured with a needle 20G as experimental group and 1 disc with a needle 15G as puncture control group and 26 discs were not be punctured from L6,7 to L7-S1 as control group. (3) Lumbar disc localization for needle puncture was guided by CT. All discs were examined by MRI, the HE, Masson's trichrome, Safranine-O and immunohistochemical staining of type II collagen before disc puncture and after puncture at 4, 8 and 12 weeks.

RESULTSMRI: (1) Experimental group: Pfirmann's Grade I was shown at postoperation 4, 8 and 12 weeks; (2) Puncture control group: Grade III was shown at postoperation 4 weeks and Grade IV at 8 weeks; (3) CONTROL GROUP: Grade I was shown at postoperation 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Histological examination: (1) In experimental group, there was no any change at postoperation 4 weeks, and the cell population of the nucleus was decreased at 8 weeks and more decreased at 12 weeks in HE. (2) There was no any change at postoperation 4 weeks, the clefts among the lamellae of the annulus fibrosus (AF) were shown at 8 weeks and more wider of the clefts of AF at 12 weeks in Masson's trichrome. (3) No any change was shown at postoperation 4 weeks, proteoglycan were progressively decreased at 8 and 12 weeks in Safranine-O. (4) No statistically significant difference in positive rate was observed at 4 and 8 weeks compared with control group in immunohistochemical staining of type II collagen. There was statistical difference at 12 weeks compared with control group (P<0.05). In puncture control group postoperation 8 weeks, the morphology of cell of nucleus pulposus was not clear in HE. The wider clefts of lamellae of the AF were shown in Masson's trichrome. The proteoglycan was obviously decreased in Safranine-O. Immunohistochemical staining collagen II synthesized was decreased. In normal control group, no any change was shown at 4, 8 and 12 weeks.

CONCLUSIONSThe degeneration of lumbar intervertebral disc on the early stage could be induced by the percutaneous needle puncture (20G) to the annulus fibrosus. The assessment of disc degeneration on early stage is not shown on MRI and only confirmed by histological examination.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Intervertebral Disc ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; etiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Macaca mulatta ; Male ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; Random Allocation

OBJECTIVETo investigate the possibility of using generation 5 polyamidoamine dendrimers (G5-PAMAM-D) as gene vector for eukaryotic expression plasmid of siRNA in prostate carcinoma in vitro and vivo.

METHODSFirstly, eukaryotic expression vector of siRNA pSilencing 4.1-EGFP-shRNA, specific for enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), pSilencing 4.1-STAT3-shRNA for signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) was constructed. pEGFP-C1 and pSilencing 4.1-EGFP-shRNA were cotransfected into prostate cancer cells PC-3 and 22Rv1 with G5-PAPAM-D as vector, and to observe silencing of EGFP. Next, pSilencing 4.1-STAT3-shRNA was transfected into PC-3 and 22Rv1 cells by G5-PAPAM-D, Western blotting and apoptosis staining was used to detect silencing of STAT3 and growth inhibition. Thirdly, BALB/C mice subcutaneous tumor model was made with PC-3 cells. Polyplex of G5-PAMAM-D and pSilencing 4.1-STAT3-shRNA was injected intratumorally. The tumor volume was measured and recorded.

RESULTSFluorescence detection and Western blotting analysis demonstrated that G5-PAMAM-D was able to deliver Silencing 4.1-EGFP-shRNA and pSilencing 4.1-STAT3-shRNA into the two prostate cancer cell lines, and shRNA was expressed to induce silence of EGFP and STAT3. MTT results showed that proliferation of prostate cancer cells was suppressed by G5-PAMAM-D/pSilencing 4.1-STAT3-shRNA and induced apoptosis of PC-3 cells in vitro. Human prostate cancer in mice was successfully formed by inoculation of PC-3 cells into male BABL/C mice. In G5-PAMAM-D/pSilencing 4.1-STAT3-shRNA treated group, the tumor volume was shrank remarkably at 9 days after treatment and tumor growth was retarded compared with control groups.

CONCLUSIONGS-PAMAM-D nanoparticles can be used to deliver plasmid vector expressing shRNA into prostate cancer cells effectively in vitro and vivo. It appears to be a promising gene vector for RNA interference therapy in prostate cancer.

Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Dendrimers ; Gene Silencing ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Nanoparticles ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Plasmids ; Polyamines ; chemistry ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; RNA, Small Interfering ; genetics ; STAT3 Transcription Factor ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transfection ; Tumor Burden

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Hemorrhagic Fevers, Viral ; epidemiology ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVETo retrospectively analysis the treatment characteristics of the systemic situation in patients with crush syndrome after Wenchuan earthquake happened in May 12th, 2008.

METHODSForty-nine patients with crush syndrome and subsequent acute renal failure (ARF) due to the earthquake were treated in West China Hospital. All of patients had been rescued from buildings that collapsed in Wenchuan earthquake. The major associated injuries were in the low extremities and upper extremities. 49 patients developed ARF with increased concentrations of serum creatinine (mean 64 022 U/L) had underwent haemodialysis. Hyperkalaemia was seen in 9 patients and four of them underwent haemodialysis. 49 patients were administered hemodialysis.

RESULTSNo patient died. All patients who suffered from the ARF were weaned from hemodialysis after admitted 7 to 35 days. Forty-five extremities underwent amputations and 52 extremities had fasciotomy.

CONCLUSIONSCrush syndrome requires urgent recognition and prompt surgical treatment with simultaneous measures to control hyperkalemia and ARF. The authors believe that immediate intensive care therapy and multi-subjective coordination would have improved the survival rate.

Acute Kidney Injury ; etiology ; surgery ; therapy ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Amputation ; Child ; Crush Syndrome ; etiology ; surgery ; therapy ; Decompression, Surgical ; Earthquakes ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Renal Replacement Therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Wounds and Injuries ; complications

OBJECTIVETo develop a specific SARS virus-targeted antibody preparation for emergent prophylaxis and treatment of SARS virus infection.

METHODSBy using phage display technology, we constructed a naive antibody library from convalescent SARS patient lymphocytes. To obtain the neutralizing antibody to SARS virus surface proteins, the library panning procedure was performed on purified SARS virions and the specific Fab antibody clones were enriched by four rounds of repeated panning procedure and screened by highthroughput selection. The selected Fab antibodies expressed in the periplasma of E. coli were soluble and further purified and tested for their binding properties and antiviral function to SARS virus. The functional Fab antibodies were converted to full human IgG antibodies with recombinant baculovirus/insect cell systems and their neutralizing activities were further determined.

RESULTSAfter four rounds of the panning, a number of SARS-CoV virus-targeted human recombinant Fab antibodies were isolated from the SARS patient antibody library. Most of these were identified to recognize both natural and recombinant SARS spike (S) proteins, two Fab antibodies were specific for the virus membrane (M) protein, only one bound to SARS-CoV nucleocapsid protein. The SARS-CoV S and M protein-targeted Fab or IgG antibodies showed significant neutralizing activities in cytopathic effect (CPE) inhibition neutralization test, these antibodies were able to completely neutralize the SARS virus and protect the Vero cells from CPE after virus infection. However, the N protein-targeted Fab or IgG antibodies failed to neutralize the virus. In addition, the SARS N protein-targeted human Fab antibody reacted with the denatured N proteins, whereas none of the S and M protein specific neutralizing antibodies did. These results suggested that the S and M protein-specific neutralizing antibodies could recognize conformational epitopes which might be involved in the binding of virions to cellular receptors and the fusion activity of the virus.

CONCLUSIONThe SARS-CoV spike protein and membrane proteins are able to elicite efficient neutralizing antibodies in SARS patients. The neutralizing antibodies we generated in this study may be more promising candidates for prophylaxis and treatment of SARS infection.

Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Antibodies, Viral ; immunology ; Cercopithecus aethiops ; Humans ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; immunology ; Neutralization Tests ; Peptide Library ; Protein Binding ; Protein Engineering ; Recombinant Proteins ; immunology ; SARS Virus ; immunology ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; immunology ; virology ; Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus ; Vero Cells ; Viral Envelope Proteins ; immunology ; Viral Matrix Proteins ; immunology

Objective: To construct a PSA luciferase report plasmid and monitor the growth and metastasis of prostate cancer after emasculation in SCID mice. Methods: PSA promoter sequence and luciferase gene were amplified by PCR and subsequently inserted into pZsGreen1-1 vector to construct pPSA-FL-Luc vector. LNCaP cells that were stably transfected with pPSA-FL-Luc were used to establish a SCID mouse xenograft model. Then, the growth and metastasis of prostate cancer were monitored via living imaging. Results: We successfully constructed a PSA luciferase plasmid, pPSA-FL-Luc. DHT enhanced luciferase activity in a concentration-dependent manner in 293T cells with pPSA-FL-Luc transfection. Prostate cancer SCID mouse model was established with pPSA-FL-Luc transfected LNCaP cells. In tumor bearing mice with or without emasculation, pPSA-FL-Luc plasmid was applied to monitored tumor growth and metastasis based on bioluminescence imaging. Conclusions: We construct a pPSA-FL-Luc plasmid, which stably expresses luciferase and can be applied to monitor tumor development in a prostate SCID mouse model.