BACKGROUND:Titanium artificial cervical disc has good biocompatibility, but titanium al oy is shown to have poor biological activity, low bonding strength, easy release of metal ions under physiological conditions.
OBJECTIVE:To observe the effects of different coating for the titanium plate of domestic cervical artificial disc on adhesion and differentiation ability of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s.
METHODS:Passage 3 bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s from Wistar rats were seeded into 24-wel titanium plates with hydroxyapatite coating, titanium powder+hydroxyapatite coating and bare titanium plate. Cel culture was terminated after 24 and 48 hours, and the cel growth was observed under scanning electron microscope. After 24 hours of inoculation, osteogenic inducer was added;then, cel supernatant was col ected at 3, 5, 7 days after cel lysis and centrifugation to detect the activity of alkaline phosphatase.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After composite culture with titanium plates with hydroxyapatite coating or
titanium powder+hydroxyapatite coating, cultured cel s were in polygonal shape, and pseudopodia were extended into the micropores that were adhered closely to the material surface. Cel s cultured with bare titanium plates had poor differentiation and adhesion rate. With time, the expression of alkaline phosphatase was increased in each group, especial y in the groups of titanium plates with hydroxyapatite coating and titanium powder+hydroxyapatite coating (P<0.05). These findings indicate that titanium plates with hydroxyapatite coating or titanium powder+hydroxyapatite coating can promote adhesion and differentiation of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s.

Objective: To measure the cross-sectional area (CSA) and fatty infiltration (FI) of lumbar paravertebral muscles in patients with degenerative lumbar scoliosis (DLS), and to analyze the mechanism and clinical significance of paravertebral muscles degeneration. Methods: A retrospective study was performed on 118 patients with DLS who were enrolled in our hospital from September 2016 to September 2017. All patients had complete preoperative image data. Preoperative lumbar lordosis (LL), Cobb angle, and vertebral rotation were measured on spinal X-ray plain film. The CSA and FI of the paravertebral muscle on the upper and lower intervertebral level of the scoliosis apical vertebrae were measured by lumbar MRI, and the CSA, FI and their correlation with the Cobb angle were compared. Results: This study enrolled 118 DLS patients, including 49 males and 69 females. The mean age of the patients was 65.4 ± 7.2 years, with an average BMI of 24.7 ± 3.4 and lumbar symptoms including LBP, sciatica, numbness and intermittent claudication, decreased myodynamia and other symptoms. The lasting time of symptoms were 21 months (3-60 months). The Cobb angle of the patients averaged 18.5°±6.7°. Of all patients, 60 patients had a scoliosis to the left, and 58 patients had a scoliosis to the right. The number of patients with lateral apical vertebrae located at L1-L4 were: 12 cases of L1, 41 cases of L2, 49 cases of L3, 16 cases of L4. The CSA of the concave side psoas muscle was significantly larger than that of the convex side(upper intervertebral level, concave side 3.74±2.17 cm², convex side 3.56±1.91 cm²; lower intervertebral level, concave side 6.54±3.08 cm², convex side 6.31±3.302 cm². And the CSA of the concave side multifidus muscle and the extensor muscle group was significantly smaller than the convex side, multifidus muscle: upper intervertebral level, concave side 9.47±3.86 cm², convex side 10.25±4.20 cm²; lower intervertebral level, concave side 9.30±3.61 cm², convex side 10.21±3.81 cm²; extensor muscle group: upper intervertebral level, concave side 18.35±4.94 cm², convex side 19.37±5.17 cm²; lower intervertebral level, concave side 18.98±4.73 cm², convex side 19.81±5.16 cm². The concave side FI of extensor muscle group is significantly larger than the convex side, upper intervertebral level, concave side 30.63±15.09, convex side 23.48±15.00; lower intervertebral level, concave side 37.87±19.38, convex side 30.43±16.89. There was a correlation between the degree of asymmetry of CSA and FI in the multifidus, dorsal extension muscles, paravertebral muscle and the scoliosis Cobb angle. Conclusion The paravertebral muscles of lumbar vertebrae are not a whole in the degenerative changes of DLS. There are different anatomical and physiological effects of lumbar flexion and extension muscle groups. The extensor muscles play an important role in antagonizing the progression of DLS. Improving paravertebral muscle function is an important element in the treatment of DLS.

Tripterygium glycosides tablet(TGT),the classical commercial drug of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook.F.has been effectively used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis,nephrotic syndrome,leprosy,Behcet's syndrome,leprosy reaction and autoimmune hepatitis.However,due to its narrow and limited treatment window,TGT-induced organ toxicity(among which liver injury accounts for about 40％of clinical reports)has gained increasing attention.The present study aimed to clarify the cellular and molecular events underlying TGT-induced acute liver injury using single-cell RNA sequencing(scRNA-seq)technology.The TGT-induced acute liver injury mouse model was constructed through short-term TGT exposure and further verified by hematoxylin-eosin staining and liver function-related serum indicators,including alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase,alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin.Using the mouse model,we identified 15 specific subtypes of cells in the liver tissue,including endothelial cells,hepatocytes,cholangiocytes,and hepatic stellate cells.Further analysis indicated that TGT caused a significant inflammatory response in liver endothelial cells at different spatial locations;led to marked inflammatory response,apoptosis and fatty acid metabolism dysfunction in hepatocytes;activated he-patic stellate cells;brought about the activation,inflammation,and phagocytosis of liver capsular macrophages cells;resulted in immune dysfunction of liver lymphocytes;disturbed the intercellular crosstalk in liver microenvironment by regulating various signaling pathways.Thus,these findings elaborate the mechanism underlying TGT-induced acute liver injury,provide new insights into the safe and rational applications in the clinic,and complement the identification of new biomarkers and ther-apeutic targets for liver protection.