BACKGROUND:JNKs and p38 MAPK, as important members of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), play critical roles in the cell proliferation, differentiation, transformation and apoptosis. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effects of Liuwei Dihuang Pill on the MAPK signaling cascade of nucleus pulposus cells in a rabbit model of intervertebral disc degeneration. METHODS:100 discs samples with endplate cartilages were equivalently randomized into five groups and cultured in the medium containing 10 mg/L tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α, 2μL), p38-JNK/SAPK blockers (10μL of 20μmol/L SB203580 and SP600125, 2μL of 10μmol/L TNF-α), 10%Liuwei Dihuang Pill serum, 10 mg/L TNF-α(2μL) plus 10%Liuwei Dihuang Pill serum, respectively. Those cells received no intervention as controls. Samples were collected and detected at 2, 4, 8 and 14 days of culture. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Real time-PCR and western blot assay showed that mRNA and protein expressions of JNK and P38 pathways by the nucleus pulposus cells were upregulated with time, while all above indicators were significantly decreased by the Liuwei Dihuang Pill serum. These findings reveal that Liuwei Dihuang Pill can delay the process of disc degeneration by blocking JNK and P38 signaling pathways, thus exerting protective effect on the intervertebral discs.

Photoacoustic tomography is a developing, promising,non-invasive imaging method in the medical clinic diagnosis. It is an ultrasound-mediated biophotonic imaging method based on the intrinsic optical absorption properties of tissue and ultrasonic detection, and combines the merits of both high contrast advantage of pure optical imaging and high resolution advantage of pure ultrasound imaging. Photoacoustic tomography can be performed by detecting photoacoustic waves instead of detecting photons. In photoacoustic tomography, imaging contrast is based primarily on the optical properties of biological tissues, and imaging resolution is based primarily on the ultrasonic waves. It can avoid the influence of optical scattering on imaging resolution in principle, and can provide tomography of tissues with high contrast and high spatial resolution at medium depths. Photoacoustic tomography can provide an effective approach to studying the structures, physiological properties, metabolisms, pathological properties of biological tissues. It has important potential clinical applications in the early non-invasive detection of cancers, structural and functional in vivo imaging. A brief introduction of photoacoustic imaging mechanisms is gives, and the imaging methods, the image reconstruction algorithm and the potential biomedical applications of photoacoustic tomography are reveiewed.

BACKGROUND: Liuwei Dihuang Pills (LWPs), a famous Chinese prescription for replenishing the liver and kidney, have achieved good effect in the treatment of backache. However, the mechanism underlying LWPs treating backache with kidney deficiency is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of LWPs on extracellular matrix components of rabbit intervertebral disc degeneration models in vitro, and to explore the effect of LWPs in the prevention and treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration.METHODS: Totally 100 L1-6 intervertebral discs with endplate removed from 20 New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into control, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), p38-JNK/SAPK blocked, LWPs, and combination groups (n=20 per group). 2 μL of 10 mg/L TNF-α, 10 μL of 20 μmol/L SB203580 (specific inhibitor of p38MAPK) and SP600125 (inhibitor of JNK), 10% LWPs serum, 10% LWPs combined with 2 μL of 10 mg/L TNF-α were added into the medium of the corresponding group. Samples were collected at 2, 4, 6 and 14 days of culture. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The addition of TNF-α significantly upregulated the mRNA and protein expression levels of collagen type I, while significantly downregulated the levels of glycosaminoglycan and hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate/keratan sulfate ratio, as well as the protein and mRNA expression levels of proteoglycan and collagen type Ⅱ (P < 0.05). LWPs could partly reverse the changes caused by TNF-α, indicating that LWPs can alleviate intervertebral disc degeneration to a certain extent.

Objective To investigate the protective role of bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMDSCs) in progressive glomerulosclerosis rats,and to observe whether BMDSCs promote glomenlar repair and regeneration.Methods Progressive glomerulosclerosis was induced in enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) bone marrow chimeric rats by injecting with anti-Thy1.1 antibody,followed by unilateral nephrectomy.Subsequently,these rats were treated with either BMDSCs infusion (treatment group,10 rats) or phosphate-buffered saline (untreated group,1O rats).Renal function and histological alterations were examined at week 12 after Thy1.1 antibody injection.Repair and regeneration of glomerular endothelial cells was detected by immunofluorescence.Results Only 3 rats survived in untreated group,other 7 rats died at week 2,7,9,11 after antibody injection.In treatment group,9 rats survived at week 12,only 1rat died at week 10.The BUN and Scr were significantly lower in treatment group as compared to untreated group [BUN(43.55±29.06) vs (76.58±66.19) mmol/L,Scr (138.79±75.14) vs (233.38±164.43) μmol/L].Proteinuria was not significantly different between two groups at day 3,7,14 and 28,while it was significantly decreased at day 42,56 and 84 in treatment group compared with untreated group.Light microscopy showed that there was severe diffuse mesangial cell proliferation,mesangial matrix expansion and glomerulosclerosis in untreated group,and such changes were ameliorated in treatment group.The mesangial expansion index and glomerular sclerosis index in untreated group was significantly higher than those in treatment group.More BMDCs were recruited into the glomeruli and differentiated into glomerular endothelial cells in treatment group as compared with untreated group.Double immunofluorescence stain also demonstrated that BMDSCs infusion promoted glomerular capillary repair and regeneration.Conclusion BMDSCs infusion can improve renal function and histological changes,and promote the repair and regeneration of glomerular capillary.

ObjectiveA single pump and double arterial lines piglet model was established in this piglet's experiment.The preliminary study of cerebral blood flow proportion and distribution was performed continuously during the procedure.MethodsEight female piglets were utilized in this study.The body weight ranged from 18 kg to 22 kg.The right atrium was carmulated for venous drainage.Double arterial lines were established through cannulating into right carotid artery and ascending aortic aorta.Selective antegrade cerebral perfusion (SACP) through right carotid artery started after bladder temperature was decreased to 20℃ and the perfusion from ascending aortic aorta was interrupted.The perfusion through ascending aortic aorta resumed following 60 minutes of circulatory arrest.Traditional rewarming strategy was adopted and the experiment ended when bladder temperature attained 36℃.The real-time blood flow in the double arterial lines was monitored using a TS410 transit-time tubing flowmeter (Transonic Systems Inc.,Ithaca,NY).Blood pressure in femoral artery,intra-circuit pressure was recorded every five minutes interval.Regional cerebral oxygen saturation ( rSO2 ) was assessed with NIRO-200 oximeter using Near-infrared spectroscopy (Hamamatsu Photonics,Hamamatsu City,Japan )and mixed venous oxygen saturation ( SvO2 ).Blood samples were drawn for blood chemistry measurement prior to extracorporeal circulation,before circulatory arrest and at the end of experiment.ResultsArterial blood pressure was maintained at (60 ± 20) mm Hg.Total blood flow perfusion was(85.30 ±6.81)ml · kg-1 · min-1 and(14.42 ±1.76) ml · kg-1 · min-1 in right carotid artery.The proportion of cerebral blood flow was (16.72 ± 2.77 )％ of total perfusion.Cerebral blood perfusion was controlled with( 15.11 ± 0.44)ml · kg - 1 · min - 1 during SACP.Compared to SvO2,rSO2 remained stable during the procedure.The plasma concentration of

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; methods ; Fractures, Bone ; surgery ; Humans ; Joint Dislocations ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pelvic Bones ; injuries ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo report a new method of coracoid transposition for the treatment of complete dislocation of acromioclavicular joint and to evaluate its efficacy.

METHODSWe modified Dewar's surgical method as follows: (1) Two small incisions, a transversal incision on the acromioclavicular joint and a longitudinal incision on the coracoid, were made instead of a conventional large arc incision from the acromion to coracoid. (2) The foreign body in the acromioclavicular joint was cleared out. The chondral surface at the lateral segment of clavicle was resected to form a pseudarthrosis and meanwhile the residual joint capsule and ligaments were repaired. (3) The coracoid was moved to the anteroinferior edge of the clavicle instead of the anterior margin and (4) the coracoid was moved to the lateral border of the clavicle instead of the superior border of the coracoclavicular ligament.

RESULTSThe follow-up duration in 30 patients of the series was from 6 to 72 months (mean 41 months). Functional assessment was carried out by the criteria delineated previously by Karkson, in which Grade A was in 24 cases, Grade B in 4 cases, and C in 2.

CONCLUSIONSThis modified technique, having less postoperative complications and less injuries to tissues and according well with the requirement of biomechanics, can achieve a stable reduction of acromioclavicular joint with a good functional and cosmetic result and therefore is preferable to use clinically on a large scale.

Acromioclavicular Joint ; injuries ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Joint Dislocations ; surgery ; Ligaments, Articular ; injuries ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Orthopedic Procedures ; Rupture ; Shoulder Injuries ; Tendons ; surgery

Objective To explore the clinical characteristics and perioperative treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in department of thoracic surgery,and to guide the clinical diagnosis and treatment. Methods From January 2013 to December 2016,patients with newly diagnosed NSCLC treated in the thoracic surgical department of Lanzhou University Second Hospital were reviewed retrospectively. The patients were divided into the COPD group and non-COPD group. The clinical data,including the incidence and clinical characteristics of COPD in non-small-cell lung cancer,pulmonary complications after surgery,COPD diagnosis and perioperative pulmonary rehabilitation were analyzed retrospectively. Results A total of 726 NSCLC patients were reviewed,six hundred and seventy-five cases who took the full lung function test were included in the study,of which 95 cases received bronchial diastolic test,86 cases were accorded with COPD diagnosis and were included in incorporated COPD group,and 589 cases were in the non- incorporated COPD group. The proportion of men (69 cases,80. 2%,χ2 = 24. 032), age ≥65 (51 cases,59. 3%,χ2 = 6. 784),smoking history (55cases,64. 0%,χ2 = 29. 474) and a large number of smokers (43 cases,50. 0%,χ2 = 5. 802) and lung squamous cell carcinoma(47 cases,54. 7%,χ2 = 6. 241) in the incorporated COPD group were higher than those in differences were statistically significant (P<0. 05); the incidence of pulmonary complications after radical resection of lung cancer in the incorporated COPD group was 23. 9% (16/ 67),which was significantly higher than that in the unincorporated COPD group(13. 7% (78/568)) (χ2 = 4. 894,P<0. 05). The incidence of pulmonary complications in the lung rehabilitation group was 13. 5% ( 5/37) , lower than that of the non-lung rehabilitation group ( 36. 7% ( 11/30 ) ) (χ2 = 4. 886, P<0. 05);Among the 86 cases (12. 7%) of incorporated COPD,only 6 cases (8. 9 ‰) were diagnosed with COPD at the time of admission, and 23 cases ( 3. 4%) at discharge. No COPD guidelines were given. Conclusion NSCLC often combined wtith COPD,especially in males,elders (≥65 years old) ,smokers, squamous cell carcinoma patients. At present,the diagnosis and treatment of co-morbidity of COPD is seriously inadequate,which needs to be paid much attention to by the thoracic surgeons,in order to improve the diagnosis and treatment of COPD,and improve the prognosis of the patients with NSCLC and COPD.

Objective To analyze the effect of different retained dosage of lauromacrogol within the thyroid cyst in the sclerotherapy of thyroid cysts.Methods A total of 200 patients with thyroid cysts,who were admitted to the Longyan Municipal First Hospital of China between August 2020 and August 2021,were enrolled in this study.The patients were randomly and equally divided into group zero(suctioning out all the amount of the injected lauromacrogol),and,according to the percentage of the retained lauromacrogol dosage to the total cystic fluid,group 10%,group 20%,group 30%and group 50%,with 40 patients in each group.Thyroid color ultrasound was reviewed at 1,3,6,and 12 months after treatment.The changes of capsule volume,curative efficacy,influencing factors,and adverse reactions after the cyst became sclerosis were analyzed.Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the factors affecting the postoperative efficacy.Results In all the 5 groups,the suctioned fluid was dark red in colour,and the patients had cystic nodules.The preoperative mean cyst volume was(20.43±5.86)cm3.In all the 5 groups,the postoperative changes in cyst volume indicated that the postoperative one-month cyst volume significantly shrank when compared with the preoperative volume,the postoperative 3-month cyst volume remarkably shrank when compared with the postoperative one-month volume,and the postoperative 6-month cyst volume strikingly shrank when compared with the postoperative 3-month volume(all P＜0.05),while no statistically significant difference in the cyst volume existed between the postoperative 12-month value and the postoperative 6-month value(P＞0.05).The postoperative 6-month total effective rate of all the five groups was 87%(174/200),and no statistically significant differences in the postoperative 6-month curative effect existed between each other among the 5 groups(P＞0.05).Taking the postoperative 6-month curative effect as the dependent variable,and the age,sex,thick cystic wall,cystic septum,and preoperative cyst volume as independent variables,the binary logistic regression analysis was conducted,which revealed that the thick cystic wall(OR=0.24,95%CI=0.08-0.72,P=0.01)and the cystic septum(OR=0.21,95%CI=0.07-0.67,P=0.01)were the factors affecting the postoperative 6-month curative effect.The main side reaction was pain,which was tolerable by patients.There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between each other among the five groups(all P＞0.05).Conclusion In treating thyroid cysts by using ultrasound-guided lauromacrogol sclerotherapy,there is no relationship between the curative effect and the percentage of the retained lauromacrogol dosage to the total cystic fluid.The best curative effect can be achieved at 6 months after injection of lauromacrogol,which can be used as the optimal time for follow-up check.The thick cystic wall and the cystic septum are the main factors that affect the curative effect of lauromacrogol sclerotherapy.For the treatment of thyroid cyst,lauromacrogol sclerotherapy carries reliable curative effect with few adverse reactions,therefore,this therapy is worthy of clinical application.(J Intervent Radiol,2024,32:69-73)

Objective:To investigate the application of post-mortem tissue sampling under ultrasonography guidance in the autopsy of COVID-19 cases.Methods:Ultrasound-guided post-mortem tissue sampling of heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and spleen were performed in 24 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology from Feb 20 to Mar 28, 2020. Seventeen males and seven females aged 39-91(66.6±10.6) years old were enrolled. The total time required for each post-mortem sampling was recorded, and the size of the samples collected from each organ was measured. The success rate of ultrasound-guided post-mortem tissue sampling for each organ was calculated.Results:Ultrasound images could clearly show the needle path and enabled accurate placement of the needle within the target organs, including heart, lung, liver, kidney, and spleen. The total time required for sampling was about 32-54 (39.8±5.7)min. The lengths of heart, lung, liver, kidney, and spleen tissues collected by ultrasound-guided sampling were 10(8, 14)mm, 13(12, 15)mm, 14(13, 15)mm, 13(11, 15)mm, 14(13, 15)mm, respectively. The success rates of heart, lung, liver, kidney, and spleen tissue sampling under ultrasound guidance were 87.5% (21/24), 91.7%(44/48), 100%(24/24), 89.6%(43/48) and 83.3%(20/24), respectively.Conclusions:Post-mortem sampling under ultrasonography guidance may be a rapid and reliable method for collecting of heart, lung, liver, kidney, and spleen tissues in the autopsy of COVID-19 cases.