L3、4,and there was no significatant difference between two sides,and the biggest inner diameter of the main vessels averaged 5.3?0.6 mm.[Conclusion]To begin with,the blood supply is adequate in the intertransverse area,and the distribution of blood vessels follows some regularities,so to be familiar with the anatomy and to operate carefully can reduce bleeding.In addition,ILIF in segment L3、4 and L4、5 is feasible.

BACKGROUND: Primate is the best animal to establish a model of spinal implants. However, ethics and cost limit its application. Mixed-breed dogs have similar anatomic structures as human. Moreover, it is easy to obtain with low cost, so it may replace primate to serve as models.OBJECTIVE: To determine the feasibility of canine lumbar spine to establish the anterior interfixation model following measurements of related anatomic data.METHODS: A total of 9 adult healthy dogs were selected. The transversal diameter, sagittal diameter and height of vertebral body and disc were measured, and the artificial vertebral body replacement was performed. Bone graft fusion was observed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The transversal diameter, sagittal diameter and height of vertebral body and disc increasedgradually from L_(1) to L_(7), and the height was greatly exceeded its sagittal diameter. All dogs survived, but one was paraplegia. Allthe others stood and acted in 12 h to 72 h after operation. The fusion effect was proved to be good by imageology and histology. The establishment of models was simple and cost-effective, and the biocompatibility of bone tissues and implants, as well as thebone tissue ingrowth can be observed. The lumbar spine of dog can be used as an anterior interfixation model in vitro test.

BACKGROUND: Studies have demonstrated that dexamethasone can reduce type Ⅱ collagen and increase type I collagen in articular cartilage surface matrix, but the action mechanism of glucocorticoid to articular chondrocyte proliferation remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of dexamethasone sodium phosphate on rabbit articular chondrocytes cultured in vitro. DESIGN: Comparative observation.MATERIALS: New Zealand rabbits, 1 month old, were used for chondrocyte isolation and culture.METHODS: Rabbit articular chondrocytes cultured in vitro were randomly divided into control and experimental groups. Cells of the control group were cultured in DMEM media without dexamethasone sodium phosphate. Cells of experimental groups were cultured in DMEM media with different concentrations of dexamethasone sodium phosphate (0.02, 0.1, 0.5 g/L), respectively. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary and passage chondrocytes were observed. Flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry were used to observe the effect of dexamethasone sodium phosphate on cell proliferation and type Ⅱ collagen synthesis. The ultrastructural changes of cultured chondrocytes were observed by transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: The attachment and proliferation of experimental group chondrocytes was slower than control group. There average gray scale values of the experimental groups were significantly greater than the control group (P < 0.05). The cellular proportions of S phase and G_2+M phase of the experimental groups decreased but the cellular proportions of G0/G1 period increased. Under transmission electron microscope the amount of rough endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria of the experimental groups decreased. CONCLUSION: Dexamethasone sodium phosphate inhibited articular chondrocyte proliferation, possibly due to the decrease of type Ⅱcollagen and protein synthesis ability of chondrocyte.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of astragalin on pulmonary edema after acute cervical spinal cord injury in rats.MethodsA total of 200 adult Wistar rats weighing 240-250 g were randomly divided into five groups:astragalin group,low concentration astragalin group,physiological saline group,blank group and sham group,with 40 rats in each group.The rats with cervical spinal cord injury were induced at C7 by modified Allen' s method,with the dropping weight of 10 × 2.5 g · cm.In the sham group,the laminas were removed only,leaving spinal cord at the C7 intact.Each group was further divided into four time points:24 hours,3 days,1 week and 2 weeks after the modeling,with 10 rats in each time point,according to the specimen collection time.Rats were sacrificed at different time points to observe the pathological change of the lung tissue using optical microscope,measure the lung wet/dry weight ratio (W/D) and protein concentrations of the serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and calculate the lung W/D and lung permeability index (LPI).ResultsAt the same instant,the W/D and LPI in the astragalin group and low concentration astragalin group were lower than those in physiological saline group and blank group,with the lowest value in the astragalin group at day 3 after injury ( P ＜0.05 ).ConclusionsRats with acute cervical spinal cord injury may cause pulmonary edema,which can be efficiently alleviated through early use of astragalin.

Objective To investigate the expression of caspase-3 in colon carcinoma,colon adenoma and normal colon mucosa and its clinical significance.Methods The expression of caspase-3 was detected with immunohistochemical EnVision in 60 cases of colon carcinoma,30 cases of colon adenoma and 30 cases of normal colon mucosa.Results The positive expression rates of caspase-3 in colon carcinoma,colon adenoma and normal colorn mucosa were 18.3％(11/60),50.0％(15/30),86.7％(26/30).There was significant difference among three groups(P＜0.01).The expression of caspase-3 was closely related to Dukes clinical stage,differentiation degree,lymph node metastasis and the degree of infiltration(P＜0.01).Conclusion The low expression of caspase-3 may play an important role in the carcinogenesis of colon carcinoma and it is involved in the metastasis and infiltration.

Ceramics ; Ergonomics ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Occupational Exposure ; Workload

On account of the dense cuticles of the fresh stem and the light, hard and pliable texture of the dried stem, Dendrobii Caulis is difficult to dry or pulverize. So, it is very important to the ancient doctors that Dendrobii Caulis should be properly treated and applied to keep or evoke its medicinal effects. The current textual research results about the preliminary processing, processing and usage methods of Dendrobii Caulis showed that: (1) In history the clinical use of fresh or processed Dendrobii Caulis as teas and tinctures were very common. (2) Its roots and rhizomes would be removed before using. (3) Some ancillary approaches were applied to shorten drying times, such as rinsing with boiling mulberry-ash soup, washing or soaking with liquor, mixing with rice pulp and then basking, etc. (4) According to the ancients knowledge, the sufficient pulverization, by means of slicing, rasping, hitting or pestling techniques, was necessary for Dendrobii Caulis to take its effects. (5) The heat processing methods for Dendrobii Caulis included stir-baking, stir-frying, steaming, decocting and stewing techniques, usually with liquor as an auxiliary material. Among above mentioned, steaming by pretreating with liquor was most commonly used, and this scheme was colorfully drawn in Bu Yi Lei Gong Pao Zhi Bian Lan (Ming Dynasty, 1591 CE) ; moreover, decocting in advance or long-time simmering so as to prepare paste products were recommended in the Qing Dynasty. (6) Some different processing programs involving stir-baking with grit, air-tightly baking with ondol (Kangs), fumigating with sulfur, which appeared in modern times and brought attractive outward appearance of the drug, went against ancients original intentions of ensuring drug efficacy.
Dendrobium ; History, Ancient ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; history ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; history

Objective To study the relationship between coronary arteriographic and fluorescence fundus angiographic characteristics in type 2 diabetic patients with coronary heart disease.Methods The study was carried out by the analysis of the data from coronary arteriography and fluorescence fundus angiography in 203 type 2 diabetic patients with coronary heart disease in different groups divided according to age or total cholesterol level. Logisitic regression analysis was applied to explore various risk factors to angiographic characteristics.Results With advancing age,there were more involvement of 3 coronary vessels or the left main branch along with stageⅢretinopathy,but less single vessel diseases in the coronary arteries and less stageⅠretinopathy.The difference in coronary angiographic and fluorescence fundus angiographic characteristics between groups with different total cholesterol levels was not significant.Logistic regression analysis suggested that coronary artery diaease was related to age,sex and blood glucose and triglyceride levels while diabetic retinopathy was related to blood glucose level and age.Conclusion There is great difference in coronary arteriography and fluorescence fundus angiography among different age groups.Aging may aggravate the lesions both in the coronary arteries and fundal vessels in type 2 diabetic patients with coronary heart diseease.

During the process of electroacupuncture (EA) therapy, whether there being a corrosive effect in ac- upuncture needles was observed. Acupuncture needles were inserted into a rabbit's acupoint to perform a 12-hour electrical stimulation with three types of common EA waveform; additionally two needles were put in 0.9% sodium chloride solution with 12-hour direct current. Afterwards, environmental scanning electron microscope was applied to detect the surface physical characteristics of acupuncture needles. As a result, after a 12-hour continued electri- cal stimulation with three types of common EA waveform in the rabbit, there was no corrosive effect in acupunc- ture needles; but the direct current could cause severe corrosion in acupuncture needles. It is believed that there is no corrosion effect on acupuncture needles in current EA treatment, and some accidents reported in literature may be related to quality of EA device or improper manipulation during the treatment.
Acupuncture Points ; Animals ; Corrosion ; Electroacupuncture ; instrumentation ; Male ; Needles ; adverse effects ; Rabbits

OBJECTIVETo explore the efficacy differences in early intervention of different acupuncture and moxibustion methods on gastrocnemius fatigue in rats induced by electrical stimulation.

METHODSFifty male SD rats were randomly divided into a control group, a model group, a hand acupuncture group, an electroacupuncture group and a moxibustion group, 10 rats in each group. Electrical stimulation of the sciatic nerve was given in the control group and gastrocnemius fatigue test was induced by electrical stimulation of the sciatic nerve in the model group after anesthesia without other treatment, but just take 6 times interval stimulation in the control group. The hand acupuncture group, the electroacupuncture group and the moxibustion group were treated with the corresponding acupoints stimulation method respectively for 20 min before gastrocnemius fatigue test, and Dazhui (GV 14) and Zusanli (ST 36) were selected. Immediately after gastrocnemius fatigue test, three or four gastrocnemius tissues at the same site on the right side were quickly taken for making specimen for transmission electron microscope (TEM). The changes of skeletal muscle ultrastructure of myofibrils, mitochondria, sarcoplasmic reticulum, glycogen particles were observed under TEM.

RESULTS(1) Muscle fibers disorder, partial mitochondrial vacuolization and glycogen particles smaller were shown in the model group. (2) No abnormalities were shown in the hand acupuncture group and the moxibustion group with mitochondrial morphology and number, which better than that in the model group, and glycogen particles increased. (3) Abnormal changes in morphology were shown in the electroacupuncture group with part of the muscle fibers derangement, Z line malalignment and a few mitochondria vacuolization.

CONCLUSIONHand acupuncture, electroacupuncture and moxibustion have the different effects on ultrastructure of gastrocoemius in rats. Acupuncture and moxibustion have shown good effects on the prevention and treatment of exercise-induced skeletal muscle cell and organelle damage and delaying exercise-induced fatigue.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Animals ; Glycogen ; metabolism ; Male ; Mitochondria ; metabolism ; ultrastructure ; Moxibustion ; Muscle, Skeletal ; metabolism ; ultrastructure ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley