OBJECTIVETo study the effects of sacral nerve root electrostimulation (SNS) on the colon function and its mechanisms in rats with spinal cord injury (SCI).

METHODSOne hundred and four Wistar rats were divided into three groups: A, B and C. A group ( n = 24) was divided into three subgroups (n = 8) for studying the bioelectricity: Normal group (NG), SCI group (SCI) and SCI group with SNS(SNS); B group( n = 24) was divided into three subgroups( n = 8) for studying the colon motility: NG, SCI and SNS. C group( n = 56) were divided into three groups for studying the change of morphology and neurotransmitters(SP and VIP): NG (n = 8), SCI (n = 24), and SNS (n = 24) . In SCI and SNS, included of three subgroups: 24, 48, 72 h after spinal cord injury (n = 8).

RESULTSIn SCI group, the activity of bioelectricity in proximal and distal colon was reduced; the colon motility was lessened, and colon mucosa appeared different degree of damage; cell-cell connections between intestinal epithelial cells were destroyed. The expressions of substance P(SP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in colon were decreased obviously. SNS was found to activate the bioelectricity, promote the colon motility, improve the intestinal mucosal, and increase the expressions of SP and VIP. Conclusion: SNS can activate the peristalsis, rehabilitate the motility of denervated colon, protection of the intestinal mechanical barrier between intestinal epithelial cells and tight junction, rebuild the colon function through activating the bioelectricity and increase the expressions of SP and VIP.

Animals ; Colon ; physiopathology ; Electric Stimulation Therapy ; Epithelial Cells ; drug effects ; Intestinal Mucosa ; drug effects ; Lumbosacral Region ; innervation ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; therapy ; Substance P ; metabolism ; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo observe the ultrastructural change of the route of gut bacterial translocation in a rat with spinal cord injury (SCI).

METHODSForty Wistar rats were divided into the following groups: control group and 3 SCI groups (10 in each group). The rats in the SCI groups were established SCI model at 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h after SCI. Small intestine mucous membrane tissue was identified and assayed by transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscope and immunofluorescence microscopy.

RESULTSSmall intestine mucous membrane tissue in control group was not damaged significantly, but those in SCI groups were damaged significantly. Proliferation bacteria in gut lumen attached on microvilli. The extracellular bacteria torn the intestinal barrier and perforated into the small intestinal mucosal epithelial cell. The bacteria and a lot of particles of the seriously damaged region penetrated into the lymphatic system and the blood system directly. Some bacteria were internalized into the goblet cell through the apical granule. Some bacteria and particles perforated into the submucosa of the M cell running the long axis of M cells through the tight junctions. In the microcirculation of mucosa, the bacteria that had already broken through the microvilli into blood circulation swim accompanying with erythrocytes.

CONCLUSIONThe routes of bacterial translocation interact and format a vicious circle. At early step, the transcellular pathway of bacterial translocation is major. Following with the destroyed small intestine mucous, the routes of bacterial translocation through the lymphatic system and the blood system become direct pathways. The goblet cell-dendritic cell and M cell pathway also play an important role in the bacterial translocation.

Animals ; Bacteria ; Bacterial Translocation ; Epithelial Cells ; microbiology ; Goblet Cells ; microbiology ; Intestinal Mucosa ; microbiology ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Intestine, Small ; microbiology ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Microvilli ; microbiology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; microbiology

Objective To research the efficacy and safety of percutaneous puncture kyphoplasty in the treatment of elderly osteoporotic vertebral fracture.Methods PkP were performed in 23 patients(34 vertebrae),visual analogue scale(VAS)and mobility were evaluated before and three days after operation.Relief of back pain,recovery of mobility and complications(cement leakage,adjacent vertebral body fractures,etc)were observed in the follow up.Results All patients were successfully performed with immediate relief of their back pain.The mean scores of VAS and mobility 3 days after operation were respectively decreased from(7.5 ±0.7),(2.4 ±0.6)preoperative to(2.5 ±0.6),(1.2 ±0.4)at 3 day after operation with a significant difference(t= 23.8,13.4,P ＜0.01).The patients were followed up for average 15.6 months with satisfactory therapeutic effect,one patient died of heart disease two months after discharge,around vertebral fracture occurred in 4 patients,they were no cement leakage in all the patients.Conclusion PKP is one of the new minimally invasive technologies,which can rapidly relieve pain.PKP is an ideal method in treating elderly osteoporotic spinal compression fractures.

Objective To study the feasibility of fluoroscopically guided percutaneous internal fixation with the Universal Spine System(USS) in the treatment of thoracolumbar fractures.Methods A total of 8 patients with thoracolumbar fractures without the need of decompression of the spinal canal underwent posterior percutaneous pedicle screw fixation by using the USS from October 2002 to May 2004.A fixation rod was placed under the vertebrae muscle to complete the reduction and fixation.Results The operation time was 120~240 min(mean,140 min),and the intraoperative blood loss was 20~90 ml(mean,40 ml).The Cobb's angle decreased from 21.5??4.3? preoperatively to 2.7??1.5? postoperatively(t=17.541,P=0.001).The collapse of vertebra was 18.5%?4.1% preoperatively and 2.4%?1.0% postoperatively(t=16.504,P=0.001).All the patients got out of bed 3 weeks after operation with the assistance of girdle brace.Effects of treatment were evaluated according to the Frankel grade at the third postoperative week: 2 patients recovered from grade C to D,1 patient from D to E,1 patient remained in D, and 4 kept in E. Conclusions Percutaneous internal fixation by using the USS in the treatment of thoracolumbar fractures without the need of decompression of the spinal canal offers advantages of minimal invasion and quick recovery,though it has some technical difficulties and disadvantages of long-time exposure under X-ray.

[Objective]To investigate the technical advantages of micro-CT in the research of three dimensional structure of bone tissues over histological section technology. [Method]Different kinds of bone tissue related specimen were observed by micro-CT and histological section,respectively.The diversity of the sample treatments,result expressions and test data were compared.[Result]Micro-CT showed great advantages in displaying three dimensional structure characteristics of bone tissues.Both quantity and quality changes of bone tissues could be precisely determined by micro-CT which was much better than histological section technology.However,histology showed great advantages in displaying the cell figures,growth and differentiation.[Conclusion]Micro-CT provides a novel test method for both sample treatments and result expressions.Compound with histological technology,micro-CT can display the appearance and structure of bone tissues more sufficiently.

Objective: To investigate the expression of tumor suppressor gene PTEN in the radiation-induced mouse thymoma cells, and to observe the inhibitory effect of exogenous PTEN transfection on the in vitro proliferation and in vivo tumor forming ability of radiation-induced thymoma. Methods: Immunohistochemistry SP and Western blotting assay were used to examine the expression of PTEN, γ-H2AX, and Rad51 protein in radiation-induced mice thymoma and normal thymus tissues. RT-PCR assay was conducted to examine the PTEN gene loss. Exogenous PTEN gene was transferred into mouse thymoma cells and its inhibitory effects on cell proliferation and tumor-forming ability were observed. Results: The positive rate of PTEN protein expression was 22.73% (5/22) in radiation-induced thymoma tissue, significantly lower than that in the normal thymus tissue (P < 0.01). Western blotting assay showed that the expression of PTEN protein in thymoma was markedly lower than that in the normal thymus tissue (P<0.01). RT-PCR found that in tumor tissue there was high-frequency of PTEN gene loss. Exogenous PTEN expression in thymoma significantly inhibited the cell proliferation and the tumor-forming ability (P<0.01). The expression of γ-H2AX protein in the thymoma tissue was significantly higher than that in the normal thymus tissue; the expression of Rad51 protein was significantly lower than that in the normal tissue. Conclusion: Loss of PTEN gene may contribute to radiation-induced thymoma via influencing the Rad51-mediated DNA repair pathway. Exogenous PTEN gene transfer can inhibit the in vitro proliferation of thymoma cells, which may contribute to the treatment and prevention of radiation-induced tumor.

Objective: To investigate the effects of estradiol on 60Co γ-ray induced apoptosis of bone marrow hematopoietic cells of mice, and to discuss the related anti-irradiation mechanism. Methods: KM mice were randomly divided into 3 groups (15 mice/each group): control group (without radiation), pure radiation group and estradiol + radiation group (ER group). The pure radiation group was irradiated by 4.0 Gy γ-ray at a dose rate of 1.15Gy/min; the ER group was administered with 0.1 mg estradiol (IM) at 10 days before 4.0 Gy γ-ray radiation; and the control group received no special treatment. The apoptotic DNA segments of bone marrow hematopoietic cells were analyzed by DNA agarose gel electrophoresis; flow cytometry was used to examine the apoptosis rate of cells and expression of Fas and Bcl-2 at 4 h, 8 h, and 12 h after irradiation. Results: Eight hours after radiation, the apoptotic DNA segments were obviously increased and apoptotic DNA ladder appeared, which was not seen in the other 2 groups. The apoptosis rate of bone marrow hematopoietic cells in ER group was significantly lower than that in the pure radiation group at 4, 8, and 12 h after irradiation(P<0.01). Fas expression was only slightly elevated in the ER group than in the control group, but was markedly lower than that in pure radiation group(P<0.01), and showed no typical crest-time; Bcl-2 expression was significantly higher in the ER group than in the pure radiation group(P<0.01). Conclusion: Estradiol can decrease the apoptosis of mice bone marrow hematopoietic cells induced by γ-ray, probably through down-regulation of Fas and up-regulation of Bcl-2 expression.

Objective: To investigate the effects of adrenomedullin1-50 (Adm1-50) on vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) expression in isolated rat heart. Methods: Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rat, weighting 300 to 350g, were randomly divided into A, B, C, D group (n=6 for each group). The isolated rat hearts were perfused in a Langendorff mode for 20 min and followed by 60 min of global ischemia. Then, all groups were reperfused with Kerbs-Henseleit bicarbonate for 60 min, but group B, C, D were perfused with buffer in the presence of Adm1-50 10-9mol/L, 10-8mol/L, and 10-7mol/L respectively for 15 min after the onset of reperfusion. The post-ischemic change of creatine kinase-isoenzyme (CK-MB) in coronary effluent and the expression of myocardial VCAM-1 mRNA were measured. Results: After I/R, Adm1-50 dose-dependently decreased the expression of VCAM-1 and the CK-MB activity, The ratio of VCAM-1/GAPDH mRNA were 1 20?0 52, 1 10?0 45, 0 60?0 31, 0 50?0 36 for group A, B, C, D, respectively (P

Objective　To investigate the dynamic changes of psychological states and the results of delivery in pregnant women,simultaneously,study the effective way to reduce the rate of cesarean section.Methods　Through applying the self-compiled test paper,the self-evaluating state table(SCL-90)and the table of overall feeling of happiness,we assessed the psychological states of 89 pregnant women.The results were recorded at 35 and 38 weeks of gestation and 72 hours postpartum.Results　48 delivered vaginally(53.93%).4 were managed by cesarean section(46.07%),including 12 non-indicated cesarean section(29.27%).The mark of anxiety,terror and depression factors increased in the group of non-indicated cesarean section before and after dilivery compared with the group of vaginal delivery and indicated cesarean section.There was remarkable difference(P＜0.01).The value of overall feeling of happiness in the group of non-indicated cesarean section was less than that in the group of vaginal delivery.The difference was extremely significant(P＜0.001).The rdevant analysis showed that the feeling of happiness,the desire of labor and educational level were related negatively to the level of symptom during pregnancy(P＜0.01).The mode of delivery was related positively to the psychological state of pregnant women(P＜0.01).Conclusion　Non-indicated cesarean section is mainly interrelated to anxiety,terror and depression that proceed gradually during pregnancy and delivery.So it is suggested that the aimed psychological education be beneficial to decrease the rate of cesarean section.

Objective To study the antagonistic effects of grape procyanidin(GPC)or lipoic acid(LA)to the rat liver cell peroxidative damage induced by~(60)Co ? radiation.Methods The cultured rat liver cells(1?10~9/L)were prepared from 10 rats aged 1 week,the survival rate was above 85%.The cultured liver cells were divided into the negative control group(without radiation), GPC group(75 mg/L),LA group(100 mg/L)and the positive control group(containing no antioxidants),which were radiated by (60)~Co ? radiation(2.5 Gy,90 cm,10 s).The SOD,GSH-Px activity,MDA level and comet assay were determined.Results Compared with the positive control group,in the GPC group and LA group,the activity of hepatic SOD and GSH-Px were significantly higher (P