Objective To investigate the effect of bone cement distribution near fracture line after percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) on patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF). Methods One hundred and twenty OVCF patients who had underwent PVP from September 2015 to August 2017 were selected. The range of fracture line was determined by magnetic resonance lipid suppressor sequence imaging before operation, and the three-dimensional modeling was carried out by computer aided design software. Three dimensional imaging of CT bone cement was performed after PVP. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to the bone cement distribution near fracture line. The bone cement distribution near fracture line area was not good in 52 cases (group A), and the bone cement distribution near fracture line was good in 68 cases (group B). The pain visual analogue score (VAS) and the Oswestry dysfunction index (ODI) were measured before operation, second day after operation and 3 months after operation. Results All the patients completed the operation successfully, and the postoperative pain was significantly relieved. In group A, there were 3 cases of with postoperative bone cement leakage, and 4 cases in group B. There were no obvious clinical symptoms, no serious complications such as nerve injury and infection. There was no significant difference in the amount of bone cement between group A and group B: (4.08 ± 0.74) ml vs. (4.03 ± 1.03) ml, P＞0.05. There were no significant differences in VAS and ODI before operation between 2 groups (P>0.05). The VAS and ODI second day and 3 months after operation were significantly lower than those before operation in 2 groups, VAS: (4.54 ± 0.81) and (1.46 ± 0.51) scores vs. (7.38 ± 0.94) scores, (2.68 ± 0.88) and (1.18 ± 0.58) scores vs. (7.21 ± 1.12) scores; ODI: (70.23 ± 2.70) and (19.42 ± 2.21) scores vs. (90.46 ± 1.79) scores, (48.85 ± 2.23) and (18.85 ± 1.84) scores vs. (90.50 ± 2.02) scores, and there were statistical differences (P＜0.05). The VAS and ODI second day after operation in group B were significantly lower than those in group A, and there were statistical differences (P＜0.01). There were no significant differences in VAS and ODI 3 months after operation between 2 groups (P>0.05). Conclusions PVP can obviously relieve the pain of OVCF patients. The bone cement is well distributed near the fracture line, and the early effect is obvious.

Objective To evaluate the value of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) combined with percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) in the treatment of metastatic spinal tumor. Methods The clinical data of 94 hospitalized patients with metastatic spinal tumor from January 2013 to January 2017 were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into PVP group(43 cases)and RFA+PVP(51 cases) according to the different treatment methods. The visual analogue scores (VAS) before operation and 1 month after operation were observed.The serum levels of N-telopeptide of typeⅠcollagen(NTx),carboxy terminal telopeptide typeⅠcollagen(ICTP)and bone alkaline phosphatase(BAP)before operation and 1 month after operation were monitored.The recurrence rate of tumor 6 months after operation was record. Results The VAS before operation in PVP group was (7.67 ± 1.12) scores, in RFA + PVP group was (7.71 ± 1.04) scores, and there was no statistical difference (P>0.05). The VAS of 2 groups after operation was significantly lower than that before operation:PVP group(3.17 ± 0.26)scores,RFA+PVP group (2.66 ± 0.31) scores, and there were statistical differences (P<0.05). The VAS in RFA + PVP group was significantly lower than that in PVP group(P<0.05).The serum levels of NTx,ICTP and BAP before operation in PVP group were(25.39 ± 9.77)nmol/L,(36.71 ± 8.77)μg/L,(73.66 ± 14.60)μg/L;after operation were (19.34 ± 6.32) nmol/L, (21.14 ± 6.66) μg/L, (33.63 ± 7.50) μg/L, and there were statistical differences before and after operation (P<0.05). The serum levels of NTx, ICTP and BAP before operation in RFA+PVP group were(26.63 ± 10.53)nmol/L,(35.37 ± 9.42)μg/L,(75.24 ± 13.01) μg/L; those after operation were (12.10 ± 5.17) nmol/L, (15.14 ± 5.08) μg/L, (27.19 ± 8.22) μg/L, and there were statistical differences before and after operation(P<0.05).The serum levels of NTx,ICTP and BAP after operation in RFA + PVP group were significantly lower than those in PVP group (P < 0.05). The recurrence rate of tumor 6 months after operation in RFA+PVP group was significantly lower than that in PVP group: 3.92% (2/51) vs. 16.28% (7/43), and there was statistical difference (P<0.05). Conclusions Compared with simple PVP, RFA combined with PVP can reduce the pain symptoms, reduce the recurrence rate and improve the quality of life in patients with metastatic spinal tumor.

BACKGROUND:In recent years,with the development of biological scaffold materials and bioprinting technology,tissue-engineered bone has become a research hotspot in bone defect repair. OBJECTIVE:To summarize the current treatment methods for bone defects,summarize the biomaterials and bioprinting technology for preparing tissue-engineered bone scaffolds,and explore the application of biomaterials and printing technology in tissue engineering and the current challenges. METHODS:Search terms were"bone defect,tissue engineering,biomaterials,3D printing technology,4D printing technology,bioprinting,biological scaffold,bone repair"in Chinese and English.Relevant documents published from January 1,2009 to December 1,2022 were retrieved on CNKI,PubMed and Web of Science databases.After being screened by the first author,high-quality references were added.A total of 93 articles were included for review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The main treatment methods for bone defects include bone transplantation,membrane-guided regeneration,gene therapy,bone tissue engineering,etc.The best treatment method is still uncertain.Bone tissue engineering technology is a new technology for the treatment of bone defects.It has become the focus of current research by constructing three-dimensional structures that can promote the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts and enhance the ability of bone formation.Biological scaffold materials are diverse,with their characteristics,advantages and disadvantages.A single biological material cannot meet the demand for tissue-engineered bone for the scaffold.Usually,multiple materials are combined to complement each other,which is to meet the demand for mechanical properties while taking into account the biological properties of the scaffold.Bioprinting technology can adjust the pore of the scaffold,build a complex spatial structure,and is more conducive to cell adhesion,proliferation and differentiation.The emerging 4D printing technology introduces"time"as the fourth dimension to make the prepared scaffold dynamic.With the synchronous development of smart materials,4D printing technology provides the possibility of efficient repair of bone defects in the future.

Phenylalaninammo-nialyase (PAL) is a key enzyme in the synthesis of methyl benzoate - a plant aroma compound. In order to understand the function of this enzyme in the formation of fragrance in the scented Rhododendron species-Rhododendron fortunei, we cloned a gene encoding this enzyme and subsequently examined the gene expression patterns and the profile of enzyme activity during development in various tissues. The full length of RhPAL gene was cloned by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) techniques. The expression levels of RhPAL gene were measured by real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and the amount of phenylalanine and cinnamic acid were assayed with LC-MS. The results showed that the ORF sequence of RhPAL gene amplified from the cDNA templates of flower buds had 2 145 bp, encoding 715 amino acids, and shared 90% homology to the PAL amino acid sequences from other species. qRT-PCR analysis showed that the expression of RhPAL in petals during flowering kept in rising even until the flowers wilted. The expression of RhPAL in pistil was much higher than that in stamen, while the expression in the younger leaves was higher than in old leaves. However, the expression level was relatively lower in petal and stamen compared to that in leaves. We also measured the PAL activity by Enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay in the petals of flowers at different flowering stages. The results showed that PAL activity reached the highest at the bud stage and then decreased gradually to the lowest when the flowers wilted, which followed a similar trend in the emission of the flower fragrance. The phenylalanine and cinnamic acid contents measured by LC-MS were highly correlated to the expression level of RhPAL in various tissues and at different flowering stages, implying that RhPAL plays an important role in the formation of the flower fragrance. This work may facilitate the breeding and improvement of new fragrant Rhododendron cultivars.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Complementary ; Flowers/genetics* ; Rhododendron/genetics*

【Objective】 Compare the early outcome and safety of endoscopy-unilateral laminectomy for bilateral decompression （Endo-ULBD） and posterior lumbar interbody fusion （PLIF） in the treatment of multi-segment lumbar central spinal stenosis. 【Methods】 We retrospectively analyzed 68 patients with multi-segment central lumbar spinal stenosis treated between October 2019 and October 2020 in the Department of Spine Surgery， Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University. Of them 33 patients were treated with Endo-ULBD and 35 ones were treated with PLIF. We compared the operation time， times of intraoperative fluoroscopy， estimated intraoperative blood loss， incision length， postoperative time to get out of bed， postoperative hospital duration， complications， visual analogue scale （VAS）， Oswestry dysfunction index （ODI） score before and 1 day， 1 month， and 3 months after operation， Japanese Orthopedic Association Assessment Treatment Score （JOA）， and modified MacNab score 3 months after operation between the two groups of patients. 【Results】 Compared with PLIF group， Endo-ULBD group had significantly shorter operation time， smaller incision length， less intraoperative blood loss， shorter postoperative bed time and postoperative hospital stay， and fewer surgical complications （all P<0.05）. There was significantly more intraoperative fluoroscopy in Endo-ULBD group than in PLIF group （P<0.05）. The VAS， ODI and JOA scores of the two groups were significantly improved after treatment （P<0.05）. There was no statistical difference in VAS of leg pain between the two groups after treatment （P>0.05）. However， after treatment Endo-ULBD group outperformed PLIF group in lower back pain VAS， ODI， JOA and the 3-month follow-up excellent and good rates （P<0.05）. 【Conclusion】 For patients with multi-segment central lumbar spinal stenosis， Endo-ULBD treatment can achieve better early clinical outcome than PLIF surgery， with less bleeding， shorter operation time， faster postoperative recovery， and fewer complications.

Terpene synthase (TPS) plays important roles in the synthesis of terpenoids which are the main fragrances in Rhododendron flowers. To understand the function of TPS genes in terpenoid metabolism in relation to flower aroma formation, we identified all TPS gene family members in Rhododendron by analyzing its genome database. We then used a transcriptomic approach to analyze the differential gene expression patterns of TPS gene family members in the scented flower Rhododendron fortunei compared to the non-scented flower Rhododendron 'Nova Zembla'. The contents of terpenoid compounds in petals of the above two Rhododendron species at different developmental stages were also measured by using qRT-PCR and head space-solid phase micro-extraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Our results showed that a total of 47 RsTPS members, with individual lengths ranged from 591 to 2 634 bp, were identified in the Rhododendron genome. The number of exons in RsTPS gene ranged from 3 to 12, while the length of each protein encoded ranged from 196 to 877 amino acids. Members of the RsTPS family are mainly distributed in the chloroplast and cytoplasm. Phylogenetic analysis showed that RsTPS genes can be clustered into 5 subgroups. Seven gene family members can be functionally annotated as TPS gene family since they were temporally and spatially expressed as shown in the transcriptome data. Notably, TPS1, TPS10, TPS12 and TPS13 in Rhododendron fortunei were expressed highly in flower buds reached the peak in the full blossoming. Correlation analysis between gene expression levels and terpenoid content indicates that the expression levels of TPS1, TPS4, TPS9, TPS10, TPS12 and TPS13 were positively correlated with the content of terpenoids in the petals of R. fortunei at all flower developmental stages, suggesting that these six genes might be involved in the aroma formation in R. fortunei.
Rhododendron/metabolism* ; Phylogeny ; Terpenes/metabolism* ; Family ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant

Flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H) is a key enzyme in the synthesis of phycocyanidins. In this experiment, the petals of red Rhododendron hybridum Hort. at different developmental stages were used as experimental materials. The R. hybridum flavanone 3-hydroxylase (RhF3H) gene was cloned using reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) and rapid-amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) techniques, and bioinformatics analyses were performed. Petal RhF3H gene expression at different developmental stages were analyzed by using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). A pET-28a-RhF3H prokaryotic expression vector was constructed for the preparation and purification of RhF3H protein. A pCAMBIA1302-RhF3H overexpression vector was constructed for genetic transformation in Arabidopsis thaliana by Agrobacterium-mediated method. The results showed that the R. hybridum Hort. RhF3H gene is 1 245 bp long, with an open reading frame of 1 092 bp, encoding 363 amino acids. It contains a Fe²⁺ binding motif and a 2-ketoglutarate binding motif of the dioxygenase superfamily. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the R. hybridum RhF3H protein is most closely related to the Vaccinium corymbosum F3H protein. qRT-PCR analysis showed that the expression level of the red R. hybridum RhF3H gene tended to increase and then decrease in the petals at different developmental stages, with the highest expression at middle opening stage. The results of the prokaryotic expression showed that the size of the induced protein of the constructed prokaryotic expression vector pET-28a-RhF3H was about 40 kDa, which was similar to the theoretical value. Transgenic RhF3H Arabidopsis thaliana plants were successfully obtained, and PCR identification and β-glucuronidase (GUS) staining demonstrated that the RhF3H gene was integrated into the genome of A. thaliana plants. qRT-PCR, total flavonoid and anthocyanin contentanalysis showed that RhF3H was significantly higher expressed in the transgenic A. thaliana relative to that of the wild type, and its total flavonoid and anthocyanin content were significantly increased. This study provides a theoretical basis for investigating the function of RhF3H gene, as well as for studying the molecular mechanism of flower color in R. simsiib Planch.
Arabidopsis/metabolism* ; Rhododendron/metabolism* ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Anthocyanins/metabolism* ; Phylogeny ; Flavonoids/metabolism* ; Cloning, Molecular ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Plant Proteins/metabolism*