BACKGROUND:It is very nscessary for the prevention and treatment of ostaoarthritis(OA)to understand the tensile mechanical properties of lateral collateral ligaments(LCLs)of knee joints with osteoarthritis,while reports on it are still few.OBJECTIVE:To compare the LCL tensile mechanical property indexes of knee joints between normal animals and OA medels established for this purpose,and to provide qualitative and quantitative referential data about effects of OA on the LCL tensile mechanical properties of animal knee joints.DESlGN,TIME AND SETTING:A randomized controlled trial was finished at the Mechanical Expedmental Center of Jilin University from December 20th to 30th in 2008.MATERIALS:A total of 20 male SD rats of 6 months old were divided into a normal control group and a model group,with 10ones in each group.METHOOS:Rats in the model group were copied into OA models.after which test on tensile was performed to each of the ten rats in the two groups at the speed of 5mm/min on Universal Testing Machine,Shimadzu.Data obtained from the test were processed in polynomial though least square method.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Tensile maximum load.maximum displacement,maximum stress,maximum strain and stress-strain curves.RESULTS:The tensile maximum load,maximum stress,maximum displacement and maximum strain in the normal control group and the model group were(12.754±2.795)N,(27.681±5.832)MPa,(2.754±0.707)mm,(11.679±2.373)%and (7.183±1.817)N,(16.162±3.403)MPa,(1.827±0.768)mm,(8.019±2.811)% respectively,from which we could see that each index in the normal control group was greater than that in the model group obviously (P＜0.05).CONCLUSION:The tensile maximum load,maximum stress,maximum displacement and maximum strain all decreased after OA,which indicates that osteoarthritis has certain effects on tensile mechanical properties of LCLs of knee joints as well as stress relaxation.

The influenza A (H1N1) broke out in Mexico and the USA in March 2009, which soon spread over the world in coming months. This paper comprehensively analyzed the work of prevention and treatment to Influenza A (H1N1) by using traditional Chinese medicine in recent years, and briefly introduced the research of Influenza A (H1N1), specially summarized the possibility of using theory of TCM for predicting epidemic disease and the relationship between traditional Chinese medicine and influenza A (H1N1). Meanwhile some suggestions are made on the future work of prevention and treatment to Influenza A (H1N1) by using traditional Chinese medicine.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype ; drug effects ; physiology ; Influenza, Human ; drug therapy ; prevention & control ; virology ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

OBJECTIVEThe super-high-molecular-weight poly-DL-lactic acid (PDLLA), with the molecular weight of 900 kD, is a newly emerging biomaterial and potentially used in the therapy of bone fracture because of its excellent mechanical property. However the biocompatibility of this material has not been reported so far, therefore this experiment was designed to examine whether the super-high-molecular-weight PDLLA was harmful to creatures, when it was implanted in the body of animals for a long period.

METHODSThe material was prepared in small cuboids, with the size of 1.0 mm x 1.5 mm x 2.0 mm, and these blocks were implanted into the masseteric space of SD rats and, the activity of the SD-rats was monitored continuously. The animals were sacrificed in the 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th months after the operation and, the specimens were taken out from the animals. The examination included anatomical, pathological and haematological methods. The data were analyzed with SPSS 8.0.

RESULTSThe wound healed well after the operation. Super-high-molecular-weight PDLLA degraded 6 months after the implantation. In the 3rd month after the operation, a thin fiber membrane around the materials was formed. In the 6th month, the membrane was much thinner than that in the 3rd month and completely disappeared in the 9th month. The pathological examination showed that slightly inflammatory reaction appeared in the tissue around these blocks in the 3rd month, but the inflammatory reactions were gradually remitted in the following 6th, 9th and 12th months. Further, the haematological examination did not show any abnormity during the 12-month observation period.

CONCLUSIONThe super-high-molecular-weight PDLLA can be degrade when it is implanted into the body of creatures, which proves its good biocompatibility.

Animals ; Biocompatible Materials ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Biodegradation, Environmental ; Bone Substitutes ; Implants, Experimental ; Lactic Acid ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Male ; Mandible ; metabolism ; surgery ; Molecular Weight ; Polyesters ; Polymers ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the biocompatibility of the super high molecular weight poly D,L-lactic acid (SHMW-PDLLA) implant.

METHODSThe SHMW-PDLLA plates were implanted into the SD-rats between the masseter and ramus of the mandible. The blood specimens were gained at 3, 6, 9, 12 months after the operation. The proteins, electrolyte, enzyme and other indices were tested by use of Beckman automatic biochemical analysis device. The soft tissue specimens around the SHMW-PDLLA plates were gained at 3, 6, 9, 12 months after the operation and the tissue reaction was observed with the pathological and haematological methods.

RESULTSThere were not any abnormal findings in the blood after the SHMW-PDLLA plates implanted in the body of SD-rats. The implanted SHMW-PDLLA plates were degraded gradually in 6 to 12 months after the operation. There was not any abnormal tissue reaction found to the soft tissue around the SHMW-PDLLA plates by histological and pathological observations.

CONCLUSIONSThe SHMW-PDLLA implant has a good biocompatibility to SD-rats.

Animals ; Biocompatible Materials ; chemistry ; Bone Plates ; Lactic Acid ; chemistry ; Mandible ; Molecular Weight ; Prostheses and Implants

The aim of this study was to develop a bioactive membrane for inducing bone regeneration. The membrane was composed of polylactic acid, collagen, recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2). The PLA + collagen + rhBMP-2 membrane was fabricated by solvent-casting and cool-drying. The mechanic properties of this compound membrane were tested. The two surfaces of membrane were observed by SEM. Degradability of PLA was evaluated by SEM observation and molecular weight measure in vitro and in vivo. The compound membranes were implanted in rabbit muscles. The samples were obtained when animals were sacrificed at different periods: 2 weeks, 1, 2, 3, 6 months after surgery. The biodegradability and biocompatibility of the membrane were evaluated. The heterotopic bone inducing activity of BMP was identified. The results indicated that the strength at extension to failure of the compound membrane was 36.4MPa at 2.3% strain. The compound membrane was found bearing active factor on its coarse side, which can induce bone regeneration. After implantation in vivo, the membrane maintained the structure for three months and degraded in 6 months. Based on histological analysis, there was no obvious inflammation. Heterotopic bone was induced. We could conclude that the PLA + collagen + rhBMP-2 membrane is an absorbable compound membrane that possesses good biocompatibility, adequate mechanic properties and excellent property of bone induction. It could be applied as an ideal membrane for inducing bone regeneration.
Animals ; Biocompatible Materials ; Biodegradation, Environmental ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 ; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Bone Regeneration ; drug effects ; Collagen ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Guided Tissue Regeneration ; Lactic Acid ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Male ; Membranes, Artificial ; Polyesters ; Polymers ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Rabbits ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology

Dirofilaria immitis (heartworm) infections affect domestic dogs, cats, and various wild mammals with increasing incidence in temperate and tropical areas. More sensitive antibody detection methodologies are required to diagnose asymptomatic dirofilariasis with low worm burdens. Applying current transcriptomic technologies would be useful to discover potential diagnostic markers for D. immitis infection. A filarial homologue of the mammalian translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) was initially identified by screening the assembled transcriptome of D. immitis (DiTCTP). A BLAST analysis suggested that the DiTCTP gene shared the highest similarity with TCTP from Loa loa at protein level (97%). A histidine-tagged recombinant DiTCTP protein (rDiTCTP) of 40 kDa expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) showed immunoreactivity with serum from a dog experimentally infected with heartworms. Localization studies illustrated the ubiquitous presence of rDiTCTP protein in the lateral hypodermal chords, dorsal hypodermal chord, muscle, intestine, and uterus in female adult worms. Further studies on D. immitis-derived TCTP are warranted to assess whether this filarial protein could be used for a diagnostic purpose.
Animal Structures/chemistry ; Animals ; Antibodies, Helminth/blood ; Antigens, Helminth/chemistry/*genetics/immunology/*isolation & purification ; Cloning, Molecular ; Dirofilaria immitis/chemistry/*genetics/immunology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Dogs ; Escherichia coli/genetics ; Gene Expression ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Molecular Weight ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins/chemistry/genetics/immunology/isolation & purification ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Tumor Markers, Biological/chemistry/*genetics/immunology/*isolation & purification