OBJECTIVETo study the adaptive alterations of elastic fibers in the bilaminar zone (BZ) of rabbit temporomandibular joint (TMJ) following disc displacement.

METHODSTwenty-eight Japanese white rabbits were used in this study. The right temporomandibular joints of 20 of 28 rabbits were subjected to the surgical procedure of anterior disc displacement (ADD). Four rabbits in the surgical group were sacrificed at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 weeks after operation. Their temporomandibular joints were studied histochemically.

RESULTSElastic fibers were reduced in number and ran irregularly in the superior lamina of BZ from ADD rabbits. The jungly elastic fibers (EFs) could still be seen at 2 weeks after operation. At 4 weeks, the number of EFs decreased significantly; EFs lost their jungly arrangement and were shaped like rough dots, of which the arrangement and the lengths were different. Six weeks after operation, many EFs were replaced by distorted, uneven, non-oriented fine EFs, distributed unevenly and some thick or fine EFs that ran irregularly. The number of EFs decreased further and their arrangement was more deranged at 8 weeks. At 10 and 12 weeks, EFs in the superior lamina of BZ were similar to those at 8 weeks.

CONCLUSIONOur results show that EFs lost their function as well as their distribution and arrangement after disc displacement.

Adaptation, Physiological ; Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; Elastic Tissue ; pathology ; Extracellular Matrix ; pathology ; Joint Dislocations ; pathology ; Rabbits ; Temporomandibular Joint Disc ; pathology ; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the value of en-bloc mesogastric excision (EME) in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer.

METHODSA retrospective analysis on clinical data of 98 gastric cancer patients who underwent total gastrectomy in China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University from January 2013 to December 2015 was carried out, including EME group of 48 cases (according to the mesangial space) and D2 radical group of 50 cases(D2 lymphadenectomy according to the vascular markers). Operations were performed by the same single surgeon team. Surgical indexes and recent efficacy indexes were compared between two groups.

RESULTSGeneral informations pertaining to two groups were comparable (P>0.05). All the operations were performed successfully. Compared with D2 radical group, EME group had a shorter operative time [(155.3±13.6) vs. (171.2±14.9) minutes, P=0.012] and less intraoperative blood loss [(95.1±19.5) vs.(122.6±28.0) milliliters, P=0.011]. There were no significant differences in the number of harvested lymph node (30.8±3.9 vs. 31.5±4.7, P=0.675), time to postoperative bowel function return [(3.2±1.2) vs.(3.9±1.4) days, P=0.179], postoperative hospital stay [(10.9±2.7) vs.(11.3±3.2) days, P=0.788], and the incidence of postoperative complication [8.3% vs. 10.0%, P=0.775]. During the follow-up of 1 year, all the patients had no long-term complications, no tumor recurrence or death.

CONCLUSIONSFor advanced gastric cancer, EME result in the same clinical efficacy compared with standard D2 resection. At the same time, EME can shorten the operative time and reduce the intraoperative blood loss, which is a new technology and worthy promoting.

Aged ; Blood Loss, Surgical ; Defecation ; Female ; Gastrectomy ; methods ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Length of Stay ; Lymph Node Excision ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Operative Time ; Postoperative Complications ; Postoperative Period ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo examine the expression of proteoglycan 4 (PRG-4) induced by hydrostatic pressure in rat temporomandibular synovial fibroblasts and investigate the possible mechanism.

METHODSThe cultured rat temporomandibular synovial fibroblasts were subjected to 100 kPa magnitude intermittent hydrostatic pressure (IHP) at frequency of 4 h/day, and the static group served as control. The expressions of Smad pathway proteins and p38MAPK pathway proteins were analyzed by Western blot and immunofluorescence staining. Then the cells were incubated with SB431542, the inhibitor of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β receptor. Western blot and reverse transcription PCR were used to detect the PRG-4 expression after 72 h.

RESULTSThe expression of phosphorylated Smad-2 and phosphorylated Smad-3 were increased after 1 h of IHP, reaching a maximum after 2 h and 4 h of IHP, respectively.However, the protein content of phosphorylated p38 did not vary significantly. In addition, IHP induced nuclear translocation of Smad-2/-3, and the immunofluorescence staining signal intensity markedly increased (24.11 ± 4.70)(P < 0.05). The levels of PRG-4 mRNA were significantly increased by IHP (1.48 ± 0.08)(P < 0.05). Treatment of cells with SB431542 could decrease the expression of PRG-4 mRNA significantly after IHP (0.47 ± 0.05)(P < 0.05). In addition, SB431542 inhibited the expression of PRG-4 protein induced by IHP.

CONCLUSIONSSmad signal acts as an essential signal pathway to regulate PRG-4 expression induced by IHP.

Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Fibroblasts ; Hydrostatic Pressure ; Phosphorylation ; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases ; Proteoglycans ; biosynthesis ; RNA, Messenger ; Rats ; Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta ; Signal Transduction ; Smad Proteins ; physiology ; Synovial Fluid ; metabolism ; Temporomandibular Joint ; metabolism ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases