BACKGROUND: There are numerous inducers used in inducing bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) differentiate into neuron-like cells, however, due to poisonous, most chemical inducers can not be used in human.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of ligustrazine on differentiation of rat BMMSCs into neuron-like cells in vitro, and to search for the optimal inductive concentration.METHODS: After SD rats were anesthetized, bone marrow was obtained from the femoral and tibial bones, centrifuged, and the supernatant was discarded. The extracted cells were cultured in L-DMEM supplemented with 15% fetal bovine serum. The expression of CD44 and CD45 of the 5~(th) passage of BMMSCs were identified by immunocytochemical technique. Serum-free L-DMEM medium contains 1.00, 1.25 and 1.50 g/L ligustrazine concentrations were used to induce the 5~(th) passage of BMMSCs in vitro. Morphology changes of BMMSCs were observed under an inverted phase microscope. Expression of nestin, neuron-specific enolase and glial fibrillary acidic protein were identified by immunocytochemical technique, and the expression ratio of neuron-like cells' surface antigens induced by different concentrations of ligustrazine were compared.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: ①Most primarily cultured BMMSCs adhered to the wall at 3 days after culture, which proliferated faster after passaged, and the 5~(th) passage of cells were mostly purified into BMMSCs, spread radially or vortex-likely. ②The 5~(th) passage of BMMSCs was positive expressed (98.02±0.81)% CD44, but negative for CD45. ③Neuron-like cells with prominence and bifurcation could be seen after induction. The immunocytochemical method showed that nestin and neuron-specific enolase in most induced cells were positive expressed, especially received a highest ration of neuron-specific enolase expressing in the induced group with 1.25 g/L concentration of ligustrazine. It revealed that ligustrazine can induce BMMSCs differentiated into neuron-like cells, and 1.25 g/L is the optimal inductive concentration.

[ABSTRACT]OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationships between the characteristics of the upper airway anatomy, including the basis nasi, and the severity of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome(OSAHS). METHODSFifty OSAHS patients and 40 normal subjects received three-dimensional CT scan and poly somnography(PSG). Variables between the two groups were compared. The association between the PSG parameters and the upper airway anatomic features were analyzed. RESULTSThere were significant differences in several CT variables between OSAHS patients and normal subjects(P<0.05), including the minimal lateral airway dimension and the minimal cross-sectional airway area of both velopharynx and glossopharynx, the minimal anterior-posterior airway dimension of velopharynx, and the airway width of basis nasi. The result of logistic regression analysis suggested that the minimal cross-sectional airway area of velopharynx and the airway width of basis nasi were significant predictors of the OSAHS(P<0.05, the values of the odds ratio were 0.978 and 0.589). The correlation analysis suggested that the airway width and the airway area of basis nasi both correlated significantly with several CT variables of pharynx(P<0.05), among these results, the correlation coefficents between these two variables and the mCSA of velopharynx were 0.536 and 0.425 respectively. CONCLUSIONNarrowed basis nasi and velopharynx might be important anatomical features in OSAHS patients. There are correlations between the characteristics of basis nasi and the anatomy of pharyngeal airway.

Objective To evaluate the predictive value of the position of the hyoid in surgical outcomes of velopharyngeal surgery for obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).Methods The polysomnography,CT,and anthropometry data were retrospectively reviewed from patients who underwent revised uvulopalatopharyngoplasty with uvula preservation (H-UPPP) simply or the combination of H-UPPP and transpalatal advance pharyngoplasty (TAP) for OSAHS from July 2008 to December 2011.OSAHS was diagnosed by polysomnography(PSG) in 128 patients who underwent H-UPPP or H-UPPP with TAP surgery for their sleep disorder.After surgical treatment,the patients were evaluated by PSG.Results The 128 patients included were all male,the mean age of these patients was (39.6-± 8.5) years,ranged from 19 to 66 years.Seventy-seven patients were successfully treated and 51 did not respond to surgical treatment.The overall apnea hypopnea index (AHI)improved from (58.2-± 22.4)times/h preoperatively to (20.6 ± 18.1)times/h postoperatively (t =14.9,P ＜ 0.001).The vertical distance from inferior margin of hyoid to the inferior mandibular margin (D-HM) was the only parameter that had a significant difference between responders [(14.6 ± 7.7) mm] and non-responders [(19.4-± 8.0) mm] (t =3.452,P =0.001).D-HM,AHI and the lowest blood oxygen saturation were significant predictors of surgical outcomes (P ＜0.05).There was a significant correlation between the D-HM and the postoperative AHI (r =0.284,P =0.001).The D-HM of ≥ 23 mm could predict the postoperative AHI of ＞ 10 times/h a specificity of 95.2％.Conclusion The D-HM is a negative predictor of surgical outcomes,patients with a D-HM of ≥23 mm are inappropriate candidates for velopharryngeal surgery.