STUDY DESIGN: Historical controlled trial. PURPOSE: To clarify the usefulness of cryotherapy after spine surgery. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Cryotherapy has generally been performed subsequent to surgery on joints and in this application its clinical effects are well understood. However, cryotherapy has yet to be used following spine surgery. Its clinical efficacy in this context is unknown. METHODS: Thirty six patients had undergone one level microendoscopic surgery. Sixteen were enrolled into the cooling group, with the remaining 20 making up the no postoperative cryotherapy control group. Cryotherapy was performed at 5degrees C using an icing system. A silicone balloon catheter with a thermo sensor on the tip was placed in the surgical wound. The temperature in the wound was recorded every 30 minutes until the next morning. The relationship between the depth of the sensor and the temperature in the wound were investigated using simple linear regression analysis. Laboratory data, visual analogue scale (VAS) for wound pain and postoperative bleeding were investigated. RESULTS: The mean temperature in the surgical wound was 37.0 in the control group and 35.0degrees C in the cooling group (p<0.001). There was a positive correlation between the depth of the thermo sensor and the temperature in the wound in the cooling group (y=0.91x+30.2, r=0.67, p=0.004). There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of laboratory data, VAS or postoperative bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: The temperature in the wound was decreased significantly by spinal surgery cryotherapy.
Catheters ; Cryotherapy* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Joints ; Linear Models ; Silicones ; Spine* ; Wounds and Injuries

BACKGROUND: Melanin is detectable in various sense organs including the skin in animals. It has been reported that melanin adsorbs toxic elements such as mercury, cadmium, and lead. In this study, we investigated the adsorption of molybdenum, which is widely recognized as a toxic element, by melanin. METHODS: Molybdenum level of the mouse skin was measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The pigmentation level of murine skin was digitalized as the L* value by using a reflectance spectrophotometer. An in vitro adsorption assay was performed to confirm the interaction between molybdenum and melanin. RESULTS: Our analysis of hairless mice with different levels of skin pigmentation showed that the level of molybdenum increased with an increase in the level of skin pigmentation (L* value). Moreover, our analysis by Spearman's correlation coefficient test showed a strong correlation (r = - 0.9441, p < 0.0001) between L* value and molybdenum level. Our cell-free experiment using the Langmuir isotherm provided evidence for the adsorption of molybdenum by melanin. The maximum adsorption capacity of 1 mg of synthetic melanin for molybdenum was 131 μg in theory. CONCLUSION Our in vivo and in vitro results showed a new aspect of melanin as an adsorbent of molybdenum.
Adsorption ; Animals ; Melanins ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Hairless ; Mice, Transgenic ; Molybdenum ; chemistry ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Skin ; chemistry ; drug effects ; Skin Pigmentation ; drug effects ; Water Pollutants, Chemical ; chemistry ; metabolism ; pharmacology

Well water could be a stable source of drinking water. Recently, the use of well water as drinking water has been encouraged in developing countries. However, many kinds of disorders caused by toxic elements in well drinking water have been reported. It is our urgent task to resolve the global issue of element-originating diseases. In this review article, our multidisciplinary approaches focusing on oncogenic toxicities and disturbances of sensory organs (skin and ear) induced by arsenic and barium are introduced. First, our environmental monitoring in developing countries in Asia showed elevated concentrations of arsenic and barium in well drinking water. Then our experimental studies in mice and our epidemiological studies in humans showed arsenic-mediated increased risks of hyperpigmented skin and hearing loss with partial elucidation of their mechanisms. Our experimental studies using cultured cells with focus on the expression and activity levels of intracellular signal transduction molecules such as c-SRC, c-RET, and oncogenic RET showed risks for malignant transformation and/or progression arose from arsenic and barium. Finally, our original hydrotalcite-like compound was proposed as a novel remediation system to effectively remove arsenic and barium from well drinking water. Hopefully, comprehensive studies consisting of (1) environmental monitoring, (2) health risk assessments, and (3) remediation will be expanded in the field of environmental health to prevent various disorders caused by environmental factors including toxic elements in drinking water.
Animals ; Arsenic ; toxicity ; Barium ; toxicity ; Drinking Water ; analysis ; Environmental Exposure ; Environmental Health ; Environmental Monitoring ; Humans ; Mice ; Water Pollutants, Chemical ; toxicity ; Water Wells