BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis, known as "a quiet epidemic disease", is an "invisible killer" that impairs the health of the elderly. Fracture as the most dangerous complication of osteoporosis is not only a medical problem, but also a serious social problem. OBJECTIVE: To summarize the selection, establishment methods, characters and evaluation of the animal model of osteoporosis. METHODS: A computed-based search of CBM, WanFang, VIP, CNKI and PubMed databases was conducted for the relevant articles published from January 1986 to December 2016 using the keywords of "osteoporosis, animal models" in English and Chinese, respectively. Finally 39 articles were included for result analysis after reading the title and abstract. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Animal experiments play an important role in the studies of osteoporosis, so a desirable animal model should hold similarity, reliability, repeatability, applicability, controllability, efficacy and economy. Osteoporosis is a progressive and long-lasting disease that has different characteristics at different stages. But an animal model only simulates one etiology, one stage, major symptoms and pathophysiological changes, and cannot exhibit the whole pathological changes. The current study suggests that animal species and modeling methods can affect the characters of models, and there is a lack of standards for animal age, feeding methods, modeling time and assessment.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of perindopril and spirolactone on plasma aldosterone (Ald) and left atrial remodeling and function in a canine model of atrial fibrillation (AF).

METHODSAdult dogs were randomly assigned to receive normal diet (group A), perindopril (group B, 1 mgxkg(-1)xd(-1)) and spironolactone (group C, 10 mgxkg(-1)xd(-1), n = 6 each) and rapid paced (500 beats/min) for 8 weeks. Plasma Ald levels as well as atrial dimension and function at baseline and at 4 and 8 weeks after pacing were measured by RIA and echocardiography, respectively. Incidence of maintained AF and AF duration were recorded when pacing was stopped after 8 weeks of pacing. Left and right atrial tissues were collected for measurements of tissue Ald levels and fibrosis.

RESULTSPlasma Ald was similar among groups at baseline (P > 0.05) and significantly increased post 4 and 8 weeks pacing in group A (P < 0.05) while remained unchanged post pacing in group B and C (P > 0.05) compared to respective baseline level. Atrial Ald was significantly lower in group B and C compared that in group A post 8 weeks pacing (P < 0.05). Left atrial dimension, end-systolic and end-diastolic volume were significantly increased while left atrial ejection fraction (LAEF) was significantly reduced post pacing in group A (all P < 0.05 vs. baseline) and thses changes were significantly attenuated in group B and C (P < 0.05 vs. group A). Incidence of maintained AF and AF duration post pacing as well as interstitial collagen volume fraction were significantly lower in group B and C compared those in group A (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONIncreased Ald might be an important pathogenesis for AF formation and progression, spironolactone and perindopril could attenuate atrial remodeling and improve atrial function by reducing plasma and tissue Ald levels in this model.

Aldosterone ; metabolism ; Animals ; Atrial Fibrillation ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Atrial Function ; Disease Models, Animal ; Dogs ; Male ; Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists ; pharmacology ; Perindopril ; pharmacology ; Spironolactone ; pharmacology

Objective Double-endobutton technique , as a widely accepted strategy for the treatment of acromioclavicular joint dislocation ( ACD ) , is undergoing constant improvement .This study was to assess the clinical effect of a modified closed-loop double-endobutton technique ( CDT) in the fixation of Rockwood type Ⅲ ACD . Methods This retrospective study included 60 cases of Rockwood type Ⅲ ACD treated between January 2010 and December 2015, 30 by modified CDT (MCDT) and the other 30 by conventional CDT (CCDT).We recorded and compared the operation time, incision length , intraoperative blood loss , pre-and post-opera-tive scores in the Constant-Murley Scale ( CMS ) , UCLA Shoulder Rating Scale ( SRS) , American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Rating Scale ( ARS) and Oxford Shoulder Score ( OSS), and the vertical distance from the supraclavian to subcoracoid plane ( CC-Dist ) be-tween the two groups of patients . Results Compared with the CCDT group, the MCDT group showed a significantly shorter operation time ([78.33±11.47] vs [52.33±8.48] min, P<0.05) and less intraoperative blood loss ([103.00±7.38] vs [79.17±9.75] mL, P<0.05).In comparison with the baseline, the patients of MCDT group achieved markedly improved scores at 12 months after surgery in CMS (46.60±2.09 vs 97.67±0.88, P<0.05), SRS (14.70±1.24 vs 32.17±1.21, P<0.05), ARS (44.23±2.40 vs 91.83±1.62, P<0.05), OSS (45.07±3.10 vs 15.80±1.81, P<0.05), and CC-Dist ([16.76±0.88] vs [7.57±0.73] mm, P<0.05). Conclusion MCDT, with the advantages of easier , tighter, and fas-ter reduction and fixation , is obviously superior to CCDT in the treatment of Rockwood type Ⅲ ACD .

CTN-1 is one of the rabies vaccine strains for human use in China, but there has been no report on the full-length gene sequence of CTN-1. In this study, the full-length gene of CTN-1 was amplified by RT-PCR, each PCR product was cloned into T vector and then sequenced, assemblied and compared with other vaccine strains as well as the wild Chinese rabies isolates. The phylogenetic tree of G gene was constructed and the genetic homology was analyzed. The results revealed that CTN-1 was 11 925nt (GenBank accession number: FJ959397)in length and belonged to the genotype I. The full-length nucleotide homologies among CTN-1 and other rabies virus strains were between 81.5%-93.4%, of which the lowest 81.5% was between CTN-1 strain and bat isolate SHBRV, and the highest 93.4% was between CTN-1 and Chinese isolate HN10. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the majority of Chinese isolates could be grouped into the same clade with the CTN-1 strain, but aG and some vaccine strains from abroad such as Flury, PM, PV, ERA, RC-HL and a few Chinese strains were grouped in another clade. Comparsion of the G protein genes also showed that the homologies among CTN-1 and most of the Chinese isolates were higher than that of the other vaccine strains to those Chinese strains. Therefore, it suggests that the CTN-1 strain is more suitable and rational to be used for the production of rabies inactivated vaccine in China than the others.
Genome, Viral ; genetics ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Rabies ; prevention & control ; virology ; Rabies virus ; classification ; genetics ; immunology ; Sequence Alignment ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid ; Viral Vaccines ; genetics

To sequence and analyze the full-length gene sequence of rabies vaccine virus aG strain. The full-length gene sequence of aG strain was amplified by RT-PCR by 8 fragments,each PCR product was cloned into vector pGEM-T respectively, sequenced and assemblied; The 5' leader sequence was sequenced with method of 5' RACE. The homology between aG and other rabies vaccine virus was analyzed by using DNAstar and Mega4. 0 software. aG strain was 11 925nt(GenBank accession number: JN234411) in length and belonged to the genotype I . The Bioinformatics revealed that the homology showed disparation form different rabies vaccine virus. the full-length gene sequence of rabies vaccine virus aG strain provided a support for perfecting the standard for quality control of virus strains for production of rabies vaccine for human use in China.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Antigens, Viral ; genetics ; immunology ; Base Sequence ; China ; Genome, Viral ; genetics ; Genotype ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Rabies ; immunology ; prevention & control ; virology ; Rabies Vaccines ; immunology ; Rabies virus ; genetics ; immunology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid ; Species Specificity

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of liver transplantation for patients with cholangiocarcinoma.

METHODSAccording to the requirements of Cochrane systematic review, a thorough literature search was performed in Pubmed/Medline, Embase and Cochrane Central Register electronic databases ranged between 1995 and 2009 in terms of the key words "liver transplantation", and "cholangiocarcinoma" or "cholangiocellular carcinoma" or "bile duct cancer". And restricted the articles published in the English language. Two reviewers independently screened the studies for eligibility, evaluated the quality and extracted the data from the eligible studies with confirmation by cross-checking. Data were processed for a meta-analysis by Stata 10 software with 1-, 3-, 5-year survival rates and incidence of complications.

RESULTSA total of 14 clinical trials containing 605 patients were finally enrolled in this study. The overall 1-, 3-, 5-year pooled survival rates were 73% (95%CI: 0.65 - 0.80), 42% (95%CI: 0.33 - 0.51) and 39% (95%CI: 0.28 - 0.51), respectively. Of note, preoperative adjuvant therapies (OLT-PAT group) rendered the transplanted individuals comparably favorable outcomes with 1-, 3-, 5-year pooled survival rates of 83% (95%CI: 0.57 - 0.98), 57% (95%CI: 0.18 - 0.92) and 65% (95%CI: 0.40 - 0.87), respectively. In addition, the overall pooled incidence of complications was 62% (95%CI: 0.44 - 0.78), among which that of OLT-PAT group (58%, 95%CI: 0.20 - 0.92) was relatively acceptable compared to those of liver transplantation alone (61%, 95%CI: 0.33 - 0.85) and liver transplantation with extended bile duct resection (78%, 95%CI: 0.55 - 0.94).

CONCLUSIONSIn comparison to curative resection of cholangiocarcinoma with the 5-year survival rate reported from 20% to 40%, the role of liver transplantation alone is so limited, but neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy combined with liver transplantation can bring better short- and long-term prognosis.

Bile Duct Neoplasms ; surgery ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; surgery ; Clinical Trials as Topic ; Humans ; Liver Transplantation ; Treatment Outcome

Neuroligins (NLs) are postsynaptic cell-adhesion proteins that play important roles in synapse formation and the excitatory-inhibitory balance. They have been associated with autism in both human genetic and animal model studies, and affect synaptic connections and synaptic plasticity in several brain regions. Yet current research mainly focuses on pyramidal neurons, while the function of NLs in interneurons remains to be understood. To explore the functional difference among NLs in the subtype-specific synapse formation of both pyramidal neurons and interneurons, we performed viral-mediated shRNA knockdown of NLs in cultured rat cortical neurons and examined the synapses in the two major types of neurons. Our results showed that in both types of neurons, NL1 and NL3 were involved in excitatory synapse formation, and NL2 in GABAergic synapse formation. Interestingly, NL1 affected GABAergic synapse formation more specifically than NL3, and NL2 affected excitatory synapse density preferentially in pyramidal neurons. In summary, our results demonstrated that different NLs play distinct roles in regulating the development and balance of excitatory and inhibitory synapses in pyramidal neurons and interneurons.
Animals ; Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal ; physiology ; Cells, Cultured ; Cerebral Cortex ; embryology ; physiology ; GABAergic Neurons ; physiology ; Interneurons ; physiology ; Membrane Proteins ; physiology ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; physiology ; Protein Isoforms ; physiology ; Pyramidal Cells ; physiology ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Synapses ; physiology

Objective: This cross-sectional investigation aimed to determine the incidence, clinical characteristics, prognosis, and related risk factors of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain in mainland China. Methods: Data of patients with SARS-CoV-2 from December 28, 2022, to February 21, 2023, were collected through online and offline questionnaires from 45 tertiary hospitals and one center for disease control and prevention in mainland China. The questionnaire included demographic information, previous health history, smoking and alcohol drinking, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, olfactory and gustatory function before and after infection, other symptoms after infection, as well as the duration and improvement of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. The self-reported olfactory and gustatory functions of patients were evaluated using the Olfactory VAS scale and Gustatory VAS scale. Results: A total of 35 566 valid questionnaires were obtained, revealing a high incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain (67.75%). Females(χ2=367.013, P<0.001) and young people(χ2=120.210, P<0.001) were more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Gender(OR=1.564, 95%CI: 1.487-1.645), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), oral health status (OR=0.881, 95%CI: 0.839-0.926), smoking history (OR=1.152, 95%CI=1.080-1.229), and drinking history (OR=0.854, 95%CI: 0.785-0.928) were correlated with the occurrence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2(above P<0.001). 44.62% (4 391/9 840) of the patients who had not recovered their sense of smell and taste also suffered from nasal congestion, runny nose, and 32.62% (3 210/9 840) suffered from dry mouth and sore throat. The improvement of olfactory and taste functions was correlated with the persistence of accompanying symptoms(χ2=10.873, P=0.001). The average score of olfactory and taste VAS scale was 8.41 and 8.51 respectively before SARS-CoV-2 infection, but decreased to3.69 and 4.29 respectively after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and recovered to 5.83and 6.55 respectively at the time of the survey. The median duration of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions was 15 days and 12 days, respectively, with 0.5% (121/24 096) of patients experiencing these dysfunctions for more than 28 days. The overall self-reported improvement rate of smell and taste dysfunctions was 59.16% (14 256/24 096). Gender(OR=0.893, 95%CI: 0.839-0.951), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), history of head and facial trauma(OR=1.180, 95%CI: 1.036-1.344, P=0.013), nose (OR=1.104, 95%CI: 1.042-1.171, P=0.001) and oral (OR=1.162, 95%CI: 1.096-1.233) health status, smoking history(OR=0.765, 95%CI: 0.709-0.825), and the persistence of accompanying symptoms (OR=0.359, 95%CI: 0.332-0.388) were correlated with the recovery of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2 (above P<0.001 except for the indicated values). Conclusion: The incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain is high in mainland China, with females and young people more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Active and effective intervention measures may be required for cases that persist for a long time. The recovery of olfactory and taste functions is influenced by several factors, including gender, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status, history of head and facial trauma, nasal and oral health status, smoking history, and persistence of accompanying symptoms.
Female ; Humans ; Adolescent ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Smell ; COVID-19/complications* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; COVID-19 Vaccines ; Incidence ; Olfaction Disorders/etiology* ; Taste Disorders/etiology* ; Prognosis