OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical effects of PLIF surgery for elderly patients with lumbar degenerative disease.

METHODSFrom March 2010 to May 2013, 28 patients with lumbar degenerative disease, aged more than 80 years were treated with PLIF surgery. There were 10 males and 18 females, aged from 80 to 93 years old with an average of (85.44±3.66) years. Course of disease was from 3 to 20 years. The operation time, intra-operative blood loss, operation complications were recorded and JOA scores and Macnab criteria were used to evaluate the clinical outcomes.

RESULTSAll patients were followed up from 12 to 40 months with an average of 26.5 months. The average operation time was (150.00±26.42) min and the average intra-operative blood loss was (373.33±99.88) ml. The pre-operative JOA score was 12.30±2.43, and the corresponding postoperative JOA score at the final follow-up was 24.81±2.09 which was much higher than the preoperative one (P<0.01). According to the modified Macnab criteria to evaluate at the final follow-up, 16 patients got an excellent result, 10 good, 2 fair. In the weeks postoperatively, injuries of nerve root happened in 3 cases, superficial wound infection with delayed healing in 3 cases, and tear of the dural sac accompanied with cerebrospinal fluid leakage in 1 case. After long term follow-up, adjacent segment degeneration and the corresponding spinal canal stenosis occurred in 1 case at 34 months after operation. All cases got successful fusion without any displacement of internal fixation and pseudoarthrosis formation.

CONCLUSIONWith proper cases, fully preoperative preparation, perfect intra-operative manipulation and active treatment after operation, even advanced ages older than 80 years with lumbar degenerative disease could get satisfactory outcomes after PLIF surgery.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Male ; Operative Time ; Spinal Diseases ; surgery ; Spinal Fusion ; methods

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) inhibition causes hyperacetylation of histones leading to growth arrest, differentiation and apoptosis of tumor cells, representing a new strategy in cancer therapy. Many of previously reported HDACs inhibitors are hydroxamic acid derivatives, which could chelate the zinc ion in the active site in a bidentate fashion. However, hydroxamic acids occasionally have produced problems such as poor pharmacokinetics, severe toxicity and low selectivity. Herein we describe the identification of a new series of non-hydroxamate HDACs inhibitors bearing diketo ester moieties as zinc binding group. HDACs inhibition assay and antiproliferation assays in vitro against multiple cancer cell lines were used for evaluation. These compounds displayed low antiproliferative activity against solid tumor cells, while good antiproliferative activity against human leukemic monocyte lymphoma cell line U937. Compound CPUYS707 is the best with GI50 value of 0.31 micromol x L(-1) against U937 cells, which is more potent than SAHA and MS-275. HDACs inhibition activity of these compounds is lower than that expected, further evaluation is needed.
Antineoplastic Agents ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Benzamides ; pharmacology ; Biphenyl Compounds ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Drug Design ; Esters ; chemistry ; Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Histone Deacetylases ; metabolism ; Humans ; Hydroxamic Acids ; pharmacology ; Molecular Structure ; Pyridines ; pharmacology ; U937 Cells ; drug effects ; Zinc ; chemistry

Objective To design a device for the patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), who are disable to speak and move, to call for the nurses independently when necessary. Methods The electroencephalographic signals were collected and processed with TGAM, and the extracted attention characteristic values were transmitted to a computer with Bluetooth. The loudspeaker would call the nurses when the attention characteristic value exceeds the normal range. Results In the testing process of 20 participants in 10 tests, the success rate was 81.5%, and the average misjudged frequence was 0.2 within 20 min. Conclusion The device can be used in the nursing of the patients with ALS to meet the needs of daily nursing work.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the functions of promoter hypermethylation of secreted frizzled-related protein (sFRP) genes in colorectal tumorigenesis and progression.

METHODSThree colorectal cancer cell lines, RKO, HCTll6 and SW480, were treated hy 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine and trichostatin A for demethylation. The promoter hypermethylation and expression of sFRP genes in colorectal tumor tissue and colorectal cancer cell lines were detected hy methylation-specific PCR and reverse transcription PCR, respectively.

RESULTSNone of the normal colorectal mucosa tissues showed methylation of sFRP genes. sFRP1, 2, 4 and 5 were frequently methylated in colorectal adenocarcinoma, adenoma and aberrant crypt foci (ACF) (sFRP1 > 85%, sFRP2 > 75%, sFRP5 > 50%), the differences between any two of them were not significant (P >0.05). Methylation was more frequent in colorectal tumors than in normal mucosa and adjacent normal mucosa from patients with tumor. Hypermethylation of sFRP genes was present in three colorectal cancer cell lines. When sFRP genes were methylated, their corresponding mRNA expression was absent. After cells were treated by DAC/TSA combination, the silenced sFRP expression could be effectively re-expressed.

CONCLUSIONHypermethylation of sFRP genes is a common early event in the evolution of colorectal tumors that occurs frequently in ACF. Methylation of sFRP1, 2 and 5 genes might serve as biomarkers for the early detection of colorectal tumors. Demethylation can effectively reverse gene expression that appears possibly to be an effective way for tumor therapy.

Adenocarcinoma ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Adenoma ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Adult ; Aged ; Azacitidine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; Colonic Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; DNA Methylation ; DNA Modification Methylases ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Eye Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Gene Silencing ; HCT116 Cells ; Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Hydroxamic Acids ; pharmacology ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Membrane Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism

OBJECTIVESTo examine the activities of transcription factors (TFs) in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines with different metastatic potentials, so as to identify the TFs associated with HCC metastasis.

METHODSTranscription factor activity profile of Hep3B, MHCC97L and MHCC97H, three HCC cell lines with different metastatic potentials, were examined using protein/DNA array. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) and Western blot were used to confirm the results obtained by protein/DNA array.

RESULTSFrom a total of 345 screened TFs, 7 activity differential TFs were found, of which 5 showed increased activity, including p53, hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1alpha), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) and Sp1, and 2 showed decreased activity including Rb and Smad3.

CONCLUSIONThe abnormal functioning of transcription factors is closely associated with HCC metastasis. Our present findings could be of help in expanding our understanding of the mechanism of HCC metastasis and identify new predictive biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; DNA Fingerprinting ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Protein Array Analysis ; Transcription Factors ; classification ; genetics ; metabolism

Humans ; Leukocytosis ; complications ; Lymphatic Diseases ; complications ; Male ; Middle Aged

Objective To explore the predictors on the abundance of Rattus (R.) tanezumi in households of commensal rodent plague foci.Methods Thirty natural villages that experienced previous plague cases in Lianghe county,Yunnan province,were selected followed by random selection of 20 households in each village through computer technique.Live traps were set in households to capture small mammals which were then identified to species in the field according to their morphological features.Data on potential factors for abundance of R.tanezumi were collected through questionnaires and field observation and were coded and computerized using EpiData software and further analyzed by hurdle regression model under R software.Results A total of 166 rodents (133 R.tanezumi and 33 Suucus murinus) were captured.Results from final multilevel hurdle regression model showed that the likelihood of R.tanezumi captures increased by 1.67-to 2.76-fold in households belonged to Dai ethnic families that stored foodstuff in metal pails,often raising dogs,and having adjacent houses.The number of R.tanezumi captures increased by 2.18-fold in the villages where over 80％ of the households would raise chickens.In the villages with communal latrine,the likelihood and the number of R.tanezumi capture increased 1.93-fold and 2.38-fold,respectively.While the likelihood of R.tanezumi captures would reduce by 45％-61％ in those households where there were cats and cattle being raised and maize grown in the village.The number of R.tanezumi captures would reduce by 63％ in the households where there were outside toilets.Conclusion The abundance of R.tanczumi seemed to be closely related to the ecological environment factors.Programs on plague control and prevention should relate to ecological factors that influencing the abundance of R.tanezumi.

Ongoing effort to find novel antiasthmatic drugs led to the design and synthesis of a series of compounds bearing phenyl tetrazole group based on the SAR study. The important intermediate 3-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl) benzenamine was synthesized from m-nitroaniline via cyclization and hydrogenation. Followed by amidation, eight new target compounds were obtained. The structures of these compounds were confirmed with 1H NMR, ESI-MS and elemental analysis. Their non-specific and specific anti-histamine effects in the mast cell were determined. Compound NP03 could inhibit non-specific histamine release induced by compound 48/80 in mast cell of SD rats.
Animals ; Anti-Asthmatic Agents ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Histamine Release ; drug effects ; Mast Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Molecular Structure ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Structure-Activity Relationship ; Tetrazoles ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; p-Methoxy-N-methylphenethylamine ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo study a kind of surgical instrument for the treatment of ankle fractures in elderly patients.

METHODSFrom October 2007 to May 2009, 14 patients (9 males and 5 females,ranging in age from 58 to 81 years, averaged 69.3 years) with ankle joint fractures of type A and B were treated with modified 1/3 tubular plate combined with lag screws. According to the Danis-Weber classification, 6 patients were type A and 8 patients were type B. The AOFAS criteria was used to evaluate clinical effects.

RESULTSAll the patients were followed up ranged from 12 to 18 months and healed. The time of union of fractures ranged from 10 to 16 weeks. According to the clinical assess standard of AOFAS, the average score was 88.0 +/- 2.1.

CONCLUSIONIt is one of good choices to use modified 1/3 tubular plate and lag screws to treat ankle joint fractures in elder patients.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Ankle Injuries ; surgery ; Bone Plates ; Bone Screws ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; instrumentation ; Fractures, Bone ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Hepatolenticular Degeneration ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult