UNLABELLEDABSTRA CT OBJECTIVE To compare the complications and clinical outcome of titanium elastic nail (TEN) versus plate-screw fixation (PF) for the treatment of upper segment fractures of femoral shaft in children.

METHODSFrom May 2006 and August 2012,32 consecutive children with upper segment fractures of femoral shaft were studied prospectively. They were randomly divided into TEN group and PF group. Ninteen patients were treated with titanic elastic nail (TEN) fixation including 11 males and 8 females with an average age of (6.9?2.2) years old ranging from 3 to 11,11 cases of them were type A, 6 cases were type B,2 cases were type C according to AO classification. The other 13 patients were treated with plate-screw fixation (PF) including 9 males and 4 females with an average age of (7.5±2.1) years old ranging from 5 to 12 years, and 3 cases of them were type A,6 cases were type B,2 cases were type C. Operative time, blood loss,incision length,the time of hospitalization,fracture healing time, postoperative complications and function recovery between two groups were compared and evaluated.

RESULTSThe average follow-up period of the patients was 25.3 months (ranging from 15 to 48 months) in TEN group, and 36.2 months (ranging from 13 to 36 months) in the PF group. The operation time, time of hospitalization, the time of implants removed after the initial surgery, fracture healing time in TEN group were respectively (56.7±11.2) min, (6.6±3.9) d, (8.1±2.3) months, (12.6+3.8) weeks; and in PF group were respectively (51.5±8.3) min, (7.8±4.8) d, (7.8±1.6) months, (11.8±2.8) weeks, there was no significant difference between two groups (P>0.05). However, the length of incisions was (4.3±1.7) cm and the intraoperative blood loss was (12.7+3.2) ml in TEN group,which were significantly less than that in PF group respectively (89.2±21.1) ml and (11.6?2.3) cm (P<0.05). There was no statistically difference in postoperative in complication between two groups, but the patients in TEN group had a higher incidence of soft tissue irritation and misalignment. Outcome scores according to Sanders had no significant difference between two groups (P>0.05). In TEN group,the result was excellent in 13 cases, good in 3,fair in 2, and poor in 1, while in PF group excellent in 10, good in 2, fair in 1.

CONCLUSIONThere is no significant difference in therapeutic effects between TEN and PF for children with upper segment fractures of femoral shaft. The internal fixation should be selected according to the associated fracture type, weight, the expected value of the parents, scars, and so on.

Blood Loss, Surgical ; Bone Nails ; Bone Plates ; Bone Screws ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Femoral Fractures ; complications ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ; instrumentation ; Fracture Healing ; Hip ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Operative Time ; Postoperative Complications ; epidemiology ; Prospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To prove the advantages of telemetry by comparing with the traditional methods in safety pharmacology.Methods To monitor continuously the heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure and ECG of Beagle dogs by traditional and telemetry methods respectively, analyze and compare the changes between anesthetized and conscious dogs before and after feeding.Results Maintenance of anesthesia changed significantly the heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure and QT interval in the ECG of animals.The changes of physiological indicators in 24 h is not obvious in conscious animals, and showed a certain biorhythm.Compared with the conscious animals, the anesthetized dogs’ heart rate was significantly higher, blood pressure increased significantly, QRS and QTcf interval prolonged significantly, respiratory frequency decreased, heart rate increased significantly after feeding, and QTcf interval extended very significantly.Conclusions Traditional methods in safety pharmacology affect animal physiological indicators such as heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate and QT interval, which affect the objectivity of drug evaluation.Using conscious animals by telemetry can reduce these errors, however, the interference from outside should be eliminated.

Acclimatization ; physiology ; Adult ; Altitude ; Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins ; metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myelin Basic Protein ; metabolism ; Nervous System Diseases ; metabolism ; Occupational Exposure ; Succinate Dehydrogenase ; metabolism

OBJECTIVE: To make an animal model of cervical spondylosis (arthralgia syndrome type) with stimulation of wind, cold, and dampness. METHODS: Twenty-four 8 months old male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly allocated into four groups: normal control group, light stimulation group, moderate stimulation group and severe stimulation group. The wind speed was 10.8-13.8 m/s, the temperature was (5+/-0.5)degrees centigrade, and the humidity was 100%. The rabbits of light, moderate, and severe stimulation groups were kept in the above-mentioned environments for 4 hours everyday, and for a total of 32, 64, and 128 hours, respectively. The intervertebral discs were stained with HE method, and observed with a light microscope. Prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)), 6-ketone-prostaglandin F1alpha (6-K-PGF(1alpha)) and thromboxane B(2) (TXB(2)) contents were measured by ELISA. Fas and Bcl-2 expressions were examined by immunohistochemical avidin-biotin peroxidose complex technique. Interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) mRNA expressions were examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The nucleus pulposus of rabbits in the light and moderate stimulation groups shrunken, and in the severe stimulation group, the anulus fibrosus loosed or ruptured, and the cartilage end-plate became proliferated. Compared with rabbits in the normal control group, the PGE(2) content rose in the light stimulation group, the contents of PGE(2), 6-K-PGF(1alpha), and TXB(2) increased, the expressions of IL-1beta and TNF-alpha mRNAs and Fas were up-regulated, and the expressions of TGF-beta mRNA and Bcl-2 were down-regulated in the moderate and severe stimulation groups. The expression of Fas was up-regulated mostly and Bcl-2 was down-regulated mostly in the severe group. CONCLUSION: Moderate and severe stimulations of wind, cold and dampness can lead to degeneration of cervical intervertebral discs of rabbits. The model corresponds to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine about arthralgia syndrome caused by wind, cold and dampness.

OBJECTIVE: To set up a natural degeneration model of chondrocytes derived from endplate of intervertebral discs of rats in order to offer an appropriate carrier for the study on mechanism of intervertebral disc degeneration. METHODS: The method of enzyme digestion combined with natural subculture was used to set up the in vitro natural degeneration model of chondrocytes derived from the endplate of intervertebral disc of rats. The morphological appearances and microstructures of the chondrocytes of different generations were observed. The expression of collagen II in chondrocytes was detected by immunocytochemical method. RESULTS: The chondrocytes derived from the endplate of intervertebral disc expressed collagen II. After 13 days of culture, the chondrocytes of generation III showed that the ability of cell division descended, the nucleoli became unclear, the cells deformed obviously, fusiform shape with weak optical activity appeared, and the intercellular space was enlarged. There were vacuoles and lipid droplets in cytoplasm. The synthesis of collagen II, as well as the cell proliferation rate, descended notably. All results showed the natural degeneration process of the chondrocytes. CONCLUSION: The in vitro natural degeneration model of chondrocytes derived from endplate of intervertebral discs of rats was successfully established. This can offer the cytological basis for study on the mechanism of intervertebral disc degeneration.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of Yiqi Huayu Recipe and its decomposed formulas-medicated sera on expressions of bcl-2, Bax and caspase-8 of apoptotic anulus fibrosus cells in rats. METHODS: Immunohistochemical and integral optical density analytic methods were used to observe the effects of Yiqi Huayu Recipe-, Yiqi Recipe-, Huayu Recipe-medicated sera and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) on the expressions of bcl-2, Bax and caspase-8 of apoptotic anulus fibrosus cells in rats induced by anti-Fas antibody. RESULTS: As compared with apoptosis group, bcl-2 expression was higher, Bax and caspase-8 expressions were lower in Yiqi Huayu-treated, Yiqi-treated, Huayu-treated and IGF-1 groups (P<0.01). As compared with Yiqi-treated group and Huayu-treated group, Bax expression was lower in Yiqi Huayu-treated group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Yiqi Huayu Recipe and its decomposed formulas can delay degeneration of the cervical intervertebral disc, which may be due to its action in regulating the expressions of bcl-2, Bax and caspase-8.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of Yiqi Huayu Recipe on the gene expression pattern in normal and apoptotic chondrocytes in the cervical intervertebral disc of rats. METHODS: The intervertebral disc endplates of rats were digested enzymatically. The apoptosis of the chondrocytes was induced by anti-Fas antibody. BiostarR-40s microarray chips were used to investigate the gene expression pattern in chondrocytes in the normal control, apoptosis and Yiqi Huayu Recipe groups. The results were scanned with Scan Array 4000 and analyzed with GenePix Pro 3.0, and then subjected to standardization and ratio analysis. RESULTS: In the apoptosis group, 30 kinds of genes expressed in cervical intervertebral disc chondrocytes were screened out, in which 10 were up-regulated (ratio>2) and 20 down-regulated (ratio<0.5) as compared with the normal control group. On the other hand, in the Yiqi Huayu Recipe group, 97 kinds of genes expressed in cervical intervertebral disc chondrocytes were screened out, in which 44 were up-regulated (ratio>2) and 53 down-regulated (ratio<0.5) as compared with the apoptosis group. CONCLUSION: There are some signal transduction pathways that control the apoptosis of the intervertebral disc chondrocytes. Yiqi Huayu Recipe regulates the gene express of the apoptotic chondrocytes in intervertebral disc. The study gives a further understanding to the mechanism of the cervical spondylosis and enriches the theories of qi and blood of traditional Chinese medicine.

To investigate the gene expression changes in the degenerated cervical intervertebral discs of rats, and to study the function of Yiqi Huayu Bushen Recipe, a compound Chinese herbal medicine, and its discomposed formulas in regulating gene expressions in the degenerated cervical intervertebral discs.

OBJECTIVETo analysis deacclimatization symptom scores of 159 youth from Karakoram and Tibet Ali area, and provide the basis for the development of relevant prevention and control measures.

METHODSUsing the method of epidemiological symptoms questionnaire, 18 symptoms of 190 youth who returned to the plain area from the different plateau were investigated. The symptom scores of different altitude, age, the time of staying, different units, continuous or intermittent stage and education were surveyed.

RESULTSDeacclimatization symptom scores among 5,000 meter groups were significantly higher than those of 4,300 meter and 3,700 meter group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). There was no significant difference between the 4,300 meter group and the 3,700 meter group (P > 0.05). There were significant differences among the stayed personnel (different age, position, unit, education, time, continuous or intermittent) (P < 0.01). There was significant difference between the continuous defended the group and intermittent group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONDeacclimatization symptom scores were related to the plateau exposure time, altitude, workload, plateau continued exposure. The older, the longer exposure, the higher altitude, the greater workload at plateau were showed higher deacclimatization symptom score.

Acclimatization ; Altitude ; Altitude Sickness ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tibet

Objective To explore the effects and mechanism of bexarotene in combination with tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) on apoptosis of leukemic cell line KG1a. Methods KG1a cells at logarithmic growth phase were obtained, and were divided into TRAIL group, bexarotene group, 300 ng/mL TRAIL in combination with bexarotene group and 2.0 μmol/L bexaroten in combination with TRAIL group. Cell apoptosis rate was detected in each group by flow cytometry. Flow cytometry was also employed to determine the apoptosis rates of KG1a cells after treatment with bexarotene and TRAIL in different sequences. The expression of Fas associated death domain-like IL-1 beta converting enzyme inhibitory protein (c-FLIP) was detected by Western blotting. Results There was no significant difference in cell apoptosis rates between TRAIL group and bexarotene group of each concentration (except for bexarotene 2.0 μmol/L) (P > 0.05). The cell apoptosis rates of 300 ng/mL TRAIL in combination with bexarotene group and 2.0 μmol/L bexaroten in combination with TRAIL group were significantly higher than those in TRAIL group and bexarotene group of each corresponding concentration (P <0.01). Sequential analysis revealed that bexarotene could reverse the resistance of KG1a cells to TRAIL (P < 0.001). Compared with single use of 2.0 μmol/L bexarotene or 300 ng/mL TRAIL, combination use could significantly down-regulated the expression of c-FLIP (P < 0.05). Conclusion Bexarotene can significantly enhance the apoptosis of KG1a cells induced by TRAIL, which may be attributed to the down-regulation of c-FLIP expression.