Objective To investigate the effect of intra-articular carboxymethylated ehitosan(CM- CTS)injection on inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS)expression in cartilage at the early stage of os- teoarthfitis(OA).Methods Thirty-two white rabbits were underwent unilateral anterior cruciate ligament transection(ACLT)and were randomly divided into 4 groups 5 weeks after transection.Rabbits of group A re- ceived 0.3 ml of 2% high molecular weight CMCTS(H-CMCTS)once every two weeks.Rabbits in group B were treated using 2% low molecular weight(L-CMCTS)CMCTS at:the same intervals.Group C rabbits were injected intra-articularly with 0.3 ml of 1% sodium hyaluronate(Na-HA)once a week.Animals of group D were not injected.At sacrifice,11 weeks following surgery,the expression of iNOS in cartilages was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)methods.Results Both immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR showed that the level of iNOS expression of cartilage in CMCTS in- jection groups was lower than that in Na-HA injection group and the untreated group.There was no significant difference in iNOS expression between the two different molecular weight CMCTS injection groups. No signifi- cant difference of iNOS expression in cartilage was found between Na-HA injection group and the untreated group.Conclusion CMCTS suppresses iNOS expression in cartilage during the early stage of OA.Na-HA treatment has no effect on iNOS expression in cartilage.

Objective To introduce the procedures and to evaluate the application value of the optical navigating interventional MR-guided percutaneous biopsies and therapies. Methods Thirty-five of 54 patients (33 males, 21 females) underwent percutaneous biopsies and 19 of 54 patients underwent percutaneous therapies under optical navigating interventional MR-guidance. The age ranged from 9 months to 78 years (mean 38.8 years). All patients were performed under a 0.23 T open MRI system (Proview, Philips Medical System) with optical navigating system (iPath 200, Philips Medical System). The needle and bone biopsy drill were MR-compatible (Daum, Germany). Results Punctures were accurate in all patients (54/54). 33 of 35 biopsies got the pathological diagnosis. All therapies (19/19) got the definitive curative effect. All patients had no obvious complications, such as severe hemorrhage, viscera or nerve injury.Conclusion iPath 200 interventional MR-guided percutaneous biopsies and therapies are accurate and safe techniques.

OBJECTIVETo observe the influence of intra-articular injection of sodium hyaluronate (SH) on the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the synovium and nitric oxide (NO) content in synovial fluid of rabbits with traumatic osteoarthritis (OA).

METHODSSixteen white rabbits underwent unilateral anterior cruciate ligament transection and were randomly divided into 2 groups 5 weeks after the operation. Rabbits in the experimental group received intra-articular injection of 0.3 ml of 1% SH, once a week for 5 weeks. Animals in the control group were treated under the same conditions using physiological saline. All the animals were sacrificed at the 10th week after surgery. The mRNA expression of iNOS in the synovium was analyzed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The content of NO in the synovial fluid was assayed.

RESULTSThe level of iNOS expression of the synovium in the experimental group was lower than that in control group (0.47+/-0.09 vs. 0.65+/-0.12, t equal to 3.45, P less than 0.01). Compared with control group, the content of NO decreased significantly in synovial fluid of SH injection group (134.11 micromolar/L +/- 12.47 micromolar/L vs. 152.17 micromolar/L +/- 15.69 micromolar/L, t equal to 2.55, P less than 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSSH significantly decreases the content of NO in the synovial fluid of rabbits with traumatic OA. SH may exert the effect on synovial fluid NO level as a result of the suppression of iNOS expression in the synovium. It may be one of the mechanisms of the therapeutic effect of SH on early traumatic OA.

Animals ; Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries ; Hyaluronic Acid ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Nitric Oxide ; analysis ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; analysis ; Osteoarthritis ; drug therapy ; etiology ; metabolism ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation ; Synovial Fluid ; chemistry ; Synovial Membrane ; enzymology

Objective To explore the endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) apoptosis pathway in unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) mechanism of renal interstitial fibrosis in rats.Methods The rats were randomly divided into con-trol group and model group,UUO group line ligation of the left ureter,three days 3,7 and 14 days HE and Masson staining were used to observe the renal pathological changes;Take blood retinal venous plexus,separat and determina-tion of serum blood urea nitrogen and creatinine;Western blot was used to find protein 78 (GRP78) glucose regula-tion,endoplasmic reticulum source sex transcription factor (CHOP) and apoptosis related proteins cysteine aspartic acid proteinase 3(caspase-3) and caspase-12 protein expression. Results Compared with control group,the visible UUO model group 1) expansion of renal tubule and renal interstitial fibrosis degree with the extension of ureteral ob-struction time and progressive increase;2) GRP78,CHOP,caspase-3 and caspase-12 protein expression in postoper-ative 3 d have to rise,as the obstruction prolonged,the protein expression more significantly(P<0.01).Conclusions Endoplasmic reticulum stress related trademark protein in UUO rat renal interstitial fibrosis is the increase in expres-sion may promote the early renal interstitial fibrosis and continuous progress.

Objective To explore the endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) apoptosis pathway in unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) mechanism of renal interstitial fibrosis in rats.Methods The rats were randomly divided into con-trol group and model group,UUO group line ligation of the left ureter,three days 3,7 and 14 days HE and Masson staining were used to observe the renal pathological changes;Take blood retinal venous plexus,separat and determina-tion of serum blood urea nitrogen and creatinine;Western blot was used to find protein 78 (GRP78) glucose regula-tion,endoplasmic reticulum source sex transcription factor (CHOP) and apoptosis related proteins cysteine aspartic acid proteinase 3(caspase-3) and caspase-12 protein expression. Results Compared with control group,the visible UUO model group 1) expansion of renal tubule and renal interstitial fibrosis degree with the extension of ureteral ob-struction time and progressive increase;2) GRP78,CHOP,caspase-3 and caspase-12 protein expression in postoper-ative 3 d have to rise,as the obstruction prolonged,the protein expression more significantly(P<0.01).Conclusions Endoplasmic reticulum stress related trademark protein in UUO rat renal interstitial fibrosis is the increase in expres-sion may promote the early renal interstitial fibrosis and continuous progress.

OBJECTIVETo compare the clinical efficacy of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) with percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) in the treatment of vertebral compression fracture (VCF).

METHODSNinety-eight patients with VCF were treated by PVP (n=42) or PKP (n=56). The anterior midline and posterior heights of vertebrae body, preoperative and postoperative visual analogue scale (VAS), operation time and amount of blood loss were compared between 2 groups.

RESULTSThere was statistical difference in vertebral height between two groups (P < 0.01). No significant difference was seen in VAS, operation time and blood loss between two groups (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSPKP and PVP have the similar therapeutic efficacy in treatment of VCF with minimal invasion, less operation time and blood loss. However, PKP is superior in the recovery of vertebral height.

Adult ; Aged ; Bone Cements ; Female ; Fractures, Compression ; surgery ; Humans ; Injections ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Fractures ; surgery ; Vertebroplasty ; methods

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to study the protective effect and influence of sodium hyaluronate (Na-HA) on mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-gamma) in cartilage of rabbit osteoarthritis (OA) model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty eight white rabbits were randomly divided into A, B, and C groups. Group A was normal control group, B and C groups underwent unilateral anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT). The rabbits in group B were injected normal saline after ACLT; and Group C received intraarticular1% sodium hyaluronate (HA) injection 5 weeks after surgery, 0.3 mL once a week. At 11th week after surgery, all the rabbits were sacrificed. The cartilage changes on the medial femoral condyles were graded separately. Cartilage sections were stained with safranin-O and HE, and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of PPAR-gamma was detected by using real time polymerase chain reaction (Real Time-PCR). RESULTS: Cartilage degeneration in group B was significantly more severe than in A and C injection group. The grey value of Safranin-O of B group was higher than A and C groups. Expression of PPAR-gamma mRNA in group B was higher than group A and C. CONCLUSION: This study shows that Na-HA has a protective effect on articular cartilage degeneration, and the inhibitory effect on the PPAR-gamma mRNA expression may be one of therapeutic mechanism of Na-HA.
Animals ; Cartilage/*drug effects/*metabolism ; Gene Expression/drug effects/genetics ; Hyaluronic Acid/*pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Microscopy ; Osteoarthritis/*drug therapy/metabolism ; PPAR gamma/*genetics ; RNA, Messenger/*genetics ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Viscosupplements/*pharmacology/therapeutic use

Objective To investigate the association between serum nitric oxide (NO) and hypertension among women in Suzhou. Methods Blood pressure, height, weight and waist circumference (WC) were measured and factors including smoking, alcohol intake, family history of hypertension were investigated and blood glucose, blood lipid, serum NO were tested among 1453 women aged ≥30 years who lived in Jinchang district of Suzhou. Association between serum NO and hypertension was analyzed by univariate and multivariate methods. Results The mean levels of serum NO in hypertensive and normotensive persons were 28.17 (17.42-45.30)μmol/L and 27.56(17.19-44.42) μ mol/L, respectively, with no significant difference between the two groups (P ＞ 0.05).Results from multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that low serum NO was not associated with hypertension, after adjustment for confounders (OR=0.979, 95% CI: 0.747-1.283).The mean levels of systolic blood pressure / diastolic blood pressure were 130.1/83.3,128.5/82.7,129.8/83.2 and 129.1/83.3 mm Hg for whose serum NO level were in the first, second, third and fourth quartile,respectively. The risk of hypertension did not change along with the elevated serum NO levels.Compared to the first quartile of serum NO, the risks of hypertension in the second, third and fourth quartile did not change after adjustment for confounders and OR were 0.988 (0.709-1.377), 1.001(0.720-1.390) and 1.077 (0.774-1.499), respectively. Conclusion The serum NO level was not associated with hypertension in women in Suzhou.

Objective To investigate the additional diagnostic value of 99Tcm-MDP SPECT/CT over conventional SPECT scan in patients with spinal bone malignancy. Methods Fifty-two patients (mean age (56±14) years) with suspicious spinal bone diseases underwent both bone SPECT and SPECT/CT imaging right after 99Tcm-MDP whole-body planar bone scintigraphy. All patients were pathologically diagnosed by either spine operation or trans-spinal biopsy. The images were evaluated by two independent reviewers; inter-reviewer agreement was evaluated using a weighted Kappa score. Each focus of abnormality was recorded using a 4-point diagnostic confidence scale: benign (B), possibly benign (PB), possibly malignant (PM) or malignant (M). Results Accord to the pathological results, 36 patients had bone malignancy (19 with metastatic tumors and 17 with non-metastatic tumors) and 16 had benign lesions. Over SPECT images, two reviewers rated 73.1% (38/52) and 67.3% (35/52) the lesions as the equivocal (PB or PM) respectively. Over SPECT/CT images, they rated only 25.0% (13/52) and 13.5% (7/52) lesions as the equivocal. Inter-reviewer agreement was 63.5% (weighted Kappa score=0.62) for SPECT and 78.9% (weighted Kappa score=0.81) for SPECT/CT. Conclusions Compared with99Tcm-MDP SPECT, 99Tcm-MDP SPECT/CT results in a significant reduction of equivocal diagnoses for the spinal bone malignancy.

The study was aimed to investigate the effect of quercetin, flavonoid molecules on reversing leukemia multidrug resistance and its mechanism. K562/A cells were cultured in vitro with different concentrations of quercetin. Cell growth inhibition and adriamycin (ADR) sensitivity were detected by MTT method. Intracellular ADR concentration was determined by flow cytometry. Cell apoptosis was assayed by Annexin V/PI staining method. The expressions of drug transporter and apoptosis related genes were measured by real-time PCR array. The results indicated that quercetin inhibited the proliferation of K562 and K562/A in 5-160 µmol/L and with dose-dependent manner. Quercetin increased the sensitivity of K562/A cells to ADR in a low toxicity concentration. Flow cytometry showed that the quercetin increased the accumulation of ADR in K562/A cells when cells were co-cultured with 5 µmol/L ADR for 2 hours. Quercetin could induce the apoptosis of K562 and K562/A cells with dose dependent manner. Furthermore, some drug transport related genes such as ATP-binding cassette (ABC) and solute carrier (SLC) and some apoptosis-related genes such as BCL-2, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) families were down-regulated by quercetin. It is concluded that quercetin reverses MDR of leukemic cells by multiple mechanisms and the reversing effect is positively related to drug concentration.
Drug Resistance, Multiple ; drug effects ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; drug effects ; Humans ; K562 Cells ; Quercetin ; pharmacology