OBJECTIVETo evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of unilateral pedicle screw fixation in treating thoracolumbar fractures through paraspinal approach.

METHODSFrom January 2006 to January 2009,21 patients with single level thoracolumbar fracture without neurological symptoms were treated with unilateral pedicle screw fixation through paraspinal approach. There were 14 males and 7 females,aged from 21 to 65 years old with a mean of 36.4 years. The duration from injury to operation ranged from 6 h to 5 d with an average of 3 d. According to the classification of Denis fracture, compression fractures happedned in 12 cases and burst fractures happened in 9 cases,including 1 case with T5 fracture, 2 cases with T7 fracture, 2 cases with T10 fracture, 3 cases with T11 fracture, 8 cases with T12 fracture, and 5 cases with L1 fracture. Based on the Flankel grade, all patients were classified as grade E. Anterior vertebral body height ratio, sagittal Cobb angle, condition of internal fixation failure, visual analogue score (VAS) were evaluated.

RESULTSAll patients were followed up from 12 to 36 months with an average of 20.5 months. No internal fixation failure was found. Anterior vertebral body height ratios at preoperative 3 days after operation and last follow-up were 54.3 +/- 2.8, 92.9 +/- 1.5, 93.8 +/- 1.7, respectively;sagittal Cobb angle at the three timepoints were (27.8 +/- 2.5) degrees, (5.3 +/- 0.8) degrees, (6.3 +/- 1.4) degrees, respectively; the difference was statistical significant (P < 0.05). VAS was (1.2 +/- 0.4) points at last follow-up and had obviously improved (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONTreatment of thoracolumbar fractures with unilateral pedicle screw fixation through paraspinal approach is safe with the advantages of micro-trauma and less blood loss,which can not only completely retain the posterior spinal complex structure, reinforce the spinal stability, raise the reductional quality, but also improve the strength of fixation and the distribution of stress force.

Adult ; Bone Screws ; Feasibility Studies ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; instrumentation ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Fractures ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; diagnostic imaging ; injuries ; surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Young Adult

Objective To explore the activated brain region of acute epilepsy in cat model induced by pentylenetetrazol(FFZ)with manganese enhanced-functional MR imaging(ME-fMRI),and evaluate the application of ME-fMRI on localization of the activated brain.Methods Forty cats were divided into 4 groups by random number table method as epileptic A and B groups as well as control A and B groups. Cats of epileptic groups were injected with PTZ(55 mg/kg)intramuscularly,and those of control groups were injected with the saline at same dose.The behavior change in the epileptic and control group A was observed and electroencephalogram(EEG)was also undertaken.Cats of epileptic and control group B were performed ME-fMRI,and the percentage of the enhanced signal intensity was then calculated.Results After injection with PTZ(55 mg/kg)intramuscularly,epileptic seizure was all evoked,and then EEG recording showed spike-wave and polyspike-wave complexes.The neocortex of cats of epileptic group B was diffusely phanero-enhanced on ME-fMRI.The percent enhancement of signal intensity in cortex of frontal lobe,parietal lobe and occipital lobe was(34.6?5.7)% and that in cortex of temporal lobe with(22.9? 6.5)%,whereas those of control group B with(14.9?4.5)% and(11.6?3.2)% respectively.And there was significant difference between the above different localization of the brain in the two groups (t=-10.43,-5.46 respectively,P

AIMTo prepare cells scaffolds with the characteristics of sustained release of proteins.

METHODSChitosan scaffolds was prepared by freeze-drying. Porosity and water content of scaffolds were determined. Bovine serum album (BSA) was selected as a model protein. Poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres were prepared by double emulsion solvent evaporation and encapsulated into chitosan scaffolds. The morphology of PLGA microspheres and various scaffolds were observed using scanning electron microscope. Release behavior of BSA from various chitosan scaffolds was investigated.

RESULTSThe chitosan scaffold represents porous. At the -70 degrees C of quenching temperature, the porosity and water content of chitosan scaffolds were 78.6% +/- 1.5% and 85.1% +/- 6.2%, respectively. PLGA microspheres can be uniformly encapsulated into scaffolds without any morphology change. Significant sustained release of BSA from PLGA microspheres encapsulated into scaffolds was obtained. The cumulative release at 168 h was only 33.5%, while that of BSA from chitosan scaffolds at 24 h was above 90%. The release behavior can be controlled by adjusting the amount of chitosan in scaffolds and the type of PLGA.

CONCLUSIONThe novel chitosan scaffolds encapsulating PLGA microspheres proved to be a promising cells scaffolds with controlling the release of growth factors in tissue engineering.

Chitosan ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Drug Carriers ; Freeze Drying ; methods ; Lactic Acid ; chemistry ; Microspheres ; Polyglycolic Acid ; chemistry ; Polymers ; chemistry ; Serum Albumin, Bovine ; metabolism ; Tissue Engineering ; methods

AIMTo investigate the lattice mechanisms involved in the increased dissolution effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG 6,000) dispersion system on poorly soluble drug silymarin (SILY).

METHODSFusion method was used to prepare the solid dispersions of SILY with PEG 6,000. Evaluation of the improvement of dissolution was performed with dissolution studies in vitro. X-ray powder diffraction combined with diffraction peak pattern-fitting procedure were applied to quantitatively analyze the changes of lattice parameters. The interaction of SILY and PEG 6,000 was also determined with Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy.

RESULTSThe dissolution rate of SILY was considerably increased when formulated in solid dispersion of PEG 6,000 as compared to pure SILY. The datum from the X-ray diffraction showed the changes in the lattic spacings and particular diffraction peaks (position and the intensity) of PEG 6,000 and SILY. These could explain the increased rate of SILY released from solid dispersion system. The information of FT-IR spectroscopy showed the absence of well-defined drug-polymer interaction.

CONCLUSIONThe dissolution improvement of poorly soluble SILY from solid dispersion of PEG 6,000 can be illuminated by the changes of the lattice parameters of PEG 6,000 and the drug.

Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; Crystallization ; Crystallography, X-Ray ; Drug Carriers ; Polyethylene Glycols ; chemistry ; Silymarin ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Solubility

AIMTo investigate the effect of cetirizine hydrochloride on the expression of neuropeptide substance P (SP) in IgE-dependent triphasic cutaneous reaction induced by dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) in the ears of BALB/c mice.

METHODSBALB/c mice were passively sensitized by intravenous infection of anti-DNP IgE monoclonal antibody 24 h before DNFB challenge. Skin reaction was elicited by applying DNFB to both sides of each ear of sensitized mice. Mice were treated with cetirizine (1 and 10 mg x kg)-1), ig). The ears were removed for pathohistological examination and immunohistochemical staining of SP at different designated times after challenge. The contents of SP in the skin of mouse ear were determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA).

RESULTSThe mice exhibited a triphasic cutaneous reaction with an immediate-phase response (IPR) at 1 h, a late-phase response (LPR) at 24 h and a very late-phase response (vLPR) at 7 days after challenge with DNFB. The expression of SP in different phases increased gradually. Cetirizine (1 and 10 mg x kg(-1)) was shown to significantly inhibit the ear swellings induced by the IPR (P < 0.01), while no obvious effect on the vLPR. The SP contents in ear skin of triphasic cutaneous reaction were decreased by cetirizine.

CONCLUSIONSP is considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of allergic dermatitis. Cetirizine hydrochloride can inhibit the expression of SP in IgE-dependent triphasic cutaneous reaction. It might be part of the mechanisms of anti-anaphylaxis of cetirizine.

Animals ; Anti-Allergic Agents ; pharmacology ; Cetirizine ; pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Ear ; Edema ; metabolism ; Female ; Hypersensitivity, Delayed ; metabolism ; Hypersensitivity, Immediate ; metabolism ; Immunoglobulin E ; immunology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis ; drug effects ; Substance P ; metabolism

This study is to investigate the effect of ZL-004 on normal mouse and mice with leukopenia induced by chemotherapeutic agents. 5-Fluorouracil were administered intraperitoneally to mice to develop leucopenia, and the mice were treated with ZL-004. The number of peripheral leukocytes and the percentage of granulocyte in total WBC were examined. The results are that ZL-004 markedly raise peripheral blood leukocytes in the normal mice and the mice model of leukopenia. So, ZL-004 could protect mice against 5-fluorouracil damage and raise peripheral blood leukocyte. Features of bone marrow smears is myeloproliferative hyperactivity in the mice, particularly the matured granulocytic series were observed. The mechanism of ZL-004 is to act on the mouse bone marrow causing proliferation and differentiation.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Female ; Fluorouracil ; Granulocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; Leukocyte Count ; Leukocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; Leukopenia ; chemically induced ; pathology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Molecular Structure ; Pyrrolidinones ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of COX-2 silencing on the radiosensitivity of a nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell line C666-1.

METHODSAnti-COX-2 C666-1 cell line with COX-2 gene silencing mediated by shRNAmir lentiviral vector and the control cell line Anti-GL-2 C666-1 were exposed to various radiation doses. The clonogenic survival assay and curve fitting was used to calculate the radiobiological parameters and the sensitization enhancement ratio after the radiation. Cell cycle changes were assessed after the exposure by flow cytometric analysis. In a BALB/c nude mouse model, the growth curve of the xenografts was generated and the tumor growth inhibition rate was calculated.

RESULTSCompared with the control cells, Anti-COX-2 C666-1 cells showed obviously lowered values of SF2, D0 and Dq but significantly increased α/β with a sensitivity enhancement ratio of 1.4014. COX-2 gene silencing increased the inhibition rate of the tumor xenografts after the radiation, and caused also decreased percentage of G2/M arrest resulting from the exposure.

CONCLUSIONStable COX-2 silencing in NPC cells can improve the effect of radiotherapy both in vitro and in vivo. By changing the radiobiological parameters, genetically based COX-2 inhibitor may be a potentially promising radiosensitizer of NPC.

Animals ; Carcinoma ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Survival ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Silencing ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Lentivirus ; genetics ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; radiotherapy ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Radiation Tolerance ; genetics ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

OBJECTIVESTo explore the clinical significance of the transverse thoracic pedicle diameters measurement and thoracic pedicles classification in thoracic adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients.

METHODSThirty thoracic idiopathic scoliosis patients who were hospitalized during October 2008 and July 2009 and 20 non-scoliosis adolescents who were adopted during August 2008 and July 2009 were included in this study. Successive CT thoracic vertebrae scanning of all subjects were obtained. All participants' transverse pedicle diameters of the thoracic vertebrae were measured with the software of PACS Client. Classified the pedicle into 4 types according to the transverse pedicle diameters. In control group, the transverse pedicle diameters of bilateral thoracic vertebrae were compared using paired-t test. In AIS group, the transverse pedicle diameters of concave and convex side thoracic vertebrae were compared using paired-t test. The distribution of pedicle types were compared using Chi-Square test between the control group and AIS group.

RESULTSThe transverse pedicle diameters showed a decreasing trend from T(1) to T(4) followed by an increasing trend from T(5) to T(12) in both groups. The bilateral transverse pedicle diameters had no significant difference in the control group. The transverse pedicle diameters of the concave side at the apex of thoracic curve were found to be significantly thinner than those of convex side. The ratio of Type 4 was higher in thoracic adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients than the controls, and the ratio of Type 1 was smaller in thoracic adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients than the controls.

CONCLUSIONSThe thoracic pedicles in thoracic adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients are often rather thinner. Preoperative CT measurement of thoracic pedicle in the treatment of idiopathic scoliosis is suggested helpful in deciding the correct strategy of pedicle screw insertion and decreasing the risk of clinically relevant neurovascular complications.

Adolescent ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Radiography ; Scoliosis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo summary the experience of the surgical comprehensive treatment of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).

METHODSFrom July 1999 to December 2009, a total of 506 patients suffered SAP were admitted with a mean APACHE II score 12.8 ± 4.6. There were 270 male and 236 female, aged from 16 to 89 years, mean age 43 years. SAP patients were treated by the SAP treatment team which consisted of pancreatic specialized and multidisciplinary doctors. Two hundreds and thirty-four cases (46.2%) received non-operative treatment and 272 cases (53.8%) received surgical intervention.

RESULTSIn 506 cases, 445 patients were cured and 52 patients died (31 died in early stage, 21 died in later stage), 9 cases discharged automatically. The overall incidence of complication, overall mortality and overall curative rate were 29.4% (149/506), 10.3% (52/506) and 87.9% (445/506), respectively. The incidences of complication in non-operative group and in surgical intervention group were 27.8% (65/234) and 30.9% (84/272), respectively (P > 0.05). The mortality in non-operative group and in surgical intervention group were 9.4% (22/234) and 11.0% (30/272), respectively (P > 0.05). The curative rates in non-operative group and in surgical intervention group were 90.6% (212/234) and 85.7% (233/272), respectively (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSPatients should be treated in ICU in the early phase of the disease when APACHE II score > 10. Pancreatic specialized and multidisciplinary team treatment, appropriate choice of timing, indication and procedure of surgical intervention and details of drainage are vital to the prognosis of SAP.

APACHE ; Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pancreatitis ; mortality ; surgery ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Coriolus versicolor polysaccharide B (CVP-B) on increased membrane glycosaminoglycans (GAG) expression and intracellular glutathione (GSH) of RAW264.7 macrophages exposed to angiotensin II (Ang II).

METHODSThe plasma membrane of RAW264.7 macrophages exposed to Ang II treatment was isolated by ultracentrifugation, and the membrane GAG expression was analyzed using 1, 9-dimethylmethylene blue (DMMB) spectrophotometric assay for sulfated GAG. The intracellular reduced GSH was determined using fluorophotometry.

RESULTSThe GAG content in the macrophage membranes increased by up to 54% following cell exposure to 1.0 micromol/L Ang II, whereas in presence of 1.0 micromol;/L Ang II, CVP-B at 1, 10, and 50 microg/ml decreased the GAG content by 13%, 43% (P<0.01), and 52% (P<0.01), respectively. The macrophage GSH activity decreased by 69% following incubation with 1.0 micromol;/L Ang II for 24 h, and CVP-B treatment at 1, 10, and 50 microg/ml in presence of 1.0 micromol;/L Ang II resulted in significant increment of GSH activity by 31%(P<0.05), 104% (P<0.01), and 168% (P<0.01), respectively.

CONCLUSIONThese data provide the first evidence that CVP-B inhibits elevated GAG expression in RAW264.7 macrophage membrane induced by Ang II.

Agaricales ; chemistry ; Angiotensin II ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Cell Line ; Cell Membrane ; metabolism ; Glutathione ; analysis ; Glycosaminoglycans ; analysis ; Macrophages ; metabolism ; Mice ; Polysaccharides ; pharmacology