No abstract available.
Prolapse ; Tropism ; Zygapophyseal Joint

No abstract available.
Prolapse ; Tropism ; Zygapophyseal Joint

Based on a study of 140 caaes of spondyloses with chronic backache, the sites and types of spurs and underlying congenital anomalies were analized. The following results were obtained. The most common sites of spurs were expected to be between L5 & S1 but contrary to the expectation, these were found most commonly between L4 & L5 and between L3 & L4. The reason for the preponderance of the spurs between L4 & L5 and L3 & L4 were not immediately available. All spurs represent claw type except in 4 cases which resemble traction spurs of McNab but without segamental instability. There were 39 cases of congenital anomalies. 28 of them were of tropism. Thus we conclude that the most common congenital anomaly associated with spondylosis is tropism.
Animals ; Back Pain ; Hoof and Claw ; Spine ; Spondylosis ; Traction ; Tropism

BACKGROUND: Adenovirus (Ad) vectors have been widely used for many gene therapy applications because of their high transduction ability and broad tropism. However, their utility for cancer gene therapy is limited by their poor transduction into cancer cells lacking the primary receptor, coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR). METHODS: To achieve CAR-independent gene transfer via Ad, we pretreated Ad with 1,2-dioleoyl-3- trimethylammonium propane (DOTAP) and analyzed their transduction efficiency into cancer cells in vitro and in vivo comparing with the virus alone. RESULTS: Treatment of DOTAP significantly increased adenoviral gene transfer in tumor cells in vitro. Moreover, DOTAP at an optimum dose (10 microngram/ml) enhanced IL-12 transgene expression by fivefold in tumor, and twofold in serum after intratumoral injection of adenovirus expressing IL-12N220L (Ad/IL-12N220L). In addition, cotreatment of DOTAP decreased tumor growth rate in the Ad/IL-12N220L-transduced tumor model, finally leading to enhanced survival rate. CONCLUSION: Our results strongly suggest that DOTAP could be of great utility for improving adenovirus-mediated cancer gene therapy.
Adenoviridae* ; Genes, Neoplasm ; Genetic Therapy ; Interleukin-12 ; Liposomes ; Propane ; Survival Rate ; Transgenes ; Tropism

A prerequisite for the development of a cancer cell selective targeting adenovirus is the generation of adenoviral vectors that lack native receptor binding ability and additionally contain domains redirecting the vector to cancer cell specific receptors. Towards this goal, we have generated an E1B 55kDa-deleted oncolytic and coxoackie and adenovirus receptor (CAR)-binding ablated adenovirus, YKL-K420A. This newly engineered adenovirus resulted in a dramatic reduction of transduction efficiency compared to the control adenovirus, YKL-1, in all of the cell lines tested. The malaria circumsporozoite (CS) protein interacts with glycosaminoglycans (GAG) present on the liver cell surface, and plays a prominent role in sporozoite attachment and invasion into hepatocytes. To redirect the CAR binding ablated adenovirus YKL-K420A to hepatocytes, CS protein epitope (EWSPCSVTCGNGIQVRIK) was incorporated onto the C-terminus of the YKL-K420A fiber protein, generating an YKL-K420A-hepa. The In vitro efficacy and specificity of YKL-K420A-hepa was then evaluated by comparing the cytopathic effect in hepatoma and other cancer cells from different origins. In hepatoma cells, YKL-K420A-hepa exerted upto 20-fold higher cytolytic ability compared to the control adenovirus, YKL-1, in hepatoma cell lines. Treatment with YKL-K420A-hepa also significantly suppressed tumor growth in a hepatoma xenograft tumor model when compared to YKL-1. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that the strategy to alter adenovirus tropism may greatly improve adenoviral utilities in gene therapy applications.
Adenoviridae* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cell Line ; Genetic Therapy ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Hepatocytes ; Heterografts ; Liver ; Malaria ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sporozoites ; Tropism

Naturally occurring reoviruses are live replication-proficient viruses specifically infecting human cancer cell while sparing normal counterpart. Since the discovery of reoviruses in 1950s, reoviruses have shown various degrees of safety and efficacy in pre-clinical or clinical application for human anti-cancer therapeutics. I have recently shown that cellular tumor suppressor genes, such as p53, ATM (Ataxia telangiectasia mutated), and RB (Retinoblastoma associated), are important in determining reoviral oncotropism. Thus, it is interesting to examine whether the aberrancy of c-Myc expression, whose normal function also plays an important role in the maintenance of genomic integrity, could affect reoviral oncolytic tropism. Hs68 cells are non-tumorigenic normal cells and resistant to reoviral cytopathic effects. Importantly, I found that c-Myc overexpression in human HS68 cells effectively induced reovirus cytophatic effects compared to mock expressed cells as shown by the typical reoviral cytophathology and an increased level of caspase-3 activity. Taken together, overexpression of c-Myc could play an important role in determining reoviral oncolytic tropism.
Caspase 3 ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Humans ; Oncogenes ; Oncolytic Viruses ; Telangiectasis ; Tropism

Mycoplasma (M.) hyosynoviae is known to colonize and cause disease in growing-finishing pigs. In this study, two clinical isolates of M. hyosynoviae were compared by inoculating cesarean-derived colostrum-deprived and specific-pathogen-free growing pigs. After intranasal or intravenous inoculation, the proportion and distribution pattern of clinical cases was compared in addition to the severity of lameness. Tonsils were found to be the primary site of colonization, while bacteremia was rarely detected prior to the observation of clinical signs. Regardless of the clinical isolate, route of inoculation, or volume of inocula, histopathological alterations and tissue invasion were detected in multiple joints, indicating an apparent lack of specific joint tropism. Acute disease was primarily observed 7 to 10 days post-inoculation. The variability in the severity of synovial microscopic lesions and pathogen detection in joint cavities suggests that the duration of joint infection may influence the diagnostic accuracy. In summary, these findings demonstrate that diagnosis of M. hyosynoviae-associated arthritis can be influenced by the clinical isolate, and provides a study platform to investigate the colonization and virulence potential of field isolates. This approach can be particularly relevant to auxiliate in surveillance and testing of therapeutic and/or vaccine candidates.
Acute Disease ; Arthritis ; Bacteremia ; Colon ; Diagnosis ; Joints ; Mycoplasma hyosynoviae* ; Mycoplasma* ; Palatine Tonsil ; Swine* ; Tropism ; Virulence

Many researchers are using viruses to deliver genes of interest into the brains of laboratory animals. However, certain target brain cells are not easily infected by viruses. Moreover, the differential tropism of different viruses in monkey brain is not well established. We investigated the cellular tropism of lentivirus and adeno-associated virus (AAV) toward neuron and glia in the brain of cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascularis). Lentivirus and AAV were injected into putamen of the monkey brain. One month after injection, monkeys were sacrificed, and then the presence of viral infection by expression of reporter fluorescence proteins was examined. Tissues were sectioned and stained with NeuN and GFAP antibodies for identifying neuronal cells or astrocytes, respectively, and viral reporter GFP-expressing cells were counted. We found that while lentivirus infected mostly astrocytes, AAV infected neurons at a higher rate than astrocytes. Moreover, astrocytes showed reactiveness when cells were infected by virus, likely due to virus-mediated neuroinflammation. The Sholl analysis was done to compare the hypertrophy of infected and uninfected astrocytes by virus. The lentivirus infected astrocytes showed negligible hypertrophy whereas AAV infected astrocytes showed significant changes in morphology, compared to uninfected astrocytes. In the brain of cynomolgus monkey, lentivirus shows tropism for astrocytes over neurons without much reactivity in astrocytes, whereas AAV shows tropism for neurons over glial cells with a significant reactivity in astrocytes. We conclude that AAV is best-suited for gene delivery to neurons, whereas lentivirus is the best choice for gene delivery to astrocytes in the brain of cynomolgus monkeys.
Animals, Laboratory ; Antibodies ; Astrocytes ; Brain* ; Dependovirus* ; Fluorescence ; Haplorhini ; Hypertrophy ; Lentivirus* ; Macaca fascicularis* ; Neuroglia ; Neurons ; Putamen ; Tropism*

OBJECTIVE: The purposes of this study were to observe the radiographic changes of lumbar facet joints by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in conservatively and operatively treated groups of patients with herniated intervertebral disc, and to compare the biomechanical effects to lumbar facet joints according to the treatment methods. METHOD: The patients composed of 20 conservatively treated control group and 40 operatively treated group who had disc herniation at lower lumbar spine. Follow-up MRIs were performed in order to assess the radiographic changes of intervertebral disc and lumbar facet joints, such as disc degeneration, lumbar facet joint angle and tropism in either treatment groups individually. RESULTS: There are significant increase in lumbar facet joint angle in operatvely treated group at the level of both L4/5, right L5/S1 compared to that of conservately treated group, but the disc degeneration and facet joint tropism were not changed after treatment in both groups. There's no relationship between treatment period and each parameters. CONCLUSION: The radiographic biomechanical lumbar facet joint changes on MRI seems to be related to degenerative change of lumbar facet joint in operatively treated group with a lumbar disc herniation. Therefore, careful selection of optimal operation time and criteria would be important.
Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration ; Intervertebral Disc* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Spine ; Tropism ; Zygapophyseal Joint*

The incidence of the spondylolysis is very low before five years but during the adolescence the incidence increase. The etiologic factors of spondylolisthesis are congenital and acquired. The acquired factors are traumatic and stress fracture. Then there are many congenital properties of the etiologic factors for the spondylolisthesis because several congenital anomalies are combined with spondyolysis or isthmic spondylolisthesis. But there are few articles about relationship between the spondylolysis or isthmic spondylolisthesis and the congenital anomalies around the lumbosacral area. The purpose of this particular study is to search the etiologic factors that increase the degree of the vertebral slippage and relationship between the spondylolysis or ishtmic spondylolisthesis around the lumbosacral area. The plain X-ray and computed tomograms were taken in the 48 patients and the 26 control group that have not chronic low back pain previously. The patients were divided into three groups, such as the spondylolysis, grade I spondylolisthesis, and grade II spondylolisthesis. The parameters measured from the plain X-ray were the incidence of congenital anomalies and degree of vertebral slippate. The parameters measured from the computed tomograms were fact angles and the degree of pseudodisc. Tropism were present for 5 cases, and 16 cases at L3-4 facets, 12 cases, and 22 cases at L4-5 facets, 10 cases, and 28 cases at L5-S1 facets in control and patients group. There was no correlation between the presence or absence of tropism and the vertebral slippage. The sacralization was related with the vertebral slippage but other congenital anomalies were not related to the degree of vertebral slippage. There was a increment of vertebral slippage according to the increase of facet angle, but the linear correlation was absent on regression analysis. So statistical significance was absent among the control group and 3 patients groups. And the vertebral slippage was not significantly different among the groups that were divided according to the difference of facet angle. There was a linear correlation between the degree of the pseudodisc and the degree of vertebral slippage of square=0.60 on regression analysis. At present study, there was a trend of increase of vertebral slippage according to increase of facet angle and presence of the sacralization. And there was a linear correlation between the degree of the pseudodisc and the vertebral slippage.
Adolescent ; Fractures, Stress ; Humans ; Incidence ; Low Back Pain ; Spondylolisthesis ; Spondylolysis ; Tropism ; Zygapophyseal Joint