BACKGROUND:Polyethylene terephthalate (PEA) holds good mechanical properties, but its biocompatibility needs to be improved. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of bioactive glass modified PEA on bone healing. METHODS:In vitro experiment:PEA (control group) and bioactive glass modified PEA (experimental group) were respectively co-cultured with MC3T3-E1 cells. The cell morphology was observed at 3 days of culture, and the cell proliferation and alkaline phosphatase activity were detected at 1, 3 and 5 days of culture. In vivo experiment:24 New Zealand white rabbits were enrolled, modeled into unilateral knee ligament rupture, and then randomly allotted to two groups. Bioactive glass modified PEA and PEA were implanted into experimental and control groups, respectively. Biomechanics and histological changes were compared between groups at 6 and 12 weeks after transplantation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:In vitro experiment:the cell density in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group after 3-day culture (P<0.05);the cell proliferation and alkaline phosphatase activity were significantly higher than those in the control group at 3 and 5 days of culture (P<0.05). In vivo experiment:the maximum axial pull-out strength in the experimental group was significantly greater than that in the control group at 6 and 12 weeks after implantation (P<0.05). In the control group, the defect was obvious and there were a large number of inflammatory cells at 6 weeks after implantation;the defect region became fuzzy, abundant inflammatory cells existed and new bone formed on the surface at 12 weeks after implantation. In the experimental group, there were newly formed bones and trabeculae formed on the interface, the scar tissue became less, and the interface width was narrow at 6 weeks after implantation;numerous new tissues were observed, and only a few inflammatory cells observed in the defect region at 12 weeks after implantation. These results indicate that the modified PEA with bioactive glass possesses good biocompatibility and biomechanics, which can promote bone healing.

BACKGROUND: Ligament Advanced Reinforcement Sytstm (LARS) artificial ligament can avoid the interfibrillar friction compared wiht traditional ligaments, which is conductive for autogenous tissue growth. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the biocompatibility of LARS artificial ligament used for cruciate ligament reconstruction and bone healing. METHODS: Twenty goats were randomly divided into two groups: the anterior cruciate ligament insertion at the femur was cut as stump group; the anterior cruciate ligament insertions at the femur and tibia, and all the ligaments and synovial tissues between them were cut as stump resection group. LARS artificial ligament was then implanted into both two groups. At 20 months after implantation, the ligament healing was observed using CT and MRI examinations, the fibrous tissues were observed under scanning electron microscope, and the growth of newborn ligaments was observed by histological staining. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: CT findings showed that in the stump group, the number of femoral tunnel enlargement was significantly more than that in the stump resection group (P < 0.05), while the number of tibial tunnel enlargement in the stump group was significantly less than that in the stump resection group (P < 0.05). LARS artificial ligament in the femoral and tibial tunnel and free part of the joint presented with hypointensity on T1- and T2-weighted images, which showed no significant difference between two groups. Under the scanning electron microscope there were obvious dense fibrous tissues between LARS artificial ligaments in both two groups; and the autologous fibrous tissues arranged closely and evenly under high magnification. Hematoxylin-eosin staining results showed that in the two groups, the LARS artificial ligaments in the free part of the articular cavity and bone tunnel were surrounded by a large number of autologous tissues in a fusiform arrangement; autologous fibrous tissues and artificial ligament were wrapped well but arranged irregularly; mature fibrous tissues and few capillary infiltration were found in the bone tunnel and free part of the joint cavity, but without necrotic tissues. Masson staining results showed that the inner and outer parts of the LARS in the bone tunnel were wrapped by blue collagen, the red-stained bones located outside the collagen, and no obvious transitional zone appeared. These results showed that the LARS artificial ligament holds good biocompatibility and fibrous tissue induction, which can promote bone healing.

Toad venom as a Chinese traditional natural medicine with a kind of effective chemical components has been widely used for many disease.Recently more and more research was focused on its remarkable antitumor efforts, new studies have found that the mechanism was closely associated with endoplasmic reticulum stress,tumor-related inflammation, autophagy, mitochondria-induced apoptosis pathway, heat chock protein and immuneomodulatory.In this article we reviewed the antitumor research advances of toad venom and its active compounds from several aspects mentioned above.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Joints ; injuries ; Male ; Meridians ; Middle Aged ; Sprains and Strains ; therapy ; Young Adult

The aim of this study is to analyze how patients with chronic diseases from Shanghai interpret their disease, and how these interpretations influence patients' life satisfaction, intention to escape from their illness and their ability to reflect on the implications of their illness.

OBJECTIVE: To establish a staging standard for a transplanted hepatoma model in rats, which may be equivalent to the human primary liver cancer. METHODS: A transplanted hepatoma model was made in SD rats by implantation of histologically intact Walker-256 tumor fragment into the left lateral lobe of the liver. The body weight, tumor volume and serum albumin level of the rats were measured and assayed in different periods. Pathological sections were also fabricated to detect the invasion and metastasis of the neighboring tissues. RESULTS: The body weight loss and ascites occurred at the 12th and 18th day separately. The serum albumin level was (35.32+/-2.45) g/L at the 11th day, which showed no statistical difference as compared with the healthy rats (P>0.05), and the albumin level at the 18th day was significantly lower than that at the 11th day (P<0.05). At the 23rd day, 56.25% of the rats developed bloody ascites. CONCLUSION: The period between 5-11 days in the model rats may be correspondent to the early stage of human primary liver cancer, and the biological behavior of the model rats at the18th day may be correspondent to the late stage of human primary liver cancer. This staging standard might be the guideline for model selection in experimental study of primary liver cancer.

To observe the effects of cinobufacini injection on serum levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and adrenaline (ADR) in rats, and to speculate the property (cold or heat) of the drug.

By means of global budget,the disease-specific scoring method was put in place for both settlement and payment in Huaian,Jiangsu province,for the purpose of cost control by the hospitals.This reform consists of total cost accounting,rational performance-based distribution system,multi-approached regulation of medical behaviors,and individual disease management to regulate medical behavior.These efforts aim at aligning with medical insurance payment reform,so as to improve hospital management,operation quality and socio-economic outcomes.Problems found in practice were also reviewed.

Objective To study the reversal effect on acquired multidrug resistance (MDR) of human hepatocellular caricinoma (HCC) by Ganli Injection. Methods Proliferative inhibition rate of HCC BEL-7402/5-Fu cell line and reversal index of 5-Fu acquired MDR were measured by MTT assay. Cell morphological changes were observed under inverted microscope and Wright-Giemsa stain method. Fluorescence intensity of Adriamycin (ADM) was detected by Flow cytometry. Results HCC BEL-7402/5-Fu cell line exhibited cross-resistance to general chemotherapeutics in clinic. Proliferative inhibition rates of HCC BEL-7402/5-Fu cell line treated for 72 h by Ganli Injection at the (matrine) concentration of 0.230, 0.115, 0.058 mg/mL were (9.25?2.38)%, (8.46?1.90)%, and (4.23?2.05)%, respectively. The corresponding reversal indexes to 5-Fu were 5.50, 3.83, and 2.25. Pre-treatment of Galli Injection at the concentration of 0.230 mg/mL for 2 h could increase the accumulation of ADM in cells to 38.61%.Conclusion Ganli Injection has the effect on reversing 5-Fu acquired MDR of human hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro.

Even in secular societies, a small portion of patients find their spirituality to help cope with illness. But for the majority of patients, psychosocial and spiritual needs are neither addressed nor even considered a relevant factor by health care professionals. To measure such specific needs, the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire (SpNQ) was developed. The aim of this study was to validate the Chinese version of the SpNQ (SpNQ-Ch) and thus to measure psychosocial and spiritual needs of Chinese patients.