BACKGROUND:Endogenous hydrogen sulfide can be used as a new gaseous signaling molecule, and has important signal transfer function and biological regulation effects. OBJECTIVE:To study the neuroprotective effects of hydrogen sulfide in rats with acute cauda equina syndrome. METHODS: The 72 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to three groups. Experimental group, model group: laminectomy was performed at the lumbar 4 (L4) level of the vertebra, and a piece of silicone (10 mm long, 1 mm thick, and 1 mm wide) was placed under the laminae of the L5-6 vertebra to produce the animal model of cauda equina syndrome. Sham surgery group: a simple laminectomy was performed in L4, but silicone was not implanted. In the experimental group, 20 μmol/kg NaHS was injected intraperitonealy at 1 hour before model establishment. Model and sham surgery groups: an equal volume of saline was injected intraperitonealy. At 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours after model establishment, malonaldehyde and glutathione levels in cauda equina nerve tissue were detected. Simultaneously, hematoxylin-eosin staining and TUNEL staining were performed at 48 hours. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Hematoxylin-eosin staining demonstrated that cauda equina nerve tissue was dense and regular, with complete myelin sheath, no axon sweling in the sham surgery group. Cauda equina nerve tissue was sparse, with the presence of demyelination, and partial axons and myelin sheath sweling in the model group. Cauda equina nerve tissue was tight, with axonal sweling and demyelination in the experimental group. TUNEL staining demonstrated that the number of positive cels was less in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia in the sham surgery group. Abundant positive cels were detected in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia in the model group. The number of positive cels was significantly lower in the experimental group than that in the model group. Malonaldehyde levels were lower in the sham surgery and experimental groups than in the model group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), but glutathione levels were higher than model group (P < 0.05,P < 0.01). These results indicated that hydrogen sulfide could decrease oxidative stress and protect cauda equina nerve in rats with acute cauda equina syndrome.

BACKGROUND:Under hypoxic environment, hypoxia inducible factor-1 plays an important role in regulation of hypoxia-induced gene expression in the intervertebral disc. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 consists of α and βsubunits, and which hypoxia inducible factor-1α determines the stability and activity of hypoxia-inducible factor-1. OBJECTIVE: To observe the expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1α in the human lumbar nucleus pulposus of different herniated types and to judge their relationships. METHODS:A total of 60 nucleus pulposus samples were harvested from the lumbar vertebra, including 41 from L4-5 and 19 from L5-S1, and then divided into protruded group and sequestered group, with 30 cases in each group. Meanwhile, another 10 samples of lumbar nucleus pulposus served as controls. Hematoxylin-eosin staining and streptavidin-biotin peroxidase complex immunohistochemical technique were used to observe the expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1α in the human lumbar nucleus pulposus in different groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The expression level of hypoxia inducible factor-1α was (58.2±7.5)% in the sequestered group, (27.3±2.3)% in the protruded group, and (10.5±4.7)% in the control group, which was significantly higher in the sequestered group than the other two groups (P < 0.01). These findings indicate that the expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1α in the lumbarnucleus pulposus is associated with the herniated types, which is the highest in the prolapse sequestered type.

BACKGROUND: The spinal instability would accelerate the degeneration of normal disk. The injuries of anterior longitudinal ligament (ALL) and intervertebral disk were usually caused by cervical trauma, which leaded to spinal instability. Currently, there were few animal researches about the degeneration of injured intervertebral disk affected by ALL destruction.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the degeneration of injured intervertebral disk after spinal instability in the rabbit model of different degrees of ALL and disc destruction.METHODS: A total of 24 New-Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into intervertebral disk injury group (Group A, n=6), partial injury of ALL with disc injury group (Group B, n=6), injury of bony attachment point of ALL with disc injury group (Group C, n=6) and entirely injury of ALL with disc injury group (Group D, n=6). The L2-L3 intervertebral disk and ALL were injured through abdominal cavity. Different groups received different treatments. Computed tomography (CT) scans of the injured disc were performed at the postoperative 4 and 8 weeks, and the middle high of injured discs was calculated on CT sagittal reconstruction. Three rabbits were selected from each group. Hematoxylin-eosin staining of injured disc was performed after the animals were killed. Results were examined under the light microscope.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) At postoperative 4 weeks, the middle height of injured discs in Group D was decreased significantly compared with Group A (P < 0.05). There were hyperosteogeny and calcification in Group C and Group D. There were nucleus pulposus cells reduction and inflammatory reaction in Group C and Group D on histological staining. (2) At postoperative 8 weeks, the middle height of injured discs respective was decreased significantly compared with Group A (P < 0.05). The hyperosteogeny and calcification became clearer in Group C and Group D than before. There were morphologic changes of nucleus pulposus cells and fibrillation by hematoxylin-eosin staining, and the degree of disc degeneration was Group D > Group C > Group B > Group A. (3) In conclusion, the injury of ALL would accelerate the degeneration of correspondingly injured disk, and the degree of injury of ALL was positively correlated with the degeneration of disk.

BACKGROUND:Under hypoxic environment, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α plays a dualregulatory role in cel apoptosis. Severity of hypoxia is the key to determine whether cels appear to have apoptosis or adapt to survive. When the cels are exposed to chronic or extreme hypoxia, a lack of protection mechanisms from hypoxia-inducible factor-1α can induce cel apoptosis. OBJECTIVE: To research the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α in human lumbar nucleus pulposus of different herniated types and its relationships with cel apoptosis. METHODS: The nucleus pulposus was harvested from 60 cases of herniation of lumbar intervertebral discs, L4-5 in 41 cases and L5-S1 in 19 cases. The nucleus pulposus tissues were equaly divided into protruded and sequestered groups. Meanwhile, the nucleus pulposus tissues from another 10 cases of lumbar spine fracture were taken as control group. Expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α and apoptosis of lumbar nucleus pulposus cels were observed and detected with immunohistochemical technique and TUNEL method. Correlation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α and apoptosis in human lumbar nucleus pulposus of different herniated types was analyzed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α was visualized in each case, but it was significantly higher in the sequestered group than in the protruded group and control group (P < 0.01). Apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cels were found in al the three groups, but the apoptotic rate was also higher in the sequestered group than in the protruded group and control group (P < 0.01). Expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α was positively correlated with cel apoptosis in human lumbar nucleus pulposus (P < 0.01). Overal, the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor1α in degenerative human lumbar nucleus pulposus is associated with herniated types, which is the highest in the sequestered type. The relationship between hypoxia-inducible factor 1α and apoptosis is positive.

BACKGROUND:The methylprednisolone pulse therapy in early period of spinal cord injury can attenuate the pathological degree of spinal cord injury, however no breakthrough was found within recent 20 years.
OBJECTIVE:To observe the protection effects of sodium aescinate on the nerve cellapoptosis and expression of glial fibrial ary acidic protein (GFAP) in the early spinal cord injured rats.
METHODS:Spinal cord injury models were established with the modified Al en’s method in 180 Sprague-Dawley rats, and were randomly divided into three groups, with 60 rats in each group. Immediately after injury, the rats in three groups were intraperitoneal y injected with sodium aescinate (5 mg/kg), methylprednisolone (100 mg/kg) and equal saline, respectively, once per day. At 8 hours, 24 hours, 96 hours and 7 days, 14 days after injury, rats were sacrificed and the injured segments were resected for hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemical staining, the nerve cellapoptosis and GFAP expression were detected.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The apoptotic nerve cells were seen at 8 hours after injury and the number of apoptotic cells reached the peak at 7 days, the edema was attenuated at 14 days without less nerve cellapoptosis in al groups, significantly fewer apoptotic nerve cells can be seen in sodium aescinate and methylprednisolone groups compared with the control group (P<0.05) at each time. The expression of GFAP was increased in the time dependant manner in al groups, the increase was slow in methylprednisolone group but sharp in sodium aescinate group and control group within 96 hours. There was no difference between control group and sodium aescinate group within 24 hours (P>0.05), which was lower than methylprednisolone group (P<0.05);after 96 hours, methylprednisolone group and sodium aescinate group were both significantly lower than control group (P<0.05). Furthermore, the decreasing expression was observed in al groups after 7 days. Sodium ascinate has obvious protection effects on nerve cells in spinal cord injured rats and promotes neurological function through decreasing GFAP expression after injury. The efficacy of sodium ascinate is equal to that of methylprednisolone within 2 hours.

Objective To measure the sagittal diameter of vertebral plate(SDVP) in the developmental cervical stenosis (DCS) group by cervical vertebral lateral X-ray film to provide a new idea for diagnosing DCS.Methods A total of 401 cervical vertebral X-ray films conforming to the standard were collected and divided into the non-DCS group and DCS group.On the lateral radiographs of the cervical spine,SDVP(the distance from the posterior edge of zygapophysial joint to spinal laminar line) at C3-C6 segments was measured,and the differences in SDVP were compared between the non-DCS group and DCS group.Then the differences were also compared between sexes.Results SDVP at C3-C6 segments was(5.23 ± 0.93),(5.55 ± 0.94),(5.64±0.97) and (5.12±0.84) mm in the non-DCS group,and (3.87±1.11),(3.66± 1.00),(3.77±0.92) and (2.99±0.72) mm in the DCS group,the differences between the two groups were statistically significant(P＜0.05),moreover SDVP had the same statistical difference between sexes(P＜0.05).Conclusion SDVP at C3-C6 segments in DCS patients is significant shortened compared with the normal person.

Objective:To explore stigma and related factors among family members of patients with mental disorders in psychiatric hospitals.Methods:Totally 1 365 family members of inpatients with mental disorders were-surveyed,and were assessed with the Perceived Devaluation-Discrimination Scale and a self-made demographic characteristics questionnaire.Results:The screening rate of stigma among the patient's family members was 61.5％.Males(OR=2.26,95％CI:1.06-5.01),age group of 18-29 years(OR=1.91,95％CI:1.15-3.20),monthly income ≥500 yuan(P＜0.05),disease duration of 0.5-＜lyear(OR=3.14,95％CI:1.66-6.03),care for patients within＜lyear(P＜0.05),teachers(OR=2.32,95％CI:1.24-3.44),self-employed person(OR=1.63,95％CI:1.02-2.24),civil servants(OR=1.77,95％CI:1.09-2.45),schizophrenia(OR=1.87,95％CI:1.32-2.42),affective disorders(OR=1.52,95％CI:1.03-2.016)were the main riskfactors of stigma.Conclusions:Family members of patients with mental disorders generally have a severe stigma,especially of patients with schizophrenia and affective disorders.