BACKGROUND:Conventional therapies for lumbar spondylolisthesis can result in trauma,bleeding and low back pain.With the vigorous development of spinal biomechanics and novel spinal fixation systems,we have more understanding on the reduction and fusion after spondylolisthesis.OBJECTIVE:To observe the clinical effects of transforaminal lumbar interbody fusionvia the quadrant system on lumbar spondylolisthesis and related biomechanical changes.METHODS:A retrospective analysis was done in 23 patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis undergoing transforaminal lumbar interbody fusionviathe quadrant system admitted from June 2012 to September 2013.Oswestry disability index and visual analog scale score were detected at 3 months and 1 year after treatment,as wel as fusion conditions and internal fixation with or without loosening or breakage.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Al patients were successfuly treated,with no cerebrospinal fluid leakage and nerve injury.Incisions were healed wel in al cases except one case suffered from incision infection that wascontroled after 10 days of antibiotic treatment.Al the patients were folowed up.The Oswestry disability indexes and visual analog scale scores were significantly improved at 3 months and 1 year after treatment (P ＜0.05),but there was no difference in these two scores at 3 months and 1 year after treatment (P＞0.05).The improvement rates of Oswestry disability index and visual analog scale score were (65.3±14.8)％and (58.2±12.0)％,respectively.These findings indicate that the transforaminal lumbar interbody fusionvia the quadrant system is safe and effective to correct lumbar spondylolisthesis,maintains the biomechanical stability,improves patient's symptoms,reduces the incidence of low back pain and improves the quality of life.

ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy and toxic and adverse effects of high-dose hypofractionated radiotherapy in elderly patients with stage Ⅳ pancreatic cancer. MethodsThe clinical data of the patients with pancreatic cancer and distant metastasis who were admitted to our hospital from September 2011 to May 2015 were collected, and all the patients underwent high-dose hypofractionated helical tomotherapy. The data on efficacy and toxic and adverse effects were obtained through follow-up, and the evaluation of adverse effects was performed according to National Cancer Institute-Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.02. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. ResultsA total of 33 patients older than 65 years received the high-dose hypofractionated radiotherapy. Of all the patients, 30 received follow-up visits, and the follow-up rate was 91.0%. The median survival time was 9 months, the 1-year overall survival rate was 24.0%, and the rate of pain relief was 80.0% (20/25). The treatment outcome of pancreatic lesions could be evaluated in 17 patients, among whom 4 (23.5%) achieved partial remission, 12 (70.6%) achieved stable disease, and 1 (5.9%) experienced progression. As for toxic and adverse effects, the incidence rate of grade 3 hematologic toxicity was 6.7% (2/30), and no patients experienced grade ＞2 upper gastrointestinal reactions. ConclusionIn elderly patients with stage IV pancreatic cancer, high-dose hypofractionated radiotherapy has tolerable toxic and adverse effects and can relieve cancer pain and prolong survival time.

The heptadecapeptide orphanin FQ(OFQ)is a recently discovered neuropeptide that exhibits structural features reminiscent of the opioid peptides and that is an endogenous ligant to a G protein-coupled receptor sequentially related to the opioid receptors.OFQ was originally isolated from brain,but the presence of OFQ in peripheral tissues,especially in cardiovascular system,has not been clarified.The present study was designed to investigate the peripheral tissue distribution of OFQ precusor Mrna in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHRSP)and compare the difference of OFQ precusor Mrna expression in aorta or cultured vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs)between SHRSP and wistar-Kyoto normotensive(WKY)rats.By using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR),OFQ precusor Mrna was detected in aorta and ovary at high levels comparable with the amounts found in brain.Moderate expression was found in testis,while a little OFQ precusor Mrna could be detected in atrium.All other peripheral tissues examined from SHRSP,including ventricle,liver,lung and kidney,showed no expression of OFQ precusor Mrna.In the vascular system,OFQ precusor Mrna was expressed in aorta,pulmonary artery,renal artery and vein at high levels comparable with the amounts found in brain.We also found that OFQ precusor Mrna levels were much higher in aorta or cultured VSMCs from SHRSP than those from WKY rats.In conclusion,the present study has shown that OFQ precusor Mrna is present in some peripheral tissues,especially in cardiovascular and reproductive system,suggesting that OFQ possibly involves in the regulation of cardiovascular and reproductive functions.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles(ZnO NPs) on the oxidative damage in human alveolar type Ⅱ epithelial cell line A549.METHODS: The A549 cells in logarithmic growth phase were incubated with ZnO NPs solution at dose of 0,10,20 and 40 mg/L as 4 dose groups.The levels of reactive oxygen species(ROS) were measured by flow cytometer after 4 hours of exposure.The malondialdehyde(MDA) content and super oxide dismutase(SOD) activity were measured by microplate reader after 8 hours of exposure.RESULTS: The ROS levels in A549 cells exposed to 10,20,40 mg/L ZnO NPs were significantly increased compared with control group(P<0.05).The level of ROS increased with the exposure dose of ZnO NPs in A549 cells(P<0.01).The activities of SOD in A549 cells exposed to 10,20,40 mg/L ZnO NPs were significantly decreased compared with control group(P<0.05).The level of MDA and the ratios of MDA/SOD increased compared with control group(P<0.05).The activity of SOD in A549 cells decreased with the increase of ZnO NPs exposure dose(P<0.01),and the level of MDA and the ratios of MDA/SOD increased with the increase of exposure(P<0.01).CONCLUSION: ZnO NPs could induce lipid peroxidation in A549 cells with a dose-effect relationship.

Cancer-associated thromboembolism(CAT)is one of the most common complications and the second direct cause of mortality in patients with malignant tumors,which seriously affect patients'life quality and prognosis.In recent years,with the deepening of mechanism researches of cancer and thrombosis,treatment strategies of CAT were also improved.The current status and progresses of clinical treatment of CAT were reviewed in this article.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the chemical constituents from the leaves of Jatropha curcas and evaluate their inhibition on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated BV-2 microglia cells. METHODS: The n-BuOH extract of the leaves of J. curcas was isolated by macroporous adsorption resin, silica gel, ODS, column chromatography and semi-preparative HPLC. The structures of the compounds were identified by MS, NMR, ECD, and other spectroscopic methods. In addition, anti-neuroinflammatory effects of isolated compounds were evaluated by measuring the production of nitric oxide (NO) in over-activated BV-2 cells. RESULTS: Seventeen compounds, including (7R,8S)-crataegifin A-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside ( 1), (8R,8'R)-arctigenin ( 2), arctigenin-4'-O-β-D-glucopyranoside ( 3), (-)-syringaresinol ( 4), syringaresinol-4'-O-β-D-glucopyranoside ( 5), (-)-pinoresinol ( 6), pinoresinol-4'-O-β-D-glucopyranoside ( 7), buddlenol D ( 8), (2R,3R)-dihydroquercetin ( 9), (2S,3S)-epicatechin ( 10), (2R,3S)-catechin ( 11), isovitexin ( 12), naringenin-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside ( 13), chamaejasmin ( 14), neochamaejasmin B ( 15), isoneochamaejasmin A ( 16), and tomentin-5-O-β-D-glucopyranoside ( 17) were isolated and identified. Compounds 2, 4 and 8 significantly inhibited the release of NO in BV-2 microglia activated by LPS, with IC₅₀ values of 18.34, 29.33 and 26.30 μmol/L, respectively. CONCLUSION Compound 1 is a novel compound, and compounds 2, 3, 8, 14- 17 are isolated from Jatropha genus for the first time. In addition, the lignans significantly inhibited NO release and the inhibitory activity was decreased after glycosylation.