Objective To explore the detailed underlying molecular and signaling mechanisms in the effects of icariin on bone formation by an in vitro cell model. Methods The proliferation of MC3T3-E1 osteoblast-like cells was evaluated by MTT, and gene expression of cell cycle related proteins in MC3T3-E1 cells after icariin treatment was detected by real-time PCR. The phosphorylation of MAPK signals, including ERK, P38, and JNK was determined by Western blot, and then the inhibitors of MAPK signals were used to treat cells with icariin alone or together to determine the role of MAPKs in the process of icariin treatment on MC3T3-E1 cell proliferation. Alkaline phosphatase and Alizarin red staining were used to detect the formation of mineralization nodules, and gene expressions of alkaline phosphatase, type Ⅰ collagen, and osteocalcin in osteoblasts after being treated by icariin were evaluated by real-time PCR. ICI182780, and nilutamide was used to decide the participation of estrogen and androgen receptor signals in the process of icariin treatment on the differentiation and mineralization of MC3T3-E1 cells. Results Treatment with icariin promoted MC3T3-E1 cell growth in a time- and dose-dependent manner. This treatment also revealed that icariin increased the expression of mRNAs encoding both cyclin E and PCNA, positive regulators of cell growth, but decreased levels of mRNAs encoding Cdkn2b, a negative regulator of cell cycle progression. When MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured in a differentiated condition, icariin enhanced mineralized nodule formation and increased the expression of mRNAs encoding alkaline phosphatase, type Ⅰ collagen, and osteocalcin. Treatment with icariin significantly induced phosphorylation of both ERK and JNK and this phosphorylated effect occurred very rapidly within 5 minutes and reached peak at 15 minutes. Furthermore, the stimulated effects of icariin on proliferation and gene expression of cyclin E, PCNA, and Cdkn2b in MC3T3-E1 cells were dramatically attenuated by treatment with both U0126 and SP600125, inhibitors of MAPKs. Interestingly, such stimulating effects of icariin were at least partly reduced by treatment with ICI182780, an inhibitor of estrogen receptor. Icariin induced mineralized nodule formation and gene expression of alkaline phosphatase, type Ⅰ collagen, and osteocalcin in MC3T3-E1 cells were also partly reduced when the cells were treated with ICI182780. Conclusions Our findings indicate that the anabolic effect of icariin on bone formation is, at least partly, mediated through the MAPK signaling pathway in order to modulate osteoblast proliferation and differentiation.

OBJECTIVETo explore the procedures of dynamic infusion cavernosometry and cavernosography (DICC) and their application in the diagnosis and classification of venous erectile dysfunction (VED).

METHODSThis study included 103 ED patients, aged 20 to 43 years, highly suspected of VED, with disease courses of 4 months to 6 years. DICC was performed and analyses were made on the results, especially the parameters of flow-to-maintain (FTM) and pressure decay (PD) in the corpus cavernosum.

RESULTSBased on the parameters of FTM and PD, 21 of the patients were normal, 5 were suspected of VED, 39 had mild VED, 25 had moderate VED, and 13 had severe VED. Penile subcutaneous hematoma was found in 4 of the patients, all recovered after 3 to 5 days, with no other complications.

CONCLUSIONDICC is a reliable, safe and minimally invasive method for the diagnosis and classification of VED.

Diagnostic Techniques, Urological ; adverse effects ; Hematoma ; etiology ; Humans ; Impotence, Vasculogenic ; classification ; diagnosis ; Male ; Penile Diseases ; etiology ; Penis ; blood supply ; diagnostic imaging ; Radiography ; Veins

Objective To analyze the situation of health-risk behaviors of the students in specialty medical science college of Yunnan and its relationship with negative life events, and provide scientific evidence for lowering the occurrence rate of health-risk behaviors. Methods The stratified randomised cluster-sampling method was used to select 576 students of specialty medical science college, and the occurrence rate of health-risk behaviors and life events conditions were estimated by Youth Health-Risk Behavior Questionnaire and Adolescents Self-Rating Life Events Checklist. Descriptive statistic analysis, Chi-square test and Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the data. Results Among the students of specialty medical science college in Yunnan, the rate of smoking was 3.1%,the rate of drinking was 4.9%,the rate of food refusal was 39.6%, the rate of fighting was 13.5%,the rate of obsessed with the internet was 26.4%, and the rate of substance abuse was 3.1%. There were significant differences between the students of different genders (P<0.05) or specialities (P<0.05) . Logistic regression analysis showed total score of negative life events had positive influence on drinking (OR=1.017,P<0.05), food refusal (OR=1.018,P<0.05), fighting (OR=1.021,P<0.05), obsessed with the internet (OR=1.025, P<0.05), substance abuse (OR=1.025, P<0.05) . The factor of interpersonal relationship had positive influence on drinking (OR=1.162,P<0.05), food refusal (OR=1.102,P<0.05), substance abuse (OR=1.260, P<0.05) . The factor of punished had positive influence on fighting (OR=1.144, P<0.05), and had negative influence on drinking (OR=0.891, P<0.05) . The factor of study pressure had positive influence on fighting (OR=1.143, P<0.05), and the factor of loss had negative influence on fighting (OR=1.144, P<0.05) . Conclusion Negative life events are influencing factors for health-risk behaviors of the students in specialty medical science college of Yunnan, and there is difference on the way that the factor of life events influencing health-risk behaviors.

Objective To investigate the effects of icarrin on the activity and protein expression of core binding factor otl(Cbfa1) in rat osteoblasts cultured in vitro,and to explore whether mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is involved in this process.Methods Calvarial osteoblasts were obtained from newborn (<24 h) SD rats by trypsin-coUagenase digestion method.The second generation osteoblasts were cultured in the medium containing icariin (10 ng/ml) or estradiol (10-8 mol/L) with or without extracellular-signal regulated kinase (ERK) inhibitor (UO126) or p38MAPK inhibitor (SB203580).Nuclear protein was extracted from osteoblasts.And then the activity of Cbfa1 was detected by ELISA.The amounts of Cbfa1 protein were detected by Western blot.Results Calvarial osteoblasts were obtained successfully and were used in this study after indentified by alkaline phosphatase and mineralized nodus staining.Cbfa1 expression and the activity in osteoblasts were up-regulated by both icariin and estradiol (P<0.05).The effects were partly inhibited by addition of U0126or SB203580 (P<0.05).Conclusions Either icarrin or estradiol can stimulate the proliferation and maturation of cultured osteoblasts in vitro via up-regulating the activity and expression of Cbfal.The MAPK signal pathway inhibitor seems to partly decrease Cbfa1 activity.It suggests that MAPK pathway may be involved in the transduction of icariin's impact on proliferation and mineralization of osteoblasts.

Biopsy ; Biopsy, Needle ; Bone Marrow ; pathology ; Bone Marrow Examination ; methods ; Bone Marrow Neoplasms ; pathology ; secondary ; Breast Neoplasms ; pathology ; Cytological Techniques ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; pathology ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo study the anatomical and morphological characteristics of the venous spaces involved in surgery via transsphenoidal approach to the cavernous sinus (CS).

METHODSTen fixed cadaver heads (six male, four female) with red and blue latex injected in the arteries and veins, respectively, were used to perform the transsphenoidal approach. The anterior wall of the sphenoidal sinus and the floor of sellar turcica were opened as much as possible to expose the dura mater at the sellar floor and the inferior wall of CS, and the location of the anterior and inferior intercavernous sinuses were observed carefully. All the spaces of CS were observed and measured. According to the observations, the venous spaces available for operation were identified and analyzed.

RESULTSIn all the cadaver heads, 4 anterior and 5 inferior intercavernous sinuses were found, with the former locating below the optic protuberance, while the latter situated at the turn of the sellar protuberance at the clival indentation. CS was subdivided into medial space, inferolateral space, and dorsolateral space.

CONCLUSIONSIn transsphenoidal approach, opening of anterior and inferior intercavernous sinus is liable to result in intra- and postoperative venous bleeding, and understanding of the location of the intercavernous sinus and appropriate utilization of these CS may help reduce intraoperative vascular and nerve injury.

Cadaver ; Cavernous Sinus ; anatomy & histology ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Models, Anatomic ; Neurosurgical Procedures ; Sphenoid Sinus ; anatomy & histology ; blood supply ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo study the microanatomy of the perforating arteries in the superior space of the internal carotid artery visualized through a pterional approach.

METHODSTwelve (24 sides) perfused cadaver heads were dissected via the pterional approach, and the perforating arteries in the superior space of the internal carotid artery were studied under microscope. The diameter, course and distribution in the anterior perforated substance of the perforating arteries were recorded.

RESULTSAll the perforating arteries exposed lied on the side of the brain tissue. The carotid bifurcation on 8 sides had perforating arteries, and 11 sides showed medial lenticulostriate artery of the middle cerebral arteries, with short course and overlapped with another perforating arteries upon entry into the anterior perforated substance. On 4 sides, the medial lenticulostriate artery coincided with the perforating arteries in A1. All 24 sides showed middle lenticulostriate artery and lateral lenticulostriate artery of the middle cerebral arteries. Most of the lenticulostriate arteries originated from the anterior segment of the bifurcation of the middle cerebral arteries. The earlier bifurcation occurred in M1 of the middle cerebral arteries, the more perforating arteries originated. On 22 sides, the anterior cerebral arteries had perforating arteries with many branches, and fewer perforating arteries in a main artery were associated with greater diameter of them.

CONCLUSIONThe superior space of the internal carotid artery allows a space for operation, and in some cases, part of the medial leticulostriate arteries and A1 perforating arteries can be severed to obtain larger space for the operation.

Brain ; anatomy & histology ; blood supply ; surgery ; Cadaver ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; anatomy & histology ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Microsurgery ; Neuroanatomy ; methods

OBJECTIVETo summary the microsurgical techniques for removal of huge tuberculum sellae meningiomas through the bi-subfrontal anterior longitudinal fission approach.

METHODSEleven patients with huge tuberculum sellae meningiomas underwent microsurgical removal of the meningiomas between January, 2005 and November, 2009. The microsurgical techniques were summarized, and the factors affecting the prognosis were analyzed.

RESULTSAmong all the patients, 5 had Simpson grade I meningioma removal and the other patients had Simpson grade II removal. No death occurred in these patients. Nine patients showed vision improvement after the surgery, one had no significant improvement, and the other one experienced worsening of vision. Transient postoperative diabetes insipidus occurred in 5 cases.

CONCLUSIONWith satisfactory exposure of Dorsum sellae, bottom of the third ventricle and cavernous sinus, the bi-subfrontal anterior longitudinal fission approach is suggested for treatment of tuberculum sellae meningiomas. The key to improve the GTR and reduce the complication lies in the sequence of the operation, namely resection of the tumoral basement before dissection of the potential arachnoidal space and tuberculum.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Meningeal Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery ; Meningioma ; pathology ; surgery ; Microsurgery ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Sella Turcica ; pathology ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To explore the management of endocrine disturbance related to Symptomatic Rathke's cleft cysts (RCCs) in both pre- and post-operation, as well as the risk factors for the recurrence of RCCs after the operation. Methods The clinical manifestations, radiological and pathologic features, treatment, and surgical outcomes of 11 cases of symptomatic RCCs were reviewed retrospectively. Results Headache recovered in 100% of patients and visual disturbance improved in 83.3%, and Amenorrhea and/or galactorrhea recovered or improved in 66.7% of patients. However, diabetes insipidus and panhypopituitarism did not improve postoperatively. Transcranial surgery was performed in 6 patients and transsphenoidal surgery in 5 patients. No recurrence occurred in transcranial radical resected cases while 2 of 5 subtotally removed cases recurred with an average follow-up of 34.5 months. Inflammation was present in two of the recurrent cases. Conclusion RCCs is a rare pathology with a wide specctrum of clinical and radiological features. Accurate preoperative diagnosis can be difficult. Endocrine disturbance should be evaluated both pre- and post-operatively, and proper hormones replacement therapy is mandatory in these selected patients, Removing as much as possible and multiple biopsies around the cyst wall will be helpful in accurate diagnosis, especially of cases showing atypical pathologic findings, and special attention should be paid to follow-up examination.

Objective To perform an anatomical study of the structures around the diaphragmatic foramen and analyze the mechanism of cerebrospinal fluid leak and empty sella(ES).Methods With HE and Masson staining,the structures around the diaphragmatic foramen were observed microscopically on serial histological sections of 8 fetal specimens.The transsphenoidal approach was then simulated in 10 adult cadaver heads,and the structures around the diaphragnmatic foramen were observed under an operating microscope.Results The suprasellar arachnoid adhered tightly to the pia mater covering the upper part of the pituitary stalk,and folded into the sella through the diaphragmatic foramen.On the upper surface of the pituitary gland,the diaphragm adhered to the pia mater of the gland around the foramen,and their histological boundaries could not be distinctly identified on the serial sections.The suprasellar cistern terminated above the foramen due to the restriction by the arachnoid,pia mater and sellae diaphragma.Conclusion The close anatomic relationship between the sellae diaphragm,pia mater,and suprasellar arachnoid is critical to prevention of cerebrospinal fluid leak,and the breach of this anatomic relation,especially in the transsphenoidal approach for pituitary adenoma management that causes excessive traction of the tumor,results in separation or rupture of the arachnoid and pia mater,which can be an important factor contributing to cerebrospinal fluid leak.The separation of the sellae diaphragm,pia mater and the upper surface of the pituitary gland may also play an important role in the occurrence of ES.