The incidence of spinal fusion surgery has increased due to an increase in the incidence of degenerative spinal disease or trauma. Moreover, the development of various kinds of implants and bone graft substitutes has also increased. The animal models of spinal fusion are useful methods in evaluating the effectiveness of the newly developed spinal implants or bone graft substitutes. The most widely used animal models of spinal fusion are posterolateral fusion model, posterior fusion model, and anterior interbody fusion model. Mice, rats, rabbits, dogs, pigs, goats, sheep, and primates are frequently used in animal models of spinal fusion. Small animals are implanted with a bone graft substitute without internal fixation; however middle- or large-sized animals are implanted with a bone graft substitute using pedicle screws or cages. Small animals are easy to handle due to their size, but have different anatomical or biomechanical reactions with the human body. Middle- or large-sized animals have characteristics like the human body, but they are difficult to handle or there is an ethical problem. The fusion status is evaluated by manual palpation, mechanical testing using Instron, and radiologic techniques such as computed tomography, micro-computed tomography or undecalcified histology. The fusion rate and duration required for successful fusion differ according to the species and anatomical site. We have identified and reviewed several typical animal models of spinal fusion.
Animals* ; Dogs ; Goats ; Human Body ; Incidence ; Mice ; Models, Animal* ; Orthopedics* ; Palpation ; Pedicle Screws ; Primates ; Rabbits ; Rats ; Sheep ; Spinal Diseases ; Spinal Fusion* ; Swine ; Transplants

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous group of neurobehavioral disorders characterized by the two core domains of behavioral deficits, including sociability deficits and stereotyped repetitive behaviors. It is not clear whether the core symptoms of ASD are produced by dysfunction of the overall neural network of the brain or that of a limited brain region. Recent studies reported that excessive glutamatergic or dopaminergic inputs in the dorsal striatum induced sociability deficits and repetitive behaviors. These findings suggest that the dorsal striatum plays a crucial role in autistic-like behaviors. The present study addresses whether functional deficits of well-known ASD-related genes in the dorsal striatum also produce ASD core symptoms. This study also examines whether these behavioral changes can be modulated by rebalancing glutamate and/or dopamine receptor activity in the dorsal striatum. First, we found that the siRNA-mediated inhibition of Shank3, Nlgn3, Fmr1, Mecp2, or Tsc1 in the dorsal striatum produced mild to severe behavioral changes in sociability, cognition, and/or repetitive behaviors. The knockdown effects of Mecp2 and Tsc1 on behavioral changes were the most prominent. Next, we demonstrated that behavioral changes induced by striatal inhibition of MeCP2 and TSC1 were rescued by D-cycloserine (an NMDA agonist), fenobam (an mGluR5 antagonist), SCH23390 (a D1 antagonist), and/or ecopipam (a D1 partial antagonist), pharmacological drugs that are known to regulate ASD-like symptoms in animal models. Collectively, these results suggest that the dorsal striatum is a critical brain region that, when dysfunctional, produces the core symptoms of ASD.
Autism Spectrum Disorder ; Brain ; Cognition ; Glutamic Acid ; Models, Animal ; N-Methylaspartate ; Receptors, Dopamine

A number of specific genetic variants including gene mutations and single nucleotide variations have been identified in genomewide association studies of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD phenotypes in individuals carrying specific genetic variations are manifest mostly in a heterozygous state. Furthermore, individuals with most genetic variants show incomplete penetrance and phenotypic variability, suggesting that non-genetic factors are also involved in developing ASD. However, the mechanisms of how genetic and environmental factors interactively promote ASD are not clearly understood. In the present study, we investigated whether early-life stress (ELS) in D2 dopamine receptor heterozygous knockout (D2(+/−)) mice induces ASD-like symptoms. To address that, we exposed D2 heterozygous pups to maternal separation stress for 3 h daily for 13 days beginning on postnatal day 2. D2(+/−) adult mice that had experienced ELS exhibited impaired sociability in the three-chamber test and home-cage social interaction test and increased grooming behavior, whereas wildtype littermates exposed to ELS did not show those phenotypes. ELS-exposed D2(+/−) mice had decreased levels of BDNF, TrkB, phospho-ERK1/2 and phospho-CREB in the dorsal striatum. Administration of the TrkB agonist 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF) to ELS-exposed D2(+/−) mice rescued the sociability deficits and repetitive behavior. In contrast, behavioral rescue by 7,8-DHF in ELS-exposed D2(+/−) mice was blocked when TrkB expression in the dorsal striatum was locally inhibited by the injection of TrkB-siRNA. Together, our results suggest that the interaction between ELS and defective D2 gene function promotes autistic-like behaviors by downregulating the BDNF-TrkB pathway in the dorsal striatum.
Adult ; Animals ; Autism Spectrum Disorder ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; Down-Regulation ; Genetic Variation ; Grooming ; Humans ; Interpersonal Relations ; Mice ; Penetrance ; Phenotype ; Receptor, trkB ; Receptors, Dopamine

Purpose: To investigate the effects of humidity and temperature on dry eye disease (DED) Methods: A retrospective, clinic-based study was conducted on DED patients undergoing dry eye treatment. Patients were followed up at least twice, and symptoms and signs were evaluated using the Symptoms Assessment Questionnaire in Dry Eye (SANDE) score, tear secretion, tear film breakup time (TBUT), ocular staining score, and tear osmolarity. Mean humidity and temperature values for 1 week before ocular examinations were used as the environmental exposure level. The relationship between humidity and temperature, with DED clinical parameters was analyzed in single- and multi-environmental factor models. Results: The study included 33 patients with a mean age of 53.9 ± 12.2 years. The low humidity group showed significantly higher SANDE scores (p = 0.023) and tear osmolarity (p = 0.008), and the low temperature group had higher SANDE scores (p = 0.004), ocular staining scores (p = 0.036), and tear osmolarity (p < 0.001). In the linear mixed model, single factor analysis showed that an increase in humidity resulted in decreased SANDE scores (p = 0.043), and an increase in temperature led to a decrease in SANDE score (p = 0.007), ocular staining score (p = 0.007), and tear osmolarity (p = 0.012). In the multifactor analysis, changes in humidity had no significant effect on dry eye parameters, but an increase in temperature was significantly correlated with decreased SANDE score (p = 0.026), ocular staining score (p = 0.024), and tear osmolarity (p = 0.002). Conclusions Lower temperature led to aggravated symptoms and signs of DED and the effect of temperature on DED was more pronounced than humidity. Tear osmolarity was the most sensitive clinical parameter to be affected by climate factors in DED patients.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate health risk awareness pertaining to fine dust exposure and the use of face masks in farmers, as well as their attitude toward education regarding fine dust-related respiratory disease prevention. Methods: In total, 295 farmers were interviewed in a survey using a structured questionnaire to obtain data on general characteristics, farming-related characteristics, health risk awareness pertaining to fine dust exposure, attitude toward education on fine dust-related respiratory disease prevention and the use of face masks. This study was analyzed the correlation between the perceived susceptibility to fine dust exposure and willingness to participate in education on fine dust-related respiratory disease prevention. Results: The mean score for perceived susceptibility to fine dust exposure was 3.8 (out of 5), and the participants were highly willing to receive education on fine dust-related respiratory disease prevention. In Multiple response analysis of reactions to exposure to fine dust generated during work, 221 participants responded that they practiced at least one preventive action; participants gave a positive response to "wearing masks" (56.1%), "personal hygiene, such as hand washing." (52.9%). In terms of education methods, 94 (33.6%) participants preferred to learn online or via text messages. Conclusions The significant correlation between the perceived susceptibility to fine dust exposure and willingness to participate in education on fine dust-related respiratory disease prevention shows the importance of promoting education on prevention. The results of this study can help understand as reference for education on fine dust-related respiratory disease prevention.

Acute liver failure due to malignant melanoma is uncommon. We presents a case of acute liver failure secondary to hepatic infiltration of a malignant melanoma. An 86-year-old man was admitted with elevated liver enzymes and an increased lactate dehydrogenase level. His condition progressed to acute liver failure, but the etiology of liver failure was unclear. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed to evaluate dyspepsia, which showed signs indicative of malignant melanoma. Based on the endoscopy findings and elevated liver enzyme levels, liver biopsy was performed to confirm the presence of malignant melanoma. Hepatic infiltration of malignant melanoma was observed histologically. However, massive and diffuse liver metastasis is very rare and difficult to identify on imaging studies. If the etiology of liver failure is unclear, diffuse metastatic melanoma infiltration should be considered as differential diagnosis. Early liver biopsy can help to clarify the diagnosis.

Adenylyl cyclase type-5 (AC5) is preferentially expressed in the dorsal striatum. Recently, we reported that AC5 knockout (KO) mice preferred food pellets carrying an olfactory cue produced by AC5 KO mice during food consumption (AC5 KO pellets) over food pellets that had been taken by wildtype (WT) mice. In the present study, we demonstrated that whisker trimming on the right side of the face but not the left in AC5 KO mice blocked the behavioral preference for AC5 KO pellets. Conversely, whisker trimming on the right but not the left in WT mice induced a behavioral preference for AC5 KO pellets. Mice lacking D2 dopamine receptor (D2 KO mice) also showed a behavioral preference for AC5 KO pellets. In D2 mice, whisker trimming on the right side of the face but not the left blocked a behavioral preference for AC5 KO food pellets. AC5 KO mice had increased level of phospho-CaMKIIα in the dorsal striatum, and WT mice with whiskers cut on either side also showed increased p-CaMKIIα level in the dorsal striatum. The siRNA-mediated inhibition of CaMKIIα in the dorsal striatum in either the right or the left hemisphere in AC5 KO mice and D2 KO mice blocked the behavioral preference for AC5 KO pellets. However, behavioral changes induced by this inhibition on each side showed asymmetrical time courses. These results suggest that an unconditioned behavioral preference for specific food pellets can be switched on or off based on the balance of states of neural activity in the dorsal striatum regulated by a signaling pathway centered on AC5 and D2 and the sensory inputs of whiskers from the right side of the face.
Animals ; Cues ; Mice ; Receptors, Dopamine ; Vibrissae* ; Adenylyl Cyclases

Adenylyl cyclase type-5 (AC5) is preferentially expressed in the dorsal striatum. Recently, we reported that AC5 knockout (KO) mice preferred food pellets carrying an olfactory cue produced by AC5 KO mice during food consumption (AC5 KO pellets) over food pellets that had been taken by wildtype (WT) mice. In the present study, we demonstrated that whisker trimming on the right side of the face but not the left in AC5 KO mice blocked the behavioral preference for AC5 KO pellets. Conversely, whisker trimming on the right but not the left in WT mice induced a behavioral preference for AC5 KO pellets. Mice lacking D2 dopamine receptor (D2 KO mice) also showed a behavioral preference for AC5 KO pellets. In D2 mice, whisker trimming on the right side of the face but not the left blocked a behavioral preference for AC5 KO food pellets. AC5 KO mice had increased level of phospho-CaMKIIα in the dorsal striatum, and WT mice with whiskers cut on either side also showed increased p-CaMKIIα level in the dorsal striatum. The siRNA-mediated inhibition of CaMKIIα in the dorsal striatum in either the right or the left hemisphere in AC5 KO mice and D2 KO mice blocked the behavioral preference for AC5 KO pellets. However, behavioral changes induced by this inhibition on each side showed asymmetrical time courses. These results suggest that an unconditioned behavioral preference for specific food pellets can be switched on or off based on the balance of states of neural activity in the dorsal striatum regulated by a signaling pathway centered on AC5 and D2 and the sensory inputs of whiskers from the right side of the face.
Animals ; Cues ; Mice ; Receptors, Dopamine ; Vibrissae* ; Adenylyl Cyclases

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)-related perforations of the duodenum are rare but serious complications. Some ERCP-related perforations can be successfully managed without surgery. However, the presence of duodenal perforation may lead to premature termination of the ERCP and need for additional procedure such as percutaneous biliary drainage. If the ERCP-related perforation is identified early during the procedure, primary closure of the perforation can be attempted first or after completion of ERCP. We report two cases of duodenal perforation during ERCP in which ERCP was successfully completed after primary closure of the perforation.
Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Drainage ; Duodenum ; Intestinal Perforation

No abstract available.
Neurilemmoma