AIM: To compare the contents of calycosin and fermononetin between Radix Astragali and its fried product with honey. METHODS: The chromatographic column was a Waters SunfireTM C18 column(250 mm ? 4. 6 mm,5 ?m). The mobile phase was the mixture of methanol and water with a linear gradient elution at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. The ultraviolet wavelength was set up 254 nm,and the column temperature was maintained at 35 ℃. RESULTS: The contents of calycosin and fermononetin in Radix Astragali were 0. 247 9 mg/g and 0. 125 2 mg/g respectively,the contents of calycosin and fermononetin in Radix Astragali fried with honey were 0. 225 6 mg/g and 0. 108 2 mg/g,respectively. CONCLUSION: The contents of calycosin and fermononetin in Radix Astragali fried with honey decreased.

Objective To explore the clinical value of CT-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and imaging follow-up for patients with osteoid osteoma.Methods Thirty-seven patients with osteoid osteomas were selected.Their tumors occurred mainly in the femur and tibia (16/37,13/37) with local pain aggravated at night in 32 of the cases.They were treated with CT-guided RFA.One week,1 month and 3 months after the surgery,CT and MRI examinations were conducted to observe the density of the ablated area,any density (signal) changes and the recovery of adjacent tissues.A visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to assess the perceived pain of the patients.Results All of the patients went through the operation successfully and resumed unrestricted normal activity within 2 d to 1 week without complications.Field CT showed a low density of bone defects one month after the ablation,with the bone defect narrowing and peripheral thickened reactive bone thinning slightly 2 months later.One week after the RFA treatment the MRI's T2WI signal was lower than before the treatment and the T1WI signal was low.One month after the RFA the T2WI high signal of 20 of the patients (54.1％) had decreased and the T1WI low signal had narrowed compared to one week after the operation.The signals of the other 17 cases (45.9％) had returned to normal.Three months after the operation the T2WI high signal of 10 of the 20 patients (27％) had decreased further and their T1 WI low signal had also narrowed further compared to one month after the operation,with a total of 27 then normal.After the operation,the average VAS score decreased significantly compared to before the operation.Conclusion CT-guided RFA is a safe and effective minimally invasive method for the treatment of osteoid osteoma.Dynamic imaging is very useful for assessing the therapeutic effect in the short term.

Objective To assess the clinical and radiologic outcomes between laminoplasty with forominotomy(LF) and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion(ACDF) in treating cervical radiculomyelopathy(CRM). Methods Datas of 68 patients (ACDF=33, LF=35) from January 2008 to January 2010 was collected retrospectively, the follow-up is at least 2 years. The Japa-nese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score and associated recovery rate were evaluated. For radiographic evaluation, the lordotic an-gle and range of motion (ROM) at C2-C7 were investigated. The Neck Disabilitv Index Scale(NDI) was used to evaluate the degree of patient’pain at the last follow-up. Results Patients’demographics were similar between the two groups. The differences be-tween ACDF and LF in operative time (187min VS 154min),the blood loss (127 ml VS 235 ml) and the sensation of lower extremity (64.0%VS 66.0%) are significant(t=4.170, P=0.000;Z=-6.888, P=0.000;Z=-7.512, P=0.000). 1 case with failed fusion of bone graft 3 months post-operation. 3 cases of adjacent segment degenerative changes occurred at the 2nd year follow-up in ACDF group. But no such complications occurred in the EOLF group. In addition, ACDF group showed lower NDI score than LF group in extracting and amusing (Z=-3.947, P=0.000;t=-7. 523, P=0.000). Cervical lordosis of ACDF increased from 13.7° to 16.2°, while that of LF group decreased from 14.6° to 13.3°(Z=-3.374,P=0.001);Both of the two groups (ACDF/LF) exhibited decreased cervi-cal ROM (14.8° VS 16.5°, t=-2.167, P=0.034). Conclusion The two surgical procedures have similar clinical effects in treating multi-segmental CRM. However, the LF group demonstrated shorter operative time, fewer short-term complications, so it proved to be effective and safe surgical procedure.

Objective To evaluate the feasibility, safety and efficacy of CT-guided radiofrequency ablation in treating osteoid osteoma located at femoral neck. Methods Six patients with osteoid osteomas in the femoral neck received CT-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation. In all patients the main complaint was pain at the hip, and the course of disease varied from one month to 2 years, with an average of 8 months. Under spinal anesthesia the surgery was performed. With the help of CT guidance , a 3.5 to 4.0 mm coaxial drill system was inserted into the nidus, and an osseous access was established, then the bone biopsy needle was used to obtain specimens for pathological examination. Subsequently, a 1.5 to 2.0 cm active tip was introduced through a non-cooled radiofrequency needle into the nidus. Radiofrequency ablation was performed with the therapeutic temperature of 90℃, lasting for 6 minutes. The pain visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the clinical effectiveness. The postoperative MRI findings were compared with the preoperative ones. Results Three days after the treatment, different degrees of pain relief was obtained in all patients, and all patients could get out of bed and walked around in one week. Postoperative VSA was significantly decreased (P<0.01). No severe complications occurred during and after the procedure. And no recurrence was seen during the follow-up period. Conclusion For the treatment of osteoid osteoma located at femoral neck, CT-guided radiofrequency ablation is a safe and effective minimally invasive treatment with fewer complications and satisfactory clinical results.

Objective To investigate the eftect of radiation dose of dual-source computed tomography (CT) dual energy single-phase enhanced scan in patients with esophageal cancer.Methods The prospective study was conducted.The clinicopathological data of 56 patients with esophageal cancer who were admitted to the Lishui Hospital of Zhejiang University between January 2015 and December 2016 were collected.All the patients were divided into the experimental group (undergoing dual-source CT dual energy single-phase enhanced scan) and control group (undergoing dual-phase CT enhanced scan) bv randomised block method.TNM classification of esophageal cancer (Seventh Edition) published by American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) was used as a standard TNM staging.Two observers independently read films.All the patients underwent radical resection of esophageal cancer or palliative surgery,and then received adjuvant radiochemotherapy.Follow-up using outpatient examination and telephone interview was performed to detect postoperative survival of patients up to March 2017.Observation indicators:(1) consistencies of T staging,N staging and M staging;(2) accuracies of T staging,N staging and M staging (pathological results as a gold standard);(3) radiation dose of CT scan;(4) treatment and follow-up situations.The Kappa test was used for evaluating the consistency,κ≥0.75 as a good consistency,0.40≤κ＜0.75 as a normal consistency and κ＜0.40 as a poor consistency.Comparisons of count data and ratio were done by the chi-square test.Comparisons of measurement data were analyzed by the t test.Results A total of 50 patients were enrolled in the study,including 25 in the experimental group and 25 in the control group.(1) Consistencies of T staging,N staging and M staging:all the 50 patients finished successfully CT scans.Two observers considered that consistencies of T staging,N staging and M staging in the 2 groups were normal (κ =0.452,0.618,0.729,P＜0.05).Consistencies of N staging and M staging were superior to T staging.(2) The pathological results were used as a gold standard.Accuracies of T staging,N staging and M staging in the experimental and control groups were 72％,76％ and 88％,84％ and 92％,88％,respectively,with no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups (x2 =0.10,0.37,0.50,P＞0.05).(3) Radiation dose of CT scan:volume CT dose index (CTDIvol),dose length production (DLP) and effective radiation dose (E) were (10.35±2.01) mGy,(400.63± 34.13) mGy · cm,(5.61 ± 0.47) mSv in the experimental group and (3.55 ± 0.60)mGy,(140.66± 10.89) mGy · cm,(1.98±0.17) mSv in the control group,respectively.There were statistically significant differences in CTDIvol and E between the 2 groups (t =16.23,36.30,P＜0.05).(4) Treatment and follow-up situations:of 50 patients,43 patients received treatments,including 32 undergoing radical resection (11 receiving postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy),6 undergoing palliative surgery,3 receiving single radiotherapy and 2 receiving single chemotherapy.Thirty-six of 43 patients were followed up for 3-18 months,with a median time of 6 months.During follow-up,1-year survival rate was 61.1％.Conclusion Dual-source CT dual energy single-phase enhanced scan in patients with esophageal cancer cannot reduce accuracy of TNM staging,but decreased effectively radiation dose.

OBJECTIVETo summarize our experience in surgical treatment of traumatic lower limb pseudoaneurysm.

METHODSTwenty patients with traumatic lower limb pseudoaneurysm were surgically treated in our department from January 2007 to January 2012. The treatment protocols included interventional covered-stent placement (10 cases), spring coil embolization (2 cases), and surgical operation (8 cases). Surgical operations included pseudoaneurysm repair (2 cases), autologous-vein transplantation (1 case), and artificial-vessel bypass graft (5 cases).

RESULTSAll the patients were successfully treated without aggravating lower limb ischemia. Pseudoaneurysm disappeared after treatment. A surgical operation is suitable to most pseudoaneurysms, but its damage is relatively obvious and usually leads to more bleeding. It also requires a longer operating time. Compared to a surgical operation, interventional therapy is less traumatic and patients usually have a quicker recovery (P<0.05). All patients were followed up once per month for 12-36 months by color Doppler ultrasound examination. There were no cases of pseudoaneurysm recurrence.

CONCLUSIONBoth surgical operation and interventional therapy are safe and effective in the treatment of pseudoaneurysm.

Adult ; Aged ; Aneurysm, False ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; surgery ; Angiography, Digital Subtraction ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; Female ; Humans ; Leg Injuries ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Stents ; Treatment Outcome ; Ultrasonography, Doppler

Objective:To study the repair effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) injection via the caudal vein on the nerve cells in the spinal cord tissue of rats with acute spinal cord injury.Methods:Sixty Sprague-Dawley male rats were divided into sham operation group, model group and BMSCs group using the random number table method, with 20 rats in each group. The Allen's method was used in the model group and BMSCs group to construct the rat models of a spinal cord injury model. Rats in the sham operation group did not undergo spinal cord injury and only received surgical exposure. 24 hours after the establishment of the model, rats in the BMSCs group were received 0.2 ml BMSCs single cell suspension (2 ×10 6 cells) via tail vein injection. Rats in the sham operation group and model group were received the same volume of 0.2 ml Sodium chloride solution via tail vein injection. The motor function of the rats on the 1st, 4th, 7th, 15th and 30th day after modeling was recorded by Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) scoring method. The contents of inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-β) and Prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2) in spinal cord tissue of rats were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELASA) on the 30th day after modeling. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the pathological changes of rat spinal cord tissue. Nissl staining was used to analyze the changes of Nissl bodies and neuron cells in rat spinal cord tissue. Result:Compared with the model group, the BBB scores of the BMSC group were significantly increased on the 7 (5.68±0.82 vs 1.82±0.84), 15 ( 10.25±1.55 vs 3.38±0.88) and 30 (13.25±2.36 vs 5.83±1.36) days after modeling, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and PGE 2 in the spinal cord tissue of the BMSCs group were significantly lower than those in the model group on the 30 days after modeling (all P<0.01). Besides, the spinal cord tissue injury was significantly reduced, and the number of neurons and Nissl bodies in the BMSCs group were also significantly higher than those in the model group (all P<0.01). Conclusions:BMSCs injection via the caudal vein can significantly ameliorate acute spinal cord injury in rats. BMSCs may accelerate the repair of nerve cells in acute spinal cord injury tissue and further promote the recovery of motor function in rats with acute spinal cord injury through the regulation of TNF-α, IL-1β, PGE 2 inflammatory factors.

OBJECTIVETo retrospectively evaluate the clinical evaluation of preoperative lumbar T2 sagittal MRI image in predicting the recurrent lumbar disc herniation (RLDH).

METHODSBetween January 2009 and April 2011, 28 patients were diagnosed as recurrent L4-5 disc herniation within 2.5 years after surgery, and 25 of them were included in the study as relapse group. At the same time, selected 25 patients implemented the same surgical methods in the same level as a control group randomly, they were all with good to excellent result and the follow-up time was at least 2.5 years. There was no statistical significance between the two groups in gender, age and body mass index(BMI) (P > 0.05). The lumbar MRI image of two groups of patients before surgery were collected and analyzed, with the disc degeneration grade classified. The χ(2) test was used to analyzed the difference of degeneration between the two groups of patients before surgery. Rank correlation analysis evaluated the correlation between disc degeneration and the period of time from the first operation to the recurrence.

RESULTSIn terms of preoperative lumbar disc degeneration, there were 22 cases of low-grade disc degeneration and 3 cases of advanced disc degeneration in the relapse group and 5 cases and 20 cases respectively in the control group. there was significant difference between two groups (χ(2) = 23.27, P < 0.05), low-grade disc degeneration (gradesIand III) was significantly more frequent in the relapse group than in the control group. The patients with low-grade disc degeneration had a higher risk of recurrence, that was the risk of recurrent disc herniation increased by a factor of 4.4 from advanced disc degeneration to low-grade disc degeneration(OR = 4.4, 95%CI:1.983-9.765, P < 0.05). In cases of recurrence, the time interval between primary surgery and the recurrence of the patient with advanced disc degeneration was longer compared with low-grade disc degeneration (r = 0.733, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSPreoperative lumbar MRI image may suggest the possibility of the recurrence lumbar disc herniation.Light disc degeneration is an important risk factor for recurrent disc herniation, and the time interval between primary surgery and the recurrence is positively correlated with severity of disc degeneration.

Adult ; Aged ; Diskectomy ; Female ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies

Objective:To establish a disk (CD) microfluidic chip detection platform for the rapid detection of CALR-1 and CALR-2 mutations in patients with cerebral infarction, and summarize its clinical application value.Methods:Based on microfluidic technology and loop mediated isothermal amplification technology, a CD microfluidic chip detection platform for simultaneous detection of CALR-1 and CALR-2 gene mutations were established, and the sensitivity, specificity, repeatability and accuracy of the platform were verified. A total of 124 patients with cerebral infarction treated in Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University from November 2019 to March 2021 were prospectively selected into the experimental group; and 80 healthy subjects were included in the control group. The CALR-1 and CALR-2 gene mutations in anticoagulant peripheral blood samples were detected by the CD microfluidic chip. Each chip could detect 4 samples at the same time and synchronously detect 3 indexes of each sample. The detection results could be obtained after isothermal amplification for 40 min. At the same time, sequencing method was used to verify the test results, and the consistency of the results of the two detection methods was compared.Results:Using this CD microfluidic chip platform, the synchronous amplification of 3 indexes in the sample could be completed within 40 min without the need of thermal circulation, and the whole detection process of the sample could be completed within 60 min. For samples with a high concentration of target nucleic acid, typical positive signals could be visualized after amplification for 10 min, and the test results would be available within 30 minutes after receiving the samples. The detection sensitivity of CD microfluidic chip method for CALR-1 and CALR-2 mutation load concentration was 1.0% and 0.5% respectively. Nonspecific amplification was not observed for the non-target nucleic acid samples, indicating the high specificity of this method. The coincidence rates of intra and inter batch repeatability were 100% (20/20) respectively. Two samples with CALR gene mutation were found in the cerebral infarction group, both of which were CALR-1 mutations (L367fs*46). There was no CALR-1 or CALR-2 mutation in the control group. The detection results of CD microfluidic chip method were completely consistent with the sequencing verification results (100% [204/204]).Conclusions:The CD microfluidic chip method could be used for the detection of CALR-1 and CALR-2 gene mutations in clinical samples of patients with cerebral infarction. This method has the advantages of high detection sensitivity, good detection specificity, fast detection speed and high detection flux, which is helpful to clarify the etiology of patients with cerebral infarction.

Mechanosensitive channels (MSCs) are special membrane proteins that can convert mechanical stimulation into electrical or chemical signals. These channels have become potential targets for ultrasonic neuromodulation due to their properties. The good spatial resolution and focusing effect of ultrasound make it theoretically possible to achieve non-invasive whole-brain localization. Therefore, ultrasonic neuromodulation is a promising method for performing physical neuromodulation and treating neurological disorders. To date, only a few ion channels have been reported to be activated by ultrasound, while recent research has identified more channels with mechanosensitive properties. Moreover, the opening process and mechanism of MSCs under ultrasound excitation remain unknown. This review provides an overview on recent research advances and applications in MSCs, including large conductance mechanosensitive channels, transient receptor potential channels, degenerated protein/epithelial sodium channels, two-pore potassium channels, and piezo channels. These findings will facilitate future studies and applications of ultrasonic neuromodulation.
Ultrasonics ; Ion Channels/metabolism*