OBJECTIVETo explore the operative skills and effect of unilateral pedicle screw combined with contralateral percutaneous transfacet screws fixation in treating degenerative low lumbar disease.

METHODSFrom January 2009 to December 2011,22 patients with degenerative low lumbar disease were treated with transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion, during the operations, unilateral pedicle screw and contralateral percutaneous transfacet screw fixation were performed. There were 16 males and 6 females, aged from 32 to 71 years old with an average of (51.1 ± 10.6) years, including single segment in 20 cases and two segments in 2 cases. Clinical effects were evaluated according to visual analogue score (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI).

RESULTSAll patients were followed up from 1 to 2.5 years with an average of 18 months. One case complicated with leakage of cerebrospinal fluid after operation and 1 case with lower limb pain of decompression-side on the 3rd day after operation. Twenty-two patients got bony fusion. There were no instability and evidence of instrument failure during follow-up. The VAS and ODI score decreased from preoperative 8.24 ± 0.72, 36.72 ± 6.84 respectively to 3.18 ± 0.66, 4.36 ± 1.12 at the final follow-up (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONUnilateral pedicle screw combined with contralateral percutaneous transfacet screw fixation is safe and feasible surgical technique in treating low lumbar degenerative disease. It has advantages of little trauma, rigid fixation, high fusion rate, and less complication. etc.

Adult ; Aged ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Female ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pedicle Screws ; Spinal Fusion ; methods

To summarize LIU Zhi-shun's clinical experience in treatment of infertility with decreasing ovarian reserve (DOR) with electroacupuncture. LIU Zhi-shun believes that the location of infertility with DOR is the uterus, mainly involving the kidney, thoroughfare and conception vessels. He advocates to select acupoints by combining "disease-symptom-position" with prescription, and selects acupoint prescription of Bushen Tiaochong Zhuyun included Guanyuan (CV 4), Zigong (EX-CA 1), Tianshu (ST 25), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Ciliao (BL 32) and Zhongliao (BL 33) for electroacupuncture treatment. The key points of operation are accurate positioning and deep acupuncture, focusing on regulating mind and getting qi, adopting electroacupuncture treatment and low frequency stimulation and treating slowly for long-term disease.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Humans ; Infertility ; Ovarian Reserve

Based on the data mining technology, the main indications and compatibility rules of Ciliao (BL 32) were analyzed and summarized. The relevant literature was retrieved from the databases of CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, Cochrane Library, SinoMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EMbase and PubMed, from the date of establishment to September 8, 2021. Using the software of SPSS Modeler 18.0 and Gephi0.9.2, the included literature was analyzed by data mining. A total of 218 articles were included, of them, there were 36 articles using single-acupoint prescriptions and 182 articles using compound prescriptions. Acupuncture was the most frequently used intervention of Ciliao (BL 32), followed by electroacupuncture. Dysmenorrhea and labor analgesia were the dominant indications of single-acupoint prescriptions of Ciliao (BL 32), and 9 diseases i.e. dysmenorrhea, urinary incontinence, urinary retention, chronic pelvic inflammatory disease, chronic prostatitis and lumbar disc herniation were the dominant indications of compound prescriptions. The main indications of Ciliao (BL 32) involved diseases of reproductive system, urinary system and waist. There were 92 acupoints in compatibility with Ciliao (BL 32), which were main belonged to the bladder meridian, the conception vessel and the spleen meridian, the most frequently used acupoints were Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Guanyuan (CV 4), Shenshu (BL 23) and Zhongji (CV 3).
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Data Mining ; Dysmenorrhea ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Meridians

The purpose of this study was to investigate how Zuogui pills from the Kidney-tonifying and Nourishing Yin formula, in combination with the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone antagonist cetrorelix, affected the ovarian local oxidative stress response in decreasing ovarian reserve (DOR) mice. All animal experiments were carried out in accordance with the guidelines and standards established by Jinan University's Experimental Animal Management Committee. Cyclophosphamide (CTX)-treated DOR mice were given Zuogui pills, cetrorelix, or a combination of the two drugs intragastrically. After treatment, there were changes in the estrous cycle, serum sex hormone levels, oxidative stress-related indexes, growth biochemical factor levels, and SIRT1/P53/P21 expression. In comparison to the model group, the Zuogui pills and the cetrorelix+Zuogui pills group had significantly prolonged estrous periods and shortened interestrous periods, and the cetrorelix+Zuogui pills group had a significantly shortened cycle length. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) decreased and estradiol (E₂) increased in all treatment groups compared to the model group, oxidative stress indexes nitric oxide synthase (NOS), nitric oxide (NO), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) decreased, growth biochemical factors brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF-9) concentrations increased significantly, and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) showed no significant change. SIRT1/P53/P21 immunohistochemical results revealed that, when compared to the model group, the expression of SIRT1 increased while the expression of P53 and P21 proteins decreased in all treatment groups, with the cetrorelix+Zuogui pills group having the largest decrease, with significant differences in all indicators. We conclude that cetrorelix combined with Zuogui pills for kidney nourishing and Yin recipe improved the oxidative stress response in the follicle by regulating the SIRT1/P53/P21 pathway, reducing peroxide product production, protecting ovarian function, and regulating ovarian hormone secretion, and its efficacy is superior to that of cetrorelix or Zuogui pills alone.

Adult ; Aged ; Decompression, Surgical ; Female ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nerve Block ; methods ; Spinal Nerve Roots ; Spinal Stenosis ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo introduce the technique of minimally invasive percutaneous pedicle screws osteosynthesis (MIPPSO) and compare the preliminary clinical outcomes of the treatment of thoraco-lumbar vertebra fracture with traditional open pedicle screws osteosynthesis (TOPSO).

METHODSUsing the "C" arm fluoroscopic guidance, the pedicle screws were put through new-designed instrumentation and inserted percutaneously with fifty cases of thoraco-lumbar vertebra fracture. Semi-Laminectomy were made in the heavy-occupation side through the incision of 4 cm. Vertebroplasty were made through pedicle of disease vertebrae. perioperative parameter and the index of image were compared with the treatment of traditional open pedicle screws osteosynthesis in other fifty cases.

RESULTSThe consumed time of operation in the MIPPSO group and the TOPSO group made no significant difference (P >0.05), but the length of incision, injury of paraspinal muscles, bleeding of operation, drain of postoperation, pain of postoperation, spending time of hospitalization were all significantly different between the two group (P <0.05). Each group compared to itself between preoperation and postoperation, the vertebral height, the height of intervertebral disk, Cobb's angle and the occupation index of vertebral canal were all significantly different (P <0.05). however compared to each other, whether preoperation or postoperation, there were not significant different in the index of image (P >0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe technique of minimally invasive percutaneous pedicle screws osteosynthesis (MIPPSO) has the advantages of simple manipulation, safety, small trauma, less bleeding, light pain, quickly recovery and short hospitalization time.

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; methods ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; injuries ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fractures ; surgery ; Spinal Fusion ; instrumentation ; methods ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; injuries ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of transfection of agrin gene on the recovery of muscle function after a free neurovascular muscle transfer.

METHODSThe electrical gene transfection was performed when the gracilis muscle of the SD rat was completed free neurovascular transfer. The experimental group was treated with pCS2+ -agrin, the group with plasmid pCS2+ as the negative control and the group with normal saline as the frank control. The muscle function, expression of neural agrin and the junctional nAChR number was measured after the operation.

RESULTSAt 4, 5 and 10 weeks postoperatively, the pCS2+ -agrin group was significantly better than the control groups in muscle function (P < 0.05 ). The immunohistochemical staining showed an increasing deposition of the agrin protein near the endplate at 1 and 5 weeks after the operation, but decreasing remarkably to the level of control groups at 10 weeks postoperatively. The pCS2+ -agrin group was significantly more than the control groups in junctional nAChR number at every points of the time postoperatively.

CONCLUSIONSTransfection of agrin gene in the transferred muscle may increase the early recovery of muscle function.

Agrin ; genetics ; Animals ; Female ; Genetic Therapy ; Genetic Vectors ; Muscle Proteins ; genetics ; Muscle, Skeletal ; transplantation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Recovery of Function ; Transfection

OBJECTIVESTo investigate the protective effects of Sapindus saponins in spontaneously hypertensive rats, and the possible cellular and molecular mechanisms.

METHODSThirty-two 16-week-old spontaneously hypertensive rats were randomly divided into four groups (8 in each group): model group (placebo), positive control group (27 mg/kg of Captopril Tablets), Sapindus saponins groups (27 mg/kg and 108 mg/kg, respectively). Another 8 healthy Wistar-Kyoto strain (WKY) rats were used as the normal group. The animals were treated for 8 weeks. Blood pressure of rats was determined by non-invasive blood pressure meter (BP-6). Furthermore, the contents of angiotensin II (Ang II) in plasma and myocardial tissue were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the gene expression of receptor angiotensin type 1 (AT1R) in aorta was determined by quantitative realtime polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The protein expression of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and AT1R in heart was determined by immunohistochemical staining. The protein expression of p-phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-p38MAPK) was determined by Western blotting. The contents of interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in serum were determined by radioimmunoassay. And the histopathological and morphological changes of aorta and heart tissue samples were assessed semi-quantitatively by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) or Masson staining.

RESULTSThirty minutes after single or continuous treatment, systolic blood pressure (SBP) was reduced significantly in Sapindus saponins groups. And the contents of AngII, IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-α in serum, the expression of AT1R mRNA, p-p38MAPK and TGF-β1 were significantly suppressed dose-dependently (P<0.05 or P<0.01). With the Sapindus saponins treatment, compared with those of the model group, the cardiac and aortic pathological changes were ameliorated significantly.

CONCLUSIONSOur findings suggest that Sapindus saponins might have protective effects in spontaneously hypertensive rats, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of which might be relevant to the regulation of inflammatory responses mediated by p-p38MAPK signal pathway based on activated Ang II and AT1R.

Angiotensin II ; metabolism ; Animals ; Aorta ; drug effects ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Blood Pressure ; drug effects ; Collagen ; metabolism ; Female ; Hypertension ; blood ; drug therapy ; enzymology ; physiopathology ; Interleukin-1 ; blood ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Male ; Phosphorylation ; drug effects ; Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Rats, Inbred SHR ; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1 ; metabolism ; Renin-Angiotensin System ; drug effects ; Sapindus ; chemistry ; Saponins ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the antiinflammatory activities of aqueous extract of Occimum gratissmium (OGE) with emphasis on expression of proinflammatory cytokines in Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated epithelial cell BEAS-2B.

METHODSEffects of OGE on cell viability were determined by MTT assay. mRNA expression were analyzed by and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and quantitative real-time PCR. Activation of kinase cascades was investigated by immunoblot. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was analyzed by flow cytometry.

RESULTSOGE (<200 μg/mL) treatment or pretreatment and following LPS exposure slightly affected viability of BEAS-2B cells. Increase of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 and the elevated level of intracellular ROS in LPS-stimulated BEAS-2B cells were diminished by OGE pretreatment in a dose-dependent manner. OGE suppressed inflammatory response-associated mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and Akt activation. Additionally, OGE pretreatment increased level of cellular inhibitor of κBα (IκBα) and inhibited nuclear translocation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB).

CONCLUSIONThese findings indicate that significant suppression of IL-6 and IL-8 expressions in LPS-stimulated BEAS-2B cells by OGE may be attributed to inhibiting activation of MAPKs and Akt and consequently suppressing nuclear translocation of NF-κB.

Cell Nucleus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Cytosol ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Epithelial Cells ; drug effects ; enzymology ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Humans ; I-kappa B Proteins ; metabolism ; Interleukin-6 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Interleukin-8 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Intracellular Space ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Lipopolysaccharides ; pharmacology ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism ; NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Ocimum ; chemistry ; Phosphorylation ; drug effects ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Protein Transport ; drug effects ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Respiratory System ; cytology ; Water

The aim of the research is to investigate the genetic characteristics of Legionella pneumophila serogroup1 (LP1)in Sichuan Province.The sequence-based typing (SBT) and multiple-locus VNTR analysis (MLVA) were used to describe the genetic polymorphism of 42 strains which were isolated from 1989-2016 in Sichuan Province,China.According to the reference,PCR was used to detect the 8-VNTR loci and 7 housekeeping genes respectively.The VNTR results were determined by using capillary electrophoresis,and the SBT results were sequenced and compared with the database of EWGLI.Results showed that totally 42 stains were divided into 8 MLVA types with the advantage types were M08 (47.6 ％) and M07 (23.8 ％).Twelve ST types were obtained with 3 main clonal complex and 2 singleton,including 2 novel ST types,among those,ST1 was the predominant type,accounting for 52.3 ％,following by ST630 (14.2 ％).In conclusion,our results demonstrated MLVA and SBT were both applied to the research for molecular epidemiological investigation of LP1 and showed the high genetic polymorphism and the regional specificity.The results also suggest that the isolates are a potential threat to the public,effective control and prevention strategies are urgently needed.