BACKGROUND:Facet joint osteoarthritis is acknowledged as a significant contributor to lower back pain in the geriatric population.The advent of an innovative spinal facet joint fusion device presents a therapeutic option for intervening during the initial stages of facet joint osteoarthritis,and significantly reduces the incidence of a series of complications caused by poor early conservative treatment and late surgical treatment.However,its effect on the biomechanics of the lumbar spine is unknown.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the biomechanical disparities between the novel lumbar zygapophyseal joint fusion device and traditional fusion devices.METHODS:A comprehensive three-dimensional finite element model of the L3-S1 lumbar spine was established and validated.Based on this intact model,three groups of surgical models were constructed:a bilateral pedicle screw fixation model,a bilateral novel facet joint fusion fixation model,and a bilateral facet screw fixation model,with the surgical segment designated as L4-5.Under a load of 500 N,a torque of 7.5 Nm was applied to all lumbar models to calculate the range of motion,displacement values,and intervertebral disc stress values at the L4-5 segment;stress values at the L3-4 and L5-S1 segments were also measured.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the intact model,the range of motion at the L4-5 segment was reduced in all surgical models.(2)The novel device exhibited the smallest range of motion at the L4-5 segment under left and right rotational conditions;the greatest range of motion at the L4-5 segment under extension conditions;and a greater range of motion under other conditions than the bilateral pedicle screw fixation model.(3)The novel device demonstrated the smallest displacement values at the L4-5 segment under left and right rotational conditions;under other conditions,the displacement values at the L4-5 segment were greater than those in the bilateral pedicle screw fixation model.(4)In terms of stress distribution at the L4-5 segment,the novel device consistently exhibited the smallest values across all conditions.(5)For the L3-4 segment,the novel device showed the greatest stress values under extension and left and right rotational conditions,while under other conditions,the values were lower than those in the bilateral pedicle screw fixation model.(6)Compared with pedicle screw fixation,the novel device produced smaller stress values at the L5-S1 segment.(7)This study indicates that,compared with pedicle screw fixation,the novel device impacts the biomechanics of the lumbar spine by fusing the facet joints.It provides stability while preserving the range of motion at the surgical segment and reduces stress on the intervertebral discs of the surgical and adjacent segments,thereby potentially delaying disc degeneration.This suggests that the novel device can achieve biomechanical effects similar to those of pedicle screw fixation in theory.

BACKGROUND:Facet joint osteoarthritis is acknowledged as a significant contributor to lower back pain in the geriatric population.The advent of an innovative spinal facet joint fusion device presents a therapeutic option for intervening during the initial stages of facet joint osteoarthritis,and significantly reduces the incidence of a series of complications caused by poor early conservative treatment and late surgical treatment.However,its effect on the biomechanics of the lumbar spine is unknown.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the biomechanical disparities between the novel lumbar zygapophyseal joint fusion device and traditional fusion devices.METHODS:A comprehensive three-dimensional finite element model of the L3-S1 lumbar spine was established and validated.Based on this intact model,three groups of surgical models were constructed:a bilateral pedicle screw fixation model,a bilateral novel facet joint fusion fixation model,and a bilateral facet screw fixation model,with the surgical segment designated as L4-5.Under a load of 500 N,a torque of 7.5 Nm was applied to all lumbar models to calculate the range of motion,displacement values,and intervertebral disc stress values at the L4-5 segment;stress values at the L3-4 and L5-S1 segments were also measured.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the intact model,the range of motion at the L4-5 segment was reduced in all surgical models.(2)The novel device exhibited the smallest range of motion at the L4-5 segment under left and right rotational conditions;the greatest range of motion at the L4-5 segment under extension conditions;and a greater range of motion under other conditions than the bilateral pedicle screw fixation model.(3)The novel device demonstrated the smallest displacement values at the L4-5 segment under left and right rotational conditions;under other conditions,the displacement values at the L4-5 segment were greater than those in the bilateral pedicle screw fixation model.(4)In terms of stress distribution at the L4-5 segment,the novel device consistently exhibited the smallest values across all conditions.(5)For the L3-4 segment,the novel device showed the greatest stress values under extension and left and right rotational conditions,while under other conditions,the values were lower than those in the bilateral pedicle screw fixation model.(6)Compared with pedicle screw fixation,the novel device produced smaller stress values at the L5-S1 segment.(7)This study indicates that,compared with pedicle screw fixation,the novel device impacts the biomechanics of the lumbar spine by fusing the facet joints.It provides stability while preserving the range of motion at the surgical segment and reduces stress on the intervertebral discs of the surgical and adjacent segments,thereby potentially delaying disc degeneration.This suggests that the novel device can achieve biomechanical effects similar to those of pedicle screw fixation in theory.

Development of thoracolumbar vertebra (TLV) and rib primordium (RP) is a common evolutionary feature across vertebrates, although whole-organism analysis of the expression dynamics of TLV- and RP-related genes has been lacking. Here, we investigated the single-cell transcriptome landscape of thoracic vertebra (TV), lumbar vertebra (LV), and RP cells from a pig embryo at 27 days post-fertilization (dpf) and identified six cell types with distinct gene expression signatures. In-depth dissection of the gene expression dynamics and RNA velocity revealed a coupled process of osteogenesis and angiogenesis during TLV and RP development. Further analysis of cell type-specific and strand-specific expression uncovered the extremely high level of HOXA10 3'-UTR sequence specific to osteoblasts of LV cells, which may function as anti-HOXA10-antisense by counteracting the HOXA10-antisense effect to determine TLV transition. Thus, this work provides a valuable resource for understanding embryonic osteogenesis and angiogenesis underlying vertebrate TLV and RP development at the cell type-specific resolution, which serves as a comprehensive view on the transcriptional profile of animal embryo development.

Objective To study the effect and mechanisms of TW-37 on cell proliferation,apoptosis,invasion and angiogenesis in pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and further explore the potential mechanism.Methods BxPC3 and HPAC cells were pretreated with TW-37 using untransfected or transfected with NF-κB p65 cDNA(p65 cDNA)or NF-κB p65 siRNA(siRNA-p65)cells as controls.Cell viability was determined by MrTT assay.Cell apoptosis was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Cell invasion and angiogenesis was detected by Transwell and endothelial tube formation assay of HUVECs.ELISA assay was used to measure the activity of NF-κB,and its target proteins of MMP-9 and VEGF were detected by western blot.Results TW-37 suppressed cell growth and induced apoptosis (A405:1.29 ± 0.21 vs 0.09 ± 0.01,1.07 s0.18 vs 0.08 ± 0.01),inhibited NF-κB activity and protein expression of NF-κB p65,VEGF and MMP-9(all P ＜0.05)in a dose-and time-dependent manner.The number of cells that invaded across the matrigel in the transwell chamber was (46.7 ±5.24) and (10.3 ± 1.26)/×200 in BxPC3 control and 0.75 μmol/L TW-37 group (P=0.001).The number of tube formation was (39.4 ±4.36) and (7.84 ± 1.25)/×200,(P =0.001).NF-κB activity was increased by p65 cDNA transfection,and decreased by TW-37 treatment in both of the two cell lines (P ＜0.05).However,NF-κB activity was decreased by p65 siRNA transfection,and greatly decreased by TW-37 treatment in both two cell lines (P ＜0.05 or P ＜0.01).Transfection of p65 cDNA did not significantly affect cell apoptosis.Transfection of p65 siRNA increased cell apoptosis,and greatly increased by TW-37 treatment in both two cell lines (all P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions TW-37 could inhibit the proliferation,invasion and angiogenesis in pancreatic cancer cells by regulating NF-κB signal pathway.