Background/Aims: Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disorder that tortures about millions of people worldwide. Recent study demonstrated agents derived from picrasma quassioides is a promising drug for targets multiple signaling pathways. However its potential in treatment of bone loss has not been fully understood. Methods: The bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) were cultured and induced with M-CSF and RANKL followed by picrasidine I (PI) treatment. Then the effects of PI on osteoclast formation were evaluated by counting tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive multinucleated cells. Moreover, effects of PI on bone resorption activity of mature osteoclast were studied through bone resorption pit counting and actin ring structure analysis. Further, the involved potential signaling pathways cross-talking were investigated by performed Western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR examination. Results: Results demonstrated PI strongly inhibited RANKL induced osteoclast formation from its precursors. Mechanistically, the inhibitory effect of PI on osteoclast differentiation was due to the suppression of osteoclastogenic transcription factors, c-Fos and NFATc1. Moreover, PI markedly blocked the RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis by attenuating MAPKs and NF-κB signaling pathways. In addition, PI decreased the ROS generation in osteoclast and osteoblast. Conclusion: Taken together our data demonstrate that PI has antiosteoclastogenic effect by inhibiting inflammation induced activation of MAPKs, NF-κB and ROS generation followed by suppressing the gene expression of c-Fos and NFATc1 in osteoclast precursors.
Tai Chi may improve exercise capacity in the short, mid, and long terms. However, no significant long term differences in pulmonary function and quality of life were observed for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
A stochastic inverse technique based on a genetic algorithm ͑GA͒ to invert particle-size distribution from angular light-scattering data is developed. This inverse technique is independent of any given a priori information of particle-size distribution. Numerical tests show that this technique can be successfully applied to inverse problems with high stability in the presence of random noise and low susceptibility to the shape of distributions. It has also been shown that the GA-based inverse technique is more efficient in use of computing time than the inverse Monte Carlo method recently developed by Ligon et al. ͓Appl. Opt. 35, 4297 ͑1996͔͒.
BackgroundThis study aimed to explore the feasibility and efficacy of bone cement-augmented short-segmental pedicle screw fixation in treating Kümmell disease.Material/MethodsFrom June 2012 to June 2015, 18 patients with Kümmell disease with spinal canal stenosis were enrolled in this study. Each patient was treated with bone cement-augmented short-segment fixation and posterolateral bone grafting, and posterior decompression was performed when needed. All patients were followed up for 12–36 months. We retrospectively reviewed outcomes, including the Oswestry disability index (ODI), visual analog scale (VAS) score, anterior and posterior heights of fractured vertebrae, kyphotic Cobb angle, and neurological function by Frankel classification.ResultsThe VAS grades, ODI scores, anterior heights of affected vertebrae, and kyphotic Cobb angles showed statistically significant differences between pre- and postoperative and between preoperative and final follow-up values (P<0.05), whereas the differences between postoperative and final follow-up values were not statistically significant (P>0.05). The differences between posterior vertebral heights at each time point were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Improved neurological function was observed in 12 cases at final follow-up. Three cases had complications, including asymptomatic cement leakage in 2 patients and delayed wound infection in 1 patient.ConclusionsBone cement-augmented short-segment pedicle screw fixation is safe and effective for treating Kümmell disease, and can achieve satisfactory correction of kyphosis and vertebral height, with pain relief and improvement in neurological function, with few complications.
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