Search

Yoshinori Terashima,1,2 Tsuneo Takebayashi,3 Shunsuke Jimbo,1 Izaya Ogon,1 Tatsuya Sato,2 Nobutoshi Ichise,2 Noritsugu Tohse,2 Toshihiko Yamashita1 1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo 060-0061, Japan; 2Department of Cellular Physiology and Signal Transduction, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo 060-0061, Japan; 3Sapporo Maruyama Orthopaedic Hospital, Sapporo 060-0007, Japan Purpose: Radicular pain is a frequently observed symptom of lumbar disk herniation or lumbar spinal canal stenosis. Achieving radicular pain relief is difficult. This type of pain may progress to chronic neuropathic pain. Calcitonin (elcatonin [eCT]) has been used mainly for hypercalcemia and pain associated with osteoporosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate analgesic effects of repeated eCT administration on radicular pain in male rats and changes in mRNA-expression levels of voltage-dependent sodium channels in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG). Methods: Seventy male Sprague-Dawley rats were used. A right L5 hemilaminectomy and an L5–L6 partial facetectomy were performed to expose the right L5 nerve root. Under a microscope, the right L5 spinal nerve root was tightly ligated extradurally with 8-0 nylon suture proximally to the DRG to cause radicular pain in rats. Mechanical hyperalgesia, thermal hyperalgesia, and analgesic effects of eCT were compared among rats with radicular pain that received eCT, those that received the vehicle, and sham rats that received the vehicle. Real-time reverse-transcription PCR was performed to measure mRNA-expression levels of tetrodotoxin-sensitive (NaV1.3 and NaV1.6) and tetrodotoxin-resistant (NaV1.8 and NaV1.9) sodium channels in the DRG. Results: Mechanical and thermal hyperalgesic reactions occurring in rats with radicular pain significantly improved on days 5 and 9 of eCT administration, respectively. In rats with radicular pain, mRNA-expression levels of NaV1.3, NaV1.8, and NaV1.9 increased. After repeated eCT administration, mRNA-expression levels of these sodium channels in rats with radicular pain improved to the same levels as in sham rats. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that repeated systemic eCT administration was effective for radicular pain. No serious side effects of eCT have been reported thus far. Therefore, calcitonin may be a preferred therapeutic option for patients with radicular pain or for those requiring long-term treatment. Keywords: radiculopathy, hyperalgesia, lumbar disk herniation, lumbar spinal canal stenosis, sodium channel, elcatonin

Shunsuke Jimbo,1 Yoshinori Terashima,1,2 Atsushi Teramoto,1 Tsuneo Takebayashi,3 Izaya Ogon,1 Kota Watanabe,4 Tatsuya Sato,2,5 Nobutoshi Ichise,2 Noritsugu Tohse,2 Toshihiko Yamashita1 1Department of Orthopaedic surgery, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-8556, Japan; 2Department of Cellular Physiology and Signal Transduction, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-8556, Japan; 3Sapporo Maruyama Orthopaedic Hospital, Sapporo 060-0007, Japan; 4Department of Second Division of Physical Therapy, Sapporo Medical University School of Health Sciences, Sapporo 060-8556, Japan; 5Department of Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic Medicine, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-8556, Japan Purpose: Ankle osteoarthritis (OA) causes significant pain and debilitation; yet, its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Clinically, hyaluronic acid (HA) is widely used to treat OA. The present study aimed to investigate the roles of HA in pain-related behavior, joint function, swelling, and pathological changes in cartilage in a rat model of monoiodoacetate (MIA)-induced ankle OA. Materials and methods: Male Sprague Dawley rats were assigned to three experimental groups as follows: 1) MIA rats injected with 1 mg MIA in the right tibiotarsal joint for two consecutive days; 2) sham rats injected with saline instead of MIA; and 3) MIA-HA rats injected with HA in the tibiotarsal joint at 7, 14, and 21 days after MIA injection. Joint swelling, range of motion (ROM), and pain-related behavior were evaluated 1 day before and on the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th day after MIA or saline injection. Pathological changes in the ankle joint were assessed 28 days after MIA or saline injection. Results: No significant difference in the degree of ankle swelling or ROM reduction was observed between MIA rats and MIA-HA rats. However, compared with those in MIA rats, mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity was significantly reduced and stride length significantly improved in MIA-HA rats. Histologic analysis revealed that cartilage degeneration was significantly suppressed in MIA-HA rats compared with that in MIA rats, reflecting the chondroprotective effects of HA. Conclusion: HA improved pain-related behavior and stride length and suppressed MIA-induced cartilage degeneration. HA may thus inhibit OA progression and suppress peripheral and/or central sensitization. Keywords: ankle osteoarthritis, monoiodoacetate, osteoarthritis pain, hyaluronic acid

Pancreatic cancers in most patients in Ecuador are diagnosed at an advanced stage of the disease, which is associated with lower survival. To determine the characteristics and global survival of pancreatic cancer patients in a social security hospital in Ecuador between 2007 and 2017.

Study Design: A 12-year prospective study of pre-existing and de novo degenerative lumbar scoliosis (DLS) among community-based female volunteers. Objective: To investigate serial entire spine radiographs of healthy female volunteers and to clarify radiographical characteristics and predictors of pre-existing and de novo DLS. Summary Of Background Data: DLS is among the most frequent spinal defomities in the aging spine; however, the onset or the natural course of this condition has not been elucidated. Methods: A total of 144 female volunteers were recruited from population register. Radiographical measurements using entire spine radiographs included thoracic kyphosis (T4-12), lumbar lordosis (LL) (L1-5), sacral inclination angle, pelvic incidence, sagittal balance (C7 plumb), coronal L4 endplate angle (L4 tilt), and scoliotic angle by Cobb method. More than 10° of scoliosis was diagnosed as DLS. L4 vertebral size was measured (divided by body height) as well as lateral osteophyte formation and lateral disc wedge angle. Results: Mean baseline age and follow-up period were 54.4 years and 12.1 years, respectively. Pre-existing DLS (pre-DLS) was found in 42 subjects (29.2%) at baseline. Among pre-DLS, 11 subjects (26%) showed more than 5° progression in scoliosis. De novo DLS has developed in 30 subjects (29.4%) among those without baseline scoliosis.Cox proportional hazards models revealed younger age, smaller L4 size, lower LL, greater DLS angle, and L4 tilt at baseline to be the risk factors of progression of pre-DLS and smaller L4 size, unilateral osteophyte formation, and lateral disc wedging to the risk of development of de novo DLS. Conclusion: This study indicated that younger age, smaller L4 size, lower LL, greater DLS angle, and L4 tilt at baseline should be evaluated as predictors of progression of pre-DLS. Early signs of asymmetric disc degeneration and smaller L4 size should also be evaluated as predictors of development of de novo DLS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]