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Background: To establish a three-dimensional finite element model of the lumbar spine and investigate the impact of different fixation techniques on the biomechanical characteristics of oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF)., Methods: The study aimed to establish and validate a comprehensive three-dimensional model of the lower lumbar spine (L3-S1) using the finite element method. L4-L5 was selected as the surgical segment, and four distinct OLIF surgical models were constructed: Stand-alone (SA), unilateral cortical bone trajectory screw (UCBT), bilateral cortical bone trajectory screw (BCBT), and bilateral pedicle screw (BPS). The models were underwent a pure moment of 10N·m to simulate lumbar extension, flexion, left bending, right bending, left and right rotation movements. Subsequently, the range of motion (ROM), cage stress, and fixation stress were calculated., Results: In the L3-L5 segment, the BCBT group showed the most limited range of motion (ROM) under exercise load, indicating superior stability within this group. The ROM and cage stress values were found to be highest in the SA group. In contrast, the cage and internal fixation stress in the BPS group were observed to be lowest (9.91 ~ 53.83MPa, 44.93 ~ 84.85 MPa). With the exception of right bending and right rotation, the UCBT group demonstrated higher levels of internal fixation stress (102.20 ~ 164.62 MPa)., Conclusions: The study found that OLIF-assisted internal fixation improved segmental stability and reduced cage stress. The BPS group had advantages over the CBT group in preventing endplate damage and reducing the risk of cage subsidence. However, BCBT group has distinct merits in maintaining surgical segment stability, distributing stress load on the spinal motor unit, and reducing the likelihood of adjacent segment degeneration (ASD)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Bruchidius coreanus is a serious pest on Gleditsia sinensis Lam during seed storage, causing significant losses to their yield in southwest China. To gain insight into their behavioral mechanisms, the external morphology, ultrastructure, and distribution of sensilla on antennae, maxillary palps, and labial palps of both male and female B. coreanus were observed using a scanning electron microscope. The results revealed that both male and female adults had serrated antennae comprising a scape, a pedicel, and nine flagellomeres (F1-F9). There were eight types and seven subtypes of antenna sensilla observed in both sexes, including Böhm sensilla (BS), two subtypes of sensilla chaetica (SC1 and SC2), two subtypes of sensilla trichodea (ST1 and ST2), three subtypes of sensilla basiconica (SB1, SB2, and SB3), sensilla auricillica (SA), sensilla styloconicum (SS), capitate pegs (CP), and sensilla cavity (SCa). The average length of BS and ST (ST1 and ST2) showed significant differences between males and females. Furthermore, the number of SC (SC1 and SC2), ST1, and SCa differed significantly between the sexes. Four types of sensilla were found on the maxillary palps and labial palps, with the length of ST on these palps significantly differing between males and females. Additionally, SS on male labial palps was significantly longer than in females. The number of SC significantly differed between the male and female maxillary palps and labial palps, while ST and SS showed significant differences in the maxillary palps. These findings will contribute to further electrophysiological recording and behavioral research. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: The external morphology and distribution of various sensilla on the antennae, maxillary palps, and labial palps of Bruchidius coreanus were described. Eight types and seven subtypes of antenna sensilla were observed on the antennae, while four types of sensilla were observed on the maxillary palps and labial palps. The capitate pegs were found exclusively on the antennae of female B. coreanus., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: This meta-analysis compares the efficacy of unilateral biportal endoscopic transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (UBE-TLIF) to conventional interbody fusion in lumbar degenerative diseases (LDD)., Methods: An extensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. Research related to UBE-TLIF published up to November 2022 was reviewed. The relevant articles were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, as well as an evaluation of the quality of the data extraction literature. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.3 software., Results: This meta-analysis included six high-quality case-control trials (CCTs) involving 621 subjects. The clinical outcomes assessment showed no statistical differences in complication rates, fusion rates, leg pain VAS scores, or ODI scores. After UBE-TLIF, low back pain VAS scores were significantly improved with less intraoperative blood loss and a shorter hospital stay. A longer time was required for UBE-TLIF, however., Conclusion: Despite the lack of sufficient high quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in this study, the results of this meta-analysis suggest that UBE-TLIF is more effective than open surgery in terms of length of stay, blood loss reduction during surgery, and improved low back pain after surgery. Nevertheless, the evidence will be supplemented in the future by more and better quality multicenter randomized controlled trials., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: To evaluate the early clinical efficacy of robot-assisted percutaneous short-segment bone cement-augmented pedicle screw fixation in the treatment of stageⅡ-Ⅲ Kümmell disease., Methods: The clinical data of 20 patients with stageⅡ-Ⅲ Kümmell's disease who underwent robot-assisted percutaneous bone cement-augmented pedicle screw fixation between June 2017 and January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 4 males and 16 females, aged from 60 to 81 years old with an average age of (69.1±8.3) years. There were 9 cases of stageⅡand 11 cases of stage Ⅲ, all of which were single vertebral lesions, including 3 cases of T 11 , 5 cases of T 12 , 8 cases of L 1 , 3 cases of L 2 , and 1 case of L 3 . These patients did not exhibit symptoms of spinal cord injury. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and complications were recorded. The position of pedicle screws and the filling and leakage of bone cement in gaps were observed using postoperative CT 2D reconstruction. The data of the visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI), kyphosis Cobb angle, wedge angle of the diseased vertebra, and anterior and posterior vertebral height on lateral radiographs were statistically analyzed preoperatively, 1 week postoperatively, and at the final follow-up., Results: Twenty patients were followed up for 10 to 26 months, with an average follow-up of (16.0±5.1) months. All operations were successfully completed. The surgical duration ranged from 98 to 160 minutes, with an average of (122±24) minutes. The intraoperative blood loss ranged from 25 to 95 ml, with an average of (45±20) ml. There were no intraoperative vascular nerve injuries. A total of 120 screws were inserted in this group, including 111 screws at grade A and 9 screws at grade B according to the Gertzbein and Robbins scales. Postoperative CT indicated that the bone cement was well-filled in the diseased vertebra, and cement leakage occurred in 4 cases. Preoperative VAS and ODI were (6.05±0.18) points and (71.10±5.37)%, respectively, (2.05±0.14) points and (18.57±2.77)% at 1 week after operation, and (1.35±0.11) points and (15.71±2.12) % at final follow-up. There were significant differences between postoperative 1 week and preoperative, and between final follow-up and postoperative 1 week( P <0.01). Anterior and posterior vertebral height, kyphosis Cobb angle, and wedge angle of the diseased vertebra were(45.07±1.06)%, (82.02±2.11)%, (19.49±0.77) °, and (17.56±0.94) ° preoperatively, respectively, (77.00±0.99)%, (83.04±2.02)%, (7.34±0.56) °, and (6.15±0.52) ° at 1 week postoperatively, and (75.13±0.86)%, (82.39±0.45)%, (8.38±0.63) °, and (7.09±0.59) ° at the final follow-up., Conclusion: Robot-assisted percutaneous short-segment bone cement-augmented pedicle screw fixation demonstrates satisfactory short-term efficacy in treating stageⅡ-Ⅲ Kümmell's disease as an effective minimally invasive alternative. However, longer operation times and strict patient selection criteria are necessary, and long-term follow-up is required to determine its lasting effectiveness.

Background: There are conflicting results for robot-assisted (RA) pedicle screw fixation compared with freehand (FH) pedicle screw fixation., Objective: This study was designed to retrospectively compare the accuracy and efficacy of RA percutaneous pedicle screw fixation and traditional freehand FH pedicle screw fixation in the treatment of thoracolumbar fractures., Methods: A total of 26 cases were assigned to the RA group, and 24 cases were assigned to the FH group. The operation time, bleeding volume, and visual analog scale (VAS) score 1 day after the operation, and the anterior/posterior (A/P) vertebral height ratio of the injured vertebrae at 3 days and at internal fixation removal 1 year after the operation were compared between the two groups. Pedicle screw position accuracy was assessed according to Gertzbein criteria., Results: The operation times of the RA group and FH group were 138.69 ± 32.67 minutes and 103.67 ± 14.53 minutes, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant. The intraoperative blood loss was 49.23 ± 22.56 ml in the RA group and 78.33 ± 23.90 ml in the FH group, and the difference was statistically significant. There was a significant difference in the A/P vertebral height ratio of the injured vertebrae 3 days after the operation compared with before the operation in both groups (P < 0.05). There was a significant difference in the A/P vertebral height ratio of the injured vertebrae 3 days after the operation compared with that at fixation removal in both groups (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: The application of RA orthopedic treatment for thoracolumbar fractures can achieve good fracture reduction.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the treatment efficacy of lateral spinal stenosis through the decompression of the nerve root under a multiple planar endoscope. Methods: From January 2017 to March 2019, 52 patients with lumbar spinal stenosis or lumbar spinal stenosis combined with intervertebral disc herniation had been treated via transforaminal approach spinal endoscopy. Our study retrospectively analyzed the treatment outcome. All patients experienced complications with different degrees of facet joint hyperplasia and ligamentum flavum hyperplasia and hypertrophy. Some patients suffered disc herniation. All patients were treated with percutaneous transforaminal approach multiple planar endoscopic decompression. The visual analog scale (VAS) and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were compared before and after the operation, as were the horizontal foramen areas of the medial margins of the upper and lower pedicles of the vertebral arch. The treatment effectiveness was evaluated. Results: VAS and ODI scores were significantly improved at postoperative 3 days, 3 months, 6 months, and the last follow-up ( P < 0.05). The area of the intervertebral foramen was 422.5 ± 159.2 mm 2 preoperatively and 890.8 ± 367.7 mm 2 postoperatively, the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.05). Conclusion: Percutaneous transforaminal approach multiple planar endoscopic decompression could achieve an accurate and effective decompression of the lumbar lateral spinal canal. This procedure has good short-term effects, and is especially suitable for elderly patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Lu, Pan, Hu, Zhang, Sheng, Chen, Zhou, Yu and Hu.)

Vinpocetine (Vinp), a natural compound extracted from the leaves of Phyllostachys pubescens with apoptosis modulatory properties in variety of disorders. In the present study, we investigated the possible mechanism of Vinp in alleviating of the progress of osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) both in vitro and in vivo experiments. The results showed that treatment with Vinp suppressed the dexamethasone (Dex) induced over-regulation of ROS level and apoptotic factors. Mechanistically, the Vinp activated Akt signaling pathway in osteoblast. Moreover, Vinp exerted a protective role in animal ONFH model. To summarize, this work illustrated Vinp possessed a new potential therapeutic drug in ONFH., Competing Interests: None., (AJTR Copyright © 2020.)

Background: Due to the high morbidity and poor clinical outcomes, early predictive and prognostic biomarker identification is desiderated in colorectal cancer (CRC). As a homologue of the Deleted in Colorectal Cancer (DCC) gene, the role of Neogenin-1 (NEO1) in CRC remained unveiled. This study was designed to probe into the effects and potential function of NEO1 in CRC., Methods: Online databases, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting were used to evaluate NEO1 expression in colorectal cancer tissues. Survival analysis was performed to predict the prognosis of CRC patients based on NEO1 expression level. Then, cell proliferation was detected by colony formation and Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK-8) assays. CRC cell migration and invasion were examined by transwell assays. Finally, we utilized the Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA) and GSEA to dig the potential mechanisms of NEO1 in CRC., Results: Oncomine database and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database showed that NEO1 was down-regulated in CRC. Further results validated that NEO1 mRNA and protein expression were both significantly lower in CRC tumor tissues than in the adjacent tissues in our clinical samples. NEO1 expression was decreased with the progression of CRC. Survival and other clinical characteristic analyses exhibited that low NEO1 expression was related with poor prognosis. A gain-of-function study showed that overexpression of NEO1 restrained proliferation, migration and invasion of CRC cells while a loss-of-function showed the opposite effects. Finally, functional pathway enrichment analysis revealed that NEO1 low expression samples were enriched in inflammation-related signaling pathways, EMT and angiogenesis., Conclusion: A tumor suppressor gene NEO1 was identified and verified to be correlated with the prognosis and progression of CRC, which could serve as a prognostic biomarker for CRC patients., Competing Interests: Competing of interest The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s) 2020.)

Objective: The aim of this meta-analysis was to systematically evaluate the efficacy of augmentative plating (AP) and exchange nailing (EN) in the treatment of nonunion of femoral shaft fracture., Methods: For the present meta-analysis, PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched to identify relevant articles up to April 2019. Two investigators independently evaluated the quality of original publications following the guidelines proposed by the Cochrane Handbook. Data were extracted from the studies and analyzed using Review Manager 5.3., Results: Five studies were included in this meta-analysis, with a total of 506 patients. There were 232 patients in the AP group and 276 patients in the EN group. The AP group was associated with higher union rate (OR, 11.66; 95% CI, 4.31-31.50; P < 0.01), shorter union time (SMD, -1.10; 95% CI, -2.09 to -0.11; P = 0.03), shorter operation time (SMD, -0.55; 95% CI, -0.88 to -0.21; P < 0.01), less blood loss (SMD, -1.72; 95% CI, -3.33 to -0.11; P < 0.01), and fewer complications (OR, -0.11; 95% CI, -0.16 to -0.07; P < 0.01) than the EN group., Conclusion: The results of the meta-analysis showed that AP is found to be superior for nonunion of femoral shaft fractures in both intraoperatively (ie, shorter operation time and less blood loss) and postoperatively (ie, higher union rate, shorter union time, and lower complication rate). Overall, AP was superior to EN in the treatment of nonunion of femoral shaft fractures after intramedullary nailing (IMN)., (© 2020 The Authors. Orthopaedic Surgery published by Chinese Orthopaedic Association and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

This study aims to explore the expression of stanniocalcin 2 (STC2) gene in breast cancer and its clinical significance. Female patients with breast cancer from Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University admitted during March 2014 to October 2014 were enrolled in this study. All the tissues used in this experiment included 50 cases of breast cancer tissues and corresponding 50 cases of paracancer normal breast tissues with complete patients' information. The real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was applied to detect the expression of STC2 gene in 50 cases of breast cancer and paracancer normal breast tissues. The results showed that the expression level of STC2 gene in 50 cases of breast cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in paracancer normal breast tissues (P&lt;0.001). The expression of STC2 gene was correlated with lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, TNM stage and histological grade (P&lt;0.001). The expression level of STC2 gene was significantly higher in breast cancer tissues with higher expression of Ki-67 (P&lt;0.001). The expression level of STC2 gene was significantly higher in estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancer tissues than in ER negative ones (P&lt;0.001). However, different groups of age, pathological type, tumor size, PR expression and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) expression did not show significant differences in STC2 expression (P&gt;0.05). In conclusion, the abnormal overexpression of STC2 gene may play a role in the development and progression of breast cancer, and it can be used as an independent metastasis and prognostic factor of breast cancer. In addition, STC2 gene probably promotes the development and metastasis of breast cancer by interacting with estrogen and ER, and it may become a new direction for breast cancer endocrine therapy.

Epirubicin, which is a conventional chemotherapeutic drug for gastric cancer, has innate and adaptive chemoresistance. Recent studies revealed that epirubicin could induce autophagy as a defensive mechanism in drug resistance of mammary carcinoma. Another study implied that DJ-1 may be a chemoresistance-related gene. But the association between DJ-1 and drug resistance of epirubicin in gastric cancer is still ambiguous. In the present report, we explored whether and how DJ-1 conduced to epirubicin-induced apoptosis in gastric cancer. Epirubicin dose-dependently increased the expression of DJ-1 and induced autophagy. Knockdown of DJ-1 notably enhanced epirubicin-induced cell apoptosis, whereas overexpression of DJ-1 attenuated epirubicin-induced cell apoptosis. Further studies revealed that down-regulation of DJ-1 modulated epirubicinactivated autophagy which augmented epirubicin-induced apoptosis. In conclusion, our results validated that DJ-1 reduced epirubicin-induced apoptosis in gastric cancer cells via modulating epirubicin-activated autophagy.

The Grainyhead-like 3 (GRHL3) is involved in epidermal barrier formation, neural tube closure and wound repair. Previous studies have suggested that GRHL3 has been linked to many different types of cancers. However, to date, its effects on human colorectal cancer (CRC) has not been clarified yet. Our microarray analysis has indicated predominant GRHL3 expression in CRC. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression and significance of GRHL3 in CRC tumorigenesis using CRC tissues and paired paracancerous tissues, as well as using distinct CRC cell lines (HT29 and DLD1). We observed increased GRHL3 expression at both mRNA and protein levels in CRC tissues and CRC cell lines using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting. Moreover, silencing GRHL3 with siRNA could suppress CRC cell proliferation, viability and migration in vitro. We also found that knockdown of GRHL3 could promote cell cycle arrest at G 0 /G 1 phase in HT29 cells and DLD1 cells, and induce cell apoptosis in HT29 cells. Together, our study revealed the down-regulation of GRHL3 in vitro could inhibit CRC cell activity and trigger cell cycle arrest at G 0 /G 1 phase and apoptosis.

The sialyl Lewis X (SLe x ) antigen encoded by the FUT7 gene is the ligand of endotheliam-selectin (E-selectin). The combination of SLe x antigen and E-selectin represents an important way for malignant tumor metastasis. In the present study, the effect of the SLe x -binding DNA aptamer on the adhesion and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells in vitro was investigated. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunofluorescence staining were conducted to detect the expression of FUT7 at both transcriptional and translational levels. The SLe x expression in HepG2 cells treated with different concentrations of SLe x -binding DNA aptamer was detected by flow cytometry. Besides, the adhesion, migration, and invasion of HepG2 cells were measured by cell adhesion assay, and the Transwell migration and invasion assay. The results showed that the FUT7 expression was up-regulated at both mRNA and protein levels in HepG2 cells. SLe x -binding DNA aptamer could significantly decrease the expression of SLe x in HepG2 cells. The cell adhesion assay revealed that the SLe x -binding DNA aptamer could effectively inhibit the interactions between E-selectin and SLe x in the HepG2 cells. Additionally, SLe x -binding DNA aptamers at 20 nmol/L were found to have the similar effect to the monoclonal antibody CSLEX-1. The Transwell migration and invasion assay revealed that the number of penetrating cells on the down-side of Transwell membrane was significantly less in cells treated with 5, 10, 20 nmol/L SLe x -binding DNA aptamer than those in the negative control group (P<0.01). Our study demonstrated that the SLe x -binding DNA aptamer could significantly inhibit the in vitro adhesion, migration, and invasion of HepG2 cells, suggesting that the SLe x -binding DNA aptamer may be used as a potential molecular targeted drug against metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma.

Current studies have demonstrated that SLC38A1 proteins play a causal role in neoplastic cell transformation. The twofold aim of this study was to provide insight into whether a variance in the expression of SLC38A1 exists between human colorectal cancer and healthy human tissues and to determine how silencing or overexpressing the SLC38A1 gene could affect the proliferation, viability and migration of colorectal cancer cells. Immunohistochemical staining was used to analyze the expression of SLC38A1 in colorectal cancer tissues and adjacent normal mucosa in 77 patients who underwent surgical resection. The expression of SLC38A1 in colorectal cancer tissues and cell lines was detected using RT-PCR and Western blotting. Two colorectal cancer cell lines SW480 and HCT116 were used to examine whether silencing SLC38A1 with siRNA and overexpressing SLC38A1 with shRNA could affect cell viability and migration. As a result, the SLC38A1 protein was very low or undetectable in the normal colon mucosa. In contrast, strong staining of SLC38A1 protein was found in the cytoplasm in 79.2% colorectal cancer samples. More pronounced SLC38A1 expression in colorectal cancer tissues was significantly associated with tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage. Inhibition of SLC38A1 reduced tumour growth and suppressed proliferation and migration of SW480 cells. In contrast, overexpression of SLC38A1 had the opposite effects on HCT116 cells. SLC38A1 is overexpressed in colorectal cancer, which suggests that it is associated with tumour progression. These results encourage the exploration of SLC38A1 as a target for intervention in colorectal cancer.

The present available opioid receptor antagonists such as naloxone and naltrexone are not highly receptor selective. They may antagonize mu opioid receptors to affect the pain threshold of the patients with traumatic shock while they exert antishock effects. Therefore, they are not suitable for traumatic shock. It is very important to elucidate the subclass of opioid receptors that are closely associated with cardiovascular depression of traumatic shock and then choose their specific receptor antagonists to treat it. Traumatic shock was used in pentobarbital-anesthetized Wistar rats by right femur fracture plus hemorrhage (fixed hemorrhage at a rate of 20 mL/kg in experiment 1 or hemorrhage to 40 mmHg mean arterial blood pressure for 60 min in experiments 2 and 3), and the changes of myocardial and brain opioid receptors after traumatic shock, the antagonizing effects of mu, delta, and kappa opioid receptor antagonists on the cardiovascular depression of traumatic shock and the antishock effects of delta and kappa opioid receptor antagonists ICI174,864 and Nor-binaltorphimine (Nor-BNI) were observed. The results indicate that after traumatic shock, the number of myocardial and brain delta and kappa opioid receptors were significantly increased that were significantly associated with the decreased cardiovascular functions. mu Opioid receptors in the heart and brain did not change significantly. Intracerebral ventricular administration of ICI174,864 and Nor-BNI significantly antagonized the decreased cardiovascular function after traumatic shock and increased the survival rate of traumatic shock rats, but mu opioid receptor antagonist beta-funaltrexamine did not. Meanwhile, intravenous administration of delta and kappa opioid receptor antagonists ICI174,864 and Nor-BNI also significantly increased the mean arterial blood pressure, improved the hemodynamic parameters, and prolonged the survival rate of traumatic shock rats. These findings suggest that opioid receptors are involved in the cardiovascular depression of traumatic shock, and the subclass receptors are mainly delta and kappa opioid receptors. delta and kappa opioid receptor antagonists have good beneficial effects on traumatic shock.