Effects of Dietary Supplementation of Recombinant Plectasin on Growth Performance, Intestinal Health and Innate Immunity Response in Broilers.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of recombinant plectasin (Ple) on the growth performance, intestinal health, and serum immune parameters in broilers. A total of 288 1-day-old male broilers (Arbor Acres) were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments including the basal diet (NC) and basal diet supplemented with 10 mg enramycin/kg (PC), 100 mg Ple/kg (LPle), and 200 mg Ple/kg (HPle) diets. The results indicated Ple increased (P < 0.01) average daily gain and decreased (P ≤ 0.02) feed to gain ratio of broilers. In addition, the supplementation of Ple in the diets increased (P ≤ 0.01) duodenal lipase (day 21) and trypsin (day 42) activities compared with the NC group. Similar as the supplementation of enramycin, Ple also increased villus height and decreased crypt depth in jejunum (day 21), and thus the villus height to crypt depth ratio (P < 0.01) was increased compared to the NC group on day 42. The serum immunoglobulin M (days 21 and 42), immunoglobulin G (day 42), complement 3 (day 21), and complement 4 (days 21 and 42) were significantly increased (P ≤ 0.02) due to the supplementation of Ple and enramycin, while the concentration of malondialdehyde in jejunum was decreased (P < 0.01) in PC, LPle, and HPle groups on day 21 compared with those in the NC group. Furthermore, Ple reduced (P < 0.01) Escherichia coli and total aerobic bacteria population in ileum and cecum of birds on days 21 and 42. These results indicate that the recombinant plectasin has beneficial effects on growth performance, intestinal health, and innate immunity in broilers.

[Anterior versus posterior decompression for the treatment of thoracolumbar fractures with spinal cord injury:a Meta-analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of anterior decompression and posterior decompression in the treatment of thoracolumbar fractures with spinal cord injury, so as to provide a good scientific basis for more effective treatment of thoracolumbar fractures with spinal cord injury. METHODS: A clinical data about comparative study of anterior decompression and posterior decompression in the treatment of thoracolumbar fractures with spinal cord injury was searched and collected. The databases of Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, CBM, Wanfang Medical Network were searched by computer. Artificially collected journals included Spine, European Spine Journal, The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. Two spine surgeons independently screened the literature according to established inclusion and exclusion criteria and assessed the quality of the included studies. Meta-analysis was performed on the data using Review Manager 5.3 software, the indicators included operative time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative tactile score, postoperative motor score, postoperative vertebral height, hospitalization time, neurological function recovery, efficiency of treatment, postoperative complications. RESULTS: Fifteen randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were enrolled in a total of 1 360 patients, including 680 anterior decompression and 680 posterior decompression. The results of Meta-analysis showed that the anterior decompression group had longer operation time [MD=80.09, 95% CI(36.83, 123.34), P=0.000 3], more intraoperative blood loss [MD=225.21, 95%CI(171.07, 279.35), P<0.000 01], longer hospitalization time [MD=2.31, 95% CI(0.32, 4.31), P=0.02]. And the postoperative tactile score [MD=13.39, 95% CI(9.86, 16.92), P<0.000 01], postoperative motor score [MD=13.15, 95% CI(7.02, 19.29), P<0.000 1], vertebral height [MD=1.36, 95% CI(0.79, 1.92), P<0.000 01] in anterior decompression were higher than that in posterior decompression. There was no statistically significant differences in the efficacy of treatment [OR=1.14, 95% CI(0.56, 2.31), P=0.72], neurological recovery [OR=0.87, 95% CI(0.57, 1.33), P=0.52] between two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with posterior decompression, the anterior decompression has the advantages of longer operating time, more intraoperative blood loss, longer hospitalization time, higher postoperative tactile score, higher postoperative motor score, and higher injury vertebral height, But there was no significant difference in the treatment efficiency and nerve function recovery between two groups.

Clinical efficacy and safety of limited internal fixation combined with external fixation for Pilon fracture: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To compare the clinical efficacy and complications of limited internal fixation combined with external fixation (LIFEF) and open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) in the treatment of Pilon fracture. METHODS: We searched databases including Pubmed, Embase, Web of science, Cochrane Library and China Biology Medicine disc for the studies comparing clinical efficacy and complications of LIFEF and ORIF in the treatment of Pilon fracture. The clinical efficacy was evaluated by the rate of nonunion, malunion/delayed union and the excellent/good rate assessed by Mazur ankle score. The complications including infections and arthritis symptoms after surgery were also investigated. RESULTS: Nine trials including 498 pilon fractures of 494 patients were identified. The meta-analysis found no significant differences in nonunion rate (RR = 1.60, 95% CI: 0.66 to 3.86, p = 0.30), and the excellent/good rate (RR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.86 to 1.04, p = 0.28) between LIFEF group and ORIF group. For assessment of infections, there were significant differences in the rate of deep infection (RR = 2.18, 95% CI: 1.34 to 3.55, p = 0.002), and the rate of arthritis (RR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.53, p = 0.02) between LIFEF group and ORIF group. CONCLUSION: LIFEF has similar effect as ORIF in the treatment of pilon fractures, however, LIFEF group has significantly higher risk of complications than ORIF group does. So LIFEF is not recommended in the treatment of pilon fracture.

Narrow Intercondylar Notch and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in Female Nonathletes with Knee Osteoarthritis Aged 41-65 Years in Plateau Region.

BACKGROUND: Few data are available concerning intercondylar notch dimensions in female nonathletes with knee osteoarthritis (OA) in plateau region. The aim of this study was to assess the relation of intercondylar notch morphology to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in female nonathletes with knee OA aged 41-65 years from the Chinese Loess Plateau. METHODS: The study was conducted on 330 patients with ACL injury (aged 31-65 years; 159 males, 171 females), 141 patients with OA (aged 31-65 years; 59 males, 82 females), and 89 female healthy controls (aged 41-65 years), and this evaluation included identifying the distribution of patients with OA or ACL injury and measuring the intercondylar notch width indexes (NWIs). RESULTS: There was a significant rising trend in patients with OA (the Kellgren and Lawrence grade = 3) with ACL injury (OA-S + ACL) aged 41-65 years, especially in females. We found that the notches of OA-S + ACL had a smaller NWI compared with control and OA without ACL injury (OA-S-only, P = 0.000, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.059--0.030; P = 0.000, 95% CI = -0.049--0.016). A similar trend was found in notch shape index (NSI), but not in notch depth index and the cross-sectional area. The cutoff of NWI and NSI value was 0.26, and 0.65, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.82, and 0.79, respectively. Further study displayed a significant correlation between a reduced NWI and NSI and OA-S + ACL (P = 0.000, χ2 = 14.012; P = 0.000, χ2 = 14.286). CONCLUSION: A narrower intercondylar notch and a plateau environment are risk factors of predisposing female nonathletes with knee OA to ACL injury aged 41-65 years.

Efficacy and safety of etoricoxib compared with NSAIDs in acute gout: a systematic review and a meta-analysis.

The aim is to study the efficacy and safety of etoricoxib in the treatment of acute gout, as compared with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). We conducted a computerized search of electronic databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, China Biology Medicine disc, and Cochrane Library. The search terms were as follows: gout arthritis, tophus, etoricoxib, indometacin naproxen, diclofenac, and NSAIDs. Articles were searched from 1983 until August 2014. A manual search of peer-reviewed English documents was performed by cross-checking the bibliographies of selected studies. These trials reported pain relief as the primary outcome. Tenderness, swelling, patients' global assessments of response to treatment, and investigators' global assessments of response to treatment were reported as the secondary outcomes. All adverse events were recorded for safety assessment. Six trials including 851 patients were identified. Both etoricoxib and NSAIDs had an effect on inflammation and analgesia. Compared with indometacin and diclofenac, etoricoxib had a lower incidence of adverse events. Etoricoxib 120 mg administered orally once daily has the same efficacy on acute gout as indometacin and diclofenac. Etoricoxib is tolerated better by patients than NSAIDs such as indometacin and diclofenac.

The offset of the tibia plateau of osteoarthritis patients: a single-center study.

Component position and good fixation are important factors determining the success of a primary or revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The aim of this study was to measure the anatomic features of the tibial plateau and to assess variations in the offset of the tibial shaft from the tibial plateau in osteoarthritis (OA) patients. Computed tomography (CT) scan results were obtained from 126 knees of 121 OA patients (72 female, 49 male) with an average age of 65 ± 7 years. The anatomic features of the tibial plateau were measured and analyzed using three-dimensional reconstruction information derived from a 64-slice spiral CT. The results showed significant variations in proximal tibial anatomy among the subjects. The mean offset was 7.61 ± 3.04 mm at the resection just distal to the subchondral bone. The mean anteroposterior and mediolateral dimensions of the tibial plateau were 53.05 ± 4.82 mm and 70.42 ± 8.33 mm, respectively, at the resection just distal to the subchondral bone. The tibial shaft axis was located anterolateral to the center of the tibial plateau in 62% of knees, while in 36% of these knees, it was located anterior medial to the center of the tibial plateau at the resection just distal to the subchondral bone. Our study shows that anatomic variations should be fully evaluated before performing TKA. A wide range of implant sizes is thus necessary for optimum replacement.

Tonic modulation of nociceptive behavior and allodynia by cannabinoid receptors in formalin test in rats.

Cannabinoids produce anti-nociceptive and anti-hyperalgesic effects in acute, inflammatory and neuropathic pain models. The current study investigated the role of cannabinoid (CB1 and CB2) receptors in modulating formalin-induced nociceptive behavior and mechanical allodynia in the rat. Rats received subcutaneous plantar injections of 5% formalin in the hind paws. Licking, biting and paw flinching nociceptive behaviors were measured 0-60 min after formalin injection. Allodynia was measured at 3 and 6 h, and 1, 3, 5 and 7 days post-injection using the mechanical paw withdrawal threshold. Animals in the experimental group were given i.p. injections of CB1 and CB2 receptor antagonists AM281 and AM630 at a dose of 1 mg/kg concomitant with formalin, and then twice daily for the following 7 days. AM281 and AM630 enhanced nociceptive behaviors, and attenuated the bilateral mechanical paw withdrawal threshold, compared with the vehicle. The results indicate that CB1 and CB2 receptors mediate a tonically inhibitory action on formalin-induced inflammatory pain, especially long-term allodynia, in bilateral hind paws.

The MEK5/ERK5 pathway mediates fluid shear stress promoted osteoblast differentiation.

The aim of this study was to determine the role of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) 5/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 5 pathway in osteoblast differentiation promoted by intermittent fluid shear stress (FSS). MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells were subjected to 12 dyn/cm(2) intermittent FSS, and the phenotypic markers for osteoblast differentiation, such as alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and expression of osteopontin (OPN) and osteocalcin (OCN), were then examined. The results showed that intermittent FSS could stimulate ERK5 phosphorylation, ALP activity and the expression of OPN and OCN. When the MEK5/ERK5 pathway was selectively inhibited by BIX02189, ALP activity was suppressed, and the expression of OPN and OCN was downregulated. Intermittent FSS induce the expression of Runt-related transcription factor-2 (Runx-2), which is involved in osteoblast differentiation by promoting the transcription of the above genes. Furthermore, the expression of Runx-2 was also reduced after treatment with BIX02189. Finally, we found that intermittent FSS was a more intense stimulus than steady FSS for promoting osteoblast differentiation. In summary, our results suggest that the MEK5/ERK5 pathway mediates osteoblast differentiation promoted by intermittent FSS, which was more effective than steady FSS in the differentiation process. The MEK5/ERK5 pathway also mediates FSS-induced Runx-2 expression in osteoblast differentiation.

Neuropeptide FF receptor antagonist, RF9, attenuates the fever induced by central injection of LPS in mice.

The endogenous opioid system has been found to be involved in the fever caused by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Neuropeptide FF (NPFF, FLFQPQRF-NH(2)) is an endogenous peptide known to modulate opioid activity, mainly in the central nervous system. Therefore, those data suggested a link between LPS-induced fever and NPFF systems. Using a model of acute neuroinflammation, we sought to determine the effects of NPFF systems on the fever induced by i.c.v. injection of LPS. Coinjected with different doses of NPFF (10 and 30 nmol), the fever of LPS (125 ng) was not modified. Interestingly, the selective NPFF receptors antagonist RF9 (30 nmol) injected into the third ventricle failed to induce significant effect, but it decreased the fever of LPS (125 ng) after cerebral administration in mice. These results suggest that NPFF receptors activation is required for LPS to produce fever. This interaction is the first evidence that NPFF systems participate in the control of acute neuroinflammation in conscious animals.