[Clinical application value of modified Lee grading system to evaluate the degree of foraminal stenosis in patients with intervertebral foraminal lumbar disc herniation].

Objective: To investigate the clinical application value of the modified Lee grading system (abbreviated as the modified system) in evaluating the degree of intervertebral foraminal stenosis(IFS) in patients with foraminal lumbar disc herniations(FLDH). Methods: MRI data of 83 patients with FLDH-IFS (34 patients in the operation group and 49 patients in the conservative group) in Yantai Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University and Yantai Yantaishan Hospital from March 2018 to February 2021 were retrospectively collected. There were 43 males and 40 females, ranged from 34 to 82 years old, with an average of (61±10) years. MRI images of selected patients were independently evaluated and recorded by two radiologists in a blind method, using both the Lee grading system (abbreviated as Lee system) and the modified system, respectively and each method was evaluated twice. The difference between the evaluation level of the two systems, and the agreement of observer assessments of the two systems were compared, and the correlation between the evaluation level of the two grading systems and the clinical treatment modalities was analyzed. Results: The percentage of nongrade 3 (grade 0-2) patients with effective conservative treatment according to the two grading systems was 94.6 % (139/147) and 64.2 % (170/265), respectively. The percentage of grade 3 patients requiring surgical treatment according to the two grading systems was 69.2 % (128/185) and 61.2 % (41/67), respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between the evaluation levels of the modified system and the Lee system (Z=-5.16, P=0.001). In the Lee system, the intra-observer observation consistency Kappa values of the two radiologists were 0.735 and 0.542, respectively, which were highly and moderately consistent; and the inter-observer observation consistency Kappa values were 0.426-0.521, which were moderate consistency. In the modified system, the intra-observer consistency Kappa values of the two radiologists were 0.900 and 0.921, respectively, and the consistency was almost completely consistent; and the inter-observer consistency Kappa values were 0.783-0.861, which were highly consistent or almost completely consistent. Lee system and clinical treatment modalities was correlative (rs=0.39,P<0.001), and modified system and clinical treatment modalities was correlative (rs=0.61,P<0.001). Conclusion: According to FLDH-IFS, the modified system can comprehensively and accurately grade, with high reliability and reproducibility. The evaluation level has a more significant correlation with clinical treatment modalities.

[Changes of BK(Ca) on vascular striaepericytes of D-galactose-induced aging model in guinea pigs].

Objective: The aging model of guinea pigs induced by D-galactose was set up to investigate the changes of BK(Ca) expression and function on cochlear pericytes and their relationship with age-related hearing loss. Methods: Thirty healthy 8-week-old guinea pigs were randomly divided into three groups, with 10 in each group: D-galactose aging model group, subcutaneous injection of D-galactose (500 mg/kg) daily for 6 weeks; saline control group, the same amount of saline was injected into the neck of the aging model group for 6 weeks; the blank control group, no treatment was performed. The threshold of auditory brainstem response (ABR) was detected. The content of BK(Ca) in the perivascular cells of the guinea pig cochlear cells was detected by immunofluorescence technique. The changes of peripheral current density and BK(Ca) current were detected by patch clamp technique. The data were analyzed by GraphPad Prism software. Results: Compared with the saline group and the control group, the ABR threshold and the amplitude of the wave I were significantly decreased in the aging model group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.01). Compared with the control group, the expression of BK(Ca) in the vascular pericytes of guinea pigs in the aging model group was significantly reduced (1.00±0.08 vs 0.27±0.03,the difference was statistically significant P<0.01), and the cell current density and BK(Ca) net current value were also significantly reduced with statistically significant (P<0.01). Conclusions: D-galactose can successfully induce guinea pig aging model, in which BK(Ca) expression decreases and net current value decreases in pericytes of cochlear striavascularis, and changes in BK(Ca) expression and function may be related to age-related hearing loss.

LPS at low concentration promotes the fracture healing through regulating the autophagy of osteoblasts via NF-κB signal pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of low-concentration lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on proliferation and apoptosis of osteoblasts and to discover the mechanism of low-concentration LPS in facilitating the proliferation of osteoblasts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts were treated with LPS, 3-methyladenine (3-MA, autophagy inhibitor), and BAY11-7082 (inhibitor of nuclear factor-kappa b, NF-κB), respectively. The cell cycles were detected using a flow cytometer. Cell proliferation and activity of MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts were explored by cell counting kit-8. Western blotting and immunofluorescence assay were performed to detect the protein level. RNA expression was measured through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunofluorescence assay. RESULTS: At the third day after cell culture, cell infusion reached 80%, and cells were taken as the subjects. At 6 h after treatment with low-concentration LPS, the proliferation and activity of cells were higher than those at 1 h and 12 h after treatment, and the apoptotic level was significantly lower than that in cells at 12 h after treatment. The proliferation and activity of cells in the low-concentration LPS group were significantly higher than those in the control group, 3-MA group and BAY11-7082 group, and the apoptotic level was lower than those in these groups. Compared with those of cells in control group and BAY11-7082 group, the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expressions and nuclear transfer of cells in low-concentration LPS group were significantly elevated, but there were no statistically significant differences in comparisons with the 3-MA group. In the experiment of cell autophagy, the autophagic level in cells in low-concentration LPS group was higher than those in the control group, 3-MA group and BAY11-7082 group. CONCLUSIONS: Through the NF-κB signaling pathway in osteoblasts, low-concentration LPS can activate the autophagy and promote cell proliferation, thereby inhibiting cell apoptosis and accelerating the fracture healing.

Synthesis of a monomolecular anionic FLP complex.

Despite intense research in FLP chemistry, nothing is known about monomolecular anionic FLPs and/or complexes thereof. Herein, synthesis and reaction of the first anionic FLP complex is described using [(OC)5W{(Me3Si)2HCP(H)OLi(12-crown-4)}], Cy2BCl and subsequent deprotonation by KHMDS. The obtained anionic FLP complex reacts readily with CO2 in a concerted manner.

Bioequivalence evaluation of two sertraline tablet formulations in healthy male volunteers after a single dose administration.

SUBJECTS, MATERIAL AND METHODS: According to a randomized two-period crossover design, 12 Chinese male volunteers were treated with 2 sertraline tablet formulations, one was made in China as test tablet, the other was made in England as reference tablet. Each volunteer received each sertraline in a single dose of 150 mg. The 2 medications were carried out by a wash-out phase of 23 days. Blood samples were obtained just before dosing and at 10 time points until 96 hours after administration, and plasma sertraline concentrations were determined by a sensitive gas-chromagraphy electron-capture method with a lower limit of quantification of 0.625 ng/ml. The bioequivalence of 2 formulations was evaluated by the shortest 90% confidence interval method which corresponds to the two one-sided test method. RESULTS: The point estimate (90% confidence interval) of the mean ratio (test/reference) for AUC(0-96) was 97.19% (82.66% to 122.33%), for Cmax 96.27% (83.64% to 121.36%), and for t(l/2) 96.31% (85.43% to 119.57%). Regarding Tmax (test-reference), the 90% confidence interval ranged from -4 to +4 hours, but the difference between the Tmax values of 2 products is clinically of minor importance. CONCLUSION: Therefore, it can be concluded that 2 sertraline tablet formulations are bioequivalent. administration, sertraline is slowly absorbed with peak plasma concentrations at 6 - 8 h, and has a terminal elimination half-life of approximately 26 h, indicating once-daily dosing is available. Clinically, it can be taken either in the morning or in the evening, with or without food [Ronfeld et al. 1997b]. In addition, it also exhibits higher plasma protein binding up to 97% and extensive first-pass metabolism. By demethylation, sertraline is metabolized primarily to N-demethylsertraline, and then eliminated by hydroxylation arid conjugation [Tremaine et al. 1989]. This study aimed at assessing of bioequivalence of two sertraline formulations (produced in China and England, respectively) in healthy male volunteers after a single dose administration.

Preliminary study on antiamnestic mechanism of ginsenoside Rg1 and Rb1.

The effect of ginsenoside Rg1 and Rb1 on memory in mice and rats were studied using one trial avoidance learning method. The results showed that Rg1 and Rb1 improved acquisition, consolidation and retrieval of memory improved by amnestic agents. For the elucidation of the antiamnestic mechanism of Rg1 and Rb1, HPLC-ECD, isotope labelling technique, radioligand binding assay, RIA and oxygen radical generating systems were employed in experiments. Rg1 and Rb1 were shown to increase protein bisynthesis of brain and ACTH level of plasma and decrease 5-HT level or slow down the 5-HT turnover rate in rats. No specific binding of Rg1 and Rb1 to alpha 1, alpha 2 and beta-adrenoceptors, or to DA, 5-HT, GABA and M-cholinergic receptors was detectable. However, 5 days after ip Rg1 and Rb1, higher Bmas values were obtained for the brain membranes from treated mice than those from control mice. In the mean time, Rg1 and Rb1 did not lower and might even increase the contents of acetylcholine in the brain. Besides, Rb1 could antagonize lipid peroxidation in the brain. Besides, Rb1 could antagonize lipid peroxidation and scavenge oxygen free radicals as well as increase catalase and GSH-PX activities. Clearly, these data may serve as the basis for the elucidation of the antiamnestic mechanism of Rg1 and Rb1.

[Comparison of pharmacological effects of L- and DL-n-butyl-scopolamine in rat uterus].

The affinities of L-n-butyl-scopolamine, DL-n-butyl-scopolamine and atropine for the M-cholinergic receptors of rat uterus were compared using radioligand binding assay. Results showed that the affinity of L-n-butyl-scopolamine for the M-receptors was similar to that of DL-n-butyl-scopolamine, but lower than that of atropine. In isolated rat uterus, L- and DL-n-butyl-scopolamine were found not to influence the automatic contraction but antagonize the contraction induced by acetylcholine with nearly the same PA2, although the PA2 of both compounds were still lower than that of atropine. Therefore, no difference between L- and DL-n-butyl-scopolamine in either biological activity or receptor affinity was observed.

[Protective effect of tetrandrine on neuronal injury in cultured cortical neurons of rats].

The ability of tetrandrine (Tet), as a Ca2+ antagonist isolated from a traditional Chinese herb, to reduce cortical neuronal injury was quantitatively examined in cell cultures derived from fetal rats by measurement of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) released to the extracellular bathing media. Cell cultures exposed to excitotoxins-glutamate (Glu), N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), beta-N-oxalylamino-L-alanine(BOAA, on non-NMDA receptors) and beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine(BMAA, on NMDA receptors)-for 24 h showed widespread neuronal injury, which was substantially attenuated by addition of Tet 10(-7)-10(-6) mol.L-1 except to NMDA. Tet failed to protect neurons against NMDA. These results suggest that Tet has protective effect on fetal rat cortical neuronal injury induced by some excitotoxins in vitro. The mechanism of action was hypothesized that opening of Ca2+ channel in cellular membrane would not happen, because of inhibition of Na+ influx and membrane depolarization induced by Tet. As a result, cytosolic free Ca2+ overload and then neuroal injury were prevented or lightened.

[Determination of acetylcholine by high performance liquid chromatography, enzyme-loaded postcolumn, and electrochemical detector].

A rapid and simple method using a combination of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), an immobilized enzyme column, with electrochemical detection (ECD) is described for the assay of acetylcholine (ACh) and choline (Ch) in mouse brain. Perchloric acid extracts of small brain tissue were injected onto the HPLC system with no preclean-up procedure Detection limits for both compounds were 1 pmol. The present method has been successfully applied to the measurement of ACh in discrete brain areas of the mouse.

[Study on the nootropic mechanism of ginsenoside Rb1 and Rg1--influence on mouse brain development].

Weaning mice were supplied drinking water containing Rb1 or Rg1 0.125 or 0.25 mg.ml-1 for 4 weeks. Rb1 (28.6 and 56.1 mg.kg-1) and Rg1 (27.4 and 53.9 mg.kg-1) were found to accelerate young mice body and brain development as well as facilitate memory acquisition in step down and step through avoidance response tests. With the technique of quantitative measurement synapses, we found for the first time that Rb1 and Rg1 administration for 4 weeks can increase synapse number in the hippocampal CA3 region of mice. This is the morphological basis for explaining Rb1 and Rg1 induced facilitation of learning and memory.

[Effects of tetrandrine on cytosolic free calcium in fetal rat cerebral cells].

Cytosolic free Ca(2+)-[Ca2+]i was measured in dissociated cerebral cells isolated from fetal rats using the fluorescent indicator Fura-2. Increases in [Ca2+]i occurred rapidly following exposure of the cells to 50 mmol.L-1 KCl, 10(-7) mol.L-1 Bay K 8644 and 200 mumol.L-1 glutamate (Glu). [Ca2+]i elevation produced by K(+)-depolarization was blocked completely by pretreatment with tetrandrine (Tet) of various concentrations (10(-9) - 10(-7) mol.L-1, final). Tet showed significant inhibitory effect on [Ca2+]i increases stimulated by Glu in concentration-dependent manner. With Tet 10(-7) mol.L-1, Bay K 8644-induced increases in [Ca2+]i were reduced markedly. These results indicate that Tet can block the increases in [Ca2+]i in fetal rat cerebral cells induced by Ca2+ agonists, suggesting that this drug may have a protective effect on cerebral cell injury.

[Effect of dl-3-butylphthalide on the striatum extracellular amino acid and dopamine contents in the rat during cerebral ischemia].

The effect of dl-3-butylphthalide (NBP) on the contents of amino acids and dopamine in the rat striatum during globe cerebral ischemia has been studied. By using the technique of microperfusion in the striatum of rats subjected to 4-vessel occlusion cerebral ischemia, the extracellular contents of glutamate, taurine, gamma-aminobutyric acid and dopamine were found to be significantly increased in the striatum during the 20 min of cerebral ischemia. NBP (40 mg.kg-1; i.p. 30 min before ischemia) was shown to reduce the contents of dopamine and its metabolite, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), in the striatal extracellular fluid of the rat during ischemia. The content of glycine before and after ischemia was also reduced. However, no significant effect on the contents of glutamate and some other amino acids was observed. The results suggest that NBP may improve the striatal ischemic injury.

Research of arginylglycylaspartic to promote osteogenesis of bone marrow mesenchymal cells on chitosan/hydroxyapatite scaffolds.

A high degree of cell adhesion to a scaffold at the initial stage of cell inoculation is essential to bone tissue engineering. In realising high cell adhesion rate on a scaffold within a few hours, a chitosan/hydroxyapatite (CS/HA) scaffold with a channel/sphere pore was prepared via in situ hybridisation in combination with lyophilisation, in which the HA nanoparticles were dispersed in the CS uniformly. The size of the channel pore and the sphere pore of the CS/HA scaffold was 150 µm to 650 µm and 3 µm to 15 µm, respectively. The compression strength and porosity of the CS/HA scaffold were 3.54 ± 0.32 MPa and 88.4%, respectively. The nitrogen content increased by 7.5% compared with the CS/HA scaffold without Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) modification. More than 67% of the RGD in the PBS solution diffused into the CS/HA scaffold spontaneously. The effect of the RGD peptide on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on the CS/HA scaffold was investigated through cell adhesion rate, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and mineralised calcium nodules. The cell adhesion rates of the CS/HA scaffold with different RGD concentrations (50, 100 mg/L) were 71.6% and 80.7%, respectively, after 4 hours of culture; the rates were 30.9% and 47.5% higher than that of the CS/HA group (54.7%), respectively. The expressed ALP content of the CS/HA scaffold with RGD (191 ± 6 U/g protein) was 107.7% higher than that (92 ± 9U/g protein) of CS/HA (p<0.01). Furthermore, a higher amount of mineralised calcium nodules with red brown appeared in the CS/HA scaffold with RGD as opposed to that in the CS/HA group. The RGD peptide in the CS/HA scaffold not only achieved high cell adhesion in a short period of time, but also enhanced cell adhesion ability and promoted the MSCs to differentiate from osteoblasts.

New theoretical investigations of the photodissociation of ozone in the Hartley, Huggins, Chappuis, and Wulf bands.

We review recent theoretical studies of the photodissociation of ozone in the wavelength region from 200 nm to 1100 nm comprising four major absorption bands: Hartley and Huggins (near ultraviolet), Chappuis (visible), and Wulf (near infrared). The quantum mechanical dynamics calculations use global potential energy surfaces obtained from new high-level electronic structure calculations. Altogether nine electronic states are taken into account in the theoretical descriptions: four 1A', two 1A'', one 3A' and two 3A'' states. Of particular interest is the analysis of diffuse vibrational structures, which are prominent in all absorption bands, and their dynamical origin and assignment. Another focus is the effect of non-adiabatic coupling on lifetimes in the excited states and on the population of the specific electronic product channels.