Clinical Effects of Ultrasound-Guided Acupotomy in Knee Osteoarthritis Treatment.

The protocol presented here demonstrates the operation method of ultrasound-guided acupotomy for knee osteoarthritis (KOA), including patient recruitment, preoperative preparation, manual operation, and postoperative care. The purpose of this protocol is to relieve pain and improve knee function in patients with KOA. A total of 60 patients with KOA admitted between June 2022 and June 2023 were treated with ultrasound-guided acupotomy. Pathological changes and knee function scores were compared before and after the treatment. After 1 week of treatment, the synovial thickness of the suprapatellar bursae was significantly lesser than before treatment (p < 0.05), the Hospital for Special Surgery Knee Score (HSS) was significantly higher than before treatment (p < 0.05), the Visual analogue scale (VAS) was significantly lower than those of the control group (p < 0.05) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) were significantly lower than those of the control group (p < 0.05). Therefore, ultrasound-guided acupotomy for the treatment of KOA can reduce synovial thickness, relieve pain, improve knee joint function, and have a remarkable curative effect.

Association between C1019T polymorphism in the connexin 37 gene and Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between the connexin 37 C1019T polymorphism and Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with gastric cancer. METHODS: 388 patients with gastric cancer (GC), 204 with chronic superficial gastritis (CSG) were studied. H. pylori was detected by gastric mucosal biopsies biopsy dyeing method. Connexin 37 gene polymorphism 1019 site genotypes were determined by gene sequencing technology. Genotypes and alleles frequencies were compared. RESULTS: (1) Connexin37 gene 1019 site distribution frequency (CC type, TC type, TT type) in the CSG group was 18.1%, 45.1% and 36.8%; in the stomach cancer group it was 35.1%, 45.9% and 19.%, conforming to the Hardy-Weinberg euilibrium. (2) In comparison with CSG group, the frequency of Connexin37 C allele was higher in the gastric cancer group (58.0% vs 40.7%, OR=2.01, 95%CI=1.58-2.57, P<0.01). The prevalence of gastric cancer risk was significantly increased in the carriers of C allele (CC+TC) than in TT homozygote (OR=2.47, 5%CI=1.68-3.610. (3) Gastric cancer patients complicated with Hp infection 211 cases, gastric cancer group of the male patients with HP positive patients with 187 cases, 40 cases of female patients with negative patients, 24 cases were HP positive, negative in 137 cases, control group male patients, 28 cases were Hp positive, negative in 95 patients, female patients with Hp positive 6 cases, 75 cases were negative. On hierarchical analysis, the male group OR value was 15.9 (95%CI to 9.22-27.3), and the female OR was 2.19 (95%CI 0.88-5.59), indicating a greater contribution in males (P<0.01). After elimination of gender effects, positive HP and gastric cancer were closely related (OR 8.82, 95% CI: 5.45-14.3). (4) The distribution frequency of C allele in patients with Hp infection was much higher than that in Hp negative cases in the GC group (64.5% vs 47.0%, OR=2.05, 95%CI=1.54-2.74, P<0.01). Compared with TT homozygotes, (CC+TC) genotype prevalence of gastric cancer risk increased significantly (OR=2.96, 5%CI=1.76-2.99). CONCLUSION: The T allele in the connexin37 gene might not only be associated with gastric cancer but also with H. pylori infection.

[Cathepsin B promoted the apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells as induced by tumor necrosis factor-α].

OBJECTIVE: To establish the cathepsin B over-expression group and cathepsin B gene-silencing group so as to investigate whether cathepsin B was capable of promoting the apoptosis of VSMC (vascular smooth muscle cell) induced by TNF-α/act D. METHODS: Human aortic smooth muscle cell (HA-VSMC) was transfected with pcDNA3.1-cathepsin B and pSilencer2.1-cathepsin B plasmids by lipofection to establish the over-expression and gene-silencing groups. Through TNF-α induced apoptosis, the cell viability was observed by MTT assay, morphological observation and assays of apoptotic proteins as indicators of apoptosis. RESULTS: The cathepsin B over-expression and gene-silencing group were successfully established. MTT assay showed no significant difference between the transfected cell and blank control. After the intervention of TNF-α, the HA-VSMC viability decreased significantly. As compared with control group, the over-expression group significantly decreased (9.98% ± 1.04% vs 14.60% ± 1.34%). As compared with the over-expression group, the E64d and CA-074ME groups (18.23% ± 1.05%, 17.40% ± 1.03%) increased significantly while the silent group (21.30% ± 2.37%) significantly increased. The analysis of acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining showed similar results. Western blot showed the Bcl-2 protein were significantly higher in the silent group than that in the control group. And the over-expression group was significantly lower than the control group. The E64d and CA-074ME groups were significantly higher than that in the over-expression group. But the Bax protein level had no significant difference among all groups. CONCLUSION: The over-expression of cathepsin B promotes TNF-α-induced VSMC apoptosis while Cathepsin B gene silencing and the addition of cathepsin inhibitor in over-expression group inhibit the TNF-α induced VSMC apoptosis.