Effect of calcium and magnesium on inflammatory cytokines in accidentally multiple fracture adults: A short-term follow-up.

ABSTRACT: Calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg), which play an important role in several cellular processes, is essential for normal development of the skeleton and maintenance of tissue homeostasis. Deficiency of these elements might delay bone fracture recovery or accelerates bone loss. We aimed to examine whether supplementation of trace element (TE) promotes fracture healing in accidentally fracturing adults by involvement of inflammatory mechanism.A short-term follow-up in clinic was performed. Totally, 117 subjects diagnosed with multiple fractures by traffic accidents were recruited in this study. Serum Ca and Mg levels were measured by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrophotometry. Short-term changes such as serum C-reactive protein, interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha in normal treatment and TE supplement groups were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Student t test and the Spearman correlation were performed to analyze the data.Significantly negative correlations between Ca (r = 0.7032; P < .001) and Mg (r = 0.2719; P < .05) and injury severity score were observed. Serum Ca and Mg were significantly increased at Day 5, 7, and 9 following TE supplements. After treatment, serum C-reactive protein, IL-1ß, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha were significantly reduced whereas cytokine levels of the TE supplement group were found to be lower than that of the normal treatment group after Day 3.These findings suggest that Ca and Mg levels are associated with the injury severity of multiple fractures, and the supplement could reduce the inflammation, which may be beneficial for the bone recovery and disease process.

Lumbrokinase/paclitaxel nanoparticle complex: potential therapeutic applications in bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: Lumbrokinase (LK) is an enzyme complex with antithrombotic, antioxidant, antitumor, and immunomodulatory effects. It has been extensively studied and used in clinical anti-tumor therapy. However, its half-life is short, its bioavailability is low, and its toxicity and side effects are great, which greatly limit its clinical application. Therefore, LK is often combined with other drugs (such as immune agents, hormones, or Chinese herbal medicine) to reduce its dosage and side effects and to improve its anti-tumor effects. METHODS AND RESULTS: Here, we described an LK/paclitaxel (PTX) nanocarrier based on poly(ethylene glycol)-b-(poly(ethylenediamine l-glutamate)-g-poly(ε-benzyoxycarbonyl-l-lysine)-r-poly(l-lysine)) (PEG-b-(PELG-g-(PZLL-r-PLL))). In the present study, LK and PTX were loaded by electrostatic and/or hydrophobic effects under mild conditions, thereby increasing the half-life and bioavailability of the drugs via the sustained release and enhancement of tumor site enrichment by the LK/PTX/PEG-b-(PELG-g-(PZLL-r-PLL)) complex through passive targeting. In this study, using bladder cancer cells (J82 cells) and rat bladder cancer model as the object, the structure of the nanocarrier, the relationship between drugs composition and antitumor properties were systematically studied. CONCLUSION: We propose that the block copolymer PEG-b-(PELG-g-(PZLL-r-PLL)) may function as a potent nanocarrier for augmenting anti-bladder cancer pharmacotherapy, with unprecedented clinical benefits.

Trace Element Concentrations in Human Tissues of Death Cases Associated With Secondary Infection and MOF After Severe Trauma.

Proper trace element level is crucial for the organs in maintaining normal physiological functions. Multiple organ failure (MOF) might be added to critically ill patients due to a lack of trace elements. Alterations of trace element levels in brain, heart, liver, and kidney after severe trauma, however, have been little studied so far. In this study, tissue samples of the frontal cortex of the brain, interventricular septum of the heart, right lobe of the liver, and upper pole of the kidney were obtained from forensic autopsies, of which 120 cases died during the 5th to 15th day of hospitalization, whereas the trauma death group and 43 cases immediately died due to severe craniocerebral trauma as the control group. Copper (Cu), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and selenium (Se) were quantified by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrophotometry (ICP-AES). Cu, Fe, Zn, and Se concentrations in the brain, heart, liver, and kidney in the trauma group decreased dramatically (p<0.05) compared to the control group. The incidence of secondary infection and multiple organ failure (MOF) in the trauma death group were 78.33 and 29.17%, respectively. The concentrations of all elements exhibited a significant correlation with secondary infection and MOF (p<0.01). Our data suggest that low concentrations of Cu, Fe, Zn, and Se in pivotal organs may contribute to the incidence of secondary infection and MOF after severe trauma, which to some extent results in death.

Analysis of blood trace elements and biochemical indexes levels in severe craniocerebral trauma adults with Glasgow Coma Scale and injury severity score.

We aimed to investigate the correlation between the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), the injury severity score (ISS) and serum levels of trace elements (TE) in severe trauma patients to analyze alteration of the levels of trace elements and serum biochemical indexes in the period of admission from 126 adult cases of severe brain trauma with traffic accidents. Multi-trace elements for patients in the trauma-TE groups were used. The results indicated that all patients presented an acute trace elements deficiency syndrome (ATEDs) after severe trauma, and the correlation between ISS and serum levels of Fe, Zn, and Mg was significant. Compared to the normal control group, levels of the trace elements in serum were significantly decreased after trauma, suggesting that enhancement of immunity to infection and multiple organ failure (MOF) via the monitoring and supplement of trace elements will be a good strategy to severe traumatic patients in clinics.

[Combination of canales sacralis drop with acupotomy dissolution in treatment of discogenic lumbocrural pain].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the combination of drop in canales sacralis with acupotomy dissolution in the treatment of lumbocrural pain caused by slipped discs. METHODS: One hundred and thirty-nine patients with lumbocrural pain caused by slipped discs were randomly divided into 3 groups: cases in Group A were treated by the drop in canales sacralis, in Group B by acupotomy dissolution and in Group C by the combination of canales sacralis drop with acupotomy dissolution. MacNab score and VAS score were assayed before treatment and 1 week, 3 and 6 months after treatment. RESULT: The effective rates in Groups A, B and C at 1 week, 3 and 6 months after treatment were 71.4%, 75.5%, 79.6%; 75.0%, 79.6%, 81.8% and 89.1%, 91.3%, 93.5%, respectively (P < 0.01). The pain intensity in Group C was reduced more markedly at different time points after treatment than that in Group A and Group B (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The combination of canales sacralis drop with acupotomy dissolution is superior to each method used alone in treatment of lumbocrural pain caused by slipped discs in the short-and long-term.