[Lengths of the fixed loop and the adjustable loop in the coarse bone tunnel were compared to influence the widening of the femoral bone tunnel and the function of the knee joint].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of two different femoral cortical suspension devices (fixation loop and adjustable loop) on tunnel widening and knee function in patients following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction for 12 months. METHODS: A total of 60 patients who had undergone anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction were included in this study. According to the length of the loop(n)[n= total length of loop-(total length of femoral tunnel-total length of coarse tunnel)] in the rough bone tunnel, the patients were divided into A (adjustable loop was 0 mm in the coarse bone tunnel), B (fixation loop was greater than 0 mm and less than or equal to 10 mm in the coarse bone tunnel) and C (fixation loop was greater than 10 mm in the coarse bone tunnel) groups, of which 11 cases were in group A, 27 cases in group B and 22 cases in group C. In the three-dimensional reconstruction of the knee joint with multi-slice spiral CT, the widening of the bone tunnel in the three groups was compared. At the same time, IKDC, Lysholm and Tegner scores of the patients in the three groups were compared. RESULTS: There were differences in the widening degree of the femoral canal among groups A, B and C, and the median difference of the widening degree of the femoral tunnel 12 months and immediately after the surgery was A < B < C. The difference of femoral canal widening in group A was significantly different from that in groups B and C (P < 0.05).According to the linear regression the relationship between the difference of the width of the femoral canal and the change of the length (n) of the loop in the coarse canal, it was found that there was a linear relationship between the value of n and the difference of the width of the bone canal. With the increase of the value of n, the difference of the width of the bone canal gradually became larger. The median difference of the width of the middle and superior tunnel was negative, while the median difference of the width of the middle and inferior tunnel was positive. During the follow-up, we found that there were no statistical differences in IKDC, Lysholm and Tegner scores among the three groups one year after surgery (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Twelve months after surgery, compared with group B (fixed loop group) and group C (fixed loop group), group A (adjustable loop group) had less bone tunnel widening.In groups A, B and C, as the length of the loop in coarse bone tunnel gradually increased, the width of bone tunnel became more significant. At the end of 12 months follow-up after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, the medial and inferior femoral tunnel was significantly wider than immediately after surgery, and the medial and superior femoral tunnel had gradually begun to undergo tendon-bone healing. There was no significant difference in knee function scores among groups A, B, and C in the follow-up 12 months after surgery.

[Methods and advances in the research of lymphatics in the head and neck].

The lymphatic system plays an important role in human health and disease. In addition to a role in the immune response, the lymphatics can also serve as a pathway for cancer metastasis.Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common cancers.In the case where the primary focus has been controlled, cervical lymph node metastasis is one of the most important factors affecting the prognosis of head and neck cancer.Thus, understanding the anatomy of the lymphatic system is of paramount importance in predicting cancer metastasis and to perform proper lymph node dissection in cancer patients.The objective of this review is to summarize current imaging approaches that facilitate both basic science and clinical investigations of lymphatic vasculature.Mutation analysis of the laryngeal lymphatic system may provide a theoretical basis for the diagnosis and treatment of HNSCC.

[The progress of 3D reconstruction of the larynx].

Larynx is a complicated organ of significant functions including breathing, voicing, protecting and so on, so it's important for anyone involved in the filed to know more about the multiple structures of the complex. Although there are numerous 2D images of larynx, it's still difficult for the observers to understand the organ well, so it's necessary to establish a real digital modal of larynx. With the development of computer and image processing technologies, medical imaging datasets have been used for the reconstruction of larynx. And the complete of visible human project also provides colorful cross-sectional images for reconstruction. The article reviews the development of the reconstruction of larynx, and predicts the possible developing direction of future 3D reconstruction.

[A high-precision digital images date set of larynx].

Objective:To build a digital cross-sectional images date set of human normal larynx with high-precision.Method:A fresh frozen normal human larynx was embedded using Kawamot's Film Method and then serially sectioned at 10 µm with a LeicaCM3600XP Cryomacrotome, meanwhile digital images of the block surface were recorded after every section with a Nikon D750 camera and stored respectively as JPG and RAW files. All images were cropped to display a constant area on the block surface by photoshop7 and stored as TIFF files. Result:A total of 6 656 images were recorded in 24-bit RGB resolution, the complete data file is 97.5 GB and 174 GB. After elimination of image size variation, all images were re-sampled at a final resolution of 40 µm/pixel and the complete data file is 107 GB. Conclusion:It's feasible to use the combination of Kawamot's Film Method,Digital Single Lens Reflex with high-resolution and regular block face-based alignment to build high-precision digital images date set, which could apply to some partial organs that resemble larynx.

Osteogenic Treatment Initiating a Tissue-Engineered Cartilage Template Hypertrophic Transition.

Hypertrophic chondrocytes play a critical role in endochondral bone formation as well as the progress of osteoarthritis (OA). An in vitro cartilage hypertrophy model can be used as a platform to study complex molecular mechanisms involved in these processes and screen new drugs for OA. To develop an in vitro cartilage hypertrophy model, we treated a tissue-engineered cartilage template, living hyaline cartilaginous graft (LhCG), with osteogenic medium for hypertrophic induction. In addition, endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) were seeded onto LhCG constructs to mimic vascular invasion. The results showed that osteogenic treatment significantly inhibited the synthesis of endostatin in LhCG constructs and enhanced expression of hypertrophic marker-collagen type X (Col X) and osteogenic markers, as well as calcium deposition in vitro. Upon subcutaneous implantation, osteogenic medium-treated LhCG constructs all stained positive for Col X and showed significant calcium deposition and blood vessel invasion. Col X staining and calcium deposition were most obvious in osteogenic medium-treated only group, while there was no difference between EPC-seeded and non-seeded group. These results demonstrated that osteogenic treatment was of the primary factor to induce hypertrophic transition of LhCG constructs and this model may contribute to the establishment of an in vitro cartilage hypertrophy model.

[Four-handed procedure for nasal endoscopic surgery].

Nasal endoscopic surgery was born in the 1950 of the last century in Europe.The original Hopkins and other scholars proposed nose rigid endoscopy to the application of modern advanced "chameleon" nasal endoscopic,roughly experienced 60 years of evolution and development.The development and improvement of endoscopic surgery also in constant evolution,by traditional single hand operation that patients in one hand and holding a mirror,on the other hand took the instrument to attract or punch,to modern groping in the dark hands operation technology,namely assistant control nasal endoscope,surgery were both hands operation,this is called the four hand operation to solve the a lot of nasal endoscopic surgery problem,lay a solid foundation to the continuous expansion of the endoscopic surgery.Nasal endoscopic surgery is the optimal operation mode of the nasal cavity and even the skull base surgery.It is a great breakthrough in the history of endoscopic surgery,and it is also a major improvement in the development of microsurgical technique.

[Advances in imaging evaluation of laryngeal carcinoma].

Laryngeal carcinoma is a common malignant tumor in the head and neck, and the squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx is the most prevelance. In view of the importance of laryngeal function and its survival, the choice of the best therapeutic regimen of laryngeal carcinoma must consider the potential survival rate and the change of postoperative function. The margin of laryngeal carcinoma is an important index of preoperative imaging evaluation of laryngeal carcinoma. The accurate determination of the cutting edge determines the operation mode, the success rate, the survival rate and prognosis of the patients with laryngeal carcinoma.In recent years, the method of preoperative evaluation of laryngeal tumors is diverse, including molecular, imaging and endoscopy, among which preoperative imaging is the most common method. The purpose of this study was to summarize the evaluation of different imaging techniques in the assessment of local invasion and recurrence of submucosal tumors in laryngeal carcinoma.

Heterogeneity of angiotensin type 2 (AT2) receptors.

Evidence continues to accumulate that strengthens the proposal of heterogeneity within both the AT1 and the AT2 receptor subtypes. Pharmacologic, biochemical and immunological studies of AT2 receptors expressed in N1E-115 cells strengthen the hypothesis of AT2 receptor heterogeneity. However, it is important to reassess these studies, especially in terms of how these results correlate with other reports of AT2 receptor heterogeneity. For example, AT2 receptor immunoreactivity was absent in some neuronal regions which have previously been proposed to express the AT2 receptor subtype. In particular, AT2 receptor staining was not seen in the inferior olive, a region which is known to express a high density of AT2 receptors. Upon first examination, these results were somewhat troubling. However, when compared with earlier reports, these results should not have been unexpected. For instance, Tsutsumi and Saaverdra previously have shown that AT2 receptors in the locus coeruleus are sensitive to the actions of guanine nucleotides, while AT2 receptors in the inferior olive are insensitive (21). These antisera were raised against a population of AT2 receptors which are sensitive to GTP gamma S and therefore, the lack of AT2 receptor staining in the inferior olive, as well as the presence of AT2 receptor immunoreactivity in the locus coeruleus, confirms and extends these earlier reports. In addition the AT2 receptors expressed in the locus coeruleus have been shown to be functionally distinct from AT2 receptors in the inferior olive. In this regard, Ang II has been shown to depress glutamate-induced EPSPs in the locus coeruleus, an effect which is mediated through the AT2 receptor (19). Conversely, AT2 receptors have been shown to increase the firing rate of neurons in the inferior olive (20). Collectively, these results would predict that staining should be absent in the inferior olive using these AT2-directed antisera. Indeed, in view of these earlier physiological and pharmacological studies, the presence of AT2 receptor immunoreactivity in the inferior olive would have been surprising. The most convincing example of AT2 receptor heterogeneity is the characterization of AT2 receptors present in N1E-115 cells. Separation of solubilized N1E-115 membranes by heparin-Sepharose chromatography generates two populations of AT2 receptors which are pharmacologically and biochemically distinct. In particular, CGP42112A was approximately 2 orders of magnitude more selective for Peak III AT2 receptors than was PD123319. Binding activity of Peak I and Peak III AT2 receptor populations also differed in their responses to GTP gamma S and DTT treatment. Lastly, the AT2-directed antisera, raised against the Peak I population of AT2 receptors, were not able to immunodetect the Peak III population of AT2 receptors in immunoblot analysis, or immunoprecipiatate AT2 binding activity from Peak III material. Pharmacological, biochemical and immunological analysis of the AT2 receptor clone isolated from N1E-115 cells revealed that it has the identical characteristics or properties of the Peak III receptor. The AT2 receptor isolated from N1E-115 cells exhibited a similar pharmacology as the Peak III AT2 receptor, in that CGP42112A was more effective at displacing 125I-Ang II binding activity than was PD123319. The AT2 receptor clone was also shown to be insensitive to the actions of GTP gamma S, as well as demonstrated increased binding activity in the presence of DTT, identical to the Peak III AT2 receptor. Lastly, immunoblot analysis of membranes prepared from COS-1 cells transfected with the AT2 receptor cDNA from N1E-115 cells did not demonstrate any immune-specific bands with the AT2-directed antisera. Characterization of an AT2 receptor cDNA isolated from N1E-115 cells reveals that this clone is identical to the Peak III type of AT2 receptor.

Intracerebroventricular administration of angiotensin type 1 (AT1) receptor antisense oligonucleotides attenuate thirst in the rat.

The central actions of the peptide hormone angiotensin II (AngII) are importantly involved in body fluid homeostasis. Included amongst these actions is a potent dipsogenic response that has been implicated in the thirst that develops during many forms of extracellular dehydration. The use of highly selective receptor antagonists has revealed that the Type 1 (AT1), and not the Type 2 (AT2), AngII receptor subtype mediates this drinking response. More recently, antisense oligonucleotides specific for the AT1 receptor have been developed and after intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration, they significantly reduce the dipsogenic response elicited by a similar injection of AngII. In the present study AT1 antisense oligonucleotides were used to further investigate their effect on experimentally induced thirst in the rat. In addition, immunohistochemical analysis of biotin-labeled oligonucleotides was performed in order to correlate the behavioral effects of the oligonucleotides with their distribution in the brain. The results demonstrated that the antidipsogenic effects of the oligonucleotides were dose and time-dependent and were limited to those thirst challenges that involve activation of the renin-angiotensin system. Collectively, these results demonstrate the efficacy and behavioral specificity of these oligonucleotides, as well as their utility in investigating the physiological role of cerebral AngII receptor subpopulations in various models of thirst.

Intracerebroventricular administration of AT1 receptor antisense oligonucleotides inhibits the behavioral actions of angiotensin II.

Antisense oligonucleotides were developed to study the expression and function of angiotensin type 1 (AT1) receptors in cultured cells and brain. In both liver epithelial WB and neuroblastoma N1E-115 cells AT1 antisense oligomers substantially decreased AT1 receptor density, whereas angiotensin type 2 (AT2) receptors remained unchanged. Similarly, repeated intracerebroventricular injections of AT1 antisense oligomers in rats decreased AT1 receptor density in hypothalamic-thalamic-septal tissue, and AT2 receptors were unaffected. Intracerebroventricular antisense oligomers also attenuated drinking elicited by intracerebroventricular angiotensin II but not the cholinomimetic carbachol. Collectively, these results demonstrate that antisense oligonucleotides attenuate angiotensin receptor expression and function in behaving animals.