Construction of rat spinal cord injury model based on Allen's animal model.

The aim of this study is to explore the construction of rat spinal cord injury model guided by Allen's model. METHODS: Male rats aged 4-5 weeks and weighing about 250 g are selected as subjects in the Animal Laboratory Center of XX Hospital. Rats are divided into two groups, which are experimental group 1 and experimental group 2, respectively, so as to construct spinal cord injury model in rats. The first group is given 300 g.cm hitting force of T10 spinal cord, and the second group is given 500 g.cm hitting force of T10 spinal cord. Within 25 days after spinal cord injury in Allen's rats, the survival, neurological function, diet, motor ability, tactile ability and auditory ability of the two groups are monitored and evaluated daily. RESULTS: In terms of survival, the survival rate of rats in group 1 is 85%, while that of rats in group 2 is 21%, and there is a concentrated death phenomenon in group 2. In terms of neurological function recovery, experimental group 1 is stable and gets 7 points and experimental group 2 is stable and gets 3 points. In terms of diet, the experimental group 1 is stable and gets 5 points and the experimental group 2 is stable and gets 2 points. In terms of motor ability, the experimental group 1 is stable and gets 5 points and the experimental group 2 is stable and gets 2 points. In tactile sense, experimental group 1 is stable and gets 17 points and experimental group 2 is stable and gets 12 points. It can be seen that the post-operative recovery ability of the experimental group 1 is better than that of the experimental group 2. CONCLUSION: Under the guidance of Allen's model, compared with the group 2, the experimental group 1 of the rat spinal cord injury model has better recovery in each index. It can be seen that the smaller impact strength is more beneficial to the recovery of rats after spinal cord injury surgery.

High-quality Health Information Provision for Stroke Patients.

OBJECTIVE: High-quality information provision can allow stroke patients to effectively participate in healthcare decision-making, better manage the stroke, and make a good recovery. In this study, we reviewed information needs of stroke patients, methods for providing information to patients, and considerations needed by the information providers. DATA SOURCES: The literature concerning or including information provision for patients with stroke in English was collected from PubMed published from 1990 to 2015. STUDY SELECTION: We included all the relevant articles on information provision for stroke patients in English, with no limitation of study design. RESULTS: Stroke is a major public health concern worldwide. High-quality and effective health information provision plays an essential role in helping patients to actively take part in decision-making and healthcare, and empowering them to effectively self-manage their long-standing chronic conditions. Different methods for providing information to patients have their relative merits and suitability, and as a result, the effective strategies taken by health professionals may include providing high-quality information, meeting patients' individual needs, using suitable methods in providing information, and maintaining active involvement of patients. CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that to enable stroke patients to access high-quality health information, greater efforts need to be made to ensure patients to receive accurate and current evidence-based information which meets their individual needs. Health professionals should use suitable information delivery methods, and actively involve stroke patients in information provision.

Expression of Neuropeptide Y and Its Relationship with Molecular and Morphological Changes in Human Pituitary Adenomas.

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of neuropeptide Y (NPY) on molecular and histological changes in human pituitary adenomas. The localization of NPY and its expression at the protein, messenger RNA (mRNA), and receptor levels were investigated here in different subcategories of pituitary adenomas. Immunohistochemical staining was performed in all cases to assess expression of NPY. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to study the mRNA expression of NPY. NPY subcellular localization was observed using immunoelectron microscopy in cytoplasm, rough endoplasmic reticulum, and cell matrix in four of the six cases of pituitary adenoma. NPY protein expression was observed in 59.6% of 57 cases of pituitary adenoma and in 2 cases of pituitary hyperplasia. mRNA expression of NPY was observed in all 57 cases of pituitary adenoma and in 2 cases of pituitary hyperplasia. Significantly different levels of expression were observed across different subcategories of pituitary adenoma. mRNA expression of Y1R and Y2R was observed across all subcategories of pituitary adenomas, and a positive correlation was observed between NPY and Y2R. In conclusion, evidence is provided here for the expression of NPY and its receptors, Y1R and Y2R, in human pituitary adenoma, and the levels of expression were found to differ across different subcategories. Differences in expression of Y2R in human pituitary adenomas were found to have remarkable statistical significance.

Patterning of neural stem cells on poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) film modified by hydrophobin.

Patterning of neural stem cells (NSCs) is of great importance for its potential applications in the therapy of nerve injuries. Due to the critical requirements and the great difficulty in NSCs cultivation, developing new methods for NSCs patterning is very challenging and has progressed slowly in recent years. In this study, we reported a new method for patterning NSCs on a hydrophobin II (HFBI) modified poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) film by using microcontact printing (microCP) technique. HFBI modification converted the PLGA surface from hydrophobic to hydrophilic, which should facilitate the absorption of serum on it. Serum was transferred onto the modified PLGA film by microcontact printing (microCP) to promote NSCs adhesion on the PLGA surface. Since the serum-coated PLGA surface promoted NSCs adhesion and the serum-free PLGA surface inhibited NSCs adhesion, micro-patterns of NSCs were obtained by directly culturing NSCs on the PLGA surface patterned with serum. This method allows the precise control of NSCs adhesion on the PLGA film without using the conventional cell-repellent species, which is anticipated to make great contribution in the fields of therapy of nerve injuries.

Reconstruction of the superior sagittal sinus with silicone tubing.

OBJECT: The authors conducted a study to develop a safe and effective intracranial venous sinus reconstruction for extensive clinical use. METHODS: After resecting the superior sagittal sinus (SSS), it was reconstructed in eight dogs by performing either a tube-insertion technique or end-to-end anastomosis procedure, in both of which a thin-walled silicone tube was used for repair. The patency of the SSS reconstruction was observed on digital subtraction angiography and transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, preoperatively and at 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks postoperatively. Histological and ultrastructural changes were observed using light and electron microscopy. In five dogs the reconstructed SSS was patent, in one it was narrowed, in one it was completely occluded at the proximal site of the anastomosis, and one dog escaped from the laboratory 1 week postoperatively. The authors found no evidence of any additional neurological deficits, signs of toxicity, or side effects. Histological and ultrastructural studies generally showed vascular endothelial proliferation. No thrombosis occurred in the inner surface, at the site of anastomosis, or in the lumen of silicone tube nor in the sagittal sinus at up to 8 weeks postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a thin-walled silicone tube as an artificial substitute for intracranial dural venous sinus reconstruction seems to be a valuable technique. The silicone tubes were found to have good biological compatibility, nonthrombogenic effects, and a high patency rate. The method was found to be simple and effective as well as practicable in the clinic for the short term (8 weeks). The authors emphasize that Phase I clinical trials involving silicone tube-assisted SSS reconstruction require further research.