Alteration of masticatory function by diet change induces stress responses in Wistar rats.

The occlusion-mastication system has extradigestive functions; however, whether liquid feeding evokes stress responses remains unclear. In this study, reactions to low masticatory performance were analyzed using a diet-alteration model in Wistar rats. Seven days after the diet of the rats was changed from solid to liquid, serum epinephrine and norepinephrine concentrations were found to be elevated by 205% and 158% compared to baseline values, respectively. Superoxide production by peritoneal neutrophils was higher in rats fed with a liquid diet than in those fed with a solid diet. Serum superoxide dismutase activity (i.e. the potential to eradicate serum superoxide) was lower in rats fed with liquid than in those fed with a solid diet, indicating that the former experienced oxidative stress. Conversely, the oxidative stress was removed following reversion of the liquid diet to solid diet. These results suggest that liquid diet mastication can cause mental stress, including an oxidative stress response.

Highly ordered alignment of a vinyl polymer by host-guest cross-polymerization.

Chain alignment can significantly influence the macroscopic properties of a polymeric material, but no general and versatile methodology has yet been reported to obtain highly ordered crystalline packing of polymer chains, with high stability. Here, we disclose a strategy that relies on 'ordered crosslinks' to produce polymeric materials that exhibit a crystalline arrangement. Divinyl crosslinkers (2,5-divinyl-terephthalate) were first embedded, as substitutional ligands, into the structure of a porous coordination polymer (PCP), [Cu(terephthalate)triethylenediamine0.5]n. A representative vinyl monomer, styrene, was subsequently polymerized inside the channels of the host PCP. The polystyrene chains that form within the PCP channels also crosslink with the divinyl species. This bridges together the polymer chains of adjacent channels and ensures that, on selective removal of the PCP, the polymer chains remain aligned. Indeed, the resulting material exhibits long-range order and is stable to thermal and solvent treatments, as demonstrated by X-ray powder diffraction and transmission electron microscopy.

Evaluation of low back pain using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association Back Pain Evaluation Questionnaire for lumbar spinal disease in a multicenter study: differences in scores based on age, sex, and type of disease.

BACKGROUND: The Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) has investigated the JOA Back Pain Evaluation Questionnaire (JOABPEQ) to evaluate several aspects of low back pain in patients. The score includes five categories (25 items) selected from the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire and Short Form 36, and a visual analogue scale. Japanese physicians have recently used these scores to evaluate back pain; however, the efficacy has not been fully explored in large-scale studies. In the current study, we used the JOABPEQ to evaluate lumbar spinal disease in 555 patients (with lumbar disc herniation, lumbar spinal stenosis, and lumbar disc degeneration/spondylosis) in multiple spine centers and compared the results based on age, sex, and type of disease. METHODS: A total of 555 patients who had low back or leg pain were selected in 22 hospitals in Chiba Prefecture. Spine surgeons diagnosed their disease type based on symptoms, physical examination, radiography images, and magnetic resonance imaging. In all, 486 patients were diagnosed with spinal stenosis (239 patients), disc degeneration/spondylosis (143 patients), or disc herniation (104 patients). The other 69 patients were diagnosed with spondylolysis (16 patients) or other diseases (53 patients). The pain score in all patients was evaluated using the JOABPEQ (from 0 to 100, with 0 indicating the worst pain). RESULTS: The age of the patients was 56.1 +/- 13.3 years (mean +/- SD); the age of patients in the disc herniation and disc degeneration/spondylosis group was significantly lower than that in the spinal stenosis group. The average JOABPEQ scores in all patients were, for low back pain, 47.1; lumbar function, 53.6; walking ability, 54.8; social life function, 48.7; and mental health, 48.3. The low back pain score in men was significantly worse than that in women. In contrast, the mental health score in women was significantly higher than that in men. The low back pain score in patients <40 years old and the walking ability score in patients >65 years old were significantly lower than those scores in other patients. Based on the disease type, low back pain, lumbar function, social life function, and mental health scores for patients with disc herniation were significantly worse than for those with spinal stenosis. CONCLUSION: JOABPEQ scores were evaluated for several lumbar diseases. The average of five categories of JOABPEQ scores in all patients was similarly distributed. However, the average scores in the five categories were significantly different depending on age, sex, and type of disease. Compared with prior mass data (baseline data on the observational cohort of the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial in the United States), many data were similar based on the type of disease in the current study. Furthermore, the JOABPEQ is easy to use compared with the SF-36. Hence, we concluded that the JOABPEQ could be used worldwide as a tool for evaluating low back pain.

Gene expression for type-specific collagens in osteogenic protein-1 (rhBMP-7)-induced lumbar intertransverse process fusion in rabbits.

To elucidate the molecular mechanism by which osteogenic protein (OP)-1 induces posterolateral lumbar spine fusion (PLF), we analyzed the process of OP-1-induced PLF in an established rabbit model by means of in situ hybridization (ISH). Intertransverse process lumbar fusions were performed at L5-L6 in rabbits using OP-1 (n= 18) or carrier alone (n= 9). The vertebrae were harvested at 2, 4, and 6 weeks postsurgery, and fusion masses evaluated using radiography, histology and ISH. In the OP-1 group, a contiguous fusion mass bridged the L5 and L6 transverse processes by 6 weeks postsurgery. At 2 weeks, collagen types II and X were expressed both near the transverse process and at the central portion of the intertransverse process area, corresponding to abundant, multifocal cartilage. After 4 weeks, endochondral ossification progressed from the transverse process toward the central portion. At 6 weeks, genes for collagen types II and X were restricted at the front of endochondral ossification. In carrier-alone group, no fusion mass was formed. The results demonstrate that OP-1 vigorously stimulates cells and induces chondrogenesis in the early phase of PLF. In the late phase, however, endochondral bone formation progressing toward the central portion became the major process, as was observed in PLF with autograft. In OP-1-induced PLF, therefore, osteogenic action of OP-1 seems to be quite intensive in the early phase but not in the late phase.

Activities of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-3 on monocytes.

We examined the actions of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin-3 (IL-3) on human monocytes, using a serum-free culture system. GM-CSF and IL-3 did not promote the differentiation of monocytes into macrophages but rather into cells with a phenotype compatible with that of immature dendritic cells (DCs). The addition of fetal bovine serum to serum-free cultures with GM-CSF or IL-3 restored the differentiation of monocytes into macrophages. Cells generated with GM-CSF or IL-3 elicited phagocytic activity. Cells generated in the presence of GM-CSF or IL-3, followed by the addition of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, displayed a phenotype of mature DCs, and primed and stimulated immunogenic peptide-specific T lymphocytes. Surprisingly, GM-CSF and IL-3 inhibited macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF)-dependent differentiation of monocytes into macrophages and induced differentiation into immature DCs. We asked if the inhibition of M-CSF-dependent differentiation into macrophages by GM-CSF or IL-3 was associated with the expression of M-CSF receptors (M-CSFR). GM-CSF or IL-3 down-regulated the expression of M-CSFR. These data demonstrate that GM-CSF and IL-3 primarily support the differentiation of monocytes into DCs and inhibit M-CSF-dependent differentiation into macrophages by suppressing the expression of M-CSFR, thereby promoting differentiation into DCs.

Biomechanical study of human cadaveric lumbar spine reinforced by newly developed hydroxyapatite bone cement.

The compression strength of the lumbar spine reinforced by newly developed hydroxyapatite (HA) bone cement was evaluated using a mechanical testing machine. Sixteen cadaveric lumbar vertebrae obtained from nine subjects (five men, four women) were used. The specimens were randomly divided into two groups. In group A ( n = 8), HA bone cement was injected into the vertebral body through curetted pedicles using specially designed needles and then pushed into the vertebral body by the surgeon's finger, simulating open surgery. In group B ( n = 8) the cement was injected using 16-gauge Ostycut biopsy needles via the pedicles through both sides, simulating percutaneous injection. The initial ultimate compression strength of the specimens was 28.6 +/- 13.4 MPa in group A and 25.2 +/- 12.6 MPa in group B. The value after reinforcement was 35.6 +/- 12.9 MPa in group A and 30.4 +/- 14.8 MPa in group B. There was no significant difference between the ultimate strength of the intact specimen and that after reinforcement. The present study demonstrated biomechanical characteristics of vertebral body fractures reinforced with newly developed HA bone cement.

Osteochondroma in the lumbar spinal canal causing sciatic pain: report of two cases.

A search of the English-language medical literature found only two cases in which expansion of an osteochondroma into the lumbar spinal canal caused sciatica. We report another two cases of spinal nerve root compression by solitary lumbar spinal canal osteochondromas: in a 56-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman with no history of hereditary multiple exostoses. Osteochondromas compressing the spinal nerve root were seen at the inferior articular processes of the lumbar vertebrae by computed tomography (CT), three-dimensional reconstruction of CT scans, myelography, and magnetic resonance imaging. The symptoms disappeared after surgical removal of the lesions. Histopathologic examination confirmed the diagnosis of benign osteochondroma.

The soluble Notch ligand, Jagged-1, inhibits proliferation of CD34+ macrophage progenitors.

The Notch/Notch ligand system controls diverse cellular processes. The proteolytic cleavage generates transmembrane and soluble forms of Notch ligands. We examined the effect of a soluble Notch ligand, human Jagged-1, on human cord blood (CB) CD34+ cells, under serum-deprived conditions, using soluble human Jagged-1-immunoglobulin G1 chimera protein (hJagged-1). Soluble hJagged-1 inhibited myeloid colony formation but not erythroid-mix or erythroid colony formation, in the presence of stem cell factor (SCF), interleukin-3, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), G-CSF, thrombopoietin, and erythropoietin. Cytological analysis revealed that the decrease in myeloid colonies resulted mainly from the inhibition of macrophage colony formation. Furthermore, soluble hJagged-1 led to the inhibition of macrophage colony formation supported by M-CSF plus SCF and GM-CSF plus SCF. Delayed-addition experiments and the analysis of colony sizes demonstrated that soluble hJagged-l inhibited the growth of macrophage progenitors by acting in the early stage of macrophage development. The direct action of hJagged-1 was confirmed by the enhanced expression of the HES-1 (hairy enhancer of the split-1) gene. These results suggest that soluble hJagged-1 may regulate human hematopoiesis in the monocyte/macrophage lineage.

Two independent clones in myelodysplastic syndrome following treatment of acute myeloid leukemia.

We describe a 55-year-old Japanese woman with therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome (t-MDS) with 2 independent clones, t(1;2)(p36;p21) and t(11;12)(pl5;ql3). She was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with cytological features of the bone marrow and peripheral blood. Cytogenetic evaluation revealed a 46,XX karyotype. She received chemotherapy and achieved complete remission (CR). Despite maintenance chemotherapy, she suffered a relapse. Chromosomal analysis showed t(1;2)(p36;p21) in 2 of 20 metaphases. At second CR, this clone transiently disappeared. Nine months later, t(1;2) (p36;p21) was detected again in 3 of 20 metaphases while the patient remained in CR. Six months later, bone marrow examination disclosed trilineage dysplasia without an excess of blasts, suggesting MDS. t(1;2)(p36;p21) was observed in 16 of 20 metaphases. The clinical course and serial cytogenetic findings were diagnostic of t-MDS. The duration of t-MDS was 6 years. During this period, persistent t(1;2)(p36;p21) and transient t(11;12)(p15;q13) were found. When t-MDS evolved toAML, cytogenetic evaluation revealed 46,XX,t(1;2)(p36;p21),del(7)(q22),add(19)(p13).