S1PR3 suppresses the inflammatory response and extracellular matrix degradation in human nucleus pulposus cells.

Sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 3 (S1PR3) participates in the inflammatory response in multiple types of diseases. However, the biological role of S1PR3 in intervertebral disc degeneration and the underlying mechanism are unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the functional role and the mechanism of S1PR3 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced human nucleus pulposus cells. The expression of S1PR3 and Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 in LPS-induced nucleus pulposus (NP) cells was investigated using western blotting. The Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was used to detect cell proliferation, and the levels of inflammatory factors were detected using ELISA. Flow cytometry and western blotting were used for the assessment of apoptosis. The deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins was investigated using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting. In addition, western blotting was used to investigate the protein expression levels of phosphorylated (p)-STAT3, STAT3, p-JNK, JNK, p-ERK, ERK, p-p38 and p38associated with STAT3 and MAPK signaling. S1PR3 expression was reduced, while TLR2 expression was elevated in LPS-induced human nucleus pulposus cells (HNPC). S1PR3 overexpression increased HNPC viability, inhibited the inflammatory response and suppressed apoptosis. Meanwhile, S1PR3 overexpression regulated the expression of ECM-related proteins. Additionally, overexpression of S1PR3 inhibited the expression of the TLR2-regulated STAT3 and MAPK pathways in LPS-induced HNPCs. Furthermore, TLR2 overexpression partially offset the impacts of S1PR3 overexpression on HNPC viability, apoptosis level, inflammation and as ECM degradation. In conclusion, STAT3 overexpression suppressed viability injury, the inflammatory response and the level of apoptosis and alleviated ECM protein deposition in HNPCs through the TLR2/STAT3 and TLR2/MAPK pathways, which may offer a promising candidate for the amelioration of intervertebral disc degeneration.

Comparison study of anterior cervical zero-profile fusion cage (ROI-C) and traditional titanium plate plus fusion technique for the treatment of spinal cord type cervical spondylosis.

A retrospective comparative study. To compare and analyze the differences in the efficiency and safety of ROI-C and traditional titanium plate with fusion cage for the treatment of CSM patients. Clinical data of 105 patients with CSM who underwent surgical treatment at our hospital from January 2019 to December 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into ROI-C and traditional groups according to the different fusion methods. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, preoperative and postoperative JOA score, NDI score, cervical Cobb angle, intervertebral space height, and postoperative complications were recorded and compared between the 2 groups. A total of 105 patients were included in this study, with 57 patients in the ROI-C group and 48 patients in the traditional group. The baseline data were similar between the 2 groups (P > .05). The operative time, intraoperative blood loss, and the incidence of postoperative dysphagia were significantly lower in the ROI-C group than in the traditional group (P < .05). There were no significant differences in the JOA score, NDI score, cervical Cobb angle, intervertebral space height, the incidence of postoperative axial symptoms, and adjacent segment degeneration between the 2 groups (P > .05). However, both groups showed significant improvement in the JOA score, NDI score, cervical Cobb angle, and intervertebral space height compared with before surgery (P < .05). The ROI-C zero-profile internal fixation system and traditional titanium plates with fusion cages can achieve satisfactory clinical treatment results for CSM patients. However, ROI-C has advantages of a shorter operative time, less blood loss, and less postoperative dysphagia. Therefore, the ROI-C zero-profile internal fixation system can be safely and effectively used to treat patients with CSM.

Verification of neuroprotective effects of alpha-lipoic acid on chronic neuropathic pain in a chronic constriction injury rat model.

Treatment of neuropathic pain is far from satisfactory. This study sought evidence of a neuroprotective effect of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) to treat neuropathic pain in a chronic constriction injury (CCI) rat model. A total of 48 rats were randomly divided into sham, CCI, or CCI + ALA groups. Mechanical and thermal nociceptive thresholds were evaluated as behavioral assessments. Dorsal root ganglia cells were assessed morphologically with hematoxylin and eosin staining and for apoptosis with P53 immunohistochemical staining. Compared with the sham group, the CCI group had a shorter paw withdrawal threshold and paw withdrawal latency, abnormal morphologic manifestations, and increased numbers of satellite glial cells and P53+ cells. These changes were significantly reversed by treatment with ALA. Our study indicates neuroprotective effects of ALA on chronic neuropathic pain in a CCI rat model. ALA is potentially considered to be developed as a treatment for neuropathic pain caused by peripheral nerve injury, which requires further verification.

Investigation of Neuroprotective Effects of Erythropoietin on Chronic Neuropathic Pain in a Chronic Constriction Injury Rat Model.

INTRODUCTION: Neuropathic pain is pretty common in modern society, and the treatment effect is far from satisfactory. This study aimed to find evidence of the neuroprotective effect of erythropoietin (EPO) in the treatment of neuropathic pain in a rat model of chronic constriction injury (CCI). METHODS: A total of 30 rats were randomly divided into sham operation group, CCI group, or CCI+EPO group. The mechanical and thermal nociception thresholds are evaluated as behavioral assessments. The dorsal root ganglion cells were morphologically evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining, and AMPK, p-AMPK, mTOR, p70S6K, and AQP-2 proteins were compared and analyzed by Western blotting. Compared with the sham operation group, rats in the CCI group had shorter paw withdrawal threshold and paw withdrawal latency, abnormal morphology, and increased satellite glial cells. RESULTS: After treatment with EPO, these changes were significantly reversed. In vivo administration of erythropoietin seems to be able to regulate the expression of AQP-2 through the AMPK/mTOR/p70S6K pathway. Our study provides behavioral, morphological, and immunoblot evidence to prove the neuroprotective effect of EPO in the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain in the CCI rat model. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that EPO has the potential to treat neuropathic pain caused by peripheral nerve injury, although further verification is needed.

Circulating C-Reactive Protein to Prealbumin Ratio and Prealbumin to Fibrinogen Ratio are Two Promising Inflammatory Markers Associated with Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

BACKGROUND: The C-reactive protein to prealbumin ratio (CPR) and prealbumin to fibrinogen ratio (PFR) are two new inflammatory markers that were reported to have predictive value for the assessment of systemic inflammatory disease. The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between these two markers and the Disease Activity Score of 28 joints (DAS-28) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: A total of 170 RA patients and 120 healthy individuals were enrolled in this retrospective study. Correlations of CPR and PFR with the disease activity of RA were analyzed. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves for CPR and PFR were generated to determine the discriminative ability by calculating the areas under the curve (AUC). RESULTS: Compared with healthy controls, RA patients showed a significantly lower PFR (p < 0.001) and higher CPR (p < 0.001). CPR was positively correlated with C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and DAS-28 score (r = 0.957, p < 0.001, r = 0.781, p < 0.001, r = 0.729, p < 0.001, respectively), whereas the PFR was negatively correlated with CRP, ESR, and DAS-28 score (r = -0.817, p < 0.001, r = -0.805, p < 0.001, r = -0.739, p < 0.001, respectively) in RA patients. ROC curve analysis showed that the CPR and PFR had a high level of AUC (AUC = 0.943 and AUC = 0.912, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The CPR and PFR are two promising novel inflammatory markers for assessing disease activity in RA patients.

Optimal technique of three-dimensional MRI of the lumbar nerve root and its radicular vein in normal and lumbar disc herniation patients.

BACKGROUND: Although three-dimensional MRI (3D-MRI) of short T1 inversion recovery turbo spin-echo (STIR TSE) has showed superior to two-dimensional MRI (2D-MRI) in showing the spinal cord and lumbar nerve roots, it remains difficult in demonstrating radicular vein at present. We have found that short T1 inversion recovery long time echo (STIR LONG TE) was better in showing radicular vein. To further study the methods and character of the 3D-MRI of lumbar nerve root, ganglions and radicular vein in normal and lumbar disc herniation (LDH) adults, in the present study, we evaluated two 3D-MRI techniques, STIR TSE and STIR LONG TE for demonstrating lumbar nerve roots and especial radicular vein in normal and LDH adults. METHODS: Twelve normal adult persons and 19 LDH patients were included in this study; special oblique coronal location was adopted. STIR TSE and STIR LONG TE were performed in all participants, and the detection rates of radicular vein and nerve root of L3, L4, L5, S1 were calculated. The grading system was used in grading compromise of the intraspinal extradural lumbar nerve root, ganglion and radicular vein in LDH patients, and all the grading injury of nerve root, ganglion and radicular vein had been evaluated. RESULTS: The definite rate of radicular vein (DRRV) of 3D-MRI of STIR LONG TE was significantly different from that of STIR TSE. DRRV of STIR LONG TE was L3, 91.7%, L4, 100%, L5, 100%, S1, 100% and that of STIR TSE was L3, 33.3%, L4, 37.5%, L5, 58.3%, S1, 45.8% in normal adults. It showed no difference between STIR LONG TE and STIR TSE in the detection rate of nerve root. The different patho-injuries of nerve root, ganglion and radicular vein could be seen in all LDH patients by the 3D-MRI of STIR LONG TE. The mean score of Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) was 16.16, and 29 nerve roots were calculated in all the study. The mean grading injury of nerve root was 2.17, that of nerve root ganglion was 1.28, that of radicular vein was 1.83, and the mean co-grading injury of nerve root, ganglion and radicular vein was 5.31. The correlation coefficient was 0.478 (P = 0.010) between the score of JOA and that of radicular vein. CONCLUSION: The 3D-MRI of STIR LONG TE is superior to STIR TSE for not only detecting the lumbar nerve root, ganglion and especial radicular vein in normal adults, but also displaying their patho-injuries degree in LDH patients.