ABSTRACT
Objective To compare the actions of Longbie Capsules and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC)transplantation in repairing the damaged cartilage of knee osteoarthritis(KOA)rats. Methods Thirty-six rats aged 4-6 weeks old were induced into KOA model(bilateral knees)by collagenase injection method. All of the modeled rats were randomly divided into model group(intragastric administration of normal saline), BMSC transplantation group(giving tail vein injection of 1 ×106 of BMSCs per time, 2 times every week), and Chinese medicine group (intragastric administration of Longbie Capsules of 7.5 g·kg-1·d-1),12 rats in each group. Six weeks later,the cartilage of rat bilateral knees was taken out. The pathological changes of cartilage were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining method, and the protein and mRNA expression levels of Col2a1, X-linkedinhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), HuR in rat knee cartilage were detected by immunohistochemistry and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), respectively. Results The HE staining results showed that the cartilage tissue surface was rough with more cracks, and the cartilage cells gathered with the cytoplasm collapsed and arranging disorderly in the model group. The number of chondrocytes was increased and cell surface was flat,and the cracks of the cartilage were decreased with the chondrocytes arranging uniformly in Chinese medicine group and BMSC transplantation group compared with the model group. The results of immunohistochemistry and qPCR detection showed that in Chinese medicine dosage group and BMSC transplantation group, the protein and mRNA expression levels of Col2a1,XIAP and HuR were significantly higher than those in the model group (P<0.05 or P<0.0001), but there was no significant difference between the two medication groups(P>0.05). Conclusion Longbie Capsules and BMSC transplantation can promote the secretion of Col2a1 in the cartilage tissue of KOA rats,improve cartilage, and their mechanism may be related with up-regulating apoptosis-related proteins HuR and XIAP.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the differences of plaquecomposition and volume between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with carotid artery stenosis by multi-detector computed tomography angiography (MDCTA).@*METHODS@#The consecutive patients with internal carotid artery stenosis≥70% diagnosed by digital subtraction angiography (DSA) were retrospectively analyzed from July 2011 to December 2015 in Peking University China-Japan Friendship School of Clinical Medicine. The symptomatic patients were defined as those who experienced nondisabling ischemic stroke or transient cerebralis chemic symptoms, including hemispheric events oramaurosis fugaxin the last 6 months. Otherwise, the patients were considered as a symptomatic. A total of 78 patients were enrolled in the study. Of these patients, there were 35 asymptomatic patients (44.9%) and 43 symptomatic patients (55.1%). All the patients received MDCTA before DSA. According to the plaque analysis of post processing work station, carotid plaques were divided into lipid-rich necrotic coreplaques (HU≤60), fibrous plaques (60 to 130 HU) and calcified plaques (HU≥130) through the different value sthreshold of HU. The plaque volume and proportion were all calculated. The differences between the two groups were compared by statistical methods.@*RESULTS@#The proportion of calcified plaques in asymptomatic patients was significantly higher than in symptomatic patients (t=2.760, P=0.007).And the proportion of LRNC plaqueswas lower than that in symptomatic patients (Z=2.009, P=0.044). There was statistical significance between the asymptomatic and symptomatic patients. Multivariate analysis showed that there was a positive correlation between the proportion of calcified plaques and asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis (OR=0.949; 95%CI: 0.915 to 0.985; P=0.005). The proportion of LRNC plaques showed a negative correlation with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis (OR=1.068; 95%CI: 1.021 to 1.117; P=0.004). For the symptomatic patients, when the LRNC plaque proportion was greater than 30.3%, the specificity was 94.3%, and the sensitivity was 37.2%. There was no significant difference in plaque volume and fibrous plaque proportion in both groups.@*CONCLUSION@#Compared with symptomatic carotid plaques, the proportion of asymptomatic calcified plaques increased but the proportion of LRNC plaques decreased. Plaque LRNC 30.3% of the total volume may represent a clinically useful cutoff. For the patients with carotid artery stenosis, MDCTA may help noninvasively risk-stratify patients.