RESUMEN
Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the changes of expression of angiogenic factor mRNA in the spinal cord of rats with protruded intervertebral disc and the effects of electroacupuncture , and to analyze the role of electroacupuncture in the spinal microvascular angiogenesis .Method Eighteen healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided randomly into 3 groups:the electroacupuncture group , model group and sham-operated group .The protruded intervertebral disc models were generated by the left lateral and ventral spinal cord compression at T 13 using a self-made silicon sheet.Only the rats in the first group were treated by electroacupuncture once a day for consecutive 7 days.Spinal cord tissue samples were taken from the compression site at 7 days after operation .The mRNA levels of Ang-1, Tie-1, Ang-2, Tie-2, VEGF, Flt-1, caspase-3 and Tsp-1 were determined by RT-PCR, and the pathological changes of the spinal cord was examined using HE staining .Results The rats in the electroacupuncture treated group showed significantly im-proved hind leg function , a relatively complete spinal cord structure , and a clear boundary between grey and white matters . The expression levels of Ang-1, Ang-2, Tie-1, Tie-2, capase-3 and Tsp-1 in the spinal cord tissues of the model group were significantly higher than those of sham-operated group ( P0.05).The expression levels of Ang-2, Tie-1, Tie-2, caspase-3 and Tsp-1 of the electroacupuncture group were significantly lower than those in the model group (P0.05).All the indexes be-tween electroacupuncture and sham-operated groups showed no significant difference ( P>0.05 ) .Conclusions Our re-sults demonstrate that mRNA expression of relevant angiogenic factors were abnormal after spinal cord compression , while electroacupuncture can down-regulate the expression of Ang-2, Tie-2,Tsp-1 and caspase-3, and modulate the promoting and inhibiting factors of angiogenesis to return towards normal , therefore , to create beneficial conditions for the repair of spinal cord injuries .
RESUMEN
We experienced a case of an extradural cyst of lumbar spine associated with a freshly ruptured intervertebral disc on L3-4 intervertebral space. A 22-years old Korean female was admitted to hospital because of low back pain radiating to the both legs for about 7 weeks, after mild trauma in the running bus. The low back pain and bilateral sciatic pain had aggravated by coughing and sneezing, similar to the protruded intervertebral disc. Neurological examination revealed the signs similar to those of the protruded intervertebral disc. Simple X-ray films of lumbar spine revealed scoliosis, stretching of lumbar lordotic curve. Myelography showed a complete block from lower one third of L3 vertebral body to upper one fourth of L4 vertebral body by spinal puncture of L2-3 and L5-S1 interspace, respectively. We performed a total laminectomy of L3-4 for the above lesion. The operative finding showed an extradural cyst adhesive with L3 nerve root sheath and freshly ruptured intervertebral disc on L3-4 interspace. The extradural cyst was 2.0x1.5x0.5cm in size and its surface was not smooth but coarse. The contents of cyst was yellowish brown fluid(xanthochromic). We removed the extradural cyst completely and the ruptured(tiny tagged) contents of nucleus pulposus. The post-operative course was satisfactory, dramatically. The microscopic findings of the extradural cyst showed a simple cyst including a profuse pigments of hemosiderin, highly suggested one formed from and epidural hematoma by trauma.