Threading lasso fixation versus full-thickness conversion in repairing articular-sided partial-thickness supraspinatus tendon tears / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the effect of two different arthroscopic procedures, threading lasso fixation and full-thickness conversion, for repairing articular-sided partial-thickness supraspinatus tendon tear.@*METHODS@#From July 2015 to November 2018, 21 patients with articular-sided partial-thickness supraspinatus tendon tears underwent arthroscopic modified threading lasso fixation repair(group A). There were 12 males and 9 females in the group, with an average age of(53.2±6.4)years old. Twenty-four patients with articular-sided partial-thickness supraspinatus tendon tears received arthroscopic full-thickness conversion repair(group B). In this group, there were 14 males and 10 females, with an average age of (55.7±5.2) years old. The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score and University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder score were used to evaluate preoperative and postoperative clinical function. MRI was used to examine the healing status of the reconstructed rotator cuff.@*RESULTS@#All patients were followed up, and the duration ranged from 20 to 27 months, with a mean of (23.7±3.1) months. In threading lasso fixation group, ASES score and UCLA score increased from 50.6±6.4 and 15.6±2.7 preoperatively to 87.3±5.2 and 31.6±2.4 postoperatively. In full-thickness conversion group, ASES score and UCLA score increased from 52.3±5.6 and 16.8±2.4 scores to 90.1±4.8 and 32.1±2.8. There were also no significant differences in ASES score and Constant score between the two groups before and after operation. There were no significant differences in rotator cuff healing between the two groups(χ2=2.374, P=0.128).@*CONCLUSION@#For the treatment of articular-sided partial-thickness supraspinatus tendon tears both arthroscopic repairs employing threading lasso fixation and full-thickness conversion could achieve satisfactory clinical results, and there are no significant differences in clinical outcomes between the two techniques. Arthroscopic repair with threading lasso fixation is a novel transtendinous procedure in which integrity of the tendon can be preserved.

Pharmacokinetics of the prototype and hydrolyzed carboxylic forms of ginkgolides A, B, and K administered as a ginkgo diterpene lactones meglumine injection in beagle dogs / 中国天然药物

Ginkgo diterpene lactones meglumine injection (GDLI) is a commercially available product used for neuroprotection. However, the pharmacokinetic properties of the prototypes and hydrolyzed carboxylic forms of the primary components in GDLI, i.e., ginkgolide A (GA), ginkgolide B (GB), and ginkgolide K (GK), have never been fully evaluated in beagle dogs. In this work, a simple, sensitive, and reliable method based on ultra-fast liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC-MS/MS) was developed, and the prototypes and total amounts of GA, GB, and GK were determined in beagle dog plasma. The plasma concentrations of the hydrolyzed carboxylic forms were calculated by subtracting the prototype concentrations from the total lactone concentrations. For the first time, the pharmacokinetics of GA, GB, and GK were fully assessed in three forms, i.e., the prototypes, the hydrolyzed carboxylic forms, and the total amounts, after intravenous administration of GDLI in beagle dogs. It was shown that ginkgolides primarily existed in the hydrolyzed form in plasma, and the ratio of hydrolysates to prototype forms of GA and GB decreased gradually to a homeostatic ratio. All of the three forms of the three ginkgolides showed linear exposure of AUC to the dosages. GA, GB, and GK showed a constant half-life approximately 2.7, 3.4, and 1.2 h, respectively, which were consistent for the forms at three dose levels (0.3, 1.0, and 3.0 mg·kg) and after a consecutive injection of GDLI for 7 days (1.0 mg·kg).

Clinical evaluation of oral Fructus bruceae oil combined with radiotherapy for the treatment of esophageal cancer / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and side effects of oral Fructus bruceae oil combined with radiotherapy in the treatment of esophageal cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 80 patients with esophageal cancer were equally and randomly divided into two groups. The patients in Group A were treated with radiotherapy (60-65 Gy, 6-7 weeks) and oral Fructus bruceae oil (20 mL, 3 times per day for 12 weeks), while the patients in Group B were treated with radiotherapy alone. The short-term effect was evaluated by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) and quality of life (QOL) was evaluated by the Karnofsky scoring (KFS). The outcome measures included complete remission (CR) rate, partial remission (PR) rate, effective rate as CR+PR, patients' QOL and adverse effects.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After 12-week treatment, the CR and CR+PR were significantly higher in Group A than those in Group B (P <0.05). There was an improvement in esophageal obstruction of 87.5% and 60.0%, respectively, and in KFS of 84.6% and 43.9%, respectively, in Groups A and B.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Oral medication with oral Fructus bruceae oil could effectively improve the efficacy of radiotherapy in esophageal cancer, including a reduction in esophageal obstruction, and also reduce the side effects of radiotherapy; thus it would be very promising for clinical application.</p>