Clinical Features and Outcomes of Spinal Tuberculosis in Central China.

Purpose: The appropriate management of spinal tuberculosis (TB) is challenging for clinicians and the key to treat spinal TB. Surgery and long course anti-TB chemotherapy may not be necessary to all situations. This study aimed to characterize the clinical features and factors affecting treatment outcomes. Patients and Methods: A retrospective study of patients with spinal TB over a 5-year period at a teaching hospital in central China was conducted. Features of patients with spinal TB who received different treatment modalities and factors associated with patient outcomes at the end of chemotherapy were analyzed. Results: Forty-five patients (21 men and 24 women) with spinal TB were available for analysis. The mean age was 55.39 ± 14.94 years. The most common vertebral area involved was the lumbar (42.2%). The mean number of vertebrae involved was 2.20 ± 0.59. 27 patients (60.0%) received surgical treatment, of which 21 (77.8%) received radical surgical treatment. Thirty-five patients (77.8%) had achieved a favorable status. Statistically, there was no significant correlation between favorable status and surgery, but among 27 surgical patients with spinal tuberculosis, patients receiving radical surgery tended to achieve good prognosis (P = 0.010; odds ratio = 0.053; 95% confidence interval 0.006-0.493). Moreover, there was no significant difference between long course and short course of anti-TB chemotherapy in prognosis in different treatment modalities. Conclusion: Although the patients with spinal TB who needed surgical treatment often got a better prognosis when they had radical surgery, surgery was not actually a factor for the favorable outcomes of patients with spinal TB. In different treatment modalities, there was no additional benefit in longer anti-TB chemotherapy periods.

[Effect of baicalein on proliferation and migration in multiple myeloma cell lines RPMI 8226 and U266 cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of baicalein on proliferation and migration of multiple myeloma (MM) cell lines and its molecular mechanism. METHODS: The MM cell line RPMI-8226 and U266 cells were used as the model, and treated with different concentration and time of baicalein the effect of baicalein on the MM cells proliferation was assessed by MTT assay. With or without baicalein or Interleukin-6 (IL-6) treatment, the ß-catenin protein level was analyzed by immunofluorescence assay and western blot assay and mRNA levels of ß-catenin, c-myc, cyclin D1 and integrin 7 gene by RT-PCR. Transwell chamber migration assay was used to detect the cells migration ability with different concentration of baicalein cultured. RESULTS: Baicalein inhibited the MM cell line RPMI 8226 and U266 cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. It simultaneously inhibited ß-catenin protein level to resist the effect of IL-6 on inducing MM cell proliferation, and resulted in decrease of ß-catenin, c-myc, cyclinD1 and integrin ß7 mRNA levels. Baicalein also decreased migration ability of MM cells in a dose-dependent manner by SDF-1. CONCLUSION: Baicalein can inhibit MM cells proliferation and migration, and its molecular mechanisms are associated with inhibition of proliferation related genes ß-catenin, c-myc, cyclin D1 and integrin ß7 expression.

[Relationship between CD45 molecule expression and apoptotic sensitivity of myeloma cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of CD45 expression on induction of apoptosis in multiple myeloma cells. METHODS: Melphalan was used to induce myeloma cell line U266 apoptosis. Serum-free culture was used to induce CD45RB gene or empty plasmid transfected U266 apoptosis. The glucose-free culture was used to induce high CD45 (CD45(hi)) or low CD45 (CD45(low)) expression AMO1 apoptosis. Intraperitoneal inoculation was used to compare the survival of CD45(-) or CD45(+) U266 cells in mice. The number of apoptotic cells and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was detected by flow cytometry. Western blotting was used to detect the cytochrome C release from mitochondrial and caspase-9 activation. RESULTS: Melphalan treatment induced 45% of CD45(+) and 30% of CD45(-) U266 cells apoptosis. Compared with the CD45(low) AMO1 cells, CD45(hi) cells were more susceptible to apoptosis. In serum-free culture for five days, 60% of CD45RB transferred U266 cells underwent apoptosis, while in the empty plasmid transfected ones, apoptotic cell number was not significantly increased. The survival time of CD45(-) U266 cells in the SCID-hIL-6 mice was 5 times that of CD45(+) cells. After melphalan treatment, 60% of the CD45(+) U266 cells lost MMP, while only 30% of CD45(-) U266 cells, and 10% of control cells did so. After UV irradiation, CD45(+) U266 cells mitochondria released more cytochrome C, leading to more caspase-9 activation. CONCLUSION: CD45 expression is involved in mitochondria-mediated apoptotic process and increases apoptotic sensitivity of myeloma cells under a variety of stimulation.

[Cigarette smoke affects sexual function of male rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of cigarette smoke on the sexual function of male rats. METHODS: Based on Ozyurt's smoking model, we equally divided 30 male adult Sprague-Dawley rats into a control and a smoking group, and exposed the latter to cigarette smoke for 60 days. A week before the end of the experiment, we added 5 female rats to each group and observed their mating through 24-hour video surveillance. Sixty days later, all the rats were killed for the determination of the level of testosterone (T) in the plasma and the activity of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the corpus cavernosum, and Masson-dyeing image analysis of the penile tissue. RESULTS: Compared with the controls, the rats in the smoking group showed a significant reduction in the times of mating, the level of plasma T (P < 0.05) and the activity of NOS in the penile cavernous tissue (P < 0.05), but a slight increase in the collagen fibers and obvious changes in the blood sinuses. CONCLUSION: Cigarette smoke seriously affected penile erection in the experimental rats. The decrease in plasma T, NOS activity and the area of smooth muscle may be an important mechanism underlying their erectile dysfunction.