A Kirschner wire as a transverse-axis guide to improve acetabular cup positioning.

PURPOSE: To compare cup-positioning accuracy in total hip arthroplasty (THA) with or without use of a Kirschner wire as a transverse-axis guide for pelvic alignment. METHODS: Records of 18 men and 73 women (mean age, 60 years) who underwent primary THA with (n=49) or without (n=42) use of a Kirschner wire as a transverse-axis guide for pelvic alignment were reviewed. A 2.4-mm Kirschner wire as a transversea-xis guide was inserted to the anterior superior iliac spine and was parallel to a line linking the left and right anterior superior iliac spine. The safe zone for cup positioning was defined as 30º to 50° abduction and 10º to 30º anteversion. Of the 5 operative surgeons, 2 were classified as experienced (total surgical volume >300) and 3 as inexperienced (total surgical volume of <50). The proportion of patients with the cup in the safe zone was compared in patients with or without use of the transverse-axis guide and in experienced and inexperienced surgeons. RESULTS: For inexperienced surgeons, the use of the transverse-axis guide significantly improved the proportion of patients with the cup in the safe zone from 90% to 100% for abduction, from 50% to 82.4% for anteversion, and from 40% to 82.4% for both. Patients with the cup inside or outside the safe zone were comparable in terms of body height, weight, BMI, subcutaneous fat thickness, incision length, and acetabular cup size. CONCLUSION: The use of the transverse-axis guide improved the accuracy of cup positioning by inexperienced surgeons.

Reduction in superoxide dismutase expression in the epithelial mucosa of eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

BACKGROUND: Eosinophils generate large amounts of oxidant species. The eosinophil-dominant type of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with nasal polyps is related to more extensive disease and a decreased likelihood of surgical success. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is the first-line and only antioxidant enzyme that converts superoxide to hydrogen peroxide. METHODS: The patients with CRS with nasal polyps were divided into eosinophilic and noneosinophilic groups. The expression of three isoforms of SOD, intracellular copper-zinc SOD (CuZnSOD), mitochondrial manganese SOD (MnSOD) and extracellular SOD (ECSOD), were examined by enzyme activity assay, immunohistochemistry and quantitative real-time RT-PCR sampled by laser capture microdissection. RESULTS: SOD activity in the eosinophilic and noneosinophilic groups was significantly reduced compared to that of the control groups. Immunostaining of both CuZnSOD and MnSOD in the eosinophilic group was significantly decreased compared with that in the noneosinophilic and control groups. CuZnSOD mRNA of the eosinophilic group was significantly decreased compared with that of the control group, whereas MnSOD mRNA in the eosinophilic group was significantly decreased compared with that in the noneosinophilic and control groups. Neither immunoreactivity nor mRNA of ECSOD was different among the three groups. The degree of epithelial damage and disease severity were inversely correlated with CuZnSOD and MnSOD immunoreactivity. CONCLUSIONS: The reduction in SOD activity and the downregulation of the SOD message are suggested to be related to eosinophil recruitment and epithelial damage of CRS with nasal polyps.

Tumour formation by single fibroblast growth factor receptor 3-positive rhabdomyosarcoma-initiating cells.

BACKGROUND: The hypothesis that malignant tumours are generated by rare populations of cancer stem cells that are more tumourigenic than other cancer cells has gained increasing credence. The objective of this study was to identify and characterise a subpopulation of human sarcoma-initiating cells. METHODS: We examined established rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines by flow cytometry. Tumourigenesis was examined by xenograft models. Real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry were performed to examine the gene expression using cell lines and biopsy specimens. RESULTS: Rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines included small populations of fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3)-positive cells. FGFR3-positive KYM-1 and RD cells were more strongly tumourigenic than FGFR3-negative cells. In addition, xenoengraftment of 33% of single FGFR3-positive KYM-1 cells yielded tumour formation. Stem cell properties of FGFR3-positive cells were further established by real-time PCR, which demonstrated upregulation of undifferentiated cell markers and downregulation of differentiation markers. We showed that in the absence of serum, addition of basic fibroblast growth factor maintained and enriched FGFR3-positive cells. On the other hand, ciliary neurotrophic factor reduced the proportion of FGFR3-positive cells. Real-time PCR and immunohistochemical examination revealed that embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma patient biopsy specimens were found to over-express FGFR3. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines include a minor subpopulation of FGFR3-positive sarcoma-initiating cells, which can be maintained indefinitely in culture and which is crucial for their malignancy.

Inhibition of Notch pathway prevents osteosarcoma growth by cell cycle regulation.

The study shows constitutive activation of the Notch pathway in various types of malignancies. However, it remains unclear how the Notch pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of osteosarcoma. We investigated the expression of the Notch pathway molecules in osteosarcoma biopsy specimens and examined the effect of Notch pathway inhibition. Real-time PCR revealed overexpression of Notch2, Jagged1, HEY1, and HEY2. On the other hand, Notch1 and DLL1 were downregulated in biopsy specimens. Notch pathway inhibition using gamma-secretase inhibitor and CBF1 siRNA slowed the growth of osteosarcomas in vitro. In addition, gamma-secretase inhibitor-treated xenograft models exhibited significantly slower osteosarcoma growth. Cell cycle analysis revealed that gamma-secretase inhibitor promoted G1 arrest. Real-time PCR and western blot revealed that gamma-secretase inhibitor reduced the expression of accelerators of the cell cycle, including cyclin D1, cyclin E1, E2, and SKP2. On the other hand, p21(cip1) protein, a cell cycle suppressor, was upregulated by gamma-secretase inhibitor treatment. These findings suggest that inhibition of Notch pathway suppresses osteosarcoma growth by regulation of cell cycle regulator expression and that the inactivation of the Notch pathway may be a useful approach to the treatment of patients with osteosarcoma.

Synthesis, characterization, and stereochemistry of oxorhenium(V) complexes with 2-aminoethanethiolate.

A series of oxorhenium(V) complexes with 2-aminoethanethiolate (aet), [ReO(aet-N,S)(D-pen-N,O,S)] (2), [[ReO(aet-N,S)(2)](2)O] (3), [ReO(Cl)(aet-N,S)(2)] (4), and [ReO(aet-N,S)(Haet-S)(2)]Cl(2) ([5]Cl(2)) was newly prepared starting from ReO(4)(-). The reaction of NH(4)ReO(4) with a 1:1 mixture of Haet.HCl and D-H(2)pen (D-penicillamine) in the presence of SnCl(2).2H(2)O in water gave 2, 3, and the known complex [ReO(D-Hpen-N,S)(D-pen-N,O,S)] (1). These complexes were fractionally precipitated by controlling the pH of the reaction solution. The complex 2 was also prepared in a higher yield by a similar reaction using methanol as a solvent. The crystal structure of 2 was determined by X-ray crystallography; 2 crystallizes in the tetragonal space group P4(3) with a = 9.621(1), c = 12.911(1) A, V = 1195.0(3) A(3), and Z = 4. The oxorhenium(V) core in 2 is coordinated by a bidentate-N,S aet ligand and a tridentate-N,O,S D-pen ligand, having a distorted octahedral geometry with a cis-N cis-S configuration in the equatorial plane perpendicular to the O-Re-O axis. The 1:2 reaction of NH(4)ReO(4) with Haet.HCl in the presence of SnCl(2).2H(2)O in methanol produced 4, which is interconvertible with 3, while the corresponding 1:3 reaction resulted in the isolation of [5]Cl(2). The complexes 4 and 5 were also structurally characterized; 4 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c with a = 6.839(1), b = 10.0704(6), c = 14.1075(8) A, beta = 91.729(8) degrees, V = 971.2(2) A(3), and Z = 4, while [5]Cl(2) crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1 with a = 11.938(3), b = 12.366(3), c = 5.819(1) A, alpha = 102.71(2), beta = 101.28(2), gamma = 75.41(2) degrees, V = 802.0(3) A(3), and Z = 2. In 4, the oxorhenium(V) core is octahedrally coordinated by two bidentate-N,S aet ligands, which form a cis-N cis-S configurational equatorial plane with a Cl(-) ion trans to the oxo ligand. On the other hand, the oxorhenium(V) core in [5](2+) is coordinated by one bidenate-N,S aet and two monodentate-S Haet ligands, having a distorted trigonal-bipyramidal geometry with S and N donors at the apical positions.

(2-Aminoethanethiolato-N,S)bis(ethylenediamine-N,N')cobalt(III) dinitrate.

In the title compound, [Co(C(2)H(6)NS)(C(2)H(8)N(2))(2)](NO(3))(2), the Co(III) atom has a slightly distorted octahedral geometry, coordinated by one 2-aminoethanethiolate and two ethylenediamine ligands. The three five-membered chelate rings adopt a gauche conformation with the unfavoured (lel)(2)(ob) form, which is ascribed to hydrogen bonds between the amine groups in the complex cation and the nitrate counter-anions [N.O 2.900 (3)-3.378 (3) A].