[Clinical study on modified Topping-off technology in the treatment of multiple lumbar degenerative diseases].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical effect of the modified Topping-off technique in the treatment of multiple lumbar degenerative diseases. METHODS: From October 2019 to May 2020, 42 patients who underwent modified Topping-off operation (modified Topping-off group) and 42 patients who underwent multilevel total laminectomy and interbody fusion with screw rod system internal fixation (whole laminectomy group) were observed and analyzed. There were 15 males and 27 females in the modified Topping-off group, aged from 28 to 80 years old, with an average of (59.57±11.85)years old. There were 14 males and 28 females in the whole laminectomy group, aged from 45 to 82 years old, with an average of (64.26±9.19) years old. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were evaluated before operation, 1 week, 6 weeks and 12 weeks after operation. The intraoperative blood loss, incision length, operation time, postoperative drainage, weight-bearing time, hospitalization time, intervertebral space height, intervertebral foramen height and lumbar mobility were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: All patients were followed up for 12 weeks. The intraoperative blood loss and postoperative drainage in the modified Topping-off group were significantly less than those in the whole lamina group (P<0.05). The incision length, operation time, weight-bearing time and hospital stay in the modified Topping-off group were shorter than those in the whole lamina group(P<0.05). There were significant differences in intervertebral space height, intervertebral foramen height and lumbar mobility between the two groups at 12 weeks after operation(P<0.05). The modified Topping-off group had significantly lower VAS 1, 6, 12 weeks after operation and ODI 12 weeks after operation compared with rhose before operation. The VAS at 1, 6, 12 weeks in the whole lamina group were significantly lower those that before operation(P<0.05). The ODI at 12 weeks in the whole lamina group were significantly lower than those before operation(P<0.01). There were significant differences in VAS scores between the two groups at 1 week, 6 weeks and 12 weeks after operation(P<0.01). There was significant difference in ODI between the two groups 12 weeks after operation(P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The application of modified Topping-off technique in the treatment of multi segmental lumbar degenerative diseases can reduce the total length of fusion segments, avoid or slow down the degeneration of adjacent segments, and has a positive effect on maintaining the normal movement of the spine.

Atsttrin reduces lipopolysaccharide-induced neuroinflammation by inhibiting the nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathway.

Progranulin is closely related to neuronal survival in a neuroinflammatory mouse model and attenuates inflammatory reactions. Atsttrin is an engineered protein composed of three progranulin fragments and has been shown to have an effect similar to that of progranulin. Atsttrin has anti-inflammatory actions in multiple arthritis mouse models, and it protects against further arthritis development. However, whether Atsttrin has a role in neuroinflammation remains to be elucidated. In this study, we produced a neuroinflammatory mouse model by intracerebroventricular injection of 1 µL lipopolysaccharide (10 µg/µL). Atsttrin (2.5 mg/kg) was administered via intraperitoneal injection every 3 days over a period of 7 days before intracerebroventricular injection of 1 µL lipopolysaccharide (10 µg/µL). In addition, astrocyte cultures were treated with 0, 100 or 300 ng/mL lipopolysaccharide, with 200 ng/mL Atsttrin simultaneously. Immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were performed to examine the protein and mRNA levels of inflammatory mediators and to assess activation of the nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathway. Progranulin expression in the brain of wild-type mice and in astrocyte cultures was increased after lipopolysaccharide administration. The protein and mRNA expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1ß and inducible nitric oxide synthase were increased in the brain of progranulin knockout mice after lipopolysaccharide administration. Atsttrin treatment reduced the lipopolysaccharide-induced increase in the protein and mRNA levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1ß, matrix metalloproteinase-3 and inducible nitric oxide synthase in the brain of progranulin knockout mice. Atsttrin also reduced the expression of cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase and matrix metalloproteinase 3 mRNA in lipopolysaccharide-treated astrocytes in vitro, and decreased the concentration of tumor necrosis factor a and interleukin-1ß in the supernatant. Furthermore, Atsttrin significantly reduced the levels of phospho-nuclear factor kappa B inhibitor a in the brain of lipopolysaccharide-treated progranulin knockout mice and astrocytes, and it decreased the expression of nuclear factor kappa B2 in astrocytes. Collectively, our findings show that the anti-neuroinflammatory effect of Atsttrin involves inhibiton of the nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathway, and they suggest that Atsttrin may have clinical potential in neuroinflammatory therapy. The study was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, China (approval No. KYLL-2015(KS)-088) on February 10, 2015.

Whole mitochondrial genome sequence of a rat rheumatoid arthritis E3 strain.

We sequenced a complete mitochondrial genome sequence of a rat rheumatoid arthritis disease E3 strain for the first time. The total length of the mitogenome was 16,305 bp and coding 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes. This mitochondrial genome sequence will provide new genetic resource into rheumatoid arthritis disease.