Radiomics Based on Multimodal magnetic resonance imaging for the Differential Diagnosis of Benign and Malignant Vertebral Compression Fractures.

OBJECTIVES: Recent studies have indicated that radiomics may have excellent performance and clinical application prospects in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). However, multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based radiomics model is rarely used in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant VCFs, and is limited to lumbar. Herein, this study intends to develop and validate MRI radiomics models for differential diagnoses of benign and malignant VCFs in patients. METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved 151 adult patients diagnosed with VCF in The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University in 2016-2021. The study was conducted in three steps: (i) the original MRI images were segmented, and the region of interest (ROI) was marked out; (ii) among the extracted features, those features with Pearson's correlation coefficient lower than 0.9 and the top 15 with the highest variance and Lasso regression coefficient less than and more than 0 were selected; (iii) MRI images and combined data were studied by logistic regression, decision tree, random forest and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) models in training set and the test set (ratio of 8:2), respectively; and the models were further verified and evaluated for the differential diagnosis performance. The evaluated indexes included area under receiver (AUC) of operating characteristic curve, accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), positive predictive value (PPV), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The AUCs were used to assess the predictive performance of different machine learning modes for benign and malignant VCFs. RESULTS: A total of 1144 radiomics features, and 14 clinical features were extracted. Finally, 12 radiomics features were included in the radiomics model, and 12 radiomics features with 14 clinical features were included in the combined model. In the radiomics model, the differential diagnosis performance in the logistic regression model with the AUC of 0.905 ± 0.026, accuracy of 0.817 ± 0.057, sensitivity of 0.831 ± 0.065, and negative predictive value of 0.813 ± 0.042, was superior to the other three. In the combined model, XGBoost model had the superior differential diagnosis performance with specificity (0.979 ± 0.026) and positive predictive value (0.971 ± 0.035). CONCLUSION: The multimodal MRI-based radiomics model performed well in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant VCFs, which may provide a tool for clinicians to differentially diagnose VCFs.

A memory-based spatial evolutionary game with the dynamic interaction between learners and profiteers.

Spatial evolutionary games provide a valuable framework for elucidating the emergence and maintenance of cooperative behaviors. However, most previous studies assume that individuals are profiteers and neglect to consider the effects of memory. To bridge this gap, in this paper, we propose a memory-based spatial evolutionary game with dynamic interaction between learners and profiteers. Specifically, there are two different categories of individuals in the network, including profiteers and learners with different strategy updating rules. Notably, there is a dynamic interaction between profiteers and learners, i.e., each individual has the transition probability between profiteers and learners, which is portrayed by a Markov process. Besides, the payoff of each individual is not only determined by a single round of the game but also depends on the memory mechanism of the individual. Extensive numerical simulations validate the theoretical analysis and uncover that dynamic interactions between profiteers and learners foster cooperation, memory mechanisms facilitate the emergence of cooperative behaviors among profiteers, and increasing the learning rate of learners promotes a rise in the number of cooperators. In addition, the robustness of the model is verified through simulations across various network sizes. Overall, this work contributes to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms driving the formation and evolution of cooperation.

Inhibition and activation of interactions in networked weak prisoner's dilemma.

In the framework of the coevolution dynamics of the weak prisoner's dilemma, inspired by prior empirical research, we present a coevolutionary model with local network dynamics in a static network framework. Viewing the edges of the network as social interactions between individuals, when individuals play the weak prisoner's dilemma game, they accumulate both payoffs and social interaction willingness based on a payoff matrix of the social interaction willingness we constructed. The edges are then inhibiting or activating based on the social interaction willingness of the two individuals, and individuals only interact with others through activated edges, resulting in local network dynamics in a static network framework. Individuals who receive more cooperation will be more likely to activate the edges around them, meaning they will participate in more social interactions. Conversely, individuals who receive more defects will do the opposite. Specifically, we investigate the evolutionary dynamics of cooperation under different levels of sensitivity to social interaction willingness and the temptation to defect. Through the simulation, we find that sparse cooperator clusters can expand greatly when social interaction sensitivity and temptation to defect are low. In contrast, dense cooperator clusters form rapidly in a high social interaction sensitivity, which protects the cooperation from high temptation.

Limited resource network modeling and its opinion diffusion dynamics.

The preferential attachment of the Barabási-Albert model has been playing an important role in modeling practical complex networks. The preferential attachment mechanism describes the role of many real systems, which follows the characteristic "the rich get richer." However, there are some situations that are ignored by the preferential attachment mechanism, one of which is the existence of the limited resource. Vertices with the largest degree may not obtain new edges by the highest probability due to various factors, e.g., in social relationship networks, vertices with quite a lot of relationships may not connect to new vertices since their energy and resource are limited. Hence, the limit for degree growing is proposed in our new network model. We adjust the attachment rule in light of the population growth curve in biology, which considers both attraction and restriction of the degree. In addition, the unaware-aware-unaware opinion diffusion is studied on our proposed network. The celebrity effect is taken into consideration in the opinion diffusion process.

Evolutionary multigame with conformists and profiteers based on dynamic complex networks.

Evolutionary game on complex networks provides a new research framework for analyzing and predicting group decision-making behavior in an interactive environment, in which most researchers assumed players as profiteers. However, current studies have shown that players are sometimes conformists rather than profit-seeking in society, but most research has been discussed on a simple game without considering the impact of multiple games. In this paper, we study the influence of conformists and profiteers on the evolution of cooperation in multiple games and illustrate two different strategy-updating rules based on these conformists and profiteers. Different from previous studies, we introduce a similarity between players into strategy-updating rules and explore the evolutionary game process, including the strategy updating, the transformation of players' type, and the dynamic evolution of the network structure. In the simulation, we implement our model on scale-free and regular networks and provide some explanations from the perspective of strategy transition, type transition, and network topology properties to prove the validity of our model.

Phillygenin Protects the Intestinal Barrier from Dysfunction via let-7b Signaling Pathway and Regulation of Intestinal Microbiota.

The study investigates the positive effects of phillygenin on intestinal tight junction via the let-7b signaling pathway and the regulation of intestinal microbiota. The expression levels of tight junction proteins are determined through PCR and Western blot. DSS-induced mice colitis is used to verify the protective effects of phillygenin on intestinal barrier and tight junction. Fecal microbiota transplantation is used to verify the role intestinal microbiota. let-7b is detected in the colon tissues of patients with acute stercoral obstruction. Phillygenin could promote the expression of occludin, which might be inhibited by let-7b inhibitor. DSS-induced mice colitis showed that phillygenin could lower the colonic permeability and maintain the tight junction-associated proteins. The effects of phillygenin could be deprived by anti-let-7b and rescued by FMT of normal intestinal microbiota. Clinical samples verified a lower level of let-7b in stercoral obstruction patients. Phillygenin could protect the intestinal barrier from dysfunction via the signaling pathway of let-7b by regulating intestinal microbiota.

Influence of Chronic Kidney Disease on Patients Undergoing Elective Hip and Knee Orthopedic Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: The increasing prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in recent years and its impact on renal dysfunction on orthopedic surgery continues to draw more attention to orthopedic surgeons. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of CKD on comorbidities and complications in patients who underwent elective low limbs surgery. Material and Methods: Until August 2018, Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane library, and Web of science were used to search relevant literature. After reviewing the article title, the abstract, and the full text, a total of 11 articles were identified in the qualitative synthesis. Demographic data, comorbidities, and complications were assessed between CKD and non-CKD patients. Review Manager 5.3 was used for the statistical analysis, and forest plots were constructed for each variable. Results: A total of 137,436 patients (10,732 patients with CKD and 126,704 patients without CKD) from 11 studies were enrolled in this meta-analysis. CKD patients showed worse health conditions in comparison to non-CKD patients. The incidence of several preoperative comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes, and cardiac-cerebral disease) and postoperative complications (infection, transfusion, deep vein thrombosis, and early mortality) were higher in CKD patients. Conclusions: In elective hip and knee surgery, compared with non-CKD patients, CKD patients showed worse health conditions. Due to a higher rate of comorbidities and complications in CKD patients, they should be treated carefully during perioperative periods.

Analysis of Spinopelvic Sagittal Balance and Persistent Low Back Pain (PLBP) for Degenerative Spondylolisthesis (DS) following Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF).

Objective: To investigate the change of spinopelvic sagittal balance and clinical outcomes after posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) in patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS), especially the relationship between sagittal spinopelvic parameters and persistent low back pain (PLBP). Methods: 107 patients who were diagnosed with DS and underwent PLIF in our department were enrolled retrospectively in the present study. Sagittal spinopelvic parameters including lumbar lordosis (LL), segmental lordosis (SL), height of the disc (HOD), sacral slope (SS), pelvic incidence (PI), and pelvic tilt (PT) were recorded pre- and postoperatively. Sagittal balance and clinical outcomes were compared between patients with and without PLBP. Pearson correlation was used to analyze the change of sagittal balance parameters and clinical functions. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the risk factors of PLBP. Results: It showed significant improvements of SL, HOD, and PT postoperatively. Both the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) had significant improvement postoperatively. Change of PT and SL also differed observably between patients with and without PLBP. SL and PT were correlated with NRS and ODI, and insufficient restoration of PT was an independent factor for PLBP. Conclusion: The sagittal balance parameters and clinical outcomes can be improved markedly via PLIF for treating DS. Restoration of SL and PT was correlated with satisfactory outcomes, and adequate improvement of PT may have positive impact on reducing PLBP.

Comparison of cervical disc arthroplasty and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for the treatment of cervical disc degenerative diseases on the basis of more than 60 months of follow-up: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This meta-analysis was designed to investigate the long-term efficacy and safety between cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) in treating cervical disc degenerative diseases (CDDDs). METHODS: Literature search was performed on Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science before Jan 2019. Surgical details, clinical outcomes, range of motion (ROM), complications, and reoperation rates between CDA and ACDF groups were compared and analyzed. A fixed- or random-effects model was applied based on different heterogeneity. STATA (Version 11.0) software was used to perform data analysis. RESULTS: A total of 13 randomized controlled trial studies with more than 60 months of follow-up (mean 83.1 months) were enrolled in this meta-analysis. Pool results indicated that the CDA group exhibited significantly better outcomes in clinical scores (odds ratio [OR] = 1.54, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15-2.08, p = 0.004) and preservation of ROM (mean difference = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.60-1.95, p < 0.001) than the ACDF group. Meanwhile, the incidence of adjacent segment disease (ASD) (OR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.35-0.76, p = 0.001) and occurrence of reoperation (OR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.25-0.69, p = 0.001) were lower in the CDA group than in the ACDF group. CONCLUSIONS: At long-term follow-up, CDA showed better efficacy in terms of clinical outcomes, ROM, ASD, and reoperation than ACDF for treating CDDDs. However, our results require further validation in large-sample and high-quality studies.

Influence Of Narrative Medicine-Based Health Education Combined With An Online Patient Mutual Assistance Group On The Health Of Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Arthritis.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease arthritis (IBDA) threatens patients' physical and mental health. Therefore, patients need not only physical therapy, but also adequate health education and psychological support. This study was designed to explore the effect of health education based on narrative medicine combined with an online patient mutual assistance group that was based on the physical and mental health of patients with IBDA. METHODS: A total of 120 patients with IBDA were randomly divided into four groups (30 patients per group). Patients in the control group were given routine health education on the premise of routine treatment. The three treatment groups were given health education based on narrative medicine, online patient mutual assistance group intervention, or combined intervention. Depression, sleep, arthralgia, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms, and inflammatory factors were measured and compared before and 1 month after the intervention. RESULTS: Before the intervention, no significant differences were observed in baseline data between the four groups. However, after the intervention, the physical and mental health of patients who received health education based on narrative medicine or online patient mutual assistance groups was improved. Our data showed that patients in the combined intervention group experienced a better outcome. CONCLUSION: Narrative medicine-based health education combined with an online patient mutual assistance group is beneficial to the physical and mental health of IBDA patients. Taken together, this model needs to be further deepened and popularized in clinical practice.

Relationship Between Sagittal Balance and Axial Symptoms in Patients with Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Treated with Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the sagittal balance of the cervical spine and the clinical outcomes of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) for the treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy and to explore whether sagittal balance is related to the incidence of postoperative axial symptoms. Methods: Sixty-seven consecutive patients who underwent ACDF for the treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy from January 2014 to December 2016 were enrolled in our study. Sagittal balance parameters (global lordotic angle, segmented lordotic angle, T1 slope, and C2-7 sagittal vertical axis [C2-7 SVA] were recorded in the preoperative period and at 1 month, 3 months, and 1 year postoperatively. Clinical outcomes (JOA and NDI scores) and incidence of axial symptoms were also evaluated before and after surgery. Subgroup analysis included 20 patients with preoperative abnormal sagittal balance group (C2-7 SVA larger than 20 mm), and these patients were divided into two groups, namely axial symptom group and nonaxial symptom group. Result: The sagittal balance parameters (global lordotic angle, segmented lordotic angle, and TI slope) and the clinical outcomes after surgery significantly improved. The subgroup analysis within the preoperative abnormal sagittal balance group showed significant differences in postoperative and change in C2-7 SVA between patients with and without postoperative axial symptoms. Conclusion: ACDF can be applied to restore the sagittal alignment of the cervical spine and effectively improve clinical outcomes for the treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Sagittal balance improvement may be associated with the low incidence of postoperative axial symptoms for patients with abnormal cervical sagittal balance before surgery.

Osteogenesis enhancement of silk fibroin/ α-TCP cement by N-acetyl cysteine through Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway in vivo and vitro.

High brittleness and lack osteogenesis are two major limitations of calcium phosphate cement (CPC) in application in bone defect reconstruction. Here we prepared a composite calcium phosphate cement by mixing N-acetyl cysteine loaded silk fibroin solution with α-tricalcium phosphate. In vitro cytology experiment revealed that SF-NAC/α-TCP could significantly increase the activity of exocrine ALP and up-regulated expression of bone-related genes. However, NAC up-regulated gene expression could be significantly suppressed by DKK1. We propose that NAC functioning as osteogenic factor by activating the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway may be the possible mechanism of up-regulation of osteogenic genes. Bone regeneration in vivo shown in a rat femur defect was enhanced by the addition of NAC in SF/α-TCP. In addition, the combination intensity of cement-bone interface was improved. The combination SF-NAC/α-TCP might be developed into a promising tool for bone tissue repair in the clinic.

Safety and efficacy of percutaneous kyphoplasty assisted with O-arm navigation for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures at T6 to T9 vertebrae.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of PKP under O-arm navigation system guidance for treating middle thoracic OVCF (T6~T9). METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted for 44 consecutive T6~T9 OVCF patients who received PKP assisted with O-arm navigation (n = 20) or fluoroscopy (n = 24) from January 2016 to December 2017. Demographic data, radiographic parameters, and clinical outcomes were collected and analyzed at pre-operative, post-operative, and final follow-up period. Complications including tissue lesion, needle malposition, and leakage of bone cement were also recorded amid operation. RESULTS: A total of 44 patients (4 males and 40 females, with mean age of 71.1 ± 8.7) were enrolled in this study, and the mean follow-up time was 14.4 months. In surgical details, navigation system could obtain more satisfactory volume of injected cement and less loss of blood, as well did not increase surgical time compared with fluoroscopy. Both radiological and clinical outcomes improved significantly at post-operative and final follow-up, while did not differed between two groups. For adverse events, the incidence of cement leakage was similar between two groups. However, O-arm navigation can achieve lower rate of complications than fluoroscopy. CONCLUSION: Our preliminary study demonstrated that PKP assisted with O-arm navigation is a safe and effective procedure that applied for middle thoracic OVCF (T6~T9), which can achieve favourable radiological and clinical outcomes, and low rate of complications.

Cystine dimethyl ester cross-linked PEG-poly(urethane-urea)/nano-hydroxyapatite composited biomimetic scaffold for bone defect repair.

Polyurethane (PU) and polyurea (PUA) materials have shown significant potential for application in tissue repair. Herein, we design a glycerol ethoxylate (PEG)-based poly(urethane-urea) for bone tissue repair. The polymer precursor was prepared from the reaction of PEG and isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI). The cystine dimethyl ester was used as a cross-linker for the preparation of poly(urethane-urea) elastomers. The material was further strengthened by physical blending of nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA). The physical and biological properties of final material were evaluated by mechanical testing, scanning electron microscopy characterization, degradation tests, cell proliferation and cell differentiation assays. The obtained scaffolds showed good mechanical strength, excellent biocompatibility and osteogenic capability. All the evidences demonstrated that this type of materials has good prospects for bone tissue repair application.

Meta-analysis of FOXP3 gene rs3761548 and rs2232365 polymorphism and multiple sclerosis susceptibility.

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a common autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS), and is associated with genetic factors. FOXP3 gene polymorphism has been reported as the risk factor for MS, however, previous studies have showed conflicting results. The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between FOXP3 gene polymorphism and the susceptibility to MS. METHODS: Pubmed, Embase, library of Cochrane, and Web of Science were used to search the eligible articles from January 1980 up to October 2018. The odds ratio (ORs) and its 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to evaluate the strength of association. Allele model, homozygote model, heterozygote model, dominant model, and recessive model were used to evaluate the association between FOXP3 gene polymorphism and MS. RESULTS: A total of 5 studies contained 1276 MS patients and 1447 controls (for rs3761548) and 600 MS patients and 640 controls (for rs2232365) were enrolled in this meta-analysis. The association showed significant differences in allele and dominant model for rs3761548 polymorphism. In addition, a clear tendency to significance was detected in homozygote and recessive model for rs3761548 (P = .052). Subgroup analysis indicated a significant risk of MS in all genotype models but heterozygotes in Asians. CONCLUSION: FOXP3 gene polymorphism rs3761548 was associated with a higher MS risk, especially in Asians. This conclusion needs to be validated in more large samples and multiracial studies. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III diagnostic study.

Impact of obesity on restoration of sagittal balance and clinical efficacy after posterior lumbar interbody fusion.

To investigate the impact of obesity on the restoration of sagittal balance after posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF). To examine the correlation between obesity and sagittal balance and their influence on clinical efficacy. A total of 183 patients who underwent PLIF for degenerative lumbar diseases between Jan 2015 and Dec 2015 were enrolled in this study. Based on their BMI, patients were divided into three groups: normal weight group (Group A), overweight group (Group B), and obesity group (Group C). Demographic data, intraoperative data, sagittal balance parameters, and clinical function scores were compared between each group. Correlation analysis was conducted between the BMI scores and each sagittal balance parameter. Multiple linear regression was used to assess the impact of each variable on clinical outcomes. All patients finished an average of 22.3 months follow-up. Group C had significantly higher blood loss and longer operations than Group A. SL and PT improved significantly in Group A while did not change in Group C. Compared with Group C, Group postoperative pelvic tilt (PT) was better restored in Group A. BMI was significantly correlated with change of lumbar lordosis (LL) and PT. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that BMI and change of PT had a great influence on ODI improvement. Obesity may hinder the correction of sagittal balance and improvement of clinical efficacy in patients who undergo PLIF. Restoration of PT should be paid more attention to during surgery, as it may be associated with satisfactory clinical outcomes especially for obesity.

Association between sagittal balance and adjacent segment degeneration in anterior cervical surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: ASD is a relatively common degenerative alteration after cervical surgery which occurs above or below the fused segment. In addition, some patients may need reoperation to treat severe ASD after the primary surgery. It was considered that sagittal balance is correlated with postoperative clinical outcomes; however, few studies have reported the influence of sagittal balance on ASD. The present study is designed to investigate whether sagittal balance impacts the pathology of adjacent segment disease (ASD) in patients who undergo anterior cervical surgery for degenerative cervical disease. METHODS: Databases including Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane library, and Web of Science were used to search for literature published before June 2018. Review Manager 5.3 was used to perform the statistical analysis. Sagittal balance parameters before and after surgery were compared between patients with and without ASD. Weighted mean difference (WMD) was summarized for continuous data and P < 0.05 was set for the level of significance. RESULTS: A total of 221 patients with ASD and 680 patients without ASD from seven articles were studied in this meta-analysis. There were no significant differences in most sagittal balance parameters between the two groups, except for postoperative cervical lordosis (CL) (WMD -3.30, CI -5.91, - 0.69, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Some sagittal balance parameters may be associated with the development of ASD after anterior cervical surgery. Sufficient restoration of CL may decrease the incidence of ASD. The results in present study needed to be expanded carefully and further high-quality studies are warranted to investigate the impact of sagittal balance on ASD.

Does Tranexamic Acid Improve Bleeding, Transfusion, and Hemoglobin Level in Patients Undergoing Multilevel Spine Surgery? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of tranexamic acid (TXA) on blood loss and blood transfusion in multiple-level spine surgery and evaluate whether hemoglobin and platelet levels are altered as a result. METHOD: This meta-analysis conducted an exhaustive search of literature from Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and CNKI databases. Stata 11.0 was used to analyze the pooled data. Mean differences (MD) of blood loss, transfusion volume, hemoglobin and platelet levels, and odds ratio (OR) of proportion of transfusion were extracted and compared between the TXA group and controls. Publication bias and sensitivity analysis were also performed. RESULT: A total of 11 studies (6 RCTs and 5 retrospective studies) were enrolled in this meta-analysis according to the inclusion criteria. The data showed that administration of TXA can decrease intraoperative blood loss and perioperative blood transfusion compared to controls (standard mean difference = -0.50; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.84, -0.16; I2 = 52.9%; P = 0.004) (OR = 0.48; 95% CI: 0.29, 0.78; I2 = 0%; P = 0.003). Moreover, TXA can maintain a superior hemoglobin level after surgery in contrast to the control group (standard mean difference = -0.27; 95% CI: 0.07, 0.47; I2 = 0%; P = 0.009). The above results were also observed and verified after accounting for publication bias and sensitivity analysis. CONCLUSION: The application of TXA can effectively reduce intraoperative blood loss and perioperative blood transfusion in patients undergoing multiple-level spine surgery, and it can restore hemoglobin levels after surgery.

Influence of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) and 2-methylene-1,3-dioxepane (MDO) on the properties of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) bone cement.

The properties of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) bone cement make it a popular bone filling material. However, its disadvantages, such as lack of biodegradability and osteogenesis, restrict its clinical application. Studies have indicated the osteogenic properties of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) and the biodegradability of 2-methylene-1,3-dioxepane/methyl methacrylate-based (MDO/MMA) copolymers. In this study, we developed bioactive PMMA cements through modification with fixed concentrations of NAC and different proportions of MDO. The purpose of this study was to compare the mechanical properties, morphology, NAC release, biocompatibility, degradability and mineralization capability of modified bone cements with those of conventional cement. The specific-modified specimens (NAC-p (5% MDO-co-MMA)) exhibited a lower bending modulus but had little effect on compressive strength. This material was morphologically compact and nonporous, similar to conventional PMMA bone cement. NAC could be released from NAC-p (5% MDO-co-MMA) continuously and appropriately. NAC-p (5% MDO-co-MMA) was biologically safe and showed satisfactory tissue compatibility. Ester was introduced into the polymer, which reinforced the degradation properties of NAC-p (5% MDO-co-MMA). NAC-p (5% MDO-co-MMA) enhanced the mineralization capability of osteoblastic cells.

Melatonin Prevents Osteoarthritis-Induced Cartilage Degradation via Targeting MicroRNA-140.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by the progressive destruction of articular cartilage, which is involved in the imbalance between extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis and degradation. MicroRNA-140-5p (miR-140) is specifically expressed in cartilage and plays an important role in OA-induced matrix degradation. The aim of this study was to investigate (1) whether intra-articular injection of melatonin could ameliorate surgically induced OA in mice and (2) whether melatonin could regulate matrix-degrading enzymes at the posttranscriptional level by targeting miR-140. In an in vitro OA environment induced by interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß), melatonin treatment improved cell proliferation of human chondrocytes, promoted the expression of cartilage ECM proteins (e.g., type II collagen and aggrecan), and inhibited the levels of IL-1ß-induced proteinases, such as matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9), MMP13, ADAMTS4 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 4), and ADAMTS5. Both the microarray and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) experiments revealed that miR-140 was a melatonin-responsive microRNA and melatonin upregulated miR-140 expression, which was suppressed by IL-1ß stimulation. In vivo experiments demonstrated that intra-articular injection of melatonin prevented disruptions of cartilage matrix homeostasis and successfully alleviated the progression of surgery-induced OA in mice. Transfection of miR-140 antagomir completely counteracted the antiarthritic effects of melatonin by promoting matrix destruction. Our findings demonstrate that melatonin protects the articular cartilage from OA-induced degradation by targeting miR-140, and intra-articular administration of melatonin may benefit patients suffering from OA.