Comparison of biportal endoscopic technique and uniportal endoscopic technique in Unilateral Laminectomy for Bilateral Decomprssion (ULBD) for lumbar spinal stenosis.

OBJECTIVE: Unilateral laminotomy for bilateral decompression (ULBD) has been adopted widely to treat lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). The objective of the study is to investigate clinical and radiological outcomes of the biportal endoscopic ULBD (BE-ULBD) and uniportal endoscopic ULBD (UE-ULBD). METHODS: We collected retrospectively 65 patients' data who met the inclusion criteria (July 2019-June 2021). 33 patients underwent BE-ULBD surgery, and 32 patients underwent the UE-ULBD surgery, and were followed up for at least 1 year. The following preoperative and postoperative outcomes were compared between groups: the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, the Oswestry disability index (ODI) for nerve function, and modified Macnab criteria for satisfaction, the cross-sectional area of the dural sac (DSCSA), the mean angle of facetectomy. RESULTS: Age, BMI, gender, levels of involvement and duration of symptoms were not significantly different at baseline in this study. Clinical data showed that postoperative ODI, VAS scores and Modified Macnab Criteria were not statistically different between the two groups. The BE-ULBD group had a shorter operation time than the UE-ULBD group (P < 0.001). Patients in the BE-ULBD group had a larger postoperative expansion of DSCSA expansion postoperatively (85.58 ± 3.16 mm2 VS 71.43 ± 3.35 mm2, P < 0.001) and a larger contralateral facetectomy angle (63.95 ± 3.34° vs 57.80 ± 3.43°, P < 0.001) compared with patients in the UE-ULBD group. There were no statistical differences in the incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Both the BE-ULBD and the UE-ULBD yielded clinical improvement in terms of pain and stenosis symptoms. The BE-ULBD technique has the advantages of the shorter operation time, larger DSCSA expansion and larger contralateral facetectomy angle.

Transcriptional control of carbohydrate catabolism by the CcpA protein in the ruminal bacterium Streptococcus bovis.

As a potent, pleiotropic regulatory protein in Gram-positive bacteria, catabolite control protein A (CcpA) mediates the transcriptional control of carbohydrate metabolism in Streptococcus bovis, a lactate-producing bacterium that plays an essential role in rumen acidosis in dairy cows. Although the rumen uptake of carbohydrates is multi-substrate, the focus of S. bovis research thus far has been on the glucose. With the aid of gene deletion, whole-genome sequencing, and transcriptomics, we have unraveled the role of CcpA in carbohydrate metabolism, on the one hand, and acidosis, on the other, and we show that the S. bovis strain S1 encodes "Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes" and that ccpA deletion slows the organism's growth rate and modulates the organic acid fermentation pathways toward lower lactate, higher formate, and acetate in the maltose and cellobiose. Furthermore, this study revealed the different regulatory functions of the CcpA protein in rumen metabolism and acidosis.IMPORTANCEThis study is important as it illustrates the varying regulatory role of the Streptococcus bovis catabolite control protein A protein in carbohydrate metabolism and the onset of acidosis in dairy cattle.

Lactate uptake in the rumen and its contributions to subacute rumen acidosis of goats induced by high-grain diets.

Rumen acidosis is the consequence of feeding rapidly fermentable grain diets and it is considered the most common nutritional disorder in intensive feeding ruminants. Due to that mechanism of catabolism and transformation is driven by multi-factors, the role of ruminal lactate and its contribution to subacute rumen acidosis has not been well defined yet. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of SARA on the production, absorption, circulation, and transformation of lactate in the rumen. In this study, rumen samples were collected from 12 adult Saanen goats (44.5 ± 4.6 kg BW) equipped with permanent rumen cannula to measure rumen fermentation parameters, organic acids production, microbial profiles, and blood indicators to identify the occurrence of SARA. To further investigate the change in the disappearance rate of ruminal lactate, rumen fluid was collected and a batch culture was performed. The results showed that the clearance rate of ruminal lactate was accelerated by SARA, and the concentration of the ruminal lactate pool was stable. In addition, the rumen liquid dilution rate and the rumen liquid flow rate under the SARA condition of goats were lower than that in normal conditions. The ruminal lactate flow rate had no difference throughout the process of fermentation. However, in vitro data showed that the disappearance of lactate was reduced in SARA. By measuring the conversion of sodium L-[3-13C]-lactate in batch culture, it was found that the percentage of lactate converted to propionate was significantly lower in the SARA treatment and 16.13% more lactate converted to butyrate under SARA condition. However, the percentage of lactate transformed into acetate and butyrate was significantly increased in the SARA treatment than that of control. The relative population of total protozoa count in SARA was significantly reduced, while the relative population of Lactobacillus fermentum, Streptococcus bovis, Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, Megasphaera elsdenii, and Selenomonas ruminantium in the SARA treatment was significantly induced (p < 0.05). It is concluded that the transformation of lactate into butyrate may promote the development of SARA. These findings provide some references to the diet formulation for preventing SARA.

Thiamine Supplementation Alleviates Lipopolysaccharide-Triggered Adaptive Inflammatory Response and Modulates Energy State via Suppression of NFκB/p38 MAPK/AMPK Signaling in Rumen Epithelial Cells of Goats.

Studies have shown that exogenous thiamine (THI) supplementation can alleviate inflammation and promote rumen epithelial development in goats and cows. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of THI supplementation on LPS-induced inflammation and energy metabolic dysregulation in RECs of goats. Cells were stimulated with either 5 µg/mL THI for 18 h (THI group) or with 5 µg/mL LPS for 6 h (LPS group). The CON group was stimulated with DMEM/F-12 medium without THI for 18 h. The LPTH group was pretreated with THI for 18 h, followed by LPS stimulation for 6 h. THI supplementation decreased the ROS content (p < 0.05), as well as the ratios of phosphorylated (p)-p65 to p65 (p < 0.05) and p-AMPKα to AMPKα (p < 0.05). Interestingly, when the p38 gene was overexpressed in the LPTH group, the ratio of p-p65 to p65 and p-AMPKα to AMPKα proteins significantly increased, and ATP content decreased (p < 0.05). Our results suggest that THI possesses anti-inflammatory and metabolic-modulatory effects in RECs. The mechanism is largely related to the suppression of the NF-κB/p38 MAPK/AMPK signaling pathway. Additionally, we also revealed that THI supplementation can inhibit LPS-induced oxidative damage and apoptosis to protect mitochondrial function in RECs.