[Effect of nerve growth factor on elderly degenerative knee osteoarthritis pain].

OBJECTIVE: To explore effect of nerve growth factor (NGF) antibody on knee osteoarthritis (KOA) pain model was evaluated by in vitro model. METHODS: Thirty male SPF rats aged 28-week-old were divided into blank group (10 rats with anesthesia only). The other 20 rats were with monoiodoacetate (MIA) on the right knee joint to establish pain model of OA, and were randomly divided into control group (injected intraperitoneal injection of normal saline) and treatment group (injected anti-NGF) intraperitoneal after successful modeling, and 10 rats in each group. All rats were received retrograde injection of fluorogold (FG) into the right knee joint. Gait was assessed using catwalk gait analysis system before treatment, 1 and 2 weeks after treatment. Three weeks after treatment, right dorsal root ganglia (DRG) were excised on L4-L6 level, immunostained for calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and the number of DRGS was counted. RESULTS: In terms of gait analysis using cat track system, duty cycle, swing speed and print area ratio in control and treatment group were significantly reduced compared with blank group (P<0.05). Compared with control group, duty cycle and swing speed of treatment group were significantly improved (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in print area ratio between treatment group and blank group (P>0.05). The number of FG-labeled DRG neurons in control group was significantly higher than that in treatment group and blank group (P<0.05). The expression of CGRP in control group was up-regulated, and differences were statistically significant compared with treatment group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Intraperitoneal injection of anti-NGF antibody inhibited gait injury and upregulation of CGRP in DRG neurons. The results suggest that anti-nerve growth factor therapy may be of value in treating knee pain. NGF may be an important target for the treatment of knee OA pain.

Postoperative Serum Levels of Interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), Interleukin-17 (IL-17), and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) in Patients Following Hip Replacement Surgery for Traumatic Fractured Femoral Neck: A Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND This study aimed to investigate the clinical significance of postoperative serum levels of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), interleukin-17 (IL-17), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in patients who required hip replacement surgery for traumatic fractured neck of femur. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective study included 180 patients who had hip replacement surgery for traumatic fractured neck of femur and a control group of 100 patients. Differences between the two groups were compared for serum levels of IL-1ß, IL-17, and TNF-alpha, and the Harris Hip Score (HHS) (maximum 100 points) using Pearson's correlation. RESULTS Serum levels of IL-1ß, IL-17, and TNF-alpha in the control group were significantly lower than those in the study group (P<0.05). According to the HHS, there were 53 patients in the excellent group, 65 patients in the good group, 43 patients in the fair group and 19 patients in the poor group. Postoperative indicator analysis showed significant differences in IL-1ß, IL-17, and TNF-alpha levels between the four groups (P<0.05). Clinical indicators increased from the excellent group to the poor group, with significant differences between the four groups (P<0.05). Postoperative levels of IL-1ß, IL-17, and TNF-alpha were significantly decreased (P<0.05). Pearson's correlation analysis showed a significant correlation with the clinical indicators (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS In patients with hip replacement surgery for traumatic fractured neck of femur, measurement of postoperative serum levels of IL-1ß, IL-17, and TNF-alpha were shown to be potential prognostic indicators.

Melt-metaphyseal and diphyseal osteotomy for correction of infantile Blount's disease: a long-term follow-up study.

Blount's disease is an uncommon disorder of postero-medial proximal tibial physis. Blount described infantile and adolescent types. This study aims to describe using femur, tibia and fibula osteotomies to treat infantile Blount's disease. From May 1992 to May 2005, 7 patients of Blount's disease (3 males, 4 females) were included, whose age was range from 17 to 62 months. Femorotibial angle (FTA) was 31 ± 6° (range from 27° to 41°). Metaphyseal-diaphyseal angle (MDA) was 16 ± 4° (range from 13° to 24°). The femoral vara angle was 10 ± 4° (range from 2° to 23°). According to Langenskiold's classification, 3 patients were in stage II, 7 patients in stage III, and 2 patients in stage IV. Five cases were affected bilateral and 2 unilaterally, treated by famur, tibia and fibula valgus osteotomies, and a hip spica cast were used for 6 weeks after operation. Results indicated that all patients were followed up 3 to 16 years. FTA, MDA and femur diaphysis were measured, FTA was 2 ± 7°valgus (from 4° vara to 13° valgus). MDA was 1 ± 2°valgus (range from 0° to 12°). Femoral diaphyseal angle was 1 ± 3°valgus (range from 3° vara to 7° valgus). Six patients could walk without any knee pain, except for 1 patient with bilateral disorder feels his left genu uncomfortable after long time stand or work. His MDA was 12°, and FAT was -4°. In conclusion, femur, tibia and fibula osteotomies are useful for correction of Blount's disease. Recurrence and complication are less than those reported for Blount's disease.

Advanced glycation end products-induced chondrocyte apoptosis through mitochondrial dysfunction in cultured rabbit chondrocyte.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are an important mediator in osteoarthritis (OA) and cause apoptosis in articular chondrocytes. Mitochondrial function is involved in modulating apoptosis of articular chondrocytes. This study was performed to investigate the mechanism of AGEs-induced chondrocyte apoptosis. The ratio of apoptotic cell and cell viability was surveyed by TUNEL, MTT,LDH release assay. The reactive oxygen species was determined by the fluorescent probe 2', 7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate. The expression of caspase-3 and cytochrome c was detected by Western blot. The mitochondrial membrane potential (▵Ψm) was evaluated by rhodamine-123 fluorescence. We found that AGEs induced apoptosis in primary rabbit chondrocytes, upregulation of ROS production, cytochrome c, and caspase-3 levels. Simultaneously, AGEs decreases the levels of ▵Ψm and ATP production; however, the antibody of AGEs (sRAGE) and antioxidant-N-acetylcys-teine (NAC) significantly reversed AGEs-induced the above damage thus to protect the cells from apoptosis. These observations suggested that the mechanism of AGEs-induced chondrocyte apoptosis was primarily via ROS production and mitochondria-mediated caspase-3 activation.

Primary epidural hemangiopericytoma in the sacrum: a rare case and literature review.

Hemangiopericytoma (HPC) is an uncommon highly vascular neoplasm that originated from Zimmerman's pericytes which surrounds the endothelial tissue. Primary epidural HPC of the sacrum is extremely rare. We reported an unusual case of primary epidural malignant HPC of the sacrum that invaded vertebral bone and caused rectum compression in a 57-year-old male for the first time. The patient presented progressive low back pain and ribbon-like stool over 3 months. The surgical intervention involved sacrectomy and en bloc resection of the tumor. We described the clinical, radiological, and histological features of this tumor and reviewed the literature.

Inhibition effect of curcumin on TNF-α and MMP-13 expression induced by advanced glycation end products in chondrocytes.

AIMS: Accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) plays a pivotal role in the mechanism by which aging contributes to osteoarthritis (OA). In the present study, we examined the effect of curcumin, a pharmacologically safe phytochemical agent, on AGE-induced tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) in rabbit chondrocytes. METHODS: Chondrocytes were derived from rabbit articular cartilage by enzymatic digestion. TNF-α and MMP-13 mRNA was monitored by RT-PCR. TNF-α protein was determined using cytokine-specific ELISA. The reactive oxygen species was determined by the fluorescent probe 29,79-dichlorofluorescein diacetate. The phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of the nuclear factor-ĸB (NF-ĸB) system were studied by Western blot and immunofluorescence respectively. RESULTS: Curcumin significantly decreased AGE-stimulated TNF-α and MMP-13 mRNA and suppressed the NF-ĸB activation via inhibition of ĸBα (I-ĸBα) phosphorylation, I-ĸBα degradation and p65 nuclear translocation. CONCLUSIONS: These novel pharmacological actions of curcumin on AGE-stimulated chondrocytes provide new suggestions that curcumin has nutritional potential as a naturally occurring anti-inflammatory agent for treating OA.