Hip osteoarthritis: A novel network analysis of subchondral trabecular bone structures.

Hip osteoarthritis (HOA) is a degenerative joint disease that leads to the progressive destruction of subchondral bone and cartilage at the hip joint. Development of effective treatments for HOA remains an open problem, primarily due to the lack of knowledge of its pathogenesis and a typically late-stage diagnosis. We describe a novel network analysis methodology for microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) images of human trabecular bone.

The development of tumour vascular networks.

The growth of solid tumours relies on an ever-increasing supply of oxygen and nutrients that are delivered via vascular networks. Tumour vasculature includes endothelial cell lined angiogenesis and the less common cancer cell lined vasculogenic mimicry (VM). To study and compare the development of vascular networks formed during angiogenesis and VM (represented here by breast cancer and pancreatic cancer cell lines) a number of in vitro assays were utilised.

On detection of periodicity in C-reactive protein (CRP) levels.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is an acute-phase plasma protein that can be used as a biomarker for activation of the immune system. A spectral analysis of CRP level over time for patients with gynaecological tumours has been reported by Madondo et al., using a periodogram method, suggesting that there is no significant periodicity in the data.

Role of l-arginine/SNAP/NO/cGMP/K channel signalling pathway in antinociceptive effect of α-terpineol in mice.

Objectives: The main purpose of this study was to assess the role of l-arginine/SNAP/NO/cGMP/K channel pathway in analgesic effects of α-terpineol in mice.

Methods: Male NMRI mice were pretreated intraperitoneally with NO precursor (l-arginine, 100 mg/kg), NO synthase inhibitor (l-NAME, 30 mg/kg), NO donor (SNAP, 1 mg/kg), guanylyl cyclase inhibitor (methylene blue, 20 mg/kg), PDE inhibitor (sildenafil, 0.5 mg/kg), K channel blocker (glibenclamide, 10 mg/kg) and naloxone (2 mg/kg) 20 min before the administration of α-terpineol.