[Case-control study on the relationship of chronic low back pain of facet joint origin with the distribution of nerve endings and neuropeptide: a quantitative histological analysis].

Objective: To investigate the density and distribution of nerve endings and neuropeptide Y (NPY) in lumbar facet joints of patients with low back pain.

Methods: Fifteen patients without low back pain were selected as control group (group A). Facet joint samples in group A were obtained during the operation or lumbar spinal canal tumor they suffered from.

Uniaxial cyclic stretch promotes osteogenic differentiation and synthesis of BMP2 in the C3H10T1/2 cells with BMP2 gene variant of rs2273073 (T/G).

Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the cervical spine (OPLL) is characterized by the replacement of ligament tissues with ectopic bone formation, and this result is strongly affected by genetic and local factors. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of rs2273073 (T/G) and rs235768 (A/T) of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) gene which are associated with OPLL have been reported in our previous report. In this study, we confirmed the connection in 18 case samples analysis of BMP2 gene in OPLL patients; additionally, it was also shown from the OPLL patients with ligament tissues that enchondral ossification and expression of BMP2 were significantly higher compared with the non-OPLL patients by histological examination, immunohistochemistry and Western blotting analysis.

LIPUS enhance elongation of neurites in rat cortical neurons through inhibition of GSK-3beta.

Objective: Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) has been reported to enhance proliferation and to alter protein production in various kinds of cells. In the present study, we measured the neurites length after LIPUS treatment to define the effectiveness of LIPUS stimulation on neurons, and then we examined the acticity of GSK-3beta to study the intracellular mechanism of neurite's outgrowth.

Methods: LIPUS was applied to cultured primary rat cortical neurons for 5 minutes every day with spatial- and temporal average intensities (SATA) of 10 mW/cm(2), a pulse width of 200 microseconds, a repetition rate of 1.

Effect of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound on the expression of neurotrophin-3 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in cultured Schwann cells.

It is generally known that low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) accelerates peripheral nerve tissue regeneration. However, the precise cellular mechanism involved is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine how the Schwann cells respond directly to LIPUS stimuli.