Oxygen-controllable injectable hydrogel alleviates intervertebral disc degeneration by balancing extracellular matrix metabolism.

Nucleus pulposus (NP) cells, situated at the core of intervertebral discs, have acclimated to a hypoxic environment, orchestrating the equilibrium of extracellular matrix metabolism (ECM) under the regulatory influence of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). Neovascularization and increased oxygen content pose a threat, triggering ECM degradation and intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). To address this, our study devised an oxygen-controllable strategy, introducing laccase into an injectable and ultrasound-responsive gelatin/agarose hydrogel.

Analysis of D-dimer levels for the detection of deep venous thrombosis for patients with spinal metastasis undergoing decompression with fixation.

Background: Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) after spinal surgery has recently attracted increasing attention. Patients with spinal metastases who undergo decompression with fixation are at a high risk of developing DVT. D-dimer levels indicate the risk of DVT, and the purpose of our study was to investigate D-dimer levels as a predictor of DVT perioperatively.

Influence factors of metagenomic next-generation sequencing negative results in diagnosed patients with spinal infection.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence factors of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) negative results in the diagnosed patients with spinal infection. mNGS test was applied in a cohort of 114 patients with suspected spinal infection, among which 56 patients had a final diagnosis of spinal infection. mNGS achieved a sensitivity of 75.

Is it safe for the spinal metastasis patients with preoperative deep vein thrombosis to use low-molecular-weight heparin before surgery? A prospective study.

Spine surgeons should weigh the risks of anticoagulants against their benefits in preventing deep venous thrombosis (DVT), as they may increase the risk of bleeding. Spinal metastasis patients undergoing decompression with fixation are at a high risk for DVT, which may occur preoperatively. Therefore, anticoagulants should be administered preoperatively.

Small non-coding RNAome changes during human chondrocyte senescence as potential epigenetic targets in age-related osteoarthritis.

Chondrocyte senescence is a decisive component of age-related osteoarthritis, however, the function of small noncoding RNAs (sncRNAs) in chondrocyte senescence remains underexplored. Human hip joint cartilage chondrocytes were cultivated up to passage 4 to induce senescence. RNA samples were extracted and then analyzed using small RNA sequencing and qPCR.

Procyanidin B2 alleviates oxidative stress-induced nucleus pulposus cells apoptosis through upregulating Nrf2 via PI3K-Akt pathway.

Oxidative stress can lead to nucleus pulposus cell (NPC) apoptosis, which is considered to be one of the main contributors to intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). Procyanidin B2 is a natural antioxidant that protects against oxidative stress. However, whether procyanidin B2 protects NPCs from oxidative stress remains unknown.

Prevalence and risk factors for venous thromboembolism in spinal metastasis patients undergoing decompression with internal instruments: Prospective cohort study.

Objective: re is paucity in the literature on the epidemiological evidence of pulmonary thromboembolism (PE) and deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in spinal metastatic tumor patients. The aim of our study was to identify the incidence and risk factors for VTE in spinal metastasis patients treated with decompression with internal instruments.

Methods: We prospectively investigated the occurrence of VTE after decompression with internal fixations in 80 spinal metastasis patients.

Excessive mechanical strain accelerates intervertebral disc degeneration by disrupting intrinsic circadian rhythm.

Night shift workers with disordered rhythmic mechanical loading are more prone to intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). Our results showed that circadian rhythm (CR) was dampened in degenerated and aged NP cells. Long-term environmental CR disruption promoted IDD in rats.

TNF-α-stimulated nucleus pulposus cells induce cell apoptosis through the release of exosomal miR-16 targeting IGF-1 and IGF-1R in rats.

Background: Exosomes may contain excess cellular components released by cells in response to harmful external stimuli to maintain cellular homeostasis. Inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), can induce cell apoptosis, alter cellular component expression levels, and stimulate exosome release. In this study, we examined whether exosomes released from nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) under inflammatory conditions could induce normal NP cell apoptosis in rats and its underlining mechanism.

The Clinical Effect of a Combination of Mouse Nerve Growth Factor and Methylcobalamin to Treat Lumbar Disc Herniation with Foot Drop: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: To investigate the clinical effect of mouse nerve growth factor (mNGF) and methylcobalamin (MeCbl) for the treatment of lumbar disk herniation (LDH) with foot drop.

Methods: A total of 46 patients suffering from LDH with foot drop who underwent transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) surgery in our department from January 2015 to December 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. We divided these patients into two groups according to the different postoperative treatment which independently selected by patients after signing informed consent form: one group of 25 patients was treated with MeCbl alone (Group MeCbl), the other group of 21 patients was treated with a combination of mNGF and MeCbl (Group MeCbl+mNGF).

Autophagy-activated nucleus pulposus cells deliver exosomal miR-27a to prevent extracellular matrix degradation by targeting MMP-13.

Although autophagy may be beneficial for maintaining the metabolic balance of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the nucleus pulposus (NP) and its vitality under inflammation, the underlying mechanism still remains unclear. A previous study found that autophagy activation stimulated the release of exosomes in normal chondrocytes, which are located in a similar avascular environment and share many common features with those of nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs). This study explored the protective effect on matrix degradation in the NP by exosomes derived from autophagy-activated NPCs and exosomal microRNAs.

Decorin inhibits nucleus pulposus apoptosis by matrix-induced autophagy via the mTOR pathway.

Decorin (Dcn) is a member of the class I small leucine-rich proteoglycans, whose expression in the nucleus pulposus (NP) of intervertebral discs (IVDs) has been shown to increase with aging in humans and sheep. Dcn induces autophagy in endothelial cells; however, its precise role in NP and IVD degeneration during aging is not well understood. We addressed this question in the present study by treating rat nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) with different concentrations of Dcn.

Autophagy regulates exosome secretion in rat nucleus pulposus cells via the RhoC/ROCK2 pathway.

Our present study investigated whether exosome secretion of nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) is regulated by autophagy. Different autophagic states of NPCs were induced by rapamycin (Rap), bafilomycin A1 (Baf) and other agents, and it was found that exosomes were secreted in an autophagy-dependent manner. Activation or inhibition of autophagy increased or decreased, respectively, the amount of exosomes that were released into the extracellular space.

[Changes of Gene Expression Profile in Cardiac Mesenchymal Cells in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Screening of Their Related Environmental Chemicals].

To study the gene expression of cardiac mesenchymal cells in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)based on a whole-genome high-throughput sequencing dataset,screen differentially expressed genes,analyze the genetics signature of cardiac mesenchymal cells in T2DM patients by bioinformatics analysis,and explore the environmental chemicals related to the key differentially expressed genes. The dataset GSE106177 was obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database.The dataset was pre-processed and analyzed by Network Analyst,Cytoscape 3.

Risk Factors for Incidence and Prognosis in Chondrosarcoma Patients with Pulmonary Metastasis at Initial Diagnosis.

BACKGROUND The incidence and prognostic factors of chondrosarcoma patients have been reported in early studies. However, the association between risk factors and the incidence or prognosis of chondrosarcoma patients with pulmonary metastasis remains unclear. Therefore, we assessed these risk factors among chondrosarcoma patients with pulmonary metastasis.

A Potential Antitumor Effect of Dendritic Cells Fused with Cancer Stem Cells in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

HCC stem cells were reported as posttreatment residual tumor cells that play a pivotal role in tumor relapse. Fusing dendritic cells (DCs) with tumor cells represents an ideal approach to effectively activate the antitumor immunity . DC/HCC stem cell vaccine provides a potential strategy to generate polyclonal immune response to multiple tumor stem cell antigens including those yet to be unidentified.

Value of CT-guided Core Needle Biopsy in Diagnosing Spinal Lesions: A Comparison Study.

Objective: A retrospective study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of CT-guided core needle biopsy in diagnosing spinal lesions through comparison with C-arm guidance.

Methods: From April 2013 to July 2017, a total of 188 patients, who suffered from spinal lesions or had malignant tumor history with a new spinal fracture, were included in this study. There were 96 men and 92 women, with an average of 57.

En Bloc Resection with the Assistance of Video-Assisted Thoracoscopy for Left Lower Lung Cancer Invading Thoracic Vertebrae and Rib: A Case Report.

Lung cancer invading the spine was previously considered unresectable and fatal and, consequently, there are few reports focusing on tumors located in the lower lung lobe and invading the spine. With the development of spinal instrumentation and surgical techniques, and wider acceptance of spondylectomy by surgeons, radical surgical resection has become feasible. Here, we present a case of a male patient with a left lower lung cancer invading thoracic vertebrae who underwent complete resection with sagittal en bloc hemivertebrectomy with video-assisted thoracoscopy.

Bioabsorbable self-retaining PLA/nano-sized β-TCP cervical spine interbody fusion cage in goat models: an in vivo study.

Study Design: This is an experimental animal study.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare an anterior cervical discectomy and interbody fusion of a novel polylactide/nano-sized β-tricalcium phosphate (PLA/nβ-TCP) bioabsorbable self-retaining cervical fusion cage (BCFC) with an autologous bone graft and polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cages.

Background: Although PLA cervical cages have potential advantages compared with traditional materials, they are not currently routinely used in spine surgery because of undesirable effects such as the lack of osteoconductivity and osteolysis around the implant.

Is Traditional Closed Thoracic Drainage Necessary to Treat Pleural Tears After Posterior Approach Thoracic Spine Surgery?

Study Design: A prospective study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes and efficacy of using a 10Fr elastic tube with a regular negative pressure ball to treat the operative pleural tear in the complicated single-stage posterior approach thoracic spine surgeries.

Summary Of Background Data: In some complicated single-stage posterior approach thoracic spine surgeries, such as total en bloc spondylectomy, pleural tear is quite inevitable.

A prospective randomized trial comparing anterior cervical discectomy and fusion versus plate-only open-door laminoplasty for the treatment of spinal stenosis in degenerative diseases.

Objective: For three or more involved cervical levels, there is a debate over which approach yields the best outcomes for the treatment of multilevel cervical degenerative disease. Our objective is to compare the radiological and clinical outcomes of two treatments for multilevel cervical degenerative disease: anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) versus plate-only open-door laminoplasty (laminoplasty).

Methods: Patients were randomized on a 1:1 randomization schedule with 17 patients in the ACDF group and 17 patients in the laminoplasty group.