Incidence and prevalence of surgery at segments adjacent to a previous posterior lumbar arthrodesis.

Background Context: Adjacent segment disease (ASD) after lumbar spinal fusion has been an important reason behind the development of nonfusion stabilization technology. However, the incidence, prevalence, and factors contributing to adjacent segment degeneration in the lumbar spine remain unclear. A range of prevalence rates for ASD have been reported in the lumbar spinal literature, but the annual incidence has not been widely studied in this region.

Targeted delivery of complexes of biotin-PEG-polyethylenimine and NF-kappaB decoys to brain-derived endothelial cells in vitro.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of re-directing the uptake mechanism of polyplexes containing oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) decoys to nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) from absorptive-mediated to receptor-mediated endocytosis.

Materials And Methods: Complexes of ODNs and a co-polymer of biotin-polyethylenglycol and polyethylenimine (BPP) were targeted to brain-derived endothelial cells with a conjugate of antibody 8D3 and streptavidin (8D3SA). Size and stability of ODN/BPP complexes was measured by dynamic light scattering.

Inhibition of monocyte adhesion on brain-derived endothelial cells by NF-kappaB decoy/polyethylenimine complexes.

Background: The nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB plays a key role in inflammatory reactions of the endothelium by controlling the expression of surface-adhesion molecules and other inflammatory mediators, which facilitate the attachment of monocytes and lymphocytes to the endothelial surface. We investigated the inhibition of monocyte adhesion by NF-kappaB transcription factor decoys complexed with polyethylenimines (PEIs) of different molecular weights and structures (800, 25, and 2.7 kDa PEI).

Effect of poly(ethylene imine) molecular weight and pegylation on organ distribution and pharmacokinetics of polyplexes with oligodeoxynucleotides in mice.

The in vivo body distribution and the pharmacokinetics of a 20mer double-stranded nuclear factor kappaB decoy oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) complexed with 25-kDa poly(ethylene imine) (PEI), low molecular weight 2.7-kDa PEI, and PEGylated PEI [bPEI(25k)-glPEG(550)(50)] after intravenous injection were studied in BALB/c mice using a double-labeling technique to follow simultaneously the distribution of both complex components. The polymers were radioactively labeled with (125)I by Bolton-Hunter reagent and the decoys with [gamma-(32)P]ATP by an enzymatic 5'-end-labeling technique.

Effect of endotoxin on expression of TNF receptors and transport of TNF-alpha at the blood-brain barrier of the rat.

The transport mechanism mediating brain uptake of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha has been studied. When (125)I-labeled rat TNF-alpha was used in internal carotid artery perfusions in rats, the cytokine showed transcytosis through the blood-brain barrier in intact form (permeability-surface area product 0.34 +/- 0.