ACSL4 accelerates osteosarcoma progression via modulating TGF-β/Smad2 signaling pathway.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a malignant bone sarcoma arising from mesenchymal stem cells. The biological role of Acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4), recently identified as an oncogene in numerous tumor types, remains largely unclear in OS. In this study, we investigated the expression of ACSL4 in OS tissues using immunohistochemistry staining (IHC) staining of a human tissue microarray and in OS cells by qPCR assay.

A modified "double-hit" induced acute lung injury model in rats and protective effects of tetramethylpyrazine on the injury via Rho/ROCK pathway.

We focused on the production and evaluation of a modified "double-hit" induced acute lung injury (ALI) model, which closely mimics the clinical situation. Further, tetramethylpyrazine (TMP), an alkaloid contained in ligustrazine was evaluated for its potent anti-inflammatory effects in this model. Rats were randomized into 4 groups: G1 (NS control group), G2 ("double-hit" group), G3 (low dosage TMP group) and G4 (high dosage TMP group).

Association of variants in 21q22 with ankylosing spondylitis in the Chinese Guangxi Zhuang population.

Genome-wide association study has reported a number of genes as being associated with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in Caucasian European populations and Chinese Han population. The aim of the study was to investigate whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) covering the 21q22 region are associated with AS in the Chinese Guangxi Zhuang population. A case-control study was performed in unrelated patients with AS (n = 315) and age-, sex-, and ethnicity-matched controls (n = 630) from Guangxi Zhuang ethnic group.

[Long-term follow-up of early-middle stage avascular necrosis of femoral head with core decompression and bone grafting].

Objective: To evaluate the long-term effectiveness of treating early-middle stage avascular necrosis of the femoral head (ANFH) with core decompression and bone grafting.

Methods: Between January 2000 and December 2006, 87 ANFH patients (114 hips) were treated with core decompression and bone grafting, including 54 cases (62.1%) of alcohol-induced ANFH, 26 cases (29.

Unusual association of intraspinal extramedullary teratoma with congenital scoliosis in an elderly adult: case report and literature review.

Introduction: Intraspinal teratomas associated with congenital scoliosis are extremely rare, especially in an elderly adult.

Materials And Methods: We report the seventh case of intraspinal extramedullary teratoma coexisting with congenital scoliosis in a patient older than 50 years, possibly the oldest patient documented in literature. A 56-year-old male suffered from low back pain that increased with calf numbness and foot weakness.

Anterior transsternal approach for a lesion in the upper thoracic vertebral body.

Object: Access to the upper thoracic vertebrae has been hampered by numerous anatomical structures and is further impaired by the transition from cervical lordosis to thoracic kyphosis. Therefore, the authors endeavored to study an anterior transsternal approach for upper thoracic disease (T1–4).

Methods: Fifty-four patients with upper thoracic disease underwent anterior decompression and fusion with sternotomy.

Ischemia deteriorates the spike encoding of rat cerebellar Purkinje cells by raising intracellular Ca2+.

Ischemia-induced excitotoxicity at cerebellar Purkinje cells is presumably due to a persistent glutamate action. To the fact that they are more vulnerable to ischemia than other glutamate-innervated neurons, we studied whether additional mechanisms are present and whether cytoplasm Ca(2+) plays a key role in their ischemic excitotoxicity. Ischemic changes in the excitability of Purkinje cells were measured by whole-cell recording in cerebellar slices of rats with less glutamate action.

[Precision-fit surface hemiarthroplasty of the hip for the treatment of the femoral head osteonecrosis].

Objective: To evaluate the outcome of precision-fit surface hemiarthroplasty in the treatment of femoral head osteonecrosis.

Methods: The clinical data of 41 patients (48 hip joints) with femoral head osteonecrosis were reviewed. Of them, 30 were male and 11 were female, average age was 37 years old (ranging from 29 - 49).