Histological and immunohistochemical analyses of articular cartilage during onset and progression of pre- and early-stage osteoarthritis in a rodent model.

Early diagnosis and treatment of pre- and early-stage osteoarthritis (OA) is important. However, the cellular and cartilaginous changes occurring during these stages remain unclear. We investigated the histological and immunohistochemical changes over time between pre- and early-stage OA in a rat model of traumatic injury.

Age-related changes in rat joint capsule.

[Purpose] We investigated morphological and histopathological changes in the joint capsule of rats with aging. [Materials and Methods] A total of 18 male Wistar rats were categorized into two groups: the control group (n=8), and the aged group (n=10). The aged group was reared until 75 weeks of age, while the control group was maintained until 11 weeks of age.

Treadmill Exercise Suppresses Histological Progression of Disuse Atrophy in Articular Cartilage in Rat Knee Joints during Hindlimb Suspension.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the preventive effects of treadmill exercise or physiological loading on disuse atrophy in the rat knee joint cartilage and bone during hindlimb suspension.

Design: Twenty male rats were divided into 4 experimental groups, including the control, hindlimb suspension, physiological loading, and treadmill walking groups. Histological changes in the articular cartilage and bone of the tibia were histomorphometrically and immunohistochemically evaluated 4 weeks after the intervention.

Immunohistochemical study on the distribution of telocytes in the knee joint components in a rat osteoarthritis model.

[Purpose] Telocytes are stromal cells that participate in tissue homeostasis. Osteoarthritis is a common degenerative disorder of multiple joint components that causes inflammation; however, the distribution of telocytes in joint components and the impact of osteoarthritis on telocytes is unclear. Therefore, we aimed to clarify the distribution of the telocyte in the joint components and determine the effect of osteoarthritis on telocytes.

Physiological Reloading Recovers Histologically Disuse Atrophy of the Articular Cartilage and Bone by Hindlimb Suspension in Rat Knee Joint.

Objective: This study aimed to clarify physiological reloading on disuse atrophy of the articular cartilage and bone in the rat knee using the hindlimb suspension model.

Design: Thirty male rats were divided into 3 experimental groups: control group, hindlimb suspension group, and reloading after hindlimb suspension group. Histological changes in the articular cartilage and bone of the tibia were evaluated by histomorphometrical and immunohistochemical analyses at 2 and 4 weeks after reloading.

Reduction of knee joint load suppresses cartilage degeneration, osteophyte formation, and synovitis in early-stage osteoarthritis using a post-traumatic rat model.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the histological effect of reducing the loading to knee on cartilage degeneration, osteophyte formation, and synovitis in early-stage osteoarthritis (OA) using a post-traumatic rat model. Ten male rats were randomly allocated into two experimental groups: OA induction by surgical destabilization of medial meniscus (DMM, OA group) and hindlimb suspension after OA induction by DMM (OAHS group). The articular cartilage, osteophyte formation, and synovial membrane in the medial tibiofemoral joint were analyzed histologically and histomorphometrically at 2 and 4 weeks after surgery.

Disuse Atrophy of Articular Cartilage Induced by Unloading Condition Accelerates Histological Progression of Osteoarthritis in a Post-traumatic Rat Model.

Objective: The study aim was to evaluate the histological relationship between osteoarthritis (OA) and articular cartilage in disuse atrophy induced by hindlimb unloading in a post-traumatic OA rat model.

Design: Forty male rats were divided into the 4 following experimental groups: control, hindlimb suspension (HS), OA induced by destabilization of the medial meniscus (OA), and OA induction after hindlimb suspension (HS-OA). Histological changes in the articular cartilage of the tibia were evaluated by the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) scores and histomorphometrical analyses at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after OA induction.

Daily and short-term application of joint movement for the prevention of infrapatellar fat pad atrophy due to immobilization.

[Purpose] To mobilize the knee joint during cast fixation and to determine whether infrapatellar fat pad changes can be prevented. [Materials and Methods] We randomly allocated Wistar rats into 3 groups as follows: normal group, raised in normal conditions (n=5); contracture group, immobilized with cast fixation (n=5); and prevention group, treated with joint movement during immobilization (n=5). We immobilized the right hindlimb using cast fixation.

Disuse histological changes of an unloading environment on joint components in rat knee joints.

Objectives: To clarify the effects of mechanical unloading on joint components, including the articular cartilage by knee compartments, synovial membrane, and the infrapatellar fat pad (IFP), using a hindlimb suspension rat model.

Design: Twenty-five male rats were divided into the three following experimental groups: the baseline, control (CON), and hindlimb unloading (HU) groups. Rats in the HU group were subjected to periods of hindlimb unloading by tail suspension.

Induction of osteoarthritis by injecting monosodium iodoacetate into the patellofemoral joint of an experimental rat model.

This study aimed to investigate the histopathological changes in the patellofemoral joint using a rat model of osteoarthritis that was induced using monosodium iodoacetate, and to establish a novel model of patellofemoral osteoarthritis in a rat model using histopathological analysis. Sixty male rats were used. Osteoarthritis was induced through a single intra-articular injection of monosodium iodoacetate in both knee joints.

Long-term histopathological developments in knee-joint components in a rat model of osteoarthritis induced by monosodium iodoacetate.

[Purpose] This study was performed to evaluate the long-term histopathological changes in knee-joint components including synovial membrane and joint capsule in a rat model of osteoarthritis (OA) induced by monosodium iodoacetate (MIA). [Subjects and Methods] Fifty male rats were used. OA was induced through intra-articular injection of MIA, and ten rats were randomly allocated to each of five groups induced with OA for 1, 2, 4, 6, or 8 weeks.

An immunohistochemical study of the sciatic nerve in a rat knee immobilization model.

[Purpose] This study was performed to immunohistochemically evaluate changes in the periphery of the sciatic nerve in a rat model of knee immobilization, and to assess the effects of range of motion exercise. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-one male rats were divided randomly into three groups: control (C), immobilized (I), and exercise (E group). Rats in the I and E groups had the right knee joint immobilized for 2 weeks.

Experimental joint immobilization and remobilization in the rats.

[Purpose] The purpose of our study was to clarify temporal effects on restrictions to range of motion and the histopathological changes of joint components after joint immobilization in a rat knee-contracture model. [Subjects] Fifty-four male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups: a fixation group, and a control group. [Methods] In the fixation group, unilateral knee joints were immobilized at full flexion using a plaster cast for 4 weeks.

Influence of ROM Exercise on the Joint Components during Immobilization.

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to clarify the effects of the ROM exercise on joint components according to histopathological analysis. [Subjects and Methods] In total, twenty-six 9-week-old adult male Wistar rats were used in this study. The rats were randomly divided into three groups, the immobilization group (n=10), exercise group (n=10), and control group (n=6).

Differences in Cartilage Repair between Loading and Unloading Environments in the Rat Knee.

We investigated the histopathological and immunohistochemical effects of loading on cartilage repair in rat full-thickness articular cartilage defects. A total of 40 male 9-week-old Wistar rats were studied. Full-thickness articular cartilage defects were created over the capsule at the loading portion in the medial condyle of the femur.

Histopathological changes in the periphery of the sciatic nerve of rats after knee joint immobilization.

[Purpose] This study was performed to investigate the histological changes that occur in the periphery of the sciatic nerve in rats undergoing knee immobilization. [Subjects and Methods] 29 male 9-week-old Wistar rats were divided randomly into a control group (C group, n = 7) and an immobilized group (I group, n = 22). The animals in the I group had the left knee joint immobilized in maximal flexion with plaster casts for two weeks.

[A case of long survival after resection and treatment with imatinib mesylate against metachronous liver metastases and a lung metastasis of a small intestine gastrointestinal stromal tumor].

A 68-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of an abdominal tumor. Computed tomography(CT)showed a 6 cm tumor in the abdominal cavity. Surgery was performed.

Effects of acute and chronic hypoxia on the radiosensitivity of gastric and esophageal cancer cells.

Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of hypoxia on radiosensitivity and to analyze the mechanisms responsible for radiation resistance in gastric and esophageal cancer.

Materials And Methods: A gastric cancer cell line, OCUM-12, and an esophageal cancer cell line, TE-6, were used. The effects of hypoxia with irradiation on the growth-activity, cell cycle distribution, and gene expression were examined.

Phosphorylated smad2 in advanced stage gastric carcinoma.

Background: Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) receptor signaling is closely associated with the invasion ability of gastric cancer cells. Although Smad signal is a critical integrator of TGFβ receptor signaling transduction systems, not much is known about the role of Smad2 expression in gastric carcinoma. The aim of the current study is to clarify the role of phosphorylated Smad2 (p-Smad2) in gastric adenocarcinomas at advanced stages.

Establishment and characterization of multidrug-resistant gastric cancer cell lines.

Aim: The aim of this study was to establish drug-resistant cell lines and to elucidate mechanisms leading to multi-drug resistance in gastric cancer.

Materials And Methods: Five cancer cell lines resistant to 5-fluorouracil, paclitaxel, oxaliplatin, irinotecan, or gemcitabine, were respectively established from a parent gastric cancer cell line, OCUM-2M, by stepwise exposure to each chemotherapeutical agent.

Results: Cell death by apoptosis induced by anti-cancer drugs was low in 5 chemo-resistant cell lines.

Synergistic antiproliferative effect of mTOR inhibitors in combination with 5-fluorouracil in scirrhous gastric cancer.

The aim of this study is to clarify the benefit of combination chemotherapy in gastric cancer based on a cell-signal inhibitor and an anticancer drug. Two scirrhous gastric cancer cell lines and two non-scirrhous gastric cancer cell lines were used. Five anticancer drugs (5-fluorouracil [5FU], paclitaxel, oxaliplatin, irinotecan, and gemcitabine) and four cell-signal inhibitors, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor, glycogen synthase kinase 3beta, p38alphabetaMAPK, and cyclin-dependent kinase, were used.

Synergistic antitumor effects of FGFR2 inhibitor with 5-fluorouracil on scirrhous gastric carcinoma.

Scirrhous gastric carcinoma (SGC) carries the highest mortality because of a frequent metastasis to lymph node (LN). S1, a 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) analog, is clinically available for gastric cancer at an advanced stage. Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) is required for the proliferation of SGC.

Expression of ERas oncogene in gastric carcinoma.

Background: Embryonic stem cell expressed Ras (ERas) oncogene is associated with the tumorigenicity of embryonic stem cells. The aim of this study was to clarify the significance of ERas expression in clinical samples of gastric carcinomas.

Materials And Methods: Three hundred and few tissues from gastric cancer patients were analyzed by immunohistochemical techniques using an anti-ERas antibody.

DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-aza-CdR enhances the radiosensitivity of gastric cancer cells.

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines recommend radiotherapy as a standard treatment for patients with a high risk of recurrence in gastric cancer. Because radiation is harmful to the surrounding organs, a radiation sensitizer might therefore be useful to decrease the side effects of patients with advanced gastric carcinoma. The aim of the current study was to clarify the effect of a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (CdR), on radiation sensitivity in gastric cancer cells.

A novel angiogenesis inhibitor, Ki23057, is useful for preventing the progression of colon cancer and the spreading of cancer cells to the liver.

Ki23057 is a new, small synthetic tyrosine kinase inhibitor that blocks autophosphorylation of the VEGF receptor2 (VEGFR2). To determine the effect of Ki23057 as an anti-angiogenic agent, we studied the effect of Ki23057 for colon cancer and vascular endothelial cells in vitro and in vivo. Ki23057 inhibited VEGF-induced proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), whereas no inhibitory effect of Ki23057 on the proliferation of three colon cancer cells (LM-H3, LoVo and LS174T) was observed by means of the cell count assay.