Publications by authors named "Wen-Bo Kang"

Background: Cancer pain, especially the one caused by metastasis in bones, is a severe type of pain. Pain becomes chronic unless its causes and consequences are resolved. With improvements in cancer detection and survival among patients, pain has been considered as a great challenge because traditional therapies are partially effective in terms of providing relief.

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Sinomenine, an alkaloid originally isolated from the roots of Sinomeniumacutum, is used as a traditional Chinese medicine for rheumatic arthritis. However, little is known about the neuronal mechanisms underlying the analgesic effects of sinomenine in animals with chronic inflammatory pain. In this study, we investigated the persistent inflammatory pain induced by hind paw injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) in mice, which was reversed by sinomenine administration.

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Activation of translocator protein (18 kDa) (TSPO) plays an important role to mediate rapid anxiolytic efficacy in stress response and stress-related disorders by the production of neurosteroids. However, little is known about the ligand of TSPO on the anxiety-like and depressive behaviors and the underlying mechanisms in chronic unpredictable mild stress (UCMS) mice. In the present study, a novel ligand of TSPO, ZBD-2 [N-benzyl-N-ethyl-2-(7,8-dihydro-7-benzyl-8-oxo-2-phenyl-9H-purin-9-yl) acetamide] synthesized by our laboratory, was used to evaluate the anxiolytic and antidepressant efficacy and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

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Spinal cord injury (SCI) always occurs accidently and leads to motor dysfunction because of biochemical and pathological events. Estrogen has been shown to be neuroprotective against SCI through estrogen receptors (ERs), but the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we investigated the role of a newly found membrane ER, G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPR30 or GPER1), and discussed the feasibility of a GPR30 agonist as an estrogen replacement.

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Objective: To observe changes in the morphology and activity of astrocytes in spinal cord at different temperatures after scratches treatment, and to investigate the effect of mild hypothermia on hyperplasia of reactive astrocytes.

Methods: Spinal cord astrocytes were cultured from the neonatal SD rat, and reactive astrocytes were prepared by scratches treatment. Mild hypothermia choose 33℃, cell cul-ture 48 h.

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Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of exchanging reamed nailing (ERN) and augmentative compression plating (ACP) with autogenous bone grafting (BG) for the treatment of aseptic femoral shaft nonunion secondary to the treatment of intramedullary nailing (IMN).

Methods: A multicenter retrospective study was performed for 178 patients (180 cases) of aseptic femoral shaft nonunion secondary to first treatment of IMN. All cases were fixed with either ERN (n=87) or ACP (n=93).

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Echinocystic acid (EA) is a natural triterpone enriched in various herbs and has been used for medicinal purposes in China. In the present study, we systematically examined the effects of EA on ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis in rats for the first time. Three-month-old female ovariectomy (OVX) Sprague-Dawley rats were used to evaluate the osteoprotective effect of EA.

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G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 30 (GPR30) is expressed in bone tissue. However, little is known regarding the function of GPR30 in postmenopausal osteoporosis. In this study, we examined the effects of GPR30 on ovariectomy (OVX)-induced osteoporosis in rats, including the effects on proliferation, differentiation, and expression of proteins in osteoblasts.

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Identified and cloned in 1996 for the first time, G protein-coupled oestrogen receptor (ER) 30 (GPR30/GPER) has been a hot spot in the field of sex hormone research till now. In the present study, we examined the effects of low-dose oestradiol (E2) combined with G15, a specific antagonist of GPR30 on ovariectomy (OVX)-induced osteoporosis in rats. Female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats undergoing OVX were used to evaluate the osteoprotective effect of the drugs.

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Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most frequent histological form of primary bone cancer in adolescence. TP53 is a tumor suppressor gene which is essential for regulating cell division and preventing tumor formation. The purpose of this study is to examine whether genetic mutations in the TP53 gene are associated with OS risk and survival in a Chinese population.

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The activation of Translocator protein (18 kDa) (TSPO) has been demonstrated to mediate rapid anxiolytic efficacy in stress response and stress-related disorders. This protein is involved in the synthesis of endogenous neurosteroids that promote γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-mediated neurotransmission in the central neural system. However, little is known about the functions and the underlying mechanisms of TSPO in chronic pain-induced anxiety-like behaviors.

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