Aims: Dupuytren's contracture is characterized by increased fibrosis of the palmar aponeurosis, with eventual replacement of the surrounding fatty tissue with palmar fascial fibromatosis. We hypothesized that adipocytokines produced by adipose tissue in contact with the palmar aponeurosis might promote fibrosis of the palmar aponeurosis.
Methods: We compared the expression of the adipocytokines adiponectin and leptin in the adipose tissue surrounding the palmar aponeurosis of male patients with Dupuytren's contracture, and of male patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) as the control group.
The effect of the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on bone fracture healing is unknown. Oxidative stress has been implicated in the systemic complications of COPD, and decreased activity of Nrf2 signaling, a central component of the in vivo antioxidant mechanism, has been reported. We investigated the process of cortical bone repair in a mouse model of elastase-induced emphysema by creating a drill hole and focusing on Nrf2 and found that the amount of new bone in the drill hole was reduced and bone formation capacity was decreased in the model mice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Sarcopenia is a complication of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) that negatively affects physical activity and quality of life. However, the underlying mechanism by which COPD affects skeletal muscles remains to be elucidated. Therefore, we investigated the association between oxidative stress and structural alterations in muscles in elastase-induced emphysema mouse models.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJoint contracture leads to major patient discomfort. Metformin, one of the most extensively used oral drugs against type 2 diabetes has recently been found to suppress tissue fibrosis as well. However, its role in suppressing tissue fibrosis in joint contractures remains unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Carpal tunnel steroid injection is a nonoperative intervention for the treatment for idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The antifibrotic, anti-inflammatory, and antiedematous properties of steroids account for their therapeutic effects in the context of CTS; however, their relative contribution has not been clarified.
Methods: Fibroblasts from subsynovial connective tissues (SSCT) were intraoperatively collected from patients with idiopathic CTS and were incubated with or without the steroid triamcinolone acetonide (TA) for 1, 3, and 7 days; the expression of fibrosis-related genes and inflammatory cytokines was evaluated using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.