小鼠胸主动脉血管管壁结构和平滑肌细胞表型的年龄变化

目的:通过研究小鼠胸主动脉血管直径和管壁厚度以及平滑肌细胞表型标志物波形蛋白(Vimentin)和平滑肌细胞肌动蛋白(α-SM-actin)的表达,探讨胸主动脉在发育、成熟和老化过程中血管管壁结构和平滑肌细胞表型的变化。方法:将24只昆明小鼠按年龄分成4组:3天组、3个月组、6个月组和16个月组。采用HE染色和免疫荧光术分别观察胸主动脉血管管壁结构以及Vimentin和α-SM-actin的表达变化。结果:随着年龄的增长,胸主动脉血管直径和管壁厚度增加,以16个月小鼠胸主动脉的直径最大和管壁最厚,但细胞密度减少。3天小鼠胸主动脉的Vimentin表达较高,6个月表达下降,16个月重新上调;而α-SM-actin在3天小鼠的胸主动脉表达较低,6个月表达增加,16个月表达出现下调,其差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:小鼠胸主动脉的直径和管壁的厚度随年龄的增长而增加,而细胞的密度则随着年龄增加而减少;平滑肌细胞的表型从幼龄时的合成表型转变为收缩表型,老龄时又转变为合成表型。     

Vertebral evolution and ontogenetic allometry: The developmental basis of extreme body shape divergence in microcephalic sea snakes

Snakes exhibit a diverse array of body shapes despite their characteristically simplified morphology. The most extreme shape changes along the precloacal axis are seen in fully aquatic sea snakes (Hydrophiinae): “microcephalic” sea snakes have tiny heads and dramatically reduced forebody girths that can be less than a third of the hindbody girth. This morphology has evolved repeatedly in sea snakes that specialize in hunting eels in burrows, but its developmental basis has not previously been examined. Here, we infer the developmental mechanisms underlying body shape changes in sea snakes by examining evolutionary patterns of changes in vertebral number and postnatal ontogenetic growth. Our results show that microcephalic species develop their characteristic shape via changes in both the embryonic and postnatal stages. Ontogenetic changes cause the hindbodies of microcephalic species to reach greater sizes relative to their forebodies in adulthood, suggesting heterochronic shifts that may be linked to homeotic effects (axial regionalization). However, microcephalic species also have greater numbers of vertebrae, especially in their forebodies, indicating that somitogenetic effects also contribute to evolutionary changes in body shape. Our findings highlight sea snakes as an excellent system for studying the development of segment number and regional identity in the snake precloacal axial skeleton.     

TGF-beta mediated Msx2 expression controls occipital somites-derived caudal region of skull development

Craniofacial development involves cranial neural crest (CNC) and mesoderm-derived cells. TGF-beta signaling plays a critical role in instructing CNC cells to form the craniofacial skeleton. However, it is not known how TGF-beta signaling regulates the fate of mesoderm-derived cells during craniofacial development. In this study, we show that occipital somites contribute to the caudal region of mammalian skull development. Conditional inactivation of Tgfbr2 in mesoderm-derived cells results in defects of the supraoccipital bone with meningoencephalocele and discontinuity of the neural arch of the C1 vertebra. At the cellular level, loss of TGF-beta signaling causes decreased chondrocyte proliferation and premature differentiation of cartilage to bone. Expression of Msx2, a critical factor in the formation of the dorsoventral axis, is diminished in the Tgfbr2 mutant. Significantly, overexpression of Msx2 in Myf5-Cre;Tgfbr2flox/flox mice partially rescues supraoccipital bone development. These results suggest that the TGF-beta/Msx2 signaling cascade is critical for development of the caudal region of the skull.     

Functional-adaptive anatomy of the axial skeleton of some extant marsupials and the paleobiology of the paleocene marsupials Mayulestes ferox and Pucadelphys andinus

In this study, the axial skeletons of two Early Paleocene marsupials, Mayulestes ferox and Pucadelphys andinus, were analyzed functionally and compared to that of six South American and three Australian species of extant marsupials. In the case of the South American opossums, myological data of the epaxial musculature were collected and analyzed and osteological-myological associations were related to locomotor behavior. Various features of the vertebral column that relate to diet or to locomotor or postural patterns were pointed out. These features include: the craniocaudal development of the neural process of the axis; the position of the anticlinal vertebra; the morphology of the neural processes of the thoracolumbar vertebrae (orientation, length, and craniocaudal width); the length, orientation, and curvature of the transverse processes of the lumbar vertebrae; and the length and robustness of the caudal vertebrae. In both fossil forms the vertebral column is mobile and allows a great range of flexion and extension of the spine, more so than in most of the living didelphids. It is emphasized here that the analysis of the axial skeleton complements and improves the conclusions provided by the forelimb and hindlimb analyses. It is proposed that Mayulestes and Pucadelphys represent an ancestral morphotype suggesting that the generalized type of locomotion of Paleocene marsupials was partly terrestrial with some climbing ability.     

Functional aspects of strepsirrhine lumbar vertebral bodies and spinous processes

The relationship between form and function in the lumbar vertebral column has been well documented among platyrrhines and especially catarrhines, while functional studies of postcranial morphology among strepsirrhines have concentrated predominantly on the limbs. This morphometric study investigates biomechanically relevant attributes of the lumbar vertebral morphology of 20 species of extant strepsirrhines. With this extensive sample, our goal is to address the influence of positional behavior on lumbar vertebral form while also assessing the effects of body size and phylogenetic history. The results reveal distinctions in lumbar vertebral morphology among strepsirrhines in functional association with their habitual postures and primary locomotor behaviors. In general, strepsirrhines that emphasize pronograde posture and quadrupedal locomotion combined with leaping (from a pronograde position) have the relatively longest lumbar regions and lumbar vertebral bodies, features promoting sagittal spinal flexibility. Indrids and galagonids that rely primarily on vertical clinging and leaping with orthograde posture share a relatively short (i.e., stable and resistant to bending) lumbar region, although the length of individual lumbar vertebral bodies varies phylogenetically and possibly allometrically. The other two vertical clingers and leapers, Hapalemur and Lepilemur, more closely resemble the pronograde, quadrupedal taxa. The specialized, suspensory lorids have relatively short lumbar regions as well, but the lengths of their lumbar regions are influenced by body size, and Arctocebus has dramatically longer vertebral bodies than do the other lorids. Lumbar morphology among galagonids appears to reflect a strong phylogenetic signal superimposed on a functional one. In general, relative length of the spinous processes follows a positively allometric trend, although lorids (especially the larger-bodied forms) have relatively short spinous processes for their body size, in accordance with their positional repertoire. The results of the study broaden our understanding of postcranial adaptation in primates, while providing an extensive comparative database for interpreting vertebral morphology in fossil primates.     

经伤椎单节段固定与跨伤椎短节段固定治疗胸腰椎骨折的临床疗效比较研究

目的:研究经伤椎单节段固定和跨伤椎短节段固定对于胸腰椎骨折进行治疗的临床疗效。方法:从2011年6月至2014年6月,选择我院100例胸腰椎骨折患者作为研究对象。以数字法随机分为观察组50例以及对照组50例。观察组患者行经伤椎单节段固定,对照组患者行跨伤椎短节段固定,对比观察两组的临床效果。结果:观察组患者术中出血量及手术时间均明显低于对照组,差异均具有统计学意义(P0.05)。对两组患者手术前后的影像学检测结果进行比较,手术前后两组的压缩率以及Cobb角比较均无显著差异(P0.05),对所有患者进行末次随访时发现,观察组的压缩率明显高于对照组,Cobb角明显低于对照组,差异均具有统计学意义(P0.05)。治疗前两组在社会功能,情感职能以及躯体疼痛评分比较上均无统计学差异(P0.05),治疗后两组以上评分较治疗前均明显升高,并且观察组显著高于对照组,差异均具有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:使用经伤椎单节段固定较跨伤椎短节段固定方式能更好地恢复患者Cobb角度,对于预防手术之后矫正度的丢失性具有明显优势,且其有利于术后患者生活质量的提高,值得临床推荐使用。     

单侧PKP术对骨质疏松压缩性骨折相邻椎体高度的影响

目的：探讨单一椎体骨质疏松性压缩性骨折行单侧PKP 术后对相邻上下椎体高度的影响。方法：62 例行T12 椎体骨质疏松 性压缩性骨折单侧PKP 术后的患者,测量术前,术后2 天、6 个月、1 年T11 椎体及L1 椎体前缘、中央及后缘高度,计算椎体压缩 率,比较两椎体各时相点椎体前缘、中央及后缘椎体压缩率的变化。结果：术后2 天L1 和T11 的椎体前缘、中央及后缘压缩率比 较差异无统计学意义(P 均>0.05);术后6 个月、1 年后两椎体前缘、中央及后缘高度压缩率比较（P均<0.05）差异有统计学意义。 L1 和T11 术后2 天、6 个月、12 个月不同时相,三点压缩率越来越大,差异有统计学意义(P均<0.05)。结论：单侧PKP术后椎体相 应负荷的改变,对下位邻近椎体较上位椎体高度影响较大,可能与相邻下位椎体承受的重力高于上位相邻椎体有关。     

细胞内铜/锌超氧化物歧化酶在人胸主动脉夹层的表达研究

目的:探讨细胞内铜/锌超氧化物岐化酶(copper zinc superoxide dismutase,Cu/Zn-SOD,SOD-1)在人胸主动脉夹层(humanthoracic aortic dissection,hTAD)中的表达情况及其在hTAD中的可能作用。方法:蛋白质印迹法(Western blot,WB)检测SOD-1在TAD和正常人胸主动脉(NA)中膜组织中的表达情况,免疫组织化学染色(immunohistochemistry,IHC)验证SOD-1在动脉壁中的表达和定位。结果:蛋白质印迹和免疫组化染色均显示SOD-1在TAD组表达量较NA组减低(P<0.05);免疫组化染色进一步显示,SOD-1主要位于主动脉壁中膜平滑肌细胞的胞质内,其在夹层主动脉壁中膜撕开处表达缺失。结论:SOD-1在TAD中表达量减少,可能由于参与氧化应激引起的脂质过氧化和炎症反应,以及细胞外基质(extracellular matrix,ECM)的降解等机制所致。     

交感神经阻滞对糖尿病心腔扩张顽固心衰的疗效

目的:探讨交感神经阻滞对有糖尿病、心腔扩张的顽固心衰患者心脏收缩功能和心腔大小的影响。方法:经胸3～胸4棘突间隙穿刺至硬膜外腔,留置硬膜外导管,0.5%利多卡因3～5ml每2h推注一次,持续4w,适当辅以常规治疗。测定并比较TEB治疗前及后4w射血分数(EF)、左室内径(LVED)和左房内径(LAED)等指标的变化。结果:治疗后左室射血分数(EF)由治疗前的(31.53±9.29)%升为(44.75±8.32)%(P0.05);左室内径(LVED)由治疗前的(70.59±6.25)mm缩减到(63.59±7.05)mm(P0.05);左房内径(LAED)由治疗前的(46.16±7.19)mm缩减到(39.05±7.23)mm(P0.05)。结论:心区交感神经阻滞结合常规用药对有糖尿病、心腔扩张的顽固心衰患者的心脏功能有明显改善作用,并使其扩大的心脏明显缩小。