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Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental illness that affected numerous people. The anti-PTSD-like effects of puerarin is unknown, although the antidepressant- and anxiolytic- like effects of puerarin have been reported. The PTSD behavioral deficits in rats were induced by single prolonged stress (SPS), mainly including the reduced time/entries in the open arms and the elevated time/entries in the closed arms in elevated plus maze test, increased freezing duration in contextual fear paradigm and lowered time/entries in the central zone in open field test. However, the behavioral deficits were attenuated by puerarin (50 and 100 mg/kg) without affecting the locomotor activity. For the evaluation of mechanism, the decreased levels of progesterone, allopregnanolone, and the increased levels of corticosterone, corticotropin releasing hormone, and adrenocorticotropic hormone in the brain or serum were induced by SPS, which is blocked by puerarin. In summary, the anti-PTSD-like effects of puerarin were associated with biosynthesis of neurosteroids and normalized levels of stress hormones in HPA axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The effect of body mass index (BMI) on the outcome of total hip arthroplasty (THA) remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to examine whether revision rate and postoperative outcomes following THA were influenced by BMI. Materials and methods: We retrospectively evaluated 714 patients (751 hips) who underwent primary THA in our department between March 1991 and April 2006. They were followed prospectively for 5-20 years with 24 deaths (24 hips) and 33 losses (34 hips). Patients were separated into three groups based on BMI: underweight, normal and obese groups. A survival analysis was performed using revision as the endpoint, and a case-matched study that was matched for age, gender, and laterality was designed; outcomes were assessed with the Harris Hip score, 36-item short-form health survey, complication rate and radiological examination. Results: The preoperative scores were lower for the obese group, and the postoperative scores were higher for the normal group. Patients in the obese group obtained the greatest overall improvement in clinical scores from admission to the last follow-up. We found a significantly higher complication rate in the obese group and underweight group. It appears that being underweight was associated with an increased dislocation rate, and obese patients were more likely to have osteolysis, deep vein embolism, and pulmonary thrombosis. The log rank test for survival showed no significant differences among the three groups. Conclusions: Abnormal BMI does not prevent functional rehabilitation after THA; however, patients with abnormal BMI have to face higher complication rates and poorer clinical outcomes following this operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Interferonα (IFNα) induces cell cycle arrest and triggers apoptosis and chemosensitivity. But the mechanism of IFNα in regulating chemosensitivity has not been fully understood. To study whether IFNα affected chemosensitivity of osteosarcoma cells, we treated p53-wild U2OS cells and p53-mutant MG63 cells with IFNα and etoposide, alone or in combination, and then examined growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. IFNα enhanced etoposide-induced growth inhibition and apoptosis in p53-wild U2OS cells but not p53-mutant MG63 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Etoposide-induced G2/M phase arrest was also enhanced by IFNα. The enhanced apoptosis was associated with the accumulation of transcriptionally active p53 accompanied with increased Bax and Mdm2, as well as decreased Bcl-2. IFNα also activated caspases-3, -8 and -9 protein kinases and PARP cleavage in response to etoposide in U2OS cells. Moreover, the combination-induced cytotoxicity and PARP cleavage were significantly reduced by caspase pan inhibitor and p53 siRNA. Thus we conclude that IFNα enhances etoposide-induced apoptosis in human osteosarcoma U2OS cells by a p53-dependent and caspase-activation pathway. The proper combination of IFNα and conventional chemotherapeutic agents may be a rational strategy for the treatment of human osteosarcoma with functional p53. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]