Injury
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We describe the mechanisms, pattern of injuries, management and outcomes of severe injuries to the brachial plexus sustained during the play of rugby. Thirteen cases of severe injury to the brachial plexus caused by tackles in rugby had detailed clinical assessment, and operative exploration of the brachial plexus. ⋯ The pattern of nerve lesion was related to the posture of the neck and the forequarter at the moment of impact. Early repair by nerve transfer enabled some functional recovery, and decompression of lesions in continuity was followed by recovery of nerve function and relief of pain.
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Bone regeneration is a complex process that involves multiple cell types, growth factors (GFs) and cytokines. A synergistic contribution of various GFs and a crosstalk between their signalling pathways was suggested as determinative for the overall osteogenic outcome. The purpose of this work was to develop a brushite-PLGA system, which controls the release rate of the integrated growth factors (GFs) to enhance bone formation. ⋯ Four weeks post implantation bone formation was considerably enhanced with the brushite-PLGA system loaded with each of the three GFs separately as well as with the combination of PDGF and VEGF. The addition of TGF-β1 did not further improve the outcome. In conclusion, the herein presented brushite-PLGA system effectively controlled the release kinetics and localisation of the three GFs within the defect site resulting in markedly enhanced bone regeneration.
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Rhabdomyolysis is one of the causes of acute renal failure. Erythropoietin (EPO) has been found to interact with its receptor (EPO-R) expressed in a large variety of non-haematopoietic tissues to induce a range of pleiotropic cytoprotective actions. In this study, we used recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) to study the effects on the glycerol-induced rhabdomyolysis with acute renal failure in rats. ⋯ Treatment with rhEPO suppressed the activities of NF-κB and iNOS, decreased BUN, Cre, GOT, GPT and CPK levels, and decreased the markers of kidney injury after rhabdomyolysis. These actions ameliorated rhabdomyolysis-induced acute renal failure in rats.
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The purpose of this work is to investigate the effects of simvastatin on sciatic nerve regeneration in male Wistar Rats. ⋯ The study suggests that simvastatin accelerates the morphological and functional recovery process of the peripheral nervous system interfering with innate and acquired immunity.