Acupuncture and herbal medicine for postoperative care following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is the primary treatment for patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Successful postoperative rehabilitation is imperative for their recovery. This protocol details the methods that will be used to systematically analyze the efficacy of acupuncture and herbal medicine for postoperative care following ACLR.Methods and analysis:Randomized controlled trials will be searched in the following databases: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), EMBASE, MEDLINE/PubMed, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Japan Medical Abstracts Society, and 7 Korean databases (Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System, Korean National Assembly Digital Library, Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors, Korean Studies Information Service System, Korean Traditional Knowledge Portal, National Digital Science Library, and Database Periodical Information Academic). The risk of bias will be assessed using the Cochrane assessment tool of risk of bias. The studies that are selected after checking for eligibility will be quantitatively analyzed as a meta-analysis. The primary outcome will be the scores of pain scales, and the secondary outcomes will be the range of motion of the knee, severity of the swelling, and parameters about the knee joint function.Ethics and dissemination:Ethical approval is not required for this protocol because it does not include patient data. The findings of this review will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications or conference presentations.Registration number:DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/ZY2W8 (https://osf.io/zy2w8).     

Effects of connective tissue growth factor on human periodontal ligament fibroblasts

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different concentrations of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) on human periodontal ligament fibroblasts(HPLFs).DesignHPLFs were cultured and identified. Then, different concentrations of CTGF (1, 5, 10, 50, 100 ng/ml) were added to the HPLF culture. Next, CCK-8 assays, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assays, hydroxyproline determination, alizarin red staining methods, Transwell chambers and real-time PCR methods were applied to observe the effects of CTGF on the proliferation, ALP activity, synthesis of collagen, formation of mineralized nodules and migration. We also studied expression of ALP, fiber link protein (FN), integrin-binding sialoprotein (IBSP), osteocalcin (OC), and integrin beta 1 (ITGB1) mRNA by HPLFs. Statistical significance was assumed if P < 0.05 or P < 0.01.ResultsThe addition of CTGF (1, 5, 10 ng/ml) remarkably promoted the proliferation and collagen synthesis of HPLFs compared with controls. CTGF (1, 5, 10, 50 ng/ml) improved ALP activity of HPLFs, and at all concentrations, CTGF (1, 5, 10, 50, 100 ng/ml) improved the expression of ALP, FN, IBSP and ITGB1 mRNA. In addition, CTGF (1, 5, 10, 50, 100 ng/ml) promoted the migration of HPLFs, which was dose-dependent, with maximal promotion in the 10 ng/ml group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).ConclusionsThus, in a certain range of concentrations, CTGF can promote the biological effects, including proliferation, migration and collagen synthesis of HPLFs, to promote the differentiation of HPLFs in the process of osteogenesis.     

In vitro proliferation of periodontal ligament-like tissue on extracted teeth

ObjectiveTransplantation of autologous teeth is a routine component of orthodontic treatment. The aim of this study was to develop a method for the regeneration of damaged periodontal ligament (PDL) on extracted teeth using a three-dimensional culture system.DesignWe used the maxillary first premolars or third molars extracted from patients for orthodontic treatment. The extracted teeth were stained with toluidine blue to measure the residual PDL area. After confirming damage of the periodontal tissue on the root surface of the extracted teeth, we tried to regenerate the periodontal tissue. Other extracted teeth were inserted into a cell strainer filled with cellulose-based carrier materials to regenerate the periodontal tissue. The strainer was then placed in a 90-mm culture dish filled with culture medium and incubated at 37 °C and 5% CO2 for about 1 month. The cultured teeth were observed under a stereomicroscope and examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and were stained to detect alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity.ResultToluidine blue staining revealed that the residual periodontal membrane covered an average of 50.4% of the root surface area of each tooth. After culturing extracted teeth with our culture system, globular structures were found on the entire tooth root surface by stereomicroscopy, and PDL-like filamentous tissue was also detected by SEM. The entire tooth root surfaces of the cultured teeth were positive for ALP activity.ConclusionsWe have developed a useful culture method to stimulate the proliferation of cells in PDL-like tissue on the roots of extracted teeth.     

白藜芦醇减轻LPS诱导的牙周膜细胞损伤并抑制TLR4/NF-κB活化

目的:探究白藜芦醇(RES)对脂多糖(LPS)诱导的人牙周膜细胞(hPDLCs)损伤的保护作用.方法:体外培养并鉴定hPDLCs,将培养的hPDLCs随机分为5组:对照组、LPS(10 μg/ml)+RES(0、30、60、90tμmol/L)组,MTT法检测各组细胞增殖能力,ELISA检测各组细胞分泌TNF-α/IL-6水平,PCR和Western blot检测各组细胞TLR4/NF-κB mRNA和蛋白表达.结果:分离培养的hPDLCs抗波丝蛋白表达阳性,抗角蛋白表达阴性.与对照组比,LPS处理后细胞增殖能力明显降低,细胞分泌TNF-α/IL-6水平和TLR4/NF-κB mRNA和蛋白表达明显增加;30～90 μmol/L白藜芦醇预处理后,细胞增殖能力增加(P＜0.05),细胞分泌TNF-α/IL-6水平、TLR4/NF-κB mRNA以及蛋白表达则下调(P＜0.05),均呈现一定的浓度依赖性.结论:白藜芦醇可抑制TLR4/NF-κB活化并减轻LPS诱导的牙周膜细胞损伤.