| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立陽明大學 === 醫學工程研究所 === 98 === Flavum Ligament problems are commonly encountered in degenerative spinal diseases which associated with hypertrophy of the ligamentum flavum, facet joint, bulging intervertebral disc and even spondylolisthesis; it finally results in degenerative spinal canal stenosis. The mechanism of the ligament hypertrophy is not well known. Radiofrequency coagulation (RF) has been widely applied to treat several entities of disease. There are many benefits for usage of RF coagulation, including minimal invasive, percutaneous, may guided with C-arm and/or CT scan. Furthermore, newly developed pulsed radiofrequency (pRF) stimulation offers nearly non-thermal effect around target environment. Application of pRF stimulation as a kind of cell treatment model in human flavum ligament has not been used in literature.
This study examined the effects on the proliferation of cultured human flavum ligament cells and gene expression, using pRF stimulation. Flavum ligamernt cells (FLCs) were isolated from human ligamenturn flavum obtained from patients who underwent lumbar spine surgery. The FLCs were subjected to an electromagnetic microenvironment within a 96-well self-made stimulation chamber that homogenously covered by RF probe. Cell proliferation, damage and mRNA expression of collagen I, TGF-β1, TIMP-2 and IL6 were then examined. Notable decreases were observed in the cell proliferation and gene expressions of collagen I, TGF-β1 and TIMP-2 in FLCs subjected to pulsed radiofrequency stimulation. However, mRNA expression in IL6 was notably increasing.
Production of collagen I and TGF-β1 by the FLCs to some extent decrease after the pRF stimulation. Therefore, suitable dosage of radiofrequency stimulation may result in anti-anabolic like effect by both modulating collagen I and TGF-β1 synthesis. Our results also disclosed that pRF modulates mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signaling pathways. Nevertheless, these effects of pRF stimulation on the treatment of ligamentum flavum hypertrophy should be further investigated in clinic.
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