A nearly complete human skeleton dating to the Early Holocene (epi-Paleolithic culture) excavated from Gua Gunung Runtuh, Malaysia, is described. Cranial, dental, and limb bone measurements are recorded on the skeleton, and compared with early and modern skeletal samples from Southeast Asia and Australia. The comparisons demonstrate that the Gua Gunung specimen is most similar to Australian Aborigines in dental and limb measurements, while the cranial measurements indicate a close affinity to Mesolithic samples from Malaysia and Flores. These findings further suggest that the Gua Gunung skeleton, as well as other fossils from Tabon and Niah, are representative of an early group of people who occupied Sundaland during the late Pleistocene, and may be the ancestors of Australian Aborigines. Some of the dental and limb bone measurements exhibited by the ancestors persist in Southeast Asian populations until the early Holocene. Differences in cranial traits have, however, accumulated since the late Pleistocene in Australian Aborigines and early Southeast Asian peoples.
Matched MeSH terms: Bone and Bones/anatomy & histology*
Human bones can be categorised into one of two types--the compact cortical and the porous cancellous. Whilst the cortical is a solid structure macroscopically, the structure of cancellous bone is highly complex with plate-like and strut-like structures of various sizes and shapes depending on the anatomical site. Reconstructing the actual structure of cancellous bone for defect filling is highly unfeasible. However, the complex structure can be simplified into an idealised structure with similar properties. In this study, two idealised architectures were developed based on morphological indices of cancellous bone: the tetrakaidecahedral and the prismatic. The two architectures were further subdivided into two types of microstructure, the first consists of struts only and the second consists of a combination of plates and struts. The microstructures were transformed into finite element models and displacement boundary condition was applied to all four idealised cancellous models with periodic boundary conditions. Eight unit cells extracted from the actual cancellous bone obtained from micro-computed tomography were also analysed with the same boundary conditions. Young's modulus values were calculated and comparison was made between the idealised and real cancellous structures. Results showed that all models with a combination of plates and struts have higher rigidity compared to the one with struts only. Values of Young's modulus from eight unit cells of cancellous bone varied from 42 to 479 MPa with an average of 234 MPa. The prismatic architecture with plates and rods closely resemble the average stiffness of a unit cell of cancellous bone.
Matched MeSH terms: Bone and Bones/anatomy & histology*
The advent of multimaterial 3D printers allows the creation of neurosurgical models of a more realistic nature, mimicking real tissues. The authors used the latest generation of 3D printer to create a model, with an inbuilt pathological entity, of varying consistency and density. Using this model the authors were able to take trainees through the basic steps, from navigation and planning of skin flap to performing initial steps in a craniotomy and simple tumor excision. As the technology advances, models of this nature may be able to supplement the training of neurosurgeons in a simulated operating theater environment, thus improving the training experience.
Matched MeSH terms: Bone and Bones/anatomy & histology
The effects of nicotine administration on bone-resorbing cytokines, cotinine, and bone histomorphometric parameters were studied in 21 Sprague-Dawley male rats. Rats aged 3 months and weighing 250-300 g were divided into three groups. Group 1 was the baseline control (BC), which was killed without treatment. The other two groups were the control group (C) and the nicotine-treated group (N). The N group was treated with nicotine 7 mg/kg body weight and the C group was treated with normal saline only. Treatment was given by intraperitoneal injection for 6 days/week for 4 months. The rats were injected intraperitoneally with calcein 20 mg/kg body weight at day 9 and day 2 before they were killed. ELISA test kits were used to measure the serum interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and cotinine (a metabolite of nicotine) levels at the beginning of the study and upon completion of the study. Histomorphometric analysis was done on the metaphyseal region of the trabecular bone of the left femur by using an image analyzer. Biochemical analysis revealed that nicotine treatment for 4 months significantly increased the serum IL-1, IL-6, and cotinine levels as compared to pretreatment levels. In addition, the serum cotinine level was significantly higher in the N group than in the C group after 4 months treatment. Histomorphometric analysis showed that nicotine significantly decreased the trabecular bone volume (BV/TV), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), double-labeled surface (dLS/BS), mineralizing surface (MS/BS), mineral appositional rate (MAR), and bone formation rate (BFR/BS), while causing an increase in the single-labeled surface (sLS/BS), osteoclast surface (Oc.S/BS), and eroded surface (ES/BS) as compared to the BC and C groups. In conclusion, treatment with nicotine 7 mg/kg for 4 months was detrimental to bone by causing an increase in the bone resorbing cytokines and cotinine levels. Nicotine also exerted negative effects on the dynamic trabecular histomorphometric parameters.
Matched MeSH terms: Bone and Bones/anatomy & histology*
Nicotine is a major alkaloid of tobacco, which can increase free radical formation, leading to osteoporosis. The effects of nicotine administration and cessation on bone histomorphometry and biomarkers were studied in 28 Sprague-Dawley male rats. Rats aged 3 months and weighing 250-300 g were divided into four groups: control (C, normal saline for 4 months), nicotine for 2 months (N2), nicotine for 4 months (N4), and nicotine cessation (NC). The NC group was given nicotine for the first 2 months and then allowed to recover for the following 2 months without nicotine. Histomorphometric analysis was done using an image analyzer. ELISA kits were used to measure serum osteocalcin (bone formation marker) and pyridinoline (PYD, bone resorption marker) levels at month 0, month 2, and month 4. All test groups showed a significant decrease in BV/TV, Ob.S/BS, dLS/BS, MAR, BFR/BS, and osteocalcin levels and an increase in sLS/BS and PYD levels compared to group C. No significant differences were observed in all parameters measured among the test groups, except for MAR and BFR/BS. In conclusion, nicotine administration at a dose of 7 mg/kg for 2 and 4 months has detrimental effects on bone metabolism. Nicotine administration at 7 mg/kg for 2 months is sufficient to produce significant effects on bone histomorphometric parameters and biomarkers. In addition, prolonging the treatment for another 2 months did not show any significant differences. Cessation of nicotine for 2 months did not reverse the effects.
Matched MeSH terms: Bone and Bones/anatomy & histology*
1. Free radicals generated by ferric nitrilotriacetate (FeNTA) can activate osteoclastic activity and this is associated with elevation of the bone resorbing cytokines interleukin (IL)-1 and IL-6. In the present study, we investigated the effects of 2 mg/kg FeNTA (2 mg iron/kg) on the levels of serum IL-1 and IL-6 with or without supplementation with a palm oil tocotrienol mixture or alpha-tocopherol acetate in Wistar rats. 2. The FeNTA was found to elevate levels of IL-1 and IL-6. Only the palm oil tocotrienol mixture at doses of 60 and 100 mg/kg was able to prevent FeNTA-induced increases in IL-1 (P < 0.01). Both the palm oil tocotrienol mixture and alpha-tocopherol acetate, at doses of 30, 60 and 100 mg/kg, were able to reduce FeNTA-induced increases in IL-6 (P < 0.05). Therefore, the palm oil tocotrienol mixture was better than pure alpha-tocopherol acetate in protecting bone against FeNTA (free radical)-induced elevation of bone-resorbing cytokines. 3. Supplementation with the palm oil tocotrienol mixture or alpha-tocopherol acetate at 100 mg/kg restored the reduction in serum osteocalcin levels due to ageing, as seen in the saline (control) group (P < 0.05). All doses of the palm oil tocotrienol mixture decreased urine deoxypyridinoline cross-link (DPD) significantly compared with the control group, whereas a trend for decreased urine DPD was only seen for doses of 60 mg/kg onwards of alpha-tocopherol acetate (P < 0.05). 4. Bone histomorphometric analyses have shown that FeNTA injections significantly lowered mean osteoblast number (P < 0.001) and the bone formation rate (P < 0.001), but raised osteoclast number (P < 0.05) and the ratio of eroded surface/bone surface (P < 0.001) compared with the saline (control) group. Supplementation with 100 mg/kg palm oil tocotrienol mixture was able to prevent all these FeNTA-induced changes, but a similar dose of alpha-tocopherol acetate was found to be effective only for mean osteoclast number. Injections of FeNTA were also shown to reduce trabecular bone volume (P < 0.001) and trabecular thickness (P < 0.05), whereas only supplementation with 100 mg/kg palm oil tocotrienol mixture was able to prevent these FeNTA-induced changes.
Matched MeSH terms: Bone and Bones/anatomy & histology
Recently, vitamin E has been found to promote the bone structure of nicotine-treated rats well above their baseline values, thus suggesting that vitamin E may have some anabolic action. A bone anabolic agent acts by improving the bone structure leading to stronger bone. To assess the possible anabolic action vitamin E on bone, we supplemented alpha-tocopherol (ATF) or gamma-tocotrienol (GTT) at 60 mg/kg or vehicle [normal control (NC) group] for 4 months to normal male rats and measured their bone structure and biomechanical properties. Histomorphometric analysis revealed that vitamin E-supplemented rats have better trabecular volume, thickness, number, and separation than rats receiving vehicle only. For the first time we reported that GTT improves all the parameters of bone biomechanical strength, while ATF only improved some of the parameters compared to the NC group. Vitamin E supplementation, especially with the gamma isomer, improves bone structure, which contributed to stronger bone. Therefore, vitamin E has the potential to be used as an anabolic agent to treat osteoporosis or as bone supplements for young adults to prevent osteoporosis in later years.
Matched MeSH terms: Bone and Bones/anatomy & histology
Tocotrienol has been shown to prevent bone loss in animal models of postmenopausal osteoporosis, but the low oral bioavailability might limit its use. A self-emulsifying drug delivery system (SEDDS) could increase the bioavailability of tocotrienol. However, evidence of this system in improving the skeletal effects of tocotrienol is scanty. This study aims to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of annatto tocotrienol with SEDDS in a rat model of postmenopausal bone loss. Ten-month-old female Sprague Dawley rats were randomized into six groups. The baseline group was euthanatized at the onset of the study. Four other groups underwent ovariectomy to induce estrogen deficiency. The sham underwent similar surgery procedure, but their ovaries were retained. Eight weeks after surgery, the ovariectomized rats received one of the four different regimens orally daily: (a) SEDDS, (b) annatto tocotrienol [60 mg/kg body weight (b.w.)] without SEDDS, (c) annatto-tocotrienol (60 mg/kg b.w.) with SEDDS, (d) raloxifene (1 mg/kg b.w.). After eight weeks of treatment, blood was collected for the measurement of delta-tocotrienol level and oxidative stress markers. The rats were euthanized and their bones were harvested for the evaluation of the bone microstructure, calcium content and strength. Circulating delta-tocotrienol level was significantly higher in rats receiving annatto tocotrienol with SEDDS compared to the group receiving unformulated annatto-tocotrienol (p bone thickness, preserved bone calcium content, increased bone biomechanical strength and increased antioxidant enzyme activities compared with the ovariectomized group (p bone stiffness and lowered malondialdehyde level (p bone loss. This formulation should be tested in a human clinical trial to validate its efficacy.
Matched MeSH terms: Bone and Bones/anatomy & histology