A preliminary study of neck-stomach syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the expression of c-Fos, caspase-3 and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) in the cervical cord and stomach of rats with cervical spondylosis, to analyze their relationship, and to offer an explanation of one possible cause for functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) caused by cervical spondylosis.


METHODS
The cervical spondylosis model in rats was established by destroying the stability of cervical posterior column. The cord segments C4-6 and gastric antrum were collected 3 mo and 5 mo after the operation. Rats with the sham operation were used as controls. The expressions of c-Fos, caspase-3 and IL-1beta in the cervical cord and gastric antrum were determined by immunohistochemistry and/or Western blot.


RESULTS
Immunohistochemical staining showed a few c-Fos, caspase-3 and IL-1beta-positive cells in the cervical cord and antrum in the control. There was a significant increase in c-Fos, caspase-3 and IL-1beta expression in model groups compared to the control groups at 3 mo and 5 mo after operation. More importantly, there was a significant (P < 0.05) increase in c-Fos, caspase-3 and IL-1beta expression in the model group rats at 3 mo compared to those at 5 mo after the operation (c-Fos: 11.20 +/- 2.26 vs 27.68 +/- 4.36 in the cervical cord, 11.3 +/- 2.3 vs 29.3 +/- 4.6 in the gastric antrum; caspase-3: 33.83 +/- 3.71 vs 36.32 +/- 4.01 in the cervical cord, 13.23 +/- 3.21 vs 26.32 +/- 4.01 in the gastric antrum; IL-1beta: 42.06 +/- 2.95 vs 45.91 +/- 3.98 in the cervical cord, 26.56 +/- 2.65 vs 32.01 +/- 2.98 in the gastric antrum). Western blot analysis showed time-dependent changes of caspase-3 and IL-1beta protein in the cervical cord and gastric antrum of rats with cervical spondylosis; there was no significant expression of caspase-3 and IL-1beta protein in the control group at 3 mo and 5 mo after the sham operation, whereas there was a significant difference in caspase-3 and IL-1beta protein levels between the model group rats followed up for 3 mo and those for 5 mo (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
There is a significant association of c-Fos, caspase-3 and IL-1beta expressions in the gastric antrum with that in the spinal cord in rats with cervical spondylosis, suggesting that the gastrointestinal function may be affected by cervical spondylosis.
Song
Xing-Hua
XH
Department of Orthopaedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi 830054, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, China.
Xu
Xiao-Xiong
XX
Ding
Li-Wen
LW
Cao
Li
L
Sadel
Alken
A
Wen
Hao
H
D000818:Animals; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000378:metabolism; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013128:Spinal Osteophytosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology
D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3