Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) has been widely used and achieved good results in the treatment of senile osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture and vertebral tumor. However, some issues still need further study.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of polymethylmethacrylate bone cement (PMMA) on the apoptosis and cell cycles of spinal metastasis cells, and to investigate the possible mechanisms of PMMA acting on spinal metastases in vitro.
METHODS: After primary culture, spinal metastasis cells were divided into three groups: control group, drawing-off stage PMMA group, cool stage PMMA group. After 24-hour treatment, the apoptosis of spinal metastases cells and its relationship with cell cycles were determined by flow cytometry. The expression of Bax and Caspase-3 mRNA were observed by SYBR green Ⅰ fluorescence quantitative PCR method.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The cell apoptosis rates of the control, drawing-off stage PMMA and cool stage PMMA groups were (3.80±1.09)%, (43.46±8.55)%, (28.77±9.39)%, respectively. The latter two groups had significant effect (P < 0.05). Both groups of PMMA remarkably reduced the number of cells in the G0/G1 phase, and increased that in the S phase (P < 0.05). Drawing-off stage PMMA group could markedly increase the mRNA expression of Caspase-3 and Bax as compared with the control group after treatment for 24 hours (P < 0.05). PMMA can significantly induce the apoptosis of spinal metastasis cells and arrest their cell cycles in the S phase in vitro, as well as, with even more significant effect in drawing-off stage than in cool stage.