Effect of ADSCs on Th17/Treg and T-bet/GATA-3 in model mice with primary immune thrombocytopenia.

We aimed to observe the effects of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) on T helper 17 (Th17)/regulatory T cells (Treg) and T-box transcription factor (T-bet)/GATA-binding protein 3 (GATA-3) in model mice with primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). 32 BALB/C mice were selected. ADSCs were isolated from 2 mice and cultured. The other 30 mice were randomly divided into the normal control group, the ITP model control group, and the ITP experimental group. Platelet count (PLT), Th17/Treg cells, related serum cytokines [interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-17A, IL-10, and transforming growth factor ß1 (TGF-ß1)], T-bet and GATA-3 mRNA levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in the 3 groups were detected. PLT and Treg in the ITP experimental group were significantly lower than those in the normal control group (P<0.05), but significantly higher than those in the ITP model control group (P<0.05). Th17 and Th17/Treg in the ITP experimental group were significantly higher than those in the normal control group (P<0.05), but significantly lower than those in the ITP model control group (P<0.05). Serum IL-6 and IL-17A levels, and T-bet mRNA levels in the ITP experimental group were significantly higher than those in the normal control group (P<0.05), but significantly lower than those in the ITP model control group (P<0.05). Serum IL-10 and TGF-ß levels, and GATA-3 mRNA levels in the ITP experimental group were significantly lower than those in the normal control group (P<0.05), but significantly higher than those in the ITP model control group (P<0.05). ADSCs can effectively regulate Th17/Treg balance and improve T-bet/GATA-3 mRNA expression levels in ITP model mice.

Platelet-rich plasma protects human keratinocytes from UVB-induced apoptosis by attenuating inflammatory responses and endoplasmic reticulum stress.

BACKGROUND: Although the role of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in ultraviolet light B (UVB)-induced photoaging has been confirmed in many studies, the specific mechanism is still not clear. Therefore, we attempted to investigate the effect and mechanism of PRP on UVB-induced human keratinocyte (HaCaT cells) apoptosis. METHODS: HaCaT cells were collected to construct UVB-induced photoaging models. Then, the cells were divided into Sham group, 5% PRP group, UVB group, and UVB + 5% PRP group. Next, MTT assay was used to detect the level of cell proliferation; flow cytometry to check the level of apoptosis; ELISA to determine the TNF-α, IL-18, IL-6, and IL-1ß levels in the supernatant; and Western blot to test Bax, Bcl-2, cytochrome c (Cyt.c), GRP78, CHOP, and ATF4 protein expression levels. RESULTS: Briefly, 5% PRP intervention could relieve the inhibition of UVB on HaCaT cell proliferation, inhibit the promotion of UVB to cell apoptosis, up-regulate UVB-induced Bcl-2 protein expression, and decrease Bax and Cyt.c protein level. In addition, 5% PRP significantly down-regulated the inflammatory factor levels of TNF-α, IL-18, IL-6, and IL-1ßin UVB-induced cells and reduced the inflammatory response. Moreover, 5% PRP also greatly reduced the protein expression levels of GRP78, CHOP, and ATF4 in UVB-induced cells and alleviated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. CONCLUSION: PRP may protect HaCaT cells from UVB-induced apoptosis by alleviating inflammatory response and ER stress.

Autologous Platelet-Rich Plasma Repairs Burn Wound and Reduces Burn Pain in Rats.

To investigate the effects of autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on burn wound and burn pain in rats. Rats were treated with high-temperature copper rod to induce skin burn. During treatment, the wound area of rats was recorded on days 0, 3, 7, 10, 14 and healing rates were calculated. After 14-day treatment, the paw withdrawal mechanical threshold (PWMT) as well as paw withdrawal thermal latency were measured. In addition, CD31 expression in burn wound was detected by immunohistochemistry. The contents of TNF-α and IL-1ß in wound tissues were detected by ELISA. Moreover, the mRNA and protein expression levels of VEGF, MMP-9, and TGF-ß1 in wound tissues were detected by RT-qPCR together with Western blot. Burn wound of rats in the PRP group gradually got better with a decreased wound area. Compared with the NS group, the wound area of the PRP group was significantly reduced and the healing rate was significantly increased. Meanwhile, PWMT of the rats in the PRP group was obviously increased compared with the NS group. Compared with the NS group, the rate of CD31-positive cells in the wound tissue of burned rats was increased; while the contents of TNF-α and IL-1ß were significantly decreased after a subcutaneous injection of PRP. In addition, the mRNA and protein expression levels of VEGF, MMP-9, and TGF-ß1 in the wound tissue of rats from PRP group were evidently increased. Autologous platelet-rich plasma not only shortened the healing time, but also relieved the burn pain.

Narrow line width frequency comb source based on an injection-locked III-V-on-silicon mode-locked laser.

In this paper, we report the optical injection locking of an L-band (∼1580 nm) 4.7 GHz III-V-on-silicon mode-locked laser with a narrow line width continuous wave (CW) source. This technique allows us to reduce the MHz optical line width of the mode-locked laser longitudinal modes down to the line width of the source used for injection locking, 50 kHz. We show that more than 50 laser lines generated by the mode-locked laser are coherent with the narrow line width CW source. Two locking techniques are explored. In a first approach a hybrid mode-locked laser is injection-locked with a CW source. In a second approach, light from a modulated CW source is injected in a passively mode-locked laser cavity. The realization of such a frequency comb on a chip enables transceivers for high spectral efficiency optical communication.

28 Gb/s direct modulation heterogeneously integrated C-band InP/SOI DFB laser.

We demonstrate direct modulation of a heterogeneously integrated C-band DFB laser on SOI at 28 Gb/s with a 2 dB extinction ratio. This is the highest direct modulation bitrate so far reported for a membrane laser coupled to an SOI waveguide. The laser operates single mode with 6 mW output power at 100 mA bias current. The 3 dB modulation bandwidth is 15 GHz. Transmission experiments using a 2 km non zero dispersion shifted single mode fiber were performed at 28 Gb/s bitrate using a 2(7)-1 NRZ-PRBS pattern resulting in a 1 dB power penalty.

Demonstration of a heterogeneously integrated III-V/SOI single wavelength tunable laser.

A heterogeneously integrated III-V-on-silicon laser is reported, integrating a III-V gain section, a silicon ring resonator for wavelength selection and two silicon Bragg grating reflectors as back and front mirrors. Single wavelength operation with a side mode suppression ratio higher than 45 dB is obtained. An output power up to 10 mW at 20 °C and a thermo-optic wavelength tuning range of 8 nm are achieved. The laser linewidth is found to be 1.7 MHz.

Application of a passively mode-locked quantum-dot Fabry-Perot laser in 40 Gb/s all-optical 3R regeneration.

The application of a mode-locked quantum-dot Fabry-Perot (QD-FP) laser in a wavelength preserving all-optical 3R regenerator is demonstrated at 40 Gb/s. The 3R regenerator consists of a QD-FP laser for low-timing jitter clock recovery, cross-phase modulation based retiming, and self-phase modulation based reshaping. The performance of the alloptical 3R regenerator is assessed experimentally in terms of the Q-factor, timing jitter and bit-error ratio.

Low-timing-jitter all-optical clock recovery for 40 Gbits/s RZ-DPSK and NRZ-DPSK signals using a passively mode-locked quantum-dot Fabry-Perot semiconductor laser.

We investigate experimentally all-optical clock recovery for return-to-zero (RZ) and nonreturn-to-zero (NRZ) differential phase-shift keying (DPSK) signals at 40 Gbits/s using a passively mode-locked quantum-dot Fabry-Perot (QD-FP) semiconductor laser. The QD-FP laser exhibits a beat spectrum linewidth of 80 kHz, which enables a recovered clock signal with a root-mean-square timing jitter of 160 fs for the RZ-DPSK signal and 240 fs for the NRZ-DPSK signal. The timing jitter of the recovered clock signal is characterized for different values of the input signal power and the input signal optical signal-to-noise ratio.

Discontinuous wavelength super-refraction in photonic crystal superprism.

Experimental results on wavelength-dependent angular dispersion in InGaAsP triangular lattice planar photonic crystals are presented. An abrupt variation of the angular dispersion is observed for TM-polarized waves whose frequencies are comprised between those of the fourth and sixth allowed bands. According to the crystal period, the measured angle of refraction is found to either decrease or increase by 30 degrees within a wavelength range smaller than 30 nm. Experimental results are reproduced well from 2D finite difference time domain calculations. The observed phenomena are interpreted from the coupling of the incident light to different modes of the photonic crystal that travel with different group velocities and propagate in different directions within the crystal. Mode dispersion curves and mode patterns are calculated along with isofrequency curves to support this explanation. The observed discontinuous wavelength super-refraction opens a new approach to the application of superprisms.