Musculoskeletal tissues-on-a-chip: role of natural polymers in reproducing tissue-specific microenvironments.

Over the past years, 3Din vitromodels have been widely employed in the regenerative medicine field. Among them, organ-on-a-chip technology has the potential to elucidate cellular mechanism exploiting multichannel microfluidic devices to establish 3D co-culture systems that offer control over the cellular, physico-chemical and biochemical microenvironments. To deliver the most relevant cues to cells, it is of paramount importance to select the most appropriate matrix for mimicking the extracellular matrix of the native tissue. Natural polymers-based hydrogels are the elected candidates for reproducing tissue-specific microenvironments in musculoskeletal tissue-on-a-chip models owning to their interesting and peculiar physico-chemical, mechanical and biological properties. Despite these advantages, there is still a gap between the biomaterials complexity in conventional tissue engineering and the application of these biomaterials in 3Din vitromicrofluidic models. In this review, the aim is to suggest the adoption of more suitable biomaterials, alternative crosslinking strategies and tissue engineered-inspired approaches in organ-on-a-chip to better mimic the complexity of physiological musculoskeletal tissues. Accordingly, after giving an overview of the musculoskeletal tissue compositions, the properties of the main natural polymers employed in microfluidic systems are investigated, together with the main musculoskeletal tissues-on-a-chip devices.

Hyaluronic acid as a bioink for extrusion-based 3D printing.

Biofabrication is enriching the tissue engineering field with new ways of producing structurally organized complex tissues. Among the numerous bioinks under investigation, hyaluronic acid (HA) and its derivatives stand out for their biological relevance, cytocompatibility, shear-thinning properties, and potential to fine-tune the desired properties with chemical modification. In this paper, we review the recent advances on bioinks containing HA. The available literature is presented based on subjects including the rheological properties in connection with printability, the chemical strategies for endowing HA with the desired properties, the clinical application, the most advanced preclinical studies, the advantages and limitations in comparison with similar biopolymer-based bioinks, and future perspectives.

3D bioprinting of a hyaluronan bioink through enzymatic-and visible light-crosslinking.

Extrusion-based three-dimensional bioprinting relies on bioinks engineered to combine viscoelastic properties for extrusion and shape retention, and biological properties for cytocompatibility and tissue regeneration. To satisfy these conflicting requirements, bioinks often utilize either complex mixtures or complex modifications of biopolymers. In this paper we introduce and characterize a bioink exploiting a dual crosslinking mechanism, where an enzymatic reaction forms a soft gel suitable for cell encapsulation and extrusion, while a visible light photo-crosslinking allows shape retention of the printed construct. The influence of cell density and cell type on the rheological and printability properties was assessed correlating the printing outcomes with the damping factor, a rheological characteristic independent of the printing system. Stem cells, chondrocytes and fibroblasts were encapsulated, and their viability was assessed up to 14 days with live/dead, alamar blue and trypan blue assays. Additionally, the impact of the printing parameters on cell viability was investigated. Owing to its straightforward preparation, low modification, presence of two independent crosslinking mechanisms for tuning shear-thinning independently of the final shape fixation, the use of visible green instead of UV light, the possibility of encapsulating and sustaining the viability of different cell types, the hyaluronan bioink here presented is a valid biofabrication tool for producing 3D printed tissue-engineered constructs.

REM latency in Alzheimer's disease.

Latency to the first episode of rapid eye movement sleep (REML) has been proposed as a potential biomarker for Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we compared REML values from 28 AD patients and 28 age- and sex-matched controls. We employed multiple definitions of REML and multiple cutoffs to classify patients and controls. Results indicated that the best REML definition and optimal cutoff criterion resulted in only 65% correct classifications. We discuss the longer REML in AD patients relative to controls in terms of both overall sleep disturbance and selective deterioration of the REM-cholinergic system. As REML may be relatively short in other forms of psychopathology (e.g., affective disorders), REML may still hold promise in the differential diagnosis of dementia and pseudodementia.

Binding kinetics of delta opioid receptors differ for microsomal and synaptic sites.

Earlier, we demonstrated that agonist binding to synaptic plasma membranes involves a multi-step association process. In this study, high affinity binding kinetics of an agonist, [3H]D-Ala2-D-Leu5-enkephalin (DADLE), to delta sites on bovine hippocampal microsomal and synaptic plasma membranes (SPM) were compared. delta site selectivity of DADLE was ensured by suppressing undesirable mu site binding with 20 nM unlabeled D-Ala2-MePhe4-Glyol5-enkephalin. The kinetics of receptor binding to microsomal delta sites are generally more rapid than those of SPMs. Furthermore, the association time-dependent rate of dissociation, which is readily observed with SPMs, was not detected for microsomal binding sites. Although the apparent KD of DADLE did not differ significantly from that in SPMs, kinetic analysis indicated that little or no formation of the high affinity, slowly dissociating, complex occurred with microsomes. The absence of this complex, shown previously in SPMs to be most sensitive to guanine nucleotides, appeared to account for the attenuated effect of guanyl 5'-yl-imidodiphosphate [Gpp(NH)p] on dissociation from microsomes. Nevertheless, the presence in microsomes of inhibitory guanine nucleotide binding proteins was demonstrated by specific 32P-labeling by pertussis toxin of bands at 39 and 41 kDa, attributable to the alpha subunit of Go and Gi, respectively. The action of 100 mM Na+ to increase the off-rate is similar for both preparations. In contrast, addition of Mn2+ reduced the rates of association and dissociation for both subcellular fractions. The off-rate in the presence of Mn2+ is similar for SPMs and microsomes, displaying association time-dependent rates of dissociation for both. To determine whether Mn2+ promotes coupling in microsomes, the effect of Gpp(NH)p was examined. After a 60-min association, Gpp(NH)p did not affect microsomal kinetics but increased the off-rate from SPMs. The actions of both Na+ and Mn2+ appear to be mediated at early steps in the association process.

Risk factors for sleep disordered breathing in heterogeneous geriatric populations.

This cross-sectional, multivariate study investigated associations between sleep disordered breathing (SDB) and putative risk factors in a heterogeneous group of 720 individuals over the age of 50 years studied during all-night in-lab polysomnography. Results indicated that: aged men were more likely to show impaired respiration during sleep than aged women; excessive daytime somnolence and parasomniac symptoms (snoring, gasping during sleep) were associated with SDB but insomnia was not; obesity accounted for more variance in SDB than age per se, implying that the prevalence of SDB in some elderly persons could be related to the deposition of body fat seen as individuals grow older. All four risk factors (age, sex, obesity, and symptomatic status) were statistically significant and independent predictors of impaired respiration in sleep in the elderly.

A comparison of microsomal and synaptic delta site binding kinetics.

High-affinity binding of the agonist, [3H]D-ala2-D-leu5-enkephalin (DADLE), to delta sites on bovine hippocampal synaptic plasma membranes (SPM) entails a multi-step association process. Microsomal binding sites, which are thought to originate from internal membranes (golgi, ser, etc.), display kinetic patterns that differ from SPMs. This is evidenced by the absence of an association time dependent rate of dissociation from microsomal binding sites. Although high affinity steady state binding of agonists to microsomes occurs, kinetic analysis indicates little or no formation of the high affinity slowly dissociating complex. This slowly dissociating complex of SPMs is most sensitive to guanine nucleotides. Consequently, the effect of Gpp(NH)p on dissociation is significantly less for microsomes.

Periodic leg movements during sleep in the elderly.

Periodic leg movements in sleep (PLMS) occur frequently in the sleep of elderly persons but their significance is unknown. In this study, 63 elderly persons with symptoms of insomnia but without history of renal disease were evaluated polysomnographically. All received laboratory evaluations for blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine and completed a questionnaire on sleep complaints. Results indicated a positive relationship between PLMS and urea nitrogen in elderly women. In addition, symptoms of leg twitching and prolonged sleep latency could distinguish arbitrarily formed high and low PLMS groups. These results suggest that PLMS could be a window on the age-related decline in renal function and that these movements are related to several highly specific symptoms of geriatric insomnia.