Experimental conditions and protein markers for redifferentiation of human coronary artery smooth muscle cells.

A phenotype switch from contractile type to proliferative type of arterial smooth muscle cells is known as dedifferentiation, but to the best of our knowledge, little is known about redifferentiation of coronary artery smooth muscle cells. The purpose of the present study was to determine in vitro culture conditions for inducing redifferentiation of coronary artery smooth muscle cells. In addition, the present study aimed to determine protein markers for detection of redifferentiated arterial smooth muscle cells. Human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (HCASMCs) were cultured in the presence or absence of growth factors, including epidermal growth factor, fibroblast growth factor-B and insulin. Protein expression and migration activity of HCASMCs were evaluated using western blotting and migration assay, respectively. In HCASMCs 5 days after 100% confluency, expression levels of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), calponin, caldesmon and SM22α were significantly increased, while expression levels of proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and S100A4 and migration activity were significantly decreased, compared with the corresponding levels just after reaching 100% confluency, indicating that redifferentiation occurred. Redifferentiation was also induced in a low-density culture of HCASMCs in the medium without growth factors. When the culture medium for confluent cells was replaced daily with fresh medium, the expression levels of α-SMA, caldesmon, SM22α, PCNA and S100A4 and migration activity were not significantly different but the calponin expression was significantly increased compared with the levels in dedifferentiated cells just after reaching 100% confluency. Thus, redifferentiation was induced in HCASMCs by deprivation of growth factors from culture medium. The results suggested that α-SMA, caldesmon and SM22α, but not calponin, are markers of redifferentiation of HCASMCs.

Encapsulating Mobile Proton Carriers into Structural Defects in Coordination Polymer Crystals: High Anhydrous Proton Conduction and Fuel Cell Application.

We describe the encapsulation of mobile proton carriers into defect sites in nonporous coordination polymers (CPs). The proton carriers were encapsulated with high mobility and provided high proton conductivity at 150 °C under anhydrous conditions. The high proton conductivity and nonporous nature of the CP allowed its application as an electrolyte in a fuel cell. The defects and mobile proton carriers were investigated using solid-state NMR, XAFS, XRD, and ICP-AES/EA. On the basis of these analyses, we concluded that the defect sites provide space for mobile uncoordinated H3PO4, H2PO4(-), and H2O. These mobile carriers play a key role in expanding the proton-hopping path and promoting the mobility of protons in the coordination framework, leading to high proton conductivity and fuel cell power generation.

Fabrication and BSA adsorption/desorption properties of titania/silica composite films modified with silane coupling agents.

In this study, we successfully prepared titania/silica composite films modified with silane coupling agents having amino groups and investigated their bovine serum albumin (BSA) adsorption/desorption behavior under light irradiation. XRD patterns and ATR/FT-IR spectra of the films revealed the formation of titania/silica composite films modified with silane coupling agents. In these films, the adsorption and desorption of BSA could be controlled by light irradiation, through the locally photoinduced superhydrophilic titania surface.

Humidity-dependent reversible aggregation of rhodamine 6G dye immobilized within layered niobate K4Nb6O17.

The spectroscopic behavior of rhodamine 6G (R6G) dye intercalated in layered hexaniobate K4Nb6O17 was investigated. R6G cations were intercalated into the niobate through displacement of preintercalated alkylammonium ions. Powder X-ray diffraction and elemental analysis indicated that the dye molecules were densely accommodated in the interlayer spaces of niobate. The spectroscopic behavior of intercalated R6G was characterized by humidity-dependent aggregation at room temperature. The dye molecules were present dominantly as monomers under humid conditions (93% relative humidity (RH)), while they formed dimers under relatively dry conditions (20% RH). The aggregation-deaggregation of dye occurred reversibly depending on the humidity. The reversible aggregation was not accompanied by a large alteration of the interlayer structure of the sample, because only a small amount of water was adsorbed/desorbed with a small change in the basal spacing of the intercalation compound during the humidity change.