Cellular and molecular biology of posttranslational modifications in cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has now become the leading cause of death worldwide, and its high morbidity and mortality rates pose a great threat to society. Although numerous studies have reported the pathophysiology of CVD, the exact pathogenesis of all types of CVD is not fully understood. Therefore, much more research is still needed to explore the pathogenesis of CVD. With the development of proteomics, many studies have successfully identified the role of posttranslational modifications in the pathogenesis of CVD, including key processes such as apoptosis, cell metabolism, and oxidative stress. In this review, we summarize the progress in the understanding of posttranslational modifications in cardiovascular diseases, including novel protein posttranslational modifications such as succinylation and nitrosylation. Furthermore, we summarize the currently identified histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors used to treat CVD, providing new perspectives on CVD treatment modalities. We critically analyze the roles of posttranslational modifications in the pathogenesis of CVD-related diseases and explore future research directions related to posttranslational modifications in cardiovascular diseases.

Palmitic acid induces GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis in periodontal ligament cells via the NF-κB pathway.

OBJECTIVE: Obesity can affect periodontal tissues and exacerbate periodontitis. Pyroptosis, a newly identified type of inflammatory cell death, is involved in the development of periodontal inflammation. The saturated fatty acid palmitic acid (PA) is elevated in obese patients. The effect of PA on pyroptosis in periodontal ligament cells (PDLCs) and its underlying mechanisms remain unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human PDLCs were isolated from healthy individuals and cultured for experiments. The effects of PA on PDLC pyroptosis and the underlying mechanisms were examined by transmission electron microscopy, quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting. RESULTS: The morphology of PDLCs in the PA group indicated pyroptotic characteristics, including swollen cells, plasma membrane rupture and changes in subcellular organelles. PA induced inflammatory responses in PDLCs, as indicated by an increase in IL-1ß in the cell culture supernatant. Furthermore, we found that the pyroptosis-related proteins caspase-1, caspase-4 and GSDMD were involved in PA-induced cell death. GSDMD and caspase-4 inhibitors alleviated pyroptotic death of PDLCs. Moreover, PA promoted NF-κB P65 phosphorylation. A NF-κB inhibitor decreased IL-1ß expression and partly rescued cell death induced by PA. CONCLUSION: PA activated the NF-κB pathway and induced the inflammatory response in PDLCs. Caspase-4/GSDMD mediated PDLC pyroptosis induced by PA.

Research review on the pollution of antibiotic resistance genes in livestock and poultry farming environments.

Increasingly serious pollution of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) caused by the abuse of antibiotics in livestock and poultry industry has raised worldwide concerns. ARGs could spread among various farming environmental media through adsorption, desorption, migration, and also could transfer into human gut microbiome by hori-zontal gene transfer (HGT), posing potential threats to public health. However, the comprehensive review on the pollution patterns, environmental behaviors, and control techniques of ARGs in livestock and poultry environments in view of One Health is still inadequate, resulting in the difficulties in effectively assessing ARGs transmission risk and developing the efficient control strategies. Here, we analyzed the pollution characteristics of typical ARGs in various countries, regions, livestock species, and environmental media, reviewed the critical environmental fate and influencing factors, control strategies, and the shortcomings of current researches about ARGs in the livestock and poultry farming industry combined with One Health philosophy. In particular, we addressed the importance and urgency of identifying the distribution characteristics and environmental process mechanisms of ARGs, and developing green and efficient ARG control means in livestock farming environments. We further proposed gaps and prospects for the future research. It would provide theoretical basis for the research on health risk assessment and technology exploitation of alleviating ARG pollution in livestock farming environment.

Inhibition of ferroptosis by icariin treatment attenuates excessive ethanol consumption-induced atrial remodeling and susceptibility to atrial fibrillation, role of SIRT1.

Ferroptosis contributes to the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation (AF), although the mechanisms are still largely uncovered. The current study was designed to explore the pharmacological effects of icariin against ethanol-induced atrial remodeling, if any, and the mechanisms involved with a focus on SIRT1 signaling. Excessive ethanol-treated animals were administered with Ferrostatin-1, Erastin or icariin to evaluate the potential effects of icariin or ferroptosis. Then, the underling mechanisms was further explored in the in vitro experiments using HL-1 atrial myocytes. Excessive ethanol administration caused significant atrial damage as evidenced by increased susceptibility to AF, altered atrial conduction pattern, atrial enlargement, and enhanced fibrotic markers. These detrimental effects were reversed by Ferrostatin-1 or icariin treatment, while Erastin co-administration markedly abolished the beneficial actions conferred by icariin. Mechanistically, ethanol-treated atria exhibited markedly up-regulated pro-ferroptotic protein (PTGS2, ACSL4, P53) and suppressed anti-ferroptotic molecules (GPX4, FTH1). Icariin treatment inhibited ethanol-induced atrial ferroptosis by reducing atrial mitochondrial damage, ROS accumulation and iron overload. Interestingly, the in vivo and in vitro data showed that icariin activated atrial SIRT1-Nrf-2-HO-1 signaling pathway, while EX527 not only reversed these effects, but also abolished the therapeutic effects of icariin. Moreover, the stimulatory effects on GPX4, SLC7A11 and the suppressive effects on ACSL4, P53 conferred by icariin were blunted by EX527 treatment. These data demonstrate that ferroptosis plays a causative role in the pathogenesis of ethanol-induced atrial remodeling and susceptibility to AF. Icariin protects against atrial damage by inhibiting ferroptosis via SIRT1 signaling. Its role as a prophylactic/therapeutic drug deserves further clinical study.

Chronic intermittent hypoxia impaired collagen synthesis in mouse genioglossus via ROS accumulation: A transcriptomic analysis.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep-related breathing disorder characterized by intermittent and recurrent upper airway collapse during sleep that leads to chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH). The genioglossus (GG) is the largest dilator muscle, which controls the upper airway and plays an important role in OSA pathology. Elucidating its genetic alterations may help identify potential targets for OSA. However, the genetic aspects of the GG in CIH mice remain unclear. Here, we have conducted an RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis to assess the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the GG between CIH mice and normoxia (NOR) mice. A total of 637 DEGs were identified to be dysregulated in CIH mice compared with control mice. Bioinformatics analysis showed that the DEGs were related to various physiological processes, such as the endogenous stimulus responses, cellular component organization and metabolic processes. Extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction was the top KEGG pathway in the environmental information processing category with high significance and large fold changes. From the gene weight distributions of collagen (Col)-related biological processes (BPs), we found several significant DEGs, such as Col1a1, Col1a2, Mmp2, Col3a1, Col5a1, Fmod, and Col5a2. A PPI network showed that Col1a1 was linked to ECM-receptor interactions, responses to reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Col-related BPs. It was verified in vivo and in vitro that hypoxia can induce excess ROS and reduce Col expression levels. Moreover, we found NAC can effectively scavenge ROS and restore collagen synthesis. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms linking OSA and upper airway muscle injury and may help identify potential therapeutic targets.

Glioma stem cells and neural stem cells respond differently to BMP4 signaling.

Malignant glioma is a highly heterogeneous and invasive primary brain tumor characterized by high recurrence rates, resistance to combined therapy, and dismal prognosis. Glioma stem cells (GSCs) are likely responsible for tumor progression, resistance to therapy, recurrence, and poor prognosis owing to their high self-renewal and tumorigenic potential. As a family member of BMP signaling, bone morphogenetic protein4 (BMP4) has been reported to induce the differentiation of GSCs and neural stem cells (NSCs). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the BMP4-mediated effects in these two cell types are unclear. In this study, we treated hGSCs and hNSCs with BMP4 and compared the phenotypic and transcriptional changes between these two cell types. Phenotypically, we found that the growth of hGSCs was greatly inhibited by BMP4, but the same treatment only increased the cell size of hNSCs. While the RNA sequencing results showed that BMP4 treatment evoked significantly transcriptional changes in both hGSCs and hNSCs, the profiles of differentially expressed genes were distinct between the two groups. A gene set that specifically targeted the proliferation and differentiation of hGSCs but not hNSCs was enriched and then validated in hGSC culture. Our results suggested that hGSCs and hNSCs responded differently to BMP4 stimulation. Understanding and investigating different responses between hGSCs and hNSCs will benefit finding partner factors working together with BMP4 to further suppress GSCs proliferation and stemness without disturbing NSCs.

Interferon-beta inhibits human glioma stem cell growth by modulating immune response and cell cycle related signaling pathways.

Malignant Glioma is characterized by strong self-renewal potential and immature differentiation potential. The main reason is that malignant glioma holds key cluster cells, glioma stem cells (GSCs). GSCs contribute to tumorigenesis, tumor progression, recurrence, and treatment resistance. Interferon-beta (IFN-ß) is well known for its anti-proliferative efficacy in diverse cancers. IFN-ß also displayed potent antitumor effects in malignant glioma. IFN-ß affect both GSCs and Neural stem cells (NSCs) in the treatment of gliomas. However, the functional comparison, similar or different effects of IFN-ß on GSCs and NSCs are rarely reported. Here, we studied the similarities and differences of the responses to IFN-ß between human GSCs and normal NSCs. We found that IFN-ß preferentially inhibited GSCs over NSCs. The cell body and nucleus size of GSCs increased after IFN-ß treatment, and the genomic analysis revealed the enrichment of the upregulated immune response, cell adhesion genes and down regulated cell cycle, ribosome pathways. Several typical cyclin genes, including cyclin A2 (CCNA2), cyclin B1 (CCNB1), cyclin B2 (CCNB2), and cyclin D1 (CCND1), were significantly downregulated in GSCs after IFN-ß stimulation. We also found that continuous IFN-ß stimulation after passage further enhanced the inhibitory effect. Our study revealed how genetic diversity resulted in differential effects in response to IFN-ß treatment. These results may contribute to improve the applications of IFN-ß in anti-cancer immunotherapy. In addition, these results may also help to design more effective pharmacological strategies to target cancer stem cells while protecting normal neural stem cells.

Icariin attenuates excessive alcohol consumption-induced susceptibility to atrial fibrillation through SIRT3 signaling.

Excessive alcohol consumption has long been identified as a risk factor for adverse atrial remodeling and atrial fibrillation (AF). Icariin is a principal active component from traditional Chinese medicine Herba Epimedii and has been demonstrated to exert potential antiarrhythmic effect. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of icariin against alcohol-induced atrial remodeling and disruption of mitochondrial dynamics and furthermore, to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Excessive alcohol-treated C57BL/6 J mice were infected with serotype 9 adeno-associated virus (AAV9) carrying mouse SIRT3 gene or negative control virus. Meanwhile, icariin (50 mg/kg/d) was administered to the animals in the presence or absence of AAV9 carrying SIRT3 shRNA. We noted that 8 weeks of icariin treatment effectively attenuated alcohol consumption-induced atrial structural and electrical remodeling as evidenced by reduced AF inducibility and reversed atrial electrical conduction pattern as well as atrial enlargement. Furthermore, icariin-treated group exhibited significantly enhanced atrial SIRT3-AMPK signaling, decreased atrial mitoSOX fluorescence and mitochondrial fission markers, elevated mitochondrial fusion markers (MFN1, MFN2) as well as NRF-1-Tfam-mediated mitochondrial biogenesis. Importantly, these beneficial effects were mimicked by SIRT3 overexpression while abolished by SIRT3 knockdown. These data revealed that targeting atrial SIRT3-AMPK signaling and preserving mitochondrial dynamics might serve as the novel therapeutic strategy against alcohol-induced AF genesis. Additionally, icariin ameliorated atrial remodeling and mitochondrial dysfunction by activating SIRT3-AMPK signaling, highlighting the use of icariin as a promising antiarrhythmic agent in this circumstance.

Polydatin attenuates chronic alcohol consumption-induced cardiomyopathy through a SIRT6-dependent mechanism.

Polydatin has attracted much attention as a potential cardioprotective agent against ischemic heart disease and diabetic cardiomyopathy. However, the effect and mechanism of polydatin supplementation on alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACM) are still unknown. This study aimed to determine the therapeutic effect of polydatin against ACM and to explore the molecular mechanisms with a focus on SIRT6-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling and mitochondrial function. The ACM model was established by feeding C57/BL6 mice with an ethanol Lieber-DeCarli diet for 12 weeks. The mice received polydatin (20 mg kg-1) or vehicle treatment. We showed that polydatin treatment not only improved cardiac function but also reduced myocardial fibrosis and dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp-1)-mediated mitochondrial fission, and enhanced PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1)-Parkin-dependent mitophagy in alcohol-treated myocardium. Importantly, these beneficial effects were mimicked by SIRT6 overexpression but abolished by the infection of recombinant serotype 9 adeno-associated virus (AAV9) carrying SIRT6-specific small hairpin RNA. Mechanistically, alcohol consumption induced a gradual decrease in the myocardial SIRT6 level, while polydatin effectively activated SIRT6-AMPK signaling and modulated mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy, thus reducing oxidative stress damage and preserving mitochondrial function. In summary, these data present new information regarding the therapeutic actions of polydatin, suggesting that the activation of SIRT6 signaling may represent a new approach for tackling ACM-related cardiac dysfunction.

Rational Design of Waterborne Polyurethane Pressure Sensitive Adhesives for Different Working Temperatures.

The appropriate pressure sensitive adhesion performances at working temperature are vital for the applications of waterborne polyurethane (WPU). Understanding the relationship among rheological behaviors, macromolecular structures and adhesive performances can be very useful to the rational design of waterborne polyurethane pressure sensitive adhesives (WPU-PSAs) for different operating temperatures, as well as other kinds of adhesives. In this study, four kinds of WPU-PSAs were prepared by reacting polypropylene glycol (PPG), hydrogenated hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HHTPB), dimethyl alcohol propionic acid (DMPA), 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and four kinds of chain extenders. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC), swelling and rheology tests were used in parallel with an analysis of adhesive performances of the dried films of the adhesives. Results showed that, in addition to the nature of chain extenders playing a role on the rheological behaviors and adhesive performances of polymer, the gel content could be used to adjust the macromolecular structure and molecular weight distribution of polymer, thus distinctly affected the adhesive performances of PSA. The relationship among rheological behaviors, macromolecular structure and adhesive performances was investigated, and the rational design of WPU was achieved with appropriate pressure sensitive adhesion properties for different working temperatures of 25 and 60 °C.

Activation of PKG-CREB-KLF15 by melatonin attenuates Angiotensin II-induced vulnerability to atrial fibrillation via enhancing branched-chain amino acids catabolism.

Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) damage and atrial remodeling serve as the crucial substrates for the genesis of atrial fibrillation (AF). Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) catabolic defect plays critical roles in multiple cardiovascular diseases. However, the alteration of atrial BCAA catabolism and its role in AF remain largely unknown. This study aimed to explore the role of BCAA catabolism in the pathogenesis of AF and to further evaluate the therapeutic effect of melatonin with a focus on protein kinase G (PKG)-cAMP response element binding protein (CREB)-Krüppel-like factor 15 (KLF15) signaling. We found that angiotensin II-treated atria exhibited significantly elevated BCAA level, reduced BCAA catabolic enzyme activity, increased AF vulnerability, aggravated atrial electrical and structural remodeling, and enhanced mitochondrial ROS damage. These deleterious effects were attenuated by melatonin co-administration while exacerbated by BCAA oral supplementation. Melatonin treatment ameliorated BCAA-induced atrial damage and reversed BCAA-induced down-regulation of atrial PKGIα expression, CREB phosphorylation as well as KLF15 expression. However, inhibition of PKG partly abolished melatonin-induced beneficial actions. In summary, these data demonstrated that atrial BCAA catabolic defect contributed to the pathogenesis of AF by aggravating tissue fibrosis and mitochondrial ROS damage. Melatonin treatment ameliorated Ang II-induced atrial structural as well as electrical remodeling by activating PKG-CREB-KLF15. The present study reveals additional mechanisms contributing to AF genesis and highlights the opportunity of a novel therapy for AF by targeting BCAA catabolism. Melatonin may serve as a potential therapeutic agent for AF intervention.

[Orofacial myofunctional therapy improves facial morphology of children with obstructive sleep apnea after adenotonsillectomy].

PURPOSE: This study investigated the effectiveness of orofacial myofunctional therapy(OMT) in improving facial morphology of children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) after adenotonsillectomy (AT). METHODS: Ten children aged from 4-7 years with persistent oral breathing for more than 1 month after adenotonsillectomy were chosen to receive orofacial myofunctional therapy. The patients were required to take photos before and after orofacial myofunctional therapy. In order to compare the soft changes before and after OMT treatment, twelve representative mark points were selected and used for proportion and angle measurements. Graphpad Prism 8 statistical software was used for statistical analysis, to compare the differences in facial morphology of patients before and after treatment. RESULTS: Compared with before OMT, a significant difference was found in the proportion of Sn-Ls/Sn-Stms(P=0.0002), Sn-Stms/Sn-Me'(P<0.05), as well as in the angle of Gs-Sn-Pos (P<0.05), nasolabial angle(P=0.0005), mentolabial angle (P=0.0026) after OMT treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Orofacial myofunctional therapy can be considered as an effective complementary treatment for OSA patients with oral breathing after adenotonsillectomy.

A Fast and Efficient Approach to Obtaining High-Purity Glioma Stem Cell Culture.

Glioma is the most common and malignant primary brain tumor. Patients with malignant glioma usually have a poor prognosis due to drug resistance and disease relapse. Cancer stem cells contribute to glioma initiation, progression, resistance, and relapse. Hence, quick identification and efficient understanding of glioma stem cells (GSCs) are of profound importance for therapeutic strategies and outcomes. Ideally, therapeutic approaches will only kill cancer stem cells without harming normal neural stem cells (NSCs) that can inhibit GSCs and are often beneficial. It is key to identify the differences between cancer stem cells and normal NSCs. However, reports detailing an efficient and uniform protocol are scarce, as are comparisons between normal neural and cancer stem cells. Here, we compared different protocols and developed a fast and efficient approach to obtaining high-purity glioma stem cell by tracking observation and optimizing culture conditions. We examined the proliferative and differentiative properties confirming the identities of the GSCs with relevant markers such as Ki67, SRY-box containing gene 2, an intermediate filament protein member nestin, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and s100 calcium-binding protein (s100-beta). Finally, we identified distinct expression differences between GSCs and normal NSCs including cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and tumor protein p53. This study comprehensively describes the features of GSCs, their properties, and regulatory genes with expression differences between them and normal stem cells. Effective approaches to quickly obtaining high-quality GSCs from patients should have the potential to not only help understand the diseases and the resistances but also enable target drug screening and personalized medicine for brain tumor treatment.

HIF-1α activator DMOG inhibits alveolar bone resorption in murine periodontitis by regulating macrophage polarization.

Periodontitis is initiated by serious and sustained bacterial infection and ultimately results in chronic immune-mediated inflammation, tissue destruction, and bone loss. The pathogenesis of periodontitis remains unclear. Host immunological responses to periodontal bacteria ultimately determine the severity and mechanisms governing periodontitis progression. This study aimed to clarify the effect of the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) activator dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG) on a mouse periodontitis model and its underlying role in macrophage polarization. qRT-PCR analysis showed that DMOG inhibited the M1-like polarization of both RAW264.7 macrophages and murine bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) and downregulated TNF-α, IL-6, CD86, and MCP-1 expression in vitro. Immunofluorescence staining and flow cytometry also confirmed the less percentage of F4/80 + CD86 + cells after DMOG treatment. The phosphorylation of NF-κB pathway was also inhibited by DMOG with higher level of HIF-1α expression. Furthermore, mice treated with DMOG showed decreased alveolar bone resorption in the experimental periodontitis model, with significant increases in alveolar bone volume/tissue volume (BV/TV) and bone mineral density (BMD). DMOG treatment of mice decreased the ratio of M1/M2 (CD86+/CD206+) macrophages in periodontal tissues, resulting in the downregulation of proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6 and increased levels of anti-inflammatory factors such as IL-4 and IL-10. DMOG treatment promoted the number of HIF-1α-positive cells in periodontal tissues. This study demonstrated the cell-specific roles of DMOG in macrophage polarization in vitro and provided insight into the mechanism underlying the protective effect of DMOG in a model of periodontitis.

Melatonin attenuates diabetic cardiomyopathy and reduces myocardial vulnerability to ischemia-reperfusion injury by improving mitochondrial quality control: Role of SIRT6.

Targeting mitochondrial quality control with melatonin has been found promising for attenuating diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM), although the underlying mechanisms remain largely undefined. Activation of SIRT6 and melatonin membrane receptors exerts cardioprotective effects while little is known about their roles during DCM. Using high-fat diet-streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model, we found that prolonged diabetes significantly decreased nocturnal circulatory melatonin and heart melatonin levels, reduced the expressions of cardiac melatonin membrane receptors, and decreased myocardial SIRT6 and AMPK-PGC-1α-AKT signaling. 16 weeks of melatonin treatment inhibited the progression of DCM and the following myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MI/R) injury by reducing mitochondrial fission, enhancing mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy via re-activating SIRT6 and AMPK-PGC-1α-AKT signaling. After the induction of diabetes, adeno-associated virus carrying SIRT6-specific small hairpin RNA or luzindole was delivered to the animals. We showed that SIRT6 knockdown or antagonizing melatonin receptors abolished the protective effects of melatonin against mitochondrial dysfunction as evidenced by aggravated mitochondrial fission and reduced mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy. Additionally, SIRT6 shRNA or luzindole inhibited melatonin-induced AMPK-PGC-1α-AKT activation as well as its cardioprotective actions. Collectively, we demonstrated that long-term melatonin treatment attenuated the progression of DCM and reduced myocardial vulnerability to MI/R injury through preserving mitochondrial quality control. Melatonin membrane receptor-mediated SIRT6-AMPK-PGC-1α-AKT axis played a key role in this process. Targeting SIRT6 with melatonin treatment may be a promising strategy for attenuating DCM and reducing myocardial vulnerability to ischemia-reperfusion injury in diabetic patients.

[Biological characteristics of periodontal ligament stem cells modified by platelet derived growth factor BB].

PURPOSE: To investigate the biological characteristics of human periodontal stem cells (hPDLSCs) modified with platelet derived growth factor BB(PDGFBB) gene, and to explore its influence on proliferation, migration and osteogenic induction of hPDLSCs. METHODS: hPDLSCs were isolated and amplified, and immunofluorescence staining was performed to identify cell surface markers and osteogenic differentiation ability. hPDLSCs were transfected with PDGFBB gene by lentivirus vector, and the effects on cell proliferation and migration were detected by CCK-8 and scratch test after transfection. Real-time PCR was performed to analyze the mRNA expression levels of osteogenic and angiogenic genes in hPDLSCs cells transfected with PDGFBB gene. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 22.0 software package. RESULTS: hPDLSCs were successfully obtained by tissue mass culture and finite dilution method. Compared with the blank virus group and non-transfected group, the proliferation and migration ability of the cells in the transfection group were significantly increased, and the mRNA expression levels of OPN, COL-1 and VEGF were significantly up-regulated(P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Lentiviral vector can transfer PDGFBB gene into hPDLSCs in vitro and obtain continuous and stable expression. PDGFBB can promote proliferation and migration of hPDLSCs cells and up-regulate expression of osteogenic and angiogenic genes.

High-Performance Cyanate Ester Resins with Interpenetration Networks for 3D Printing.

As the 3D printing technology is getting more and more popular and useful, demands for materials for 3D printing have increased significantly. Cyanate ester (CE) resin possesses the characteristics of high heat distortion temperature and high glass transition temperature, outstanding mechanical properties, low dielectric constant, and excellent water uptake. However, CE resin has not been widely used in 3D printing of UV curing because it is difficult for photopolymerizable groups to graft onto the chains of CE resin. On the other hand, the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the homopolymer of the tris(2-hydroxyethyl)isocyanurate triacrylate (THEICTA) outclasses that of other acrylates. Although THEICTA is particularly advantageous to prepare a UV-curing prepolymer with high glass transition temperature, it also cannot be directly used for fabricating heat-resistant 3D-printed parts because it is solid and adding diluents will reduce the thermal stability of printed objects. This study is unique in producing 3D-printed materials, in which the THEICTA tactfully dissolves in low viscosity (about 100 mPa·s under 25 °C) bisphenol E cyanate (BECy) without sacrificing two kinds of bulk material properties. In the process of 3D printing, the carbon-carbon double bonds from THEICTA are cured by radical polymerization. Postprinting thermal treatment transforms three cyanate groups to a triazine ring structure. Additionally, the two kinds of structures are interpenetrating. The high-performance 3D-printing material has potential in fields ranging from space flight and aviation to the automotive and electronic industry.

Aging Induced p53/p21 in Genioglossus Muscle Stem Cells and Enhanced Upper Airway Injury.

Aging of population brings related social problems, such as muscle attenuation and regeneration barriers with increased aging. Muscle repair and regeneration depend on muscle stem cells (MuSCs). Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) rises in the aging population. OSA leads to hypoxia and upper airway muscle injury. However, little is known about the effect of increasing age and hypoxia to the upper airway muscle. The genioglossus (GG) is the major dilator muscle to keep the upper airway open. Here, we reported that muscle fiber and MuSC function declined with aging in GG. Increasing age also decreased the migration and proliferation of GG MuSCs. p53 and p21 were high expressions both in muscle tissue and in GG MuSCs. We further found that hypoxia inhibited GG MuSC proliferation and decreased myogenic differentiation. Then, hypoxia enhanced the inhibition effect of aging to proliferation and differentiation. Finally, we investigated that hypoxia and aging interact to form a vicious circle with upregulation of p53 and p21. This vicious hypoxia plus aging damage accelerated upper airway muscle injury. Aging and hypoxia are the major damage elements in OSA patients, and we propose that the damage mechanism of hypoxia and aging in GG MuSCs will help to improve upper airway muscle regeneration.

[Influence of vitexin on the expression of inflammatory cytokines in dental pulp stem cells induced by lipopolysaccharide].

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of vitexin (VTX) on the expression of inflammatory cytokines in human dental pulp stem cells(hDPSCs) induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS), and to explore the underlying mechanism. METHODS: hDPSCs were isolated and cultured, and CCK-8 method was used to detect the effect of VTX on proliferation of hDPSCs. hDPSCs were randomly divided into 4 groups: blank group (without LPS and VTX)，LPS group (2 µg/mL LPS)，2 µg/mL LPS + 25 µmol/L VTX，2 µg/mL LPS + 50 µmol/L VTX. The cells of all groups were cultured for 48 h. The gene levels of IL-1ß， IL-6 and IL-8 in hDPSCs were detected by real time qPCR(RT-qPCR). The change of COX-2 and MAPKs signaling pathways were detected by Western blot. SPSS 16.0 software package was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: When the VTX concentration was less than 200 µmol/L, the cell viability was not affected(P>0.05). VTX at 25 and 50 µmol/L significantly reduced LPS-induced expression of IL-1ß, IL-6 and IL-8 at gene levels and COX-2 at protein level (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: VTX significantly inhibited the activation of ERK and p38 signaling pathway. VTX can reduce LPS-induced inflammatory cytokine expression in hDPSCs via restraining the activation of ERK and p38 signaling pathway.

[Human dental pulp stem cells conditioned medium protects genioglossus myoblast from cobalt chloride-induced hypoxia injury through AMPK/PGC-1α pathway].

PURPOSE: To study the effect of hypoxia induced by cobalt chloride (CoCl2) on viability and oxidative stress of genioglossus myoblast, and to explore the mechanism of the protective effect of conditioned medium (CM) on human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs). METHODS: The hDPSCs were isolated and cultured, and the conditioned medium was prepared by ultrafiltration concentration. Mouse genioglossus myoblasts were isolated and divided into control group, CM group, CoCl2 group and CoCl2+CM group. The cell viability of genioglossus myoblasts was detected by CCK-8. The intracellular and mitochondrial ROS levels were evaluated by DCFH-DA and MitoSOX, respectively. The expression level of mitochondria-related genes in NRF-1 and NRF-2 were analyzed by real-time PCR. The expression of PGC-1α, p-AMPK and total AMPK protein was detected by Western blot. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 22.0 software package. RESULTS: The proliferation of genioglossus myoblasts was significantly decreased after 200 µmol/L CoCl2 treatment for 24 h (P<0.05), and the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were significantly increased in intracellular and mitochondria (P<0.05). Compared with CoCl2 group, the proliferation ability of hDPSCs-CM was dramatically raised (P<0.05), and the intracellular and mitochondrial ROS content was remarkably decreased(P<0.05). hDPSCs-CM up-regulated the protein expression levels of pAMPK and PGC-1α in genioglossus myoblasts and mitochondrial downstream effectors of PGC-1α, including mRNA expression levels of NRF-1, NRF-2 (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Human dental pulp stem cells conditioned medium can alleviate hypoxia injury induced by CoCl2 in genioglossus myoblasts, and its mechanism may be related to AMPK/PGC-1α signaling pathway.