The trend of allogeneic tendon decellularization: literature review.

Tendon injuries repair is a significant burden for orthopaedic surgeons. Finding a proper graft material to repair tendon is one of the main challenges in orthopaedics, for which the requirement of substitute for tendon repair would be different for each clinical application. Among biological scaffolds, the use of decellularized tendon increasingly represents an interesting approach to treat tendon injuries and several articles have investigated the approaches of tendon decellularization. To understand the outcomes of the the approaches of tendon decellularization on effect of tendon transplantation, a literature review was performed. This review was conducted by searching in Pubmed and Embase and 64 studies were included in this study. The findings revealed that the common approaches to decellularize tendon include chemical, physical, and enzymatic decellularization methods or their combination. With the development of tissue engineering, researchers also put forward new theories such as automatic acellular machine, 3D printing technology to manufacture acellular scaffold.

Physiological and transcriptomic analyses reveal novel insights into the cultivar-specific response to alkaline stress in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.).

Soil alkalization severely limits plant growth and development, however, the mechanisms of alkaline response in plants remain largely unknown. In this study, we performed physiological and transcriptomic analyses using two alfalfa cultivars (Medicago sativa L.) with different sensitivities to alkaline conditions. The chlorophyll content and shoot fresh mass drastically declined in the alkaline-sensitive cultivar Algonquin (AG) following alkaline treatment (0-25 mM Na2CO3 solution), while the alkaline-tolerant cultivar Gongnong NO.1 (GN) maintained relatively stable growth and chlorophyll content. Compared with AG, GN had higher contents of Ca2+ and Mg2+; the ratios of Ca2+ and Mg2+ to Na+, proline and soluble sugar, as well as higher enzyme activities of peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) under the alkaline conditions. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis identified three categories of alkaline-responsive differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the two cultivars: 48 genes commonly induced in both the cultivars (CAR), 574 genes from the tolerant cultivar (TAR), and 493 genes from the sensitive cultivar (SAR). Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses showed that CAR genes were mostly involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, lipid metabolism, and DNA replication and repair; TAR genes were significantly enriched in metabolic pathways, such as biosynthesis of amino acids and secondary metabolites including flavonoids, and the MAPK signaling pathway; SAR genes were specifically enriched in vitamin B6 metabolism. Taken together, the results identified candidate pathways associated with genetic variation in response to alkaline stress, providing novel insights into the mechanisms underlying alkaline tolerance in alfalfa.

A fragment activity assay reveals the key residues of TBC1D15 GTPase-activating protein (GAP) in Chiloscyllium plagiosum.

BACKGROUND: GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs) with a TBC (Tre-2/Bub2/Cdc16) domain architecture serve as negative regulators of Rab GTPases. The related crystal structure has been studied and reported by other members of our research group in 2017 (Chen et al. in Protein Sci 26(4):834-846, 2017). The protein crystal structure and sequencing data accession numbers in Protein structure database (PDB) are 5TUB (Shark TBC1D15 GAP) and 5TUC (Sus TBC1D15 GAP), respectively. In this paper, we analyzed the Rab-GAP specificity of TBC1D15 in the evolution and influence of key amino acid residue mutations on Rab-GAP activity. RESULTS: Sequence alignment showed that five arginine residues of the TBC1D15-GAP domain are conserved among the species Sus/Mus/Homo but have been replaced by glycine or lysine in Shark. A fragment activity assay was conducted by altering the five residues of Shark TBC1D15-GAP to arginine, and the corresponding arginine in TBC1D15 GAP domains from Sus and Homo species were mutated to resemble Shark TBC1D15-GAP. Our data revealed that the residues of G28, K45, K119, K122 and K221 in the Shark TBC1D15-GAP domain had a key role in determining the specificity for Rab7 and Rab11. Mutation of the five residues significantly altered the Shark TBC1D15-GAP activity. CONCLUSIONS: These results revealed that the substrate specificity of TBC1D15 has had different mechanisms across the evolution of species from lower-cartilaginous fish to higher mammals. Collectively, the data support a different mechanism of Shark TBC1D15-GAP in substrate selection, which provides a new idea for the development of Marine drugs.

Overexpression of Abscisic Acid Biosynthesis Gene OsNCED3 Enhances Survival Rate and Tolerance to Alkaline Stress in Rice Seedlings.

Alkaline stress with high pH levels could significantly influence plant growth and survival. The enzyme 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) serves as a critical bottleneck in the biosynthesis of abscisic acid (ABA), making it essential for regulating stress tolerance. Here, we show that OsNCED3-overexpressing rice lines have increased ABA content by up to 50.90% and improved transcription levels of numerous genes involved in stress responses that significantly enhance seedling survival rates. Overexpression of OsNCED3 increased the dry weight contents of the total chlorophyll, proline, soluble sugar, starch, and the activities of antioxidant enzymes of rice seedlings, while reducing the contents of O2·-, H2O2, and malondialdehyde under hydroponic alkaline stress conditions simulated by 10, 15, and 20 mmol L-1 of Na2CO3. Additionally, the OsNCED3-overexpressing rice lines exhibited a notable increase in the expression of OsNCED3; ABA response-related genes OsSalT and OsWsi18; ion homeostasis-related genes OsAKT1, OsHKT1;5, OsSOS1, and OsNHX5; and ROS scavenging-related genes OsCu/Zn-SOD, OsFe-SOD, OsPOX1, OsCATA, OsCATB, and OsAPX1 in rice seedling leaves. The results of these findings suggest that overexpression of OsNCED3 upregulates endogenous ABA levels and the expression of stress response genes, which represents an innovative molecular approach for enhancing the alkaline tolerance of rice seedlings.

Alterations of angiopoietin-related growth factor (Angptl6) during pregnancy and in pre-eclampsia.

AIM: The aim of this study was to clarify the alterations of angiopoietin-related growth factor (AGF, also known as Angptl6/ARP5) in the serum of normally pregnant women and pre-eclamptic women and to explore the role of AGF in pre-eclampsia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty healthy non-pregnant women, 118 normally pregnant women (30 at 6-12 gestational weeks, 30 at 13-28 weeks and 58 at 29-40 weeks, respectively) and 46 pre-eclamptic women were recruited. Fasting blood samples were obtained from all subjects. Fifteen women of healthy pregnant women provided their blood samples at 24 and 48 h after cesarean section, respectively. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine the serum level of AGF. RESULTS: Serum levels of AGF were significantly higher in normally pregnant women than non-pregnant women (P < 0.001 of all). Although serum AGF of the first trimester was significantly higher than that of the second trimester (P = 0.033), there were no significant differences of serum AGF in the comparison between the first and third trimester (P = 0.064) and between the second and third trimester (P = 0.546). Serum AGF significantly decreased after delivery (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in AGF of maternal serum between pre-eclamptic women and normally pregnant control women (P = 0.285). There were no significant differences in circulating AGF concentration between non-pregnant women and postpartum groups (P = 0.052 for 24 h after delivery and P = 0.083 for 48 h after delivery). CONCLUSION: The serum level of AGF was elevated in normal pregnancy compared with non-pregnant women, suggesting that placenta is an important source of circulating AGF during pregnancy.

Development and validation of a clinical risk score to predict the occurrence of critical illness in hospitalized patients with SFTS.

BACKGROUND: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease with high mortality. Early identification of patients who may advance to critical stages is crucial. This investigation aimed to establish models to predict SFTS before it reaches the critical illness stage. METHODS: Between January 2016 and September 2022, 278 cases have been included in this study. There were 87 demographic and systemic chosen variables. For selecting the predictive variables from the cohort, the LASSO was utilized, and for identifying independent predictors, multivariate logistic regression was performed. Based on these factors, a nomogram was established for critical illness. Concordance index values, decision curve analysis and the area under the curve (AUC) were also examined. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression demonstrated the most important differentiating factors as;> 65 years old (P < 0.001, OR 3.388, 95 % CI 1.767-6.696), elevated serum PT (P = 0.011, OR 6.641, 95 % CI 1.584-31.934), elevated serum TT (P = 0.005, OR 3.384, 95 % CI 1.503-8.491), and elevated serum bicarbonate (P = 0.014, OR 0.242, 95 % CI 0.070-0.707). The C-index of the nomogram was 0.812 (95 % CI: 0.754-0.869), representing good discrimination. The model also showed excellent calibration. The AUC of the nomogram established based on four factors, as mentioned earlier, was 0.806. Furthermore, the model had the excellent net benefit, as revealed by the decision curve analysis. CONCLUSION: An accurate risk score system built on manifestations noted in patients with SFTS upon admission to hospital, might be advantageous in managing SFTS.

A single-cell atlas of the peripheral immune response in patients with influenza A virus infection.

Influenza A virus (IAV) remains a pressing global health concern, yet our understanding of the specific nature and functional roles of certain circulating cell subsets in relation to this viral infection remains unclear. We performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) on single-cell whole-blood (scWB) isolated from various populations using the Singleron Matrix platform. Our investigation showed a significant upregulation of the IFN-stimulated gene, IFN-α-inducible protein 27 (IFI27), in patients affected by IAV infection and further found that the heightened expression of IFI27 was primarily concentrated in specific immune cell populations, including monocytes and conventional dendritic cells (cDCs). Notably, we identified a specific subset of neutrophils, neutrophil_ISG15, which implicates interferon (IFN) signaling in IAV infection. Our findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the cellular subtypes and molecular characteristics of scWB across different populations with IAV infection.

Electrostatic Analysis of Bioactivity of Ti-6Al-4V Hydrophilic Surface with Laser Textured Micro-Square Convexes.

At solid-liquid interfaces, charged particles within the electric double layer (EDL) are acted on by the electrostatic force, which may affect cell absorption and surface wettability. In this study, a model of the electrostatic force and surface tension of textured surfaces was presented. Then, the growth and adhesion of Murine osteoblasts (MC3T3-E1) cells on laser-ablated micro-square-textured Ti-6Al-4V surfaces were studied to demonstrate the use of a laser-processed texture to effectively improve bioactivity. Three different micro-square-textured hydrophilic surfaces, presenting lower contact angles of 19°, 22.5°, and 31.75° compared with that of a smooth surface (56.5°), were fabricated using a fiber-optic laser. Cellular morphology and initial cell attachment were analyzed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and fluorescence microscopy, respectively. The results show that the electrostatic force not only made the textured surface more hydrophilic but also made the cells tend to adhere to the edges and corners of the protruding convexes. Cell morphology analysis also showed that cells would prefer to grow at the edges and corners of each micro-square convex protrusion. The laser-treated surfaces were more conducive to rapid cell growth and adhesion, and cells were preferentially attached on the hydrophilic-textured surfaces. Electrostatic force may be an important factor in effectively improving the bioactivity of Ti-6Al-4V surfaces, and the presence of more surface grooves would be more conducive to improving the bioactivity of cells.

Evidence-Based Care Can Improve Treatment Compliance and Quality of Life of Patients with Acute Pancreatitis.

Acute pancreatitis represents a disease characterized by acute necro-inflammatory changes in the pancreas, which is histologically characterized by destruction of alveolar cells. We aim to explore whether evidence-based care can improve treatment compliance and quality of life of patients with acute pancreatitis. The changes of hemoglobin (HGB), serum pre-albumin (PAB), and serum albumin (ALB) before and after care were observed, as well as the incidence of complications after care, total effective rate after care, disease severity (bedside index for severity in acute pancreatitis, BISAP) before and after care, and psychological scores of the two groups before and after care were observed. Patients' compliance after care, self-management scores after care, and quality of life after care were compared between the two groups. After care, HGB, PAB, and ALB increased significantly in both groups (p < 0.05) and were higher in OG than CG. Compared with CG, OG had significantly lower incidence of complications (p=0.009), significantly higher total effective rate (p=0.011), significantly lower disease severity (p < 0.05), significantly better psychological condition scores (p < 0.05), significantly higher compliance scores (p < 0.05), higher self-management scores (p < 0.05), and significantly higher quality of life (p < 0.001). Evidence-based care can improve treatment compliance of patients with acute pancreatitis and can effectively improve their quality of life.

Effects of a 15-amino-acid isoform of amyloid- ß expressed by silkworm pupae on B6C3-Tg Alzheimer's disease transgenic mice.

Silkworms are an economically important insect.Silkworm pupae are also a nutrient-rich food and can be used as a pharmaceutical intermediate.The N-terminus of Aß includes 1-15 amino acid residues with a B cell surface antigen that is necessary to produce antibody and prevent the adverse reactions observed in response to the full Aß42 peptide. In this study, we used silkworm pupae to develop a safer vaccine for Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Aß15 peptide was fused with the cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) and expressed in silkworm pupae. Then, we tested an oral vaccine with the peptide expressed by silkworm pupae in a transgenic mouse model of AD. The results show that anti-Aß antibodies were induced, Aß deposition in the brain decreased, the content of malondialdehyde was lower than in the other group, and memory and cognition of the mice improved. These results suggest that the high-nutrient CTB-Aß15 silkworm pupa vaccine has a potential clinical application for the prevention of AD.

Isolation and characterization of Bacillus sp. GFP-2, a novel Bacillus strain with antimicrobial activities, from Whitespotted bamboo shark intestine.

The abuse of antibiotics and following rapidly increasing of antibiotic-resistant pathogens is the serious threat to our society. Natural products from microorganism are regarded as the important substitution antimicrobial agents of antibiotics. We isolated a new strain, Bacillus sp. GFP-2, from the Chiloscyllium plagiosum (Whitespotted bamboo shark) intestine, which showed great inhibitory effects on the growth of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Additionally, the growth of salmon was effectively promoted when fed with inactivated strain GFP-2 as the inhibition agent of pathogenic bacteria. The genes encoding antimicrobial peptides like LCI, YFGAP and hGAPDH and gene clusters for secondary metabolites and bacteriocins, such as difficidin, bacillibactin, bacilysin, surfactin, butirosin, macrolactin, bacillaene, fengycin, lanthipeptides and LCI, were predicted in the genome of Bacillus sp. GFP-2, which might be expressed and contribute to the antimicrobial activities of this strain. The gene encoding ß-1,3-1,4-glucanase was successfully cloned from the genome and this protein was detected in the culture supernatant of Bacillus sp. GFP-2 by the antibody produced in rabbit immunized with the recombinant ß-1,3-1,4-glucanase, indicating that this strain could express ß-1,3-1,4-glucanase, which might partially contribute to its antimicrobial activities. This study can enhance a better understanding of the mechanism of antimicrobial activities in genus Bacillus and provide a useful material for the biotechnology study in antimicrobial agent development.