Restoration of Cellular Proliferation and Characteristics of Human Tenocytes by Vitamin D.

Vitamin D (Vit D) increases calcium absorption in the intestine after binding to the Vit D receptor (VDR). The VDR has also been identified in muscle cells. Vit D supplementation resulted in improved muscle strength. However, there is a paucity of studies of the role of Vit D on tenocytes. We investigated the effects of Vit D on damaged tenocytes. Human tenocytes were treated with dexamethasone (Dex) to induce cell injury. Expression of the tenocyte-related markers tenomodulin (Tnmd), tenascin C (Tnc), scleraxis (Scx), mohawk (Mkx), and collagen (Col) 1 and 3 were measured. Then, tenocytes were cotreated with Vit D. 1-α-Hydroxylase and VDR were explored in tenocytes. With 10 µM Dex, the growth of tenocytes was significantly inhibited, and the gene expression of Tnmd, Tnc, Scx, Mkx, Col 1 and 3 also decreased. When tenocytes were cotreated with Vit D, cell proliferation recovered in a dose-dependent manner, and the expression of TNMD and Col 1 improved. When studying the mechanisms of the effects of Vit D on tenocytes, reactive oxygen species produced by Dex decreased with Vit D, and the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase and p38 was stimulated by Vit D cotreatment. 1-α-Hydroxylase and VDR were found in tenocytes, indicating that the cells have the ability to use an inactive form of Vit D and interact with it. Vit D is known to perform diverse actions and its protective effects on tenocytes suggest its beneficial role in tendon in addition to muscle and bone. © 2019 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 37:2241-2248, 2019.

Production of bio-sugar and bioethanol from coffee residue (CR) by acid-chlorite pretreatment.

Nowadays, coffee residue (CR) after roasting is recognized as one of the most useful resources in the world for producing the biofuel and bio-materials. In this study, we evaluated the potential of bio-sugar and bioethanol production from acid-chlorite treated CR. Notably, CR treated three times with acid-chlorite after organic solvent extraction (OSE-3), showed the high monosaccharide content, and the efficient sugar conversion yield compared to the other pretreatment conditions. The OSE-3 (6% substrate loading, w/v) can produce bio-sugar (0.568g/g OSE-3). Also, simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) produced ethanol (0.266g/g OSE-3), and showed an ethanol conversion yield of 73.8% after a 72-h reaction period. These results suggest that acid-chlorite pretreatment can improve the bio-sugar and bioethanol production of CR by removing the phenolic and brown compounds.

Feasibility of nerve stimulator as a supplemental aid for lumbar transforaminal epidural block.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical feasibility of an electric nerve stimulator in a lumbar transforaminal epidural block. METHODS: Using an electric nerve stimulator, transforaminal epidural blocks were performed in 105 segments of 49 patients who presented with lower back pain with radiating pain to lower extremities. The contrast medium was injected to delineate the nerve root after positioning an insulated needle at the intervertebral foramen under fluoroscopic guidance. Then, the nerve root was electrically stimulated with the insulated needle to confirm whether or not the same radiating pain was evoked. RESULTS: Of the 105 foraminal segments, the same radiating pain was evoked at 0.5 mAh in 47 segments (44.8%), at 1.0 mAh in 22 (21.0%), at 1.5 mAh in 3 (2.9%), at 2.0 mAh in 15 (14.3%), at 2.5 mAh in 4 (3.8%), and at 3.0 mAh in 5 (4.8%). No response was observed in 9 segments (8.6%). The fluoroscopy revealed successful positioning of the needle in the patients with an evoked radiating pain over 2.0 mAh. The visual analogue scale (VAS) obtained for pain improved from a mean of 7.5 to 2.7 after the block (p = 0.001). In the 9 cases without response to electrical stimulation, the patients showed an improvement on VAS from 7.8 to 3.4 (p= 0.008) also. CONCLUSIONS: A nerve stimulator can help to predict the accuracy of needle positioning as a supplemental aid for a successful lumbar transforaminal epidural block. It is sufficient to initiate a proper stimulation amplitude of the nerve at 2 mAh.

Characteristics of phosphorus adsorption for a titanium mesostructure synthesized with various surfactants.

Eutrophication due to excessive phosphorus in water has been considered one of the most important environmental problems. In this study, a titanium mesostructure, prepared with different surfactant templates, was tested to confirm its applicability as an adsorbent for the removal of phosphorus and to evaluate the phosphorus removal efficiency. An X-ray diffraction analysis, the phosphorus adsorption isotherm and a kinetic test were performed on the titanium mesostructure synthesized with various molar ratios of base material to surfactant and different surfactant templates. It was revealed that the mesostructure synthesized with the molar ratio of 1.00/0.25 was the most uniformly and clearly formed and had the maximum adsorption capacity.

The effectiveness of bone mineral density as supplementary tool for evaluation of the osteogenic potential in patients with spinal fusion.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. PURPOSE: This study was designed to determine the effectiveness of bone mineral density measurement as a supplementary tool for evaluation of osteogenic potential in patients with spinal fusion. To this end, we correlated bone mineral density (BMD) with osteogenic potential from cultured mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Many studies have correlated osteogenic potential of in vitro cultured MSCs with aging or osteoporosis. METHODS: We studied twenty-five individuals with harvested bone marrow from the ilium during lumbar spinal surgery. The BMD of the femoral neck was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry prior to bone marrow aspiration, and the osteoporotic group was classified as those with T-scores below-2.5. After MSCs were isolated from bone marrow, in vitro induction of osteogenesis was performed. We analyzed the patient's osteogenic potential from cultured MSCs such as mineral deposition stain, bone alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and osteoblast-specific gene expression in RT-PCR. RESULTS: On mineral staining, the osteoporotic group had a scanty matrix mineral deposition in contrast to the non-osteoporotic group. The expression of osteocalcin in the osteoporotic group was 1.5 to 3 times less than in the non-osteoporotic group. At the 3(rd) week after the induction of osteogenesis, the activity of ALP of cultured MSCs in the osteoporotic group was lower than in the control group (mean, 45+/-19 u/L, in osteoporotic group vs 136+/-7 u/L in non-osteoporotic), and there was a statistically significant and positive correlation between BMD & ALP (r=0.487, p=0.013). CONCLUSIONS: There is a positive correlation between BMD and osteogenic potential derived from MSCs. The measurement of BMD can provide supplementary data for evaluating osteogenic potential clinically.

Treatment outcomes for HIV-uninfected patients with multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: Multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB) is more difficult to treat than is drug-susceptible TB. To elucidate the optimal therapy for MDR TB, we assessed the treatment outcomes and prognostic factors for patients with MDR TB. METHODS: This study included patients who received an individualized treatment regimen for MDR TB at Samsung Medical Center, a tertiary referral hospital in Seoul, Korea, from January 1995 through December 2004. To identify the prognostic factors related to favorable treatment outcomes, univariate comparison and multiple logistic regression were performed. RESULTS: Of 155 patients, 18 (12%) had newly diagnosed MDR TB, 81 (52%) had previously received treatment with first-line drugs, and 56 (36%) had received treatment with second-line drugs. The isolated strains were resistant to a median of 5 drugs. Twenty-seven patients (17%) had extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB at the start of treatment. Outcome assessment revealed that 102 patients (66%) were cured or completed therapy. The treatment success rates did not differ significantly between patients with non-XDR MDR TB and those with XDR TB (66% vs. 67%). Surgical resection was performed more frequently for patients with XDR TB than for those with non-XDR MDR TB (48% vs. 17%). Combined surgical resection, body mass index >/=18.5 (calculated as the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters), use of >4 effective drugs, and a negative sputum smear result were independent predictors of a favorable outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Early aggressive treatment comprising at least 4 effective drugs and surgical resection, when indicated, may improve the outcome for patients with MDR TB or XDR TB.

Transferrin inhibits stress-induced apoptosis in a beetle.

Transferrin in insects is known as an iron transporter, an antibiotic agent, a vitellogenin, and a juvenile hormone-regulated protein. We show here a novel functional role for insect transferrin. Stresses, such as iron overload, bacterial or fungal challenge, cold or heat shock, wounding, and H2O2 or paraquat exposure, cause upregulation of the beetle Apriona germari transferrin (AgTf) gene in the fat body and epidermis, and they cause increased AgTf protein levels. RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated AgTf reduction results in rapid induction of apoptotic cell death in the fat body during exposure to heat stress. The observed effect of AgTf RNAi indicates that AgTf inhibits heat stress-induced apoptotic cell death, suggesting a functional role for AgTf in defense and stress responses in the beetle.

Bombus ignitus Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1): cDNA cloning, gene structure, and up-regulation in response to paraquat, temperature stress, or lipopolysaccharide stimulation.

A Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) gene was cloned from the bumblebee, Bombus ignitus. The SOD1 gene of B. ignitus spans 1,317 bp and consists of three introns and four exons encoding 151 amino acid residues. The B. ignitus SOD1 (BiSOD1) possesses the typical metal-binding ligands of six histidines and one aspartic acid common to SOD1s. The deduced amino acid sequence of the BiSOD1 cDNA showed 82% identity to Apis mellifera SOD1 and 68-64% to SOD1 sequences from other insects. Northern blot analysis revealed the presence of BiSOD1 transcripts in all tissues examined. When paraquat (methyl viologen), a free radical-inducing agent, was injected into the body cavity of B. ignitus workers, BiSOD1 mRNA expression was up-regulated in the fat body. In addition, the expression levels of BiSOD1 mRNA in the fat body significantly increased when B. ignitus workers were exposed to low (4 degrees C) or high (37 degrees C) temperatures, or injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which suggests that BiSOD1 possibly protects against oxidative stress caused by extreme temperatures and bacterial infection.