Establishment of an Experimental Intracerebral Haemorrhage Model for Mass Effect Research using a Thermo-sensitive Hydrogel.

The mechanical response of brain tissue closely relates to cerebral blood flow and brain diseases. During intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH), a mass effect occurs during the initial bleeding and results in significant tissue deformation. However, fewer studies have focused on the brain damage mechanisms and treatment approaches associated with mass effects compared to the secondary brain injuries after ICH, which may be a result of the absence of acceptable animal models mimicking a mass effect. Thus, a thermo-sensitive poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) hydrogel was synthesized and injected into the rat brain to establish an ICH model for mass effect research. The PNIPAM hydrogel or autologous blood was injected to establish an ICH animal model, and the space-occupying volumes, brain tissue elasticity, brain oedema, neuronal cell death, iron deposition and behavioural recovery were evaluated. The lower critical solution temperature of PNIPAM hydrogel was 32 °C, and the PNIPAM hydrogel had a rough surface with similar topography and pore structure to a blood clot. Furthermore, the ICH model animals who received an injection of PNIPAM and blood produced similar lesion volumes, elasticity changes and mechanically activated ion channel piezo-2 upregulation in brain tissue. Meanwhile, slight iron deposition, neuronal cell death and brain oedema were observed in the PNIPAM hydrogel model compared to the blood model. In addition, the PNIPAM hydrogel showed good biocompatibility and stability in vivo via subcutaneous implantation. Our findings show that PNIPAM hydrogel cerebral infusion can form a mass effect similar to haematoma and minimize the interference of blood, and the establishment of a mass effect ICH model is beneficial for understanding the mechanism of primary brain injury and the role of mass effects in secondary brain damage after ICH.

The DnaJ Gene Family in Shiitake Culinary-Medicinal Mushroom, Lentinus edodes (Agaricomycetes): Comprehensive Identification, Characterization, and Expression Profiles under Different Conditions.

The DnaJ proteins, also called heat-shock protein 40 based on their molecular weight, play significant roles in organism growth and development and resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses. However, studies on the DnaJ gene family in Lentinus edodes (= Lentinula edodes) are less well known. In this study, 29 putative L. edode DnaJ genes (LeDnaJ01 to LeDnaJ29) were identified using bioinformatics analysis and were classified into four groups according to the presence of the J protein and zinc finger as well as C-terminal domain. Multiple cis elements related to the phytohormone and stresses were found in the promotor region of the LeDnaJ genes. In addition, qRT-PCR analysis revealed that 79.31% of LeDnaJ genes were induced by cadmium, 55.17% were induced by Trichoderma atroviride, and 37.93% were induced by heat stress, indicating that the LeDnaJ proteins might participate in the response of L. edodes to the multiple stresses. Meanwhile, qRT-PCR analysis also revealed that all LeDnaJs are expressed in at least one development stage, indicating that they could be involved in the process of L. edodes growth and development and the response to the abiotic and biotic stresses. Taken together, these results advance the functional analysis of DnaJ genes in Basidiomycetes.