Long-term outcomes of axillary to carotid bypass for symptomatic patients with chronic common carotid artery occlusion.

OBJECTIVE: Relatively little is known about the natural history of atherosclerotic common carotid artery occlusion and optimal treatment of these patients is still unclear. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the immediate- and long-term outcomes of axillary to carotid bypass with polytetrafluoroethylene graft for symptomatic patients with chronic common carotid artery occlusion. METHODS: From March 2001 to December 2017, 58 symptomatic patients (41 men; mean age 64.7 years) with chronic common carotid artery occlusion underwent axillary to carotid bypass at one academic hospital. The clinical data of this patient cohort were retrospectively analyzed. The cumulative graft patency, overall survival, freedom from symptoms, and freedom from ipsilateral stroke were calculated with Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients presented with transient ischemic attack and 25 patients presented with minor stroke. At 30 days after bypass, the overall perioperative complication rate was 3.4% (2/58). Mild injuries of brachial plexus occurred in one (1.7%) patient and myocardial infarction occurred in one (1.7%) patient. No perioperative stroke or death occurred. The median follow-up was 51 months (range, 12-203) for this series. The cumulative graft patency rates at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years were 100%, 100%, 94%, and 83%, respectively. The cumulative freedom from symptoms rates at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years were 100%, 100%, 94%, and 75%, respectively. The cumulative freedom from ipsilateral stroke rates at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years were 100%, 100%, 94%, and 82%, respectively. The overall survival rates at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years were 98%, 89%, 81%, and 67%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Axillary to carotid bypass with polytetrafluoroethylene graft is safe and durable for symptomatic patients with chronic common carotid artery occlusion. The results of this study should be confirmed with a larger, randomized controlled trial in future.

Multiplexed Detection of Tumor Markers with Multicolor Polymer Dot-Based Immunochromatography Test Strip.

There have been ongoing efforts to develop more sensitive and fast quantitative screening of cancer markers by use of fluorometric immunochromatographic test strips (ICTS) since the remarkable advances in fluorescent nanomaterials. Semiconducting polymer dots (Pdots) have recently emerged as a new type of biocompatible fluorescent probe with extraordinary brightness which is suitable for biological and clinical use. Here, we developed Pdot-based ICTS for quantitative rapid screening of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), α-fetoprotein (AFP), and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in 10 min. Through use of the ultrahigh fluorescence brightness of Pdots, this immunosensor enabled much better detection sensitivity (2.05, 3.30, and 4.92 pg/mL for PSA, AFP, and CEA, respectively), in which the detection limit is at least 2 orders of magnitude lower than that of conventional fluorometric ICTS. Furthermore, we performed proof-of-concept experiments for simultaneous determination of multiple tumor markers in a single test strip. These results demonstrated that this Pdot-based ICTS platform is a promising candidate for developing new generations of point-of-care diagnostics. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of Pdot-based ICTS with multiplexing capability.

Doxorubicin Loaded Silica Nanoparticles with Dual Modification as a Tumor-Targeted Drug Delivery System for Colon Cancer Therapy.

In the following study, we describe the preparation and characterization of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and biotin modified, doxorubicin (DOX) loaded silica nanoparticles (Dox/SLN-PEG-Biotin), which was employed as a drug delivery system for colon cancer therapy. The DOX/SLN-PEG-Biotin exhibited small particle size and low cytotoxicity in vitro. Moreover, the Dox releases from DOX/SLN-PEG-Biotin followed a redox-sensitive behavior. Biotin functionalized Dox/SLN-PEG-Biotin demonstrated tumor-targeted delivery of their payload, resulting in enhanced cellular uptake in HCT116 tumor cells and potentiated tumor accumulation in HCT116 tumor-bearing mice. In particular, in vivo anti-cancer assay confirmed that DOX/SLN-PEG-Biotin as a tumor-targeted delivery system exerted strong anti-cancer efficacy. Altogether, DOX chemotherapy using DOX/SLN-PEG-Biotin might be an effective strategy for improved treatment in colon cancer.

Improving the quality of fermented black tea juice with oolong tea infusion.

Fresh tea leaves were crushed into juice and then fermented (oxidation) to obtain fermented black tea juice, which can be used to prepare black tea beverage. The effects of addition of oolong tea infusion or tossing of tea leaves on the sensory quality and theaflavins (TFs) concentration of fermented black tea juice were investigated. The results showed that both addition of tea infusion and tossing of fresh tea leaves increased the TFs/thearubigins (TRs) ratio and improved the sensory quality of fermented black tea juice. The TFs/TRs ratio was found to be significantly correlated with the scores for flavor (r = 0.98), mouth feel (r = 0.94), and overall acceptability (r = 0.91) of the fermented black tea juices from different processes. This result suggested that a relatively high concentration of catechins and stepwise enzymatic oxidation were the crucial factors that increased the TFs/TRs ratio and improved the sensory quality. The combination of adding tea infusion and tossing fresh tea leaves greatly improved the quality of the fermented black tea juice by markedly increasing the TFs/TRs ratio (87%). Results of the present study provided useful information for improving the quality of fermented black tea juice.

Experimental study on the construction of small three-dimensional tissue engineered grafts of electrospun poly-ε-caprolactone.

Studies on three-dimensional tissue engineered graft (3DTEG) have attracted great interest among researchers as they present a means to meet the pressing clinical demand for tissue engineering scaffolds. To explore the feasibility of 3DTEG, high porosity poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) was obtained via the co-electrospinning of polyethylene glycol and PCL, and used to construct small-diameter poly-ε-caprolactone-lysine (PCL-LYS-H) scaffolds, whereby heparin was anchored to the scaffold surface by lysine groups. A variety of small-diameter 3DTEG models were constructed with different PCL layers and the mechanical properties of the resulting constructs were evaluated in order to select the best model for 3DTEGs. Bone marrow mononuclear cells were induced and differentiated to endothelial cells (ECs) and smooth muscle cells (SMCs). A 3DTEG (labeled '10-4%') was successfully produced by the dynamic co-culture of ECs on the PCL-LYS-H scaffolds and SMCs on PCL. The fluorescently labeled cells on the 3DTEG were subsequently observed by laser confocal microscopy, which showed that the ECs and SMCs were embedded in the 3DTEG. Nitric oxide and endothelial nitric oxide synthase assays showed that the ECs behaved normally in the 3DTEG. This study consequently provides a new thread to produce small-diameter tissue engineered grafts, with excellent mechanical properties, that are perfusable to vasculature and functional cells.

Porous titanium-6 aluminum-4 vanadium cage has better osseointegration and less micromotion than a poly-ether-ether-ketone cage in sheep vertebral fusion.

Interbody fusion cages made of poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK) have been widely used in clinics for spinal disorders treatment; however, they do not integrate well with surrounding bone tissue. Ti-6Al-4V (Ti) has demonstrated greater osteoconductivity than PEEK, but the traditional Ti cage is generally limited by its much greater elastic modulus (110 GPa) than natural bone (0.05-30 GPa). In this study, we developed a porous Ti cage using electron beam melting (EBM) technique to reduce its elastic modulus and compared its spinal fusion efficacy with a PEEK cage in a preclinical sheep anterior cervical fusion model. A porous Ti cage possesses a fully interconnected porous structure (porosity: 68 ± 5.3%; pore size: 710 ± 42 µm) and a similar Young's modulus as natural bone (2.5 ± 0.2 GPa). When implanted in vivo, the porous Ti cage promoted fast bone ingrowth, achieving similar bone volume fraction at 6 months as the PEEK cage without autograft transplantation. Moreover, it promoted better osteointegration with higher degree (2-10x) of bone-material binding, demonstrated by histomorphometrical analysis, and significantly higher mechanical stability (P < 0.01), shown by biomechanical testing. The porous Ti cage fabricated by EBM could achieve fast bone ingrowth. In addition, it had better osseointegration and superior mechanical stability than the conventional PEEK cage, demonstrating great potential for clinical application.

Efficacy evaluation of True Lift®, a nonsurgical facial ligament retightening injection technique: Two case reports.

BACKGROUND: With aging, four major facial retaining ligaments become elongated, leading to facial sagging and wrinkling. Even though synthetic fillers are popular, however, it cannot address the problems of soft tissue descent alone, and injection of these fillers requires knowledge of the injection technique including the selection of injection sites, the amount of filler, and the dosage used per injection site. CASE SUMMARY: This report aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of a nonsurgical retightening technique to lift and tighten the true ligaments of the face, to improve age-related skin sagging and wrinkling. We objectively quantified the aesthetic lifting effect of a nonsurgical facial retightening procedure that strategically injected high G' fillers into the base of the true retaining ligaments of the face in two female patients. Facial images were recorded with a three-dimensional facial imaging system for comparison of the clinical outcome. The primary efficacy outcome was the change in facial anthropometric measurements obtained prior to and after injection. The patients were followed for 6 mo after the procedure. Skin retightening was observed, with an evident lift in the orbital, zygomatic, and mandibular regions, and the lifting effect was still observable at the 6-mo follow-up. Few mild adverse events, such as mild-to-moderate pain, tenderness, and itching, occurred during the 1st week after the procedure. No adverse events were reported 1 mo post-procedure. CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrated that our nonsurgical retightening procedure with strategically placed high G' fillers achieved quantifiable aesthetic improvements in the orbital, zygomatic, and mandibular regions of two patients. Future research with a larger sample could provide a more in-depth evaluation and validation of the aesthetic improvements observed in this study.

A targeted and nontargeted metabolomics study on the oral processing of epicatechins from green tea.

Oral processing (OP), referring to the whole process of food digestion in human mouth, has a major influence on food flavor perception. This study focused on the compositional changes of the four green tea epicatechins (viz., EC, EGC, ECG, EGCG) during OP, based on targeted and nontargeted metabolomics. It was found that the four epicatechins were all extensively lost through transformation undergoing OP, among which EC was the most stable one, whereas EGCG the least. EGCG was further revealed to be susceptible to human oral cavity in the simulated OP in vitro. It could be converted physically by precipitating with mucin in saliva, and chemically through hydrolysis and dimerization, mediated mainly by the neutral pH condition. The OP of epicatechins also caused salivary composition changes possibly involving health benefits of green tea. These findings could raise awareness of the interactions between epicatechins, or any other food materials, with human mouth.

Epidemiological characteristics of hand, foot, and mouth disease in China: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To study the epidemic features of hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) in mainland China through systematic review and meta-analysis so as to provide evidence for the future prevention and control of HFMD. METHODS: Articles on the epidemic features of HFMD in mainland China, written in English or Chinese and released between January 1, 2015 and January 1, 2020, were searched from English literature databases including Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane library, Google academic, and Chinese literature databases including China national knowledge infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, and China Biology Medicine (CBM). Papers were selected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and quality scoring was performed. Meta-analysis, sensitivity analysis, and identification of publication bias were finished through STATA version 12.0 software. RESULTS: A total of 23 articles were included in this study, the total number of cases was 377,083, of which the total number of male cases was 231,798 and the total number of female cases was 145,285, the sex ratio was about 1.6:1, and the incidence of HFMD in China was 1.61‰ (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.21‰-1.94‰). The results of the subgroup analysis showed that the incidence of HFMD in mainland China was the highest in South China, in 2014, in 1-year-old group and in other types of enteroviruses, respectively, with the rate of 3.48‰ (95% CI: 1.22‰-5.73‰), 1.81‰ (95% CI: 1.06‰-2.57‰), 15.20‰ (95% CI: 5.00‰-25.30‰), and 1.83‰ (95% CI: 1.32‰-2.33‰), respectively. The differences among the above 4 subgroups were statistically significant (P < .05). There were no publication bias in this study, and the sensitivity analysis results suggested that the meta-analysis results were robust. CONCLUSION: There were differences in the distribution of region, time, population, and etiology of HFMD in mainland China. Health departments should adopt key strategies and measures for key populations in key areas to prevent and control the development of HFMD, and improve the ability of pathogen detection and typing in laboratories.

Severe skeletal bimaxillary protrusion treated with micro-implants and a self-made four-curvature torquing auxiliary: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Bimaxillary protrusion is a clinically common dentofacial deformity, particularly among Chinese patients. This kind of malformation can severely affect facial esthetics and, even in mild cases, is difficult to correct without surgery. Unfortunately, many patients abandon treatment because of fear of surgery. Here, we describe a case of severe skeletal bimaxillary protrusion treated with nonsurgical orthodontic treatments, highlighting an alternative treatment option. CASE SUMMARY: A 31-year-old woman wished to address a severe protrusion profile (approximately 8 mm overbite) and gummy smile. Cephalometric analysis and superimposition showed a severe skeletal class II pattern with a mandibular retrusion, and proclined and protrusive mandibular incisors. Panoramic radiograph showed a missing mandibular right third molar. A diagnosis of severe bimaxillary dentoalveolar protrusion was made. Taking into account the patient's fear of orthognathic surgery, she accepted the proposed alternative treatment using micro-implants and a self-made four-curvature torquing auxiliary. The treatment allowed for maximal en masse anterior tooth retraction, proper relocation of incisors, and alleviation of the skeletal class II pattern. Esthetically, the patient's lip protrusion was significantly decreased as was the overjet (from 10.5 mm to 1.8 mm), and the results remained stable throughout the 2-year follow-up. CONCLUSION: Nonsurgical treatment using micro-implants and a four-curvature torquing auxiliary may benefit severe cases of skeletal bimaxillary protrusion in adults.

Hydrogel Complex Electrospun Scaffolds and Their Multiple Functions in In Situ Vascular Tissue Engineering.

Hydrogel complex scaffolds (hydrogel scaffolds) are prepared by coating precursor solutions onto heparin-modified poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCLH) scaffolds followed by subsequent in situ gelation. Here, we show that hydrogel complexation can significantly strengthen the scaffold and slow its degradation. The hydrogel scaffold was implanted into the abdominal aorta of a rat model, and the aneurysm incidence rate of the hydrogel scaffolds sharply decreased compared with that of the hydrogel-free scaffolds. Histological and immunohistological analyses showed that the implanted grafts had good vascular regeneration. The absence of calcification and occurrence of contractile smooth muscle cells (SMCs) at the first month was found in the hydrogel-free PCLH scaffold due to the presence of surface-modified heparin, whereas the hydrogel scaffold exhibited mild calcification and later occurrence of contractile SMCs as the complexed hydrogel covered the fibers and blocked the interaction between heparin and cells. Heparin was further physically encapsulated into the hydrogel before gelation, and its sustainable release was demonstrated by an in vitro release test. A pilot implantation in a rabbit carotid model showed that the encapsulated heparin modulated the scaffold characteristics including anticoagulation, anticalcification, and the early occurrence of contractile SMCs in vivo. Consequently, hydrogel complexation can significantly improve the in vivo regeneration property of the scaffold due to its multiple beneficial characteristics.

Evaluation of the performance of two neutral oral contrast agents in computed tomography enterography: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the performances, tolerability and acceptability of mannitol and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as oral contrast agents in patients undergoing computed tomography enterography (CTE). METHODS: Patients aged 18-75 years indicated for CTE were randomized to receive either mannitol or PEG as contrast agents. The coronal reconstructed images of each abdominal quadrant were assessed for maximum distention, proportion of distended bowel loops, presence of inhomogeneous contents and visibility of the small bowel wall. Overall subjective imaging quality assessment and patients' tolerability and acceptability were recorded. RESULTS: Seventy patients were enrolled and randomized into two groups. In the per-protocol analysis, no significant differences in imaging quality was found in bowel distention maximum diameter, wall visibility and intestinal homogeneity (all P > 0.05). The mean nausea score was lower in the mannitol group (0 [0-0] vs 1.0 [0-3.0], P < 0.001). Mannitol was superior to PEG in taste (9.0 [8.0-10.0] vs 7.0 [5.0-8.0], P < 0.001), patients' willingness to reuse the drug (9.0 [8.0-10.0] vs 8.0 [7.0-9.0], P = 0.036), satisfaction (9.0 [8.0-10.0] vs 8.0 [7.0-9.0], P = 0.022) and ease of completion (9.0 [8.0-9.3] vs 8.0 [6.5-9.0], P = 0.030). CONCLUSIONS: Both mannitol and PEG provided good bowel distention and visualization of the bowel wall. However, mannitol was significantly superior to PEG in patients' tolerability and acceptability.

Surgical treatment of 82 patients with diabetic lower limb ischemia by distal arterial bypass.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic lower limb ischemia is a serious complication of diabetes mellitus. This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of distal arterial bypass treatment in diabetic patients with lower limb ischemia. METHODS: From July 2000 to July 2004, 96 lower limbs of 82 diabetic patients (type 2) with severe lower limb ischemia were treated in Xuan Wu Hospital. Arterial bypass with femoro-popliteal polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and graft-tibial autologous grafts was performed on 31 limbs (32.3%). Popliteal-tibial artery bypass alone was performed on 22 limbs (22.9%). Combined iliac artery stenting, femoro-popliteal artery PTFE graft bypass, and graft-tibial artery autologous graft bypass was performed on 12 limbs (12.5%), and femoro-tibial artery graft bypass was performed on 10 limbs (10.4%). Popliteal-tibial-pedal artery graft bypass was performed on 7 limbs (7.3%). RESULTS: Arterial grafts in 92 limbs of 79 patients were patent on discharge. Three patients with 4 ischemic limbs (3.7%) died of respiratory failure 12 hours, 3 days and 7 days after operation respectively. Early operation success rate was 96.3% (79/82). Graft patency rate of patients on discharge was 95.8% (92/96). The short-term total effectiveness rate was 83.3% (80/96). Foot ulcer healing rate was 35.7% (10/28). 97.4% (75/77) patients were followed up for a mean of 13.5 months. The long-term total effective rate was 80.7% (71/88). The total amputation rate was 4.5% (4/88). Mortality was 4.5%. The total graft patency rate was 90.9% (80/88). CONCLUSION: In the treatment of diabetic foot, distal lower limb arterial bypass can help to avoid amputation or lower the amputation level, and may promote foot ulcer healing and improve patient's quality of life.

[Surface modification of vascular tissue engineering biomaterial by low temperature plasma with NH3, CO2 and O2].

OBJECTIVE: To study the biocompatibility of poly (hydroxybutyrate-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) modified by low temperature plasma with NH3, CO2, and O2 with canine Endothelial cells (ECs) and provide the better materials for blood vessel tissue engineering via surface modification. METHODS: PHBV was modified by low temperature plasma with NH3, CO2, and O2, for 0, 5, 10, 20, and 30 min respectively, PHBV not modified was used as control group. The contact angle was measured. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to detect the surface elements. Canine endothelial cells (ECs) were cultured on the surface of PHBV and were stained with fluorescence isothiocyanate (FITC). Their morphological characteristics were observed with fluorescence microscopy, and the cell proliferation was detected with MTT assay. RESULTS: The surface contents of carbon of the PHBV modified by low temperature plasma with O2 and CO2 were 63.75% and 69.72%, both lower than that before modification (77.97%). The surface contents of oxygen of the PHBV modified by low temperature plasma with O2 and CO2 were 30.72% and 28.48%, both higher than that before modification (21.74%). The surface content of nitrogen of the PHBV modified by low temperature plasma with NH3 was 3.25%, remarkably higher than that before modification (0). The contact angles of different modification groups, especially those of the 5 min groups, were all significantly smaller than that of the unmodified group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Compared with the control group, the cytocompatibility was better in the low temperature plasma modified groups. CONCLUSION: The surface of PHBV modified by low temperature plasma with NH3, CO2, and O2 has active groups and good biocompatibility, so the surface modification of low temperature plasma with NH3, CO2, and O2 can be a kind of effective method for the tissue engineering blood vessel.

Nine-hole Peg Test and Ten-meter Walk Test for Evaluating Functional Loss in Chinese Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease.

BACKGROUND: The 9-hole peg test (9-HPT) and 10-meter walk test (10-MWT) are commonly used to test finger motor function and walking ability. The aim of this present study was to investigate the efficacy of these tests for evaluating functional loss in Chinese Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease. METHODS: Thirty-four Chinese CMT patients (CMT group) from August 2015 to December 2016 were evaluated with 9-HPT, 10-MWT, CMT disease examination score, overall neuropathy limitation scale (ONLS), functional disability score, and Berg Balance Scale (BBS). Thirty-five age- and gender-matched healthy controls (control group) were also included in the study. Student's nonpaired or paired t-test were performed to compare data between two independent or related groups, respectively. The Pearson test was used to examine the correlations between recorded parameters. RESULTS: The mean 9-HPT completion time in the dominant hand of CMT patients was significantly slower than that in the healthy controls (29.60 ± 11.89 s vs. 19.58 ± 3.45 s; t = -4.728, P < 0.001). Women with CMT completed the 9-HPT significantly faster than men with CMT (dominant hand: 24.74 ± 7.93 s vs. 33.01 ± 13.14 s, t = 2.097, P = 0.044). The gait speed of the average self-selected velocity and the average fast-velocity assessed using 10-MWT for CMT patients were significantly slower than those in the control group (1.03 ± 0.18 m/s vs. 1.44 ± 0.17 m/s, t = 9.333, P < 0.001; 1.31 ± 0.30 m/s vs. 1.91 ± 0.25 m/s, t = 8.853, P < 0.001, respectively). There was no difference in gait speed between men and women. Both 9-HPT and 10-MWT were significantly correlated with the ONLS, functional disability score, and BBS (P < 0.05 for all). CONCLUSION: The 9-HPT and 10-MWT might be useful for functional assessment in Chinese patients with CMT.

An updated comparison of high- and low-viscosity cement vertebroplasty in the treatment of osteoporotic thoracolumbar vertebral compression fractures: A retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: This study mainly aimed to evaluate complications of cement leakage for osteoporotic thoracolumbar vertebral compression fractures by PVP using HVC, and access the clinical efficacy. METHODS: Between May 2013 and June 2015, 66 patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar vertebral compression fractures, who underwent PVP (36 HVC and 30 LVC) in our hospital, were enrolled. Cement leakage, Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), refracture of the cemented vertebrae, and adjacent vertebral fractures were evaluated. The follow-up time was 1 year. RESULTS: The overall cement leakage rate was 30.55% in the HVC group, lower than 77.77% obtained in the LVC group (P = 0.00). The incidence rates of cement leakage into paravertebral area (P = 0.02) and vein (P = 0.04) in the HVC group were significantly lower than those of the LVC group; however, no differences were found for disc space (P = 0.72) and intraspinal space (P = 0.58). There were no differences in VAS, ODI, refracture of cemented vertebrae, and adjacent vertebral fracture between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: PVP using HVC not only can reduce cement leakage, especially in the paravertebral area and peripheral vein, but also has satisfactory clinical effect.

[Primary experimental study on the construction of tissue engineering blood vessel].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the primary experimental methods to construct tissue engineering blood vessel. METHODS: Using the collagen-chitosan to prefabricate the scaffolds with 3-dimensional structure, the proliferated human endothelial cells (ECs), smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and fibroblasts act as the seed cells. The cells were seeded to scaffolds in two-step method, and engineering tissue were matured by static culture or bioreactor culture. Extracellular matrix contents and the platelet aggregation were examined in engineering tissue, tissue engineering blood vessels were taken as patches to repair the man-made defaults on the rats aorta. RESULTS: The proliferated human ECs, SMCs and fibroblast can hold activity and act as seed cells. The prefabricated scaffolds, with excellently cell and tissue biocompatibility, can facilitated cells adherence and upgrowth, the cells quantities and extracellular matrix contents in engineered tissue are time dependent increase (P < 0.05). Platelet aggregation tests confirm the tissue engineering blood vessel have some anti-coagulability. Using the engineering tissue patch to repair the default, 6 aortas in 8 animal were patency till 10 days post-operation. CONCLUSIONS: The seeding cells can be seeded on the 3-dimensional collagen-chitosan scaffolds and matured, the tissue engineering blood vessel can be constructed primarily.

The fabrication of double layer tubular vascular tissue engineering scaffold via coaxial electrospinning and its 3D cell coculture.

A continuous electrospinning technique was applied to fabricate double layer tubular tissue engineering vascular graft (TEVG) scaffold. The luminal layer was made from poly(ɛ-caprolac-tone)(PCL) ultrafine fibers via common single axial electrospinning followed by the outer layer of core-shell structured nanofibers via coaxial electrospinning. For preparing the outer layernano-fibers, the PCL was electrospun into the shell and both bovine serum albumin (BSA) and tetrapeptide val-gal-pro-gly (VAPG) were encapsulated into the core. The core-shell structure in the outer layer fibers was observed by transmission electron microscope (TEM). The in vitro release tests exhibited the sustainable release behavior of BSA and VAPG so that they provided a better cell growth environment in the interior of tubular scaffold wall. The in vitro culture of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) demonstrated their potential to penetrate into the scaffold wall for the 3D cell culture. Subsequently, 3D cell coculture was conducted. First, SMCs were seeded on the luminal surface of the scaffold and cultured for 5 days, and then endothelial cells (ECs) were also seeded on the luminal surface and cocultured with SMCs for another 2 days. After stained with antibodies, 3D cell distribution on the scaffold was revealed by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) where ECs were mainly located on the luminal surface whereas SMCs penetrated into the surface and distributed inside the scaffold wall. This double layer tubular scaffold with 3D cell distribution showed the promise to develop it into a novel TEVG for clinical trials in the near future.

[Fouling behavior of sodium alginate during microfiltration at various ionic compositions: XDLVO approach].

The extended Derjaguin-Laudau-Verwey-Overbeek (XDLVO) theory was utilized to quantitatively evaluate short-range interfacial interactions involved in microfiltration (MF) membrane fouling by sodium alginate (SA) at various ionic compositions. Results showed that for hydrophilic membrane surfaces, van der Waals interactions facilitated fouling, whereas acid-base interactions alleviated fouling; for hydrophobic membrane surfaces, however, van der Waals interactions mitigated fouling and acid-base interactions turned out to be favorable for fouling. Electrostatic double layer interactions contributed minimally to fouling when SA molecules came into contact with MF membrane surface. Ionic strength and Ca2+ affected SA fouling of MF membranes mainly through alteration of acid-base interactions between membrane and SA or among SA themselves. Higher ionic strength could make acid-base interaction less repulsive or more attractive, thus aggravating SA fouling of MF membrane. Although Ca2+ accelerated flux decline significantly, Ca2+ could enhance physical cleaning efficiencies. Under all tested ionic compositions, fouling potentials (K) of initial and subsequent stages correlated well with membrane-SA interfacial free energy of adhesion and SA-SA interfacial free energy of cohesion, respectively. This implies that the XDLVO theory is applicable for description of MF membrane fouling by SA at various ionic compositions.

A polycaprolactone-tricalcium phosphate composite scaffold as an autograft-free spinal fusion cage in a sheep model.

Titanium (Ti) based spinal fusion cages are frequently used in the clinics for the treatment of spinal degeneration and related diseases, however, their further clinical application is generally harassed by several drawbacks such as stress shielding, non-biodegradability and additional bone grafting procedure. Our earlier work has demonstrated the efficacy of a biodegradable macro-porous polycaprolactone-tricalcium phosphate (PCL-TCP) composite scaffold in promoting bony tissue ingrowth as well as its ability to sustain mechanical loads upon implantation into an orthotopic defect site. In this study, we investigated the use of PCL-TCP scaffold as an autograft-free spinal fusion cage in a preclinical sheep model over 12 months, and compared the fusion efficacy against Ti cages incorporated with autografts. Results showed that despite PCL-TCP scaffold as an autograft-free cage attaining a slower fusion rate at early stage (6 month), it achieved similar degree of spinal fusion efficacy as Ti cages aided with autograft at 12 month post-operation as evidenced by the radiographic and histological evaluation. PCL-TCP cages alone demonstrated better bone ingrowth with 2.6 fold higher bone/interspace ratio (B/I) and more homogeneous bone tissue distribution compared with that of the Ti cages (88.10  ±  3.63% vs. 33.74  ±  2.78%, p < 0.05) as seen from the histological and micro-CT analysis. Moreover, besides the bone tissue ingrowth, a quantitative approach was illustrated to accurately evaluate the osteointegration of fusion cage with surrounding bone tissue, and showed a 1.36 fold higher degree of osteointegration occurred in PCL-TCP cage group than Ti cage group (CS/PC: 79.31  ±  3.15% vs 58.44  ±  2.43%, p < 0.05). Furthermore, biomechanical analysis showed comparable mechanical strength of fused segments in both groups in terms of the range of motion and stiffness at 12 month (p > 0.05). The degradation profile of the PCL-TCP cages was noted to increase in tandem with new bone ingrowth into the pores, while maintaining good structural integrity necessary for supporting the spinal interbody segments. Therefore, with the better osteointegration, more bone tissue ingrowth as well as its favorable biodegradable and radiolucent properties, PCL-TCP cage has been demonstrated to be a promising candidate as an autograft-free fusion cage for clinical application.