Bacterial cellulose membrane incorporated with silver nanoparticles for wound healing in animal model.

The bacterial cellulose membrane (CM) is a promising biomaterial due to its easy applicability and moist environment. Moreover, nanoscale silver compounds (AgNO3) are synthesized and incorporated into CMs to provide these biomaterials with antimicrobial activity for wound healing. This study aimed to evaluate the cell viability of CM incorporated with nanoscale silver compounds, determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and its use on in vivo skin lesions. Wistar rats were divided according to treatment: untreated, CM (cellulose membrane), and AgCM (CM incorporated with silver nanoparticles). The euthanasia was performed on the 2nd, 7th, 14th, and 21st days to assess inflammation (myeloperoxidase-neutrophils, N-acetylglucosaminidase-macrophage, IL-1ß, IL-10), oxidative stress (NO-nitric oxide, DCF-H2O2), oxidative damage (carbonyl: membrane's damage; sulfhydryl: membrane's integrity), antioxidants (superoxide dismutase; glutathione), angiogenesis, tissue formation (collagen, TGF-ß1, smooth muscle α-actin, small decorin, and biglycan proteoglycans). The use of AgCM did not show toxicity, but antibacterial effect in vitro. Moreover, in vivo, AgCM provided balanced oxidative action, modulated the inflammatory profile due to the reduction of IL-1ß level and increase in IL-10 level, in addition to increased angiogenesis and collagen formation. The results suggest the use of silver nanoparticles (AgCM) enhanced the CM properties by providing antibacterial properties, modulation the inflammatory phase, and consequently promotes the healing of skin lesions, which can be used clinically to treat injuries.

Injured Achilles Tendons Treated with Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Transplantation and GDF-5.

Tendon injuries represent a clinical challenge in regenerative medicine because their natural repair process is complex and inefficient. The high incidence of tendon injuries is frequently associated with sports practice, aging, tendinopathies, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and the use of corticosteroids. The growing interest of scientists in using adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSC) in repair processes seems to be mostly due to their paracrine and immunomodulatory effects in stimulating specific cellular events. ADMSC activity can be influenced by GDF-5, which has been successfully used to drive tenogenic differentiation of ADMSC in vitro. Thus, we hypothesized that the application of ADMSC in isolation or in association with GDF-5 could improve Achilles tendon repair through the regulation of important remodeling genes expression. Lewis rats had tendons distributed in four groups: Transected (T), transected and treated with ADMSC (ASC) or GDF-5 (GDF5), or with both (ASC+GDF5). In the characterization of cells before application, ADMSC expressed the positive surface markers, CD90 (90%) and CD105 (95%), and the negative marker, CD45 (7%). ADMSC were also differentiated in chondrocytes, osteoblast, and adipocytes. On the 14th day after the tendon injury, GFP-ADMSC were observed in the transected region of tendons in the ASC and ASC+GDF5 groups, and exhibited and/or stimulated a similar genes expression profile when compared to the in vitro assay. ADMSC up-regulated Lox, Dcn, and Tgfb1 genes expression in comparison to T and ASC+GDF5 groups, which contributed to a lower proteoglycans arrangement, and to a higher collagen fiber organization and tendon biomechanics in the ASC group. The application of ADMSC in association with GDF-5 down-regulated Dcn, Gdf5, Lox, Tgfb1, Mmp2, and Timp2 genes expression, which contributed to a lower hydroxyproline concentration, lower collagen fiber organization, and to an improvement of the rats' gait 24 h after the injury. In conclusion, although the literature describes the benefic effect of GDF-5 for the tendon healing process, our results show that its application, isolated or associated with ADMSC, cannot improve the repair process of partial transected tendons, indicating the higher effectiveness of the application of ADMSC in injured Achilles tendons. Our results show that the application of ADMSC in injured Achilles tendons was more effective in relation to its association with GDF-5.

Estudio histoquímico de la enzima NADH-TR en músculo frontal de conejos norfolk (Oryctolagus cuniculus) / Histochemical study of enzyme in frontal muscle of norfolk rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

RESUMEN: El músculo frontal humano posee dos vientres formando junto, al músculo occipital y la gálea aponeurótica, el músculo occipitofrontal. Como músculo estriado esquelético, el músculo frontal puede presentar fibras con alta intensidad de oxidación (tipo I) y con baja intensidad de oxidación (tipo II). El objetivo de este trabajo fue la determinación, a través de la reacción histoquímica para nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide tetra-zolium redutase (NADH-TR), la distribución de fibras de tipos I y II del músculo frontal de conejos de la raza Norfolk inglesa, del sexo femenino, con edad de seis a ocho meses, pesando de 2,8 a 3,1 Kg. De un total de 1010 fibras estudiadas, la proporción encontrada fue de 33,8% para el tipo I, de 17,4% para el tipo IIA, y de 48,8% para el tipo IIB. La mayoría de las fibras encontradas era del tipo II, revelando la intensa actividad de este músculo en la mímica facial. Las fibras de tipo II presentan baja intensidad oxidativa, pudiendo así sufrir fatiga muscular. Estas conclusiones pueden ser un aporte en estudios para entender los procesos patológicos que pueden ocurrir en este músculo.

Efeito da aplicação de microcorrente na osteogênese após a fratura / The use of microcurrent on the osteogenesis after fracture

A produção de potenciais elétricos em tecidos biológicos como osso, dentina e outros, é obtida aplicando-se forças mecânicas sobre os mesmos. Este fenômeno conhecido como piezoeletricidade, desempenha papel importante na bioestimulação do processo de reparo de diferentes tecidos, isto porque correntes elétricas afetam a atividade celular e, assim, induzem o crescimento do osso e a osteogênese. No presente estudo investigou-se o efeito de diferentes intensidades de microcorrente no processo da osteogênese na tíbia de ratos da linhagem Wistar após fraturas cirúrgicas. Os animais foram dividos em quatro grupos de controle e submetidos a tratamento diário com microcorrente, com intensidade de 2µA/3min, 2µA/5min e 5µA/3min durante 28 dias. Os resultados mostraram que a estimulação diária com 5µA/3min foi efetiva no aumento da velocidade de reparo ósseo