Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells improve rat islet graft revascularization by upregulating ISL1.

Revascularization of the islet transplant is a crucial step that defines the success rate of patient recovery. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have been reported to promote revascularization; however, the underlying cellular mechanism remains unclear. Moreover, our liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry results showed that BMSCs could promote the expression of insulin gene enhancer binding protein-1 (ISL1) in islets. ISL1 is involved in islets proliferation and plays a potential regulatory role in the revascularization of islets. This study identifies the ISL1 protein as a potential modulator in BMSCs-mediated revascularization of islet grafts. We demonstrated that the survival rate and insulin secretion of islets were increased in the presence of BMSCs, indicating that BMSCs promote islet revascularization in a coculture system and rat diabetes model. Interestingly, we also observed that the presence of BMSCs led to an increase in ISL1 and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) expression in both islets and the INS-1 rat insulinoma cell line. In silico protein structure modeling indicated that ISL1 is a transcription factor that has four binding sites with VEGFA mRNA. Further results showed that overexpression of ISL1 increased both the abundance of VEGFA transcripts and protein accumulation, while inhibition of ISL1 decreased the abundance of VEGFA. Using a ChIP-qPCR assay, we demonstrated that direct molecular interactions between ISL1 and VEGFA occur in INS-1 cells. Together, these findings reveal that BMSCs promote the expression of ISL1 in islets and lead to an increase in VEGFA in islet grafts. Hence, ISL1 is a potential target to induce early revascularization in islet transplantation.

Optical-Relayed Entanglement Distribution Using Drones as Mobile Nodes.

Entanglement distribution has been accomplished using a flying drone, and this mobile platform can be generalized for multiple mobile nodes with optical relay among them. Here we develop the first optical relay to reshape the wave front of photons for their low diffraction loss in free-space transmission. Using two drones, where one distributes the entangled photons and the other serves as relay node, we achieve entanglement distribution with Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt S parameter of 2.59±0.11 at 1 km distance. Key components for entangled source, tracking, and relay are developed with high performance and are lightweight, constructing a scalable airborne system for multinode connectio and toward mobile quantum networks.

Management of a pregnant patient with chylomicronemia from a novel mutation in GPIHBP1: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS) is a rare autosomal recessive lipid disorder often associated with recurrent episodes of pancreatitis. It is documented in most cases with FCS due to the mutations of key proteins in lipolysis, including LPL, APOC2, APOA5, LMF1 and GPIHBP1. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the successful management of a 35-year-old pregnant woman carrying a novel homozygous frameshift mutation c.48_49insGCGG (p.P17A fs*22) in the GPIHBP1 gene with previous severe episodes of acute pancreatitis triggered by pregnancy, resulting in adverse obstetrical outcomes. With careful monitoring, the patient underwent an uneventful pregnancy and delivered a baby with no anomalies. CONCLUSIONS: The case report contributes to the understanding of GPIHBP1-deficient familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS) and highlights gestational management of FCS patient.

lncRNA CCAT1 is a biomarker for the proliferation and drug resistance of esophageal cancer via the miR-143/PLK1/BUBR1 axis.

Recent evidence indicates that long noncoding RNA colon cancer-associated transcript-1 (lncRNA CCAT1) is abundantly expressed in esophageal cancer and is closely related to the occurrence, development, invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance of this disease. However, the role and molecular mechanisms of CCAT1 in the cell proliferation and chemoresistance of esophageal cancer are largely unknown. The correlation between CCAT1 expression and drug resistance to cisplatin (CDDP) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells was analyzed using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays. CCAT1 knockdown and miR-143 overexpression or inhibition were used to verify the effects on proliferation and drug resistance via MTT, western blotting, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence assays. qRT-PCR and western blotting were applied to detect the potential regulatory relationship among CCAT1, miR-143, PLK1, and BUBR1. A xenograft tumor assay was performed to validate the role of CCAT1 in vivo. The expression of CCAT1 was positively correlated with drug resistance in several ESCC cell lines. CCAT1 knockdown and miR-143 overexpression inhibited cell proliferation and CDDP drug resistance. Moreover, the downstream target of CCAT1 was found to be miR-143, which can regulate the expression of PLK1 and BUBR1. In vivo assays showed that CCAT1 knockdown suppressed tumor growth and enhanced the sensitivity of tumors to CDDP in nude mice. Taken together, we discovered a novel mechanism by which CCAT1 promotes cell proliferation and enhances drug resistance by regulating the miR-143/PLK1/BUBR1 signaling axis both in vitro and in vivo. Our findings further suggest that lncRNA CCAT1 may be a potential therapeutic target for overcoming chemoresistance in esophageal cancer.

Prediction of kidney transplant outcome based on different DGF definitions in Chinese deceased donation.

BACKGROUND: Delayed graft function (DGF) is an important complication of kidney transplantation and can be diagnosed according to different definitions. DGF has been suggested to be associated with the long-term outcome of kidney transplantation surgery. However, the best DGF definition for predicting renal transplant outcomes in Chinese donations after cardiac death (DCDs) remains to be determined. METHOD: A total of 372 DCD kidney transplant recipients from June 2013 to July 2017 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University were included in this retrospective study to compare 6 different DGF definitions. The relationships of the DGF definitions with transplant outcome were analyzed, including graft loss (GL) and death-censored graft loss (death-censored GL). Renal function indicators, including one-year estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and three-year eGFR, and were compared between different DGF groups. RESULTS: The incidence of DGF varied from 4.19 to 35.22% according to the different DGF diagnoses. All DGF definitions were significantly associated with three-year GL as well as death-censored GL. DGF based on requirement of hemodialysis within the first week had the best predictive value for GL (AUC 0.77), and DGF based on sCr variation during the first 3 days post-transplant had the best predictive value for three-year death-censored GL (AUC 0.79). Combination of the 48-h sCr reduction ratio and classical DGF can improve the AUC for GL (AUC 0.85) as well as the predictive accuracy for death-censored GL (83.3%). CONCLUSION: DGF was an independent risk factor for poor transplant outcome. The combination of need for hemodialysis within the first week and the 48-h serum creatinine reduction rate has a better predictive value for patient and poor graft outcome.

Later passages of neural progenitor cells from neonatal brain are more permissive for human cytomegalovirus infection.

Congenital human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection is the most frequent infectious cause of birth defects, primarily neurological disorders. Neural progenitor/stem cells (NPCs) are the major cell type in the subventricular zone and are susceptible to HCMV infection. In culture, the differentiation status of NPCs may change with passage, which in turn may alter susceptibility to virus infection. Previously, only early-passage (i.e., prior to passage 9) NPCs were studied and shown to be permissive to HCMV infection. In this study, NPC cultures derived at different gestational ages were evaluated after short (passages 3 to 6) and extended (passages 11 to 20) in vitro passages for biological and virological parameters (i.e., cell morphology, expression of NPC markers and HCMV receptors, viral entry efficiency, viral gene expression, virus-induced cytopathic effect, and release of infectious progeny). These parameters were not significantly influenced by the gestational age of the source tissues. However, extended-passage cultures showed evidence of initiation of differentiation, increased viral entry, and more efficient production of infectious progeny. These results confirm that NPCs are fully permissive for HCMV infection and that extended-passage NPCs initiate differentiation and are more permissive for HCMV infection. Later-passage NPCs being differentiated and more permissive for HCMV infection suggest that HCMV infection in fetal brain may cause more neural cell loss and give rise to severe neurological disabilities with advancing brain development.

Wafer-Scale Periodic Poling of Thin-Film Lithium Niobate.

Periodically poled lithium niobate on insulator (PPLNOI) offers an admirably promising platform for the advancement of nonlinear photonic integrated circuits (PICs). In this context, domain inversion engineering emerges as a key process to achieve efficient nonlinear conversion. However, periodic poling processing of thin-film lithium niobate has only been realized on the chip level, which significantly limits its applications in large-scale nonlinear photonic systems that necessitate the integration of multiple nonlinear components on a single chip with uniform performances. Here, we demonstrate a wafer-scale periodic poling technique on a 4-inch LNOI wafer with high fidelity. The reversal lengths span from 0.5 to 10.17 mm, encompassing an area of ~1 cm2 with periods ranging from 4.38 to 5.51 µm. Efficient poling was achieved with a single manipulation, benefiting from the targeted grouped electrode pads and adaptable comb line widths in our experiment. As a result, domain inversion is ultimately implemented across the entire wafer with a 100% success rate and 98% high-quality rate on average, showcasing high throughput and stability, which is fundamentally scalable and highly cost-effective in contrast to traditional size-restricted chiplet-level poling. Our study holds significant promise to dramatically promote ultra-high performance to a broad spectrum of applications, including optical communications, photonic neural networks, and quantum photonics.

[A novel infrared chemosensor for recognition of fluoride and acetate anions].

A novel organometallic chromophore with potential infrared (IR) chemical sensing property, named as N'-(2-pyridinyl)-N-phenylurea tricarbonyl chromium, was synthesized and systematically characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), mass spectra (MS) and elemental analysis. The recognition and IR sensing behavior toward fluoride and acetate anions was investigated in chloroform. The results of IR titration indicated that, when the concentration of the two anions was greater than 10(-5) mol.L-1, a good linear relationship between the stretching vibration of metal carbonyl of N'-(2-pyridinyl)-N-phenylurea tricarbonyl chromium and the concentration of the two anions was observed, which exhibits expected application in trace analysis of fluoride and acetate with detection error less than 5%.

Simultaneous blockade of the CD40/CD40L and NF-κB pathways prolonged islet allograft survival.

Activation of NF-κB pathway and co-stimulatory system CD40/CD40L promotes the inflammation, which plays a key role in the failure of islet graft. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if simultaneous blockade of CD40/CD40L and IκB/NF-κB pathways could protect islet graft. Streptozocin-induced diabetic Wistar rats were transplanted intraportally with 2000 IEQ islets isolated from Sprague-Dawley rats. The rats were divided into five groups: nontreatment group, AdGFP-treated group, Ad-IκBα-treated group, Ad-sCD40LIg-treated group, and Ad-IκBα-IRES(2) -sCD40L-treated group. The islet graft mean survival time (MST), insulin expression of islet grafts, and the levels of cytokines in peripheral blood, were measured for the animals in each group. Our study confirmed that islet cells transfected with low doses of adenovirus could achieve high transfection efficiency, and would not affect the function of islet cells (P > 0.05). Splenocytes cultured with Ad-IκBα-IRES2-CD40L-transfected islets resulted in homospecific hyporesponsiveness. The islet graft MST (>100 d) in the Ad-IκBα-IRES2-sCD40L-treated group was dramatically prolonged compared with that in the nontreatment group (7.1 ± 1.16 d). In addition, TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IFN-γ were diminished in the Ad-IκBα-IRES2-sCD40L-treated group, which was commensurate with the reduced cellular infiltration (P < 0.01). Simultaneous blockade of the CD40/CD40L and IκB/NF-κB pathways could effectively extend the survival of islet grafts.

[Effect of electroacupuncture on Leptin in energy-regulated signaling of obese rats with insulin resistance].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on Leptin and Leptin receptor (OB-Rb) of insulin resistant obese (OIR) rats, so as to explore its possible mechanism for obesity. METHODS: Twenty-four Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal, model and EA groups, with 8 rats in each group. The OIR model was established by feeding the rats with high-fat diet for 8 weeks. EA (2 Hz, 1 mA) was applied to "Zhongwan" (CV12), "Guanyuan" (CV4), "Zusanli" (ST36) and "Fenglong" (ST40) for 30 min, once every other day for 8 weeks. At the 6th week of intervention, glucose contents of intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) and intraperitoneal insulin tolerance test (IPITT) were measured. After 8 weeks' intervention, the body weight and food intake were recorded. Serum total cholesterol (TC) and total triglyceride (TG) were assayed by using an automatic biochemical analyzer. The expression levels of Leptin and OB-Rb proteins in the small intestine and hypothalamus were detected by Western blot. RESULTS: Following modeling, the body weight, food intake, IPGTT, IPITT, the contents of serum TC and TG, and the expressions of Leptin protein in small intestine and hypothalamus were significantly up-regulated (P<0.01, P<0.05), and the expressions of OB-Rb protein in small intestine and hypothalamus were significantly down-regulated (P<0.05) in the model group compared with the normal group. After EA treatment, all the indexes mentioned above were completely reversed in the EA group relevant to the model group (P<0.05, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: EA can improve insulin resis-tance by up-regulating the OB-Rb protein expression and enhancing the binding force of Leptin and OB-Rb.

Body composition and risk of major gynecologic malignancies: Results from the UK Biobank prospective cohort.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between body composition and subsequent risk of the major gynecologic malignancies. METHODS: This is a prospective analysis of participants from the UK Biobank. We measured baseline body composition and confirmed cancer diagnosis through linkage to cancer and death registries. We evaluated hazard ratios (HRs) and confidence interval (CIs) with COX models adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: We document 1430 cases of the top three gynecologic malignancies (uterine corpus cancer 847 cases, ovarian cancer 514 cases, and cervical cancer 69 cases) from 245,084 female participants (75,307 were premenopausal and 169,777 were postmenopausal). For premenopausal women, whole body fat-free mass (WBFFM) was associated with an increased risk of uterine corpus cancer (Adjusted HR per unit increase 1.04, 95% CI 1.02-1.06). For postmenopausal women, compared with the first quartile, the fourth quartile of WBFFM and whole body fat mass(WBFM) was associated with 2.16 (95% CI 1.49-3.13) times and 1.89 (95% CI 1.31-2.72) times of increased uterine corpus cancer risk, respectively. Regarding the distribution of body fat mass (FM)/fat-free mass (FFM), FFM distributed in the trunk was associate with increased uterine corpus cancer risk in premenopausal (HR 1.18,95% CI 1.07-1.31) and postmenopausal women (HR 1.13,95% CI 1.09-1.18). Meanwhile, FM/FFM distributed in the limbs present an U-shaped associations with uterine corpus cancer risk. We did not observe any association between aforementioned body composition indices with ovarian or cervical cancer. CONCLUSION: FM is associated with an increased risk of uterine corpus cancer in postmenopausal women. Meanwhile, FFM is found to be a risk factor for uterine corpus cancer in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women. No association of body composition with ovarian or cervical cancer was observed.

Drone-based entanglement distribution towards mobile quantum networks.

Satellites have shown free-space quantum-communication ability; however, they are orbit-limited from full-time all-location coverage. Meanwhile, practical quantum networks require satellite constellations, which are complicated and expensive, whereas the airborne mobile quantum communication may be a practical alternative to offering full-time all-location multi-weather coverage in a cost-effective way. Here, we demonstrate the first mobile entanglement distribution based on drones, realizing multi-weather operation including daytime and rainy nights, with a Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt S-parameter measured to be 2.41 ± 0.14 and 2.49 ± 0.06, respectively. Such a system shows unparalleled mobility, flexibility and reconfigurability compared to the existing satellite and fiber-based quantum communication, and reveals its potential to establish a multinode quantum network, with a scalable design using symmetrical lens diameter and single-mode-fiber coupling. All key technologies have been developed to pack quantum nodes into lightweight mobile platforms for local-area coverage, and arouse further technical improvements to establish wide-area quantum networks with high-altitude mobile communication.

Early Immunosuppressive Exposure of Enteric-Coated-Mycophenolate Sodium Plus Tacrolimus Associated with Acute Rejection in Expanded Criteria Donor Kidney Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Immunosuppressive agents are still inefficient in preventing biopsy-proven acute rejection (BPAR) after expanded criteria donor (ECD) kidney transplantation. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between early immunosuppressive exposure and the development of BPAR. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of 58 recipients of ECD kidney transplantation treated with enteric-coated-mycophenolate sodium, tacrolimus (Tac), and prednisone. The levels of mycophenolic acid-area under the curve (MPA-AUC)0-12h and Tac C0were measured at the 1st week and the 1st month posttransplant, respectively. The correlation was assessed by multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: The occurrence rates of BPAR and antibody-mediated rejection were 24.1% and 10.3%, respectively. A low level of MPA-AUC0-12h at the 1st week posttransplant was found in BPAR recipients (38.42 ± 8.37 vs. 50.64 ± 13.22, P < 0.01). In addition, the incidence of BPAR was significantly high (P < 0.05) when the MPA-AUC0-12hlevel was <30 mg·h-1·L-1 at the 1st week (15.0% vs. 44.4%) or the Tac C0was <4 ng/ml at the 1st month posttransplant (33.3% vs. 21.6%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the MPA-AUC0-12h at the 1st week (OR: 0.842, 95% CI: 0.784-0.903) and the Tac C0at the 1st month (OR: 0.904, 95% CI: 0.822-0.986) had significant inverse correlation with BPAR (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Low-level exposure of MPA and Tac C0in the early weeks posttransplant reflects an increased acute rejection risk, which suggested that MPA-AUC0-12h <30 mg·h-1·L-1 and Tac C0 <4 ng/ml should be avoided in the first few weeks after transplantation.

Predictive Score Model for Delayed Graft Function Based on Hypothermic Machine Perfusion Variables in Kidney Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP) is being used more often in cardiac death kidney transplantation; however, the significance of assessing organ quality and predicting delayed graft function (DGF) by HMP parameters is still controversial. Therefore, we used a readily available HMP variable to design a scoring model that can identify the highest risk of DGF and provide the guidance and advice for organ allocation and DCD kidney assessment. METHODS: From September 1, 2012 to August 31, 2016, 366 qualified kidneys were randomly assigned to the development and validation cohorts in a 2:1 distribution. The HMP variables of the development cohort served as candidate univariate predictors for DGF. The independent predictors of DGF were identified by multivariate logistic regression analysis with a P < 0.05. According to the odds ratios (ORs) value, each HMP variable was assigned a weighted integer, and the sum of the integers indicated the total risk score for each kidney. The validation cohort was used to verify the accuracy and reliability of the scoring model. RESULTS: HMP duration (OR = 1.165, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.008-1.360, P = 0.043), resistance (OR = 2.190, 95% CI: 1.032-10.20, P < 0.001), and flow rate (OR = 0.931, 95% CI: 0.894-0.967, P = 0.011) were the independent predictors of identified DGF. The HMP predictive score ranged from 0 to 14, and there was a clear increase in the incidence of DGF, from the low predictive score group to the very high predictive score group. We formed four increasingly serious risk categories (scores 0-3, 4-7, 8-11, and 12-14) according to the frequency associated with the different risk scores of DGF. The HMP predictive score indicates good discriminative power with a c-statistic of 0.706 in the validation cohort, and it had significantly better prediction value for DGF compared to both terminal flow (P = 0.012) and resistance (P = 0.006). CONCLUSION: The HMP predictive score is a good noninvasive tool for assessing the quality of DCD kidneys, and it is potentially useful for physicians in making optimal decisions about the organs donated.

Beneficial Effect of Moderately Increasing Hypothermic Machine Perfusion Pressure on Donor after Cardiac Death Renal Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Vascular resistance and flow rate during hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP) of kidneys is correlated with graft function. We aimed to determine the effects of increasing HMP pressure versus maintaining the initial pressure on kidney transplantation outcomes. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 76 primary transplantation patients who received HMP-preserved kidneys from 48 donors after cardiac death between September 1, 2013, and August 31, 2015. HMP pressure was increased from 30 to 40 mmHg (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa) in kidneys with poor flow and/or vascular resistance (increased pressure [IP] group; 36 patients); otherwise, the initial pressure was maintained (constant pressure group; 40 patients). Finally, the clinical characteristics and transplantation outcomes in both groups were assessed. RESULTS: Delayed graft function (DGF) incidence, 1-year allograft, patient survival, kidney function recovery time, and serum creatinine level on day 30 were similar in both groups, with improved flow and resistance in the IP group. Among patients with DGF, kidney function recovery time and DGF duration were ameliorated in the IP group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that donor hypertension (odds ratio [OR]: 1.43, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-2.06, P = 0.035), donor terminal serum creatinine (OR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.06-1.62, P = 0.023), warm ischemic time (OR: 3.45, 95% CI: 1.97-6.37, P = 0.002), and terminal resistance (OR: 3.12, 95% CI: 1.76-6.09, P = 0.012) were independent predictors of DGF. Cox proportional hazards analysis showed that terminal resistance (hazard ratio: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.32-5.16, P = 0.032) significantly affected graft survival. CONCLUSION: Increased HMP pressure improves graft perfusion but does not affect DGF incidence or 1-year graft survival.

[Impacts of kidney transplantation on erectile function and its contributing factors evaluation].

OBJECTIVE: To study the impacts of kidney transplantation on erectile function and analyse its contributing factors. METHODS: In order to evaluate the severity of erectile dysfunction (ED), a total of 250 married male kidney transplant recipients (KTR) with functioning graft were assessed with the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire. Data of clinical characteristics, medical and sexual history and laboratory examination were collected. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out to determine which have independent impacts on erectile function. RESULTS: The investigation was accomplished in 84.8% of the KTRs. There was no significant difference in ED incidence before and after renal transplantation (53.8% vs. 44.3%, P > 0.05). According to the IIEF score, erectile function improved in 43.9% of the KTRs, remained unchanged in 42.9%, and deteriorated in 13.2%, as compared with pre-transplantation. Logistic regression analysis showed that significant and independent influencing factors in erectile function were age, hemoglobin level, presence of DM and/or peripheral neuropathy and iterative transplantations, and their relative risks were 3.01, 2.01, 3.15, 3.89 and 2.67, respectively. CONCLUSION: ED is highly prevalent among KTRs and its pathogenesis is multifactorial. Age, presence of DM and/or peripheral neuropathy, hemoglobin level and iterative transplantations were chief contributing factors in erectile function.

Megastigmane glucosides isolated from Dichrocephala benthamii.

The present study was designed to investigate the chemical constituents of the whole herb of Dichrocephala benthamii. A new megastigmane glucoside (compound 1), together with its four known analogues (compounds 2-5), was obtained. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analyses (UV, IR, MS, and 1D and 2D NMR). The absolute configuration of compound 1 was assigned on the basis of CD method and chemical evidence. In addition, their cytotoxicity against human hepatoma cells (HepG-2) was evaluated by the MTT method. Compound 5 showed weak activity against HepG-2, while the other compounds did not show remarkable inhibitory effects.

Polyglycolic Acid Fibrous Scaffold Improving Endothelial Cell Coating and Vascularization of Islet.

BACKGROUND: Improving islet graft revascularization has become a crucial task for prolonging islet graft survival. Endothelial cells (ECs) are the basis of new microvessels in an isolated islet, and EC coating has been demonstrated to improve the vascularization and survival of an islet. However, the traditional method of EC coating of islets has low efficiency in vitro. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of a polyglycolic acid (PGA) scaffold on the efficiency of islet coating by ECs and the angiogenesis in the coated islet graft. METHODS: A PGA fibrous scaffold was used for EC coating of islet culture and was evaluated for its efficiency of EC coating on islets and islet graft angiogenesis. RESULTS: In in vitro experiments, we found that apoptosis index of ECs-coating islet in PGA group (27% ± 8%) was significantly lower than that in control group (83% ± 20%, P < 0.05) after 7 days culture. Stimulation index was significantly greater in the PGA group than in the control group at day 7 after ECs-coating (2.07 ± 0.31 vs. 1.80 ± 0.23, P < 0.05). vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) level in the PGA group was significantly higher than the coating in the control group after 7 days culture (52.10 ± 13.50 ng/ml vs. 16.30 ± 8.10 ng/ml, P < 0.05). Because of a tight, circumvallated, adhesive and three-dimensional growth microenvironment, islet cultured in a PGA scaffold had higher coating efficiency showing stronger staining intensity of enzyme than those in the control group after 14 days of culture following ECs-coating. For in vivo study, PGA scaffold significantly prolonged the average survival time of EC-coated islet graft after transplantation compared with control group (15.30 ± 5.60 days vs. 8.30 ± 2.45 days, P < 0.05). The angiogenesis and area of survived grafts were more in the PGA group compared with the control group by measuring the mean microvessel density (8.60 ± 1.21/mm2 vs. 5.20 ± 0.87/mm2, P < 0.05). In addition, expression of VEGF and tyrosin-protein kinase receptor (Tie-2) gene increased in PGA scaffold group than that in control group by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that the efficiency of EC coating of islets was successfully increased by culturing ECs on a PGA scaffold. This method enhances the function, survival, and vascularization of isolated islets in vitro and in vivo.

Predictive Score Model for Delayed Graft Function Based on Easily Available Variables before Kidney Donation after Cardiac Death.

BACKGROUND: How to evaluate the quality of donation after cardiac death (DCD) kidneys has become a critical problem in kidney transplantation in China. Hence, the aim of this study was to develop a simple donor risk score model to evaluate the quality of DCD kidneys before DCD. METHODS: A total of 543 qualified kidneys were randomized in a 2:1 manner to create the development and validation cohorts. The donor variables in the development cohort were considered as candidate univariate predictors of delayed graft function (DGF). Multivariate logistic regression was then used to identify independent predictors of DGF with P < 0.05. Date from validation cohort were used to validate the donor scoring model. RESULTS: Based on the odds ratios, eight identified variables were assigned a weighted integer; the sum of the integer was the total risk score for each kidney. The donor risk score, ranging from 0 to 28, demonstrated good discriminative power with a C-statistic of 0.790. Similar results were obtained from validation cohort with C-statistic of 0.783. Based on the obtained frequencies of DGF in relation to different risk scores, we formed four risk categories of increasing severity (scores 0-4, 5-9, 10-14, and 15-28). CONCLUSIONS: The scoring model might be a good noninvasive tool for assessing the quality of DCD kidneys before donation and potentially useful for physicians to make optimal decisions about donor organ offers.