ABSTRACT
Sialyllactose (SL) is a functional human milk oligosaccharide essential for immune support, brain development, intestinal maturation, and antiviral defense. However, despite its established health benefits, the effect of SL on exercise performance and muscle mass in mice remains unknown. Here, we aimed to investigate, for the first time, the effects of 6'-SL on muscle functions. Seven-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were administered 100 mg/kg 6'-SL for 12 weeks, after which exhaustive treadmill performance was conducted. Moreover, muscle strength was examined by grip strength, and muscle phenotype characteristics such as muscle mass, muscle fiber size, and muscle protein expression were also examined. The administration of 6'-SL significantly improved exhaustive treadmill performance metrics, including distance and exhaustion time. Grip strength was also increased by 6'-SL administration. Additionally, 6'-SL increased muscle mass in both the gastrocnemius (GAS) and soleus. 6'-SL administration led to an increase in the minimum Feret's diameter and the protein expression of total myosin heavy chain in the GAS muscle. In conclusion, 6'-SL administration in vivo led to increased running distance and time by increasing muscle mass and strength. These findings collectively indicate that 6'-SL is a potential agent for improving muscle health and exercise performance.
Subject(s)
Mice, Inbred C57BL , Muscle Strength , Muscle, Skeletal , Physical Conditioning, Animal , Animals , Male , Muscle, Skeletal/drug effects , Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism , Muscle Strength/drug effects , Physical Conditioning, Animal/physiology , Mice , Lactose/analogs & derivatives , Lactose/pharmacology , Myosin Heavy Chains/metabolism , Muscle Proteins/metabolismABSTRACT
The wearable contact lens that continuously monitors intraocular pressure (IOP) facilitates prompt and early-state medical treatments of oculopathies such as glaucoma, postoperative myopia, etc. However, either taking drugs for pre-treatment or delaying the treatment process in the absence of a neural feedback component cannot realize accurate diagnosis or effective treatment. Herein, a neuroprosthetic contact lens enabled sensorimotor system is reported, which consists of a smart contact lens with Ti3C2Tx Wheatstone bridge structured IOP strain sensor, a Ti3C2Tx temperature sensor and an IOP point-of-care monitoring/display system. The point-of-care IOP monitoring and warning can be realized due to the high sensitivity of 12.52 mV mmHg-1 of the neuroprosthetic contact lens. In vivo experiments on rabbit eyes demonstrate the excellent wearability and biocompatibility of the neuroprosthetic contact lens. Further experiments on a living rate in vitro successfully mimic the biological sensorimotor loop. The leg twitching (larger or smaller angles) of the living rat was demonstrated under the command of motor cortex controlled by somatosensory cortex when the IOP is away from the normal range (higher or lower).
Subject(s)
Contact Lenses , Intraocular Pressure , Point-of-Care Systems , Animals , Intraocular Pressure/physiology , Rabbits , Rats , Monitoring, Physiologic/instrumentation , Monitoring, Physiologic/methods , Wearable Electronic Devices , Neural Prostheses , Humans , Feedback, Sensory/physiologyABSTRACT
In previous studies, we have demonstrated that stress response-induced high glucocorticoid levels could be the underlying cause of traumatic heterotopic ossification (HO), and we have developed a glucocorticoid-induced ectopic mineralization (EM) mouse model by systemic administration of a high dose of dexamethasone (DEX) to animals with muscle injury induced by cardiotoxin injection. In this model, dystrophic calcification (DC) developed into HO in a cell autonomous manner. However, it is not clear how DC is formed after DEX treatment. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to explore how glucocorticoids initiate muscle EM at a cellular and molecular level. We showed that DEX treatment inhibited inflammatory cell infiltration into injured muscle but inflammatory cytokine production in the muscle was significantly increased, suggesting that other non-inflammatory muscle cell types may regulate the inflammatory response and the muscle repair process. Accompanying this phenotype, transforming growth factor ß1 (TGF-ß1) expression in fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs) was greatly downregulated. Since TGF-ß1 is a strong immune suppressor and FAP's regulatory role has a large impact on muscle repair, we hypothesized that downregulation of TGF-ß1 in FAPs after DEX treatment resulted in this hyperinflammatory state and subsequent failed muscle repair and EM formation. To test our hypothesis, we utilized a transgenic mouse model to specifically knockout Tgfb1 gene in PDGFRα-positive FAPs to investigate if the transgenic mice could recapitulate the phenotype that was induced by DEX treatment. Our results showed that the transgenic mice completely phenocopied this hyperinflammatory state and spontaneously developed EM following muscle injury. On the contrary, therapeutics that enhanced TGF-ß1 signaling in FAPs inhibited the inflammatory response and attenuated muscle EM. In summary, these results indicate that FAPs-derived TGF-ß1 is a key molecule in regulating muscle inflammatory response and subsequent EM, and that glucocorticoids exert their effect via downregulating TGF-ß1 in FAPs.
Heterotopic ossification (HO) is abnormal bone formation in soft tissue. Glucocorticoids, which have strong anti-inflammatory properties, have usually been used as HO therapeutics. However, our findings suggest that glucocorticoids can also promote HO formation. In this study, we tried to explain the underlying reason for these seemingly contradictory observations. We showed that glucocorticoids, in addition to exerting an anti-inflammatory effect on inflammatory cells, can also target another type of muscle cell to exert a proinflammatory effect. These cells are called fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs), and we demonstrated that FAPs played a master regulatory role in the muscle inflammatory response by modulating the expression of transforming growth factor ß1 (TGF-ß1), a well-known immune suppressor. In summary, our findings highlighted the importance of FAP TGF-ß1 levels in affecting the progression and regression of muscle HO and provided new treatment options for HO based on their ability to elevate TGF-ß1 levels in FAPs.
Subject(s)
Dexamethasone , Down-Regulation , Stem Cells , Transforming Growth Factor beta1 , Animals , Transforming Growth Factor beta1/metabolism , Down-Regulation/drug effects , Mice , Dexamethasone/pharmacology , Stem Cells/metabolism , Stem Cells/drug effects , Adipogenesis/drug effects , Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism , Muscle, Skeletal/pathology , Muscle, Skeletal/drug effectsABSTRACT
Background: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a well-established surgical procedure that has been extensively validated to alleviate pain, enhance joint function, improve the ability to perform daily activities, and enhance overall quality of life. However, this procedure is associated with certain complications, among which skeletal muscle fibrosis is a frequently overlooked but significant complication that can lead to persistent pain. Currently, there is no effective method for diagnosing skeletal muscle fibrosis following total hip arthroplasty. Case report: We report a 75-year-old male patient who complained of left groin pain after revision total hip arthroplasty. Serological examinations, X-rays, and bone scan results were all normal. However, during the 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT examination, we observed significant radiotracer uptake along the iliopsoas muscle. This abnormal uptake pattern suggested potential biological activity in this specific area. Combined with physical examination, the patient was diagnosed with iliopsoas fibrosis. Conclusions: The presented images indicated that the uptake pattern was an important indicator for diagnosis, and the prospect of fibroblast activation protein in the diagnosis of skeletal muscle fibrosis has shown certain application value.
ABSTRACT
Wearable soft contact lens sensors for continuous and nondestructive intraocular pressure (IOP) monitoring are highly desired as glaucoma and postoperative myopia patients grow, especially as the eyestrain crowd increases. Herein, a smart closed-loop system is presented that combines a Ti3C2Tx MXene-based soft contact lens (MX-CLS) sensor, wireless data transmission units, display, and warning components to realize continuous and nondestructive IOP monitoring/real-time display. The fabricated MX-CLS device exhibits an extremely high sensitivity of 7.483 mV mmHg-1, good linearity on silicone eyeballs, excellent stability under long-term pressure-release measurement, sufficient transparency with 67.8% transmittance under visible illumination, and superior biocompatibility with no discomfort when putting the MX-CLS sensor onto the Rabbit eyes. After integrating with the wireless module, users can realize real-time monitoring and warning of IOP via smartphones, the demonstrated MX-CLS device together with the IOP monitoring/display system opens up promising platforms for Ti3C2Tx materials as the base for multifunctional contact lens-based sensors and continuous and nondestructive IOP measurement system.
Subject(s)
Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic , Intraocular Pressure , Titanium , Intraocular Pressure/physiology , Animals , Rabbits , Titanium/chemistry , Monitoring, Physiologic/methods , Monitoring, Physiologic/instrumentationABSTRACT
The growing interest in applying 2D transition-metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) to diverse application fields such as energy storage and harvesters, catalysts, sensors, optoelectronics, electromagnetic interference shielding and antennas since its first discovery in 2011 is clearly evident. Their intrinsic high conductivity limits the development of MXenes in photodetectors that rely on the semiconducting properties of active materials, while the abundant functional groups on the surface of MXenes provide opportunities for using MXenes as sensing materials in the fabrication of flexible photodetectors. Considerable studies on MXene based photodetectors have been carried out, but the main obstacles include seeking novel semiconducting materials in MXene families, the manufacturing technology, etc. This review highlights the progress, challenges and opportunities in MXene based flexible photodetectors and discusses novel materials, architectures, and approaches that capitalize on our growing understanding of MXenes.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Muscle injury and concomitant bone injury are important drivers to induce heterotopic ossification (HO). However, the related roles of muscle and concomitant bone injury in HO formation are still unclear. This study aims to develop a mouse model through the combination of hindlimb amputation (Am) and cardiotoxin (CTX) injection to investigate the mechanism of HO formation. METHOD: The mice were randomly divided into Am group (Am of right hindlimb, n = 12), CTX group (CTX injection in the calf muscle of left hindlimb, n = 12) and Am + CTX group (the combination of Am of right hindlimb and CTX injection of left hindlimb, n = 18). MicroCT was used to evaluate the incidence of HO. Histology was used to investigate the progression of HO. RESULTS: The MicroCT showed that only Am or CTX injection failed to induce HO while the combination of Am and CTX injection successfully induced HO. The incidence of HO was significant in Am + CTX group on day 7 (0% vs 0% vs 83.3%, p = 0.001) and day 14 (0% vs 0% vs 83.3%, p = 0.048). HO was located on the left hindlimb where CTX was injected. Moreover, the bone volume and bone density on day 14 were higher than those on day 7 in Am + CTX group. Histology revealed the evidence of calcification and expression of osteogenic markers in calcification sites in Am + CTX group. CONCLUSION: In summary, the combination of Am and CTX injection could successfully induce dystrophic calcification/HO, which occurs in the location of muscle injury.
Subject(s)
Calcinosis , Muscular Diseases , Ossification, Heterotopic , Animals , Mice , Ossification, Heterotopic/diagnostic imaging , Ossification, Heterotopic/etiology , Osteogenesis , Muscle, Skeletal , Muscular Diseases/complications , Disease Models, AnimalABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To assess the efficiency of [68 Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI-04 in diagnosing periprosthetic hip joint infection and establish a diagnostic standard of clinical significance based on uptake pattern. METHODS: [68 Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI-04 PET/CT was performed in patients with symptomatic hip arthroplasty from December 2019 to July 2022. The reference standard was based on the 2018 Evidence-Based and Validation Criteria. Two diagnostic criteria, SUVmax and uptake pattern, were used to diagnose PJI. Meanwhile, original data were imported into IKT-snap to draw the view of interest, A.K. was used to extract features of clinical cases, and unsupervised clustering analysis was applied according to the groups. RESULTS: A total of 103 patients were included, 28 of whom had PJI. The area under the curve of SUVmax was 0.898, which was better than that of all of the serological tests. The cutoff value of SUVmax was 7.53, and the sensitivity and specificity were 100 and 72%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the uptake pattern were 100, 93.1 and 95%, respectively. In radiomics analysis, the features of PJI were significantly different from those of aseptic failure. CONCLUSION: The efficiency of [68 Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI-04 PET/CT in diagnosing PJI showed promising results, and the diagnostic criteria of the uptake pattern were more clinically instructive. Radiomics also showed certain application prospects in the field of PJI. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Trial registration: ChiCTR2000041204. Registered 24 September 2019.
Subject(s)
Arthritis, Infectious , Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography , Humans , Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography/methods , Arthritis, Infectious/diagnosis , Arthritis, Infectious/surgery , Hip Joint , Gallium Radioisotopes , Fluorodeoxyglucose F18ABSTRACT
Frequently used aqueous electrolytes in MXene-based Zn-ion hybrid microsupercapacitors (MSCs) limit their cycling and rate stability. The use of metal and nonmetal additives in electrolytes for the performance improvement of Zn-ion MSCs is considered a valid method. Herein, we propose an additive assisted Zn(CF3SO3)2 electrolyte as a redox-active electrolyte to prepare a flexible MXene-based Zn-ion hybrid MSC by a facile spraying method, and it consists of a conductive Ti3C2Tx-LiCl current collector and a Ti3C2Tx-DMSO cathode. In the process of the current density change (from 5 A cm-3 to 30 A cm-3 and then to 5 A cm-3), the capacity retention of the as-fabricated MSC with K3Co(CN)6 additive is over 99.0%, which is higher than 96.7% for the MSC with CKNSe additive and 82.3% for the MSC without an additive. Moreover, the designed MSC with the redox-active K3Co(CN)6 electrolyte exhibits a maximal capacitance retention of 70% after 5000 cycles. Furthermore, the flexible Zn-ion MSC with the Ti3C2Tx MXene cathode and a redox-active electrolyte was used to power a Ti3C2Tx based pressure sensor; the excellent press response of the integrated system not only provides insights into the development of large capacity and long-period stable energy storage devices, but also paves a new way for the development of capacitor-sensor integrated systems.
ABSTRACT
The study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of coronary intervention via distal transradial access (dTRA) in patients with low body mass index (BMI). A total of 67 patients with low BMI who underwent coronary intervention, comprising 29 patients via dTRA and 38 patients via conventional transradial access (cTRA), were retrospectively included. There was no significant difference in the puncture success rate between the two groups (dTRA 96.6%, cTRA 97.4%, P=0.846). Compared with the cTRA group, the success rate of one-needle puncture in the dTRA group was lower (51.7% vs. 81.6%, P=0.020). The compression haemostasis time in the dTRA group was shorter than that in the cTRA group (P < 0.001). However, the incidence of radial artery occlusion was lower in the dTRA group than in the cTRA group (4.0% vs. 33.3%, P=0.007). In conclusion, coronary intervention via dTRA was safe and effective in patients with low BMI.
Subject(s)
Body Mass Index , Percutaneous Coronary Intervention , Arterial Occlusive Diseases/epidemiology , Humans , Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/adverse effects , Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/methods , Punctures , Radial Artery , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: This study investigated the safety and efficacy of coronary angiography (CAG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) via distal transradial artery access (d-TRA). METHODS: For this single-centre prospective cohort study, a total of 1066 patients who underwent CAG or PCI procedures from September 2019 to November 2020 were included. Patients were divided into two groups: the d-TRA group (346) and the conventional transradial artery access (c-TRA) group (720) based on access site. A total of 342 pairs of patients were successfully matched using propensity score matching (PSM) for subsequent analysis. RESULTS: No significant differences in puncture success rate, procedural method, procedural time, sheath size, contrast dosage or fluoroscopy time were noted between the two groups. The puncture time in the d-TRA group was longer than that in the c-TRA group (P < 0.01), and the procedure success rate was lower than that in the c-TRA group (90.94% vs. 96.49%, P = 0.01). The haemostasis time in the d-TRA group was shorter than that in the c-TRA group (P < 0.01), and the visual analogue scale (VAS) was lower than that in the c-TRA group (P < 0.01). In addition, the prevalence of bleeding and haematoma in the d-TRA group was lower than that in the c-TRA group (1.75% vs. 7.31%, P < 0.01; 0.58% vs. 3.22%, P = 0.01, respectively). No significant difference in the incidence of numbness was noted between the two groups. No other complications were found in two groups. CONCLUSION: d-TRA is as safe and effective as c-TRA for CAG and PCI. It has the advantages of improved comfort and fewer complications. Trail registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1900026519.
Subject(s)
Catheterization, Peripheral , Coronary Angiography , Percutaneous Coronary Intervention , Catheterization, Peripheral/methods , Coronary Angiography/adverse effects , Coronary Angiography/methods , Femoral Artery , Humans , Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/adverse effects , Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/methods , Propensity Score , Prospective Studies , Radial Artery/diagnostic imaging , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
HIGHLIGHTS: Ti3C2Tx MXene-based coaxial zinc-ion hybrid fiber supercapacitors (FSCs) were fabricated with braided structure, which can be prepared continuously and present excellent flexibility and ultrastability. A sports watch driven by the watch belts which weaved uses the obtained zinc-ion hybrid FSC and LED arrays lighted by the FSCs under embedding into textiles, demonstrating the great potential application in smart wearable textiles. Zinc-ion hybrid fiber supercapacitors (FSCs) are promising energy storages for wearable electronics owing to their high energy density, good flexibility, and weavability. However, it is still a critical challenge to optimize the structure of the designed FSC to improve energy density and realize the continuous fabrication of super-long FSCs. Herein, we propose a braided coaxial zinc-ion hybrid FSC with several meters of Ti3C2Tx MXene cathode as core electrodes, and shell zinc fiber anode was braided on the surface of the Ti3C2Tx MXene fibers across the solid electrolytes. According to the simulated results using ANSYS Maxwell software, the braided structures revealed a higher capacitance compared to the spring-like structures. The resulting FSCs exhibited a high areal capacitance of 214 mF cm-2, the energy density of 42.8 µWh cm-2 at 5 mV s-1, and excellent cycling stability with 83.58% capacity retention after 5000 cycles. The coaxial FSC was tied several kinds of knots, proving a shape-controllable fiber energy storage. Furthermore, the knitted FSC showed superior stability and weavability, which can be woven into watch belts or embedded into textiles to power smart watches and LED arrays for a few days.
ABSTRACT
Miniaturized flexible microsupercapacitors (MSCs) that can be integrated into self-powered sensing systems, detecting networks, and implantable devices have shown great potential to perfect the stand-alone functional units owing to the robust security, continuously improved energy density, inherence high power density, and long service life. This review summarizes the recent progress made in the development of flexible MSCs and their application in integrated wearable electronics. To meet requirements for the scalable fabrication, minimization design, and easy integration of the flexible MSC, the typical assembled technologies consist of ink printing, photolithography, screen printing, laser etching, etc., are provided. Then the guidelines regarding the electrochemical performance improvement of the flexible MSC by materials design, devices construction, and electrolyte optimization are considered. The integrated prototypes of flexible MSC-powered systems, such as self-driven photodetection systems, wearable sweat monitoring units are also discussed. Finally, the future challenges and perspectives of flexible MSC are envisioned.
ABSTRACT
Biomaterials that can harness the intrinsic osteogenic potential of stem cells offer a promising strategy to accelerate bone regeneration and repair. Previously, we had used methacrylated gelatin (GelMA)-based scaffolds to achieve bone formation from human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). In this study, we aimed to further enhance hMSC osteogenesis by incorporating graphene oxide (GO)-based nanosheets into GelMA. In vitro results showed high viability and metabolic activities in hMSCs encapsulated in the newly developed nanocomposites. Incorporation of GO markedly increased mineralization within hMSC-laden constructs, which was further increased by replacing GO with silica-coated graphene oxide (SiGO). Mechanistic analysis revealed that the nanosheet enhanced the production, retention, and biological activity of endogenous bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), resulting in robust osteogenesis in the absence of exogenous osteoinductive growth factors. Specifically, the osteoinductive effect of the nanosheets was abolished by inhibiting the BMP signaling pathway with LDN-193189 treatment. The bone formation potential of the technology was further tested in vivo using a mouse subcutaneous implantation model, where hMSCs-laden GO/GelMA and SiGO/GelMA samples resulted in bone volumes 108 and 385 times larger, respectively, than the GelMA control group. Taken together, these results demonstrate the biological activity and mechanism of action of GO-based nanosheets in augmenting the osteogenic capability of hMSCs, and highlights the potential of leveraging nanomaterials such as GO and SiGO for bone tissue engineering applications.
Subject(s)
Mesenchymal Stem Cells , Nanocomposites , Cell Differentiation , Graphite , Humans , Osteogenesis , Signal Transduction , Tissue ScaffoldsABSTRACT
Fiber-based stretchable electronics with feasibility of weaving into textiles and advantages of light-weight, long-term stability, conformability and easy integration are highly desirable for wearable electronics to realize personalized medicine, artificial intelligence and human health monitoring. Herein, a fiber strain sensor is developed based on the Ti3C2Tx MXene wrapped by poly(vinylidenefluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) polymer nanofibers prepared via electrostatic spinning. Owing to the good conductivity of Ti3C2Tx and unique 3D reticular structure with wave shape, the resistance of Ti3C2Tx@P(VDF-TrFE) polymer nanofibers changes under external force, thus providing remarkable strain inducted sensing performance. As-fabricated sensor exhibits high gauge factor (GF) of 108.8 in range of 45-66% strain, rapid response of 19 ms, and outstanding durability over 1600 stretching/releasing cycles. The strain sensor is able to monitor vigorous human motions (finger or wrist bending) and subtle physiological signals (blinking, pulse or voice recognition) in real-time. Moreover, a data glove is designed to connect different gestures and expressions to form an intelligent gesture-expression control system, further confirming the practicability of our Ti3C2Tx@P(VDF-TrFE) strain sensors in multifunctional wearable electronic devices.
Subject(s)
Titanium , Wearable Electronic Devices , Artificial Intelligence , Computers , Humans , TextilesABSTRACT
Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors (SCs) are considered as promising energy storage owing to their high energy density compared to traditional SCs. How to realize the miniaturization, patterning, and flexibility of the Zn-ion SCs without affecting the electrochemical performances has special meanings for expanding their applications in wearable integrated electronics. Ti3C2Tx cathode with outstanding conductivity, unique lamellar structure and good mechanical flexibility has been demonstrated tremendous potential in the design of Zn-ion SCs, but achieving long cycling stability and high rate stability is still big challenges. Here, we proposed a facile laser writing approach to fabricate patterned Ti3C2Tx-based Zn-ion micro-supercapacitors (MSCs), followed by the in-situ anneal treatment of the assembled MSCs to improve the long-term stability, which exhibits 80% of the capacitance retention even after 50,000 charge/discharge cycles and superior rate stability. The influence of the cathode thickness on the electrochemical performance of the MSCs is also studied. When the thickness reaches 0.851 µm the maximum areal capacitance of 72.02 mF cm-2 at scan rate of 10 mV s-1, which is 1.77 times higher than that with a thickness of 0.329 µm (35.6 mF cm-2). Moreover, the fabricated Ti3C2Tx based Zn-ion MSCs have excellent flexibility, a digital timer can be driven by the single device even under bending state, a flexible LED displayer of "TiC" logo also can be easily lighted by the MSC arrays under twisting, crimping, and winding conditions, demonstrating the scalable fabrication and application of the fabricated MSCs in portable electronics.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) can differentiate into adipocytes upon stimulation and are considered an appropriate cell source for adipose tissue engineering. In addition to biochemical cues, the stiffness of a substrate that cells attach to has also been shown to affect hBMSC differentiation potential. Of note, most current studies are conducted on monolayer cultures which do not directly inform adipose tissue engineering, where 3-dimensional (3D) scaffolds are often used to create proper tissue architecture. In this study, we aim to examine the adipogenic differentiation of hBMSCs within soft or stiff scaffolds and investigate the molecular mechanism mediating the response of hBMSCs to substrate stiffness in 3D culture, specifically the involvement of the integral membrane protein, caveolin-1 (CAV1), known to regulate signaling in MSCs via compartmentalizing and concentrating signaling molecules. METHODS: By adjusting the photo-illumination time, photocrosslinkable gelatin scaffolds with the same polymer concentration but different stiffnesses were created. hBMSCs were seeded within soft and stiff scaffolds, and their response to adipogenic induction under different substrate mechanical conditions was characterized. The functional involvement of CAV1 was assessed by suppressing its expression level using CAV1-specific siRNA. RESULTS: The soft and stiff scaffolds used in this study had a compressive modulus of ~0.5 kPa and ~23.5 kPa, respectively. hBMSCs showed high viability in both scaffold types, but only spread out in the soft scaffolds. hBMSCs cultured in soft scaffolds displayed significantly higher adipogenesis, as revealed by histology, qRT-PCR, and immunostaining. Interestingly, a lower CAV1 level was observed in hBMSCs in the soft scaffolds, concomitantly accompanied by increased levels of Yes-associated protein (YAP) and decreased YAP phosphorylation, when compared to cells seeded in the stiff scaffolds. Interestingly, reducing CAV1 expression with siRNA was shown to further enhance hBMSC adipogenesis, which may function through activation of the YAP signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Soft biomaterials support superior adipogenesis of encapsulated hBMSCs in 3D culture, which is partially mediated by the CAV1-YAP axis. Suppressing CAV1 expression levels represents a robust method in the promotion of hBMSC adipogenesis.
Subject(s)
Adipogenesis , Mesenchymal Stem Cells , Caveolin 1/genetics , Cell Differentiation , Cells, Cultured , Humans , Osteogenesis , Tissue Engineering , Tissue ScaffoldsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Novel and non-invasive biomarkers with higher sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa) is urgently needed. In this study, we used next-generation sequencing (NGS) to characterize the genome-wide exosomal miRNA expression profiling in urine specimens and explored the diagnostic potential of urinary exosomal miRNAs for PCa. METHODS: Urinary exosomal microRNA expression profiling was performed by next-generation sequencing (NGS) and then validated by quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS: Significant downregulation of urinary exosomal miR-375 was observed in PCa patients compared with healthy controls, while the expression levels of urinary exosomal miR-451a, miR-486-3p and miR-486-5p were found to be significantly up-regulated in the PCa patients. Furthermore, the expression level of urinary exosomal miR-375 showed a significant correlation with the clinical T-stage and bone metastasis of patients with PCa (P<0.05). Receiver operator characteristic curve demonstrated that the urinary exosomal miR-375, miR-451a, miR-486-3p and miR-486-5p levels can be used to differentiate PCa patients from healthy controls, with area under the curves (AUCs) of 0.788, 0.757, 0.704 and 0.796, respectively. The urinary exosomal miR-375 was found to be superior in discriminating between localized and metastatic PCa with an AUC of 0.806. Moreover, PCa patients can be distinguished from patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia by using a panel combining urinary exosomal miR-375 and miR-451a with an AUC of 0.726. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate that the urinary exosomal miRNAs can serve as novel and non-invasive biomarkers for diagnosing and predicting the progression of PCa.
ABSTRACT
Traditional cobalt selenides as active materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) would suffer from drastic volume expansions and large stacking effects, leading to a low cycling stability. In this work, we utilized a facile template method for preparing Co3Se4@N-CN (CSNC) that encapsulated Co3Se4 nanoparticles into 3D interconnected nitrogen-doped carbon network (N-CN). Satisfactorily, it possesses excellent cycling stability with enhanced lithium and sodium energy storage capacity. As an anode material in LIBs, CSNC exhibited a prominent reversible discharge performance of 1313.5 mAh g-1 after 100 cycles at 0.1 A g-1 and 835.6 mAh g-1 after 500 cycles at 1.0 A g-1. Interestingly, according to the analysis from cyclic voltammetry, the in-situ generated Se might provide extra capacity that leaded to a rising trend of capacity. When utilized as an anode in SIBs, CSNC delivered an outstanding capacity of 448.7 mAh g-1 after 100 cycles at 0.1 A g-1 and could retain 328.9 mAh g-1 (77.2% of that of 0.1 A g-1) even at a high current density of 5.0 A g-1. The results demonstrate that CSNC is a superior anode material in LIBs and SIBs with great promise. More importantly, this strategy opens up an effective avenue for the design of transition metal selenide/carbonaceous composites for advanced battery storage systems.
ABSTRACT
Stretchable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have attracted great attention as a promising power source in the emerging field of wearable electronics. Despite the recent advances in stretchable electrodes, separators, and sealing materials, building stretchable full batteries remains a big challenge. Herein, a simple strategy to prepare stretchable electrodes and separators at the full battery scale is reported. Then, electrostatic spraying is used to make the anode and cathode on an elastic current collector. Finally, a polyvinylidene fluoride/thermoplastic polyurethane nanofiber separator is hot-sandwiched between the cathode and anode. The fabricated battery shows stable electrochemical performance during repeatable release-stretch cycles. In particular, a stable capacity of 6 mAâ¢h/cm2 at the current rate of 0.5 C can be achieved for the fully stretchable LIB. More importantly, over 70% of the initial capacity can be maintained after 100 cycles with â¼150% stretch.