Celastrol-loaded bovine serum albumin nanoparticles target inflamed neutrophils for improved rheumatoid arthritis therapy.

Inflammatory neutrophils (INEs), motivated by cytokines, continue to migrate into the inflamed joints, driving the development of RA. Hence, inducing apoptosis of INEs to reduce recruitment at inflamed joints is an effective strategy for the treatment of RA. However, simply apoptotic INEs may trigger the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and accelerate the inflammatory process. To overcome these drawbacks, an RGD-modified bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanoparticles (CBR NPs) was fabricated to selectively target INEs in situ for intracellular delivery of CLT. Studies have demonstrated that CBR NPs can selectively target circulating INEs and induce INEs apoptosis. Meanwhile, CBR NPs inhibited the activation of NETs via NF-κB pathway and the release of Cit-H3 thereby blocking the release process of NETs. In collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mouse model, CBR NPs suppressed the inflammatory response, and reduced the toxic effects of CLT. In summary, this study shed light on an innovative approach to treat RA by inducing apoptosis of circulating INEs and inhibiting NETs. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: RGD-modified bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanoparticles for delivering celastrol, abbreviated as CBR NPs, were constructed to inhibit the infiltration of circulating inflammatory neutrophils (INEs) into inflamed joints while inhibiting the release of NETs to alleviate tissue damage. CBR NPs were prepared for the first time to induce apoptosis of INEs; CBR NPs could inhibit the release of NETs while inducing apoptosis of INEs in vivo and vitro cellular experiments; CBR NPs had favorable anti-inflammatory effects and low toxicity side-effects in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mouse models. The application of nanotechnology to induce apoptosis of INEs while inhibiting the release of NETs was a promising approach for the treatment of RA.

pH-Responsive Injectable Multifunctional Pluronic F127/Gelatin-Based Hydrogels with Hydrogen Production for Treating Diabetic Wounds.

Diabetic chronic wounds remain a major clinical challenge with long-term inflammatory responses and extreme oxidative damage. Hence, a pH-responsive injectable multifunctional hydrogel [Gel/CUR-FCHO/Mg (GCM) micromotors] via a Schiff base reaction between gelatin and benzaldehyde-grafted Pluronic F127 drug-loaded micelles (FCHO) was fabricated for the first time. Dynamic Schiff base linkage endowed the GCM hydrogel with the ability to be self-healing, injectable, and pH-responsive for on-demand drug delivery at the wound site. Curcumin (CUR), a hydrophobic drug with antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial activities, was encapsulated into the hydrogel matrix by micellization (CUR-FCHO micelles). Simultaneously, magnesium-based micromotors (Mg micromotors) were physically entrapped into the system for providing active hydrogen (H2) to scavenge reactive oxygen species and alleviate inflammatory responses. As a result, the GCM micromotor hydrogel displayed an inherent antibacterial property, extraordinary antioxidative performance, and remarkable biocompatibility. In the diabetic mouse with a full-thickness cutaneous defect wound, the GCM hydrogel could remodel the inflammatory microenvironment and stimulate vascularization and collagen deposition, thereby facilitating wound closure and enhancing tissue regeneration, which offered a promising therapeutic option for diabetic chronic wound management.

Myd88 knockdown with RNA interference induces in vitro immune hyporesponsiveness in dendritic cells from rhesus monkeys.

Immature dendritic cells (imDCs) are activated and mature to initiate an adaptive immune response, resulting in allograft rejection and transplantation failure. Myeloid differentiation factor 88 (Myd88) is a key factor in the Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathway. Here, we investigated the effect of Myd88 silencing on DC function and immune response. CD34 + cells were isolated from the bone marrow of rhesus monkeys by the immunomagnetic bead method and then infected with an adenovirus expressing Myd88-specific short hairpin RNA (sh-Myd88). sh-NC (nontargeting negative control)- or sh-Myd88-infected DCs were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for another 48 h to induce DCS maturation. The maturation of DCs was identified by immunofluorescence staining for MHCII, CD80, and CD86. DC apoptosis was examined using Annexin V/PI staining. DC-related cytokine levels (IFN-γ and IL-12) were assessed by ELISA. A mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) was performed to test the effect of Myd88-silenced DCs on T lymphocytes in vitro. The results showed that compared with control or sh-NC-infected DCs, Myd88-silenced DCs had lower MHCII, CD80, CD86, and DC-related cytokine (IFN-γ and IL-12) levels. Myd88 did not affect the apoptosis of DCs. MLR demonstrated that Myd88 silencing could effectively block LPS-activated T cell proliferation in vitro. These data were consistent with the characteristics of tolerogenic DCs. In conclusion, our data indicated that Myd88 silencing could inhibit the maturation of imDCs and alleviate immune rejection, which provides a reference for immune tolerance in clinical liver transplantation.

Risk factors and bacterial spectrum for pneumonia after abdominal surgery in elderly Chinese patients.

Postoperative pneumonia is a common complication of abdominal surgery in the elderly. The aim of this study was to determine risk factors and bacterial spectrum for pneumonia after abdominal surgery in elderly Chinese patients. We performed a case-control study in a total of 5431 patients aged 65 years and over who had undergone abdominal surgery at the 2nd affiliated hospital of Kunming medical college between June 2003 and June 2011. Postoperative pneumonia developed in 86 patients (1.58%). Gram-negative bacilli were the principal microorganisms (82.86%) isolated from patients. The most common organisms isolated were Klebsiella spp. (28.57%), Acinetobacter spp. (17.14%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (17.14%). Multivariate analysis confirmed the following to be independent risk factors for postoperative pneumonia in the elderly after abdominal surgery: age ≥70 (OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.16-3.22, p=0.01), upper abdominal surgery (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.18-3.64, p=0.01) and duration of operation >3 h (OR 2.48, 95% CI 1.49-4.15, p=0.00). Identifying these risk factors may help achieve better prevention and treatment for postoperative pneumonia in elderly patients after abdominal surgery.