Multifunctional chitosan-based gel sponge with efficient antibacterial, hemostasis and strong adhesion.

Developing wound dressings with solid adhesive properties that enable efficient, painless hemostasis and prevent wound infection remain a huge challenge. Herein, the tris(hydroxymethyl) methyl glycine-modified chitosan derivative (CTMG) was prepared and freeze-dried after simply adjusting the concentration of CTMG to obtain the chitosan-based gel sponge with desired multi-hollow structure, special antibacterial and biocompatibility. The adhesion strength on porcine skin was impressive up to 113 KPa, much higher than fibrin glue. It can withstand the pressure that far exceeds blood pressure. CTMG exhibits bacteriostatic abilities as demonstrated in a bacteriostatic assay, and alongside biocompatibility, as shown in cytotoxicity and hemolytic assays. Moreover, CTMG gel sponge showed hemostatic properties in both in vivo and in vitro hemostasis experiments. During an experiment on liver hemorrhage in rats, CTMG gel sponge proved to be more effective in controlling bleeding than other hemostatic sponges available on the market, indicating its promising hemostatic properties. CTMG gel sponge possesses the potential to function as a wound dressing and hemostatic material, making it suitable for various clinical applications.

A deep clustering-based mass spectral data visualization strategy for anti-renal fibrotic lead compound identification from natural products.

Natural products have been a key source of drug lead discovery. However, their identification has long been a challenge even with the state-of-the-art analysis technologies like high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS) due to their complexity. Emerging in silico chemical structure prediction tools have provided time-saving and highly efficient approaches for identification of these complex samples. Nevertheless, the interpretation of these MS annotations into key supporting evidence towards specific questions is still a bottleneck in medicinal and biological fields. Here we present a deep clustering-based MS data visualization strategy (MCnebula), integrated with the influential open-source automatic MS annotation platform SIRIUS and in vivo and in vitro methods, to screen and validate potential lead compounds from natural products. MCnebula could provide multi-layer clustering profiles with chemical ontologies and comparative analysis of differential treatments. Plantaginis Semen (PS) is commonly used for treating kidney disease and usually stir-fried with salt water to enhance its anti-renal fibrosis effect, but the reason behind this remains unclear. Taking PS as an example, we comprehensively identified and compared the raw and processed PS extracts with SIRIUS-MCnebula, and screened potential anti-renal fibrotic lead compounds using weighted fold change analysis. Eighty-nine components were identified in PS with isoacteoside, calceolarioside B, 2'-acetylacteoside, and plantainoside D being screened and validated to treat renal fibrosis. The novel developed mass spectral data visualization strategy combined with biological function investigation and validation workflow could not only accelerate the discovery of lead compounds from medicinal natural products, but also shed new light on the traditional processing theory.

Comparison of the population capacity of hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells in experimental colitis rat model.

OBJECTIVE: This study compares the population and repair ability of bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in experimental colitis (EC) rat model after allogeneic stem-cell transplantation (SCT). METHODS: EC was induced by 2, 4, 6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS). The HSCs, MSCs, HSCs+MSCs, derived from male Sprague-Dawley rats, were cultured and labeled with bromodeoxyuridine and then transplanted into the EC rat. The colon samples were collected for histologic evaluation at days 7, 14, and 21 posttransplantation. Immunohistochemical staining, polymerase chain reaction, and fluorescence in situ hybridization were used to detect donor stem cells population. RESULTS: EC induced by TNBS had characteristics similar to those of Crohn's disease. A large number of bromodeoxyuridine- labeled HSCs or MSCs were detected on days 7, 14, and 21 posttransplantation. Sex-determining region of Y chromosomes (sry) was found in all EC regions, but not in control and normal tissues. A clear localization of Y chromosomes in the colons of EC rat was detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that HSCs or MSCs had similar population ability. When HSCs and MSCs were combined, gross morphologic scores significantly improved 21 days post-SCT compared with the control without SCT, but only slightly better than that of HSCs or MSCs alone. CONCLUSIONS: Allogeneic transplantation of HSCs or MSCs alone could populate in the injured regions of the colons, both showed similar population ability in the colons of the TNBS-induced EC model rats. Combination transplantation of HSCs with MSCs could improve the gross morphologic scores of EC.