Correction: Wang et al. Role of Berberine Thermosensitive Hydrogel in Periodontitis via PI3K/AKT Pathway In Vitro. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24, 6364.

In the original publication, there was a mistake in Figure 3 as published [...].

Role of Berberine Thermosensitive Hydrogel in Periodontitis via PI3K/AKT Pathway In Vitro.

Periodontitis is a long-term inflammatory illness and a leading contributor to tooth loss in humans. Due to the influence of the anatomic parameters of teeth, such as root bifurcation lesions and the depth of the periodontal pocket, basic periodontal treatment on its own often does not completely obliterate flora microorganisms. As a consequence, topical medication has become a significant supplement in the treatment of chronic periodontitis. Berberine (BBR) has various pharmacological effects, such as hypoglycemic, antitumor, antiarrhythmic, anti-inflammatory, etc. The target of our project is to develop a safe and non-toxic carrier that can effectively release berberine, which can significantly reduce periodontal tissue inflammation, and to investigate whether berberine thermosensitive hydrogel can exert anti-inflammatory and osteogenic effects by modulating phosphatifylinositol-3-kinase/Protein Kinase B (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway. Consequently, firstly berberine temperature-sensitive hydrogel was prepared, and its characterizations showed that the mixed solution gelated within 3 min under 37 °C with a hole diameter of 10-130 µm, and the accumulation of berberine release amounted to 89.99% at 21 days. CCK-8 and live-dead cell staining results indicated that this hydrogel was not biotoxic, and it is also presumed that the optimum concentration of berberine is 5 µM, which was selected for subsequent experiments. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting (WB)results demonstrated that inflammatory factors, as well as protein levels, were significantly reduced in the berberine-loaded hydrogel group, and LY294002 (PI3K inhibitor) could enhance this effect (p < 0.05). In the berberine-loaded hydrogel group, osteogenesis-related factor levels and protein profiles were visibly increased, along with an increase in alkaline phosphatase expression, which was inhibited by LY294002 (p < 0.05). Therefore, berberine thermosensitive hydrogel may be an effective treatment for periodontitis, and it may exert anti-inflammatory and osteogenic effects through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Treatment of Periodontal Inflammation in Diabetic Rats with IL-1ra Thermosensitive Hydrogel.

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that is considered to be the main cause of adult tooth loss. Diabetes mellitus (DM) has a bidirectional relationship with periodontitis. Interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) is an important pre-inflammatory factor, which participates in the pathophysiological process of periodontitis and diabetes. The interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) is a natural inhibitor of IL-1, and the balance between IL-1ra and IL-1ß is one of the main factors affecting chronic periodontitis (CP) and diabetes. The purpose of this study is to develop a drug carrier that is safe and nontoxic and can effectively release IL-1ra, which can effectively slow down the inflammation of periodontal tissues with diabetes, and explore the possibility of lowering the blood sugar of this drug carrier. Therefore, in this experiment, a temperature-sensitive hydrogel loaded with IL-1ra was prepared and characterized, and its anti-inflammatory effect in high-sugar environments in vivo and in vitro was evaluated. The results showed that the hydrogel could gel after 5 min at 37 °C, the pore size was 5-70 µm, and the cumulative release of IL-1ra reached 83.23% on the 21st day. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) showed that the expression of IL-1ß, Interleukin 6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) inflammatory factors decreased after the treatment with IL-1ra-loaded thermosensitive hydrogel. Histological evaluation and micro-computed tomography (Micro-CT) showed that IL-1ra-loaded thermosensitive hydrogel could effectively inhibit periodontal inflammation and reduce alveolar bone absorption in rats with diabetic periodontitis. It is worth mentioning that this hydrogel also plays a role in relieving hyperglycemia. Therefore, the temperature-sensitive hydrogel loaded with IL-1ra may be an effective method to treat periodontitis with diabetes.

Improved protective properties of Mg alloy AZ31 using bis-[triethoxysilylpropyl] tetrasulfide silane films modified with nano TiO2 by electrochemically assisted deposition.

Magnesium (Mg) and its alloys were favored by biomedical practitioners thanks to availability of bioactivity and degradability. However, the mismatch between the degradation properties of Mg alloys and the rate of osteogenesis often led to implant failure and bacterial infections within the desired period. The goal of this study was to improve the corrosion resistance of Mg alloys, providing theoretical guidance for solving the problems of implantable Mg-based materials. In this experiment, we prepared a dense and uniform BTESPT/TiO2 film layer on the surface of Mg substrate by electrochemically assisted deposition. The BTESPT/TiO2 film layer provided a physical barrier to avoid direct contact between AZ31 and the corrosive medium. When the addition amount was 2 g/L TiO2, the coating had the best corrosion resistance behavior, its corrosion current density could be up to 9.973×10-8 A/cm2. The BTESPT/TiO2 revealed good cell viability as well as osteogenic differentiation potential on MC3T3-E1 cells.

Effect of chondroitin sulfate modified polyethyleneimine on mediating oligodeoxynucleotide YW002 in the treatment of periodontitis.

PURPOSE: In a previous study, we found that oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) YW002 could induce the activity of alkaline phosphatase of early osteogenesis in human periodontal membrane stem cells, and downregulate the synthesis of nitric oxide in RAW 264.7 cells in the late inflammatory stage, laying the experimental foundation for the subsequent application of ODN YW002 in periodontitis. However, free ODN does not easily adhere to cells and is easily hydrolyzed by nuclease, so the immune effect of ODN is greatly reduced. Therefore, the nano-drug delivery system provides a method for efficient delivery and uptake of ODN. METHODS: We synthesized a polyethyleneimine (PEI) modified chondroitin sulfate (CS) derivative (PEI-CS) via Michael addition to deliver ODN YW002. We aimed to evaluate whether PEI-CS could effectively deliver YW002 to RAW 264.7 cells and if it can regulate inflammation in vitro. PEI-CS/YW002 nanocomplexes were locally injected into a mouse periodontitis model, and the therapeutic effects were evaluated by microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) and hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining. RESULTS: The results indicated that PEI-CS had good biocompatibility and could form a stable nanocomplex with YW002 at a mass ratio of 4 : 1. Moreover, PEI-CS could deliver YW002 into RAW 246.7 cells and markedly decreased the expression levels of interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Histological evaluation and micro-CT scanning showed that PEI-CS/YW002 nanocomplexes effectively inhibited periodontitis and reduced alveolar bone resorption in mice. CONCLUSION: Our study has underscored the potential of PEI-CS/YW002 nanocomplexes as promising agents for the prevention and treatment of periodontitis due to their potent anti-inflammatory effects.

Iodine values, peroxide values and acid values of Bohai algae oil compared with other oils during the cooking.

Objective: Bohai algae oil contains polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which are the very important polyunsaturated fatty acids for the human body. In Traditional Chinese Cooking, all cooking methods cannot do without oils. However, the heat of cooking may always lead to formation of large amounts of decomposition products that affect the sensory, nutritional and functional quality of the oils to be unhealthy and the products being cooked, especially the food or edible oil rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Therefore, the objective of this study was to research the effect and change of heating on the quality characteristics of Bohai algae oil comparison with soybean oil and olive oil. Method: Quality characteristics such as the iodine values (IVs), peroxide values (POVs) and acid values (AVs) of Bohai algae oil, soybean oil and olive oil were measured, cooking conditions as factors of the study. Result: The POVs percentage changes of Bohai algae oil were larger than the IVs and AVs percentage changes. Bohai algae oil was better heated in a microwave oven at microwave P-20 within 3min, microwave P-60 and P-H1 within 2min, or in induction cooker at 1500w within 1min, or on electric stove (direct heated) within 2min. Conclusion: Bohai algae oil was suitable used for low-temperature and short-time cooking or for salad. This study has important significance for promoting the commercial value and extensive application of Bohai algae oil in daily cooking. It plays a theoretical significance role in Bohai algae oil's better processing and traditional chinese cooking. It can improve product quality to further expand the food processing research scope of Bohai algae oil and increase the richness, diversity and universality of edible methods of Bohai algae oil.

Stearic Acid Treatment Enhancing Corrosion Resistance of Biomimetic-Deposited Calcium Phosphate Dihydrate Coating on Medical Degradable Magnesium Alloy.

Magnesium (Mg) alloys, a degradable material, have been studied for medical applications due to their excellent mechanical and chemical properties. However, their applications are limited by rapid corrosion. In this work, stearic acid and sodium stearate were used to treat the silane-induced calcium phosphate dihydrate coating to improve its protection for the Mg alloy further without changing the bone-like structure of calcium phosphate. The different effects of stearic acid treatment and sodium stearate treatment were compared. Electrochemical test and immersion test results confirmed that the corrosion resistance of the stearic acid-treated composite coating was greatly enhanced with a reduced corrosion current density by 3 orders of magnitude and hydrogen evolution reduced to 1/25 after 14 days. The stearic acid-treated coating also exhibited improved in vitro biocompatibility corroborated by promoted cell viability and better cell morphology.

Effect of oligonucleotide MT01 delivered by N-isopropylacrylamide modified polyethyleneimine for bone regeneration.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the regulatory effect of N-isopropylacrylamide-modified polyethyleneimine (PEN)-delivered oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) MT01 on bone regeneration in vitro and in vivo. Methods: A polyethylenimine (PEI) derivative, PEN, was constructed through Michael addition and employed as a carrier for ODN MT01 transfection. PEN/MT01 nanocomposites were characterized using agarose gel retardation assay, size distribution, zeta potential and transmission electron microscopy. The Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was used to detect the effect of PEN on cell viability. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining was used to detect the osteogenic differentiation ability of PEN/MT01 nanocomposite. Real-time quantitative PCR (q RT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to detect the regulatory effects of PEN/MT01 nanocomposite on osteogenic differentiation gene expression. Rat model was observed using the skull defect method and verified using micro-computed tomography (CT), serum biochemical indices, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and Immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results: PEN had good biological properties and could deliver MT01 well to achieve efficient transmission of MT01. PEN/MT01 nanocomposites were effectively transfected into MC3T3-E1 cells at a ratio of 6.0. CCK-8 assay displayed that PEN had no cytotoxicity to MC3T3-E1 cells. Additionally, PEN/MT01 nanocomposites could promote the expression of osteogenic genes. In vivo results revealed that PEN/MT01 nanocomposites could promote bone regeneration more effectively than the other groups. Conclusion: PEN has good biocompatibility and low toxicity, which is a good carrier for ODN MT01. PEN-delivered MT01 can be potentially employed as a useful approach to achieving bone regeneration.

Optimization of the preparation of pectin from Aloe using a Box-Behnken design.

The extraction condition of pectin from Aloe vera barbadensis Mill was optimized by a Box-Behnken design. The effect of parameters of extraction water proportion (EWP), extraction pH (EpH), extraction temperature (ETe), extraction time (ETi), alcohol precipitation pH (APpH)and alcohol precipitation temperature (APTe) on the extraction yield of pectin was investigated by a software of Design Export 8.0.5b. The maximum extraction yield was obtained with the EWP of 20:1, EpH of 1.5, ETe of 90°C, ETi of 120min, APpH of 3.0 and APTe of 50°C, which was consistent with the experimental value. We also found out that the pectin content decreased gradually during storage and sucrose concentration had a significant impact on the viscosity of pectin.