In Vivo Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells Embedded in an Injectable In Vivo‐Forming Hydrogel

In this study, human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) are examined as a cellular source for bone tissue engineering using an in vivo‐forming hydrogel. The hDPSCs are easily harvested in large quantities from extracted teeth. The stemness of harvested hDPSCs indicates their relative tolerance to ex vivo manipulation in culture. The in vitro osteogenic differentiation of hDPSCs is characterized using Alizarin Red S (ARS), von Kossa (VK), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining. The solution of hDPSCs and a methoxy polyethylene glycol‐polycaprolactone block copolymer (PC) is easily prepared by simple mixing at room temperature and in no more than 10 s it forms in vivo hydrogels after subcutaneous injection into rats. In vivo osteogenic differentiation of hDPSCs in the in vivo‐forming hydrogel is confirmed by micro‐computed tomography (CT), histological staining, and gene expression. Micro‐CT analysis shows evidence of significant tissue‐engineered bone formation in hDPSCs‐loaded hydrogel in the presence of osteogenic factors. Differentiated osteoblasts in in vivo‐forming hydrogel are identified by ARS and VK staining and are found to exhibit characteristic expression of genes like osteonectin, osteopontin, and osteocalcin. In conclusion, hDPSCs embedded in an in vivo‐forming hydrogel may provide benefits as a noninvasive formulation for bone tissue engineering applications.

     

Gd3+对原代培养的小鼠骨髓基质细胞成骨分化和成脂分化的影响

本文采用MTT法、碱性磷酸酶活性测定、矿化功能的测定以及油红O的染色和定量测定等手段研究了Gd3+对原代培养的小鼠骨髓基质细胞成骨分化和成脂分化的影响。研究结果表明,浓度为1×10-10和1×10-8 mol.L-1的Gd3+对小鼠骨髓基质细胞的增殖没有影响,其他测试浓度下的Gd3+则抑制小鼠骨髓基质细胞的增殖。当Gd3+与小鼠骨髓基质细胞作用7 d时,其对小鼠骨髓基质细胞成骨分化的影响与作用浓度有关,当Gd3+与小鼠骨髓基质细胞作用14 d时,在全部测试浓度范围内,抑制小鼠骨髓基质细胞成骨分化。除1×10-8和1×10-5 mol.L-1外,其他测试浓度下的Gd3+促进小鼠骨髓基质细胞的矿化功能。当Gd3+与小鼠骨髓基质细胞作用10 d时,其抑制小鼠骨髓基质细胞的成脂分化,当Gd3+与小鼠骨髓基质细胞作用16 d时,除1×10-9mol.L-1外,其他浓度的Gd3+也抑制小鼠骨髓基质细胞的成脂分化。实验结果提示,Gd3+可能通过促进骨髓基质细胞的成骨分化、抑制其成脂分化途径起到对骨的保护作用。Gd3+对原代培养的小鼠骨髓基质细胞成骨分化和成脂分化的影响与作用浓度和时间有关,而且,它们是影响Gd3+对骨是损伤还是保护作用转变的关键因素。     

A Modified Polysaccharide‐Based Hydrogel for Enhanced Osteogenic Maturation and Mineralization Independent of Differentiation Factors

Bone related problems are increasing as a consequence of increased life expectancy, disorders in life style, and other medical conditions enforcing the need for functional bones prepared in vitro at affordable cost. Lack of suitable surface which promotes growth of both osteogenic and nonosteogenic cells is a major limitation. Here a novel biomaterial is reported that is synthesized from natural polysaccharide, namely, tamarind kernel polysaccharide (TKP), which is grafted with hydrophilic acrylic acid (AA) by radical polymerization. Modification in surface functionality removes unwanted proteins and alters hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance. TKP‐AA is suitable for the growth of different nonosteogenic and osteogenic cells. This material is suitable for osteoblasts and promotes in vitro mineralization and differentiation without the addition of exogenous growth factors. TKP‐AA can be used for the growth of mesenchymal stem cell‐derived osteoblasts. It is suggested that TKP‐AA can potentially be used as a scaffold for diverse cell types and particularly for bone tissue engineering at low cost.

     

应用原子力显微镜研究淫羊霍苷诱导人脐带间充质干细胞成骨分化

利用碱性磷酸酶(ALP)染色和钙结节(Vonkossa)染色的方法对诱导21 d的淫羊霍苷诱导人脐带间充质干细胞进行鉴定;应用原子力显微镜(AFM)观察淫羊霍苷的形貌和人脐带间充质干细胞诱导0、5、10、15、21 d后的细胞形貌。结果表明,经成骨诱导分化21 d后,ALP染色呈强阳性,Vonkossa染色可见明显钙结节。AFM分析表明,淫羊霍苷在盖玻片上呈分散状分布,在细胞表面上聚集并呈微米域分布。实验发现,由于吸附在细胞表面时,被细胞膜分子包裹,更有利于在细胞表面的吸附,进入细胞内部,细胞表面的淫羊霍苷颗粒较在盖玻片上时增大,由淫羊霍苷颗粒进入细胞后在细胞表面留下一些小孔,可知其通过进入细胞内部诱导成骨分化。分化后,细胞表面有小突触,是由成骨分化后细胞内形成钙结节造成。     

新型PLA-PVP两亲性交联共聚物的初步研究

先以聚乙二醇(PEG)为中心嵌段,经消旋-丙交酯(D,L—LA)开环扩链,进而用丙烯酸酯封端制备了可生物降解交联剂。然后以辛酸亚锡为催化剂、甲基丙烯酸羟乙酯(HEMA)为共引发剂引发D,L—LA开环聚合,制备了末端双键功能化的大分子单体(PLA-HEMA)。最后以可降解交联剂、大分子单体和N-乙烯基吡咯烷酮(NVP)为原料,采用自由基聚合方法合成了新型可生物降解两亲性交联共聚物,并对其亲水性和力学性能进行了研究。     

Molecular Hydrogels from Bolaform Amino Acid Derivatives: A Structure–Properties Study Based on the Thermodynamics of Gel Solubilization

Insight is provided into the aggregation thermodynamics associated to hydrogel formation by molecular gelators derived from L ‐valine and L ‐isoleucine. Solubility data from NMR measurements are used to extract thermodynamic parameters for the aggregation in water. It is concluded that at room temperature and up to 55 °C, these systems form self‐assembled fibrillar networks in water with quite low or zero enthalpic component, whereas the entropy of the aggregation is favorable. These results are explained by considering that the hydrophobic effect is dominant in the self‐assembly. However, studies by NMR and IR spectroscopy reveal that intermolecular hydrogen bonding is also a key issue in the aggregation process of these molecules in water. The low enthalpy values measured for the self‐assembly process are ascribed to the result of a compensation of the favorable intermolecular hydrogen‐bond formation and the unfavorable enthalpy component of the hydrophobic effect. Additionally, it is shown that by using the hydrophobic character as a design parameter, enthalpy‐controlled hydrogel formation, as opposed to entropy‐controlled hydrogel formation, can be achieved in water if the gelator is polar enough. It is noteworthy that these two types of hydrogels, enthalpy‐versus entropy‐driven hydrogels, present quite different response to temperature changes in properties such as the minimum gelator concentration (mgc) or the rheological moduli. Finally, the presence of a polymorphic transition in a hydrogel upon heating above 70 °C is reported and ascribed to the weakening of the hydrophobic effect upon heating. The new soft polymorphic materials present dramatically different solubility and rheological properties. Altogether these results are aimed to contribute to the rational design of molecular hydrogelators, which could be used for the tailored preparation of this type of soft materials. The reported results could also provide ground for the rationale of different self‐assembly processes in aqueous media.     

Control of Osteogenic Differentiation and Mineralization of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Composite Nanofibers Containing Poly[lactic‐co‐(glycolic acid)] and Hydroxyapatite

We fabricated composite fibrous scaffolds from blends of poly(lactide‐co‐glycolide) (PLGA) and nano‐sized hydroxyapatite (HA) via electrospinning. SEM‐EDX and AFM analysis demonstrated that HA was homogeneously dispersed in the nanofibers, and the roughness increased along with the amount of incorporated HA. When hMSCs were cultured on these PLGA/HA composite nanofibers, we found that incorporation of HA on the nanofibers did not affect cell viability whereas increased ALP activity and expression of osteogenic genes as well as the calcium mineralization of hMSCs. Our results indicate that the composite nanofibers can be offered as a potential bone regenerative biomaterial for stem cell based therapies.

     

Signaling Pathways of Immobilized FGF‐2 on Silicon‐Substituted Hydroxyapatite

Therapeutic strategies for bone regeneration involve the selection of suitable biomaterials, growth factors, and cell types to mimic the cellular microenvironment where molecular and mechanical signals control the reconstruction of bone tissue. The immobilization of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF‐2) on powdered silicon‐substituted hydroxyapatite (Si‐HA) allows to prepare a biofunctional biomaterial able to interact with bone cells in a very specific way. The biological activity of FGF‐2/Si‐HA, evaluated in Saos‐2 osteoblasts and MC3T3‐E1 preosteoblasts through the PLCγ and MAPK/ERK signal transduction pathways, shows that FGF‐2 immobilized on Si‐HA provides the right signals to cells stimulating crucial intracellular mechanisms of osteoblast proliferation and differentiation.

     

稀土化合物TbCl3对成骨细胞系MC3T3-E1增殖、分化和矿化功能的影响

在细胞和分子水平上,研究了稀土化合物氯化铽(TbCl₃)对成骨细胞MC3T3-E1增殖、分化及矿化功能的影响。结果表明,细胞水平上,浓度为0.0001、0.001、0.01、0.1、1和10 μmol·L^-1的TbCl₃均促进MC3T3-E1细胞的增殖、分化及其矿化功能,然而,当浓度升至为100和1000 μmol·L^-1时,TbCl₃表现出抑制作用。分子水平上,浓度为0.0001和0.1 μmol·L^-1的TbCl₃明显上调成骨分化相关基因骨形成蛋白2(BMP-2),碱性磷酸酶(ALP),骨涎蛋白(BSP),Ⅰ型胶原蛋白(Col Ⅰ),骨钙素(OCN)和runt 相关转录因子2(Runx2)的表达。浓度为1 000 μmol·L^-1的TbCl₃则抑制上述成骨分化相关基因的表达。浓度为0.000 1、0.1和1 μmol·L^-1的TbCl₃促进成骨分化相关蛋白Runx2,BMP-2和OCN的表达;结果显示,低浓度的TbCl₃促进MC3T3-E1细胞的成骨分化及矿化功能,而高浓度TbCl₃则呈现出抑制作用。TbCl₃通过调控Runx2的表达刺激早期成骨分化相关基因BMP-2、Col Ⅰ和晚期成骨分化相关基因ALP、OCN的表达,从而诱导MC3T3-E1成骨分化。     

新型手性酪氨酸修饰的锌卟啉对氨基酸酯的分子识别研究

合成并表征了一种L型Boc酪氨酸修饰的自由卟啉(L-BocTyrTAPP)及其锌卟啉配合物Zn(L-BocTyr)TAPP.通过紫外-可见光谱滴定法,研究了手性锌卟啉配合物与四对对映异构的手性氨基酸酯客体在CHCl₃中的分子识别行为.实验结果表明,在分子识别的过程中,缔合常数顺序均为D型略大于L型,且按K(PheOMe)>K(AIaOMe)>K(ValOMe)>K(LeuOMe)的顺序依次减小.同时,利用园二色光谱进一步阐述手性分子识别过程.此外,采用分子力学方法搜索了主客体体系的最低能量构象,从理论上对实验本质进行较深入的探讨.     

Improved efficacy of bio‐mineralization of human mesenchymal stem cells on modified PLLA nanofibers coated with bioactive materials via enhanced expression of integrin α2β1

Current therapeutic interventions in bone defects are mainly focused on finding the best bioactive materials for inducing bone regeneration via activating the related intracellular signaling pathways. Integrins are trans‐membrane receptors that facilitate cell‐extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions and activate signal transduction. To develop a suitable platform for supporting human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBM‐MSCs) differentiation into bone tissue, electrospun poly L‐lactide (PLLA) nanofiber scaffolds were coated with nano‐hydroxyapatite (PLLA/nHa group), gelatin nanoparticles (PLLA/Gel group), and nHa/Gel nanoparticles (PLLA/nHa/Gel group) and their impacts on cell proliferation, expression of osteoblastic biomarkers, and bone differentiation were examined and compared. MTT data showed that proliferation of hBM‐MSCs on PLLA/nHa/Gel scaffolds was significantly higher than other groups (P < .05). Alkaline phosphatase activity was also more increased in hBM‐MSCs cultured under osteogenic media on PLLA/nHa/Gel scaffolds compared to others. Gene expression evaluation confirmed up‐regulation of integrin α2β1 as well as the osteogenic genes BGLAP, COL1A1, and RUNX2. Following use of integrin α2β1 blocker antibody, the protein level of integrin α2β1 in cells seeded on PLLA/nHa/Gel scaffolds was decreased compared to control, which confirmed that most of the integrin receptors were bound to gelatin molecules on scaffolds and could activate the integrin α2β1/ERK axis. Collectively, PLLA/nHa/Gel scaffold is a suitable platform for hBM‐MSCs adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation in less time via activating integrin α2β1/ERK axis, and thus it might be applicable in bone tissue engineering.     

Molecular Basis of Artemisinin Derivatives Inhibition of Myeloid Differentiation Protein 2 by Combined in Silico and Experimental Study

Artemisinin (also known as Qinghaosu), an active component of the Qinghao extract, is widely used as antimalarial drug. Previous studies reveal that artemisinin and its derivatives also have effective anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties, but the direct molecular target remains unknown. Recently, several reports mentioned that myeloid differentiation factor 2 (MD-2, also known as lymphocyte antigen 96) may be the endogenous target of artemisinin in the inhibition of lipopolysaccharide signaling. However, the exact interaction between artemisinin and MD-2 is still not fully understood. Here, experimental and computational methods were employed to elucidate the relationship between the artemisinin and its inhibition mechanism. Experimental results showed that artemether exhibit higher anti-inflammatory activity performance than artemisinin and artesunate. Molecular docking results showed that artemisinin, artesunate, and artemether had similar binding poses, and all complexes remained stable throughout the whole molecular dynamics simulations, whereas the binding of artemisinin and its derivatives to MD-2 decreased the TLR4(Toll-Like Receptor 4)/MD-2 stability. Moreover, artemether exhibited lower binding energy as compared to artemisinin and artesunate, which is in good agreement with the experimental results. Leu61, Leu78, and Ile117 are indeed key residues that contribute to the binding free energy. Binding free energy analysis further confirmed that hydrophobic interactions were critical to maintain the binding mode of artemisinin and its derivatives with MD-2.     

用液相色谱法研究N—乙酰—1,6—二氨基己烷诱导肿瘤细胞分化的机理

本文报道了Ｎ－乙酰－１，６－二氨基己烷的合成及偶联到异丙基甘油硅胶上制备高效液相色色谱柱的方法，并用液相色谱法测定了ＮＡＤＡＨ及六亚甲基二乙酰胺诱导肿瘤细胞分化的机理。     

Effect of Indole‐3‐Acetic Acid Analogs on the Differentiation of HL‐60 Cells

In continuing search for novel cell differentiation agents, a series of derivatives of indole‐3‐acetic acid and indole‐3‐carboxylic acid were prepared and tested against HL‐60 cells for their differentiation and antiproliferation activities. Among them, N‐ethyl‐1‐benzylindole‐3‐carboxamide ( 14 ) was the most potent, whereas N‐methyl 1‐benzylindole‐3‐acetamide ( 5 ) and N‐methyl 1‐benzylindole‐3‐carboxamide ( 13 ) synergistically potentiated with all‐trans‐retinoic acid to induce cell differentiation as well as antiproliferation. Our results indicate that these compounds are effective cell differentiation and antiproliferation agents in combination with retinoic acid.     

电解质对聚合物分子尺寸、结构形态和渗流特性影响研究

利用动态光散射（DLS）、扫描电镜（SEM）、表观黏度和岩心流动实验等方法,研究了电解质对聚合物分子线团尺寸、结构形态和渗流特性的影响。结果表明,随电解质浓度增大,聚合物分子线团尺寸呈现“减小、增大和再减小”变化趋势。在Ca2+、Mg2+和Na+三种离子中,Ca2+和Mg2+离子对聚合物分子双电层压缩作用更强,因而对聚合物溶液黏度和线团尺寸及其分布影响更大。随着溶剂水电解质浓度的增加,聚合物分子结构形态逐渐由多层次立体无规网状向树枝状和支状转化。在聚合物驱后的后续水驱过程中,注入压力大小受滞留聚合物采出量和仍滞留聚合物分子线团膨胀两因素的影响。聚合物相对分子质量愈大,电解质对聚合物分子线团压缩或和膨胀作用愈强,后续水驱过程中压力升高幅度愈大。聚合物驱和后续水驱所用水的电解质浓度差异愈大,后续水驱阶段压力升高幅度愈大。因此在油田聚合物驱油方案设计时,建议适当增加聚合物驱和后续水驱所用水的电解质浓度差异,这对改善聚合物驱增油效果十分有利。     

Effect of Hydrogen Bonds on Structures and Glass Transition Temperatures of Maleimide–Isobutene Alternating Copolymers: Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study

The objective of this paper is to use molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to study the influence of hydrogen bonding on the structure and glass transition temperature (T_g) of maleimide–isobutene alternating copolymers (poly(RMI‐alt‐IB)), a promising material used in the optoelectronics industry. The T_g obtained by MD simulation shows that the incorporation of hydrogen bonding increased the T_g for 48 K. The static and dynamic properties of poly(RMI‐alt‐IB)s are examined in this study. All the results prove that intermolecular CO…H O is the main hydrogen bond in the copolymers, while negligible intramolecular hydrogen bonding is observed. The segmental mobility and chain mobility are decreased because of the existance of the hydrogen bonds.

     

硫的取代对基态硫代乙酸单分子解离反应影响的理论研究

应用B3LYP方法,结合6-31G**、cc-pVDZ、aug-cc-pVDZ和cc-pVTZ基组对硫代乙酸的两种异构体CH3C(O)SH和CH3C(S)OH在基态势能面上的9个单分子反应进行了研究。本文计算预测硫代乙酸主要以CH3C(O)SH的形式存在,两种异构体均以顺式构象为优势构象。通过对比CH3C(O)SH、CH3C(S)OH和 CH3C(O)OH的反应性差异,我们可以得出结论：CH3C(O)OH中-OH基团的O被S取代后,只有当-SH作为一个整体参加反应时才对分子解离过程有较大影响;而C=O或C=S对反应性影响较小。