Ex Vivo and In Vitro Studies on the Cytotoxicity and Immunomodulative Properties of Poly(2‐isopropenyl‐2‐oxazoline) as a New Type of Biomedical Polymer

Poly(2‐alkenyl‐2‐oxazoline)s are promising functional polymers for a variety of biomedical applications, such as drug delivery systems, peptide conjugates, or gene delivery. In this study, poly(2‐isopropenyl‐2‐oxazoline) (PIPOx) is prepared through free‐radical polymerization initiated with azobisisobutyronitrile. Reactive 2‐oxazoline units in the side chain support an addition reaction with different compounds containing a carboxylic group, which facilitates the preparation of polymers labeled with two different fluorescent dyes. The cytotoxicities of 2‐oxazoline monomers, PIPOx, and fluorescently labeled PIPOx are evaluated in vitro using an 3‐(4,5‐Dimethyldiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay and ex vivo using a cell proliferation assay with adenosine triphosphate bioluminescence. The cell uptake of labeled PIPOx is used to determine the colocalization of PIPOx with cell organelles that are part of the endocytic pathway. For the first time, it is shown that poly(2‐isopropenyl‐2‐oxazoline) is a biocompatible material and is suitable for biomedical applications; further, its immunomodulative properties are evaluated.

     

Tuning the Mechanical Properties of Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Microgel‐Based Scaffolds to Increase 3D Schwann Cell Proliferation

2D in vitro studies have demonstrated that Schwann cells prefer scaffolds with mechanical modulus approximately 10× higher than the modulus preferred by nerves, limiting the ability of many scaffolds to promote both neuron extension and Schwann cell proliferation. Therefore, the goals of this work are to develop and characterize microgel‐based scaffolds that are tuned over the stiffness range relevant to neural tissue engineering and investigate Schwann cell morphology, viability, and proliferation within 3D scaffolds. Using thiol‐ene reaction, microgels with surface thiols are produced and crosslinked into hydrogels using a multiarm vinylsulfone (VS). By varying the concentration of VS, scaffold stiffness ranges from 0.13 to 0.76 kPa. Cell morphology in all groups demonstrates that cells are able to spread and interact with the scaffold through day 5. Although the viability in all groups is high, proliferation of Schwann cells within the scaffold of G* = 0.53 kPa is significantly higher than other groups. This result is ≈5× lower than previously reported optimal stiffnesses on 2D surfaces, demonstrating the need for correlation of 3D cell response to mechanical modulus. As proliferation is the first step in Schwann cell integration into peripheral nerve conduits, these scaffolds demonstrate that the stiffness is a critical parameter to optimizing the regenerative process.

     

补阳还五汤联合依达拉奉对脑缺血再灌注损伤后神经细胞凋亡的影响

目的研究补阳还五汤联合依达拉奉对小鼠脑缺血再灌注损伤后神经细胞凋亡及Bcl-2、Bax和Caspase-3表达的影响。方法将50只小鼠随机分为假手术组、模型组、补阳还五汤组、依达拉奉组和两药联用组,每组10只,其中缺血再灌注后1d和7d各5只。首先制备小鼠大脑中动脉缺血模型,TUNEL法观察神经细胞凋亡指数（AI）,免疫组化法观察小鼠大脑皮质神经元Bcl、Bax-2和Caspase-3表达阳性细胞数。结果与模型组比较,补阳还五汤组、依达拉奉组、两药联用组小鼠脑神经细胞AI值均明显降低（P＜0.05）,Bcl-2/Bax比值明显升高（P＜0.05）,Caspase-3表达阳性细胞数明显减少（P＜0.05）,其中又以两药联用组更为明显（P＜0.05）。结论两药联用能降低脑缺血再灌注损伤后神经细胞的凋亡,降低促凋亡基因Caspase-3的表达,协同发挥脑保护作用。     

Antiproliferative effect of millimeter radiation on human erythromyeloid leukemia cell line K562 in culture: ultrastructural- and metabolic-induced changes

In the present study we compared the proliferation behavior, the ultrastructural morphology and the glycolitic metabolism of K562 cells irradiated by low-power wide-band millimeter waves, with those of sham-exposed K562 cells (control), maintained in the same culture conditions. The gigaHertz radiation treatments, performed between 53-78 10(9) Hz, induced a noticeable inhibition of the cell proliferation that could be related to relevant ultrastructural changes. Such effects brought the irradiated cell system to lose the homeostasis and to trigger defense/reparatory mechanisms in order to reestablish a new steady state. (13)C-Nuclear magnetic resonance data on the kinetic of glucose metabolism demonstrated that the irradiated cells enhanced the glycolitic aerobic pathway, indicating that such system need to produce an extra-bioenergy. Most of the ATP synthesized served probably to perform the above processes resulting in a significant decrease of the proliferation rate without significant cell death increment.     

Proteomic approach for purification of seminal plasma proteins involved in tumor proliferation

Human seminal plasma contains a large array of proteins required for the normal physiology and metabolism of spermatozoa. These are mainly secreted from prostate epithelium, testes, and seminal vesicles. Fortunately, many of these are found to be present at elevated concentration in seminal plasma and act as a biomarker of different carcinomas as their levels are also enhanced in serum and are found to be involved in tumor progression and metastasis apart from fertility. The proteins which were overexpressed in the seminal plasma of prostate carcinoma patients were identified by 2-DE and MALDI-TOF/MS. We have designed a strategy to purify these four proteins prostate specific antigen (PSA), prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), Zinc alpha2-glycoprotein (ZAG), and progastricsin (PG), together in homogeneity by using simple chromatographic techniques. Acidic and basic fractions of human seminal plasma were separated by ion exchange chromatography and further purified by gel permeation chromatography. Our results form a new and valuable resource for those attempting structure-based drug designing for prostate and other cancers where the amount of proteins is required in plenty and in native form.     

K-Carrageenan Stimulates Pre-Osteoblast Proliferation and Osteogenic Differentiation: A Potential Factor for the Promotion of Bone Regeneration?

Current cell-based bone tissue regeneration strategies cannot cover large bone defects. K-carrageenan is a highly hydrophilic and biocompatible seaweed-derived sulfated polysaccharide, that has been proposed as a promising candidate for tissue engineering applications. Whether κ-carrageenan can be used to enhance bone regeneration is still unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether κ-carrageenan has osteogenic potential by testing its effect on pre-osteoblast proliferation and osteogenic differentiation in vitro. Treatment with κ-carrageenan (0.5 and 2 mg/mL) increased both MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblast adhesion and spreading at 1 h. K-carrageenan (0.125–2 mg/mL) dose-dependently increased pre-osteoblast proliferation and metabolic activity, with a maximum effect at 2 mg/mL at day three. K-carrageenan (0.5 and 2 mg/mL) increased osteogenic differentiation, as shown by enhanced alkaline phosphatase activity (1.8-fold increase at 2 mg/mL) at day four, and matrix mineralization (6.2-fold increase at 2 mg/mL) at day 21. K-carrageenan enhanced osteogenic gene expression (Opn, Dmp1, and Mepe) at day 14 and 21. In conclusion, κ-carrageenan promoted MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblast adhesion and spreading, metabolic activity, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation, suggesting that κ-carrageenan is a potential osteogenic inductive factor for clinical application to enhance bone regeneration.     

Initiation and propagation of detonation waves in combustible high speed flows

The initiation and propagation of detonation waves in combustible high speed flows were studied experimentally. A planar detonation wave traveling in an initiation tube was transmitted into a test section where a combustible high speed flow was induced by an incident shock wave generated in a shock tube. In this study, the flow Mach numbers were obtained as 0.9 and 1.2. The experimental results show that depending on the flow velocity, the apparent propagation velocity of a detonation wave is higher in the upstream and lower in the downstream direction than the CJ velocity. Smoked plate records reveal cellular patterns deformed in the flow direction, and the calculated aspect ratios of the cell were found to agree well with the experimental ones on the basis of the assumption that the velocity of the transverse wave is not affected by the flowing mixture. By analyzing the shock-wave diffraction at the position where there is an abrupt change in the area, on the basis of Whitham’s theory, it was deduced that in the present experimental set-up, the detonation was initiated by the reflection of the diffracted shock waves on the sidewalls of the test section. The agreement between the experimental and calculated results regarding the position of the cellular patterns on the smoked plate record indicated that the position of detonation initiation in high speed flows is shifted downstream due to the flow velocity.     

激光热交联型CTP版材的改进

针对自制激光热交联型CTP版材存在的问题,在版材中添加了一种磺酸酯类化合物,用其作为酸增殖剂。由于把酸增殖剂引入到了CTP版材中,所以使版材的灵敏度和成像质量得到了明显地提高。     

功能化硅壳荧光纳米粒的细胞吞噬研究

合成了氨基聚酰胺-胺(PAMAM(G1.0))和酯基(PAMAM(G1.5))功能化的两种硅壳荧光纳米粒,通过透射电镜(TEM)、纳米粒度及动电位测定仪(zeta电势)、傅立叶红外光谱仪(FTIR)和热失重分析仪(TGA)进行表征;通过透射电镜(TEM)、共聚焦显微镜(CLSM)、细胞计数试剂盒(CCK-8)实验、流式细胞计数法评价两种硅壳荧光纳米粒进入9L细胞能力的大小、在细胞内的分布情况以及细胞毒性.TEM分析表明,修饰的硅壳纳米粒大小约为60 nm左右,pH=7.4,氨基功能化的纳米粒zeta电势为+19.08,酯基功能化的为-9.01;FTIR和TGA实验进一步证明两种纳米粒被氨基和酯基的功能化.TEM和CLSM结果表明纳米粒主要存在细胞浆中,且能被溶酶体吞噬.CCK-8结果显示两种纳米粒的浓度高达1 mg/mL时仍无明显的毒性作用,且有促细胞增殖作用.流式细胞计数结果表明,细胞摄取纳米粒呈浓度和时间依赖性,氨基比酯基修饰的纳米粒更易进入细胞.     

Fe3+和Fe2+对原代培养的成骨细胞增殖、分化和矿化功能的影响

采用噻唑蓝(MTT)法、碱性磷酸酶(ALP)比活性测定、油红O染色和茜素红染色及定量分析,研究了不同浓度的Fe3+和Fe2+对原代培养的成骨细胞增殖、分化及矿化功能的影响.结果表明:浓度为1×10-9～1×10-4 mol·L-1的Fe3+和Fe2+促进成骨细胞增殖,但是在较高浓度1×10-3 mol·L-1时,它们则抑制成骨细胞增殖.与成骨细胞作用48 h,浓度为1×10-8～1×10-4 mol·L-1的Fe3+和Fe2+抑制其分化,但在较低的浓度1×10-9 mol·L-1时则对其分化没有影响:进一步延长作用时间为72 h,Fe3+对成骨细胞分化没有影响,除1×10-6mol·L-1浓度的Fe2+促进成骨细胞分化外,其他浓度的Fe2+则抑制其分化;测试浓度下的Fe3+对成骨细胞向脂肪细胞的横向分化表现为抑制或没有影响,而Fe2+的影响则依赖于浓度和作用时间.在1×10-8～1×10-5mol·L-1浓度范围内,Fe3+和Fe2+对矿化结节的影响表现出相反的效应.在较高浓度(1×10-4mol·L-1)下,它们促进矿化节结的形成,而在较低浓度(1×10-9mol·L-1)下,Fe3+抑制矿化节结的形成,Fe2+则没有影响.结果提示:浓度.作用时间和铁离子的价态都是影响Fe3+和Fe2+生物效应(从毒性到活性,从损伤到保护,从上调到下调)转变的关键因素.