Docosahexaenoic Acid-Loaded Polylactic Acid Core-Shell Nanofiber Membranes for Regenerative Medicine after Spinal Cord Injury: In Vitro and In Vivo Study.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with disability and a drastic decrease in quality of life for affected individuals. Previous studies support the idea that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-based pharmacological approach is a promising therapeutic strategy for the management of acute SCI. We postulated that a nanostructured material for controlled delivery of DHA at the lesion site may be well suited for this purpose.

Activation of GLP-1 Receptor Enhances Neuronal Base Excision Repair via PI3K-AKT-Induced Expression of Apurinic/Apyrimidinic Endonuclease 1.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is an intestinal-secreted incretin that increases cellular glucose up-take to decrease blood sugar. Recent studies, however, suggest that the function of GLP-1 is not only to decrease blood sugar, but also acts as a neurotrophic factor that plays a role in neuronal survival, neurite outgrowth, and protects synaptic plasticity and memory formation from effects of β-amyloid. Oxidative DNA damage occurs during normal neuron-activity and in many neurological diseases.

Pregnane-type steroids from the Formosan soft coral Scleronephthya flexilis.

Three pregnane-type steroids, including a new metabolite, 3β-methoxy-5,20-pregnadiene (1) along with two known analogues, 3β-acetoxy-5,20-pregnadiene (2) and 5α-pregna-1,20-dien-3-one (3) were isolated from the soft coral Scleronephthya flexilis. Standard spectroscopic techniques were used to determine the structure of new steroid 1. The absolute stereochemistry of steroid 2 was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis.

Flexibilisquinone, a new anti-inflammatory quinone from the cultured soft coral Sinularia flexibilis.

A new quinone derivative, flexibilisquinone (1), was isolated from the cultured soft coral Sinularia flexibilis, originally distributed in the waters of Taiwan. The structure of quinone 1 was established by extensive spectroscopic methods, particularly 1D and 2D NMR experiments. In the in vitro anti-inflammatory effects test, quinone 1 was found to significantly inhibit the accumulation of the pro-inflammatory iNOS and COX-2 proteins of the LPS-stimulated RAW264.

Production of mouse embryoid bodies with hepatic differentiation potential by stirred tank bioreactor.

Embryonic stem (ES) cells can differentiate into functional hepatic lineage cells, which can potentially be used in biomedicine. To obtain hepatic lineage cells from ES cells, embryoid bodies (EBs) must be formed. In this study, we developed an EB formation system using a spinner flask for mass production of EBs.