Artificial nerve graft constructed by coculture of activated Schwann cells and human hair keratin for repair of peripheral nerve defects.

Studies have shown that human hair keratin (HHK) has no antigenicity and excellent mechanical properties. Schwann cells, as unique glial cells in the peripheral nervous system, can be induced by interleukin-1β to secrete nerve growth factor, which promotes neural regeneration. Therefore, HHK with Schwann cells may be a more effective approach to repair nerve defects than HHK without Schwann cells.

Enhancement of Perovskite Solar Cells Efficiency using N-Doped TiO Nanorod Arrays as Electron Transfer Layer.

In this paper, N-doped TiO (N-TiO) nanorod arrays were synthesized with hydrothermal method, and perovskite solar cells were fabricated using them as electron transfer layer. The solar cell performance was optimized by changing the N doping contents. The power conversion efficiency of solar cells based on N-TiO with the N doping content of 1% (N/Ti, atomic ratio) has been achieved 11.

The possible influence of varying diameter of aligned electrospun fibers on Schwann cells maturation in culture.

The development of Schwann cells, the principal glial cell in the peripheral nervous system, occurs through a series of transitional embryonic and postnatal phases, which are tightly regulated by a number of axonal signals. During the axon ensheathment and myelin growth, the diameter of the axon play an important role in the maturation of Schwann cells. Because of electrospun fibers similar to protein fibers within the native extracellular matrix, the scaffolds are being developed as neural tissue engineering scaffolds.

Low concentration of lipopolysaccharide acts on MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts and induces proliferation via the COX-2-independent NFkappaB pathway.

The translocations of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from the gut and its effects on bone healing are usually of clinical interest during bone fracture. As already widely studied, Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is a key enzyme for prostaglandin E2 (PGE(2)) production, which induces the nuclear factor kappa B (NFkappaB) activation and is beneficial to fracture healing. In order to know their roles in skeletal regeneration, mouse MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts were treated with NFkappaB inhibitor BAY 11-7082 and sc791 (a selective COX-2 inhibitor), in the presence of LPS.

[Distribution of neuronal nitric oxide synthase-immunopositive neurons in rat corpus striatum and their ultrastructures].

Objective: To observe the distribution of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS)-immunopositive neurons in rat corpus striatum and their ultrastructural features.

Methods: Brain tissue specimens were obtained from normal SD rats, in which nNOS-immunopositive neurons were visualized by ABC immunocytochemistry and observed under immunoelectron microscope with pre-embedding staining.

Results: Under light microscope, nNOS-immunopositive neurons appeared brown with distinct profiles of the cell body and processes.

[Construction of artificial nerve bridge by three-dimensional culture of interleukin-1beta- activated Schwann cells with human hair keratins].

Objective: To culture interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta)-activated Schwann cells (SCs) with human hair keratins (HHKs) for artificial nerve bridge construction.

Methods: SCs purified by primary culture with or without IL-1beta activation were cultured with HHKs decorated by extracellular matrix (ECM), and the artificial nerve bridge was implanted into the defect of rat sciatic nerve. The morphology of the SCs cultured with HHKs was monitored by inverted microscope, scanning electron microscope and evaluated by immunocytochemical staining, and the expression of nerve growth factor (NGF) in the sciatic nerve was observed by in situ hybridization.

A new mitochondrial RNA deletion fragment accelerated by oxidative stress in rat L6 cells.

RNA deletions may be easier to detect and more extensive than DNA deletions. Two large deletion fragments (1120 and 7811 bp) of mitochondrial RNA were observed in rat L6 muscle cells. At the site of the 1120 bp deletion, the remaining RNA fragment was re-linked by a short additional section (GGTATGAAGCT).

[Oxidative stress-induced differentiation of L6 myoblasts].

Objective: To explore the relationship between the differentiation of L6 myoblasts and oxidative stress.

Methods: MTT assay was used to determine the viability of L6 myoblasts, from which the total RNA was extracted for amplification of the myogenin gene fragment by RT-PCR. H(2)O(2)-induced morphological changes of the cells were observed.

[Construction of artificial nerve bridge by three-dimensional culture of Schwann cells with human hair keratins].

Objective: To culture Schwann cells (SCs) and human hair keratins (HHKs) for artificial nerve bridge construction.

Methods: SCs were purified by primary culture and labeled with BrdU, which were then cultured with HHKs decorated by ECM. The artificial nerve bridge was implanted into the defect of sciatic nerve, beneath the skin, and in the skeletal muscles of SD rat, respectively.

[FK506 promotes apoptosis of macrophages activated by homogenate of allogenic nerve].

Objective: To study the effect of FK506 in promoting apoptosis of peripheral blood-derived macrophages activated by homogenate of allogenic nerve tissues.

Methods: Homogenate of the allogenic nerve tissues was prepared using the sciatic nerve and injected in one-month-old SD rats, from which the macrophages activated by the homogenate were collected from the abdominal cavity and cultured in vitro. The cells were divided into 4 groups according to different concentrations of FK506 for treatment, namely 0 (group A, control group), 0.

[Amplification of brain-derived neurotrophic factor receptor trkB gene and construction of its eukaryotic expression vector].

Objective: To construct a recombinant eukaryotic expression vector of rat brain-derived neurotrophic factor receptor trkB gene.

Methods: Using the total RNA extracted from rat brain tissue as the template, the trkB gene was amplified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with a pair of specific primers containing the restriction sites of EcoRI and BamHI. The amplified fragment of trkB gene was digested with EcoRI and BamHI, and then subcloned into cloning vector pMD18-T and then expression vector pEGFP-C2.

In vitro culture and study of the biological characteristics of rabbit keratocytes.

Objective: To improve the technique for culturing rabbit keratocytes in vitro and investigate the biological characteristics of these cells.

Methods: Fresh rabbit corneas were obtained and the epithelial and endothelial cells were removed after digestion with trypsin. The stroma was rinsed, minced, and incubated in DMEM/F12 medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum and the biological characteristics of the keratocytes were observed with MTT assay and compared with those of the cells in serum-free culture media.

Changes in content of macrophage migration inhibitory factor secreted by Schwann cells after peripheral nerve injury.

Objective: To investigate whether Schwann cells can secrete macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) after peripheral nerve injury.

Methods: Two kinds of infant rat Schwann cells(which were derived from intact and injured nerves respectively) were cultured in 10% newborn calf serum (NCS) DMEM/F12 medium for 72 h. Then the level of MIF in the conditioned media was determined by an enzyme-linked immunoadsordent assay (ELISA).