Oxygenation by Intravascular Photosynthesis Reduces Kidney Damage During ex Vivo Preservation.

Several clinical issues are associated with reduced oxygen delivery to tissues due to impaired vascular perfusion; moreover, organs procured for transplantation are subjected to severe hypoxia during preservation. Consequently, alternative tissue oxygenation is an active field in biomedical research where several innovative approaches have been recently proposed. Among these, intravascular photosynthesis represents a promising approach as it relies on the intrinsic capacity of certain microorganisms to produce oxygen upon illumination.

Oxidative damage associated with exposure to heavy metals present in topsoils in central Chile.

Exposure to heavy metals may cause the overproduction of reactive oxygen species, generating oxidative stress and consequently, various harms to human health. The soil surrounding the Ventanas Industrial Complex, in Puchuncaví and Quintero municipal districts on the central Chilean coast, contains heavy metal concentrations (As, Cu, Pb, Zn, among others) that far exceed the maximum permissible levels established by Italian soil standards (used as a reference). This study aimed to investigate the potential association between heavy metal exposure in humans and the levels of oxidative stress biomarkers in inhabitants of these locations.

Modulation of the activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and nitrosative stress biomarkers by aspirin triggered lipoxins: A possible mechanism of action of aspirin in the antiphospholipid syndrome.

Problem: Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is characterized by the clinical manifestation of vascular thrombosis (VT) or pregnancy morbidity (PM) and antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) that can modify the nitric oxide production. Low-dose aspirin is used in the prevention and treatment of diverse alterations of pregnancy. One of the mechanisms of action of aspirin is to induce the production of aspirin-triggered-lipoxins (ATL).

The Placental Function Beyond Pregnancy: Insights from Latin America.

Currently, more than 100,000 papers had been published studying the placenta in both physiological and pathological contexts. However, relevant health conditions affecting placental function, mostly found in low-income countries, should be evaluated deeper. This review will raise some - of what we think necessary - points of discussion regarding challenging topics not fully understood, including the paternal versus maternal contribution on placental genes imprinting, placenta-brain communication, and some environmental conditions affecting the placenta.

Feto-placental Unit: From Development to Function.

The placenta is an intriguing organ that allows us to survive intrauterine life. This essential organ connects both mother and fetus and plays a crucial role in maternal and fetal well-being. This chapter presents an overview of the morphological and functional aspects of human placental development.

Comprehensive Characterization of Tissues Derived from Animals at Different Regenerative Stages: A Comparative Analysis between Fetal and Adult Mouse Skin.

Tissue regeneration capabilities vary significantly throughout an organism's lifespan. For example, mammals can fully regenerate until they reach specific developmental stages, after which they can only repair the tissue without restoring its original architecture and function. The high regenerative potential of fetal stages has been attributed to various factors, such as stem cells, the immune system, specific growth factors, and the presence of extracellular matrix molecules upon damage.

Expression of Basement Membrane Molecules by Wharton Jelly Stem Cells (WJSC) in Full-Term Human Umbilical Cords, Cell Cultures and Microtissues.

Wharton's jelly stem cells (WJSC) from the human umbilical cord (UC) are one of the most promising mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in tissue engineering (TE) and advanced therapies. The cell niche is a key element for both, MSC and fully differentiated tissues, to preserve their unique features. The basement membrane (BM) is an essential structure during embryonic development and in adult tissues.

Case report: Long-term follow-up of a large full-thickness skin defect treated with a photosynthetic scaffold for dermal regeneration.

It is broadly described that almost every step of the regeneration process requires proper levels of oxygen supply; however, due to the vascular disruption in wounds, oxygen availability is reduced, being detrimental to the regeneration process. Therefore, the development of novel biomaterials combined with improved clinical procedures to promote wound oxygenation is an active field of research in regenerative medicine. This case report derives from a cohort of patients enrolled in a previously published ongoing phase I clinical trial (NCT03960164), to assess safety of photosynthetic scaffolds for the treatment of full skin defects.

Protein -GlcNAcylation as a nutrient sensor signaling placental dysfunction in hypertensive pregnancy.

Introduction: During pregnancy, arterial hypertension may impair placental function, which is critical for a healthy baby's growth. Important proteins during placentation are known to be targets for O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine modification (O-GlcNAcylation), and abnormal protein O-GlcNAcylation has been linked to pathological conditions such as hypertension. However, it is unclear how protein O-GlcNAcylation affects placental function and fetal growth throughout pregnancy during hypertension.

Towards an In Vitro 3D Model for Photosynthetic Cancer Treatment: A Study of Microalgae and Tumor Cell Interactions.

As hypoxic tumors show resistance to several clinical treatments, photosynthetic microorganisms have been recently suggested as a promising safe alternative for oxygenating the tumor microenvironment. The relationship between organisms and the effect microalgae have on tumors is still largely unknown, evidencing the need for a simple yet representative model for studying photosynthetic tumor oxygenation in a reproducible manner. Here, we present a 3D photosynthetic tumor model composed of human melanoma cells and the microalgae , both seeded into a collagen scaffold, which allows for the simultaneous study of both cell types.

Histochemical and Immunohistochemical Methods for the Identification of Proteoglycans.

Proteoglycans (PGs) are non-fibrillar extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules composed by a protein core and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chains. These molecules are present in all tissues playing essential structural, biomechanical, and biological roles. In addition, PGs can regulate cell behavior due to their versatility and ability to interact with other ECM molecules, growth factors, and cells.

Customized normothermic machine perfusion decreases ischemia-reperfusion injury compared with static cold storage in a porcine model of liver transplantation.

Background: Liver transplantation has been demonstrated to be the best treatment for several liver diseases, while grafts are limited. This has caused an increase in waiting lists, making it necessary to find ways to expand the number of organs available for transplantation. Normothermic perfusion (NMP) of liver grafts has been established as an alternative to static cold storage (SCS), but only a small number of perfusion machines are commercially available.

Resveratrol Decreases the Invasion Potential of Gastric Cancer Cells.

The cancer-preventive agent Resveratrol (RSV) [3,5,4'-trihydroxytrans-stilbene] is a widely recognized antioxidant molecule with antitumoral potential against several types of cancers, including prostate, hepatic, breast, skin, colorectal, and pancreatic. Herein, we studied the effect of RSV on the cell viability and invasion potential of gastric cancer cells. AGS and MKN45 cells were treated with different doses of RSV (0-200 μM) for 24 h.

Differences in Endothelial Activation and Dysfunction Induced by Antiphospholipid Antibodies Among Groups of Patients With Thrombotic, Refractory, and Non-refractory Antiphospholipid Syndrome.

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by pregnancy morbidity or thrombosis and persistent antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) that bind to the endothelium and induce endothelial activation, which is evidenced by the expression of adhesion molecules and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and subsequent endothelial dysfunction marked by a decrease in the synthesis and release of nitric oxide (NO). These endothelial alterations are the key components for the development of severe pathological processes in APS. Patients with APS can be grouped according to the presence of other autoimmune diseases (secondary APS), thrombosis alone (thrombotic APS), pregnancy morbidity (obstetric APS), and refractoriness to conventional treatment regimens (refractory APS).

A First in Human Trial Implanting Microalgae Shows Safety of Photosynthetic Therapy for the Effective Treatment of Full Thickness Skin Wounds.

Insufficient oxygen supply represents a relevant issue in several fields of human physiology and medicine. It has been suggested that the implantation of photosynthetic cells can provide oxygen to tissues in the absence of a vascular supply. This approach has been demonstrated to be successful in several and models; however, no data is available about their safety in human patients.

Syncytiotrophoblast stress in early onset preeclampsia: The issues perpetuating the syndrome.

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific syndrome characterized by a sudden increase in blood pressure accompanied by proteinuria and/or maternal multi-system damage associated to poor fetal outcome. In early-onset preeclampsia, utero-placental perfusion is altered, causing constant and progressive damage to the syncytiotrophoblast, generating syncytiotrophoblast stress. The latter leads to the detachment and release of syncytiotrophoblast fragments, anti-angiogenic factors and pro-inflammatory molecules into maternal circulation, resulting in the emergence and persistence of the characteristic symptoms of this syndrome during pregnancy.

Advantages in Wound Healing Process in Female Mice Require Upregulation A-Mediated Angiogenesis under the Stimulation of 17β-Estradiol.

Estrogenic steroids and adenosine A receptors promote the wound healing and angiogenesis processes. However, so far, it is unclear whether estrogen may regulate the expression and pro-angiogenic activity of A receptors. Using in vivo analyses, we showed that female wild type (WT) mice have a more rapid wound healing process than female or male A-deficient mice (AKO) mice.

Deletion of the adenosine A receptor increases the survival rate in a mice model of polymicrobial sepsis.

We aim to investigate the role of A receptor in peritonitis-related sepsis by injection of a fecal solution (FS) as a model of polymicrobial infection. C57/black J6 wild-type (WT) and A-deficient mice (AKO) were exposed to sepsis induced by intraperitoneal injection of a FS (FS-induced peritonitis) or instead was injected with saline buffer (Sham). Survival rate and sepsis score were measured up to 48 h.

Placental structure in gestational diabetes mellitus.

The placenta is a transitory organ, located between the mother and the foetus, which supports intrauterine life. This organ has nutritional, endocrine and immunologic functions to support foetal development. Several factors are related to the correct functioning of the placenta including foetal and maternal blood flow, appropriate nutrients, expression and function of receptors and transporters, and the morphology of the placenta itself.

Klotho Gene and Protein in Human Placentas According to Birth Weight and Gestational Age.

Fetal growth restriction may be the consequence of maternal, fetal, or placental factors. The insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are major determinants of fetal growth, and are expressed in the mother, fetus and placenta in most species. Previously we reported higher placental protein content of IGF-I, IGF-IR, and AKT in small (SGA) compared with those from appropriate for gestational age (AGA) placentas.

Pancreatic islet response to diabetes during pregnancy in rats.

Aims: The objective of this study was to assess the mechanisms underlying pancreatic islet adaptation in diabetic mothers and their pups. Additionally, the influence of pancreatic adaptations on maternal reproductive performance was also investigated.

Main Methods: Wistar rats were injected with streptozotocin for diabetes induction.

-GlcNAc Modification During Pregnancy: Focus on Placental Environment.

Successful placentation is a key event for fetal development, which commences following embryo implantation into the uterine wall, eliciting decidualization, placentation, and remodeling of blood vessels to provide physiological exchange between embryo-fetus and mother. Several signaling pathways are recruited to modulate such important processes and specific proteins that regulate placental function are a target for the glycosylation with linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), or GlcNAcylation. This is a reversible post-translational modification on nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins, mainly controlled by GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and GlcNAcase (OGA).

O-linked N-acetyl-glucosamine deposition in placental proteins varies according to maternal glycemic levels.

Aims: Hyperglycemia increases glycosylation with O-linked N-acetyl-glucosamine (O-GlcNAc) contributing to placental dysfunction and fetal growth impairment. Our aim was to determine how O-GlcNAc levels are affected by hyperglycemia and the O-GlcNAc distribution in different placental regions.

Main Methods: Female Wistar rats were divided into the following groups: severe hyperglycemia (>300 mg/dL; n = 5); mild hyperglycemia (>140 mg/dL, at least than two time points during oral glucose tolerance test; n = 7) or normoglycemia (<120 mg/dL; n = 6).