Increased circulating microRNA-21 level as a potential indicator for predicting a higher risk of incident fragility fractures.

Context: As a common disease in the elderly, osteoporosis clearly increases the risk of fractures, leading to higher mortality, but the current markers to estimate the risk of fractures are limited. MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) may play an important role in osteoporosis, but the link of this biomarker with fractures was undetermined.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the association between miR-21 levels and the presence of fragility fractures.

Insights of stem cell-based endogenous repair of intervertebral disc degeneration.

Low back pain has become more prevalent in recent years, causing enormous economic burden for society and government. Common therapies used in clinics including conservative treatment and surgery can only relieve pain. Subsequent cell-based treatment such as mesenchymal stem cell transplantation poses problems such as short duration of therapeutic effect and tumorigenesis.

The effect of high glucose on the biological characteristics of nucleus pulposus-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a dependent risk factor in the progression of intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). High glucose supply has negative effects on nucleus pulpous (NP) cell and mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) biology. However, the effect of hyperglycaemia on the biological characterization of nucleus pulpous-derived mesenchymal stem cell (NPMSC) has not been investigated previously.

Injectable Hydrogel Combined with Nucleus Pulposus-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells for the Treatment of Degenerative Intervertebral Disc in Rats.

Stem cell-based tissue engineering in treating intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is promising. An appropriate cell scaffold can maintain the viability and function of transplanted cells. Injectable hydrogel has the potential to be an appropriate cell scaffold as it can mimic the condition of the natural extracellular matrix (ECM) of nucleus pulposus (NP) and provide binding sites for cells.

Naringin alleviates HO-induced apoptosis via the PI3K/Akt pathway in rat nucleus pulposus-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

: To investigate the protective effect of naringin (Nar) on HO-induced apoptosis of nucleus pulposus-derived mesenchymal stem cells (NPMSC) and the potential mechanism in this process. : Rat NPMSC were cultured in MSC culture medium or culture medium with different concentrations of HO. Nar or the combination of Nar and LY294002 was added into the culture medium to investigate the effects of Nar.

Soluble expression of recomb inant cMyc, Klf4, Oct4, and Sox2 proteins in bacteria and transduction into living cells.

Aim: To develop a new method to produce recombinant reprogramming proteins, cMyc, Klf4, Oct4, and Sox2, in soluble format with low cost for the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).

Methods: A short polypeptide sequence derived from the HIV trans-activator of transcription protein (TAT) and the nucleus localization signal (NLS) polypeptide were fused to the N terminus of the reprogramming proteins and they were constructed into pCold-SUMO vector which can extremely improve the solubility of recombinant proteins. Then these vector plasmids were transformed into BL21 (DE3) Chaperone competent cells for amplification.

[Changes of HCN4, Cx43 Expression in the Sinoatrial Node of Electric Shock Death].

Objective: To investigate the expression of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated cation channel 4 (HCN4) and connexin43 (Cx43) in the sinoatrial node of electric shock death.

Methods: As experimental group, 34 cases of electric shock death who had definite current mark evidence were selected from pathology department of Xuzhou Medical College from 2010 to 2013. As the control group, 20 cases of fatal severe craniocerebral injury in traffic accidents were chosen.

Molecular hydrogen regulates the expression of miR-9, miR-21 and miR-199 in LPS-activated retinal microglia cells.

Aim: To explore the potential mechanism of molecular hydrogen in the regulation of miRNA expression and signal-modulating activities.

Methods: Retinal microglia cells were activated by Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and then treated with hydrogen-saturated medium or normal medium without hydrogen. qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression difference in miR-9, miR-21 and miR-199 between these two groups.

Gambogic acid inhibits the growth of osteosarcoma cells in vitro by inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest.

The natural product gambogic acid (GA) has been demonstrated to be a promising chemotherapeutic drug for some cancers because of its ability to induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Until now, no studies have looked at the role of GA in osteosarcoma. In this study, we observed the effects of GA on the growth and apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells in vitro.