EPO synthesis induced by HIF-PHD inhibition is dependent on myofibroblast transdifferentiation and colocalizes with non-injured nephron segments in murine kidney fibrosis.

Aim: Erythropoietin (EPO) is regulated by hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-2. In the kidney, it is produced by cortico-medullary perivascular interstitial cells, which transdifferentiate into collagen-producing myofibroblasts in response to injury. Inhibitors of prolyl hydroxylase domain (PHD) dioxygenases (HIF-PHIs) activate HIF-2 and stimulate kidney and liver EPO synthesis in patients with anemia of chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Titanium surface modification to enhance antibacterial and bioactive properties while retaining biocompatibility.

Bacterial infections associated with metal implants are severe problems affecting a considerable amount of people with dental or orthopedic implants. This study aims to examine the antibacterial effect of a Titanium-peroxy gel layer on the modified surface of commercially pure titanium grade 2. Variations in a multi-step surface modification procedure were tested to determine the best combination that provided an antibacterial effect while enhancing bioactivity without compromising biocompatibility.

The Influence of Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticle Morphology on Embryonic Development in a Zebrafish Exposure Model.

Nanomaterials are used in many different industries such as cosmetics, food, clothing, and electronics. There is increasing concern that exposure to nanoparticles (NPs) during pregnancy can adversely affect fetal development. It is well known that the size, charge, and chemistry of a nanoparticle can modulate embryological development.

Pyrophosphate Stimulates Differentiation, Matrix Gene Expression and Alkaline Phosphatase Activity in Osteoblasts.

Pyrophosphate is a potent mitogen, capable of stimulating proliferation in multiple cell types, and a critical participant in bone mineralization. Pyrophosphate can also affect the resorption rate and bioactivity of orthopedic ceramics. The present study investigated whether calcium pyrophosphate affected proliferation, differentiation and gene expression in early (MC3T3 pre-osteoblast) and late stage (SAOS-2 osteosarcoma) osteoblasts.

In vivo and in vitro evaluation of hydroxyapatite nanoparticle morphology on the acute inflammatory response.

Biomedical implants have been widely used in bone repair applications. However, nanosized degradation products from these implants could elicit an inflammatory reaction, which may lead to implant failure. It is well known that the size, chemistry, and charge of these nanoparticles can modulate this response, but little is known regarding the role that the particle's morphology plays in inducing inflammation.

The influence of Sr content in calcium phosphate coatings.

In this study calcium phosphate coatings with different amounts of strontium (Sr) were prepared using a biomineralization method. The incorporation of Sr changed the composition and morphology of coatings from plate-like to sphere-like morphology. Dissolution testing indicated that the solubility of the coatings increased with increased Sr concentration.

Rebamipide delivered by brushite cement enhances osteoblast and macrophage proliferation.

Many of the bioactive agents capable of stimulating osseous regeneration, such as bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) or prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), are limited by rapid degradation, a short bioactive half-life at the target site in vivo, or are prohibitively expensive to obtain in large quantities. Rebamipide, an amino acid modified hydroxylquinoline, can alter the expression of key mediators of bone anabolism, cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2), BMP-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), in diverse cell types such as mucosal and endothelial cells or chondrocytes. The present study investigates whether Rebamipide enhances proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts when delivered from brushite cement.

Reduced oxidative stress in primary human cells by antioxidant released from nanoporous alumina.

Nanoporous alumina elicits different inflammatory responses dependent on pore size, such as increased complement activation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, on 200 versus 20 nm pores. In this study, we attempt to further modulate inflammatory cell response by loading nanoporous alumina membranes (20, 100, and 200 nm pores), with an antioxidant, Trolox, for controlled drug release. For mononuclear cells (MNC) no difference in cell response, due to pore size, was seen when cultured on nonloaded membranes.