Osthole Enhances Osteogenesis in Osteoblasts by Elevating Transcription Factor Osterix via cAMP/CREB Signaling In Vitro and In Vivo.

Anabolic anti-osteoporotic agents are desirable for treatment and prevention of osteoporosis and fragility fractures. Osthole is a coumarin derivative extracted from the medicinal herbs (L.) Cusson and Maxim.

Scx-transduced tendon-derived stem cells (tdscs) promoted better tendon repair compared to mock-transduced cells in a rat patellar tendon window injury model.

We hypothesized that the transplantation of Scx-transduced tendon-derived stem cells (TDSCs) promoted better tendon repair compared to the transplantation of mock-transduced cells. This study thus aimed to investigate the effect of Scx transduction on the expression of lineage markers in TDSCs and the effect of the resulting cell line in the promotion of tendon repair. Rat non-GFP or GFP-TDSCs were transduced with Scx or empty lentiviral vector (Mock) and selected by blasticidin.

Immunogenicity and escape mechanisms of allogeneic tendon-derived stem cells.

The immunogenicity of tendon-derived stem cells (TDSCs) has implications for their clinical use for the promotion of tendon repair. The immunogenicity and escape mechanisms of rat patellar TDSCs were examined after allogeneic transplantation. Our results showed that TDSCs exhibited low immunogenicity as evidenced by the following: (i) the incubation of target TDSCs with immunized serum did not show antibody recognition and did not induce the complement-dependent cytotoxicity; (ii) target TDSCs elicited a very low level of lymphocyte proliferation and did not exhibit host lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity; and (iii) target TDSCs dose dependently suppressed the phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)- and ionomycin-induced host lymphocyte proliferation.

Allogeneic tendon-derived stem cells promote tendon healing and suppress immunoreactions in hosts: in vivo model.

The medium- to long-term healing effect and infiltration of inflammatory cells, after transplantation of allogeneic tendon-derived stem cell (TDSC) to the rat patellar tendon window wound, were examined. Allogeneic patellar TDSCs derived from a green fluorescent protein rat were used. The outcome of tendon healing and the infiltration of inflammatory cells were examined by histology and immunohistochemistry up to week 16 postinjury.

Expression of Wnt pathway mediators in metaplasic tissue in animal model and clinical samples of tendinopathy.

Objective: Tissue metaplasia is observed in both ossified failed healing animal model and clinical samples of tendinopathy. The Wnt signalling pathway plays a vital role in pathological calcification. We hypothesized that the Wnt signalling pathway might contribute to tissue metaplasia and failed healing in tendinopathy.

BMP-2 stimulated non-tenogenic differentiation and promoted proteoglycan deposition of tendon-derived stem cells (TDSCs) in vitro.

We hypothesized that BMP-2 might induce non-tenocyte differentiation and increase production of proteoglycans of tendon-derived stem cells (TDSCs). This study investigated the effects of BMP-2 on the differentiation and production of proteoglycans in TDSCs in vitro. Rat patellar TDSCs were treated without or with BMP-2.

Altered fate of tendon-derived stem cells isolated from a failed tendon-healing animal model of tendinopathy.

We hypothesized that altered fate of tendon-derived stem cells (TDSCs) might contribute to chondro-ossification and failed healing in the collagenase-induced (CI) tendon injury model. This study aimed to compare the yield, proliferative capacity, immunophenotypes, senescence, and differentiation potential of TDSCs isolated from healthy (HT) and CI tendons. TDSCs were isolated from CI and healthy Sprague-Dawley rat patellar tendons.

Comparison of potentials of stem cells isolated from tendon and bone marrow for musculoskeletal tissue engineering.

The use of tendon-derived stem cells (TDSCs) as a cell source for musculoskeletal tissue engineering has not been compared with that of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC). This study compared the mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) and embryonic stem cells (ESC) markers, clonogenicity, proliferative capacity, and multilineage differentiation potential of rat TDSC and BMSC in vitro. The MSC and ESC marker profiles of paired TDSC and BMSC were compared using flow cytometry and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), respectively.

Expression of chondro-osteogenic BMPs in clinical samples of patellar tendinopathy.

Purpose: The pathogenesis of patellar tendinopathy remains unclear. Expression of BMP-2/-4/-7 was reported in an ossified failed tendon healing animal model of patellar tendinopathy. This study aimed to investigate the expression of these chondro-osteogenic BMPs in clinical samples of patellar tendinopathy.

Tendon-derived stem cells (TDSCs) promote tendon repair in a rat patellar tendon window defect model.

Injured tendons heal slowly and often result in the formation of mechanically and functionally inferior fibrotic scar tissue or fibrous adhesions. This study investigated the use of tendon-derived stem cells (TDSCs) for tendon repair in a rat patellar tendon window defect model. Fibrin glue constructs with or without GFP-TDSCs were transplanted into the window defect.

Expression of chondro-osteogenic BMPs in ossified failed tendon healing model of tendinopathy.

Chondrocytes phenotype/markers were expressed in clinical samples of tendinopathy and calcifying tendinopathy. This study examined the spatial-temporal expression of chondro-osteogenic Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs), which might contribute to ectopic chondro-osteogenesis and failed healing process in tendinopathy. Collagenase was injected into patellar tendon of rats to induce ossified failed tendon healing.

Red yeast rice increases excretion of bile acids in hamsters.

Objective: To investigate the hypocholesterolemic activity of red yeast rice (RYR) and its underlying mechanism.

Methods: Three groups of hamsters were fed either the control diet or one of the two experimental diets containing by weight 0.1% RYR (0.

Choosing hamsters but not rats as a model for studying plasma cholesterol-lowering activity of functional foods.

Rats and hamsters are commonly used rodents to test the efficacy of cholesterol-lowering functional foods. In general, a diet containing 1% cholesterol for rats whereas a diet containing 0.1% cholesterol for hamsters is used to induce the hypercholesterolemia.

Anti-hypertensive nutraceuticals and functional foods.

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that elevated blood pressure is one of the major risk factors for stroke and coronary heart disease (CHD). A close association between blood pressure and the incidence of cardiovascular diseases is well established if systolic/diastolic blood pressure is above 140/90 mmHg. In recent years, nutraceuticals and functional foods have attracted considerable interest as potential alternative therapies for treatment of hypertension, especially for prehypertensive patients, whose blood pressure is marginally or mildly high but not high enough to warrant the prescription of blood pressure-lowering medications.

A study of bone marrow and subcutaneous fatty acid composition in subjects of varying bone mineral density.

Osteoporosis is associated with an increase in marrow fat. Fats, particularly polyunsaturated fats, either in co-cultures or diet, have been shown to significantly influence bone remodeling. Whether the increase in marrow fat seen in osteoporosis is also associated with a change in fatty acid composition is not known.

Dysregulated microRNAs and their predicted targets associated with endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinoma in Hong Kong women.

The objective of this study, a parallel study to global gene expression profiling, was to identify dysregulated microRNAs (miRNAs) associated with endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinoma (EEC), examine their correlation with clinico-pathological characteristics and identify predicted target genes of the dysregulated miRNAs. Using real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), profiling of miRNA expression was performed in 30 EECs and 22 normal counterparts in which genome-wide gene expression had been previously profiled and reported. Clustering analysis identified 30 miRNAs which were significantly dysregulated in EEC.

Conjugated and non-conjugated octadecaenoic acids affect differently intestinal acyl coenzyme A: cholesterol acyltransferase activity.

We investigated the relative hypocholesterolemic activity of linoleic acid (LA), conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), alpha-linolenic acid (LN) and conjugated linolenic acid (CLN) in hamsters. Five groups of hamsters (n=10 each) were fed either the control diet or one of the four fatty acids-supplemented diets for 6 weeks. Results demonstrated that the four octadecaenoic acids decreased plasma cholesterol differently, with CLA being the most effective.

Dosing effects of an antiosteoporosis herbal formula--a preclinical investigation using a rat model.

Herba Epimedii, Fructus Ligustri Lucidi and Fructus Psoraleae are three frequently used Chinese herbs traditionally used for tonifying the 'kidney system'. They were selected for the present study to formulate an herbal preparation with a weight ratio of 5:4:1 based on their phytochemical, nature, documented treatment efficacy and toxicity. The dosing effects (1 g/day, 0.