Ultrasound combined with glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor-loaded microbubbles for the targeted treatment of drug addiction.

Drug addiction is a serious problem globally, recently exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is considered a potentially effective strategy for the treatment of addiction. Previous animal experiments have proven that GDNF has a good therapeutic effect on drug addiction, but its clinical application is limited due to its poor blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability.

Therapeutic Effect of Ultrasound Combined With Porous Lipid Clioquinol/PLGA Microbubbles on Ferroptosis in HL-1 Cardiac Cell Induced by Isoproterenol Attack.

In recent years, studies have shown a close relationship between cardiomyocyte death and ferroptosis. Clioquinol (CQ) can inhibit ferroptosis. Porous lipid-poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microbubbles (MBs) were prepared by double emulsification (W/O/W) using 1,2-dioctadecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phophocholine and PLGA as raw materials.

Ultrasound-triggered drug delivery for glioma therapy through gambogic acid-loaded nanobubble-microbubble complexes.

Glioma is one of the most common primary brain tumors. Gambogic acid (GA) is widely used in tumor chemotherapy. However, GA has poor water solubility, low bioavailability, and difficult permeability across the blood-brain barrier (BBB), leading to poor efficacy against brain tumors.

A Gambogic Acid-Loaded Delivery System Mediated by Ultrasound-Targeted Microbubble Destruction: A Promising Therapy Method for Malignant Cerebral Glioma.

Background: The blood-brain barrier (BBB) inhibits the delivery of macromolecular chemotherapeutic drugs to brain tumors, leading to low utilization rates and toxic side effects to surrounding tissues and organs. Ultrasonic targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) technology can open the BBB, leading to a new type of drug delivery system with particular utility in glioma.

Purpose: We have developed a new type of drug-loaded microbubble complex based on poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) that targets gambogic acid (GA) to the area of brain tumors through UTMD.

The sustained PGE release matrix improves neovascularization and skeletal muscle regeneration in a hindlimb ischemia model.

Background: The promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of peripheral artery disease (PAD) is to restore blood supply and promote regeneration of skeletal muscle regeneration. Increasing evidence revealed that prostaglandin E (PGE), a lipid signaling molecule, has significant therapeutic potential for tissue repair and regeneration. Though PGE has been well reported in tissue regeneration, the application of PGE is hampered by its short half-life in vivo and the lack of a viable system for sustained release of PGE.

Renal subcapsular delivery of PGE promotes kidney repair by activating endogenous Sox9 stem cells.

Prostaglandin E (PGE) has recently been recognized to play a role in immune regulation and tissue regeneration. However, the short half-life of PGE limits its clinical application. Improving the delivery of PGE specifically to the target organ with a prolonged release method is highly desirable.

Effect of Gambogic Acid-Loaded Porous-Lipid/PLGA Microbubbles in Combination With Ultrasound-Triggered Microbubble Destruction on Human Glioma.

Gambogic acid (GA) is a highly effective antitumor agent, and it is used for the treatment of a wide range of cancers. It is challenging to deliver drugs to the central nervous system due to the inability of GA to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Studies have shown that ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction can be used for transient and reversible BBB disruption, significantly facilitating intracerebral drug delivery.

[Expression of ANO1 during cardiac fibroblasts differentiation and its electrophysiological characteristics as calcium-activated chloride channel protein].

Objective: To investigate the expression and electrophysiological characteristics of calcium-activated chlorine channel anoctamin-1 (ANO1) protein during the differentiation of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) into myofibroblasts (MFs), and to elucidate the role of ANO1 in myocardial fibrosis.

Methods: The primary CFs from neonatal rats were isolated and the cells differentiated into MFs by subculture. The Ca-activated Cl current () in CFs and MFs were measured by whole-cell patch clamp, and the expressions of ANO1, α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA)and vimentin in CFs and MFs were detected by immunofluorescence assay and Western blot, respectively.

ANO1 regulates cardiac fibrosis via ATI-mediated MAPK pathway.

Cardiac fibrosis is associated with most of heart diseases, but its molecular mechanism remains unclear. Anoctamin-1 (ANO1), a calcium-activated chloride channels (CaCCs) protein, plays a critical role in various pathophysiological processes. In the current study, we identified ANO1 expression in myocardial infarction (MI) model of rat and verified the role of ANO1 in cardiac fibrosis using transcriptomics combined with RNAi assays.

IGF-1C domain-modified chitosan hydrogel accelerates cutaneous wound healing by promoting angiogenesis.

Complete regeneration after skin injury remains a critical clinical challenge. Hydrogels, modified with growth factors or mimicking peptides, have been applied for functional tissue regeneration by increasing the bioactivity of engineered matrices.  We synthesized an injectable biological hydrogel, C domain of IGF-1 (IGF-1C)-modified chitosan (CS-IGF-1C) hydrogel.

Inhibition of profibrotic signalling enhances the 5-azacytidine-induced reprogramming of fibroblasts into cardiomyocytes.

Recent studies have shown that cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) can be transformed into induced cardiomyocytes (iCMs). This phenomenon represents a potential method for rescuing damaged myocardia after myocardial infarction. The mechanism underlying cardiac reprogramming regulation must be clarified to improve the induction efficiency of iCMs.

Transcription factor Tbx5 promotes cardiomyogenic differentiation of cardiac fibroblasts treated with 5-azacytidine.

Conversion of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) into induced cardiomyocytes has recently been demonstrated, represents a potential therapeutic strategy for cardiac repair after myocardial injury. However, current approaches are inefficient. Here, we report that a defined transcription factor Tbx5, promoted cardiac reprogramming in the presence of a chemical inducer 5-azacytidine (5-aza).

A new structure from cardiac cells cultured in vitro: Cardiomyocyte-annulation of neonatal rats.

To explore the formation, morphological characteristics, cell composition, and differentiation potential of cardiomyocyte annulation (cardio-annulation) during in vitro culture of cardiac cells. Cardiac cells were isolated and cultured. A live-cell imaging system was used to observe cardio-annulation.

CD90 cardiac fibroblasts reduce fibrosis of acute myocardial injury in rats.

Objective: To explore the differentiation tendency of CD90 cardiac fibroblast (CFs) into cardiomyogenic cells in vitro and repair functions in acute myocardial infarction rats.

Methods: CD90 subpopulation was sorted from rat CFs by flow cytometry. 10 μmoL/L of 5-Azacytosine (5-aza) was used to induce differentiation of CFs into cardiomyogenic cells.

Multiple Directional Differentiation Difference of Neonatal Rat Fibroblasts from Six Organs.

Background/aims: Fibroblasts are abundantly distributed throughout connective tissues in the body and are very important in maintaining the structural and functional integrity. Recent reports have proved that fibroblasts and mesenchymal stem cells share much more in common than previously recognized. The aim of this study was to investigate comparative studies in fibroblasts on the differences in the expression of molecular markers and differentiation capacity from different organs.

Telocytes in the Spleen.

Telocytes, a novel type of interstitial cells with very long and thin prolongations, have been identified in many organs in mammals. At present, the ultrastructural, immunocytochemical and electrophysiological properties of telocytes in multiple organs have been understood. However, telocytes in spleen, especially their roles in spleen have not been reported.

Multiple immunophenotypes of cardiac telocytes.

Aims: Telocytes (TCs) form a 3-dimensional network in the myocardial interstitium, which most probably play important role(s) in heart development. However, the dynamics of their prolongations, continuous cell shape changes and adherence properties have not been well documented till recently. The aim of this study was to investigate dynamics of extension of prolongations (Telopods) and multiple phenotypes of cardiac TCs cultured in vitro.

Gata4, Tbx5 and Baf60c induce differentiation of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells into beating cardiomyocytes.

The adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) are extensively utilized in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and cell therapy. ADMSCs can differentiate into cardiomyocytes, and it has been shown that over-expression of a cocktail of factors can induce ectopic heart formation and program cardiogenesis in ESCs. However, which genes are responsible for differentiation of ADMSCs into beating cardiomyocyte-like cells remains unknown.

The expression analysis of nanog in the developing rat myocardial tissues.

Objectives: To investigate the expression dynamic of nanog gene in the development of rat myocardial tissues.

Methods: SD rats were studied at 5 time points before and after birth. The techniques of immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, western blotting and RT-PCR were used to investigate the expression of nanog gene in the rat myocardial tissues at different embryonic (E) and postnatal (P) stages, and image analysis system was used for the quantitative analysis.

Mesenchymal stem cell-like properties in fibroblasts.

Fibroblasts are biologically dynamic and morphologically heterogeneous and are the most abundant connective tissue cells, with diverse structures depending on their location and activity. The main function of fibroblasts is to maintain the structural integrity of connective tissues by continuously secreting precursors of the extracellular matrix. Recent advances in our knowledge on pathophysiologic features of fibroblasts revealed that in some situations epithelial cells can give rise to fibroblasts by epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and conversely, in some other situations, fibroblasts may give rise to epithelia by undergoing a mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET).