Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate whether silk fibroin (SF) incorporated into 4-hexylresorcinol (4HR) could increase botulinum toxin-A (BTX-A) activity.
Material And Methods: In total, 30 rats were used for this study. The animals were divided into 6 groups according to the injected materials (SA: saline only; SF; 4HR; B2: 2 units of BTX-A; B2 + SF + 4HR: combination of B2, SF, and 4HR; B5: 5 units of BTX-A). Serial sonography was used for the evaluation of muscle thickness after injection. Immunohistochemical staining was used for the evaluation of myosin type II (myo2) and Bcl-2 protein expression.
Results: The relative thickness of the masseter muscle in B2 group was 66.14% ± 4.55% to the preinjection level; in B2 + SF + 4HR group was 54.59% ± 4.83%, and in B5 group was 56.19% ± 8.28%. Any BTX-injected group showed significantly lower value of the relative muscle thickness compared to SA, SF, or 4HR group (P < 0.001 for all). The difference of relative muscle thickness between B2 group and B2 + SF + 4HR group was statistically significant (P < 0.001). The intensity of myo2 immunostaining in B5, B2, and B2 + SF + 4HR group was significantly higher than those in the other groups (P < 0.05).
Conclusions: When 2 units of BTX was incorporated to SF and 4HR, combination formula showed similar activity to those of 5 units of BTX.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/SCS.0000000000003763 | DOI Listing |
Plant J
January 2025
Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
Spider silk, especially dragline silk from golden silk spiders (Trichonephila clavipes), is an excellent natural material with remarkable mechanical properties. Many studies have focused on the use of plants as biofactories for the production of recombinant spider silk. However, the effects of this material on the mechanical properties or physiology of transgenic plants remain poorly understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPharmaceutics
January 2025
School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Barber House, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK.
: In the quest for sustainable and biocompatible materials, silk fibroin (SF), derived from natural silk, has emerged as a promising candidate for nanoparticle production. This study aimed to fabricate silk fibroin particles (SFPs) using a novel swirl mixer previously presented by our group, evaluating their characteristics and suitability for drug delivery applications, including magnetic nanoparticles and dual-drug encapsulation with curcumin (CUR) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). : SFPs were fabricated via microfluidics-assisted desolvation using a swirl mixer, ensuring precise mixing kinetics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMolecules
January 2025
Laboratório de Bioengenharia, Universidade Federal de Itajubá, Itabira 35903-087, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Fibroin, a protein extracted from silk, offers advantageous properties such as non-immunogenicity, biocompatibility, and ease of surface modification, which have been widely utilized for a variety of biomedical applications. However, in vivo studies have revealed critical challenges, including rapid enzymatic degradation and limited stability. To widen the scope of this natural biomacromolecule, the grafting of polymers onto the protein surface has been advanced as a platform to enhance protein stability and develop smart conjugates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicromachines (Basel)
January 2025
Centre for Precision Manufacturing, DMEM, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XJ, UK.
Silk fibroin, known for its biocompatibility and biodegradability, holds significant promise for biomedical applications, particularly in drug delivery systems. The precise fabrication of silk fibroin particles, specifically those ranging from tens of nanometres to hundreds of microns, is critical for these uses. This study introduces elliptical vibration micro-turning as a method for producing silk fibroin particles in the form of cutting chips to serve as carriers for drug delivery systems.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNanomaterials (Basel)
January 2025
Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
Environmental changes, such as applied medication, nutrient depletion, and accumulation of metabolic residues, affect cell culture activity. The combination of these factors reflects on the local temperature distribution and local oxygen concentration towards the cell culture scaffold. However, determining the temporal variation of local temperature, independent of local oxygen concentration changes in biological specimens, remains a significant technological challenge.
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