In this work, a facile direct current atmospheric pressure micro-plasma (APM) technology was deployed for the synthesis of functional gold nanoparticle/chitosan (AuNP/CS) nanocomposites for the first time. Different experimental parameters, such as metal salt precursor concentration and chitosan viscosity, have been investigated to understand their effects on the resulting nanocomposite structures and properties. The nanocomposites were fully characterized using a wide range of material characterization techniques such as UV-vis, transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses. Potential reaction pathways have been proposed for the nanocomposite synthesis process. Finally, potential of the synthesized nanocomposites towards photothermal conversion and bacteria eradiation applications has been demonstrated. The results show that APM is a facile, rapid and versatile technique for the synthesis of AuNP/CS functional nanocomposites. Through this work, a more in-depth understanding of the multi-phase system (consisting of gas, plasma, liquid and solid) has been established and such understanding could shine a light on the future design and fabrication of new functional nanocomposites deploying the APM technique.
Bioactive wound dressings that are capable of regulating the local wound microenvironment have attracted a very large interest in the field of regenerative medicine. Macrophages have many critical roles in normal wound healing, and the dysfunction of macrophages significantly contributes to impaired or non-healing skin wounds. Regulation of macrophage polarization towards an M2 phenotype provides a feasible strategy to enhance chronic wound healing, mainly by promoting the transition of chronic inflammation to the proliferation phase of wound healing, upregulating the level of anti-inflammatory cytokines around the wound area, and stimulating wound angiogenesis and re-epithelialization. Based on this, modulation of macrophage functions by the rational design of bioactive scaffolds has emerged as a promising way to accelerate delayed wound healing. This review outlines current strategies to regulate the response of macrophages using bioactive materials, with an emphasis on extracellular matrix-based scaffolds and nanofibrous composites.
Nano-titania ceramics is a potential biomaterial for orthopaedic application. In our previous studies, a bioactive nano-titania ceramics was prepared by using alkali-heat treatment. In this paper, hydroxyapatite was used as a grain growth inhibitor additive to get nano-titania ceramics with different grain size, and the effect of grain size on the bioactivity was studied in vitro.
Hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte death plays a critical role in the deterioration of many heart diseases. Danshen (Salvia miltorrhiza), a famous traditional Chinese medicine, has shown a cardio-protective effect in both clinical and animal studies. Nevertheless, the mechanism underlying its cardioprotective effects, particularly the improvement of energy metabolism, is rarely known. Hence, the purposes of this study were to determine the active glucose metabolism involved in cardio-protection of Danshen and its possible mechanisms. Cardiomyocytes from neonatal rat were pretreated with Danshen or vehicle for 24 h, and then exposed to 1% O2 for 12 h. Cellular viability, lactate dehydrogenase release, glucose uptaking, lactate leakage, pH, cell death, and the mRNA levels of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and glucose transporter 1 (Glut 1) were investigated. After pretreating with Danshen, the hypoxia-induced cellular damages in cardiomyocytes were significantly attenuated. Besides, the mRNA levels of HIF-1α and Glut 1 were up-regulated in parallel with the enhancement of glucose uptake and metabolism in Danshen-treated cardiomyocytes. 2-Methoxyestradiol (2-ME), a HIF inhibitor, obviously reduced these protections. Our results indicate that Danshen prevents hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte death by enhanced glucose uptaking in a HIF-1α dependent manner.
Key words: Danshen, hypoxia, hypoxia inducible factor (HIF).
Human multipotent stem cell-based therapies have shown remarkable potential in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering applications due to their abilities of self-renewal and differentiation into multiple adult cell types under appropriate conditions. Presently, human multipotent stem cells can be isolated from different sources, but variation among their basic biology can result in suboptimal selection of seed cells in preclinical and clinical research. Thus, the goal of this study was to compare the biological characteristics of multipotent stem cells isolated from human bone marrow, placental decidua basalis, and urine, respectively. First, we found that urine-derived stem cells (USCs) displayed different morphologies compared with other stem cell types. USCs and placenta decidua basalis-derived mesenchymal stem cells (PDB-MSCs) had superior proliferation ability in contrast to bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs); these cells grew to have the highest colony-forming unit (CFU) counts. In phenotypic analysis using flow cytometry, similarity among all stem cell marker expression was found, excluding CD29 and CD105. Regarding stem cell differentiation capability, USCs were observed to have better adipogenic and endothelial abilities as well as vascularization potential compared to BMSCs and PDB-MSCs. As for osteogenic and chondrogenic induction, BMSCs were superior to all three stem cell types. Future therapeutic indications and clinical applications of BMSCs, PDB-MSCs, and USCs should be based on their characteristics, such as growth kinetics and differentiation capabilities.
Treatment of acute and chronic wounds is one of the primary challenges faced by doctors. Bioderived materials have significant potential clinical value in tissue injury treatment and defect reconstruction. Various strategies, including drug loading, addition of metallic element(s), cross-linking and combining two or more distinct types of materials with complementary features, have been used to synthesize more suitable materials for wound healing. In this review, we describe the recent developments made in the processing of bioderived materials employed for cutaneous wound healing, including newly developed materials such as keratin and soy protein. The focus was on the key properties of the bioderived materials that have shown great promise in improving wound healing, restoration and reconstruction. With their good biocompatibility, nontoxic catabolites, microinflammation characteristics, as well as their ability to induce tissue regeneration and reparation, the bioderived materials have great potential for skin tissue repair.
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