Objective To evaluate the clinical relationship between serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and mortality of anti-melanoma differentiation associated gene 5 (MDA5) antibody positive dermatomyositis with interstitial lung disease (ILD). MethodsThe consecutive clinical data of 214 patients with anti MDA5 antibody positive dermatomyositis from West China Hospital of Sichuan University from February 2017 to September 2019 were collected retrospectively, including demographic, laboratory examination and imaging examination data. Patients were divided into CEA elevated group (CEA≥4.63 ng/mL) and CEA normal group (CEA<4.63 ng/mL) according to CEA level. R4.1.2 software was used for statistical analysis of all data, and Kaplan Meier method was used to draw the survival curve. Cox proportional hazard model was used to analyze the survival of patients with ILD, and to explore the risk factors associated with the survival of patients with anti-MDA5 antibody positive dermatomyositis with ILD. Results There were 180 patients with ILD who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 57 patients with rapidly progressive pulmonary interstitial fibrosis (RPILD), and 123 patients without RPILD; 121 women and 59 men, with an average age of 50.2±10.7 years; The average follow-up was 23.5 months, and 52 patients died. Univariable analysis suggested that CEA≥4.63 ng/mL, smoking, RPILD, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) ≥321 IU/L, albumin<30 g/L and dyspnea were risk factors associated with death in patients with anti MDA5 dermatomyositis combined with ILD. Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that CEA≥4.63 ng/mL [hazard ratio (HR) =3.01, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.23 - 7.32, P=0.015], RPILD (HR=3.87, 95%CI 2.09 - 7.19, P<0.001), smoking (HR=2.37, 95%CI 1.25 - 4.47, P=0.008), LDH≥321 IU/L (HR=2.47, 95%CI 1.23 - 4.96, P=0.011), albumin<30 g/L (HR=2.57, 95%CI 1.38 - 4.78, P=0.003) were independent predictors for mortality. ConclusionsSerum CEA level can be used as a clinical prognostic predictor in patients with anti-MDA5 positive dermatomyositis and ILD. RPILD, smoking, LDH≥321 IU/L, and albumin<30 g/L are independent predictors for mortality.
ObjectiveTo investigate the multi-directional differentiation potential and other biological characteristics of chicken umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UMSC), as well as their reparative effects on bleomycin (BLM)-induced lung injury in mice. MethodsAn acute lung injury model in mice was established by injecting BLM into the bronchus. UMSC were then transplanted via the tail vein. The reparative effects of UMSC on lung injury were evaluated through pathological section observation, survival and differentiation of transplanted cells in mice, and detection of hydroxyproline (HYP) content, among other indicators. ResultsThe UMSC successfully isolated in this study positively expressed specific surface markers CD29, CD44, CD90, and CD166, while the expression of CD34 and CD45 was negative. Induced UMSC could differentiate into adipocytes, osteocytes, chondrocytes, and alveolar epithelial cells. Animal experiments revealed that BLM-treated mice exhibited damaged alveolar structures, significant inflammatory cell infiltration, abnormal collagen deposition, and pulmonary fibrosis. However, after UMSC transplantation, the extent and severity of lung damage were reduced, and the HYP content in lung tissue decreased but remained higher than that of the control group. ConclusionUMSC can continuously proliferate and maintain their biological characteristics under in vitro culture conditions. They possess the ability to migrate to damaged sites and undergo directional differentiation, demonstrating a certain reparative effect on BLM-induced acute lung injury in mice.
Objective To isolate neural stem cells (NSCs) from rabbit retina and brain, and induce differentiation of those NSCs using different culture media. Methods Single-cell suspensions of retina and cerebral cortex were prepared from rabbit embryo, cultured in 5 types of different media to isolate the NSCs by continual passages. After 3 passages, NSCs were induced to differentiation in 2 types of different media for 8 to 10 days. NSCs and inducedretinal cells were examined by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry for the expression pattern of some specific antigens.Results Immunofluorescence showed that NSCs from retina and brain, cultured in serumfree media, both expressed Nestin partially. Flow cytometry showed that Nestin positive cells were significantly decreased while the Rhodopsin and Thy1.1 positive cells were increased after induction. Compared with the combined induction of alltrans retinoid acid (ATRA) and serum, 5%FBS (fetal bovine serum) led to higher expression of Rhodopsin（P＜0.01），but lower expression of Thy1.1（P=0.01）.Conclusion Serumfree media with N2, EGF, bFGF, LIF is the best for NSCs purification. Both induciton media can induce NSCs to differentiate.Retina NSCs have higher potentials to differentiate into retinal neuroepithelial cells than brain NSCs.
Fracture is a common physical injury. Its healing process involves complex biological activities at tissue, cellular and molecular levels and is affected by mechanical and biological factors. Over recent years, numerical simulation methods have been widely used to explore the mechanisms of fracture healing, design fixators and develop novel treatment strategies, etc. This paper mainly recommend the numerical methods used for simulating fracture healing and their latest research progress, which helps people better understand the mechanism of fracture healing, and also provides direction and guidance for the numerical simulation research of fracture healing in the future. First, the fracture healing process and its relationship with mechanical stimulation and biological factors are described. Then, the numerical models used for simulating fracture healing (including mechano-regulatory model, biological regulatory model and mechano-biological regulatory model) and corresponding modeling techniques (mainly including agent-based techniques and fuzzy logic controlling method) were summarized in particular. Finally, the future research directions in numerical simulation of fracture healing were preliminarily prospected.
ObjectiveTo investigate the regulatory effect of simvastatin on osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) at middle/late stages by p38MAPK pathway under condition of osteoinductive environment.
MethodsThe bone marrow of bilateral femur and tibia were harvested from 20 4-week-old female Sprague Dawley rats. BMSCs were isolated and cultured with whole bone marrow culture method; the second generation of cells were randomly divided into 5 groups: control group (complete medium, CM), simvastatin group (simvastatin medium, SIM), osteogenic induction group (osteogenic induction medium, OM), simvastatin and osteogenic induction group (simvastatin+osteogenic induction medium, OM+SIM), and blocker group (SB203580+simvastatin+osteogenic induction medium, OM+SIM+SB). MTT assay was used to detect the cell activity in CM group and SIM group at 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 days, ELISA method to measure the content of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in OM group and OM+SIM group at 7 and 14 days. The mRNA and protein expressions of osteocalcin (OCN) were detected by real-time quatitative PCR and Western blot after 1, 12, and 24 hours of osteogenic induction at 21 and 28 days. The protein expressions of phospho-p38 (p-p38) and p38 in OM group, OM+SIM group, and OM+SIM+SB group were detected by Western blot at the best induction time of simvastatin.
ResultsMTT assay showed that no significant difference was found in absorbance (A) value between CM group and SIM group at each time point (P > 0.05), indicating no effect of 1×10-7 mol/L simvastatin on cell viability. ELISA results showed that ALP content significantly increased in OM+SIM group when compared with OM group at 7 and 14 days; the ALP content was significantly higher at 7 days than 14 days in OM group and OM+SIM group (P < 0.05). OCN mRNA and protein expressions at 12 hours were significantly higher than those at other time points in each group (P < 0.05), and the expressions of OM+SIM group was significantly higher than those of OM group (P < 0.05). The best induction time of simvastatin was 12 hours. At 12 hours after blocking intervention, the p-p38/p38 in OM+SIM+SB group was significantly lower than that in OM group and OM+SIM group (P < 0.05), and the p-p38/p38 in OM+SIM group was significantly higher than that in OM group (P < 0.05).
ConclusionSimvastatin can increase the mRNA and protein expression levels of OCN and the protein of p-p38 in osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs at middle/ late stages, and its best induction time is 12 hours.
ObjectiveTo study the effects of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on the proliferation and differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs).
MethodshBMSCs at passage 4 were divided into 4 groups according to different culture conditions:cells were treated with complete medium (α-MEM containing 10%FBS, group A), with complete medium containing 10 ng/mL LIF (group B), with complete medium containing 10 ng/mL bFGF (group C), and with complete medium containing 10 ng/mL LIF and 10 ng/mL bFGF (group D). The growth curves of hBMSCs at passage 4 in different groups were assayed by cell counting kit 8; cellular morphologic changes were observed under inverted phase contrast microscope; the surface markers of hBMSCs at passage 8 including CD44, CD90, CD19, and CD34 were detected by flow cytometry.
ResultsThe cell growth curves of each group were similar to the S-shape; the cell proliferation rates in 4 groups were in sequence of group D > group C > group B > group A. Obvious senescence and differentiation were observed very early in group A, cells in group B maintained good cellular morphology at the early stage, with slow proliferation and late senescence; a few cells in group C differentiated into nerve-like cells, with quick proliferation; and the cells in group D grew quickly and maintained cellular morphology of hBMSCs. The expressions of CD44 and CD90 in groups A and C at passage 8 cells were lower than those of groups B and D; the expressions of CD19 and CD34 were negative in 4 groups, exhibiting no obvious difference between groups.
ConclusionLIF combined with bFGF can not only maintain multiple differentiation potential of hBMSCs, but also promote proliferation of hBMSCs.
【Abstract】 Objective To explore the interventional effect of platelet lysate (PL) on osteogenic differentiation ofBMSCs by induction in rats in vitro. Methods Twenty-four clean-grade adult Wistar rats, weighing from 250 g to 300 g, maleor female, were included in this study. PL was obtained through three times of centrifugation and repeated freeze-thaw for the blood aspirated from cardiac cavities in 16 Wistar rats. ELISA assay was conducted to detect the concentration of growth factors PDGF, TGF-β1, IGF-1 and VEGF in PL. The BMSCs harvested by flushing femurs of 8 adult Wistar rats were isolated, cultivated and expanded in vitro. The cells at the 4 passage were performed for osteogenic differentiation by induction in three groups of A (5% PL of final concentration in basic induction medium), B (1% PL of final concentration in basic induction medium), and C (no presence of PL in basic induction medium as a control). The morphological changes of the cells were dynamically observed with inverted phase contrast microscope during the whole period. At different time-points, ALP staining (7 days) and ALP/TP (2, 8, 12 days) of the cells were detected to evaluate ALP activity, and the mineral formation in extracellular martrix was examined with Al izarin red staining which provided quantitative analysis of mineral deposits. Results ELISA assay showed that the content of PDGF, TGF-β1, IGF-1 and VEGF in PL reached (300 ± 30), (140 ± 25), (80 ± 35), (70 ± 20) pg/mL, respectively. Morphological observation displayed BMSCs in group A or B gradually turned from spindle-shape to square- or polygon-shape as the morphorlogical type of osteoblast-l ike cells at 7 days. The cells in group A showed slower shape changesbut higher prol iferation than that in group B or C. Moreover, at the 20 days, the cells in group A still displayed dense gro wth and produced obviously decreased amount of mineral deposits in ECM when compared with group B or C. At the 7 days, the cells ofgroup A showed smaller amount of granules positive for ALP staining in cytoplasm when compared with groups B and C, and displayed marked reduction in ALP activity assay at the 2, 8, and 10 days compared with that of groups B and C (P lt; 0.05). At the 20 days, Al izarin red staining showed the number of mineral deposits in groups A, B and C were 7.67 ± 1.10, 12.87 ± 0.81 and 15.59 ± 0.25, respectively, while the area of mineral deposits were (161 778.70 ± 44 550.80), (337 349.70 ± 56 083.24), and (415 921.70 ± 71 725.39) pixels, respectively. The number of mineral deposits and the area of mineral deposits in group A were smaller than those in groups B and C (P lt;0.05). But there was no statistically significant difference between groups B and C (P gt; 0.05). Conclusion PL is a kind of system carrying various growth factors. Exposure of PL inhibits both ALP activity and mineral formation of BMCs in a dose-dependent way under the osteogenic induction environment.
ObjectiveTo review the research progress of different ways of stem cells generation and cells dedifferentiation induced by reversine. MethodsThe papers related to reversine inducing cells dedifferentiation and stem cells generation were reviewed. ResultsTo obtain stem cells, there are always some disadvantages via somatic cell nuclear transfer or gene transfection. However reversine, a small molecule, can induce cells dedifferentiation which has unique advantage. But its mechanism is still unclear. ConclusionThe chemical approach for generation of induced pluripotent stem cells by reversine may take the place of other methods.
Dental pulp stem cells(DPSCs) are adult stem cells with strong proliferative ability, self-renewal ability and multidirectional differentiation potential. DPSCs have abundant source are easy to obtain, and do not have ethical problems. As seed cells, they played an important role and showed great potential in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, making them potential ideal seed cells for repairation and regeneration of tissue and organ. Clinical application of DPSCs in bone regeneration has already been achieved, and studies on differentiation of DPSCs into other tissues are still at different levels of basic stage. In this paper, the research and application of directional differentiation potential such as tooth formation, osteogenesis, and nerve formation are reviewed in order to provide clues and ideas for further study on DPSCs in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Objective To investigate the effects of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) on lung adenocarcinoma bone metastasis in nude mice by regulating phosphatase and tensin homology/phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/protein kinase B (PTEN/PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway. Methods The bone metastasis model of lung adenocarcinoma in nude mice was established and mice were randomly divided into Control group, sh-NC group, sh-GDF15 group, sh-GDF15+sh-NC group and sh-GDF15+sh-PTEN group. The changes of 50% pain withdrawl threshold (PWT) and thermal withdrawal latency (TWL) were observed. bone destruction was analyzed by Micro-CT. Bone morphology was observed by HE staining. The expression of osteoclast-related factors was detected by immunohistochemistry. The expression of PTEN/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was detected by Western blot. Results The tibia tissue of nude mice in Control group and sh-NC group was destroyed, the continuity of bone cortex was interrupted, obvious bone tumor lesions were observed, the tumor cells were irregular in shape, densely distributed and disordered, and the nuclei were obviously deformed. Compared with sh-NC group, sh-GDF15 group had less tibial tissue destruction, the bone tumor cell density was significantly reduced, the pathological morphology was significantly improved, and 50% PWT, TWL, bone mineral density (BMD), trabecular bone volume/total volume (BV/TV), trabecular number (Tb.N), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th) and PTEN expression were increased, the expressions of trabecular separation (Tb.Sp), cathepsin K (CTSK), matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), p-PI3K PI3K and p-Akt/Akt were decreased (P<0.05). Compared with sh-GDF15+sh-NC group, sh-GDF15+sh-PTEN group had severe tibial tissue damage, the bone tissue tumor cells were dense and the pathological injury was aggravated, and 50%PWT, TWL, BMD, BV/TV, Tb.N, Tb.Th and PTEN expression were decreased, the expressions of Tb.Sp, CTSK, MMP-9, p-PI3K /PI3K and p-Akt /Akt were increased (P<0.05). Conclusion GDF15 can promote bone metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma in nude mice, and its mechanism is related to inhibition of PTEN/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.
