Increased nociceptive sensitivity is associated with periodontal inflammation and expression of chronic pain genes in gingival tissues of male rats

A xonotlite nanofiber bioactive 3D-printed hydrogel scaffold based on osteo-/angiogenesis and osteoimmune microenvironment remodeling accelerates vascularized bone regeneration

BACKGROUND

Coordination between osteo-/angiogenesis and the osteoimmune microenvironment is essential for effective bone repair with biomaterials. As a highly personalized and precise biomaterial suitable for repairing complex bone defects in clinical practice, it is essential to endow 3D-printed scaffold the above key capabilities.

RESULTS

Herein, by introducing xonotlite nanofiber (Ca6(Si6O17) (OH)2, CS) into the 3D-printed silk fibroin/gelatin basal scaffold, a novel bone repair system named SGC was fabricated. It was noted that the incorporation of CS could greatly enhance the chemical and mechanical properties of the scaffold to match the needs of bone regeneration. Besides, benefiting from the addition of CS, SGC scaffolds could accelerate osteo-/angiogenic differentiation of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and meanwhile reprogram macrophages to establish a favorable osteoimmune microenvironment. In vivo experiments further demonstrated that SGC scaffolds could efficiently stimulate bone repair and create a regeneration-friendly osteoimmune microenvironment. Mechanistically, we discovered that SGC scaffolds may achieve immune reprogramming in macrophages through a decrease in the expression of Smad6 and Smad7, both of which participate in the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

Overall, this study demonstrated the clinical potential of the SGC scaffold due to its favorable pro-osteo-/angiogenic and osteoimmunomodulatory properties. In addition, it is a promising strategy to develop novel bone repair biomaterials by taking osteoinduction and osteoimmune microenvironment remodeling functions into account.

Role of parthenolide in paclitaxel-induced oxidative stress injury and impaired reproductive function in rat testicular tissue

The chemotherapeutic agent paclitaxel (PTX) causes testicular toxicity due to oxidative stress. Parthenolide (PTL), the active ingredient of the Tanacetum parthenium plant, is used to treat inflammation, dizziness, and spasms. In the present study, we evaluated the therapeutic effect of PTL on PTX-induced testicular toxicity in rats and its role in reproductive function. To this end, 6 groups were formed: control, PTX, sham, T1, T2, and T3. After testicular toxicity was induced in rats with 8 mg/kg PTX, the rats were treated with 1 mg/kg, 2 mg/kg, and 4 mg/kg PTL for 14 days. GSH and MDA levels were measured in rat testicular tissue after the last dose of PTL was administered. To determine the damage caused by PTX to testicular tissue by detecting 8-OHdG and iNOS, sections were prepared and examined histopathologically and immunohistochemically. Furthermore, the gene expressions and enzymatic activities of SOD, CAT, GPx, GST, and GR were investigated in all groups. After PTL treatment, MDA, 8-OHdG, and iNOS levels decreased while GSH levels increased in testicular tissue. Increased levels of antioxidant genes and enzymes also reduced oxidative stress. Additionally, the expression levels of the Dazl, Ddx4, and Amh genes, which are involved in gametogenesis and sperm production, decreased in case of toxicity and increased with PTL treatment. The data from this study show that PTL may have a therapeutic effect in the treatment of testicular damage by eliminating the oxidative stress-induced damage caused by PTX in testicular tissue, providing an effective approach to alleviating testicular toxicity, and playing an important role in reproduction/sperm production, especially at a dose of 4 mg/kg.

Identification of key potassium channel genes of temporal lobe epilepsy by bioinformatics analyses and experimental verification

One of the most prevalent types of epilepsy is temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), which has unknown etiological factors and drug resistance. The detailed mechanisms underlying potassium channels in human TLE have not yet been elucidated. Hence, this study aimed to mine potassium channel genes linked to TLE using a bioinformatic approach. The results found that Four key TLE-related potassium channel genes (TERKPCGs) were identified: potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily E member (KCNA) 1, KCNA2, potassium inwardly rectifying channel, subfamily J, member 11 (KCNJ11), and KCNS1. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed to analyze the relationship between TERKPCGs and other key module genes. The results of gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) for a single gene indicated that the four TERKPCGs were highly linked to the cation channel, potassium channel, respiratory chain, and oxidative phosphorylation. The mRNA-TF network was established using four mRNAs and 113 predicted transcription factors. A ceRNA network containing seven miRNAs, two mRNAs, and 244 lncRNAs was constructed based on the TERKPCGs. Three common small-molecule drugs (enflurane, promethazine, and miconazole) target KCNA1, KCNA2, and KCNS1. Ten small-molecule drugs (glimepiride, diazoxide, levosimendan, and thiamylal et al.) were retrieved for KCNJ11. Compared to normal mice, the expression of KCNA1, KCNA2, KCNJ11, and KCNS1 was downregulated in the brain tissue of the epilepsy mouse model at both the transcriptional and translational levels, which was consistent with the trend of human data from the public database. The results indicated that key potassium channel genes linked to TLE were identified based on bioinformatics analysis to investigate the potential significance of potassium channel genes in the development and treatment of TLE.