Gene Expression Profile Is Different between Intact and Enzymatically Digested Equine Articular Cartilage

Does the Uterine Ozone Therapy Alter the Transcript Profile of Anti- and Proinflammatory Genes in Mares With Endometritis?

This study aimed to evaluate the localised effects of intrauterine ozone therapy on endometrial recovery in mares with endometritis. Our investigation assessed changes in gene expression profiles of anti-inflammatory (IL-1RA and IL-10), proinflammatory (IL-R1B3i and TNFα) and pleiotropic (IL-6) cytokines, along with detailed histological measurements of epithelial and endometrial thickness and the glandular area ratio. Twenty mares were assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial design based on endometritis diagnosis and treatment (control or 42 μg/mL ozone insufflation), resulting in four groups: NC (negative for endometritis/control), NO (negative/ozone), PC (positive/control) and PO (positive/ozone). Oestrus was induced with 2 mg of oestradiol benzoate on Days -1, 1 and 3, plus 1 mg on Day 5. Day 0 marked the initial uterine treatment, followed by insufflations on Days 1 and 2 with O3 (ozone) or O2 (control). Uterine biopsies were taken before treatment on Day 0 and Day 6 for histological analysis and gene expression assessment. Data were analysed using a statistical model that included endometritis status, treatment type, biopsy times (D0 and D6) and their interactions, analysed with Proc Glimmix. Regardless of treatment or endometritis status, significant biopsy effects (p < 0.01) indicated increased epithelial height and endometrial thickness in Day 6 samples. Analysis of IL-1 and TNFα revealed a significant interaction (p < 0.05) among endometritis, treatment and biopsy, with higher IL-1B3i expression on Day 6 in the PC group. The treatment effect (p < 0.04) showed a higher frequency (p < 0.01) of animals with positive modulation in the PC group (66.7%) versus the PO group (0.0%). An interaction effect (p = 0.08) between endometritis and treatment resulted from higher IL-1RA expression on Day 6 in the PC group compared to the PO group. Biopsy effect was significant for IL-10 (p < 0.01), indicating higher values in the second sample associated with tissue repair. In the short-term evaluation, ozone therapy did not influence endometrial morphology and may modulate cytokine expression, specifically the reduction in IL-1 and TNFα levels. Therefore, this therapy appears to be a safe and potentially effective treatment for modulating the inflammatory response in mares with endometritis.

From promoter motif to cardiac function: a single DPE motif affects transcription regulation and organ function in vivo

Transcription initiates at the core promoter, which contains distinct core promoter elements. Here, we highlight the complexity of transcriptional regulation by outlining the effect of core promoter-dependent regulation on embryonic development and the proper function of an organism. We demonstrate in vivo the importance of the downstream core promoter element (DPE) in complex heart formation in Drosophila. Pioneering a novel approach using both CRISPR and nascent transcriptomics, we show the effects of mutating a single core promoter element within the natural context. Specifically, we targeted the downstream core promoter element (DPE) of the endogenous tin gene, encoding the Tinman transcription factor, a homologue of human NKX2-5 associated with congenital heart diseases. The 7 bp substitution mutation results in massive perturbation of the Tinman regulatory network that orchestrates dorsal musculature, which is manifested as physiological and anatomical changes in the cardiac system, impaired specific activity features, and significantly compromised viability of adult flies. Thus, a single motif can have a critical impact on embryogenesis and, in the case of DPE, functional heart formation.

A single DPE core promoter motif contributes to in vivo transcriptional regulation and affects cardiac function

Transcription is initiated at the core promoter, which confers specific functions depending on the unique combination of core promoter elements. The downstream core promoter element (DPE) is found in many genes related to heart and mesodermal development. However, the function of these core promoter elements has thus far been studied primarily in isolated, in vitro or reporter gene settings. tinman (tin) encodes a key transcription factor that regulates the formation of the dorsal musculature and heart. Pioneering a novel approach utilizing both CRISPR and nascent transcriptomics, we show that a substitution mutation of the functional tin DPE motif within the natural context of the core promoter results in a massive perturbation of Tinman's regulatory network orchestrating dorsal musculature and heart formation. Mutation of endogenous tin DPE reduced the expression of tin and distinct target genes, resulting in significantly reduced viability and an overall decrease in adult heart function. We demonstrate the feasibility and importance of characterizing DNA sequence elements in vivo in their natural context, and accentuate the critical impact a single DPE motif has during Drosophila embryogenesis and functional heart formation.

RNA Extraction from Cartilage: Issues, Methods, Tips

The increase in degenerative diseases involving articular cartilage has pushed research to focus on their pathogenesis and treatment, exploiting increasingly complex techniques. Gene expression analyses from tissue are representative of the in vivo situation, but the protocols to be applied to obtain a reliable analysis are not completely cleared through customs. Thus, RNA extraction from fresh samples and specifically from musculoskeletal tissue such as cartilage is still a challenging issue. The aim of the review is to provide an overview of the techniques described in the literature for RNA extraction, highlighting limits and possibilities. The research retrieved 65 papers suitable for the purposes. The results highlighted the great difficulty in comparing the different studies, both for the sources of tissue used and for the techniques employed, as well as the details about protocols. Few papers compared different RNA extraction methods or homogenization techniques; the case study reported by authors about RNA extraction from sheep cartilage has not found an analog in the literature, confirming the existence of a relevant blank on studies about RNA extraction from cartilage tissue. However, the state of the art depicted can be used as a starting point to improve and expand studies on this topic.

3D Printing for Bone-Cartilage Interface Regeneration

Due to the vasculature defects and/or the avascular nature of cartilage, as well as the complex gradients for bone-cartilage interface regeneration and the layered zonal architecture, self-repair of cartilage and subchondral bone is challenging. Currently, the primary osteochondral defect treatment strategies, including artificial joint replacement and autologous and allogeneic bone graft, are limited by their ability to simply repair, rather than induce regeneration of tissues. Meanwhile, over the past two decades, three-dimension (3D) printing technology has achieved admirable advancements in bone and cartilage reconstruction, providing a new strategy for restoring joint function. The advantages of 3D printing hybrid materials include rapid and accurate molding, as well as personalized therapy. However, certain challenges also exist. For instance, 3D printing technology for osteochondral reconstruction must simulate the histological structure of cartilage and subchondral bone, thus, it is necessary to determine the optimal bioink concentrations to maintain mechanical strength and cell viability, while also identifying biomaterials with dual bioactivities capable of simultaneously regenerating cartilage. The study showed that the regeneration of bone-cartilage interface is crucial for the repair of osteochondral defect. In this review, we focus on the significant progress and application of 3D printing technology for bone-cartilage interface regeneration, while also expounding the potential prospects for 3D printing technology and highlighting some of the most significant challenges currently facing this field.

Neural Crest-Derived Chondrocytes Isolation for Tissue Engineering in Regenerative Medicine

Chondrocyte transplantation has been successfully tested and proposed as a clinical procedure aiming to repair articular cartilage defects. However, the isolation of chondrocytes and the optimization of the enzymatic digestion process, as well as their successful in vitro expansion, remain the main challenges in cartilage tissue engineering. In order to address these issues, we investigated the performance of recombinant collagenases in tissue dissociation assays with the aim of isolating chondrocytes from bovine nasal cartilage in order to establish the optimal enzyme blend to ensure the best outcomes of the overall procedure. We show, for the first time, that collagenase H activity alone is required for effective cartilage digestion, resulting in an improvement in the yield of viable cells. The extracted chondrocytes proved able to grow and activate differentiation/dedifferentiation programs, as assessed by morphological and gene expression analyses.

Neural Crest-Derived Chondrocytes Isolation for Tissue Engineering in Regenerative Medicine

Chondrocyte transplantation has been successfully tested and proposed as a clinical procedure aiming to repair articular cartilage defects. However, the isolation of chondrocytes and the optimization of the enzymatic digestion process, as well as their successful in vitro expansion, remain the main challenges in cartilage tissue engineering. In order to address these issues, we investigated the performance of recombinant collagenases in tissue dissociation assays with the aim of isolating chondrocytes from bovine nasal cartilage in order to establish the optimal enzyme blend to ensure the best outcomes of the overall procedure. We show, for the first time, that collagenase H activity alone is required for effective cartilage digestion, resulting in an improvement in the yield of viable cells. The extracted chondrocytes proved able to grow and activate differentiation/dedifferentiation programs, as assessed by morphological and gene expression analyses.