Long-term exposure to small-sized silica nanoparticles (SiO2-NPs) induces oxidative stress and impairs reproductive performance in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio)

The widespread use of silica nanoparticles (SiO2-NPs) in various industries, including chemical polishing, cosmetics, varnishes, medical, and food products, has increased the risk of their release into aquatic ecosystems. The toxic effects of small-size SiO2-NPs on the reproductive performance of zebrafish (Danio rerio) have yet to be widely studied. This study aimed to investigate the impact of chronic exposure to small-sized (35 ± 6 nm) SiO2-NPs on adult zebrafish through waterborne exposure to concentrations of 5 (SNP5), 10 (SNP10), 15 (SNP15), and 20 (SNP20) μg/L of SiO2-NPs for 28 days. Our results showed that SiO2-NPs significantly impacted several biochemical parameters, including cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, HDL, total protein, albumin, urea levels, and alkaline phosphatase and aspartate aminotransferase activity. Cortisol and glucose levels in the SNP20 group significantly differed from the control group. All the exposed groups, apart from SNP5, experienced a significant increase in their total immunoglobulin levels and lysozyme activity. While there was a considerable increase in the activity of catalase and superoxide dismutase in all exposed groups, the expression of antioxidant genes did not appear to be affected. Furthermore, the expression level of il8 was significantly higher in SNP5 and SNP10 than in other treatments. Exposure to SiO2-NPs caused a decrease in gonad weight, absolute fecundity, and larval survival rate, particularly in the SNP20 group. The present study indicates that SiO2-NPs can harm zebrafish and thus further research is necessary to assess their health and environmental risks.

Preparation and characterization of a new sustainable bio-based elastomer nanocomposites containing poly(glycerol sebacate citrate)/chitosan/n-hydroxyapatite for promising tissue engineering applications

Poly (glycerol sebacate citrate) (PGSC) has potential applications in tissue engineering due to its biodegradability and suitable elasticity. However, its applications are restricted owing to its acidity and high degradation rate. In this study, a new bio-nanocomposite based on PGSC has been synthesized by incorporating chitosan (CS) and various concentrations of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (n-HA). It is assumed that the basicity of a CS and hydroxyl groups of n-HA will reduce the acidity of PGSC and control the rate of degradation. Also, the biocompatibility of n-HA and inherent hydrophilicity of CS can improve cell adhesion and proliferation of PGSC-based scaffolds. FTIR, XRD, FESEM, and EDX tests confirmed the synthesis of these nanocomposites and the interaction between each of the components. The results of the DMTA test also indicated the elastic behavior of the samples embedded with n-HA. The hydrophilicity assay demonstrated that the water contact angle of the scaffolds decreased as the concentration of n-HA augmented, and it reached the value of 44 ± 0.9° for nanocomposite containing 5 wt.% n-HA. The degradation rate of all PGSC nanocomposites was reduced due to the anionic groups of n-HA and CS. TGA assay indicated that the incorporation of n-HA led to the enhancement of scaffolds' thermal stability. Furthermore, the synergistic effect of CS and n-HA on the enhancement of protein adsorption and cell proliferation was confirmed through protein adhesion and MTT assay, respectively. Consequently, the addition of n-HA and CS perform the new bio-nanocomposites scaffolds based on PGSC with sufficient hydrophilicity, flexibility, and thermal stability in tissue engineering applications.

Electrically conductive biocompatible composite aerogel based on nanofibrillated template of bacterial cellulose/polyaniline/nano-clay

Bacterial cellulose (BC) aerogel owing to its porous and 3D structure, poses a suitable matrix for embedding nanomaterials and polymers. Herein, BC composites comprising nano-clay/polyaniline (PANI) were synthesized via a two-step procedure. Clay nanoplatelets were dispersed in the BC membrane to form a nanofibrillated template for aniline in-situ polymerization leading to formation of a double interconnected network of electrically conductive path within the aerogel. Deposition of PANI particles on BC/clay nanocomposite was confirmed by FTIR, XRD, FESEM, and EDX techniques. The surface electrical conductivity of 0.49 S/cm was obtained for the composite aerogel comprising 5 wt% nano-clay which is 16 folds higher than that of the sample without nano-clay. Thermal stability and storage modulus of the aerogels was improved by inclusion of PANI and nano-clay. Synergistic effect of clay and polyaniline on biocompatibility and cell adhesion was obtained with no mutagenic or carcinogenic effects. The developed electrically conductive composite aerogels can be utilized as suitable scaffolds for tissue engineering applications demanding a good balance of flexibility, dimensional and thermal stability and biocompatibility.

Combination of low intensity electromagnetic field with chondrogenic agent induces chondrogenesis in mesenchymal stem cells with minimal hypertrophic side effects

Background: There are different methods to develop in vitro neo-chondral tissues from adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs). Application of electromagnetic field (EMF) on ADSCs is one of popular approaches, which results in chondrogenesis. If chondrogenic impact of EMF on ADSCs is supposed to be generalized as a protocol in translational medicine field, possible emergence of early or late hypertrophic maturation, mineralization and inflammatory side effects in chondrogenically differentiating ADSCs should be considered.Methods: The advent of chondrogenic and hypertrophic markers by differentiated cells under standard, platelet-rich plasma (PRP)-based or EMF treatments were monitored. Along with monitoring the expressions of chondrogenic markers, inflammatory and hypertrophic markers, VEGF/TNFα secretion, calcium deposition and ALP activity were evaluated.Results: Accordingly, treatment with %5 PRP results in higher GAG production, enhanced SOX9 transcription, lowered TNFα and VEGF secretions compared to other treatments. Although PRP up-regulates miR-146a and miR-199a in early and late stages of chondrogenesis, respectively, application of EMF + PRP down regulates miR-101 and -145 while up-regulates miR-140 and SOX9 expression.Conclusion: Comparing our results with previous reports suggests that presented EMF-ELF in this study with f = 50 Hz, EMF intensity of less than 30 mT, and 5% PRP (v/v), would facilitate chondrogenesis via mesenchymal stem cells with minor inflammation and hypertrophic maturation.Abbreviations: MSCs: mesenchymal stem cells; TGFβ: transforming growth factor-beta; PRP: platelet-rich plasma; ELF-EMF: extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields; GAGs: glycosaminoglycans; ADSCs: adipose-derived stem cells; VEGF: vascular endothelial growth factor; TNFα: tumor necrosis factor alpha; ALP: alkaline phosphatase.

Lightweight aerogels based on bacterial cellulose/silver nanoparticles/polyaniline with tuning morphology of polyaniline and application in soft tissue engineering

Herein, polyaniline (PANI) with tuning morphology was in-situ synthesized within bacterial cellulose (BC)/silver nanoparticles hydrogels (AgNPs) that were prepared by green hydrothermal reduction method in different molarity of 0.01 and 0.25 of HCl solution along with the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG). The synthesis of PANI in the presence of PEG in 0.01 M HCl led to the formation of rose-like morphology within nanocomposite aerogels with a size of 1.5-5.2 μm. All aerogels had the porosity and shrinkage of higher than 80% and lower than 10%, respectively. Rheology results showed a higher value of storage modulus (G') than that of loss modulus (G″) for all samples over the whole frequency regime. It confirmed by the loss factor (tan δ) value of less than 1 for all hydrogel samples. The synthesis of PANI within BC/Ag in 0.25 M of HCl solution resulted in a substantial rise of G' to nearly 1.5 × 10⁴ Pa that was one order of magnitude higher than that of other hydrogels. However, the synthesis condition of PANI did not influence the antibacterial activity. In spite of unfavorable cell attachment onto nanocomposite aerogels, the cell proliferation increased steadily over the whole period of incubation.

Study of epithelial differentiation and protein expression of keratinocyte-mesenchyme stem cell co-cultivation on electrospun nylon/B. vulgaris extract composite scaffold

Employing of the composite electrospun scaffold containing herbal extract in conjugation with co-culturing of cells can open up new window to the design of efficient biomaterials for skin tissue regeneration. Here, we introduce the synergistic effect of composite electrospun nanofibrous scaffold of nylon66 loaded with Beta vulgaris (B. vulgaris) (extract of beet roots, a plants whose widely used in Iranian folk medicine as wound healing medicine) and co-culture of mesenchymal stem-cells (MSCs)-human keratinocyte (H-keratino) differentiation towards epithelial lineage. In vitro biocompatibility was examined through MTT assay and epithelial differentiation checked by real-time PCR and immunocytochemistry (ICC) assay after co-culturing of MSCs and H-keratino on proposed scaffold. Significant enhancement in cell proliferation was detected after cell culturing on the composite type of electrospun scaffold containing B. vulgaris. Moreover, after 14days of co-culturing process, gene expression results revealed that both composite and non-composite nylon66 electrospun scaffold promote epithelial differentiation compared to mono-cell culturing of H-keratino in terms of several markers as Cytokeratin 10, Cytokeratin 14 and Involucrin and ICC of some dermal proteins like Cytokeratin 14 and Loricrin. To the best of our knowledge, findings of this study will introduce new way for the generation of novel biomaterials for the development of current skin tissue engineering.

The different fate of satellite cells on conductive composite electrospun nanofibers with graphene and graphene oxide nanosheets

Electrospinning of composite polymer solutions provides fantastic potential to prepare novel nanofibers for use in a variety of applications. The addition of graphene (G) and graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets to bioactive polymers was found to enhance their conductivity and biocompatibility. Composite conductive nanofibers of polyaniline (PANI) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) with G and GO nanosheets were prepared by an electrospinning process. The fabricated membranes were investigated by physical and chemical examinations including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD) and tensile assay. The muscle satellite cells enriched by a pre-plating technique were cultured in the following and their proliferation and differentiation behavior studied by MTT, Real-Time PCR assays and 4', 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining. The cultured cells on composite nanofibrous PAN/PANI-CSA/G confirmed a higher proliferation and differentiation value compared to other groups including PAN/PANI-CSA/GO and PAN/PANI-CSA scaffolds. Furthermore, the higher stiffness of the former scaffold showed a lower cell spreading as a function of stem cell activation into more proliferative cells. It is supposed that the enhanced conductivity value in addition to relative higher stiffness of the PAN/PANI-CSA/G composite nanofibers plays a favorable role for proliferation and differentiation of satellite cells.