Efficacy of magnetic therapy for osteoporotic patients: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies.

BACKGROUND: Magnetic therapy may have some potential in treating osteoporosis, and this meta-analysis aims to study the efficacy of magnetic therapy for osteoporotic patients. METHODS: We have searched several databases including PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, EBSCO and Cochrane library databases, and selected the randomized controlled trials comparing the efficacy of magnetic therapy for osteoporotic patients. This meta-analysis was conducted using the random-effect or fixed-effect model based on the heterogeneity. RESULTS: Five randomized controlled trials were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with sham procedure in osteoporotic patients, magnetic therapy was associated with significantly increased bone mineral density (standard mean difference [SMD] = 2.39; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.27-4.51; P = .03), decreased pain scores (mean difference [MD] = -0.86; 95% CI = -1.04 to -0.67; P < .00001), and calcium (MD = -0.61; 95% CI = -0.92 to -0.29; P = .0002), but revealed no influence on phosphate (MD = 0.07; 95% CI = -0.30 to 0.44; P = .71), osteocalcin (SMD = 0.65; 95% CI = -2.87 to 4.17; P = .72), or ALP (SMD = -0.43; 95% CI = -0.92 to 0.07; P = .09). CONCLUSIONS: Magnetic therapy may be effective for the treatment of osteoporotic patients.

Juglans regia L. extract promotes osteogenesis of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells through BMP2/Smad/Runx2 and Wnt/ß-catenin pathways.

BACKGROUND: The present study investigates the effects of Juglans regia L. (walnut, JRL) leaves extract on osteogenesis of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs). METHODS: hBMSCs were incubated with different concentrations of JRL extract (10, 20, 40, or 80 µM). Cell proliferation was evaluated by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay (CCK-8) assay. ALP activity and Alizarin Red staining were used to assess the osteogenesis of BMSCs. Western blot was performed to measure the levels of proteins. RESULTS: Our results showed all concentrations of JRL extract had no significant effect on cell proliferation. JRL extract concentration-dependently promoted osteoblastic differentiation and cell autophagy of hBMSCs, characterized by the increased expression of pro-osteogenic markers alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteocalcin (BGLAP), osterin, and osteoprotegerin (OPG) and autophagy marker proteins (LC3II, Beclin-1, and p62). Furthermore, JRL extract stimulated the activation BMP2/Smad/Runx2 and Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathways in hBMSCs, which play key roles in osteogenesis differentiation. Meanwhile, BMP inhibitor (Noggin) and Wnt antagonist Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) both reversed the increases of BGLAP, osterin, and OPG expression induced by JRL extract. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that JRL extract regulated osteogenic differentiation and cell autophagy of hBMSCs through the BMP2/Smad/Runx2 and Wnt/ß-catenin pathways.

Therapeutic effects of EGF-modified curcumin/chitosan nano-spray on wound healing.

Dermal injury, including trauma, surgical incisions, and burns, remain the most prevalent socio-economical health care issue in the clinic. Nanomedicine represents a reliable administration strategy that can promote the healing of skin lesions, but the lack of effective drug delivery methods can limit its effectiveness. In this study, we developed a novel nano-drug delivery system to treat skin defects through spraying. We prepared curcumin-loaded chitosan nanoparticles modified with epidermal growth factor (EGF) to develop an aqueous EGF-modified spray (EGF@CCN) for the treatment of dermal wounds. In vitro assays showed that the EGF@CCN displayed low cytotoxicity, and that curcumin was continuously and slowly released from the EGF@CCN. In vivo efficacy on wound healing was then evaluated using full-thickness dermal defect models in Wistar rats, showing that the EGF@CCN had significant advantages in promoting wound healing. On day 12 post-operation, skin defects in the rats of the EGF@CCN group were almost completely restored. These effects were related to the activity of curcumin and EGF on skin healing, and the high compatibility of the nano formulation. We therefore conclude that the prepared nano-scaled EGF@CCN spray represents a promising strategy for the treatment of dermal wounds.

Curcumin nanoparticles incorporated in PVA/collagen composite films promote wound healing.

Skin repair remains a common problem in plastic surgery. Wound dressing plays an important role in promoting local skin healing and has been widely studied. This study aimed to manufacture a composite film (CPCF) containing curcumin nanoparticles, collagen, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to effectively promote the healing of skin wounds. Sustained drug release from the composite film provides long-term protection and treatment for skin wounds. Both antibacterial property and good histocompatibility of the CPCF were examined by analyzing antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity to validate its applicability for wound management. Moreover, in vivo studies proved that the CPCF had a rapid healing rate of 98.03%±0.79% and mature epithelialization on day 15 after surgery. Obvious hair follicles and earlier re-epithelialization was also noticed in the CPCF group using H&E staining. The result of Masson's trichrome staining confirmed that CPCF could promote the formation of collagen fibers. In summary, CPCF may be promising as a wound dressing agent in wound management owing to its rapid wound-healing effects.

Electroacupuncture Prevents Osteoarthritis of High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Rats.

The effects of acupuncture on osteoarthritis (OA) pathogenesis have been demonstrated in vitro and in animal models. However, the potential for acupuncture to mediate protective effects on obese-induced OA has not been examined. Here, we investigated the effects of different acupuncture patterns on OA pathogenesis in high-fat diet- (HFD-) induced obese rats. After 12-week diet-induced obesity, obese rats were treated with three acupuncture protocols for 2 weeks, including ST36, GB34, and ST36+GB34. The results showed that the three acupuncture protocols both prevented obesity-induced cartilage matrix degradation and MMP expression and mitigated obesity-induced systemic and local inflammation but had different regulatory effects on lipid metabolism and gut microbiota disorder of obese-induced OA rats. Furthermore, the three acupuncture protocols increased the microbial diversity and altered the structure of community of feces in obese rats. We found that ST36 and GB34 could inhibit proinflammatory shift in the gut microbiome with an increase in the ratio of Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes and promote the recovery of relative abundance of Clostridium, Akkermansia, Butyricimonas, and Lactococcus. Although both ST36 and GB34 had an anti-inflammatory effect on serum inflammatory mediators, only the acupuncture protocol with both ST36 and GB34 could effectively inhibit LPS-mediated joint inflammation in obesity rats. Therefore, relieving obesity-related chronic inflammation, lipid metabolism disorder, and gut microbiota disorder may be an important mechanism for acupuncture with ST36 and GB34 to promote OA recovery.

Naproxen Nanoparticle-Loaded Thermosensitive Chitosan Hydrogel for Prevention of Postoperative Adhesions.

Postoperative adhesions are the most common complications of peri-abdominal surgery; they not only affect the patient's quality of life but also increase the risk of a subsequent surgery. The use of implantable dressings to physically block surgical wounds is the primary solution to prevent postoperative adhesions. In this study, we prepared naproxen nanoparticles that were loaded with chitosan hydrogel (CS/Nap hydrogel) to prevent postoperative adhesions. Our data confirmed that the prepared CS/Nap hydrogel was thermosensitive and suitable for injection. The efficacy of anti-adhesion in a rat model revealed that the hydrogel effectively separated from the wounds of the abdominal wall and cecum. On day 7 postsurgery, the wounds were completely covered by a new epithelial layer, whereas wounds in the negative control group were glued together. Additionally, the in vivo toxicity study showed that the CS/Nap hydrogel had fewer toxic and side effects on major tissues and organs, including the liver, spleen, heart, lung, and kidney. We showed that a drug delivery system based on CS/Nap hydrogel has the potential not only to prevent postoperative abdominal adhesions and relieve pain but also to contribute to the administration of the hydrophobic drug naproxen.

The Role of IL-6RA in UHMWPE Promotes Proliferation in Fibro-Like Synovial Cells.

UHMWPE granule could induce macrophages and inflammatory responses in interfacial tissues, which eliminated the wear debris of UHMWPE component and further induced dissolution of the surrounding bone, leading aseptic loosening. However, the mechanism of synovial cells, especially fibroblast-like synovial (FLS) cells response to UHMWPE, remains unknown. Herein we choose FLS cells as research object. Vimentin (+) CD68 (-) was identified by flow cytometry and immunofluorescent staining assay, and the cells were identified as FLS cells, which was consistent with the experimental requirements. The inhibitory evaluation showed that UHMWPE could significantly promote the proliferation and inhibit apoptosis of FLS cells in dose- and time-dependent manners and increase the levels of proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, IL-1ß, TNF-α, PGE2, MMP2, and LOX. UHMWPE also can induce the expression of mIL-6R protein in FLS cells and further investigate the relationship between apoptosis and inflammation. Interestingly enough, when we added the interleukin-6 receptor antagonist (IL-6RA), the expression levels of proapoptosis-related proteins increased; in other words, UHMWPE-induced antiapoptosis diminished by IL-6RA (50 µg/ml). Taken together, these findings clearly demonstrated that UHMWPE promote growth in FLS cells through upregulating inflammatory factors to produce antiapoptotic effect.

Magnetic nanoparticle-loaded electrospun polymeric nanofibers for tissue engineering.

Magnetic nanoparticles have been one of the most attractive nanomaterials for various biomedical applications including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diagnostic contrast enhancement, magnetic cell separation, and targeted drug delivery. Three-dimensional (3-D) fibrous scaffolds have broad application prospects in the biomedical field, such as drug delivery and tissue engineering. In this work, a novel three-dimensional composite membrane composed of the tri-block copolymer poly(ε-caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL-PEG-PCL, PCEC) and magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) were fabricated using electrospinning technology. The physico-chemical properties of the PCEC/Fe3O4 membranes were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Morphological observation using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the composite fibers containing 5% Fe3O4 nanoparticles had a diameter of 250nm. In vitro cell culture of NIH 3T3 cells on the PCEC/Fe3O4 membranes showed that the PCEC/Fe3O4 fibers might be a suitable scaffold for cell adhesion. Moreover, MTT analysis also demonstrated that the membranes possessed lower cytotoxicity. Therefore, this study revealed that the magnetic PCEC/Fe3O4 fibers might have great potential for using in skin tissue engineering.