Regulation of inflammation during wound healing: the function of mesenchymal stem cells and strategies for therapeutic enhancement.

A wound takes a long time to heal and involves several steps. Following tissue injury, inflammation is the primary cause of tissue regeneration and repair processes. As a result, the pathophysiological processes involving skin damage, healing, and remodeling depend critically on the control of inflammation. The fact that it is a feasible target for improving the prognosis of wound healing has lately become clear. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are an innovative and effective therapeutic option for wound healing due to their immunomodulatory and paracrine properties. By controlling the inflammatory milieu of wounds through immunomodulation, transplanted MSCs have been shown to speed up the healing process. In addition to other immunomodulatory mechanisms, including handling neutrophil activity and modifying macrophage polarization, there may be modifications to the activation of T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, and dendritic cells (DCs). Furthermore, several studies have shown that pretreating MSCs improves their ability to modulate immunity. In this review, we summarize the existing knowledge about how MSCs influence local inflammation in wounds by influencing immunity to facilitate the healing process. We also provide an overview of MSCs optimizing techniques when used to treat wounds.

SPC25 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis via activating the FAK/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway through ITGB4.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor with a high metastatic rate. Recent studies have shown that the mitosis­associated spindle­assembly checkpoint regulatory protein spindle pole body component 25 homolog (SPC25) promotes HCC progression, although the underlying mechanism has yet to be fully elucidated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the mechanism through which SPC25 may promote HCC progression in greater detail. First, the expression of SPC25 was analyzed in publicly available databases to explore the association between SPC25 and HCC metastasis. Western blotting was subsequently performed to examine the level of SPC25 expression in different HCC cell lines. SPC25 was then silenced in HCCLM3 and Huh7 cells, and the effects of SPC25 silencing were investigated using cell proliferation, wound­healing, Transwell migration assays and an in vivo mouse model. Finally, the mechanism of SPC25 action with respect to the promotion of HCC metastasis was explored using microarray analysis and rescue experiments. The results obtained demonstrated that SPC25 is highly expressed in HCC, and this high level of expression is associated with poor prognosis and metastasis. Moreover, SPC25 silencing led to a marked inhibition of the invasion and migration of HCC cells both in vitro and in vivo. The gene­expression profiling and mechanistic experiments suggest that SPC25 preferentially influences the expression of genes associated with extracellular matrix (ECM)­integrin interactions, including integrin subunit ß4 (ITGB4), an upstream element of the integrin pathway. ITGB4 upregulation partly reversed the decline in cell invasion and migration capacities that resulted from SPC25 silencing. Furthermore, deleting both SPC25 and ITGB4 caused a decrease in the phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), phosphoinositide 3­kinase (PI3K) and AKT, which are downstream elements of the integrin pathway. Taken together, the results of the present study demonstrated the important role of SPC25 as a prognostic indicator and as a promoter of metastasis in HCC, and the underlying mechanism of its action has been partially elucidated, suggesting that SPC25 could be used as a biomarker and as a target for therapeutic intervention in the treatment of HCC.

Experimental study of the influence of expanded capsule on biomechanics of autograftedcostal cartilage / 中华整形外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effect of the expanded capsule on biomechanics of the transplanted autologous costal cartilage.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ten New Zealand white rabbits aged 3 months were involved and four 15 ml tissue expanders were implanted symmetrically on the back of each rabbit. After 1 month, expanded capsules were removed (experimental group) on the left side and were reserved (control group) on the right side. Meanwhile, the 6th and 7th costal cartilage without the perichondrium were taken out and each cartilage was divided into two pieces and put under the expanded capsule symmetrically. The cartilage at the upper sides and lower sides were taken out at 4 weeks and 8 weeks later, respectively. All the cartilages were sculptured for the demand of the machine text. The tension and compression property of the cartilages were assessed by the material testing machine (Instron 5967) and the results were analyzed statistically.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>8 weeks lateral, the average ultimate tension strength was (4. 954 + 2. 8) MPa in experimental group and (2.939 + 0.842) MPa in control group. The average compressive strength was (58.74 ± 13.77) MPa in experimental group, and (47.61 ± 11.41) MPa in control group. The biomechanics property of the cartilages in the experimental group is better than the control group, and the differences were statistically significant.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Removing the expanded capsule is benefical to maintain the biomechanics of autologous costal cartilage.</p>

[PRELIMINARY HISTOLOGICAL OBSERVATION OF EFFECT OF EXPANDED CAPSULE ON COSTAL CARTILAGE AUTOGRAFT].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of the expanded capsule on the growth of autogenous costal cartilage. METHODS: Sixteen New Zealand white rabbits at the age of 3 months (weighing, 2.2-2.5 kg; male or female) were selected and four 15 mL tissue expanders were implanted on the back symmetrically. After 1 month, the expanded capsule formed, the tissue expanders were removed; the capsule of the left side was removed (experimental group), and the capsule of the right side was reserved (control group); meanwhile, the right 7th and 8th costal cartilage without the perichondrium was divided into segments and placed into the capsule of 2 groups symmetrically. At 4 and 8 weeks after transplantation, the cartilage was harvested for the general, weighing, and histological observations. RESULTS: One rabbit died during the experiment, and the other 15 rabbits survived. The differences of cartilage weight between before and after transplantation showed more obvious increase in the experimental group [(0.003 4 ± 0.002 7) g and (0.005 8 ± 0.001 4) g] than those in the control group [(-0.000 3 ± 0.001 9) g and (-0.003 9 ± 0.005 3) g] at 4 and 8 weeks, showing significant differences between 2 gouprs (t = 4.331, P = 0.029; t = 6.688, P = 0.008). The change of cartilage weight at 8 weeks was significantly higher than that at 4 weeks in the experimental group (t = -3.098, P = 0.001); but the change of cartilage weight at 8 weeks was significantly lower than that at 4 weeks in the control group (t = 2.491, P = 0.009). The histological observation showed that the activity of the cartilage was enhanced in 2 groups at 4 and 8 weeks when compared with normal cartilage, and more obvious change was observed in the experimental group than in the control group. And the acellular area was seen in the cartilage at 8 weeks in the control group. The Masson staining results showed that the color was deeper in the experimental group than in the control group. CONCLUSION: The removal of the expanded capsule during operation is beneficial to the growth of autogenous costal cartilage. The results can provide corresponding experimental guidance for the clinical problems.

[Evaluation of multi-slice spiral ct scan and image reconstruction technology in estimating costal cartilage volume].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the accuracy of multi-slice spiral CT (MSCT) scan and image reconstruction technology for measuring morphological parameters of costal cartilages and to evaluate the volume of costal cartilages. METHODS: Between March and August 2013, 75 patients with congenital microtia and scheduled for auricle reconstruction were included in the study. Of 75 patients, there were 49 males and 26 females with a mean age of 8 years and 5 months (range, 5 years and 7 months to 32 years and 7 months) and a mean weight of 29.5 kg (range, 21-82 kg). A Philips Brilliance 64 MSCT machine was used to scan 1st-12th costal cartilages with the parameters based on the age and weight of the patients. All the data were transported to the workstation for reconstructing the image of the costal cartilages with the technique of maximum intensity projection (MIP) and volume rendering technique (VRT). Then the morphologies of costal cartilages were observed through the images on VRT; the width of the costal cartilaginous ends close to ribs (W) and the length of thetotal cartilage (L) were measured and compared with their counterparts (W' and L') after the costal cartilages were harvested during the processes of auricle reconstructions to analyze consistency between these two sets of data. RESULTS: The morphologies of ribs and costal cartilages shown on VRT image got fine sharpness, verisimilitude, and stereoscopic impressions. A total of 192 costal cartilages were examined. The results showed that the widths of the costal cartilaginous ends close to ribs (W) was (9.69 ± 1.67) mm, and W' was (9.73 ± 1.64) mm, showing no significant difference between W and W' (t = -1.800, P = 0.073), and interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) test showed Cronbach's α = 0.993. The length of the total cartilage (L) was (83.03 ± 23.86) mm, and L' was (81.83 ± 16.43) mm, showing no significant difference between L and L' (t = -1.367, P = 0.173), and ICC test showed Cronbach's α = 0.904. Linear-regression analysis showed L = 1.28 x L' - 21.93 (R2 = 0.780, F = 673.427, P = 0.000). The results suggested there was a good consistency between these two sets of data. CONCLUSION: Scanning costal cartilages with appropriate parameters and reconstructing the cartilaginous image with MIP is an effective method to measure the width and length of costal cartilage and to estimate costal cartilage volume, which can provide accurate reference for plastic surgery together with reading the morphology from the image on VRT.