Promote anti-inflammatory and angiogenesis using a hyaluronic acid-based hydrogel with miRNA-laden nanoparticles for chronic diabetic wound treatment.

Chronic diabetic wound causes serious threat to human health due to its long inflammatory phase and the reduced vascularization. Herein, we develop a hydrogel system for the treatment of diabetic wound, which can short the inflammatory stage (through the use of ori) and promote the angiogenesis (through the addition of siRNA-29a gene). Based on the Schiff base bonds, the Gel/Alg@ori/HA-PEI@siRNA-29a hydrogel was prepared by mixing oxidized hydroxymethyl propyl cellulose (OHMPC), adipic dihydrazide-modified hyaluronic acid (HA-ADH), oridonin (ori) loaded alginate microspheres (Alg@ori) and siRNA-29a gene-loading hyaluronic acid-polyethyleneimine complex HA-PEI@siRNA-29a (HA-PEI@siRNA-29a) under physiological conditions, which had moderate mechanical strength, appropriate swelling property, impressive stability, and slow release ability of ori and siRNA-29a. Excellent biocompatibility of the prepared hydrogel was also confirmed by in vitro mouse fibroblasts L929 cells culture study. Moreover, in vivo experiments further demonstrated that the prepared Gel/Alg@ori/HA-PEI@siRNA-29a hydrogel not only significantly accelerated the diabetic wound healing, angiogenesis factors (α-SMA and CD31) production, but also inhibited pro-inflammatory factors (IL-6 and TNF-α). In summary, we believe that the prepared hydrogels exhibit great potential for the treatment of chronic diabetic wound.

Proteomics-based investigation of multiple stages of OSCC development indicates that the inhibition of Trx-1 delays oral malignant transformation.

The majority of cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) develop from oral potentially malignant disorders, which have been confirmed to be involved in chronic oxidative stimulation. However, no effective treatment approaches have been used to prevent the development of dysplasia into cancerous lesions thus far. In the present study, a well-established OSCC model was used to detect proteomics profiles at different stages during oral malignant transformation. Of the 15 proteins that were found to be upregulated in both the dysplasia and carcinoma stages, the oxidative stress-associated proteins, thioredoxin-1 (Trx-1), glutaredoxin-1 and peroxiredoxin-2 were note as the proteins with significant changes in expression Trx-1 was identified to be the most significantly upregulated protein in the precancerous stage. Validation experiments confirmed that Trx-1 was overexpressed both in dysplasia and cancerous tissue samples, and the inhibition of Trx-1 was able to promote the apoptosis of OSCC cells under hypoxic conditions. Furthermore, the experimental application of a Trx-1-specific inhibitory agent in an animal model led to a lower cancerization rate and a delay in tumor formation. The possible mechanisms were associated with the increased apoptosis via a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent pathway. Taken together, our findings indicate that Trx-1 may be an important target for delaying oral malignant transformation, which provides a novel therapeutic strategy for the prevention and treatment of OSCC.

The positive correlation of the CCL2-CCR2 axis with the disease activity may indicate the fundamental role in the pathogenesis of oral lichen planus.

BACKGROUND: The important roles of CCL2 and its receptor CCR2 had been reported in a series of inflammatory disorders. However, few studies investigated the potential role of CCL2/CCR2 axis in oral lichen planus (OLP). Therefore, this study aimed to detect the expression of CCL2 and CCR2 in OLP lesions and compare their changes before and after treatment. METHODS: CCL2 and CCR2 expression was investigated using immunohistochemical staining and real-time RT-PCR in 32 patients with OLP and eight controls. Moreover, changes in their expression after treatment with triamcinolone acetonide were assessed in lesions from three patients. RESULTS: CCL2+ and CCR2+ cells were few in the controls and remarkably increased in the epithelial and subepithelial layers of lesions (n = 32, all P < 0.001). However, the densities of CCL2+ and CCR2+ cells were not significantly different between reticular (n = 12) and erythematous/erosive lesions (n = 20), although they significantly decreased after treatment (627.7 ± 108.2 vs. 258.3 ± 148.3, P = 0.017; 1034.7 ± 74.6 vs. 648 ± 77.6, P = 0.003, respectively). CCL2+/CCR2+ cell numbers were positively correlated with disease activity (correlation coefficient, 0.588; P < 0.001; correlation coefficient, 0.409; P = 0.02, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicated that the CCL2-CCR2 axis was involved in the pathogenesis of OLP and was positively correlated with disease activity.

Contrasting mechanisms by which social isolation and restraint impair healing in male mice.

Stress modulates vital aspects of immune functioning in both human and non-human animals, including tissue repair. For example, dermal wounds heal more slowly and are associated with prolonged inflammation and increased bacterial load in mice that experience chronic physical restraint. Social stressors also negatively affect healing; however, previous studies suggest that the affected healing mechanisms may be stress model-specific. Here, the effects of either social isolation or physical restraint on dermal wound healing (3.5 mm wounds on the dorsum) were compared in hairless male mice. Social isolation beginning 3 weeks prior to wounding delayed healing comparably to physical restraint (12 h/day for eight days), in spite of marked differences in metabolic and hormonal consequences (i.e. body mass) between the two stress models. Additionally, isolated mice exhibited reductions in wound bacterial load and inflammatory gene expression (interleukin-1beta [IL-1ß], monocyte chemoattractant protein [MCP]), whereas restraint significantly increased both of these parameters relative to controls. Experimentally augmenting bacterial concentrations in wounds of isolated mice did not ameliorate healing, whereas this treatment accelerated healing in controls. This work indicates that social isolation and restraint stressors comparably impair healing, but do so through disparate mechanisms and at different phases of healing.

The effects of social isolation on wound healing mechanisms in female mice.

Various stressors impair wound healing in humans and rodents. For example, social isolation delays wound closure in rodents, but the healing mechanisms that underlie this delay have yet to be identified. Here, the effects of three weeks of social isolation on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis responses and healing factors involved in the inflammatory and proliferative phases of wound healing were assessed in adult female hairless mice. Social isolation reduced basal circulating corticosterone concentrations and increased body and thymus weights compared with group-housed controls. Isolation impaired dermal wound closure by up to 30% and reduced initial total wound bacterial load relative to controls. Inflammatory gene expression in the wounds was not affected by the observed differences in wound bacterial load. However, isolation reduced wound gene expression of keratinocyte growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor, which are involved in keratinocyte proliferation/migration and angiogenesis during the proliferative phase of healing. These data indicate that social isolation induces healing impairments that may be attributed to reductions in growth factors necessary for proper skin cell proliferation and blood vessel growth during healing. This healing impairment occurred in the absence of both high wound bacterial load and elevated circulating glucocorticoids, which have previously been hypothesized to be required for stress-impaired healing in mice.

Social isolation impairs oral palatal wound healing in sprague-dawley rats: a role for miR-29 and miR-203 via VEGF suppression.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of social isolation on oral mucosal healing in rats, and to determine if wound-associated genes and microRNAs (miRNAs) may contribute to this response. METHODS: Rats were group housed or socially isolated for 4 weeks before a 3.5 mm wound was placed on the hard oral palate. Wound closure was assessed daily and tissues were collected for determination of gene expression levels and miRNAs (i.e., miR-29a,b,c and miR-203). The predicted target of these microRNAs (i.e., vascular endothelial growth factor A, VEGFA) was functionally validated. RESULTS: Social isolation stress delayed the healing process of oral palatal mucosal wounds in rats. Lower mRNA levels of interleukin-1ß (IL1ß), macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP1α), fibroblast growth factor 7 (FGF7), and VEGFA were found in the biopsied tissues of isolated animals on days 1 and/or 3 post-wounding. Intriguingly, the isolated rats persistently exhibited higher levels of miR-29 family members and miR-203. Our results confirmed that VEGFA is a direct target of these miRNAs, as both miR-29a,c and miR-203 strongly and specifically suppressed endogenous VEGFA expression in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: This study in rats demonstrates for the first time that social isolation delays oral mucosal healing, and suggests a potential role for healing-associated gene and miRNA interactions during this process via modulation of VEGF expression.

Frequent mutation of p16(CDKN2A) exon 1 during rat tongue carcinogenesis induced by 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide.

In this study we explored the mutation types of p16(CDKN2A) exon 1 and the corresponding frequencies in experimental rat tongue carcinogenesis. Twenty barrier Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into the control (n = 5) and experimental group (n = 15), to which 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4-NQO) in drinking water was administered. Two samples of normal, three samples of moderate/severe dysplasia and four samples of invasive squamous cell carcinoma lesions were selected following strict histopathological examination in double-blind manner. The PCR products of p16(CDKN2A) exon 1 amplified from these tissues were sequenced. Point mutations of p16(CDKN2A) exon 1 were found in all of the precancerous and cancerous lesions. Half of the mutations were detected on guanine (G). Twenty mutations, including a missense mutation of the start codon resulting in alternative reading frame of p16(CDKN2A) exon 1, were also identified. These preliminary results suggested that mutation of p16(CDKN2A) exon 1 might be an early molecular event of rat tongue carcinogenesis induced by 4NQO and G was the mutation hotspot.

Short-term clinical evaluation of intralesional triamcinolone acetonide injection for ulcerative oral lichen planus.

BACKGROUND: Efforts are made in a continued searching for novel therapies for symptomatic oral lichen planus (OLP). This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intralesional triamcinolone acetonide (TA) injection for ulcerative OLP. METHODS: Forty-five patients with clinical and histologically confirmed ulcerative OLP on bilateral buccal mucosa, one for treatment and the other for control, were studied. All participants received 0.5 ml TA (40 mg/ml) on experimental sites. Visual analogue scale score and lesion areas were recorded at the time of injection and 1-week interval. After 2 weeks, if the treated ulceration reduced < 81% in size, a second injection was given. RESULTS: The treated group gave rapid relief of signs and symptoms, while the control group showed minimal decrease. 38 (84.4%) patients demonstrated complete response in ulceration size. No complications were noted with TA injections. CONCLUSIONS: Intralesional TA injection in ulcerative OLP is effective and safe in achieving lesion and pain regression.

[Potential of cdc25A-Fas chimeric expression vector in inducing apoptosis of Tca8113 cells in vitro].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have revealed the close relationship between Fas/FasL pathway and carcinogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). This study was designed to explore the potential of cdc25A-Fas chimeric expression vector in inducing apoptosis of human OSCC cell line Tca8113. METHODS: The 2 chimeric expression vector pAdTrack-CMV-cdc25A-Fas (pCCF), and pAdTrack-cdc25A-Fas (pCF) were constructed by gene engineering, pCCF, pCF, and the control plasmid pAdTrack-CMV were transfected into Tca8113 cells by liposome, respectively. The transfection efficiency was presented by the expression of the report gene, green fluorescence protein (GFP). The mRNA and protein levels of Fas were determined by Northern blot analysis, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blot analysis, and immunohistochemistry methods. The apoptosis of transfected Tca8113 cells was analyzed by techniques of DNA agarose gel electrophoresis, TUNEL, Annexin V label, and flow cytometry (FCM). RESULTS: (1) The chimeric expression vectors pCCF, and pCF were successfully transfected into Tca8113 cells and the maximum transfection (15%) was observed at the 5th-7th day after transfection. (2) Up-regulation of Fas expression was detected at the 3rd day after transfection in pCCF, and pCF transfection groups. At 3rd, 5th, and 7th day after transfection, Fas protein was found to express on membrane and in plasma of transfected Tca8113 cells with distinct morphology of partial apoptosis. (3) From 2.5 days after transfection, early apoptosis had been observed in pCCF, and pCF transfection groups. At 3rd day, the increased apoptosis index (AI,=25%) of pCCF, and pCF transfection groups was significant higher than that of control group (P< 0.05), whereas there was no significant difference in AI between pCCF transfection group and pCF transfection group (P >0.05). (4) FCM analysis showed that the peak of GFP-expression cells was identical to that of the apoptotic cells. CONCLUSION: The cdc25A-Fas chimeric expression vector was able to initiate the apoptosis of Tca8113 cells by up-regulating Fas expression. This result indicated that the 27 bp cdc25A fragment can be designed as a cis-regulatory element to modulate the effects of C-Myc/Max in cellular proliferation and apoptosis.

[The clinical evaluation of Oratest in detecting oral mucosal lesions].

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of Oratest in detecting oral mucosal lesions. METHODS: Sixty patients with oral mucosal lesions that were suspected as carcinoma or premalignant lesions were divided into two groups randomly. The lesions were stained with Oratest by topical application in one group and rinse application in another group. Staining results were recorded and compared with the pathological diagnosis. RESULTS: The sensitivity of Oratest stain to oral carcinoma and dysplasia were 93.9% and 42.9%, respectively. The difference between rinse application and local application showed no significance(P > 0.01). CONCLUSION: Oratest can be used as a method of diagnosing squamous cell carcinoma of oral mucosa, but its reliability in screening oral pre-malignant lesions is still uncertain.