Electroacupuncture Attenuates Liver Inflammation in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Rats.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a major health concern worldwide. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect and mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in rats induced by high-fat diet (HFD). A model of nonalcoholic fatty liver in rats induced by high fat was established. Rats in the control group were fed standard diet. The rats in model group and EA group were fed with HFD. From the fifth week, the rats in EA group were treated with EA ("FengLongXue," "YinLingQuanXue," "SanYinJiaoXue") for 2 weeks respectively. EA could significantly reduce serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), serum triglyceride (TG), serum cholesterol (TC), and serum cytokines, and improve liver histopathological changes in rats. EA also could regulate the levels of Sirt1/NF-κB pathway in rat liver. EA relieved liver injury in NAFLD rats, and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of Sirt1/NF-κB pathway in rats. This is the first report that electroacupuncture alleviates liver inflammatory reaction of nonalcoholic fatty liver by enhancing Sirt1 expression and inhibiting NLRP3/NF-kB signal pathway.

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells encapsulated thermal-responsive hydrogel network bridges combined photo-plasmonic nanoparticulate system for the treatment of urinary bladder dysfunction after spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a distressing injury and an irretrievable dramatic event that can debilitate victims for lifespan. Recovery and treatment of SCI is critical challenges for medicine, to overcome the hurdles stem cells and hydrogel scaffolds implantation is a boon for SCI recovery. In this regard, we reported the synthesis of Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) loaded Agarose/Poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) as promising materials for SCI treatment. Herein, Au NPs was synthesized by well-established citrate reduction method and the prepared materials were characterised by UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier- transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and EDAX analysis. The microscopic images showed an elliptical or ovoid porous structure nature of hydrogel, and successful and homogenous loading of photo plasmonic nanoparticles into the hydrogel structure. The in vitro cell viability and inflammation analyses data exhibited that prepared hydrogels have no toxic to the cells and displayed high anti-regenerative ability with bone marrow Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and macrophages cells. The in vivo analysis study demonstrated that the treated materials with encapsulated MSCs have greater nerve tissue regeneration efficacy which was confirmed by the results of BBB scores. The hind limb locomotion of treated model animals was totally vanished after post-operational surgery. It's established that implanted nano-hydrogel materials combined with MSCs have quicker recovery of motor function after post-operative surgery, when compared to the other implanted animal groups.

Effect of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound on MMP-13 and MAPKs signaling pathway in rabbit knee osteoarthritis.

We evaluated the effect of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) on MMP-13 and MAPKs expression in rabbit knee osteoarthritis (OA). For this purpose, 18 New Zealand white rabbits were randomly and equally divided into O + L, O - L, and SO groups. In O + L group, animals underwent right back leg ACLT operation and LIPUS radiation. In O - L group, animals underwent ACLT but no LIPUS treatment. In SO (control) group, animals underwent sham operation without LIPUS. After 6 weeks, we assessed the pathologic changes in the articular surface of femoral condyle and compared using Mankin scores. Also, expression of type-II collagen, MMP-13, ERK1/2, p38, and JNK was measured by Western blot. Compared with controls, Mankin scores were higher in O + L (P < 0.05)/O - L (P < 0.01) groups. Compared with O + L group, score was higher in O - L group (P < 0.05). Compared with controls, type-II collagen expression was less in O + L/O - L groups, with more significant decrease in O - L group (P < 0.05). Contrarily, expression of MMP-13, p-ERK1/2, and p-p38 was enhanced in O + L/O - L groups as compared with controls, with more significant increase in O - L group (P < 0.01). Compared with O + L group, expression was higher in O - L group (P < 0.05). We, therefore, concluded that LIPUS application promoted cartilage repair in OA through the downregulation of MMP-13, ERK1/2, and p38.