Piezoelectrically-activated antibacterial catheter for prevention of urinary tract infections in an on-demand manner.

Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is a common clinical problem, especially during long-term catheterization, causing additional pain to patients. The development of novel antimicrobial coatings is needed to prolong the service life of catheters and reduce the incidence of CAUTIs. Herein, we designed an antimicrobial catheter coated with a piezoelectric zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs)-incorporated polyvinylidene difluoride-hexafluoropropylene (ZnO-PVDF-HFP) membrane. ZnO-PVDF-HFP could be stably coated onto silicone catheters simply by a one-step solution film-forming method, very convenient for industrial production. In vitro, it was demonstrated that ZnO-PVDF-HFP coating could significantly inhibit bacterial growth and the formation of bacterial biofilm under ultrasound-mediated mechanical stimulation even after 4 weeks. Importantly, the on and off of antimicrobial activity as well as the strenth of antibacterial property could be controlled in an adaptive manner via ultrasound. In a rabbit model, the ZnO-PVDF-HFP-coated catheter significantly reduced the incidence CAUTIs compared with clinically-commonly used catheters under assistance of ultrasonication, and no side effect was detected. Collectively, the study provided a novel antibacterial catheter to prevent the occurrence of CAUTIs, whose antibacterial activity could be controlled in on-demand manner, adaptive to infection situation and promising in clinical application.

Corrigendum to: An 88-year-old Man with Rare Giant Liposarcoma of the Scrotum.

A typographical error has appeared in the ethical acceptance number in the manuscript titled "An 88-year-old Man with Rare Giant Liposarcoma of the Scrotum", 2024; 20: e310823220564 [1]. Original: This study was approved by the ethics committees of Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University (2023- P2-110-02) and conducted by the Declaration of Helsinki. Corrected: This study was approved by the ethics committees of Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University (2024- P2-073) and conducted by the Declaration of Helsinki. The original article can be found online at https://www.eurekaselect.com/article/134182.

An 88-year-old man with rare giant liposarcoma of the scrotum.

BACKGROUND: Liposarcoma (LPS) is a malignant mesenchymal tumor that mostly occurs in the extremities and retroperitoneum and rarely in the scrotum. CASE PRESENTATION: In this case report, we introduced a patient who was diagnosed with LPS in the scrotum. In his right scrotum, we found a large soft tissue mass, including fat and calcification. CONCLUSION: We reviewed the clinical, pathological and computed tomography (CT) features of patients diagnosed with LPS of the scrotum to help improve the understanding of the disease and the accuracy of diagnosis.

The role of mechano-regulated YAP/TAZ in erectile dysfunction.

Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5is) constitute the primary therapeutic option for treating erectile dysfunction (ED). Nevertheless, a substantial proportion of patients, approximately 30%, do not respond to PDE5i treatment. Therefore, new treatment methods are needed. In this study, we identified a pathway that contributes to male erectile function. We show that mechano-regulated YAP/TAZ signaling in smooth muscle cells (SMCs) upregulates adrenomedullin transcription, which relaxed the SMCs to maintain erection. Using single-nucleus RNA sequencing, we investigated how penile erection stretches the SMCs, inducing YAP/TAZ activity. Subsequently, we demonstrate that YAP/TAZ plays a role in erectile function and penile rehabilitation, using genetic lesions and various animal models. This mechanism relies on direct transcriptional regulation of adrenomedullin by YAP/TAZ, which in turn modulates penile smooth muscle contraction. Importantly, conventional PDE5i, which targets NO-cGMP signaling, does not promote erectile function in YAP/TAZ-deficient ED model mice. In contrast, by activating the YAP/TAZ-adrenomedullin cascade, mechanostimulation improves erectile function in PDE5i nonrespondent ED model rats and mice. Furthermore, using clinical retrospective observational data, we found that mechanostimulation significantly promotes erectile function in patients irrespective of PDE5i use. Our studies lay the groundwork for exploring the mechano-YAP/TAZ-adrenomedullin axis as a potential target in the treatment of ED.

Therapeutic effect and mechanism of combination therapy with ursolic acid and insulin on diabetic nephropathy in a type I diabetic rat model.

This work aims to investigate the therapeutic effect of ursolic acid (UA) plus insulin (In) on diabetic nephropathy (DN) in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced T1DM rats. The experimental groups and operational details are as follows: A total of thirty-two SD rats were divided into four groups: the DN model group (DN, n = 8), DN + In treatment group (DN + In, n = 8), DN + In + UA administration group (DN + In + UA, n = 8), and negative control group (control, n = 8). After 8 weeks, changes in renal function indices and pathological damage were assessed. Additionally, oxidative stress-, apoptosis-, and fibrosis-related proteins in kidney tissue were measured. Compared with the control group, the vehicle group showed higher levels of creatine, blood urea nitrogen, urinary protein, apoptosis, and lipid peroxidation; lower superoxide dismutase levels; more severe levels of pathological kidney damage and renal fibrosis; and a deepened degree of EMT and EndMT. Better outcomes were achieved with the combined treatment than with insulin-only treatment. The improvement of TGF-ß1, phosphorylated p38 MAPK, FGFR1, SIRT3 and DPP-4 expression levels in renal tissues after combination therapy was greater than that after insulin-only treatment. This study shows that the combination of insulin and UA significantly improved the pathological changes in the renal tissue of T1DM rats, and the underlying mechanism may be related to improving apoptosis and oxidative stress by regulating p38 MAPK, SIRT3, DPP-4 and FGFR1 levels, thereby blocking TGF-ß signaling pathway activation and inhibiting EMT and EndMT processes.

Deciphering the myth of icariin and synthetic derivatives in improving erectile function from a molecular biology perspective: a narrative review.

Background and Objective: Although epimedium herb (EH) has been widely used in ancient Chinese medicine to enhance sexual activity, its pharmacological mechanism is not clear. Modern studies have shown that epimedium herb is rich in icariin (ICA, a flavonoid compound), and 91.2% of icariin is converted to icariside II (ICA II) by hydrolytic enzymes in intestinal bacteria after oral administration. YS-10 is a synthetic derivative of icariside II. The aim of this review was to summarize the contemporary evidence regarding the pharmacokinetics, therapeutic properties, and molecular biological mechanisms of ICA and some ICA derivatives for erectile dysfunction therapy. Methods: A detailed search was conducted in the PubMed database using keywords and phrases, such as "icariin" AND "erectile dysfunction", "icariside II" AND "erectile dysfunction". The publication time is limited to last 20 years. Articles had to be published in peer reviewed journals. Key Content and Findings: ICA and its some derivatives showed the specific inhibition on phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) and the promotion of testosterone synthesis. In addition, by regulating various reliable evidence of signaling pathways such as PI3K/AKT, TGFß1/Smad2, p38/MAPK, Wnt and secretion of various cytokines, ICA and ICA derivatives can activate endogenous stem cells (ESCs) leading to endothelial cell and smooth muscle cell proliferation, nerve regeneration and fibrosis inhibition, repair pathological changes in penile tissue and improve erectile function. Conclusions: ICA and some of its derivatives could be a potential treatment for restoring spontaneous erections. In addition ICA and his derivatives may also be valuable as a regenerative medicine approach for other diseases, but more clinical and basic researches with high quality and large samples are recommended.

A flavonoid derivative of icariside II (YS-10) improves erectile dysfunction in radiation-injured rats via oxidative stress pathway.

Background: We explored the preventive effect and mechanism of YS-10, a novel synthesized flavonoid derivative based on the structure of icariside II (ICA II), on a rat model of radiation-induced erectile-dysfunction (Ri-ED). Methods: Eighteen 10-week-old male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into 3 groups. Six rats were used as the control group (Control), and the remaining 12 were given a single X-ray irradiation of 20 Gy in the prostate and then randomly divided into the radiation injury group (Ri-ED group) and YS-10 treatment group (Ri-ED+YS-10, 2.5 mg/kg/day). After 4 weeks of drug administration and a 2-week drug washout period in the YS-10 treatment group, the erectile function of the animals was evaluated, and the tissues were collected for histopathological analysis and detection of oxidative stress indicators. Results: After radiation injury, the ratio of maximum intracavernosal pressure (ICP) to mean arterial pressure (MAP), the number of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (n-NOS) positive nerve fibers in the penis cavernosa, endothelial cell content, and n-NOS and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (e-NOS) proteins in the Ri-ED group were significantly lower than those in control group. Compared with the control group, the Ri-ED group had lower superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels and higher malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Compared with the Ri-ED group, the YS-10 group had a significant increase in the ratio of ICP/MAP in the corpus cavernosum (0.59±0.06 vs. 0.43±0.06, P<0.01), the number of n-NOS positive nerve fibers, and the content of endothelial cells. The protein content of n-NOS and e-NOS in the corpus cavernosum increased and could significantly reduce the level of MDA (2.67±0.27 vs. 3.25±0.21, P<0.05). Conclusions: As a novel ICA II derivative, YS-10 could significantly improve the erectile dysfunction and pathological damage in rats caused by radiation injury, and its mechanism may be related to the improvement of radiation-induced oxidative stress.

[Preventive and therapeutic effects of Icariside â ¡ on radiation injury-induced erectile dysfunction in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the preventive and therapeutic effects of Icariside Ⅱ (ICAⅡ) on radiation injury-induced ED (Ri-ED) in rats. METHODS: Twenty-four 10-week-old male SD rats received exposure of the prostate to single X-ray irradiation of 20 Gy, and were randomly equally divided into an Ri-ED group (6 survived and 6 died) and a treatment group treated with ICAⅡ at 4.5 mg/kg/d (9 survived and 3 died). Another 6 SD rats were taken as negative controls. After 4 weeks of continuous intragastric administration and 2 weeks of drug elution, the erectile function of the rats was evaluated by measurement of the maximum intracavernous pressure / mean arterial pressure (ICPmax/MAP), and the penile tissues were subjected to immunofluorescence staining, immunohistochemistry, Masson's trichrome staining, Western blot and detection of oxidative stress indicators. RESULTS: Compared with the negative controls, the rats in the Ri-ED group showed significant decreases in ICPmax/MAP (0.76 ± 0.09 vs 0.42 ± 0.06, P < 0.01), the number of nNOS-positive nerve fibers in the corpus cavernosum (10.17 ± 2.64 vs 3.17 ± 1.72, P < 0.01), the content of endothelial cells (1.39 ± 0.30 vs 0.35 ± 0.12, P < 0.01), the expressions of nNOS (0.42 ± 0.08 vs 0.08 ± 0.01, P < 0.01) and eNOS (0.99 ± 0.24 vs 0.12 ± 0.08, P < 0.01) and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) (ï¼»343.73 ± 58.57ï¼½ vs ï¼»153.50 ± 34.06ï¼½ U/mg prot, P < 0.01), but an increase in the malondialdehyde (MDA) level (ï¼»1.80 ± 0.31ï¼½ vs ï¼»3.25 ± 0.21ï¼½ nmol/mg prot, P < 0.01). In comparison with the Ri-ED group, the animals treated with ICAⅡ exhibited remarkably increased ICP/MAP (0.42 ± 0.06 vs 0.66 ± 0.07, P < 0.01), number of nNOS-positive nerve fibers (3.17 ± 1.72 vs 7.33 ± 1.75, P < 0.05), content of endothelial cells (0.35 ± 0.12 vs 1.07 ± 0.36, P < 0.01), and expressions of nNOS (0.08 ± 0.01 vs 0.16 ± 0.05, P < 0.05) and eNOS (0.12 ± 0.08 vs 0.86 ± 0.30, P < 0.01) in the corpus cavernosum, but a decreased level of MDA (ï¼»3.25 ± 0.21ï¼½ vs ï¼»2.17 ± 0.55ï¼½ nmol/mg prot, P < 0.05). In addition, ICAⅡ effectively reduced radiation injury-induced mortality of the rats. CONCLUSION: IcarisideⅡ can significantly improve ED and pathological changes and reduce mortality caused by radiation injury in rats, which may be related to its ability of improving radiation-induced oxidative stress.

[Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound versus low-energy shock wave in the treatment of neurogenic penile erectile dysfunction].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect and safety of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) versus low-energy shock wave (LESW) in the treatment of neurogenic penile ED in male SD rats. METHODS: Twenty-four 12-week-old male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups of an equal number: sham operation, bilateral cavernous nerves injury (BCNI), LIPUS (300 mW /cm2, 3 times a week for 2 weeks), and LESW (300 strokes once, 3 times a week for 2 weeks). At 28 days after intervention, the erectile function of the rats was assessed by comparing the ratio of maximum intracavernous pressure to mean arterial pressure (ICPmax/MAP), and the histopathological changes in the corpus cavernosum of the penis were observed by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence staining, and Masson trichromatic staining. RESULTS: After treatment, the LIPUS and LESW groups, compared with the BCNI group, showed significantly increased ICPmax/MAP ratio (0.56 ± 0.13 and 0.55 ± 0.10 versus 0.35 ± 0.14, P = 0.017 and P = 0.013), improved smooth muscle/collagen value (0.08 ± 0.01 and 0.08 ± 0.02 versus 0.06 ± 0.02, P = 0.017 and P = 0.019), and elevated proportion of smooth muscle to cavernosum (0.20 ± 0.05 and 0.21 ± 0.03 versus 0.15 ± 0.02, P = 0.046 and P = 0.020), with no statistically significant difference between the LIPUS and LESW groups. No obvious adverse reactions were observed in the LIPUS or LESW group. CONCLUSIONS: Both LIPUS and LESW can effectively improve penile erectile function and repair histopathological injury in the animal model of neurogenic ED.

Skimmed Bovine Milk-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Isolated via "Salting-Out": Characterizations and Potential Functions as Nanocarriers.

Bovine milk-derived extracellular vesicles (BM-EVs) are recognized as promising nanoscale delivery vectors owing to their large availability. However, few isolation methods can achieve high purity and yield simultaneously. Therefore, we developed a novel and cost-effective procedure to separate BM-EVs via "salting-out." First, BM-EVs were isolated from skimmed milk using ammonium sulfate. The majority of BM-EVs were precipitated between 30 and 40% saturation and 34% had a relatively augmented purity. The separated BM-EVs showed a spherical shape with a diameter of 60-150 nm and expressed the marker proteins CD63, TSG101, and Hsp70. The purity and yield were comparable to the BM-EVs isolated via ultracentrifugation while ExoQuick failed to separate a relatively pure fraction of BM-EVs. The uptake of BM-EVs into endothelial cells was dose- and time-dependent without significant cytotoxicity. The levels of endothelial nitric oxide syntheses were regulated by BM-EVs loaded with icariside II and miRNA-155-5p, suggesting their functions as delivery vehicles. These findings have demonstrated that it is an efficient procedure to isolate BM-EVs via "salting-out," holding great promise toward therapeutic applications.

Effects of Cells Self-aggregation in the Treatment of Neurogenic Erectile Dysfunction With Traditional Single Cell Suspension of Adipose-derived Stem Cells.

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the effects of cellular self-aggregation of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) on erectile function (EF). METHODS: A model of neurogenic erectile dysfunction was performed using bilateral cavernous nerve crush injury in rats. ADSCs suspensions (1 × 106/0.2 ml), were administered via intracavernous injection (ICI) after being allowed to shelve for 0 minute (ICI 0) or 60 minutes (ICI 60) in vitro, as well as cell aggregates isolated from ICI 60 (ICI A). The caudal vein injection group (CVI 60) was used to evaluate whether cell self-aggregation was beneficial to EF when introduced into the peripheral circulation. One day after the transplantation, the distribution of cells was observed. EF and histopathological changes were evaluated after 4 weeks. RESULTS: Approximately 85% of ADSCs self-aggregated into cell clusters at 60 minutes. The ICI 60 had more significant improvements in EF and more visualized ADSCs retained in the corpus cavernosum (CC) than ICI 0 and CVI 60 (P <.05), but no significant difference between ICI 60 and ICI A. In the CVI 60 group, the cell clusters formed by self-aggregation could hardly reach the CC and were mostly found in lung tissue. Immunofluorescence staining showed increased the content of expressing biomarkers of smooth muscle, nerve within the CC tissue in the ICI groups when compared to the CVI group. CONCLUSION: ADSCs self-aggregation before ICI may be an influential factor in the treatment of neurogenic erectile dysfunction. Its potential mechanism may be through improving cell retention in the CC.

Structural characterization of enzymatic modification of Hericium erinaceus polysaccharide and its immune-enhancement activity.

In this study, the enzyme degradation of Hericium erinaceus polysaccharide (HEP) was successfully modified with endo-rhamnosidase to obtain the enzymatic hydrolysis of Hericium erinaceus polysaccharide product (EHEP). The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), high performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC), Fourier transformed infrared spectrometry (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic particle microscopy (AFM), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and particle size distribution were used to characterize polysaccharides. In vitro, EHEP significantly enhanced the phagocytosis, NO, CD40 and CD86 by macrophage than HEP. In vivo, female Balb/c mice were injected respectively with EHEP and HEP after administrated with cyclophosphamide, once a day for 7 days. On days 11, the morphology and structure of jejunal sections, immunofluorescence of spleen and peritoneal macrophages were determined. These results indicated that the enzymatic hydrolysis product could enhance the activation of peritoneal macrophages, and enhance the immunomodulation function of HEP. This study demonstrated that enzymatic modification was an effective method to improve the activities of HEP, and could be developed as a potential technology for use in pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical industry.

Intracavernous injection of size-specific stem cell spheroids for neurogenic erectile dysfunction: Efficacy and risk versus single cells.

BACKGROUND: Intracavernous injection (ICI) of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) has been demonstrated promising for neurogenic erectile dysfunction (ED). However, due to the sponge-like structure of corpus cavernosum (CC) with abundant vessels, ICI was indeed like intravenous injection. Thus, the cell escaping may be a concern of safety and limited therapy, but the issue has not been clearly demonstrated yet. METHODS: Suspensions of free ADSCs (FAs) and ADSCs-based spheroids (ASs) with suitable size were intracavernously injected at doses of 0.5, 1, 2, or 4 million cells. The cell loss and safety after ICI, erectile function and histopathologic change, etc. were analyzed with multimodality of methods. FINDINGS: Most FAs escaped from sponge-like CC after ICI due to their small size, weakening stem-cell therapeutic efficacy. Worse still, the escaped cells were shown to cause widespread pulmonary embolism (PE), and even death in some animals. Further, it was founded that the therapeutic effect of FAs may be ascribed to the larger cell clusters which spontaneously aggregated before ICI and were trapped within CC after ICI. In comparison, cell loss and PE were significantly avoided by transplanting ASs. Importantly, better therapeutic outcomes were detected after ICI of ASs when compared to FAs with the same cell number. INTERPRETATION: Transplantation of size-specific ASs instead of single-cell suspension of FAs for neurogenic ED may be a wiser choice to achieve steady therapeutic outcome and to reduce risks for the future clinical application. FUND: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81701432) (to Y. Xu). Youth Training Project for Medical science (16QNP129) and Beijing Nova Program of science and technology (Z171100001117115) (to Z. Liu).

Ufmylation Is Activated in Renal Cancer and Is Not Associated with von Hippel-Lindau Mutation.

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma is the most common in all of the renal cancers; however, it lacks ideal molecular target for treatment. In the present study, we identified that ufmylation, a novel ubiquitin-like modification, was significantly upregulated in renal cancer tissues. Ufmylation is known to be closely associated with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and protein quality control. To explore the relation between ufmylation and protein degradation pathways in renal cancer cells, we pharmacologically altered the ubiquitin-proteasome (UPS) and autophagy pathways. We found that the ufmylation levels were not varied by autophagy activation or inhibition. Consistently, the LC3 conversion, as an important biomarker of autophagy, was comparable between renal caner tissues and para-cancer tissues, indicating that the increase of ufmylation in renal cancer may be not related with autophagy. In contrast, blocking UPS with MG132 activated ufmylation in renal cancer cells, suggesting that the activation of ufmylation in renal cancer may be associated with the UPS activity. However, the ufmylation levels were not associated with mutations of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) gene, a specific E3 ligase of the UPS and has high mutation rate in renal cancer. Besides, we found that sunitinib, a multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, could significantly inhibit ufmylation, whereas overexpression of active Ufm1 partially inhibited the antitumor effects of sunitinib. These results highlight that ufmylation might be a novel molecular candidate for renal cancer.

Preparation, characterization and controlled-release property of CS crosslinked MWCNT based on Hericium erinaceus polysaccharides.

In present study, the optimal condition of prepared drug was determined by response surface methodology. In addition, their physicochemical properties, drug release and uptake ability of CS-MWCNT-HEP were studied, and the distribution of the drug in ICR mice and the sites of action were further evaluated. Under the optimal condition, the mean experimental loaded efficiency 68.55 ± 1.47% was corresponded well with the predicted value of 68.28%. The results of in vitro experiments proved that a release of the drug in a pH-dependent behavior. Flow cytometry and inverted microscope showed that the uptake of CS-MWCNT-HEP in Raw264.7 cells increased significantly as the time increased. In vivo experiment proved that the HEP and CS-MWCNT-HEP were mainly accumulated in the kidney, shown the characteristics of kidney metabolism. On the other hand, the extended retention of CS-MWCNT-HEP in the mice could enhance the immune function. CS-MWCNT-HEP has high loaded efficiency and pH-responsive drug released, which could significantly improved the body's immunity and enhance the body's ability to absorbed drugs. These findings proposed a well characterized novel CS-MWCNT-HEP formulation as drug delivery system, and its mechanism and application will be further investigated in our undergoing studies.

Characterization of polysaccharides isolated from Hericium erinaceus and their protective effects on the DON-induced oxidative stress.

In this study, the structure characteristic of the Hericium erinaceus polysaccharide (HEP) was investigated using Fourier transformed infrared spectrometry (FT-IR), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), methylation and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The results showed that HEP, with a molecular weight of 43 KDa, was mainly composed of glucose and rhamnose. The linkages of the sugar residues of HEP were â†’ 6) ß-d-Glcp-(1 â†’ and â†’ 2) -α-l-Rhap-(1 â†’ residue at the end of the branches. The Fusarium toxin deoxynivalenol (DON)-induced cellular injury model for IPEC-J2 cells was established and used to investigate the protective effects of HEP against the oxidative stress. The results suggest that HEP could significantly protect IPEC-J2 cells from DON-induced oxidative stress, inhibit DON-induced apoptosis and reduce the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Overall, this study suggested that HEP could be explored as potential antioxidant agents for DON-induced intestinal mucosa injury.

Designing selenium polysaccharides-based nanoparticles to improve immune activity of Hericium erinaceus.

In previous researches, the results showed that selenium Hericium erinaceus polysaccharide and Hericium erinaceus polysaccharide-loaded poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles enhanced immune responses. In order to further enhance the immune adjuvant activity and phagocytosis of the nanoparticles, two way of combination (selenium-HEP loaded PLGA nanoparticles and selenium modified HEP-PLGA nanoparticles) were prepared to investigate the effects on macrophages in vitro. After treatment with the nanoparticles, the effects of phagocytosis, co-stimulatory molecules expression, nitric oxide (NO), and cytokines secretion were evaluated. The results showed that the particle size, PDI and zeta potential of the selenium-HEP loaded PLGA nanoparticles (Se-HEP-PLGA) and selenium modifified HEP-PLGA nanoparticles (HEP-PLGA-Se) were presented. Se-HEP-PLGA and HEP-PLGA-Se nanoparticles significantly stimulated phagocytic activity, CD40 and CD86 expression of macrophages. In addition, the levels of NO, TNF-α, IL-1ß and IL-6 were enhanced in the peritoneal macrophages by stimulation with Se-HEP-PLGA and HEP-PLGA-Se nanoparticles. Among them, Se-HEP-PLGA showed the best effects on the expression of co-stimulatory molecules, secretions of NO and cytokines. These results indicated that Se-HEP-PLGA could enhance the activation of macrophages, and it could be potentially used as an HEP delivery system for the induction of strong immune responses.

Developing a Novel and Convenient Model for Investigating Sweat Gland Morphogenesis from Epidermal Stem Cells.

Sweat glands developed from the embryonic epidermis. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of morphogenesis, a reliable in vitro test system for bioactive screening must be developed. Here, we described a novel and convenient model by coculturing embryonic tissue and epidermal stem cells (ESCs) using Transwell insert for evaluating the effects of soluble morphogens on sweat gland morphogenesis in vitro. Using this coculture system, morphological alteration, histological features, and specific markers were observed. Initial experiments revealed that ESCs cocultured with embryonic paw pad (EPP) tissue demonstrated glandular structure and cytokeratin 8 (K8) and cytokeratin 18 (K18) positive, while ESCs cocultured with embryonic dorsal skin demonstrated "sea snail" structure and K8, K18 negative. Moreover, bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) concentrations were detected in the medium of the EPP group. BMP receptor inhibitor could effectively block the ESC differentiation to sweat glands, while EGF receptor blocker did not show the effect. Our results showed clear benefits of this novel and convenient model in terms of in vitro-in vivo correlation. It was an appropriate alternative for screening of potential bioactives regulating the sweat gland morphogenesis mechanism.

Low Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound Influences the Myogenic Differentiation of Muscle Satellite Cells in a Stress Urinary Incontinence Rat Model.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic effect of low intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) in a stress urinary incontinence (SUI) rat model and its influence on myogenic satellite cells. METHODS: Fifty Sprague-Dawley rats underwent vaginal distension and bilateral ovariectomy mimicking partum injury and menopause to construct SUI models, which were further randomized into 100 mW/cm2 LIPUS, 200 mW/cm2 LIPUS, 300 mW/cm2 LIPUS, and none-treatment control subgroups with 10 rats per subgroup. Ten rats served as mock operation control. Leak point pressure and bladder capacity were recorded 1 week after LIPUS treatment. Immunofluorescence staining and Western blot were performed to examine histological changes, myodifferentiation, and signaling pathway. RESULTS: Here,we found the leak point pressure and bladder capacity were restored in 200 mW/cm2 LIPUS and 300 mW/cm2 LIPUS groups, but not in 100 mW/cm2 LIPUS group. More robust striated muscle regeneration was observed in 200 mW/cm2 LIPUS group comparing with the SUI none-treatment group. Moreover, we found LIPUS activated the myodifferentiation of muscle satellite cells, which is correlated to p38 phosphorylation level. CONCLUSION: LIPUS restored the leak point pressure and bladder capacity, and activated satellite cell myodifferentiation in SUI rat model.

Corrigendum: Microtissues Enhance Smooth Muscle Differentiation and Cell Viability of hADSCs for Three Dimensional Bioprinting.

[This corrects the article on p. 534 in vol. 8, PMID: 28790931.].