Cilia impairment in bronchial epithelial cells detected in autopsy material of SARS-CoV-2-infected patient.

Recent studies indicate that cilia impairment, accompanied by the axonema loss and the basal body misorientation, is a common pathological feature of SARS-CoV-2-infected bronchial epithelial cells. However, these data were obtained using either cultured cells, or animal models, while in human postmortem material, cilia impairment has not been described yet. Here, we present direct observation of cilia impairment in SARS-CoV-2-infected bronchial epithelial cells using transmission electron microscopy of the autopsy material. We were able to observe only single infected cells with cilia impairment in one of twelve examined specimens, while the large number of desquamated bronchial epithelial cells with undisturbed ciliary layer was visible in the bronchial lumens. Thus, it seems that in the lungs of infected patients, the majority of bronchial cells do not die as a direct result of infection, which may explain the rarity of this finding in the autopsy material.

An In Vivo Rat Study of Bioresorbable Mg-2Zn-2Ga Alloy Implants.

In the present study, pins made from the novel Mg-2Zn-2Ga alloy were installed within the femoral bones of six Wistar rats. The level of bioresorption was assessed after 1, 3, and 6 months by radiography, histology, SEM, and EDX. Significant bioresorption was evident after 3 months, and complete dissolution of the pins occurred at 6 months after the installation. No pronounced gas cavities could be found at the pin installation sites throughout the postoperative period. The animals' blood parameters showed no signs of inflammation or toxication. These findings are sufficiently encouraging to motivate further research to broaden the experimental coverage to increase the number of observed animals and to conduct tests involving other, larger animals.

Lung inflammation is associated with lipid deposition.

Lung inflammation, pneumonia, is an acute respiratory disease of varying etiology that has recently drawn much attention during the COVID-19 pandemic as lungs are among the main targets for SARS-CoV-2. Multiple other etiological agents are associated with pneumonias. Here, we describe a newly-recognized pathology, namely abnormal lipid depositions in the lungs of patients who died from COVID-19 as well as from non-COVID-19 pneumonias. Our analysis of both semi-thin and Sudan III-stained lung specimens revealed extracellular and intracellular lipid depositions irrespective of the pneumonia etiology. Most notably, lipid depositions were located within vessels adjacent to inflamed regions, where they apparently interfere with the blood flow. Structurally, the lipid droplets in the inflamed lung tissue were homogeneous and lacked outer membranes as assessed by electron microscopy. Morphometric analysis of lipid droplet deposition area allowed us to distinguish the non-pneumonia control lung specimens from the macroscopically intact area of the pneumonia lung and from the inflamed area of the pneumonia lung. Our measurements revealed a gradient of lipid deposition towards the inflamed region. The pattern of lipid distribution proved universal for all pneumonias. Finally, lipid metabolism in the lung tissue was assessed by the fatty acid analysis and by expression of genes involved in lipid turnover. Chromato-mass spectrometry revealed that unsaturated fatty acid content was elevated at inflammation sites compared to that in control non-inflamed lung tissue from the same individual. The expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism was altered in pneumonia, as shown by qPCR and in silico RNA-seq analysis. Thus, pneumonias of various etiologies are associated with specific lipid abnormalities; therefore, lipid metabolism can be considered to be a target for new therapeutic strategies.

Corneal Stroma Regeneration with Collagen-Based Hydrogel as an Artificial Stroma Equivalent: A Comprehensive In Vivo Study.

Restoring the anatomical and functional characteristics of the cornea using various biomaterials is especially relevant in the context of a global shortage of donor tissue. Such biomaterials must be biocompatible, strong, and transparent. Here, we report a Viscoll collagen membrane with mechanical and optical properties suitable for replacing damaged stromal tissue. After removing a portion of the stroma, a Viscoll collagen membrane was implanted into the corneas of rabbits. After 6 months, the active migration of host cells into Viscoll collagen membranes was noted, with the preservation of corneal transparency in all experimental animals. Effective integration of the Viscoll collagen membrane with corneal tissue promoted nerve regeneration in vivo, as confirmed by in vivo confocal microscopy. We also demonstrated the safety and efficacy of the Viscoll collagen membrane for corneal stroma regeneration. Thus, in combination with the proposed packaging format that provides long-term storage of up to 10 months, this material has great potential for replacing and regenerating damaged stromal tissues.