Piezoelectric nanomaterials' advantages are evident in their capacity to stimulate cell-specific responses. However, no study has been undertaken to design a nanostructured barium titanate coating with enhanced energy storage. Employing a dual hydrothermal approach, including anodization, coatings of nanoparticulate tetragonal BaTiO3 were synthesized, characterized by cube-like nanoparticles and diverse piezoelectric coefficients. Piezoelectric effects mediated by nanostructures were assessed for their impact on the dispersion, multiplication, and osteogenic maturation of human jaw bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hJBMSCs). Biocompatibility and an EPC-influenced suppression of hJBMSC proliferation were observed in the nanostructured tetragonal BaTiO3 coatings. With nanostructured tetragonal BaTiO3 coatings showcasing EPCs less than 10 pm/V, significant hJBMSC elongation and reorientation, widespread lamellipodia extension, strong intercellular connections, and an increase in osteogenic differentiation were observed. Improved hJBMSC characteristics of nanostructured tetragonal BaTiO3 coatings highlight their potential for application on implant surfaces, facilitating osseointegration.
Metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs), commonly employed in agricultural and food production, present limited insights into their impact on human health, concerning the specific examples like ZnO, CuO, TiO2, and SnO2, and the environment. Our growth assay of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the budding yeast, revealed no detrimental effects on viability from any of these concentrations tested (up to 100 g/mL). While different, both human thyroid cancer (ML-1) and rat medullary thyroid cancer (CA77) cells exhibited a considerable decline in viability following CuO and ZnO treatment. When exposed to CuO and ZnO, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in these cell lines remained essentially unchanged. Elevated apoptosis levels following ZnO and CuO exposure point towards non-ROS-mediated cell death as the main contributor to reduced cell viability. Following ZnO or CuO MONP treatment, RNAseq analyses across ML-1 and CA77 cell lines consistently showed differential regulation of pathways connected to inflammation, Wnt signaling, and cadherin signaling. Research into genes underscores non-ROS-mediated apoptosis as the key contributor to diminished cell survival. These findings, taken together, offer singular evidence that the observed apoptosis in thyroid cancer cells treated with CuO and ZnO is not primarily attributable to oxidative stress but rather to changes in multiple cellular signaling pathways, ultimately prompting cell death.
Environmental stresses and plant growth and development are inextricably linked to the importance of plant cell walls. Therefore, plant systems have evolved communication methods to observe alterations in the composition of their cell walls, initiating compensatory responses to preserve cell wall integrity (CWI). In response to both environmental and developmental signals, CWI signaling can be activated. Despite the extensive study and review of environmental stress-associated CWI signaling mechanisms, investigations into CWI signaling's impact on plant growth and development during normal conditions are comparatively limited. The process of fleshy fruit ripening and development is distinctive due to the dramatic rearrangements within the cell wall's structure. Recent findings highlight the key role that CWI signaling plays in the process of fruit ripening. In this review of fruit ripening, the concept of CWI signaling is discussed in detail, including its components such as cell wall fragment signaling, calcium signaling, and nitric oxide (NO) signaling, as well as Receptor-Like Protein Kinase (RLK) signaling, particularly highlighting the potential roles of FERONIA and THESEUS, two RLKs that may act as CWI sensors influencing hormonal signal generation and propagation in fruit maturation.
The potential mechanisms through which the gut microbiota contributes to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, particularly non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), are gaining significant research interest. Using antibiotic treatments, we examined the interconnections between gut microbiota and the emergence of NASH in Tsumura-Suzuki non-obese mice nourished by a high-fat/cholesterol/cholate-rich (iHFC) diet, which displayed advanced liver fibrosis. Liver damage, steatohepatitis, and fibrosis worsened in iHFC-fed mice but not in mice fed a normal diet following the administration of vancomycin, a drug targeting Gram-positive organisms. A higher count of macrophages exhibiting F4/80 expression was observed in the livers of mice fed vancomycin-treated iHFC. Hepatic crown-like structures, formed by the augmented infiltration of CD11c+-recruited macrophages, were a consequence of vancomycin treatment. The livers of iHFC-fed mice, treated with vancomycin, showed a noteworthy escalation in the co-localization of this macrophage subset with collagen. In mice receiving iHFC nutrition, the administration of metronidazole, aimed at anaerobic organisms, yielded these alterations only rarely. Following the vancomycin treatment, a notable change in the concentration and classification of bile acids was observed in the iHFC-fed mice. Importantly, our data showcases how changes in liver inflammation and fibrosis under the iHFC diet may be influenced by antibiotic-induced changes in the gut microbial ecosystem, emphasizing the role they play in advanced liver fibrosis.
Regenerative tissue therapies employing mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have become a subject of substantial research and clinical interest. check details Angiogenesis and osseous differentiation depend heavily on the presence of the stem cell surface marker CD146. Deciduous dental pulp-derived mesenchymal stem cells, specifically those expressing CD146 and contained within stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED), expedite bone regeneration when transplanted into a living donor. Nonetheless, the contribution of CD146 to SHED's process is still uncertain. This study compared the influence of CD146 on the proliferative capacity and substrate metabolic activities of a SHED cell group. SHEDs, isolated from deciduous teeth, were subject to flow cytometric analysis for MSC marker expression. To isolate the CD146-positive cell population (CD146+) and the CD146-negative cell population (CD146-), a cell sorting procedure was carried out. Samples of CD146+ SHED and CD146-SHED, without any cell sorting, were compared and analyzed across three distinct groups. To evaluate the relationship between CD146 and cell proliferation, a quantitative analysis of cell growth potential was executed using both BrdU and MTS assays. The ability of the bone to differentiate was evaluated via an alkaline phosphatase (ALP) stain subsequent to inducing bone differentiation, and the caliber of the expressed ALP protein was examined. The calcified deposits were evaluated using Alizarin red staining, which we also performed. Quantitative analysis of ALP, bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), and osteocalcin (OCN) gene expression was performed via real-time polymerase chain reaction. Comparative analysis revealed no substantial variations in cell proliferation across the three treatment groups. ALP stain, Alizarin red stain, ALP, BMP-2, and OCN displayed their maximum expression in the CD146+ group. CD146 augmented the osteogenic differentiation potential of SHED, exceeding the performance of SHED alone or SHED lacking CD146. CD146 cells extracted from SHED tissue may prove beneficial in the treatment of bone regeneration.
Gut microbiota (GM), the microorganisms inhabiting the gastrointestinal system, contribute to the maintenance of brain equilibrium by establishing a two-way communication link between the gut and the brain. The presence of GM disturbances has been found to be linked to a range of neurological disorders, Alzheimer's disease (AD) included. check details The MGBA (microbiota-gut-brain axis) has become a focal point of research recently, with the aim to understand AD pathology and, importantly, to develop novel therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer's disease. A description of MGBA's overarching idea and its contribution to the development and progression of AD is provided in this review. check details In addition, diverse experimental methodologies are discussed for understanding the function of GM in AD. Finally, a comprehensive examination of MGBA-based therapies for Alzheimer's Disease is undertaken. The review's purpose is to offer concise guidance, focusing on a comprehensive theoretical and methodological understanding of the GM and AD relationship and its pragmatic applications.
Nanomaterials graphene quantum dots (GQDs), originating from graphene and carbon dots, are exceptionally stable, soluble, and boast remarkable optical properties. They are also characterized by low toxicity, making them excellent transporters of drugs or fluorescein dyes. GQDs, when presented in particular forms, can initiate apoptosis, a potential pathway to cancer therapies. To assess their anti-proliferative effects on breast cancer cells (MCF-7, BT-474, MDA-MB-231, and T-47D), three forms of GQDs—GQD (nitrogencarbon ratio = 13), ortho-GQD, and meta-GQD—were analyzed in this study. Subsequent to 72 hours of exposure to the three GQDs, there was a decrease in cell viability, specifically impacting the proliferative capacity of breast cancer cells. Examination of the expression levels of apoptotic proteins found that p21 was upregulated 141-fold and p27 was upregulated 475-fold in response to the treatment. Cells treated with ortho-GQD displayed a cessation of progression through the G2/M phase. Specifically, GQDs triggered apoptosis in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cell lines. Specific breast cancer subtypes experience apoptosis and G2/M cell cycle arrest triggered by GQDs, as evidenced by these findings, and this may offer therapeutic potential.
As part of the mitochondrial respiratory chain's complex II, succinate dehydrogenase facilitates reactions within the tricarboxylic acid cycle, also called the Krebs cycle.