Bioinformatic analysis and in vivo validation of angiogenesis related genes in inflammatory bowel disease

Angiogenesis plays a significant role in the occurrence and development of inflammatory bowel disease(IBD).The aim of this study is to explore potential angiogenesis related genes(ARGs)in IBD through bioinformatics analysis and in vivo experiments.Methods:GSE57945,GSE87466,and GSE36807 were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database.GSE57945 was used as the training set,while GSE87466 and GSE36807 were used as the validation set.The key ARGs associated with IBD were identified using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO)and random forest methods.These identified ARGs were then utilized to construct a diagnostic model for IBD.The Single-Sample Genome Enrichment Analysis,Cibersort,and Xcell methods were used to evaluate the immune infiltration.Expression of amyloid beta precursor protein(APP)was verified in the IBD mouse model induced by dextran sulfate sodium using immunohistochemistry(IHC).Results:The receiver operating curve area of GSE57945 was 0.948.Two distinct clusters were identified using consensus clustering and non-negative matrix factorization clustering.Subsequent analyses revealed significant differences in immune levels and functional enrichment between the two clusters.The successful construction of the animal model for the IBD was evident by hematoxylin and eosin staining,while IHC results showed a high expression of APP in IBD and a low expression in normal tissues.Conclusion:Our findings provide new insights into the diagnosis of IBD by ARGs,and APP could be a potential novel biomarker for IBD and promising therapeutic targets.

Engineering self-healing adhesive hydrogels with antioxidant properties for intrauterine adhesion prevention

Intrauterine adhesion (IUA) is the fibrosis within the uterine cavity. It is the second most common cause of female infertility, significantly affecting women’s physical and mental health. Current treatment strategies fail to provide a satisfactory therapeutic outcome for IUA patients, leaving an enormous challenge for reproductive science. A self-healing adhesive hydrogel with antioxidant properties will be highly helpful in IUA prevention. In this work, we prepare a series of self-healing hydrogels (P10G15, P10G20, and P10G25) with antioxidant and adhesive properties. Those hydrogels exhibit good self-healing properties and can adapt themselves to different structures. They possess good injectability and fit the shape of the human uterus. Moreover, the hydrogels exhibit good tissue adhesiveness, which is desirable for stable retention and therapeutic efficacy. The in vitro experiments using P10G20 show that the adhesive effectively scavenges ABTS+, DPPH, and hydroxyl radicals, rescuing cells from oxidative stress. In addition, P10G20 offers good hemocompatibility and in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility. Furthermore, P10G20 lowers down the in vivo oxidative stress and prevents IUA with less fibrotic tissue and better endometrial regeneration in the animal model. It can effectively downregulate fibrosis-related transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Altogether, these adhesives may be a good alternative for the clinical treatment of intrauterine adhesion.