Studies have shown that human hair keratin(HHK) has no antigenicity and excellent mechanical properties. Schwann cells, as unique glial cells in the peripheral nervous system, can be induced by interleukin-1β to secr...Studies have shown that human hair keratin(HHK) has no antigenicity and excellent mechanical properties. Schwann cells, as unique glial cells in the peripheral nervous system, can be induced by interleukin-1β to secrete nerve growth factor, which promotes neural regeneration. Therefore, HHK with Schwann cells may be a more effective approach to repair nerve defects than HHK without Schwann cells. In this study, we established an artificial nerve graft by loading an HHK skeleton with activated Schwann cells. We found that the longitudinal HHK microfilament structure provided adhesion medium, space and direction for Schwann cells, and promoted Schwann cell growth and nerve fiber regeneration. In addition, interleukin-1β not only activates Schwann cells, but also strengthens their activity and increases the expression of nerve growth factors. Activated Schwann cells activate macrophages, and activated macrophages secrete interleukin-1β, which maintains the activity of Schwann cells. Thus, a beneficial cycle forms and promotes nerve repair. Furthermore, our studies have found that the newly constructed artificial nerve graft promotes the improvements in nerve conduction function and motor function in rats with sciatic nerve injury, and increases the expression of nerve injury repair factors fibroblast growth factor 2 and human transforming growth factor B receptor 2. These findings suggest that this artificial nerve graft effectively repairs peripheral nerve injury.展开更多
Halide perovskites with excellent piezoelectric properties,but their poor stability hinders their largescale application.Herein,a sandwich-structured halide perovskite flexible sensor with good stability was developed...Halide perovskites with excellent piezoelectric properties,but their poor stability hinders their largescale application.Herein,a sandwich-structured halide perovskite flexible sensor with good stability was developed according to a three-step procedure as follows:(ⅰ) in-situ growth of wool keratinCsPbBr_(3)(WK-CsPbBr_(3)) using wool keratin in interfacial passivation and coating,(ⅱ) electrospinning of a wool keratin-CsPbBr_(3)/polyacrylonitrile(WCP) nanofiber film,and(ⅲ) coating of the WCP nanofiber with polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS) to obtain a sensor(WCPP).The sensor could generate a piezoelectric voltage of 7.8 V at a pressure of 6 kPa in the stages of pressing and releasing,and the output characteristics did not decline even after 10,000 cycles.Compared to the 4-month stability of the perovskite sensor,WCPP sensor exhibited the output performance even after 16 months,which indicated that wool keratin as a multidentate improved the stability of the halide perovskite.Additionally,the sensor displayed a self-cleaning property and could also light up 14 commercial LEDs.The close-loop recycling of the lead halide perovskite was achieved by dissolving the WCP nanofiber film in DMF and then reelectrospinning.Therefore,the method proposed is a step forward for achieving the commercialization of WK-CsPbBr_(3) and providing new avenues for further utilization of wool waste.展开更多
Wool keratin has broad application prospects in biomedical materials, tissue engineering, and other fields. To obtain porous wool keratin membrane with good performance, and lay the foundation for its application in b...Wool keratin has broad application prospects in biomedical materials, tissue engineering, and other fields. To obtain porous wool keratin membrane with good performance, and lay the foundation for its application in biological fields in the future, wool keratin aqueous solution and sponge were prepared and their characters were discussed. Wool fiber was dissolved with a mixture of urea, β-mercapitoethanol, sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS) and water, and stable keratin aqueous solution was prepared through filtration and dialysis. Dissolution rate under different conditions was discussed. The results show that dissolution rate increases with the increase of dissolving temperature, reduction β-mercaptoethanol and assistant agent urea concentration and the addition of SDS. SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS PAGE) shows the major molecular weight of the aqueous keratin solution is between 44300 u and 66400 u. Amino acid analysis shows the cysteine acid content of the keratin solution decreases obviously. Wool keratin sponge was made from the keratin solution with freeze drying method and its structure and characters were studied with scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR). The results indicate that keratin sponge has evident pores structure, and the conformation of the sponge is β-sheet.展开更多
Glycosides of Cistanche(GC)is a preparation used extensively for its neuroprotective effect against neurological diseases,but its mechanisms of action remains incompletely understood.Here,we established a bilateral ...Glycosides of Cistanche(GC)is a preparation used extensively for its neuroprotective effect against neurological diseases,but its mechanisms of action remains incompletely understood.Here,we established a bilateral common carotid artery occlusion model of vascular dementia in rats and injected the model rats with a suspension of GC(10 mg/kg/day,intraperitoneally)for 14 consecutive days.Immunohistochemistry showed that GC significantly reduced p-tau and amyloid beta(Aβ)immunoreactivity in the hippocampus of the model rats.Proteomic analysis demonstrated upregulation of mitochondrial precursor protein and downregulation of keratin type II cytoskeletal6A after GC treatment compared with model rats that had received saline.Western blot assay confirmed these findings.Our results suggest that the neuroprotective effect of GC in vascular dementia occurs via the promotion of neuronal cytoskeleton regeneration.展开更多
Monilethrix, a congenital disease of hair, is usually associated with mutations in keratin genes, like KRT81, KRT83 and KRT86. We conducted this study to investigate the mutation of type Ⅱ human basic hair keratin hH...Monilethrix, a congenital disease of hair, is usually associated with mutations in keratin genes, like KRT81, KRT83 and KRT86. We conducted this study to investigate the mutation of type Ⅱ human basic hair keratin hHb/ KRT gene in a Han family with monilethrix and obtain information for potential pathogenic mechanism study of monilethrix. Peripheral blood samples were drawn for genomic DNA detection. Exon 1 and exon 7 of the KRT81, KRT83 and KRT86 genes were amplified by PCR. All PCR products were sequenced directly using an ABI 310 DNA sequencer. These sequences were aligned with the standard sequences in GenBank using the BLAST software. PCR products were digested with restriction endonuclease and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis was performed. In this study, we identified one novel mutation, which is a heterozygous transitional mutation of G→A at position 1,289 in exon 7 of the KRT86 gene [R430Q (KRT86)]. RFLP assays for the novel mutation excluded the possibility of polymorphism. The R430Q mutation of the KRT86 gene may be pathogenic for monilethrix. Meanwhile, we did not find any novel mutation or recurrent mutation in exons 1 and 7 of KRT81 and KRT83 and exon 1 of KRT86. There is a potential pathogenic gene in the subjects and our results expand the spectrum of mutations in the hHb6 gene.展开更多
Flexible biosensors with high accuracy and reliable operation in detecting pH and uric acid levels in body fluids are fabricated using well-engineered metaldoped porous carbon as electrode material.The gold nanopartic...Flexible biosensors with high accuracy and reliable operation in detecting pH and uric acid levels in body fluids are fabricated using well-engineered metaldoped porous carbon as electrode material.The gold nanoparticles@N-doped carbon in situ are prepared using wool keratin as both a novel carbon precursor and a stabilizer.The conducting electrode material is fabricated at 500℃ under customized parameters,which mimics A-B type(two different repeating units) polymeric material and displays excellent deprotonation performance(pH sensitivity).The obtained pH sensor exhibits high pH sensitivity of 57 mV/pH unit and insignificant relative standard deviation of 0.088%.Conversely,the composite carbon material with sp^2 structure prepared at 700℃ is doped with nitrogen and gold nanoparticles,which exhibits good conductivity and electrocatalytic activity for uric acid oxidation.The uric acid sensor has linear response over a range of 1-150 μM and a limit of detection 0.1 μM.These results will provide new avenues where biological material will be the best start,which can be useful to target contradictory applications through molecular engineering at mesoscale.展开更多
BACKGROUND Keratinized gingival insufficiency is a disease attributed to long-term tooth loss,can severely jeopardizes the long-term health of implants.A simple and effective augmentation surgery method should be urge...BACKGROUND Keratinized gingival insufficiency is a disease attributed to long-term tooth loss,can severely jeopardizes the long-term health of implants.A simple and effective augmentation surgery method should be urgently developed.CASE SUMMARY A healthy female patient,45-year-old,requested implant restoration of the her left mandibular first molar and second molar.Before considering a stage II,as suggested from the probing depth measurements,the widths of the mesial,medial,and distal buccal keratinized gingiva of second molar(tooth#37)were measured and found to be 0.5 mm,0.5 mm,and 0 mm,respectively.This suggested that the gingiva was insufficient to resist damage from bacterial and mechanical stimulation.Accordingly,modified apically repositioned flap(ARF)surgery combined with xenogeneic collagen matrix(XCM)and platelet-rich fibrin(PRF)was employed to increase the width of gingival tissue.After 1 mo of healing,the widths of mesial,medial,and distal buccal keratinized gingiva reached 4 mm,4 mm,and 3 mm,respectively,and the thickness of the augmented mucosa was 4.5 mm.Subsequently,through the second-stage operation,the patient obtained an ideal soft tissue shape around the implant.CONCLUSION For cases with keratinized gingiva widths around implants less than 2mmthe soft tissue width and thickness could be increased by modified ARF surgery combined with XCM and PRF.Moreover,this surgery significantly alleviated patients’pain and ameliorated oral functional comfort.展开更多
A novel efficient method for hydrolyzing feather keratin using an ultrasonic-ionic liquid coupling process has been developed, with reaction conditions optimized using response surface analysis of data obtained from s...A novel efficient method for hydrolyzing feather keratin using an ultrasonic-ionic liquid coupling process has been developed, with reaction conditions optimized using response surface analysis of data obtained from single factor optimization studies. Ultrasonic irradiation(225 W power) of feathers in 8.4 mol·L^(-1) hydrochloric acid containing 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride as a cosolvent at 80 °C for 1.4 h, followed by heating at 110 °C for 8.3 h, resulted in hydrolysis of their keratin component in an excellent 83.1% yield. Compared with previous methods, this new method employs reduced amounts of hydrochloric acid, shorter reaction time, and affords amino acid hydrolysis products in higher yield.展开更多
Androgen therapy is the mainstay of treatment for the hypogonadotropic hypogonadal micropenis because it obviously enhances penis growth in prepubescent microphallic patients. However, the molecular mechanisms of andr...Androgen therapy is the mainstay of treatment for the hypogonadotropic hypogonadal micropenis because it obviously enhances penis growth in prepubescent microphallic patients. However, the molecular mechanisms of androgen treatment leading to penis growth are still largely unknown. To clarify this well-known phenomenon, we successfully generated a castrated male Sprague Dawley rat model at puberty followed by testosterone administration. Interestingly, compared with the control group, testosterone treatment stimulated a dose-dependent increase of penis weight, length, and width in castrated rats accompanied with a dramatic recovery of the pathological changes of the penis. Mechanistically, testosterone administration substantially increased the expression of androgen receptor (AR) protein. Increased AR protein in the penis could subsequently initiate transcription of its target genes, including keratin 33B (Krt33b). Importantly, we demonstrated that KRT33B is generally expressed in the rat penis and that most KRT33B expression is cytoplasmic. Furthermore, AR could directly modulate its expression by binding to a putative androgen response element sequence of the Krt33b promoter. Overall, this study reveals a novel mechanism facilitating penis growth after testosterone treatment in precastrated prepubescent animals, in which androgen enhances the expression of AR protein as well as its target genes, such as Krt33b.展开更多
Objective To develop a dressing with desired antibacterial activity, good water maintaining ability and mechanical properties for wound healing and skin regeneration. Methods The chitosan with different concentrations...Objective To develop a dressing with desired antibacterial activity, good water maintaining ability and mechanical properties for wound healing and skin regeneration. Methods The chitosan with different concentrations were added in keratin solution to form porous keratin/chitosan(KCS) scaffolds. The morphological characteristics, chemical composition, wettability, porosity, swelling ratio and degradation of the scaffolds were evaluated. The antibacterial activity was tested by using S. aureus and E. coli suspension for 2 h. And L929 fibroblast cells culture was used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of the KCS scaffolds. Results The adding of chitosan could increase the hydrophobicity, decrease porosity, swelling ratio and degradation rate of the KCS porous scaffolds. Mechanical properties of KCS scaffolds could be enhanced and well adjusted by chitosan. KCS scaffolds could obviously decrease bacteria number. The proliferation of fibroblast cells in porous KCS patch increased firstly and then decreased with the increase of chitosan concentration. It was appropriate to add 400 μg/m L chitosan to form porous KCS scaffold for achieving best cell attachment and proliferation compared with other samples. Conclusion The porous KCS scaffold may be used as implanted scaffold materials for promoting wound healing and skin regeneration.展开更多
Wool keratin(WK)and silk sericin(SS)have the ability to interact with metal ions.In order to take advantage of this potential,a novel environmentally friendly waterborne polyurethane(WPU)/WK/SS membrane named as WPU&a...Wool keratin(WK)and silk sericin(SS)have the ability to interact with metal ions.In order to take advantage of this potential,a novel environmentally friendly waterborne polyurethane(WPU)/WK/SS membrane named as WPU&WK&SS membrane with crosslinked structure was constructed by freeze-drying via self-assembly style.Surface morphology and chemical structure characterization were investigated by scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR).In addition,the adsorption experiments of Cu2+and Cr6+were performed to evaluate the adsorption of WPU&WK&SS membrane,including adsorption kinetics,adsorption isotherm models and various factors affecting adsorption.Further investigation indicates that the maximum adsorption capacity of Cu2+and Cr6+can reach 54.21 mg·g-1and 85.21 mg·g-1,respectively,which are higher than most of the reported adsorbents.Through adsorption kinetics and thermodynamic analysis,it is find that the pseudo-second-order kinetic equation and the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model are more suitable for the static adsorption of Cu2+and Cr6+by WPU&WK&SS membrane.展开更多
Salivary gland tumors, the second most common neoplasm of the mouth after squamous cell carcinoma, account for a significant proportion of tumors of the oral and perioral regions. An unusual case of adenoma presented ...Salivary gland tumors, the second most common neoplasm of the mouth after squamous cell carcinoma, account for a significant proportion of tumors of the oral and perioral regions. An unusual case of adenoma presented as a solitary intraoral palatine mass in a 32-year-old woman is reported here. The tumor was interpreted as an unusual pleomorphic adenoma because of the presence of exuberant squamous metaplasia, clinically mimicking squamous cell carcinoma. Moreover, the presence of cystic structures filled with keratinized material was also salient feature. Pleomorphic adenomas may occasionally display focal squamous metaplastic changes;when extensive, it presents the potential for misinterpretation of the histology as indicative of well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma.展开更多
基金supported by Military Medical Science&Technology Youth Training Program,No. 19QNP005President Foundation of Nanfang Hospital,Southern Medical University,No. 2020B028 (both to JY)。
文摘Studies have shown that human hair keratin(HHK) has no antigenicity and excellent mechanical properties. Schwann cells, as unique glial cells in the peripheral nervous system, can be induced by interleukin-1β to secrete nerve growth factor, which promotes neural regeneration. Therefore, HHK with Schwann cells may be a more effective approach to repair nerve defects than HHK without Schwann cells. In this study, we established an artificial nerve graft by loading an HHK skeleton with activated Schwann cells. We found that the longitudinal HHK microfilament structure provided adhesion medium, space and direction for Schwann cells, and promoted Schwann cell growth and nerve fiber regeneration. In addition, interleukin-1β not only activates Schwann cells, but also strengthens their activity and increases the expression of nerve growth factors. Activated Schwann cells activate macrophages, and activated macrophages secrete interleukin-1β, which maintains the activity of Schwann cells. Thus, a beneficial cycle forms and promotes nerve repair. Furthermore, our studies have found that the newly constructed artificial nerve graft promotes the improvements in nerve conduction function and motor function in rats with sciatic nerve injury, and increases the expression of nerve injury repair factors fibroblast growth factor 2 and human transforming growth factor B receptor 2. These findings suggest that this artificial nerve graft effectively repairs peripheral nerve injury.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22178210)the Innovation Capability Support Program of Shaanxi (2021TD-16)+1 种基金Key Project of Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi Province (2023JC-XJ-12)the Shaanxi Provincial “Special Support Plan for High-level Talents”。
文摘Halide perovskites with excellent piezoelectric properties,but their poor stability hinders their largescale application.Herein,a sandwich-structured halide perovskite flexible sensor with good stability was developed according to a three-step procedure as follows:(ⅰ) in-situ growth of wool keratinCsPbBr_(3)(WK-CsPbBr_(3)) using wool keratin in interfacial passivation and coating,(ⅱ) electrospinning of a wool keratin-CsPbBr_(3)/polyacrylonitrile(WCP) nanofiber film,and(ⅲ) coating of the WCP nanofiber with polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS) to obtain a sensor(WCPP).The sensor could generate a piezoelectric voltage of 7.8 V at a pressure of 6 kPa in the stages of pressing and releasing,and the output characteristics did not decline even after 10,000 cycles.Compared to the 4-month stability of the perovskite sensor,WCPP sensor exhibited the output performance even after 16 months,which indicated that wool keratin as a multidentate improved the stability of the halide perovskite.Additionally,the sensor displayed a self-cleaning property and could also light up 14 commercial LEDs.The close-loop recycling of the lead halide perovskite was achieved by dissolving the WCP nanofiber film in DMF and then reelectrospinning.Therefore,the method proposed is a step forward for achieving the commercialization of WK-CsPbBr_(3) and providing new avenues for further utilization of wool waste.
基金Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province,China ( No. 2008CDA059)
文摘Wool keratin has broad application prospects in biomedical materials, tissue engineering, and other fields. To obtain porous wool keratin membrane with good performance, and lay the foundation for its application in biological fields in the future, wool keratin aqueous solution and sponge were prepared and their characters were discussed. Wool fiber was dissolved with a mixture of urea, β-mercapitoethanol, sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS) and water, and stable keratin aqueous solution was prepared through filtration and dialysis. Dissolution rate under different conditions was discussed. The results show that dissolution rate increases with the increase of dissolving temperature, reduction β-mercaptoethanol and assistant agent urea concentration and the addition of SDS. SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS PAGE) shows the major molecular weight of the aqueous keratin solution is between 44300 u and 66400 u. Amino acid analysis shows the cysteine acid content of the keratin solution decreases obviously. Wool keratin sponge was made from the keratin solution with freeze drying method and its structure and characters were studied with scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR). The results indicate that keratin sponge has evident pores structure, and the conformation of the sponge is β-sheet.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.30960520the Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China,No.2016MS0837
文摘Glycosides of Cistanche(GC)is a preparation used extensively for its neuroprotective effect against neurological diseases,but its mechanisms of action remains incompletely understood.Here,we established a bilateral common carotid artery occlusion model of vascular dementia in rats and injected the model rats with a suspension of GC(10 mg/kg/day,intraperitoneally)for 14 consecutive days.Immunohistochemistry showed that GC significantly reduced p-tau and amyloid beta(Aβ)immunoreactivity in the hippocampus of the model rats.Proteomic analysis demonstrated upregulation of mitochondrial precursor protein and downregulation of keratin type II cytoskeletal6A after GC treatment compared with model rats that had received saline.Western blot assay confirmed these findings.Our results suggest that the neuroprotective effect of GC in vascular dementia occurs via the promotion of neuronal cytoskeleton regeneration.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30771947)Provincal Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu (No. BK2007248)
文摘Monilethrix, a congenital disease of hair, is usually associated with mutations in keratin genes, like KRT81, KRT83 and KRT86. We conducted this study to investigate the mutation of type Ⅱ human basic hair keratin hHb/ KRT gene in a Han family with monilethrix and obtain information for potential pathogenic mechanism study of monilethrix. Peripheral blood samples were drawn for genomic DNA detection. Exon 1 and exon 7 of the KRT81, KRT83 and KRT86 genes were amplified by PCR. All PCR products were sequenced directly using an ABI 310 DNA sequencer. These sequences were aligned with the standard sequences in GenBank using the BLAST software. PCR products were digested with restriction endonuclease and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis was performed. In this study, we identified one novel mutation, which is a heterozygous transitional mutation of G→A at position 1,289 in exon 7 of the KRT86 gene [R430Q (KRT86)]. RFLP assays for the novel mutation excluded the possibility of polymorphism. The R430Q mutation of the KRT86 gene may be pathogenic for monilethrix. Meanwhile, we did not find any novel mutation or recurrent mutation in exons 1 and 7 of KRT81 and KRT83 and exon 1 of KRT86. There is a potential pathogenic gene in the subjects and our results expand the spectrum of mutations in the hHb6 gene.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.51502253,U1405226,21503175,51773171,and 21705135)Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province(Grant No.2016A030310369)+5 种基金Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province(Grant No.2017J01104)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China(Grant Nos.20720160127 and 20720180013)Doctoral Fund of the Ministry of Education(Grant No.20130121110018)NUS Ac RF Tier 1(Grant No.R-144-000-367-112)the “111” Project(Grant No.B16029)the 1000 Talents Program funding from the Xiamen University。
文摘Flexible biosensors with high accuracy and reliable operation in detecting pH and uric acid levels in body fluids are fabricated using well-engineered metaldoped porous carbon as electrode material.The gold nanoparticles@N-doped carbon in situ are prepared using wool keratin as both a novel carbon precursor and a stabilizer.The conducting electrode material is fabricated at 500℃ under customized parameters,which mimics A-B type(two different repeating units) polymeric material and displays excellent deprotonation performance(pH sensitivity).The obtained pH sensor exhibits high pH sensitivity of 57 mV/pH unit and insignificant relative standard deviation of 0.088%.Conversely,the composite carbon material with sp^2 structure prepared at 700℃ is doped with nitrogen and gold nanoparticles,which exhibits good conductivity and electrocatalytic activity for uric acid oxidation.The uric acid sensor has linear response over a range of 1-150 μM and a limit of detection 0.1 μM.These results will provide new avenues where biological material will be the best start,which can be useful to target contradictory applications through molecular engineering at mesoscale.
文摘BACKGROUND Keratinized gingival insufficiency is a disease attributed to long-term tooth loss,can severely jeopardizes the long-term health of implants.A simple and effective augmentation surgery method should be urgently developed.CASE SUMMARY A healthy female patient,45-year-old,requested implant restoration of the her left mandibular first molar and second molar.Before considering a stage II,as suggested from the probing depth measurements,the widths of the mesial,medial,and distal buccal keratinized gingiva of second molar(tooth#37)were measured and found to be 0.5 mm,0.5 mm,and 0 mm,respectively.This suggested that the gingiva was insufficient to resist damage from bacterial and mechanical stimulation.Accordingly,modified apically repositioned flap(ARF)surgery combined with xenogeneic collagen matrix(XCM)and platelet-rich fibrin(PRF)was employed to increase the width of gingival tissue.After 1 mo of healing,the widths of mesial,medial,and distal buccal keratinized gingiva reached 4 mm,4 mm,and 3 mm,respectively,and the thickness of the augmented mucosa was 4.5 mm.Subsequently,through the second-stage operation,the patient obtained an ideal soft tissue shape around the implant.CONCLUSION For cases with keratinized gingiva widths around implants less than 2mmthe soft tissue width and thickness could be increased by modified ARF surgery combined with XCM and PRF.Moreover,this surgery significantly alleviated patients’pain and ameliorated oral functional comfort.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(21676143)the Jiangsu Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Bio-Manufacture,Self-Owned Research Project from Key Laboratory of Material-Oriented Chemical Engineering(ZK201603)Qing Lan Project of Jiang Su Province
文摘A novel efficient method for hydrolyzing feather keratin using an ultrasonic-ionic liquid coupling process has been developed, with reaction conditions optimized using response surface analysis of data obtained from single factor optimization studies. Ultrasonic irradiation(225 W power) of feathers in 8.4 mol·L^(-1) hydrochloric acid containing 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride as a cosolvent at 80 °C for 1.4 h, followed by heating at 110 °C for 8.3 h, resulted in hydrolysis of their keratin component in an excellent 83.1% yield. Compared with previous methods, this new method employs reduced amounts of hydrochloric acid, shorter reaction time, and affords amino acid hydrolysis products in higher yield.
文摘Androgen therapy is the mainstay of treatment for the hypogonadotropic hypogonadal micropenis because it obviously enhances penis growth in prepubescent microphallic patients. However, the molecular mechanisms of androgen treatment leading to penis growth are still largely unknown. To clarify this well-known phenomenon, we successfully generated a castrated male Sprague Dawley rat model at puberty followed by testosterone administration. Interestingly, compared with the control group, testosterone treatment stimulated a dose-dependent increase of penis weight, length, and width in castrated rats accompanied with a dramatic recovery of the pathological changes of the penis. Mechanistically, testosterone administration substantially increased the expression of androgen receptor (AR) protein. Increased AR protein in the penis could subsequently initiate transcription of its target genes, including keratin 33B (Krt33b). Importantly, we demonstrated that KRT33B is generally expressed in the rat penis and that most KRT33B expression is cytoplasmic. Furthermore, AR could directly modulate its expression by binding to a putative androgen response element sequence of the Krt33b promoter. Overall, this study reveals a novel mechanism facilitating penis growth after testosterone treatment in precastrated prepubescent animals, in which androgen enhances the expression of AR protein as well as its target genes, such as Krt33b.
基金supported by the financial support of the National Science Foundation(Grant No.81360274)the Kunming General Hospital Project(2012YG12)
文摘Objective To develop a dressing with desired antibacterial activity, good water maintaining ability and mechanical properties for wound healing and skin regeneration. Methods The chitosan with different concentrations were added in keratin solution to form porous keratin/chitosan(KCS) scaffolds. The morphological characteristics, chemical composition, wettability, porosity, swelling ratio and degradation of the scaffolds were evaluated. The antibacterial activity was tested by using S. aureus and E. coli suspension for 2 h. And L929 fibroblast cells culture was used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of the KCS scaffolds. Results The adding of chitosan could increase the hydrophobicity, decrease porosity, swelling ratio and degradation rate of the KCS porous scaffolds. Mechanical properties of KCS scaffolds could be enhanced and well adjusted by chitosan. KCS scaffolds could obviously decrease bacteria number. The proliferation of fibroblast cells in porous KCS patch increased firstly and then decreased with the increase of chitosan concentration. It was appropriate to add 400 μg/m L chitosan to form porous KCS scaffold for achieving best cell attachment and proliferation compared with other samples. Conclusion The porous KCS scaffold may be used as implanted scaffold materials for promoting wound healing and skin regeneration.
基金National Key Research and Development of China(No.2016YFC0802802)。
文摘Wool keratin(WK)and silk sericin(SS)have the ability to interact with metal ions.In order to take advantage of this potential,a novel environmentally friendly waterborne polyurethane(WPU)/WK/SS membrane named as WPU&WK&SS membrane with crosslinked structure was constructed by freeze-drying via self-assembly style.Surface morphology and chemical structure characterization were investigated by scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR).In addition,the adsorption experiments of Cu2+and Cr6+were performed to evaluate the adsorption of WPU&WK&SS membrane,including adsorption kinetics,adsorption isotherm models and various factors affecting adsorption.Further investigation indicates that the maximum adsorption capacity of Cu2+and Cr6+can reach 54.21 mg·g-1and 85.21 mg·g-1,respectively,which are higher than most of the reported adsorbents.Through adsorption kinetics and thermodynamic analysis,it is find that the pseudo-second-order kinetic equation and the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model are more suitable for the static adsorption of Cu2+and Cr6+by WPU&WK&SS membrane.
文摘Salivary gland tumors, the second most common neoplasm of the mouth after squamous cell carcinoma, account for a significant proportion of tumors of the oral and perioral regions. An unusual case of adenoma presented as a solitary intraoral palatine mass in a 32-year-old woman is reported here. The tumor was interpreted as an unusual pleomorphic adenoma because of the presence of exuberant squamous metaplasia, clinically mimicking squamous cell carcinoma. Moreover, the presence of cystic structures filled with keratinized material was also salient feature. Pleomorphic adenomas may occasionally display focal squamous metaplastic changes;when extensive, it presents the potential for misinterpretation of the histology as indicative of well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma.