Effects of docosahexaenoic acid or arachidonic acid supplementation on the behavior of cardiomyocytes derived from human pluripotent stem cells

Background:Human heart changes its energetic substrates from lactate and glucose to fatty acids during the neonatal period.Noticing the lack of fatty acids in media for the culture of cardiomyocytes derived from human pluripotent stem cells(hiPS-CM),researchers have supplemented mixtures of fatty acids to hiPS-CM and reported the enhancement in the maturation of hiPS-CM.In our previous studies,we separately supplemented two polyunsaturated fatty acids(PUFAs),docosahexaenoic acid(DHA)or arachidonic acid(AA),to rat fetal cardiomyocytes and found that the supplementations upregulated the expressions of mRNAs for cardiomyocyte differentiation,fatty acid metabolism,and cellular adhesion.The enhancement in cellular contractility was attributed to the improvement in intercellular connection rather than a direct enhancement of the contractile force.Methods:This study reports the successive results of the effects of DHA or AA supplementation on hiPS-CM.In addition to the contractile force and mRNA measurements used in the previous study,we further investigated the effect of different cellular aggregations on the contractile force output by means of finite element analysis,measured glucose and fatty acids metabolites,and assessed cTNT and MLC2v expressions through immunofluorecsence evaluation.Results:It showed that the sole supplementation of albumin-conjugated DHA or AA can be taken up by hiPS-CM without other uptake-enhancing factors,and the supplementations may activate the CD36_ERRγmetabolic pathway.DHA or AA supplementation increased the cellular contractile ratio on collagen gels and AA supplementation stimulated hiPS-CM aggregation to form cellular clusters.The enhancement effect on the hiPS-CM contractile force was modest since the increase in contractile force was not significant.AA supplementation was more effective than DHA supplementation because it significantly upregulated mRNA expressions of P300 and CD36.However,finite element analysis showed that the formation of clusters on a collagen gel attenuated the contractile force exerted by the gel on its surroundings.Conclusion:DHA and AA,as having been supplemented in infant formulas,have no direct and significant enhancement effect on the performance of the hiPS-CM when they were supplemented individually,although they were able to enter the cellular metabolic system.The AA supplementation showed some auxiliary effect on the maturation of hiPS-CM,which is worthy of further investigation under the consideration of membrane composition alteration and remodeling of membrane molecules.

Protein Kinase C Enhances the Swelling-Induced Chloride Current in Human Atrial Myocytes

Swelling-activated chloride currents（ICl.swell） are thought to play a role in several physiologic and pathophysiologic processes and thus represent a target for therapeutic approaches. However, the mechanism of ICl.swell regulation remains unclear. In this study, we used the whole-cell patch-clamp technique to examine the role of protein kinase C（PKC） in the regulation of ICl.swell in human atrial myocytes. Atrial myocytes were isolated from the right atrial appendages of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass and enzymatically dissociated. ICl.swell was evoked in hypotonic solution and recorded using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. The PKC agonist phorbol dibutyrate（PDBu） enhanced ICl.swellin a concentration-dependent manner, which was reversed in isotonic solution and by a chloride current inhibitor, 9-anthracenecarboxylicacid. Furthermore, the PKC inhibitor bis-indolylmaleimide attenuated the effect and 4α-PDBu, an inactive PDBu analog, had no effect on ICl.swell. These results, obtained using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique, demonstrate the ability of PKC to activate ICl,swell in human atrial myocytes. This observation was consistent with a previous study using a single-channel patch-clamp technique, but differed from some findings in other species.

Protective function of tocilizumab in human cardiac myocytes ischemia reperfusion injury

Objective:To investigate the protective function of tocilizumab in human cardiac myocytes ischemia-reperfusion injury.Methods:The human cardiac myocytes were treated by tocilizumab with different concentrations(1.0 mg/mL,3.0 mg/mL,5.0 mg/mL) for 24 h.then cells were cultured in ischemia environment for 24 h and reperfusion environment for 1 h.The MTT and flow cytometry were used to detect the proliferation and apoptosis of human cardiac myocytes,respectively.The mRNA and protein expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax were measured by qRT-PCR and western blot,respectively.Results:Compared to the negative group,pretreated by tocilizumab could significantly enhance the proliferation viability and suppress apoptosis of human cardiac myocytes after suffering ischemia reperfusion injury(P<0.05).The expression of Bcl-2 in tocilizumab treated group were higher than NC group(P<0.05).while the Bax expression were lower(P<0.05).Conclusions:Tocilizumab could significantly inhibit apoptosis and keep the proliferation viability of human cardiac myocytes after suffering ischemia reperfusion injury.Tocilizumab may obtain a widely application in the protection of ischemia reperfusion injury.

Antioxidant Effect of Human Selenium-containing Single-chain Fv in Rat Cardiac Myocytes

Reactive oxygen species（ROS） plays a key role in human heart diseases. Glutathione peroxidase（GPX） functions as an antioxidant as it catalyzes the reduction of hydroperoxide. In order to investigate the antioxidant effect of human selenium-containing single-chain Fv（Se-scFv-B3）, a new mimic of GPX, a model system of hydrogen peroxide（H202）-induced rat cardiac myocyte damage was established. The cardiac myocyte damage was characte- rized in terms of cell viability, lipid peroxidation, cell membrane integrity, and intracellular H202 level. The Se-scFv-B3 significantly reduced H2O2-induced cell damage as shown by the increase of cell viability, the decline of malondialdehyde（MDA） production, lactate dehydrogenase（LDH） release, and intracellular H2O2 level. So Se-scFv-B3 may have a great potential in the treatment of human heart diseases induced by ROS.

Cardiomyocyte-like differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells after exposure to 5-azacytidine in vitro

Objective To investigate the potential of adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from human bone marrow to undergo cardiomyogenic differentiation after exposure to 5-azacytidine (5-aza) in vitro. Methods A small bone marrow aspirate was taken from the iliac crest of human volunteers, and hMSCs were isolated by 1.073g/mL Percoll and propagated in the right cell culturing medium as previously described. The phenotypes of hMSCs were characterized with the use of flow cytometry. The hMSCs were cultured in cell culture medium (as control) and medium mixed with 5-aza for cellular differentiation. We examined by immunohistochemistry at 21 days the inducement of desmin, cardiac-specific cardiac troponin I (cTnI), GATA 4 and connexin-43 respectively. Results The hMSCs are fibroblast-like morphology and express CD44+ CD29+ CD90+ / CD34- CD45- CD31- CD11a. After 5-aza treatment, 20-30% hMSCs connected with adjoining cells and coalesced into myotube structures after 14days. Twenty-one days after 5-aza treatment, immunofluorescence showed that some cells expressed desmin,GATA4, cTnI and connexin-43 in 5,10 μmol/L 5-aza groups, but no cardiac specific protein was found in neither 3μmol/L 5-aza group nor in the control group. The ratio of cTnI positively stained cells in 10 μmol/L group was higher than that in 5 μmol/L group (65.3 ± 4.7% vs 48.2 ± 5.4%, P ＜ 0.05). Electron microscopy revealed that myofilaments were formed. The induced cells expressed cardiac-myosin heavy chain (MyHC) gene by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Conclusions Theses findings suggest that hMSCs from adult bone marrow can be differentiated into cardiac-like muscle cells with 5-aza inducement in vitro and the differentiation is in line with the 5-aza concentration. (J Geriatr Cardiol 2004;1(2) :101-107. )

Cardiac disease modeling using induced pluripotent stem cell-derived human cardiomyocytes

Causative mutations and variants associated with cardiac diseases have been found in genes encoding cardiac ion channels, accessory proteins, cytoskeletal components, junctional proteins, and signaling molecules. In most cases the functional evaluation of the genetic alterationhas been carried out by expressing the mutated proteins in in-vitro heterologous systems. While these studies have provided a wealth of functional details that have greatly enhanced the understanding of the pathological mechanisms, it has always been clear that heterologous expression of the mutant protein bears the intrinsic limitation of the lack of a proper intracellular environment and the lack of pathological remodeling. The results obtained from the application of the next generation sequencing technique to patients suffering from cardiac diseases have identified several loci, mostly in non-coding DNA regions, which still await functional analysis. The isolation and culture of human embryonic stem cells has initially provided a constant source of cells from which cardiomyocytes(CMs) can be obtained by differentiation. Furthermore, the possibility to reprogram cellular fate to a pluripotent state, has opened this process to the study of genetic diseases. Thus induced pluripotent stem cells(i PSCs) represent a completely new cellular model that overcomes the limitations of heterologous studies. Importantly, due to the possibility to keep spontaneously beating CMs in culture for several months, during which they show a certain degree of maturation/aging, this approach will also provide a system in which to address the effect of long-term expression of the mutated proteins or any other DNA mutation, in terms of electrophysiological remodeling. Moreover, since i PSC preserve the entire patients' genetic context, the system will help the physicians in identifying the most appropriate pharmacological intervention to correct the functional alteration. This article summarizes the current knowledge of cardiac genetic diseases modelled with i PSC.

BMPRⅡ^(+)neural precursor cells isolated and characterized from organotypic neurospheres:an in vitro model of human fetal spinal cord development

Roof plate secretion of bone morphogenetic proteins(BMPs)directs the cellular fate of sensory neurons during spinal cord development,including the formation of the ascending sensory columns,though their biology is not well understood.Type-ⅡBMP receptor(BMPRⅡ),the cognate receptor,is expressed by neural precursor cells during embryogenesis;however,an in vitro method of enriching BMPRⅡ^(+)human neural precursor cells(hNPCs)from the fetal spinal cord is absent.Immunofluorescence was undertaken on intact second-trimester human fetal spinal cord using antibodies to BMPRⅡand leukemia inhibitory factor(LIF).Regions of highest BMPRⅡ^(+)immunofluorescence localized to sensory columns.Parenchymal and meningeal-associated BMPRⅡ^(+)vascular cells were identified in both intact fetal spinal cord and cortex by co-positivity with vascular lineage markers,CD34/CD39.LIF immunostaining identified a population of somas concentrated in dorsal and ventral horn interneurons,mirroring the expression of LIF receptor/CD118.A combination of LIF supplementation and high-density culture maintained culture growth beyond 10 passages,while synergistically increasing the proportion of neurospheres with a stratified,cytoarchitecture.These neurospheres were characterized by BMPRⅡ^(+)/MAP2ab^(+/–)/βⅢ-tubulin^(+)/nestin^(–)/vimentin^(–)/GFAP^(–)/NeuN^(–)surface hNPCs surrounding a heterogeneous core ofβⅢ-tubulin^(+)/nestin^(+)/vimentin^(+)/GFAP^(+)/MAP2ab^(–)/NeuN^(–)multipotent precursors.Dissociated cultures from tripotential neurospheres contained neuronal(βⅢ-tubulin^(+)),astrocytic(GFAP+),and oligodendrocytic(O4+)lineage cells.Fluorescence-activated cell sorting-sorted BMPRⅡ^(+)hNPCs were MAP2ab^(+/–)/βⅢ-tubulin^(+)/GFAP^(–)/O4^(–)in culture.This is the first isolation of BMPRⅡ^(+)hNPCs identified and characterized in human fetal spinal cords.Our data show that LIF combines synergistically with high-density reaggregate cultures to support the organotypic reorganization of neurospheres,characterized by surface BMPRⅡ^(+)hNPCs.Our study has provided a new methodology for an in vitro model capable of amplifying human fetal spinal cord cell numbers for>10 passages.Investigations of the role BMPRⅡplays in spinal cord development have primarily relied upon mouse and rat models,with interpolations to human development being derived through inference.Because of significant species differences between murine biology and human,including anatomical dissimilarities in central nervous system(CNS)structure,the findings made in murine models cannot be presumed to apply to human spinal cord development.For these reasons,our human in vitro model offers a novel tool to better understand neurodevelopmental pathways,including BMP signaling,as well as spinal cord injury research and testing drug therapies.

Beat-to-Beat Variability in Field Potential Duration in Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocyte Clusters for Assessment of Arrhythmogenic Risk, and a Case Study of Its Application

We established a QT interval assessment system that uses human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte clusters (hES-CMCs) in which the field potential duration (FPD) or corrected FPD (FPDc) was measured as an indicator of drug-induced QT interval prolongation. To investigate the applicability of the hES-CMC system to drug safety assessment, we investigated short-term variability in FPDc (STVFPDc) (beat rate rhythmicity) as a marker of torsadogenic risk. We investigated the FPDc and STVFPDc of hES-CMCs treated with hERG channel blockers (E-4031 or cisapride) or with our proprietary compounds X, Y, and Z. We also evaluated the electrocardiograms and hemodynamics of dogs treated with compound X, Y, or Z. The torsadogenic hERG channel blockers increased STVFPDc and prolonged FPDc. Compounds X, Y, and Z had hERG inhibitory activity. Compound X prolonged FPDc with increased STVFPDc, whereas compounds Y and Z tended to shorten FPDc in the hES-CMC system. In the in vivo canine study, compound X prolonged corrected QT (QTc), and compounds Y and Z tended to shorten QTc, showing a good correlation with the results in hES-CMCs. These findings suggest that combined assessment of FPDc and STVFPDc in the hES-CMC system increases the predictability of torsadogenic risk.

From Digital Human Modeling to Human Digital Twin: Framework and Perspectives in Human Factors

The human digital twin(HDT)emerges as a promising human-centric technology in Industry 5.0,but challenges remain in human modeling and simulation.Digital human modeling(DHM)provides solutions for modeling and simulating human physical and cognitive aspects to support ergonomic analysis.However,it has limitations in real-time data usage,personalized services,and timely interaction.The emerging HDT concept offers new possibilities by integrating multi-source data and artificial intelligence for continuous monitoring and assessment.Hence,this paper reviews the evolution from DHM to HDT and proposes a unified HDT framework from a human factors perspective.The framework comprises the physical twin,the virtual twin,and the linkage between these two.The virtual twin integrates human modeling and AI engines to enable model-data-hybrid-enabled simulation.HDT can potentially upgrade traditional ergonomic methods to intelligent services through real-time analysis,timely feedback,and bidirectional interactions.Finally,the future perspectives of HDT for industrial applications as well as technical and social challenges are discussed.In general,this study outlines a human factors perspective on HDT for the first time,which is useful for cross-disciplinary research and human factors innovation to enhance the development of HDT in industry.

Progress,implications,and challenges in using humanized immune system mice in CAR-T therapy-Application evaluation and improvement

In recent years,humanized immune system(HIS)mice have been gradually used as models for preclinical research in pharmacotherapies and cell therapies with major breakthroughs in tumor and other fields,better mimicking the human immune system and the tumor immune microenvironment,compared to traditional immunodeficient mice.To better promote the application of HIS mice in preclinical research,we se-lectively summarize the current prevalent and breakthrough research and evaluation of chimeric antigen receptor(CAR)-T cells in various antiviral and antitumor treat-ments.By exploring its application in preclinical research,we find that it can better reflect the actual clinical patient condition,with the advantages of providing high-efficiency detection indicators,even for progressive research and development.We believe that it has better clinical patient simulation and promotion for the updated design of CAR-T cell therapy than directly transplanted immunodeficient mice.The characteristics of the main models are proposed to improve the use defects of the existing models by reducing the limitation of antihost reaction,combining multiple models,and unifying sources and organoid substitution.Strategy study of relapse and toxicity after CAR-T treatment also provides more possibilities for application and development.

Study of the Impact of Rectangular Current Pulses on the Ten Tusscher-Panfilov Model of Human Ventricular Myocyte

The behavior of the 2006 ten Tusscher-Panfilov model of human ventricular myocytes under the impact of periodic excitation impulses was studied in the BeatBox simulation environment. The cardiomyocyte model has a limited susceptibility to an forced higher frequency excitation rhythm. A high-frequency excitation rhythm can be forced by gradually increasing the frequency of excitation impulses. The mechanism of defibrillation pulse impact consists of presumably prolonging the refractoriness of cardiomyocytes which undermines their susceptibility for a long time to a forced high-frequency rhythm of fibrillation, as a result for which they hinder the propagation of a fibrillation wave. This is the only mechanism of defibrillation that was identified during the simulation. The threshold energy of a depolarizing defibrillation pulse prolonging the refractoriness of the cardio-myocyte varies depending on a delay relative to the excitation impulse (the excitation cycle phase) in a wide range (the maximum value exceeds the minimum by several thousand times). The results show differences in the mechanisms of impact on a cardiomyocyte between an excitation impulse and a monophasic defibrillation pulse.

Call for Paper from Food Science and Human Wellness

Food Science and Human Wellness(FSHW ISSN:2213-4530,CN 10-1750/TS)publishes original research papers demonstrating the latest advancement of multidisci-plinary subjects related to food science and human health.Topics may include but not limited to:nutriology,bio-chemistry,microbiology,immunology and toxicology.

Call for Paper from Food Science and Human Wellness

Food Science and Human Wellness(FSHW ISSN:2213-4530,CN 10-1750/TS)publishes original research papers demonstrating the latest advancement of mutidisci-plinary subjects related to food science and human health.Topics may include but not limited to:nutriology,bio-chemistry,microbiology,immunology and toxicology.

Call for Paper from Food Science and Human Wellness

Food Science and Human Wellness(FSHW ISSN:2213-4530,CN 10-1750/TS)publishes original research papers demonstrating the latest advancement of multdisci-plinary subjets related to food science and human health.Topics may include but not limited to:nutriology,bio-chemistry,microbiology,immunology and toxicology.

Call for Paper from Food Science and Human Wellness

Food Science and Human Wellness(FSHW ISSN:2213-4530,CN 10-1750/TS)publishes original Tesearch papers demonstrating the latest advancement of mutidisci-plinary subjects related to food science and human health.Topics may include but not limited to:nutriology,bio-chemistry,microbiology,immunology and toxicology.

Call for Paper from Food Science and Human Wellness

Food Science and Human Wellness(FSHW ISSN:2213-4530,CN 10-1750/TS)publishes original research papers demonstrating the latest advancement of multidisci-plinary subjects related to food science and human health.Topics may include but not limited to:nutriology,bio-chemistry,microbiology,immunology and toxicology.

Call for Paper from Food Science and Human Wellness

Food Science and Human Wellness(FSHW ISSN:2213-4530,CN 10-1750/TS)publishes original research papers demonstrating the latest advancement of multidisci-plinary subjects related to food science and human health.Topics may include but not limited to:nutriology,bio-chemistry,microbiology,immunology and toxicology.

Call for Paper from Food Science and Human Wellness

Food Science and Human Wellness(FSHW ISSN:2213-4530,CN 10-1750/TS)publishes original researchpapers demonstrating the latest advancement of multidisci-plinary subjects related to food science and human health.Topics may include but not limited to:nutriology,bio-chemistry,microbiology,immunology and toxicology.Papers regarding components of food especiallynutrients and non-nutrient bioactive compounds(withputative health benefits)are welcomed.FSHW aims tounveil the correlations between food science and humanhealth through the dissemination of both fundamentaland applied researchoutcomesworldwide.

Mother-to-Child Transmission of Human Papillomavirus in Burkina Faso

Introduction: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most widespread sexually transmitted infection in the world. Today, there is growing evidence that HPV can be transmitted early in life, and one potential route is mother-to-child transmission. Data on this route of HPV transmission are scarce in Africa and particularly in Burkina Faso, where no data on the subject are yet available. The aim of our study was to estimate the rate of mother-to-child transmission of HPV infection and to identify circulating genotypes. Methodology: Cervico-uterine samples were collected from 100 full-term pregnant women and, buccal samples were obtained from their newborns at Hopital Saint Camille de Ouagadougou (HOSCO) by the specialist physician. HPV DNA amplification and genotyping were performed by PCR followed by hybridization using the HPV Direct Flow Chips kit, detecting 36 genotypes including 18 high-risk and 18 low-risk. Results: The prevalence of HPV in newborns was 8% (8/100). Six (6) HPV-positive neonates had HPV-positive mothers, while 2 HPV-positive neonates had HPV-negative mothers. The vertical transmission rate was 26.09% (6/23). Mother-newborn genotypes were concordant. However, the genotype profile of the newborns was more restricted than that of the mothers. Conclusion: HPV DNA was found in 8% of newborns in our study. The genotype profile of the mother-newborn pair was concordant. Asymptomatic HPV infection in a pregnant woman could constitute a risk factor for vertical transmission.

ChatGPT and exercise prescription:Human vs.machine or human plus machine?

The power of artificial intelligence(AI)to create stories,music,art,and other creative projects has been demonstrated and criticized over recent decades in media,mainly because of the idea that AI will replace human jobs.Most recently,in November 2022,reactions to Chat Generative Pre-training Transformer(ChatGPT)release for public use reverberated in news and social media headlines,while its users exceeded100 million in just a few weeks.ChatGPT is a natural language processing program created by AI non-profit OpenAI Inc.