Reactive oxygen species—Control and management using amphiphilic biosynthetic hydrogels for cardiac applications

The reactive oxygen species (ROS) originated from endogenous and exogenous sources play a dominant role in the initiation and propagation of several diseases. It is therefore an urgent need to explore substances capable of encountering the ROS and resist the damage caused by ROS. The present paper deals with various aspects of generation and implications of ROS in the management of myocardial infarction. The use of biosynthetic amphiphilic biodegradable hydrogels in the control and management of ROS in myocardial infarction was studied using a biosynthetic hydrogel (PA-PEGDA) comprising poly(propylene fumarate)-co-alginate copolymer cross-linked with calcium and polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA). The effect of ROS on the cell growth was studied using H2O2 as model ROS molecule. The present hydrogel resists the penetration of ROS in the cell which was evident from the live/dead assay, increased intra cellular GSH levels when compared with the H2O2 treated positive and curcumin treated negative control cells. The Comet assay reveals genomic integrity of the cells exposed to the present hydrogel. The hydrogel is a promising injectable material for the management of myocardial infarction and ischemia.

Periodontitis and Inflammation: Plasma High Titer Naturally Occurring Anti-Glucan Antibodies Form Immune Complex with Streptococcus mutans Antigen

Atheromatous plaques usually contain antigens of the periodontitis-causing bacteria Streptococcus mutans though molecular mechanism of this incorporation remains unknown. Since vascular adhesion and inflammatory potential of Immune Complexes (IC) are known we investigated the naturally occurring plasma antibodies that recognize major antigens from S. mutans. S. mutans-binding plasma proteins (SMBP) prepared by affinity chromatography on a column of heat-killed S. mutans could recognize α- and β-linked glucose in dextran and yeast respectively but not galactose in glycoproteins. SMBP contained only three proteins, each corresponding in electrophoretic mobility to standard plasma IgG, IgA or IgM. The major positively and negatively charged protein antigens (PSMAg and NSMAg) isolated from S. mutans by electrophoresis and ion exchange chromatography respectively were recognized sugar-reversibly by the anti-β-glucan antibody (ABG) and though less avidly, by the dextran-binding immunoglobulin (DIg) in normal plasma. NSMAg addition resulted in near doubling of IC-bound immunoglobulins in immunoglobulin-rich fraction of plasma. IC isolated from above fraction after NSMAg addition had substantially more IgA and IgM content than total plasma immunoglobulins. IC formation by NSMAg was significantly inhibited by ABG- and DIg-specific sugars or by selective withdrawal of ABG or DIg from plasma. ABG and DIg being relatively high titer plasma antibodies IC formation with them suggested a possible route for vascular adhesion and damage by S. mutans and its antigens. Further, high IgA content of these ICs indicated their susceptibility to tissue uptake through cell surface galectin-1 for which IgA is the lone immunoglobulin ligand.

Comprehensive Application of Graphene: Emphasis on Biomedical Concerns

Graphene, sp^2 hybridized carbon framework of one atom thickness, is reputed as the strongest material to date. It has marked its impact in manifold applications including electronics, sensors, composites, and catalysis. Current state-of-the-art graphene research revolves around its biomedical applications. The two-dimensional(2D) planar structure of graphene provides a large surface area for loading drugs/biomolecules and the possibility of conjugating fluorescent dyes for bioimaging. The high near-infrared absorbance makes graphene ideal for photothermal therapy. Henceforth, graphene turns out to be a reliable multifunctional material for use in diagnosis and treatment. It exhibits antibacterial property by directly interacting with the cell membrane. Potential application of graphene as a sca old for the attachment and proliferation of stem cells and neuronal cells is captivating in a tissue regeneration scenario. Fabrication of 2D graphene into a 3D structure is made possible with the help of 3D printing, a revolutionary technology having promising applications in tissue and organ engineering. However, apart from its advantageous application scope, use of graphene raises toxicity concerns. Several reports have confirmed the potential toxicity of graphene and its derivatives, and the inconsistency may be due to the lack of standardized consensus protocols. The present review focuses on the hidden facts of graphene and its biomedical application, with special emphasis on drug delivery, biosensing, bioimaging, antibacterial, tissue engineering, and 3D printing applications.

硅酸钙、β-磷酸三钙和羟基磷灰石三相陶瓷复合物与骨细胞活性的体外鉴定(英文)

由于羟基磷灰石陶瓷与骨无机质的化学成份相似,所以10年来研究者对羟基磷灰石陶瓷在骨修复替换中的应用进行了深入的研究。羟基磷灰石因其高生物相容性和骨传导性已被广泛的应用,但羟基磷灰石的再吸收能力差。文章对由硅酸钙、β-磷酸三钙和羟基磷灰石组成的三相陶瓷复合物进行了研究。在三相陶瓷复合物环境下,采用不同比率硅酸钙、β-磷酸三钙和羟基磷灰石对骨髓夹源间充质干细胞进行体外研究。细胞在加入和没有加入成骨细胞的情况下培养28d。采用碱性磷酸酶活性、碱性磷酸酶基因码转录和骨唾液蛋白Ⅱ表达评估成骨分化水平。成骨细胞和破骨细胞在陶瓷复合80%羟基磷灰石材料上完成预实验。将鼠颅盖骨成骨细胞与人单核细胞共同培养以分析其向破骨细胞分化的可能性。结果显示人骨髓间充质干细胞在陶瓷复合物材料上表现出快速黏附和高度增殖率,在所有实验材料上,成骨诱导的骨髓间充质干细胞碱性磷酸酶活性增加,碱性磷酸酶基因码转录和骨唾液酸蛋白Ⅱ的表达在3种材料上同样增加。扫描电镜和聚焦激光扫描显微镜结果证明在陶瓷复合80%羟基磷灰石材料上的人单核细胞向破骨样细胞分化。结果提示制备的三相陶瓷复合材料支持人骨髓间充质干细胞的黏附、增殖和成骨分化,以及人单核细胞与成骨细胞联合培养条件下破骨细胞形成。

A versatile approach for temporary storage and shipping of in vitro cultured cells,cell sheets and tissue engineered constructs-a preliminary report

Temporary storage/shipping of cell/tissue engineering products from bench to bedside is a key aspect of re-generative medicine.The current proof-of-concept study presents a multipurpose device for temporary storage/shipping of cell culture dishes containing cell/tissue constructs.The device,made with readily available raw ma-terials,contains three elements viz.a specialized lid,polymeric plates having grooves and a set of nuts and bolts.As part of the performance evaluation,the device was first subjected to a simulated storage/shipping process,wherein the leak-proof and aseptic containment of the contents was demonstrated.Subsequently,the setup was used for temporary storage/shipping of dishes having(a)L929 cell monolayers cultured on treated surfaces,(b)SIRC,HaCaT and A549 cell sheets cultured on thermo-responsive surfaces,(c)HOS-cell encapsulated agar gels and(d)HOS-cell seeded silk fibroin mats.The results showed that the health of cell monolayers/cell sheets/tissue constructs after the process was comparable to that before the process.The device was scalable,simple to handle,can be made for a single or multi-use purpose,and can be resizable to load other culture vessels.The design of the storage/shipping device described in this report thus offers versatile features and applications.

The Trend of Homicides in South Kerala from 2002-2016:A Retrospective Forensic Autopsy-Based Study

Aims:The aim was to analyze the homicide pattern in South Kerala from autopsies conducted between 2002 and 2016.Objectives:Exploring the age and gender distribution of death due to homicide,the type and distribution of injuries according to the region of the body,and trends of homicide.We also tried to study the pattern of defense wounds in homicidal cases and characteristics in dyadic deaths(homicide-suicide).Materials and Methods:It was a retrospective descriptive study.The setting was the Department of Forensic Medicine,State Medico-Legal Institute,Government Medical College(GMC),Thiruvananthapuram.All cases of autopsies with an alleged history of homicide,between 2002 and 2016,done at Mortuary of GMC,Thiruvananthapuram,were included in the study.Records of all cases of an alleged history of homicide from January 1,2002 to December 31,2016 were perused.Results:957 cases were analyzed.The annual incidence of homicide is declining after 2012.Young adult males(31T0 years)are the most common group involved(24.97%).Head injury was the most common cause of death(43.68%).The head was the most common area to be affected in fatal blunt force injuries(49%)while the chest was involved commonly in fatal sharp force injuries(36%).Females were more often the homicide victims in murder-suicides.Husband-wife and fatherchild combination was the most common pairs in dyadic deaths.Conclusion:The characteristics which were associated with the homicides were generally in agreement with the existing forensic literature.The findings encourage examining the motives of homicide and potential sociocultural factors affecting the victims and possibly the assailants.We also found that the murder-suicide cases differed from the homicides requiring a separate domain of understanding and subsequent investigations.

The expanding spectrum of pediatric anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody mediated CNS disease-a chance association?

Central nervous system autoimmunity in the pediatric age group represents an evolving constellation of various syndromes distinct from the adult age group.One of the rarely described pathogenic auto-antibodies(ab)is the one directed against glutamic acid decarboxylase(GAD).While its pathogenic role is controversial,literature concerning adult patients abounds with heterogeneous presentations with epilepsy often as part of limbic encephalitis or chronic temporal lobe epilepsy and cerebellar ataxia accompanying endocrinopathies or paraneoplastic disorders.Diagnosis is often delayed until late adulthood.The authors report hitherto under-reported syndromes in the pediatric age group.The first case was a 3-year-old boy with sub-acute myoclonus-ataxia following a flu-like illness akin to para-infectious cerebellitis.The second case was a 7-year-old girl with long-standing chronic extratemporal partial epilepsy and electrical status epilepticus in sleep(ESES)with right hemiparesis and developmental delay.Investigations revealed two-four fold elevations in titres of GAD-65-ab.The absence of systemic diseases like diabetes and the dramatic clinical response to steroids as well as intravenous immunoglobulin in both the cases argued for GAD-ab mediated neuronal injury rather than a chance association.The concern exists regarding other potentially co-existent auto-ab to gamma-amino butyric acid and glycine receptors,and demonstration of intrathecal synthesis of GAD-ab would be ideal.This entity should be contemplated in children presenting with acute/sub-acute onset episodic or progressive ataxia or refractory cryptogenic focal epilepsy syndromes,epileptic encephalopathy such as ESES and worsening neurological deficits.These children ought to be maintained on regular follow-up for monitoring evolution of other autoimmune disorders in adult life.

Review of global neurosurgery education: Horizon of Neurosurgery in the Developing Countries

Globally,the discipline of neurosurgery has evolved remarkably fast.Despite being one of the latest medical specialties,which appeared only around hundred years ago,it has witnessed innovations in the aspects of diagnostics methods,macro and micro surgical techniques,and treatment modalities.Unfortunately,this development is not evenly distributed between developed and developing countries.The same is the case with neurosurgical education and training,which developed from only traditional apprentice programs in the past to more structured,competencebased programs with various teaching methods being utilized,in recent times.A similar gap can be observed between developed and developing counties when it comes to neurosurgical education.Fortunately,most of the scholars working in this field do understand the coherent relationship between neurosurgical education and neurosurgical practice.In context to this understanding,a symposium was organized during the World Federation of Neurological Surgeons(WFNS)Special World Congress Beijing 2019.This symposium was the brain child of Prof.Yoko Kato-one of the eminent leaders in neurosurgery and an inspiration for female neurosurgeons.Invited speakers from different continents presented the stages of development of neurosurgical education in their respective countries.This paper summarizes the outcome of these presentations,with particular emphasis on and the challenges faced by developing countries in terms of neurosurgical education and strategies to cope with these challenges.

A clinically isolated syndrome:butterfly glioma mimic

The report explores a unique and treatable“butterfly”-glioma mimic and the neuroimaging characteristics that help to diagnose this entity.A 35-year-old patient presented with subacute-onset,progressive frontal lobe dysfunction followed by features of raised intracranial pressure.Neuroimaging features were consistent with a“butterfly”lesion that favored the possibility of a gliomatosis cerebri with significant edema and marked corpus callosum and fornix thickening.Contrast-enhanced and perfusion images revealed a confluent tumefactive lesion with a characteristic“broken-ring”pattern of enhancement,mass-effect and low perfusion;features favoring an alternative inflammatory pathology.This was peculiar as calloso-forniceal involvement of this nature has not been previously reported in inflammatory demyelinating mass lesions.This was confirmed as a tumefactive demyelination on histopathology.Following treatment,on clinical and imaging follow-up,significant resolution was evident suggesting a monophasic illness.This case highlights the stringent clinico-radiological-pathological approach required in the evaluation and management of butterfly lesions despite the striking imaging appearances.Tumefactive demyelination in this patient represents a clinically isolated syndromic presentation of an inflammatory pathology that can resemble gliomatosis cerebri.These“butterfly”-glioma mimics are scarcely reported in the literature,are eminently treatable with variable prognosis and prone for relapse.

年轻女性晕厥一例

患者女,25岁,近6小时反复晕厥发作。血压80/60 mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa),脉率230次/min,律不齐。患者入院12导联体表心电图如图1,经150 J电复律转复为窦性心律。既往体健,无已知器质性心脏病病史,否认吸毒史及心源性猝死家族史。问题1.患者ECG具备哪些特点?