Attenuation of cadmium-induced vascular toxicity by pro-angiogenic nanorods

Pro-angiogenic Terbium Hydroxide Nanorods Improve Critical Limb Ischemia in Part by Amelioration of Ischemia-Induced Endothelial Injury

Critical limb ischemia (CLI) refers to a severe condition resulting from gradual obstruction in the supply of blood, oxygen, and nutrients to the limbs. The most promising clinical solution to CLI is therapeutic angiogenesis. This study explored the potency of pro-angiogenic terbium hydroxide nanorods (THNR) for treatment of CLI, with a major focus on their impact on ischemia-induced maladaptive alterations in endothelial cells as well as on vascularization in ischemic limbs. This study demonstrated that, in hypoxia-exposed endothelial cells, THNR improve survival and promote proliferation, migration, restoration of nitric oxide production, and regulation of vascular permeability. Based on molecular studies, these attributes of THNR can be traced to the stimulation of PI3K/AKT/eNOS signaling pathways. Besides, Wnt/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathways may also play a role in the therapeutic actions of THNR. Furthermore, in the murine model of CLI, THNR administration can integrally re-establish blood perfusion with concomitant reduction of muscle damage and inflammation. Additionally, improvement of locomotor activities and motor coordination in ischemic limbs in THNR treated mice is also evident. Overall, the study demonstrates that THNR have the potential to be developed as an efficacious and cost-effective alternative clinical therapy for CLI, using a nanomedicine approach.

Therapeutic potentials of terbium hydroxide nanorods for amelioration of hypoxia-reperfusion injury in cardiomyocytes

Myocardial hypoxia reperfusion (H/R) injury is the paradoxical exacerbation of myocardial damage, caused by the sudden restoration of blood flow to hypoxia affected myocardium. It is a critical contributor of acute myocardial infarction, which can lead to cardiac failure. Despite the current pharmacological advancements, clinical translation of cardioprotective therapies have proven challenging. As a result, researchers are looking for alternative approaches to counter the disease. In this regard, nanotechnology, with its versatile applications in biology and medicine, can confer broad prospects for treatment of myocardial H/R injury. Herein, we attempted to explore whether a well-established pro-angiogenic nanoparticle, terbium hydroxide nanorods (THNR) can ameliorate myocardial H/R injury. For this study, in vitro H/R-injury model was established in rat cardiomyocytes (H9c2 cells). Our investigations demonstrated that THNR enhance cardiomyocyte survival against H/R-induced cell death. This pro-survival effect of THNR is associated with reduction of oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, calcium overload, restoration of cytoskeletal integrity and mitochondrial membrane potential as well as augmentation of cellular anti-oxidant enzymes such as glutathione-s-transferase (GST) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) to counter H/R injury. Molecular analysis revealed that the above observations are traceable to the predominant activation of PI3K-AKT-mTOR and ERK-MEK signalling pathways by THNR. Concurrently, THNR also exhibit apoptosis inhibitory effects mainly by suppression of pro-apoptotic proteins like Cytochrome C, Caspase 3, Bax and p53 with simultaneous restoration of anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-2 and Survivin. Thus, considering the above attributes, we firmly believe that THNR have the potential to be developed as an alternative approach for amelioration of H/R injury in cardiomyocytes.

The biological functions of europium-containing biomaterials: A systematic review

The biological functions of rare-earth elements (REEs) have become a focus of intense research. Recent studies have demonstrated that ion doping or alloying of some REEs can optimize the properties of traditional biomaterials. Europium (Eu), which is an REE with low toxicity and good biocompatibility, has promising applications in biomedicine. This article systematically reviews the osteogenic, angiogenic, neuritogenic, antibacterial, and anti-tumor properties of Eu-containing biomaterials, thereby paving the way for biomedical applications of Eu. Data collection for this review was completed in October 2022, and 30 relevant articles were finally included. Most articles indicated that doping of Eu ions or Eu-compound nanoparticles in biomaterials can improve their osteogenic, angiogenic, neuritogenic, antibacterial, and anti-tumor properties. The angiogenic, antibacterial, and potential neuritogenic effects of Eu(OH)₃ nanoparticles have also been demonstrated.

New diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for myocardial infarction via nanomaterials

Myocardial infarction is lethal to patients because of insufficient blood perfusion to vital organs. Several attempts have been made to improve its prognosis, among which nanomaterial research offers an opportunity to address this problem at the molecular level and has the potential to improve disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment significantly. Up to now, nanomaterial-based technology has played a crucial role in broad novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for cardiac repair. This review summarizes various nanomaterial applications in myocardial infarction from multiple aspects, including high precision detection, pro-angiogenesis, regulating immune homeostasis, and miRNA and stem cell delivery vehicles. We also propose promising research hotspots that have not been reported much yet, such as conjugating pro-angiogenetic elements with nanoparticles to construct drug carriers, developing nanodrugs targeting other immune cells except for macrophages in the infarcted myocardium or the remote region. Though most of those strategies are preclinical and lack clinical trials, there is tremendous potential for their further applications in the future.

Increased serum levels of cadmium are associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease in adults

Previous studies have determined the effects of exposure to certain heavy metals on cardiovascular disease (CVD); however, the association between cadmium exposure and CVD in adults remains unclear. The relationship between serum levels of cadmium and the risk of CVD was studied by analyzing available data from 38,223 different participants of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2016. After adjusting for all covariates, we found that higher serum cadmium concentrations were positively related to both the overall risk of CVD (odds ratio (OR): 1.45; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22, 1.72; p for trend <0.001) and the risks of its subtypes, including congestive heart failure, coronary heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Elevated cadmium levels were associated with increased levels of lipids and inflammatory factors, including blood triglycerides, total cholesterol, white blood cells (WBCs), and C-reactive protein (CRP). Our study provided epidemiological evidence that cadmium may increase the risk of CVD by elevating blood lipids and inflammation.