Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Mesenchymal Stem Cells of the Placenta and Their Conditioned Medium in Local Radiation Injuries

BACKGROUND

The search for an effective therapy for local radiation injuries (LRI) is urgent; one option is mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) derived from the placenta and their conditioned medium for the regenerative processes of the skin.

METHODS

We used 80 animals, randomly assigned to four groups: control (C) animals that did not receive therapy; control with the introduction of culture medium concentrate (CM); introduction of MSCs (PL); introduction of CMPL. LRI modeling was performed on an X-ray machine at a dose of 110 Gy. Histological and immunohistochemical tests were performed.

RESULTS

On the 112th day, the area of the open wound surface in the CMPL group was 6.7 times less than in the control group. Complete healing of the open wound surface of the skin in the CM group was observed in 40%, in CMPL 60%, in the PL group 20%, and in the C group there were no animals with a prolonged wound defect. A decrease in inflammatory processes was observed in the CMPL group.

CONCLUSIONS

the use of a concentrate of conditioned MSCs (CMPL group) in severe LRI in laboratory animals accelerates the transition of the wound process to the stage of regeneration and epithelization.

Chronicles of nature calendar, a long-term and large-scale multitaxon database on phenology

We present an extensive, large-scale, long-term and multitaxon database on phenological and climatic variation, involving 506,186 observation dates acquired in 471 localities in Russian Federation, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan. The data cover the period 1890-2018, with 96% of the data being from 1960 onwards. The database is rich in plants, birds and climatic events, but also includes insects, amphibians, reptiles and fungi. The database includes multiple events per species, such as the onset days of leaf unfolding and leaf fall for plants, and the days for first spring and last autumn occurrences for birds. The data were acquired using standardized methods by permanent staff of national parks and nature reserves (87% of the data) and members of a phenological observation network (13% of the data). The database is valuable for exploring how species respond in their phenology to climate change. Large-scale analyses of spatial variation in phenological response can help to better predict the consequences of species and community responses to climate change.

Use of paracrine factors from stem cells to treat local radiation burns in rats

Background

Mesenchymal stem cells based paracrine bioactive factors that deploy their task as an essential mechanism, but their efficiency for skin regeneration still requires clarification.

Methods

The mesenchymal stem cell-based paracrine factors were administered by subcutaneous injection of 0.5 mL peptides (general protein 8 mg/mL). These were performed after radiation on different days like the first, third, sixth, eighth, and 10th. To determine the consequences, we performed photography, planimetry, and preclinical test each week after 15 days of radiation. MSC-based peptides were injected into a rat that had radiation burns, and its observation encouraged cell-free therapeutic remedies to regenerate skin. Both control and experimental groups were exposed to 110 Gy of X-rays, which resulted in the formation of localized radiation burns on the skin (S=6 cm²) 15 days later. Thirty days after radiation, the wound stabilized (surface of the wound was S=2.2±0.2 cm²) and fluctuated throughout the course of the pathological process.

Results

The wounded area on the skin from the 15th to the 29th day after radiation was practically the same in both groups. The wounded area gradually reduced by 6.1±0.4 cm² (experimental group) and 5.9±0.6 cm² (control group) 15 days after radiation up to 2.2±0.3 cm² (in both control and experimental groups) on the 29th day after radiation. However, starting from the 36th day, there was a constant reduction in the burn area in the experimental group up to 0.2±0.1 cm² till the 71st day after radiation.

Conclusion

In the control group, the area of the lesion ranged from 1.4±0.6 cm² on the 50th day to 1.9±0.8 cm² on the 71st day. During the 57th to the 71st day, the difference between the affected area in the experimental and control groups was 1:8. The experimental group has a significantly higher level of skin regeneration and significant decrease in the level of leukocyte infiltration, thereby reducing necrosis.

Comparative analysis of the countermeasures taken to mitigate exposure of the public to radioiodine following the Chernobyl and Fukushima accidents: lessons from both accidents

In the case of a severe radiation accident at a nuclear power station, the most important radiation hazard for the public is internal exposure of the thyroid to radioiodine. The purposes of this paper were (i) to compare countermeasures conducted (following the Chernobyl and Fukushima accidents) aimed at mitigation of exposure to the thyroid for the public, (ii) to present comparative estimates of doses to the thyroid and (iii) to derive lessons from the two accidents. The scale and time of countermeasures applied in the early phase of the accidents (sheltering, evacuation, and intake of stable iodine to block the thyroid) and at a later time (control of 131I concentration in foodstuffs) have been described. After the Chernobyl accident, the estimation of the thyroid doses for the public was mainly based on direct thyroid measurements of ~400 000 residents carried out within the first 2 months. The highest estimates of thyroid doses to children reached 50 Gy. After the Fukushima accident, the estimation of thyroid doses was based on radioecological models due to a lack of direct thyroid measurements (only slightly more than 1000 residents were measured). The highest estimates of thyroid doses to children were a few hundred mGy. Following the Chernobyl accident, ingestion of 131I through cows' milk was the dominant pathway. Following the Fukushima accident, it appears that inhalation of contaminated air was the dominant pathway. Some lessons learned following the Chernobyl and Fukushima accidents have been presented in this paper.

Investigation of the Influence of the Conditioning Medium Factors Obtained During the Cultivation of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells on the Course of Severe Local Radiation Injuries of Skin in Rats

Purpose: Study of the effect of paracrine factors, produced by MMSC of bone marrow during the cultivation, on the severity of local radiation injuries in the conditions of application in the early periods after irradiation. Material and methods: Experiments were performed on rats of the breed Wistar weighing 280 g. Rats were exposed locally in iliolumbar region of the back using X-ray machine LNC-268 (RAP 100-10) at a dose of 110 Gy (30 kV tube voltage, current 6.1 mA, filter Al 0.1 mm thick), dose rate is 21.4 Gy/min. Area of the irradiation field was 8.2–8.5 cm2. The conditioned medium obtained by culturing MMSC of rats’ bone marrow was administered in dose 1.0 ml (total protein 8 mg/ml) at 1, 3, 6, 8 and 10 days after irradiation. The severity of radiation damage to the skin and the effects of therapy were evaluated in dynamics by clinical manifestations, using planimetry and histological methods. Results: It was shown that in control animals and in rats, with the introduction of the conditioned medium, the values of the skin lesion area in the period up to the 29th day after irradiation practically did not differ, gradually decreasing in control animals from 5.9 ± 0.6 cm2 to 2.2 ± 0.3 cm2 at the 15th and 29th days after irradiation, respectively. Then, in the control group, the lesion area ranged from 1.4 ± 0.6 cm2 on the 50th day to 1.9 ± 0.8 cm2 on the 71st day. In the experimental group of animals, with the introduction of factors of the conditioning medium, a decrease in the area of the lesion and a stable dynamics of healing of radiation ulcers, beginning from the 36th day, there was a gradual decrease in the area of the lesion, which reached 0.2 ± 0.1 cm2 by the 71st day after irradiation. On the 64–71th day after irradiation, the difference between the areas of skin lesion in the experimental and control groups was statistically significant, p <0.05. The histological analysis showed that the use of paracrine factors obtained from MMSC in the process of cultivation significantly reduces the severity of the inflammatory reaction and accelerates the regeneration processes. Conclusion: Thus, the introduction of conditioned medium factors obtained during the cultivation of mesenchymal stem cells of the bone marrow facilitates a more easy flow of the pathological process and the healing of radiation ulcers after local radiation damage to the skin of rats. Apparently, the favorable effect of paracrine factors introduced in the early periods after irradiation, with severe local radiation injuries, is associated with their effect on pathological processes in the inflammatory-destructive stage.

Generation and characterization of phage-GnRH chemical conjugates for potential use in cat and dog immunocontraception

Overpopulation of cats and dogs is a serious worldwide problem that demands novel, safe and cost-effective solutions. The objective of this study was to generate and characterize phage-peptide conjugates with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) for potential use as an immunocontraceptive. A filamentous phage vector f5-8 with wild-type phage coat proteins was used as a carrier for construction of chemical conjugates with GnRH, a peptide that acts as a master reproductive hormone. In such conjugates, the phage body plays the role of a carrier protein, while multiple copies of GnRH peptide stimulate production of neutralizing anti-GnRH antibodies potentially leading to contraceptive effects. To generate the constructs, four different GnRH-based peptides were synthesized and conjugated to phage particles in a two-step procedure: (i) peptides were reacted with phage to form a conjugate using 1-ethyl-3-[3-dimethylaminopropyl]carbodiimide hydrochloride chemistry (EDC) and (ii) the conjugates were separated from remaining free peptides by dialysis. Formation and specificity of phage-GnRH conjugates were confirmed by three independent methods: spectrophotometry, electron microscopy and ELISA. When the conjugates were tested for interaction with sera collected from cats and dogs immunized with GnRH-based vaccines in independent studies, strong specific ELISA signals were obtained, suggesting the potential use of the conjugates for cat and dog immunosterilization. The ability of the conjugates to stimulate production of anti-GnRH antibodies in vivo was evaluated in mice. While optimization of dose, immunization route and adjuvant still requires investigation, our preliminary results demonstrated the presence of anti-GnRH antibodies in sera of mice immunized with such conjugates. Fertility trials in cats and dogs will be needed to evaluate contraceptive potentials of the phage-GnRH peptide chemical conjugates.

Estimated validity and reliability of on-board diagnostics for older vehicles: comparison with remote sensing observations

Based on requirements under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, most state vehicle inspection and maintenance (I/M) programs have, since 2002, replaced the tailpipe emission testing with the on-board diagnostic (OBD) II testing for 1996 model and newer vehicles. This test relies on the OBD II system to give the pass or fail result, depending on certain conditions that might cause the vehicle to emit pollution 1.5 times higher than the regulated standard. The OBD II system is a computer and sensors installed in the vehicle to monitor the emission control units and signal if there is any malfunction. As a vehicle ages, its engine, pollution control units, and OBD II system deteriorate. Because the OBD II system's durability directly influences the test outcome, it is important to examine the fleetwide trend in the OBD II test results in comparison with an alternative measure of identifying high emitting vehicles. This study investigates whether the validity and reliability of the OBD II test is related to the age of the OBD II system installed in the fleet. Using Atlanta's I/M testing records and remote sensing device (RSD) data collected during 2002-2005, this research establishes the convergent validity and interobserver reliability criteria for the OBD II test based on on-road emissions measured by RSDs. The study results show that older vehicles exhibit significantly lower RSD-OBD II outcome agreement than newer vehicles. This suggests that the validity and reliability of the OBD II test may decline in the older vehicle fleets. Explanations and possible confounding factors for these findings are discussed.

Amphotericin B channels in phospholipid membrane-coated nanoporous silicon surfaces: implications for photovoltaic driving of ions across membranes

The antimycotic agent amphotericin B (AmB) functions by forming complexes with sterols to form ion channels that cause membrane leakage. When AmB and cholesterol mixed at 2:1 ratio were incorporated into phospholipid bilayer membranes formed on the tip of patch pipettes, ion channel current fluctuations with characteristic open and closed states were observed. These channels were also functional in phospholipid membranes formed on nanoporous silicon surfaces. Electrophysiological studies of AmB-cholesterol mixtures that were incorporated into phospholipid membranes formed on the surface of nanoporous (6.5 nm pore diameter) silicon plates revealed large conductance ion channels ( approximately 300 pS) with distinct open and closed states. Currents through the AmB-cholesterol channels on nanoporous silicon surfaces can be driven by voltage applied via conventional electrical circuits or by photovoltaic electrical potential entirely generated when the nanoporous silicon surface is illuminated with a narrow laser beam. Electrical recordings made during laser illumination of AmB-cholesterol containing membrane-coated nanoporous silicon surfaces revealed very large conductance ion channels with distinct open and closed states. Our findings indicate that nanoporous silicon surfaces can serve as mediums for ion-channel-based biosensors. The photovoltaic properties of nanoporous silicon surfaces show great promise for making such biosensors addressable via optical technologies.