Adverse birth outcomes related to concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in maternal blood collected from pregnant women in 1960-1966

BACKGROUND

Prior animal and epidemiological studies suggest that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure may be associated with reduced birth weight. However, results from prior studies evaluated a relatively small set of PFAS.

OBJECTIVES

Determine associations of gestational PFAS concentrations in maternal serum samples banked for 60 years with birth outcomes.

METHODS

We used data from 97 pregnant women from Boston and Providence that enrolled in the Collaborative Perinatal Project (CPP) study (1960-1966). We quantified concentrations of 27 PFAS in maternal serum in pregnancy and measured infant weight, height and ponderal index at birth. Covariate-adjusted associations between 11 PFAS concentrations (>75% detection limits) and birth outcomes were estimated using linear regression methods.

RESULTS

Median concentrations of PFOA, PFNA, PFHxS, and PFOS were 6.189, 0.330, 14.432, and 38.170 ng/mL, respectively. We found that elevated PFAS concentrations during pregnancy were significantly associated with lower birth weight and ponderal index at birth, but no significant associations were found with birth length. Specifically, infants born to women with PFAS concentrations ≥ median levels had significantly lower birth weight (PFOS: β = -0.323, P = 0.006; PFHxS: β = -0.292, P = 0.015; PFOA: β = -0.233, P = 0.03; PFHpS: β = -0.239, P = 0.023; PFNA: β = -0.239, P = 0.017). Similarly, women with PFAS concentrations ≥ median levels had significantly lower ponderal index (PFHxS: β = -0.168, P = 0.020; PFHxA: β = -0.148, P = 0.018).

CONCLUSIONS

Using data from this US-based cohort study, we found that 1) maternal PFAS levels from the 1960s exceeded values in contemporaneous populations and 2) that gestational concentrations of certain PFAS were associated with lower birth weight and infant ponderal index. Additional studies with larger sample size are needed to further examine the associations of gestational exposure to individual PFAS and their mixtures with adverse birth outcomes.

Comparison of microstructure, mechanical property, and degradation rate of Mg-1Li-1Ca and Mg-4Li-1Ca alloys

Mg-1 wt.% Li-1 wt.% Ca (LX11) and Mg-4 wt.% Li-1 wt.% Ca (LX41) alloys share the same hexagonal closed-packed crystalline structure. However, the differences in microstructure, mechanical properties, and degradation rates between the two alloys are not well understood. Hereby, the above three aspects of LX11 and LX41 alloys were studied via optical microscopy, tensile tests, and electrochemical polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, together with hydrogen evolution. The concentration of the released Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, and Li⁺ ions was analyzed using a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results demonstrated that the LX11 alloy was composed of finer α-Mg grains, fewer twins, and smaller volume fractions of the intermetallic phases Mg₂Ca than the LX41 alloy. The increasing Li concentration generated a weak decrease in the yield strength of the Mg-Li-Ca alloys, a remarkable increase in elongation to failure, and a stable ultimate tensile strength. The LX11 alloy had better corrosion resistance than the LX41 alloy. The release rate of the cations (Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, and Li⁺) varied significantly with time. The release rate of metallic ions in Hank's solution cannot reflect the true corrosion rate of Mg-Li-Ca alloys due to the formation of the precipitated corrosion products and their difference in solubility. The dealloying corrosion mechanism of the Mg₂Ca phase in Mg-Li-Ca alloys was proposed.

Antennal and proboscis sensilla characteristics of Paranthrene tabaniformis (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae)

The poplar clearwing moth, Paranthrene tabaniformis (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) is a serious wood-boring pest of several trees. The ultramorphology of the antennae and proboscis sensilla of adult P. tabaniformis was examined using scanning electron microscope to determine their structures and sex-specific differences. The results showed that the antennae of both sexes are composed of three segments: scape, pedicel and flagellum. Female antennae are clavate while male antennae are pectinate. The number of flagellomeres for females was significantly greater than for males. Seven different types of sensilla were identified on antennae of both males and females: Böhm sensilla, sensilla squamiformia, sensilla trichodea (three subtypes), sensilla chaetica, sensilla coeloconica, and sensilla auricillica (two subtypes), and apical sensors. Three different types of sensilla were found on the proboscis of adult P. tabaniformis: sensilla styloconica, sensilla chaetica, and sensilla basiconica (three subtypes). The sexual dimorphism difference in the number, distributional pattern, the length and the basal width of various sensilla on the antennae and proboscis were determined. This study clarifies the types and sexual dimorphism of the antennal and proboscis sensilla of adult P. tabaniformis and provides useful theoretical foundations for studies on behavioral mechanisms and functions of sensilla of P. tabaniformis. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Various types of sensilla on the antennae and proboscis of adults Paranthrene tabaniformis were observed. The sexual dimorphism of various sensilla on the antennae and proboscis were determined.

Association of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with total testosterone in non-overweight/obese men with type 2 diabetes mellitus

PURPOSE

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered as both a vital risk factor and a consequence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Low total testosterone (TT) is common in men with T2DM, contributing to increased risks of metabolic diseases. This study aimed to investigate the association between TT levels and the prevalence of NAFLD in men with T2DM.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 1005 men with T2DM were enrolled in National Metabolic Management Center (MMC) of First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University between January 2017 and August 2021. NAFLD was diagnosed using ultrasound as described by the Chinese Liver Disease Association. Overweight/obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m² according to WHO BMI classifications.

RESULTS

Individuals without NAFLD had higher serum TT levels than those with NAFLD. After adjustments for potential confounding factors, the top tertile was significantly associated with lower prevalence of NAFLD compared with the bottom tertile of TT level [odds ratio (OR) 0.303, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.281-0.713; P < 0.001]. The association between TT with NAFLD in individuals with normal weight (OR 0.175, 95% CI 0.098-0.315; P < 0.001) was stronger than in individuals with overweight/obesity (OR 0.509, 95% CI 0.267-0.971; P = 0.040). There was a significant interaction of TT with overweight/obesity (P for interaction = 0.018 for NAFLD).

CONCLUSION

Higher serum TT was significantly associated with a lower prevalence of NAFLD in men with T2DM. We found that the relationship of TT and NAFLD was stronger in individuals with non-overweight/obesity.

[Digital analysis of the correlation between gingival thickness and alveolar bone thickness in the maxillary anterior teeth region]

Objective: To measure the labial gingival thickness and bone lamella thickness in the maxillary anterior area using digital method, and to analyze the correlation between the two, so as to provide a reference for esthetic restoration and implantation treatment of the upper anterior area. Methods: Fifty-seven patients [23 males, 34 females, (25.8±4.5) years old] who planned to receive posterior dental implant restoration were recruited randomly with the inclusion and exclusion criteria in Department of Prosthodontics, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University from May 2020 to October 2020. The 3Shape software was used to perform oral scanning, and cone beam CT (CBCT) was taken for each patient. The image data was fitted and registered by the 3Shape software. The gingival thickness at 2 mm below the gingival margin, bone thickness and gingival thickness at 2 and, 4 mm below the crest of the labial alveolar crest in maxillary central incisors, lateral incisors and canines, were measured. Results: The gingival thickness at 2 mm below the gingival margin of maxillary central incisors, lateral incisors and canines was (1.42±0.21), (1.19±0.17) and (1.23±0.20) mm respectively (F=12.47, P<0.001). The gingival thickness at 2 mm below gingival margin and 4 mm below crest of residual ridge in the male patients were (1.31±0.21) and (0.67±0.22) mm, and those in the female patients were (1.26±0.22) and (0.58±0.19) mm respectively, and there were statistically significant differences in the gingival thickness between the "2 mm below gingival margin" group and the "4 mm below crest of residual ridge" group (t=2.01 and 3.97, P<0.05). There was a positive correlation between gingival thickness and alveolar bone thickness at 2 mm and 4 mm below the crest of residual ridge in maxillary anterior region, and the correlation coefficients (r) were 0.387 and 0.344 respectively (P<0.05). Conclusions: Gingival thickness of maxillary anterior area is related to the tooth position and gender. The gingival thickness of men is greater than that of women.The gingival thickness at 2 and 4 mm below the crest of the alveolar crest is positively correlated with the thickness of the alveolar bone.

Formation of a Key Intermediate Complex Species in Catalytic Hydrolysis of NH3BH3 by Bimetal Clusters: Metal-Dihydride and Boron-Multihydroxy

The hydrolysis of AB (AB, NH₃BH₃) with the help of transition metal catalysts has been identified as one of the promising strategies for the dehydrogenation in numerous experiments. Although great progress has been achieved in experiments, evaluation of the B-N bond cleavage channel as well as the hydrogen transfer channel has not been performed to gain a deep understanding of the kinetic route. Based on the density functional theory (DFT) calculation, we presented a clear mechanistic study on the hydrolytic reaction of AB by choosing the smallest NiCu cluster as a catalyst model. Two attacking types of water molecules were considered for the hydrolytic reaction of AB: stepwise and simultaneous adsorption on the catalyst. The Ni and Cu metal atoms play the distinctive roles in catalytic activity, i.e., Ni atom takes reactions for the H₂O decomposition with the formation of [OH]⁻ group whereas Cu atom takes reactions for the hydride transfer with the formation of metal-dihydride complex. The formation of Cu-dihydride and B-multihydroxy complex is the prerequisite for the effectively hydrolytic dehydrogenation of AB. By analyzing the maximum barrier height of the pathways which determines the kinetic rates, we found that the hydride hydrogen transferring rather than the N-B bond breaking is responsible to the experimentally measured activation energy barrier.

First-principles investigation of a new 2D magnetic crystal: Ferromagnetic ordering and intrinsic half-metallicity

The development of two-dimensional (2D) magnetic materials with half-metallic characteristics is of great interest because of their promising applications in spintronic devices with high circuit integration density and low energy consumption. Here, by using density functional theory calculations, ab initio molecular dynamics, and Monte Carlo simulation, we study the stability, electronic structure, and magnetic properties of a OsI₃ monolayer, of which crystalline bulk is predicted to be a van der Waals layered ferromagnetic (FM) semiconductor. Our results reveal that the OsI₃ monolayer can be easily exfoliated from the bulk phase with small cleavage energy and is energetically and thermodynamically stable at room temperature. Intrinsic half-metallicity with a wide bandgap and FM ordering with an estimated T_C = 35 K are found for the OsI₃ monolayer. Specifically, the FM ordering can be maintained under external biaxial strain from -2% to 5%. The in-plane magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy of the 2D OsI₃ monolayer reaches up to 3.89 meV/OsI₃, which is an order larger than that of most magnetic 2D materials such as the representative monolayer CrI₃. The excellent magnetic features of the OsI₃ monolayer therefore render it a promising 2D candidate for spintronic applications.

Effects of Mo contents on the microstructure, properties and cytocompatibility of the microwave sintered porous Ti-Mo alloys

The porous Ti-Mo alloys were prepared by microwave sintering, and the effects of Mo contents on the pore structure, phase composition, compressive strength, elastic modulus, bending strength, corrosion resistance and cytocompatibility of porous Ti-Mo alloys were investigated. The results show that the porous Ti-Mo alloys are composed of α phase and β phase, and the volume fraction of β phase increases with increasing the Mo contents. The amount of Kirkendall pores distributed over the porous Ti-Mo alloys skeleton increases with increasing the Mo contents, which greatly increases the porosities and pore sizes of the porous Ti-Mo alloys. Correspondingly, all of the compressive strength, elastic modulus and bending strength of the porous Ti-Mo alloys decrease with increasing the Mo contents. The porous Ti-Mo alloys present excellent corrosion resistance in the Hank's solution due to the oxidation film of TiO₂, MoO₂ and MoO₃ naturally formed on the surface, and the Mo contents have no obvious effect on the corrosion resistance. The cell viabilities of the porous Ti-Mo alloys are higher than 94%, indicating the porous Ti-Mo alloys possess favorable cytocompatibility. Moreover, the porous Ti-Mo alloys are beneficial to the spread, proliferation and differentiation of osteoblast-like cells, and the Mo contents have no significant effect on the cytocompatibility of the porous Ti-Mo alloys.

Design, synthesis and characterization of poly (methacrylic acid-niclosamide) and its effect on arterial function

We have found that niclosamide induced relaxation of constricted artery. However, niclosamide is insoluble, the low bioavailability and the resultant low plasma concentration limit its potential exertion in vivo. The aim of the present study is to synthesize a soluble poly (methacrylic acid-niclosamide) polymer (PMAN) and study the effects of PMAN on arterial function in vitro and the blood pressure and heart rate of rats in vivo. We synthesized the poly (methacrylic acid-niclosamide) polymer (PMAN), the chemical structure of which was identified by FTIR and ¹H NMR spectra. The average molecular weight and polydispersity index of PMAN were 5138 and 1.193 respectively. Compared with niclosamide, the water solubility of niclosamide in PMAN was significantly increased. PMAN showed dose-dependent vasorelaxation effect on rat mesenteric arteries with intact or denuded endothelium in phenylephrine (PE) and high K⁺ (KPSS)-induced vasoconstriction models in vitro. The efficacy of vasorelaxant effect and the cytotoxic effect of PMAN on vascular smooth muscle cells (A10) were lower than that of niclosamide. The LD₅₀ of PMAN in mice (iv) was 80mg/kg. Venous injection of PMAN (equivalent 5mg niclosamide per kg) showed acute reduction of the rat blood pressure and heart rate in vivo. In conclusion, the solubility of niclosamide was increased in the way of poly (methacrylic acid-niclosamide) polymer, which relaxes the constricted arteries in vitro and reduces the rat blood pressure and heart rate in vivo, indicating that modifying niclosamide solubility through polymerization is a feasible approach to improve its pharmacokinetic profiles for potential clinic application.

Azo polymeric micelles designed for colon-targeted dimethyl fumarate delivery for colon cancer therapy

Colon-targeted drug delivery and circumventing drug resistance are extremely important for colon cancer chemotherapy. Our previous work found that dimethyl fumarate (DMF), the approved drug by the FDA for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, exhibited anti-tumor activity on colon cancer cells. Based on the pharmacological properties of DMF and azo bond in olsalazine chemical structure, we designed azo polymeric micelles for colon-targeted dimethyl fumarate delivery for colon cancer therapy. We synthesized the star-shape amphiphilic polymer with azo bond and fabricated the DMF-loaded azo polymeric micelles. The four-arm polymer star-PCL-azo-mPEG (sPCEG-azo) (constituted by star-shape PCL (polycaprolactone) and mPEG (methoxypolyethylene glycols)-olsalazine) showed self-assembly ability. The average diameter and polydispersity index of the DMF-loaded sPCEG-azo polymeric micelles were 153.6nm and 0.195, respectively. In vitro drug release study showed that the cumulative release of DMF from the DMF-loaded sPCEG-azo polymeric micelles was no more than 20% in rat gastric fluid within 10h, whereas in the rat colonic fluids, the cumulative release of DMF reached 60% in the initial 2h and 100% within 10h, indicating that the DMF-loaded sPCEG-azo polymeric micelles had excellent colon-targeted property. The DMF-loaded sPCEG-azo polymeric micelles had no significant cytotoxicity on colon cancer cells in phosphate buffered solution (PBS) and rat gastric fluid. In rat colonic fluid, the micelles showed significant cytotoxic effect on colon cancer cells. The blank sPCEG-azo polymeric micelles (without DMF) showed no cytotoxic effect on colon cancer cells in rat colonic fluids. In conclusion, the DMF-loaded sPCEG-azo polymeric micelles show colon-targeted DMF release and anti-tumor activity, providing a novel approach potential for colon cancer therapy.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Colon-targeted drug delivery and circumventing drug resistance are extremely important for colon cancer chemotherapy. Our previous work found that dimethyl fumarate (DMF), the approved drug by the FDA for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, exhibited anti-tumor activities on colon cancer cells (Br J Pharmacol. 2015 172(15):3929-43.). Based on the pharmacological properties of DMF and azo bond in olsalazine chemical structure, we designed azo polymeric micelles for colon-targeted dimethyl fumarate delivery for colon cancer therapy. We found that the DMF-loaded sPCEG-azo polymeric micelles showed colon-targeted DMF release and anti-tumor activities, providing a novel approach potential for colon cancer therapy.

Evaluation of the semen swim-up method for bovine sperm RNA extraction

Isolation of high-quality RNA is important for assessing sperm gene expression, and semen purification methods may affect the integrity of the isolated RNA. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the sperm swim-up method for seminal RNA isolation. Frozen semen samples in straws from three bulls of proven fertility were purified by the swim-up method. RNA extraction was carried out using the E.Z.N.A.(TM) Total RNA kit II, with non-swim-up sperm as a control. Total sperm RNA was analyzed by UV spectrophotometry, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and agarose gel electrophoresis, and expression of the sex-determining region on the Y chromosome (SRY), leptin (LEP), and ribosomal protein subunit 23 (RPS23) genes, were determined. 18S RNA was used as a positive control. Fewer somatic cells were found in sperm swim-up samples than in the non-swim-up counterparts (0 x 10(3) vs 17.33 ± 2.52 x 10(3) sperm, P < 0.05). In addition, high-quality RNA was obtained in about 2 h, with no significant difference between groups. Interestingly, the yields of RNA fragments containing ≥200 nucleotides were significantly reduced in sperm swim-up samples (0.92 ± 0.41 x 10(7) sperm) compared with the non-swim-up samples (1.36 ± 0.33 x 10(7) sperm, P < 0.05). After RT-PCR, clear bands representing SRY, LEP, and RPS23 in sperm cDNA were observed on agarose gel electrophoresis. Finally, no bands corresponding to 18S RNA were found in RNA samples from the sperm swim-up group. Our findings suggest that small amounts of sperm RNA can be efficiently extracted from frozen straw semen samples using the swim-up technique.

Recent advances in bulk metallic glasses for biomedical applications

With a continuously increasing aging population and the improvement of living standards, large demands of biomaterials are expected for a long time to come. Further development of novel biomaterials, that are much safer and of much higher quality, in terms of both biomedical and mechanical properties, are therefore of great interest for both the research scientists and clinical surgeons. Compared with the conventional crystalline metallic counterparts, bulk metallic glasses have unique amorphous structures, and thus exhibit higher strength, lower Young's modulus, improved wear resistance, good fatigue endurance, and excellent corrosion resistance. For this purpose, bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) have recently attracted much attention for biomedical applications. This review discusses and summarizes the recent developments and advances of bulk metallic glasses, including Ti-based, Zr-based, Fe-based, Mg-based, Zn-based, Ca-based and Sr-based alloying systems for biomedical applications. Future research directions will move towards overcoming the brittleness, increasing the glass forming ability (GFA) thus obtaining corresponding bulk metallic glasses with larger sizes, removing/reducing toxic elements, and surface modifications.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs), also known as amorphous alloys or liquid metals, are relative newcomers in the field of biomaterials. They have gained increasing attention during the past decades, as they exhibit an excellent combination of properties and processing capabilities desired for versatile biomedical implant applications. The present work reviewed the recent developments and advances of biomedical BMGs, including Ti-based, Zr-based, Fe-based, Mg-based, Zn-based, Ca-based and Sr-based BMG alloying systems. Besides, the critical analysis and in-depth discussion on the current status, challenge and future development of biomedical BMGs are included. The possible solution to the BMG size limitation, the brittleness of BMGs has been proposed.

In Vitro Corrosion and Cytocompatibility of a Microarc Oxidation Coating and Poly(L-lactic acid) Composite Coating on Mg-1Li-1Ca Alloy for Orthopedic Implants

Manipulating the degradation rate of biomedical magnesium alloys poses a challenge. The characteristics of a microarc oxidation (MAO), prepared in phytic acid, and poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) composite coating, fabricated on a novel Mg-1Li-1Ca alloy, were studied through field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), electron probe X-ray microanalysis (EPMA), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The corrosion behaviors of the samples were evaluated via hydrogen evolution, potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in Hanks' solution. The results indicated that the MAO/PLLA composite coatings significantly enhanced the corrosion resistance of the Mg-1Li-1Ca alloy. MTT and ALP assays using MC3T3 osteoblasts indicated that the MAO/PLLA coatings greatly improved the cytocompatibility, and the morphology of the cells cultured on different samples exhibited good adhesion. Hemolysis tests showed that the composite coatings endowed the Mg-1Li-1Ca alloys with a low hemolysis ratio. The increased solution pH resulting from the corrosion of magnesium could be tailored by the degradation of PLLA. The degradation mechanism of the composite coatings was discussed. The MAO/PLLA composite coating may be appropriate for applications on degradable Mg-based orthopedic implants.

Electrophoretic deposition of graphene oxide reinforced chitosan-hydroxyapatite nanocomposite coatings on Ti substrate

Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) is a facile and feasible technique to prepare functional nanocomposite coatings for application in orthopedic-related implants. In this work, a ternary graphene oxide-chitosan-hydroxyapatite (GO-CS-HA) composite coating on Ti substrate was successfully fabricated by EPD. Coating microstructure and morphologies were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, contact angle test, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. It was found GO-CS surface were uniformly decorated by HA nanoparticles. The potentiodynamic polarization test in simulated body fluid indicated that the GO-CS-HA coatings could provide effective protection of Ti substrate from corrosion. This ternary composite coating also exhibited good biocompatibility during incubation with MG63 cells. In addition, the nanocomposite coatings could decrease the attachment of Staphylococcus aureus.

Development of biodegradable Zn-1X binary alloys with nutrient alloying elements Mg, Ca and Sr

Biodegradable metals have attracted considerable attentions in recent years. Besides the early launched biodegradable Mg and Fe metals, Zn, an essential element with osteogenic potential of human body, is regarded and studied as a new kind of potential biodegradable metal quite recently. Unfortunately, pure Zn is soft, brittle and has low mechanical strength in the practice, which needs further improvement in order to meet the clinical requirements. On the other hand, the widely used industrial Zn-based alloys usually contain biotoxic elements (for instance, ZA series contain toxic Al elements up to 40 wt.%), which subsequently bring up biosafety concerns. In the present work, novel Zn-1X binary alloys, with the addition of nutrition elements Mg, Ca and Sr were designed (cast, rolled and extruded Zn-1Mg, Zn-1Ca and Zn-1Sr). Their microstructure and mechanical property, degradation and in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility were studied systematically. The results demonstrated that the Zn-1X (Mg, Ca and Sr) alloys have profoundly modified the mechanical properties and biocompatibility of pure Zn. Zn-1X (Mg, Ca and Sr) alloys showed great potential for use in a new generation of biodegradable implants, opening up a new avenue in the area of biodegradable metals.

Microstructure, mechanical properties, castability and in vitro biocompatibility of Ti-Bi alloys developed for dental applications

In this study, the microstructure, mechanical properties, castability, electrochemical behaviors, cytotoxicity and hemocompatibility of Ti-Bi alloys with pure Ti as control were systematically investigated to assess their potential applications in the dental field. The experimental results showed that, except for the Ti-20Bi alloy, the microstructure of all other Ti-Bi alloys exhibit single α-Ti phase, while Ti-20Bi alloy is consisted of mainly α-Ti phase and a small amount of BiTi2 and BiTi3 phases. The tensile strength, hardness and wear resistance of Ti-Bi alloys were demonstrated to be improved monotonically with the increase of Bi content. The castability test showed that Ti-2Bi alloy increased the castability of pure Ti by 11.7%. The studied Ti-Bi alloys showed better corrosion resistance than pure Ti in both AS (artificial saliva) and ASFL (AS containing 0.2% NaF and 0.3% lactic acid) solutions. The concentrations of both Ti ion and Bi ion released from Ti-Bi alloys are extremely low in AS, ASF (AS containing 0.2% NaF) and ASL (AS containing 0.3% lactic acid) solutions. However, in ASFL solution, a large number of Ti and Bi ions are released. In addition, Ti-Bi alloys produced no significant deleterious effect to L929 cells and MG63 cells, similar to pure Ti, indicating a good in vitro biocompatibility. Besides, both L929 and MG63 cells perform excellent cell adhesion ability on Ti-Bi alloys. The hemolysis test exhibited that Ti-Bi alloys have an ultra-low hemolysis percentage below 1% and are considered nonhemolytic. To sum up, the Ti-2Bi alloy exhibits the optimal comprehensive performance and has great potential for dental applications.

Association Between Smoking and p53 Mutation in Oesophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Meta-analysis

AIMS

Several studies have evaluated the association between smoking and p53 mutation in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), but the conclusions are inconsistent. The aim of the present study was to carry out a meta-analysis evaluating the relationship between smoking and p53 mutation in patients with ESCC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Eligible studies were identified through searches in PubMed and EMBASE. The odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was used to assess the association. In total, 20 studies were identified that met the selection criteria; these studies were analysed using STATA 12.0 software.

RESULTS

The 20 studies identified comprised 1524 ESCC patients, of whom 72.97% were smokers and 27.03% were non-smokers. The pooled odds ratio of p53 mutation in ESCC for any cigarette smoking versus no smoking was 1.28 (95% confidence interval=0.88-1.88). The estimated odds ratios were 1.06 (95% confidence interval=0.56-2.00, based on five studies, 129 light smokers and 70 non-smokers) for light smoking and 2.01 (95% confidence interval=1.12-3.60, based on five studies, 223 heavy smokers and 73 non-smokers) for heavy smoking.

CONCLUSION

The results of our meta-analysis indicate an overall positive relationship between heavy smoking and p53 mutation in ESCC. Heavy smokers with ESCC have a higher risk for p53 mutation than non-smokers. Large-scale clinical studies are still needed to draw a more precise conclusion.

Microstructure, mechanical properties and superelasticity of biomedical porous NiTi alloy prepared by microwave sintering

Porous NiTi alloys were prepared by microwave sintering using ammonium hydrogen carbonate (NH4HCO3) as the space holder agent to adjust the porosity in the range of 22-62%. The effects of porosities on the microstructure, hardness, compressive strength, bending strength, elastic modulus, phase transformation temperature and superelasticity of the porous NiTi alloys were investigated. The results showed that the porosities and average pore sizes of the porous NiTi alloys increased with increasing the contents of NH4HCO3. The porous NiTi alloys consisted of nearly single NiTi phase, with a very small amount of two secondary phases (Ni3Ti, NiTi2) when the porosities are lower than 50%. The amount of Ni3Ti and NiTi2 phases increased with further increasing of the porosity proportion. The porosities had few effects on the phase transformation temperatures of the porous NiTi alloys. By increasing the porosities, all of the hardness, compressive strength, elastic modulus, bending strength and superelasticity of the porous NiTi alloys decreased. However, the compressive strength and bending strength were higher or close to those of natural bone and the elastic modulus was close to the natural bone. The superelastic recovery strain of the trained porous NiTi alloys could reach between 3.1 and 4.7% at the pre-strain of 5%, even if the porosity was up to 62%. Moreover, partial shape memory effect was observed for all porosity levels under the experiment conditions. Therefore, the microwave sintered porous NiTi alloys could be a promising candidate for bone implant.

Relatively uniform and accelerated degradation of pure iron coated with micro-patterned Au disc arrays

Pure iron has been proven to be a potential biodegradable metal, but its degradation rate was too slow. To accelerate its biodegradation, micro-patterned Au disc films were deposited on the surface of pure iron by vacuum sputtering. The influence of Au disc films on the degradation of pure iron matrix in vitro was investigated in the present study. Electrochemical measurement results indicated that the corrosion current density of pure iron coated with micro-patterned Au disc films in Hank's solution was 4 times larger than that of the uncoated one, while the difference between the influences of micro-patterned Au discs with different diameters on the corrosion rate of pure iron was insignificant. Immersion test indicated that the corrosion depth for pure iron coated with Au disc films was about three times as that of bare pure iron. Both electrochemical test and immersion test revealed that the corrosion of pure iron matrix coated with Au disc array became more uniform.

Edaravone inhibits hypoxia-induced trophoblast-soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 expression: a possible therapeutic approach to preeclampsia

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of edaravone, a potent free radical scavenger used clinically, on hypoxia-induced trophoblast-soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) expression.

METHODS

A trophoblast cell line (HRT-8/SVneo) impaired by cobalt chloride (CoCl2) was used as the cell model under hypoxic conditions. 3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) was used to measure the viability of cells exposed to CoCl2 and edaravone. The levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were analyzed by flow cytometry. mRNA expression of sFlt-1, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and placental growth factor (PlGF) in trophoblasts was measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction, and the secretion of sFlt-1, VEGF, and PlGF proteins was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). A human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) tube-formation assay was performed to identify the effects of CoCl2 and edaravone on vascular development.

RESULTS

CoCl2 treatment caused the loss of trophoblast viability, the formation of ROS, and sFlt-1 mRNA and protein expression in a dose-dependent manner. Pretreatment with edaravone significantly inhibited hypoxia-induced oxidative stress formation and sFlt-1 expression in trophoblasts. Neither PlGF nor VEGF mRNA or protein expression was increased by CoCl2. In the in vitro tube formation assay, edaravone showed a protective role in vascular development under hypoxic conditions.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that hypoxia leading to increased sFlt-1 release in trophoblasts may contribute to the placental vascular formation abnormalities observed in preeclampsia and suggested that the free radical scavenger edaravone could be a candidate for the effective treatment of preeclampsia.

Effects of 5-amino salicylic acid on the expression of multidrug resistance gene in ulcerative colitis

BACKGROUND/AIMS

To study the effect of drugs on the expression of multidrug resistance gene in ulcerative colitis.

METHODOLOGY

The expressions of multidrug resistance (MDR) 1 gene and its product P-Gp were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry to realize the impact of drugs on ulcerative colitis.

RESULTS

MDR1 gene and P-Gp did not exhibit significant difference (P > 0.05) before and after amino salicylic acid drug treatment. Compared with the control group, their expressions before treatment in the ineffective corticosteroid- and immunosuppressant-treated groups did not exhibit significant difference (P > 0.05). Their pre- and post-treatment expressions in the ineffective groups were compared with those in the normal control group and in the effective group, and significant differences were observed (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

5-Amino salicylic acid drugs have little effect on the expression of MDR1 and its product P-Gp. The expressions of MDR1 and P-Gp were much higher in groups that showed ineffectiveness for corticosteroids and immunosuppressants after treatment.

Effect of surface mechanical attrition treatment on biodegradable Mg-1Ca alloy

Surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) is considered to be an effective approach to obtain a nanostructured layer in the treated surface of metals. In this study, we evaluated the effect of SMAT on the microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion properties of biodegradable Mg-1Ca alloy, with pure Mg as control. Grain refinement layers with grain size at the nanometer scale in the topmost surface were successfully prepared on Mg-1Ca alloy using SMAT technique, similar to pure Mg. The SMAT not only refined the surface layer of Mg-1Ca alloy, but also promoted the re-dissolution of the Mg2Ca phase into the matrix. As a result, the microhardness of the SMATed samples in the near-surface region was considerably enhanced, and the surface roughness and wettability of the SMATed samples were increased. However, the SMAT led to high density of crystalline defects such as grain boundaries (subgrain boundaries) and dislocations, which severely weakened the corrosion resistance of Mg-1Ca alloy, same as pure Mg.

Mechanical property, biocorrosion and in vitro biocompatibility evaluations of Mg-Li-(Al)-(RE) alloys for future cardiovascular stent application

Mg-Li-based alloys were investigated for future cardiovascular stent application as they possess excellent ductility. However, Mg-Li binary alloys exhibited reduced mechanical strengths due to the presence of lithium. To improve the mechanical strengths of Mg-Li binary alloys, aluminum and rare earth (RE) elements were added to form Mg-Li-Al ternary and Mg-Li-Al-RE quarternary alloys. In the present study, six Mg-Li-(Al)-(RE) alloys were fabricated. Their microstructures, mechanical properties and biocorrosion behavior were evaluated by using optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electronic microscopy, tensile tests, immersion tests and electrochemical measurements. Microstructure characterization indicated that grain sizes were moderately refined by the addition of rare earth elements. Tensile testing showed that enhanced mechanical strengths were obtained, while electrochemical and immersion tests showed reduced corrosion resistance caused by intermetallic compounds distributed throughout the magnesium matrix in the rare-earth-containing Mg-Li alloys. Cytotoxicity assays, hemolysis tests as well as platelet adhesion tests were performed to evaluate in vitro biocompatibilities of the Mg-Li-based alloys. The results of cytotoxicity assays clearly showed that the Mg-3.5Li-2Al-2RE, Mg-3.5Li-4Al-2RE and Mg-8.5Li-2Al-2RE alloys suppressed vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation after 5day incubation, while the Mg-3.5Li, Mg-8.5Li and Mg-8.5Li-1Al alloys were proven to be tolerated. In the case of human umbilical vein endothelial cells, the Mg-Li-based alloys showed no significantly reduced cell viabilities except for the Mg-8.5Li-2Al-2RE alloy, with no obvious differences in cell viability between different culture periods. With the exception of Mg-8.5Li-2Al-2RE, all of the other Mg-Li-(Al)-(RE) alloys exhibited acceptable hemolysis ratios, and no sign of thrombogenicity was found. These in vitro experimental results indicate the potential of Mg-Li-(Al)-(RE) alloys as biomaterials for future cardiovascular stent application and the worthiness of investigating their biodegradation behaviors in vivo.

Microstructure, mechanical property, biodegradation behavior, and biocompatibility of biodegradable Fe-Fe2O3 composites

In this study, the effects of Fe2O3 (addition, 2, 5, 10, and 50 wt %) on the microstructure, mechanical properties, corrosion behaviors, and in vitro biocompatibility of Fe-Fe2O3 composites fabricated by spark plasma sintering were systematically investigated as a novel-structure biodegradable metallic material. The results of X-ray diffraction analysis and optical microscopy indicated that Fe-Fe2O3 composite is composed of α-Fe and FeO instead of Fe2O3. Both eletrochemical measurements and immersion test showed a faster degradation rate of Fe-2Fe2O3 and Fe-5Fe2O3 composites than pure iron and Fe-5Fe2O3 exhibited the fastest corrosion rate among these composites. Besides, the effect of Fe2O3 on the corrosion behavior of Fe-Fe2O3 composites was discussed. The extracts of Fe-Fe2O3 composite exhibited no cytotoxicity to both ECV304 and L929 cells, whereas greatly reduced cell viabilities of vascular smooth muscle cells. In addition, good hemocompatibility of all Fe-Fe2O3 composites and pure iron was obtained. To sum up, Fe-5Fe2O3 composite is a promising alternative for biodegradable stent material with elevated corrosion rate, enhanced mechanical properties, as well as excellent biocompatibility.

In vitro and in vivo studies on Ti-based bulk metallic glass as potential dental implant material

In this study, a high glass forming system, Ti41.5Zr2.5Hf5Cu37.5Ni7.5Si1Sn5 (TZHCNSS) bulk metallic glass (BMG), is studied in terms of microstructure, surface analysis, mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo biocompatibility. It is found that the as-prepared TZHCNSS samples are fully amorphous by XRD and TEM observations, as well as DSC curve. Comparing with pure Ti, TZHCNSS BMG shows superior mechanical properties with higher hardness and better wear resistance. Due to the oxide film formed on its surface, TZHCNSS BMG shows great corrosion resistance close to pure Ti in electrochemical measurements. The pitting corrosion potential in artificial saliva solution is much higher than that in SBF solution. The indirect and direct cytotoxicity results show that TZHCNSS extracts had obvious low cell viability on both L929 and NIH3T3 cells. However, the in vivo testing results proved that TZHCNSS BMG could integrate with bone tissue, showing excellent osseointegration.

Mechanical property, biocorrosion and in vitro biocompatibility evaluations of Mg-Li-(Al)-(RE) alloys for future cardiovascular stent application

Mg-Li-based alloys were investigated for future cardiovascular stent application as they possess excellent ductility. However, Mg-Li binary alloys exhibited reduced mechanical strengths due to the presence of lithium. To improve the mechanical strengths of Mg-Li binary alloys, aluminum and rare earth (RE) elements were added to form Mg-Li-Al ternary and Mg-Li-Al-RE quarternary alloys. In the present study, six Mg-Li-(Al)-(RE) alloys were fabricated. Their microstructures, mechanical properties and biocorrosion behavior were evaluated by using optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electronic microscopy, tensile tests, immersion tests and electrochemical measurements. Microstructure characterization indicated that grain sizes were moderately refined by the addition of rare earth elements. Tensile testing showed that enhanced mechanical strengths were obtained, while electrochemical and immersion tests showed reduced corrosion resistance caused by intermetallic compounds distributed throughout the magnesium matrix in the rare-earth-containing Mg-Li alloys. Cytotoxicity assays, hemolysis tests as well as platelet adhesion tests were performed to evaluate in vitro biocompatibilities of the Mg-Li-based alloys. The results of cytotoxicity assays clearly showed that the Mg-3.5Li-2Al-2RE, Mg-3.5Li-4Al-2RE and Mg-8.5Li-2Al-2RE alloys suppressed vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation after 5day incubation, while the Mg-3.5Li, Mg-8.5Li and Mg-8.5Li-1Al alloys were proven to be tolerated. In the case of human umbilical vein endothelial cells, the Mg-Li-based alloys showed no significantly reduced cell viabilities except for the Mg-8.5Li-2Al-2RE alloy, with no obvious differences in cell viability between different culture periods. With the exception of Mg-8.5Li-2Al-2RE, all of the other Mg-Li-(Al)-(RE) alloys exhibited acceptable hemolysis ratios, and no sign of thrombogenicity was found. These in vitro experimental results indicate the potential of Mg-Li-(Al)-(RE) alloys as biomaterials for future cardiovascular stent application and the worthiness of investigating their biodegradation behaviors in vivo.

Development and properties of Ti-In binary alloys as dental biomaterials

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of alloying element indium on the microstructure, mechanical properties, corrosion behavior and in vitro cytotoxicity of Ti-In binary alloys, with the addition of 1, 5, 10 and 15 at.% indium. The phase constitution was studied by optical microscopic observation and X-ray diffraction measurements. The mechanical properties were characterized by tension and microhardness tests. Potentiodynamic polarization measurements were employed to investigate the corrosion behavior in artificial saliva solutions with and without fluoride. In vitro cytotoxicity was conducted by using L929 and NIH 3T3 mouse fibroblast cell lines, with commercially pure Ti (CP-Ti, ASTM grade 2) as negative control. All of the binary Ti-In alloys investigated in this work were found to have higher strength and microhardness than CP-Ti. Electrochemical results showed that Ti-In alloys exhibited the same order of magnitude of passivation current densities with CP-Ti in artificial saliva solutions. With the presence of NaF, Ti-10In and Ti-15In showed transpassive behavior and lower current densities at high potentials. All experimental Ti-In alloys showed good cytocompatibility, at the same level as CP-Ti. The addition of indium to titanium was effective on increasing the strength and microhardness, without impairing its good corrosion resistance and cytocompatibility.

In vitro and in vivo studies on nanocrystalline Ti fabricated by equal channel angular pressing with microcrystalline CP Ti as control

Bulk nanocrystalline Ti bars (Grade 4, Φ4 × 3000 mm(3)) were massively fabricated by equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) via follow-up conform scheme with the microcrystalline CP Ti as raw material. Homogeneous nanostructured crystals with the average grain size of 250 nm were identified for the ECAPed Ti, with extremely high tensile/fatigue strength (around 1240/620 MPa) and adorable elongation (more than 5%). Pronounced formation of bonelike apatite for the nanocrystalline Ti group after 14 days static immersion in simulated body fluids (SBF) reveals the prospective in vitro bioactive capability of fast calcification, whereas an estimated 17% increment in protein adsorption represents good bioaffinity of nanocrystalline Ti. The documentation onto the whole life circle of osteoblast cell lines (MG63) revealed the strong interactions and superior cellular functionalization when they are co-incubated with bulk nanocrystalline Ti sample. Moreover, thread-structured specimens were designed and implanted into the tibia of Beagles dogs till 12 weeks to study the in vivo responses between bone and metallic implant made of bulk nanocrystalline Ti, with the microcrystalline Ti as control. For the implanted nanostructured Ti group, neoformed bone around the implants underwent the whole-stage transformation proceeding from originally osteons or immature woven bone to mature lamellar bone (skeletonic trabecular), even with the remodeling being finished till 12 weeks. The phenomenal osseointegration of direct implant-bone contact can be revealed from the group of the ECAPed Ti without fibrous tissue encapsulation in the gap between the implant and autogenous bone.

Microstructure, mechanical property, corrosion behavior, and in vitro biocompatibility of Zr-Mo alloys

In this study, the microstructure, mechanical properties, corrosion behaviors, and in vitro biocompatibility of Zr-Mo alloys as a function of Mo content after solution treatment were systemically investigated to assess their potential use in biomedical application. The experimental results indicated that Zr-1Mo alloy mainly consisted of an acicular structure of α' phase, while ω phase formed in Zr-3Mo alloy. In Zr-5Mo alloy, retained β phase and a small amount of precipitated α phase were observed. Only the retained β phase was obtained in Zr-10Mo alloy. Zr-1Mo alloy exhibited the greatest hardness, bending strength, and modulus among all experimental Zr-Mo alloys, while β phase Zr-10Mo alloy had a low modulus. The results of electrochemical corrosion indicated that adding Mo into Zr improved its corrosion resistance which resulted in increasing the thermodynamic stability and passivity of zirconium. The cytotoxicity test suggested that the extracts of the studied Zr-Mo alloys produced no significant deleterious effect to fibroblast cells (L-929) and osteoblast cells (MG 63), indicating an excellent in vitro biocompatibility. Based on these facts, certain Zr-Mo alloys potentially suitable for different biomedical applications were proposed.

Ti-Ge binary alloy system developed as potential dental materials

As-cast Ti-xGe (x = 2, 5, 10, 20 wt %) binary alloys were produced in this work, and various experiments were carried out to investigate the microstructure, mechanical properties, in vitro electrochemical and immersion corrosion behaviors as well as cytotoxicity with as-cast pure Ti as control, aiming to study the feasibility of Ti-xGe alloy system as potential dental materials. The microstructure of Ti-xGe alloys changes from single α-Ti phase to α-Ti + Ti(5)Ge(3) precipitation phase with the increase of Ge content. Mechanical tests show that Ti-5Ge alloy has the best comprehensive mechanical properties. The corrosion behavior of Ti-xGe alloys in artificial saliva with different NaF and lactic acid addition at 37°C indicates that Ti-2Ge and Ti-5Ge alloys show better corrosion resistance to fluorine-containing solution. The cytotoxicity test indicates that Ti-xGe alloy extracts show no obvious reduction of cell viability to L-929 fibroblasts and MG-63 osteosarcoma cells, similar to pure Ti which is generally acknowledged to be biocompatible. Considering all these results, Ti-2Ge and Ti-5Ge alloys possess the optimal comprehensive performance and might be used as potential dental materials.

Osteoblast response on Ti- and Zr-based bulk metallic glass surfaces after sand blasting modification

The present study aimed to evaluate the osteoblast response on Ti- and Zr-based BMG surfaces sand blasted with different grit corundums for implant application, with mechanically polished disks before sand blasting as control groups. The surface properties were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle, and roughness measurements. Further evaluation of the surface bioactivity was conducted by MG63 cell attachment, proliferation, morphology, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity on the sample surfaces. It was found that corundum sand blasting surfaces significantly increased the surface wettability and MG63 cell attachment, cell proliferation, and ALP activity in comparison with the control group surfaces. Besides, the sample surface treated by large grit corundum is more favorable for cell attachment, proliferation, and differentiation than samples treated by small grit corundum, indicating that it might be effective for improving implant osseointegration in vivo.

In vitro and in vivo studies on a Mg-Sr binary alloy system developed as a new kind of biodegradable metal

Magnesium alloys have shown potential as biodegradable metallic materials for orthopedic applications due to their degradability, resemblance to cortical bone and biocompatible degradation/corrosion products. However, the fast corrosion rate and the potential toxicity of their alloying element limit the clinical application of Mg alloys. From the viewpoint of both metallurgy and biocompatibility, strontium (Sr) was selected to prepare hot rolled Mg-Sr binary alloys (with a Sr content ranging from 1 to 4 wt.%) in the present study. The optimal Sr content was screened with respect to the mechanical and corrosion properties of Mg-Sr binary alloys and the feasibility of the use of Mg-Sr alloys as orthopedic biodegradable metals was investigated by in vitro cell experiments and intramedullary implantation tests. The mechanical properties and corrosion rates of Mg-Sr alloys were dose dependent with respect to the added Sr content. The as-rolled Mg-2Sr alloy exhibited the highest strength and slowest corrosion rate, suggesting that the optimal Sr content was 2 wt.%. The as-rolled Mg-2Sr alloy showed Grade I cytotoxicity and induced higher alkaline phosphatase activity than the other alloys. During the 4 weeks implantation period we saw gradual degradation of the as-rolled Mg-2Sr alloy within a bone tunnel. Micro-computer tomography and histological analysis showed an enhanced mineral density and thicker cortical bone around the experimental implants. Higher levels of Sr were observed in newly formed peri-implant bone compared with the control. In summary, this study shows that the optimal content of added Sr is 2 wt.% for binary Mg-Sr alloys in the rolled state and that the as-rolled Mg-2Sr alloy in vivo produces an acceptable host response.

Immobilizing natural macromolecule on PLGA electrospun nanofiber with surface entrapment and entrapment-graft techniques

Surface entrapment is a convenient method to immobilize the natural macromolecules on the surface of synthetic polymers. In this study, the gelatin modified and sodium alginate/gelatin modified PLGA nanofibrous membranes were fabricated via surface entrapment and entrapment-graft techniques. The surface morphology of the each single modified PLGA nanofiber was as smooth as that of untreated PLGA nanofibers. The results of water angle contact measurements and tensile tests showed that the surface entrapment cannot only improve the hydrophilicity but also enhance mechanical properties of the modified nanofibrous membranes. In addition, the sodium alginate/gelatin modified electrospun PLGA nanofibrous membrane exhibited higher hydrophilicity and better biocompatibility than the simply gelatin modified PLGA nanofibrous membrane, which suggested the surface entrapment is a facile and efficient approach to surface modification for electrospun nanofibours membranes.

Comparison of sildenafil with strontium fructose diphosphate in improving erectile dysfunction against upregulated cavernosal NADPH oxidase, protein kinase Cε, and endothelin system in diabetic rats

Objectives

Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors are potent in relieving erectile dysfunction (ED), however, they are less satisfactory in diabetic patients, probably due to the pro-inflammatory biomarkers caused by diabetes. Therefore, it was interesting to compare the effects of sildenafil with strontium fructose 1,6-diphosphate (FDP-Sr) on cavernosal vascular activity and expressions of pro-inflammatory biomarkers in diabetic rats.

Methods

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with streptozocin (60 mg/kg, i.p.) to develop diabetes. The animals were diabetic for eight weeks with sildenafil (12 mg/kg per day) or FDP-Sr (200 mg/kg per day) being administered for the last four of those eight weeks.

Key findings

Sildenafil was more effective in relieving reduced vascular dilatation (relevant to ED), but less in attenuating over-expressions of NADPH oxidase p22, p47 and p67 subunits, and ETA/BR (endothelin receptor type A and type B) in the diabetic cavernosum. In contrast, FDP-Sr was less effective in improving ED, but more effective in normalizing the abnormal NADPH oxidase and ETA/BR.

Conclusions

The activated NADPH oxidase and upregulated ETAR and ETBR due to diabetic lesions played a minor or moderate role in ED. By offering extra ATP, FPD-Sr suppressed these abnormalities, however, sildenafil did not. A combined therapy of sildenafil with FDP-Sr may be more effective in relieving ED in diabetic patients through normalizing pro-inflammatory cytokines and improving the nitric oxide/cGMP pathway in the cavernosum.

Biodegradable CaMgZn bulk metallic glass for potential skeletal application

A low density and high strength alloy, Ca65Mg15Zn20 bulk metallic glass (CaMgZn BMG), was evaluated by both in vitro tests on ion release and cytotoxicity and in vivo implantation, aimed at exploring the feasibility of this new biodegradable metallic material for potential skeletal applications. MTT assay results showed that the experimental CaMgZn BMG extracts had no detectable cytotoxic effects on L929, VSMC and ECV304 cells over a wide range of concentrations (0-50%), whereas for MG63 cells concentrations in the range ~5-20% promoted cell viability. Meanwhile, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity results showed that CaMgZn BMG extracts increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) production by MG63 cells. However, Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate and propidium iodide staining indicated that higher concentrations (50%) might induce cell apoptosis. The fluorescence observation of F-actin and nuclei in MG63 cells showed that cells incubated with lower concentrations (0-50%) displayed no significant change in morphology compared with a negative control. Tumor necrosis factor-α expression by Raw264.7 cells in the presence of CaMgZn BMG extract was significantly lower than that of the positive and negative controls. Animal tests proved that there was no obvious inflammation reaction at the implantation site and CaMgZn BMG implants did not result in animal death. The cortical thickness around the CaMgZn BMG implant increased gradually from 1 to 4 weeks, as measured by in vivo micro-computer tomography.

Fabrication and characterization of elastomeric polyester/carbon nanotubes nanocomposites for biomedical application

A novel biodegradable polymer elastomer nanocomposite composing of poly(1,8-octanediol-citrate) (POC) polymer matrix and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) additive was successfully fabricated and systematically investigated using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), tensile test, incubation and cytotoxicity tests. It was found that the addition of CNTs in POC elastomer did not result in any noticeable change in its chemical structure and the amorphous state. However, the tensile strength and elongation at break were greatly improved by the addition of CNTs in POC polymer matrix. It revealed that the swelling ratio and percentage of weight loss of POC/CNTs nanocomposite were lower, compared with the pure POC material. Moreover, the adsorption amount of bovine serum albumin (BSA) increased with an increase of the CNTs mass content in POC matrix revealing the enhanced hydrophilicity of POC/CNTs nanocomposites contributed by the carboxyl of the CNTs. Additionally, the cytotoxicity tests with L929 cell line revealed that the experimental POC/CNTs nanocomposites possessed good in vitro biocompatibility.

A numerical method for predicting the bending fatigue life of NiTi and stainless steel root canal instruments

AIM

To evaluate the bending fatigue lifetime of nickel-titanium alloy (NiTi) and stainless steel (SS) endodontic files using finite element analysis.

METHODOLOGY

The strain-life approach was adopted and two theoretical geometry profiles, the triangular (TR) and the square cross-sections, were considered. Both low-cycle fatigue (LCF) lifetime and high-cycle fatigue (HCF) lifetime were evaluated.

RESULTS

The bending fatigue behaviour was affected by the material property and the cross-sectional configuration of the instrument. Both the cross-section factor and material property had a substantial impact on fatigue lifetime. The NiTi material and TR geometry profiles were associated with better fatigue resistance than that of SS and square cross-sections.

CONCLUSIONS

Within the limitations of this study, finite element models were established for endodontic files to prejudge their fatigue lifetime, a tool that would be useful for dentist to prevent premature fatigue fracture of endodontic files.

Controlled synthesis and characterization of ZnSe quantum dots

Adopting improved metal-organic "Green method," Colloidal ZnSe quantum dots were synthesized by using cheap and low toxic zinc oxide (ZnO) in an organic solvent system of 1-hexadecylamine (HDA), lauric acid (LA) and tri-n-octylphosphine (TOP). The effects of HDA dosage, injection temperature, growth temperature and time on the microstructure and optical properties of ZnSe were studied by means of X-Ray diffraction(XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), spectrofluorometers and ultraviolet spectrophotometer, respectively. The results showed that ZnSe quantum dots with the best range of the size evolution were obtained under the condition of injection at 280 degrees C and growth at 240 degrees C by choosing the optimal parameters of ZnO:HDA:LA= 1:2.1:5.2 and TOPSe = 1 mol/L. Its size became larger and the emission peak shifted obviously to red with increasing the growth time. Meanwhile, the obtained ZnSe was of the wurtzite structure, had good uniformity and fluorescent characteristics.

In vitro cytotoxicity and hemocompatibility studies of Ti-Nb, Ti-Nb-Zr and Ti-Nb-Hf biomedical shape memory alloys

The in vitro cytotoxicity and hemocompatibility of the Ti-Nb, Ti-Nb-Zr and Ti-Nb-Hf biomedical shape memory alloys (SMAs) were investigated by cell culture (L-929 fibroblast cell), hemolytic test and platelet adhesion test, with CP Ti as a reference material. The cytotoxicity test indicates that all the Ti-Nb, Ti-Nb-Zr and Ti-Nb-Hf SMAs show over 94% cell viability for different incubation times (2, 4 and 7 days) in comparison with a negative control and CP Ti. The cell morphology observation shows good polygon-like adherent growth and proliferation of L-929 in the extracts of all the test samples and CP Ti. These results suggest excellent cytocompatibility for the Ti-Nb, Ti-Nb-Zr and Ti-Nb-Hf SMAs. The hemolytic test reveals that the hemolysis ratios of the Ti-Nb, Ti-Nb-Zr and Ti-Nb-Hf alloys are far less than 5%, so they cannot give rise to acute hemolysis. The platelet morphology observation shows almost the same adhered platelet morphology and activation ratio for the test samples in comparison with CP Ti, except the Ti-22Nb-6Hf alloy, which shows a lower activation ratio of platelets, indicating excellent blood compatibility. Therefore, it is proposed that the Ti-Nb, Ti-Nb-Zr and Ti-Nb-Hf SMAs will be candidates to replace Ti-Ni for biomedical applications.

One-step route to wurtzite-structured ZnS thin nanorods in pure ethylenediamine or mixed solvent

In the paper, we report one-step synthesis of novel wurtzite-structured ZnS three dimensional architectures assembled from thin nanorods in mixed solvent of ethylenediamine (en) and ethylene glycol, and wurtzite ZnS nanorods in a pure en solvent, both adopting Zn(CH3COO)2 x 2H2O and (NH2)2CS as raw materials. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction were applied to characterize the samples. It was found that the volume ratio of solvents and the concentration of (NH2)2CS played important roles in the formation of wurtzite-structured ZnS nanorods, and the thin wurtzite ZnS nanorods with mean diameter of 6 nm were successfully synthesized. The optical absorption edges of the thin ZnS nanorods were found to be blue-shifted compared with that of the bulk ZnS due to the quantum confinement effect.

Calcification capacity of porous pHEMA-TiO₂ composite hydrogels

Many investigations have been attempted to promote calcification of synthetic polymers for applications as orthopaedic and dental implants. In this study, novel titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) reinforced porous poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA) hydrogels were synthesized. Calcification capacity of the composite polymers was examined using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy after incubation of the materials in a simulated body fluid up to 53 days. Mechanical strength, porosity and in vitro cytotoxicity were also investigated. Calcification capacity of porous pHEMA was significantly enhanced by the addition of TiO(2) particulates. Infiltration of calcium phosphate, up to 1000 mum, was observed. The diffusion capacity of calcium ions was affected by the porosity and the interconnectivity of pores in the hydrogel polymers which were influenced by the presence of TiO(2) and the monomer concentration. Cell viability tests indicated that porous hydrogels containing 7.5% TiO(2) were not toxic to 3T3 fibroblast cells. These results demonstrate that incorporating TiO(2) nanoparticulates can promote enhanced formation of calcium phosphate whilst maintaining the porosity and interconnectivity of the hydrogel polymers and would be very useful for the development of orthopaedic tissue engineering scaffolds.