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Abstract Background Prostate cancer (PCa) ranks as the second most common disease among men and the fourth most prevalent cancer worldwide. Enhanced glycolysis and excessive lactate secretion are recognized as critical factors driving the progression of various cancers. This study systematically investigated the research trends associated with glycolysis in PCa through bibliometric analysis. Method In this study, we conducted a systematic search of the Web of Science and PubMed databases for literature pertaining to the glycolysis of PCa that was published between January 1, 2004, and June 30, 2024. To achieve this objective, we employed CiteSpace software to generate visualizations that illustrate countries/regions, institutions, journals, and keywords. Additionally, we extracted pertinent quantitative data. Furthermore, we utilized VOSviewer software to create a collaboration network map among various journals. Results Between 2004 and 2024, a total of 408 research articles on glycolysis in PCa were published, indicating a consistent upward trend in the annual publication rate. In this field, the United States not only leads in the volume of research papers but also has the highest degree of centrality. The journal "Cancer Research" is recognized as the most influential in the field, whereas "Prostate and Cancer" serves as a significant platform for disseminating research related to glycolysis in PCa. Keyword analysis has identified four primary research directions that have dominated this field over the past two decades. The role of glycolysis and its associated enzymes in PCa underpins this research. Glycolysis has also demonstrated significant clinical value in the diagnosis and prognosis of PCa. Moreover, drugs targeting glycolytic inhibitors and natural products have exhibited therapeutic potential against this disease. By modulating glycolytic mechanisms, there is potential to increase resistance in PCa. Currently, leading research in this area encompasses the application of nanotechnology to PCa glycolysis, the roles of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) in this metabolic pathway, and the interactions between glycolysis and other biological processes in PCa. Conclusion This study employs bibliometric analysis to provide a comprehensive overview of research on glycolysis in PCa over the past two decades. It highlights the current state of knowledge in this field, identifies key research hotspots, and explores emerging frontiers, particularly nanotechnology, lncRNA, and miRNA, which are driving innovative research directions.

Background Male infertility is a worldwide population health concern, but its etiology remains poorly understood. Tortoise-shell glue (TSG) is widely utilized as a pharmaceutical or dietary supplement for various health ailments. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of TSG on male infertility in obese rats.Methods A male infertility with obesity rat model was established after a high-fat diet (HFD) and cyclophosphamide (CTX) treatment. The body weight, testis weight, and weight of adipose tissues around the epididymis were detected. We then evaluated spermatozoon motility and concentration and testis pathological changes. Next, we assessed the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Moreover, serum metabolomics was used to identify differential metabolites. The Spearman correlation analysis was employed to assess the correlation between differential metabolites and sex hormone levels.Results Here, we demonstrated that TSG alleviated obesity and male infertility. Meanwhile, TSG restored the function of the HPG axis in obese infertility rats, including mRNA levels of GnRH, GnRHR, RFRP-3, and kisspeptin in the hypothalamus and pituitary and sex hormone levels in the serum. In addition, 16 potentially significant metabolites, such as Quinapril and Malabaricone C, were identified as significant in the therapeutic effects of TSG on male infertility. The majority of these differential metabolites exhibited recovery following TSG treatment. The further Spearman analysis demonstrated the close correlation between differential metabolites and sex hormones, especially Kamahine C.Conclusion TSG attenuated obesity and male infertility in rats through the HPG axis by regulating serum metabolites. It shows potential as a viable treatment option for male infertility.

Abstract Background Prostate cancer (PCa) incidence and mortality rates are rising. Our previous research has shown that the combination of icariin (ICA) and curcumol (CUR) induced autophagy and ferroptosis in PCa cells, and altered lipid metabolism. We aimed to further explore the effects of the combination of ICA and CUR on gut microbiota, metabolism, and immunity in PCa. Methods A mouse subcutaneous RM-1 cell tumor model was established. 16 S rRNA sequencing was performed to detect changes in fecal gut microbiota. SCFAs in mouse feces, and the effect of ICA-CUR on T-cell immunity, IGFBP2, and DNMT1 were examined. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was conducted to explore the mechanism of ICA-CUR. Si-IGFBP2 and si/oe-DNMT1 were transfected into RM-1 and DU145 cells, and the cells were treated with ICA-CUR to investigate the mechanism of ICA-CUR on PCa development. Results After treatment with ICA-CUR, there was a decrease in tumor volume and weight, accompanied by changes in gut microbiota. ICA-CUR affected SCFAs and DNMT1/IGFBP2/EGFR/STAT3/PD-L1 pathway. ICA-CUR increased the positive rates of CD3+CD8+IFN-γ, CD3+CD8+Ki67 cells, and the levels of IFN-γ and IFN-α in the serum. After FMT (with donors from the ICA-CUR group), tumor volume and weight were decreased. SCFAs promote tumor development and the expression of IGFBP2. In vitro, DNMT1/IGFBP2 promotes cell migration and proliferation. ICA-CUR inhibits the expression of DNMT1/IGFBP2. Conclusions ICA-CUR mediates the interaction between gut microbiota and the DNMT1/IGFBP2 axis to inhibit the progression of PCa by regulating immune response and metabolism, suggesting a potential therapeutic strategy for PCa.

AbstractContext Guilu-Erxian-Glue (GLEXG) is a traditional Chinese formula used to improve male reproductive dysfunction.Objective To investigate the ferroptosis resistance of GLEXG in the improvement of semen quality in the oligoasthenospermia (OAS) rat model.Materials and methods Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were administered Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycoside, a compound extracted from Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F. (Celastraceae), at a dose of 40 mg/kg/day, to establish an OAS model. Fifty-four SD rats were randomly divided into six groups: sham, model, low-dose GLEXG (GLEXGL, 0.25 g/kg/day), moderate-dose GLEXG (GLEXGM, 0.50 g/kg/day), high-dose GLEXG (GLEXGH, 1.00 g/kg/day) and vitamin E (0.01 g/kg/day) group. The semen quality, structure and function of sperm mitochondria, histopathology, levels of oxidative stress and iron, and mRNA levels and protein expression in the Keap1/Nrf2/GPX4 pathway, were analyzed.Results Compared with the model group, GLEXGH significantly improved sperm concentration (35.73 ± 15.42 vs. 17.40 ± 4.12, p

Abstract Objective Bioengineered tracheal grafts are a potential solution for the repair of long‐segment tracheal defects. A recent advancement is partially decellularized tracheal grafts (PDTGs) which enable regeneration of host epithelium and retain viable donor chondrocytes for hypothesized benefits to mechanical properties. We propose a novel and tunable 3D‐printed bioreactor for creating large animal PDTG that brings this technology closer to the bedside. Methods Conventional agitated immersion with surfactant and enzymatic activity was used to partially decellularize New Zealand white rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) tracheal segments (n = 3). In parallel, tracheal segments (n = 3) were decellularized in the bioreactor with continuous extraluminal flow of medium and alternating intraluminal flow of surfactant and medium. Unprocessed tracheal segments (n = 3) were also collected as a control. The grafts were assessed using the H&E stain, tissue DNA content, live/dead assay, Masson's trichrome stain, and mechanical testing. Results Conventional processing required 10 h to achieve decellularization of the epithelium and submucosa with poor chondrocyte viability and mechanical strength. Using the bioreactor reduced processing time by 6 h and resulted in chondrocyte viability and mechanical strength similar to that of native trachea. Conclusion Large animal PDTG created using our novel 3D printed bioreactor is a promising approach to efficiently produce tracheal grafts. The bioreactor offers flexibility and adjustability favorable to creating PDTG for clinical research and use. Future research includes optimizing flow conditions and transplantation to assess post‐implant regeneration and mechanical properties. Level of Evidence NA.

Abstract Extensive tracheal injury or disease can be life-threatening but there is currently no standard of care. Regenerative medicine offers a potential solution to long-segment tracheal defects through the creation of scaffolds that support the generation of healthy neotissue. We developed decellularized tracheal grafts (PDTG) by removing the cells of the epithelium and lamina propria while preserving donor cartilage. We previously demonstrated that PDTG support regeneration of host-derived neotissue. Here, we use a combination of microsurgical, immunofluorescent, and transcriptomic approaches to compare PDTG neotissue with the native airway and surgical controls. We report that PDTG neotissue is composed of native tracheal cell types and that the neoepithelium and microvasculature persisted for at least 6 months. Vascular perfusion of PDTG was established within 2 weeks and the graft recruited multipotential airway stem cells that exhibit normal proliferation and differentiation. Hence, PDTG neotissue recapitulates the structure and function of the host trachea and has the potential to regenerate.

Abstract There is currently no suitable autologous tissue to bridge large tracheal defects. As a result, no standard of care exists for long‐segment tracheal reconstruction. Tissue engineering has the potential to create a scaffold from allografts or xenografts that can support neotissue regeneration identical to the native trachea. Recent advances in tissue engineering have led to the idea of partial decellularization that allows for the creation of tracheal scaffolds that supports tracheal epithelial formation while preserving mechanical properties. However, the ability of partial decellularization to eliminate graft immunogenicity remains unknown, and understanding the immunogenic properties of partially decellularized tracheal grafts (PDTG) is a critical step toward clinical translation. Here, we determined that tracheal allograft immunogenicity results in epithelial cell sloughing and replacement with dysplastic columnar epithelium and that partial decellularization creates grafts that are able to support an epithelium without histologic signs of rejection. Moreover, allograft implantation elicits CD8+ T‐cell infiltration, a mediator of rejection, while PDTG did not. Hence, we establish that partial decellularization eliminates allograft immunogenicity while creating a scaffold for implantation that can support spatially appropriate airway regeneration.

ABSTRACT: Oligoasthenospermia (OAS) remains the leading cause of male infertility. Guilu-Erxian-Glue (GLEXG) is a traditional Chinese formula that exhibits beneficial effects in attenuating reproductive dysfunction. However, the mechanism of GLEXG against OAS remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of GLEXG against OAS and analyzed its constituents and underlying mechanism. Using the network pharmacology analysis, 40 targets and 53 bioactive compounds of GLXEG associated with OAS were identified, forming a tight disease-drug-compound-target network. IL-6, MYC, CASP3, EGFR, VEGFA, ERBB2, and ESR1 were screened as hub targets in the protein-protein-interaction network. KEGG and GO enrichment analysis and pathway-target-compound network indicated that the HIF-1 signaling pathways were enriched by numerous targets and interact with multiple pathways, including PI3K/Akt and TNF pathway. Molecular docking analysis revealed a tight binding between potential bioactive compounds and hub targets, and the molecular dynamic simulation of the ESR1-Frutinone A complex with the lowest docking energy exhibited high stability. In addition, an OAS rat model was established to determine the therapeutic effects. The results indicated that GLEXG treatment markedly improved sperm quality in the epididymis and reversed histopathological lesions in the testicular tissue, and regulated the expressions of the predicted hub targets and HIF-1α associated with HIF-1 signaling pathway. Our results illustrated the potential therapeutic effects of GLEXG on OAS, suggesting that it is an alternative therapy against OAS.

We tested composite tracheal grafts (CTG) composed of a partially decellularized tracheal graft (PDTG) combined with a 3-dimensional (3D)-printed airway splint for use in long-segment airway reconstruction. CTG is designed to recapitulate the 3D extracellular matrix of the trachea with stable mechanical properties imparted from the extraluminal airway splint. We performed segmental orthotopic tracheal replacement in a mouse microsurgical model. MicroCT was used to measure graft patency. Tracheal neotissue formation was quantified histologically. Airflow dynamic properties were analyzed using computational fluid dynamics. We found that CTG are easily implanted and did not result in vascular erosion, tracheal injury, or inflammation. Graft epithelialization and endothelialization were comparable with CTG to control. Tracheal collapse was absent with CTG. Composite tracheal scaffolds combine biocompatible synthetic support with PDTG, supporting the regeneration of host epithelium while maintaining graft structure.

Medical research confirms that eye movement abnormalities are related to a variety of psychological activities, mental disorders and physical diseases. However, as the specific manifestations of various diseases in terms of eye movement disorders remain unclear, the accurate diagnosis of diseases according to eye movement is difficult. In this paper, a deep neural network (DNN) method is employed to establish a disease discrimination model according to eye movement. First, multiple eye-tracking experiments are designed to obtain eye images. Second, pupil characteristics, including position and size, are extracted, and the feature vectors of eye movement are obtained from the normalized pupil information. Based on a long short-term memory (LSTM) network, a classifier that corresponds to each feature, which is referred to as a weak classifier, is built. The experimental samples are preclassified, and the classification ability of each weak classifier for different diseases is also calculated. Last, a strong classifier is achieved for disease discrimination by synthesizing all the weak classifiers and their classification abilities. By classification testing for three categories of healthy controls, brain injury patients and vertigo patients, the experimental results demonstrated the efficiency of this method. With the deep learning method, more medical information can be excavated from eye movement to improve the values in disease diagnosis.

Abstract Despite advances in surgical technique, postoperative hemorrhage remains a common cause of mortality and morbidity for patients following tonsillectomy. Application of biomaterials at the time of tonsillectomy can potentially accelerate mucosal wound healing and eliminate the risk of post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage (PTH). To understand the current state and identify possible routes for the development of the ideal biomaterials to prevent PTH, topical biomaterials for eliminating the risk of PTH were reviewed. Alternative topical biomaterials that hold the potential to reduce the risk of PTH were also summarized.

Decellularized tracheal scaffolds offer a potential solution for the repair of long-segment tracheal defects. However, complete decellularization of trachea is complicated by tracheal collapse. We created a partially decellularized tracheal scaffold (DTS) and characterized regeneration in a mouse model of tracheal transplantation. All cell populations except chondrocytes were eliminated from DTS. DTS maintained graft integrity as well as its predominant extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. We then assessed the performance of DTS in vivo. Grafts formed a functional epithelium by study endpoint (28 days). While initial chondrocyte viability was low, this was found to improve in vivo . We then used atomic force microscopy to quantify micromechanical properties of DTS, demonstrating that orthotopic implantation and graft regeneration lead to the restoration of native tracheal rigidity. We conclude that DTS preserves the cartilage ECM, supports neo-epithelialization, endothelialization and chondrocyte viability, and can serve as a potential solution for long-segment tracheal defects.

Medical research shows that eye movement disorders are related to many kinds of neurological diseases. Eye movement characteristics can be used as biomarkers of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), schizophrenia, and other diseases. However, due to the unknown medical mechanism of some diseases, it is difficult to establish an intuitive correspondence between eye movement characteristics and diseases. In this paper, we propose a disease classification method based on decision tree and random forest (RF). First, a variety of experimental schemes are designed to obtain eye movement images, and information such as pupil position and area is extracted as original features. Second, with the original features as training samples, the long short-term memory (LSTM) network is used to build classifiers, and the classification results of the samples are regarded as the evolutionary features. After that, multiple decision trees are built according to the C4.5 rules based on the evolutionary features. Finally, a RF is constructed with these decision trees, and the results of disease classification are determined by voting. Experiments show that the RF method has good robustness and its classification accuracy is significantly better than the performance of previous classifiers. This study shows that the application of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the pathological analysis of eye movement has obvious advantages and good prospects.

Adoptive cell transfer of Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T cells showed promising results in patients with B cell malignancies. However, the detailed mechanism of CAR-T cell interaction with the target tumor cells is still not well understood. This work provides a systematic method for analyzing the activation and degranulation of second-generation CAR-T cells utilizing antigen-presenting cell surfaces. Antigen-presenting cell surfaces composed of circular micropatterns of CAR-specific anti-idiotype antibodies have been developed to mimic the interaction of CAR-T cells with target tumor cells using micro-contact printing. The levels of activation and degranulation of fixed non-transduced T cells (NT), CD19.CAR-T cells, and GD2.CAR-T cells on the antigen-presenting cell surfaces were quantified and compared by measuring the intensity of the CD3ζ chain phosphorylation and the Lysosome-Associated Membrane Protein 1 (LAMP-1), respectively. The size and morphology of the cells were also measured. The intracellular Ca2+ flux of NT and CAR-T cells upon engagement with the antigen-presenting cell surface was reported. Results suggest that NT and CD19.CAR-T cells have comparable activation levels, while NT have higher degranulation levels than CD19.CAR-T cells and GD2.CAR-T cells. The findings show that antigen-presenting cell surfaces allow a quantitative analysis of the molecules involved in synapse formation in different CAR-T cells in a systematic, reproducible manner.

Organophosphates (OPs) induce acute and chronic neurotoxicity, primarily by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity as well as by necrosis, and apoptosis. Butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), an exogenous bioscavenger of OPs, can be used as a treatment for OP exposure. It is prerequisite to develop in vitro brain models that can study BuChE post-treatment for acute OP exposure. In this study, we developed a three-dimensional (3D) brain-on-chip platform with human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons and astrocytes to simulate human brain behavior. The platform consists of two compartments: 1) a hydrogel embedded with human iPSC-derived GABAergic neurons and astrocytes and 2) a perfusion channel with dynamic medium flow. The brain tissue constructs were exposed to Malathion (MT) at various concentrations and then treated with BuChE after 20 minutes of MT exposure. Results show that the iPSC-derived neurons and astrocytes directly interacted and formed synapses in the 3D matrix, and that treatment with BuChE improved viability after MT exposure up to a concentration of 10-3 M. We conclude that the 3D brain-on-chip platform with human iPSC-derived brain cells is a suitable model to study the neurotoxicity of OP exposure and evaluate therapeutic compounds for treatment.

Icariin is a main component of the Chinese medicinal plant Epimedium brevicornu Maxim, exhibits potent activity against inflammatory diseases. Our previous data demonstrated the valid bioactivity of icariin on mitigating rodent asthma. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway were involved in the pathogenesis of asthma. However, it remains poorly defined that whether icariin could inhibit ER stress and NF-κB mediated apoptosis in asthma and further influence the central neural system. Herein, we investigated the effects of icariin on primary cultured fetal rat hippocampal neurons and OVALPS-OVA induced asthma rat model. Asthma rat models were established by ovalbumin (OVA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) intraperitoneal injection and OVA inhalational challenge. Airway resistance was analyzed to evaluate lung function after last challenge and pathological changes were detected on lung tissues. Assessment of inflammatory cells counts in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) were performed and ELISA was used to determine levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-6, and interferon-γ in serum. Protein expression of BiP and IRE-1α, XBP-1s and phosphorylation-IκBα (p-IκBα), IκBα, and p65 as well as cytochrome c, caspase-3 (cleaved caspase-3), and caspase-9 (cleaved caspase-9) were tested by Western blot. We found that icariin could remarkably improve pulmonary function and reduce inflammatory cells in the lung, levels of inflammatory cytokines, and ER stress related proteins as well as NF-κB were prominently suppressed by icariin. Our results suggested that icariin had an inhibitory effect on airway inflammation and neuroprotective effect on ER stress and NF-κB mediated apoptosis in asthma rats and cultured fetal rat hippocampal neurons, which may provide new mechanistic insights into the asthma prevention and treatment of icariin.

Synthetic scaffolds for the repair of long-segment tracheal defects are hindered by insufficient biocompatibility and poor graft epithelialization. In this study, we determined if extracellular matrix (ECM) coatings improved the biocompatibility and epithelialization of synthetic tracheal grafts (syn-TG). Porcine and human ECM substrates (pECM and hECM) were created through the decellularization and lyophilization of lung tissue. Four concentrations of pECM and hECM coatings on syn-TG were characterized for their effects on scaffold morphologies and on in vitro cell viability and growth. Uncoated and ECM-coated syn-TG were subsequently evaluated in vivo through the orthotopic implantation of segmental grafts or patches. These studies demonstrated that ECM coatings were not cytotoxic and, enhanced the in vitro cell viability and growth on syn-TG in a dose-dependent manner. Mass spectrometry demonstrated that fibrillin, collagen, laminin, and nephronectin were the predominant ECM components transferred onto scaffolds. The in vivo results exhibited similar robust epithelialization of uncoated and coated syn-TG patches; however, the epithelialization remained poor with either uncoated or coated scaffolds in the segmental replacement models. Overall, these findings demonstrated that ECM coatings improve the seeded cell biocompatibility of synthetic scaffolds in vitro; however, they do not improve graft epithelialization in vivo.

Collagen is the most abundant airway extracellular matrix component and is the primary determinant of mechanical airway properties. Abnormal airway collagen deposition is associated with the pathogenesis and progression of airway disease. Thus, understanding how collagen affects healthy airway tissue mechanics is essential. The impact of abnormal collagen deposition and tissue stiffness has been an area of interest in pulmonary diseases such as cystic fibrosis, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In this review, we discuss (1) the role of collagen in airway mechanics, (2) macro- and micro-scale approaches to quantify airway mechanics, and (3) pathologic changes associated with collagen deposition in airway diseases. These studies provide important insights into the role of collagen in airway mechanics. We summarize their achievements and seek to provide biomechanical clues for targeted therapies and regenerative medicine to treat airway pathology and address airway defects.

We investigated a potential use of a 3D tetraculture brain microphysiological system (BMPS) for neurotoxic chemical agent screening. This platform consists of neuronal tissue with extracellular matrix (ECM)-embedded neuroblastoma cells, microglia, and astrocytes, and vascular tissue with dynamic flow and membrane-free culture of the endothelial layer. We tested the broader applicability of this model, focusing on organophosphates (OPs) Malathion (MT), Parathion (PT), and Chlorpyrifos (CPF), and chemicals that interact with GABA and/or opioid receptor systems, including Muscimol (MUS), Dextromethorphan (DXM), and Ethanol (EtOH). We validated the BMPS platform by measuring the neurotoxic effects on barrier integrity, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition, viability, and residual OP concentration. The results show that OPs penetrated the model blood brain barrier (BBB) and inhibited AChE activity. DXM, MUS, and EtOH also penetrated the BBB and induced moderate toxicity. The results correlate well with available in vivo data. In addition, simulation results from an in silico physiologically-based pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PBPK/PD) model that we generated show good agreement with in vivo and in vitro data. In conclusion, this paper demonstrates the potential utility of a membrane-free tetraculture BMPS that can recapitulate brain complexity as a cost-effective alternative to animal models.

Polymeric coatings can provide temporary stability to bioresorbable metallic stents at the initial stage of deployment by alleviating rapid degradation and providing better interaction with surrounding vasculature. To understand this interfacing biocompatibility, this study explored the endothelial-cytocompatibility of polymer-coated magnesium (Mg) alloys under static and dynamic conditions compared to that of non-coated Mg alloy surfaces. Poly (carbonate urethane) urea (PCUU) and poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) were coated on Mg alloys (WE43, AZ31, ZWEKL, ZWEKC) and 316L stainless steel (316L SS, control sample), which were embedded into a microfluidic device to simulate a vascular environment with dynamic flow. The results from attachment and viability tests showed that more cells were attached on the polymer-coated Mg alloys than on non-coated Mg alloys in both static and dynamic conditions. In particular, the attachment and viability on PCUU-coated surfaces were significantly higher than that of PLGA-coated surfaces of WE43 and ZWEKC in both static and dynamic conditions, and of AZ31 in dynamic conditions (P

Magnesium (Mg)-based stents are extensively explored to alleviate atherosclerosis due to their biodegradability and relative hemocompatibility. To ensure the quality, safety and cost-efficacy of bioresorbable scaffolds and full utilization of the material tunability afforded by alloying, it is critical to access degradability and thrombosis potential of Mg-based alloys using improved in vitro models that mimic as closely as possible the in vivo microenvironment. In this study, we investigated biodegradation and initial thrombogenic behavior of Mg-based alloys at the interface between Mg alloys' surface and simulated physiological environment using a microfluidic system. The degradation properties of Mg-based alloys WE43, AZ31, ZWEK-L, and ZWEK-C were evaluated in complete culture medium and their thrombosis potentials in platelet rich plasma, respectively. The results show that 1) physiological shear stress increased the corrosion rate and decreased platelets adhesion rate as compared to static immersion; 2) secondary phases and impurities in material composition induced galvanic corrosion, resulting in higher corrosion resistance and platelet adhesion rate; 3) Mg-based alloys with higher corrosion rate showed higher platelets adhesion rate. We conclude that a microfluidic-based in vitro system allows evaluation of biodegradation behaviors and platelets responses of Mg-based alloys under specific shear stress, and degradability is related to platelets adhesion.

Adequate brain iron levels are essential for enzyme activities, myelination, and neurotransmitter synthesis in the brain. Although systemic iron deficiency has been found in genetically or dietary-induced obese subjects, the effects of obesity-associated iron dysregulation in brain regions have not been examined. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of dietary fat and iron interaction on brain regional iron contents and regional-associated behavior patterns in a mouse model. Thirty C57BL/6J male weanling mice were randomly assigned to six dietary treatment groups (n=5) with varying fat (control/high) and iron (control/high/low) contents. The stereotypical behaviors were measured during the 24th week. Blood, liver, and brain tissues were collected at the end of the 24th week. Brains were dissected into the hippocampus, midbrain, striatum, and thalamus regions. Iron contents and ferritin-H (FtH) protein and mRNA expressions in these regions were measured. Correlations between stereotypical behaviors and brain regional iron contents were analyzed at the 5% significance level. Results showed that high-fat diet altered the stereotypical behaviors such as inactivity and total distance traveled (P

Degradation rate is an important property to evaluate bioabsorbable metallic material; however, values vary depending on the method of measurement. In this study, three different methods of measuring corrosion rate are compared. The degradable samples to analyze corrosion rates include pure magnesium (Mg), lab produced Mg–Zn–Ca alloy (47-7-2), Mg–Zn–Zr–RE (rare earth) alloys (60-13, 60-14), Mg–Zn–Ca–RE alloy (59B), and pure zinc (Zn). A eudiometer was used to measure hydrogen evolution from the reaction of degradable alloys in Hank’s Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS). Corrosion rates based on volume loss of tested alloys in 30 days were calculated using Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). Final mass change due to corrosion and corrosion removal was measured with a scale. We observed that the corrosion rates indicated by hydrogen evolution were high initially, and slowed down sharply in the following measurements. The corrosion rates of tested alloys calculated by volume loss and mass loss from high to low are: 60–13 ≈ 60–14 ≈ 47–7–2 > 59B > Mg > Zn (p < 0.05). The results provide instruction to experimental methodology to measure corrosion rates of degradable alloys.

The biocompatibility of Magnesium-based materials (MBMs) is critical to the safety of biodegradable medical devices. As a promising metallic biomaterial for medical devices, the issue of greatest concern is devices’ safety as degrading products are possibly interacting with local tissue during complete degradation. The aim of this review is to summarize the biological responses to MBMs at the cellular/molecular level, including cell adhesion, transportation signaling, immune response, and tissue growth during the complex degradation process. We review the influence of MBMs on gene/protein biosynthesis and expression at the site of implantation, as well as throughout the body. This paper provides a systematic review of the cellular/molecular behavior of local tissue on the response to Mg degradation, which may facilitate a better prediction of long-term degradation and the safe use of magnesium-based implants through metal innovation.