Objective:Through TTC staining, immunohistochemical analysis, RT-PCR and hind limb motor function evaluation and other experimental methods, to explore the regulatory mechanism of metformin on anti-apoptosis in rats with spinal cord injury (SCI).Methods:Establish a rat spinal cord injury model. Through Basso-Beattie -Bresnahan locomotor rating scale (BBB) and cant test to evaluate the recovery of hindlimb motor function in rats. The changes of necrotic area of spinal cord tissue were compared by TTC staining. Extraction of rat spinal cord tissue, by Dot blot analysis and immunohistochemical detection of the hydroxyl of DNA methylation level. By qPCR, Western Blot detection TET2mRNA and protein expression level, and the changes in the scope of spinal cord injury were detected by inhibiting the expression of TET2. The interaction between TET2 and Foxo3a was detected by immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation. Through RT-PCR assay Foxo3a downstream related changes in the level of gene expression.Results:Compared with the SCI+NS group, the necrotic area of the spinal cord tissue was reduced after metformin treatment, and the BBB score and the incline test score were higher ( P<0.05). At the same time, we found that the levels of TET2mRNA and protein increased significantly after SCI at 24 h, and the 5-hmC level of DNA increased. The levels of TET2mRNA and protein and 5-hmC increased further after the use of metformin. After using SC-1, compared with the SCI+MET group, the level of 5-hmC decreased and the area of infarction increased. After SCI, the mRNA levels of downstream genes Bim, P27kip, Bax increased significantly. After metformin treatment, the mRNA levels of Bim and Bax were lower than those in the SCI+NS group ( P<0.05). After SCI, the 5-hmC levels of downstream genes Bim, P27kip, Bax increased significantly. After metformin treatment, the 5-hmC levels of Bim and Bax were lower than those in the SCI+NS group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Metformin can promote the interaction between TET2 and Foxo3a, increase the 5-hmC level of the overall DNA, and inhibit the activation of related apoptosis genes, thereby improving tissue damage and nerve function recovery after spinal cord injury.

AIM: To explore the potential mechanism of action of Pingxiao capsule in the treatment of breast cancer. METHODS: TCMSP, TCM-ID, GeneCards and other databases were used to screen the related targets of Pingxiao capsule and breast can-

Objective : To explore the mechanism of Prunella vulgaris and Scutellaria barbata herb pair against breast cancer based on network pharmacology and in vitro cell experiments． Methods : The effective components and targets of Prunella vulgaris and Scutellaria barbata herb pair were screened．GeneCards and OMIM databases were used to find breast cancer targets，and then drug-active ingredient-key target network and protein-protein inter- action (PPI) were constructed. R language was used to perform GO function and KEGG pathway enrichment analy- sis and survival analysis．Then the screened active components and core targets were verified by molecular docking. Cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay．EdU and flow cytometry were used to detect cell proliferation and apop- tosis．The protein expression levels of p-AKT1，AKT1，β-catenin and c-MYC were detected by Western blot. Results : Through databases analysis，a total of 36 active components and 105 intersection targets were screened out，the core components were quercetin，luteolin，kaempferol，wogonin and baicalein．Through PPI and survival analysis，the key targets were AKT1，ESR1，CASP3 and MYC．GO analysis contained 4 303 enrichment results，KEGG analysis contained 232 pathways．Molecular docking showed that the core components had strong binding ability with the key targets．Cell experiments showed that the core active ingredient quercetin could inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cells and promote their apoptosis (P＜0. 05) ，and down-regulate the expression levels of p-AKT1，β-catenin and c-MYC proteins (P＜0. 05) ． Conclusion The active components quercetin in Prunella vulgaris and Scutel- laria barbata herb pair may play a role through AKT1 / β-catenin signaling pathway，which provides a scientific refer- ence for the study of its mechanism of action in the treatment of breast cancer.

Platelet-enriched plasma (PRP) contains high concentration of platelets and abundant growth factors, which is made by centrifuging of blood and separating of blood elements. PRP promotes tendon repair by releasing various cytokines to enhance cell proliferation, tenogenic differentiation, formation and secretion of matrix; meantime, it can reduce pain by inhibiting the expression of pain-associated molecules. A number of clinical studies demonstrated that PRP was effective in treatment of tendinopathy, including patellar tendinopathy, lateral epicondylitis and plantar fasciopathy. However, some studies did not support this conclusion, because of disparity of PRP types, therapeutic courses and injections protocols in clinical application. Based on its safety, PRP can be a choice of treatment for tendinopathy, in case other non-surgical therapies are of no effect.
Blood Platelets ; cytology ; Cytokines ; metabolism ; Humans ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; metabolism ; Platelet-Rich Plasma ; Tendinopathy ; therapy

Tendon/ligament injury is one of the most common impairments in sports medicine. The traditional treatments of damaged tissue repair are unsatisfactory, especially for athletes, due to lack of donor and immune rejection. The strategy of tissue engineering may break through these limitations, and bring new hopes to tendon/ligament repair, even regeneration. Silk is a kind of natural biomaterials, which has good biocompatibility, wide range of mechanical properties and tunable physical structures; so it could be applied as tendon/ligament tissue engineering scaffolds. The silk-based scaffold has robust mechanical properties; combined with other biological ingredients, it could increase the surface area, promote more cell adhesion and improve the biocompatibility. The potential clinical application of silk-based scaffold has been confirmed by in vivo studies on tendon/ligament repairing, such as anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament, achilles tendon and rotator cuff. To develop novel biomechanically stable and host integrated tissue engineered tendon/ligament needs more further micro and macro studies, combined with product development and clinical application, which will give new hope to patients with tendon/ligament injury.
Biocompatible Materials ; Humans ; Ligaments ; growth & development ; Regeneration ; Silk ; chemistry ; Tendons ; growth & development ; Tissue Engineering ; Tissue Scaffolds ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of three-dimensional parallel collagen scaffold on the cell shape, arrangement and extracellular matrix formation of tendon stem cells.

METHODSParallel collagen scaffold was fabricated by unidirectional freezing technique, while random collagen scaffold was fabricated by freeze-drying technique. The effects of two scaffolds on cell shape and extracellular matrix formation were investigated in vitro by seeding tendon stem/progenitor cells and in vivo by ectopic implantation.

RESULTSParallel and random collagen scaffolds were produced successfully. Parallel collagen scaffold was more akin to tendon than random collagen scaffold. Tendon stem/progenitor cells were spindle-shaped and unified orientated in parallel collagen scaffold, while cells on random collagen scaffold had disorder orientation. Two weeks after ectopic implantation, cells had nearly the same orientation with the collagen substance. In parallel collagen scaffold, cells had parallel arrangement, and more spindly cells were observed. By contrast, cells in random collagen scaffold were disorder.

CONCLUSIONParallel collagen scaffold can induce cells to be in spindly and parallel arrangement, and promote parallel extracellular matrix formation; while random collagen scaffold can induce cells in random arrangement. The results indicate that parallel collagen scaffold is an ideal structure to promote tendon repairing.

Collagen ; chemistry ; Extracellular Matrix ; physiology ; Freeze Drying ; Freezing ; Humans ; Stem Cells ; cytology ; Tendons ; cytology ; growth & development ; Tissue Engineering ; Tissue Scaffolds ; chemistry