OBJECTIVETo study the overexpression of Sox9 gene on rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells for repairing articular cartilage injury in vivo.

METHODSRabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were transduced with lentivirus vector containing Sox9 gene and then cartilage specific molecule was detected by RT-PCR in vitro. Total 48 knee joints of 24 mature New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups according to different defect treatment. After animals anesthesia,a full-thickness cylindrical cartilage defect of 4 mm diameter and 3 mm deep was created in the patellar groove using a stainlesssteel punch. Meanwhile, the transfected cells were implanted to repair the rabbit model with full-thickness cartilage defects. Cartilage defects tissue was observed with light microscope, electron microscope, HE and immunohistochemistry staining to assess the repair of defects by the complex at 6 weeks or 12 weeks after the implantation.

RESULTSAt 3 days after the transfection, Sox9 gene expression was highest and Sox9 gene expression decreased with the increase of time. At 3 days after the transfection, the expression of collagen type II began and reached the peak at 14 days. It showed that the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells went into chondrogenic differentiation after transfected by Sox9 gene. Histological observation showed that at 6 weeks after the operation, the defects in the experimental group was filled with hyaline like cartilage tissue, 12 weeks after operation,the defects of cartilage and subchondral bone had satisfactory healing. Both at 6 and 12 weeks postoperatively, the defects were filled with fibrous tissues in control groups. Meanwhile, immunohistochemical staining of sections with type II collagen antibodies showed the proteins in the regenerated tissue stained positive for type II collagen and stronger than the control groups. The histological scoring system indicated that the cartilage repair of experiment groups were better than the two control groups with statistical significances.

CONCLUSIONOverexpression of Sox9 gene on rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) promote the repair of cartilage defect.

Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; metabolism ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; Cartilage, Articular ; injuries ; metabolism ; Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy ; Female ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Lentivirus ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; metabolism ; Osteoarthritis ; genetics ; metabolism ; therapy ; Rabbits ; SOX9 Transcription Factor ; genetics ; metabolism ; Tissue Engineering

For in vitro studies, both CD34+ selected cell and mononuclear cell (MNC) can be used to expand hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. To investigate the expansion characteristics of mononuclear cells (MNC) and CD34+ selected cells the two cell fractions were cultured in the medium containing cytokine cocktails of SCF + IL-3 + IL-6 + FL + Tpo. It was found that the CD34+ selected cells had presented a high proliferation potential. The expansion of CD34+ selected cells could be maintained for 8 weeks while that of MNCs declined after 4 weeks. During the culture period, the maximum expansion of total cells in CD34+ selected cell culture achieved 31,270.9 +/- 8640.5 times, while that of MNC reached 50.9 +/- 8.2 times only. In the culture of MNCs, the colony density and the proportion of CD34+ cells increased from day 0 to day 7. However, in the culture of CD34+ selected cells, both the colony density and the proportion of CD34+ cells declined continuously during the whole culture period. During the ex vivo culture of CD34+ selected cells, the maximum expansion of CFU-GM and CD34+ cells achieved 185.7 +/- 14.1 fold and 191.7 +/- 188.8 fold, respectively. They are much higher than that of MNC, which were 12.4 +/- 3.2 fold and 50.6 +/- 33.2 fold only. While the BFU-E of both cell fractions only expanded by few times, which were 7.2 +/- 5.2 and 10.1 +/- 3.4 times, respectively. The results showed that the CD34+ selected cells culture could obtain more CFU-GM cells and CD34+ cells during the whole culture period.
Antigens, CD34 ; analysis ; Cell Count ; Cell Separation ; Cells, Cultured ; Fetal Blood ; cytology ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; physiology ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; cytology

Stirred culture offers a number of advantages over static systems as it maintains a stable, homogeneous culture environment and is easy to scale-up. This paper focused on the development and application of stirred tank bioreactor to culture hematopoietic cells. Preliminary study of stirred culture of hematopoietic cells was carried out in cord blood mononuclear cells culture in spinner flask. The results showed that the amplification rates of total cell, CFU-GM and BFU-E, with the exception of CFU-Mk, were greater in spinner flask than T-flask. The number of total cells increased 20 fold after 14 days incubation in spinner flask. The amplification rates of CFU-GM, CFU-Mk and BFU-E reached maximum at 10th day, 10th day and 7th day respectively, and the maximal amplification rates were 9.2-fold, 5.5-fold and 2.4-fold respectively, whereas the rate of CD34+ cells in spinner flask was (6.7 +/- 4.0)-fold at day 10. These results indicated that the stirred culture system is better than the static culture systems for hematopoietic cell proliferation. The biocompatibility of cord blood MNC to different types of materials used in bioreactors was also tested. The results showed that glass, stainless steel 316L and polytetraflouroethylene (PTFE) supported the growth of hematopoietic cells well. A higher cell density was reached in stirred bioreactors with controlled pH and DO than static culture. These findings suggested that the controlled large-scale culture could be used to overcome the clinical shortage of hematopoietic cells.
Antigens, CD34 ; metabolism ; Bioreactors ; Cell Culture Techniques ; instrumentation ; methods ; Erythroid Precursor Cells ; cytology ; Fetal Blood ; cytology ; Granulocyte-Macrophage Progenitor Cells ; cytology ; Humans ; Polytetrafluoroethylene ; Stainless Steel

Clinical evidence of hematopoietic restoration with umbilical cord blood (UCB) grafts indicates the UCB can be a useful source of hematopoietic stem cells for routine bone marrow reconstitution. Considering (10 +/- 5) x 10(8) nucleared cells per cord blood unit, there is a potential limitation for the use of cord blood in adults, which, however, can be overcome by ex vivo expansion of cells. A prerequisite for expansion is the significantly higher recovery of MNC, CD34+ cells and colony-forming cells (CFC) by thawing cryopreserved MNC. Cooling rate always acts as a critical factor that can affect the recovery of cells. Although the rate of - 1 degrees C/min is adopted in most of the cryopreservations, no data has been reported about the detailed effects of different cooling rates. The aim of the study was to reveal the different effects of cooling rates on cryopreservation of hematopoietic stem cells from cord blood. UCB samples were collected, and cryopreserved as mononuclear cells (MNC) with different cooling rates of - 0.5 degrees C/min, - 1 degrees C/min, - 5 degrees C/min, and the recovery and viability of MNC and CD34+ cells, the clonogenic capacity and the ex vivo expansion potential of UCB progenitor cells were evaluated after thawing. With - 1 degrees C/min cooling rate, the recovery of MNC reached 93.3% +/- 1.8% , viability 95.0% +/- 3.9% , recovery of CD34+ cells 80.0% +/- 17.9% , and clonogenic recovery were 87.1% +/- 5.5%, 88.5% +/- 8.9%, 86.2% +/- 7.4% for BFU-E CFU-GM CFU-MK, respectively. After 14 days of liquid culture, no significant difference was detected in CFC expansion between fresh and cryopreserved MNC cells with - 1 degrees C/min cooling rate, but this was not the case with - 0.5 degreesC/min and - 5 degrees C/min. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that controlling the rate at - 1 degrees C/min is more suitable for cryopreservation of hematopoietic stem cells than - 0.5 degrees C/min and - 5 degrees C/min.
Cell Survival ; physiology ; Cells, Cultured ; Cryopreservation ; methods ; Erythroid Precursor Cells ; cytology ; Fetal Blood ; cytology ; Flow Cytometry ; Granulocyte-Macrophage Progenitor Cells ; cytology ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; cytology ; Humans

OBJECTIVETo explore the ex vivo expansion characteristics of selected CD(34)(+) cells and mononuclear cells (MNC).

METHODSCD(34)(+) cells were isolated from umbilical cord blood MNC by MiniMACS system, expanded under the same conditions as that for MNC. The effects of re-isolation and the MNC supernatant (MNC-SN) on the selected CD(34)(+) cells were investigated. And the CD(34)(-) cells of MNC were cultured ex vivo.

RESULTSIn the culture of selected CD(34)(+) cells, both the colony density and the proportion of the CD(34)(+) cells declined continuously with the culturing, although they presented a high proliferation potential. However, in the culture of the MNC, from day 0 to day 7, the colony density and the proportion of CD(34)(+) cells were increased from 412 +/- 167/10(5) cells and (1.12 +/- 0.42)% to 1 162 +/- 566/10(5) cells and (4.17 +/- 1.44)%, respectively. It was found that both the total cells and the CD(34)(+) cells restored expansion potential by re-isolating. CD(34)(-) cells of MNC had the ability to form colony and could transform to CD(34)(+) cells. MNC-SN can promote colony forming ability and lead to CD(34)(+) cells differentiation at the same time.

CONCLUSIONSIn ex vivo culture, selected CD(34)(+) cells presented a high proliferation and differentiation potentials, and the CD(34)(-) cells produced during the cultivation had inhibition effect on CD(34)(+) cells expansion. CD(34)(-) cell population from cord blood MNC contained hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells and the cytokines secreted by CD(34)(-) cells could induce CD(34)(+) cells to more mature colony-forming cells.

Antigens, CD34 ; analysis ; Cell Count ; Cell Differentiation ; immunology ; Cell Division ; immunology ; Cells, Cultured ; Colony-Forming Units Assay ; Fetal Blood ; cytology ; immunology ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; cytology ; Humans ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; cytology ; Time Factors

In order to clarify the chemical constituents of Si-Wu Decoction rapidly and holistically, we analyzed the ethanol extract of Si-Wu Decoction by UPLC/Q-TOF-MSE and UNIFI which based on traditional Chinese medicine database, the probable structures of 113 compounds were identified. The results show that this method can rapidly and effectively characterize the chemical compounds of Si-Wu Decoction and provide a new solution for identification of components from complex TCM extract.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Databases, Pharmaceutical ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Objective: To observe the effects of manganese( Ⅲ ) meso-tetrakis (N, N'-diethylimidazolium-2-yl) porphyrin (MnTDM) in treatment of early Parkinson's disease(PD) mouse model induced by subcutaneous injection of 1-methyl-4-phenyl1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine(MPTP) and to discuss its possible mechanism. Methods:Forty male C57BL/6 mice were evenly randomized into 4 groups: MPTP model group(subcutaneous injection of 25 mg/kg MPTP for 3 days), MnTDM+ MPTP group (15 mg/kg MnTDM was subcutaneously injected 1 h before MPTP injection), MnTDM control group, and normal saline group. Performance of animals in the pole and swimming test was observed 3 days after the last injection. Levels of dopamine (DA) and its metabolites(3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid [DOPAC] and homovanillic acid [HVA]) in the striatum of animals were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography with an electrochemical detector(HPLC-ECD). Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) method was used to examine the levels of malondialdehyde(MDA). Results: Acute injection of MPTP could be used for establishment of PD model. The striatal levels of DA, DOPAC and HVA in MPTP group were significantly lower(P＜0.01)and the striatal level of MDA was significantly higher(P＜0.05) than those of the control group. MPTP had no obvious effect on the behavioral performance of the animals in a short term. MnTDM could partly inhibit the above effects of MPTP. Compared with MPTP group, MnTDM+ MPTP group had significantly higher DA, DOPAC, and HVA levels and significantly lower MDA level(all P＜0.05). There was no significant difference in the behavioral indices of animals between the 4 groups. Conclusion:MnTDM can inhibit lipid peroxidation and promote DA production; it has preventive and therapeutic effects on MPTP induced PD.

As one of the most important laboratory tools for the research of quantum chemistry and astrochemistry, a microwave spectrometer can make accurate measurement of molecular spectra arising from rotational transitions. Fourier transform microwave (FTMW) spectrometers, in many cases, require down-conversion mixing plans by using mixers to bring the molecular signal down for A/D sampling, and multiple signal averaging to improve the signal/noise ratio as well. Two detection schemes, homodyne and heterodyne detection modes,were proposed in this project along with two data processing plans, averaging in the time domain and averaging in the frequency domain,to develop efficient,sensitive and accurate detection solutions for molecular rotational spectroscopy. With 0. 5% OCS gas in argon as standard sample, verification experiment was conducted with frequency difference between LO and cavity resonance at 200 MHz and 0.4 MHz. The experimental results indicate that, the heterodyne detection method can provide better sensitivity than the homodyne scheme, but with increased cost for more devices, while the time-domain averaging can obtain much better signal-to-noise ratio than frequency-domain averaging,but with stronger data processing capacity and more time required.

OBJECTIVETo construct one lentiviral vector containing mouse SRY-related silencing group--box gene 9 (SOX9) and to transfect murine bone mesenehymal stem cells (mBMSCs) in vitro and observe the expression of target gene.

METHODSRNA inteference target sequence was designed in connectin with mice SOX9 gene sequence. The double strands DNAoligo containing interference sequence were synthesized and cloned into lentivirus vector. The siRNA lentiviral vector with SOX9 gene silencing was constructed and identified, which was transfected into rat bone mesenehymal stem cells. The expression of target gene was detected by immunofluorescence, RT-PCR and Western blot.

RESULTSLenti-SOX9-siRNA-EGFP was recombined successfully and transduced efficiently into mBMSCs. The expression of SOX9 gene silencing was confirmed by RT-PCR and Western blot.

CONCLUSIONMouse SOX9 gene silencing by RNA interference and Lentiviral vector can transfected successfully into mBMSCs. Meanwhile,SOX9 gene may be silenced in SOX9 transduced mBMSCs. This will provide target cells for the following study about SOX9 gene respairing cartilage injury.

Animals ; Female ; Gene Expression ; Gene Silencing ; Genetic Therapy ; Genetic Vectors ; Lentivirus ; genetics ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; metabolism ; Mice ; SOX9 Transcription Factor ; genetics ; Transduction, Genetic

Hard capsules of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) have different degrees of hygroscopicity, which affects the stability and efficacy of drugs. In this paper, 30 kinds of commercially available TCM capsules were used as the research object. The hygroscopicity curves of capsule contents, capsule shells, and capsules were tested respectively, and the first-order kinetic equation was used for fitting. The results show that during the 24 h hygroscopicity process, the capsule shell can reduce the weight gain caused by the hygroscopicity of the contents by 0.80%-53.0% and the hygroscopicity rate of the capsule contents by 1.74%-91.3%, indicating that the capsule shell has a strong delay effect on the hygroscopicity of the contents of the TCM capsules. Seven physical parameters of the contents of 30 kinds of TCM capsules were determined, and 14 prescription process-related parameters were sorted out. A partial least squares model for predicting the hygroscopicity rate of the contents of TCM capsules(with shell) for 24 h was established. It is found that the hygroscopicity rate of the capsule shell is positively correlated with the hygroscopicity of the contents of TCM capsules(with shell), suggesting that the capsule shell with a low hygroscopicity rate is helpful for moisture prevention. In addition, the pre-treatment process route of the preparation and the type of molding raw materials affect the hygroscopicity. A larger proportion of the extract in the capsule content and a smaller proportion of the fine powder of the decoction pieces indicate stronger hygroscopicity of the capsule content. The 24 h hygroscopicity rate of 15% was used as the classification node of hygroscopicity strength, and the hygroscopicity rate constant of 0.58 was used as the classification node of hygroscopicity speed. The classification system of hygroscopicity behaviors of TCM capsules was established: the varieties with strong and fast hygroscopicity accounted for about 6.67%, while those with strong and slow hygroscopicity accounted for about 33.3%; the varieties with weak and fast hygroscopicity accounted for about 26.7%, while those with weak and slow hygroscopicity accounted for about 33.3%. The classification system is helpful to quantify and compare the hygroscopicity behavior of different TCM capsules and provides a reference for the quality improvement, moisture prevention technologies, and material research of TCM capsules.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Wettability ; Capsules ; Powders ; Technology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal