Excessive oxidative stress at the wound sites always leads to a prolonged healing and even causes chronic inflammatory wounds. Therefore, antioxidative dressings with multiple features are desired to ...improve wound healing performance. Herein, we fabricated a ROS-scavenging hybrid hydrogel by incorporating mussel-inspired fullerene nanocomposites (C60@PDA) into gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogel.
The developed C60@PDA/GelMA hydrogel showed a sustainable free radical scavenging ability, and eliminated ROS to protect cells against external oxidative stress damage. Besides, the hydrogel presented favorable cytocompatibility, hemocompatibility, and antibacterial ability in vitro. Furthermore, in a mouse full-thickness wound defect model, the in situ forming hybrid hydrogel accelerated wound closure by 38.5% and 42.9% on day 3 and day 7 over the control. Histological results demonstrated that hybrid hydrogels effectively enhanced wound healing on re-epithelialization, collagen deposition and angiogenesis.
Collectively, the C60@PDA/GelMA hydrogel could be a promising dressing for promoting cutaneous wound repair.
Induced molting (IM) can restore the laying rate of aged laying hens to the peak level of laying and rejuvenate ovarian function for the second laying cycle. To explore the mechanism of ovarian ...function remodeling during IM in laying hens, in this study, ninety 71-wk-old laying lady hens with 60% laying rate and uniform weight were selected for molting induction by fasting. Samples (serum and fresh ovarian tissue) were collected on the day before fasting (F0), the 3rd and 16th days of fasting (F3, F16), and the 6th, 15th, 32nd days of refeeding (R6, R15, and R32), and the number of follicles in each period was counted. Then, the reproductive hormone levels in serum and antioxidant levels in ovarian tissues were detected at different stages, and the gene expression of the KIT-PI3K-PTEN-AKT pathway and GDF-9 in ovaries was measured by qRT-PCR. The results showed that the laying rate increased rapidly after refeeding and returned to the prefasting level by R32. At F16 and R6, the number of mature follicles significantly decreased; the number of primary and secondary follicles significantly increased; the contents of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol (E2), and progesterone (P4) in serum decreased; the relative expression of KIT, PI3K, AKT, and GDF-9 significantly increased; and that of PTEN significantly decreased. At R15 and R32, except for GDF-9, which maintained a high expression state, other indicators showed opposing trends to those observed at F16 and R6. In conclusion, IM activated the KIT-PI3K-PTEN-AKT signaling pathway and promoted the activation of primordial follicles during the fasting period and early resumption of feeding; gonadotropin secretion increased gradually, which promoted the rapid development of primary and secondary follicles to mature follicles and ovulation. This study explained the mechanism of ovarian function remodeling in the process of IM and provided a theoretical basis for improving the ovarian function of laying hens and optimizing the IM program.
The necrosis of a distal area of random skin flap remains challenging. Muscone can increase blood flow and reduce ischemia-reperfusion injury, this study was undertaken to investigate the effects of ...muscone on random skin flap survival.
McFarlane flaps were established in 72 rats and divided into two groups. The test group received intraperitoneal injections of muscone (0.64 mg/kg/d); control rats received intraperitoneal injections of saline. The percentage flap survival area and tissue water content were measured after 7 days. Flap angiogenesis was assessed via lead oxide-gelatin angiography, hematoxylin and eosin staining, and immunohistochemistry and western blotting for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The extent of apoptosis was evaluated by immunohistochemistry for cleaved caspase 3 and western blotting for cleaved caspase 3, Bax, and Bcl2. Oxidative stress status was assessed by measuring the activity of tissue superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content.
Compared with controls, muscone-treated flaps displayed greater survival area lower tissue water content. Muscone increased skin flap angiogenesis and activated VEGF expression. SOD activity and MDA content indicated lower oxidative stress in muscone-treated flaps than controls, and western blotting and immunohistochemistry revealed significantly lower apoptosis.
Muscone have a positive effect to promote the survival of random skin flap.
Bacterial infection, complex wound microenvironment and persistent inflammation cause delayed wound healing and scar formation, thereby disrupting the normal function and appearance of skin tissue, ...which is one of the most problematic clinical issues. Although Ag NPs have a strong antibacterial effect, they tend to oxidize and form aggregates in aqueous solution, which reduces their antibacterial efficacy and increases their toxicity to tissues and organs. Current research on scar treatment is limited and mainly relies on growth factors and drugs to reduce inflammation and scar tissue formation. Therefore, there is a need to develop methods that effectively combine drug delivery, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory agents to modulate the wound microenvironment, promote wound healing, and prevent skin scarring. Herein, we developed an innovative Ag nanocomposite hydrogel (Ag NCH) by incorporating Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) into a matrix formed by linking catechol-modified hyaluronic acid (HA-CA) with 4-arm PEG-SH. The Ag NPs serve dual functions: they act as reservoirs for releasing Ag/Ag.sup.+ at the wound site to combat bacterial infections, and they also function as cross-linkers to ensure the sustained release of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). The potent antibacterial effect of the Ag NPs embedded in the hydrogel against S.aureus was validated through comprehensive in vitro and in vivo analyses. The microstructural analysis of the hydrogels and the in vitro release studies confirmed that the Ag NCH possesses smaller pore sizes and facilitates a slower, more sustained release of bFGF. When applied to acute and infected wound sites, the Ag NCH demonstrated remarkable capabilities in reshaping the immune and regenerative microenvironment. It induced a shift from M1 to M2 macrophage polarization, down-regulated the expression of pro-inflammatory factors such as IL-6 and TNF-alpha, and up-regulated the expression of anti-inflammatory IL-10. Furthermore, the Ag NCH played a crucial role in regulating collagen deposition and alignment, promoting the formation of mature blood vessels, and significantly enhancing tissue reconstruction and scarless wound healing processes. We think the designed Ag NCH can provide a promising therapeutic strategy for clinical applications in scarless wound healing and antibacterial therapy.
Seed germination is critical to the life history of plants, playing an important role in the successful recruitment, colonization, and even invasion of new individuals within and outside population ...distribution ranges. Cold stratification and temperature are the key factors affecting seed germination traits. Studying how these two factors drive geographical variation in seed germination is essential to analyze and predict the geographical distribution range of alien plants in novel habitats.
Spartina alterniflora
, native to the United States, was introduced into China in 1979 and has spread over 20° of latitude along the eastern coast of China. Germination plays a crucial role in
S. alterniflora
’s large-scale invasion and diffusion across latitude. To evaluate the effects of cold stratification and temperature on seed germination of
S. alterniflora
across latitude, we collected seeds at seven locations across latitude in China. We exposed these provenances to cold stratification at 4°C (0, 1, 3, and 5 months) and germination temperature (5°C, 15°C, 25°C, and 35°C) treatments in growth chambers. Seed germination was observed for 98 days, and we calculated germination rate, germination index, and germination time. Results indicated that longer cold stratification significantly promoted germination rate and germination index, but decreased germination time. Similarly, higher germination temperature significantly promoted germination rate and germination index, but decreased germination time. Moreover, there were significant interactive effects on germination traits between cold stratification and temperature. Seed germination traits showed linear relationships with latitude, indicating that
S
.
alterniflora
seeds from different provenances germinated at different times and adopted different germination strategies. The stratification and temperature are the most important factors regulating the dormancy and germination seeds, so they can be important drivers of this variation along latitude. Under scenarios of warmer regional temperature, seeds at higher latitudes could germinate earlier and have higher germination rate, which would favor a potential northern expansion of this invasive plant.
Salt stress is one of the major abiotic stresses that severely impact plant growth and development. In this study, we investigated the physiological and transcriptomic responses of Chinese cabbage ..."Qingmaye" to salt stress, a main variety in North China. Our results showed that the growth and photosynthesis of Chinese cabbage were significantly inhibited by salt treatment. However, as a glycophyte, Chinese cabbage could cope with high salinity; it could complete an entire life cycle at 100 mM NaCl. The high salt tolerance of Chinese cabbage was achieved by accumulating osmoprotectants and by maintaining higher activity of antioxidant enzymes. Transcriptomic responses were analyzed using the digital gene expression profiling (DGE) technique after 12 h of treatment by 200 mM NaCl. A total of 1235 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) including 740 up- and 495 down-regulated genes were identified. Functional annotation analyses showed that the DEGs were related to signal transduction, osmolyte synthesis, transcription factors, and antioxidant proteins. Taken together, this study contributes to our understanding of the mechanism of salt tolerance in Chinese cabbage and provides valuable information for further improvement of salt tolerance in Chinese cabbage breeding programs.
This paper presents a class of hydration monitor that uses ultrathin, stretchable sheets with arrays of embedded impedance sensors for precise measurement and spatially multiplexed mapping. The ...devices contain miniaturized capacitive electrodes arranged in a matrix format, capable of integration with skin in a conformal, intimate manner due to the overall skin-like physical properties. These "epidermal" systems noninvasively quantify regional variations in skin hydration, at uniform or variable skin depths. Experimental results demonstrate that the devices possess excellent uniformity, with favorable precision and accuracy. Theoretical models capture the underlying physics of the measurement and enable quantitative interpretation of the experimental results. These devices are appealing for applications ranging from skin care and dermatology, to cosmetology and health/wellness monitoring, with the additional potential for combined use with other classes of sensors for comprehensive, quantitative physiological assessment via the skin.
Microbial communities commonly consist of a large number of rare taxa (RT) and few abundant taxa (AT), and it is important to identify the differences of the community assembly processes between RT ...and AT in response to environmental changes. However, the community assembly processes governing AT and RT in coastal wetland soils along an inundation gradient remain elusive. Here, an
mesocosm, with continuous inundation gradients and native mangrove
or exotic cordgrass
, was established to determine the patterns and driving factors of community turnover and assembly processes of AT and RT. We found that RT exhibited a remarkably lower turnover rate than AT, and the niche breadth of RT was significantly narrower than that of AT. In comparison with AT, RT presented stronger phylogenetic signals for ecological preferences across environmental gradients. Null model analyses revealed that RT were more phylogenetically clustered and primarily governed by homogeneous selection, while AT were more overdispersed and dominated by dispersal limitation. Soil water content was the most decisive factor for community turnover and assembly processes of both AT and RT. Structural equation modeling analysis showed that RT were strongly associated with
biomass rather than
biomass, suggesting a strong relationship between RT and the growth of mangrove
Overall, our study revealed distinct assembly processes of soil AT and RT communities in coastal wetlands, which is crucial for mechanistic understanding of the establishment and maintenance of soil microbial diversity in coastal wetlands under conditions of global environmental changes.
Coastal wetlands are one of the important ecosystems that play a crucial role in the regulation of climate change. Rare taxa (RT) exist in one habitat along with abundant taxa (AT). In this study, we found that RT exhibited narrower niche breadth and stronger phylogenetic signals than AT. Null model analyses showed that RT were more phylogenetically clustered and primarily governed by homogeneous selection, while AT were more overdispersed and dominated by dispersal limitation. Revealing the differences in the community assembly processes between AT and RT in coastal wetlands is critical to understand the establishment and maintenance of soil microbial diversity in coastal wetlands with regard to environmental changes.
Soluble sugar and glucosinolate are essential components that determine the flavor of Chinese cabbage and consumer preferences. However, the underlying regulatory networks that modulate the ...biosynthesis of soluble sugar and glucosinolate in Chinese cabbage remain largely unknown.
The glucosinolate and carotene content in yellow inner-leaf Chinese cabbage were observed, followed by the combination of metabolome and transcriptome analysis to explore the metabolic basis of glucosinolate and soluble sugar.
This study observed high glucosinolate and carotene content in yellow inner-leaf Chinese cabbage, which showed a lower soluble sugar content. The differences between the yellow and the white inner-leaf Chinese cabbage were compared using the untargeted metabonomic and transcriptomic analyses in six cultivars of Chinese cabbage to explore the metabolic basis of glucosinolate and soluble sugar. Aliphatic glucosinolate and two soluble sugars (fructose and glucose) were the key metabolites that caused the difference in Chinese cabbage's glucosinolate and soluble sugar. By integrating soluble sugar and glucosinolate-associated metabolism and transcriptome data, we indicated
and
,
and
were the glucosinolates and soluble sugar biosynthesis structural genes. Moreover,
and
were two vital transcription factors that regulate soluble sugar and glucosinolate biosynthesis.
These findings provide novel insights into glucosinolate and soluble sugar biosynthesis and a possible explanation for the significant difference in nutrients between yellow and white inner-leaf Chinese cabbage. Moreover, it will facilitate genetic modification to improve the Chinese cabbage's nutritional and health values.
Restoration through planting is the dominant strategy to conserve mangrove ecosystems. However, many of the plantations fail to survive. Site and seeding selection matters for planting. Combined ...phenotypic analyses and next-generation sequencing, we found phenotypic discrepancies among individuals from different populations in the common garden and genetic differentiation among populations. The central population with abundant genetic diversity and high phenotypic plasticity had a wide plantable range. But its biomass was reduced after being transferred to other latitudes. The suppressed expression of lignin biosynthesis genes revealed by RNA-seq was responsible for the biomass reduction. Moreover, using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing, we observed modification of DNA methylation in MADS-box genes that involved in the regulation of flowering time, which might contribute to the adaptation to new environments. Taking advantage of classical ecological experiments as well as multi-omics analyses, our work observed morphology differences and genetic differentiation among different populations of K. obovata, offering scientific advice for the development of restoration strategy with long-term efficacy, also explored phenotypic, transcript, and epigenetic responses of plants to transplanting events between latitudes.
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