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In this review, we systemically summarize mitochondrial alterations in chondrocytes during OA progression and discuss our recent progress in understanding the potential role of mitochondria in mediating mechanical stress-associated osteoarthritic alterations of chondrocytes. In particular, we propose the potential signaling pathways that may regulate this process, which provide new views and therapeutic targets for the prevention and treatment of mechanical stress-associated OA.Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a multi-factorial condition with a strong inflammatory component, which is immune-mediated by chemokines. selleck The CCL5 is a chemokine that has been suggested to be an important participant in the development of the atherosclerotic plaque. Therefore, in this work, we evaluated whether three polymorphisms located in the promoter region of the CCL5 gene [CCL5 -28 G/C (rs2280788), CCL5-109 G/A (rs1800825), and CCL5-403 G/A (rs2107538)] are significantly associated with the acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and plasma CCL5 levels. The determination of the gene polymorphisms was performed by 5'exonuclease TaqMan assays in 625 patients with ACS and 700 control individuals. Plasma CCL5 levels were evaluated by ELISA. Under co-dominant, dominant, and additive models, the G allele of the -109 G/A polymorphism was associated with a higher risk of ACS (OR = 1.27, pCCo-dom = 0.041, OR = 1.33, pCDom = 0.03, and OR = 1.33, pCAdd = 0.015, respectively). In the same way, under co-dominant and recessive models, the A allele of the -403 G/A polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of ACS (OR = 1.62, pCCo-dom = 0.042, and OR = 1.63, pCRes = 0.012, respectively). The CCL5-109 G allele carriers had a lower concentration of the CCL5 than subjects with the A allele. Also, carriers of CCL5-403 A allele showed a lower concentration of the CCL5 than individuals with the G allele. Our data suggest the association of the CCL5-109 G/A and CCL5-403 G/A polymorphisms with the risk of developing ACS and with a lower concentration of CCL5 in our population.

Not only strong biomolecular interactions but also weak interactions play important roles in ensuring appropriate operations of many biological systems. Although a thorough investigation of the latter is essential in understanding life science, few suitable research tools are available because of inherent difficulties.

Frontal affinity chromatography (FAC) is a versatile method that overcomes the inherent difficulties to provide accurate information on weak interactions. Since its concept and merit are not widely recognized, a comprehensive interpretation of FAC is provided in this review to encourage its application among researchers.

FAC is based on a unique principle of measuring the binding strength by the delayed migration of an analyte through an affinity column. Its utility was elucidated via the lectin-glycan interactions.

FAC has a great potential as a research tool to solve many difficult problems in general bioscience that are relevant to almost all researchers.

FAC has a great potential as a research tool to solve many difficult problems in general bioscience that are relevant to almost all researchers.This study investigates possible effects of in utero exposure of rats to a low dose (125 mg/kg bw/day) and a high dose (750 mg/kg bw/day) of Diisononyl phthalate (DINP) during the masculinisation programming window (MPW) which is embryonic days 15.5-18.5 (e15.5 - e18.5). Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) was used at a high dose level (750 mg/kg bw/day) as an established positive control substance for anti-androgenic effects on the developing male reproductive tract. We focussed on the MPW and measured a multitude of biological endpoints at various life stages and applied state of the art histopathology staining techniques to refine the characterization of potential changes to the testis, beyond what is currently available with DINP. If DINP can mediate testicular dysgenesis (TDS) disorders, this exposure window would be sufficient to induce androgen impacts and alter male reproductive tract development as shown earlier in this validated experimental model with DBP. Overall, the results of this systematic comparison provide convincing evidence on the differences between the effects occurring with DBP and DINP. In contrast to what was seen with DBP, DINP did not cause cryptorchidism or hypospadias, had no effect on anogenital distance/anogenital index (AGD/AGi) and Leydig cell aggregates on e17.5 and e21.5 did not increase. With DINP no reduction of intratesticular testosterone, no effects on sperm motility and sperm count and no effect on adult testosterone or luteinizing hormone (LH) levels were seen. Our results demonstrate that DINP does not cause the adverse reproductive effects known to occur with DBP, a well-established endocrine disruptor.Fungal infections by resistant Candida species continue to be a significant health problem. Novel antifungal agents such as essential oils of cumin seeds (EOCS) are tested against vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). The aim of this study was to develop coated polyethylene glycol (PEG) vaginal suppositories containing EOCS for treatment of VVC. PEG suppositories containing EOCS were prepared ppearance, weight variation, drug content, hardness, dissolution time, release, stability and anticandida activity were evaluated. Biocompatibility of selected formulation was tested in female rabbits, followed by clinical evaluation. link2 Coated suppositories showed complete release of the oil after 30 min, in vitro anti-candida activity, enhanced stability and sufficient safety on the vaginal tissues of rabbits. Clinical results showed significant lower rates of vaginal itching, discharge and dyspareunia combined with negative cultures in 70% of patients, revealing efficacy of EOCS-containing vaginal suppositories for treatment of VVC.Bionanocomposites is an emerging class of biohybrid materials, have a significant impact in environmental and biomedical fields owing to their high performance, lightweight, unique, and ecofriendly properties. A major challenge in the multiphase bionanocomposites system is to subtle control over the performance by managing the individual properties of reacting components. Herein, we presented the preliminary investigation on bionanocomposite system based on graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and hydroxyethyl cellulose graft poly(lactic acid) copolymer-polyurethane (HLAC-PU) with the aim to understand the structure property correlation for proposed applications in electronics and medical areas. The HLAC was fabricated by graft copolymerization of hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) and lactic acid (LA) with dibutyltin dilaurate. The HLAC was used to get a bio-functionalized PU matrix reinforced with GNPs by step-growth polymerization method. The structural, surface, and thermal properties of the HLAC and GNPs-HLAC-PU bionanocomposites were studied. The spectroscopic techniques confirmed the structure of bionanocomposites by the identification of related bands. The SEM/EDX results demonstrated that the 0.3 wt% of GNPs dispersed well in the HLAC-PU matrix and offered higher crystallinity. The reinforcement of the 0.3 wt% of GNPs has meaningfully enhanced the thermal stability producing higher residue contents. The reinforced GNPs filler increased the water resistance of bionanocomposites by reducing their water vapor permeability.Hydrophobic/oleophilic absorbents have been largely studied and used in recovering spilled oil. However, they still suffer from several drawbacks and two of them are poor biocompatibility and hard to thoroughly rinse. In order to address these problems, here a hydrophobic magnetic chitosan-based aerogel is fabricated via electrostatic interactions between chitosan (CS), itaconic acid (IA) and Fe3O4 nanoparticles and dip-coating in ethanol solution of Candelilla wax (CW). Due to the interconnected porous structure of chitosan-based aerogel, the magnetism of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and the hydrophobicity of CW, the prepared aerogel exhibits high absorption capacities (from 17.7 to 43.8 g/g) towards various types of organic liquids, excellent magnetic controllability with saturation magnetization of 15.93 emu/g and good water repellency with water contact angle (WCA) of 147.9°. In addition, the aerogel can also continuously separate immiscible oil/water mixtures and water-in-oil emulsions as the form of filter. More significantly, the absorbed organic liquids can be completely recovered by simply placing the aerogel in water solution of IA at 75 °C, which can avoid cleaning agent consumption. As a consequence, this renewable, biodegradable and eco-friendly oil scavenger presents a bright prospect in practical applications.The effects of Naphthol Yellow S (NYS) on the structure and activity of pepsin were carried out using ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD), thermal stability, kinetic techniques, as well as molecular docking, and Molecular dynamic simulations (MD) technique. The experimental results from fluorescence spectroscopy showed that the changes in pepsin's tertiary structure were caused by NYS binding. The apparent binding constant Ka, the number of the binding sites, and thermodynamic parameters were computed at three different temperatures. Thermodynamic results revealed that NYS interacts with pepsin spontaneously by hydrogen bond and Van der Waals forces. The result of the circular dichroism spectral suggests the secondary structural changes. An increase in the content of the β-sheet and β-turn structure was shown. Kinetic parameters revealed that NYS inhibited the activity of pepsin by the mixed model. The Molecular dynamic (MD) and docking simulations supported experimental findings. The main interactions between NYS and pepsin are hydrogen bonds and Van der Waals Forces. As a result, NYS could be considered as an inhibitor with adverse effects on pepsin structure and function.Cellulose and silk fibroin were dissolved in 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [Bmim][Cl] and regenerated with ethanol to form homogenous blend of regenerated cellulose/silk fibroin. The bioactivity of regenerated cellulose/silk matrix to assist calcium phosphate mineralization was studied in the current article. Cellulose/silk fibroin/calcium phosphate biocomposite was investigated by different characterization methods such as FT-IR, XRD, TGA, SEM and EDX. The potential of the prepared composite for removal of organic dyes, such as methylene blue (MB), was calculated. The prepared biocomposite exhibited high removal efficiency for MB (172.4 mg/g) compared to regenerated cellulose/silk fibrin blend which is 120.4 mg/g. The kinetic study and the isotherm results for the examined materials followed pseudo second order and Langmuir models, respectively. The regenerated cellulose/silk/calcium phosphate biocomposite, thus providing prospects for further research and application in the remediation of water from dye pollution.Infections are the leading cause of failure of osteogenic material implantation. Antibiotic treatment, treatment with bone cement, or collagen sponge placement can result in drug resistance and difficulties in operation. To address this, gellan gum (GG) was selected in this study and prepared as an injectable hydrogel containing chlorhexidine (CHX) and nanohydroxyapatite (nHA) that overcomes these intractable problems. Scanning electron microscopy and micro-computed tomography revealed a three-dimensional polymeric network of the hydrogel. The hydrogel had excellent biocompatibility, as detected by cell counting kit-8 and Live/Dead assay. link3 Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells could be encapsulated into the network, showing that the structure was suitable for cell growth. Additionally, loading the hydrogel with nHA improved its mechanical, biodegradable, and osteogenic properties. Quantitative alkaline phosphatase and Alizarin Red S staining validated its osteogenic ability. Furthermore, antibacterial activity assessment showed that the hydrogel loaded with 50 μg/mL CHX inhibited Enterococcus faecalis in a concentration-dependent manner.