Objective To review the research progress of new antibacterial hydrogels in the treatment of infected wounds in the field of biomedicine, in order to provide new methods and ideas for clinical treatment of infected wounds. Methods The research literature on antibacterial hydrogels at home and abroad was extensively reviewed in recent years, and the antibacterial hydrogels for the treatment of infected wounds were classified and summarized. Results Antibacterial hydrogels can be divided into three categories: inherent antibacterial hydrogels, antibacterial agent release hydrogels, and environmental response antibacterial hydrogels. The advantages and disadvantages of antibacterial materials, antibacterial mechanism, antibacterial ability, and biocompatibility were discussed respectively. Inherent antibacterial hydrogels have the characteristics of wide source, low cost, and simple preparation, but their antibacterial ability is relatively weak. New antimicrobial substances are added to antibacterial agent release hydrogels, such as antimicrobial peptides, metal ions, graphene materials, etc., providing a new therapeutic strategy for alternative antibiotic therapy. On the basis of the antibacterial material, environmental promoting factors such as photothermal effect, pH value, and magnetic force are added to the environmental response antibacterial hydrogels, which synergically enhances the antibacterial ability of the hydrogel, improves the precise regulation function and bionic effect of the hydrogel. ConclusionThe selection of a variety of materials, the addition of a variety of antibacterial agents, and the effect of various promoting factors make composite hydrogels show multiple characteristics. The development of antibacterial hydrogels that can effectively address practical clinical applications remains a significant challenge. In the future, expanding the application range of antibacterial hydrogels, constructing drug-loaded hydrogels, and developing intelligent hydrogels are still new areas that need to be explored and studied.
Acute kidney injury is a worldwide public health issue, and its treatment and management strategies continue to advance. In addition to traditional kidney replacement therapy, research in recent years has been focused on whole organ engineering and biofabrication of kidney assistive devices and bioinjections for in-body regeneration. Hydrogel materials show great potential in renal tissue engineering because of their good biocompatibility, thermal stability and controllable biochemical and mechanical properties. This article reviews the application of various hydrogel materials in renal tissue engineering to promote kidney regeneration and discusses the characteristics and applications of natural hydrogels and synthetic hydrogels, which is expected to further promote their clinical applications.
Objective To summarize recent research progress in hydrogel-based growth factors for treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). Methods The relevant literature on hydrogel-based growth factors for IDD treatment at home and abroad was extensively reviewed, and their advantages and therapeutic effects in repairing IDD were analyzed and summarized. Results Hydrogels exhibit high hydration, biocompatibility, and biodegradability, enabling targeted delivery and sustained release of growth factors such as growth differentiation factors and transforming growth factors. This facilitates enhanced efficacy in promoting cell proliferation, extracellular matrix synthesis, and reducing inflammatory responses. Consequently, hydrogels demonstrate broad application prospects in the repair of IDD. ConclusionResearch on hydrogel-based growth factors for treating IDD demonstrates advantages such as avoiding disc damage caused by repeated injections and controlling growth factor release concentrations. However, drawbacks include the limited variety of loaded growth factors and the need to verify the long-term stability and biocompatibility of hydrogels. Therefore, further research is required on aspects such as the types of loaded growth factors and the long-term stability and biocompatibility of hydrogels to establish an experimental foundation for their clinical application.
Objective To investigate the neuroprotective effect of conducting hydrogel loaded with tetramethylpyrazine sustained-release microparticles (hereinafter referred to as “TGTP hydrogel”) on spinal cord injury rats. Methods Forty-eight adult female Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: sham operation group (group A), model group (group B), conductive hydrogel group (group C), and TGTP hydrogel group (group D), with 12 rats in each group. Only laminectomy was performed in group A, and complete spinal cord transection was performed in groups B, C, and D. Basso-Bettie-Bresnahan (BBB) score was used to evaluate the recovery of hind limb motor function of each group before modeling and at 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days after modeling, respectively. At 28 days after modeling, the rats were sacrificed for luxol fast blue (LFB) staining to detect myelin regeneration. Nissl staining was used to detect the survival of neurons. Immunohistochemical staining was used to evaluate the expression of inflammation-related factors [nuclear factor кB (NF-кB), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and interleukin 10 (IL-10)]. Immunofluorescence staining and Western blot were used to evaluate the expression of neurofilament 200 (NF200). RseultsBBB scores of group A were significantly better than those of the other three groups at all time points after modeling (P<0.05); at 14 and 28 days after modeling, there was no significant difference in BBB scores between groups C and D (P>0.05), but the BBB score of group D was significantly better than that of group B (P<0.05). LFB staining and Nissl staining showed that the structure of neurons and myelin in group A was intact, and the myelin integrity and survival number of neurons in group D were significantly better than those in groups B and C. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the absorbency (A) value of NF-кB and TNF-α in group A were significantly lower than those in groups B and C (P<0.05), the A value of IL-10 was significantly higher than that in the other three groups (P<0.05); the A value of NF-κB in group D was significantly lower than that in groups B and C, the A value of TNF-α in group D was significantly lower than that in group B, while the A value of IL-10 in group D was significantly higher than that in group B (P<0.05). Immunofluorescence staining showed that the structure of neurons and nerve fibers in group A was clear and the fluorescence intensity was high. The fluorescence intensity of NF200 in group D was higher than that in groups B and C, and some nerve fibers could be seen. Western blot analysis showed that the relative expression of NF200 in group A was the highest, and the relative expression of NF200 in group D was significantly higher than that in groups B and C (P<0.05). Conclusion The TGTP hydrogel can effectively promote the recovery of motor function in rats with spinal cord injury, and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of inflammatory response.
Objective To investigate the effect of porcine small intestinal submucosa extracellular matrix (PSISM) on the vitality and gene regulation of hepatocyte so as to lay the experimental foundation for the application of PSISM in liver tissue engineering. Methods The experiment was divided into two parts: ① BRL cells were cultured with 50, 100, and 200 μg/mL PSISM-medium which were prepared by adding PSISM into the H-DMEM-medium containing 10%FBS in groups A1, B1, and C1, and simple H-DMEM-medium served as a control (group D1); ② BRL cells were seeded on 1%, 2%, and 3% PSISM hydrogel which were prepared by dissolving PSISM in sterile PBS solution containing 0.1 mol/L NaOH in groups A2, B2, and C2, and collagen type I gel served as a control (group D2). At 1, 3, and 5 days after culture, the morphology and survival of liver cells were detected by the Live/Dead fluorescent staining. The cell vitality was tested by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. And the relative expressions of albumin (ALB), cytokeratin 18 (CK18), and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in hepatocytes were determined by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Results The Live/Dead fluorescent staining showed the cells survived well in all groups. CCK-8 results displayed that the absorbance (A) value of group C1 was significantly higher than that of group D1 at 5 days after culture with PSISM-medium, and there was no significant difference between groups at other time points (P>0.05). After cultured with PSISM hydrogels, theA values of groups A2, B2, and C2 were significantly higher than those of group D2 at 3 and 5 days (P<0.05), theA value of group A2 was significantly higher than that of groups B2 and C2 at 5 days (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between groups at other time points (P>0.05). RT-qPCR showed that the relative expressions of ALB and CK18 mRNA significantly increased and the relative expression of AFP mRNA significantly decreased in groups A1, B1, and C1 when compared with group D1 (P<0.05). The relative expression of CK18 mRNA in group C1 was significantly lower than that in groups A1 and B1 (P<0.05). The relative expressions of ALB and CK18 mRNA were significantly higher and the relative expression of AFP mRNA was significantly lower in groups A2, B2, and C2 than group D2 (P<0.05); the relative expression of CK18 mRNA in group A2 was significantly higher than that in group B2 (P<0.05), and the relative expression of AFP mRNA in group A2 was significantly lower than that in group C2 (P<0.05), but no significant difference was found between other groups (P>0.05). Conclusion PSISM has good compatibility with hepatocyte and can promote the vitality and functional gene expression of hepatocyte. PSISM is expected to be used as culture medium supplement or cell carrier for liver tissue engineering.
Objective To introduce an injectable andin situ gelling gelatin hydrogel, and to explore the possibility as a carrier for demineralized bone matrix (DBM) powder delivery. Methods First, thiolated gelatin was prepared and the thiol content was determined by Ellman method, and then the injectable andin situ gelling gelatin hydrogel (Gel) was formed by crosslinking of the thiolated gelatin and poly (ethylene oxide) diacrylate and the gelation time was determined by inverted method. Finally, the DBM-Gel composite was prepared by mixing Gel and DBM powder. The cytotoxicity was tested by live/dead staining and Alamar blue assay of the encapsulated cells in the DBM-Gel. Forin vitro cell induction, C2C12 cells were firstly incubated onto the surface of the DBM and then the composite was prepared. The experiment included two groups: DBM-Gel and DBM. The alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was determined at 1, 3, 5,and 7 days after culture.In vivo osteoinductivity was evaluated using ectopic bone formation model of nude rats. Histological observation and the ALP activity was measured in DBM-Gel and DBM groups at 4 weeks after implantation. Results The thiol content in the thiolated gelatin was (0.51±0.03) mmol/g determined by Ellman method. The gelation time of the hydrogel was (6±1) minutes. DBM powder can be mixed with the hydrogel and injected into the implantation site within the gelation time. The cells in the DBM-Gel exhibited spreading morphology and connected each other in part with increasing culture time. The viability of the cells was 95.4%±1.9%, 97.3%±1.3%, and 96.1%±1.6% at 1, 3, and 7 days after culture, respectively. The relative proliferation was 1.0±0.0, 1.1±0.1, 1.5±0.1, and 1.6±0.1 at 1, 3, 5, and 7 days after culture respectively.In vitro induction showed that the ALP activity of the DBM-Gel group was similar to that of the DBM group, showing no significant difference (P>0.05). With increasing culture time, the ALP activities in both groups increased gradually and the activity at 5 and 7 days was significantly higher than that at 1 and 3 days (P<0.05), while there was no significant difference between at 1 and 3 days, and between 5 and 7 days (P>0.05). At 4 weeks after implantationin vivo, new bone and cartilage were observed, but no bone marrow formation in DBM-Gel group; in DBM group, new bone, new cartilage, and bone marrow formation were observed. The histological osteoinduction scores of DBM-Gel and DBM groups were 4.0 and 4.5, respectively. The ALP activities of DBM-Gel and DBM groups were respectively (119.4±22.7) and (146.7±13.0) μmol/mg protein/min, showing no significant difference (t=–2.085,P=0.082). Conclusion The injectable andin situ gelling gelatin hydrogel for delivery of DBM is feasible.
Objective To evaluate the effect of endoscopic surgery combined with intraoperative color Doppler ultrasound on removing the injected breast augmentation agents and share our experiences. Methods Sixteen female who accepted the bilateral removal of injected breast augmentation agents through endoscopic surgery combined with intraoperative color Doppler ultrasound between 2008 and 2010 were enrolled in this study. The results, techniques, and advantages of management were analyzed retrospectively. Results One incision was made in 18 breasts, 2 in 4 breasts, 3 in 10 breasts. The length of incision was 0.5 to 1 cm. The mean operative time was 128.70 min per person. The average amount of bleeding was 52.67 ml per person. Complications such as postoperative bleeding, infection, poor drainage, or breast augmentation agents remain did not happened in all cases. No case was turned into normal operation. Female who accepted this operation were all satisfied with the appearance of incisions. During 1-3 months follow up, neither clinically palpable mass nor sensory disturbance in nipple or areola of breast was observed. Color Doppler ultrasound or magnetic resonance showed 16 cases had been cleared free of breast augmentation agents. Conclusion With the advantages of beauty, safe, minimal invasion, and partial resection of lesions at the same time, endoscopic surgery combined with intraoperative color Doppler ultrasound was an effective approach in the removal of injected breast augmentation agents.
Objective To investigate the application potential of alginate-strontium (Sr) hydrogel as an injectable scaffold material in bone tissue engineering. Methods The alginate-Sr/-calcium (Ca) hydrogel beads were fabricated by adding 2.0wt% alginate sodium to 0.2 mol/L SrCl2/CaCl2 solution dropwise. Microstructure, modulus of compression, swelling rate, and degradability of alginate-Sr/-Ca hydrogels were tested. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were isolated from femoral bones of rabbits by flushing of marrow cavity. BMSCs at passage 5 were seeded onto the alginate-Sr hydrogel (experimental group) and alginate-Ca hydrogel (control group), and the viability and proliferation of BMSCs in 2 alginate hydrogels were assessed. The osteogenic differentiation of cells embeded in 2 alginate hydrogels was evaluated by alkaline phosphate (ALP) activity, osteoblast specific gene [Osterix (OSX), collagen type I, and Runx2] expression level and calcium deposition by fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR and alizarin red staining, Von Kossa staining. The BMSCs which were embeded in alginate-Ca hydrogel and cultured with common growth medium were harvested as blank control group. Results The micromorphology of alginate-Sr hydrogel was similar to that of the alginate-Ca hydrogel, with homogeneous pore structure; the modulus of compression of alginate-Sr hydrogel and alginate-Ca hydrogel was (186.53 ± 8.37) and (152.14 ± 7.45) kPa respectively, showing significant difference (t=6.853, P=0.002); there was no significant difference (t=0.737, P=0.502) in swelling rate between alginate-Sr hydrogel (14.32% ± 1.53%) and alginate-Ca hydrogel (15.25% ± 1.64%). The degradabilities of 2 alginate hydrogels were good; the degradation rate of alginate-Sr hydrogel was significantly lower than that of alginate-Ca hydrogel on the 20th, 25th, and 30th days (P lt; 0.05). At 1-4 days, the morphology of cells on 2 alginate hydrogels was spherical and then the shape was spindle or stellate. When three-dimensional cultured for 21 days, the DNA content of BMSCs in experimental group [(4.38 ± 0.24) g] was significantly higher than that in control group [(3.25 ± 0.21) g ] (t=8.108, P=0.001). On the 12th day after osteogenic differentiation, the ALP activity in experimental group was (15.28 ± 1.26) U/L, which was significantly higher than that in control group [(12.07 ± 1.12) U/L] (P lt; 0.05). Likewise, the mRNA expressions of OSX, collagen type I, and Runx2 in experimental group were significantly higher than those in control group (P lt; 0.05). On the 21th day after osteogenic differentiation, alizarin red staining and Von Kossa staining showed calcium deposition in 2 groups; the calcium nodules and phosphate deposition in experimental group were significantly higher than those in control group (P lt; 0.05). Conclusion Alginate-Sr hydrogel has good physicochemical properties and can promote the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs, so it is an excellent injectable scaffold material for bone tissue engineering.
Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of BMSCs- chitosan hydrogel complex transplantation on intervertebral disc degeneration and to provide experimental basis for its cl inical appl ication. Methods Two mill il iter of bone marrow from 6 healthy one-month-old New Zealand rabbits were selected to isolate and culture BMSCs. Then, BMSCs at passage 3 were labeled by 5-BrdU and mixed with chitosan hydrogel to prepare BMSCs- chitosan hydrogel complex. Six rabbitswere selected to establ ish the model of intervertebral disc degeneration and randomized into 3 groups (n=2 per group): control group in which intervertebral disc was separated and exposed but without further processing; transplantation group in which 30 μL of autogenous BMSCs- chitosan hydrogel complex was injected into the center of defected intervertebral disc; degeneration group in which only 30 μL of 0.01 mol/L PBS solution was injected. Animals were killed 4 weeks later and the repaired discs were obtained. Then cell 5-BrdU label ing detection, HE staining, aggrecan safranin O staining, Col II immunohistochemical staining and gray value detection were conducted. Results Cell label ing detection showed that autogenous BMSCs survived and prol iferated after transplantation, forming cell clone. HE staining showed that in the control and transplantation groups, the intervertebral disc had a clear structure, a distinct boundary between the central nucleus pulposus and the outer anulus fibrosus, and the obviously stained cell nuclear and cytochylema; while the intervertebral disc in the degeneration group had a deranged structure and an indistinct division between the nucleus pulposus and the outer anulus fibrosus. Aggrecan safarine O stainning notified that intervertebral disc in the control and transplantation groups were stained obviously, with a clear structure; while the intervertebral disc in the degeneration group demonstrated a deranged structure with an indistinct division between the nucleus pulposus and the anulus fibrosus. Col II immunohistochemical staining showed that the tawny-stained region in the control group was located primarily in the central nucleus pulposus with a clear structure of intervertebral disc, the central nucleus pulposus in the transplantation group was positive with obvious tawny-stained intercellular substances and a complete gross structure, while the stained color in the degeneration group was l ighter than that of other two groups, with a indistinct structure.Gray value assay of Col II immunohistochemical staining section showed that the gray value of the control, the ransplantation and the degeneration group was 223.84 ± 3.93, 221.03 ± 3.53 and 172.50 ± 3.13, respectively, indicating there was no significant difference between the control and the transplantation group (P gt; 0.05), but a significant difference between the control and transplantation groups and the degeneration group (P lt; 0.05). Conclusion The rabbit BMSCs-chitosan hydrogel complex can repair intervertebral disc degeneration, providing an experimental foundation for the cl inical appl ication of injectable tissue engineered nucleus pulposus complex to treat intervertebral disc degeneration.
ObjectiveTo study the ectopic osteogenesis and biocompatibility of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2)-derived peptide P24 loaded chitosan-4-thio-butylamidine (CS-TBA) hydrogel.MethodsFirst, the CS-TBA/hydroxyapatite (HA) solution was prepared by using chitosan, 2-iminothiolane hydrochloride, and HA. Then, the different amount of P24 peptides were added to the CS-TBA/HA to prepare the CS-TBA/5%P24/HA and CS-TBA/10%P24/HA solutions. Finally, β-glycerophosphate disodium (β-GP) was added to the CS-TBA/HA, CS-TBA/5%P24/HA, and CS-TBA/10%P24/HA to prepare the CS-TBA/HA/β-GP, CS-TBA/5%P24/HA/β-GP, and CS-TBA/10%P24/HA/β-GP hydrogels, respectively. Eighteen Sprague Dawley female rats were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=6), which were injected into the back muscle pouches with equal volume CS-TBA/HA/β-GP hydrogel (group A), CS-TBA/5%P24/HA/β-GP hydrogel (group B), and CS-TBA/10%P24/HA/β-GP hydrogel (group C). The animals were sacrificed at 4 and 8 weeks and conducted micro-CT. The ability of biodegradation and osteogenesis of hydrogl was detected by trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), trabecular number (Tb.N), bone mineral density (BMD), and histological staining (HE and Masson).ResultsAll the rats survived to the time point of the harvest. Micro-CT results showed that the new bones gradually increased in each group after operation. At the same time, the new bone formation was more obvious in groups B and C than in group A, and with the increase of P24 concentration, new bone formation in group C was much more than that in group B. The Tb.Th, Tb.N, and BMD increased gradually in 3 groups, and the differences between 4 and 8 weeks were significant (P<0.05) except the Tb.Th in group A. At different time points, the Tb.Th, Tb.N, and BMD were significantly higher in groups B and C than in group A (P<0.05), and in group C was higher than in group B (P<0.05), showing significant differences between groups. Histological staining showed that the materials of groups B and C were biodegradable, and the osteogenic effect was increased with the increase of P24 concentration.ConclusionP24 peptide can improve the ectopic osteogenesis of CS-TBA hydrogel, and the 10% concentration is more effective.