Shaihong Zhu

Arginine functionalized hydroxyapatite nanoparticles and its bioactivity for gene delivery

Abstract In order to further improve the transfection efficiency of hydroxyapatite nanoparticle (HAp), arginine functionalized hydroxyapatite (HAp/Arg) was synthesized by hydrothermal synthesis. The morphology, crystallite size and zeta potential of the HAp/Arg were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and zeta potential analyzer. The loading and protecting properties of HAp/Arg to DNA were tested by electrophoresis. Its cytotoxicity was also measured in Hela cells and HAEC cells by MTT and LDH, and its transfection efficiency was examined by fluorescence microscope and flow cytometry. The results reveal that HAp/Arg is short rod-like and nano single crystal, the mean diameter is 50–90 nm and zeta potential is 35.8 mV at pH 7.4. HAp/Arg to DNA can be condensed by electrostatic effect and protect DNA against degradation in DNase I, and shows high transfection efficiency without cytotoxicity. These results suggest that HAp/Arg can be a promising alternative as a novel gene delivery system.

Building a framework for ergonomic research on laparoscopic instrument handles

Laparoscopic surgery carries the advantage of minimal invasiveness, but ergonomic design of the instruments used has progressed slowly. Previous studies have demonstrated that the handle of laparoscopic instruments is vital for both surgical performance and surgeons health. This review provides an overview of the sub-discipline of handle ergonomics, including an evaluation framework, objective and subjective assessment systems, data collection and statistical analyses. Furthermore, a framework for ergonomic research on laparoscopic instrument handles is proposed to standardize work on instrument design.

[Glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide in Type 2 diabetes after gastric bypass surgery].

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP), the incretins, is synthesized and released from the duodenum and proximal jejunum. Continual high-fat diet powerfully stimulated GIP secretion, leading to obesity and harmful lipid deposition in islet cells and peripheral tissues, and giving rise to insulin resistance and major disturbances in the secretion of insulin. We can improve Type 2 diabetes by compromising GIP action. The exclusion of proximal small intestine and reduction of GIP secretion may be the important reasons for Type 2 diabetes after gastric bypass surgery.

MiR-499/PRDM16 axis modulates the adipogenic differentiation of mouse skeletal muscle satellite cells

Obesity is associated with increased risks of diverse diseases; brown adipose tissue (BAT) can increase energy expenditure and protect against obesity by increasing the decomposition of white adipose tissue (WAT) to enhance the non-coupled oxidative phosphorylation of fatty acid in adipocytes and contributes to weight loss. However, BAT is abundant in only small rodents and newborn humans, but not in adults. PRDM16 is a key factor that induces the differentiation of skeletal muscle precursors to brown adipocytes and simultaneously inhibits myogenic differentiation. In the present study, we set insulin-induced skeletal muscle satellite cells (SMSCs) adipogenic differentiation model, as confirmed by the contents of adipogenic markers PRDM16, UCP1 and PGC1α and myogenic markers MyoD1 and MyoG. We selected miR-499 as candidate miRNA, which might regulate PRDM16 to affect SMSCs adipogenic differentiation. Possibly through directly binding to PRDM16 3′-UTR, miR-499 negatively regulated PRDM16 expression and hindered SMSCs adipogenic differentiation by reducing adipogenic markers PRDM16, UCP1 and PGC1α and increasing myogenic markers MyoD1 and MyoG. PRDM16 overexpression could partially reverse the effect of miR-499 on the above markers and SMSCs adipogenic differentiation. Taken together, miR-499/PRDM16 axis can affect the balance between SMSC myogenic and adipogenic differentiation, targeting miR-499 to rescue PRDM16 expression, thus promoting SMSCs adipogenic differentiation may be a promising strategy for obesity treatment.

The role of visceral adipose tissue on improvement in insulin sensitivity following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: a study in Chinese diabetic patients with mild and central obesity

Abstract Background Most Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have mild obesity and central obesity. Central obesity is combined with insulin resistance. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of abdominal adipose tissue on insulin-sensitivity improvement after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) in Chinese diabetic patients with mild and central obesity. Methods Seventeen T2DM patients with a mean body mass index of 30.3 kg/m2 were scheduled for laparoscopic RYGB. A hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry were performed prior to surgery and 3 months after RYGB. The primary end points were the correlations between insulin sensitivity and abdominal adipose tissue, including visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), before and 3 months after RYGB. Results Indices of peripheral insulin sensitivity, including glucose-disposal rate (M value) and glucose infusion rate, were significantly increased after RYGB. Body-fat mass, VAT and SAT were significantly reduced after RYGB. The pre-operative M value was significantly correlated with VAT mass (r = –0.57, P = 0.02), but not correlated with SAT mass. M value changes after RYGB were highly correlated with changes in VAT mass (r = –0.59, P = 0.01), percentage of VAT mass (r = –0.66, P < 0.01), VAT area (r = –0.56, P = 0.02) and percentage of VAT area (r = –0.57, P = 0.02). Conclusions A significant correlation was observed between increased peripheral insulin sensitivity and decreased VAT following RYGB in Chinese patients with mild and central obesity. VAT and SAT were significantly decreased with improved insulin sensitivity after RYGB. VAT mass may be considered as an indication for gastric bypass during patient selection.

MicroRNA-27b-3p regulates function and metabolism in insulin resistance cells by inhibiting receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 1

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with insulin resistance-induced lipid and glucose metabolism disorder. The study was aimed to explore the potential functional role of microRNA (miR)-27b-3p in T2DM, as well as underlying mechanisms. An insulin resistance cell model was induced in HepG2 cells and then expression of miR-27b-3p and receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 1 (ROR1) was analyzed. The expression of miR-27b-3p was overexpressed or silenced, and the relationship between ROR1 and miR-27b-3p was investigated. Thereafter, the effects of miR-27b-3p on percentage of glucose uptake, fatty acid oxidation and cell cycle were analyzed. The expressions of miR-27b-3p were significantly increased, while the ROR1 levels were statistically decreased in the cells of the model group. Overexpression of miR-27b-3p dramatically decreased the levels of ROR1 and the percentage of glucose uptake, but had no effects on fatty acid oxidation. ROR1 was a target of miR-27b-3p. Moreover, overexpression of miR-27b-3p could remarkably highlight the percentages of cells at G0/G1 phase, but decreased the percentages of cells at S phase. In conclusion, our results suggest that miR-27b-3p regulates the function and metabolism of insulin resistance cells by inhibiting ROR1. miR-27b-3p might be a potential drug target in treating T2DM.

Nanospike surface-modified bionic porous titanium implant and in vitro osteogenic performance

Abstract This work aimed to prepare the nanospike surface-modified bionic porous titanium implants that feature favorable osteointegration performance and anti-bacterial functions. The implant was prepared using freeze casting, and nanospike surface-modification of the implant was performed using thermal oxidation. The pore morphology and size, mechanical properties, and osteogenic performance of the implants were analyzed and discussed. The results showed that when the volume ratio of titanium powder in slurry was set to be 10%, the porosity, pore diameter, compressive strength, and elastic modulus of the porous samples were (58.32±1.08)%, (126.17±18.64) μm, (58.51±20.38) MPa and (1.70±0.52) GPa, respectively. When the porous sample was sintered at a temperature of 1200 °C for 1 h, these values were (58.24±1.50)%, (124.16±13.64) μm, (54.77±27.55) MPa and (1.63±0.30) GPa, respectively. The nanospike surface-modified bionic porous titanium implants had favorable pore morphology and size, mechanical properties and osteointegration performance through technology optimization, and showed significant clinical application prospect.

Bone integration properties of antibacterial biomimetic porous titanium implants

Abstract A novel antibacterial biomimetic porous titanium implant with good osseointegration was prepared by freeze-casting and thermal oxidation. Bone integration properties of the porous titanium implant were evaluated by cell proliferation assay, alkaline phosphatase activity assay, X-ray examination and hard bone tissue biopsy. The in vitro cell proliferation and the level of differentiation of the group with a modified nano-porous implant surface were significantly higher than those in the group without surface modification and the dense titanium control group (P

Comparative study of surgical knots using a domestically produced Chinese surgical robot, laparoscope, or barehanded approach.

We conducted a comparative analysis of the first domestically produced Chinese surgical robot, ‘MicroHand’, laparoscopic, and barehanded approaches in tying surgical knots.

Design of Virtual Fixtures for Robotic Cholecystectomy

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE With the ongoing developments in robotic surgery, the associated adverse events need to be carefully evaluated. Virtual fixtures (VFs), a safety design feature against unintended motion during robotic surgery, have been proposed, but the methodology for designing VFs remains experimental. In this study, we propose a novel methodology for designing VFs for robotic cholecystectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) was performed in 24 patients with cholecystitis. Active working space (AWS), the distance between instrument heads (DBIH), motion speed of bilateral hands, and instrument heads were calculated and analyzed. RESULTS DBIH was 14.78 ± 6.94 cm. Diameter of right and left AWS was 15.81 ± 3.69 cm and 15.33 ± 1.52 cm, respectively. DBIH was found to significantly correlate with the surgeons experience. Bilateral AWS was found to be significantly associated with body circumference at Murphys point level. However, no association was observed between bilateral AWS and surgeons experience. CONCLUSIONS A novel methodology to build VFs for designing VFs for robotic cholecystectomy is established. Surgeons experience appears to play an important role in determining the DBIH during robotic laparoscopic cholecystectomy, but does not affect bilateral AWS.