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Background: This study aims to quantify by intravital microscopy the microhemodynamic response after extracorporeal shock wave application (ESWA) to the physiologic microcirculation of the mouse dorsal skinfold chamber.Materials and Methods: ESWA was carried out using an electrohydraulic shock wave source. Two different shock wave doses of 500 and 1000 pulses at an energy flux rate of 0.08 mJ/mm2 and a frequency of 4 Hz were compared with sham-operated animals. Microcirculatory analyses were performed at baseline (BL) and during a 3 d observation period after ESWA. The expression of caspase-3 (casp-3), proliferating cell nuclear antibody (PCNA), von Willebrand factor (vWF), and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) were analyzed semiquantitatively by immunohistochemistry.Results: ESWA provoked a significant and persistent increase of functional capillary density (FCD) throughout the observation period, reaching a maximum (140% ± 5% of BL, P < 0.05 versus sham) after 1 d when animals were treated with 1000 pulses. ESWA induced a slight increase of leukocyte rolling (not, vert, similar2-to not, vert, similar3.5-fold, P < 0.05) and leukocyte adherence (not, vert, similar1.5-to not, vert, similar2-fold, P < 0.05) to the endothelial lining of postcapillary venules. One day following ESWA, we observed enhanced expression of casp-3 (not, vert, similar3-to not, vert, similar4-fold), PCNA (not, vert, similar9-to not, vert, similar14-fold), vWF (not, vert, similar11-to not, vert, similar14-fold), and eNOS (not, vert, similar3-fold), all P < 0.05.Conclusion: This study shows that ESWA provokes a favorable persistent increase of patent capillaries, however accompanied by a transient and slight inflammatory response but also by dose-dependant apoptotic cell death. Our data suggest that ESWA might represent a noninvasive biomechanical tool to treat critically perfused and endangered tissues, but certainly warrants further investigation. Background. This study aims to quantify by intravital microscopy the microhemodynamic response after extracorporeal shock wave application (ESWA) to the physiologic microcirculation of the mouse dorsal skinfold chamber. U N C O R R E C T E D P R O O FMaterials and Methods. ESWA was carried out using an electrohydraulic shock wave source. Two different shock wave doses of 500 and 1000 pulses at an energy flux rate of 0.08 mJ/mm 2 and a frequency of 4 Hz were compared with sham-operated animals. Microcirculatory analyses were performed at baseline (BL) and during a 3 d observation period after ESWA. The expression of caspase-3 (casp-3), proliferating cell nuclear antibody (PCNA), von Willebrand factor (vWF), and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) were analyzed semiquantitatively by immunohistochemistry.Results. ESWA provoked a significant and persistent increase of functional capillary density (FCD) throughout the observation period, reaching a maximum (140% ± 5% of BL, P < 0.05 versus sham) after 1 d when animals were treated with 1000 pulses. ESWA induced a slight increase of ...

The effect of Polygonum multiflorum against hair loss has been widely recognized. 2,3,5,4′-Tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-D-glucoside (TSG) is the main component of Polygonum multiflorum; however, its role in hair regeneration has not been established. To evaluate the hair growth-promoting activity of TSG, depilated C57BL/6J mice were topically treated with normal saline, TSG, Pifithrin-α, Minoxidil for 2 weeks. In this study, we identified that p53, Caspase-3, Active Caspase-3, and Caspase-9 were obviously upregulated in the skin of human and mice with hair loss by western blot analysis. Depilated mice treated with TSG showed markedly hair regrowth. TUNEL+ cells were also reduced in mice with TSG. These changes were accompanied with inhibition of Fas, p53, Bax, Active Caspase-3, and Procaspase-9 activities. These results demonstrated that TSG exerts great hair regrowth effect on hair loss, which was probably mediated by inhibition of p53, Fas, and Bax induced apoptosis.

In order to direct embryonic stem (ES) cells to differentiate into chondrocytes, a chondrogenic environment provided by mature chondrocytes was investigated. Flk-1 positive cells sorted from pre-differentiated mouse ES cells were mixed with adult porcine articular chondrocytes, seeded on biodegradable scaffolds, and then implanted subcutaneously into nude mice. The cell-scaffold complexes formed cartilage tissues after 4 weeks, which was demonstrated by histology and anti-type II collagen antibody staining. Positive staining of mouse Major Histocompatibility Complex class I molecules confirmed that part of the chondrocytes were derived from mouse ES cells. The current study established a new approach for directing ES cell differentiation.

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