Polyethylenimine-Induced Alterations of Red Blood Cells and Their Recognition by the Complement System and Macrophages

In practical applications, biomedical materials introduced in vivo may interact with various host cells and/or biomacromolecules and alter their physiological characteristics. Biomaterial-altered cells and/or biomacromolecules may be recognized as “non-self” by the host immune system and may consequently cause further immune responses. In the present work, the gene carrier material branched polyethylenimine (1.8 kDa) (BPEI-1.8k) induced a series of alterations of human red blood cells (RBCs), such as a morphological transition from biconcave disks to spheroechinocytes, vesiculation, a size decrease, a change in surface charge from negative to positive, a cell density reduction, membrane oxidation, and PS externalization. Furthermore, BPEI-1.8k-treated RBCs caused autologous complement activation and were recognized by autologous macrophages. This implies that the biomedical material BPEI-1.8k changed the identity of the RBCs, leading to their recognition by the autologous immune system. This study provides novel insights for the biocompatibility evaluation and clinical application of biomedical materials

One-way ANOVA for the seed set of dwarf male-sterile wheat (DMSW) in different compass sectors.

One-way ANOVA for the seed set of dwarf male-sterile wheat (DMSW) in different compass sectors.</p

One-way ANOVA for the pollen density detected in different compass sectors.

One-way ANOVA for the pollen density detected in different compass sectors.</p

Meteorological data recorded during the wheat flowering period.

<p>Meteorological data recorded during the wheat flowering period.</p

Diagrammatic presentation of the experimental design.

<p>The circular pollen donor N12-1 plot with radius 5m was planted at the center of experiment field. Pollen recipient dwarf male-sterile wheat (DMSW) was grown at eight compass directions. The radius of concentric circle of the recipient DMSW was 50 m.</p

Estimated regression curves showing the decrease of transgene flow frequencies from genetically modified (GM) wheat lines to dwarf male-sterile wheat (DMSW) with the increasing distance from the pollen source in eight compass sectors.

<p>Estimated regression curves showing the decrease of transgene flow frequencies from genetically modified (GM) wheat lines to dwarf male-sterile wheat (DMSW) with the increasing distance from the pollen source in eight compass sectors.</p

One-way ANOVA for the transgene flow frequency in different compass sectors.

<p>One-way ANOVA for the transgene flow frequency in different compass sectors.</p

The exponential decay models for pollen and gene flow of transgenic wheat and the corresponding determination coefficient (R²) in eight compass sectors.

<p>The exponential decay models for pollen and gene flow of transgenic wheat and the corresponding determination coefficient (R²) in eight compass sectors.</p

PCR detection of the <i>NIb8</i> gene in dwarf male-sterile wheat (DMSW) seeding.

<p>M, DNA marker; lane1, positive control (N12-1); lanes 2–5, genetically modified (GM) seedling with the <i>NIb8</i> gene; lanes 6–8, nongenetically modified (non-GM) seedling; lane 9, negative control (H₂O).</p

Confocal laser microscopic images of immunofluorescence analysis of differentiation of transplanted ADSCs in vivo (n = 12/group).

<p>(A and B) Representative images of differentiated cardiomyocytes-like cells using anti-cardiac troponin-I (green, cTnI) revealed significant augmentation of enhanced mRFP (red)/cTnI double positive cardiomyocyte-like cells (white arrow) in Ex-ADSCs group (B) compared with ADSCs group (A). (C) Quantitative analysis of the ratio of differentiated cardiomyocytes-like cells. (D and E) Representative images of differentiated vessel specific cells using anti-α-SMA (green) revealed significant enhancement of mRFP (red)/α-SMA double positive vessel-specific cells (white arrow) in Ex-ADSCs group (E) compared with ADSCs group(D). (F) Quantitative analysis of the ratio of differentiated vessel specific cells. *<i>p</i><0.05. Inset shows the corresponding boxed area magnified.</p