Acute phase proteins, interleukin 6, and heat shock protein 70 in broiler chickens administered with corticosterone

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of corticosterone (CORT) administration on serum ovotransferrin (OVT), α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP), ceruloplasmin (CPN), and IL-6 concentrations, and brain heat shock protein (HSP) 70 expression in broiler chickens. From 14 to 20 d of age, equal numbers of birds were subjected to either (i) daily intramuscular injection with CORT in ethanol:saline (1:1, vol/vol) at 6 mg/kg of BW, or (ii) daily intramuscular injection with 0.5 mL ethanol:saline (1:1, vol/vol; control). Blood samples were collected before CORT treatment (14 d old), 3 and 7 d after CORT injections, and 4 d after cessation of CORT administration for determination of serum levels of CORT, OVT, AGP, CPN, and IL-6. Brain samples (whole cerebrum) were collected to measure HSP 70 density. Although CORT administration significantly increased feed intake, weight gain was significantly depressed. Administration of CORT also increased CORT, OVT, CPN, AGP, IL-6, and HSP 70 expression. Four days following cessation of CORT administration, OVT declined to the basal level but not CPN and AGP. In conclusion, an elevation in CORT can induce an acute-phase response and HSP 70 expression. Thus, APP and HSP 70 may be of value as indicators of stress in poultry

TO FIX OR NOT TO FIX!?:Strategies and tools to place and fixate a flexible joint implant

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common form of degenerative arthritis primarily affecting joints like the knee, hand, and hip due to cartilage wear and tear. Hand OA, particularly, affects multiple hand joints, causing significant functional impairment, discomfort, and substantial economic costs related to diagnosis, treatment, and productivity losses. Surgical intervention becomes necessary when conservative treatments fail to alleviate hand OA symptoms, with various arthroplasty implants available for finger joints. However, complications like implant loosening and dislocation often occur, leading to limited improvement in overall outcomes despite advancements in joint prosthetic design.The APRICOT® (Anatomically Precise Revolutionary Implant for bone Conserving Osteoarthritis Treatment) by Aurora Medical Ltd offers a groundbreaking solution for the challenges posed by existing finger joint implants for OA. This innovative implant, tailored for small joints affected by OA, features a self-lubricated polymeric sac mimicking natural joint characteristics. Unlike conventional implants, APRICOT® enables full joint range of motion through its unique internal motion design, supported by an internal lubricant coating. Currently in the proof-of-concept phase, APRICOT® aims to overcome significant challenges in OA treatment for small joints.The thesis objectives include identifying the required anchoring systems for secure implant fixation, establishing effective implantation strategies, and designing and testing specialized surgical instruments. An innovative articulating joint distractor and specialized tweezers were developed for successful APRICOT® implantation. Strategies to ensure implant stability within the joint capsule were also explored, including mechanical options, adhesives, and coatings, with promising results from in vitro and in vivo assessments.<br/

Biomimetic Calcium Phosphate Coatings Applied to Polyurethane Substrates

The use of polyurethane in medical applications has been reported and evaluated by several authors. The material can be involved in a diverse range of orthopaedic implants including but not limited to joint replacement implants. Success in the application of an orthopaedic implant depends on multiple factors. Implant design, surface configuration, fixation method and surgical procedure play critical roles to decrease the failure rate of implantation. An insufficient fixation technique may cause serious issues such as movement, delamination, deformation and detachment of an implant which leads to failure of the implant and thus the requirement for additional treatment. Tissue ingrowth techniques are reliable methods for long-term fixation of orthopaedic implants. One promising technique would be the addition of a bone-like apatite coating to improve integration of implant into the bone tissue. We currently are designing a novel joint replacement prosthesis, built from PU. A bioactive, osteo-conductive coating could contribute to its long-term fixation to bone

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Available from TIB Hannover: RN 5527(164) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman

Toward a disruptive, minimally invasive small finger joint implant concept: cellular and molecular interactions with materials in vivo

Osteoarthritis (OA) poses significant therapeutic challenges, particularly OA that affects the hand. Currently available treatment strategies are often limited in terms of their efficacy in managing pain, regulating invasiveness, and restoring joint function. The APRICOT® implant system developed by Aurora Medical Ltd (Chichester, UK) introduces a minimally invasive, bone-conserving approach for treating hand OA (https://apricot-project.eu/). By utilizing polycarbonate urethane (PCU), this implant incorporates a caterpillar track-inspired design to promote the restoration of natural movement to the joint. Surface modifications of PCU have been proposed for the biological fixation of the implant. This study investigated the biocompatibility of PCU alone or in combination with two surface modifications, namely dopamine-carboxymethylcellulose (dCMC) and calcium-phosphate (CaP) coatings. In a rat soft tissue model, native and CaP-coated PCU foils did not increase cellular migration or cytotoxicity at the implant–soft tissue interface after 3 d, showing gene expression of proinflammatory cytokines similar to that in non-implanted sham sites. However, dCMC induced an amplified initial inflammatory response that was characterized by increased chemotaxis and cytotoxicity, as well as pronounced gene activation of proinflammatory macrophages and neoangiogenesis. By 21 d, inflammation subsided in all the groups, allowing for implant encapsulation. In a rat bone model, 6 d and 28 d after release of the periosteum, all implant types were adapted to the bone surface with a surrounding fibrous capsule and no protracted inflammatory response was observed. These findings demonstrated the biocompatibility of native and CaP-coated PCU foils as components of APRICOT® implants