Establishment and validation of an in vitro co-culture model for oral cell lines using human PBMC-derived osteoclasts, osteoblasts, fibroblasts and keratinocytes

Indirect co-culture models with osteoclasts including oral cell lines may be influenced by M-CSF and RANKL in the common cell medium. Therefore, we investigated the viability and proliferation of osteoblasts (OB), fibroblasts (FB) and oral keratinocytes (OK) under stratified medium modification and assessed the differentiation of osteoclasts in each co-culture. The impact of M-CSF and RANKL in the common OC co-culture was assessed for OB, FB and OK via MTT assay via DAPI control. The multinuclearity and function of OC were evaluated by light microscopy, DAPI staining, resorption assay and FACS analysis. The PBMC showed the highest differentiation into OC after an incubation period of 7 days. Furthermore, co-culture with OB enhanced the number of differentiated multinucleated OC in comparison with monoculture, whereas co-culture with OK decreased PBMC multinuclearity and OC differentiation. FB did not influence the number of differentiated OC in a co-culture. RANKL and M-CSF reduction had no impact on OC differentiation in co-culture with FB or OB, whereas this medium modification for OK attenuated PBMC multinuclearity and OC differentiation in all approaches. Supplementation of RANKL and M-CSF can be modified for a co-culture of PBMC with FB or OB without disturbing OC differentiation. Thus, pathogenic processes of bone remodelling involving OB, OC, FB and OK in the oral cavity can be investigated thoroughly.

Effects of F/2 media modification on growth and antioxidant activity of microalga Nannochloropsis oculata

Nannochloropsis oculata is a common microalga that can be found in marine water. One of the most commonly used media for microalga culture is F/2 media; however, the optimum F/2 media composition for N. oculata growth is rarely informed. Therefore, the aims of this study are to determine the effect of F/2 medium modification on the growth of N. oculata and the antioxidant activity of N. oculata. This study consists of several procedures including; cultivation, growth observation (cell density and biomass), extraction, and antioxidant activity of N. oculata extracts. The highest growth (cell density and biomass) of N. oculata was found in media F/2 + 0.5 ml, while the lowest was in media F/2 - 0.5 ml. The strongest antioxidant activity of N. oculata was found in media F/2 + 1 ml, and the lowest was in the media F/2 - 0.5 ml. Media modification gave different results on cell density, biomass, and antioxidant activity of microalgae N. oculata.

Optimization of Spirulina Platensis Culture for Antioxidant Production

Spirulina platensis is a unicellular microalgae that has high nutritional value such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and carotenoids like β-carotene. The microalgae rapidly grows in Bold Bassal Medium modification and high intensity of light. The aims of this research were to optimize the culture growth and determine antioxidant activity of S. platensis. Culture was optimized by adding urea and NaHCO3 I nto the medium and applying dark : light period (12:12 h/h) under solar or fluorescent light (3000 lux). The optimum growth of Spirulina platensis was in 0,3 g/L urea, pH 9 at fluoresense light (3000 lux). Antioxidant acivity of various spirulina extract was studied by 1,1diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals scavenging method. The Spirulina radicals scavenging activity of acetone : methanol (1:1) extract was 46,39 %. The acetone:methanol (1:1) extract showed better antioxidant activity than acetone extract. The β-carotene was determined using HPLC in a silica gel column with dichloromethane, acetonitrile, methanol (20:70:10, v/v/v) as a mobile phase. The acetone extract displayed the highest sample area and produced 1.32% of β-carotene out of total biomass.

BM@N and MPD experiments at NICA

The project NICA (Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility) aims to study hot and baryon rich QCD matter in heavy ion collisions in the energy range [see formula in PDF] = 4 − 11 GeV. The rich heavy-ion physics program will be performed at two experiments, BM@N (Baryonic Matter at Nuclotron) at beams extracted from the Nuclotron, and at MPD (Multi-Purpose Detector) at the NICA collider. This program covers a variety of phenomena in strongly interacting matter of the highest baryonic density, which includes study of collective effects, production of hyperon and hypernuclei, in-medium modification of meson properties, and event-by-event fluctuations.

Medium modification of strange hadronic resonances at SIS, RHIC and LHC energies

The properties of strange pseudoscalar and vectors mesons as well as strange baryon resonances in dense matter are reviewed. Some open questions on the properties of strange hadrons in medium are addressed, such as the experimental signatures of inmedium effects coming from the hadronic phase on the final observables in heavy-ion collisions for the experimental conditions at SIS, RHIC and LHC energies.