On the Development of New Forensic Tools for Detection of Human Skin Prints

The article reviews the main physical and physicochemical factors influencing the three-component system “fingerprint powder – prints bearing surface – sweat and grease print substance”. The authors propose new model compositions of fingerprint powders considering the reviewed common patterns: non-magnetic and luminescent magnetic. The features of prints bearing surfaces and developed fingerprint powders have been evaluated by applying electronic microscopy methods (scanning and probe microscopy). The authors have proven that the use of nano- and ultra disperse materials in the developed compositions (carbon nanotubes and shungite) enables to vary the sorption and adhesive capacity of fingerprint powders, which allows detecting fingerprints on varying surfaces with high selectivity toward the sweat and grease print substance and contrasting effect.

MAML1: a coregulator that alters endometrial epithelial cell adhesive capacity

Background Abnormalities in endometrial receptivity has been identified as a major barrier to successful embryo implantation. Endometrial receptivity refers to the conformational and biochemical changes occurring in the endometrial epithelial layer which make it adhesive and receptive to blastocyst attachment. This takes place during the mid-secretory phase of woman’s menstrual cycle and is a result of a delicate interplay between numerous hormones, cytokines and other factors. Outside of this window, the endometrium is refractory to an implanting blastocyst. It has been shown that Notch ligands and receptors are dysregulated in the endometrium of infertile women. Mastermind Like Transcriptional Coactivator 1 (MAML1) is a known coactivator of the Notch signaling pathway. This study aimed to determine the role of MAML1 in regulating endometrial receptivity. Methods The expression and localization of MAML1 in the fertile human endometrium (non-receptive proliferative phase versus receptive mid-secretory phase) were determined by immunohistochemistry. Ishikawa cells were used as an endometrial epithelial model to investigate the functional consequences of MAML1 knockdown on endometrial adhesive capacity to HTR8/SVneo (trophoblast cell line) spheroids. After MAML1 knockdown in Ishikawa cells, the expression of endometrial receptivity markers and Notch dependent and independent pathway members were assessed by qPCR. Two-tailed unpaired or paired student’s t-test were used for statistical analysis with a significance threshold of P < 0.05. Results MAML1 was localized in the luminal epithelium, glandular epithelium and stroma of human endometrium and the increased expression identified in the mid-secretory phase was restricted only to the luminal epithelium (P < 0.05). Functional analysis using Ishikawa cells demonstrated that knockdown of MAML1 significantly reduced epithelial adhesive capacity (P < 0.01) to HTR8/SVneo (trophoblast cell line) spheroids compared to control. MAML1 knockdown significantly affected the expression of classical receptivity markers (SPP1, DPP4) and this response was not directly via hormone receptors. The expression level of Hippo pathway target Ankyrin repeat domain-containing protein 1 (ANKRD1) was also affected after MAML1 knockdown in Ishikawa cells. Conclusion Our data strongly suggest that MAML1 is involved in regulating the endometrial adhesive capacity and may facilitate embryo attachment, either directly or indirectly through the Notch signaling pathway.

Tripeptidyl peptidase I promotes human endometrial epithelial cell adhesive capacity implying a role in receptivity

The endometrium undergoes cyclic remodelling throughout the menstrual cycle in preparation for embryo implantation which occurs in a short window during the mid-secretory phase. It is during this short ‘receptive window’ that the endometrial luminal epithelium acquires adhesive capacity permitting blastocysts firm adhesion to the endometrium to establish pregnancy. Dysregulation in any of these steps can compromise embryo implantation resulting in implantation failure and infertility. Many factors contribute to these processes including TGF-β, LIF, IL-11 and proteases. Tripeptidyl peptidase 1 (TPP1) is a is a lysosomal serine-type protease however the contribution of the TPP1 to receptivity is unknown. We aimed to investigate the role of TPP1 in receptivity in humans.In the current study, TPP1 was expressed in both epithelial and stromal compartments of the endometrium across the menstrual cycle. Expression was confined to the cytoplasm of luminal and glandular epithelial cells and stromal cells. Staining of mid-secretory endometrial tissues of women with normal fertility and primary unexplained infertility showed reduced immunostaining intensity of TPP1 in luminal epithelial cells of infertile tissues compared to fertile tissues. By contrast, TPP1 levels in glandular epithelial and stromal cells were comparable in both groups in the mid-secretory phase. Inhibition of TPP1 using siRNA compromised HTR8/SVneo (trophoblast cell line) spheroid adhesion on siRNA-transfected Ishikawa cells (endometrial epithelial cell line) in vitro. This impairment was associated with decreased sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), BCL2 and p53 mRNA and unaltered, CD44, CDH1, CDH2, ITGB3, VEGF A, OSTEOPONTIN, MDM2, CASP4, MCL1, MMP2, ARF6, SGK1, HOXA-10, LIF, and LIF receptor gene expression between treatment groups. siRNA knockdown of TPP1 in primary human endometrial stromal cells did not affect decidualization nor the expression of decidualization markers prolactin (PRL) and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 (IGFBP1). Taken together, our data strongly suggests a role for TPP1 in endometrial receptivity via its effects on epithelial cell adhesion and suggests reduced levels associated with unexplained infertility may contribute to implantation failure.

The horse as a model for translational orthopedic research: examples of studies on the regeneration of cartilage and bone conducted in Costa Rica

The paper provides results published or to be published of long-term in vivo equine studies to evaluate techniques of possible regenerative matrices of cartilage and bone, by means of cell-free implants or stimulation of the bone marrow. From the fixation techniques analyzed, it can be concluded that the best alternatives are the pressure technique for subchondral defects and a novel hydrogel with self-adhesive capacity for chondral defects. The equine coxal tuberosity was used for the first time as a model for regeneration studies of bone defects, analyzing scaffolds based on tricalcium phosphate, polymers and nanoparticles, by means of 3-D printing. Osteoconductivity, osteoinductivity, and the importance of microporosity were documented.Given that decellularized materials do not always give significant desired results in the regeneration of cartilage, it is important to conduct long-term studies. The technique of nanofracture and a novel self-adhesive hydrogel in the knee of the equine showed promising preliminary results in the regeneration of cartilage.The knee and the coxal tuberosity of the horse represent models of studying cartilage and bone regeneration in a true translational sense as a source of highly valuable information for clinical studies, for both horses and humans.

The long noncoding RNA PTENP1 regulates human endometrial epithelial adhesive capacity in vitro: implications in infertility

There is general consensus that the synchronous development of the embryo and endometrium is absolutely essential for successful implantation. Recent studies have strongly suggested that embryo-secreted factors are able to deliver into the endometrial cavity/endometrium and alter its protein profile in preparation for implantation. However, there is limited research focusing on long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) changes in the endometrium that brought about by the embryonic derived factors. It has been suggested that lncRNA has intricate interplay with microRNA (miR), small (~19–22 nucleotides), non-protein-coding RNA, to regulate protein production in the endometrium, thus controlling adhesive capacity. Here through microarray assays, we compare the lncRNA profile of the primary human endometrial epithelial cells (HEECs) that have been precultured with blastocyst-conditioned media (BCM) from embryos that implanted versus nonimplanted. Our data indicate a substantial change of lncRNA expression in HEECs, including 9 up-regulated and 12 down-regulated lncRNAs after incubation with implanted BCM. Selective knockdown of PTENP1, the most increased lncRNA after implanted BCM treatment in the HEECs, compromised the spheroid adhesion (P &lt; 0.001). Characterization of PTENP1 confirmed its expression in the luminal epithelium with staining appeared most intense in the midsecretory phase. Furthermore, we have recorded a substantial change of miR profile upon PTENP1 knockdown in HEECs. Overexpression of miR-590-3p, a novel predicted target of PTENP1, impaired spheroid adhesion (P &lt; 0.001). Collectively, these data have supported a novel regulation system that lncRNAs were able to participate in the regulation of implantation through association with miRs.