Myocardial
microenvironment plays a decisive role in guiding the
function and fate of cardiomyocytes, and engineering this extracellular
niche holds great promise for cardiac tissue regeneration. Platforms
utilizing hybrid hydrogels containing various types of conductive
nanoparticles have been a critical tool for constructing engineered
cardiac tissues with outstanding mechanical integrity and improved
electrophysiological properties. However, there has been no attempt
to directly compare the efficacy of these hybrid hydrogels and decipher
the mechanisms behind how these platforms differentially regulate
cardiomyocyte behavior. Here, we employed gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA)
hydrogels containing three different types of carbon-based nanoparticles:
carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene oxide (GO), and reduced GO (rGO),
to investigate the influence of these hybrid scaffolds on the structural
organization and functionality of cardiomyocytes. Using immunofluorescent
staining for assessing cellular organization and proliferation, we
showed that electrically conductive scaffolds (CNT- and rGO-GelMA
compared to relatively nonconductive GO-GelMA) played a significant
role in promoting desirable morphology of cardiomyocytes and elevated
the expression of functional cardiac markers, while maintaining their
viability. Electrophysiological analysis revealed that these engineered
cardiac tissues showed distinct cardiomyocyte phenotypes and different
levels of maturity based on the substrate (CNT-GelMA: ventricular-like,
GO-GelMA: atrial-like, and rGO-GelMA: ventricular/atrial mixed phenotypes).
Through analysis of gene-expression patterns, we uncovered that the
engineered cardiac tissues matured on CNT-GelMA and native cardiac
tissues showed comparable expression levels of maturation markers.
Furthermore, we demonstrated that engineered cardiac tissues matured
on CNT-GelMA have increased functionality through integrin-mediated
mechanotransduction (via YAP/TAZ) in contrast to
cardiomyocytes cultured on rGO-GelMA.
This goal of this study was to highlight the importance of minerals in the diet of fish for meeting micronutrient requirements in the human diet. First arsenic, calcium, cadmium, copper, iron, molybdenum, magnesium, manganese, sodium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc concentrations of twelve commercially available tilapia samples were measured. The nutritional value of fillets in regard to their mineral content were assessed to establish potential health benefits or risks for consumers. The health benefit value of selenium was also calculated. Positive health benefit values indicate that tilapia fillets in the United States marketplace of this study do not pose health risks associated with mercury exposures. Selenium was the trace mineral of interest. After the market study, a seven-week fish feeding trial was conducted to study the influence of organic versus inorganic dietary selenium on Nile tilapia (
Oreochromis niloticus
). Fish were fed two different diets enriched with the same concentration (0.01g kg
-1
) of selenium in form of inorganic (sodium selenite) or organic (seleno-L-methionine) selenium in triplicate groups. There were no significant differences between growth and biometrics of fish fed different diets (
p>
0.05). At the end of trial twelve fish from each treatment were collected. Fillets of fish fed organic selenium had selenium concentrations of 0.55 ± 0.01 μg g
-1
which were significantly (
p<
0.05) higher than fish fed inorganic selenium at levels of 0.22 ± 0.008 μg g
-1
or fish samples from the marketplace with a selenium level of 0.2 ± 0.03 μg g
-1
. Fish fed organic selenium also had significantly higher (
p<0
.
05
) plasma and kidney selenium in comparison to fish fed inorganic selenium. No significant differences (
p>0
.
05
) were observed in glutathione peroxidase activities in either the plasma or liver of Nile tilapia in the different treatment groups. This study shows that organic selenium is a better option for production of Nile tilapia fillets rich in selenium.
This new 4-page article intends to give basic information about the cell-based seafood production system to consumers and seafood producers. Written by Razieh Farzad and published by the UF/IFAS Food Science and Human Nutrition Department.
Este documento es el primero de una serie de "Guías de mariscos", que busca ayudar a la industria de mariscos en FL a entender las normas de inocuidad de pescados mariscos. Translation of FS436, Seafood HACCP Regulation: Basic Information for the Florida Seafood Industry. Written by Razieh Farzad and published by the UF/IFAS Food Science and Human Nutrition Department; 3 pp.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs439
This document provides basic information regarding the preparation, safe handling, and nutritional value of blue crab for seafood consumers. Written by Donald E. Sweat and Razieh Farzad; published by the UF/IFAS Food Science and Human Nutrition Department; 3 pp.
This new 5-page publication of the UF/IFAS Food Science and Human Nutrition Department provides information for the general public about the benefits of incorporating land- and water-based natural resource activities to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Written by Razieh Farzad, Brittany Scharf, Jim E. Davis, LuAnn Duncan, and Jana Anderson.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs441
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