MedWorm.com provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest items from the 'Cell and Tissue Research' source. Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:33:06 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3386831&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fyq141vp9116w2j46%2F This report demonstrates for the first time that ADSCs can rescue imperiled Purkinje neurons and alleviate the inflammatory response in NP-C disease model mice, thereby signifying the therapeutic potential of ADSCs for neurodegenerative diseases. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Regular ArticleDOI 10.1007/s00441-010-0942-3Authors Jae-sung Bae, Kyungpook National University Department of Physiology, Cell and Matrix Research Institute, BSEI, World Class University Program, School of Medicine Daegu KoreaJanet E. Carter, University College London Department of Mental Health Sciences, Royal Free and University College Medical School London UKHee Kyung Jin, Kyungpook National University Department of Laboratory Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cell and Matrix Researc... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3386831 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:24:46 +0100 3386831 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3373971&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fr855ngrmr018u272%2F Abstract  Ovarian steroid hormones, progesterone (P4), and estradiol (E2) strictly regulate the endometrial tissue remodeling required for successful embryo implantation. Indian hedgehog (Ihh) is up-regulated by P4 and critically mediates uterine receptivity in the mouse. However, the regulation of Ihh expression during the implantation period still remains unclear. The present study was conducted to elucidate the mechanism of the steroidal regulation in the expression of Ihh and Gli1, the mediator of the Ihh pathway. Ihh mRNA was expressed in the rat uterus on 3.5–5.5 days post-coitus (dpc), while Gli1 expression transiently increased at 3.5 dpc but decreased significantly on 5.5 dpc (P < 0.001). In delayed implantation, the expression of Ihh was induce... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3373971 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:55:14 +0100 3373971 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3373970&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F34377103rpt17p65%2F The objective of this study was to develop effective strategies for hypothermic preservation of immature porcine testis tissue to maintain structural integrity and cell viability. In Experiment 1, testes from 1-week-old piglets were used to study the effects of tissue sample size (as intact testes or fragments of 100-or 30 mg) and the use of one of 9 different media on hypothermic preservation of the testis tissue for 6 days. The examined media included: Dulbecco’s phosphate-buffered saline (DPBS), Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium (DMEM), Leibovitz L15 (L15), L15 with fetal bovine serum (FBS, at 10%, 20% or 50%), HypoThermosol solution-FRS (HTS), Ham’s F12, and Media 199. On days 0, 3, and 6, testis tissues were digested to compare the cell survival rates. Tissue ... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3373970 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:55:14 +0100 3373970 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3373969&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fr12807118u083053%2F Abstract  The involvement of nitric oxide (NO) as both pro and anti-inflammatory agent in allergic, airway inflammatory, and asthmatic diseases and the active participation of eosinophils in such ailments have been previously suggested. NO modulates eosinophil number, migration and their survival. The microenvironment of NO synthase (NOS) in subcellular organelles determines its rate and efficiency of catalysis, which in turn influences NO generation at distinct intracellular locales. The present study was undertaken to assess the intracellular distribution of NOS isoforms by transmission electron microscopy followed by morphometric analysis in human and rat eosinophils. Rat eosinophils were explored in parallel, and since they are widely used as model systems to mimic huma... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3373969 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:55:14 +0100 3373969 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3362312&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F2w3067k867466273%2F Abstract  Increases in cardiovascular load (pressure overload) are known to elicit ventricular remodeling including cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and interstitial fibrosis. While numerous studies have focused on the mechanisms of myocyte hypertrophy, comparatively little is known regarding the response of the interstitial fibroblasts to increased cardiovascular load. Fibroblasts are the most numerous cell type in the mammalian myocardium and have long been recognized as producing the majority of the myocardial extracellular matrix. It is only now becoming appreciated that other aspects of fibroblast behavior are important to overall cardiac function. The present studies were performed to examine the temporal alterations in fibroblast activity in response to increased cardiovascu... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3362312 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:28:48 +0100 3362312 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3362313&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fhr23086243675p66%2F Abstract  Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) were first described more than two decades ago. Novel labeling techniques have shown them to be cells with more than just progenitor functions, with their classification as a fourth glial cell type in addition to astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglial cells. Another term used for this cell type is polydendrocytes, owing to both their morphology and to the evolving knowledge about their diverse functions. Recently, an exclusive hallmark of neurons—the generation of action potentials—became debatable, because a subset of polydendrocytes was reported to generate action potentials in response to adequate stimuli. The new technique of inducible reporter gene expression has brought new insights into the fate and function... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3362313 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:28:47 +0100 3362313 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3362314&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F11821564k8p3m8n1%2F Abstract  Pro-inflammatory cytokines induce meniscal matrix degradation and inhibition of endogenous repair mechanisms, but the pathogenic mechanisms behind this are mostly unknown. Therefore, we investigated details of interleukin-1 (IL-1α)-induced aggrecan turnover in mature meniscal tissue explants. Fibro-cartilagenous disks (3 mm diameter × 1 mm thickness) were isolated from the central, weight-bearing region of menisci from 2-year-old cattle. After 3 or 6 days of IL-1α-treatment, GAG loss (DMMB assay), biosynthetic activity ([35SO4]-sulfate and [3H]-proline incorporation), gene expression (quantitative RT-PCR) and the abundance (zymography, Western blot) of matrix-degrading enzymes and specific aggrecan products were determined. Meniscal fibrocarti... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3362314 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:28:46 +0100 3362314 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3362315&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fg77h71k3848h7576%2F Abstract  Emerging evidence demonstrates the involvement of endothelin-1 (ET-1) in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disorders associated with diabetes mellitus. The molecular mechanisms accountable for the increased production of ET-1 are not completely defined. The Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling pathway is an essential pathogenic mechanism leading to endothelial cell dysfunction. Our aim has been to investigate the role of JAK/STAT in the regulation of ET-1 synthesis in human endothelial cells (EAhy926 cells line). EAhy926 cells were exposed to normal (5 mM) or high (25 mM) glucose concentrations in the presence/absence of various JAK/STAT inhibitors. Using real-time polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3362315 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:28:45 +0100 3362315 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3362316&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F0012730r13314530%2F Abstract   Sicyopterus japonicus (Teleostei, Gobiidae) possesses a unique upper jaw dentition different from that known for any other teleosts. In the adults, many (up to 30) replacement teeth, from initiation to attachment, are arranged orderly in a semicircular-like strand within a capsule of connective tissue on the labial side of each premaxillary bone. We have applied histological, ultrastructural, and three-dimensional imaging from serial sections to obtain insights into the distribution and morphological features of the dental lamina in the upper jaw dentition of adult S. japonicus. The adult fish has numerous permanent dental laminae, each of which is an infolding of the oral epithelium at the labial side of the functional tooth and forms a thin plate-like structure... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3362316 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:28:43 +0100 3362316 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3338102&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fl110782p55757881%2F Abstract  Estradiol (E2) stimulates not only secretion of prolactin (PRL) and proliferation of PRL-producing cells (PRL cells) in the anterior pituitary, but also the expression of growth factors. In insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) knockout (KO) mice, the number of PRL cells is decreased and administration of IGF-I does not increase either the number of PRL cells or plasma PRL levels, indicating that IGF-I plays a pivotal role in PRL cells. The effect of E2 on PRL cells in KO mice was investigated by immunohistochemistry and real-time RT-PCR. The number of PRL cells in KO mice was significantly lower than in the wild-type (WT) control mice. E2 increased the PRL mRNA in WT and KO mice; however, an increase of PRL mRNA in KO was less than that in WT. In addition, no vaso... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3338102 Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:50:47 +0100 3338102 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3338103&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fb73775q437115165%2F Abstract  Collagen glycosaminoglycan (CG) scaffolds have been clinically approved as an application for skin regeneration. The goal of this study has been to examine whether a CG scaffold is a suitable biomaterial for generating human bone tissue. Specifically, we have asked the following questions: (1) can the scaffold support human osteoblast growth and differentiation and (2) how might recombinant human transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β1) enhance long-term in vitro bone formation? We show human osteoblast attachment, infiltration and uniform distribution throughout the construct, reaching the centre within 14 days of seeding. We have identified the fully differentiated osteoblast phenotype categorised by the temporal expression of alkaline phosphatase, collagen... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3338103 Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:50:45 +0100 3338103 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3331107&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F10r0678650858820%2F Abstract  Bone is a dynamic tissue that undergoes a precise remodeling process involving resorptive osteoclastic cells and bone-forming osteoblastic (OB) cells. The functional imbalance of either of these cell types can lead to severe skeletal diseases. The proliferation and differentiation of OB cells play a major role in bone development and turnover. These cellular processes are coordinated by connexin43 (Cx43)-based gap-junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) and by soluble factors such as endothelin-1 (ET-1). We have used the Cx43 heterozygous (Cx43+/−) murine model to study the possible cross-talk between Cx43 and ET-1 in cultured calvarial OB cells. On microcomputed tomographic analysis of 3-day-old pups, Cx43+/− mice showed hypomineralized calvaria in compa... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3331107 Tue, 02 Mar 2010 10:01:34 +0100 3331107 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3314524&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F0768h5462v552617%2F Abstract  Although virtually all cells store neutral lipids as cytoplasmic lipid droplets, mammary epithelial cells have developed a specialized function to secrete them as milk fat globules. We have used the mammary epithelial cell line HC11 to evaluate the potential connections between the lipid and protein synthetic pathways. We show that unsaturated fatty acids induce a pronounced proliferation of cytoplasmic lipid droplets and stimulate the synthesis of adipose differentiation-related protein. Unexpectedly, the cellular level of β-casein, accumulated under lactogenic hormone treatment, decreases following treatment of the cells with unsaturated fatty acids. In contrast, saturated fatty acids have no significant effect on either cytoplasmic lipid droplet proliferation ... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3314524 Thu, 25 Feb 2010 06:53:09 +0100 3314524 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3314523&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F085311872k3vj6xg%2F Abstract  Adrenomedullin (AM) is a peptide hormone involved in the modulation of cellular growth, migration, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. These characteristics suggest that AM is involved in the control of neural stem/progenitor cell (NSPC) biology. To explore this hypothesis, we have obtained NSPC from the olfactory bulb of adult wild-type animals and brain conditional knockouts for adm, the gene that produces AM. Knockout NSPC contain higher levels of hyperpolymerized tubulin and more abundant filopodia than adm-containing cells, resulting in a different morphology in culture, whereas the size of the knockout neurospheres is smaller than that of the wild-types. Proliferation studies have demonstrated that adm-null NSPC incorporate less 5′-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) than th... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3314523 Thu, 25 Feb 2010 06:53:09 +0100 3314523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3306564&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fj1v57jn461100725%2F Abstract  We previously demonstrated that tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), the rate-limiting enzyme of serotonin (5-HT) synthesis, was commonly present in the brains of some insects. The current study was aimed at determining the number of serotonergic neurons in the brain and suboesophageal ganglion of adult Drosophila melanogaster and to investigate further the differences in immunoreactivity between 5-HT and TPH. Brain sections of Drosophila were immunostaind with sheep anti-TPH polyclonal antibody and rabbit anti-5-HT antiserum. The 5-HT-like immunoreactive neurons were also immunoreactive for TPH and bilaterally symmetrical; 83 neurons were found in each hemisphere of the brain and suboesophageal ganglion of adult Drosophila. This technique of colocalizing 5-HT and TPH reve... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3306564 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 07:08:32 +0100 3306564 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3306565&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F29514847h5015027%2F Abstract  Although the water channel protein aquaporin-1 (AQP1) is widely observed outside the rat brain in continuous, but not fenestrated, vascular endothelia, it has not previously been observed in any endothelia within the normal rat brain and only to a limited extent in the human brain. In this immunohistochemical study of rat brain, AQP1 has also been found in microvessel endothelia, probably of the fenestrated type, in all circumventricular organs (except the subcommissural organ and the vascular organ of the lamina terminalis): in the median eminence, pineal, subfornical organ, area postrema and choroid plexus. The majority of microvessels in the median eminence, pineal and choroid plexus, known to be exclusively fenestrated, are shown to be AQP1-immunoreactive. In ... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3306565 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 07:08:29 +0100 3306565 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3306566&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fq0588r1663w84015%2F Abstract  Neuronal progenitor cells (NPCs) possess high potential for use in regenerative medicine. To overcome their limited mitotic competence, various immortalization strategies have been applied that allow their prolonged maintenance and expansion in vitro. Such immortalized cells can be used for the design and discovery of new cell-based therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease. We immortalized rat ventral mesencephalic NPCs by using SV40 large T antigen (SV40Tag). All cell clones displayed a two- to three–fold higher proliferation rate compared with the primary cells. In order to induce dopaminergic differentiation of generated cell clones, both glial-derived neurotrophic factor and di-butyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate were applie... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3306566 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 07:07:55 +0100 3306566 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3290732&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fg823716105544g78%2F Abstract  We have evaluated RECK (reversion-inducing-cysteine-rich protein with Kazal motifs), MMP-2 (matrix metalloproteinase-2), MMP-3, and MMP-9 involvement during palate development in mice by using various techniques. Immunohistochemical features revealed the distribution of RECK, MMP-2, and MMP-3 in the mesenchymal tissue and in the midline epithelial seam at embryonic day 13 (E13), MMPs-2, -3, and -9 being particularly expressed at E14 and E14.5. In contrast, RECK was weakly immunostained at these times. Involvement of MMPs was validated by measuring not only their protein expression, but also their activity (zymograms). In situ hybridization signal (ISH) for RECK transcript was distributed in mesenchymal and epithelial regions within palatal shelves at all periods e... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3290732 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 06:49:47 +0100 3290732 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3287552&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fw3n6w82275q23163%2F Abstract  The hypophysial pars tuberalis (PT), an important interface between neuroendocrine brain centers (hypothalamus, pineal organ) and the pars distalis (PD) of the hypophysis, plays a central role in regulating seasonal reproduction and prolactin release. However, the signaling molecules that transmit photoperiodic information from the PT to the PD and control prolactin release (the so-called “tuberalins”) have not yet been identified, despite an intense search for more than three decades. Here, we demonstrate an endocannabinoid system in the PT of the Syrian hamster, a photoperiodic species. By means of in situ hybrization, the PT was found to express N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine-specific phospholipase D (NAPE-PLD), fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), sn-1-select... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3287552 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:28:53 +0100 3287552 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3287553&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fm88q2560214v4087%2F Abstract  Cellular signaling via epidermal growth factor (EGF) and EGF-like ligands can determine cell fate and behavior. Osteoblasts, which are responsible for forming and mineralizing osteoid, express EGF receptors and alter rates of proliferation and differentiation in response to EGF receptor activation. Transgenic mice over-expressing the EGF-like ligand betacellulin (BTC) exhibit increased cortical bone deposition; however, because the transgene is ubiquitously expressed in these mice, the identity of cells affected by BTC and responsible for increased cortical bone thickness remains unknown. We have therefore examined the influence of BTC upon mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) and pre-osteoblast differentiation and proliferation. BTC decreases the expression of osteogenic ... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3287553 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:28:51 +0100 3287553 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3275688&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fj777787230301703%2F Content Type Journal ArticleCategory AnnouncementDOI 10.1007/s00441-010-0928-1 Journal Cell and Tissue ResearchOnline ISSN 1432-0878Print ISSN 0302-766X (Source: Cell and Tissue Research) Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3275688 Sat, 13 Feb 2010 06:46:56 +0100 3275688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3270977&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fyk518j372r6368qn%2F Abstract  We have examined the developmental expression of the neuromodulators locustatachykinin, leucokinin-1, allatostatin and serotonin in a subset of lineages (Y, Z) of the central complex in the brain of the grasshopper Schistocerca gregaria. First, we show that all these neuromodulators are expressed in the same lineages during embryogenesis. The neuroblasts generating these lineages are therefore biochemically multipotent. Second, the neurons expressing the different neuromodulators are found clustered at stereotypic locations in their respective lineages. Locustatachykinin and leucokinin-1 map to the apical region of the lineage, allatostatin medially and serotonin to the base of the lineage. Since the location in these lineages translates into their birth order, we ... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3270977 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 07:08:39 +0100 3270977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3270978&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Ff623163643701145%2F Abstract  To understand the processes involved in tissue remodeling associated with the seasonal reproductive cycle of the oyster Crassostrea gigas, we used immunodetection and expression measurements of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). The expression of the PCNA gene was measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction in the whole gonadal area compared with laser microdissected gonad and storage tissue. Results underlined the advantage of the laser microdissection approach to detect expression, mainly for early stages of spermatogenesis. In the storage tissue, PCNA expression was reduced in the gonadal tubules, but immunolabeled hemocytes and vesicular cells were detected when the storage tissue was being restored. In the gonadal tubules, the PCNA gene was more hi... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3270978 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 07:08:38 +0100 3270978 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3266800&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fq4l5036045461862%2F Abstract  The Six family genes encode homeobox transcription factors, and their deficiency leads to abnormal sensory organ structures. We analyzed the expression patterns of Six1 and its role in the morphogenesis of taste bud-bearing lingual papillae during mouse embryonic development. Six1 was expressed in the mesenchyme of the lateral lingual swellings at embryonic day (E) 11.5 and in the epithelium of fungiform papillae during E14.5–E17.5. In the posterior region of the tongue, Six1 expression appeared in the epithelial thickenings in the center of the dorsal surface at E13.5–E14.5 and was observed in the trench wall of circumvallate and foliate papillae at E15.5-postnatal day 0. Six1-deficient mice (Six1 -/-) showed distinct morphological changes: the fungiform papil... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3266800 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:29:17 +0100 3266800 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3266801&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F8016210776148q32%2F Abstract  CD4+CD25+high regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a pivotal role in the control of the immune response. A growing body of evidence suggests the reduced function of these cells in autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes (T1D). Restoration of their function can potentially delay further disease development. In the present study, we have converted conventional effector T cells into induced Tregs (iTregs) in recent-onset (RO) T1D (n=9) and compared them with the same cells generated in controls (n=12) and in long-standing (LS) T1D subjects (n=9). The functional potential of in-vitro-generated Tregs was measured by using an in vitro proliferation assay. We noted that the suppressive potential of iTregs exceeded that of natural regulatory T cells (nTregs) only in the R... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3266801 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:29:16 +0100 3266801 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3248492&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fq0491l293755226r%2F Abstract  In the olfactory bulb, input from olfactory receptor neurons is processed by neuronal networks before it is relayed to higher brain regions. In many neurons, hyperpolarization-activated and cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels generate and control oscillations of the membrane potential. Oscillations also appear crucial for information processing in the olfactory bulb. Four channel isoforms exist (HCN1–HCN4) that can form homo- or heteromers. Here, we describe the expression pattern of HCN isoforms in the olfactory bulb of mice by using a novel and comprehensive set of antibodies against all four isoforms. HCN isoforms are abundantly expressed in the olfactory bulb. HCN channels can be detected in most cell populations identified by commonly used marker antibod... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3248492 Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:53:47 +0100 3248492 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3248493&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F877q6u0q71121vq4%2F Abstract  Molluscan in vitro technology allows the study of the differentiation of isolated cells undergoing experimental manipulations. We have used the immunofluorescence technique and laser scanning microscopy to investigate the organization of muscle proteins (actin, myosin, paramyosin, and twitchin) and the localization of neurotransmitters (serotonin and FMRFamide) in cultured mussel larval cells. Differentiation into muscle and neuron-like cells occurs during the cultivation of mussel cells from premyogenic and prenervous larval stages. Muscle proteins are colocalized in contractile cells through all stages of cultivation. The cultivation of mussel cells on various substrates and the application of integrin receptor blockers suggest that an integrin-dependent mechani... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3248493 Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:53:46 +0100 3248493 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3248494&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fyq2022813h833p47%2F Abstract  Premelanosomes are presumed to be essential for melanogenesis in melanocytes and pre-natal retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. We analysed melanin synthesis in adenoviral-transduced tyrosinase-gene-expressing amelanotic RPE (ARPE) 19 cells to determine whether premelanosome formation is needed for post-natal melanogenesis. The synthesis of melanogenic proteins and melanin granules was investigated by immunocytochemistry and light and electron microscopy. The occurrence of tyrosinase was analysed ultrastructurally by dihydroxyphenylalanine histochemistry. The viability of transduced cell cultures was examined via MTT assay. We found active tyrosinase in small granule-like vesicles throughout the cytoplasm and in the endoplasmic reticulum and nuclear membrane. T... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3248494 Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:53:45 +0100 3248494 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3243555&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fg17484863u7v3676%2F Abstract  We used the egg avidin gold complex as a polycationic probe for the localization of negatively charged sites in the secretory granules of mouse mast cells. We compared the binding of this reagent to mast cell granules in wild-type mice and in congenic brachymorphic mice in which mast cell secretory granules contained undersulfated proteoglycans. We localized anionic sites by post-embedding labeling of thin sections of mouse skin and tongue tissues fixed in Karnovsky’s fixative and OsO4 and embedded in Araldite. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the mast cell granules of bm/bm mice had a lower optical density than those of wild-type mice (P<0.001) and a lower avidin gold binding density (by approximately 50%, P<0.001). The latter result provided a... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3243555 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:49:00 +0100 3243555 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3243556&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F0970vu401324m167%2F Abstract  Mice deficient in neurogenin 3 (Ngn3) fail to generate pancreatic endocrine cells and intestinal endocrine cells. Hypothalamic neuropeptides implicated in the control of energy homeostasis might also be affected in Ngn3 homozygous null mutant mice. We investigated the expression of two prominent orexigenic neuropeptides, neuropeptide Y (NPY) and agouti-related protein (AgRP), in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus of newborn wild-type and Ngn3 null mutant mice. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that, in Ngn3 null mutants, the number of NPY-immunoreactive neurons and nerve fibers was markedly increased in the arcuate nucleus, and the nerve fibers were widely distributed in the hypothalamic area, including the paraventricular and dorsomedial nuclei. Little i... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3243556 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:48:58 +0100 3243556 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3235629&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fy7u2185203l26833%2F Abstract  The S334ter-line-3 rat is a transgenic model of retinal degeneration developed to express a rhodopsin mutation similar to that found in human retinitis pigmentosa (RP) patients. Previous studies have focused on physiological changes in retinal cells and higher centers of the visual system with this model of retinal degeneration. However, little is known about the morphological changes in retinal cells during the development of the S334ter-line-3 rat. In order to understand and aid vision-rescue strategies, our aim has been to describe the retinal degeneration pattern in this model. We focus on changes in the morphologies of horizontal, bipolar, and amacrine cells in developing S334ter-line-3 rat retinas. Degeneration of photoreceptors begins in the central retina ... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3235629 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:03:10 +0100 3235629 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3235630&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F70712263kw865547%2F Abstract  The tissue distribution and ontogeny of Na+/K+-ATPase has been examined as an indicator for ion-regulatory epithelia in whole animal sections of embryos and hatchlings of two cephalopod species: the squid Loligo vulgaris and the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis. This is the first report of the immunohistochemical localization of cephalopod Na+/K+-ATPase with the polyclonal antibody α (H-300) raised against the human α1-subunit of Na+/K+-ATPase. Na+/K+-ATPase immunoreactivity was observed in several tissues (gills, pancreatic appendages, nerves), exclusively located in baso-lateral membranes lining blood sinuses. Furthermore, large single cells in the gill of adult L. vulgaris specimens closely resembled Na+/K+-ATPase-rich cells described in fish. Immunohistochemical obs... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3235630 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:03:07 +0100 3235630 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3235631&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fenr37x98r3287322%2F Abstract  Stem cells are the only proliferating cells in flatworms and can be eliminated by irradiation with no damage to differentiated cells. We investigated the effect of fractionated irradiation schemes on Macrostomum lignano, namely, on survival, gene expression, morphology and regeneration. Proliferating cells were almost undetectable during the first week post-treatment. Cell proliferation and gene expression were restored within 1 month in a dose-dependent manner following exposure to up to 150 Gy irradiation. During recovery, stem cells did not cross the midline but were restricted within lateral compartments. An accumulated dose of 210 Gy resulted in a lethal phenotype. Our findings demonstrate that M. lignano represents a suitable model system for el... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3235631 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:03:06 +0100 3235631 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3235632&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fl0441457633ht743%2F Abstract  Sipunculans, a small phylum of coelomated marine worms closely related to polychaete annelids, lack a true circulatory system. We have previously shown that the sipunculan Themiste petricola can form a cellular clot, without congealing, of cell-free coelomic fluid. The clot is formed by the aggregation of large granular leukocytes (LGLs) and may serve not only haemostatic but immune functions, since dissimilar particles may become entrapped within it. We have now evaluated the capacity of a massive clot, induced in vitro by sea water contact, to stop coelomic fluid flow. We have further studied smaller clots induced on glass-slides either with or without the presence of bacteria placed for entrapment within the clot. The fate of clotting LGLs is cell death while fo... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3235632 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 06:46:00 +0100 3235632 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3208186&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F51v5h271652g5531%2F Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Acknowledgement to reviewersDOI 10.1007/s00441-009-0914-7 Journal Cell and Tissue ResearchOnline ISSN 1432-0878Print ISSN 0302-766X (Source: Cell and Tissue Research) Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3208186 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:09:05 +0100 3208186 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3171698&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fyv24303mr307052n%2F Abstract  Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP)-like molecules have been shown to be present in cocoon albumin and in Eisenia fetida embryos at an early developmental stage (E1) by immunocytochemistry and radioimmunoassay. Here, we focus on detecting the stage at which PAC1 receptor (PAC1R)-like immunoreactivity first appears in germinal layers and structures, e.g., various parts of the central nervous system (CNS), in developing earthworm embryos. PAC1R-like immunoreactivity was revealed by Western blot and Far Western blot as early as the E2 developmental stage, occurring in the ectoderm and later in specific neurons of the developing CNS. Labeled CNS neurons were first seen in the supraesophageal ganglion (brain) and subsequently in the subesophageal... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3171698 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:20:37 +0100 3171698 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3171699&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Ff50448m786t72432%2F Abstract  Because of the permeability of the chorion, sea bass embryos are exposed to seawater before hatching and hence require precocious osmoregulatory processes. Several studies of other species have demonstrated the existence of ion-transporting cells located on the yolk sac membrane of embryos. In these cells, called ionocytes, ion movements are controlled by a pool of transmembrane proteins. Among them, the Na+/K+-ATPase, an abundant driving enzyme, has been used to reveal the presence or absence of ionocytes. We have immunostained the Na+/K+-ATPase in sea-bass embryos and shown the presence of the first ionocytes on the yolk sac membrane at stage 12 somites and the occurrence of ionocytes at other sites before hatching. Ionocytes located on the first gill slits have ... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3171699 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:20:36 +0100 3171699 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3163616&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fp614770256375n81%2F Abstract  Trefoil factor family (TFF) peptides promote regeneration and repair processes of mucous epithelia. They also probably play a key role in the remarkable regenerative capacity of the urinary tract epithelia. We have localized TFF1, TFF2, and TFF3 expression systematically in surgical specimens from the urinary tract by reverse transcription with the polymerase chain reaction, Western blot analysis, and immunohistochemistry. Urine samples from patients suffering from nephrolithiasis have been investigated and compared with those of healthy controls. TFF synthesis is detectable along the entire urinary tract epithelia. TFF3 synthesis is the most pronounced followed by TFF1, whereas TFF2 synthesis is occasionally detectable but only in trace amounts. In contrast, TFF2... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3163616 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:37:39 +0100 3163616 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3163617&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fx2t672376l735850%2F Abstract  Various digestive and enteroendocrine signaling processes are constantly being adapted to the chemical composition and quantity of the chyme contained in the diverse compartments of the gastrointestinal tract. The chemosensory monitoring that underlies the adaptive capacity of the gut is thought to be performed by so-called brush cells that share morphological and molecular features with gustatory sensory cells. A substantial population of brush cells is localized in the gastric mucosa. However, no chemosensory receptors have been found to be expressed in these cells so far, challenging the concept that they serve a chemosensory function. The canonical chemoreceptors for the detection of macronutrients are taste receptors belonging to the T1R family; these have be... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3163617 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:37:37 +0100 3163617 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3133446&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fq153333825n7r713%2F In this study, hESC-derived AFP-producing cells were isolated by using a flow cytometer and co-cultured with MLSgt20 cells. The co-cultured hESC-derived AFP-producing cells had the immunocytological characteristics of hepatocytes, expressed mature hepatocyte markers (as indicated by reverse transcription and the polymerase chain reaction), and displayed higher hepatocyte functions including ammonia removal, cytochrome P450 3A4/7 activity, and the ability to produce and store glycogen. However, the MLSgt20 cells did not directly cause undifferentiated hESCs to mature into hepatocyte-like cells. The co-culture method was thus successfully shown to induce the differentiation of hESC-derived endodermal cells into functional hepatocyte-like cells. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory R... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3133446 Tue, 29 Dec 2009 17:56:43 +0100 3133446 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3122055&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fx004071656xl6p21%2F Abstract  Despite the mouse being an important laboratory species, little is known about changes in its extracellular matrix (ECM) during follicle and corpora lutea formation and regression. Follicle development was induced in mice (29 days of age/experimental day 0) by injections of pregnant mare’s serum gonadotrophin on days 0 and 1 and ovulation was induced by injection of human chorionic gonadotrophin on day 2. Ovaries were collected for immunohistochemistry (n=10 per group) on days 0, 2 and 5. Another group was mated and ovaries were examined on day 11 (n=7). Collagen type IV α1 and α2, laminin α1, β1 and γ1 chains, nidogens 1 and 2 and perlecan were present in the follicular basal lamina of all developmental stages. Collagen type XVIII was only found in basa... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3122055 Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:27:32 +0100 3122055 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3089102&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fq9h70757n4416kt5%2F Abstract  Articular cartilage (AC) heals poorly and effective host-tissue integration after reconstruction is a concern. We have investigated the ability of implanted chondrocytes to attach at the site of injury and to be incorporated into the decellularized host matrix adjacent to a defect in an in vitro human explant model. Human osteochondral dowels received a standardized injury, were seeded with passage 3 chondrocytes labelled with PKH 26 and compared with two control groups. All dowels were cultured in vitro, harvested at 0, 7, 14 and 28 days and assessed for chondrocyte adherence and migration into the region of decellularized tissue adjacent to the defects. Additional evaluation included cell viability, general morphology and collagen II production. Seeded chon... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3089102 Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:17:05 +0100 3089102 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3089103&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fg138m86x4wj74h76%2F Abstract  We investigated the role of neutrophilic cells (neutrophils) in inflammatory angiogenesis and explored the possible mechanisms involved. Corneal angiogenesis was induced in vivo with a 75% silver nitrate applicator. Depletion of neutrophils was accomplished by the intraperitoneal administration of RB6-8C5, a neutrophil-depleting antibody. Angiogenesis, neutrophil infiltration, and the localization of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were evaluated by biomicroscopic observations, histology, and immunohistochemistry in control and RB6-8C5 treatment groups. Protein levels of VEGF, macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha (MIP-1α), macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2), and tumor necrosis factor alpha in the cornea were determined by enzyme-linked immunoso... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3089103 Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:17:04 +0100 3089103 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3089104&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Ft883257g45r16417%2F Abstract  Primmorphs (a three-dimensional sponge primary cell culture system) have been revealed to be a cell/tissue nano-factory for the production of tailor-made hybrid nanostructures. Growth of primmorphs is stimulated by the presence of a titanium alkoxide precursor tolerating titania (TiO2) concentrations up to 250 μM. The presence and activity of silicatein in primmorphs has been analyzed by gel electrophoresis and Western blotting. Results of studies by scanning transmission electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy have revealed silica and titania to be co-localized on nanosized spicules. Our findings suggest that the incorporation of titania into the nanosized spicule is enzymatically mediated via active silicatein in an orchestrated mechan... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3089104 Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:17:24 +0100 3089104 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3089106&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fr873x77078715325%2F This study aimed to determine whether transgelin expression was suppressed in prostate cancer. An in silico meta-analysis with public-domain expressed-sequence-tag libraries of normal human prostate epithelium, prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, invasive carcinoma and metastasised lesions predicted decreased transgelin expression with disease progression. Similarly, analysis of Affymetrix gene chip data and the Oncomine database indicated that transgelin was one the 2% most significant of all down-regulated genes in response to prostate cancer. Analysis by quantitative reverse transcription with the polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) of patient biopsies determined transgelin expression to be significantly lower in prostate tumour tissue than in matched normal tissue. Similarly, qR... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3089106 Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:17:23 +0100 3089106 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3089105&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F24817162k087u4t1%2F Abstract  The structure of a new cell type, termed the medullary neuron (MN) because of its intimate association with the rostral migratory stream (RMS) in the bulbar core, is described in the adult rat olfactory bulb. The MN is a triangular or polygonal interneuron whose soma lies between the cellular clusters of the RMS or, less frequently, among the neuron progenitors therein. MNs are easily distinguished from adjacent cells by their large size and differentiated structure. Two MN subtypes have been categorized by the Golgi technique: spiny pyramidal neurons and aspiny neurons. Both MN subtypes bear a large dendritic field impinged upon by axons in the core bulbar white matter. A set of collaterals from the adjacent axons appears to terminate on the MN dendrites. The MN ... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3089105 Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:17:23 +0100 3089105 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3089107&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F987h37g734754033%2F Abstract  The subcommissural organ (SCO) is an ependymal differentiation located in the diencephalon under the posterior commissure (PC). SCO-spondin, a glycoprotein released by the SCO, belongs to the thrombospondin superfamily and shares molecular domains with axonal pathfinding molecules. Several lines of evidence suggest a relationship between the SCO and the development of the PC in the chick: (1) their close location to each other, (2) their differentiation at the same developmental stage in the chick, (3) the abnormal PC found in null mutants lacking an SCO and (4) the release by the SCO of SCO-spondin. By application of DiI crystals in the PC of chick embryos, we have identified the neurons that give rise to the PC. Labelling is confined to the magnocellular nucleus... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3089107 Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:17:22 +0100 3089107 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3056432&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fr12w56823l2672v8%2F Abstract  Cell death is a scheduled event during animal development and tissue turnover. Here, we affirm the presence of two major pathways of programmed cell death (PCD), viz. apoptotic and autophagic cell death, in the disintegrated pupal perivisceral (PV) fat body during pupal-adult metamorphosis. The acridine orange (a vital stain for apoptosis) staining pattern and DNA fragmentation assay have revealed the exact day (6th day of the pupal stage) of disintegration in the PV fat body as represented by chromatin condensation and DNA laddering. Electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy have demonstrated the presence of cytoplasmic budding and giant autophagic vacuoles and the low numbers of mitochondria, all of which are attributes of autophagic cell death. Immun... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3056432 Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:30:07 +0100 3056432 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3047944&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F15356228817gm042%2F Abstract  The distribution of leucokinin (LK) neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) of Drosophila melanogaster was described by immunolabelling many years ago. However, no detailed underlying information of the input or output connections of their neurites was then available. Here, we provide a more accurate morphological description by employing a novel LK-specific GAL4 line that recapitulates LK expression. In order to analyse the possible afferent and efferent neural candidates of LK neurons, we used this lk-GAL4 line together with other CNS-Gal4 lines, combined with antisera against various neuropeptides or neurotransmitters. We found four kinds of LK neurons in the brain. (1) The lateral horn neurons connect the antennal glomerula to the mushroom bodies. (2) The su... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3047944 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 07:59:20 +0100 3047944 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3047945&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fj60rj17826576j78%2F Abstract  The pars tuberalis (PT) is the only pituitary region in close contact with the medial-basal hypothalamus and bathed by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Although PT has long been recognized as an endocrine gland, certain aspects of its structure remain obscure. The present investigation has been designed to gain information concerning (1) the cellular organization of PT, (2) the PT/median eminence spatial relationship and (3) the exposure of various cell compartments of PT to CSF. Non-endocrine cells (S100-reactive) appear as the organizer of the PT architecture. The apical poles of these cells line large cistern-like cavities and the processes of these cells establish a close spatial relationship with PT-specific secretory cells, portal capillaries and tanycytes. The ci... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3047945 Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:50:21 +0100 3047945 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3047946&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fa33h477508105004%2F Abstract  In the mammalian retina, information concerning various aspects of an image is transferred in parallel, and cone bipolar cells are thought to play a major role in this parallel processing. We have examined the synaptic connections of calbindin-immunoreactive (IR) ON cone bipolar cells in the inner plexiform layer (IPL) of rabbit retina and have compared these synaptic connections with those that we have previously described for neurokinin 1 (NK1) receptor-IR cone bipolar cells. A total of 325 synapses made by calbindin-IR bipolar axon terminals have been identified in sublamina b of the IPL. The axons of calbindin-IR bipolar cells receive synaptic inputs from amacrine cells through conventional synapses and are coupled to putative AII amacrine cells via gap juncti... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3047946 Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:50:20 +0100 3047946 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3022984&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F9833343816m02jr3%2F This study is the first report of adult rat RGC purification and demonstrates that mature RGCs need multiple factors for survival and neurite outgrowth. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Regular ArticleDOI 10.1007/s00441-009-0897-4Authors Chi Him Eddie Ma, University of Oxford Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3QX UKJeremy S. H. Taylor, University of Oxford Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3QX UK Journal Cell and Tissue ResearchOnline ISSN 1432-0878Print ISSN 0302-766X (Source: Cell and Tissue Research) Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3022984 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:08:50 +0100 3022984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3012207&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F01946q33p142u3q6%2F Abstract  Adhesion and migration are integrated cell functions that build, maintain and remodel the multicellular organism. In migrating cells, integrins are the main transmembrane receptors that provide dynamic interactions between extracellular ligands and actin cytoskeleton and signalling machineries. In parallel to integrins, other adhesion systems mediate adhesion and cytoskeletal coupling to the extracellular matrix (ECM). These include multifunctional cell surface receptors (syndecans and CD44) and discoidin domain receptors, which together coordinate ligand binding with direct or indirect cytoskeletal coupling and intracellular signalling. We review the way that the different adhesion systems for ECM components impact cell migration in two- and three-dimensional mig... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3012207 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:47:51 +0100 3012207 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2999392&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fk548602561028315%2F Abstract  The joint is a discrete unit that consists of cartilage, bone, tendon and ligaments. These tissues are all composed of an extracellular matrix made of collagens, proteoglycans and specialised glycoproteins that are actively synthesised, precisely assembled and subsequently degraded by the resident connective tissue cells. A balance is maintained between matrix synthesis and degradation in healthy adult tissues. Different classes of proteinases play a part in connective tissue turnover in which active proteinases can cleave matrix protein during resorption, although the proteinase that predominates varies between different tissues and diseases. The metalloproteinases are potent enzymes that, once activated, degrade connective tissue and are inhibited by tissue inhi... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2999392 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:22:37 +0100 2999392 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2980929&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fd76828517m7875w6%2F This study might be relevant to clinical sports medicine. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Regular ArticleDOI 10.1007/s00441-009-0894-7Authors Karina Fontana, University of Campinas-UNICAMP Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical Sciences P.O. Box 6111 13083-970 Campinas SP BrazilFernanda M. Almeida, University of Campinas-UNICAMP Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology and Biophysics 13083-970 Campinas SP BrazilTatiana Carla Tomiosso, University of Campinas-UNICAMP Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology and Biophysics 13083-970 Campinas SP BrazilEdson Rosa Pimentel, University of Campinas-UNICAMP Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology and Biophysics 13083-970 Campinas SP BrazilMaria Alice da Cruz Höfling, University of Campinas-UNICAMP ... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2980929 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:14:53 +0100 2980929 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2984658&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fl6456n4h82574371%2F Content Type Journal ArticleCategory EditorialDOI 10.1007/s00441-009-0891-xAuthors L. Bruckner-Tuderman, University Medical Center Freiburg Department of Dermatology Hauptstrasse 7 79104 Freiburg GermanyK. von der Mark, University of Erlangen-Nuernberg Nikolaus Fiebiger Centre of Molecular Medicine Glückstrasse 6 91054 Erlangen GermanyT. Pihlajaniemi, University of Oulu Oulu Center for Cell-Matrix Biology, Biocenter and Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology P.O. Box 5000 Aapistie 7 90014 Oulu FinlandK. Unsicker, University of Freiburg Department of Molecular Embryology, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology Albertstrasse 17 79104 Freiburg Germany Journal Cell and Tissue ResearchOnline ISSN 1432-0878Print ISSN 0302-766X (Source: Cell and Tissue Research) Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2984658 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:14:52 +0100 2984658 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2980930&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F450207t798h3n0ux%2F Abstract  Reabsorption of filtered solutes from the glomerular filtrate and excretion of waste products and xenobiotics are the main functions of the renal proximal tubular (PT) epithelium. A human PT cell line expressing a range of functional transporters would help to augment current knowledge in renal physiology and pharmacology. We have established and characterized a conditionally immortalized PT epithelial cell line (ciPTEC) obtained by transfecting and subcloning cells exfoliated in the urine of a healthy volunteer. The PT origin of this line has been confirmed morphologically and by the expression of aminopeptidase N, zona occludens 1, aquaporin 1, dipeptidyl peptidase IV and multidrug resistance protein 4 together with alkaline phosphatase activity. ciPTEC assemble... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2980930 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:14:52 +0100 2980930 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2984659&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fu0563h4313506421%2F Abstract  To probe pro-fibrotic mechanisms in dystrophic muscle, we isolated primary fibroblasts from Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and control muscle biopsies and induced transdifferentiation in myofibroblasts by transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) treatment. We compared proliferating activity, soluble collagen production, and transcript and protein levels of decorin, myostatin, TGF-β1, matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1; interstitial collagenase), MMP-2 (gelatinase), MMP-3 (stromelysin), MMP-7 (matrilysin), and the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases inhibitors (TIMPs) 1–4, in fibroblasts and myofibroblasts. Principal differences included a significantly greater proliferation rate and soluble collagen production, a significant upregulation of decorin, myost... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2984659 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:14:51 +0100 2984659 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2971850&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fr55523019382u5q0%2F Abstract  Although the immunological and hemodynamical significance of the spleen is of great importance, few reports detail the lymphatic vessels in this organ. We have used an immunohistochemical three-dimensional imaging technique to characterize lymphatic vessels in the normal mouse spleen and have successfully demonstrated their spatial relationship to the blood vascular system for the first time. Lymphatic markers, such as LYVE-1, VEGFR-3, and podoplanin, show different staining patterns depending on their location in the spleen. LYVE-1-positive lymphatic vessels run reverse to the arterial blood flow along the central arteries in the white pulp and trabecular arteries and exit the spleen from the hilum. These lymphatic vessels are surrounded by type IV collagen, indi... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2971850 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:58:02 +0100 2971850 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2971849&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F2465322q5vk30p47%2F Abstract  The ultimate goal in the design of biomimetic materials for use in tissue engineering as permanent or resorbable tissue implants is to generate biocompatible scaffolds with appropriate biomechanical and chemical properties to allow the adhesion, ingrowth, and survival of cells. Recent efforts have therefore focused on the construction and modification of biomimetic surfaces targeted to support tissue-specific cell functions including adhesion, growth, differentiation, motility, and the expression of tissue-specific genes. Four decades of extensive research on the structure and biological influence of the extracellular matrix (ECM) on cell behavior and cell fate have shown that three types of information from the ECM are relevant for the design of biomimetic surface... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2971849 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:58:02 +0100 2971849 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2962972&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fw015nr079101u727%2F Abstract  Cells in multicellular organisms are surrounded by a complex three-dimensional macromolecular extracellular matrix (ECM). This matrix, traditionally thought to serve a structural function providing support and strength to cells within tissues, is increasingly being recognized as having pleiotropic effects in development and growth. Elucidation of the role that the ECM plays in developmental processes has been significantly advanced by studying the phenotypic and developmental consequences of specific genetic alterations of ECM components in the mouse. These studies have revealed the enormous contribution of the ECM to the regulation of key processes in morphogenesis and organogenesis, such as cell adhesion, proliferation, specification, migration, survival, and di... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2962972 Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:09:21 +0100 2962972 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2962973&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fm82620k8084p710t%2F Abstract  Hippocampal neurons in dissociated cell culture are one of the most extensively used model systems in the field of molecular and cellular neurobiology. Only limited data are however available on the normal time frame of synaptogenesis, synapse number and ultrastructure of excitatory synapses during early development in culture. Therefore, we analyzed the synaptic ultrastructure and morphology and the localization of presynaptic (Bassoon) and postsynaptic (ProSAP1/Shank2) marker proteins in cultures established from rat embryos at embryonic day 19, after 3, 7, 10, 14, and 21 days in culture. First excitatory synapses were identified at day 7 with a clearly defined postsynaptic density and presynaptically localized synaptic vesicles. Mature synapses on dendriti... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2962973 Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:09:20 +0100 2962973 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2954306&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fl551656622063136%2F Abstract  One of the most important issues in orthopaedic surgery is the loss of bone resulting from trauma, infections, tumours or congenital deficiency. In view of the hypothetical future application of mesenchymal stem cells isolated from human adipose tissue in regenerative medicine, we have analysed and characterized adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) isolated from adipose tissue of rat, rabbit and pig. We have compared their in vitro osteogenic differentiation abilities for exploitation in the repair of critical osteochondral defects in autologous pre-clinical models. The number of pluripotent cells per millilitre of adipose tissue is variable and the yield of rabbit ASCs is lower than that in rat and pig. However, all ASCs populations show both a stable doubling time ... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2954306 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:08:43 +0100 2954306 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2948265&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fh613q35p24540641%2F We describe the morphology and fine structure of the DRA in monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus). The DRA consists of approximately 100 ommatidia forming a narrow ribbon along the dorsal eye margin. Each ommatidium contains two types of photoreceptor with mutually orthogonal microvilli orientations occurring in a 2:6 ratio. Within each rhabdomere, the microvilli are well aligned. Rhabdom structure and orientation remain constant at all retinal levels, but the rhabdom profiles, as seen in tangential sections through the DRA, change their orientations in a fan-like fashion from the frontal to the caudal end of the DRA. Whereas these properties (two microvillar orientations per rhabdom, microvillar alignment along rhabdomeres, ommatidial fan array) are typical for insect DRAs in gener... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2948265 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:39:15 +0100 2948265 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2946808&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fj833405k48432337%2F Abstract  Following our previous review of teleost microglia, we focus here on the morphological and histochemical features of the three principal macroglia types in the teleost central nervous system (ependymal cells, astrocyte-like cells/radial glia and oligodendrocytes). This review is concerned with recent literature and not only provides insights into the various individual aspects of the different types of macroglial cells plus a comparison with mammalian glia, but also indicates the several potentials that the neural tissue of teleosts exhibits in neurobiological research. Indeed, some areas of the teleost brain are particularly suitable in terms of the establishment of a “simple” but complete research model (i.e. the visual pathway complex and the supramedullary... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2946808 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:25:50 +0100 2946808 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2939106&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fkj7t010087130546%2F Abstract  Classical osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a dominant genetic disorder of connective tissue caused by mutations in either of the two genes encoding type I collagen, COL1A1 and COL1A2. Recent investigations, however, have generated a new paradigm for OI incorporating many of the prototypical features that distinguish dominant and recessive conditions, within a type I collagen framework. We and others have shown that the long-sought cause of the recessive form of OI, first postulated in the Sillence classification, lies in defects in the genes encoding cartilage-associated protein (CRTAP) or prolyl 3-hydroxylase 1 (P3H1/LEPRE1). Together with cyclophilin B (PPIB), CRTAP and P3H1 comprise the collagen prolyl 3-hydroxylation complex, which catalyzes a specific posttransl... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2939106 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:59:57 +0100 2939106 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2934536&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fv28q451kn46r8411%2F Abstract  The ectopic distribution of synaptic ribbons in dendrites of mouse retinal bipolar cells was examined by using genetic ablation of metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 6 (mGluR6), electron microscopy, and immunocytochemistry. Ectopic ribbons were observed in dendrites of rod and ON-cone bipolar cells in the mGluR6-deficient mouse but not in those of wild-type mice. The number of rod spherules facing the ectopic ribbons in mGluR6-deficient rod bipolar dendrites increased gradually during early growth and reached a plateau level of about 20% at 12 weeks. These ectopic ribbons were immunopositive for RIBEYE, a ribbon-specific protein, but the associated vesicles were immunonegative for synaptophysin, a synaptic-vesicle-specific protein. The presence of ectopi... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2934536 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:59:57 +0100 2934536 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2924744&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fan15246h44247731%2F Content Type Journal ArticleCategory ErratumDOI 10.1007/s00441-009-0856-0Authors Jüri Johannes Rumessen, Gentofte Hospital Department of Gastroenterology F Niels Andersensvej 65 DK-2900 Hellerup DenmarkJean-Marie Vanderwinden, Université Libre de Bruxelles Faculté de Médecine Brussels BelgiumHelle Rasmussen, University Hospital Herlev Department of Pathology DK-2730 Herlev DenmarkAlastair Hansen, University Hospital Herlev and University of Copenhagen Department of Pathology DK-2730 Herlev DenmarkThomas Horn, University Hospital Herlev and University of Copenhagen Department of Pathology DK-2730 Herlev Denmark Journal Cell and Tissue ResearchOnline ISSN 1432-0878Print ISSN 0302-766X (Source: Cell and Tissue Research) Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2924744 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:56:23 +0100 2924744 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2924743&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Ft832724776t13363%2F Abstract  The unfolded protein response (UPR) has evolved to counter the stresses that occur in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) as a result of misfolded proteins. This sophisticated quality control system attempts to restore homeostasis through the action of a number of different pathways that are coordinated in the first instance by the ER stress-senor proteins IRE1, ATF6 and PERK. However, prolonged ER-stress-related UPR can have detrimental effects on cell function and, in the longer term, may induce apoptosis. Connective tissue cells such as fibroblasts, osteoblasts and chondrocytes synthesise and secrete large quantities of proteins and mutations in many of these gene products give rise to heritable disorders of connective tissues. Until recently, these mutant gene prod... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2924743 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:56:23 +0100 2924743 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2920057&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F820h682303144247%2F Abstract  In mouse, decidualization is characterized by the proliferation of stromal cells and their differentiation into specialized type of cells (decidual cells) with polyploidy, surrounding the implanting blastocyst. However, the mechanisms involved in these processes remain poorly understood. Using multiple approaches, we have examined the role of Adam12 in decidualization during early pregnancy in mice. Adam12 is spatiotemporally expressed in decidualizing stromal cells in intact pregnant females and in pseudopregnant mice undergoing artificially induced decidualization. In the ovariectomized mouse uterus, the expression of Adam12 is upregulated after progesterone treatment, which is primarily mediated by nuclear progesterone receptor. In a stromal cell culture model,... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2920057 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:34:43 +0100 2920057 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2908448&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fwxm78x06m382721l%2F Abstract  We have previously reported the early uptake and transport of foreign particles into Peyer’s patches (PPs) of newborn and 2-month-old calves and shown that the peak uptake of particles occurs 6 h after inoculation, in addition to site- and size-related effects on particle uptake. We now report the distribution of immune cells within PPs of the distal ileum in newborn and 2-month-old calves inoculated with carbon black. The types of immune cells involved in the early uptake and transport of recombinant mouse prion protein (rMPrP) within PPs of newborn calf were investigated by using monoclonal antibodies CD11c, CD14, CD68, CD172a, and CD21. CD11c+, CD14+, CD68+, CD172a+, and CD21+ immune cells were widely distributed in four tissue compartments (villi, dome, ... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2908448 Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:54:28 +0100 2908448 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2908447&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F6271281k45685307%2F Abstract  The Drosophila photoreceptor is a highly polarized cell; a mature photoreceptor cell in Drosophila contains a photosensitive structure (the rhabdomere) and a supporting membrane (stalk) at its apical membrane. In a screen to isolate genes involved in determining stalk and rhabdomere formation, this study has identified the Drosophila mob2 (Dmob2) gene. Dmob2 belongs to a Mob1/phocein domain protein family whose functions are involved in polarized cell growth and asymmetric cell fate determination in yeast. To study the role of Dmob2 in photoreceptor development, we have raised an antibody against the Dmob2 protein. An immunocytochemical study has shown that Dmob2 is mainly localized in the apical membrane of photoreceptor cells during early development. As developme... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2908447 Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:54:28 +0100 2908447 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2898690&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fc87624rt556212k8%2F Abstract  Cyclin D1 gene amplification has been reported to promote abnormal endothelial cell proliferation and angiogenesis; these findings constantly present in proliferating haemangiomas. The present study was conducted to evaluate cyclin D1 gene amplification by fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis in tissue biopsies of 22 proliferating haemangiomas from 20 infants. Two significant correlations of cyclin D1 gene amplification with the early onset and the duplication of proliferating haemangiomas have been observed. Moreover, a significant correlation (P≤0.05) has been found between the treatment parameters of proliferating haemangiomas with the amplified versus the normal cyclin D1 gene. Proliferating haemangiomas with the amplified cyclin D1 gene required more ... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2898690 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:05:11 +0100 2898690 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2898691&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fu4gn8j12186717nw%2F Abstract  The guinea-pig ileocaecal junction including the valve was studied by immunohistochemistry to clarify the organization of the muscle bundles, the enteric nerves and the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC). This region clearly exhibited characteristic features in the distribution patterns of ICC in a proximal to distal direction: (1) the thickened portion of the terminal ileum immediately adjacent to the ileocecal junction contained many ICC throughout the circular (ICC-CM) and longitudinal (ICC-LM) muscle layers, but ICC were few or absent in the rest of the ileum; (2) the ileal side of the valve contained ICC associated with the deep muscular plexus (ICC-DMP) as in the small intestine, whereas ICC-DMP were absent in the caecal side as in the caecum; (3) the valve c... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2898691 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:05:09 +0100 2898691 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2886320&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fr63351064w411715%2F Abstract  Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) cation channels are active at resting membrane potential and thus are likely to contribute to neuronal excitability. Four HCN channel subunits (HCN1–4) have previously been cloned. The aim of the current study was to investigate the immunoreactivity of HCN4 channel protein in rat trigeminal (TG) and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory neurons. HCN4 was present in 9% of TG neurons and 4.7% of DRG neurons, it was distributed in a discrete population of small-diameter neurons in the TG but was located in cells of all sizes in the DRG. Approximately two thirds of HCN4-containing neurons in each ganglia were labelled with antisera raised against the 200-kDa neurofilament (NF200). The remaining HCN4-containing n... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2886320 Sat, 10 Oct 2009 07:03:26 +0100 2886320 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2886321&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fh472227071015711%2F Abstract  Acetylcholine (ACh) is detected in a variety of non-neuronal cells where it acts as a para/autocrine signaling molecule controlling basic cell functions such as proliferation, differentation, and maintenance of cell-cell contacts. ACh-synthesizing enzymes include choline acetyltransferase and carnitine acetyltransferase (CarAT). ACh is released through vesicular exocytosis or directly from the cytoplasm via organic cation transporters (OCT). Extracellular ACh binds to nicotinic (nAChR) and muscarinic receptors (MR). Degradation of ACh is performed by acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). Here, we have determined whether these molecules are expressed in osteoblast-like cells, by means of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunohis... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2886321 Sat, 10 Oct 2009 07:03:25 +0100 2886321 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2879338&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F812vqt000jnm7g1h%2F Abstract  Proteinases and proteinase inhibitors play key roles in almost all physiological processes. Proteinase inhibitors are present in all tissues and body fluids. They interfere with the activity of proteinases and thus maintain homeostasis. The main role of proteinase inhibitors in the reproductive tract is the inactivation of prematurely released hydrolytic enzymes from damaged spermatozoa and the protection of reproductive tracts and spermatozoa against proteolytic degradation. In the boar reproductive system, acrosin inhibitors are found in seminal plasma and on spermatozoa. The amino acid sequence of seminal plasma and sperm-associated acrosin inhibitors is 90% identical, and their biochemical properties have been completely resolved. However, their origin and loc... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2879338 Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:16:50 +0100 2879338 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2879339&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fp551572r780l1453%2F Abstract  Within the framework of a broad definition of the extracellular matrix (ECM), this review discusses three genetic disorders in which major pathogenetic features have been traced back to alterations in the levels/activities of matrix components. In each case, disease-associated alterations are found both intra- and extracellularly. The nature of the ECM involvement is surprising, offers an exciting therapeutic opportunity, and deepens our understanding of ECM-cell interactions. The first of these disorders, cherubism, is a case of inflammatory bone loss in the jaws of children for reasons that are surprisingly systemic in nature, considering the local nature of the disease. The primary defect involves an intracellular signaling molecule, but a major pathogenetic co... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2879339 Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:16:49 +0100 2879339 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2879340&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Ff438002510287277%2F Abstract  Lactoferrin is synthesized by glandular epithelial cells and neutrophils and is also present on both sides of the mammary epithelium. We have studied the origin of lactoferrin detected in the various compartments of mouse mammary tissue. As revealed by immunogold electron microscopy, lactoferrin is present in mammary epithelial cells and in the basal region of the epithelium, associated with connective tissue and stroma cells at all physiological stages studied. A perturbation of protein synthesis or transport after in vitro treatment with cycloheximide or brefeldin A does not abrogate lactoferrin labelling in the basal region of the epithelium. The expression of lactoferrin has also been observed in the fat pads of mammary glands from mice surgically depleted of ... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2879340 Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:16:48 +0100 2879340 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2871427&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F2p143x1608508m6p%2F Abstract  Granule cells are major targets of entorhinal afferents terminating in a laminar fashion in the outer molecular layer of the dentate gyrus. Since Borna disease virus (BDV) infection of newborn rats causes a progressive loss of granule cells in the dentate gyrus, entorhinal fibres become disjoined from their main targets. We have investigated the extent to which entorhinal axons react to this loss of granule cells. Unexpectedly, anterograde DiI tracing has shown a prominent layered termination of the entorhinal projection, despite an almost complete loss of granule cells at 9 weeks after infection. Combined light- and electron-microscopic analysis of dendrites at the outer molecular layer of the dentate gyrus at 6 and 9 weeks post-infection has revealed a... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2871427 Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:46:00 +0100 2871427 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2865496&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F572345q3px4r7248%2F Abstract  Oligodendrocytes are the myelinating cells of the central nervous system. They differentiate from oligodendrocyte precursor cells through several intermediate states that can be followed by characteristic morphological changes and the expression of marker molecules. However, most oligodendrocyte lineage markers demarcate either the precursor or the differentiated oligodendrocyte in restricted subcellular compartments. Here, we describe a novel marker of the oligodendrocyte lineage recognised by the monoclonal antibody clone 4860. It selectively labels the surfaces of differentiated oligodendrocytes in culture and clearly differs from other oligodendrocyte markers. Importantly, the 4860 epitope highlights developing white matter tracts in rodent and avian brains an... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2865496 Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:32:03 +0100 2865496 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2812299&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fc2526l2828642281%2F Abstract  Various fatty acids (FAs) are involved as an energy source in many different functions in the organism. They are also essential ingredients of membranous lipids and act as intracellular signaling molecules. Intracellular fatty-acid-binding proteins (FABPs) comprise a family of soluble lipid-binding proteins with low molecular masses and solubilize long-chain FAs to allow intracellular translocation in the aqueous cytosol. To clarify the functions of FABPs in the retina, which is remarkably rich in polyunsaturated FAs, we have investigated the localization of B (brain type)-, H (heart type)-, E (epidermal type)-, and A (adipocyte type)-FABPs in adult mouse retinae by immunohistochemistry. In order to determine the possible involvement of FABPs in retinal degenerativ... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2812299 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:45:30 +0100 2812299 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2812300&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fk2h3w7334h5711wn%2F Abstract  G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) constitute the largest family of transmembrane receptors and regulate a variety of physiological and disease processes. Although the roles of many non-odorant GPCRs have been identified in vivo, several GPCRs remain orphans (oGPCRs). The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is the largest endocrine organ and is a promising target for drug discovery. Given their close link to physiological function, the anatomical and histological expression profiles of benchmark GI-related GPCRs, such as the cholecystokinin-1 receptor and GPR120, and 106 oGPCRs were investigated in the mucosal and muscle-myenteric nerve layers in the GI tract of C57BL/6J mice by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The mRNA expression patterns of these bench... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2812300 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:45:29 +0100 2812300 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2812301&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fak1252j017vg8230%2F Abstract  Epithelial-derived thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) triggers dendritic cell (DC)-mediated Th2-type inflammatory responses and is a master switch for allergic inflammatory diseases. In the present study, the expression and induction of TSLP and the effects of TSLP on the tight-junctional barrier of human nasal epithelial cells (HNECs) have been investigated in order to elucidate the role of TSLP in allergic rhinitis. We have found high expression of TSLP in the epithelium from patients with allergic rhinitis with recruitment and infiltration of DCs. In vitro, TSLP is significantly produced in HNECs after treatment with a toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) ligand, Pam3Cys-Ser-(Lys)4, and a mixture of interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α. Treatment with TSLP rapid... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2812301 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:45:27 +0100 2812301 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2812302&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F27355235431j0v58%2F Abstract  Dexamethasone causes extensive physiologic reactions including the reduction of inflammation and pain. Here, we asked whether it also affected dental or periodontal cells or dental innervation by altering voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.6 immunoreactivity (IR) or neural synaptophysin. Daily dexamethasone (0.2 mg/kg) given for 1 week to rats caused 12-fold increased intensity of Nav1.6-IR in dendritic pulpal cells of normal molars and incisors compared with vehicle treatment. These cells also co-localized monocyte (ED-1) or dendritic cell (CD11b/Ox42) markers, and their location in molars expanded during dexamethasone treatment to include deeper pulp. Furthermore, dexamethasone caused a 10-fold decrease in the number of Nav1.6-immunoreactive multinucleate... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2812302 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:45:26 +0100 2812302 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2812303&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fq3632376453427m3%2F Abstract  The antennae are a critically important component of the ant’s highly elaborated chemical communication systems. However, our understanding of the organization of the sensory systems on the antennae of ants, from peripheral receptors to central and output systems, is poorly understood. Consequently, we have used scanning electron and confocal laser microscopy to create virtually complete maps of the structure, numbers of sensory neurons, and distribution patterns of all types of external sensilla on the antennal flagellum of all types of colony members of the carpenter ant Camponotus japonicus. Based on the outer cuticular structures, the sensilla have been classified into seven types: coelocapitular, coeloconic, ampullaceal, basiconic, trichoid-I, trichoid-II, a... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2812303 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:24:49 +0100 2812303 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2812304&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fdq2214p416802772%2F Abstract  The endogenous proangiogenic properties of adipose tissue are well recognized. Although the adult human thymus has long been known to degenerate into fat tissue, it has never been considered as a potential source of angiogenic factors. We have investigated the expression of diverse angiogenic factors, including vascular endothelial growth factor A and B, angiopoietin 1, and tyrosine-protein kinase receptor-2 (an angiopoietin receptor), and then analyzed their physiological role on endothelial cell migration and proliferation, two relevant events in angiogenesis. The detection of the gene and protein expression of the various proteins has been performed by immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. We show, for the... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2812304 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:09:54 +0100 2812304 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2812305&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fb761j121501g7606%2F Abstract  Extracellular matrices (ECM) not only serve as structural scaffolds in organs and tissues, but also determine critical cellular functions through cell-matrix interactions. These are mediated by cell surface receptors that recognise specific structural features of ECMs and, hence, overall physical properties of the acellular environment. ECM structures are subject to hierarchic organisations, which are tightly adapted to the functions of tissues and organs. Only a few specialised tasks are reserved for isolated ECM macromolecules. Instead, molecular ECM components attain their prominent functions only after polymerising into insoluble suprastructural elements, i.e. fibrils, microfibrils, or networks that, in turn, are assembled into regional tissue structures, such... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2812305 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:58:05 +0100 2812305 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2812307&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fa4g4q71029h4l217%2F Abstract  Odf2 (outer dense fiber 2) is the major protein of the cytoskeleton of the sperm tail. In somatic cells, it is a component of the centrosome in which it is located in the appendages of the mother centriole. Additionally, as shown previously by forced expression in cultured cells, Odf2 localizes to centrioles, basal bodies, and primary cilia, which are all structurally and functionally interconnected. The importance of Odf2 has become obvious by the absence of primary cilia in Odf2-deficient cells and by the embryonic lethality of the Odf2 gene trap insertional mouse. However, nothing is known about the endogenous localization of Odf2 in the tissues of adult mice. We show here that Odf2 protein localizes to centrosomes, to photoreceptor primary cilia, and to basal b... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2812307 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:58:03 +0100 2812307 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2812306&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fjj54093p11k07442%2F We report that disco participates in a positive feedback loop with the Dll gene, a master regulator of ventral appendage development. Dll function is not only required for proper disco expression in antenna and leg discs, but is also sufficient for ectopic expression of disco in the developing retina and wing imaginal discs. Conversely, disco gene function is required for the maintenance of Dll expression. We show that Dll phenotypes are partially rescued by the up-regulation of disco expression in the Dll domain. Reduction in disco gene function disrupts antenna and leg development, and the phenotypes closely resemble that produced by Dll alleles. These observations demonstrate that disco plays a fundamental role in the Dll-dependent patterning of antenna and leg, perhaps as a regulator ... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2812306 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:58:03 +0100 2812306 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2812308&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fh7782xj618154k71%2F Abstract  In 1990, the role of basement membranes in human disease was established by the identification of COL4A5 mutations in Alport’s syndrome. Since then, the number of diseases caused by mutations in basement membrane components has steadily increased as has our understanding of the roles of basement membranes in organ development and function. However, many questions remain as to the molecular and cellular consequences of these mutations and the way in which they lead to the observed disease phenotypes. Despite this, exciting progress has recently been made with potential treatment options for some of these so far incurable diseases. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory ReviewDOI 10.1007/s00441-009-0866-yAuthors Tom Van Agtmael, University of Glasgow Biomedical a... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2812308 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:58:01 +0100 2812308 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2812309&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F14xp560860602544%2F Abstract  Interchromatin granule clusters (IGCs), also known as nuclear speckles, splicing factor compartments, or SC35-domains, are one of the most universal nuclear organelles of the cell. We have used two-cell mouse embryos as an experimental system to study the possible association of poly(A)+ RNA and factors involved in RNA export (Tip-associated protein [TAP] and heterogenous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A/B [hnRNP A/B]) with IGCs. Poly(A)+ RNA was localized by microinjections of 2′-O-Me(U)22 probes conjugated with tetramethylrhodamine. RNA export proteins were detected by immunofluorescence confocal laser microscopy and immunogold-labeling electron microscopy. We found that poly(A)+ RNA was located in IGCs regardless of the transcriptional state of the nuclei. hnRNP A/B... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2812309 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:58:00 +0100 2812309 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2757524&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F74w032v5260t32h0%2F Abstract  The emergence of multicellular animals could only take place once evolution had produced molecular mechanisms for cell adhesion and communication. Today, all metazoans express integrin-type adhesion receptors and receptors for growth factors. Integrins recognize extracellular matrix proteins and respective receptors on other cells and, following ligand binding, can activate the same cellular signaling pathways that are regulated by growth factor receptors. Recent reports have indicated that the two receptor systems also collaborate in many other ways. Here, we review the present information concerning the role of integrins as assisting growth factor receptors and the interplay between the receptors in cell signaling and in the orchestration of receptor recycling. ... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2757524 Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:18:21 +0100 2757524 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2743957&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F643034535g3j50vv%2F Abstract  Most myenteric neurons contain one of the two generating enzymes for major excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters: choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) or neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Two minor groups of myenteric neurons contain either both enzymes or neither. Our study had two aims: (1) to compare the proportions of neurons stained for ChAT and/or NOS in human small and large intestinal whole-mounts by co-staining with an antibody against the human neuronal protein Hu C/D (HU); (2) to characterize these neurons morphologically by co-staining with a neurofilament (NF) antibody. In small intestinal whole-mounts co-stained with HU, we counted more ChAT-positive (ChAT+) than NOS+ neurons (52% vs. 38%), whereas the large intestine exhibited fewer ChAT+ than... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2743957 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:34:08 +0100 2743957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2743958&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fv6155468u6136r58%2F Abstract  Ascidian hemolymph contains various types of blood cells (hemocytes), which are believed to be involved in defense mechanisms. We have studied nitric-oxide (NO) synthase activity in hemocytes of the ascidian Styela plicata after exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). To investigate which cell types are involved in NO production, we first identified, by electron microscopy, the types of hemocytes previously described, mainly by light microscopy, by others. Five types of blood cells could be recognized in the hemolymph: granulocytes, hemoblasts, lymphocyte-like cells, morula cells, and pigment cells. The lymphocyte-like cells produced the most NO. In agreement with studies of other invertebrates, nitrite generation did not change after LPS stimulation in assays in vit... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2743958 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:34:03 +0100 2743958 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2743959&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fl754274010m60011%2F Abstract  Protein kinase CK2 is a serine/threonine kinase expressed in organisms from yeast to human and is composed of a catalytic subunit (α or α’) and a regulatory subunit (β) forming a holoenzyme with the possible subunit combinations α2β2, α’2β2, or αα’β2. This kinase has been shown to be involved in embryonic development and gametogenesis. We have studied the expression of the CK2α’ and CK2β subunits during the first wave of spermatogenesis and in adult testis in the rat. Western blot analyses have demonstrated that both CK2α’ and CK2β are expressed in testes from birth to adulthood. A more detailed study of the protein localization of CK2α’ and CK2β by immunohistochemistry suggests that CK2α’ and CK2β are localized in the nuclei of Serto... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2743959 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:34:02 +0100 2743959 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2724661&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fx6k21p36026674m7%2F In conclusion, the differential expression of Gnrh2, Gthβ, and Gthr in triploids and tetraploids is related to their sterility and bisexual fertility, respectively. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Regular ArticleDOI 10.1007/s00441-009-0850-6Authors Yu Long, Hunan Normal University Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of the State Education Ministry of China, College of Life Sciences Changsha 410081 ChinaMin Tao, Hunan Normal University Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of the State Education Ministry of China, College of Life Sciences Changsha 410081 ChinaShaojun Liu, Hunan Normal University Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of the State Education Ministry of China, College of Life Sciences Changsha... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2724661 Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:28:44 +0100 2724661 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2724662&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fh5k11k183w95302p%2F Abstract  The extracellular matrix (ECM) exists in various biochemical and structural forms that can act either as a barrier to migrating leukocytes, in the case of basement membranes, or provide a physical scaffold supporting or guiding migration (interstitial matrix). This review focuses on basement membranes and our current knowledge of the way that leukocytes transmigrate this protein barrier, with emphasis on T lymphocytes. Recent data suggest that the classical concept of cell-matrix adhesion requires revision with respect to leukocyte-ECM interactions. Whereas specific receptors may be required for leukocyte recognition of ECM molecules or three-dimensional structural domains, the role of adhesion in migration as perceived from the traditional studies of adherent cel... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2724662 Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:58:45 +0100 2724662 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2719569&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F955nk63047364258%2F Abstract  The collagens represent a family of trimeric extracellular matrix molecules used by cells for structural integrity and other functions. The three α chains that form the triple helical part of the molecule are composed of repeating peptide triplets of glycine-X-Y. X and Y can be any amino acid but are often proline and hydroxyproline, respectively. Flanking the triple helical regions (i.e., Col domains) are non-glycine-X-Y regions, termed non-collagenous domains. These frequently contain recognizable peptide modules found in other matrix molecules. Proper tissue function depends on correctly assembled molecular aggregates being incorporated into the matrix. This review highlights some of the structural characteristics of collagen types I-XXVIII. Content Ty... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2719569 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:51:01 +0100 2719569 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2719570&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fg15v474473192042%2F Abstract  Laminins are cell adhesion molecules that comprise a family of glycoproteins found predominantly in basement membranes, which are the thin sheets of extracellular matrix that underlie epithelial and endothelial cells and surround muscle cells, Schwann cells, and fat cells. Many laminins self-assemble to form networks that remain in close association with cells through interactions with cell surface receptors. Laminins are vital for many physiological functions. They are essential for early embryonic development and organogenesis and have crucial functions in several tissues including muscle, nerve, skin, kidney, lung, and the vasculature. A great wealth of data on laminins is available, and an in-depth description is not attempted here. In this review, I will inst... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2719570 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:50:59 +0100 2719570 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2719571&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fy35285361u817151%2F Abstract  Integrins are cell adhesion receptors that are evolutionary old and that play important roles during developmental and pathological processes. The integrin family is composed of 24 αβ heterodimeric members that mediate the attachment of cells to the extracellular matrix (ECM) but that also take part in specialized cell-cell interactions. Only a subset of integrins (8 out of 24) recognizes the RGD sequence in the native ligands. In some ECM molecules, such as collagen and certain laminin isoforms, the RGD sequences are exposed upon denaturation or proteolytic cleavage, allowing cells to bind these ligands by using RGD-binding receptors. Proteolytic cleavage of ECM proteins might also generate fragments with novel biological activity such as endostatin, tumstatin, ... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2719571 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:50:58 +0100 2719571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2719572&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fd801115k271614rx%2F Abstract  Immunocytochemical, electron-, and immunoelectron-microscopical studies have revealed that, in addition to the four major “textbook categories” of cell-cell junctions (gap junctions, tight junctions, adherens junctions, and desmosomes), a broad range of other junctions exists, such as the tiny puncta adhaerentia minima, the taproot junctions (manubria adhaerentia), the plakophilin-2-containing adherens junctions of mesenchymal or mesenchymally derived cell types including malignantly transformed cells, the composite junctions (areae compositae) of the mature mammalian myocardium, the cortex adhaerens of the eye lens, the interdesmosomal “sandwich” or “stud” junctions in the subapical layers of stratified epithelia and the tumors derived therefrom, and th... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2719572 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 08:31:19 +0100 2719572 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2715813&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fr7616247r15uu774%2F Abstract  Although odorant-binding proteins (OBP) are one of the most abundant classes of proteins in the mammalian olfactory mucus, they have only recently been ascribed a functional role in the detection of odorants by olfactory neurons. Among the three OBPs described in the rat, OBP-1f is mainly secreted by the lateral nasal glands (LNG) and Bowman’s glands, and its expression is transcriptionally regulated by food deprivation in the olfactory mucosa, but not in LNG. Therefore, mucus composition might be locally regulated by hormones or molecules relevant to nutritional status. Our aim has been to investigate the mechanisms of such physiological regulation at the cellular level, through both the examination of OBP-1f synthesis sites in the olfactory mucosa and their pu... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2715813 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:08:30 +0100 2715813 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2702171&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fl7675015h3661610%2F Abstract  In vitro sponge cultures are considered as legitimate alternatives for utilizing marine sponges (Porifera) to yield bioactive molecules. Optimization of culture methodologies for enhancing sponge survival is in progress for the identification of the factors regulating sponge survival in vitro. Dissolved oxygen (DO) is an essential factor promoting sponge survival. However, the effects of variable DO levels on the in vitro survival responses of sponges are not fully understood. Hence, we have investigated the effects of variable DO levels on the survival of the marine sponge, Haliclona pigmentifera (Demospongiae), with no external nutritional supplementation in closed type incubator chambers. Our results indicate that, under hypoxic conditions (1.5-2.0 ppm DO),... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2702171 Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:35:42 +0100 2702171 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2683803&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fb36h602557m1164r%2F Abstract  Low oxygen tension, i.e., hypoxia, is a pathophysiological component involved in many human disorders but is also a critically important phenomenon in normal development and differentiation. The ability of cells to survive under hypoxia or to adapt to it depends on a family of hypoxia-inducible transcription factors (HIFs) that induce the expression of a number of genes involved in hematopoiesis, angiogenesis, iron transport, glucose utilization, resistance to oxidative stress, cell proliferation, survival and apoptosis, and extracellular matrix homeostasis. We introduce here the recently identified molecular mechanisms responsible for the oxygen-dependent stability and activity of HIF, after which we focus on extracellular matrix genes as HIF targets. The vital r... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2683803 Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:16:51 +0100 2683803 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2681729&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Ff7296446326lp843%2F Abstract  The growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis is unique to all the vertebrate species but its evolutionary origin is ill-defined. We therefore cloned a cDNA encoding Branchiostoma belcheri IGF (BbIGF). BbIGF was expressed in a tissue-specific manner, with the most abundant expression in the hepatic caecum, the putative liver precursor. The recombinant BbIGF expressed in vitro showed mitogenic activity capable of stimulating cell proliferation in the flounder gill, a characteristic of vertebrate IGF. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction demonstrated that the recombinant rat GH was able to induce a significant up-regulation of BbIGF expression in the hepatic caecum. Moreover, Western blotting revealed the presence of a molecule similar to r... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2681729 Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:31:21 +0100 2681729 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2681730&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fx83932j10824535m%2F Abstract  The heterotrimeric basement membrane protein laminin-111 is essential for early mouse embryogenesis. Its β1 and γ1 chains are crucial for endoderm differentiation and for the formation of basement membranes, whereas α1 chain null mice only lack the extraembryonic Reichert’s membrane. Nevertheless, mice deficient in the cell-binding α1 globular domains 4-5 (LG4-5) have a more severe phenotype than animals devoid of the whole α1 chain, as these domains are required for the formation of a polarized ectoderm. However, the influence of the α1LG4-5 domains on endoderm differentiation is unclear. We have used microarray analysis to compare the expression profiles of normal and α1LG4-5-deficient embryoid bodies and show that genes encoding secreted plasma protein... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2681730 Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:31:20 +0100 2681730 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2681731&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fn3525470n0l642w0%2F Abstract  Calcium dynamics in the epidermis play a crucial role in barrier homeostasis and keratinocyte differentiation. We have recently suggested that the electro-physiological responses of the keratinocyte represent the frontier of the skin sensory system for environmental stimuli. In the present study, we have evaluated the responses of proliferating and differentiated human keratinocytes to mechanical stress by measuring the intracellular calcium level. Before differentiation, mechanical stress induces a calcium wave over a limited area; this is completely blocked by apyrase, which degrades ATP. In the case of differentiated keratinocytes, the calcium wave propagates over a larger area. Application of apyrase does not completely inhibit this wave. Thus, in differentiate... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2681731 Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:31:19 +0100 2681731 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2681732&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fe31137438365382k%2F We report that the lack of ICAM-1 leads to impaired axonal degeneration and regeneration and to alterations in Schwann cell responses following sciatic nerve crush. Degradation of neurofilament protein, the collapse of axonal profiles, and the re-expression of neurofilament proteins are substantially delayed in the distal nerve segment of ICAM-1-/- mice. In contrast, the degradation of myelin, as determined by immunostaining for myelin protein zero, is unaltered in the mutants. Upregulation of GAP-43 and p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) expression, characteristic for Schwann cells dedifferentiating in response to nerve injury, is differentially altered in the mutant animals. These results indicate that ICAM-1 is essential for the normal progression of axonal degeneration and regene... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2681732 Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:31:18 +0100 2681732 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2667248&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F3t8u82404712x516%2F Abstract  The primary olfactory centres share striking similarities across the animal kingdom. The most conspicuous is their subdivision into glomeruli, which are spherical neuropil masses in which synaptic contacts between sensory and central neurons occur. Glomeruli have both an anatomical identity (being invariant in location, size and shape) and a functional identity (each glomerulus receiving afferents from olfactory receptor neurons that express the same olfactory receptor). Identified glomeruli offer a favourable system for analysing quantitatively the constancy and variability of the neuronal circuits, an important issue for understanding their function, development and evolution. The noctuid moth Spodoptera littoralis with its well-studied pheromone communicati... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2667248 Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:48:34 +0100 2667248 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2667250&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fj813835724425109%2F Abstract  RUNX2 is a multifunctional transcription factor that controls skeletal development by regulating the differentiation of chondrocytes and osteoblasts and the expression of many extracellular matrix protein genes during chondrocyte and osteoblast differentiation. This transcription factor plays a major role at the late stage of chondrocyte differentiation: it is required for chondrocyte maturation and regulates Col10a1 expression in hypertrophic chondrocytes and the expression of Spp1, Ibsp, and Mmp13 in terminal hypertrophic chondrocytes. It is essential for the commitment of pluripotent mesenchymal cells to the osteoblast lineage. During osteoblast differentiation, RUNX2 upregulates the expression of bone matrix protein genes including Col1a1, Spp1, Ibsp, Bglap, and... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2667250 Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:48:33 +0100 2667250 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2667249&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Ft2q7084233213178%2F Abstract  The oriental fruit moth Cydia molesta is an important pest and the behavioural role of olfactory signals such as pheromones and plant volatiles have been studied extensively in both sexes. To understand odour processing further, however, detailed knowledge of the anatomy of the olfactory system is crucial. In the present study, an atlas of the antennal lobe (AL) is presented based on the three-dimensional reconstructions of both ALs of three male and three female brains by means of neuroanatomical and computational approaches. We identified 48–49 "ordinary" glomeruli and one large glomerulus situated at the entrance of the antennal nerve in males, and 49–52 "ordinary" glomeruli and one large glomerulus in the ventro-medial part of the AL in females. Anomalous s... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2667249 Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:48:33 +0100 2667249 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2662403&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fl70432k418682891%2F Abstract  The anthracycline antibiotic daunomycin (DM) is useful for the treatment of leukemia but has side-effects such as alopecia. Using immunocytochemistry, we show that, after a single i.v. injection, DM accumulates in the nuclei of matrix cells and in the outer root sheath of hair follicles. DM-positive matrix cells are detectable up to 48 h after injection and exhibit a characteristic granular morphology, which is not observed in saline-injected controls. TUNEL-staining has revealed that DM injection induces programmed cell death (PCD) in rat hair follicles. Cells undergoing PCD are detectable as late as 5 days postinjection in both the matrix and outer root sheath. Newly developed double-staining has shown that some of the DM-positive matrix cell nuclei ar... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2662403 Tue, 28 Jul 2009 18:37:55 +0100 2662403 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2662402&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fv6m635627367nn37%2F Abstract  The major difficulty in Schwann cell (SC) purification is contamination by fibroblasts, which usually become the predominant cell type during SC enrichment in vitro. Current reported measures are mainly limited by either high cost or complicated procedures with low cell yields or purity. Our objectives have been to develop an efficient, easily applicable, rapid method to obtain highly purified SC from the sciatic nerve of newborn rats. The method involves two rounds of purification to eliminate fibroblasts with the novel combined use of cytosine-B-arabinoside hydrochloride (Ara-C) action and differential cell detachment. Cultured cells were first treated with Ara-C for 24 h. The medium was replaced with the growth medium containing 20 ng/ml human hereguli... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2662402 Tue, 28 Jul 2009 18:37:55 +0100 2662402 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2645101&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fp5432446123021l4%2F Abstract  Taste buds and the peripheral nerves innervating them are two important components of the peripheral gustatory system. They require appropriate connections for the taste system to function. Neurotrophic factors play crucial roles in the innervation of peripheral sensory organs and tissues. Both brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) null-mutated and neurotrophin-4 (NT-4) null-mutated mice exhibit peripheral gustatory deficits. BDNF and NT-4 bind to a common high affinity tyrosine kinase receptor, TrkB (NTRK-2), and a common p75 neurotrophin receptor (NGFR). We are currently using a transgenic mouse model to study peripheral taste system development and innervation in the absence of both TrkB ligands. We show that taste cell progenitors express taste cell markers... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2645101 Sat, 25 Jul 2009 04:21:25 +0100 2645101 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2639520&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F2616n16800828426%2F Abstract  In humans, mutations in ZASP (the gene for Z-band alternatively spliced PDZ-motif protein) are associated with dilated cardiomyopathy and left ventricular non-compaction. In particular, mutations in or around the Zasp motif seem to be related to myofibrillar myopathy. Thus, “zaspopathies” include symptoms such as Z-line disgregation, proximal and distal muscle weakness, cardiomyopathies, and peripheral neuropathies. In order to understand the role of ZASP in muscle structure and function, we have performed a molecular characterization of the Drosophila ortholog of human ZASP and a functional analysis following the post-transcriptional silencing of the Drosophila gene. Transcriptional analysis of dzasp has revealed six additional exons, with respect to the known 16... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2639520 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:07:59 +0100 2639520 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2639521&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fa6124h24h7874nh4%2F Abstract  Although the functions of hormones and neuropeptides in the thymus have been extensively studied, we still do not know whether these intra-thymic humoral elements are released in a stimulated manner via the regulated secretory pathway or in a constitutive manner. Carboxypeptidase E (CpE) and chromogranin A (CgA) are functional and structural hallmarks of the regulated secretory pathway in (neuro)endocrine cells. Whereas we have previously shown a CgA-positive neuroendocrine population in the chicken thymus, the current study assesses the expression of CpE in the thymus, both at the mRNA and the protein level. Our immunohistochemical studies provide evidence for the co-existence of CgA and CpE in identical neuroendocrine cells in the thymus. CpE and CgA dual-positi... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2639521 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:07:58 +0100 2639521 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2621418&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Ff53796733816002h%2F Abstract  Expression of the parental Oct4 and Nanog alleles and DNA methylation of their promoters were studied in a set of Mus musculus embryonic stem (ES) cell/M. caroli splenocyte hybrid cells containing a variable ratio of parental chromosomes 6 and 17. The transcripts of the reactivated splenocyte Oct4 and Nanog genes were revealed in all hybrid cell clones positive for M. caroli chromosomes 6 and 17. We found that 11 CpG sites in the Oct4 promoter were heavily methylated in M. caroli splenocytes (>80%), whereas M. musculus ES cells were essentially unmethylated (<1%). Analysis of the methylation status of the Oct4 promoter in seven hybrid cell clones showed that the splenocyte-derived promoter sequence lost DNA methylation so that its methylation level was comparabl... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2621418 Sat, 18 Jul 2009 08:35:56 +0100 2621418 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2621419&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F728u64618u766637%2F Abstract  Fibulin-2 has previously been considered as a marker to distinguish rat liver myofibroblasts from hepatic stellate cells. The function of other fibulins in acute or chronic liver damage has not yet been investigated. The aim of this study has been to evaluate the expression of fibulin-1 and -2 in models of rat liver injury and in human liver cirrhosis. Their cellular sources have also been investigated. In normal rat liver, fibulin-1 and -2 were both mainly present in the portal field. Fibulin-1-coding transcripts were detected in total RNA of normal rat liver, whereas fibulin-2 mRNA was only detected by sensitive, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. In acute liver injury, the expression of fibulin-1 was significantly increased (17.23-fold after 48 h... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2621419 Sat, 18 Jul 2009 08:35:52 +0100 2621419 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2634211&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fx61185653kq64723%2F Abstract   Neurod1 is a crucial basic helix-loop-helix gene for most cerebellar granule cells and mediates the differentiation of these cells downstream of Atoh1-mediated proliferation of the precursors. In Neurod1 null mice, granule cells die throughout the posterior two thirds of the cerebellar cortex during development. However, Neurod1 is also necessary for pancreatic β-cell development, and therefore Neurod1 null mice are diabetic, which potentially influences cerebellar defects. Here, we report a new Neurod1 conditional knock-out mouse model created by using a Tg(Atoh1-cre) line to eliminate Neurod1 in the cerebellar granule cell precursors. Our data confirm and extend previous work on systemic Neurod1 null mice and show that, in the central lobules, granule cells can be... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2634211 Sat, 18 Jul 2009 08:35:48 +0100 2634211 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2610758&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fx9686481210j224p%2F Abstract  Syndecans are type I transmembrane proteins having a core protein modified with glycosaminoglycan chains, most commonly heparan sulphate. They are an ancient group of molecules, present in invertebrates and vertebrates. Among the plethora of molecules that can interact with heparan sulphate, the collagens and glycoproteins of the extracellular matrix are prominent. Frequently, they do so in conjunction with other receptors, most notably the integrins. For this reason, they are often referred to as “co-receptors”. However, just as with integrins, syndecans can interact with actin-associated proteins and signalling molecules, such as protein kinases. Some aspects of syndecan signalling are understood but much remains to be learned. The functions of syndecans in ... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2610758 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:57:25 +0100 2610758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2593064&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F80625j006p8u23r5%2F Abstract  In amniotes, the developmental potentials of neural crest cells differ between the cranium and the trunk. These differences may be attributable to the different expression patterns of Hox genes between cranial and trunk neural crest cells. However, little is known about the factors that control Hox genes expression in neural crest cells. The present data demonstrate that retinoic acid (RA) treatment and the activation of Wnt signaling induce Hoxa2 and Hoxd9 expression, respectively, in mouse mesencephalic neural crest cells, which never express Hox genes in vivo. Furthermore, Wnt signaling suppresses the induction of Hoxa2. We also demonstrate that these factors participate in the maintenance of Hoxa2 and Hoxd9 expression in mouse trunk neural crest cells. Our res... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2593064 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:14:05 +0100 2593064 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2593063&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fgw461q236220j727%2F Abstract  The regulation of stem cell behavior and maintenance typically involves the integration of both intrinsic and extrinsic cues. One such external cue, integrin-mediated cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix, plays an important part in regulating stem cell function and maintenance. In particular, integrins help define and shape the microenvironment in which stem cells are found: the stem cell niche. Integrins have a diverse array of roles in this context including homing of stem cells to their niche, maintaining stem cells in the niche, developing stem-cell-niche architecture, regulating stem cell proliferation and self renewal, and finally, controlling the orientation of dividing stem cells. Because of their various roles in directing stem cell behavior, integri... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2593063 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:14:05 +0100 2593063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2593065&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F03x65181134k2104%2F Abstract  In order to explore neuroglial relationships in a simple nervous system, we have studied the ultrastructure of the crayfish stretch receptor, which consists of only two mechanoreceptor neurons enwrapped by glial cells. The glial envelope comprises 10–30 glial layers separated by collagen sheets. The intercellular space between the neuronal and glial membranes is generally less than 10–15 nm in width. This facilitates diffusion between neurons and glia but restricts neuron communication with the environment. Microtubule bundles passing from the dendrites to the axon through the neuron body limit vesicular transport between the perikaryon and the neuronal membrane. Numerous invaginations into the neuron cytoplasm strengthen glia binding to the neuron and sh... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2593065 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:14:04 +0100 2593065 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2580072&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fe144u62459485801%2F Abstract  Chemosensory neurons in the olfactory epithelium (OE) project axonal processes to the olfactory bulb (OB) of the brain. During embryonic stages, on their trajectory to the OB, the outgrowing axons traverse the so-called cribriform mesenchyme, which is located between the OE and the OB. The molecular cues guiding these axons through the cribriform mesenchyme are largely unknown. To identify molecules influencing the axonal trajectory in the murine cribriform mesenchyme, we performed microarray analyses focusing on extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins present in this tissue. Thereby, the ECM protein Reelin turned out to be an interesting candidate. Reelin was found to be expressed by numerous cells in the cribriform mesenchyme during the embryonic stages when the fir... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2580072 Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:03:29 +0100 2580072 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2508659&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fa5113738j1580738%2F Abstract  The uptake of the 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI)-labeled sex-unspecific Nereis lipoprotein was investigated in oocytes of the nereidid polychaetes Nereis virens and Platynereis dumerilii. The fluorescence label was first observed in endocytic vesicles (<1 μm diameter), which later fused to larger vesicles (2–3 μm); these were finally incorporated into existing unlabeled yolk granules (5–6 μm). In Platynereis oocytes, the fusion of endocytic vesicles was delayed in oocytes at their final stage of development compared with those at an early stage of development. Lipoprotein double-labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and DiI revealed that both the protein and the lipid moiety remained co-local... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2508659 Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:06:06 +0100 2508659 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2508660&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fc612v5717094w4x3%2F Abstract  Myelin is a multilamellar membrane structure primarily composed of lipids and myelin proteins essential for proper neuronal function. Since myelin is a target structure involved in many pathophysiological conditions such as metabolic, viral, and autoimmune diseases and genetic myelin disorders, a reliable myelin detection technique is required that is equally suitable for light- and electron-microscopic analysis. Here, we report that single myelinated fibers are specifically stained by the gold phosphate complex, Black gold, which stains myelin in the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerve fibers in a reliable manner. Electron-microscopic and morphometric analyses have revealed that gold particles are equally distributed in the inner, compact, and outer myelin l... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2508660 Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:03:31 +0100 2508660 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2508661&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fu5537490285424j2%2F Abstract  Fibrillin-1 and fibrillin-2 are large cysteine-rich glycoproteins that serve two key physiological functions: as supporting structures that impart tissue integrity and as regulators of signaling events that instruct cell performance. The structural role of fibrillins is exerted through the temporal and hierarchical assembly of microfibrils and elastic fibers, whereas the instructive role reflects the ability of fibrillins to sequester transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) complexes in the extracellular matrix. Characterization of fibrillin mutations in human patients and in genetically engineered mice has demonstrated that perturbation of either function manifests in disease. More generally, these studies have indicated that fi... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2508661 Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:03:30 +0100 2508661 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2508662&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fb7qq84386q1tr118%2F Abstract  Our knowledge of proteoglycan biology has significantly expanded over the past decade with the discovery of a host of new members of this multifunctional family leading to their present classification into three major categories: (1) small leucine-rich proteoglycans, 2) modular proteoglycans, and 3) cell-surface proteoglycans. In addition to being structural proteins, proteoglycans play a major role in signal transduction with regulatory functions in various cellular processes. Being mostly extracellular, they are upstream of many signaling cascades and are capable of affecting intracellular phosphorylation events and modulating distinct pathways, including those driven by bone morphogenetic protein/transforming growth factor superfamily members, receptor tyrosine... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2508662 Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:03:29 +0100 2508662 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2508663&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fuk87h585p7211355%2F Abstract  The Achilles tendon can support high tension forces and may experience lesions. The damaged tissue does not regenerate completely, with the organization and mechanical properties of the repaired tendon being inferior to those of a healthy tendon. Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in wound repair. We have examined the structural reorganization and repair in Achilles tendon after injury in rats treated with the NO synthase inhibitor L-NAME. The right Achilles tendon of male Wistar rats was partially transected. One group of rats was treated with L-NAME (~300 mg/kg per day, given in drinking water) for 4 days prior to tendon sectioning and throughout the post-operative period. Control rats received water without L-NAME. The tendons were excised at 7... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2508663 Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:49:07 +0100 2508663 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2508664&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fb3h640u3t0p37p04%2F Abstract  Antibodies against cartilage proteins are highly prevalent in the sera and synovial fluids of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and also precede disease induction in various spontaneous and induced animal models of arthritis. These antibodies play an important role in the induction and perpetuation of the clinical disease. Antibodies binding to cartilage protein(s), especially the major articular cartilage protein, collagen type II (CII) can induce, in naive mice, an acute form of arthritis that can substantially destroy the cartilage and bone architecture. More importantly, these anti-CII antibodies can also directly cause the destruction of the target tissue preceding and independently of disease development and in the absence of any other pathogenic inflammato... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2508664 Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:49:02 +0100 2508664 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2508665&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Ft3g67v3x42177604%2F Abstract  Nitric oxide (NO) is a gaseous messenger molecule formed during conversion of L-arginine into L-citrulline by the enzyme NO synthase (NOS), which belongs to a group of NADPH diaphorases. Because of its gaseous diffusion properties, NO differs from classical neurotransmitters in that it is not restricted to synaptic terminals. In target cells, NO activates soluble guanylyl cyclase leading to an increase in cGMP levels. In insects, this NO/cGMP-signalling pathway is involved in development, memory formation and processing of visual, olfactory and mechanosensory information. We have analysed the distribution of putative NO donor and target cells in the central complex, a brain area involved in sky-compass orientation, of the locust Schistocerca gregaria by immunostain... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2508665 Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:49:00 +0100 2508665 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2508666&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fa31612p347p07307%2F Abstract  The role of the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) associated with the myenteric plexus (ICC-MP) as regulators of the motility of the colonic external muscle remains unclear. Ultrastructural studies of myenteric interstitial cells are lacking in human colon. We therefore characterized the distinctive ultrastructure of these cells in the myenteric region of the colon by transmission electron microscopy of the region between the main muscle layers in all parts of the colon in unaffected areas of resected specimens from nine adult human patients. ICC-MP were similar in various colonic regions and had myoid features such as scattered caveolae, prominent intermediate filaments, and cytoplasmic dense bodies. We found characteristic dense membrane-associated bands with a ... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2508666 Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:48:55 +0100 2508666 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2463701&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fpl4144385t86v481%2F In this study, we have focused on the spatio-temporal expression of several BTB tight-junctional proteins in the first wave of spermatogenesis to obtain insights into the physiological role of ELs during BTB establishment and dynamics. Our data confirm the transient existence of Russell’s intermediate or translocation compartment delineated by two separate claudin-3-positive luminal and basal tight junctions and reveal that EL deficiency blocks BTB remodeling. This block is associated with (1) downregulation and mistargeting of claudin-3 and (2) impaired BTB disassembly resulting in deficient sealing of the intermediate compartment as shown by increased BTB permeability to biotin. These results suggest that ELs are essential for cyclic BTB dynamics ensuring the sluice mechanism fo... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2463701 Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:06:04 +0100 2463701 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2457414&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fk8877kt4314k0988%2F We report that, in phenylephrine-stimulated neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVM), Pyk2 augments expression of the hypertrophic marker atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) but reduces cytoskeletal organization and cell spreading. In contrast, FAK attenuates ANF production but does not alter cytoskeletal organization and cell spreading. Pyk2 and FAK exhibit differential localization in both unstimulated and phenylephrine-stimulated myocytes. Pyk2 catalytic activity is required for Pyk2 to augment ANF secretion but is not necessary to reduce cell spreading. Pyk2 autophosphorylation is required but not sufficient for Pyk2 to augment ANF secretion. Expression of the Pyk2 FERM domain as an autonomous fragment inhibits phenylephrine-mediated ANF secretion and reduces cell spreading. In addit... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2457414 Sat, 30 May 2009 08:20:51 +0100 2457414 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2457413&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fur88153425315274%2F We report here the expression profile of KIFC1 during spermatogenesis in the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis. KIFC1 mainly localizes around the nucleus but is also present within the nucleus of the spermatogonium and spermatocyte. At the early spermatid stage, KIFC1 begins to be distributed on the nuclear membrane at the region where the proacrosomal vesicle is located. By the late spermatid stage, KIFC1 is found on the acrosome. Immunocytochemical and ultrastructural analyses have shown that KIFC1 localizes on the perforatorium, which is composed of an apical cap and an acrosomal tubule. We demonstrate that, during spermatogenesis in E. sinensis, KIFC1 probably plays important roles in the biogenesis of the acrosome and in its maintenance. KIFC1 may also be essential for the... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2457413 Sat, 30 May 2009 08:20:51 +0100 2457413 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2446569&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fd6l463211757m275%2F Abstract  Umbrella cells (UCs) of the epithelium of the urinary bladder have the capacity to control bladder volume by regulating exocytosis/endocytosis of their intracellular discoid vesicles (DVs). Dynamin (Dyn) is a GTPase that promotes endocytic processes through scission of cell membranes. We have examined whether Dyn2, the most abundant Dyn form, is expressed in UCs and contributes to their endocytic actions. A specific antibody against Dyn2 was used to localize Dyn2 in human and rodent UCs by immunohistochemistry. To clarify the functional roles of Dyn2, mouse bladders were treated with a Dyn-GTPase inhibitor, dynasore, and its effects on their UC structure were assessed. Since uropathogenic Escherichia coli can be encased into UCs during infection, we used immunohist... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2446569 Fri, 29 May 2009 08:16:44 +0100 2446569 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2446570&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fn64636qq774m38m3%2F Abstract  Remarkable efforts have recently been made in the tissue engineering of heart valves to improve the results of valve transplantations and replacements, including the design of artificial valves. However, knowledge of the cell and molecular biology of valves and, specifically, of valvular interstitial cells (VICs) remains limited. Therefore, our aim has been to determine and localize the molecules forming the adhering junctions (AJs) that connect VICs in situ and in cell culture. Using biochemical and immunolocalization methods at the light- and electron-microscopic levels, we have identified, in man, cow, sheep and rat, the components of VIC-connecting AJs in situ and in cell culture. These AJs contain, in addition to the transmembrane glycoproteins N-cadherin and ... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2446570 Thu, 28 May 2009 09:18:44 +0100 2446570 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2440447&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F543270313706tlr1%2F Abstract  Light microscopy of native preparations, histology, and electron microscopy have revealed that Phlebotomus duboscqi belongs to a class of sand fly species with prompt development of the peritrophic matrix (PM). Secretion of electron-lucent fibrils, presumably chitin, starts immediately after the ingestion of a blood meal and, about 6 h later, is followed by secretion of amorphous electron-dense components, presumably proteins and glycoproteins. The PM matures in less than 12 h and consists of a thin laminar outer layer and a thick amorphous inner layer. No differences have been found in the timing of the disintegration of the PM in females infected with Leishmania major. In both groups of females (infected and uninfected), the disintegration of the PM is initia... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2440447 Wed, 27 May 2009 06:04:20 +0100 2440447 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2440449&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fl5107p01302126w0%2F Abstract  N-Myc downstream regulated gene 2 (NDRG2) is expressed in the testis of adult animals and is involved in cell differentiation and development. However, little is known about the expression pattern of NDRG2 in the testis during postnatal development. Here, we show that NDRG2 is consistently expressed in Leydig cells in the rat testis during postnatal development. However, its expression has also been detected at a high frequency in spermatogenic cells of the seminiferous tubules in young rats but at a much lower frequency in adult rats. Furthermore, high levels of NDRG2 expression have been found in methoxyacetic-acid-induced apoptotic germ cells, particularly at stages X–XIII of the seminiferous epithelium cycle of adult rats. Interestingly, high levels of NDRG2... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2440449 Wed, 27 May 2009 06:04:19 +0100 2440449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2440450&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F4h1w737k06452718%2F Abstract  Hypoxia is commonly found in human solid cancers and serves as a selective environment for the survival of aggressive cancer cells and as protection from anti-cancer therapies. In addition to a shift to anaerobic metabolism, the cellular response to hypoxia includes cessation of cell division and/or cell death. These mechanisms have still not been defined. Identification of the members of hypoxia-induced growth arrest pathways remain incomplete. We have undertaken an expression microarray analysis of the cellular response to hypoxia in diverse cell lines. An identified cohort of genes is reliably upregulated in various cells in response to hypoxia, as validated by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). One of the upregulated targets corresponds ... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2440450 Wed, 27 May 2009 06:04:18 +0100 2440450 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2416210&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F5116n30u429g7511%2F Abstract  Accumulating evidence indicates that agrin, a heparan sulphate proteoglycan of the extracellular matrix, plays a role in the organization and maintenance of the blood-brain barrier. This evidence is based on the differential effects of agrin isoforms on the expression and distribution of the water channel protein, aquaporin-4 (AQP4), on the swelling capacity of cultured astrocytes of neonatal mice and on freeze-fracture data revealing an agrin-dependent clustering of orthogonal arrays of particles (OAPs), the structural equivalent of AQP4. Here, we show that the OAP density in agrin-null mice is dramatically decreased in comparison with wild-types, by using quantitative freeze-fracture analysis of astrocytic membranes. In contrast, anti-AQP4 immunohistochemistry h... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2416210 Sat, 16 May 2009 05:52:58 +0100 2416210 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2416211&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fu57322012h56l032%2F Abstract  Amphibians represent the first phylogenetic group to possess hematopoietic bone marrow. However, adult amphibian hematopoiesis has only been described in a few species and with conflicting data. Bone marrow, kidney, spleen, liver, gut, stomach, lung, tegument, and heart were therefore collected from adult Lithobates catesbeianus and investigated by light microscopy and immunohistochemical methods under confocal laser microscopy. Our study demonstrated active hematopoiesis in the bone marrow of vertebrae, femur, and fingers and in the kidney, but no hematopoietic activity inside other organs including the spleen and liver. Blood cells were identified as a heterogeneous cell population constituted by heterophils, basophils, eosinophils, monocytes, erythrocytic cells,... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2416211 Sat, 16 May 2009 05:52:56 +0100 2416211 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2416212&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F5v367k5496u932m7%2F Abstract  Although the structure of the auditory organ in mature mammals, the organ of Corti, is clearly established, its development is far from being elucidated. Here, we examine its spatio-temporal development in rats from embryonic day 16 (E16) to E19 by using cytochemical and immunocytochemical methods at the light- and electron-microscope levels. We demonstrate that the organ of Corti develops from a non-proliferating cell zone that is located in the junctional region between two edges of the dorsal epithelium of the cochlear duct. We also reveal that the first cells to develop in this zone are the inner pillar cells, a particular type of non-sensory supporting cell, which arise in the base of the cochlear duct at the boundary between the two ridges at E16. Cell diffe... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2416212 Fri, 15 May 2009 05:54:08 +0100 2416212 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2416214&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fc158014583568186%2F Abstract  Etoposide is a chemotherapeutic agent that induces cell death by blocking topoisomerase II catalytic function. Although etoposide is effective in the treatment of cancer, it also causes the death of normal proliferating cells, including male germ cells. Administration of etoposide during the prepubertal phase causes diturbances in several testicular morphometric parameters and in Sertoli cells. Cytoprotection of the seminiferous epithelium is the only means of preserving potential male reproduction in prepubertal cancer patients. Carnitine, an amino acid naturally present in normal cells, is a promising cryoprotectant as it is concentrated in the epididymis and promotes sperm maturation. We have therefore investigated whether carnitine protects rat testes against ... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2416214 Fri, 15 May 2009 05:54:07 +0100 2416214 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2416213&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fv17482506766p3l4%2F Abstract  Deep-sea vestimentiferan tubeworms, which live in symbiosis with bacteria, exhibit different life strategies according to their habitat. At unstable and relatively short-lived hydrothermal vents, they grow extremely fast, whereas their close relatives at stable and long-persisting cold seeps grow slowly and live up to 300 years. Growth and age differences are thought to occur because of ecological and physiological adaptations. However, the underlying mechanisms of cell proliferation and death, which are closely linked to homeostasis, growth, and longevity, are unknown. Here, we show by immunohistochemical and ultrastructural cell cycle analyses that cell proliferation activities of the two species studied are higher than in any other characterized invertebra... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2416213 Fri, 15 May 2009 05:54:07 +0100 2416213 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2416216&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F5735771x04u45375%2F In this study, we have investigated whether glucosamine sulphate (GS) stimulates proteoglycan synthesis, the mRNA expression of aggrecan and of type II collagen, and UDP-sugar levels in bovine primary chondrocytes under a low oxygen (O2) atmosphere. Chondrocytes from bovine femoral condyles were cultivated with or without GS or sulphate at various concentrations in low- (5.5 mM) or high-glucose (25 mM) DMEM under either a 5% or 20% O2 atmosphere for 2 or 8 days after isolation. The mRNA expression of aggrecan and type II collagen and the synthesis of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) were determined by quantitative real-time reverse transcription with polymerase chain reaction and a [35S]-sulphate incorporation assay, respectively. Aggrecan promoter activity was analysed by a dual... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2416216 Thu, 14 May 2009 07:07:22 +0100 2416216 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2416215&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fd3070un56x80v433%2F Abstract  A mechanical or chemical stimulus applied to the intestinal mucosa induces motility reflexes in the rat colon. Enteric neurons containing calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) have been suggested as intrinsic primary afferent neurons responsible for mediating such reflexes. In the present study, immunohistochemistry was performed on whole-mount stretch preparations to investigate chemical profiles, morphological characteristics and projections of CGRP-containing neurons in the myenteric plexus of the rat colon. CGRP-positive neuronal cell bodies were detected in preparations incubated with colchicine-containing medium, whereas CGRP-positive nerve fibres were found in colchicine-untreated preparations. These neurons had large oval or round cell bodies that were al... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2416215 Thu, 14 May 2009 07:07:22 +0100 2416215 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2416218&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F40u4j5q3tr730561%2F Abstract  The GLW-amide family is a neuropeptide family found in cnidarian species and is characterized by the C-terminal amino acid sequence -Gly-Leu-Trp-NH2. To detect mammalian peptides structurally related to the GLW-amide family, we examined rat brain by immunohistochemistry with an anti-GLW-amide antibody. GLW-amide-like immunoreactivity (GLW-amide-LI) was observed in thin varicose fibers in some regions of the brain. Most neurons showing GLW-amide-LI were observed in the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus, pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus, and trigeminal/spinal ganglia. These results strongly suggest that the rat nervous system contains as yet unidentified GLW-amide-like peptides, and that GLW-amide-LI in the brain is a good marker for ascending projections from mesopon... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2416218 Thu, 14 May 2009 07:07:20 +0100 2416218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2416217&cid=s_33445_171_f&fid=33445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fcw4qx1n1118661n0%2F Abstract  Carnosine-like peptides (carnosine-LP) are a family of histidine derivatives that are present in the nervous system of various species and that exhibit antioxidant, anti-matrix-metalloproteinase, anti-excitotoxic, and free-radical scavenging properties. They are also neuroprotective in animal models of cerebral ischemia. Although the function of carnosine-LP is largely unknown, the hypothesis has been advanced that they play a role in the developing nervous system. Since the zebrafish is an excellent vertebrate model for studying development and disease, we have examined the distribution pattern of carnosine-LP in the adult and developing zebrafish. In the adult, immunoreactivity for carnosine-LP is specifically concentrated in sensory neurons and non-sensory cell... Cell and Tissue Research journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2416217 Thu, 14 May 2009 07:07:20 +0100 2416217