The progressive destruction of condylar cartilage is a hallmark of the temporomandibular joint(TMJ) osteoarthritis(OA);however, its mechanism is incompletely understood. Here, we show that Kindlin-2, a key focal adhes...The progressive destruction of condylar cartilage is a hallmark of the temporomandibular joint(TMJ) osteoarthritis(OA);however, its mechanism is incompletely understood. Here, we show that Kindlin-2, a key focal adhesion protein, is strongly detected in cells of mandibular condylar cartilage in mice. We find that genetic ablation of Kindlin-2 in aggrecan-expressing condylar chondrocytes induces multiple spontaneous osteoarthritic lesions, including progressive cartilage loss and deformation, surface fissures, and ectopic cartilage and bone formation in TMJ. Kindlin-2 loss significantly downregulates the expression of aggrecan, Col2a1 and Proteoglycan 4(Prg4), all anabolic extracellular matrix proteins, and promotes catabolic metabolism in TMJ cartilage by inducing expression of Runx2and Mmp13 in condylar chondrocytes. Kindlin-2 loss decreases TMJ chondrocyte proliferation in condylar cartilages. Furthermore,Kindlin-2 loss promotes the release of cytochrome c as well as caspase 3 activation, and accelerates chondrocyte apoptosis in vitro and TMJ. Collectively, these findings reveal a crucial role of Kindlin-2 in condylar chondrocytes to maintain TMJ homeostasis.展开更多
Primary liver cancer remains one of the most lethal malignancies worldwide. Due to differences in prevalence of etiological factors the incidence of primary liver can-cer varies among the world, with a peak in East-As...Primary liver cancer remains one of the most lethal malignancies worldwide. Due to differences in prevalence of etiological factors the incidence of primary liver can-cer varies among the world, with a peak in East-Asia. As this disease is still lethal in most of the cases, research has to be done to improve our understanding of the disease, offering insights for possible treatment options. For this purpose, animal models are widely used, especially mouse models. In this review, we describe the different types of mouse models used in liver cancer research, with emphasis on genetically engineered mice used in this field. We focus on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as this is by far the most common type of primary liver cancer, accounting for 70%-85% of cases.展开更多
The aim of the present investigation was to determine if embryonic stem (ES) cells could be isolated from outbred mouse embryos (KM) and if chimeras could be producedly using outbred ES cells. Three ES cell lines,desi...The aim of the present investigation was to determine if embryonic stem (ES) cells could be isolated from outbred mouse embryos (KM) and if chimeras could be producedly using outbred ES cells. Three ES cell lines,designated KE1, KE2, and KE5,were isolated from 5 Kunming albino blastocysts. Normal diploid composition of these cell lines was above 70%. By using C57BL/6J and 615 blastocysts as host embryos, one chimera was obtained in living pups. It was shown for the first time that chimeras can be produced by using outhred ES cells. This work implies that to establish ES cell lines from other animal embryos is possible. More interestingly, white color dots from ES cells on the coat of this chimeric mouse enlarged a lot after half a year, indicated that ES cells were inhibited by cells from outbred mouse or the cells of outbred mouse grew vigiously.展开更多
Summary: Recently, suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 (SOCS3) has been shown to be an inducible endogenous negative regulator of Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway ...Summary: Recently, suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 (SOCS3) has been shown to be an inducible endogenous negative regulator of Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway which is relevant in inflammatory response, while its functions in acute liver failure and HBV-induced acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we explored the role of SOCS3 in the development of mouse hepatitis virus strain 3 (MHV-3)-induced acute liver failure and its expression in liver and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with HBV-ACLF. Inflammation-related gene expression was detected by real-time PCR, immtmohistochemistry and Western blotting. The correlation between SOCS3 level and liver injury was studied. Our results showed that the SOCS3 expression was significantly elevated in both the liver tissue and PBMCs from patients with HBV-ACLF compared to mild chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Moreover, a time course study showed that SOCS3 level was increased remarkably in the liver of BALB/cJ mice at 72 h post-infection. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin (IL)-1 β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, were also increased significantly at 72 h post-infection. There was a close correlation between hepatic SOCS3 level and IL-6, and the severity of liver injury defined by alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, respectively. These data suggested that SOCS3 may play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of MHV-3-induced acute liver failure and HBV-ACLF.展开更多
AIM: To optimize the experimental protocols for a simple, sensitive and accurate bleeding assay.METHODS: Bleeding assay was performed in mice by tail tip amputation, immersing the tail in saline at 37 ℃, continuously...AIM: To optimize the experimental protocols for a simple, sensitive and accurate bleeding assay.METHODS: Bleeding assay was performed in mice by tail tip amputation, immersing the tail in saline at 37 ℃, continuously monitoring bleeding patterns and measuring bleeding volume from changes in the body weight. Sensitivity and extent of variation of bleeding time and bleeding volume were compared in mice treated with the P2 Y receptor inhibitor prasugrel at various doses or in mice deficient of Fc Rγ, a signaling protein of the glycoprotein VI receptor.RESULTS: We described details of the bleeding assay with the aim of standardizing this commonly used assay. The bleeding assay detailed here was simple to operate and permitted continuous monitoring of bleedingpattern and detection of re-bleeding. We also reported a simple and accurate way of quantifying bleeding volume from changes in the body weight, which correlated well with chemical assay of hemoglobin levels(r2 = 0.990, P < 0.0001). We determined by tail bleeding assay the dose-effect relation of the anti-platelet drug prasugrel from 0.015 to 5 mg/kg. Our results showed that the correlation of bleeding time and volume was unsatisfactory and that compared with the bleeding time, bleeding volume was more sensitive in detecting a partial inhibition of platelet's haemostatic activity(P < 0.01). Similarly, in mice with genetic disruption of Fc Rγ as a signaling molecule of P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 leading to platelet dysfunction, both increased bleeding volume and repeated bleeding pattern defined the phenotype of the knockout mice better than that of a prolonged bleeding time.CONCLUSION: Determination of bleeding pattern and bleeding volume, in addition to bleeding time, improved the sensitivity and accuracy of this assay, particularly when platelet function is partially inhibited.展开更多
Dengue is a significant public health concern across tropical and subtropical regions worldwide,principally causing disease in children.Very young children are at increased risk of severe manifestations of dengue infe...Dengue is a significant public health concern across tropical and subtropical regions worldwide,principally causing disease in children.Very young children are at increased risk of severe manifestations of dengue infection.The mechanism of dengue disease in this population is not fully understood.In this study,we present a murine model of dengue virus primary infection in suckling C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice in order to investigate disease pathogenesis.Three-day-old C57BL/6 mice intraperitoneally infected with DENV-2 NGC were more susceptible to infection than BALB/c mice,showing increased liver enzymes,extended viremia,dissemination to organs and histological alterations in liver and small intestine.Furthermore,the immune response in DENV-infected C57BL/6 mice exhibited a marked Th1 bias compared to BALB/c mice.These findings highlight the possibility of establishing an immunocompetent mouse model of DENV-2 infection in suckling mice that reproduces certain signs of disease observed in humans and that could be used to further study agerelated mechanisms of dengue pathogenesis.展开更多
Background:Myelodysplastic syndrome(MDS)is a group of disorders involving he-mopoietic dysfunction leading to leukemia.Although recently progress has been made in identifying underlying genetic mutations,many question...Background:Myelodysplastic syndrome(MDS)is a group of disorders involving he-mopoietic dysfunction leading to leukemia.Although recently progress has been made in identifying underlying genetic mutations,many questions still remain.Animal models of MDS have been produced by introduction of specific mutations.However,there is no spontaneous mouse model of MDS,and an animal model to simulate natu-ral MDS pathogenesis is urgently needed.Methods:In characterizing the genetically diverse mouse strains of the Collaborative Cross(CC)we observed that one,designated JUN,had abnormal hematological traits.This strain was thus further analyzed for phenotypic and pathological iden-tification,comparing the changes in each cell population in peripheral blood and in bone marrow.Results:In a specific-pathogen free environment,mice of the JUN strain are rela-tively thin,with healthy appearance.However,in a conventional environment,they become lethargic,develop wrinkled yellow hair,have loose and light stools,and are prone to infections.We found that the mice were cytopenic,which was due to abnor-mal differentiation of multipotent bone marrow progenitor cells.These are common characteristics of MDS.Conclusions:A mouse strain,JUN,was found displaying spontaneous myelodysplas-tic syndrome.This strain has the advantage over existing models in that it develops MDS spontaneously and is more similar to human MDS than genetically modified mouse models.JUN mice will be an important tool for pathogenesis research of MDS and for evaluation of new drugs and treatments.展开更多
Hypertension is a risk factor for a large number of vision-threatening eye disorders.In this study,we investigated for the first time the retinal neural structure of the hypertensive BPH/2J mouse(Schlager mouse)and co...Hypertension is a risk factor for a large number of vision-threatening eye disorders.In this study,we investigated for the first time the retinal neural structure of the hypertensive BPH/2J mouse(Schlager mouse)and compared it to its control counterpart,the normotensive BPN/3J strain.The BPH/2J mouse is a selectively inbred mouse strain that develops chronic hypertension due to elevated sympathetic nervous system activity.When compared to the BPN/3J strain,the hypertensive BPH/2J mice showed a complete loss of outer layers of the neural retina at 21 weeks of age,which was indicative of a severe vision-threatening disease potentially caused by hypertension.To elucidate whether the retinal neural phenotype in the BPH/2J strain was attributed to increased BP,we investigated the neural retina of both BPN/3J and BPH/2J mice at 4 weeks of age.Our preliminary results showed for the first time that the BPH/2J strain develops severe retinal neural damage at a young age.Our findings suggest that the retinal phenotype in the BPH/2J mouse is possibly due to elevated blood pressure and may be contributed by an early onset spontaneous mutation which is yet to be identified or a congenital defect occurring in this strain.Further characterization of the BPH/2J mouse strain is likely to i)elucidate gene defects underlying retinal disease;ii)understand mechanisms leading to neural retinal disease and iii)permit testing of molecules for translational research to interfere with the progression of retinal disease.The animal experiments were performed with the approval of the Royal Perth Hospital Animal Ethics Committee(R535/17-18)on June 1,2017.展开更多
Objective To develop an ICR (female) mouse bioassay (MBA) for toxicity confirmation and evaluation of neurotoxins (brevetoxins)-contaminated shellfish. Methods Brevetoxins (BTX-B) as a causative agent of neuro...Objective To develop an ICR (female) mouse bioassay (MBA) for toxicity confirmation and evaluation of neurotoxins (brevetoxins)-contaminated shellfish. Methods Brevetoxins (BTX-B) as a causative agent of neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP) under different shellfish matrices were intraperitoneally injected at different doses into mice to study their toxic effects and to differentiate the range of lethal and sublethal dosages. Their sensitivity and specificity were analyzed with 2 competitive ELISA kits for quantitative determination of standard BTX-B and dihydroBTX-B under different shellfish matrix-diluent combinations. Detection rates of MBA and two antibody-based assays for BTX-B from field NSP-positive shellfish samples were compared. Results BTX-B could be detected in shellfish tissues at concentration of 50-400 μg/100 g under shellfish matrix-Tween-saline media, which were appropriate to identify toxic shellfish at or above the regulatory limit (80 μg/100 g shellfish tissues). The LD 50 identified was 455 g/kg for BTX-B under general shellfish matrices (excluding oyster matrices) dissolved in Tween-saline. The presence of shellfish matrices, of oyster matrices in particular, retarded the occurrence of death and toxicity presentation in mice. Two antibody-based assays, even in the presence of different shellfish matrix-diluent combinations, showed acceptable results in quantifying BTX-B and dihydroBTX-B well below the regulatory limit. Conclusion The two ELISA analyses agree favorably (correlation coefficient, r 0.96; Student's t-tests, P〉0.05) with the developed bioassay.展开更多
Hypoxia-ischemia is an important cause of brain injury and neurological morbidity in the newborn infants.Glycogen synthase kinase 3β(GSK-3β)is activated and upregulated following hypoxic-ischemic(HI)brain injury.We ...Hypoxia-ischemia is an important cause of brain injury and neurological morbidity in the newborn infants.Glycogen synthase kinase 3β(GSK-3β)is activated and upregulated following hypoxic-ischemic(HI)brain injury.We have investigated the effects of GSK-3βinhibitors,Tideglusib and TDZD-8,on HI brain injury in neonatal mice.Specifically,postnatal day 7(P7)mouse pups subjected to unilateral common carotid artery ligation followed by 1 h of hypoxia.HI experimental or sham control groups were administered either the GSK-3βinhibitor or vehicle intraperitoneally 20 min prior to the onset of ischemia.The brain infarct volume and whole brain images were used in conjunction with Nissl staining to evaluate the protective effects of GSK-3βinhibitors.Either tideglusib or TDZD-8 significantly reduced cerebral infarct volume and improved neurobehavioral outcomes following HI injury.Western blotting showed that either drug increased phosphorylated GSK-3βand Akt,and reduced the expression of GFAP and p-STAT3.Pretreatment with tideglusib also enhanced the protein level of Notch1,and reduced the cleavage of pro-apoptotic signal caspase proteins,including caspase 3 and caspase 9 following HI.These results indicate that these GSK-3βinhibitors show neuroprotection against hypoxicischemic brain injury in neonatal mice.Either Tideglusib or TDZD-8 is a potential compound for the prevention or treatment of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in neonates.展开更多
Objective:To investigate the therapeutic effect of evodiamine(EVO)on the expression of hexokinase(HK),lactate dehydrogenase A(LDHA),and pyruvate kinase M(PKM),key enzymes of glycolysis,in the tumor-bearing mice after ...Objective:To investigate the therapeutic effect of evodiamine(EVO)on the expression of hexokinase(HK),lactate dehydrogenase A(LDHA),and pyruvate kinase M(PKM),key enzymes of glycolysis,in the tumor-bearing mice after modeling mouse colon cancer cells(CT26).Methods:A tumor-bearing mouse model was generated by administering axillary injection of CT26 and intraperitoneally injecting different doses of EVO.The therapeutic effects of EVO on CT26 tumor-bearing mice were evaluated by measuring the thymus and spleen indices,tumor volume,tumor suppression rate,and other related indicators in the tumor tissues of mice in each group after the administration of EVO,in addition,histopathological changes in the tumor tissues of the mice in the groups were studied by hematoxylin and eosin staining.The expression levels of HK,LDHA,and PKM in the tumor tissues of each group of mice were measured by performing Western blot to investigate the mechanism of EVO treatment in CT26 tumor-bearing mice.Results:EVO inhibited the growth of tumors in CT26-bearing mice and enhanced their splenic and thymic indices.Western blot results showed that EVO reduced the expression levels of HK,LDHA,and PKM proteins in the tumor tissues of CT26 tumor-bearing mice.Conclusion:EVO has a therapeutic effect on CT26 tumor-bearing mice,and its mechanism of action may be related to the low expression of key enzymes HK,LDHA and PKM of glycolysis in tumor tissues.展开更多
基金supported, in part, by the National Key Research and Development Program of China Grants (2019YFA0906004)the National Natural Science Foundation of China Grants (81991513, 81870532, 82172375)+1 种基金the Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Innovation Council Grant (2017B030301018)the Shenzhen Municipal Science and Technology Innovation Council Grant (20200925150409001)。
文摘The progressive destruction of condylar cartilage is a hallmark of the temporomandibular joint(TMJ) osteoarthritis(OA);however, its mechanism is incompletely understood. Here, we show that Kindlin-2, a key focal adhesion protein, is strongly detected in cells of mandibular condylar cartilage in mice. We find that genetic ablation of Kindlin-2 in aggrecan-expressing condylar chondrocytes induces multiple spontaneous osteoarthritic lesions, including progressive cartilage loss and deformation, surface fissures, and ectopic cartilage and bone formation in TMJ. Kindlin-2 loss significantly downregulates the expression of aggrecan, Col2a1 and Proteoglycan 4(Prg4), all anabolic extracellular matrix proteins, and promotes catabolic metabolism in TMJ cartilage by inducing expression of Runx2and Mmp13 in condylar chondrocytes. Kindlin-2 loss decreases TMJ chondrocyte proliferation in condylar cartilages. Furthermore,Kindlin-2 loss promotes the release of cytochrome c as well as caspase 3 activation, and accelerates chondrocyte apoptosis in vitro and TMJ. Collectively, these findings reveal a crucial role of Kindlin-2 in condylar chondrocytes to maintain TMJ homeostasis.
文摘Primary liver cancer remains one of the most lethal malignancies worldwide. Due to differences in prevalence of etiological factors the incidence of primary liver can-cer varies among the world, with a peak in East-Asia. As this disease is still lethal in most of the cases, research has to be done to improve our understanding of the disease, offering insights for possible treatment options. For this purpose, animal models are widely used, especially mouse models. In this review, we describe the different types of mouse models used in liver cancer research, with emphasis on genetically engineered mice used in this field. We focus on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as this is by far the most common type of primary liver cancer, accounting for 70%-85% of cases.
文摘The aim of the present investigation was to determine if embryonic stem (ES) cells could be isolated from outbred mouse embryos (KM) and if chimeras could be producedly using outbred ES cells. Three ES cell lines,designated KE1, KE2, and KE5,were isolated from 5 Kunming albino blastocysts. Normal diploid composition of these cell lines was above 70%. By using C57BL/6J and 615 blastocysts as host embryos, one chimera was obtained in living pups. It was shown for the first time that chimeras can be produced by using outhred ES cells. This work implies that to establish ES cell lines from other animal embryos is possible. More interestingly, white color dots from ES cells on the coat of this chimeric mouse enlarged a lot after half a year, indicated that ES cells were inhibited by cells from outbred mouse or the cells of outbred mouse grew vigiously.
基金supported by the grants from the National Science Foundation of China Advanced Program(No.NSFC81171558,NSFC81271808 and NSFC81030007)Innovation Team Development Plan of the Ministry of Education of China[No.IRT1131(2011)]National Twelfth-Five Years Project in Science and Technology of China(No.2013ZX10002-003)
文摘Summary: Recently, suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 (SOCS3) has been shown to be an inducible endogenous negative regulator of Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway which is relevant in inflammatory response, while its functions in acute liver failure and HBV-induced acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we explored the role of SOCS3 in the development of mouse hepatitis virus strain 3 (MHV-3)-induced acute liver failure and its expression in liver and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with HBV-ACLF. Inflammation-related gene expression was detected by real-time PCR, immtmohistochemistry and Western blotting. The correlation between SOCS3 level and liver injury was studied. Our results showed that the SOCS3 expression was significantly elevated in both the liver tissue and PBMCs from patients with HBV-ACLF compared to mild chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Moreover, a time course study showed that SOCS3 level was increased remarkably in the liver of BALB/cJ mice at 72 h post-infection. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin (IL)-1 β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, were also increased significantly at 72 h post-infection. There was a close correlation between hepatic SOCS3 level and IL-6, and the severity of liver injury defined by alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, respectively. These data suggested that SOCS3 may play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of MHV-3-induced acute liver failure and HBV-ACLF.
基金Supported by Project and Fellowship Grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia
文摘AIM: To optimize the experimental protocols for a simple, sensitive and accurate bleeding assay.METHODS: Bleeding assay was performed in mice by tail tip amputation, immersing the tail in saline at 37 ℃, continuously monitoring bleeding patterns and measuring bleeding volume from changes in the body weight. Sensitivity and extent of variation of bleeding time and bleeding volume were compared in mice treated with the P2 Y receptor inhibitor prasugrel at various doses or in mice deficient of Fc Rγ, a signaling protein of the glycoprotein VI receptor.RESULTS: We described details of the bleeding assay with the aim of standardizing this commonly used assay. The bleeding assay detailed here was simple to operate and permitted continuous monitoring of bleedingpattern and detection of re-bleeding. We also reported a simple and accurate way of quantifying bleeding volume from changes in the body weight, which correlated well with chemical assay of hemoglobin levels(r2 = 0.990, P < 0.0001). We determined by tail bleeding assay the dose-effect relation of the anti-platelet drug prasugrel from 0.015 to 5 mg/kg. Our results showed that the correlation of bleeding time and volume was unsatisfactory and that compared with the bleeding time, bleeding volume was more sensitive in detecting a partial inhibition of platelet's haemostatic activity(P < 0.01). Similarly, in mice with genetic disruption of Fc Rγ as a signaling molecule of P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 leading to platelet dysfunction, both increased bleeding volume and repeated bleeding pattern defined the phenotype of the knockout mice better than that of a prolonged bleeding time.CONCLUSION: Determination of bleeding pattern and bleeding volume, in addition to bleeding time, improved the sensitivity and accuracy of this assay, particularly when platelet function is partially inhibited.
基金Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas,Grant/Award Number:PIP0118UBS Optimus Foundation,Grant/Award Number:ID 2007-00206+1 种基金Fundación Bunge y BornFondo para la Investigación Científica y Tecnológica,Grant/Award Number:PICT2008-1073。
文摘Dengue is a significant public health concern across tropical and subtropical regions worldwide,principally causing disease in children.Very young children are at increased risk of severe manifestations of dengue infection.The mechanism of dengue disease in this population is not fully understood.In this study,we present a murine model of dengue virus primary infection in suckling C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice in order to investigate disease pathogenesis.Three-day-old C57BL/6 mice intraperitoneally infected with DENV-2 NGC were more susceptible to infection than BALB/c mice,showing increased liver enzymes,extended viremia,dissemination to organs and histological alterations in liver and small intestine.Furthermore,the immune response in DENV-infected C57BL/6 mice exhibited a marked Th1 bias compared to BALB/c mice.These findings highlight the possibility of establishing an immunocompetent mouse model of DENV-2 infection in suckling mice that reproduces certain signs of disease observed in humans and that could be used to further study agerelated mechanisms of dengue pathogenesis.
基金National Science and Technology Major Project,Grant/Award Number:2017ZX10304402Peking Union Medical College,Grant/Award Number:3332020050。
文摘Background:Myelodysplastic syndrome(MDS)is a group of disorders involving he-mopoietic dysfunction leading to leukemia.Although recently progress has been made in identifying underlying genetic mutations,many questions still remain.Animal models of MDS have been produced by introduction of specific mutations.However,there is no spontaneous mouse model of MDS,and an animal model to simulate natu-ral MDS pathogenesis is urgently needed.Methods:In characterizing the genetically diverse mouse strains of the Collaborative Cross(CC)we observed that one,designated JUN,had abnormal hematological traits.This strain was thus further analyzed for phenotypic and pathological iden-tification,comparing the changes in each cell population in peripheral blood and in bone marrow.Results:In a specific-pathogen free environment,mice of the JUN strain are rela-tively thin,with healthy appearance.However,in a conventional environment,they become lethargic,develop wrinkled yellow hair,have loose and light stools,and are prone to infections.We found that the mice were cytopenic,which was due to abnor-mal differentiation of multipotent bone marrow progenitor cells.These are common characteristics of MDS.Conclusions:A mouse strain,JUN,was found displaying spontaneous myelodysplas-tic syndrome.This strain has the advantage over existing models in that it develops MDS spontaneously and is more similar to human MDS than genetically modified mouse models.JUN mice will be an important tool for pathogenesis research of MDS and for evaluation of new drugs and treatments.
基金generously funded by grants from the Royal Perth Hospital Medical Research Foundation(to VBM and MPS)
文摘Hypertension is a risk factor for a large number of vision-threatening eye disorders.In this study,we investigated for the first time the retinal neural structure of the hypertensive BPH/2J mouse(Schlager mouse)and compared it to its control counterpart,the normotensive BPN/3J strain.The BPH/2J mouse is a selectively inbred mouse strain that develops chronic hypertension due to elevated sympathetic nervous system activity.When compared to the BPN/3J strain,the hypertensive BPH/2J mice showed a complete loss of outer layers of the neural retina at 21 weeks of age,which was indicative of a severe vision-threatening disease potentially caused by hypertension.To elucidate whether the retinal neural phenotype in the BPH/2J strain was attributed to increased BP,we investigated the neural retina of both BPN/3J and BPH/2J mice at 4 weeks of age.Our preliminary results showed for the first time that the BPH/2J strain develops severe retinal neural damage at a young age.Our findings suggest that the retinal phenotype in the BPH/2J mouse is possibly due to elevated blood pressure and may be contributed by an early onset spontaneous mutation which is yet to be identified or a congenital defect occurring in this strain.Further characterization of the BPH/2J mouse strain is likely to i)elucidate gene defects underlying retinal disease;ii)understand mechanisms leading to neural retinal disease and iii)permit testing of molecules for translational research to interfere with the progression of retinal disease.The animal experiments were performed with the approval of the Royal Perth Hospital Animal Ethics Committee(R535/17-18)on June 1,2017.
文摘Objective To develop an ICR (female) mouse bioassay (MBA) for toxicity confirmation and evaluation of neurotoxins (brevetoxins)-contaminated shellfish. Methods Brevetoxins (BTX-B) as a causative agent of neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP) under different shellfish matrices were intraperitoneally injected at different doses into mice to study their toxic effects and to differentiate the range of lethal and sublethal dosages. Their sensitivity and specificity were analyzed with 2 competitive ELISA kits for quantitative determination of standard BTX-B and dihydroBTX-B under different shellfish matrix-diluent combinations. Detection rates of MBA and two antibody-based assays for BTX-B from field NSP-positive shellfish samples were compared. Results BTX-B could be detected in shellfish tissues at concentration of 50-400 μg/100 g under shellfish matrix-Tween-saline media, which were appropriate to identify toxic shellfish at or above the regulatory limit (80 μg/100 g shellfish tissues). The LD 50 identified was 455 g/kg for BTX-B under general shellfish matrices (excluding oyster matrices) dissolved in Tween-saline. The presence of shellfish matrices, of oyster matrices in particular, retarded the occurrence of death and toxicity presentation in mice. Two antibody-based assays, even in the presence of different shellfish matrix-diluent combinations, showed acceptable results in quantifying BTX-B and dihydroBTX-B well below the regulatory limit. Conclusion The two ELISA analyses agree favorably (correlation coefficient, r 0.96; Student's t-tests, P〉0.05) with the developed bioassay.
文摘Hypoxia-ischemia is an important cause of brain injury and neurological morbidity in the newborn infants.Glycogen synthase kinase 3β(GSK-3β)is activated and upregulated following hypoxic-ischemic(HI)brain injury.We have investigated the effects of GSK-3βinhibitors,Tideglusib and TDZD-8,on HI brain injury in neonatal mice.Specifically,postnatal day 7(P7)mouse pups subjected to unilateral common carotid artery ligation followed by 1 h of hypoxia.HI experimental or sham control groups were administered either the GSK-3βinhibitor or vehicle intraperitoneally 20 min prior to the onset of ischemia.The brain infarct volume and whole brain images were used in conjunction with Nissl staining to evaluate the protective effects of GSK-3βinhibitors.Either tideglusib or TDZD-8 significantly reduced cerebral infarct volume and improved neurobehavioral outcomes following HI injury.Western blotting showed that either drug increased phosphorylated GSK-3βand Akt,and reduced the expression of GFAP and p-STAT3.Pretreatment with tideglusib also enhanced the protein level of Notch1,and reduced the cleavage of pro-apoptotic signal caspase proteins,including caspase 3 and caspase 9 following HI.These results indicate that these GSK-3βinhibitors show neuroprotection against hypoxicischemic brain injury in neonatal mice.Either Tideglusib or TDZD-8 is a potential compound for the prevention or treatment of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in neonates.
基金the Affiliated Fuzhou First Hospital of Fujian Medical University,the Fuzhou Science and Technology planning project(2020-WS-123).
文摘Objective:To investigate the therapeutic effect of evodiamine(EVO)on the expression of hexokinase(HK),lactate dehydrogenase A(LDHA),and pyruvate kinase M(PKM),key enzymes of glycolysis,in the tumor-bearing mice after modeling mouse colon cancer cells(CT26).Methods:A tumor-bearing mouse model was generated by administering axillary injection of CT26 and intraperitoneally injecting different doses of EVO.The therapeutic effects of EVO on CT26 tumor-bearing mice were evaluated by measuring the thymus and spleen indices,tumor volume,tumor suppression rate,and other related indicators in the tumor tissues of mice in each group after the administration of EVO,in addition,histopathological changes in the tumor tissues of the mice in the groups were studied by hematoxylin and eosin staining.The expression levels of HK,LDHA,and PKM in the tumor tissues of each group of mice were measured by performing Western blot to investigate the mechanism of EVO treatment in CT26 tumor-bearing mice.Results:EVO inhibited the growth of tumors in CT26-bearing mice and enhanced their splenic and thymic indices.Western blot results showed that EVO reduced the expression levels of HK,LDHA,and PKM proteins in the tumor tissues of CT26 tumor-bearing mice.Conclusion:EVO has a therapeutic effect on CT26 tumor-bearing mice,and its mechanism of action may be related to the low expression of key enzymes HK,LDHA and PKM of glycolysis in tumor tissues.