Effect of An Atmospheric Plasma Jet on the Differentiation of Melanoblast Progenitor

Objective Melanoblasts are the cell source of regeneration for pigment restoration.The ability to differentiate into mature melanocytes is the essential feature of melanoblasts in depigmentation diseases.Cold atmospheric plasma is an ionized gas with near-room temperature and highly reactive species that has been shown to induce stem cell differentiation.The aim of the study was to explore the effect of cold atmospheric plasma on the differentiation of melanoblast progenitor cells.Methods In this study,melanoblasts were exposed to the plasma jet and the cell morphology was observed.The cell cycle and cell proliferation were detected.Furthermore,the cell immunofluorescence and the detection of melanin particle and nitric oxide were carried out to investigate the differentiation of melanoblast progenitor cells.Results Cells that were treated with the plasma had longer and more synaptic structures,and the G1 phase of cell cycle was prolonged in the treated group.More melanin synthesis-related proteins and melanin particles were produced after plasma treatment.Nitric oxide was one of the active components generated by the plasma jet,and the nitric oxide content in the cell culture medium of the treated group increased.Conclusion These results indicate that an increase in nitric oxide production caused by a plasma jet can promote cell differentiation.The application of plasma provides an innovative strategy for the treatment of depigmentation diseases.

Esophageal melanosis:Two case reports and review of literature

Esophageal melanosis(EM)is a rare condition characterized by melanin pigmentation in the esophageal mucosa.It is not well understood and has been documented in less than 100 cases worldwide.CASE SUMMARY We report two cases of African American patients who complained of significant weight loss(over 20 pounds in approximately six months)and abdominal pain during their first visit.The first case involves a 54-year female with a history of hepatic steatosis and polysubstance abuse,who also experiences nausea and vomiting.The second case is a 59-year-old male with hypertension and gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD),who was diagnosed with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.Both cases show benign melanocytes in the basal layer on the esophagus biopsy and are diagnosed as EM.CONCLUSION It is important to note that EM has been associated with malignancies such as carcinoma and melanoma.Therefore,accurate diagnosis and appropriate management are crucial.Patients with EM,especially those with concurrent risk factors(e.g.,GERD,smoking),should be carefully monitored for any signs of malignancy.

A microarray study of altered gene expression during melanoblasts migration in normal pigmented White Leghorn and hyperpigmented mutant Silky Fowl

Melanoblasts originating from neural crest cells can migrate through the mesenchyme of the developed embryo and give rise to melanocytes.Unlike the melanocytes that are confined to the integument in other vertebrates,melanocytes in Silky Fowl can reach the ventral regions of the embryos owing to differences in gene expression in the process of melanoblasts migration.In this study,we used microarray profiling to identify differences in gene expression between White Leghorn and Silky Fowl.Differential expression of 2517 microarray probes(P<0.01,Fold Change>2)was observed in Silky Fowl compared to White Leghorn.After filtration by cluster analysis,functional annotation and pathway analysis,eight differentially expressed genes were identified to be closely related to the development of melanocytes.Moreover,differences in expression of immune genes were also detected between Silky Fowl and White Leghorn.The differentially expressed genes associated with melanocyte development were verified by q-PCR,and results were highly consistent with the microarray data.The genes with significantly altered expression involved in melanoblast migration and development suggested that different microenvironments resulted in the abnormal melanoblast migration in Silky Fowl,although there were no big differences in melanoblast development between these two breeds.The candidate genes discovered in this study are beneficial to understand the molecular mechanism of hyperpigmentation in Silky Fowl.

动物皮毛色泽形成机制研究进展

动物皮毛色泽形成过程中成黑素细胞的发育分化形成黑素细胞,其中Kit、Mitf和β-catenin等多种基因发挥关键作用,黑素细胞的黑素体合成真黑素和伪黑素的生物化学过程及agouti和MSH的激素调控作用和黑素体的转运过程。这3个环节是复杂的细胞发育分化、黑色素合成和细胞器的转运过程,其中任何环节的变化都会引起动物皮毛色泽的改变。

女贞子及其单体促进小鼠成黑素细胞迁移的研究

目的体外研究女贞子及其单体酪醇、齐敦果酸对小鼠成黑素细胞系NCCmelb4M5迁移的影响。方法培养小鼠成黑素细胞NCCmelb4M5，用MTT法检测中药对成黑素细胞增殖的影响，应用细胞划痕实验和Transwell小室迁移实验分析中药对成黑素细胞迁移的作用。结果0．125mg／mL组女贞子、O．08mg/mL组酪醇以及0．0625mg／mL组齐敦果酸无明显细胞毒性且不明显刺激细胞的增殖，选择工作浓度作用于NCCmelb4M5细胞，女贞子和酪醇作用组可明显促进细胞划痕的愈合。Transwell实验中成黑素细胞穿膜数也显著增加（P〈0．05）。而齐敦果酸对成黑素细胞的迁移无明显刺激作用。结论女贞子可明显刺激小鼠成黑素细胞迁移，酪醇可能是女贞子促进成黑素细胞迁移的有效成分之一。

人表皮成黑素细胞培养条件的初步探讨

目的探讨人包皮组织来源成黑素细胞的培养条件。方法包皮取自小儿，采用分离酶和胰酶两步消化法获得表皮细胞悬液，用实验室改进的成黑素细胞培养基培养结合差速黏附法分选成黑素细胞。对培养的成黑素细胞生长情况进行对比观察，并用Dopa染色、TRP2抗体染色、S-100抗体染色以及电镜观察等方法对培养的成黑素细胞进行鉴定。结果培养的人黑素细胞呈火柴棒状，散在排列，双极对称，胞体瘦小，细胞核折光性强，TRP2抗体染色、S-100抗体染色、Dopa染色均阳性，电镜下可见胞内含有Ⅲ～Ⅳ期的成熟黑素颗粒。与黑素细胞相比，培养的人成黑素细胞胞浆丰富，体积较大，呈双极或不规则形，克隆样生长，胞内无Ⅲ-Ⅳ期的成熟黑素颗粒，只含有Ⅰ期不成熟黑素颗粒，TRP2抗体染色阳性、S-100抗体染色、Dopa染色阴性。结论改良的成黑素细胞培养基成功培养出包皮组织来源的成黑素细胞，为表皮色素形成机制的研究打下基础。

黑色素母细胞沿神经的迁移

黑色素细胞是皮肤中的特殊细胞,它产生黑色素,并将其传递给周围的角质形成细胞,从而决定皮肤的颜色等,其来源于黑色素母细胞。因此,了解黑色素母细胞如何迁移至靶点,对改善个体肤色以及诊断和治疗黑色素瘤等都具有重要意义。文章通过对黑色素母细胞沿神经迁移这一模式的过程和相关机制进行综述,希望为个体肤色改善以及黑色素瘤术后复发机制等的研究提供一定的理论依据。