Integrins and their potential roles in mammalian pregnancy

Integrins are a highly complex family of receptors that, when expressed on the surface of cells, can mediate reciprocal cell-to-cell and cell-to-extracellular matrix(ECM) interactions leading to assembly of integrin adhesion complexes(IACs) that initiate many signaling functions both at the membrane and deeper within the cytoplasm to coordinate processes including cell adhesion, migration, proliferation, survival, differentiation, and metabolism. All metazoan organisms possess integrins, and it is generally agreed that integrins were associated with the evolution of multicellularity, being essential for the association of cells with their neighbors and surroundings, during embryonic development and many aspects of cellular and molecular biology. Integrins have important roles in many aspects of embryonic development, normal physiology, and disease processes with a multitude of functions discovered and elucidated for integrins that directly influence many areas of biology and medicine, including mammalian pregnancy, in particular implantation of the blastocyst to the uterine wall, subsequent placentation and conceptus(embryo/fetus and associated placental membranes) development. This review provides a succinct overview of integrin structure, ligand binding, and signaling followed with a concise overview of embryonic development, implantation, and early placentation in pigs, sheep, humans, and mice as an example for rodents. A brief timeline of the initial localization of integrin subunits to the uterine luminal epithelium(LE) and conceptus trophoblast is then presented, followed by sequential summaries of integrin expression and function during gestation in pigs, sheep, humans, and rodents. As appropriate for this journal, summaries of integrin expression and function during gestation in pigs and sheep are in depth, whereas summaries for humans and rodents are brief. Because similar models to those illustrated in Fig. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are present throughout the scientific literature, the illustrations in this manuscript are drafted as Viking imagery for entertainment purposes.

Direct contacts of microglia on myelin sheath and Ranvier’s node in the corpus callosum in rats

Over the recent years, it has been found that microglia pseudopodia contact synapses, detect sick ones and prune them, even in adult animals. Myelinated nerves also carry out plasticity in which microglia remove myelin debris by phagocytosis. However, it remains unknown whether microglia explore structures on nerve fibers, such as Ranvier’s node(RN) or myelin sheath, before they become debris. By double or triple staining RNs or myelin sheathes and microglia in healthy rat corpus callosum, this study unveiled direct contacts of microglia pseudopodia with RNs and with para-and inter-nodal myelin sheathes, which was then verified by electron microscopic observations. Our data indicated that microglia also explore unmyelinated nerve fibers. Furthermore, we used the animals with matured white matter;therefore, microglia may be actively involved in plasticity of matured white matter tracts as it does for synapse pruning, instead of only passively phagocytize myelin debris.

enriched diets and the growth, development and survival of litoria moorei (anura) tadpoles reared in captivity at low density

Increasing numbers of amphibian species require conservation breeding programs for their survival.A major challenge is the efficient rearing of tadpoles,many of which require complex habitats and specialised diets.Aquatic tadpoles of the West Australian frog Litoria moorei were kept at low density(1 tadpole per 1.95 litres water) in aquaria at 25℃.Fed on a staple diet of boiled lettuce and leaf litter,group of diets were supplemented with either control,Wardley Premium Spirulina Discs,Sera~(TM) GVG-mix tropical fish food,or a combination of Wardley Premium Spirulina discs and Sera~(TM) GVG-mix fish food.There was a relatively high loss(i.e.,found dead,euthanized due to scoliosis,or not found) of tadpoles fed with the lettuce/leaf litter alone,but this was increased significantly when supplemented with Wardley Premium Spirulina discs,either alone or with Sera~(TM) GVG-mix fish food,and Sera~(TM) GVG fish food alone.However,the survived tadpoles fed on the three supplements were all heavier after three weeks and at metamorphosis than those fed with lettuce/leaf litter alone,and reached metamorphosis quicker.It is concluded that any benefit of the food supplements in terms of increasing the rate of growth and development of the tadpoles is outweighed by greater mortality.There is now a need for the efficient rearing of tadpoles,many from novel species that need complex habitats.Further studies of diet are required due to the current conservation crisis of amphibians.

Initial Validation of Cytokine Measurement by ELISA in Canine Feces

Measurement of fecal cytokines has been used as a marker of intestinal inflammation in people and correlates with endoscopic findings. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of canine-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbant assays (ELISAs) for quantification of cytokines in canine fecal samples as a non-invasive biomarker. Interleukin (IL)-6, -8, -10, -23/12p40 and TNF-a were assessed by using spiked fecal samples from 3 healthy dogs. Standard curve validation was performed, and the impact of time to freeze, duration of storage and number of freeze-thaw cycles on cytokine concentration were also examined. All the cytokines assayed could be detected, with varying accuracy. The mean coefficient of variation (CV) for all standard curves ranged from 2.95%-9.8%. The mean intra-assay CV ranged from 3.1%-11.14%, and inter-assay CV from 4.36%-18.83%. Recovery of IL-23 was poor (7.23%-17.12%), precluding further interpretation of stability studies. Mean recovery did not appear to be affected by time to freeze and repeat freeze-thaw cycles in all cytokines investigated. Recovery for all cytokines after short-term storage of 30 days at -80℃ showed a recovery of 70% or >130%. In conclusion, although fecal IL-6, -8, -10, and TNF-a could be used as biomarkers of intestinal inflammation in the dog, the quality of laboratory performance and poor recovery at lower concentrations limit their application. Bench-top and freeze-thaw stability was acceptable, and samples should ideally be analyzed within a week. Investigation involving dogs with acute and chronic inflammatory intestinal disease is required to determine the role of this methodology in a clinical setting.

Assessment of Molecular Signalling Mechanisms for Eosinophilia in Rottweilers

Rottweilers are predisposed to eosinophilic diseases, including hypereosinophilic syndrome. The immunopathogenesis of idiopathic eosinophilia is poorly characterised in dogs and man. Studies in people have suggested cytokines, particularly interleukin (IL)-5, play a role in instigating and perpetuating eosinophilia. This study sought to establish whether differences in gene expression, and concentration of selected, cytokines and chemokines were associated with eosinophilia in Rottweilers. Quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays were used to quantify messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) encoding cytokines IL-4, -5, -10, -12p19, -12p35, -12p40, -18, interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and chemokines eotaxin-2 and -3 from peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PMBC) samples obtained from healthy dogs (breeds other than Rottweiler) with normal eosinophil blood counts (n = 5) and Rottweilers with normal (n = 6), mildly increased (n = 7) and high (n = 3) eosinophil blood counts. Quantification of plasma IFN-γ and IL-5 was performed using commercially available canine-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays ELISAs. Cytokine mRNA was measurable in all samples, although eotaxin-2 and -3 were not detected. No significant differences in gene expression of any cytokine were found between groups (based on eosinophil count or breed). No significant difference in plasma IL-5 or IFN-γ concentration was present between groups. In conclusion, there were no significant differences in cytokine mRNA profiles or plasma IL-5 and IFN-γ levels between Rottweilers with increased eosinophil counts and Rottweiler and non-Rottweiler dogs with normal eosinophil counts.

Honey vesicle-like nanoparticles protect aged liver from non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH),an advanced form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD),has emerged as the leading cause of liver failure and related death.Currently,no medication is specifically approved to treat NAFLD or NASH.Here we report that oral administration of honey vesiclelike nanoparticles(H-VLNs)to naturally aged mice protects the liver from NASH development.H-VLNs are dominantly taken up by Kupffer cells in the liver and suppress hepatic chronic inflammation and further development of fibrosis and nodule formation in aged mice.Besides their reported antiinflammasome function,H-VLNs are found to inhibit the transcriptional activities of C-JUN and nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB).MicroRNAs miR5119 and miR5108 and phenolic compound luteolin in H-VLNs are identified in suppressing both the C-JUN and NF-kB pathways.Collectively,oral intake of H-VLNs represents a promising new user-friendly modality to prevent the development of NASH.

Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells

A new mammalian photoreceptor was recently discovered to reside in the ganglion cell layer of the inner retina.These intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells(ipRGCs) express a photopigment,melanopsin,that confers upon them the ability to respond to light in the absence of all rod and cone photoreceptor input.Although relatively few in number,ipRGCs extend their dendrites across large expanses of the retina making them ideally suited to function as irradiance detectors to assess changes in ambient light levels.Phototransduction in ipRGCs appears to be mediated by transient receptor potential channels more closely resembling the phototransduction cascade of invertebrate rather than vertebrate photoreceptors.ipRGCs convey irradiance information centrally via the optic nerve to influence several functions.ipRGCs are the primary retinal input to the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus(SCN),a circadian oscillator and biological clock,and this input entrains the SCN to the day/night cycle.ipRGCs contribute irradiance signals that regulate pupil size and they also provide signals that interface with the autonomic nervous system to regulate rhythmic gene activity in major organs of the body.ipRGCs also provide excitatory drive to dopaminergic amacrine cells in the retina,providing a novel basis for the restructuring of retinal circuits by light.Here we review the ground-breaking discoveries,current progress and directions for future investigation.

Bite me： Blue tails as a ＇risky-decoy＇ defense tactic for lizards

Many lizard species use caudal autotomy to escape entrapment. Conspicuous coloration may increase the likelihood of being attacked, but if that attack can be directed towards the autotomous tail this may ultimately increase the chances of the lizard surviving a predatory attack. We tested the hypothesis that brightly-colored tails function to divert predatory attention away from the head and body using pairs of blue-tailed and all-brown clay model lizards. Predatory bird attacks on the 24 blue-tailed models occurred sooner （P = 0.001） than attacks on the 24 all-brown models, and over 7 days blue-tailed models were attacked more often than all-brown models （P = 0.007）. Blue-tailed models were, however, more frequently attacked on the tail than other parts of the body （P 〈 0.001）, while all-brown models were more frequently attacked on the head and body （P = 0.019） which would be more likely to be fatal for a real lizard. Our results suggest that models with a blue tail were more conspicuous than all-brown models, attracting attacks sooner and more often, but that the attacks were predominantly directed at the tail. It is better for individuals to be attacked unsuccessfully many times, than successfully just once. Having a brightly-colored tail may, therefore, act as a ＇risky decoy＇. Despite increased conspicuousness, a blue tail increases the likelihood that the lizard would be able to effect escape through caudal autotomy rather than being grabbed by the head or body [Current Zoology 60 （3）： 333-337, 2014].

Osmotic shock as alternative method to control Acanthaster planci

Objective:To test six osmotic stressors as alternative methods to control Acanthaster planci(A.planci)outbreaks by exploiting their incapacity to tolerate drastic changes in osmolarity.Finding more effective ways to control A.planci outbreaks is one of the most immediate and effective ways by which to reverse rapid declines in the abundance of live coral cover in the Indo-Pacific.Methods:A total of 10 mL of each of the following chemicals:sodium chloride,ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid,sodium carbonate,sodium cholate,sodium deoxycholate,urea and mannitol were injected into individual healthy sea stars to examine which chemicals induced disease and death.Results:Four out of six chemicals used in this study induced disease.Sodium chloride,sodium cholate,sodium deoxycholate and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid are capable of inducing death in injected sea stars offering an alternative option to control A.planci outbreaks.Conclusions:Hyperosmotic stress is a viable alternative to control A.planci outbreaks as massive cell death results when acute hypertonicity exceeds a certain level.