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Zhongguo Xue Xi Chong Bing Fang Zhi Za... Apr 2024To evaluate the potential risk of transmission of angiostrongyliasis by common freshwater snails in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, so as to provide...
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the potential risk of transmission of angiostrongyliasis by common freshwater snails in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, so as to provide insights into local surveillance of angiostrongyliasis.
METHODS
Common freshwater snails were collected from Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province from March to April, 2020, and identified and bred in laboratory. SD rats were infected with third-stage larvae of that were isolated from commercially available snails in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, and freshwater snails were infected with the first-stage larvae of that were isolated from the feces of SD rats 39 days post-infection at room temperature. The developmental process and morphological characteristics of worms in hosts were observed, and the percentages of infections in different species of freshwater snails were calculated. Then, SD rats were infected with the third-stage larvae of that were isolated from -infected freshwater snails, and the larval development and reproduction was observed.
RESULTS
More than 3 000 freshwater snail samples were collected from farmlands, ditches and wetlands around Erhai Lake in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, and , , , , , , , spp., spp. and spp. were morphologically identified. A total of 105 commercially available snails were tested for infections, and 2 snails were found to be infected with , in which the third-stage larvae of were isolated. Ten species of freshwater snails were artificially infected with the third-stage larvae of , and all 10 species of freshwater snails were found to be infected with , with the highest positive rate of infections in spp. (62.3%, 137/204), and the lowest in (35.5%, 11/31). After SD rats were infected with the third-stage larvae of isolated from different species of freshwater snails, mature adult worms of were yielded.
CONCLUSIONS
Multiple species of freshwater snails may serve as intermediate hosts of under laboratory conditions in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province. Further investigations on natural infection of in wild snails in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture seem justified.
Topics: Animals; Snails; China; Angiostrongylus cantonensis; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Rats; Fresh Water; Larva; Strongylida Infections
PubMed: 38952317
DOI: 10.16250/j.32.1374.2022245 -
Veterinary Medicine and Science Jul 2024Cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) are essential in biomedical research, including reproductive studies. However, the application of human estimated foetal weight... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Application of ultrasonographic human estimated foetal weight formulas to cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) at 129-132 days of gestation: A comparative study of estimated and actual birthweight.
BACKGROUND
Cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) are essential in biomedical research, including reproductive studies. However, the application of human estimated foetal weight (EFW) formulas using ultrasonography (USG) in these non-human primates is not well established.
OBJECTIVES
This study aims to evaluate the applicability of human EFW formulas for estimating foetal weight in cynomolgus monkeys at approximately 130 days of gestation.
METHODS
Our study involved nine pregnant cynomolgus monkeys. We measured foetal parameters, including biparietal diameter, head circumference, abdominal circumference and femur length using USG. The EFW was calculated using 11 human EFW formulas. The actual birthweight (ABW) was recorded following Cesarean section, the day after the EFW calculation. For comparing EFW and ABW, we employed statistical methods such as mean absolute percentage error (APE) and Bland-Altman analysis.
RESULTS
The ABW ranged between 200.36 and 291.33 g. Among the 11 formulas, the Combs formula showed the lowest APE (4.3%) and highest correlation with ABW (p < 0.001). Notably, EFW and ABW differences for the Combs formula were ≤5% in 66.7% and ≤10% in 100% of cases. The Bland-Altman analysis supported these results, showing that all cases fell within the limits of agreement.
CONCLUSIONS
The Combs formula is applicable for estimating the weight of cynomolgus monkey fetuses with USG at approximately 130 days of gestation. Our observations suggest that the Combs formula can be applied in the prenatal care and biomedical research of this species.
Topics: Animals; Macaca fascicularis; Female; Birth Weight; Fetal Weight; Pregnancy; Ultrasonography, Prenatal; Humans
PubMed: 38952271
DOI: 10.1002/vms3.1521 -
Clinical Epigenetics Jun 2024Epigenetic scores (EpiScores), reflecting DNA methylation (DNAm)-based surrogates for complex traits, have been developed for multiple circulating proteins. EpiScores...
BACKGROUND
Epigenetic scores (EpiScores), reflecting DNA methylation (DNAm)-based surrogates for complex traits, have been developed for multiple circulating proteins. EpiScores for pro-inflammatory proteins, such as C-reactive protein (DNAm CRP), are associated with brain health and cognition in adults and with inflammatory comorbidities of preterm birth in neonates. Social disadvantage can become embedded in child development through inflammation, and deprivation is overrepresented in preterm infants. We tested the hypotheses that preterm birth and socioeconomic status (SES) are associated with alterations in a set of EpiScores enriched for inflammation-associated proteins.
RESULTS
In total, 104 protein EpiScores were derived from saliva samples of 332 neonates born at gestational age (GA) 22.14 to 42.14 weeks. Saliva sampling was between 36.57 and 47.14 weeks. Forty-three (41%) EpiScores were associated with low GA at birth (standardised estimates |0.14 to 0.88|, Bonferroni-adjusted p-value < 8.3 × 10). These included EpiScores for chemokines, growth factors, proteins involved in neurogenesis and vascular development, cell membrane proteins and receptors, and other immune proteins. Three EpiScores were associated with SES, or the interaction between birth GA and SES: afamin, intercellular adhesion molecule 5, and hepatocyte growth factor-like protein (standardised estimates |0.06 to 0.13|, Bonferroni-adjusted p-value < 8.3 × 10). In a preterm subgroup (n = 217, median [range] GA 29.29 weeks [22.14 to 33.0 weeks]), SES-EpiScore associations did not remain statistically significant after adjustment for sepsis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotising enterocolitis, and histological chorioamnionitis.
CONCLUSIONS
Low birth GA is substantially associated with a set of EpiScores. The set was enriched for inflammatory proteins, providing new insights into immune dysregulation in preterm infants. SES had fewer associations with EpiScores; these tended to have small effect sizes and were not statistically significant after adjusting for inflammatory comorbidities. This suggests that inflammation is unlikely to be the primary axis through which SES becomes embedded in the development of preterm infants in the neonatal period.
Topics: Humans; Saliva; Female; Infant, Newborn; Gestational Age; Epigenesis, Genetic; Male; DNA Methylation; Premature Birth; Pregnancy; Infant, Premature; Social Class; Adult; Inflammation
PubMed: 38951914
DOI: 10.1186/s13148-024-01701-2 -
BMC Research Notes Jun 2024Livestock droppings cause some environmental problems, but they have the potential to be used as effective biomass resources. The black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia...
OBJECTIVE
Livestock droppings cause some environmental problems, but they have the potential to be used as effective biomass resources. The black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), is suitable for efficiently processing such resources. By using BSF larvae for the disposal of livestock droppings, we can obtain two valuable products: protein resources and organic fertilizer. However, there is insufficient research on the digestive enzymes suitable for processing this waste. Here, we aimed to construct an efficient BSF processing system using livestock droppings, and we explored the digestive enzymes involved in this process.
RESULTS
First, we investigated the characteristics of transcripts expressed in the midgut of BSF larvae and found that immune response-related genes were expressed in the midgut. Then, we investigated digestive enzymes and identified a novel serine protease, HiBrachyurin, whose mRNA was highly expressed in the posterior midgut when BSF larvae fed on horse droppings. Despite the low protein content of horse droppings, larvae that fed on horse droppings accumulated more protein than those in the other groups. Therefore, HiBrachyurin may contribute to digestibility in the early stage of protein degradation in BSF larvae fed on horse droppings.
Topics: Animals; Diptera; Larva; Horses; Serine Proteases; Insect Proteins; Feces
PubMed: 38951856
DOI: 10.1186/s13104-024-06846-0 -
Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and... Jul 2024Bone defects, resulting from substantial bone loss that exceeds the natural self-healing capacity, pose significant challenges to current therapeutic approaches due to...
BACKGROUND
Bone defects, resulting from substantial bone loss that exceeds the natural self-healing capacity, pose significant challenges to current therapeutic approaches due to various limitations. In the quest for alternative therapeutic strategies, bone tissue engineering has emerged as a promising avenue. Notably, excretory proteins from Toxoplasma gondii (TgEP), recognized for their immunogenicity and broad spectrum of biological activities secreted or excreted during the parasite's lifecycle, have been identified as potential facilitators of osteogenic differentiation in human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs). Building on our previous findings that TgEP can enhance osteogenic differentiation, this study investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying this effect and assessed its therapeutic potential in vivo.
METHODS
We determined the optimum concentration of TgEP through cell cytotoxicity and cell proliferation assays. Subsequently, hBMSCs were treated with the appropriate concentration of TgEP. We assessed osteogenic protein markers, including alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Runx2, and Osx, as well as components of the BMP/Smad signaling pathway using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), siRNA interference of hBMSCs, Western blot analysis, and other methods. Furthermore, we created a bone defect model in Sprague-Dawley (SD) male rats and filled the defect areas with the GelMa hydrogel, with or without TgEP. Microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) was employed to analyze the bone parameters of defect sites. H&E, Masson and immunohistochemical staining were used to assess the repair conditions of the defect area.
RESULTS
Our results indicate that TgEP promotes the expression of key osteogenic markers, including ALP, Runx2, and Osx, as well as the activation of Smad1, BMP2, and phosphorylated Smad1/5-crucial elements of the BMP/Smad signaling pathway. Furthermore, in vivo experiments using a bone defect model in rats demonstrated that TgEP markedly promoted bone defect repair.
CONCLUSION
Our results provide compelling evidence that TgEP facilitates hBMSC osteogenic differentiation through the BMP/Smad signaling pathway, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic approach for bone tissue engineering for bone defect healing.
Topics: Mesenchymal Stem Cells; Osteogenesis; Humans; Animals; Signal Transduction; Cell Differentiation; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Male; Toxoplasma; Rats; Smad Proteins; Protozoan Proteins; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; Cells, Cultured
PubMed: 38951811
DOI: 10.1186/s13018-024-04839-0 -
Scientific Reports Jul 2024Pink bollworm (PBW) Pectinophora gossypiella is an important pest cotton worldwide. There are multiple factors which determines the occurrence and distribution of P....
Pink bollworm (PBW) Pectinophora gossypiella is an important pest cotton worldwide. There are multiple factors which determines the occurrence and distribution of P. gossypiella across different cotton growing regions of the world, and one such key factor is 'temperature'. The aim was to analyze the life history traits of PBW across varying temperature conditions. We systematically explored the biological and demographic parameters of P. gossypiella at five distinct temperatures; 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 ± 1 °C maintaining a photoperiod of LD 16:8 h. The results revealed that the total developmental period of PBW shortens with rising temperatures, and the highest larval survival rates were observed between 30 °C and 35 °C, reaching 86.66% and 80.67%, respectively. Moreover, significant impacts were observed as the pupal weight, percent mating success, and fecundity exhibited higher values at 30 °C and 35 °C. Conversely, percent egg hatching, larval survival, and adult emergence were notably lower at 20 °C and 40 °C, respectively. Adult longevity decreased with rising temperatures, with females outliving males across all treatments. Notably, thermal stress had a persistent effect on the F1 generation, significantly affecting immature stages (egg and larvae), while its impact on reproductive potential was minimal. These findings offer valuable insights for predicting the population dynamics of P. gossypiella at the field level and developing climate-resilient management strategies in cotton.
Topics: Animals; Temperature; Larva; Female; Male; Gossypium; Lepidoptera; Fertility; Moths; Longevity; Pupa
PubMed: 38951576
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65241-8 -
Scientific Reports Jul 2024Cartilage tissue engineering aims to develop functional substitutes for treating cartilage defects and osteoarthritis. Traditional two-dimensional (2D) cell culture...
Cartilage tissue engineering aims to develop functional substitutes for treating cartilage defects and osteoarthritis. Traditional two-dimensional (2D) cell culture systems lack the complexity of native cartilage, leading to the development of 3D regenerative cartilage models. In this study, we developed a 3D model using Gelatin Methacryloyl (GelMA)-based hydrogels seeded with Y201 cells, a bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell line. The model investigated chondrogenic differentiation potential in response to Wnt3a stimulation within the GelMA scaffold and validated using known chondrogenic agonists. Y201 cells demonstrated suitability for the model, with increased proteoglycan content and upregulated chondrogenic marker expression under chondrogenic conditions. Wnt3a enhanced cell proliferation, indicating activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, which plays a role in cartilage development. GelMA hydrogels provided an optimal scaffold, supporting cell viability and proliferation. The 3D model exhibited consistent responses to chondrogenic agonists, with TGF-β3 enhancing cartilage-specific extracellular matrix (ECM) production and chondrogenic differentiation. The combination of Wnt3a and TGF-β3 showed synergistic effects, promoting chondrogenic differentiation and ECM production. This study presents a 3D regenerative cartilage model with potential for investigating cartilage biology, disease mechanisms, and drug screening. The model provides insights into complex cartilage regeneration mechanisms and offers a platform for developing therapeutic approaches for cartilage repair and osteoarthritis treatment.
Topics: Wnt3A Protein; Chondrogenesis; Cell Differentiation; Tissue Engineering; Cell Proliferation; Hydrogels; Mesenchymal Stem Cells; Humans; Cartilage; Gelatin; Tissue Scaffolds; Transforming Growth Factor beta3; Cell Line; Extracellular Matrix; Wnt Signaling Pathway; Chondrocytes; Animals
PubMed: 38951570
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65970-w -
Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in... Jul 2024The importance of physical forces in the morphogenesis, homeostatic function, and pathological dysfunction of multicellular tissues is being increasingly characterized,...
The importance of physical forces in the morphogenesis, homeostatic function, and pathological dysfunction of multicellular tissues is being increasingly characterized, both theoretically and experimentally. Analogies between biological systems and inert materials such as foams, gels, and liquid crystals have provided striking insights into the core design principles underlying multicellular organization. However, these connections can seem surprising given that a key feature of multicellular systems is their ability to constantly consume energy, providing an active origin for the forces that they produce. Key emerging questions are, therefore, to understand whether and how this activity grants tissues novel properties that do not have counterparts in classical materials, as well as their consequences for biological function. Here, we review recent discoveries at the intersection of active matter and tissue biology, with an emphasis on how modeling and experiments can be combined to understand the dynamics of multicellular systems. These approaches suggest that a number of key biological tissue-scale phenomena, such as morphogenetic shape changes, collective migration, or fate decisions, share unifying design principles that can be described by physical models of tissue active matter.
PubMed: 38951023
DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041653 -
Journal of Neuropathology and... Jul 2024Keratan sulfate (KS) is a proteoglycan secreted in the fetal brain astrocytes and radial glia into extracellular parenchyma as granulofilamentous deposits. KS surrounds...
Keratan sulfate proteoglycan: putative template for neuroblast migratory and axonal fascicular pathways and fetal expression in globus pallidus, thalamus, and olfactory bulb.
Keratan sulfate (KS) is a proteoglycan secreted in the fetal brain astrocytes and radial glia into extracellular parenchyma as granulofilamentous deposits. KS surrounds neurons except dendritic spines, repelling glutamatergic and facilitating GABAergic axons. The same genes are expressed in both neuroblast migration and axonal growth. This study examines timing of KS during morphogenesis of some normally developing human fetal forebrain structures. Twenty normal human fetal brains from 9-41 weeks gestational age were studied at autopsy. KS was examined by immunoreactivity in formalin-fixed paraffin sections, plus other markers including synaptophysin, S-100β protein, vimentin and nestin. Radial and tangential neuroblast migratory pathways from subventricular zone to cortical plate were marked by KS deposits as early as 9wk GA, shortly after neuroblast migration initiated. During later gestation this reactivity gradually diminished and disappeared by term. Long axonal fascicles of the internal capsule and short fascicles of intrinsic bundles of globus pallidus and corpus striatum also appeared as early as 9-12wk, as fascicular sleeves before axons even entered. Intense KS occurs in astrocytic cytoplasm and extracellular parenchyma at 9wk in globus pallidus, 15wk thalamus, 18wk corpus striatum, 22wk cortical plate, and hippocampus postnatally. Corpus callosum and anterior commissure do not exhibit KS at any age. Optic chiasm shows reactivity at the periphery but not around intrinsic subfasciculi. We postulate that KS forms a chemical template for many long and short axonal fascicles before axons enter and neuroblast migratory pathways at initiation of migration. Cross-immunoreactivity with aggrecan may render difficult molecular distinction.
PubMed: 38950418
DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlae057 -
The Journal of Clinical Investigation Jun 2024Research advances over the past 30 years have confirmed a critical role for genetics in the etiology of dilated cardiomyopathies (DCMs). However, full knowledge of the...
Research advances over the past 30 years have confirmed a critical role for genetics in the etiology of dilated cardiomyopathies (DCMs). However, full knowledge of the genetic architecture of DCM remains incomplete. We identified candidate DCM causal gene, C10orf71, in a large family with 8 patients with DCM by whole-exome sequencing. Four loss-of-function variants of C10orf71 were subsequently identified in an additional group of492 patients with sporadic DCM from 2 independent cohorts. C10orf71 was found to be an intrinsically disordered protein specifically expressed in cardiomyocytes. C10orf71-KO mice had abnormal heart morphogenesis during embryonic development and cardiac dysfunction as adults with altered expression and splicing of contractile cardiac genes. C10orf71-null cardiomyocytes exhibited impaired contractile function with unaffected sarcomere structure. Cardiomyocytes and heart organoids derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells with C10orf71 frameshift variants also had contractile defects with normal electrophysiological activity. A rescue study using a cardiac myosin activator, omecamtiv mecarbil, restored contractile function in C10orf71-KO mice. These data support C10orf71 as a causal gene for DCM by contributing to the contractile function of cardiomyocytes. Mutation-specific pathophysiology may suggest therapeutic targets and more individualized therapy.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated; Mice; Myocytes, Cardiac; Mice, Knockout; Frameshift Mutation; Organoids; Male; Female; Myocardial Contraction; Adult; Disease Models, Animal
PubMed: 38950288
DOI: 10.1172/JCI177172