Clones of Ectopic Stem Cells in the Regeneration of Muscle Defects In Vivo

Little is known about whether clones of ectopic, non-muscle stem cells contribute to muscle regeneration. Stem/progenitor cells that are isolated for experimental research or therapeutics are typically heterogeneous. Non-myogenic lineages in a heterogeneous population conceptually may compromise tissue repair. In this study, we discovered that clones of mononucleated stem cells of human tooth pulp fused into multinucleated myotubes that robustly expressed myosin heavy chain in vitro with or without co-culture with mouse skeletal myoblasts (C2C12 cells). Cloned cells were sustainably Oct4+, Nanog+ and Stro1+. The fusion indices of myogenic clones were approximately 16–17 folds greater than their parent, heterogeneous stem cells. Upon infusion into cardio-toxin induced tibialis anterior muscle defects, undifferentiated clonal progenies not only engrafted and colonized host muscle, but also expressed human dystrophin and myosin heavy chain more efficaciously than their parent heterogeneous stem cell populations. Strikingly, clonal progenies yielded ∼9 times more human myosin heavy chain mRNA in regenerating muscles than those infused with their parent, heterogeneous stem cells. The number of human dystrophin positive cells in regenerating muscles infused with clonal progenies was more than ∼3 times greater than muscles infused with heterogeneous stem cells from which clonal progenies were derived. These findings suggest the therapeutic potential of ectopic myogenic clones in muscle regeneration

Angiomyofibroblastoma-Like Tumor of the Scrotum

Various tumors can occur in the scrotum. Of them, angiomyofibroblastoma-like tumors are very rare mesenchymal tumors. Angiomyofibroblastoma-like tumors cannot be easily differentially diagnosed from other malignant tumors invading the male genital tract on the basis of clinical characteristics and imaging study. Therefore, surgical removal and a histopathologic diagnosis must also be performed

The effect of Oligonol intake on cortisol and related cytokines in healthy young men

This study investigated the effects of Oligonol intake on cortisol, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 concentrations in the serum at rest and after physical exercise loading. Nineteen healthy sedentary male volunteers participated in this study. The physical characteristics of the subjects were: a mean height of 174.2 ± 2.7 cm, a mean weight of 74.8 ± 3.6 kg and a mean age of 22.8 ± 1.3 years. Each subject received 0.5 L water with Oligonol (100 mg/day) (n = 10) or a placebo (n = 9) daily for four weeks. The body composition, the white blood cell (WBC) and differential counts as well as the serum cortisol, IL-1β, and IL-6 concentrations were measured before and after Oligonol intake. The cortisol concentration and serum levels of IL-1β and IL-6 after Oligonol intake were significantly decreased compared to before treatment (P < 0.01, respectively). In addition, the rate of increase of these factors after exercise was decreased compared to the placebo group. There was no change in the WBC and differential cell counts. These results suggest that oral Oligonol intake for four weeks had a significant effect on inhibition of inflammatory markers in healthy young men

Early Compliance and Efficacy of Sublingual Immunotherapy in Patients with Allergic Rhinitis for House Dust Mites

Objectives. Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) has recently received much attention around the world as a treatment for allergic rhinitis. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and adverse effects of SLIT in Korean patients with allergic rhinitis caused by house dust mites. The treatment compliance and the patient satisfaction with SLIT were also assessed. Methods. The patients who were sensitized to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae and who started SLIT between November 2007 and July 2008 were included in this study. The symptom questionnaires, which included items on rhinorrhea, sneezing, nasal obstruction, itchy nose, olfactory disturbance, eye discomfort and sleep disturbance, were obtained before and 6 months after SLIT. The patient satisfaction and the adverse effects were also investigated. Results. One hundred forty-two patients started SLIT and 98 of them continued SLIT for 6 months or more. Ninety-two of the 98 patients completed the questionnaires. The duration of receiving SLIT was 9.8 months on average (range, 6 to 13 months). All the symptoms of allergic rhinitis were improved with SLIT. Forty-five percent of the patients were satisfied for SLIT, while 12% were unsatisfied. The incidence of adverse effects was 12% during maintenance therapy, although it was 48% during the up-dosing phase. The drop-out rate of SLIT was 31.0%. Conclusion. The subjective symptoms were improved with SLIT in Korean patients with allergic rhinitis for house dust mites. Yet the drop out rate was high despite of the symptomatic improvement.Roder E, 2008, CLIN EXP ALLERGY, V38, P1659, DOI 10.1111/j.1365-2222.2008.03060.xEsch RE, 2008, CURR OPIN OTOLARYNGO, V16, P260Frew AJ, 2008, NEW ENGL J MED, V358, P2259BOUSQUET J, 2008, ALLERGY S, V86, P8Eifan AO, 2007, ALLERGY, V62, P567, DOI 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2006.01301.xDunsky EH, 2006, ALLERGY, V61, P1235, DOI 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2006.01137.xAntico A, 2006, ALLERGY, V61, P1236, DOI 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2006.01155.xDahl R, 2006, J ALLERGY CLIN IMMUN, V118, P434, DOI 10.1016/j.jaci.2006.05.003Durham SR, 2006, J ALLERGY CLIN IMMUN, V117, P802, DOI 10.1016/j.jaci.2005.12.1358Passlacqua G, 2006, J ALLERGY CLIN IMMUN, V117, P946, DOI 10.1016/j.jaci.2005.12.1312Canonica GW, 2006, ALLERGY, V61, P20PASSALACQUA G, 2006, INFLAMM ALLERGY DRUG, V5, P43RIENZO VD, 2005, CLIN EXP ALLERGY, V35, P560KIM DY, 2004, KOREAN J OTOLARYNGOL, V47, P132WILSON DR, 2003, COCHRANE DB SYST REV, P2893NUHOGLU Y, 2003, J INVESTIG ALLERGOL, V17, P375Lombardi C, 2001, ALLERGY, V56, P989Guez S, 2000, ALLERGY, V55, P369, DOI 10.1034/j.1398-9995.2000.00413.xPurello-D`Ambrosio F, 1999, ALLERGY, V54, P968Pradalier A, 1999, ALLERGY, V54, P819Durham SR, 1996, J ALLERGY CLIN IMMUN, V97, P1356CASANOVAS M, 1994, J INVEST ALLERG CLIN, V4, P305

Protective Immunity Against Challenge Infection with Trichinella spiralis in the Rat

Protective immunity and immune response were studied in rats after primarily infection with Trichinella spiralis. The parameters measured include serum antibody isotype responses, mesenteric lymph node (MLN) cell and spleen cell proliferation responses in vitro, and the levels of interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4 and IL-10 as markers of the T-helper (Th) subset. Protective immunity was assessed by the degree of expulsion of adult worms from the rat intestine. Protective immunity against adult worms after challenge infection was 99.80%. Although IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4 and IL-10 in both the MLNs and spleen were detected, IFN-γ and IL-2 levels were higher in the spleen than in the MLNs, and IL-4 and an increased amount of IL-10 was released in the MLNs as compared to the spleen. The levels of the specific immunoglobulins (Ig) G, IgM, IgG1 and IgG2a on week 6 after primary infection, and on day 7 after challenge infection, were higher as compared to levels in uninfected rats that only received a challenge infection (P ? 0.001), whereas the antibody level of IgG1 was significantly elevated from that of IgG2a (P ? 0.001). These results demonstrate that Th1 type responses predominated. In addition, as Th2 type cytokines were also produced, it is proposed that the protective immunity by primary infection was also related to the Th1 type responses

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

On Stabilization of PVPA/PVA Electrospun Nanofiber Membrane and Its Effect on Material Properties and Biocompatibility

A novel nanofiber membrane was fabricated by electrospinning composed of polyvinyl phosphonic acid (PVPA) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). Stabilization was done due to the high dissolvability of the membrane when in contact with water. Physical treatment was done by exposure to heat at 150°C in a vacuum environment at different periods of time. Chemical crosslinking was done by immersion in methanol and methanol/ glutaraldehyde. A heat-exposed membrane was also further crosslinked chemically. All conditions were compared with regards to its effect on the material properties of the membranes and its biological response in vitro with MG-63 osteoblast-like cell line. Visual examination and dimensional analyses showed that heat treatment produced discoloration on the membrane surface and chemical crosslinking reduced membrane dimensions. Tensile strength and strain improved in crosslinked membranes compared to noncrosslinked counterpart. Swelling and degradation was also investigated and was seen to vary depending on the crosslinking condition. Biocompatibility was observed to be more favorable in heat-treated membranes

Fabrication and characterization of porous poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres for use as a drug delivery system

In this work, Simvastatin (SIM) loaded porous poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres were fabricated using the W/O/W1/W2 double emulsion and solvent evaporation method. The optimal conditions for fabricating porous PLGA microspheres were determined to be 20% distilled water (v/v), 10% PLGA (m/v), and a 4:1 ratio of internal polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to dichloromethane (DCM). The pores size distribution of porous PLGA microspheres was varied from 0.01 to 40 μm, while their particle displayed a bimodal size distribution that had two diameter peaks at around 100 μm and 500 μm. The SIM encapsulation efficacy was found to be very high with a yield near 80% and the porous PLGA microspheres showed the excellent biocompatibility. In addition, the drug release profile was found to be significantly different from a temporal basis. Base on the combined results of this study, SIM loaded PLGA microspheres holds great promise for use in biomedical applications, especially in drug delivery system or tissue regeneration

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of electrospun PCL/PMMA fibrous scaffolds for bone regeneration

Scaffolds were fabricated by electrospinning using polycaprolactone (PCL) blended with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) in ratios of 10/0, 7/3, 5/5 and 3/7. The PCL/PMMA ratio affected the fiber diameter, contact angle, tensile strength and biological in vitro and in vivo properties of the scaffolds, and the 7/3 ratio resulted in a higher mechanical strength than 5/5 and 3/7. In vitro cytotoxicity and proliferation of MG-63 osteoblast cells on these blended scaffolds were examined by MTT assay, and it was found that PCL/PMMA blends are suitable for osteoblast cell proliferation. Confocal images and expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen confirmed the good proliferation and expression of cells on the 7/3 PCL/PMMA fibrous scaffolds. In vivo bone formation was examined using rat models, and bone formation was observed on the 7/3 PCL/PMMA scaffold within 2 months. In vitro and in vivo results suggest that 7/3 PCL/PMMA scaffolds can be used for bone tissue regeneration