Effect of the aqueous extract of Ginkgo biloba L., Ginkgoaceae, in induced osteoporosis in Wistar rats

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a 20 day treatment with extract of Ginkgo biloba (EGb) in glucocorticoid-induced-osteoporosis. 36 rats were divided into six groups (n=6): control, osteoporosis, positive control, EGb1 (14 mg EGb/kg/day), EGb2 (28 mg EGb/kg/day) and EGb3 (56 mg EGb/kg/day). Treatments were conducted for twenty days, after osteoporosis was induced. Following euthanasia the femur and mandible of all animals were removed. The left mandible was radiographed to evaluate the cortical and the periodontal bone support (PBS). The histomorphometric analysis was performed on the right mandible and the right femur. The control group was compared with the osteoporosis group (Student's t-test). The other groups were analyzed through ANOVA test followed by Dunnett post-hoc test. There was a significantly reduction in the mesial PBS, in the percentage of the alveolar bone (PAB) of the mandible and percentage of the trabecular bone (PTB) of the femur in the osteoporosis group. There was an increase in the mesial PBS in the positive control group, EGb2 and EGb3. The PAB of the mandible and the PTB of the femur increased in the EGb2 and EGb3 groups. The EGb in the 28 mg/kg and 56 mg/kg doses were effective to increase the mesial PBS, the PAB of the mandible and the PTB of the femur.Este trabalho investigou os efeitos do tratamento por vinte dias com extrato de Ginkgo biloba (EGb) na osteoporose induzida por glicocorticóides. Foram utilizadas 36 ratas divididas em seis grupos (n=6): Controle, osteoporose, controle positivo, EGb1 (14 mg EGb/mg/kg/dia), EGb2 (28 mg EGb/kg/dia) e EGb3 (56 mg EGb/kg/dia). Os tratamentos foram realizados por vinte dias, após a indução da osteoporose. Após a eutanásia foram removidos o fêmur e a mandíbula de todos os animais. A mandíbula esquerda foi radiografada digitalmente para avaliação da cortical e do suporte ósseo periodontal (SOP). A análise histomorfométrica foi realizada no fêmur e mandíbula direitos. O grupo controle foi comparado ao grupo osteoporose (Teste t de Student) e os demais grupos foram submetidos a ANOVA, seguido do teste post-hoc de Dunnett. Houve redução significava do SOP mesial, percentual ósseo alveolar (POA) mandibular, percentual ósseo trabecular (POT) do fêmur no grupo osteoporose. Houve aumento do SOP mesial no grupo controle positivo, EGb2 e EGb3. O POA da mandíbula e o POT do fêmur aumentaram nos grupos EGb2 e EGb3. O EGb nas doses de 28 mg/kg e 56 mg/kg recuperou de forma significativa o SOP mesial, o POA da mandíbula e o POT do fêmur

Disease Severity and Mortality Can Be Independently Regulated in a Mouse Model of Experimental Graft versus Host Disease

<div><p>Graft versus host disease (GVHD) is the major limitation of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) presenting high mortality and morbidity rates. However, the exact cause of death is not completely understood and does not correlate with specific clinical and histological parameters of disease. Here we show, by using a semi-allogeneic mouse model of GVHD, that mortality and morbidity can be experimentally separated. We injected bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDC) from NOD2/CARD15-deficient donors into semi-allogeneic irradiated chimaeras and observed that recipients were protected from death. However, no protection was observed regarding clinical or pathological scores up to 20 days after transplantation. Protection from death was associated with decreased bacterial translocation, faster hematologic recovery and epithelial integrity maintenance despite mononuclear infiltration at day 20 post-GVHD induction with no skew towards different T helper phenotypes. The protected mice recovered from aGVHD and progressively reached scores compatible with healthy animals. Altogether, our data indicate that severity and mortality can be separate events providing a model to study transplant-related mortality.</p></div

NOD2KO BMDC express lower levels of MHC-II when activated.

<p><b>(A)</b> WT or NOD2KO BMDC, generated as indicated in material and methods, were treated with LPS, heat-killed bacteria or peptidoglycan and stained for evaluation of membrane expression of I-A/I-E, CD80, CD86 and CD40. One-way ANOVA with Bonferroni post-test, ***p<0.001. Pooled results from 2 experiments; n = 14 animals per group. <b>(B)</b> BMDC from WT and NOD2KO mice were stained for CD11b, CD11c and Gr1. <b>(C)</b> Real-time quantitative PCR for Arginase1 and iNOS in WT and NOD2KO BMDC. <b>(D)</b> F1 mice were lethally irradiated and received F1 WT BM cells and splenocytes as syngeneic control or WT BM cells and WT purified T cells, along with WT or NOD2KO BMDCs or purified CD11c cells from WT or NOD2KO. *p<0.05. Pooled results from 2 experiments; n = 10 animals per group.</p

Mice that received NOD2KO BMDC developed histopathological progressive protection in skin, colon and liver.

<p>F1 (bxd) mice were lethally irradiated and received F1 WT BM and splenocytes as syngeneic control or B6 WT BM cells and B6 WT purified T cells, along with B6 WT or B6 NOD2KO BMDCs. Histopathology score of colon, liver and skin of animals after <b>(A)</b> 20, <b>(B)</b> 40 and <b>(C)</b> 180 days. <b>(D)</b> Parametric score of skin, colon and liver histopathology. One-way ANOVA with Bonferroni. *p<0.05, **p<0.01 and ***p<0.001. Pooled results from 3 experiments; n = 15 animals per group.</p

NOD2KO bone marrow myeloid cells protect mice from GVHD-related mortality.

<p>F1 (bxd) mice were lethally irradiated and received BM cells (5x10⁶) along with splenocytes (corrected to 5x10⁶ CD3⁺ cells) derived from F1, WT or NOD2KO as indicated (A-B). F1 mice (C57BL/6 x BALB/c) were lethally irradiated and received F1 WT BM cells and splenocytes as syngeneic control or <b>(C)</b> WT BM cells along with WT or NOD2KO purified T cells, <b>(D)</b> WT or NOD2KO BM cells along with WT purified T cells <b>(E)</b>, WT BM cells and purified T cells along with B6 WT or NOD2KO non-T, non-B and non-NK spleen cells (non-LØ), <b>(F)</b> WT BM cells and purified T cells along with WT or NOD2KO non -CD11b, -CD11c, -CD4 and -CD8 spleen cells (non-APC). The results are represented as percent of surviving animals. Pooled results from 2 experiments; n = 10 animals per group. Log-rank test for trend. *p<0,05 and **p<0,01.</p

Mice that received WT or NOD2KO BMDC had lower levels of CCL5 and LPS and higher levels of G-CSF.

<p>F1 (bxd) mice were lethally irradiated and received F1 WT BM cells and splenocytes as syngeneic control or WT BM cells and purified T cells, along with WT or B6 NOD2KO BMDC. Serum of transplanted animals was collected 21 days post transplantation. <b>(A)</b> CCL5 and G-CSF were analyzed by multiplex ELISA. <b>(B)</b> Bone marrow and blood from transplanted animals were collected on day 6 and 20, cytocentrifuged and stained with H&E for differential cell counts, <b>(C)</b> LPS from individual mice was quantified on days 21 and 40 after transplantation using the LAL assay. T test for A and One-way ANOVA with Bonferroni post test for B. *p<0.05, **p<0.01 and ***p<0.001. Pooled results from 2 experiments; n = 10 mice per group.</p

NOD2KO DCs impairs aGVHD mortality.

<p>F1 (bxd) mice were lethally irradiated and received F1 WT BM cells and splenocytes as syngeneic control or WT BM cells and purified T cells, along with WT or NOD2KO BMDCs. <b>(A)</b> Survival and <b>(B)</b> overall GVHD clinical scores are depicted. <b>(C)</b> Weight loss and individual scores for fur, diarrhea, activity and hunching. Log Rank test. *p<0.05. Pooled results from 3 experiments; n = 16 animals per group.</p

NEOTROPICAL ALIEN MAMMALS: a data set of occurrence and abundance of alien mammals in the Neotropics

Biological invasion is one of the main threats to native biodiversity. For a species to become invasive, it must be voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into a nonnative habitat. Mammals were among first taxa to be introduced worldwide for game, meat, and labor, yet the number of species introduced in the Neotropics remains unknown. In this data set, we make available occurrence and abundance data on mammal species that (1) transposed a geographical barrier and (2) were voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into the Neotropics. Our data set is composed of 73,738 historical and current georeferenced records on alien mammal species of which around 96% correspond to occurrence data on 77 species belonging to eight orders and 26 families. Data cover 26 continental countries in the Neotropics, ranging from Mexico and its frontier regions (southern Florida and coastal-central Florida in the southeast United States) to Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay, and the 13 countries of Caribbean islands. Our data set also includes neotropical species (e.g., Callithrix sp., Myocastor coypus, Nasua nasua) considered alien in particular areas of Neotropics. The most numerous species in terms of records are from Bos sp. (n = 37,782), Sus scrofa (n = 6,730), and Canis familiaris (n = 10,084); 17 species were represented by only one record (e.g., Syncerus caffer, Cervus timorensis, Cervus unicolor, Canis latrans). Primates have the highest number of species in the data set (n = 20 species), partly because of uncertainties regarding taxonomic identification of the genera Callithrix, which includes the species Callithrix aurita, Callithrix flaviceps, Callithrix geoffroyi, Callithrix jacchus, Callithrix kuhlii, Callithrix penicillata, and their hybrids. This unique data set will be a valuable source of information on invasion risk assessments, biodiversity redistribution and conservation-related research. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this data paper when using the data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us on how they are using the data