Development of a novel mouse model of severe glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD)-deficiency for in vitro and in vivo assessment of hemolytic toxicity to red blood cells.

Studies of hemolytic agents on G6PD-deficient subjects have been extensively performed on red blood cells obtained from donors, only using in vitro methods. However, there has been no adequate G6PD-deficient animal model for in vivo assessment of potentially hemolytic agents. The objective of this study is to establish a novel mouse model of severe G6PD-deficiency, with high susceptibility to hemolytic damage upon oxidative agents.

Ketamine effects on the urogenital system--changes in the urinary bladder and sperm motility.

Different doses of ketamine (10 mg/kg, 20 mg/kg, 30 mg/kg, 40 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, and 60 mg/kg) were injected i.p. (I.

BRE over-expression promotes growth of hepatocellular carcinoma.

BRE, also known as TNFRSF1A modulator and BRCC45, is an evolutionarily highly conserved protein. It is a death receptor-associated protein in cytoplasm and a component of BRCA1/2-containing DNA repair complex in nucleus. BRE was found to have anti-apoptotic activity.

Promoting effects of serotonin on hematopoiesis: ex vivo expansion of cord blood CD34+ stem/progenitor cells, proliferation of bone marrow stromal cells, and antiapoptosis.

Serotonin is a monoamine neurotransmitter that has multiple extraneuronal functions. We previously reported that serotonin exerted mitogenic stimulation on megakaryocytopoiesis mediated by 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)2 receptors. In this study, we investigated effects of serotonin on ex vivo expansion of human cord blood CD34+ cells, bone marrow (BM) stromal cell colony-forming unit-fibroblast (CFU-F) formation, and antiapoptosis of megakaryoblastic M-07e cells.

Astragalus saponins induce growth inhibition and apoptosis in human colon cancer cells and tumor xenograft.

Astragalus memebranaceus is used as immunomodulating agent in treating immunodeficiency diseases and to alleviate the adverse effects of chemotherapeutic drugs. In recent years, it has been proposed that Astragalus may possess anti-tumorigenic potential in certain cancer cell types. In this study, the anti-carcinogenic effects of Astragalus saponin extract were investigated in HT-29 human colon cancer cells and tumor xenograft.

Quantification and characterization of aortic cholesterol in rabbits fed a high-cholesterol diet.

Determination of fat percentage of aortic intimal area stained by Sudan III is useful as an index of atherosclerosis in the rabbit animal model. However, the determination of sudanophilic area of the thoracic aorta is two-dimensional and does not measure the third dimension of depth. The objective of the present study was to quantify and characterize aortic lipids using the gas-liquid chromatographic (GLC) technique and to determine whether elevated measurements of total cholesterol and cholesteryl esters was correlated with increased measurements of sudanophilic area staining of the thoracic aorta in rabbits given either a normal chow or a 1% cholesterol diet.

The role of inducible nitric oxide synthase in gamete interaction and fertilization: a comparative study on knockout mice of three NOS isoforms.

Nitric oxide (NO), which is produced from l-arginine by three isoforms of NO synthase (NOS), has been implicated in reproductive functions. However, the specific role of NOS isoforms in gamete function and fertilization is not clear. Three types of NOS knockout mice were super ovulated and fertilized in vitro and in vivo.

The effect of peripheral resistance on impedance cardiography measurements in the anesthetized dog.

In the vasodilated and septic patient, the impedance method of measuring cardiac output (CO) may underestimate the true value. In this study, we sought to determine whether impedance CO (COIC) measurements are influenced by total peripheral resistance (TPR). In eight anesthetized and ventilated dogs, a high-precision flowprobe was placed on the ascending aorta, and direct CO was measured (CO flowprobe (COFP)).

Platelet-derived growth factor enhances expansion of umbilical cord blood CD34+ cells in contact with hematopoietic stroma.

Stem cell expansion remains an elusive but highly desirable goal. Here we show that platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), along with cultured endothelial or stromal cells, significantly enhances expansion of human CD34+ cells in vitro. In media supplemented with thrombopoietin, stem cell factor, flt-3 ligand, and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, CD34+ cells, as well as CFU-GM, BFU-CFU-E, CFU-GEMM, and CFU-MK, increased by 34.

Preclinical ex vivo expansion of G-CSF-mobilized peripheral blood stem cells: effects of serum-free media, cytokine combinations and chemotherapy.

Objectives: Ex vivo expansion of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF)-mobilized peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) is a promising approach for overcoming the developmental delay of bone marrow (BM) reconstitution after transplantation. This project investigated the effects of culture duration, serum-free media, cytokine combinations, and chemotherapy on the outcomes of expansion.

Methods: Enriched CD34+ cells were cultured for 8 or 10 d in serum-free media (QBSF-60 or X-Vivo 10) and four combinations of cytokines consisting of recombinant human pegylated-megakaryocyte growth and development factor, stem cell factor, flt-3 ligand, G-CSF, interleukin (IL)-6, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and IL-1beta.

Evaluation of impedance based indices of cardiac contractility in dogs.

Objective: Cardiac function can be monitored simply and safely by the impedance method. A number of parameters that reflect cardiac contractility can be derived from the impedance waveform. These include the systolic time ratio (STR), the index of contracticity (IC), the acceleration index (ACI) and the Heather index.

Spontaneous mammary tumors in aging Noble rats.

Noble (Nb) rat strain has been used for the study of hormonal carcinogenesis of mammary and prostate glands, for its susceptibility to develop premalignant lesions as well as carcinomas in these organs by sex hormones. However, background information on the spontaneously developed mammary tumors in this rat strain is scarce. We report on the incidence rate, latency period and histopathology of mammary tumors spontaneously developed in the senile intact and untreated Nb rats compared with those induced by either combined treatments with sex steroids or 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) in the same rat strain.

Differential incorporation of conjugated linoleic acid isomers into egg yolk lipids.

The incorporation pattern of conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) isomers into the egg yolk of hens in relation to that in the diet was studied. Silver-ion high-performance liquid chromatography (Ag-HPLC) was used to separate individual CLA isomers. It was found that the isomeric distribution pattern in the egg yolk lipids was different from that in the dietary fat.

Platelet-derived growth factor promotes ex vivo expansion of CD34+ cells from human cord blood and enhances long-term culture-initiating cells, non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient repopulating cells and formation of adherent cells.

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is a major mitogen for connective tissue cells. In this study, we investigated the effects and mechanism of PDGF on the ex vivo expansion of cord blood CD34+ cells. Our data demonstrated that among various cytokine combinations of thrombopoietin (TPO), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1beta), IL-3, IL-6 and Flt-3 ligand (Flt-3L), TPO + IL-6 + Flt-3L was most efficient in promoting the expansion of CD34+ cells, CD34+CD38- cells, mixed-lineage colony-forming units (CFU-GEMM) and long-term culture-initiating cells (LTC-IC) by 21.

Mushroom-derived preparations in the prevention of H2O2-induced oxidative damage to cellular DNA.

Aqueous extracts of the sporophores of eight mushroom species were assessed for their ability to prevent H2O2-induced oxidative damage to cellular DNA using the single-cell gel electrophoresis ("Comet") assay. The highest genoprotective effects were obtained with cold (20 degrees C) and hot (100 degrees C) water extracts of Agaricus bisporus and Ganoderma lucidum fruit bodies, respectively. No protective effects were observed with Mushroom Derived Preparations (MDPs) from Flammulina velutipes, Auricularia auricula, Hypsizygus marmoreus, Lentinula edodes, Pleurotus sajor-caju, and Volvariella volvacea.

Hawthorn fruit is hypolipidemic in rabbits fed a high cholesterol diet.

The present study examined the hypolipidemic activity of hawthorn fruit. New Zealand white rabbits were fed one of three diets, a reference diet with no cholesterol added (NC), a high cholesterol diet (1 g/100 g, HC) and a HC diet supplemented with 2 g/100 g hawthorn fruit powder (HC-H). After 12 wk, serum total cholesterol (TC) and triacylglycerols (TG) were 23.