The anabolic effect of inorganic polyphosphate on chondrocytes is mediated by calcium signalling.

Inorganic polyphosphates (polyP) are polymers composed of phosphate residues linked by energy-rich phosphoanhydride bonds. As polyP can bind calcium, the hypothesis of this study is that polyP enters chondrocytes and exerts its anabolic effect by calcium influx through calcium channels. PolyP treatment of cartilage tissue formed in 3D culture by bovine chondrocytes showed an increase in proteoglycan accumulation but only when calcium was also present at a concentration of 1.

The presence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in men with chronic prostatitis.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to evaluate the frequency of occurrence of Chlamydia trachomatis (C.t.) DNA in the prostate material in the group of individuals with the chronic prostatitis.

An expanded population of CD34+ cells from frozen banked umbilical cord blood demonstrate tissue repair mechanisms of mesenchymal stromal cells and circulating angiogenic cells in an ischemic hind limb model.

Peripheral vascular disease affects ~20 % of the population over 50 years of age and is a complication of type 2 diabetes. Cell therapy studies revealed that cells from older or diabetic donors have a reduced capacity to induce tissue repair compared to healthy and younger cells. This fact greatly impedes the use of autologous cells for treatment.

Identification of genes expressed by immune cells of the colon that are regulated by colorectal cancer-associated variants.

A locus on human chromosome 11q23 tagged by marker rs3802842 was associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) in a genome-wide association study; this finding has been replicated in case-control studies worldwide. In order to identify biologic factors at this locus that are related to the etiopathology of CRC, we used microarray-based target selection methods, coupled to next-generation sequencing, to study 103 kb at the 11q23 locus. We genotyped 369 putative variants from 1,030 patients with CRC (cases) and 1,061 individuals without CRC (controls) from the Ontario Familial Colorectal Cancer Registry.

The effect of umbilical cord blood cells on outcomes after experimental traumatic spinal cord injury.

Study Design: A cytokine expression profile of umbilical cord blood (UCB) derived multipotential stem cells (MPSC) was produced. We then transplanted MPSCs into a rat model of spinal cord injury (SCI) and assessed neurologic function as well as spinal cord histology.

Objective: To determine if MPSCs transplanted into a rat model of acute SCI would lead to a beneficial neurologic effect.

Control of vertebrate skeletal mineralization by polyphosphates.

Background: Skeletons are formed in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and compositions of organic and mineral components. Many invertebrate skeletons are constructed from carbonate or silicate minerals, whereas vertebrate skeletons are instead composed of a calcium phosphate mineral known as apatite. No one yet knows why the dynamic vertebrate skeleton, which is continually rebuilt, repaired, and resorbed during growth and normal remodeling, is composed of apatite.

Neural progenitors, neurons and oligodendrocytes from human umbilical cord blood cells in a serum-free, feeder-free cell culture.

We have previously demonstrated that lineage negative cells (Lin(neg)) from umbilical cord blood (UCB) develop into multipotent cells capable of differentiation into bone, muscle, endothelial and neural cells. The objective of this study was to determine the optimal conditions required for Lin(neg) UCB cells to differentiate into neuronal cells and oligodendrocytes. We demonstrate that early neural stage markers (nestin, neurofilament, A2B5 and Sox2) are expressed in Lin(neg) cells cultured in FGF4, SCF, Flt3-ligand reprogramming culture media followed by the early macroglial cell marker O4.

Identification and analysis of in vitro cultured CD45-positive cells capable of multi-lineage differentiation.

We report on a subset of cells that co-purify with CD45-positive/Lineage minus (CD45(pos)/Lin(minus)) hematopoietic cells that are capable of in vitro differentiation into multi-potential cells including cells with neuroectoderm properties. Although these cells are CD45 positive and have properties similar to CD45-negative mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPC) derived from bone marrow (BM), they are neither hematopoietic cells nor mesenchymal cells. These CD45(pos)/Lin(minus) cells can be expanded in vitro, express the stem cell genes Oct-4 and Nanog and can be induced to differentiate into endothelial cells, osteoblasts, muscle cells and neural cells at frequencies similar to those reported for bone marrow mesenchymal cells.

Effect of a statin on an in vitro model of endometriosis.

Objective: To determine the inhibitory effect of a statin on angiogenesis in a three-dimensional (3-D) culture of human endometrial fragments in vitro. Angiogenesis has been proposed as an important mechanism in the pathogenesis of endometriosis, and statins (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors) have been shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic activity.

Design: Experimental in vitro study of human endometrial biopsies and 3-D culture in fibrin matrix.

Subclinical prostatic inflammation attributable to Chlamydia trachomatis in a patient with prostate cancer.

Chronic inflammation has long been linked to cancers with an infectious etiology. Subclinical intraprostatic inflammation is a frequent finding in prostatic specimens obtained during surgical procedures. Recent studies using biomolecular (amplification) methods showed that the incidence of cryptic bacterial infections of prostate gland may be underestimated.

[Role of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in the pathology of male urogenital tract].

Based on literature data, the authors have presented the informations on epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical picture, diagnostics and treatment of Chlamydia trachomatis urogenital infections in men.

Nicotine-induced Disturbances of Meiotic Maturation in Cultured Mouse Oocytes: Alterations of Spindle Integrity and Chromosome Alignment.

We investigated whether nicotine exposure in vitro of mouse oocytes affects spindle and chromosome function during meiotic maturation (M-I and M-II). Oocytes in germinal vesicle (GV) stage were cultured in nicotine for 8 h or for 16 h, to assess effects in M-I and in metaphase II (M-II). The latter culture setting used the three protocols: 8 h nicotine then 8 h medium (8N + 8M); 16 h nicotine (16N); 8 h medium then 8 h nicotine (8M + 8N).

Three-dimensional in vitro culture of endometrial explants mimics the early stages of endometriosis.

Objective: To reproduce the earliest phases of endometriosis using a new in vitro model in which cells from a cultured endometrial fragment can proliferate, invade, reconstitute new endometrial-like tissue, and generate blood vessels.

Design: Experimental in vitro study.

Setting: A hospital-based academic research institute.

Effects of chilling to 0 degrees C on the morphology of meiotic spindles in human metaphase II oocytes.

Objective: To determine the effects of chilling to 0 degrees C on the meiotic spindle of human metaphase II oocytes, as observed by optical sectioning microscopy.

Design: Laboratory study.

Setting: Academic research laboratory in a medical school.

Correlations between two markers of sperm DNA integrity, DNA denaturation and DNA fragmentation, in fertile and infertile men.

Objective: To evaluate two different assays of human sperm DNA integrity, DNA denaturation (DD) and DNA fragmentation (DF), and to correlate these with standard semen parameters.

Design: Prospective, observational study.

Setting: University infertility clinic.

Detection of benzo(a)pyrene diol epoxide-DNA adducts in sperm of men exposed to cigarette smoke.

Objective: To determine whether the adducts formed when benzo(a)pyrene, a diol epoxide derivative, binds covalently to DNA (BPDE-DNA adducts) are detectable in the sperm of men who smoke cigarettes.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: The Toronto Hospital IVF-ET program.

Detection of benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide-DNA adducts in embryos from smoking couples: evidence for transmission by spermatozoa.

Tobacco smoking is deleterious to reproduction. Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) is a potent carcinogen in cigarette smoke. Its reactive metabolite induces DNA-adducts, which can cause mutations.

Immunodetection of benzo[a]pyrene adducts in ovarian cells of women exposed to cigarette smoke.

Benzo[a]-pyrene (B[a]P) is a potent mutagen and carcinogen present in cigarettes. We report here on immunodetection and quantification of B[a]P-DNA adducts in granulosa-lutein cells of patients undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer, who were exposed to cigarette smoke. Follicular fluids (FF) and granulosa-lutein cells were obtained from the same follicular aspirate from 32 women self-reported as active smokers, passive smokers, or non-smokers.

Immunodetection of cotinine protein in granulosa-lutein cells of women exposed to cigarette smoke.

Objective: To detect immunoreactivity to cotinine protein, a major metabolite of nicotine, in granulosa-lutein cells from patients exposed to cigarette smoke, as measured by levels of cotinine in follicular fluid (FF) samples.

Design: Controlled immunocytochemical study.

Setting: Hospital IVF-ET program treating infertile patients.